Chapter 128: The Transformation of the Forest of Judgment

Ariko Asano felt a twinge of jealousy.
I came first, after all.
Whether it was getting to know the teacher or learning the spirit-exorcism techniques, why was it like this?
The teacher hadn’t bought me any firearms or equipment, not even a single bullet.
Yet now, a full set of gear had been purchased for Shimogamo Shrine.
Ariko’s solitary flames of envy burned fiercely at this moment.

Elsewhere, the five shrine maidens returning from the Gion Festival business meeting rehearsal were stunned when they saw the neatly arranged weapons in the shrine’s backyard, resembling a miniature arms exhibition.
Are these models?
Ha ha, they look remarkably realistic.
What could Joe be planning with these?

Everyone instinctively overlooked the most likely possibility.

“These are spirit-exorcism weapons I asked an acquaintance to buy at cost price. Well, for now these are just ordinary weapons, but once infused with spiritual energy, they become exorcism arms capable of confronting powerful vengeful spirits,” Joe explained with a smile.

Seeing these arms must have brought the shrine maidens some reassurance.

“By the way, some of these contain dangerous flammable and explosive materials, so I hope everyone will only be curious and not touch them carelessly.”

“Otherwise, judging by the blast equivalent—well, the destructive power—Shimogamo Shrine might vanish from the map... Huh? Why are you all standing so far back?”

The five shrine maidens immediately stepped back to the shrine’s gate.

“Don’t worry, the safety mechanisms on modern weapons are very effective. Unless triggered by specific means, even if you slam them forcefully on the ground, they won’t explode.”

Joe explained with some puzzlement as he glanced at the time.
The introduction to the weapons would have to wait until tomorrow.
He thought to himself, now it was time to fulfill the request.

“Kitagawa-san, please get ready. We’re going to Tadasu no Mori.”

Hmm, inviting a shrine maiden into the woods seemed somewhat inappropriate.
But Joe also brought along Ariko, so there was no need to worry.

Although Kitagawa Ryoko was somewhat reluctant, she obediently followed Joe, leaving the shrine and walking along the pebble path into the neighborhood.
She still wore the red-and-white shrine maiden attire, with short hair and a single sandalwood-shaped hairpin.
Kitagawa kept a respectful distance from Joe, trailing behind Ariko.
Though Joe was a bit intimidating, Ariko was kind and sweet.

As dusk approached, Tadasu no Mori grew dim.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

On the path, Joe briefly explained the details of the task.

“Enmusubi trees, huh? I once came by to clean over there when I first arrived.”

Kitagawa spoke softly.
Before becoming a shrine maiden, she had visited Tadasu no Mori, but not Shimogamo Shrine—it was for Kawai Shrine instead.
Kawai Shrine enshrines Tamayorihime no Mikoto, a female guardian deity. Legend says a daughter of the Kamo family inherited her divine name and became the earthly representative of the goddess, which is why Shimogamo Shrine also venerates her.
Tamayorihime is best known as the “cutest deity in the land”—in other words, exceedingly adorable.
Kawai Shrine has thus become the exclusive place for girls wishing to pray for beauty.
Kitagawa had offered her prayers there before.
Surely, she never imagined she would one day become a shrine maiden herself.

The winding path led the three quickly to the Enmusubi trees.
These were two paulownia trees, weathered by over seven centuries of wind and rain, now grown together as one, supporting each other to this day.

“Huh? Is that a small shrine to the land deity here?”

Kitagawa curiously approached a small altar near the Enmusubi trees.

“That’s probably not a shrine altar,” Joe warned quietly.

The next moment—
*Bang!*

White mist erupted from the altar with a sound like a balloon popping, causing Kitagawa to dart behind Joe at lightning speed.

In the altar’s place sat a raccoon dog.
Brown eyes ringed with black fur made it look somewhat like a raccoon, but it was smaller, with a leaf resting atop its head.

“Sorry, exorcists... please, please don’t shoot!”

The raccoon dog started to bow apologetically, only to see Joe instinctively draw his revolver and aim.

“So it’s just a tanuki.”

Joe holstered his weapon.

“I’m sorry. The forest’s been unsafe lately; please forgive me for appearing like this.”

The tanuki trembled slightly.
He introduced himself as Masayoshi, the leader of the tanuki in this part of Tadasu no Mori.

“The trees in the forest have dwindled, our usual water sources have been polluted, and even the Enmusubi trees...”

Masayoshi spoke of the changes in the forest, glancing at the massive Enmusubi trees.

“Do you mean human activity is causing these changes?”

Kitagawa asked.
Though yokai were frightening, compared to Joe, they seemed less so.
She could still tell the difference.

“No, no, no, shrine maiden, I didn’t say that,” Masayoshi paused, looked around, then with a *pop* transformed into a man wearing a shirt.

“It’ll be better if I stay like this—a while longer, and some people will arrive.”

Tanuki are shape-shifting yokai, said to be able to transform into anything with just a leaf.
Now, in this human form, Kitagawa would never be able to tell without spiritual sight.

“The impact of visitors on Tadasu no Mori is actually minimal. What I’m referring to is the accumulation of yin energy. Please look.”

Masayoshi pointed toward the Enmusubi trees.

Through spiritual sight, the Enmusubi trees were shrouded in dense yin energy, like a misty poison spreading through the mountains, affecting nearby trees.

“Originally, the Enmusubi trees were spiritual trees that brought couples together, but recently, due to the yin energy’s grip, they’ve lost their original spiritual power and now foster discord between couples.”

“This discord then feeds back into the Enmusubi trees through lingering attachments, deepening the yin energy.”

“If that were the only problem, the other centuries-old trees in Tadasu no Mori could balance it out.”

“However, in the past month alone, over a dozen trees aged more than five hundred years have mysteriously vanished. These trees held spiritual energy themselves, so their disappearance only thickens the yin energy in the forest.”

Masayoshi led the three deeper into the forest.
Here, there was a vast pit.

?

Even Joe was surprised.
He had thought Masayoshi’s mention of missing trees meant someone had been secretly cutting them down.
But what he saw now was a tree completely uprooted, vanished without a trace.

Looking around, there were over a dozen such pits.

In the silent depths of Tadasu no Mori, these pits were like graves, sending a chill down one’s spine.