Chapter 258: The Truth from Toshiyuki (Patreon)

"Of course I'm Hisayuki—Toshiyuki Hisayuki, your future husband."

Facing Hinako Shimizu's challenge, Toshiyuki Hisayuki fixed her with a gaze full of tenderness, his tone unshakably certain.

"I've been working toward this for so long. And now, finally, today..."

Toshiyuki Hisayuki stepped toward her, one careful pace at a time. Through the openings of his fox mask, his eyes held all the warmth she remembered—and a stubbornness she'd never seen in him before.

"Hinako, do you know how long I've waited for this day? Ever since I left the village, I've thought about you every single day—thought about everything you wrote to me in your letters, thought about all the little moments we shared, wondered where you were when you wrote to me. Sitting by the window? Lying on your bed? Were you happy or sad when you picked up the pen? I kept wondering when we'd finally see each other again. So I fought for every inch of ground I have in the Toshiyuki family, made my grandfather acknowledge me—all of it, so I could marry you. So I could give you happiness, Hinako."

A depth of love poured out of him with every word, washing over Hinako Shimizu.

"Hisayuki... I'm sorry..."

She couldn't help stepping back. The intensity of that devotion was almost too much to bear, and her wary eyes cut away from his face.

And yet something in her wavered too—she was moved, despite herself, by the depth of his feeling.

This really was Hisayuki. There was no mistaking it. She hadn't even seen his face yet, but her instincts wouldn't lead her wrong.

Still, moved as she was, her body refused to fully relax in front of the man before her.

She snapped her head up and thrust the lantern pole out in front of her, blocking him from coming any closer.

"Hisayuki, don't change the subject!"

Her voice was firm, her eyes locked on the pair of eyes behind his mask.

His steps faltered. A flicker of helplessness crossed his gaze, but he waited in silence for her question.

"Even if you really are Hisayuki, then tell me—why are you here, in this bizarre shrine? Why are you wearing that white fox mask? And why am I here at all?"

Hinako asked, her voice steady.

"I know you must be confused right now, and frightened. Anyone would be, dragged into a place like this, seeing those horrible monsters. But Hinako, you have to believe me—we're here for our wedding."

"Wedding?"

Her brow furrowed. Something in her recoiled instinctively at the word.

"What do you mean?"

Toshiyuki Hisayuki let out a soft sigh. A trace of helplessness crossed his eyes before he settled back into calm.

"This is a custom handed down through generations in the Toshiyuki family. Before an outsider can marry into our house, she must first be purified of the impurity clinging to her. This shrine is the Toshiyuki family's sacred domain—the place where that impurity is cleansed. The bride must be purified here before she can truly become one of us. As your future husband, I've come to walk this final stretch of the path with you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Hinako raised her voice.

Marrying into the Toshiyuki family. Becoming one of them. Living under their control, arranged according to their will—just hearing it laid out made her head start to throb.

"And what about the fox bride? What about being spirited away? What about human sacrifice? I already know—Mr. Ultraseven and Shu told me. Ebisugaoka has always had this legend of the fox bride, young women vanishing without explanation, all of them offered up to the fox spirit! Whatever you call 'purification,' it's nothing but human sacrifice!"

She shook her head hard, as if trying to fling the pain out of her skull, and pressed the man in front of her with urgent, angry questions.

Toshiyuki Hisayuki's expression darkened, a weight settling over the visible parts of his face beneath the mask.

"Hinako, you've been deceived."

He shook his head, his voice earnest, laced with something like grief.

"Outsiders don't know the truth. Whoever told you this was fooled too—fooled by the impurity festering in the village. They don't actually know what's real. Being spirited away, the fox bride—those are just rumors, a pretty way of dressing up disappearances, words meant to comfort grieving families. Hinako, you have to understand—Ebisugaoka has worshipped the fox spirit for centuries. If it were truly some evil god, don't you think our ancestors, generation after generation, would have noticed?"

"Corruption?"

His counter-question left her hesitating.

"Long ago in Ebisugaoka, there were two powers—the sacred tree, and the fox spirit that came to settle here afterward. Eventually the sacred tree proved unable to protect Ebisugaoka, so people turned to worshipping the fox spirit instead. Once the fox spirit became Ebisugaoka's guardian, the sacred tree fell into impurity and became a Tsukumogami—a spirit born of resentment and age. Unwilling to accept being replaced, it's been scheming to reclaim its place ever since. You, Hinako—and Sakuko too—are both pawns the Tsukumogami has set its sights on. Its power has reached into you both. It wants to use you to defeat the fox spirit."

Toshiyuki Hisayuki held her gaze, his words unwavering and precise.

"A Tsukumogami..."

Hinako's brow knit tighter. His explanation only deepened the tangle of mystery pressing down on her mind.

All at once, her temples began to pound, a fierce, swelling ache that was hard to bear.

What was the truth?

She didn't know.

She didn't know how to answer him. She didn't know who to believe.

Ultraseven would never lie to her—that much she was certain of.

But would Hisayuki deceive her? Would Hisayuki hurt her?

She didn't think so.

So then—had Ultraseven been fooled, just as Hisayuki claimed?

She didn't know. Because Ultraseven wasn't all-knowing either.

"Ah—!"

A pained moan escaped her. The more she tried to think it through, the greater the pressure crushing her mind, and the worse the headache became.

"Hinako!"

Toshiyuki Hisayuki called out, worry in his voice. He moved to comfort her, but she instinctively raised the lantern pole, its scorching tip cutting the air between them.

"I'm worried about you, Hinako."

He stopped where he stood.

Hinako gripped the pole in her right hand and pressed her left against her forehead. Little by little, as her breathing steadied, the swelling ache in her skull began to ease.

She gave up. Gave up trying to think it through any further.

Who was right and who was wrong—that wasn't something she could untangle standing here.

"What do you want me to do?"

She lifted her head and looked at him across the space between them.

"Come to the shrine—to our sacred domain. Today is the day set aside to welcome you. Come with me, Hinako. I would never hurt you."

He reached out a hand toward her, his voice gentle.

"No! I refuse!"

This time she didn't hesitate. She refused him flatly.

"For your own safety and happiness, Hinako, you have to come with me to the shrine, to be purified of the impurity on you."

Rejected again, Toshiyuki Hisayuki's tone turned urgent, edged with something close to desperation.