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# Mirage of Blaze volume 8: The Supreme Conqueror's Demon Mirror 3

## Chapter 23: Ritual of Unification By Fire

By Kuwabara Mizuna (author), Toujou Kazumi (illustrator)
Translated by asphodel

Mt. Nikkou Nikkou-san (日光山)
Mt. Nikkou, located in the north-west part of Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan and centers on Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou. echoed with the chanting of a great many voices.

It had started around an hour ago. The preliminary prayers and austerities were being performed within the Sanbutsudou Hall of Rinnou Temple Rinnou-ji (輪王寺)
Rinnou Temple is a Tendai Buddhist complex located in Nikkou, Tochigi Prefecture. It was founded by in 766 by Holy Priest Shoudou and became an attractive retreat for those seeking solitude due to its location deep in the mountains of Japan.
In 1590, during the Siege of Odawara, Toyotomi Hideyoshi seized the temple for supporting the Houjou side, causing its decline. However, during the Tokugawa Shogunate Tenkai became the chief priest of the temple and began its revival.
Many structures and artifacts within the temple are designated National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties. One of the most famous is its main building, Sanbutsudou (三仏堂) or Three Buddha Hall, so-named because it houses large gold lacquered wooden statues of Amida, Senju-Kannon ("Kannon with a thousand arms") and Bato-Kannon ("Kannon with a horse head"). The three deities are regarded as Buddhist manifestations of the three mountain deities of Nikkou enshrined at Futarasan Shrine.
The Black Gate, which is uniformly black from its pillars to its roof tiles, guards the entrance to both Sanbutsudou and the Treasure House.
The Kaizandou, or Founder's Hall, enshrines Shoudou and is located to the north of Toushou Shrine..

Several hundred policemen possessed by Houjou vassals had ascended the mountain earlier and now stood guard. Every cedar tree had a human soul bound to it, their faces stark against the trunks. They numbered in the thousands—perhaps even tens of thousands...

Dressed in a priest’s garb, Ujimasa watched over the solemn rite of cedar stick burning within the Hall. This ‘sacred fire’ would later be used to set the sacred tree alight. Night had fallen completely, and the mountain was cloaked in darkness.

Rinnou, one of the three head temples of the Tendai Tendai (天台宗)
A Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism descended from the Chinese Tiantai (Lotus Sutra) school and originally brought to Japan by the Chinese monk Ganjin in the middle of the 8th century. However, it did not become widely accepted until the Japanese monk Saichou brought additional texts on Tiantai back from China and established the famed temple Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei. Saicho added elements from the Zen, Esoteric (mikkyou), and Vinaya Schools to Tiantai to form the Tendai teachings.
sect, had at one time been supervised by High Priest Tenkai Tenkai (天海) 1536 - Nov. 13, 1643
Tenkai was a Tendai Buddhist monk who achieved the highest rank of the priesthood and became abbot of Kita-in at Kawagoe in 1588. He served Tokugawa Ieyasu as liaison between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Imperial Court at Kyoto. After Ieyasu's death in 1616, he also served the 2nd Tokugawa Shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, and the 3rd, Tokugawa Iemitsu. Among his projects were the rebuilding of Enryaku Temple on Mount Hiei, the restoration of Rinnou Temple in Nikkou, and the establishment of Kan'ei-ji in Ueno. himself. The two hundred or so monks taking part in the prayers were all nue nue (鵺)
In Japanese mythology, the nue is a chimera formed from the head of a monkey, the body of a tanuki, the legs of a tiger, and a snake-tail. The nue can transform into a black cloud and brings illness and misfortune.
In Mirage of Blaze: The troops of the various clans, lumped-together masses of onryou, are called the «nue». Mori Ranmaru commands the Nue-shuu of the Oda, who are onryou with strong powers. of the Houjou. Even this great temple rarely saw ceremonies on such scale anymore.

When these preliminary rites were complete, the monks would take up the sacred fire and torch the mountain: this was the ‘Ritual of Unification by Fire Ritual of Unification by Fire (火合の法)
A ritual designed by the Houjou to fuse the energies forms of human souls, trees, and earth by binding souls to sacred cedar trees and torching those trees. Once fused, the Houjou would have a wellspring of energy they could call upon as a weapon to conquer the country..’

The tribute, meanwhile, was being bound to the sacred tree at Futarasan Shrine Futarasan Jinja (二荒山神社)
Futarasan Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Nikkou founded by Holy Priest Shoudou. It enshrines three mountain deities: Ookuninushi, Tagorihime, and Ajisukitakahikone of Mt. Nantai (also called Mt. Futara), Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou.
Its main shrine (Honden) was built in 767, its middle shrine (Chuuguushi ) in 784, and its rear shrine (Okumiya) in 782.. It would become the core of Mt. Nikkou Nikkou-san (日光山)
Mt. Nikkou, located in the north-west part of Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan and centers on Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou.’s spiritual fusion.

(At last...)

A household shrine especially prepared for the ceremony had been installed in front of the inner sanctuary. A late middle-aged man stood before it in priestly vestments of white silk kimono and ancient head-dress: the Houjou elder, Gen’an, who at one time had served as the head of Hakone Shrine Hakone-jinja (箱根神社)
Hakone Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Hakone Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, at the foot of Mt. Hakone along the shores of Lake Ashi. The shrine itself lies hidden in a dense forest, but its large red "floating" shrine gates (Torii of Peace) stand prominently in the lake.
From chronicles stretching back as far as the Nara Period (710-794), Hakone has been named as a spot sacred to the mountain-worshiping religion. The original shrine was founded during the reign of Emperor Koushou (475 BC – 393 BC) on Mt. Komagatake. Holy Priest Mangan revived and relocated the shrine to Lake Ashi in 757. It was separated into three parts dedicated to the deities whom legends says appeared to him in a dream as a Buddhist acolyte, government official and woman and asked him to deliver the grace of the Buddhist and Shinto religions onto mankind.
In the year 801, before general and shogun Sakanoue no Tamuramaro set out on an expedition to quell the Northeast by imperial command, he left an arrow as offering in front of a cedar tree at Hakone Shrine as a prayer for his victory. The tree become known as the Yatate Cedar, or 'Standing Arrow Cedar,' and in later years other legendary generals such as Minamoto no Yoshiie, shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo, and Minamoto no Yoshitsune all left arrows as offerings there.
The shrine was destroyed by fire in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Siege of Odawara and rebuilt by Tokugawa Ieyasu.. He was here to witness the tree-binding.

(Now all the ingredients are gathered...)

Narita Yuzuru would be the master tree’s sacrifice. His temporarily-sealed powers would be released at the instant of fire-setting. His body had been left behind; his severed soul resided now in the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. which had devoured it, and waited only to be tree-bound.

The bonfire swayed and flickered.

Ropes to ward away evil encircled the sacred tree. The platform of plain wood which enshrined the god was hung with offerings of paper and rope charms.

Fuuma Kotarou Fuuma Kotarou (風魔小太郎)
Historically: The name Fuuma Kotarou was given to each leader of the Fuuma Clan/organization of ninjas which served the Later Houjou Clan, starting with its first leader. The clan started information-gathering and espionage activities in the time of Houjou Souun, the founder of the Later Houjou Clan. The clan name began as 風間, composed of the characters for "wind" and "space", but was changed to its present form, a homophone composed of the characters for "wind" and "evil/demonic/magical."
In its 100 years of service to the Houjou Clan, the most renowned Fuuma Kotarou was the fifth, who served Houjou Ujimasa and his son Houjou Ujinao (unknown - 1603). Stories say that he was 7'1". One of his most famous exploits was in 1580 and the Battle of Kise-gawa, during which he slipped into the enemy camp at night and caused mass chaos. Another famous ninja, Ninokuruwa Isuke, also belonged to the Fuuma Clan.
After the destruction of the Houjou Clan, Kotarou and the Fuuma Clan became thieves near Edo. Kotarou was captured and executed in 1603 from information given by Kousaka Jinai, another ninja-turned-thief who formerly served the Takeda Clan.
In Mirage of Blaze: Fuuma Kotarou leads the Fuuma ninjas in service to the Houjou Clan. He is described as a tall, slender man with broad shoulders and a muscular but supple body. He wears his hair long, tied in a woven tail that reaches to his waist. had brought the so-called Great Tsutsuga, first-born of the Tsutsuga Mirrors Tsutsuga Kyou
The Tsutsuga Mirrors were originally a treasure of Futarasan Shrine, formed of a male and female pair. The female mirror has the power to entrap souls, and is called the soul-sealing mirror (Fuukonkyou—封魂鏡), while the male is able to release entrapped souls. Legend has it that when Holy Priest Shoudou founded the first shrine on the Nikkou mountains, he turned the two tsutsuga causing mischief on Nantai-san into magic mirrors with his spells.
Four hundred years ago, the Fuuma Clan mated the two halves of the mirror to give birth to a tsutsuga cub which High Priest Tenkai sealed into the female mirror by order of Tokugawa Ieyasu.. In the light of the bonfire, it crawled out of what looked like a giant kettle.

Though still unsettled by its experience at Hakone, the four-hundred-year-old tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. approached the master tree in obedience to Kotarou’s command.

The tension mounted as everyone waited with bated breath.

Security was, of course, air-tight—almost literally so, for not even an ant could draw nigh. This was especially true of the ten-meter radius within the rope cordon, where a special barrier allowed entrance to only Gen’an, Kotarou, and this tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities..

It gave a great roar.

The sound reverberated across the entire mountain, and its younger siblings pricked up their ears wherever they had been positioned.

The tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. opened its mouth wide towards the gigantic trunk of the master tree.

With a deep growl, it spat out a gushing mass of golden light which permeated into the master tree’s trunk, setting it aglow. A line of bright gold shot from the roots up toward the branches, splitting apart and racing to the leaf-tips in the blink of an eye. The sacred trees to either side, one of which contained Shinya, began to glow faintly in response.

