[A/N: Dialouge heavy chapter also when i publish this i have not finish editing it but i don't want to go a week with posting so i will edit it live so the complete version will be in 20 minutes terms used will be explain in the authors note at the ending]
As the night retreated and the sun raised high in the sky, Rikuo woke up slowly opening his eyes.
The moment he tried to moving out of bed ready for the the day, his entire body protested.
During last night lesson, he tried distributed the yoki in his body, but it was a complete disaster.
The result was a complete disaster.
His muscles had been pushed beyond their limit, causing them to tighten and place pressure on his bones and internal organs.
Kurotabo had told him that he was lucky.
If things had gone any worse, the strain could have caused his blood vessels to rupture, his bones to fracture, or even his organs to shift from the pressure.
Just remembering that explanation caused Rikuo's face to pale.
Yeah... maybe I will hold off from experimenting with yoki until i get the basics down after all am no genius when i come down to these things.
Getting out of bed a sharp pain shot from his feet but he endured it leaving his room and making his way to the bathroom to take a quick shower.
Coming out of the bath room he return to his room changing into his outfit for today, he stood in front of the mirror and looked over himself.
He wore a loose blue jacket over a black shirt with gray pants. Compared to the clothes he had worn during his transformation training, these were much more normal.
Running a hand through his hair, Rikuo looked at his reflection.
"I look good. I look good. I look good."
He paused for a moment before sighing.
"The only thing missing is a chain, but this will do."
Satisfied, Rikuo left his room again but this time headed downstairs to get something to eat. Reaching downstair he entered the living and saw Kurotabo and Kenjiro already eating breakfast.
Kenjiro looked much better than yesterday. He was finally able to stand properly on his paws again, and several of his bandages had already disappeared.
"Good morning."
"Good morning."
Sitting down at the table, Rikuo looked at the food in front of him.
Bread cheese with a side of beef that was all that was on his plate fore breakfast.
A simple meal with no seasoning, and no effort put into presentation.
For a moment, Rikuo just stared.
Yet somehow, he was no longer surprised.
When he and Kurotabo first started living together, he had expected the warrior monk to at least have some basic cooking skills.
Instead, he quickly learned that Kurotabo's cooking ability was practically nonexistent.
Calling it cooking was generous. Most of the time, he simply placed whatever ingredients they had available onto a plate.
The reason was simple.
As current wandering warrior monk, Kurotabo had spent most of his days surviving with whatever food he could obtain. There was never a reason to learn complicated cooking when simple meals were enough.
Especially when most of his free time seemed to be spent drinking alcohol.
Unfortunately, Rikuo was not much better.
His own cooking could only be described as terrible, and asking Kenjiro to cook was impossible considering he was currently a cat with paws instead of hands.
That left Kurotabo as the only possible chef in the house.
'I guess I'll just buy something on the way.'
Taking an apple from the counter, Rikuo began eating while the others finished their meal.
Several minutes later, everyone had finished breakfast and Kurotabo was drinking another can of beer.
Standing at the entrance, Rikuo put on his shoes before looking back at the others.
"You guys ready?"
"Yeah, let's go."
Rikuo looked toward Kenjiro.
"What about you, Kenjiro? You coming?"
Putting on his final shoe, Rikuo waited for his answer.
"No. I have something to do today as well."
"Alright then. See you when we get home."
"Yeah."
After saying their goodbyes, the three left the house.
Kenjiro climbed onto the wooden wall surrounding the property before jumping onto a nearby roof and disappearing into the morning streets.
Meanwhile, Rikuo and Kurotabo walked through the wooden gate, closing it behind them as they headed toward the train station.
As they walked toward the train station, Rikuo pulled out his flip phone and checked the time.
"It's 2:35. By the time we reach the station, the fifth train should arrive. I want to reach the funeral home by 3:00 so I have enough time to look over their services."
"Okay, so what exactly do I have to do?"
"Just sign the papers and agree with what I told you yesterday. After all, you are my guardian."
If I'm his guardian, shouldn't I be the one leading here?
