The Looking-Back Ghost Tale (A Side Story of Hoichi the Earless) [Night 11] Eight Amulets (Serial Short Story)

A ghost tale told by a woman of Seikanji, night after night.
What is told is the ending of someone who lived in Gion—
But that ending is not just one.
The same mystery, different endings.
The truth is left to the ears of the reader.
“The Looking-Back Ghost Tale,” a side story to “Hoichi the Earless,” opens here.

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Night 11: The Loyalty of Kakuichi and Hikoshichi, Part 6
Eight Amulets

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Pluck...

The sound of a biwa rang out, as if stroking the night air.

“Now then, everyone gathered here—
Tonight, I shall tell you of the 'end of the journey' for two officials.

The name of their journey was 'Loyalty'.
On that path, ghosts appeared, illusions whispered, and stars fell—
It was a journey that would make your back shiver if you listened closely.”

Pluck...

“Now, the stage is Gion in Kyoto.
The town is beginning to bloom with cherry blossoms, bright and lively even at night.
There, the two take on their final mission.

‘Visit eight shrines and collect the amulets’—
It was ordered by that pale-skinned onmyoji.
What difficulties await on the road, only the gods know.”

Pluck... pluck...

“But rest assured.
These two are strong, upright, and above all, sincere.
So tonight, please listen with a little peace of mind.

…However, what awaits at the end is that ‘King of Ghosts’—
Everyone, are you prepared in your hearts?”

◇◇◇◇◇

As the daylight tilted toward the west, Kakuichi and Hikoshichi finally entered the town of Gion.
It was spring. The cherry blossoms, blooming eight-tenths of the way, swayed in the wind, and the townscape, bathed in the evening light as it welcomed the night, felt as if it were in a dream.

The fatigue of a long journey gently enveloped their bodies.
Even so, Kakuichi shrugged his shoulders and took a breath, as if savoring the air of the town.

“...The town of Kyoto is indeed glamorous, Hikoshichi.”

“Indeed. The wind of incense that tickles the nose, the row of alluring lanterns. This is what they call Gion.”

Both were setting foot in this place for the first time.
Yet, feeling a sense of familiarity, perhaps it was the relief of having reached the end of their journey—or perhaps they were being called by something.

They chose an inn on the outskirts of town called 'Hasuya'.
It was a tasteful building that also welcomed samurai guests, and the floorboards were clean. Hikoshichi had decided on it after hearing there was a young cook and becoming interested in the man named Yasube.

Guided by the landlady, Okane, the two were shown to a room on the second floor.
When they opened the shoji, they could see cherry blossom branches stretching into the distance, and from there, they could still hear the bustle of people coming and going.

“We will visit the eight shrines starting tomorrow. Let's finish our preparations tonight. Still, we must rest our bones a little.”

When Kakuichi said this, Hikoshichi replied, “Indeed,” and sat down.

At the dinner table, side dishes prepared by Yasube were lined up.
The fragrant grilled sea bream head, the simmered vegetables soaked in broth, the glossy white rice, and the miso soup with a rich aroma—all of it seemed to soak into the hunger of their long journey.

“This is magnificent, Kakuichi.”

“...Yes, delicious. It was worth coming to Gion for this.”

The sake flowed, and the two were wrapped in a relaxed mood.
The night wind whistled beyond the shoji. The sound of a shamisen leaked from some shop, and the festive mood of the spring night invited them to sleep.

Kakuichi suddenly muttered while looking up at the ceiling.

“...Hikoshichi. We've come this far.”

“Yeah. But the real challenge starts now.”

“We must collect eight amulets. We have time, but... I don't think it will go smoothly.”

“But we will do it. We are officials under orders.”

The two quietly drained their cups and lay down on their futons.

Tomorrow would be the start of the journey to visit the eight shrines.
And what that would summon, the two did not yet know—

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The morning in Gion was wrapped in a moist silence, quite different from the bustle of the night.
From here and there in the town, the sound of water being splashed from buckets and the sound of sweeping echoed, and the cherry blossoms at the eaves, which had bloomed more than yesterday, swayed as if drawing in the color of the sky.

Kakuichi and Hikoshichi were getting ready at the front desk of Hasuya.
While the lingering warmth of last night's peace remained, a hint of tension appeared on their faces.

They tied small boxes for the amulets to their backs.
When the inn's landlady, Okane, quickly served steaming morning porridge and pickles, the two thanked her and finished it.

“We will likely stay here tonight as well.”

When Kakuichi said this, Okane nodded with a smile.

“Yes, indeed. I will be waiting... Please, stay safe.”

The two bowed slightly and left Hasuya.

The first place they headed was a shrine to the north of Gion—Kasuga Myojin.
On the map they had received from the onmyoji, Harebare, the order to visit the eight shrines was carefully noted. Yasaka Shrine was the last, said to be the place where the greatest power was sealed.

