Reinousha Minato Vol 1 Prologue

There is a confinement area in the centre of the city for hito-shirazu[1].

There wasn’t a clear record if the people in town was forbidden to enter the area. However, the people has been faithfully continued to protect it.

The grove of hito-shirazu was about 100 sq. meter in area with 10s meter length park-like place, the trees were tall, and within the forest there were a lot of trees branches flourishing, which appears more like of a small forest than a grove. This view couldn’t be known unless one has step into the location itself.

At the centre of which, is a sacred tree called death, although none of the locals has ever seen it before. There hasn’t even anyone who dares to walk within 50 meters of its proximity. That is the place where hito-shirazu lives.

“Hmm, it really is located in the middle of the city”

The one who said that is a group of young men in their twenty. It was around midnight, and there was not a hint of shadow from other human in the vicinity.

“Doesn’t it resembles Yahata no Yobashirazu[2] in Chiba Perfecture? The Spirited-away legend is also similar”

“Spirited away, is it? I guess it’s only a myth to keep people off the ground”

Several male student stood before the confinement area while taking pictures with their camera with a mocking laughter.

“Then, from this point onward, let’s start the field research of Meisan University Occult Study Group”

They didn’t realize in their noise, but there was no other sound in the vicinity. It might be a small town, but in the centre of the town, it was quite common to hear one or two sounds of car engine or something else, yet there was none. Even the sound of insects was hushed.

“We’re going in from this side”

There was a gate surrounded by a tight row of racks. The youngsters climbed the racks and delved across the chain while laughing.

Once they got inside, the atmosphere completely changed. The trees were tall, and the atmosphere surrounding them seemed to oppress them. The starry sky was not visible as their visions were obstructed by the dense branches.

Since there was no light getting through, the darkness of the night was felt deeper. Were it not for the flashlight, they wouldn’t even know which direction to go.

“As expected, the atmosphere is different”

Despite being swallowed by the atmosphere; they went further in and were enjoying the strolls. After walking for some 20 meters, they found something strange. It was a piece of combined giant trees.

“Isn’t this amazing?”

2 big curved trees, stood at 7-8 meters had been entwined with each other like a snake. It was arched in a manner that made them look like a giant gate.

“I wonder how they make this. It’s not like this is a different cold country, it’s unnatural for it to grow this way”

The tree trunks were extending against the gravity. It was not normal to for them to be bent at near ninety degrees.

“Isn’t it done by changing the direction to fit this shape? Just like a bonsai. It’ll take few decades to do this”

“I see. Some shrine pines have pretty weird shape too. They were growing for hundreds of years, so it may seem natural in some sense”

“But, this one makes a great picture. Look at this. I posted in the blog, I wonder how will the response be”

One of the youngsters enthusiastically raised his small liquid crystal panel camera, and walk closer to the front of the giant tree.

“Despite being a confined area, the shimenawa[3] is still brand new. Well, I guess this is a scam”

There was a shimenawa at the height of the waist stretched between the 2 gigantic trees.

As he said, the shimenawa attached on the trees did not look worn out at all, it was unnaturally looked new. The shide[4] attached along the shimenawa also seemed to be untouched by the weather. On the surface of the shimenawa, there were both characters and symbols drawn closely together, in an orderly manner.

“Ah, then, this is the border of the living world and the world of the dead. Those people who were spirited away had gone pa.s.s through this tree-gate”

“There’s such meaning to shimenawa? I thought it is just a decoration”

"You guys, what are you doing here!”

Suddenly, there was a voice shouting from their back.

When they looked back, there was a teenage girl. It was as if a flower has emerged, wrapped with a bright red and white clothes in the midst of the night. Her long hair hung down at the front and was flutteringly blown by the wind. Despite the childlike appearance of her face, the crease on her eyebrows definitely showed her anger.

“You must not touch that!”

However, the youngsters disregarded the fact that she was angry. After all, a beautiful girl appeared in the middle of nowhere at such wee hour, they were excited to meet the mysterious girl, which caused them to raise the volume of their noise.

