On the Sanzu River, shrouded in black clouds, the water churned and boiled violently beneath a small pool of strange liquid overflowing with divine power. Great plumes of steam rose as the giant remains, constructed entirely of skeletal corpses that had been standing in the river, wailed and disintegrated in the boiling water. Dozens of faint, ghostly purple lights flickered around a broken torii gate standing on the river's surface.
These lights were dozens of purple clouds emitting an ethereal glow. Atop these many clouds stood countless figures dressed in black and white.
Those in black wore robes, hats, and masks, carrying black scythes; those in white wore clothes, crowns, and masks, carrying white banners. These were the shinigami of the Underworld. They operated in pairs—one black and one white—the standard configuration for the Underworld's reapers. The black shinigami were responsible for ending lifespans and slaying evil, while the white shinigami summoned souls and guided them to the afterlife. Standing atop the purple clouds, the shinigami peered through the eye-slits of their masks, gazing intently at the broken torii gate surrounded at the center.
Within that torii, the massive Three-Eyed Spider was contorting its body in a painful struggle. At this moment, its frame was pierced and bound by several thick iron chains. These chains extended to the purple clouds surrounding it. Atop those clouds, alongside the shinigami, stood several oni. These giants were seven or eight meters tall, clad in heavy armor with sake gourds hanging from their waists. They had red faces, protruding fangs, and twin horns on their heads. They gripped the ends of the chains with their hands, restraining the prisoner with a colossal strength that no mortal could match. They were the oni of the yokai race. Because of their immense strength and ability to adapt to the Underworld, many of their kin were employed by the Underworld as executioners and jailers. Under the restraint of the chains they held, the Three-Eyed Spider had no chance of escape.
Seeing that they had successfully apprehended the Three-Eyed Spider, who had once been an Enma, the shinigami and oni atop the purple clouds breathed a collective sigh of relief. Immediately afterward, they turned in one direction. Facing the petite figure standing suspended in the air, the shinigami and oni, following their leaders' example, bowed in unison and spoke with profound respect.
"We pay our respects to Uka-no-Kami!"
Hearing that ancient title echoing in her ears, Enma Ai, held in the deity's arms, remained expressionless. She looked up at the smiling face just inches away and murmured mechanically, "Uka-no-Kami... You, you are actually... a celestial god...?"
The voices of countless shinigami and oni echoed over the Sanzu River. The Three-Eyed Spider, who had been howling and struggling in its painful bonds, froze upon hearing that name. Its eyes widened as it stood paralyzed. A moment later, its remaining two eyes rolled upward mechanically, looking toward a point in the sky where all the shinigami and oni were currently bowing.
Hearing the collective greeting descending from the heavens, the Three-Eyed Spider's thoughts came to a grinding halt. As it slowly regained its senses, it spoke in a trembling voice. "Uka... no-Kami? Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami!?"
Seeing the girl who had just been confronting it now being addressed by such a title, the horror surging in the Three-Eyed Spider's heart made it completely forget the pain of the thick iron chains piercing its body. Realizing that it had not run into some mere messenger of the Underworld, but a genuine celestial god of transcendent status, the Three-Eyed Spider was overcome by an unspeakable sense of regret and dread. Witnessing the authority that truly governed all living things, all the intense emotions within the Three-Eyed Spider eventually transformed into a single plea. It let out a wailing cry toward the figure in the sky.
"Uka-sama! Please forgive my blind arrogance! For the sake of my original intention, which was to ensure the peace of the human realm—"
The Three-Eyed Spider shouted for mercy toward the being who held its fate in her hands. Miketsu, suspended in mid-air while holding the stunned Enma Ai, remained unfazed by the screaming below. She simply raised a finger and pressed it gently to her lips.
Seeing Miketsu's gesture, Ghost Messenger Black shot a look at a nearby oni jailer. The jailer immediately stood up, unfastened a new iron chain from his waist, and hurled it downward with great speed. The chain, propelled by immense force, pierced directly through the Three-Eyed Spider's mouthparts. The thick chain effectively stitched the spider's mouth shut, preventing it from speaking another word.
After silencing the Three-Eyed Spider, Ghost Messenger White, kneeling upon the clouds, spoke respectfully to Miketsu. "We thank Uka-sama for assisting the Underworld in capturing this criminal official. This criminal has offended your divine majesty. We ask Uka-sama to decide the punishment; we leave the authority to you."
Miketsu placed the dazed Enma Ai onto a purple cloud and clapped her hands. She then turned to the bowing shinigami brothers and spoke casually.
"You want me to decide? Let's forget that. This fellow is an Enma of your Underworld; this matter is, at its core, your Underworld's internal affair. I have no interest in meddling. Take him back and judge him according to your own laws."
Hearing her words, a hint of joy flickered between the brows of the two shinigami. Ghost Messenger White replied immediately, "Thank you, Uka-sama. Rest assured, the criminal will receive his due punishment..."
Ghost Messenger Black also spoke up in response, but Miketsu nodded and continued, her eyes lingering on the two brothers. "I trust you'll handle his sentencing, but I'm less confident about something else... An Enma responsible for an important project escaped, hid in the mortal world to carry out acts that defy heavenly principles, and siphoned the Sanzu River for centuries to send thousands of innocent souls to Hell... Did the Underworld not notice any of this? What exactly have your relevant departments been doing?"
Miketsu's tone was quite severe. Hearing this, the shinigami brothers' expressions darkened. Ghost Messenger White composed himself and replied, "This... this was indeed the Underworld's negligence. The Fifth Hall has already taken note of this."
"Is that so... then I hope it yields results. You can handle that fellow yourselves. I'm going back now."
"We see you off, Uka-sama!"
After a final bow, the shinigami brothers began the formal process of transporting the Three-Eyed Spider. Miketsu spoke as she prepared to break through the boundary and return to the mortal world. However, she suddenly remembered something. She quickly pulled out her phone and checked the time, her lips twitching slightly.
At this moment, the time displayed on Miketsu's phone was 2:20 PM. According to the schedule of Japanese high schools, afternoon classes had already begun.
'This is bad... I went to the Underworld for lunch and stayed so long that class has already started. If I go back now, I'm definitely going to be late.'
The worry of being late made Miketsu scratch her head in frustration. Clearly, if she returned to the classroom now, she would likely be forced to stand in the hallway as punishment.
Facing the risk of such a penalty, Miketsu did not immediately return to the mortal world. Instead, she rubbed her chin thoughtfully. After a moment, she slapped her hands together, having devised a countermeasure.
'Since I'm already late, I might as well skip all the afternoon classes. I'll just arrange for the teacher to run into an old classmate tonight and accidentally drink until he's hungover. That way, he'll wake up late tomorrow and miss a few classes too. If that happens, he'll probably forget about my absence. Even if he doesn't, he wouldn't have the face to make anyone else stand in the hall...'
Having finished her internal calculations, Miketsu decided not to return to the mortal world so quickly. She looked down at the Sanzu River and let out a long stretch.
'Perfect. I might as well take this opportunity to wander around the Underworld for a bit.'
Rate on N.U.
