Early the next morning, Yayoi Hozuki and the others told Ai Kamiyo, who had already woken up, the good news.
She was no longer the "god's bride." Twenty years old was no longer the end of her life. She could now plan for a life beyond twenty.
Some rejoiced, while others despaired. Upon learning that Taisai Seikun's bunrei had been defeated by outsiders and even sealed, the current head of the Kamiyo family, Sogen Kamiyo, could no longer sit by. He immediately ordered people to bring Xu Fu, Ai Kamiyo, and the others to the Kamiyo residence, and even tried to seize Taisai Seikun's bunrei back by force.
As a result, Xu Fu did not even need to act. Dozens of burly men in black were all knocked down by Yayoi Hozuki alone.
This really could not be blamed on those men in black being too useless. If anything, the blame lay with Yayoi Hozuki being too strong, her strength wildly at odds with her appearance.
The reason Sogen Kamiyo was so anxious was because, in order to solidify his family's position in Japanese politics and maintain his own authority within the family, he had used Taisai Seikun's bunrei's curses to take many lives. Once he lost the god's protection, setting aside the family's continued decline, the people who had died because of him would surely become evil spirits and come to take revenge.
Then there was Ai Kamiyo's father, Reijiro Kamiyo. Yayoi Hozuki and the others had originally thought he was as cold-blooded and heartless as Sogen Kamiyo, but they had never expected that he actually cared deeply for Ai Kamiyo. He had even resisted in order to keep Ai Kamiyo from being sacrificed. In the end, not only did he fail to change Sogen Kamiyo's mind, he also lost one of his hands because of it.
After learning what Xu Fu and the others had done, Reijiro Kamiyo thanked them as a father, and sighed that Ai had truly made a wonderful group of friends.
Xu Fu walked alone through the Kamiyo family's courtyard. She appeared to be strolling idly, but in truth, she was looking for someone.
Abe no Seimei.
Although he had been working hard to avoid meeting Xu Fu, if she wanted to find him, he could hardly keep hiding without showing his face.
The Kamiyo family could be considered his descendants, though after so many years, there was no real blood relation left.
He had brought Taisai Seikun's bunrei from China so that Taisai Seikun could protect his descendants after his death. Yet his descendants had proven far more disappointing than he had imagined. In order to use the god's power, they had regularly sacrificed girls from the family to the god.
This mess he had left behind had ultimately been cleaned up by Xu Fu and the others.
And the Twelve Divine Generals that Taisai Seikun had taken from him had also been returned to him by Xu Fu.
For such a great favor, asking for a little payment was not excessive, right? And so Xu Fu had Abe no Seimei help her find the locations of Kuubou and members of The Replaced.
After that, Xu Fu took Yayoi Hozuki, Taisai Seikun's bunrei, and several of Yayoi Hozuki's "Graduates," then used Blue to run straight from Kyoto back to Tokyo. At the abandoned temple where Yayoi Hozuki had previously encountered Kishimojin, they successfully found Kuubou.
Because she understood Yayoi Hozuki's obsession with Kuubou, Xu Fu did not interfere. She watched the whole process from the sidelines, without the slightest worry that Yayoi Hozuki would lose.
After all, Kuubou at this point had not yet devoured Kishimojin. No matter how strong he was, he could not surpass a god. And unlike in the original plot, the seven "Graduates" in Yayoi Hozuki's hands had not been beaten by Taisai Seikun's bunrei until they lost their ability to fight. They were all in peak condition. On top of that, there was Taisai Seikun's bunrei, who had recovered part of his spiritual energy with Xu Fu's help and was willing to assist her.
With a lineup this stacked, how could they possibly lose?
Even Kuubou, Kishimojin, and the hundreds of infant spirits in the abandoned temple combined were not enough to put up a fight.
The only thing Xu Fu needed to do was block the back door and prevent that brat Kuubou from running away.
And then there was that old bastard Sogen Kamiyo. No one would have guessed it, right? This old man, who held considerable status in both the political and supernatural worlds, was actually connected to The Replaced.
After realizing that he could not take back Taisai Seikun's bunrei, he stole his own grandson's body in order to avoid being killed by vengeful souls and became one of The Replaced.
After defeating Kuubou, Xu Fu took Yayoi Hozuki and rushed straight back to Kyoto without stopping, killing Sogen Kamiyo and every member of The Replaced who dared show themselves.
Inside a family restaurant, Eiko Hozuki ordered a great many dishes, making for quite a sumptuous spread.
"Oooh!"
Ai Kamiyo was delighted, unable to take her eyes off the delicate desserts on the table.
Yayoi Hozuki also sighed. "So fancy... Is it because of Ai?"
"You really did forget, Yayoi-chan." Eiko Hozuki reminded her, "Today is May 12. It's your birthday."
"Ah..."
Yayoi Hozuki froze where she was.
She really had forgotten.
Keitaro Gentoga and Ai Kamiyo were both shocked. They had not known Yayoi Hozuki's birthday in the first place.
"Phew... Yours truly, Xu Fu, thought I wasn't going to make it..."
A visibly exhausted Xu Fu placed a gift box on the table.
Inside the box was a freshly baked birthday cake, one she had made specifically for Yayoi Hozuki.
