[Part 1/5]
"Father, who are we meeting exactly?"
"Well, that is..."
Walking alongside his father, Onitsuki Ayaka, at the veranda of the main house, Onitsuki Yajima asked with a slightly clumsy tongue. Though not a young child anymore, Ayaka's still youthful appearance caused her to tilt her head in genuine curiosity. With her makeup and hair styling, dressed in formal attire, she looked enchanting like a celestial being.
...At least, Yajima was convinced of that. He couldn't help but gaze down at his beloved daughter and remain speechless, lost in a dreamy smile. He was, in other words, a doting parent.
"...Father?"
"Hmm... Ah, yes. Well, wait a moment. We're almost there... Here it is. This is Yajima from the Kinugasa Onitsuki branch family speaking. Please excuse us."
As if trying to hide his excitement, coughing slightly, Yajima stopped at a corner of the veranda. Then, he respectfully recited his greetings before sliding open the shoji paper door in front of them.
"What is this place...?"
Following her father's guidance, she stepped into the room just like before. It was a small tea room that also served as a reception area, and at its center, there was a buddhist nun. An elegant elderly woman smiled kindly. This person...
"Enmei-sama...!?"
"Oh my, Ayaka-san. You've grown again, haven't you? And you've become quite lovely... that ceremonial attire, it suits you beautifully, doesn't it?"
"T-thank you very much...!?"
Ayaka's response to the address from the elderly woman was slightly flustered. It was because she held a higher position and, more importantly, it was quite rare.
Enmei, who serves as the acting head of the Kakita Onitsuki branch family, is Onitsuki Touya's grandmother, one of her childhood friends, but she rarely leaves her designated territory. She only accompanies her grandson Touya during New Year's and ceremonial occasions. In fact, Ayaka and her friends met Touya only during the New Year's greetings. (T/N: Touya first appeared in Chapter 45 and possesses 'Purifying Fire,' a technique slightly inferior to Onitsuki Hina's 'Annihilation Fire.')
In other words, if past experiences were to hold true...
"Yo. Long time no see, Ayaka, isn't it?"
From the shadows of Onitsuki Enmei emerged a mischievous young boy with a hint of mischief in his eyes. He was a childhood friend whose face was familiar to Ayaka. She let out a satisfied smile at his adorable features, which his father often boasted about.
"Touya! Long time no see! ...I mean, it’s been a while!"
Ayaka responded cheerfully, forgetting about their respective positions just like in the old days. But she quickly remembered the presence of the adults around her and panicked, looking at their faces. Her father seemed slightly troubled, while the buddhist nun smiled warmly. Curiously, when she looked at Touya, he averted his gaze. She didn't understand why.
Giggling, the old woman watched this interaction with amusement.
"Oh, it's alright. No need to put on airs. My Touya here is quite unruly, you know? Oh well... Come, please have a seat. Shall I make some tea? We have plenty to discuss."
"T-thank you very much!"
Ayaka exclaimed, surrendering herself to the offer of sweets and beckoning. Yajima, who had missed the moment to scold her as she ran towards the offering, sighed and shrugged his shoulders in resignation. With a sigh, he entered the room and bowed. And so, the tea ceremony began.
"...Yes, yes. I wonder if you're aware that my Touya's abilities have recently manifested?"
While enjoying tea and sweets for a while, the buddhist nun suddenly brought up the topic. In a very natural flow, she began proudly talking about her grandchild's unique abilities.
"Grandma, that's..."
"It's fine, isn't it? After all, it has manifested. Weren't you excited about it too?"
Brushing off her grandchild's reluctant attitude, Enmei calmly continued, explaining the power to Yajima and the others. Enmei enthusiastically explained Touya's ability, the 'Purifying Fire,' which responded only to youkai spirits.
"Oh, a flame that reacts only to youkai spirits, is it? That's quite convenient. And it's a newly manifested ability too. Touya is the rising star expected to be the core of Onitsuki in the future."
Yajima praised Touya's ability with genuine delight. Indeed, it was something worthy of such admiration.
While there were exceptions like the other small families and the Akō family, the mainstream exorcists in large exorcist families preferred to have exorcists with a variety of skills, abilities, and tactics, not just limited to a few specialized cases.
