BUNKYU YEAR 3 (1863)
Oh, welcome in!
Hey, Naotsugu.
Greetings.
Jin-dono! You're quite the busy bee these days.
New jobs just keep coming.
Are you going out tonight as well?
Yeah. I caught wind of rumors about a man-eating demon.
At Mizuho Temple. The same place that had demon trouble before.
It just never ends, does it?
Times have gotten tough enough already with the soaring cost of living here in Edo.
The more anxiety among the populace, the more demons that emerge.
Here you are, Miura-sama. Thanks for waiting. One order of kake-soba.
Pardon, may I ask something?
What is it?
Why are you the one back there making soba?
Well, you see, the chef offered to teach me how to make it.
Shucks! We all know he can't just be a ronin forever, right?
You've learned well, Jinya-kun.
Really?
Yes. You might even be good enough to open your own shop.
I like the sound of that.
Time to go.
Jinya-kun.
Safe travels.
Please watch your back.
MIZUHO TEMPLE
Been a long time since I was last here.
I don't smell any blood.
So, you must be the man-eating demon.
Won't let me get close, eh?
Skyedge!
Tell me your name.
Yunagi...
I see. Farewell, Yunagi.
I will now consume you and your power.
Assimilation.
Hey, pal! Welcome in.
Greetings, Jin-dono.
Welcome back. You're not hurt, I hope?
It goes without saying. Jin-dono would never slip up in battle!
I know how skilled Jinya-kun is.
But that doesn't mean he should put himself in harms way, you know?
Good point. Especially considering that he has a wife worried for his safety.
Yes. If only he knew how restless she gets.
Yeah, you tell him!
This lummox has no idea how to care for a woman. There's not a tender bone in his body.
That must be stressful, Yunagi-san.
No kidding. Nothing's worse than an aloof husband.
Although, I am a little jealous.
Jinya-kun has his own brand of kindness. Not to mention such a cute daughter.
Feel free to adopt her. I've always hated dealing with kids.
Yunagi-san. Parents shouldn't talk like that!
Yeah, yeah.
"Yunagi"...?
What's the matter?
Oh, my apologies. Just a little surprised.
Who is this child?
Are you sure you're okay? She's your daughter, obviously.
It's past time that you gave her a name, though.
I'm really awful with stuff like that, so you do it.
Uh, okay.
Something's weird with you.
No, I'm fine.
Uh-huh.
Don't worry. It's nothing, honestly.
Sounds fishy.
It's hard to trust a man who keeps so many secrets, you know.
Just fibbing!
I was never actually worried in the first place.
Guess not even the great demon hunter stands a chance against his wife!
That's for sure.
Jinya-kun?
You've been out hunting demons for multiple nights in a row, pal.
Maybe the fatigue is starting to catch up with you?
You should really allow yourself a day of rest.
No, I can't...
Still, it's a bummer. I was really hoping ya'd get hitched with Ofuu and carry on the business for me.
Dad!
I mean, that's the whole reason I started teachin' ya how to make soba.
Oh, is that so?
No!
You gotta tell us the story. How did ya manage to win over this stubborn mule of a ronin?
Well, it's probably because we've known each other for so long.
We're from the same village.
There was a hill overlooking a river on the outskirts of town. That's where I made my move on him.
Oh, how romantic! I'm so envious.
Damn. Friends since childhood, eh? That's a big advantage.
You both hail from Kadono, right?
There was even a time we lived under the same roof.
Until we had to split up and lived apart afterwards.
So, you know what Jin-dono was like as a kid?
Of course.
He's been a stickler since forever.
"I can't change how I live" is like his catchphrase.
Sounds like Jinya-kun has always been the awkward type.
Wasn't that frustrating, Yunagi-san?
You bet your bippy.
But I found it kind of charming.
That's why I've stayed with him.
Besides, he's absolutely hopeless without me around.
Anyway, that was a load of hooey.
Huh?
I lied. About all of it.
You should know it's rude to pry into people's personal lives.
Well, shall we get going?
Okay.
WOODBLOCK PRINTS
& BOOKS
Among our new releases, "Spirit Tales of Ancient Japan" has proven very popular.
What's it about?
As the title implies, it's a collection of stories relating to the supernatural.
Like "Urikohime & the Amanojaku," or "The Invisible Demon of Teramachi," and other tales yet unheard of.
SPIRIT TALES
OF ANCIENT JAPAN
WOODBLOCK PRINTS
& BOOKS
We also have books like the "Tenmoku Lovers' Suicide."
It depicts the suffering of a husband whose wife dies before him.
Uh-huh. Not exactly a good recommendation for a married couple.
Of course. Aside from that we also have...
Thanks for all your insight.
I have to go for now, but I'll be back again to borrow some.
Very well. Until next time, then.
Sorry to keep you!
It's fine.
I'm not partial to children. I hate this one in particular.
But it's not like I have a choice.
I can't just leave her with you all the time.
Why the hate? She's your daughter.
Wrong.
Believe it or not, this baby was abandoned by her parents. I didn't give birth to her.
So I feel no attachment.
Abandoned?
Then why care for her?
More importantly, can we take a little break? I'm getting tired.
Two cups of tea and an order of dango.
Oh, and some isobe-mochi if you have it.
Someone's upset.
It's not like that. I just can't tell what you're thinking.
Since you do nothing but lie.
Women are born liars.