She had taken Yayoi Hozuki to Tokyo to deal with Kuubou, brought her back to Kyoto, then run off alone to The Replaced's lair for a killing spree. After that, she had found a place to personally make Yayoi Hozuki a birthday cake.
She had been insanely busy!
Ai Kamiyo and Keitaro Gentoga both asked Xu Fu when she had learned Yayoi Hozuki's birthday. More importantly, why had she known Yayoi Hozuki's birthday and not told the two of them?
Because they had not known, they had not prepared presents at all!
To this, Xu Fu's only rebuttal was, "How was I supposed to know you didn't know?"
As for how she knew Yayoi Hozuki's birthday, of course she had asked Eiko Hozuki in advance. She remembered that there had been a scene in the manga celebrating Yayoi Hozuki's birthday, but she could not remember the exact day.
After all, there were times when she even forgot her own birthday. How would she remember someone else's?
Although Eiko Hozuki, who had known, had not prepared a present either, which really was unacceptable.
Yayoi Hozuki glanced at the cake on the table, then looked at the exhaustion Xu Fu could not hide from her expression. She felt as if something had gently brushed against her heart.
"...Actually, I already received the most precious gift in the world from you today, Xu Fu."
Yayoi Hozuki was talking about her mother's soul. Xu Fu had given her the chance to cut down Kuubou with her own hands and had even helped nurture her mother's soul. Yayoi did not know how she could ever repay such an enormous debt.
Her obsession of many years had finally reached its end today.
Xu Fu also felt that resolving everything on Yayoi Hozuki's birthday could be considered perfectly appropriate.
"I don't care what you think. I only care what I think. I wanted to do it, so I did~" Xu Fu wore a brilliant smile as she said something extremely self-centered. "No one can order me around. I only do what I want to do. After all, being selfish is a beautiful girl's privilege~!"
"And as the cutest girl in the whole world, yours truly, Xu Fu, naturally has to be more selfish than anyone else~!"
There was no obvious change in Yayoi Hozuki's expression. Only her cheeks flushed faintly.
The spot where her heart was felt strange... warm, and very comfortable, as if little bubbles were rising in her field of vision.
Xu Fu, Keitaro Gentoga, Eiko Hozuki, and Ai Kamiyo stood together, smiling as they gave Yayoi Hozuki their most sincere blessing.
"Yayoi-chan! Happy ninth birthday!"
Yayoi Hozuki silently gazed at them, as if she wanted to engrave their smiles at this moment into the deepest part of her soul.
Then she looked to the side and saw another figure.
It was a sturdily built adult man.
The other people in the restaurant could not see him. That was normal, because the him standing here was only a soul.
He was Yayoi Hozuki's father. For some unknown reason, he had never attained Buddhahood or reincarnated over the years, instead remaining beside his own grave.
Xu Fu had invited him here today.
Because Yayoi Hozuki's mother had been tormented by Kuubou for too long, even with Xu Fu nurturing her soul, she still needed time to recuperate and rest. In the end, the only one who could come here was Yayoi Hozuki's father.
Yayoi Hozuki's father watched Yayoi Hozuki gently as tears silently rolled down his face.
Like Xu Fu and the others, in this moment, on this occasion, he also gave Yayoi Hozuki his blessing.
Those tears were tears of joy.
Because their souls were relatively intact, Xu Fu had already promised them that she would make vessels capable of holding Yayoi Hozuki's parents' souls, complete with after-sales service.
That was right, after-sales service. Xu Fu was going to charge money for it, too—at a friendship price.
Before long, the family of three would be able to reunite.
As for what kind of social upheaval might be caused by two already-dead people suddenly coming back to life... well, things would work out when the time came!
"Xu Fu, Eiko, Keitaro, Ai... Thank you..."
"Eh, eh, eh?! Yayoi, why are you crying?!"
Seeing Eiko Hozuki and the others panic, Yayoi Hozuki belatedly reached up to touch the corners of her eyes. Her fingertips touched a trace of moisture.
Huh? Was she... crying?
"..."
Yayoi Hozuki kept wiping her tears with her sleeve, but no matter how much she wiped, she could not dry them. Her tear ducts seemed to have gone out of control, and the tears would not stop.
Her father watched in a panic from the side, wanting to do something for Yayoi Hozuki. But as someone with only a soul, there was nothing he could do.
At that moment, Xu Fu came to Yayoi Hozuki's side and gently drew her into her arms.
"Xu... Fu?"
"How is it? Feeling a little better?" Xu Fu smiled, the gentleness in her eyes like the warm sun of early spring, capable of melting lingering snow. "This is a beautiful girl's embrace, so no one would refuse it, right~?"
Sometimes one really had to admire her mindset. No matter how serious or heavy the occasion, she could always wear a brilliant smile and say something so carefree.
But... that was Xu Fu.
Their... her important friend.
Yayoi buried her face in Xu Fu's embrace, letting every breath fill with Xu Fu's scent, letting the sound of her own heartbeat and Xu Fu's gradually overlap in her ears.
"Thank you... Xu Fu."
I'm so glad... I met you.
---
T/N: DARK GATHERING END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
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