Chapter 70: Silver Soul (Earth Chapter)

Onmyoji, based on the philosophy of the Five Ways of Yin and Yang, practiced divination, rituals, and incantations. In ancient Japan, they belonged to the Bureau of Yin and Yang under the Ministry of Central Affairs. Yet among all Onmyoji, the most renowned family was the Yeno clan. Even now, unlike other classes that were discarded, they continue to serve the Shogunate.

This was the information Okakura Take learned from Sasaki, and thanks to his introduction, Okakura Take met the current head of the Yeno family.

He was a young man, with refined features and a dignified gaze. His entire presence radiated the aura of an elite noble. Okakura Take glanced at Sasaki beside her and then at the man opposite; she thought the head of the Yeno family appeared even more like an elite than Sasaki himself.

“Hello, it’s been a while, Mr. Sasaki,” Yeno Seimei first greeted Sasaki, then turned to Okakura Take, “And this is?”

“This is Okakura Take, Minister of the Universal Police Alliance. Yeno-san, she’s the one who asked me to seek you out today,” Sasaki introduced them.

“Miss Okakura, greetings. I am Yeno Seimei, head of the Yeno family. May I ask what business brings you to me?” Seimei inquired, looking at Okakura Take.

“Mr. Yeno, it’s like this—my friend went missing a few days ago, apparently taken by a spirit or monster. Even those who went searching for him yesterday disappeared, and I myself have encountered some strange incidents these past days…” Okakura Take carefully explained everything.

Seimei listened quietly, holding a fan against his chin, appearing deep in thought.

Suddenly, a member of the Yeno household quietly entered, leaned in to whisper a few words in Seimei’s ear. Okakura Take saw Seimei’s eyes widen instantly, a trace of panic flickering within.

Has something happened? Okakura Take wondered.

“Forgive me, I must attend to something urgent. I’ll be back shortly; please wait for me,” Seimei said, rising and leaving.

Okakura Take and Sasaki sat on the tatami, sipping tea as they waited for Seimei. Yet after a long while, Seimei still hadn’t returned. Okakura Take, having drunk too much tea, felt the urge to use the restroom.

“Excuse me, could you tell me where the bathroom is?” Okakura Take asked the Yeno household staff, who pointed out the direction.

“Thank you.” Following their directions, Okakura Take found the restroom, finished, and began retracing her steps back to the room.

“Christ! Just a little more and we could have finished recording—why did this happen?!”

That voice sounded like Seimei’s. Okakura Take, puzzled, walked over, only to see the refined Seimei she’d met earlier now contorted with rage, kicking the television, while the Yeno staff struggled to restrain him.

“Lord Seimei, please, stop kicking it—the TV will be destroyed!”

“Damn it! Why did the TV have to break at this exact moment!” Seimei shouted, kicking it several more times. Unexpectedly, the TV began working again.

The snowy static cleared, and Okakura Take recognized a familiar face: the Yeno family’s own weather anchor.

“Today’s special noon segment, 'Big Weather Comparison Across Japan,' ends here. Please tune in tomorrow for the weather forecast~.” The beautiful woman on screen smiled and waved, then an advertisement appeared, and the program was over.

“Christ! She’s just as adorable today!” Seimei exclaimed in front of the TV, moved.

“…” Okakura Take.

What was this? Who could have guessed that this princely figure had such an obsessive side? Okakura Take couldn’t help but rub her forehead. But, after all, people have their own preferences, and she had no right to comment. After watching this scene, she quietly returned to the room.

“What happened? You look exhausted,” Sasaki asked.

“Mr. Sasaki, I’ve suddenly realized that those who make a good first impression always end up overturning that impression,” Okakura Take sighed.

Sasaki was surprised at her words, raising an eyebrow, “Did something happen?”

“Nothing…”

No sooner had Okakura Take spoken than Seimei returned.

“Apologies for keeping you waiting; I had urgent matters to attend to, but it’s all settled now,” Seimei said.

Liar! He just went to watch the weather anchor, Okakura Take thought. Suddenly, she remembered someone else who adored the weather anchor—the useless curly-haired one—who would beam like an idiot every time he saw the Yeno anchor on TV.

Tsk tsk, men chasing idols are just as starstruck as women.

“Miss Okakura, let’s return to the matter at hand. Where did your friend disappear?” Seimei asked.

Okakura Take provided the address of the apartment. Seimei listened, then began calculating the direction with his fingers, his expression growing grave.

“Miss Okakura, we must act swiftly.”

“Eh?” Okakura Take was startled.

“Your friend is still alive, but their soul is trapped in that building. If we delay any longer, they may die there,” Seimei said.

“!” Okakura Take stood up in shock. They really had to hurry! Seimei was truly remarkable—he’d just calculated with his fingers and already knew the state of the building.

Without further delay, Okakura Take and Seimei decided to set out immediately. Sasaki intended to accompany them, but just before leaving, he received a phone call. Afterward, he said he couldn’t join them.

“Sorry, Take-chan, I have something urgent to attend to,” Sasaki said, adjusting his glasses.

“It’s fine, Mr. Sasaki. I’m already grateful you brought me to meet Mr. Yeno,” Okakura Take replied.