“Ooooooo!”

There was an unconscious release of sound from the crowd at the grandeur of the moment.

“Magnificent...truly magnificent beyond words!” Gen’an breathed, overcome by the spectacle.

Once the golden mass settled completely, the entire body of the master tree glowed with a dazzling golden light. The shape of Narita Yuzuru appeared in the glowing trunk. Still the tree continued to emit that intense glow, so strong that a tiny sun seemed to reside within, illuminating the surrounding area as brightly as noon.

Narita Yuzuru’s tree-binding was complete.

Shivering with deep emotion as he watched, Gen‘an said, “All that remains is to set fire to the ’sacred trees,’ I believe.”

“Soon all these souls will be fused with the god,” Kotarou responded confidently. “We are past all interference. This power without equal will be his.”

“Everything built by man within Mt. Nikkou Nikkou-san (日光山)
Mt. Nikkou, located in the north-west part of Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan and centers on Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou. will be destroyed.”

“There is no other way. No one will miss these relics of conquerors past.” Kotarou smiled faintly as he looked up at the branch-tips aglow with holy light. “Once the ‘Ritual of Unification by Fire Ritual of Unification by Fire (火合の法)
A ritual designed by the Houjou to fuse the energies forms of human souls, trees, and earth by binding souls to sacred cedar trees and torching those trees. Once fused, the Houjou would have a wellspring of energy they could call upon as a weapon to conquer the country.’ is complete, we will no longer need the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities.. Our roles will come to an end. Shall we return to Lord Ujiyasu’s side, then?”

“What! Ujiyasu!” Gen’an’s eyes narrowed. “What did you say? What did you just say? Is Ujiyasu in Hakone? Has he been resurrected?”

Kotarou only stood silently gazing at the glowing master tree with his arms crossed, an enigmatic smile on his face.

The overwhelming level of spiritual power within the barrier, along with the thick mantle of obstruction against scrying the Houjou had spread over Mt. Nikkou Nikkou-san (日光山)
Mt. Nikkou, located in the north-west part of Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan and centers on Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou., combined to shield the mountain from outside view. Even through the eyes of the Gohou Douji Gohou Douji (護法童子)
Also known as: Gohou Douji of the Sword
Lit.: "Dharma-protecting boy"; a variety of demon-deity in the service of Bishamonten who can be summoned by a high priest with mikkyou to do his bidding. They look like boys of 9 or 10 with red hair and golden skin who wear a thousand swords and ride on top of a magic wheel. Their power and skills are varied and depend on the power of their summoners.
In Mirage of Blaze, Takaya summons the Gohou Douji by writing Bishamonten's mantra on a piece of paper in Sanskrit and wrapping it around a dagger while chanting On beishiramandaya sowaka, then drawing Bishamonten’s seed syllable in the air above the blade before placing the fore- and middle fingers of his right hand against his forehead. He then touches the sword to his fingers, whereupon the paper ignites, and the Gohou Douji appears from the fire. all he could see was a thick white fog.

(Guess it’s not gonna work...) Takaya broke off his synchronization with the Gohou Douji Gohou Douji (護法童子)
Also known as: Gohou Douji of the Sword
Lit.: "Dharma-protecting boy"; a variety of demon-deity in the service of Bishamonten who can be summoned by a high priest with mikkyou to do his bidding. They look like boys of 9 or 10 with red hair and golden skin who wear a thousand swords and ride on top of a magic wheel. Their power and skills are varied and depend on the power of their summoners.
In Mirage of Blaze, Takaya summons the Gohou Douji by writing Bishamonten's mantra on a piece of paper in Sanskrit and wrapping it around a dagger while chanting On beishiramandaya sowaka, then drawing Bishamonten’s seed syllable in the air above the blade before placing the fore- and middle fingers of his right hand against his forehead. He then touches the sword to his fingers, whereupon the paper ignites, and the Gohou Douji appears from the fire.. He was still at Asaoka Inn, the curtains drawn tight so that his room was dark as night. Time for Plan B.

(All right, then...)

He breathed in measured rhythm, slowly relaxing and refocusing once more.

He called to mind the sensation of being trapped within the mirror. This was delicate, precise, subtle work requiring a great deal of concentration. He gradually matched his own spiritual wavelength to that of the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. cub he had pulled into Tooyama’s mirror, which eventually overlapped that of the female Tsutsuga Mirror...and synchronized with it.

Raising his mental voice, he called: “Children!”

Not words, but sensation.

“Listen to me now, my children! Tell me what you see. Be my eyes!”

“Naoe, Nagahide’s reached Nikkou.” Ayako hurried back to Naoe where he (and Kousaka Kousaka Masanobu (高坂昌信) 1527 - 1578
Also called: Kousaka Danjou Masanobu (高坂弾正昌信), Kousaka Danjou Nosuke Masanobu (高坂弾正忠昌信), Kasuga Toratsuna (春日虎綱), Kasuga Gensuke (春日源助)
Title: Danjou Nosuke/Faithful True-Shot (弾正忠)
Historically: One of Takeda Shingen's most loyal retainers who was one of his Twenty-Four Generals and played a key part in the fourth battle of Kawanakajima.
Kousaka was born in Kai to a wealthy farmer, Kasuga Ookuma (?) (春日大隈). His father died when he was 16, and he lost a lawsuit against his elder sister's husband for ownership of his father's lands. He then enrolled in the service of Takeda Shingen.
Kousaka first served as a messenger for Shingen. He distinguished himself in battle, and rose swiftly through the ranks of Shingen's trusted retainers. He participated in most of Shingen's battles. He did not hesitate to retreat when required, which earned him the nickname of "Escaping Danjou". However, he was calm and logical in the midst of battle, and was perhaps the best of Shingen's generals.
There are anecdotes that in his younger days, Kousaka and Shingen were engaged in a shudo relationship, and Kousaka rose so quickly in Shingen's service because of Shingen's affection.
After Shingen's death in 1573, Kousaka continued on to serve Takeda Katsuyori. He sought an alliance between the Takeda clan and their old enemy, the Uesugi clan, in order to unite against the threat of Oda Nobunaga.
Kousaka died in 1578 of illness at the age of 52. He was succeeded by his second son, Kousaka Masamoto (高坂昌元), his first son, Kousaka Masazumi (高坂昌澄) having died in the Battle of Nagashino in 1575.
In Mirage of Blaze: A kanshousha who, along with Sanjou-no-Kata, breaks the barrier over Takeda Shingen's tomb, the Maenduka, in an attempt to resurrect Shingen by using Narita Yuzuru as a vessel for his spirit.
According to Haruie, Kousaka has a high level of spiritual sensing ability (reisa), such that he is able to recognize someone he had met before even after their soul has undergone purification. He warns Naoe that Narita Yuzuru's existence is a threat to the Roku Dou Sekai., who had left with them) waited for her near the vicinity of the Nikkou Lakeside Hotel at Chuuzenji Chuuzenji-ko (中禅寺湖)
Lake Chuuzenji, located in Nikkou National Park in the city of Nikkou, Tochigi Prefecture, is one of Japan's 100 famous views. It is the 25th largest lake in Japan and drains through the Kegon Falls.. National Highway 120, which ran along the shore, would soon reach a bridge-crossing. It was crawling with a gigantic line of traffic likely caused by the blockades or checkpoints.

The possibility that a barrier had also been erected over Chuuguushi Futarasan Jinja (二荒山神社)
Futarasan Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Nikkou founded by Holy Priest Shoudou. It enshrines three mountain deities: Ookuninushi, Tagorihime, and Ajisukitakahikone of Mt. Nantai (also called Mt. Futara), Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou.
Its main shrine (Honden) was built in 767, its middle shrine (Chuuguushi ) in 784, and its rear shrine (Okumiya) in 782. was high, for spirit-sensing revealed a spot of utter darkness at the foot of Mt. Nantai Nantai-san (男体山)
Also known as: Futara-san (二荒山)
Mount Nantai is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan, located in Nikkou, Tochigi Prefecture and formed from a stratovolcano. It is worshiped as a sacred mountain and was first scaled by Shoudou in 782, who founded the first shrines there. right where the shrine was located, though the area was brilliantly lit otherwise.

It was time to refine their plan of attack.

“Is he all right?”

“Yeah. He said he’s going to break into the barrier and take Ieyasu’s skull. We’ll be able to perform the revival if he succeeds. Kagetora’s synchronized with the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities., and he’s going to create a diversion.”

“How is Nagahide going to penetrate into the mountain? It’s too dangerous to attempt alone.”

“As if any of us could stop him once he’s made up his mind. We’ll just have to believe he’ll make it. It looks like the ‘Ritual of Unification by Fire Ritual of Unification by Fire (火合の法)
A ritual designed by the Houjou to fuse the energies forms of human souls, trees, and earth by binding souls to sacred cedar trees and torching those trees. Once fused, the Houjou would have a wellspring of energy they could call upon as a weapon to conquer the country.’ has started, though. It’s gonna be hard to stop them.”

“What about the ‘Tsutsuga Mirror’?” Kousaka asked. “If we can release the tree-bindings before the Ritual begins, we would no longer need to worry about the spell.”