Kurotabo looked at the young boy walking beside him.
Well, whatever. The kid's smart, and this concerns his own grandfather. I have no right to interfere.
The two continued walking through the streets, passing by people going about their morning routines.
Reaching in train station in under fifteen minutes they saw how crowded it still was.
Even at this hour, the station was filled with people heading toward their own destinations. Workers, teenagers, and travelers all moved through the station as they waited on the next train.
After purchasing their tickets, Rikuo and Kurotabo inserted them into the ticket gate just as the tenth train of the day arrived.
The timing was perfect.
Boarding the train, the two found seats near thetrain door and waited as they closed.
Five minutes later after everyone had entered, the train began moving.
"We should get off at the third stop, and then we can walk the rest of the—"
Rikuo stopped mid-sentence as something unusual had caught his attention.
Standing among the passengers was an office worker who had bags under his eyes and slouched as he stood holding the train's pole. But what caught Rikuo's attention was not his bad posture but the small creature resting on his shoulder with a weird grin.
The creature had the lower body of a snake, a small upper body with arms, and a strange T-shaped head. Its tiny hands played with the man's hair as if no one else could see it unaware of its pranks.
Rikuo stared at it for a moment before nudging Kurotabo's side.
The monk, who had closed his eyes to rest a bit, slowly opened them.
"hmm?"
"What's that?"
Following Rikuo's gaze, Kurotabo looked at the creature before calmly closing his eyes again.
"Oh, that?"
"It's just a Karui-spirit youkai. Most likely, it attached itself to that guy because of the stress surrounding him."
Rikuo looked surprised.
"But how can I see it? I thought I needed to be in my youkai state to see things like this."
"Anyone can see spirits."
Seeing this as a good opportunity to teach Kurotabo opened his eyes slightly.
"However, most humans cannot truly perceive them because they don't have knowledge of their existence and their minds reject what does not fit within their understanding of reality."
"The eyes are not what prevent humans from seeing spirits. It is their own perception and lack of knowledge this is called avidyā."
Nodding his head toward a child who was also looking at the lesser youkai and giggling at it, Kurotoba continued.
"Children are the ones who most often see youkai because their understanding and knowledge of the world has not yet been limited. They have not decided what is and is not possible."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"However, spirit-youkais are mischievous creatures. Once they realize someone can see them, they are often more interested in interacting with that person."
"That is why many old stories speak of youkai appearing before children."
"However, as humans grow older, most begin to close their minds oof to what they already know. The things they once saw become impossible, and eventually their eyes become clouded by avidyā."
Rikuo listened carefully.
"Not everyone loses that ability, though. Some continue believing what they witnessed despite others denying it, while others grow up in families that already acknowledge the existence of the supernatural."
"For those people, spirits remain part of their reality, and their eyes never become clouded."
Kurotabo looked forward.
"A scripture I once read described this idea well."
His voice changed slightly, becoming calmer, almost like he was repeating a lesson passed down through generations.
"To break from avidyā, one must first accept the world in its entirety and open their minds to accept knowledge. Only then can the truth hidden by avidyā be revealed."
Rikuo remained silent as he stared blankly at the karui-spirit while he processed those words.
'So being a transmigrator was a disadvantage the whole time. I spent years searching for the supernatural, but my own mind was the reason I couldn't find it.'
'Even though I accepted the possibility of spirits and youkai, I came from a world where everything had an explanation. If something couldn't be explained today, people believed it would eventually be explained tomorrow.'
'And because of that... I never truly open my mind up to the thought of the supernatural'.
"You know, for a monk who spends his days drinking and indulging in his desires, you can speak some surprisingly wise words."
"Do not compare a human monk with a youkai monk the two follow different paths."
Kurotabo smiled slightly.
"Human monks often seek freedom from worldly desires. Youkai, however, are creatures that embrace their desires and follow where they lead."
"Hmm..."
Rikuo looked back toward the Karui-spirit.
"So should we do something about it?"
"psh. Nah."
Kurotabo closed his eyes again.