“Dude, it’s a real Miko-san[5]. Are you perharps, someone from here?”

“You’re really cute. How old are you? What’s your name?”

They gathered around the girl in no time, they surrounded her body from all direction unreservedly.

“I’m Yamagami Saya. This is a confined area. This is not a place where you should wander around indiscriminately. Please go away before you awaken the one who slumbered in this land”

Even after the girl named Yamagami Saya pointed out the way out, they didn’t seem to hint any action towards that direction.

“Out of the blue? Hahahaha, what the heck”

“You’re here too, aren’t you?”

“Hey, miko-san, are you a professional? Don’t you feel cold dressed like that? Or perhaps, you were intending to go to have your business in the water? Then, shall we go together now?”

Saya gritted the back of her teeth after listening the youngsters poked fun at her with unfamiliar words for her.

“Hey, what’s that?”

One of the youngster noticed a long rod which hangs at Saya’s back. It was a bow with a length of more than one meter. When Saya took the bow by her hand, it was firm, as if its core was made out of cold steel.

“Don’t you know about Azusayumi[6]? This bow is used for quelling wild spirit”

“How do you use it when you don’t have any arrow? Isn’t it totally opposite with the holy arrow?”

“Azusayumi has no arrow. And the string looks like a guitar’s string”

The more knowledgeable young man explain to his friends.

Right at that time, Saya seemed to notice something and directed her line of sight to the big tree where the realm of the dead bordered, behind the group of young men. She stiffened, before mustering a force to the hand which was wielding the bow.

“Hey, hey, miko-san, aren’t this place famous for spirited away legend? Can you do a little trial for us?”

One person started to run toward the shimenawa. Everyone had guessed what he was trying to do. This time, the youngsters were having so much fun fooling around. Saya ran hurriedly toward the young man to stop him, but she hardly could close the distance between them.

“oops”

The guy who ran hooked his leg in attempt to leap over the rope, he was staggering before safely landing his foot on the other side. His friends sighed in relief when he managed to do it.

“My bad, I tore it up. Ah, how if we bring this back as a souvenir, how about this shimenawa? We can add this to our clubroom’s collection. Since it’s torn anyway, it will be more useful if we take it away right”

While delivering such theory, he was trying to pull the shimenawa attached to the other tree by brute force. Saya hurriedly came to stop him.

“Please stop!”

Saya seized the rope, while trying to tie the other end of the rope to the tree.

“Won’t you give us that, for our collection?”

Everyone laughed, except Saya. Saya was stunned and pale, she immediately shouted to the laughing youngsters after she saw that the shimenawa was torn.

“Quickly, quick, flee from here!... Qu-“

Her cry was interrupted. The characters on the surface of the shimenawa began to move like a dynamic creatures to Saya’s hand which has been holding the shimenawa.

The character danced like small insects as the shimenawa stuck to part of Saya’s skin. The shimenawa, which was supposedly new, was crumbling soon after. It was as if she was watching a fast-forwarded video.

“How can this happen---“

Saya slumped down. A vertical light emerged from the centre of the two giant trees. The light spread gradually to the surrounding. As if an invisible gate is going to open.

“Ah, aaa----“

Everyone was speechless before the phenomenon. There was another dimension emerging in the midst of the giant trees. Behind it, something was wriggling, though they were not able to open their eyes since the light which cut out the night was too intense for them.

Despite the dazzling light, the foul odour instantly spread out, choking everyone present with nausea.

“Tsk”

In Saya’s hand, a black arrow which wasn’t existed till just now emerged. She pulled her Azusayumi with the black arrow in it, and aim towards the torrent of light.

She has an unexpected amount of force despite her small body and slender arms, pulling the bow to its limit.

The light grew stronger. The foul stench worsen, and they couldn’t hold their breath forever.

The Meisan University Occult Study Group members who were about to be swallowed up in the vortex of light screamed.

Saya released her arrows in the centre of the light in a straight line.