Hoichi with Ears [Episode 3] White Hand (6)

Blind Hoichi and Miyo, who cannot speak, challenge the white hand

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Chapter 6: Voices Dwelling in the Sound of Waves (Part 1)

The sea was silent, as if rejecting even the moonlight.

The wind had died down, and even the sound of the waves was quietly absorbed into the darkness surrounding the boat. Through the space where the boundary between sky and sea was blurred, a small boat moved, creaking with a rhythmic, groaning sound.

It is Miyo who grips the oars of the boat.

Sea spray scatters onto her white fingertips, drawing circles on the water that look like spilled ink before vanishing. Miyo's expression is calm, but a thin sheen of sweat beads on her forehead. Hoichi sits at the bow of the boat. Though he cannot see, his ears hear everything.

Clutching his biwa and khakkhara in his arms, Hoichi felt his skin prickle intensely at the presence rising from the depths of the darkness.

The Boat-Hiding Rock was drawing near.

Its shadow appeared as if melting into the darkness. A reef where fishermen were once said to have taken shelter from storms. Now, it is a sinister place that has swallowed only those who never returned.

The moment the boat neared the rock, a faint sound of bells—chime...—was heard from the khakkhara.

“...Hoichi...”

It was a low, heavy man's voice, as if resonating from deep within the khakkhara. It was Moritsugu. The voice, which felt as if it were touching Hoichi's earlobes directly, was as heavy and certain as a prayer soaked in blood.

“Play the biwa... in front of this rock. Call the souls... gather the grudges. To the limit...”

Hoichi grips the khakkhara tightly and hands it to Miyo. The cold sensation of the iron seemed to cling to his trembling fingers.

“...I understand.”

He whispers softly and places the biwa on his lap.

The boat sways in the waves. Miyo stops the boat and slowly pulls up the oars. The sound of the water eventually faded away.

Hoichi exhaled. Then, he placed his fingers on the strings of the biwa.

Twang!

“...The sound of the Gion Shoja bells... echoes the impermanence of all things...”

Twang... twang-twang... twang.

Hoichi's recitation begins.

The sound of the biwa and his resonant voice, as if cutting through the silence, rang out into the darkness.

The shadow of the Boat-Hiding Rock sways in the waves. Deep within it, something is pregnant with a groaning presence.

As the sound of the biwa continues, Miyo strains her eyes. Something is writhing in the shadows of the rock—she was certain of it. The spirits have not yet fully gathered. But something is about to come.

Hoichi does not know. But he plays. With trembling fingers, he carves out a certain sound.

Twang... twang-twang... twang, twang, twang...

The air begins to creak heavily.

Chapter 6: Voices Dwelling in the Sound of Waves (Part 2)

Twang... twang...

The sound of the biwa continued. Hoichi's lips moved, sending his quiet recitation out to the sea. However, a heavy silence and tense atmosphere drifted around the boat. The vengeful spirits had not yet fully gathered.

A faint wind blew from deep within the Boat-Hiding Rock.

Suddenly, a cold presence touched Hoichi's hairless head.

At that moment, a shudder like an electric shock ran down his spine. But he does not stop his fingers. He does not stop his recitation. He simply continues to weave the sound of the biwa.

“...The color of the Sala flowers... reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline...”

Twang... twang-twang...!

A light seemed to flicker in the shadows of the rock. Miyo knelt on the boat, clutching the khakkhara tightly. In the darkness, her white skin was illuminated by the moon, floating in the cold light. Miyo's eyes were fixed on the shadow of the Boat-Hiding Rock.

Something is there.

Deep within the black water's surface, something is peering at them. A "something" that has no eyes, yet is certainly staring right at them. It was about to appear at any moment.

Twang...!

Hoichi's recitation gradually gains power.

“...The proud do not last long... they are like a dream on a spring night...”

His voice seemed to permeate the waves, the wind, and the sea itself.

Miyo's fingers gently touch Hoichi's back. Hoichi nods. They do not exchange words. He simply knows through that warmth. That Miyo, while enduring the terror of what she sees, believes in him.

He must respond to that trust.

Twang... twang-twang...!

Once again, the khakkhara rings with a "chime."

Moritsugu's voice crosses Hoichi's ears.

“The grudge... is not yet full... but it is close. Do not fear... keep reciting...”

Heat ignites in Hoichi's chest. It is not fear. It is something like a mission. Something only he can do, something his voice guides. Carrying all of that, he continues to recite.

The boat remained there quietly, like a microcosm where time had stopped.

The surrounding sea was eerily calm. Only, the unseen things were drawing near.

Twang... twang-twang...!

“...It is like a dream and an illusion...”

Twang...!

And then, it appeared in Miyo's eyes.

A white hand, reaching out as if crawling from the shadows of the rock.

That beautiful, and chillingly alluring hand, was slowly heading toward the boat. It was still far away. But it was definitely coming.

At that moment, the wind changed. Lightning flashed behind the clouds, and thunder immediately tore through the sky.

Rain began to fall, pitter-patter. At first quietly, then increasing in intensity as if responding to the recitation.

Miyo, without looking away, hugged the khakkhara tightly to her chest.

Cold raindrops ran down Hoichi's forehead, and his fingertips dampened the strings of the biwa. Even so, he does not stop.

Hoichi's voice rises even higher.

“...There is a capital beneath the waves...”

Twang! Twang-twang! Twang...!

The waves washing over the rock suddenly became rough.

The air was as cold as if it had frozen.

The boat creaked slightly, and along with the thunder, something groaning in the distance—was beginning to awaken.

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