Part 93: Akane Resurfaces

Update 93


Before advancing the main plot at all, there is a little sidetrack I want to show. It is still relevant.
Let's take the dragonbus to Sakuradayama.



Then, at Oumitsu Shrine...


>"It's a melancholy tune..."



"I'm workin' with Narumi... We're collectin' the luck locusts."




"Maybe them Apollyons would never have come to the Capital... "




Oh my.


"I met him once before... Back in Tsukigata Village."




There they are, in front of the Prison.


"Then, when the Pojitrawn is all nice and big... It'll come fallin' from the sky, right? "





"Now, gettin' back to the Pojitrawn for a minute, when it gets full... Them destroyer insects are gonna rain down from the sky?"
"... Yes."





"One passage tells of locusts bringing pain such that "people will seek death, but will not find it." That passage became the spark for your hope, did it not?"




"I've read about Apollyon so many times, I got that stuff memorized. "They had as their king the angel of the abyss, whose name is Abaddon." And his servants were Apollyon. They called their king Abaddon... Apollyon's their servant."




"The volume containing the divine Word will prophesy the future you head towards. Some would wait and see what is to come... But others, such as yourself, seek to create your own future. Though both seek hope in the future, the underlying philosophies involved are utter opposites. Even though you... As well as those shunned due to their insectile appearance... Must both live together in this world that God created..."





"When I'm King Abaddon in control of Apollyon, we can get the bugs we need without kissin' up to the Tento... Then Akane wouldn't have to go through with that disgustin' fate... "




"I'm gonna become King Abaddon and drag them Tento Lords right off their high horse!"




Yeeeah. You keep thinkin' that, Dahn.



Well, that's that, so let's actually advance.


Oh boy. Apollyons in Tento-Kagura. But who is that there?




OH MY, it is Akane!




So, the Tento Clan is being rather suicidal? I wonder if the outcast freaks are also as excited about getting eaten as the Tentos.






Insert scream, and then SAW NOISE and then such other noises.




"It ate Lord Tento! A-Ahh!"




"Akane...? "
"This is the end for us, Father. Let's accept out fate with dignity..."




"Just luck...! Those locuss are eating my Fukoshi!"




Of course, when everything seems like it has gone to shit for them both, Raidou AND Geirin come running with action hero poses.




"Apollyon, symbol of misfortune and despair... You will despair at your own misfortune in facing two Kuzunoha summoners this day. Come, Raidou!"




Raidou faces one, with predictable results, while Geirin deals with the other one offscreen.
So, if Raidou had to kill a goddamn DEATH INCARNATE god, what did Geirin have to do to deal with his own?



"That's what I look for in the proud Raidou line."



"?"
"Mr. Geirin?"




"Umm... Thank you, Mr. Geirin... Mr. Raidou..."
"By the way, why is Ms. Akane here? I thoght the Marriage Ritual had been completed, and you entered the Tento Sanctuary."




>"Akane explained her circumstances to Raidou and Geirin."




"I see... You escaped when the Apollyons attacked the Sanctuary. "
"Yes... I ran as fast as I could, with no destination in mind... I happened to run into my father when I reached the Tento-Kagura."
"Mr. Geirin... What should I do now? That monster is eating the Tento Lords... Without them we can't... "




"Your first priority is to get far away from here. Your safety should theoretically come first. Let's head to the Fukuroku Inn. The villagers have taken shelter there as well."
>"Raidou took Akane and Akijiro and followed Geirin back to the Fukuroku Inn."




And so on and so forth. They get back.



"Theory dictates that I explain something to you, from one Kuzunoha to another."



Nagi also appears.


"But Akijiro is..."



Well it seems that there is some family drama going on.




Akijiro is pretty pissed off, it seems.

"Don't get too carried away... you might not make it back to the Capital alive this time... "
"Wh-What?"
"Father!"
"Didn't you see what happened, Akane!? Those flying monsters atre LOrd Tento! They're incredibly powerful locust creatures, but they don't obey a Fukoshi's commands! *sigh* This is the end of Tsukigata Village... If Lord Tento is eaten... The 8th Fukoshi Clan will be out of business without the luck locusts. I'll be the last of the clan... "






"What was the point of begging them for bugs like a homeless man with a bowl!? If I'd known this would happen, I'd never have traded my daughter away to them!"




"I've been a fool..."
"Father?"
"Enough of the Tento! Th-They're just misshapen freaks... They don't deserve to boss us around!"
"*gasp* How can you say that!?"
"... I had a theory this would happen... Raidou... Listen carefully. Apollyons are only the harbingers of the true danger that the Gate to the Abysmal Realm holds... They begin the process of humanity's unstoppable, ever-spiralling despair. The final catastrophe mustn't be allowed to happen... We must stop it by whatever means necessary."





And then Tae reminds Raidou why they got here to begin with.


"I don't blame you for focusing on saving the villagers, but just remember what we came here for. The folklore of Tsukigata Village... The people here aren't in the best of moods, but we have to ask around or this'll be a wasted trip. We're lucky there are still people left who know the village well. I'm sure one of them can give us some clues. .. Let's split up. Let's see... We've got Akijiro, Akane, Geirin and Nagi..."




This is likely a bad idea since he was rather agressive to her not five minutes ago. But let's get her to deal with him.





"Then I'll talk to Akijiro. "
"Like Tae said... Our main reason for coming to Tsukigata Village is to check out that children's song. I'll update the notebook with what we learned about it during the last Investigational Meeting.... Done."





Hopefully, that'll be the case.