The Onitsuki family had to specialize in a single fighting style, as their survival depended on it. If they didn't, the youkai's abilities could easily overpower them, resulting in their annihilation. Expanding their knowledge and skills as exorcists through marriage, adopting household members, or inviting external specialists had become an obligation for their survival.
For instance, the Kinugasa Onitsuki branch family primarily focused on the skills of weapons such as swords, spears, and bows. On the other hand, the Kakita Onitsuki branch family, with Enmei as their representative, excelled in fire manipulation techniques and their applications. There is also the Itoi Onitsuki branch family that had a deep understanding of Shikigami Art, while the Miyamizu family, as household members, possessed exceptional water manipulation skills for reconnaissance.
Moreover, Touya's 'unique ability' resided within the lineage of the Kakita Onitsuki branch family but manifested as a new and transformed power. For the Onitsuki family, it was indeed a joyful and auspicious event as it could contribute to the survival and prosperity of their bloodline. Additionally...
"An ability that only youkai would be affected... It goes well with our branch family."
The Kinugasa branch, which places its weapon at the core of battle, excels in focused attacks that penetrate through the eye of a needle, minimizing collateral damage. However, due to its nature, it inevitably becomes entangled in close combat, with limited means of ranged attacks. In that regard, Touya's 'ability' to suppress and control the battlefield without friendly fire was indeed compatible with the Kinugasa branch.
"For now, he still need training... But in ten years, he will fight alongside the Kinugasa family as equals."
"Yes, we'll rely on you and your daughters then. Ayaka thinks the same, right?"
"Uh, um, yes...?"
Ayaka replied, bewildered by her father's sudden words. She glanced at her childhood friend, who seemed somewhat exasperated. Unfortunately, she couldn't grasp the intention behind her friend's actions.
"Hehe, I'm delighted to hear that. Although he's mischievous now... in the future, as the head of the Kakita branch, I hope to recommend him to some influential figures"
"That's... I never expected Enmei-dono was promoted to such a position. This is definitely someone promising to watch. I hope we can continue to have a good long-term relationship..."
"Hehehe. That's absolutely right."
"What an idiot..."
A pleasant conversation among adults. Whispering between childhood friends. A sense of unease in their conversation, as if they're aiming for something...
"...Father. Now that I think about it, there's something that has been bothering me for a while."
Perhaps it could be said that Ayaka could feel the unexplainable flow of the atmosphere in the room, and to deceive it, she sought permission to voice her long-standing question by diverting the topic.
"What's wrong, Ayaka? Why are you suddenly... What's bothering you?"
Without realizing his daughter's intentions, the father tilted his head. The nearby buddhist nun, without being deceived, glanced at Ayaka from the corner of her eye. Her mouth remained closed, waiting for the continuation of Ayaka's statement.
"Yes. It's about the discussions of promising futures... concerning the members of the Kakita family."
"Hmm, what about it? Is something wrong?"
In response to her father's bewildered expression, Ayaka timidly continued her explanation.
"Um, I understand the story about being evaluated for the position of head or assistant based on one's abilities. I understand that... I also respect all of then... but..."
"But what?"
"Well... I just can't understand why he was chosen as the head of the servant group, no matter how much I think about it..."
"What!? Ayaka, that...!"
Yajima was left speechless, on the verge of collapsing, by Ayaka's statement, which was like a bomb waiting to explode. Of course, it was an extremely disrespectful remark. Moreover, it was said in front of Enmei. Even considering that Ayaka was still young, it wouldn't have been strange for her to be frowned upon and scolded.
...And yet, the elder at the table didn't reprimand her, not just because of her leniency towards Ayaka, but because her words were undeniably hitting the mark.
"Ayaka, that's... well..."
"Isn't it strange that Junshuuro-dono is in the position of head servant group?"
Yajima struggled with how to answer Ayaka's question. On the other hand, Enmei, who had his subordinates openly humiliated, didn't show a hint of anger. She simply responded with another question.
"No, that's... yes."
Ayaka herself seemed to realize the bad taste of her remark too late. She tried to cover it up hastily, but when she saw the Buddhist nun's eyes, she felt that correcting it would be even more vulgar and nodded. Yajima felt dizzy.
"...Well. I understand how you feel? His bad behavior is a headache for the branch family too. In fact, we have disowned him as a branch family member."
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