Demon Sword Dance
Book 2 of the Dororo Novel Series
Toriumi Jinzō
Part 2 - Nihil, the Demon Sword
Chapter 3
Just when Nuinosuke was following the mysterious woman home, a full moon rose over the mountain path that led to Takefu. A gentle breeze whispered through the new leaves on the willow trees. The sound of a lute playing drifted down toward the road from a sprawling mountain estate.
The estate wasn't a residence. It was primarily used as a brewery, a brothel, and an add-on to the local shrine at the base of Mount Atago. There were rooms available to rent for travelers who passed through as well as stables for feeding and resting horses.
Atago Shrine was close to the provincial capital and was dedicated to the worship of Hachiman, a god of war. Both the estate and shrine attracted merchant traffic, though the path up the mountain was steep and difficult to traverse in places. Many travelers passed through from the direction of the Hino River. Government officials from Takefu would sometimes sneak into the brothel to have their fun with women in secret.
Brothels and pleasure houses had a long history in Japan. The one at the base of Mount Atago was quite large and had hired on prostitutes of various types, including floating women who worked crowds, personal escorts, entertainers, and courtesans. Regardless of what they called themselves, they were women for hire. Brothels were as common as the hills and had been around just as long.
Bars and taverns were much the same in that regard. An office to administer and oversee the activities of taverns and breweries was established as far back as 689. Where there was a brothel, there was a tavern; that was doubly true of coastal towns and cities where sailors made port after long journeys.
The first tax on sake was imposed in 1347, increasing the price. Famous taverns and breweries in Kyōto suffered under the tax, prompting temples in the capital and Nara to try their hand at brewing to increase the supply and bring prices back down. In Ezichen, Hōgen Temple was famous brewery that bought and sold sake, though it was still subject to the shogunate's taxes.
The lute song grew louder as the player began to sing in a strident voice. The sound of the music was coming from the inside the shrine. Roughly thirty people gathered in the large public square outside it to listen. Some were travelers. Others were aged men and women who lived in the area and were looking for a night's entertainment. A few married couples who were praying at Atago Shrine joined the crowd. Though the area all around was at war, this was a rare and precious moment of shared peace and joy.
Hōichi was playing the Tale of the Heike1 on his lute. He had learned it from the Todōza guild, of which he was a member. The guild took in and educated blind men. Socially, he was likely the lowest-ranked man at the shrine, but men and women of every station, from the lowest to the highest, had heard him play this song.
The Todōza guild taught blind men many arts and skills, including the lute, dramatic recitation, puppetry, acupuncture and massage. Hōichi's own past was a mystery, but he had certainly picked up his skills somewhere. And his musical talent was considerable. He held his audience enthralled as his voice rose and fell in the song.
The Tale of the Heike's origin was a bit obscure. The monk Yoshida Kenkō, a former governor of Shinano Province, was writing works in a similar style at around the same time, so he was usually given partial credit for setting down the tale. It was said that he taught it to a blind lute player named Shōbutsu, and that it spread through the province from there. The Tale of the Heike wasn't the only story to spread this way. The Tale of Hōgen and the Tale of Heiji followed similar trajectories.
The Tale of the Heike was popular enough that most of the audience knew it, at least in broad strokes, but Hōichi knew variants of the verses that weren't local to this province. Minamoto no Yoritomo, founder of the Kamakura shogunate, and his cousin and rival Minamoto no Yoshinaka were very popular characters. Hōichi sang of them setting aside their differences to defeat the Taira Clan together. He mixed in fragments of poetry from other songs and from religion and philosophy, like the Humane King Sutra. "Even the prosperous eventually decay..."
As Hōichi reached the climax of the piece, his audience started to hum or sing along until the end. Hōichi set aside his lute and gave greetings to the travelers who offered him coins and food for the song. Most people did offer him at least a little something. It was rare for them to get any sort of respite from the horrors of the outside world.
One of Hōichi's listeners lingered after the others had left. The man was well past middle age. He sat near Hōichi in the large open space of the shrine's main hall and stared at him without moving a muscle. Hōichi stared back. The two of them sat there silently for a long while. There was something vaguely threatening, or perhaps merely assessing, in the long stare that they exchanged.
