Chapter 3: Tamamo-no-Mae is a Great Yokai
Although the first thing Hikigaya looked at after emerging from the torii passage was the real estate in western Kansai, it didn't mean there was no one there. On the contrary, there were quite a lot of people.
First, alongside the stone-paved road, was a line of shrine maidens dressed in white robes (hakui), undergarments (juban), and crimson divided skirts (hibakama). In front of the shrine maidens stood a group of Kansai practitioners, primarily Onmyoji and exorcist swordsmen, their faces plastered with warm, welcoming smiles.
Among them, an old woman caught Hikigaya's attention; she possessed a power originating from the same source as Ena's. It was the unique aura of the blood of a Divine Ancestor.
Behind Hikigaya, a flurry of cherry blossoms suddenly swirled, and Ena and Liliana appeared amidst the petals. Everyone was finally here; time to get to work.
With that thought, just as Hikigaya moved his feet, the shrine maidens on both sides bowed in unison.
"The Kansai Sorcery Association respectfully welcomes Lord Rakshasa!"
Their voices were sweet, and the scene was quite nice. After all, they were all pretty young ladies with lovely faces and figures. However, the way they introduced their organization was a bit subtle. They actually called themselves the "Kansai Sorcery Association" in front of an outsider. Was that really okay? Right in front of a Seishuin?
Seeing Hikigaya's expression, Ena said helplessly at his side, "They've always been like this..."
"That's your grandmother in the front, right? Isn't she going to snap?"
"Actually, she grew up here..."
'So, you Seishuins are actually undercover agents sent to infiltrate Kanto, aren't you? Is this how you go undercover? You've become the bosses!'
"That's not how it works, is it..." Hikigaya complained. "Your 'undercover' work is practically reaching for the heavens."
Considering the Committee operated on a consultative system between the Four Great Families, as one of those families, saying the Seishuins were the bosses of the Committee didn't seem technically wrong.
"What do you mean 'undercover'? Our four families just have more of a say," Ena argued, though she couldn't help but laugh herself. She probably felt embarrassed trying to make up an excuse, as she had told Hikigaya plenty about the Committee and the entire Japanese sorcery circle; he knew it all inside out.
The composition of Japanese sorcerers was a mess. Shinto alone could be played a hundred different ways—after all, it's a nation of eight million gods, and even the Japanese themselves
don't know how many Shinto cultivation sects there are. The Buddhist gate was another large group, starting from the "Zen Protection of the Nation" in the Kamakura period; historically, they had a love-hate relationship with Shinto that lasted many rounds. Then there were the exorcist swordsmen, who were extremely prominent during the Warring States period—"a blade in hand, style I command." Besides them, there were also a considerable number of ninjas.
Think that's all? Not even close. There were many non-mainstream ones, like "Half-Ayakashi," who didn't exactly do human work.
But being a "mess" wasn't the main problem for Japanese sorcerers. After the modern Meiji Restoration, Japan became one of the world powers, and sorcerers took the opportunity to develop based on the country's rising status. However, just like the modern Japanese Army and Navy constantly clashed, the different groups of sorcerers maintained a "friendly" relationship of discussing physics (violence) upon meeting.
It wasn't until after Japan's unconditional surrender, when Western magi entered Japan in large numbers to "claim land," that these people gradually settled down. Eventually, the major organizations held their breath and formed a grand alliance, establishing the History Compilation Committee, finally managing to defend their territory.
The Four Great Families who held the real power each represented different groups or regions. The Seishuin family represented the entire Kansai region, decided back then by a vote of all members of the Kansai circle. Since the Seishuin clan didn't just have exorcist swordsmen but also possessed the special profession of "Hime-Miko" (Princess Shrine Maiden)—who could interact with Shinto, Onmyodo, and even Buddhism—everyone privately felt the Seishuins were a good neutral choice. As it turned out, the Seishuins dominated the ballot, infuriating those who had only intended to split their opponents' votes.
Ena still remembered how hard Hikigaya laughed when she first told him that story. Then the two of them had a cheerful "session" together.
Now, however, she very formally introduced these Kansai locals who had come to greet him. "Hachiman, this is Chairman Konoe."
The first person she introduced was a middle-aged man with glasses. Hikigaya was stunned, but not because the man radiated the aura of a "veteran driver."
He asked, "Chairman Konoe, do you happen to have a daughter named Konoka?"
"Eh? Does Lord Hikigaya know my daughter?"
"I don't. But does she have an exceptionally young homeroom teacher?"
"That, she does not. My daughter hasn't gone to school outside."
'Alright, looks like this isn't the association of the same name from Negima; it's just someone with the same name. Good.'
Otherwise, the setting would have collapsed too much. The magic systems are completely different!
However, the fact that the leader of the Kansai side wasn't named Tsuchimikado was somewhat unexpected to him. After all, according to what he knew, the Tsuchimikado family in this world was a prestigious Onmyoji name. Yet, the "veteran driver" uncle before him was also dressed as an Onmyoji.
"Hachiman knows Konoka?" Ena, on the other side, looked at Hikigaya suspiciously, clearly not believing his "I don't know her" claim. However, she wouldn't press him now and continued to introduce the others one by one.
Then, Hikigaya saw a familiar face. The mother of the "Paper-Ball Swordswoman"—the one who would lose her spirit at the drop of a hat, suspected to be one of his own father's "chicken wings" (mistresses)... Motoko Aoyama.
"Long time no see, Hachiman." Motoko Aoyama smiled and nodded at Hikigaya.
Whether it was Hikigaya's hallucination or not, he felt Motoko Aoyama was acting like an elder, carrying a bizarre "my junior has done so well, I'm just here for a stroll, carry on everyone" vibe.
'No, no, I can't overthink this.'
Speaking of which, where was the Paper-Ball Swordswoman? Since he hadn't seen her at Hinata House, Komachi said she had returned to Kyoto.
"Hello, Aunt Motoko." No matter how much he complained internally, he had to be polite. Regardless of whether she was a "chicken wing," Motoko was indeed Keitaro's friend. He, Hikigaya Hachiman, was a Campione with a proper upbringing.
"Keiko is in Tokyo; thank you for looking after her." Motoko Aoyama was smiling, but suddenly, her face turned red. "When is your father coming to Kyoto?"
'Isn't the topic jumping a bit fast? And... why are you blushing!?' Hikigaya suddenly felt that Keitaro's "third leg" might end up broken.
"Hachiman, this is my grandmother." Finally, arriving at her own family, Ena's voice became much more cheerful.
Because Hikigaya was thinking about Keitaro's affairs, when he suddenly heard the word "Grandmother," he almost blurted out something inappropriate. Fortunately, as a Campione, his reflexes were very fast, and such a tragedy did not occur.
"Hello," he reached out and shook her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine. To meet Lord Rakshasa is an honor for this old body." The head of the Seishuin family laughed kindly. She was a hale and hearty elder.
"Ena-chan must have told you about the 'Hour of the Demon'." Grandmother Seishuin's gaze shifted to Hikigaya's shoulder. "Lord Rakshasa, I have heard that the great yokai of old, Tamamo-no-Mae, is now under your command?"
The next moment, a fox with a... Pekingese hairstyle appeared on Hikigaya's shoulder.
"Correct, it is indeed I. I didn't expect a little girl like you to be able to sense me."
Grandmother Seishuin: "???"
Motoko Aoyama: "What a strange dog..."
Chairman Konoe: "Why is it a dog?"
Tamamo-no-Mae: "..."
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting