87 – 87. Divine Palace.
“…Hmm.”
Just how disoriented was he?
Kenichi felt his head throbbing and slowly raised his eyelids.
What came into his sight was not a white ceiling or a blue sky, but the tatami room’s ceiling.
“Ah, a familiar ceiling.”
The room in the Seihei mansion had become familiar enough that one could even memorize the stains on the ceiling.
The warrior, finally opening his eyes, painfully buried his face in his hands and soon rose from his seat.
His stomach growled, and his throat was parched.
Driven by the desire to survive, he mindlessly opened the door, only to be met by the familiar face of Shibito right in front of him.
“It’s not a pleasant night, Kenichi.”
“….Uh.”
Shibito Dokomo.
The exclusive Shibito of the damned master, Ichimaru Shiki.
With a furrowed brow, Dokomo spoke to him in an unmistakably displeased tone.
“The master is summoning you.”
***
“Hmm~”
Was it an attempt to seal someone? The room surrounded by talismans on all sides.
The red imprint drawn with yellow talismans exuded a sinister atmosphere in itself.
If it were the foolish Kenichi, he would have trembled and done all sorts of things, but being a very brave person, I sat tied to a chair in the center of the secret chamber, humming to myself.
“Hoho~”
For some reason, the eerie atmosphere in the room, as if about to interrogate someone soon, felt strangely intimate.
How much time had passed like that?
Creak—After a long wait, someone finally entered the room. It wasn’t Tofuto Minami, the one with a face.
It was an old man dressed in robes. His face, all wrinkled and twisted, seemed like that of a villain.
Despite leaning his head back in a nonchalant manner, the old man, similar in stature to me, spoke.
“I am the Divine Punisher, Mato Makirada. I am tasked with judging those who have committed sins against the gods or violated the laws bestowed upon the world by the divine.”
“hahahaha, I am a very virtuous citizen, you see.”
“hehehehe, everyone says that. They all boast of their innocence regardless of the severity of their sins.”
With a mocking smile, the Divine Punisher, Mato Makirada, faced me.
The face of a man, shivering in the empty pupils of the old man.
Makirada, perhaps influenced by my smiling face, also formed a thick smile.
“You seem quite relaxed. But how long can you maintain that arrogant attitude? I know, you know, and the divine sees through your soul.”
With those words, Makirada suddenly turned on his heel.
Stepping on the only black talisman on the floor, all the talismans in the room responded, drawing blood.
As the room, once filled with yellow talismans, turned dark red, the magic was activated.
“Heavenly Seal.”
As soon as the old man’s command resonated in the air, the chamber detached from the world.
A sealing technique different from the restraint spell on the blonde-haired girl Erisna Cento.
It wasn’t just distancing from the ground; it ascended a level higher from the mortal realm.
Spiritually, closer to the realm of gods than a mere human.
“Speak again.”
At the same time, the spiritual power of the old man, the Divine Punisher Mato Makirada, surged.
It rose several levels higher than before.
A difference in power that mere human sorcery or medicine could not evoke.
The divine priest, his body charged with dark red energy, grinned wickedly at me.
“hehehehe, the judgment of gods has come upon me, now tell me once more of your innocence!”
The old man added quickly,
“But, speak one falsehood before the divine, and your flesh and spirit shall be torn asunder.”
***
Following the guide’s lead, Kenichi arrived at the guest room and encountered not only Shihei Rin but also various other figures.
Such as Sawamura Sentora, a disciple of the doomed Ichimaru Shiki who resided in the mansion.
Eris Betelgeuse, who had participated in the White Night Parade and now in this battle as well.
“……Huh?”
And there was yet another familiar face present.
“Kenichi!”
Hotaru, the only one who seemed uneasy and uncomfortable, called out with surprise.
Kenichi, taken aback by the unexpected appearance of a childhood friend, gazed at her.
…Wait, why are you here?
Perplexed, Kenichi felt the need for someone to explain, but the atmosphere wasn’t right for that.
The blond wizard leaning against the wall seemed displeased for some reason, and Sentora sat in a corner, anxiously chewing on his nails.
