Chapter 129: Not Listening, Not Listening
After locking eyes with those piercing emerald pupils for a moment, Haruto promptly chickened out. He took a single, decisive step back, neatly tucking himself behind Youmu's smaller frame.
Shikieiki Yamaxanadu did not immediately scold him. Instead, her gaze shifted to Onozuka no Komachi. The shinigami, sensing the weight of that stare, did not dare to be negligent. She stepped forward and began to report the crimes of the two Ghost Postmen in careful detail.
Her speech was clear, her thoughts organized, and her tone impeccably professional, a stark contrast to her usual dazed and lackadaisical demeanor. She even dug up their mortal history of fraud and exposed the persistent malevolence that clung to them even after death.
Shikieiki listened in silence, the righteous fury in her emerald eyes intensifying with every word.
The entire Hall of All Creation was deathly still. The only sounds were the crisp cadence of Komachi's report and the faint, desperate chattering of teeth from the two Ghost Postmen, whose fear had become a evident force.
They had long since collapsed onto the cold floor, their boldest, most terrifying guess now confirmed beyond all doubt. The red-haired girl was indeed an underworld ferryman, and this grand, imposing chamber was the very hall that judged the life, death, good, and evil of all things.
And the figure seated upon the high dais…
She was none other than the Yama who presided over all judgment. The ghosts couldn't even form words of pleading. As spirits, they instinctively understood that before this being, any attempt at sophistry would be utterly pale and laughable.
The heavy tome resting before Shikieiki began to turn its pages of its own accord, each leaf clearly reflecting the two ghosts' numerous past misdeeds and their monstrous crimes in the afterlife. The evidence was conclusive; there was no room for denial.
Shikieiki picked up her Rod of Remorse, the symbol of "Right and Wrong," and pointed it toward the two trembling spirits. Her voice was not loud, but it echoed with absolute authority through the hall as she announced the final verdict.
"In life, you practiced fraud. In death, you neglected your duties, toyed with the living, and disrupted the sacred order of reincarnation. Your crimes are heinous! According to the laws of Hell, the judgment is as follows—"
She paused, her gaze burning like a torch, before delivering the final pronouncement: "You are to be cast into the Eighteen Levels of Hell! In accordance with the depth of your sins, you shall undergo punishment level by level, until your karma is fully cleared!"
At her command, two underworld enforcers from the silent rows stepped forward. They mercilessly hauled away the two postmen, who had already gone limp with terror, dragging them toward their eternal punishment.
After dealing with the two Ghost Postmen, Shikieiki's gaze finally settled on Haruto. He immediately shuddered, shrinking further behind Youmu with a dry, nervous laugh.
"Well, since that's all taken care of, I'll be on my way. Goodbye!" he chirped, grabbing Youmu's sleeve and preparing to make a swift exit.
"Wait a moment."
Shikieiki's calm voice drifted from behind the judgment desk.
"Shiki, you can't use your public office to settle a private grudge!" Haruto immediately protested, his voice muffled from behind Youmu's back.
This audacious statement made both Youmu's and Komachi's eyes widen in sheer disbelief.
On the dais, Shikieiki's face darkened, her hand tightening around the Rod of Remorse. But as she looked at Haruto's cowardly yet defiant posture, she ultimately let out a helpless sigh.
"I'm not—"
"Not listening, not listening!" Haruto declared, clamping his hands over his ears.
Normally, the Rod of Remorse, accompanied by a lengthy lecture, would have already found its way to his head. At this moment, however, Shikieiki still had official business to attend to.
"I'm not trying to say—"
"Not listening, not listening, la la la, can't hear you—whack—hiss…"
Haruto's interruption was cut short. This time, Shikieiki truly couldn't hold back. The Rod of Remorse slammed squarely onto his head, making him crouch on the ground in pain, clutching the fresh lump miserably.
"I wasn't planning to lecture you," Shikieiki said, raising her volume to drown out his whining. "I have seriously considered your suggestion from last time."
Her words left Komachi and Youmu with utterly confused expressions, having no idea what she was referring to.
Haruto, however, immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He cautiously poked his head out from behind Youmu. "You should've said so earlier! I knew you weren't such a rigid person, Shiki."
In fact, he had run into the Yama not long ago. That time, escape had been impossible, and Shikieiki had cornered him, asking why he was always avoiding her. As an honest youkai—and knowing full well that the Yama could see through lies anyway—Haruto had told her the truth.
He had explained that everyone makes mistakes, and while preaching wasn't wrong, it had to be done in moderation. Not everyone had the patience for a long-winded sermon. He even drew upon management principles from his past life, suggesting that she pay more attention to her methods and approach.
Immediately after his impromptu consultation, while Shikieiki was lost in thought, he had bolted. He never expected her to not only remember his words but to actually take them to heart.
Haruto was practically moved to tears. In the future, if anyone dared to call Shikieiki rigid and unreasonable, he would be the first to jump to her defense.
Komachi and Youmu slowly pieced together the situation and silently gave Haruto a thumbs-up. Youmu was fine since she lived far away, but Komachi's eyes were filled with a mixture of tears and sheer excitement. As a direct subordinate, she had to report to Lord Shikieiki face-to-face for much of her work and was inevitably subjected to a lecture at regular intervals. Now, at long last, she could see the dawn of her liberation.
It wasn't just Komachi, either. In the near future, the name Haruto was destined to spread throughout the Underworld, making him a hero admired by countless denizens of Hell.
"Take this."
Shikieiki opened her palm. A command medallion floated just above her small hand, the character for 'Shiki' clearly engraved upon its surface.
"I can't accept it, I can't accept it," Haruto said, hurriedly waving his hands in refusal. "How can I use your back door, Shiki? Wait until I really have an accident and kick the bucket, then you can give me a hand. Once I've earned some merit, then I'll take this medallion."
Thwack, thwack—
The Rod of Remorse knocked on his head twice more.
Shikieiki truly couldn't restrain herself any longer and began to lecture with a stern face. "Don't spend all day thinking such nonsensical things. Your sister, Yakumo Yukari, is one of the Sages who governs the balance of Gensokyo. As the young master of the Yakumo household, even if you don't bring glory to your family, you should at least be able to distinguish right from wrong, maintain your integrity, and be strict in your principles. You travel between two worlds and represent the face of the Yakumo family. You should be an example of maintaining order. How can you be like this every day…"
Shikieiki's lecture began to flow, incessant and powerful. Haruto's eyes filled with despair. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have said that last bit. As for spacing out, he absolutely didn't dare. The moment his attention drifted, the Rod of Remorse would surely land on his head again.
The others nearby were caught in the crossfire. They wanted to cry but had no tears, and they too didn't dare let their minds wander, fearing they would be next.
But then, a scene that shocked Haruto and everyone else unfolded: Shikieiki only lectured for three or four minutes before stopping.
Everyone was moved to tears. Lord Shiki, you really do listen to advice!
"Why are you all looking at me with those eyes? Since there was an error in my methods, it is only natural to make corrections, is it not?" Shikieiki sighed, her gaze falling once again on the medallion now in Haruto's hand.
"This is my token. It has no special effect; it is merely imbued with my aura. If you encounter some… anyway, this token is useful. Keep it safe."
She finished, then added with official gravity, "This is not a private matter. I am giving this to you in my capacity as a Yama."
Shikieiki's words were vague, but Haruto didn't overthink it. ultimately, he had obtained a Yama's personal token. Even if she claimed it had no special effect and only carried her aura, it was the aura of a King of Hell. Anyone with a certain level of strength would sense it clearly and feel an instinctive awe from the depths of their soul.
He had just gained another trump card for self-preservation.
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