【Good Leaf】Eclipse of the Crimson Moon

【resonance】

In the age of mythology, the earth was floating in the ocean and was very unstable.All the gods made it clear to Izanagi and Izanami to repair and strengthen the country.

Standing on the pontoon bridge of the sky, they plunged the Tianmarsh spears bestowed by the gods into the sea to stir up the sea water, and then lifted the spears.At this time, the sea water dripping from the tip of the spear condensed into an island, which was the original land of Yuneng Kiro Island.

After the formation of the island, the two gods descended to the island, erected the imperial pillar of the sky, and built the Hall of Hachiro.Then, Izanagi said to his sister: Let us walk around this imperial pillar, unite at the place where we meet, and create mankind and the country.

As stated in the "Kojiki", this is the origin of Japan recorded in the history of mythology.The creation gods Izanagi and Izanami, who came to the world as messengers of the gods, are husband and wife and brother and sister.Together the two created life, gods (note) and everything else.

I was in a daze holding the ancient book I dug out from the corner of the library.

In many myths, the creator gods are related by blood.When they were born, the world was a very lonely and dead place.Therefore, the companions created by God at first are the closest and most perfect companions to Himself, probably because of loneliness.It's a pity that any individual with independent thinking ability will not act completely according to the expectations of others, so there will be subsequent stories, and those endings are often sighing.

Accidentally think too far.None of that has anything to do with me.It's not my style to let my thoughts wander like this, but if it were Ye, it would be possible.Although he has grown physically and mentally, his undisciplined personality is still the same, and it is his specialty that he can fall into a fantasy state at any time.

He never seemed to be in a depressed mood, nor did he hold grudges against anyone.Looking at his overly calm face, occasionally I would have the urge to punch him.

Is that all right?Haven't even thought about our affairs at all?

In addition to retaining mana and responsibilities that ordinary people cannot understand, the Shinto family has other unique traditions.For example, in order for the spiritual power and mission to be passed on from generation to generation in the family, the lord must not only perform the priesthood, but also leave a powerful heir.In Japan, Shinto families are already very rare, and the options for maintaining bloodlines are quite narrow, so even close relatives are allowed to marry if it is not possible.Now the wife of the head of the Kiryu family is his cousin who is nearly ten years younger than him. I have also heard of brothers and sisters getting married among priests in other places.

But...Ye is my younger brother.No matter which way we think about it, it is impossible for us to get the approval of our tribe.

We haven't progressed since then.Ye was rejected by the fiancé's girl, and no other arrangements were made at home, and everything was suspended in a delicate place.In the short period of calm, my thoughts never stopped violently, but Ye still maintained his unique pace and remained motionless.

I glanced in his direction, and he was still concentrating on carving on the piece of wood that had already taken shape with the carving knife, tirelessly.

Not long ago, the puppeteer of the Kiryu family passed away.Ye inherited the secret technique without any suspense and became the new puppeteer.

Now he has reduced the time to go to the dojo to practice kendo, and spends every day in the room working with wood and porcelain clay.

Hina dolls as magic tools are different from the handicrafts of folk artists. When the artist makes them, the spiritual power has been slowly poured into them, and each human figure will grow into a unique "vessel" in the hands of the artist. , and then be able to exert a huge spell power.Although it is true that the forbidden technique of using "artifacts" to replace living sacrifices is recorded in Zhanshiluejue, this technique is too difficult. In the hundreds of years of recorded history in Yuejian, there are only a few puppeteers who have successfully used the puppet technique That's all.Seeing him working with wood every day, I really feel bored for him. He is tireless in this kind of thing that only old men can enjoy themselves. I strongly suspect that his heart has already aged in advance.

It takes a long time to make the dolls, and the tedious process makes me have a headache when I think about it. I have to feel that he really calmed down, and it was at that time that he discovered another side of Ye that no one knew.

The dolls in gorgeous kimonos are neatly displayed on the sacrificial utensil stand, with long hair like water and eyes like ice. Although they are made of cold inorganic matter, their expressions are inexplicably reassuring.The dolls have their own names, and according to Ye, they even have their own "personality", which slowly emerges and attaches to this "empty shell" during the creation process, so they will appear in future festivals. Those who can replace living people as sacrifices are accepted by the gods.

Ye originally practiced the art of destroying demons using the spirit sword, but now he has turned to the extremely rare art of puppet art, but no one in his family objected. , the pressure on inheriting the family business was much less than mine, so grandpa let him develop freely.

"Well, just play with dolls slowly, my stupid little brother." I have complained about his decision many times after spending a lot of time with him, but Ye always just smiled and didn't refute me at all. .

Having said that, I believe that Ye will succeed, because his determination to use Hina dolls instead of living sacrifices is stronger than anyone else. This will, which no one can stop, will definitely be transformed into power and conveyed to the world. Go in that little figure.

★★★

In the dark festival at the age of 13, Ye finally got permission to use the Hina doll as "Zi" in the dark festival.The divine event was successful, and there was nothing wrong with the state of the seal, which made the priests who had been vocally opposed to it have to admit Ye's ability.