“Take-chan, if possible, could you call me Itsaburo? ‘Mr. Sasaki’ sounds so formal, and we’re email friends, aren’t we?” Sasaki said with a gentle smile.

“…Alright, Itsaburo, thank you. I’ll treat you to dinner next time,” Okakura Take hesitated, but finally called him by name.

After bidding Sasaki farewell, Okakura Take drove Seimei to the apartment.

When they took the elevator up, the lights went out, and the buttons stopped working. For a moment, the atmosphere inside was eerily silent.

“Hmph, petty spirits dare to play tricks on me,” Seimei sneered, pulling a paper talisman from his sleeve and tossing it out while rapidly reciting an incantation.

Bang! The talisman struck something invisible in midair with a muffled thud, and soon, the elevator resumed normal operation.

“Mr. Seimei, you’re amazing,” Okakura Take said.

“No, Miss Okakura, you overpraise. I merely rely on inherited skills,” Seimei replied modestly.

Okakura Take looked at him, recalling his obsession with the weather anchor… Truly, people have two sides.

At last, they arrived at the haunted apartment door. This time, Okakura Take kicked the door open without hesitation.

“…” Seimei silently withdrew his talisman. He had intended to use it to force the door, but evidently, nothing beats a good kick.

Once inside, Okakura Take and Seimei entered together. The room was as gloomy as before, bloodstains everywhere, the whole place looking like a crime scene.

“Miss Okakura, the ghost is still hiding. I need to summon her; please stand back,” Seimei said.

Okakura Take immediately moved aside.

Seimei clasped his hands, swiftly formed a series of gestures, stamped his foot in a certain pattern, then scattered talismans into the air, chanting.

Soon, Okakura Take saw a black mist gradually appear before Seimei, then condense into a humanoid form.

“Finally, you’ve come out,” Seimei said to the black mist.

As it faded, a slender woman—no, a female ghost—appeared. Okakura Take glanced at her feet; she floated above the ground, without legs.

The ghost blushed upon seeing Seimei. She shyly tugged at her white dress and cautiously looked at him, “Um… Is there something you need from me?”

“…” Okakura Take.

Seriously?! This is the ghost who made Gin-san and the others vanish? Why is she blushing? It’s so out of place!

Seimei ignored the ghost’s bashful demeanor, his expression remaining calm.

“Since you’ve died, you shouldn’t cause chaos among the living. I’ve sensed you’re hiding several living souls here. Release them—they’re still alive and can’t remain trapped by you.”

Hearing this, the ghost’s expression changed. She stared at Seimei in terror, “Sir, could you spare me? I’ve been lonely for years and finally found someone to keep me company. I didn’t mean to harm them… I only wanted friends.”

Seimei sighed, his gaze tinged with helplessness, “That can’t be. You’re dead, and those people carry the aura of the living. If this continues, your deathly energy will eventually infect them, turning them into living dead and damaging their souls.”

At this, the ghost began to cry, “Sir, miss, please listen… sob sob…”

“Sorry, but I don’t really want to listen,” Okakura Take interjected. She’d already told the ghost that her deathly energy would harm the living, yet the ghost insisted on rambling. How annoying.

Couldn’t she release the people first, then talk?

The ghost was clearly taken aback by Okakura Take’s bluntness. After a while, she said plaintively, “Eh? You don’t want to listen? Why won’t you let me speak?”

“Alright, let me ask you. You say you want to be friends with those people, right?” Okakura Take asked.

“Yes… yes,” the ghost nodded.

“In that case, when you heard they might die because of you, your first reaction wasn’t concern for them, but worry for yourself. That’s not how friendship works. Trapping them here because you’re lonely? Ghost lady, that’s not making friends. What you want isn’t friends, but dolls who can keep you company,” Okakura Take said.

The ghost was stunned by Okakura Take’s words, her pupils dilating until they became needle-thin. She screamed, clutching her head, “No! I want to be friends! Why say such things to me? If you pity me, you should sympathize, not say things like that!”

Suddenly, blood seeped from Michiko’s body. She glared at Okakura Take, “You’re a cold-hearted woman. Someone like you must be killed!”

Okakura Take frowned. What kind of twisted logic was this…?

“Miss Okakura, stand back. Evil spirits don’t listen to reason.” Seimei reached out to shield Okakura Take. “Ghosts amplify the negative emotions they had in life. Their thinking differs from the living; talking won’t help.”

“Kill you, kill you! I’m so miserable, yet you mock me. I’ve done nothing wrong—the wrongdoers are you evil people. Kill you, kill you…” Michiko muttered hysterically, her face growing more hideous, her gaze toward Okakura Take full of malice and resentment.

Seeing Michiko, Okakura Take suddenly recalled her own past—her appearance once as ugly as Michiko’s, suffering ridicule and contempt, enduring countless cold stares.

But… physical ugliness isn’t frightening; it’s when the heart turns ugly that rot truly begins.

Michiko was further aggravated when Seimei stood in front of Okakura Take, her screams nearly piercing the ears.

