Chapter 15: Sadametoki — The Hour of Settled Fate

Chapter 15: Sadametoki — The Hour of Settled Fate

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“Whether you're real or not, I think you're the only one who can tell me why I'm here in this world. Because I always feel... invisible.”

I sat in the conference room, staring blankly at my laptop screen while the voices of the animation team echoed around me. I should have been focused—this was, after all, the Taiyoutenshi project, the intended pinnacle of my career. But my mind was a captive of the previous evening’s events at the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge. What should have been a mundane sunset had warped into something inexplicable. I shouldn’t have been surprised; my life had been haunted by the bizarre ever since that meteorite almost struck my apartment. Yet, this felt different from the dreams of the foreign giant or the nonsense secret of Mafuyu. This felt... tangible.

I shook my head, forcing myself back to the discussion. After several hours, the meeting adjourned, but I had another destination in mind. I needed answers that a boardroom couldn’t provide.

Yorishiro, my partner on the project, was waiting in the lobby. We had agreed to dig deeper into the spiritual roots of our narrative. I suggested a trip to Suishido, a village in Jingu City and the ancestral home of his family. The Igarashi line supposedly held a dense history of ancient religious practices. It was a long drive, but I felt a desperate need to understand things that existed beyond the material world.

My primary concern was Chinatsu. Our relationship was still new, and I had been a ghost lately, buried in work. Thankfully, Akiho was at the house, ensuring Chinatsu wouldn’t be lonely. Yet, beneath that domestic worry, a primal force was pulling me toward the unknown.

After two hours of driving, we reached Suishido. It was 10:00 PM by the time we arrived at the Igarashi estate. Yorishiro’s father, Mr. Igarashi Tamumaro—a revered priest—greeted us. Because of his status as a holy man, I eventually confessed the anomalies I had been experiencing. After a few hushed conversations, he suggested we visit the Sanzu Shrine, an ancient site dedicated to a primordial deity.

With flashlights in hand, Yorishiro, his father, and I trekked into the shrine’s interior. The air was thick and heavy, almost predatory, but I felt a pull—a calling from the deep. Tamumaro warned us not to touch anything; this was no ordinary sanctuary, but a vessel for ancient power.

As we reached the prayer area, Yorishiro grew visibly uneasy, urging us to leave. But I was anchored there by a curiosity I couldn’t ignore. The walls and ceilings were etched with ancient Chinese characters and symbols of the cosmos—stars, moons, suns, and intricate floral motifs.

Mr. Igarashi approached me and began to speak of the deity worshipped here: Kagechi.

“Kagechi is the Great Wanderer of the Universe,” he whispered. “A deity who traverses space and time. Legend says he was separated from his lover, but the red thread of fate still binds them. That thread is the symbol of an unbreakable bond, driving him to search for his partner across millennia, even after death, even as a spirit, hoping to reunite in another universe.”

He explained that the cave we stood in was a yorishiro—a physical vessel for the deity. This grotto was once used to pray to Kagechi, the Judge of the Violet Star, the guardian of the balance between the cosmos and the Yin-Yang. Between those who deserve to live and those who must leave. The Igarashi family, he noted, originated from the ancient Chinese mainland, preserving these spiritual traditions through the centuries.

Then, he spoke of a concept I had never heard: Sadametoki.

“Sadametoki is the Hour of Settled Fate,” he explained. “It is the dawn’s counterpart to Tasogare—the twilight. While twilight thins the veil between the human world and the spirit realm, the dawn of Sadametoki thins the veil between the human world and the cosmic world. It is the moment where destiny, choice, and the soul converge to forge a life’s path.”

The explanation made my head spin. I came here for animation inspiration, but I was being handed the keys to my own existence. My vision began to blur. I heard Yorishiro’s frantic voice calling my name before the darkness claimed me.

When I came to, I was back at the Igarashi residence. They strictly forbid me from speaking of the shrine visit to outsiders; the experience was sacred, and my reaction to it proved I was “linked.”

“Let’s go home, Kazu. We have work early tomorrow,” Yorishiro said as we prepared to leave for Kobe. But in my heart, I knew the search had only just begun.

In the quiet living room, scented with green tea, we were membering our things when Mr. Igarashi approached me with a bundle. “Kazuaki-shounen, before you go, I want you to have something. It is a copy of our family’s secret manuscript. It has been transcribed many times, but the essence remains unchanged. I believe it may help you understand the burden you carry.”

He handed me an ancient scroll. The room grew tense. Yorishiro looked stunned; he clearly had no idea this manuscript existed.