I thought Ye would cheer excitedly, but his expression was always calm.

It has been several decades since the last time "Zhi" was used to successfully hold a secret sacrifice, and there is no one in Yuejian who can give Ye substantial help.I was also very surprised that he could succeed under such circumstances, but he was so sure that I really underestimated him.

It was past three quarters in the morning when we returned to the residence, and my grandfather gave us a few words of encouragement and told us to go to bed earlier.Not long after lying down, the knocking sound came through the middle partition. I turned over and looked at the place where the sound came from. Ye really poked out half of his head from behind the door:

"Can I come over?"

I nodded, and he immediately came to my quilt through the partition, and I dragged him in decisively without giving him a chance to hesitate.

"Can't sleep?"

"A bit."

His body was a little cold, and it wasn't just because of the night wind blowing just now.Using strength consumes physical strength and has a great impact on the spirit. He must be very tired now.I held his hand and asked him in a low voice: "You don't feel scared just now, do you?"

"Not really..." He smiled lightly, "I've always been nervous."

"Nonsense!" I can't tell... Even I often can't figure out what Ye is thinking, he is really good at covering up the fluctuations in his heart.Ye, who had been very quiet until the servants saluted and exited the room, only showed a little uneasiness at this time. Thinking about it carefully, it is really impossible not to be nervous at all.

The Dark Sacrifice is a ceremony that uses living sacrifices to appease the door rattling. If it fails, it must be repeated in a short period of time, which means increasing the number of victims.If the spiritual power flow in the door cannot be controlled within the predetermined range before the main ceremony, the main ceremony is very likely to fail. This is a catastrophe that the Yuwu family has always tried to avoid.Using "Zhi" as a substitute for sacrifice, the consequences will be very serious if you miss it, and it cannot be compensated with a few apologies or punishments.It is impossible for Ye to use the forbidden technique without success for more than ten years.

"So...you don't need to take such a big risk...in case of failure..." I stroked his hair, but he suddenly looked up at me:

"I've already thought about it. If I fail, I will bear the consequences. Offering me as a compensation sacrifice should appease the god's anger."

"You!" The moment I heard those words, I reached out and grabbed his shoulders, my uncontrollable anger rose, and the strength in my hands increased uncontrollably:

"What nonsense are you talking about? Don't you think I would appreciate your selfless and fearless actions? If I had known you were doing this with such thoughts, I would have asked Grandpa to ban you from participating in the Dark Sacrifice!"

The pain in his shoulder made him frown slightly, but he didn't struggle. He just met my gaze and replied: "I know you will be angry, but I will definitely try! Every time the dark sacrifice is held, there will be one more victim. I don't want to wait!"

"Why can't you wait? You are just an immature head priest! If you act recklessly, it will cause even greater losses!"

"So I'll be in charge! I..."

Snapped!

Before he finished speaking, I had already shot.

Ye covered her face and stared straight at somewhere in the darkness, no longer looking at me.

The tingling feeling in the palm of the hand is still there, but the mind is blank.Since he was sensible, this was the first time he hit him, but he didn't regret it at all.My anger is directed at him and myself at the same time. If I have the power... if I have the power to cut off the shackles of fate, there will be no need to repeat this tragedy.

In the still darkness, the scorching turbulence gradually cooled down, leaving behind an indifferent calm.

"You are responsible? So you sacrifice your own life?" I asked him softly.

He nodded, still not speaking.

"You don't want others to die, so you die yourself?" He pulled his shoulders and forced him to look into my eyes: "You really think this is good? What about the rest of the people? Have you ever thought about their feelings? ?”

"If you want to use the forbidden technique, you must be aware of it!" He finally refuted me again.

"That's right! If you are not enlightened, you will have no power. I told you this, but you are not enlightened! It's just a reckless gamble!"

"But someone has to do it, right?"

"I won't!" I yelled, and he froze again.

"I will never allow you to do such a thing again! I will never allow you to die! Promise me!"

"…elder brother…!"

Holding him tightly in my arms, ignoring those slight resistances, I just can't let him go.If I didn't tell him at such a close distance, if the emotion at this moment can't be conveyed to his heart, I feel like I will lose him forever.I don't know how long it took, I felt a soft touch around my back, and then gradually intensified, responding to me.

"Sorry...I didn't mean to worry you..."

"Then promise me, don't do anything reckless again... You really pushed yourself too hard this time..." The clenched fingertips almost fell into the skin through the thin bathrobe. If Ye could really hear me He would understand that the deep fear was only now beginning to eat into my heart and spread to every nerve ending.

"...En." His voice was very low, almost whispering in my ear: "It's true...it's a little too early. The completion of the puppet is not at its best. I had a bad plan at first... This time was really just luck."

"You are the head priest of the Asakang family. No matter what, we must not forget that our mission is not to save one or two living sacrifices, but to bear the fate of the entire Tsukimi."

"Well... I'm sorry."

"Don't tell me this, you're not wrong,

Feeling a little relieved, I touched the top of his head and loosened the confinement.Ye looked up at me, his eyes seemed to be a little red.I have experienced Ye's stubbornness many times, but this time he is willing to let go, I should be lucky.Some words don't need to be said, because I am sure he can feel them.