"That youkai is weak, and it is not causing any harm to him. It is merely feeding off the stress surrounding him. Once his mind becomes calmer, the youkai will stop latching onto him and go after someone else."
Rikuo watched as the small youkai continued playing with the office worker's hair now twisting it into a pony tail.
"So how can they see you then"
"Thats because i have a physical form avidyā only applies to spirits. The only way humans who have Avidyā can see spirit is if they they are in a panic or near death state.
For the first time, he was seeing the world that had always existed around him.
Saying that kurotoba closed his eyes again while rikuo looked around the train seeing some more youkai ones latching onto the ceiling while others playing with the hair of passengers
******************
*Third stop Ukiyo-e station*
As the train stopped and the doors opened, Rikuo and Kurotabo got off and left the train station walking from the underground to the surface they greeted by the sunlight over the tall building that where around them.
"You know, now that I'm a youkai, I want to know more about youkai society. Could you tell me anything else?"
"Yeah, you are right. It's best that you know more about our culture since you are one of us now. I was planning to teach you that tonight, but I guess we have time now."
Turning right, they walked into an alley leading to the street they wanted to be on.
"I have already told you about youkai who have and don't have a physical form, so I think the next topic to talk about is where youkai are usually located."
"You can always find youkai in gloomy places like hospitals, cemeteries, and dark alleys."
Kurotabo pointed towards the wall where Rikuo saw a dozen Kurai-spirit youkais latching onto it hidding from the sun.
"And even funeral homes like the one we are going to."
Stepping out of the alleyway and into the sunlight, they continued walking south from the train station they had left.
"Even though youkai can be found all across the Earth, there is one place where you will always find youkai, and that's the spirit world."
"It's a place where, with one step, you could find yourself in an area covered in flames, and with another, you could be standing before a body of water the size of an ocean or even an endless snowfield."
Rikuo couldn't imagine such a place existing but as Kurotabo spoke he could see a glimpse of it.
"Although a lot of youkai are born on Earth, the spirit world could also be considered their true home the moment enter its like a burden being lift from your shoulder. In fact, if we are able to break the bond with the scroll before summer, we can go to the spirit world and see a famous youkai festival."
Hearing that, Rikuo became curious about what a youkai festival would look like.
"Now, what's next? Oh, how about how our society is structured?"
"We youkai follow one rule instinctively, and that is strength rules supreme. The stronger a youkai is, the higher they are in the hierarchy of youkai."
"But physical strength isn't the only strength that can elevate a youkai's importance. Their political strength, occupational strength, and even their clan's strength can elevate a youkai's class in our society. It's just that physical strength is the easiest way to do so."
"Oh, so what class are you in then?"
[A/N: Class does not refer to strength. It refers to what societal class one is in, similar to our societal classes. If I say rank, I refer to strength. If I say class, I refer to social position in youkai society. Please remember.]
"I'm in middle class, and it's because I'm a Kōi Yōkai (高位妖怪)."
He is in middle class while his strength is that of an eminent youkai. Then what about me? I should be at the bottom of the barrel then.
"So what class am I?"
"You would probably be in lower class with your strength. Speaking of strength, that is the next topic I should talk to you about."
"We youkai rank our strength into five stages: Karui Yōkai (軽い妖怪), Niryū Yōkai (二流妖怪), Kōi Yōkai (高位妖怪), Tōtoi Yōkai (尊い妖怪), and Daiyōkai (大妖怪)."
"Karui Yōkai can be considered the lowest rank of youkai."
"Youkai in this rank are usually infants, more instinct-driven. Many youkai that do not have a physical form also fall into this rank."
"Most youkai are in this rank."
Kurotabo reached into the shadow and picked up a small Karui youkai hiding within it before showing it to Rikuo.
"From my experience, many youkai at this rank are weak enough that even a human with a bat could defeat them."
Releasing the creature, Kurotabo continued.
"On the other hand Niryū Yōkai (二流妖怪) is considered the true beginning stage for youkais."
"This is where youkai begin properly using their yoki, developing techniques, and casting youjutsu. Even a human with a gun would have difficulty fighting these youkais."