“Father, what is this? Why didn’t I know about it?” Yorishiro asked.

His father sighed. “Of course you don’t know, because you never showed interest in our traditions. You chose a different path,” he said firmly before turning back to me. “This manuscript contains vital records concerning Aurigama Comet, which our family believes is a sign from God Kagechi.”

I took the scroll carefully. Tamumaro continued, his voice grave. “Many dismiss these as legends, but our ancestors recorded a pattern. Aurigama appears in mysterious cycles of 7, 77, and 777 years—circling back like the sand in an hourglass. And in this year, 2030, we face the greatest cycle: the 777-year return.”

I frowned, doing the math. “So the last time it appeared was... around 1253?”

“Exactly,” he replied. “That year was marked by disasters across the globe, including Japan. Our family believes that whenever Aurigama crosses the sky, Kagechi is crossing the universe. The earthquakes are merely the footprints of his journey; the cosmic power is so vast that the Earth struggles to contain it. This comet is a messenger.”

“What is so special about this particular arrival?” I asked.

“According to our scrolls, when Aurigama passes, it follows a specific celestial pattern from the moon to the sun—the ‘Path of Kagechi’s Feet.’ When this happens, the bridge between time and space... or, more precisely, the world of the living and the dead can be triggered. It opens the possibility for one to return to the past or leap into the future.”

“Time travel?” Yorishiro interjected, skeptical. “I’ve never heard of this...”

“Because you didn’t look,” his father countered, tapping Yorishiro’s head. “You were too busy with other things, while I had already explained it to your older siblings.”

I suppressed a smile at their interaction as Tamumaro continued. “The Path of Kagechi’s Feet is a moment of absolute power. Every time the comet crosses the Earth, tremors can occur. Its impact is usually stronger in Asia. In ancient China, comets like this often signaled great changes—like the fall of dynasties. History records that this comet crossed the sky when the Shang Dynasty fell and was replaced by the Zhou Dynasty... and they say that was the moment when the records of God Kagechi were first written.”

“So, it’s not just an astronomical phenomenon?” I asked, beginning to understand the historical context.

“Correct,” Tamumaro said. “Beyond science, there is deep spirituality. I mentioned Sadametoki. Every dawn, there is a regular Sadametoki, where one can meditate and find enlightenment. But when Comet Aurigama appears, we experience Absolute Sadametoki. This is the rarest phenomenon, occurring only during the 7, 77, and 777-year cycles. In Absolute Sadametoki, it is said one can truly alter fate or travel through time—but only if they are chosen by Kagechi.”

Yorishiro’s skepticism remained. “But there’s no concrete proof, right? There’s nothing on the internet about this ancient god. You could say our family’s oral method is lacking evidence.”

“Evidence is scarce,” Tamumaro conceded. “But there are whispers. An unrecorded son of Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty, and the Zen Master Dogen—they are said to have encountered this phenomenon. For now, the most tangible part is the daily Sadametoki, our chance to connect with the cosmos every morning.”

I processed the information, my mind reeling. “NASA... they predicted the comet will pass in late September this year.”

Mr. Igarashi gave a small, knowing laugh. “Modern science is accurate about the trajectory. But our family believes the peak phase—the Absolute Sadametoki—will occur between August 12th and 15th, 2030. Whether it is mere nature or something more... we shall see.”

“So... we could actually go back? Change things?” Yorishiro asked, his voice wavering between belief and wonder.

“It is possible,” Mr. Igarashi said with a meaningful smile. “However, only time will prove if the comet carries such power. In the Igarashi clan, representing the era of the Toraijin, we believe.”

I felt a thrumming in my chest. The world of 2030, with its logic and high-speed tech, was colliding with these ancient mysteries.

“If this comet is a message... and if the dawn of Absolute Sadametoki can change fate... does it have anything to do with what I saw at the bridge?” I asked.

Mr. Igarashi looked at me with piercing intensity. “It is likely. As the comet nears, energy shifts. Vibrations invisible to the eye but felt by a sensitive soul. Perhaps that was your first glimpse.”

He placed a hand on my shoulder. “If you are chosen, you must be ready. Because when that moment comes, fate and time will be in your hands. Do not waste an opportunity that comes once every 777 years.”

Yorishiro patted my back. “Kazu, looks like we have a lot to learn before that comet arrives.”

I nodded, gripping the scroll. This was no longer just about an animation project. This was a search for the truth of my own existence. We said our final goodbyes and headed back to Kobe, the ancient manuscript sitting heavily in my lap. I had to study this. I had to know what Kagechi was trying to tell me.