The man wiped sweat from his forehead. Hōichi was also sweating. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut.
At long length, Hōichi frowned slightly, then chuckled.
The man smiled.
The tension between the two dissipated as if it had never existed.
"You, sir, are terrifying," Hōichi said.
"No more than you, sir," the man said.
Hōichi laughed brightly.
"My name is Jukai," the man said. "Might I offer you a drink?"
"I'm Hōichi, and I won't say no to a drink. Let's retire to one of the rooms in the shrine."
Jukai and Hōichi stood up.
***
Jukai had left Kurama to follow after Hyakkimaru and Dororo three days before. He wasn't sure exactly where they were going, but he assumed that they would be following the Hokuriku Road for a while, at least. There was no need for him to hurry. Hyakkimaru and Dororo could take care of themselves. Hyakkimaru in particular was much stronger since he'd left the capital. Jukai wasn't following him out of concern or fear, but out of curiosity. He wanted to see where Hyakkimaru's quest to find his birth father led him.
Jukai traveled all the way to Wakasa Province and saw no sign of Hyakkimaru. The nights were cold for spring and Jukai had no desire to camp out in the open, so he stopped in Tsuruga and stayed the night at Kehi Shrine. He asked the monk there if anyone matching Hyakkimaru's description had come through, and was relieved when one of them told him that he'd visited the shrine only a few days before. The monk also told Jukai that Hyakkimaru was likely headed to the main Judicial Office in Takefu. Jukai was glad that Hyakkimaru had completed the first part of his journey safely.
Jukai was in southern Ezichen. Mountains loomed to the north and the Hino River cut a way through them. He traveled along the road, stopping at shrines and temples whenever he needed rest.
After a few days, Jukai reached Takefu, the capital of Ezichen Province. The provincial capital was one of sixty-eight cities that had been established in the year 824 to assist with the administration of Japan's provinces and islands. All matters regarding taxation, business, warfare, and industry in the province were settled there. The city was packed with government officials, merchants, and soldiers. The influx of soldiers was relatively recent. Lordless samurai and ashigaru had traveled there to seek employment. There were not many travelers that Jukai could identify, but he was still glad he'd come.
Jukai stopped in a tavern for a drink and a short rest. He caught sight of what appeared to be a high-ranking samurai sitting near him. He was in his cups and being cajoled by several beautiful women.
When the samurai collapsed from too much drink, Jukai had him carried into a private room of the tavern and gave him a medicine made from sweet flag2 flowers.
The samurai felt entirely well in the morning. His name was Ariga Daisuke. He thanked Jukai profusely for his medicine and wanted to pay him a large sum as a reward, but Jukai said, "I am a traveling doctor. Helping you was no trouble. If you truly wish to repay me, please guide me to the chief inspector and leader of police in this region."
Jukai was still following in his son's footsteps. He wanted to verify that Hyakkimaru had acquired the information that he was seeking.
"A simple request. I know the man well," Ariga Daisuke said. "I'll lead you to him at your convenience."
Ariga Daisuke was true to his word. The Judicial Office in Takefu was overseen by a commander of the Western Army, Lord Shiba Yoshikado, and his subordinate, Kai Jōchi. Shiba Yoshikado was away at war, leaving Kai Jōchi to govern the province in his absence.
The Judicial Office complex was enormous. Jukai had expected to see a single building, but there were several, all protected by soldiers and armed guards. Ariga Daisuke had a good reputation and was able to ask for an audience with the chief inspector immediately.
The chief inspector greeted his friend Daisuke, then looked toward Jukai, smiling slightly. When Jukai asked after Hyakkimaru, the chief inspector's smile widened.
"Are you Hyakkimaru's father, sir?"
The question was unexpected. Jukai was briefly at a loss for how to answer. He wanted information about Hyakkimaru, but he didn't want to go around revealing his secrets to anyone who might not be trustworthy. He decided to tell the truth, but to omit everything that he could get away with.