Kurotabo pointed toward Rikuo.
"And this rank is where you are currently at."
"Niryū youkai are usually capable of destroying a house if they truly tried, and they often have rumors surrounding them."
As the light turn red the two crossed the street.
"Next is Kōi Yōkai (高位妖怪), the rank I belong to."
"You would need a tank or a small army to take me down and even then I might still survive with my techniques. Youkais in this rank will have rumors of themself across an multiple prefectures to the whole region"
Kurotabo took up a heroic pose with his right hand in the air
"I will let you know am considered a hero in shikoku region you must of heard of the stories of a courageous monk from Tokushima right"
"Nah I never heard of you before"
*Cough*
Feeling a little embarrassed he put back down his had and coughed lightly.
"I see my fame has not spread here yet anyway onto Tōtoi Yōkai (尊い妖怪)."
"Unlike the previous ranks, I have never stood at this level myself, so I cannot tell you their exact strength."
"However, from what I have witnessed, youkai at this rank often possess their own territory without the need of a clan wither its on earth or in the spirit world."
"Their existence alone can become a threat to entire regions and i have seen one destroy a mountain before. Rumors about them are usually spread across multiple regions."
"A fully grown Gashadokuro, for example, would be considered a youkai at this rank. If you ever encounter an enraged youkai at this rank, the best thing you can do is pray. Perhaps a god will notice your plight and send aid."
"And finally, Daiyōkai (大妖怪)."
"These are the youkai who stand at the peak of our society."
"Like Tōtoi Yōkai, I cannot give you an exact measurement of their strength but i can tell you their influence is undeniable."
"These youkai govern over large territories in the human world, the spirit world, or both."
"Their infamy is known across entire countries, and their names become legends that survive for generations."
"Their strength varies but the three most well-known Daiyōkai of Japan, Shuten Dōji, Ōtakemaru, and Tamamo-no-Mae, each possessed enough power to threaten the entirety country."
Rikuo remained silent, taking in everything Kurotabo had explained as the two kept on walk reach closer and closer to their destination.
After a moment, Kurotabo continued.
"However, there is something important you must remember."
"These ranks are only a general measurement. They do not determine the outcome of fight."
Rikuo looked toward him.
"Because youkai are not a single race."
"There are countless different types of youkai, and each race has its own natural abilities and weaknesses."
"For example, a tanuki and an oni could both be Karui Yōkai, but their strength would not be the same. A tanuki at that level may only have enough power to destroy a house, while an oni of the same rank could possess enough physical strength to destroy an entire block."
"Because of this, the strength I described for each rank is only the general standard based on my own experience and history."
"Another thing you must understand is that a higher-ranked youkai can still lose against one below them."
"Strength is important, but it is not the only thing that decides a battle."
"A youkai who understands their opponent's weaknesses, uses deception, prepares traps, or possesses a unique ability can defeat someone stronger than themselves."
"Unlike a simple contest of power, a fight between youkai is never that straightforward."
"Otherwise i would not have been poisoned and lost the scroll. Remember this we youkais don't play fair we are beings of trickery"
Keeping a mental note of what Kurotabo said Rikuo nodded
"Okay what else should I teach you about youkai oh-"
The two suddenly stopped as they finally reached their destination.
Infront of was a three story building. It was painted gray and had windows laided arcoss an entire section of it and on it wall was the building name Bemoland
But as the two looked at the building they noticed a dark subtance and miasma cling around the building giving off a eerie feeling
"What's that"
"That's kegare (穢れ), the accumulation of negative emotions."
Kurotabo continued walking as Rikuo followed behind him into the building, passing the substance as it slid down the walls.
"In gloomy places like these, negative emotions can linger and accumulate. When enough of it gathers, it begins to condense into a stagnant and sticky substance that clings to whatever is nearby."
"This is what we call kegare and why Karui youkai can often be found in places like these. They feed on the kegare that accumulates which allows them to grow."
Rikuo looked at the black substance covering inside the building as well with a curious expression.
"So something like this just naturally happens?"
