Demon Realm Rebirth I

Author: [Japanese] Yamada Kazutaro
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: It was already July, but this day was unusually cold. The sky was overcast, as if it would rain at any moment. Deep within the residence of Munetake Hikitsuke, a high-ranking official of the Kii clan with a stipend of 6,000 koku, a strange ritual was taking place. In one room, a dozen or so young girls huddled together, their faces pale with tension. In the adjacent room, several elderly women sat. After a while, they would call out the name of a girl. The girl called would stand up, enter the next room, and then close the shoji screen. Once inside, she would be ordered by the elderly women to remove her clothes and put on others—clothes that were nothing more than thin gauze. In good light, especially when viewed from a dark area into the light, they appeared almost naked. Of course, when worn, the women appeared even more enchanting. The elderly women's expressions were stern as they forcibly removed and dressed the girl, forbidding any hesitation or signs of modesty. Once dressed, they would toss a strange phrase at her: "The words of heaven and earth. Go!" Then they would send her out. The girl walked along the courtyard, through a long corridor. The rooms with tightly closed, snow-white sliding doors on one side need not be mentioned, nor the courtyard, which was utterly silent—no one to be concerned about. But these were the daughters of the Kii clan samurai, known for their strict discipline, and all virgins. Wearing semi-transparent clothes, their bodies trembled, stiffened, or twisted with shame. As she passed in front of a room with its sliding door wide open, she had no time to glance inside when she heard a deafening, heavy, and terrifying voice: "Heaven," or "Earth." What did that voice mean? She would find out when she reached the end of the corridor. In the small room at the far end, several elderly women were waiting. The girl declared "Heaven" was allowed to rest in another room before returning home, while the girl declared "Earth" was left behind. After the initial evaluation of the dozen or so girls, those selected as "Earth" were ordered to walk back through the corridor they had just come through and return to their original room. As she approached the front of that room, something unexpected happened this time. Just as she was about to pass through, a gun shot out like a meteor from behind the screen surrounding the room. Later, she would realize that the gun tip had stopped just short of her body or had grazed her abdomen—all aimed at the perfect moment. But in that instant, they all jumped in shock. Some froze, unable to breathe, others fell forward, crawling on the ground, some jumped to the side in terror, and others tumbled down the corridor, completely disheveled. Since they were the girls selected as "Earth," it was clear they were considered beautiful, making the scene even more pitiful to behold. But not a single laugh came from the room. "Go!" Only a strong, resolute voice was heard. The girls scrambled out of the corridor. They had no idea what was going on, but it was just...