"Yes," Jukai said. "I'm a doctor. My name is Jukai." He bowed his head politely.
"I know Hyakkimaru," the chief inspector said.
"You do?" Jukai asked, surprised.
"By reputation, anyway. He gave our men in the Western Army some trouble when he was working under Honekawa Dōken. It seems that Lord Taga Takatada took some time to meet with him and provide him with the results of some investigation or other. Everyone’s heard of him. He acquitted himself well in battle, even if he was on the wrong side."
"I see..." Once again, Jukai was at a loss for how he should answer. If Hyakkimaru had caught the notice of the Western Army, it was possible that one of their spies had investigated him. The chief inspector didn't seem to bear him any ill will, and he had no recent news of Hyakkimaru. Jukai was forced to assume that the Western Army spies had stopped keeping a watch on him after he'd left the Eastern Army.
"I understand that you're looking for him," the chief inspector said. "We can send you news if we hear anything more, if you're willing to leave us an address."
The chief inspector's solicitousness surprised Jukai. Hyakkimaru had impressed some very important people. Jukai hoped that their notice wouldn't get Hyakkimaru into more trouble.
Jukai was also concerned that Hyakkimaru hadn't stopped here. He should have: there was certainly valuable information in this office that would help him in his search—and yet, no one had seen him.
Something had happened to Hyakkimaru. An injury? An illness? Had he been attacked by one of the Hall of Hell demons?
Jukai didn't know. Worry gnawed at his gut. But he'd come all this way, and there were still questions that he could ask that would be helpful to Hyakkimaru when Jukai found him.
"Pardon me," Jukai said. "You've been incredibly helpful, and I'm grateful, but I was hoping to ask about a samurai lord named Daigo Kagemitsu. I would like to learn where he lives, if possible."
"Understood. We'll look into it, though it may take a while."
This was the chief provincial office of Ezichen. If anyone had records of the Daigo Clan, it should be the officials here. Jukai excused himself and decided to go to the nearby Atago Shrine to wait. He still hoped that Hyakkimaru would arrive here soon, though he realized that his hopes might be groundless.
***
Jukai followed Hōichi the monk deeper into the shrine. A room had been prepared especially for Hōichi by those who maintained the shrine, since he drew crowds from all over. The room was detached from the main shrine and boasted an impressive view of a mountain stream. Jukai thought the room looked very formal, like a tea ceremony chamber.
What kind of person is this monk, anyway?
The head of the shrine showed favoritism toward Hōichi, since Hōichi stopped here several times a year to play his lute and entertain travelers. He felt protective of Hōichi, like a friend would, though he was really more like a patron.
The shrine itself was a bustling sort of place: there were several inns, sarugaku plays, doctors selling medicines and miracle cures, and blacksmiths offering weapons and access to whetstones all within easy walking distance of Hōichi's room. People filtered in and out of Hōichi's room as they wanted. Though the room was private, Hōichi showed no signs of being particular about privacy.
Jukai and Hōichi sat down in the room and drank sake together. At first sight, Jukai knew that Hōichi was a master of his instrument. For his part, Hōichi understood that Jukai was much more skilled and educated than an ordinary traveler.
They spoke about the Tale of the Heike for a while. Jukai was impressed at how much of the tale Hōichi knew. He had memorized the entire song and knew most of the history upon which it was based. He was curious about where Hōichi had received his education.
Jukai's eyes dropped to Hōichi's cane. "That's a clever way to conceal a weapon," he said.
Hōichi laughed bitterly. "I should have expected you to see right through the sword's disguise, Lord Jukai. Chiyotsuru Kuniyasu made it." He paused. "You should remain here, or go home. Visiting any of the nearby provinces in the coming days will bring you nothing but disaster."
"Hm," Jukai said. "I know you can see things that others can't, so I have no doubt that you're right."
"I encountered an escaped criminal on a side-road not four days ago," Hōichi said. "He was a mass murderer who enjoys killing. He tried to kill me."
"How horrible," Jukai said. "Has he gone mad?"