"Yes. However, onmyouji have long known about this problem."
Kurotabo glanced toward the walls where the kegare slowly fell from the cieling.
"And usually come around these places to purify it on occasions"
"However..."
Kurotabo's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked deeper into the building.
"If too much kegare accumulates before its able to be purified—"
"Good morning, sir. Do you have an appointment?"
Interrupted by the receptionistbeyound the desk, Kurotabo quickly turned his attention toward her. Her hair was a shade of purple, bag showing her exhaustion where beneath her eyes and she had a gloomy expression on her face as kegare clung to her clothes
"Ah, yes. We are here regarding Shiruo Nura. My name is Kurotabo Nura."
"Let me check real quick."
With dead eyes she quickly reading through the spreadsheet on her computer, the receptionist found their appointment and marked it down.
"Okay sign here"
Signing register Kurotabo handed back the booklet to the receptionist.
"Okay, you can go. You can speak with the funeral home manager Mr. Mitani . His office is the third door on the right."
"Thank you."
Nodding his head in appreciation, Kurotabo and Rikuo walked toward the manager's office.
"She does not seem well"
"Well that what happen when people cannot handle the kegare around them. All she need is some rest as not stay here to long as she well recover"
"hmm"
As they moved through the halls, Rikuo noticed more and more of the tar like substance clinging to the walls.
"There's even more inside."
"Yes... it seems this place has not been properly cleansed in some time."
Walking past the dripping kegare, the two reached the manager's office and knocked.
"Come in."
Entering the office, the two found a neatly decorated room. Flowers covered the walls, each section labeled with different names, while a sofa and small coffee table with a bonsai tree on it sat in the center of the room.
On the opposite side were shelves filled with books about funeral rituals, rites, and other related topics.
Beyond the sitting area was a desk positioned in front of a glass window that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. Resting on the desk were several folders and a golden nameplate that read Hisao Mitani.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Mitani. My name is Kurotabo Nura. I am here regarding Shiruo Nura."
"Ah, the Nura family. Please, come in, sit sit."
Beckoning them over to the sofa, Mitani searched through the folders on his desk until he found one labeled Shiruo Nura.
Taking it from his desk, he walked over and shook Kurotabo's hand before also siting down.
"I am sorry for your loss, Mr. Nura must have been deeply loved."
"He was. That is why we hope we can send him peacefully to the other side."
"With our services, he will surely receive a proper farewell. Please, look over the options we offer."
Mitani handed the folder to Kurotabo.
"Although we have been busy with the recent death in the city we still have three locations where we can hold the funeral. The first one is—"
As the two continued discussing the funeral arrangements, Rikuo's attention remained focused on the kegare spread throughout the building.
Unlike the substance in the hallway, the kegare inside the office was moving.
The tar-like substance slowly peeled away from the walls before crawling into the vents.
'No matter how many times I see it, it still looks strange... and now it's moving into the vents of all places.'
Watching it disappear into the ventilation system, Rikuo eventually turned his attention back toward Mitani as he continued explaining their available services.
Deep beneath the funeral home, the kegare continued its movement.
The substance crawled through the vents, merging with other streams of the same black mass flowing through the building.
As more gathered together, the amount of kegare continued to grow, slowly moving deeper and deeper passing the mortuary until it reached the basement.
There, hidden beneath the building, stood an old small shrine. Its wooden frame had become worn with age, and faded talismans covered its surface.
However, half of it was no longer visible covered by something foreign .
The shrine had been nearly swallowed by the accumulated kegare which was now solid.
The black substance crawled over the pillars and wrapping around the now burned talismans that had once purified the building.
Slowly, the kegare began changing.
At the center of the corrupted shrine, the mass began to grow.
Dark veins spread across the walls, floor, and ceiling, all connecting to a massive amalgamation at the center of the room.
It pulsed like a beating heart.
With every pulse, an ominous light shone from within before fading once again.
More streams of kegare poured from the vents, crawling toward the mass.
One after another, they merged with the growing amalgamation.
Its heartbeat became louder.
