Secret Tales of the Masks

"Hata no Kawakatsu's mask?"

Hearing Hata no Michikiyo's words, Miketsu paused. The first thing that came to her mind was Qin Xin, who was staying in the small building within the Secret Realm. She shared the Hata surname and was a mask yokai; could there be a connection to these so-called Hata no Kawakatsu's masks?

"Hata no Kawakatsu? Is he your ancestor?" Miketsu asked tentatively.

"Yes. Hundreds of years ago, Kawakatsu was the head of our clan shortly after we crossed over to this land from the Tang Dynasty via Baekje. He was the key figure who allowed our clan to establish a foothold and flourish here in the Eastern Land," Hata no Michikiyo replied, stroking his short beard.

"Ancestor Kawakatsu held a high position and enjoyed the deep trust of Prince Shotoku, the powerful figure of the Eastern Provinces at that time. Legend has it that Prince Shotoku personally crafted masks as gifts for Kawakatsu. Deeply grateful, Kawakatsu also crafted various masks to return to the Prince. However, the Prince found Kawakatsu's masks so exquisitely life-like that he could not bear to accept them. Thus, Kawakatsu kept those masks in his home and passed them down to future generations."

Prince Shotoku? Another figure from centuries ago... Miketsu thought to herself before speaking again.

"Then... could it be that there's something wrong with the masks Hata no Kawakatsu made? Did they turn into yokai?"

"Yes... Lord Hao is correct. Because the masks were carved so lifelike, they gradually developed spiritual awareness over time and eventually transformed into yokai. At first, no one in the clan noticed. It wasn't until about a century ago that a Hata clan head became enchanted by them. He stayed with the masks day and night, forgetting to eat or sleep, and refused to see any outsiders..."

"Enchanted? You mean he was bewitched by the masks?" Miketsu asked with curiosity.

"That is likely the case. In short, that clan head's personality changed drastically because of the masks. He became unpredictable—sometimes violent, sometimes gentle, sometimes ecstatic, and sometimes grief-stricken... Just as the clansmen thought he had fallen deep into evil and were preparing to have an Onmyoji perform an exorcism, he suddenly left home and vanished mysteriously," he said, slowly recounting the tales told by his elders.

"Vanished... Did he not say where he was going?"

"No. He said goodbye to no one except his daughter. He just left like that, leaving behind those ominous masks. While the clan was discussing whether to seal them, something even more shocking happened. The old Hata residence turned into a ghost realm overnight..." Michikiyo's expression and voice grew solemn, causing Miketsu to frown.

"A ghost realm...?"

"Exactly. Shortly after the clan head left, everyone in that mansion lost contact with the outside world. Anyone who stepped inside never returned..." Michikiyo lowered his voice to a whisper.

"In that case, you don't know what happened inside or what it looks like now?" Miketsu said after a moment's thought.

"You could say that... Since it became a ghost realm, there has been no news from those inside. Those who went to look never came back. The Onmyoryo, which had just been established then, sent several Onmyoji inside, but the result was the same. Only one from the second group barely managed to escape—the strongest among them. Even so, he was deranged and incoherent, only muttering... 'Masks, masks, masks...' It was because of his rambling that we on the outside finally knew where the problem lay." Michikiyo's tone was heavy with sorrow; the incident clearly dealt a heavy blow to the clan.

"At the time, no one expected that a legacy left by an ancestor would turn into such a terrible calamity. Fortunately, the calamity showed no sign of spreading, so it was ultimately designated as a sealed area, remaining so to this day..."

After hearing this, Miketsu fell into deep thought. According to Michikiyo, the yokai should be the masks made by Hata no Kawakatsu, likely Tsukumogami like Qin Xin. But for a Tsukumogami to be this powerful seemed excessive. Was there something special about Kawakatsu's masks? Did he not make them as ordinary masks from the start?

"By the way, according to you, there should be two sets of masks—one carved by Kawakatsu and another by Prince Shotoku. Since Kawakatsu's masks were left behind as family heirlooms, what about the masks from the Prince?" Miketsu asked suddenly.

"That... legend has it the ancestor only left his own masks. The Prince's masks were kept by the Prince himself and disappeared completely after the ancestor's passing." Michikiyo thought back but found no further legends regarding the Prince's masks.

"Nowhere to be found..." Miketsu pondered. Michikiyo's words sparked a connection in her mind. Just as she was about to delve deeper, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Lord Michikiyo! Lord Michikiyo!"

Just then, a shrine miko ran frantically toward the honden, gasping for air as she reached Michikiyo.

"What is the matter that you are in such a hurry?" Michikiyo asked sternly. The miko took several deep breaths before speaking.

"Lord Michikiyo, the Madam... Lady Sachiko has just arrived at the shrine!"

"What!" Michikiyo was startled, regaining his composure only after a few seconds.

"Go look after Sachiko first. I will be there immediately."

"Yes!" The miko ran back. Michikiyo turned to Miketsu apologetically.

"My apologies, Lord Hao. My wife has suddenly come up the mountain. I must go look after her. Please excuse me..."

"Your wife? Is she ill?" Miketsu asked, puzzled. A healthy adult shouldn't need such fuss just for climbing a hill.

"No... it's not an illness. Sachiko... she is currently with child."

Miketsu was momentarily stunned.

What? A pregnant woman climbing Mount Inari?

...

Before the Torii gate of the Inari Shrine, several servants and miko were supporting an elegant woman in her early thirties. Dressed in casual clothes with light makeup, she walked step by step up the Sando toward the Haiden. Though her clothes were loose, the bulge of her belly was clearly visible.

"Sachiko... didn't I tell you to rest well at home? Why have you come here?"

"I suddenly thought today that I haven't prayed to Inari Okami for blessings since I've had this child. The weather was nice, so I came up the mountain."

Michikiyo hurried forward, taking the woman's hand from the servant and asking with great concern. She responded warmly.

Miketsu stood at a distance, frowning as she watched the woman enter the shrine. She seemed to be contemplating something.

"What is it, Lady Uka? Is there something wrong with the head priest's wife?" Standing beside her in the divine realm, Tsuruha asked curiously.

"Ah... it's not the woman, but the child in her womb. That child gives me an indescribable feeling... a sense of... familiarity..." Miketsu spoke slowly, confused by her own words. Feeling familiar with an unborn child shouldn't be possible, yet the feeling was undeniable.

Suddenly, Miketsu seemed to think of something. She activated her causality vision. Seeing the scene before her, she breathed a long sigh of relief.

Within the countless causality lines intersecting the world, a very thin thread emerged from the woman's womb and connected to Miketsu. Seeing this thread, Miketsu understood the whole story.

The child the woman was carrying was the miko named Kikyo, whom she and Byakuren had rescued. Byakuren had used a strand of her own hair as an offering to guide the miko through the Underworld, which had entwined the girl with Miketsu's causality.

Under the pull of the Thread of Causality, Kikyo had actually been reincarnated into the family of hereditary priests who served Miketsu!