"I believe it would be more accurate to say that he was driven mad."
"Driven mad? How?"
"The rumor is that the source of the madness lies in his sword, which thirsts constantly for blood. The sword has a powerful hold on him, since he is a skilled warrior and is capable of killing many people easily. I don't believe there's any way to stop him unless he turns the sword on himself."
Jukai thought Hōichi's words were unbelievable, but he withheld immediate judgment. Hyakkimaru's Muramasa sword seemed to have a will of its own at times, too. Genkai Namitarō, the pirate who had given Hyakkimaru the sword, claimed that it had a bloody history of revenge and killing. Its original master, In Senjū, had used it to avenge his murdered family; the sword had a vengeful spirit clinging to it ever since. It was possible for a sword to force its own will on its master, as the Muramasa sword had done to Hyakkimaru once.
"Who made the sword?" Jukai asked.
"Muramasa," Hōichi said.
"Muramasa?" Jukai blinked in surprise.
Hōichi turned his strange white eyes on Jukai. "Does the name remind you of something?" he asked.
"I know someone else who wields a sword made by Muramasa." Truthfully, there were many warriors who carried swords made by Muramasa. The swordsmith was both famous and prolific. Just as many warriors claimed to have Muramasa swords as those who actually carried them: fraudulent copies of Muramasa and Masamune swords were as popular as the real thing.
"The samurai's sword was made of Takamoto steel. I could tell everything about it by crossing swords with the man only once."
"Oh?" Jukai asked. Jukai was impressed. It was extremely difficult to identify a sword simply by looking at it, or by its sound when crossed with another sword. Jukai assumed that this ability was one that Hōichi had cultivated while blind, though it was hard to imagine how.
Jukai and Hōichi shared a simple meal of hot tea and rice. Hōichi drank without spilling and ate without dropping a single grain of rice. He kept his face turned toward Jukai's when he spoke and followed Jukai's slight movements with his white eyes. It seemed like he could actually see. Perhaps he was like Hyakkimaru and had some sort of extrasensory perception? Jukai found it hard to believe that Hōichi was completely blind.
"The owner of the Muramasa sword that I know is still a young warrior," Jukai said. "He's found the sword to be somewhat rebellious and temperamental." He took a sip of sake.
"What does he look like?" Hōichi asked. "I might have seen him."
Jukai was skeptical. A blind man couldn't be expected to identify a person based on a physical description.
"Let's see, let's see... I met a young man, seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a kosode but no hakama. He was carrying a Muramasa sword."
Jukai leaned forward. "Did he give you his name?"
"I didn't ask," Hōichi said. "There was no reason to."
"I see," Jukai said. He picked up his tea bowl and drank some of the steaming liquid. There were many young travelers on the road these days, and Muramasa swords were common. It was unlikely that Hōichi had actually met Hyakkimaru.
"The young man was carrying a deep sense of malice, or a grudge," Hōichi said. "It was swirling around him."
"Malice or a grudge... Yes, the young man I know is similar. They might be the same."
Hōichi snorted. "Well, I don't know of too many other people walking around without any of their real limbs. If you'd met him, you wouldn't mistake him for anyone else."
Jukai froze.
"I don't know how even a doctor could do that, and he clearly wasn't one. Now I regret not asking for his name." Hōichi drank his tea.
"Hyakkimaru," Jukai said. "That's his name. And I'm...a doctor."
"So he's a friend? Or a patient?" Hōichi asked.
"He's my son."
Light danced in Hōichi's white eyes. "So you're the one who made him arms and legs, then, Lord Jukai?"
"He was discarded in the river and came to me without limbs. I raised him." Jukai had never spoken of this to a stranger before, but Hōichi had an aura of kindness and compassion that put him at ease. Hōichi's ability to see into hearts and minds was almost certainly at work in this conversation as well.
Jukai told Hōichi about following in his father's footsteps, albeit reluctantly, and becoming a doctor. He described his training in China and India and various other places around the world, including the long years spent with his master, Yōda, on Mount Wutai. He briefly explained finding Hyakkimaru and how he'd helped him overcome his physical limitations through surgeries and interacting with his environment.