The basement illuminated with a dark glow one last time before everything suddenly went completely black once more.
********************************
"Could we see his body now? The kid wants to say his final goodbyes to his grandfather."
"Of course. Right this way."
Getting up from the sofa, the three left the office and began walking down the hallway.
On their way Rikuo noticed that the amount of kegare covering the walls seemed to have decreased compared to before.
Catching Kurotabo's attention with a small gesture, Rikuo leaned closer and whispered.
"What's happening to all the kegare from earlier?"
"I don't know. Perhaps a few Karui youkai came through and consumed it we were in that office for some time."
Kurotabo glanced around the hallway.
"Do not worry. From what I saw, the amount covering this building was small compared to far worse places I have visited."
Walking past the other employees of the funeral home, they reached the door to the mortuary.
Entering the room, Rikuo saw rows of iron refrigerators lined against the walls, each one carrying a small nameplate.
After passing several of them, they stopped in front of one labeled Shiruo Nura.
Opening the compartment, Mr. Mitani carefully pulled out the slab containing Shiruo Nura's body.
"As you can see, we preserved his body quite well. We even stitched up his wounds."
Looking down at his grandfather, Rikuo's expression softened as memories of the twelve years he had spent with him returned.
"Kurotabo... could you give me some time alone with him?"
"Of course."
Kurotabo turned toward Mitani.
"Mr. Mitani, could we continue discussing the funeral arrangements over there?"
"Yes, but are you sure you want to leave him alone?"
"He will be fine."
Placing a hand on Rikuo's shoulder, Kurotabo smiled.
"After all, he is strong."
Walking away with Mitani, the two left Rikuo alone with his grandfather.
"Now about delaying the funeral for a bit-"
Rikuo was left alone as he continued staring at grandfather's face.
'its only been over a week and your absence really can be felt'
'you are probably wondering if am eating well but all i can say is that am at least eating'
'But to think my first experience in losing a close love one would be in my second life just as i reach the age were mid life crises occur'
Looking at his peaceful expression, Rikuo couldn't help but remember the last time he had seen him alive as a certain memory suddenly surfaced, causing the solemn atmosphere to crack ever so slightly
'Damn now I really do feel bad for interrupting you and that nurse. Though, thinking about it, maybe your wife would have been happy that I stopped you.'
A small chuckle escaped him.
His eyes moved down toward his grandfather's hands, noticing the marks left behind from years of work. His gaze eventually stopped on the faint impression around his finger where his wedding ring had rested for decades.
'Alright... now where is that wedding ring? Since the plan is cremation, it would be better to keep it as a keepsake.'
"Ah, Mr. Mitani."
Rikuo looked over as Kurotabo spoke.
"I heard that after the autopsy, my grandfathers possessions were sent here."
"Oh, yes. They are right over here. Allow me to retrieve them."
Walking toward the cupboards, Mitani unlocked them and removed a package before bringing it over.
"As you can see, it has not been ope—wait... what!?"
The moment he turned the package around, a large tear could be seen on the side as if something had ripped through it.
Mitani's expression changed immediately.
He quickly checked the package again and again, his panic growing.
'You're serious? A funeral home that steals from the dead they did ain't even leave his cheap earing that he got from a scammer?'
"I swear, when we received this package, there was no damage. No one besides me has the key to these cupboards."
Rikuo grabbed Kurotabo's sleeve and whispered.
"Kurotabo, could you... you know, hypnotize him and check if he is telling the truth? I don't want my grandpa's ring to be lost."
He would probably beat my ass if I went to heaven and told him we lost his ring.
"Of course, but is it really that important?"
"Yeah. My grandpa really loved that ring. He wouldn't even take it off when he was flirting with other women."
Rikuo looked back at his grandfather.
"I want to keep it as a keepsake for him."
"Very well."
Kurotabo approached the panicked Mitani.
Placing a hand on his head, symbols began appearing around Kurotabo's hand before flowing into Mitani's head.
Mr. Mitani's frantic expression slowly faded. The panic left his eyes as his mind calmed, leaving him staring blankly at the two of them.