Naoe frowned. That was true, as far as it went, but it was much easier said than done. If, as Takaya had stated, the Tsutsuga Mirrors Tsutsuga Kyou
The Tsutsuga Mirrors were originally a treasure of Futarasan Shrine, formed of a male and female pair. The female mirror has the power to entrap souls, and is called the soul-sealing mirror (Fuukonkyou—封魂鏡), while the male is able to release entrapped souls. Legend has it that when Holy Priest Shoudou founded the first shrine on the Nikkou mountains, he turned the two tsutsuga causing mischief on Nantai-san into magic mirrors with his spells.
Four hundred years ago, the Fuuma Clan mated the two halves of the mirror to give birth to a tsutsuga cub which High Priest Tenkai sealed into the female mirror by order of Tokugawa Ieyasu. were in Nikkou, they would be accompanied by Fuuma Kotarou Fuuma Kotarou (風魔小太郎)
Historically: The name Fuuma Kotarou was given to each leader of the Fuuma Clan/organization of ninjas which served the Later Houjou Clan, starting with its first leader. The clan started information-gathering and espionage activities in the time of Houjou Souun, the founder of the Later Houjou Clan. The clan name began as 風間, composed of the characters for "wind" and "space", but was changed to its present form, a homophone composed of the characters for "wind" and "evil/demonic/magical."
In its 100 years of service to the Houjou Clan, the most renowned Fuuma Kotarou was the fifth, who served Houjou Ujimasa and his son Houjou Ujinao (unknown - 1603). Stories say that he was 7'1". One of his most famous exploits was in 1580 and the Battle of Kise-gawa, during which he slipped into the enemy camp at night and caused mass chaos. Another famous ninja, Ninokuruwa Isuke, also belonged to the Fuuma Clan.
After the destruction of the Houjou Clan, Kotarou and the Fuuma Clan became thieves near Edo. Kotarou was captured and executed in 1603 from information given by Kousaka Jinai, another ninja-turned-thief who formerly served the Takeda Clan.
In Mirage of Blaze: Fuuma Kotarou leads the Fuuma ninjas in service to the Houjou Clan. He is described as a tall, slender man with broad shoulders and a muscular but supple body. He wears his hair long, tied in a woven tail that reaches to his waist.. There was perhaps no greater obstacle to the Mirrors.

(What should we do...?)

They were still locked in debate when Katakura Katakura Kagetsuna (片倉景綱) 1557 - 1615
Also known as: Katakura Kojuurou Kagetsuna (片倉小十郎景綱)
A military commander of the Sengoku era and hereditary vassal of the Date Clan. The Katakura family traditionally took the nickname of 'Kojuurou', so Katakura Kagetsuna is better known as Katakura Kojuurou.
Kojuurou first served Date Masamune's father, Date Terumune, as a junior page, then became Date Masamune's attendant in 1575. He was later appointed a strategist, and participated in most of Masamune's important wars where he rescued the Date Clan from many tight spots. His wisdom was extolled by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and his name was a byword for loyalty. (He was called 'Katakura Kagetsuna the Wise', and he, along with 'Date Shigezane the Brave', were named 'the twin jewels of the Date'.)
Kojuurou died in 1615 of illness. found them ten minutes later.

“Katakura-san, I’m so glad you’re all right!”

“Thank you.” Katakura, in a wrinkled and dirty business shirt, abandoned the stolen red off-road motorcycle on which he had managed to slip through the gridlock on Iroha Hill Iroha-zaka (いろは坂)
Iroha Hill Road is a Japanese national highway (no. 120) which connects Nikkou's Umagae district to the banks of Lake Chuuzenji. The road, actually consisting of two one-way paths, is famous for its hairpin curves. Iroha Hill One, which goes from Lake Chuuzenji to Umagae, contains 28 curves, while Iroha Hill Two, going in the opposite direction, contains 20 curves. Iroha Hill One was established in 1954, Iroha Hill Two in 1965.
The name "Iroha" comes from the poem of the same name which uses each character of the Japanese hiragana exactly once; each of the 48 curves in the road is named after the character which it resembles. .

“What news?”

“There is a barrier of considerable strength around Mt. Nikkou Nikkou-san (日光山)
Mt. Nikkou, located in the north-west part of Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan and centers on Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou. which bars all approach. Nearby residents have been ordered to evacuate,” Katakura reported urgently. “What of Chuuguushi Futarasan Jinja (二荒山神社)
Futarasan Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Nikkou founded by Holy Priest Shoudou. It enshrines three mountain deities: Ookuninushi, Tagorihime, and Ajisukitakahikone of Mt. Nantai (also called Mt. Futara), Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou.
Its main shrine (Honden) was built in 767, its middle shrine (Chuuguushi ) in 784, and its rear shrine (Okumiya) in 782.?”

“According to Kagetora, the Houjou have taken it as their headquarters and will be controlling the Great Kantou Triangle Great Kantou Triangle (関東大三角)
A metaphysical formation created by High Priest Tenkai as the foundation for his spell effecting eternal peace and security for the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Houjou planned to exploit it as a power-focus in their quest to conquer the country. The three points of the right triangle are: Mt. Nikkou (north), Sunosaki Shrine (south), and the Toushou Shrine at Mt. Kunou (west).
view map from there. We have to recover it. The problem is, I don’t know if we can break through with the numbers we have.”

“Very well. I will call upon soldiers of the Date to join your attack. If we move before Ujimasa’s main forces arrive, I believe we can win through. Let us make the attempt, in any case. Also of urgency, Naoe-dono,” Katakura added, “is the state of the city below. It is in a panic, especially the areas ordered to evacuate: under the influence of that enormous spiritual power, the weather system has collapsed, and we are poised on the edge of a catastrophe. There is a large hospital nearby, and under such circumstances the patients cannot be moved.”

Shinya was in that hospital. Naoe turned a sharpened gaze in its direction.

“To do nothing is to invite disaster...”

“I will go down. Haruie, you have command here. Take Chuuguushi back from the Houjou occupiers. You are our vanguard. With Date reinforcements you have the advantage.”

“Got it.”

“What of the Tsutsuga Mirror, Naoe?” Kousaka demanded. “Surely you’re not so afraid of the Fuuma that you’re just going to leave it in their hands?”

“I will break the Tsutsuga Mirror with my own two hands.” Naoe glared at Takeda’s strategist with unconcealed animosity. “Does that satisfy you? You’ll owe me, Kousaka. Tell that to Shingen Takeda Shingen (武田信玄) 1521 - 1573
Also called: Takeda Katsuchiyo, Takeda Harunobu
Title: Shinano no Kami
Historically: Daimyo of Kai who became the head of the Takeda clan by rebelling against his father. Conquered Shinano and fought against Uesugi Kenshin. The two clans clashed five times on the plains of Kawanakajima, where neither gained complete victory until Shingen died of illness in his campaign against Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu..”

“Hmph. Do try not to let your stupidity get you killed.”

Naoe shot a last acrimonious glare over his shoulder at Kousaka before hurrying to the Windom.

He climbed into the driver’s seat and started the car. Ayako rushed forward and tapped on his window just before he drove off. He rolled it down.

“Be careful. Don’t do anything reckless. We managed to get through the barrier at Hakone because we had Kagetora with us, but we don’t know what kinds of traps the Fuuma might have set. Don’t let your guard down.”

“I won’t. I’m worried about Nagahide, though. We can’t send him reinforcements, but please back him up as you can.”

“Nagahide will be all right. Naoe... There’s something else I wanted to say...” her voice was grave.

“What is it?”

“I’m glad you didn’t break the Tsutsuga Mirror with Kagetora inside. It was the right decision. But...” All expression vanished from Naoe’s face as Ayako pressed, “I’m asking you to stop hurting that kid. He’s in despair, and you’re much more important to him than you think. I don’t think you realize how scared he is of your every word and move. That boy is...no—Kagetora is—”

“Haruie,” Naoe interrupted, his gaze fixed straight ahead. “I’m...done.”

“Naoe, what—”

“I didn’t choose death’s happiness. I chose life, and it was most definitely not for his sake. I don’t want to die,” he said, forcefully disengaging the handbrake.

(It was not for his sake...) he muttered again just to hear the words. He stomped on the accelerator and set the Windom racing toward the highway paralleling the Lakeshore Hotel with uncharacteristic violence.

The rite of cedar burning at Rinnou Temple Rinnou-ji (輪王寺)
Rinnou Temple is a Tendai Buddhist complex located in Nikkou, Tochigi Prefecture. It was founded by in 766 by Holy Priest Shoudou and became an attractive retreat for those seeking solitude due to its location deep in the mountains of Japan.
In 1590, during the Siege of Odawara, Toyotomi Hideyoshi seized the temple for supporting the Houjou side, causing its decline. However, during the Tokugawa Shogunate Tenkai became the chief priest of the temple and began its revival.
Many structures and artifacts within the temple are designated National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties. One of the most famous is its main building, Sanbutsudou (三仏堂) or Three Buddha Hall, so-named because it houses large gold lacquered wooden statues of Amida, Senju-Kannon ("Kannon with a thousand arms") and Bato-Kannon ("Kannon with a horse head"). The three deities are regarded as Buddhist manifestations of the three mountain deities of Nikkou enshrined at Futarasan Shrine.
The Black Gate, which is uniformly black from its pillars to its roof tiles, guards the entrance to both Sanbutsudou and the Treasure House.
The Kaizandou, or Founder's Hall, enshrines Shoudou and is located to the north of Toushou Shrine. had just reached completion when Mt. Nikkou Nikkou-san (日光山)
Mt. Nikkou, located in the north-west part of Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan and centers on Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou.’s tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. sentinels began acting strangely.

More than two hundred monks emerged from Sanbutsudou Hall with torches lit from the sacred fire to form a line on the dim gravel path outside. An uncertain-looking aide-de-camp approached Ujimasa in his priestly robes as he watched over the procession.

“We’ve lost control of the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities.? Explain!”

“The rising spiritual power within the mountain may have thrown their minds into disorder. They are agitated, and could soon pose a danger to our people.”

“Their spiritual power is not so weak as to be shaken by something like this. There’s something else at work: find it. The tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. can be sent to sleep soon in any case. The fire-unification is about to begin. Half an hour more, and I will order the evacuation.”

“But...”

“The ritual’s completion is at hand. This is the critical moment: do you understand? Now return to your position.”