Some of what Jukai described was highly technical, but Hōichi seemed to understand every word.
"I sympathize for the boy. It's easy to see why he'd hate his birth father," Hōichi said. "But his life right now isn't living. It's hell. The world is hell. Siblings kill each other and their parents for power or money or titles. Everyone works only for their own best interests. If I were sighted like you, Lord Jukai, I would see the world for exactly what it is: a living nightmare. But I don't need eyes to see that much. I know it's true."
Hōichi laughed darkly. He picked up his sake bowl and drank everything in a single gulp.
Jukai poured out more sake for Hōichi and himself.
"Something in your tale sparked my interest," Hōichi said. "You spent a long time in China. Do you know much about gunpowder? I've heard that you can use it to make things catch fire and explode."
Jukai understood the trend of Hōichi's question. He was talking about Hyakkimaru again, albeit in an indirect way. Hyakkimaru had a gun built into one of his prosthetic arms. Hōichi must have noticed it when they'd met.
"Hyakkimaru has a hand cannon in his arm," Jukai said. "It uses gunpowder for ignition, though it can use other things. He has strong enemies, and not just human ones. He needs all the advantages he can get."
Hōichi nodded decisively. "Then the man I met was, indeed, your son."
Hōichi spoke of his travels along the Hino River, meeting travelers and talking to people in taverns and inns. A number of other people gathered around him and Jukai, eating and talking. There was a woman selling perfume, riders who made saddles and tack, swordsmiths and armorers and merchants out to make their fortune. There was work for makers of weapons and armor everywhere these days. The war meant that everything broke and needed replacement more often. There was profit to be made for the highly skilled—or highly unscrupulous.
***
"It was so terrifying!" a woman said. "There was a sound like a thousand thunder strikes, and the fortress walls just crumbled and fell in!"
"That was gunpowder," a saddle-maker said. "They probably used a bomb or a gun to do that."
"What's gunpowder?" the woman asked.
"The Mongols in China use it to blow things up—like that fortress you saw. It was made by them and brought over here."
"People make things like that?" the woman asked. "Why? What kind of person would ever think to make anything so terrible?"
"I heard some kid brought down the fortress on his own, can you believe it? Though I doubt that kid's actually a person."
"If he's not at least half-tengu,3 I'll eat my hat. Very useful in war, though, gunpowder—it makes such a loud noise that it spooks the horses, and the soldiers along with it," a blacksmith said.
"Miss, did the leader of the fortress flee from it? Did you see him?" an armorer asked.
"Korikuma would never flee so long as he held his sword," the saddle-maker said. "He was a bastard, not a coward."
Two merchants exchanged glances. "Excuse me, but are you talking about the Korikuma? The one from all the rumors?"
"The local government and police did nothing about him, I hear," the other merchant said.
"I can't believe he's dead," the saddle-maker said. "A tengu must have done it. Either that or some kind of demon."
"Korikuma was a demon, by all rights," a merchant said. "Makes sense that a tengu would be able to take him out."
"Damn right," the saddle-maker said. "Those bandits were entrenched up there for, what? Half a year? No ordinary person could have run them off. Thank the tengu that Korikuma's gone from this earth."
The woman bowed her head and started praying.
A merchant snorted. "Don't tell me you intend to pray for that fucker to go to paradise. He doesn't deserve it."
"I am simply grateful that people will no longer be robbed or killed by him," the woman said, then continued her prayer.
"I'm glad we came," the saddle-maker said. "That ‘Tale of the Heike' was something else. Monk's a terrific singer." He turned toward Hōichi and called out, "Oi! You there! Mr. Monk!"
"Sir Monk!" the woman said brightly. "We wish to express appreciation for your musical gift. The song lifted all our spirits today."
Hōichi lowered his head in mock-politeness. "Thank you very much." He glanced over at Jukai with a knowing expression.
"It was Hyakkimaru," Jukai said. "He brought down that fortress."
Hōichi nodded. "I met him only once, but I believe him capable of such an act."