"Do you truly not know anything about the stolen possessions?"
"I don't. Like I said, only I have the key."
"Who else usually enters this room?"
"My embalmer, but he hasn't been here for a week after coming down with a sickness."
"What about the cleaners?"
"Whenever they clean, I am always here supervising them. No one enters this room without my permission."
"Well, there you have it."
Kurotabo turned toward Rikuo, who wore a resigned expression.
...Sigh.
'Well... he's going to beat my ass if I ever die and meet him again. At least it won't be anytime soon.'
Still annoyed that his grandfather's wedding ring had disappeared, Rikuo reluctantly accepted the situation.
Then, just as he was about to give up, he slapped his cheeks lightly.
'Wait, this world has magic.'
"Kurotabo, isn't there some kind of yōjutsu that can find lost objects?"
"There should be, but I do not know such a yōjutsu. However, I might know someone who does."
"That's good then. The ring isn't truly lost. We can still find it."
Rikuo let out a relieved breath before remembering something else.
"Oh, right. What did Mr. Mitani say about delaying the funeral?"
Kurotabo scratched the back of his head.
"He said it would be difficult. There have been many recent deaths throughout the city, and this is the least busiest funeral home around and yet their mortuary is nearly full, so keeping your grandfather's body here for too long would make things difficult."
"He suggested cremating him first and holding the funeral later but i already know your thoughts on that."
Rikuo frowned before glancing at the torn package still resting on the table.
"Then we'll just use the missing possession."
"Hm?"
"If he refuses to keep Gramps here longer, we'll tell him we'll report that my grandfathers possession went missing while it was under this funeral home's care."
Rikuo shrugged.
"It wasn't his fault, but he doesn't know who took it either. I'm sure he'd rather keep the body here for a few more days than have the funeral home's reputation dragged through the mud."
Kurotabo stared at Rikuo who at this moment less like a child and more like a demon before giving a slow nod.
"...A rather cruel solution."
While the two continued discussing what to do, neither paid any attention to the kegare lingering around the mortuary.
The dark, tar-like substance silently peeled away from the walls and ceiling before slipping into the air vent.
It raced through the ventilation shafts with unnatural speed, descending deeper and deeper beneath the building.
Passing through the mortuary, it finally reached the basement.
The shrine that once stood there had completely vanished beneath an enormous mass of hardened kegare.
Layer upon layer had wrapped around it until it resembled a giant cocoon.
Its surface pulsed rhythmically like a living heart as each beath cause the room to light up.
*Thump*
A crimson light seeped through the veins that stretched arcoss the room be before fading.
More streams of kegare poured from the surrounding vents, flowing over the cocoon before hardening into another layer.
*Thump*
The glow became brighter.
*Thump*
As the final portion of kegare left the vent, crawled over the caccon and harden one final heartbeat echoed throughout the basement.
Brilliant crimson light flooded the room for a brief instant before everything fell into complete darkness once more.
Silence.
Then—
Crack.
A thin fracture spread across the cocoon's surface.
From within, a faint light shone through.
*************************************************
As Kurotabo withdrew his hand, the from Mr. Mitani's head his mind grew clearer and heslowly came back to his senses.
"Mr. Mitani, regarding the delay in the funer—"
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
A deafening scream erupted from somewhere beneath the building, shaking the entire funeral home.
[A/N: Avidyā refers to one's ignorance or misconceptions about the nature of metaphysical reality
kegare referes to spiritual impurities
hisao mitani is a real funeral home director and is a real cool guy he has a turtle for a pet and goes on walks with him am just using his name cause i remembered him this is not a true portrayal of him
As a monk Kurotabo should say monk terms otherwise he no monk but a poser
Anyway why did it take so long to update well its because something came up and i was doing research about shinto and Buddhism since kurotabo is a monk i wanted to learn more about them and now i have more plot lines for arc 2 which is 50 chapt away from now
well i don't know if i will update before the month ends but atleast i reach my word count for the month that being over 40,000 that means if i use the average word count for ff 2000 yall got 5 chapter a week so i did good anyways later]