Thanks for waiting.
Please enjoy yourselves.
I'm surprised you know my tastes.
What do you mean? You're the one who told me, remember?
You said isobe-mochi was your favorite snack.
Well, let's eat.
Yunagi, are you...?
Ugh, again with the crying. This kid is such a pain.
Did you say something?
Okay, then.
Don't pay me any mind. So, where shall we go next?
There's no point going anywhere special, is there?
We rarely get time to spend like this. Let's just take it easy.
Together as a family.
All right. Then let's do that.
What do you think this girl's name should be?
Ah... I'm not sure.
Well, you're the one who gets to decide.
So, I read a short story at that bookstore earlier.
Once upon a time, there was an old man and old woman who lovingly raised a very kind and beautiful daughter.
Until one day, a demon appeared and tricked the daughter into letting it inside their house.
It was the Amanojaku, a special type of demon that can lie.
The demon killed the girl and wore her skin,
taking her place and eventually becoming the bride of a rich husband.
That's the tale of Urikohime & the Amanojaku.
Oh, you've heard of it?
It's a rather famous fable.
Pretty fascinating, isn't it?
Really? Seems like a typical horror story.
Oh, please. You don't understand the first thing about how to enjoy a good story.
Being able to speculate about the underlying meaning is what makes it so interesting.
For example...
Why do you suppose the Amanojaku killed Urikohime?
Why?
Yeah. There is no right answer, so just give it some thought.
Hmm.
Perhaps because it hated Urikohime?
Sounds plausible to me!
It would actually be pretty interesting if there had been some kind of vendetta between them.
What's your take on it?
Good question.
Urikohime was on track to live a cushy life with a wealthy husband-to-be, so it swapped with her out of jealousy.
I think the Amanojaku was a fellow lady.
What? That doesn't click with you?
Actually, that makes a lot of sense...
I know, right?
Oh, hell. I really hate kids.
Spoken like a true Amanojaku.
Adorable, isn't it?
A lucky sparrow.
You're familiar with them? Sparrows turn into clams, you know.
How does that work?
I'm just fibbing.
Oh, don't give me that look.
The evening calm.
It happens along the coast. The sea breeze blows during the day, until the land breeze comes at night.
For just a brief period, when the two rotate out, the wind stops blowing entirely.
And the ocean becomes the very picture of tranquility.
That's my namesake, "Yunagi."
Oh, I'm not lying this time.
Seeing this peaceful sky made me remember.
The evening calm turns the ocean as clear as a mirror. It's truly beautiful.
I hope to see it again some day.
With you, if possible.
Are you crying?
The sunset just got in my eyes for a second.
The sky of the evening calm, eh?
I suppose that means the dusk is your golden hour.
Are you being serious?
I didn't peg you as one for sappy lines like that.
Wow, those are pretty.
The white-powder flower.
Also known as the "four o'clock flower" or "nighttime beauty."
White-powder? But I can see pink and yellow ones, too.
It's because of the white powder inside the seed husk.
Apparently, children would use it like makeup to play pretend.
And for some reason, these flowers evolved to only open from late afternoon to dusk.
Aren't you just the know-it-all?
I'm merely repeating what I've heard.
Still, what a funny flower. Nighttime is such an odd time to bloom.
Indeed.
Yunagi.
I had a great time today.
Why're you acting all sentimental?
I'm not. These are my honest feelings.
That grouchy look of yours says otherwise.
That's just how I look. I'm not lying to you.
There was a time I used to dream about a life like this.
Passing my days idly by with the woman who I fell in love with.
I can only imagine how blissful it would have been.
Hey. Will you call my name for me?
Jinta.
Is that what you wanted?
Thank you.
To be honest, I'm consumed with regret.
If only I had done a better job, then maybe Shirayuki would still be alive.
But it wasn't meant to be.
Shirayuki, my dad, and Natsu... things could have ended differently.
The truth is, I've been lamenting it all along.
Is this your power at work?
Or maybe it's...
just my sorrow coming to the forefront.
I knew it all along. You weren't the demon who was lying.
I'm the real Amanojaku.
It's impossible for you to be here in the first place.
Yunagi. I was the one who...
Don't be silly, you didn't kill me.
But...
Because the truth is that I don't exist anywhere at all.
Our marriage, all those memories, even my presence here...
Everything was a lie.
So you shouldn't let it bother you.
Anyways, it's a relief.
I'm glad that a kindhearted soul like you showed up.
Like I said, I hate kids. So you're in charge of her now.
It's all right. I know that you'll raise her well.
Bye-bye. See you again someday.
The ability to create illusions that deceive others.
And the illusions are all linked with the user's memories.
"Falsehood."
Now I get it. That was Yunagi's demonic power.
The fox and the flames were just visions Yunagi created.
Actually, it goes further...
There was never a "man-eating demon" in the first place.
That was just a lie meant to make someone realize this child had been abandoned here.
She made quite the Amanojaku.
Yunagi. In that moment, you were truly the mother this child needed.
A flower that blooms in the evening calm.
That's what I'll name you after, "Nomari."
One day, I'll tell you all about her.
Your kind-hearted mother who pretended to be the Amanojaku.
Oh, hey, pal! Welcome i- huh?
Wha-?!
Uh, Jinya-kun? Why do you have that baby?
Oh...
Are you sure you're okay? She's your daughter, obviously.
This is my daughter.