It was a strange feeling. Ever since they saw the statue in the Two-Souls Shrine, Sū ěr group had been ready to give Yukari a good thrashing. But this yōkai hid herself so well in the modern world that even Sū ěr requests to the Nura Clan turned up nothing.
As for the Yukari they were seeing now, she wasn't the Yukari who had lived until the present, but her ancient self. This ancient Yukari likely knew nothing of the Two-Souls Shrine incident; otherwise, her reaction to seeing them wouldn't have been so calm.
So the question was: would it be too "scummy" to beat up ancient Yukari for future crimes?
Sū ěr hadn't decided yet, but Yukari had certainly felt Jibril eager, unfriendly gaze from behind, forcing her to be on high alert.
For Sū ěr, it hadn't been long since they last met, but for Yukari, they were beings she needed to re-evaluate and compare against her memories.
"That cherry tree is indeed not a yōkai… at least, it doesn't have the ability to become one yet." Casually changing the subject, Yukari tried to draw the pink-haired woman's attention away from herself. "The Saigyouji monk who planted it centuries ago relied on its existence to suppress the mountain's aura and the ley lines of this entire area. This has allowed the region to maintain good weather and a virtuous populace."
"An ordinary cherry tree?" Sū ěr voiced his doubt.
"It was just an ordinary cherry tree at first… but as you know, after living so long, it has become anything but ordinary." Yukari chuckled lowly.
They were walking through the Saigyouji estate. It was clear Yukari was a regular here; the servants—likely hired or orphans raised to care for the courtyard—cast curious glances at the group Yukari was leading, but ultimately just bowed respectfully and said nothing.
This blonde yōkai walked through the home of a family dedicated to demon-slaying as comfortably as if it were her own house. It was a hilarious contrast.
"Just call me by my name, there's no need to be so formal."
"Then I shall do as you say."
Think was already inspecting the hidden spells within the courtyard. Perhaps when the cherry tree was first planted, the spells used to guide and suppress the ley lines were obvious, but after centuries of natural development, Think honestly wouldn't have noticed them without Yukari's history and a detailed inspection.
Before long, Yukari led them to the deepest part of the Saigyouji estate—the place with the most protections and barriers. It was the site of the cherry tree that had theoretically blessed the region for centuries.
Sū ěr had snuck in here before, but now he was appearing openly with a guide. He also saw someone he hadn't seen on his previous visit—a descendant of the Saigyouji family.
She wasn't old, maybe in her twenties, with the bloodless, pale skin characteristic of someone who stayed indoors for years. Set against her pale pink hair—the color of cherry blossoms—she looked even whiter.
"Thin." That was Sū ěr first reaction upon seeing this Saigyouji descendant. She looked frail and sickly, speaking in a thin, delicate voice even during her introduction.
Saigyouji Yuyuko. It sounded like a boy's name [Note: Yu as in "dark/ghostly"], but it was indeed the name of this delicate, sickly beauty. If she had lived in the Saigyouji courtyard since birth without ever leaving, the name "Yu" suited her well.
"So you were the one hiding her?" Sū ěr looked sideways at Yukari, somewhat speechless.
On his last visit, he had been privately puzzled. On the other side of the giant cherry tree, there were rooms clearly built for habitation, with no dust on the outdoor corridors and signs of human life inside, yet no people to be found.
Now he realized that this yōkai had likely noticed their presence and quietly hid Yuyuko away.
Tsk, making it look like I'm some thug out to kidnap girls. Is this yōkai crazy?
"My apologies. Yuyuko has grown up here alone since she was a child and has never interacted with others, so she is very shy." Yukari smiled and patted Yuyuko's hair, pretending not to see Sū ěr disdainful look.
"Is there a secret to her? Or has the Saigyouji family done something to her?" Think asked curiously.
"If it's a physical defect, we can help. If you're really worried, you can watch from the side. Honestly, putting her soul into a healthy body is easier than curing a disability directly. As for growing the body, we can use her own cells; no need to worry about compatibility," Sū ěr comforted the seemingly uneasy Yukari.
Good people like him were truly rare these days.
"Disability? What are you talking about?" Yukari didn't understand.
"Eh? Isn't this the ancestral home for disabled Saigyouji children?" Sū ěr was even more puzzled than Yukari. "Anyone here with the Saigyouji name must have some problem, right? It's okay, don't hide the illness from the doctor. Only by speaking the problem boldly can it be cured. Isn't that why you brought us here?"
Good Man Old Sū.
"..." Yukari's expression distorted for a moment. "...No, um, Yuyuko's body has no problems. She isn't disabled."
"Is that so? But she doesn't look healthy at all, does she?" Jibril words were like knives.
"Yes… sigh." Unable to deny it, Yukari let out a long sigh. "That is because of the secret Lady Think just asked about."
"Yuyuko is special… and this specialty isn't just for the Saigyouji family. You could say it plays a vital role for the entire region centered on this cherry tree." Running her fingers through Yuyuko's hair, Yukari's gaze turned to one of pity and heartache.
Likely realizing she couldn't hide anything from Sū ěr group, Yukari chose to be honest. Her current, unmasked vulnerability even drew strange looks from Think.
Did the female yōkai have a change of heart?