Chapter 130. Ushi Gozen's Letter from Onigashima
[This is a letter sent directly to the Genji residence.]
[Perhaps, originally, it was never meant to reach your hands.]
[But upon seeing this letter, you have a feeling that you cannot simply ignore it.]
[You have opened it.]
The contents of the letter were incredibly simple.
In fact, they were somewhat surprising to Ian.
"Invite 'me' to Onigashima."
"——Ushi Gozen."
Beyond these two purposeful sentences, the rest of the letter merely contained instructions on how to reach Onigashima.
Though the message was brief and to the point, requiring little thought to comprehend—
Ian could sense that it was far from simple.
First, Onigashima was a mystery.
It was a location Ian had never heard of in Heian-kyo.
Yet, the writer of this letter was able to provide clear directions on how to get there, along with warnings about what to watch out for along the way.
To be able to do this, there were only two possibilities.
Either this person was already on the island, or they had been there multiple times before.
But regardless of which possibility was true, upon careful consideration, it was clear that things were not as straightforward as they seemed.
Second, the manner of address used in the letter.
There were no honorifics like "sir," nor was there the usual direct designation like "you."
Instead, a very particular word was used—"me."
The signature at the bottom was "Ushi Gozen," a name almost completely unfamiliar.
Ian could not grasp the significance of this form of address.
But he could sense that hidden behind that name was a tremendous secret.
Therefore—
This could very well be a letter concealing some form of danger.
Staring at it, Ian could not help but furrow his brows.
At that moment—
Minamoto no Raikou's voice called from outside the door.
"Danna-sama, it's time to take your medicine."
"Even though your body has almost recovered, you still need to take care of your health."
Hearing this, Ian tucked the mysterious letter into his sleeve before turning back to respond to Minamoto no Raikou.
"Umu, I understand."
[You take the medicine Minamoto no Raikou prepared.]
[You do not tell her about the mysterious letter.]
[You share an intimate moment with her.]
[She has official matters to attend to, so she quickly departs.]
Once again, the room was left with only Ian.
A faint light emanated from his hand.
It was a type of Onmyoji spell.
And then—
Shuten Douji appeared within that light, summoned before Ian.
"Eh?"
"Calling me out already?" Shuten Douji let out a long yawn. "You don't usually summon me at this time."
Ian and Shuten Douji's investigation had been ongoing for over a year.
Though they had found almost nothing—
The Grand Onmyoji had realized that despite her carefree and seemingly indulgent demeanor, the Demon King of Ooeyama was actually quite serious when it came to work.
Because of this, his relationship with her had become far more amicable than before.
"Of course, there's something."
"Otherwise, I wouldn't have called you out like this."
As he spoke, Ian retrieved the letter he had hidden in his sleeve and placed it on the tatami mat between him and Shuten Douji.
"This?"
Shuten Douji looked puzzled.
"You summoned me just to look at this?"
"This letter isn't for me, is it?"
"Just read it first."
"..."
Though she still had many questions, upon hearing Ian's words, Shuten Douji understood that she had no choice but to comply.
She picked up the letter and read it carefully, word by word.
"Eh—?!"
Shuten Douji's expression turned to one of shock.
"Onigashima?"
Seeing her reaction, Ian did not hesitate and asked directly:
"So? You know this place?"
"Not exactly." Shuten Douji scratched her cheek. "I've only heard about a place like that before."
"Heard about it?"
Ian frowned slightly, looking puzzled.
"Don't tell me even among demons, you don't know much about each other?"
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
Shuten Douji shot Ian a glare, looking rather annoyed.
"Of course demons have different factions! How is that any different from you humans?"
"Every region has its own Demon King ruling over it, and there's no cooperation between them. Naturally, we don't know much about each other."
That made sense.
After all, Shuten Douji was the "Demon King of Ooeyama," not the "Demon King of Onigashima."
From the way she referred to herself, it was clear that demons were divided into separate factions.