“... Yes, my lord.”

The tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. were no longer important. It was the forest itself which filled Ujimasa with tension, and he glared resolutely into a darkness crowded with cedar trees rustling in the still air. Spiritual energy roiled like a heat haze around the giant trees of the cryptomeria forest soaring beyond the gigantic roof of Sanbutsudou Hall.

Chanting the names of the Buddhas, the line of monks carried their torches down the broad stone steps in front of Sanbutsudou Hall and wended onto the rear shrine path through the Black Gate.

The unnatural rustling sounded to the Houjou vassals like the last protest of the tree-bound souls.

But Ujimasa was not afraid. At this moment, the instant before thousands—before tens of thousands of souls were merged into one massive wellspring of energy, a proud smile stretched his thin cheeks wide.

(Look, Father!) he said to the father whose existence he was still unable to verify, (This is the moment of our victory.)

The line of torches proceeded down the shrine path toward Toushou Shrine Toushou-guu (東照宮)
Toushou Shrines (lit. "Light of the East" or "Illumination of the East") are Shinto shrines in which Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a holy incarnation of a buddha along the shinbutsu shuugou (merging of Shintoism and Buddhism) beliefs, which put forth the idea that Japanese gods are local manifestations of Indian buddhas come to lead the Japanese people to salvation. Ieyasu is worshiped as such a deity, and around 130 Toushou Shrines are still in existence in Japan.
The Toushou Shrine in Nikkou, the most famous of the Toushou Shrines, was built in 1617 and dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu when his son Tokugawa Hidetada was shogun of Japan. Five structures in the shrine complex are National Treasures of Japan. A bronze urn enshrined there contains Ieyasu's remains.
Another Toushou Shrine is located in the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture on Mount Kunou. It was Ieyasu's original burial site and thus the oldest Toushou Shrine in the country.
A third Toushou Shrine is located on Mt. Hourai in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture. It was built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and completed in 1651.
These three shrines are known as the 'Three Great Toushou Shrines.' and Futarasan Shrine Futarasan Jinja (二荒山神社)
Futarasan Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Nikkou founded by Holy Priest Shoudou. It enshrines three mountain deities: Ookuninushi, Tagorihime, and Ajisukitakahikone of Mt. Nantai (also called Mt. Futara), Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou.
Its main shrine (Honden) was built in 767, its middle shrine (Chuuguushi ) in 784, and its rear shrine (Okumiya) in 782.. Mt. Nikkou Nikkou-san (日光山)
Mt. Nikkou, located in the north-west part of Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan and centers on Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou. was large enough that it could not be properly appreciated without a whole day of sightseeing. To send a sea of fire blazing across the vast face of it was no trivial matter. When it went up in flames, its dazzling structures, many of them designated National Treasures, would be burned to ash. This, too, Ujimasa accepted.

(This country has always risen again from the raging flames.)

Risen again, with its culture, its government, its economy evolved to a greater height.

(These are the flames of resurrection, and we will set them with our own hands.)

The relics of the past, along with the crimes of tyrants and the hate of the people, all of it would be burned away...

(Tokugawa, conqueror of the Sengoku Sengoku (戦国)
The "warring states" period, lasting from 1467 to 1615, in which the warlords of Japan battled each other for the rule of the country., will kneel at our feet!)

Just as the torchlit progression crossed from the rear to the ascending shrine road, a large shadow leapt out from the darkness of the forest: a tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities.. The monks screamed, and the line immediately broke as it began to attack.

“What is the meaning of this!”

The crazed and raging tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. cut a swath through the progression. Then another and another appeared. The monks scattered.

“It’s the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities....! The tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. are—!”

“Don’t drop the torches! Drive them away!”

Angry roars filled the night. Torches littered the ground. Tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. which touched the holy fire howled and went up in flames. Monks waved their torches around frantically in an attempt to drive the spirit beasts away. Guard-soldiers joined the fray, and chaos reigned.

“Subdue the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities.! They’re out of control!”

“We have a problem!” Ujimasa’s aide-de-camp rushed over from Futarasan Shrine Futarasan Jinja (二荒山神社)
Futarasan Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Nikkou founded by Holy Priest Shoudou. It enshrines three mountain deities: Ookuninushi, Tagorihime, and Ajisukitakahikone of Mt. Nantai (also called Mt. Futara), Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou.
Its main shrine (Honden) was built in 767, its middle shrine (Chuuguushi ) in 784, and its rear shrine (Okumiya) in 782.. “We’ve lost control of the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities.! The first-born turned on us and escaped!”

“What?!”

The barrier at Mt. Nikkou Nikkou-san (日光山)
Mt. Nikkou, located in the north-west part of Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan and centers on Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou. was bounded by two rivers: Daiya River and the west bank of its tributary, Inari River. Traveling north along Inari River’s east bank, Chiaki stopped at a dry river bed suitable for crossing. In the darkness, there was no sound but the whisper of water. Chiaki stood in stillness for a moment, scowling into the Mt. Nikkou Nikkou-san (日光山)
Mt. Nikkou, located in the north-west part of Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan and centers on Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou. forest. The tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. cub curled against his feet.

“That’s a pretty darn impressive barrier, I gotta say...”

On the other side of the river, the barrier formed a wall of «power» several layers deep. It covered the mountain completely. To break through on a moment’s notice was an utter impossibility. Compared to this, the barrier at the Houjou estate had been fragile as paper. Even the god of lightning would find it a tough nut to crack.

(Well, it would be impossible, if I didn’t have this tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities..)

Chiaki crouched and stroked the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities.’s head. “All right, monseigneur spirit beast. We’re gonna tunnel a hole in that wall and sneak in.”

The tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. shook its head at Chiaki. On the other side of the river was a small cliff overgrown with long grass—a challenging climb. He considered a map against the terrain. He couldn’t be sure in the darkness, but further up there should be a small power plant which would present a easier ascent and place him within Mt. Nikkou Nikkou-san (日光山)
Mt. Nikkou, located in the north-west part of Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan and centers on Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou.. The barrier wall seemed to be erected right against a road along the river. If he penetrated the barrier there, he would come out near Kaizandou Rinnou-ji (輪王寺)
Rinnou Temple is a Tendai Buddhist complex located in Nikkou, Tochigi Prefecture. It was founded by in 766 by Holy Priest Shoudou and became an attractive retreat for those seeking solitude due to its location deep in the mountains of Japan.
In 1590, during the Siege of Odawara, Toyotomi Hideyoshi seized the temple for supporting the Houjou side, causing its decline. However, during the Tokugawa Shogunate Tenkai became the chief priest of the temple and began its revival.
Many structures and artifacts within the temple are designated National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties. One of the most famous is its main building, Sanbutsudou (三仏堂) or Three Buddha Hall, so-named because it houses large gold lacquered wooden statues of Amida, Senju-Kannon ("Kannon with a thousand arms") and Bato-Kannon ("Kannon with a horse head"). The three deities are regarded as Buddhist manifestations of the three mountain deities of Nikkou enshrined at Futarasan Shrine.
The Black Gate, which is uniformly black from its pillars to its roof tiles, guards the entrance to both Sanbutsudou and the Treasure House.
The Kaizandou, or Founder's Hall, enshrines Shoudou and is located to the north of Toushou Shrine. and the grave of Holy Priest Shoudou Shoudou (勝道) May 21, 735 - Mar. 25, 817
Shoudou, born in southern Shimotsuke Province was a Buddhist monk who founded the first temples in Nikkou, including Rinnou Temple (originally known as Yonhon Ryuu-ji, or Temple of the Four Dragons), Futarasan Shrine, and Chuuzen Temple.. The straight-line distance from that point to the rear shrine of Toushou Shrine Toushou-guu (東照宮)
Toushou Shrines (lit. "Light of the East" or "Illumination of the East") are Shinto shrines in which Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a holy incarnation of a buddha along the shinbutsu shuugou (merging of Shintoism and Buddhism) beliefs, which put forth the idea that Japanese gods are local manifestations of Indian buddhas come to lead the Japanese people to salvation. Ieyasu is worshiped as such a deity, and around 130 Toushou Shrines are still in existence in Japan.
The Toushou Shrine in Nikkou, the most famous of the Toushou Shrines, was built in 1617 and dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu when his son Tokugawa Hidetada was shogun of Japan. Five structures in the shrine complex are National Treasures of Japan. A bronze urn enshrined there contains Ieyasu's remains.
Another Toushou Shrine is located in the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture on Mount Kunou. It was Ieyasu's original burial site and thus the oldest Toushou Shrine in the country.
A third Toushou Shrine is located on Mt. Hourai in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture. It was built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and completed in 1651.
These three shrines are known as the 'Three Great Toushou Shrines.' was manageable. So if he could clamber up straight cliff faces in the sheer darkness, he would hit the back of the rear shrine.

(There’s a pretty good chance I’ll get attacked in the meantime, though,) Chiaki thought, gritting his teeth as he folded the map. He thrust it into the waistband of his pants and began crossing the river with the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. and a flashlight in hand.

“Ieyasu’s skull, huh? We’re probably gonna have another messy destruction of a cultural artifact on our hands.”

On the other side, he began scaling the cliff from the rear of the power plant, pushing the tall grass out of the way as he climbed.

While thus engaged, his sixth sense pinged against an extraordinary presence approaching overhead. Woah, he thought, turning and looking up to see the ‘Gohou Douji of the Sword Gohou Douji (護法童子)
Also known as: Gohou Douji of the Sword
Lit.: "Dharma-protecting boy"; a variety of demon-deity in the service of Bishamonten who can be summoned by a high priest with mikkyou to do his bidding. They look like boys of 9 or 10 with red hair and golden skin who wear a thousand swords and ride on top of a magic wheel. Their power and skills are varied and depend on the power of their summoners.
In Mirage of Blaze, Takaya summons the Gohou Douji by writing Bishamonten's mantra on a piece of paper in Sanskrit and wrapping it around a dagger while chanting On beishiramandaya sowaka, then drawing Bishamonten’s seed syllable in the air above the blade before placing the fore- and middle fingers of his right hand against his forehead. He then touches the sword to his fingers, whereupon the paper ignites, and the Gohou Douji appears from the fire.’ soaring through the dark sky over the river toward him.