"He can't be far," Jukai said, standing up. "I have to find him."
"Wait, wait, wait," Hōichi said. "If you're going, Lord Jukai, so am I. The more I hear about Hyakkimaru, the more interested I am in meeting him again." He drank up his remaining sake, then got to his feet.
Hōichi had heard the rumors that Korikuma had been killed and his bandits scattered. That was common news all over southern Ezichen. Few people believed that the rumors were actually true. Korikuma was a household name in the province, and no one had verified his death yet, so people were cautious about what news they spread to others. Only Jukai and Hōichi believed the rumors at face value.
Jukai and Hōichi left Takefu early the next morning. They reached Imajō around noon and kept traveling. They stopped briefly at temples and shrines that they passed, asking if any of the monks had seen anyone matching Hyakkimaru's description. No one had.
It was only the beginning of May, but the day was exceptionally warm. Jukai and Hōichi descended into the river valley to wash off their sweat in a tributary of the Hino River. They sat in the shadow of a tall tree and rested for a while.
Hōichi removed a rice ball from his pack and started eating. He'd packed lunch for himself and Jukai before leaving Atago Shrine.
Jukai also ate, but he was despondent. There was a tiny Jizo4 statue in the grass that was broken. He couldn't stop staring at it.
A swallowtail butterfly landed on the head of the Jizo statue.
"That statue is very old," Hōichi said. "Its nose is broken and its body is covered in moss. Only the butterflies come to worship at it now."
Jukai took a step closer to the statue. Hōichi raised his hand and said, "Stop. That's no ordinary butterfly."
Hōichi could see things that were beyond normal human perception. Jukai didn't approach the statue. "What is it, then?" Jukai asked.
"Look at its wings," Hōichi said.
"What should I be looking for? Isn't it just a swallowtail butterfly?"
"No," Hōichi said firmly. "It has nothing in common with swallowtail butterflies."
"Is there something wrong with the Jizo statue, then?"
"No," Hōichi said.
Jukai waited for him to say something else.
"There's a ruined temple near here," Hōichi said. "There are a lot of them in this area. That explains why this statue is here, and why it's so neglected and there are no offerings."
"Hm," Jukai said. "Hyakkimaru also stayed at a ruined temple when he was in the capital. It makes sense that he'd seek shelter in another."
Hōichi and Jukai got back on the mountain path. At a nearby village, they asked for information regarding ruined temples in the area.
"There's an old one near here, up the steep path to the north," an old woman said. "No one has lived or worked there since the fire. People say that demon children play there. People avoid it."
The two of them thanked the old woman and took the mountain path to the north.
Translator's Notes
1 The Tale of the Heike is an epic account compiled prior to 1330 of the struggle between
the Taira Clan and Minamoto Clan for control of Japan at the end of the
12th century in the Genpei War (1180–1185). Heike (平家) refers to the Taira (平), hei being the Sino-Japanese reading of the first Chinese
character.
↩
2 Sweet flag is officially known as acorus calamus (also sway or muskrat
root, among many common names). It is a species of flowering plant with
psychoactive chemicals. Although used in traditional medicine for
centuries to treat digestive disorders and pain, there is no clinical
evidence for its safety or effectiveness. Ingesting sweet flag may be
toxic.↩
3 Tengu are a type of legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion.
They are considered a type of yōkai (supernatural beings) or Shinto kami
(gods). The tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of
prey and monkey deities; they are traditionally depicted with human,
monkey and avian characteristics. Buddhism long held that the tengu were
disruptive demons and harbingers of war. In the first novel of the series,
Hyakkimaru's Birth, animals on Mount Kurama assumed the role of tengu, teaching
Hyakkimaru how to see, hear, speak, and use the sword.↩
4 Jizo is a Bodhisattva primarily revered in East Asian Buddhism. He is
often regarded as the bodhisattva of hell-beings, as well as the
guardian of children and patron deity of children and aborted fetuses. He
is usually depicted as a monk with a halo around his shaved head. He
carries a staff to force open the gates of hell and a wish-fulfilling
jewel to light up the darkness.↩
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