Contrary to her usual composed self, she appeared quite agitated.
“…What’s with this tense atmosphere?”
Was Kenichi still dreaming?
He squeezed his eyes shut, but no matter how many times he did, it didn’t break, making it seem like this was indeed reality.
It was a reality filled with discomfort.
“…So, what exactly is going on here?”
Anyone, please, just tell me. Let me know why this atmosphere is like this…
Did Kitagawa Kenichi’s earnest plea somehow reach their senses?
Seated at the head of the room, Shihei Rin cleared her throat and then nodded.
“…Hmm. As a disciple of Shiki, you surely have the right to know.”
Shihei Rin took a deep breath and spoke.
“Shiki has been kidnapped.”
“…What?”
Kenichi furrowed his brow. It felt like hearing a sudden and absurd statement like making natto from watermelon.
“…Shiki?”
“Ha, yes, it’s hard to believe. I doubted the situation myself and confirmed it several times, but there were many witnesses to Shiki being taken away by the soldiers of the Divine Palace.”
“…But, regardless of what they saw, he wouldn’t have been taken away by force.”
Even with curses and frustrations, it was hard to believe that Ichimaru Shiki, the greatest master in terms of ‘strength’ and an exorcist, would be taken away by mere soldiers.
Taken away by Shiki?
It was more reasonable to think that the perverted psycho wanted a tour of the prison.
Kenichi simply couldn’t believe that the cursed Shiki was taken away, but—
“He is no mere soldier.”
In a dark tone, Shihei Rin, the head of the family and a renowned grand sorcerer, drew Kenichi’s attention.
“You may not understand, but having spent a lifetime in the world of monsters, I know. How abnormal that Divine Palace group is. Those who go beyond exorcists and sorcerers from the family, they have no reason to fear the soldiers of the gods.”
The Divine Palace (神宮).
Existing since the shogunate era, it was a massive shrine to honor numerous gods across Japan, serving as the Emperor’s direct institution.
Despite being the nation’s top institution, it wielded great authority and power, not to be dismissed as a mere organization.
“…Long ago, as I heard from my father, those known as the leaders of the Divine Palace are not only the apostles of the gods but also possess a power as strong as the heads of noble families.”
“No, still…”
“Of course, Shiki won’t just submit like that. I know how strong he is. Stronger than me… No, stronger than anyone else…”
With lips pursed, Seihei Lin, while mumbling, soon finished speaking.
“Beside them, the gods watch over. Beings beyond human reach. No matter what Shiki commands, it’s not a task to challenge numerous gods.”
“…Hmm.”
“I’m not sure what misunderstanding exists, but I’ve decided to gather and submit the petitions of exorcist personnel. Even if the Divine Palace is indifferent to the human world, they will listen. Regardless of the price they demand, I intend to rescue Shiki by any means.”
“…I see.”
Though he was a fool, Lin’s determination as the leader of a group was evident.
He could understand why the room felt so somber.
Yet, despite grasping all the circumstances, he couldn’t let go of this thought.
‘…Why, him?’
***
“hehehe, I know that you, in the heart of the city, have displayed your powers! What intentions led you to do such a thing in front of the Divine Palace? Speak up!”
“hahahaha, it’s all for the sake of peace!”
“Hmm, when we met Tohoto Minami before, it was determined you didn’t have such abilities, yet you dared to hide your strength in front of the messengers of the gods. Your sins are deep and grave!”
“Hide? I always stand before everyone in my true form. Minami-san must have appreciated that!”
“…Still spouting such nonsense! Truly despicable!”
The Divine Punisher, Mato Makira, with a sinister smile, called out to the gods in the sky.
“hehehehe! O heavens! Bring punishment upon this deceitful one! Deliver the judgment of the heavens! How dare you speak falsehoods in front of Him!”
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“Hmmhuhuhu.”
“…O heavens?”
The old man, Makira, blinked at the silent judgment of the gods.
Realizing the departed deity by his side, he gradually opened his mouth with a faint expression.
As the man’s words faltered, the room was filled only with certain sounds.
“Hmmhuhuhuhuhuhu.”
The sinister smile still covered his face.