Chapter 28: Tamamo-no-Mae and Onmoraki Watch the Crimson Eye
Announcement
I am Ubume
—Master of Summer Harvest Mountain
Here, the summer sun rises, and the time of harvest has come
The celebration begins
…
Kyoto.
Outside a lavishly decorated shrine…
A massive, monstrous wolf-like supernatural being collapsed to the ground, its body turning to dust and fading away.
A wolf fang, radiating a deep purple light, fell to the ground. A slender hand picked it up.
A pair of beautiful, gem-like purple eyes examined the fang, and pink fox ears twitched.
“Ara~”
“Good quality.”
A pink tongue flicked out, and sharp teeth crunched down.
She effortlessly crushed the fang.
“The taste is rather ordinary.”
Then, she lightly tapped her wooden sandals against the ground and floated into the air.
Landing on top of the torii gate.
Her long, cherry-pink hair swayed gently in the night breeze, as beautiful and soft as falling cherry blossom petals.
Due to the angle…
The blood-red vertical pupil in the sky appeared to be right in front of her.
Six fluffy white fox tails with pink tips emerged from beneath her miko attire, and an imposing aura descended.
She bowed slightly.
“My Lady, your servant Tamamo-no-Mae obeys your will.”
“The celebration… begins.”
Her purple eyes narrowed into slits.
Below the torii gate, a dozen small foxes of various colors emerged from every corner, transforming into girls in miko attire, all looking up at the blood moon in the sky.
“I wonder when I will see you again.”
Tamamo-no-Mae pulled out a handkerchief from her ample bosom, her eyes gazing at it with the devotion of a miko towards a god.
It was a handkerchief Natsuba Hanae had used to wipe her mouth.
A seductive glint appeared in her eyes.
Under the crimson moonlight, Tamamo-no-Mae buried her face in the handkerchief and inhaled deeply.
The crimson vertical pupil was the manifestation of her Lady’s eye.
Doing this… felt almost like being in her presence.
The six fluffy white tails behind her twitched as if electrified.
…
…
Akihabara.
Even late at night, the area was brightly lit.
A massive crowd filled every seat.
A newly popular singer, known for her unconventional style and angelic voice, was performing on her tour.
“Onmoraki!”
“Onmoraki! Onmoraki!”
“Onmoraki! Onmoraki! Onmoraki!!”
The audience cheered, waving their glow sticks enthusiastically.
Finally, a beautiful figure gracefully floated onto the stage.
She wore a delicate, pale yellow dress with intricate white shoulder pieces and a luxurious, gold-trimmed celestial robe.
Her ice-blue hair, cascading like a waterfall, was longer than her body, floating around her like a shimmering galaxy.
Her flawless face, fair skin, delicate nose, and pink lips, along with her perfectly proportioned figure, were as if sculpted by a master craftsman.
Her overall aura was that of a true celestial being, ethereal and serene.
She held a biwa, beginning to play the prelude to a familiar song.
However, just then…
The crimson vertical pupil appeared in the sky.
The crowd panicked and screamed, the scene descending into chaos.
But Onmoraki’s normally calm eyes rippled like a blue lake, a look of joy within them.
She pursed her lips slightly.
“It’s Mother’s command.”
Soon, she heard the announcement.
The time had come.
“Zzzeng——————!!!”
Onmoraki strummed the biwa, a sharp sound echoing through the venue.
The audience froze.
Then, her gentle voice, like a spring breeze, reached everyone’s ears.
“I have a new piece I’d like you all to hear.”
“It’s called…”
“—‘The Celebration Begins’.”
A melodious tune filled the air, soothing and calming, awakening something within the listeners.
Like puppets, the crowd quietly returned to their seats.
…
…
Ginza Forest.
The Rule landed in front of Natsuba Hanae.
A smile appeared on her lips, and her deep red eyes sparkled.
The borrowed power she had brought with her was almost completely depleted; she had even overdrawn a bit of her own power.
Making her slightly weak.
But that didn’t matter.
“I finally have the Rule.”
She murmured softly.
Although it was only half-formed, she was confident she could complete it according to her own design.
Next, she needed to integrate this Rule into herself.
Natsuba Hanae extended her hand.
Sanctuary Flame ignited in her palm, flowing towards the Rule, ready to devour it.
However, after consuming a small portion, she quickly withdrew the flame, her brows furrowing slightly.
“What’s going on? I didn’t gain the Rule; it only replenished some of my overdrawn power.”
It was acting like ordinary supernatural material.
But if that was all it did, she wouldn’t have used such miraculous power to obtain it.
Sanctuary Flame had the property of devouring, yet it couldn’t absorb the power of the Rule.
This meant…
“Rules can’t be absorbed by the human body?”
If so, all her efforts had been in vain.
Of course, Natsuba Hanae had a second option.
However, if Rules could be absorbed by the human body, she could collect more and give them to her daughters to increase their power.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.
The second option was a rather clever workaround.
Natsuba Hanae walked forward and picked up the blood-red marked spider leg radiating a faint purple light.
This was the supernatural material from the spider with the baby’s head.
Its compatibility with her was extremely high; it was perfect for crafting the Umbrella Sword.
She didn’t have the other supplementary materials with her, but with the main material, she could create a basic form.
She would complete the Umbrella Sword when she returned to the estate.
The Rule was slowly dissipating. Natsuba Hanae acted decisively, using Sanctuary Flame…
And channeling the power of the Ubume template, she refined the spider leg.
[You have designated this supernatural material as the main material]
[Crafting Umbrella Sword (Incomplete)]
Within the Sanctuary Flame, the outline of an umbrella swiftly took shape.
[Umbrella Sword (Incomplete) crafted]
The completed Umbrella Sword landed in Natsuba Hanae’s hand.
It was worth noting that the Umbrella Sword didn’t have a scabbard, because the umbrella itself was the scabbard.
It provided shade from the sun and, when needed, the blade could be drawn, the umbrella vanishing. It was convenient to carry, perfect for summer shade, and also for discreet assassinations.
She looked at the Rule, a smile appearing on her lips.
If the Rule couldn’t be absorbed by a human body…
Then integrating it into its original “owner” shouldn’t be a problem.
She infused the Rule into the Umbrella Sword and absorbed the sword into her body.
Absolutely perfect.
