The Shattered Masks

"Puppets? What is this brat of an Onmyoji talking about!?" Hearing Miketsu’s words, the masks floating in the air began to spin even faster. The demonic energy clinging to them grew more intense, as if hurling their interrogation at her in physical waves.

"What am I saying? My meaning should be obvious. You can't possibly believe that you are the masterminds behind everything in this manor, can you? In essence, you are no different from the restless dead here. Perhaps a step up, but not by much."

Faced with the swarm of masks, Miketsu’s tone carried a faint trace of mockery. This gesture undoubtedly enraged the masks.

"Those people were all killed by us! How dare you compare us to them! We are the Menreiki—yokai born from the very masks of Hata no Kawakatsu!"

The voices of the masks roared in unison, as if all the different emotions they represented had converged into a singular, burning anger. Facing their wrath, Miketsu simply continued to smile.

"What you call 'Menreiki' are tsukumogami formed after masks have endured through centuries. While you may have been Hata no Kawakatsu’s masks, right now, you are most certainly not tsukumogami."

"Don’t be ridiculous... We are not tsukumogami? Heh... and how exactly would you know that!?" The Fox Mask spoke up, its voice slow and eerie.

"Because of her, of course." As she spoke, Miketsu slowly pulled Qin Xin—now in her fox mask form—from her sleeve. The moment Qin Xin appeared before them, the other masks froze as if they were looking at something impossible.

"That... what is that!?"

"This mask... where did it come from?"

"What on earth is that thing?"

Seeing Qin Xin sent a wave of panic through the floating masks. It was as if they could sense how special she was but couldn't quite grasp what she represented.

"Weren't you supposedly the tsukumogami born from Hata no Kawakatsu’s masks? How could you not recognize her? She is something intimately connected to your very birth..."

"She is the Mask of Prince Shotoku. She was carved by Prince Shotoku himself and gifted to Hata no Kawakatsu. She spent a very long time alongside you when Kawakatsu was still alive. She recognized you the moment she saw you... so why don't you recognize her?" Miketsu spoke softly as she held up Qin Xin for them to see. After hearing her words, the masks cried out in a confused flurry, darting frantically around the room.

When Miketsu had earlier heard Hata no Michikiyo explain the origin of the Kawakatsu masks, he had mentioned a counterpart set: the Masks of Prince Shotoku. Hata no Kawakatsu once owned both. The Kawakatsu set was passed down as a family heirloom within the Hata Clan, but the Prince Shotoku set vanished after his death. Hearing this, Miketsu immediately thought of Qin Xin—the mask with the Hata family name that Matara Okina had given her.

After seeking out Qin Xin and having a brief, unique exchange with her, Miketsu confirmed that she was indeed the Mask of Prince Shotoku. The name 'Qin Xin' had been given to her by Hata no Kawakatsu himself. In her distant and fuzzy memories, there were impressions of the Kawakatsu masks. This was why Miketsu had brought her along, hoping she might be of some assistance. Sure enough, Qin Xin had detected something wrong the moment they first encountered these masks.

In fact, once she confirmed Qin Xin was the Prince Shotoku set, a question arose: Qin Xin and the Kawakatsu masks were from the same era and had existed for the same amount of time. Theoretically, their power levels should be comparable. Yet, rumor had it that the Kawakatsu masks had demonstrated strength equivalent to a Great Yokai nearly a century ago. That was highly unusual. It suggested that whatever caused the tragedy at the Hata residence might not have been the masks themselves.

Miketsu's main reason for bringing Qin Xin was to verify the state of the Kawakatsu masks. True to Qin Xin's assessment, their condition was bizarre. They were not tsukumogami in the usual sense, but rather puppets corrupted and controlled by some other unknown power.

"We are not the mask's tsukumogami... then what are we!?"

"No! No! Everything is wrong!"

"We... we are... the dead..."

"The ones who are already dead..."

At that moment, the masks floating in the room began to crash around mindlessly, muttering to themselves as they slammed into the ground and floorboards. They didn't want to believe Miketsu, yet they had no choice but to accept her words. Like the restless spirits whose illusions she had previously shattered, the vanity in their eyes was quickly being stripped away. Their demonic power dissipated rapidly until almost nothing remained. Amidst the vanishing demonic fire, the six oversized visages disappeared, and six items fell from the air.

They were six ordinary-sized masks, identical in design to those that had been floating earlier. Now lying quietly on the floor, they were lifeless and motionless. Each mask was marred by a large, deep crack; some had even been split in half.

In this state, they were no different from the dead servants who had been unmasked and revealed earlier...

"These... these are the Masks of Hata no Kawakatsu? They’ve all been destroyed like this. Who could have done this..." Tsuruha stared in shock at the severely damaged masks on the floor, speaking in disbelief. Although Miketsu had anticipated this, she hadn't told Tsuruha because it had only been a guess. Now, that guess had been proven correct.

"The one responsible for this is, of course, the true culprit of it all—the actual monster hiding in this room..." Miketsu spoke while slowly turning around to look at the girl standing behind her.

The girl’s eyes were wide, her face a mask of terror. She was clutching a Koomote mask to her chest, her body trembling violently as if she were terrified of something.

"It’s just been exposed once more... is there any need to be so afraid? Everyone in this manor died by your hand. You destroyed and manipulated the Kawakatsu masks, and in the end, you even toyed with their souls so they couldn't even return as vengeful spirits for revenge... So what, exactly, are you so afraid of?"

Staring at the shivering girl, Miketsu spoke unhurriedly. With every word she uttered, the girl’s face grew darker, and her tremors became even more severe.

By this point, the identity of the mastermind was becoming clear. The daughter of the Hata clan head was the mutual friend of the Kawakatsu masks. She was the common link between the clan head, the masks, and the people of the manor. From any angle, she was the primary suspect.

"No, that’s not it... It wasn't me... It wasn't me! I didn't do it! None of this was my doing! I didn't kill them! I didn't kill Father!" Hearing Miketsu’s words, the girl shrieked while clutching the Koomote mask and shaking.

'Well... her mental state certainly seems unstable,' Miketsu thought, her brow furrowing slightly. The girl’s extreme reaction was somewhat unexpected. Just as Miketsu was wondering why, the girl suddenly started screaming again.

"It was a demon! A black demon! She did everything! She killed everyone! It was her... not me!"