Chapter 43

The six of us stand in front of a small tower-like temple. It is not nearly as big as the tower Emperor Sakuramachi lives in, but it is quite the building on its own.

“Okay. We’ll split into two teams.” Itoh looks at Iwata with disgust. “Mister Shithead and Miss Freak are a team. The rest of us are the other team.”

Iwata doesn’t seem to be affected by his comment. “Sure, no problem. You are twice as many and yet you will not even reach half of our kills.”

“Non, non.” Sherlock is grinning quietly. He shakes his finger dramatically. “That is no fair, no fair at all I say. Let us instead form truly fair teams so that no party can deem this competition unfair once it has ended! It would destroy the very reason for such a competition, as it would serve no purpose at all.”

Okubo shakes her head. “We do not need any of you! Lord Iwata himself will slay each and every beast on his own… And, for the off-chance that he is caught off-guard, which will never happen, then I, Lord Iwata’s most important and most devoted slave, will protect him with soul and body!”

“Yikes! It appears as though we will not be able to form two teams of 3… Thus, we will have to form three teams of 2! Isuri, you and I shall join and be the third group in this war! Let this be the war of the three Kingdoms!”

Well, Sherlock as a teammate is certainly a pretty tiring experience, but I will manage.

Nagano steps up to the door and slowly opens it. The inside looks just like the inside of the temple on the mountain or the inside of the scary room in the underground of the town: There are the typical and traditional floor mats. However, it is not a small room like it was in the other two distances, but - just like you see from the outside - a giant tower. In fact, it feels as though it is even taller from the inside than it looks from the outside.

There are many of the wooden doors that I know by now. There is probably a Yokai waiting behind every single door.

“Well, well, well! Where to start, where to start? Dear, do you have any idea?” While Sherlock was wandering around aimlessly in the main hall, Itoh comes inside as well. Thus, we are all inside now.

And, at this very second, the doors behind us close for real.

Everything turns dark and the very next second a single person on a balcony a few levels above is enlightened in spotlight. This person only has a skull for a head and is wearing some kind of green robe. This is hanging downwards and floats in the air. After all, everything about him is floating in the air.

When the Yokai starts talking, his voice seems to echo throughout the whole tower and meet me from each direction.

“Most valuable guest… I greet you! My name is Kohada Koheiji and I shall present with you a truly unique show! Let us begin our very own Kabuki-Theater! Tonight shall be the greatest night you shall ever experience: After all, is the best not always saved for last?”

The lights turn off completely and all of us are indulged in darkness once again. Then the lights turn on once again.

I am in a single room, decorated in the already known traditional Japanese way. However, something is different from before: Not only is the room I am in fundamentally different, there is also no one else besides me here.

The mantle I am wearing - I am wearing the mantle I have taken from my father today - is slowly swinging back and forth. Only due to this do I realize that there is some kind of wind.

We were separated as soon as all of us entered… This isn’t good. I run to the wooden door and try to open it - however, it does not open.

I quickly draw my sword. Yes, I know: I am carrying around my sword despite being invited to a super exclusive district to watch a tournament, surrounded by all the nobles and all that IS pretty strange… And quite frankly, I find it even more strange that I was neither tested on having weapons nor were they confiscated. If someone were to sneak in a weapon or some kind, they would most certainly be able to kill most of the elites there… Wait, no. They probably couldn’t: After all, no one would dare to kill the lion's puppies in the lion’s lair. After all, if someone were to try anything the like, Phanes would most certainly kill them without problems… Okay, but that is not what is important right now:

The thing that is truly important is the following: I cannot leave this room. And there is some strange wind in this very room. I slowly look around but cannot see anything that would indicate where the wind is coming from… Thus, I feel it. I try to follow the blowing of the wind. Perhaps there is a secret way out of this?

The wind lures me into a corner of the room. As I start touching the wall, trying to look for a secret path, I suddenly feel a cold shiver running down my spine.

“Cold. Oh, so, so cold.”

I swiftly turn around. And there, floating right in front of me, is a woman with long black hair, clothed in a white kimono. She has no legs and her monotone face looks at me.

The yokai in front of me is none other than a Yuki-Onna.