Within the mansion, thick with demonic energy, a skeleton wobbled along, its steps uneven as it trudged forward. Miketsu and Tsuruha followed a short distance behind.
“I’m impressed it can lead the way even without a shred of self-awareness,” Miketsu remarked, her curiosity piqued as she watched the servant’s skeleton ahead.
“In life, this man was a servant tasked with serving others,” Tsuruha explained from beside Miketsu. “Even in death, he has been forced to play this role for nearly a century by the yokai’s delusion. Following orders has likely become an ingrained instinct.”
“I see. How tragic...” Miketsu nodded, continuing to follow the skeleton with Tsuruha. Along the way, they truly grasped the staggering scale of the old Hata residence. Miketsu was certain this estate was significantly larger than the Fujiwara estate back in Heian-kyo; at times, it gave her the illusion of having stepped into the Greater Imperial Palace itself.
She couldn't help but wonder: Why did the Hata clan build such a massive estate? Could it be that they really were descendants of the First Emperor, as they claimed? Did they have a trace of a obsession with grand monuments in their bloodline?
As Miketsu pondered this, they covered a fair distance. She noticed the surrounding buildings becoming sparse, and the smooth stone paths began to sprout weeds. Unbeknownst to them, they had wandered into a remote corner of the ancient estate.
Eventually, the skeletal servant stopped beside a small, semi-abandoned courtyard overgrown with tangled trees and wild grass. Inside this little courtyard stood a somewhat dilapidated small building, its condition a stark contrast to the well-maintained state of most of the manor.
Wait... the Hata patriarch’s favorite young daughter lived in a place like this?
Surveying the scene, Miketsu suddenly seemed to recall something. She rubbed her chin for a moment, then gave a quick nod to the skeletal attendant standing vacantly nearby before walking straight ahead with Tsuruha.
“Thanks.”
“...” The skeleton stared blankly with hollow eye sockets as Miketsu and Tsuruha entered the worn building.
Miketsu stood at the doorway. Peering through the tattered paper windows riddled with holes, she saw the scene inside. The girl she had seen earlier—dressed in white robes with a floral pattern and bare feet—sat alone on a chair, clutching a small mask. The fox-masked man who had been standing beside her was nowhere to be seen.
“Pardon the intrusion~”
Miketsu pushed the door open. The girl in the chair seemed startled; her whole body shrunk back slightly into the chair, her eyes reflecting a hint of panic as she clutched the mask in her arms even tighter.
“Who... who are you...?” the girl asked, her voice trembling with shock as she looked at Miketsu and Tsuruha.
“I am an Onmyoji from the capital, and this is my shikigami. I’ve come to investigate the abnormalities occurring in this mansion. You... are the daughter of the Hata patriarch, the master of this house, right?” Miketsu spoke calmly, looking at the girl who seemed so shy and fearful.
“Yes, Father is indeed the master of this house. Do you have business with us? Master Onmyoji...” The girl nodded, her eyes still clouded with suspicion.
“I’ve come to ask you a few things regarding the yokai in this manor. First, could you tell me where all your friends have gone?” As she spoke, Miketsu scanned the empty room, which was almost devoid of furniture.
“Fox... Baba... and Ohtobide... they were all just by my side. But a moment ago, they suddenly vanished. They said they were going to get rid of intruders. I feel like they’ve suddenly become so frightening, not at all like they used to be...” the girl said, her voice small and hesitant.
“Don’t let them trick you! Those things are monsters—Tsukumogami formed from masks! You must always be on your guard against them!” Tsuruha interrupted. As a spirit beast and divine messenger, she instinctively detested yokai. In her eyes, the girl before them was a deceased soul deluded by those mask monsters.
“Yokai... I know they are yokai. But—but they are very good to me. That shouldn't be a problem, right...?”
“Don’t trust them. They are only deluding you and using you. Perhaps you aren't aware yourself, but you are already one of the deceased! Those yokai slaughtered everyone in this estate and then used their demonic arts to play with your souls!” Tsuruha continued, already treating the girl as a corpse manipulated by the masks of Hata no Kawakatsu.
“Is... is that true? No wonder... sometimes things feel a bit strange... Are Ohtobide and the others... truly hurting people?” The girl whispered, a hint of horror in her voice. Miketsu’s brow furrowed slightly at the sight.
“Good. As long as you believe us. Now, can you tell us where those masks came from?” Tsuruha breathed a sigh of relief at the girl’s reaction. She then continued her questioning, believing that her goal, along with Miketsu’s, was to uncover where the true bodies of these Tsukumogami were hidden.
“Those masks... are heirlooms passed down from our clan's ancestor. They were the things Father loved most. He was deeply obsessed with them, especially after my older brothers died one after another in accidents. He eventually reached a point where he stopped eating or drinking, and everyone in the clan was worried about him. One day, Father told me he had to go away for a long, long time. So that I could remember him better, I asked him to give me the masks before he left. Father, who loved me dearly, agreed as always and left them for me.” The girl recounted slowly, as if wandering through her memories.
“At first, those masks were quite normal. But later, for some reason, they gradually started to speak. They could even fly and transform into humans. Gradually, they became my friends.
“I remember one time they told me that if others in the household were speaking ill of me behind my back or disobeying the rules Father set, they would go and teach them a lesson for me. It worked very well, and everyone returned to their proper places. Though for some reason, since that time, the house has grown quieter and quieter... until today.”
The girl finished speaking and fell into silence. The room became eerily still.
“It seems... those masks are indeed the problem. Everyone continues to be unknowingly manipulated by them even after death...” Tsuruha mused. Everything now pointed to the masks of Hata no Kawakatsu being the root cause. If they could deal with the masks, the abnormality of this estate could be resolved.
“Now that those masks have vanished, do you know where they can be found? Ideally, where their original forms are.” After a pause, Tsuruha continued questioning the girl. The girl thought for a moment before replying.
“As for that... I think I know. There is one place where you might find them...”
“Oh? Where is it?”
“It’s...”
Just as the girl was about to answer, the room suddenly surged with demonic energy. Six orbs of fire ignited out of thin air in the center of the room.
“No need to search! We are right here!”
With that arrogant shout, six massive, various masks manifested from the flames. They began to circle Miketsu and the others, their expressive eyes fixed glare upon them.
“We’ve come for our revenge, Onmyoji!”
“To treat us like that before... how hateful...”
“You won’t escape this time. We are far stronger than before!”
“Sink into a permanent delusion along with the others in this manor... Onmyoji...”
The masks circled Miketsu and her companion, chattering in their various tones as always. The girl in the chair stood up in terror, while Tsuruha took a defensive stance, ready for battle.
“Everyone... are you really malicious yokai?”
“Vile Tsukumogami! I’ll wipe you all out here and now!”
Unlike the reactions of the girl and Tsuruha, Miketsu watched the masks circling with their trailing demonic energy without moving to attack. Instead, the corners of her mouth curled up into a faint smile.
“Heh heh... truly absurd...”
“What are you laughing at, Onmyoji?!” The masks grew confused. Among them, the Ohtobide mask spoke directly.
But Miketsu answered loudly.
“I’m laughing at how all of you act so arrogant at every moment, flaunting your power, when in reality you are nothing but mere puppets..."
“You mock the deceased trapped here in delusion, but the truth is... you are no different from them.”
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