(Kagetora must have sent it.)

At Chiaki’s call, the golden-skinned Douji folded the wing-like thousand swords at his back.

His programming had brought him here. Ayako had said that the Gohou Douji Gohou Douji (護法童子)
Also known as: Gohou Douji of the Sword
Lit.: "Dharma-protecting boy"; a variety of demon-deity in the service of Bishamonten who can be summoned by a high priest with mikkyou to do his bidding. They look like boys of 9 or 10 with red hair and golden skin who wear a thousand swords and ride on top of a magic wheel. Their power and skills are varied and depend on the power of their summoners.
In Mirage of Blaze, Takaya summons the Gohou Douji by writing Bishamonten's mantra on a piece of paper in Sanskrit and wrapping it around a dagger while chanting On beishiramandaya sowaka, then drawing Bishamonten’s seed syllable in the air above the blade before placing the fore- and middle fingers of his right hand against his forehead. He then touches the sword to his fingers, whereupon the paper ignites, and the Gohou Douji appears from the fire. would meet up with him before he went into Mt. Nikkou Nikkou-san (日光山)
Mt. Nikkou, located in the north-west part of Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan and centers on Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou. during their planning session via mind-speech shinenha (思念波)
Lit. "wave of thought": calling out with one's mind; telepathy.

“I guess Kagetora said to bring him inside. All right, all right, I’ll take you along.”

Chiaki carefully withdrew a ‘humanoid’ figure made of paper. As a temporary representation of spirits, gods, and buddhas, it would operate on the same principle as the koppashin koppashin (木端神)
Lit.: "wood chip god"; an object representation of a divine spirit made from sacred wood which can house various deities and use their powers for protective and guardianship purposes. Looks somewhat like a kokeshi (Japanese wooden doll).. He wrote the seed syllable of Bishamonten Bishamonten (毘沙門天)
Also know as: Bishamon, Tamonten, Vaiśravaṇa, Kubera
Bishamonten is one of the 12 Deva Guardians, the protector of the North and the most powerful of the Four Heavenly Kings. He is the god of warfare and warriors, sometimes called the "black warrior"; black is his symbolic color, and winter is the season over which he presides. He is often depicted as warrior with a crown on his head, a pagoda in one hand and a trident in the other. He punishes those who do evil and is also the guardian of the places where Buddha preaches. He is one who is all-knowing, who hears everything, who is always listening, and is completely versed in Buddha's teachings. He is one of Japan's Seven Deities of Fortune. The soldiers of his army are the powerful earth deities called Yaksha.
Bishamonten is also called "Tobatsu Bishamonten" (刀八毘沙門天), or "Eight-Sword Bishamonten", because of an error in translation passed down through the centuries. The original name, "Bishamonten of Tobatsu", pointed to a manifestation of Bishamonten which appeared in the Central Asian kingdom of Tou-po or Tobatsu (兜跋) to protect the capital city against invaders. Bishamonten in this form is depicted with a diadem on his head, four hands holding a key, a gem, a pagoda, and a halbert before him and eight arms holding eight swords around him. while chanting his mantra. The ‘humanoid’ glowed. He held it up toward the Douji.

“Gohou of the Sword, come!”

It swallowed the Gohou Douji Gohou Douji (護法童子)
Also known as: Gohou Douji of the Sword
Lit.: "Dharma-protecting boy"; a variety of demon-deity in the service of Bishamonten who can be summoned by a high priest with mikkyou to do his bidding. They look like boys of 9 or 10 with red hair and golden skin who wear a thousand swords and ride on top of a magic wheel. Their power and skills are varied and depend on the power of their summoners.
In Mirage of Blaze, Takaya summons the Gohou Douji by writing Bishamonten's mantra on a piece of paper in Sanskrit and wrapping it around a dagger while chanting On beishiramandaya sowaka, then drawing Bishamonten’s seed syllable in the air above the blade before placing the fore- and middle fingers of his right hand against his forehead. He then touches the sword to his fingers, whereupon the paper ignites, and the Gohou Douji appears from the fire. and glowed dazzlingly bright before settling into the palm of Chiaki’s hand.

“Ooookay...”

Placing the Douji ‘humanoid’ with care into his pocket, he glared into the thick wall of the barrier sitting directly at the top of the cliff.

“Time to attack, partner,” he announced, clapping the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. on the back. It gave a roar of excitement and paced toward the glittering barrier.

Steam swirled and whispered on the barrier’s surface, hinting at its scorching temperature. Chiaki wrapped a «goshinha goshinha (護身波)
Lit. "wave of self-protection"; the goshinha is a protective mesh spun from fine strands of spiritual energy which surrounds the caster and protects from an opponent's spiritual as well as physical attacks. The mesh gains strength and stability when it is multi-layered and becomes the goshinheki. The goshinha is Naoe's forte.» tightly around himself and followed the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. as it forced its way through, scattering water vapor in all directions. It drank in the miasma and slowly advanced. The barrier wall was about ten meters thick, and the way ahead was completely obscured. Being inside was indescribable, like trying to walk through a volcanic eruption. With the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. forging the way, there was less resistance against Chiaki, but to lose his focus for a single moment meant his «goshinha goshinha (護身波)
Lit. "wave of self-protection"; the goshinha is a protective mesh spun from fine strands of spiritual energy which surrounds the caster and protects from an opponent's spiritual as well as physical attacks. The mesh gains strength and stability when it is multi-layered and becomes the goshinheki. The goshinha is Naoe's forte.» shattering and his body burning to ash in a second. To get out of this alive, his only option was to move forward, following on the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities.’s tail.

The tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. ate away at the barrier steadily. He could finally see beyond it.

And the two of them tumbled through at last.

Chiaki huffed a sigh.

The solid wall of steam had closed behind him. But he was through.

“Next up: this cliff...”

Yet another stupidly tall cliff towered in front of him. It looked way steeper than the version on the map.

Repressing the sharp pain from his ribs, Chiaki looked over the cedar forest. It was difficult to see in the darkness, but the glow of his flashlight found a face in the trunk of every cedar tree. The aural surge was massive enough to be suffocating, and unless he guarded his mind, it would be enough to drive him unconsciousness.

Chiaki took a deep breath in front of Kaizandou Rinnou-ji (輪王寺)
Rinnou Temple is a Tendai Buddhist complex located in Nikkou, Tochigi Prefecture. It was founded by in 766 by Holy Priest Shoudou and became an attractive retreat for those seeking solitude due to its location deep in the mountains of Japan.
In 1590, during the Siege of Odawara, Toyotomi Hideyoshi seized the temple for supporting the Houjou side, causing its decline. However, during the Tokugawa Shogunate Tenkai became the chief priest of the temple and began its revival.
Many structures and artifacts within the temple are designated National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties. One of the most famous is its main building, Sanbutsudou (三仏堂) or Three Buddha Hall, so-named because it houses large gold lacquered wooden statues of Amida, Senju-Kannon ("Kannon with a thousand arms") and Bato-Kannon ("Kannon with a horse head"). The three deities are regarded as Buddhist manifestations of the three mountain deities of Nikkou enshrined at Futarasan Shrine.
The Black Gate, which is uniformly black from its pillars to its roof tiles, guards the entrance to both Sanbutsudou and the Treasure House.
The Kaizandou, or Founder's Hall, enshrines Shoudou and is located to the north of Toushou Shrine..

Something was happening in the direction of the forest. Kagetora must have begun mobilizing the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities., disrupting the ceremony, throwing the vassals into chaos, and generally raising mayhem. The tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. nestled at Chiaki’s feet began turning its head this way and that in agitation.

“All right, aaaall right there. You just listen to me, ignore everything else,” Chiaki crooned, stroking its head, before frowning. This area was relatively lightly guarded, but what of the path ahead? He couldn’t use «choubuku choubuku (調伏)
Also known as: choubukuryoku (調伏力)
The special power given to the Yasha-shuu to banish onryou to the Underworld using the dharani of Uesugi Kenshin's guardian deity, Bishamonten. The types of choubuku include "kouhou-choubuku", "ressa-choubuku", "kekkai-choubuku", etc. Each choubuku is begun with the incantation "bai" and the ritual hand gesture of Bishamonten's symbol.
Choubuku does not work against kanshousha, who have bodies of their own.». Which meant he had no choice but to rely on the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities..

“Let’s go.”

Chiaki chose his path and attacked the steep climb, the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. at his side. Around him, the tree-bound souls cried out for help.

(Wait a bit longer.)

I’m not gonna let them set fire to you, Chiaki vowed silently, cradling his aching body as he scaled the bare rock face toward the rear shrine.

“Quiet! Stay still! Quiet down!” Gen’an rebuked the flustered vassals panicked by the sudden insurrection of the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities..

Chaos reigned within Futarasan Shrine Futarasan Jinja (二荒山神社)
Futarasan Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Nikkou founded by Holy Priest Shoudou. It enshrines three mountain deities: Ookuninushi, Tagorihime, and Ajisukitakahikone of Mt. Nantai (also called Mt. Futara), Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou.
Its main shrine (Honden) was built in 767, its middle shrine (Chuuguushi ) in 784, and its rear shrine (Okumiya) in 782..

“Use the sacred fire! Burn the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. with the sacred fire! Calm down!”

Still grappling with the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities., the vassals gathered the holy fire. One by one the spirit beasts howled as they went up in flames.