"Alright then..."
"What kind of place is Onigashima exactly?"
"..."
Shuten Douji pursed her lips before continuing.
"Let me say this first."
"I've only heard rumors! That doesn't mean it's true!"
"I understand. Just tell me."
"Hmph..."
Shuten Douji muttered before picking up where she left off.
"I heard that there's something incredibly powerful buried on that island."
"If someone finds it, any wish they have can come true."
"This..."
Seeing Ian's skeptical expression, Shuten Douji continued:
"I told you already."
"It's just something I heard—whether it's true or not, I have no idea."
"So—"
Shuten Douji glanced at the letter in Ian's hand.
"I think this whole thing sounds pretty unreliable."
"..."
[You fall into silence.]
[Truthfully, you somewhat agree with Shuten Douji.]
[But you still have a feeling that this cannot be a lie.]
[You believe this is an inevitable event.]
"Hey!"
Shuten Douji looked at Ian in front of her, unable to hide her concern.
"You're not seriously believing this, are you?!"
"Umu." Ian nodded. "Even though what you're saying makes sense, Shuten—"
"But my instincts tell me that the contents of this letter are not deceiving me."
"That's not the point!"
Shuten Douji stood on her toes and flicked Ian's forehead.
"What are you thinking?"
"A letter with an unknown origin, signed by someone no one's heard of—if you really go there, aren't you afraid of the danger?"
"Danger will come sooner or later."
Ian looked straight at Shuten Douji, completely unfazed by her flick to his forehead.
"Before it threatens Raikou, I want to deal with it first."
"That way, she won't have to suffer anymore."
"You..."
Shuten Douji looked exasperated.
She couldn't just blurt out something like, "Forget about that cow woman."
After all, that was his wife.
Saying it would only make him resent her.
"So what's your plan? Are you really going to Onigashima?"
"Umu." Ian nodded.
"If you're afraid, Shuten, you don't have to go."
"I'll help you hide your identity. Staying here won't be a problem."
"Eh?"
Shuten Douji hadn't expected Ian to leave her a way out—she had assumed he would force her to come along.
After hesitating for a moment, she spoke up:
"No way."
"I said I'd follow you to learn about your identity... If I let you go alone now, wouldn't that be breaking my promise?"
"So, you're saying you want to come along?" Ian asked.
"Exactly!"
Shuten Douji declared loudly.
"I'll go too—after all, I'm the Super Amazing Great Demon King of Ooeyama! If the other party really is a demon, they'll have to give me some respect!"
"But... how are you going to explain this to Minamoto no Raikou?"
"You don't need to worry about that."
Ian smiled slightly.
"I'll take care of it."
[You and Shuten Douji have agreed to travel to Onigashima together.]
[But before setting off, you need to settle things with Minamoto no Raikou.]
—
The bedroom was unusually quiet in the late night.
Moonlight streamed through the door, casting long shadows on the greenish-gray tatami mat.
Minamoto no Raikou and her husband, after finishing their bath, were curled up together under the same blanket.
"Danna-sama, I wish I could stay like this with you forever."
Her voice was soft, filled with affection.
"That way, I could store many beautiful moments in my memory."
"My lady, your wish is wonderful."
"But—"
Ian gently brushed through Minamoto no Raikou's hair, feeling its softness.
"Right now, you are the pillar of the Genji clan."
"Even though I, too, want to stay by your side forever, that would go against your original resolve."
"Danna-sama, of course, I know that."
Minamoto no Raikou tightened her grip around Ian's arm.
"That's why... I can only say these words at a moment like this."
"But—"
"There will surely be another chance in the future, right?"
"Umu…" Ian nodded. "There will definitely be another chance."
They gazed at each other and then laughed.
Right after that, their lips met in a warm embrace.
In the stillness of the night, only this warmth could reach the depths of their hearts.
Until their breaths gradually grew heavier, forcing them to part for a moment.
"Danna-sama."