"Ye, are you uneasy? I am the same." With my chin resting on my elbow, I looked at him half sideways, and his eyes were really gloomy again.He came to me today because he also had the same feeling, no, he has had this premonition since a long time ago, and now he can no longer suppress it in his heart.

"Maybe we should have talked earlier. Now that I think about it, if something goes wrong with the ceremony, I might not be able to talk to you." He squeezed out a bitter smile, and I wanted to stare at him and stop saying such things. Unlucky words, but failed to implement.

We have been priests for a while, and we have experienced quite a few twists and turns in the middle, but it is only recently that we have really participated in presiding over dangerous gods.And "danger" is not always predictable or clearly estimated.I still remember one of my mentors saying to me before a certain exorcism, "This is a simple ritual, don't worry about it." But that turned out to be the last words he said to me.

"Ye, do you still remember that you promised to stay with me all the time?"

"Remember." The young man who had been lying still all this time suddenly stretched out his hand and grabbed my wrist that was closer to him: "I won't do it again, it's a reckless thing."

"But we probably... can't be together forever." After saying this, he was really surprised: "Why?"

"The selection day is coming, Ye."

The selection is a divination ceremony to select the officiant priest of the main sacrifice.According to the cycle of the crimson full moon, it is held one year before the arrival of each main festival.All the priests and above of the Yuwu family are on the list of candidates, and then they will be selected by the destiny to choose the son of God.In the records so far, there has never been a minor selected as a son of God, because the practice and accomplishment required by the chief priest cannot be achieved in a short period of time.But since both Ye and I are already head priests, it means that we have at least met the most basic requirements.

I have never seen the selection ceremony with my own eyes, and it is the same as the main sacrifice, non-participants cannot touch its core, so I have no way of knowing the specific methods and criteria for the selection.But judging from the data, age does not seem to be the limiting condition for the officiant, so any situation is possible.

And the most important point is my hunch.

The darkness that had been entrenched in my heart for a long time turned into vague shadows and appeared in dreams and consciousness, and invisible anxiety enveloped me.I can't describe what it looks like, but every time I think about it recently, the approaching selection day will come to my mind, like an ominous resonance, repeatedly appearing.

Ye was only stunned for a short moment, and immediately understood what I was referring to.

"It may not be you, maybe it's me?" He pointed to his nose and smiled lightly.

"It's not funny at all, I'm the eldest son."

"The chief priest doesn't stipulate that he must be the eldest son. Although my spiritual power is not as strong as yours, it's not too bad." After he finished joking, he found that I was not in the mood to answer, so he fell silent.

It is obvious that it has been known for a long time, why is it so difficult to accept now?

Haven't we been fighting for this goal since we were born?Why is it so... heartache now.

"We'll be together." Ye suddenly said faintly.

"... Well, if none of us are chosen as the chief priest... we can always be together..."

Even if one of us dies, the soul can be with the other forever.Death does not separate us.But if you become the Son of God...

"It's okay. It doesn't matter if one of us gets picked."

I couldn't help frowning, Ye's unfounded optimist thoughts flooded again, he clearly knew that the soul of the Son of God would be swallowed by the door, and he would never be able to return to this world or the eternal world.

"The soul of the son of God has been taken in by the gods, right? It's on the other side of the door." Ye's eyes glowed with firmness, and he smiled lightly: "Then as long as you stay on the side of the gate of the underworld, you are the closest to the other party." Woolen cloth."

I was dumbfounded.

This is just a lame word game, how can it be considered "together"?But I don't want to refute him smiling like that.

I leaned down and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Okay, make an appointment, we will always be together."

The moment my skin touches, I feel the subtle and light vibrations like the wings of a butterfly, and then it turns into warm and sweet moisture and penetrates into my heart.

The floating flowers in the void bloomed silently, and the deep and dark crystals reflected splendor, overflowing from under the deep eyelashes, sliding down against the pale and cool face, falling into the endless darkness intertwined with confusion and anxiety, falling in an unknown place. Broken into countless awn dust.

This is a contract.

Never forget it.

We take it deep into the body and imprint it on the soul.

Outside the window, the cold moon of early winter hangs in the sky.

Crimson Moon in another world is also shedding a charming blood-colored brilliance at this moment, hanging alone in the night sky.It waits for the next fullness in ages, and that day is near.

The not-so-perfect dark sacrifice will be successful, is it really "good luck" as Ye said?

I never believe in chance, everything is absolute necessity.

So this incident was also the result of someone's manipulation in the dark?And where all this will lead to fate, we have no idea at that time.

Note: The gods here refer to the gods of the upper world, not the original gods of Gaotianyuan (Actually, I think this story is very confusing, and later it was said that Amaterasu lived in Gaotianyuan... Anyway, please don’t get too deep into it haha).For example, the sea gods, fire gods, wind gods, sun gods (Amaterasu), and moon gods (Tsukuyomi) in Japanese mythology are all their children. Like the myths in other places, the main gods are high-yielding people [hello].