“Where did the Great Tsutsuga go?!”

“My lord! It appears to have penetrated into the grounds of Toushou Shrine Toushou-guu (東照宮)
Toushou Shrines (lit. "Light of the East" or "Illumination of the East") are Shinto shrines in which Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a holy incarnation of a buddha along the shinbutsu shuugou (merging of Shintoism and Buddhism) beliefs, which put forth the idea that Japanese gods are local manifestations of Indian buddhas come to lead the Japanese people to salvation. Ieyasu is worshiped as such a deity, and around 130 Toushou Shrines are still in existence in Japan.
The Toushou Shrine in Nikkou, the most famous of the Toushou Shrines, was built in 1617 and dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu when his son Tokugawa Hidetada was shogun of Japan. Five structures in the shrine complex are National Treasures of Japan. A bronze urn enshrined there contains Ieyasu's remains.
Another Toushou Shrine is located in the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture on Mount Kunou. It was Ieyasu's original burial site and thus the oldest Toushou Shrine in the country.
A third Toushou Shrine is located on Mt. Hourai in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture. It was built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and completed in 1651.
These three shrines are known as the 'Three Great Toushou Shrines.'! The other tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. are heading in the same direction!”

“What is it doing? Take it down immediately!” Gen’an, taking command of the mélange at the front shrine, promptly ordered, before turning to Kotarou. “Kotarou! What is happening here? Why have we lost control of the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities.?”

(It couldn’t be...!) Kotarou’s eyes were wide with astonishment. He had deduced the reason for the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities.’s rebellion—from Tooyama’s betrayal to the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. dispossessed by Tooyama’s mirror, and finally to the agitation of the entire pride.

(Saburou-dono?)

He had to be manipulating them using the Tsutsuga Mirror as a medium. The use of tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. as escort and guard had backfired on them. There were close to fifty of the spirit beasts within the mountain, and it was too late to attempt to put them to sleep.

“Gen’an-sama! The tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. must not be allowed near Toushou Shrine Toushou-guu (東照宮)
Toushou Shrines (lit. "Light of the East" or "Illumination of the East") are Shinto shrines in which Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a holy incarnation of a buddha along the shinbutsu shuugou (merging of Shintoism and Buddhism) beliefs, which put forth the idea that Japanese gods are local manifestations of Indian buddhas come to lead the Japanese people to salvation. Ieyasu is worshiped as such a deity, and around 130 Toushou Shrines are still in existence in Japan.
The Toushou Shrine in Nikkou, the most famous of the Toushou Shrines, was built in 1617 and dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu when his son Tokugawa Hidetada was shogun of Japan. Five structures in the shrine complex are National Treasures of Japan. A bronze urn enshrined there contains Ieyasu's remains.
Another Toushou Shrine is located in the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture on Mount Kunou. It was Ieyasu's original burial site and thus the oldest Toushou Shrine in the country.
A third Toushou Shrine is located on Mt. Hourai in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture. It was built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and completed in 1651.
These three shrines are known as the 'Three Great Toushou Shrines.'! They are being controlled!”

“What?”

The tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. moved toward Toushou Shrine Toushou-guu (東照宮)
Toushou Shrines (lit. "Light of the East" or "Illumination of the East") are Shinto shrines in which Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a holy incarnation of a buddha along the shinbutsu shuugou (merging of Shintoism and Buddhism) beliefs, which put forth the idea that Japanese gods are local manifestations of Indian buddhas come to lead the Japanese people to salvation. Ieyasu is worshiped as such a deity, and around 130 Toushou Shrines are still in existence in Japan.
The Toushou Shrine in Nikkou, the most famous of the Toushou Shrines, was built in 1617 and dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu when his son Tokugawa Hidetada was shogun of Japan. Five structures in the shrine complex are National Treasures of Japan. A bronze urn enshrined there contains Ieyasu's remains.
Another Toushou Shrine is located in the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture on Mount Kunou. It was Ieyasu's original burial site and thus the oldest Toushou Shrine in the country.
A third Toushou Shrine is located on Mt. Hourai in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture. It was built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and completed in 1651.
These three shrines are known as the 'Three Great Toushou Shrines.' as a pride. Smashing through the rear gate, the Great Tsutsuga led his siblings forward with ground-eating leaps and bounds. Even the crowd of vassals could not block their advance. Ujimasa’s assisting monk desperately tried to bend the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. to his will, but he could no longer get through to them.

"I believe it is Saburou-dono’s intention to revive Tenkai Tenkai (天海) 1536 - Nov. 13, 1643
Tenkai was a Tendai Buddhist monk who achieved the highest rank of the priesthood and became abbot of Kita-in at Kawagoe in 1588. He served Tokugawa Ieyasu as liaison between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Imperial Court at Kyoto. After Ieyasu's death in 1616, he also served the 2nd Tokugawa Shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, and the 3rd, Tokugawa Iemitsu. Among his projects were the rebuilding of Enryaku Temple on Mount Hiei, the restoration of Rinnou Temple in Nikkou, and the establishment of Kan'ei-ji in Ueno.’s secret ritual, the ‘Sannou Ichijitsu Shinto’, Kotarou stated, strained.

“What?! That’s impossible!” Gen‘an exclaimed. “Our ’Magic-Seal’ blocks all magic within this mountain. It can’t be done. It can’t be done even with Ieyasu’s skull.”

“True. It’s not possible. There is no way the ritual could succeed even if we did nothing to stop them. But if there’s even the smallest chance...” Kotarou glowered at the structures of Toushou Shrine Toushou-guu (東照宮)
Toushou Shrines (lit. "Light of the East" or "Illumination of the East") are Shinto shrines in which Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a holy incarnation of a buddha along the shinbutsu shuugou (merging of Shintoism and Buddhism) beliefs, which put forth the idea that Japanese gods are local manifestations of Indian buddhas come to lead the Japanese people to salvation. Ieyasu is worshiped as such a deity, and around 130 Toushou Shrines are still in existence in Japan.
The Toushou Shrine in Nikkou, the most famous of the Toushou Shrines, was built in 1617 and dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu when his son Tokugawa Hidetada was shogun of Japan. Five structures in the shrine complex are National Treasures of Japan. A bronze urn enshrined there contains Ieyasu's remains.
Another Toushou Shrine is located in the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture on Mount Kunou. It was Ieyasu's original burial site and thus the oldest Toushou Shrine in the country.
A third Toushou Shrine is located on Mt. Hourai in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture. It was built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and completed in 1651.
These three shrines are known as the 'Three Great Toushou Shrines.'. “If there is any chance at all that Saburou-dono can rouse the Avatar of Toushou and perform a miracle...”

(That can’t be...) It couldn’t be accomplished by anyone but a god: Gen’an expression grew grim at the thought. “What can we do, Kotarou?”

“Bring the spirit guardians of Toushou Shrine Toushou-guu (東照宮)
Toushou Shrines (lit. "Light of the East" or "Illumination of the East") are Shinto shrines in which Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a holy incarnation of a buddha along the shinbutsu shuugou (merging of Shintoism and Buddhism) beliefs, which put forth the idea that Japanese gods are local manifestations of Indian buddhas come to lead the Japanese people to salvation. Ieyasu is worshiped as such a deity, and around 130 Toushou Shrines are still in existence in Japan.
The Toushou Shrine in Nikkou, the most famous of the Toushou Shrines, was built in 1617 and dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu when his son Tokugawa Hidetada was shogun of Japan. Five structures in the shrine complex are National Treasures of Japan. A bronze urn enshrined there contains Ieyasu's remains.
Another Toushou Shrine is located in the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture on Mount Kunou. It was Ieyasu's original burial site and thus the oldest Toushou Shrine in the country.
A third Toushou Shrine is located on Mt. Hourai in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture. It was built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and completed in 1651.
These three shrines are known as the 'Three Great Toushou Shrines.' to life.”

“Is that even possible?”

“They can be roused in self-defense. To the spirit beasts protecting the shrine, the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. are invaders. They will ward the shrine against violence from outside threat.”

Kotarou descended the steps of the front shrine and approached the sacred tree to which Yuzuru was bound. The sacred tree, embracing and encompassing that violent spiritual power, glittered with golden, godly light. Kotarou emptied his pocket into his hand: a fistful of crystal balls around two centimeters in diameter.

“O Great Toushou Avatar, let your spirit beasts be given life...”

Kotarou cradled the spheres reverently as he chanted the words of the prayer. He took up the sacred evergreen and swept it through the air. As he did so, the names of various spirit beasts rose to the surface of the transparent crystals.

Kotarou blew upon each, giving them the breath of life. The spheres began to emit a golden glow within his hand as they absorbed the spiritual power of the sacred tree. Kotarou flung them in one smooth motion in the direction of Toushou Shrine Toushou-guu (東照宮)
Toushou Shrines (lit. "Light of the East" or "Illumination of the East") are Shinto shrines in which Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a holy incarnation of a buddha along the shinbutsu shuugou (merging of Shintoism and Buddhism) beliefs, which put forth the idea that Japanese gods are local manifestations of Indian buddhas come to lead the Japanese people to salvation. Ieyasu is worshiped as such a deity, and around 130 Toushou Shrines are still in existence in Japan.
The Toushou Shrine in Nikkou, the most famous of the Toushou Shrines, was built in 1617 and dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu when his son Tokugawa Hidetada was shogun of Japan. Five structures in the shrine complex are National Treasures of Japan. A bronze urn enshrined there contains Ieyasu's remains.
Another Toushou Shrine is located in the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture on Mount Kunou. It was Ieyasu's original burial site and thus the oldest Toushou Shrine in the country.
A third Toushou Shrine is located on Mt. Hourai in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture. It was built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and completed in 1651.
These three shrines are known as the 'Three Great Toushou Shrines.'.

