Chapter 73
Although I was angry when Takashi once again compared me to a demon, I calmed down rather quickly under the rather pleasant conversation with Saeko and Kyoko, and my mood changed to a peaceful one. I wasn't even particularly affected by the sight of the temple courtyard littered with corpses when we climbed the steps. The same can't be said for the others.
"And what does that mean?" Saeko asked, taking a more comfortable grip on the bokken, clearly not averse to testing her new capabilities in practice.
- Hmm. Apparently, they have long been dead, but due to the purification of neutral spiritual energy, they do not rise. - Takashi said looking at the nearest corpse, before adding worriedly. - What worries me is where they are from. Let's say there are no creatures around the temple, because they sense some danger from this place, but these. There were originally a couple? So, the dead are not brought to the Kumano Temples, they come here to pray for the happiness and peace of their already buried loved ones.
- Maybe these aren't locals, but those who came from the street? - Hayashi suggested.
- I think I know what's going on. - I began. - While we were conducting the initiation, Oz was busy patrolling and based on our findings, at night the zombies become stronger and perhaps even smarter. I think there were survivors in the temple who hoped that the zombies would not be able to get here, but at night the cleansing was unable to suppress the strengthened undead who were already purposefully looking for survivors.
- That explains a lot, - the time traveler nodded, before sighing tiredly for the umpteenth time, running his fingers over the consequences of his mistake and continued. - And it also complicates everything. After all, it means that the curse is even stronger, and if we add to that that it is based not only on energy, but also on the physical, like a virus, then to solve the zombie problem we will need a ritual of such power that its energy would be enough to destroy all of humanity, unless a weakness in this curse is found.
"The ritual you propose is based on neutral spiritual energy?" I asked.
- Yes, - Takashi confirmed. - It would be the easiest to obtain, although naturally the energy of light would be more effective, but it requires a special kinship and even then it would require an initiation rite.
"I have a predisposition to light, but is it really that hard to get this element?" I asked curiously.
- Yes. After all, we are not talking about the holy energy used by clerics, which is not much better than neutral spiritual, but about one of the primordial elements. This is not only not simple, but also quite dangerous. After all, like darkness, this element affects the mind and if you are not careful, you can become a thoughtless fanatic, who will consider any other elemental magic heresy.
- Although if you are ready to take a risk, I will be glad to help recreate the passage to the plane of light for the initiation. - Takashi suggested with a smile on his face.
- Hm. I don't think I'm ready for that yet. - I answered.
- Really? Too bad. - the guy answered neutrally.
- Do I understand correctly that all these troupes will become zombies at night? - Saeko hastened to ask, noticing that I was not very pleased with Takashi's words.
- Yes, - the guy confirmed.
- Maybe then we should do something to make sure they can't get up? There are a lot of them here after all, and for most groups of survivors, meeting such a crowd is tantamount to death. - the girl suggested.
"I think we can," I agreed. "But I don't want to waste a lot of time."
"Cover your ears," I warned before merging with Oz, then added a little hesitantly, "And maybe close your eyes, too."
"W-what are you doing?" Kyoko asked with a trembling voice, watching as the sky was immediately covered with thunderclouds.
- Cleaning up, - I answered, and then there was a blinding flash of hundreds of purple lightning bolts, followed by deafening thunder. When my fellow travelers were finally able to move away from the light that blinded even through closed eyes, they were presented with a picture of an ash-strewn courtyard. Not a single corpse was missed.
"How much destruction can you cause at once?" Takashi asked.
- Well, if I'm given a very long preparation, I think I can feed the attack with enough energy to destroy the planet. - I answered calmly, trying not to show that I was literally bursting with self-satisfaction. And the shocked faces of Saeko and Kyoko only fueled this feeling.
"I… understand," the time traveler said, swallowing hard.
- You seemed to want to do something? - I reminded the thoughtful guy.
- Huh? ... Yes, exactly. - Takashi, breaking out of his thoughts, headed straight to the altar.
"I wanted to ask the local gods for intercession and make, so to speak, a gesture of respect," the guy began to explain on the way.
Once in the center of the shrine, he pulled out a sake drinking set. This set consisted of seven masu, square wooden boxes with a capacity of one go, or one hundred and seventy-seven milliliters. As he prepared for the ritual, Takashi also decided to explain to us what he was doing and the reason for choosing certain items. He chose the masu because of their symbolic meaning. The name of this vessel is a homonym for the word "to grow" or "to increase," and a masu filled to the brim symbolizes wealth. In this ritual, it means an abundance of blessings.
There were 7 cups, which is the number of happiness in Japan, and they were made of oak. Oak was considered a special tree. The home of the gods, the heavenly gates through which the gods descend into the world of people.
Having arranged these 7 masu in a circle, he began to lay out the plants. Seven spring herbs that are used as food, driving out dark spirits and diseases from the body: Japanese parsley, shepherd's purse, dried grass, chickweed, deadnettle, turnip, rock cress. Next are the seven autumn herbs that decorate the autumn full moon festival, the harvest and prosperity festival: Japanese clover, scalycium, patrinia, Chinese hemp agrimony, carnation, sugar cane, arrowroot. Trinisette is collected, three is also a lucky number in Shinto, and three times seven is the number of magicians and people who are initiated into higher knowledge. In Himalayan philosophy, three sevens symbolize enlightenment.
Next he took out a bottle of good sake and filled the masu to the brim.
And now the ritual of addressing the gods, the seven gods of happiness and good fortune, according to the number of sacrificial bowls. The first of them is Daikoku, the god of agriculture, cooking, trade and prosperity. He supplies the faithful with food and protects their homes from robbers. This is what Takashi asked him to do, to protect us from hunger and robbers. Having pronounced the verbal form of the ritual, disguised as an ordinary prayer, he poured out the sacrificial drink.
The second was Ebisu, the god of fishing, wealth and labor, and the guardian of the health of small children. Takashi asked him to bless our labors, as well as our path, so that we could "catch" many trophies along the way.
The third Benzaiten, goddess of water and fine arts. Water is a symbol of purification, and so Takashai asked her to cleanse the city of its curse.
The fourth Bishamon, one of the four heavenly kings, the god of warriors and military luck, the keeper of immeasurable wealth. He asked him for victory in the coming battles.
The fifth Hotei, the god of some general happiness and well-being. He asked him to multiply the gifts already given.
The sixth and seventh were Fukurokuju and Jurojin, the gods of longevity. Takashi performed spiritual healing in their name. Since there were two gods who possessed immortality and were responsible for longevity, he did not strengthen their influence with the name of Hotei. Thanks to them, he hoped to ease the wounds on his soul.
- I see you've finished, - I said, covering my left eye with a bandage. After all, I was very attentive to how all this was happening on the energy level.
- Yes, - Takashi nodded. - Let's go, there should be a treasure trove behind that screen.
- So we first pray to the gods for help, and then rob the temples? - the girls stared at him, while I didn't even try to hide the contempt in my gaze.
- Not to rob, but to look at the shrines, and if suddenly there is something useful among them, then we will politely ask permission, take it and say thank you. - Takashi smiled.
"But the gods don't answer," the teacher blinked.
- If they are against it, they will respond.
"You have a very strange faith," Busujima shook her head.