As they walked through the town of Gion, cherry blossom petals danced at their feet.
They could hear the practice of festival music in the distance, and they could feel the footsteps of the approaching festival.

When they arrived at the shrine, there were almost no worshippers, perhaps because it was still early in the morning.
The head priest was a kind old man with graying hair, and when they mentioned Harebare's name, he immediately understood the situation.

“...This is that amulet. From here on, no matter what happens, never let it go.”

“Understood.”

Kakuichi received the amulet and carefully placed it in the small box.
At that moment, a weight ran through their bodies.

“...That's strange.”

Hikoshichi frowned.

“Is it my imagination, or has my body... become a little heavier...”

“It might be the fatigue of the long journey. If we walk, it should return to normal soon.”

Even as they said this to each other, a slight sense of discomfort remained on their faces.
But, as if to shake it off, the two headed toward the next shrine.

The sun was still high, and the spring sky was clear and blue—

◇

The second shrine was 'Matsukaze Inari' in the west of the town.
Vermilion torii gates lined the approach, and the shrine, watched over by fox statues, was a small but deeply revered place by the people of Gion.

Every time Kakuichi and Hikoshichi passed through the torii gates, a wind blew from somewhere.
It was a cold, damp wind, as if rejecting their visit.

The shrine's priest was young and responded immediately to the request from Harebare.
When they received the second amulet, Kakuichi's feet suddenly sank.

“...Again.”

Hikoshichi also dropped his shoulders and smiled bitterly.

“My body... is heavy. It's as if I'm wearing three layers of armor.”

“No, this is not just fatigue. Something... is different.”

However, they could not stop here.
Kakuichi put the amulet in the box and looked straight ahead.

“That's only two. Let's go, to the next.”

As they visited the third and fourth shrines, their steps certainly slowed down.
Even so, the reason they continued without stopping was that the mission to collect all eight amulets was pulling them strongly.

But when they finished the fourth shrine, Hikoshichi finally fell to his knees.

“...Damn it, I can stand, but... this is certainly not just fatigue.”

“I agree. It's as if I'm walking with a log on my back.”

Kakuichi also wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

After consulting, the two decided to return to Hasuya that night to rest their bodies.
They had intended to visit all eight shrines at once, but they had to judge that they would be unable to move if they continued like this.

The sun had completely tilted, and the town of Gion was lighting its lanterns again.
While the town was buzzing with the signs of the approaching festival, their faces were heavily clouded.

◇

A soft night had come to the town of Gion.

The cherry blossoms were dyed white by the lights, and the red of the lanterns swayed on both sides of the road.
In the evening, Kakuichi and Hikoshichi returned to Hasuya with four amulets in hand.

Their legs were as heavy as lead, and they felt a fatigue as if something invisible was riding on their backs.
Even so, the brightness of the town and the warm light of the inn looked gentle to their eyes.

“You've returned.”

The landlady, Okane, who was standing at the doorway, welcomed them with a smile.
Kakuichi nodded slightly, and Hikoshichi let out a sigh.

“We will stay again tonight.”

“Yes, please make yourself at home. Yasube is putting his heart into preparing the side dishes.”

In the tatami room of Hasuya, hot water was prepared.
Kakuichi and Hikoshichi closed their eyes with few words while sinking into the water up to their shoulders.

“...My shoulders feel like they're going to come off.”

“Yeah... I feel like I've been dragging myself along the stone pavement of Gion.”

The two got out of the bath, changed into yukata, and sat around the table.

On the table were magnificent side dishes made by the chef, Yasube.
Grilled duck meat was intertwined with the fragrant aroma of miso, and the bitter-sweet white-dressed rape blossoms brought the taste of spring.
And the aroma of grilled rice balls enveloped the room, and the sake bottle was quietly steaming.

“...Hasuya is different after all. The side dishes, the bath...”

“With this taste, I feel like I can walk.”

For a brief moment, the two surrendered themselves to a time of peace.

But that did not last long.

As the night deepened, the two sank into their respective futons.
The town of Gion still had laughter and the sound of shamisen somewhere, but the room was quiet.

Kakuichi immediately had a dream.

He heard a groan.
It's painful...
I resent you...
It's your fault...

Countless voices echoing from nowhere enveloped Kakuichi.

When he realized it, his body would not move, and something heavy was pressing down on his back.
The voice repeated over and over in his ear.

Give it back... give it back...

And in the next moment, a black face appeared before his eyes.
The eyes and mouth were just split open.

“Nu... nuuuuuaaaah!”

Kakuichi jumped up, drenched in sweat.
His breath was ragged, and his heart was jumping to his throat.

When he looked next to him, Hikoshichi was also suffering.

“...Uuu... stop it...”

Hikoshichi was also possessed by the same nightmare.

The two did not exchange words, but just stared at the ceiling in the silence of the night for a while.

The moon was peeking through a break in the clouds.
The cherry blossoms in full bloom were still waiting for the morning light.

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(To be continued. Next time is the final episode)

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