“Awaken, spirit beasts!”

The glowing crystal spheres flew over the treetops. They fell on the structures of Toushou Shrine Toushou-guu (東照宮)
Toushou Shrines (lit. "Light of the East" or "Illumination of the East") are Shinto shrines in which Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a holy incarnation of a buddha along the shinbutsu shuugou (merging of Shintoism and Buddhism) beliefs, which put forth the idea that Japanese gods are local manifestations of Indian buddhas come to lead the Japanese people to salvation. Ieyasu is worshiped as such a deity, and around 130 Toushou Shrines are still in existence in Japan.
The Toushou Shrine in Nikkou, the most famous of the Toushou Shrines, was built in 1617 and dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu when his son Tokugawa Hidetada was shogun of Japan. Five structures in the shrine complex are National Treasures of Japan. A bronze urn enshrined there contains Ieyasu's remains.
Another Toushou Shrine is located in the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture on Mount Kunou. It was Ieyasu's original burial site and thus the oldest Toushou Shrine in the country.
A third Toushou Shrine is located on Mt. Hourai in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture. It was built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and completed in 1651.
These three shrines are known as the 'Three Great Toushou Shrines.' in bursts of dazzling light.

Chiaki witnessed those blazing trails as he climbed the dark slope. “What the hell?”

The ground shook with a deep gong-like tone.

Startled tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. skidded to a stop. Then ‘they’ appeared at the various places where the glowing crystals had fallen.

First, the evil-warding spirit-beast called the ‘baku’ emerged at the rear gate. It had the body of a bear, the nose of an elephant, the eyes of a rhinoceros, the tail of an ox, and the feet of a tiger. The giant ‘elephant’ materialized before the Kamijinko, followed by nearly thirty dragon-like animals at the Youmei Gate. The spirit-beast called the ‘iki’ came to life from their sculpted rafter-ends, while the ‘rhinoceros,’ the horned, carapaced, and hooved guardian of the the borders of the world of the gods, appeared before the main shrine.

The shrine’s sculptures, manifestly placed there for its protection and not just for decoration, were coming to life everywhere. They were, in fact, designed to be ensouled to repel those who would invade the sanctuary of this holy place. Kotarou was now re-animating these spirit beasts which the Fuuma had previously extracted from their abodes.

Perhaps a hundred of these shrine guardians had materialized from every beam and rafter-end, bringing the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. to an unexpected standstill. They arrayed themselves before the invading tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. and attacked—

A battle of spirit beasts had begun.

“...!” Takaya’s head lifted at the unexpected opposition at Toushou Shrine Toushou-guu (東照宮)
Toushou Shrines (lit. "Light of the East" or "Illumination of the East") are Shinto shrines in which Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a holy incarnation of a buddha along the shinbutsu shuugou (merging of Shintoism and Buddhism) beliefs, which put forth the idea that Japanese gods are local manifestations of Indian buddhas come to lead the Japanese people to salvation. Ieyasu is worshiped as such a deity, and around 130 Toushou Shrines are still in existence in Japan.
The Toushou Shrine in Nikkou, the most famous of the Toushou Shrines, was built in 1617 and dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu when his son Tokugawa Hidetada was shogun of Japan. Five structures in the shrine complex are National Treasures of Japan. A bronze urn enshrined there contains Ieyasu's remains.
Another Toushou Shrine is located in the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture on Mount Kunou. It was Ieyasu's original burial site and thus the oldest Toushou Shrine in the country.
A third Toushou Shrine is located on Mt. Hourai in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture. It was built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and completed in 1651.
These three shrines are known as the 'Three Great Toushou Shrines.'. (Crap...!)

He was still controlling the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. from his room at Chuuzenji’s lakeshore via his synchronization with the Tsutsuga Mirror. Now the battle-scene was being transmitted directly into his brain. It was becoming a massacre. The Tsutsuga Mirror, parent to the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. cubs being slaughtered, reacted violently to their screams.

(So Toushou Shrine Toushou-guu (東照宮)
Toushou Shrines (lit. "Light of the East" or "Illumination of the East") are Shinto shrines in which Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a holy incarnation of a buddha along the shinbutsu shuugou (merging of Shintoism and Buddhism) beliefs, which put forth the idea that Japanese gods are local manifestations of Indian buddhas come to lead the Japanese people to salvation. Ieyasu is worshiped as such a deity, and around 130 Toushou Shrines are still in existence in Japan.
The Toushou Shrine in Nikkou, the most famous of the Toushou Shrines, was built in 1617 and dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu when his son Tokugawa Hidetada was shogun of Japan. Five structures in the shrine complex are National Treasures of Japan. A bronze urn enshrined there contains Ieyasu's remains.
Another Toushou Shrine is located in the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture on Mount Kunou. It was Ieyasu's original burial site and thus the oldest Toushou Shrine in the country.
A third Toushou Shrine is located on Mt. Hourai in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture. It was built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and completed in 1651.
These three shrines are known as the 'Three Great Toushou Shrines.'’s self-defense has been activated.)

And at this most inopportune of times... Takaya silently tsked in frustration. It was technically true that to the spirit-beasts guarding Toushou Shrine Toushou-guu (東照宮)
Toushou Shrines (lit. "Light of the East" or "Illumination of the East") are Shinto shrines in which Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a holy incarnation of a buddha along the shinbutsu shuugou (merging of Shintoism and Buddhism) beliefs, which put forth the idea that Japanese gods are local manifestations of Indian buddhas come to lead the Japanese people to salvation. Ieyasu is worshiped as such a deity, and around 130 Toushou Shrines are still in existence in Japan.
The Toushou Shrine in Nikkou, the most famous of the Toushou Shrines, was built in 1617 and dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu when his son Tokugawa Hidetada was shogun of Japan. Five structures in the shrine complex are National Treasures of Japan. A bronze urn enshrined there contains Ieyasu's remains.
Another Toushou Shrine is located in the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture on Mount Kunou. It was Ieyasu's original burial site and thus the oldest Toushou Shrine in the country.
A third Toushou Shrine is located on Mt. Hourai in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture. It was built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and completed in 1651.
These three shrines are known as the 'Three Great Toushou Shrines.', the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. were invaders. Yet—We’re the ones trying to protect Nikkou, he wanted to shout. Not that it would do any good.

(If I don’t do something, the rear shrine will be out of our reach...)

Takaya changed telepathic channels and linked to the Gohou Douji Gohou Douji (護法童子)
Also known as: Gohou Douji of the Sword
Lit.: "Dharma-protecting boy"; a variety of demon-deity in the service of Bishamonten who can be summoned by a high priest with mikkyou to do his bidding. They look like boys of 9 or 10 with red hair and golden skin who wear a thousand swords and ride on top of a magic wheel. Their power and skills are varied and depend on the power of their summoners.
In Mirage of Blaze, Takaya summons the Gohou Douji by writing Bishamonten's mantra on a piece of paper in Sanskrit and wrapping it around a dagger while chanting On beishiramandaya sowaka, then drawing Bishamonten’s seed syllable in the air above the blade before placing the fore- and middle fingers of his right hand against his forehead. He then touches the sword to his fingers, whereupon the paper ignites, and the Gohou Douji appears from the fire..

Ujimasa had also immediately guessed the identity of the culprit behind the strange behavior of the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities.. There existed only one person capable of controlling the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. with such precision.

“Damn you, Saburou! So you’re determined to stand in our way!”

“We have no time to lose, Ujimasa-dono,” said the young man with chestnut hair standing next to him—Date Kojirou’s Date Kojirou (伊達小次郎) 1568? - 1590
Also known as: childhood—Jikumaru (竺丸)
Second son of Date Terumune and Yoshihime, Kojirou was favored by his mother over his older brother Date Masamune for succession as head of the Date Clan. However, Terumune favored Masamune, who became head of the Date Clan in 1584.
Yoshihime planned the assassination of Masamune, but after she failed to poison him in 1590, Masamune ordered Kojirou's death. vassal. Yet Kojirou spoke no word of reprimand. The abruptness with which this pretty boy spoke to him, and in such a manner, set his teeth on edge.

“Do you dare address me thus?”

“Please give your command, Ujimasa-dono. It would be well to have the fire set as quickly as possible. Saburou-dono’s aim is likely the revival of Tenkai Tenkai (天海) 1536 - Nov. 13, 1643
Tenkai was a Tendai Buddhist monk who achieved the highest rank of the priesthood and became abbot of Kita-in at Kawagoe in 1588. He served Tokugawa Ieyasu as liaison between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Imperial Court at Kyoto. After Ieyasu's death in 1616, he also served the 2nd Tokugawa Shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, and the 3rd, Tokugawa Iemitsu. Among his projects were the rebuilding of Enryaku Temple on Mount Hiei, the restoration of Rinnou Temple in Nikkou, and the establishment of Kan'ei-ji in Ueno.’s secret ritual.”

“What...!”

To Ujimasa’s response of “Impossible!”, an air of menace suddenly filled the young man, whom Ujimasa was yet unaware was the Oda vassal Mori Ranmaru Mori Ranmaru (森蘭丸) 1565 - 1582
Also called: Mori Nagasada (森長定), possibly Shigetoshi (成利), Nagayasu (長康)
Historically: A vassal of Oda Nobunaga who served as his attendant from
an early age. His father, Mori Yoshinari, was also a vassal of Oda Nobunaga. Favored by Nobunaga for his talent and loyalty, he also followed the tradition of shudo with his liege-lord. He and his three younger brothers died with Nobunaga at the Honnou-ji on June 21, 1582..

“Saburou cannot succeed in the revivification. When first we took Mt. Nikkou Nikkou-san (日光山)
Mt. Nikkou, located in the north-west part of Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan and centers on Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyohou, and Mt. Tarou., we set the ‘Magic-Seal’ in place to block any attempt to revive Tenkai’s spell. Did you think us unaware of the possibility?”