“Why shield this woman! Let me kill her, move aside! Are all men drawn to such venomous women? Move aside!”

“Pitiful woman, unable to let go of resentment in life, still entangled in it after death…” Seimei sighed, taking out several talismans.

“Ghosts don’t belong among the living. Let me send you on your way,” Seimei said, beginning to chant.

“Announce to the ten directions, the infinite world…” Seimei hadn’t finished the incantation when the ghost lunged at him.

“No! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to leave!” She clung to Seimei’s leg, her fierce expression replaced by sorrow.

“…” Okakura Take. This ghost’s mood swings were astonishing.

“No. You’ve been dead for a long time. Living among mortals does you no good—better to leave early,” Seimei said, frowning at the ghost clinging to his leg. She was already dead, but his upbringing wouldn’t allow him to kick her away.

The ghost lowered her head, looking despondent, “I see…”

Suddenly, she looked up and lunged at Okakura Take, catching Seimei off guard. “In that case, let this woman die with me!”

Okakura Take’s eyes widened. Why was this ghost so fixated on her?! She wasn’t going to stop until she killed her. Okakura Take instinctively swung her spiked club at the ghost.

It missed… In that instant, Okakura Take saw a triumphant, cold smile on Michiko’s face. Physical objects couldn’t touch ghosts after all…

Just as Michiko’s long claws were about to gouge Okakura Take’s eyes, a hand reached from behind her and grabbed Michiko’s wrist.

“Michiko, it’s your turn to play—don’t ruin the game. I’m about to win,”

That voice… Okakura Take turned to see Sakata Gintoki standing behind her.

Wasn’t he spirited away? How did he suddenly appear?

“Oh? Impressive—he’s just a living soul, yet can resist a true evil spirit’s deathly aura. Looks like this man has killed many people,” Seimei remarked in surprise, looking at Gintoki.

“Gintoki…” The ghost stared at Gintoki, stunned, then her expression turned fierce again, “Even you protect this woman? Why?! Why won’t you stay with me, why?!”

“Michiko, sometimes loneliness isn’t because there’s no one beside you, but because your heart can’t trust those around you. You isolate yourself from others and the world, refusing to let anyone in to share your joys and sorrows. That’s when you feel lonely, but that loneliness is of your own making,” Gintoki said.

“Gintoki…” Michiko was dumbfounded.

“Michiko, you should step out. Playing alone for so long must be tiring—after all, you’ll always draw the joker,” Gintoki said, releasing her wrist. Michiko no longer attacked Okakura Take; she covered her face with her hands and crouched, sobbing loudly.

“Gin-san…” Okakura Take turned to Gintoki, noticing he too lacked feet…

Gintoki saw her gaze, gave her a helpless smile.

At this moment, Seimei approached Michiko, affixing a talisman to her back, “Don’t worry, this isn’t true erasure. Life continues endlessly.”

Michiko didn’t resist this time, letting Seimei perform the rite. As he chanted, she began to fade from her feet upward, slowly disappearing…

In the last instant, just before she vanished completely, Michiko suddenly smiled, gazing at the air, “Thank you, my friends… for playing cards with me.”

Vaguely, Okakura Take saw Gintoki, Kagura, Shinpachi, Hijikata, Sogo, Hasegawa, and an unknown old man floating in the air, waving to Michiko. Then… Michiko disappeared, and so did the shadows.

Once Michiko was laid to rest, the lighting in the haunted apartment returned to normal, no longer gloomy. Yet Okakura Take searched the room for the missing companions, but found none.

“Mr. Seimei, they’re not here? What happened?” Okakura Take asked.

“Don’t worry. Those spirited away by ghosts usually reappear at random distant places, and lose their memory of the event. Now that the ghost is gone, they’ve probably dropped into various places across Japan,” Seimei said.

“…Okakura Take wondered if those guys had enough money for train fare back to Edo.

But the matter was resolved, and those troublesome companions were safe. She felt relieved.

After parting with Seimei, Okakura Take returned home, exhausted after a long day. She decided to relax with a bath, went to the bathroom, undressed, and pulled open the shower curtain…

“Ah, hello… I don’t really know how I ended up here, it’s quite miraculous. Must be thanks to Doraemon’s Anywhere Door,”

There, in the tub, a silver-haired man lay sprawled, grinning sheepishly at Okakura Take, then his gaze drifted downward, taking in a remarkable sight…

Pfft—Gintoki hurriedly covered his nose as blood spurted out. Who could have guessed that Okakura, always so tightly wrapped up, actually had the physique of a female Schwarzenegger! Absolutely fantastic!

Okakura Take silently turned and left the bathroom, showing no reaction.

Gintoki, lying in the tub, scratched his head. Eh? She’s not angry? Just as he wondered, Okakura Take returned—now dressed and holding her spiked club…

“Wait, wait, don’t be rash!” Gintoki cried in panic.

“You… whether you’re human or ghost, you deserve a beating all the same!” Okakura Take snarled, lunging at the curly-haired man in the tub.

Splat! A splash of blood stained the pristine tiles, and Gintoki’s wails echoed through the luxurious apartment.

Without Doraemon, it’s best not to peek at someone’s bath.