Minamoto no Raikou looked at the man beside her, her gaze as gentle as flowing water.
"You said you had something to tell me."
"What is it?"
"Umu…" Ian adjusted his breathing slightly, his expression turning a bit more serious.
"My lady, I need to leave for a while."
Ian didn't hide much.
He knew that, with Minamoto no Raikou, honesty was the best approach.
As expected, after listening, Minamoto no Raikou remained silent for a moment before nodding.
"How long will you be gone?"
"It's hard to say… I might return soon, or it could take a long time."
"Then—" Minamoto no Raikou looked at Ian, "Have you prepared everything?"
"Umu." Ian nodded.
"I'm ready."
"I understand." Minamoto no Raikou gently placed a kiss on Ian's cheek.
"Danna-sama, come back soon."
"You're not going to ask where I'm going?"
"There's no need to ask."
"Because—"
"You will definitely return to me, won't you?"
"Nothing can separate us."
Minamoto no Raikou looked at the man beneath her.
"Nothing ever will."
[You and Minamoto no Raikou spent a sweet night together.]
[You and Shuten Douji have set off for Onigashima.]
[This is a journey known only to the two of you.]
[But you still chose it without hesitation.]
—
The cold sea wind lashed against Ian's face.
Shuten Douji stood beside him.
Following the instructions in the letter, they had been traveling toward Onigashima for three days.
If nothing unexpected happened, their boat would reach the shore today.
Perhaps finding the quiet atmosphere a bit dull, Shuten Douji quickly spoke up:
"Now that I think about it—"
"Minamoto no Raikou really trusts you, huh?"
"She doesn't even know where you're going, yet she's still willing to support you unconditionally."
"Isn't that natural?"
Ian smiled.
"A husband and wife should trust each other like that, shouldn't they?"
"Otherwise, how could they live together?"
"..."
"Then—"
Shuten Douji rolled her eyes around before stammering.
"What was that about her sitting on you and screaming?"
"Huh?"
Ian turned to look at Shuten Douji beside him.
"Sitting on me and screaming?"
"Y-Yeah!"
The moonlit scene she had glimpsed through the door crept back into her mind.
Unconsciously, her hands started mimicking the motions she had seen.
"Minamoto no Raikou grabbed your hands, wrapped her foots tightly around your waist, and started bouncing wildly like she was riding a horse, right?! Then she started shouting all sorts of things, didn't she?!"
"I remember a lot of weird stuff!"
"If you did it, just admit it honestly!"
"Don't even think about denying it!"
"..."
Ian looked at Shuten Douji, feeling both amused and helpless.
"Tell me honestly—do you really not know, or are you just pretending not to?"
"Of course, I really don't know!" Shuten Douji shouted, her face turning red. "If I knew, why would I be watching?!"
"So you're justifying peeping now?"
"I did no such thing!" Shuten Douji planted her hands on her hips. "I was standing outside the door!"
"And besides, where else was I supposed to go? I had no choice but to stand there!"
"If I happened to find out something, what's the big deal?"
"But I clearly arranged a separate room for you?"
"..."
"..."
The air suddenly turned a little awkward.
After a moment, Shuten Douji muttered in a small voice:
"Isn't it just because I've never seen it before… so I got curious?"
"But you're supposed to be the Super Amazing Great Demon King of Ooeyama. How come you don't know about these things?"
Shuten Douji was just about to justify her lack of knowledge regarding male-female affairs when she suddenly sensed something.
She turned her head and looked ahead of the boat.
Through the mist, an island gradually emerged before their eyes.
Everything matched the description in the letter perfectly—this had to be Onigashima.
However, Ian quickly noticed something off about Shuten Douji.
It wasn't just "seeing the island" that was on her mind—something else was bothering her.
After a brief hesitation, Ian asked:
"What's wrong?"
"Did you sense something?"
"Umu." Shuten Douji nodded.
"I… I think Ibaraki is there too."