“I would not have expected less. Yet, in order that Saburou-dono may not interfere further, please finish as soon as may be. This is no time for hesitation. He who makes the first move wins, Houjou-dono.”

All of which was true. To be instructed thus by Kojirou’s vassal was vexing, but neither was it seemly to allow such a small matter to rankle him. He immediately said to the aides-de-camp awaiting his command: “Order the monks to set the fire at once. Sound the retreat for all vassals here.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Several people hurriedly dispersed to pass along the message. Ujimasa glared his enmity in the direction of Toushou Shrine Toushou-guu (東照宮)
Toushou Shrines (lit. "Light of the East" or "Illumination of the East") are Shinto shrines in which Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a holy incarnation of a buddha along the shinbutsu shuugou (merging of Shintoism and Buddhism) beliefs, which put forth the idea that Japanese gods are local manifestations of Indian buddhas come to lead the Japanese people to salvation. Ieyasu is worshiped as such a deity, and around 130 Toushou Shrines are still in existence in Japan.
The Toushou Shrine in Nikkou, the most famous of the Toushou Shrines, was built in 1617 and dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu when his son Tokugawa Hidetada was shogun of Japan. Five structures in the shrine complex are National Treasures of Japan. A bronze urn enshrined there contains Ieyasu's remains.
Another Toushou Shrine is located in the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture on Mount Kunou. It was Ieyasu's original burial site and thus the oldest Toushou Shrine in the country.
A third Toushou Shrine is located on Mt. Hourai in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture. It was built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and completed in 1651.
These three shrines are known as the 'Three Great Toushou Shrines.'. (All your struggles are useless, Saburou!)

Beside him, Mori Ranmaru Mori Ranmaru (森蘭丸) 1565 - 1582
Also called: Mori Nagasada (森長定), possibly Shigetoshi (成利), Nagayasu (長康)
Historically: A vassal of Oda Nobunaga who served as his attendant from
an early age. His father, Mori Yoshinari, was also a vassal of Oda Nobunaga. Favored by Nobunaga for his talent and loyalty, he also followed the tradition of shudo with his liege-lord. He and his three younger brothers died with Nobunaga at the Honnou-ji on June 21, 1582. snickered inwardly at the Houjou clan head’s profile. (Nikkou will soon fall into Oda’s hands.)

Everything was going according to plan: with Narita Yuzuru, implanted with Oda’s ‘Seed of the Demon King’ at the core of Nikkou’s magnificent spirit-fusion, that massive wellspring of energy would soon belong to Oda.

(Alas, Houjou, that you will not be able to enjoy the fruits of your labors.) Kojirou stood palely beside him like a timid little lamb who dared not lift its eyes. Ranmaru grinned with satisfaction.

The monks raised their bright-burning torches and arranged themselves in formation among the cedar trees. The roots of each cedar had been soaked in holy oil. The forest night glowed bright as noon in the blaze of countless torches.

“Get your torches ready—!”

That was when Takaya’s mind-voice reached Chiaki. He was closing in from the north, still climbing toward Kaizandou, a few dozen meters from the rear shrine. He could clearly hear the uproar from his position.

Unsheathe the Gohou Douji Gohou Douji (護法童子)
Also known as: Gohou Douji of the Sword
Lit.: "Dharma-protecting boy"; a variety of demon-deity in the service of Bishamonten who can be summoned by a high priest with mikkyou to do his bidding. They look like boys of 9 or 10 with red hair and golden skin who wear a thousand swords and ride on top of a magic wheel. Their power and skills are varied and depend on the power of their summoners.
In Mirage of Blaze, Takaya summons the Gohou Douji by writing Bishamonten's mantra on a piece of paper in Sanskrit and wrapping it around a dagger while chanting On beishiramandaya sowaka, then drawing Bishamonten’s seed syllable in the air above the blade before placing the fore- and middle fingers of his right hand against his forehead. He then touches the sword to his fingers, whereupon the paper ignites, and the Gohou Douji appears from the fire., Kagetora said.

“‘We don’t have a moment to lose,’ right? Hmph. You think this thing can actually stop the fire?”

Chiaki took out the ‘humanoid’ and, chanting the shingon shingon (真言)
Lit. "true word"; mantras which contain a distillation of the Buddhist truth. of Bishamonten Bishamonten (毘沙門天)
Also know as: Bishamon, Tamonten, Vaiśravaṇa, Kubera
Bishamonten is one of the 12 Deva Guardians, the protector of the North and the most powerful of the Four Heavenly Kings. He is the god of warfare and warriors, sometimes called the "black warrior"; black is his symbolic color, and winter is the season over which he presides. He is often depicted as warrior with a crown on his head, a pagoda in one hand and a trident in the other. He punishes those who do evil and is also the guardian of the places where Buddha preaches. He is one who is all-knowing, who hears everything, who is always listening, and is completely versed in Buddha's teachings. He is one of Japan's Seven Deities of Fortune. The soldiers of his army are the powerful earth deities called Yaksha.
Bishamonten is also called "Tobatsu Bishamonten" (刀八毘沙門天), or "Eight-Sword Bishamonten", because of an error in translation passed down through the centuries. The original name, "Bishamonten of Tobatsu", pointed to a manifestation of Bishamonten which appeared in the Central Asian kingdom of Tou-po or Tobatsu (兜跋) to protect the capital city against invaders. Bishamonten in this form is depicted with a diadem on his head, four hands holding a key, a gem, a pagoda, and a halbert before him and eight arms holding eight swords around him., traced the Sanskrit characters on it with his right hand. The ‘humanoid’ suddenly blazed, and from it the Gohou Douji Gohou Douji (護法童子)
Also known as: Gohou Douji of the Sword
Lit.: "Dharma-protecting boy"; a variety of demon-deity in the service of Bishamonten who can be summoned by a high priest with mikkyou to do his bidding. They look like boys of 9 or 10 with red hair and golden skin who wear a thousand swords and ride on top of a magic wheel. Their power and skills are varied and depend on the power of their summoners.
In Mirage of Blaze, Takaya summons the Gohou Douji by writing Bishamonten's mantra on a piece of paper in Sanskrit and wrapping it around a dagger while chanting On beishiramandaya sowaka, then drawing Bishamonten’s seed syllable in the air above the blade before placing the fore- and middle fingers of his right hand against his forehead. He then touches the sword to his fingers, whereupon the paper ignites, and the Gohou Douji appears from the fire. emerged once more.

“Go, put out the fire!” Chiaki commanded, before resuming his climb.

The Douji shot upward. As it streaked across the sky, it took on the aspect of the dragon god, one of the vassals of Bishamonten Bishamonten (毘沙門天)
Also know as: Bishamon, Tamonten, Vaiśravaṇa, Kubera
Bishamonten is one of the 12 Deva Guardians, the protector of the North and the most powerful of the Four Heavenly Kings. He is the god of warfare and warriors, sometimes called the "black warrior"; black is his symbolic color, and winter is the season over which he presides. He is often depicted as warrior with a crown on his head, a pagoda in one hand and a trident in the other. He punishes those who do evil and is also the guardian of the places where Buddha preaches. He is one who is all-knowing, who hears everything, who is always listening, and is completely versed in Buddha's teachings. He is one of Japan's Seven Deities of Fortune. The soldiers of his army are the powerful earth deities called Yaksha.
Bishamonten is also called "Tobatsu Bishamonten" (刀八毘沙門天), or "Eight-Sword Bishamonten", because of an error in translation passed down through the centuries. The original name, "Bishamonten of Tobatsu", pointed to a manifestation of Bishamonten which appeared in the Central Asian kingdom of Tou-po or Tobatsu (兜跋) to protect the capital city against invaders. Bishamonten in this form is depicted with a diadem on his head, four hands holding a key, a gem, a pagoda, and a halbert before him and eight arms holding eight swords around him. (like the Kuuhatsu Gohou Kuuhatsu Gohou (空鉢護法)
One of the Eight Great Yasha Generals who serve Bishamonten. of Mt. Shigi Shigi-san (信貴山)
Mount Shigi is located in the northwest of Nara Prefecture. It holds the Chougosonshi Temple, built in dedication to Bishamonten. It also held Shigisan Castle, which was destroyed by Oda Nobunaga.)—specifically the winged flying dragon, who ruled over water.

Chiaki’s tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. guide suddenly howled. Several armed men were converging down on them from the direction of the cedar trees.

“Feh! Guess they found us!”

He would have been more surprised if they hadn’t. A hail of bullets streaked toward him. The tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. leapt on its own to the attack.

“All right, I’ll cover you!” Chiaki’s «nenpa nenpa (念波)
Lit.: "waves of will/thought"; a nendouryoku attack using spiritual energy which focuses the will and releases it in a burst to strike at a target.» accompanied his words. Their opponents fells one by one, but more appeared to join the attack. Oddly enough, Chiaki and the tsutsuga tsutsuga
Also known as: crimson beast
A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.
Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities. fought so well together that they were able to stand their ground.

“Oh yeah! I’d call this the beginning of a beautiful friendship!” Chiaki yelled. Then his vision swayed and warped, and the trees around him wriggled and waved.

(Ah!) His eyes narrowed sharply. “That’s not gonna work on me, you moooorons!”

He tore violently at the illusion surrounding him. The ground in front of him turned a somersault as a man hidden in the upper branches of a large cedar fell with a scream. Chiaki’s mental counterstrike had broken the mind of the illusionist, a ninja of the Fuuma.

“I’m gonna get into that rear shrine, come hell or high water!”

The scent of oil covered the entire mountain as the monks readied themselves. Countless torches trembled in the wind which swept through the trees like the screams of multitudes.

“Everyone, set your fire—now!”

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