Dara-san of Reiwa (令和のダラさん)

Unsure if it had been dream or reality,

Jurota awoke from his encounter with the younger priestess

to the early summer sounds of cicadas chirping in the afternoon.

He found unfamiliar wooden engravings next to where he had slept.

Seemingly indicative of the haste in which they had been written,

wild handwriting had been carved into the sturdy wooden slats

describing the three spells left behind by the younger priestess—

a plan of sorts for dealing with the threats that lingered on the mountain.

The great serpent, having depleted its strength,

would need time to seize control of the younger priestess's body—

as well as the time the priestess had bought

by fleeing with her own cursed limbs and sealing them away in the mountains.

By her reckoning, the amount of time until danger bared its fangs once again was...

Roughly seven years...

Jurota went through the notes that had been left to him,

deciphering the locations of the two cursed arms bound to the mountains,

where the serpent's sealed head had been hidden,

and, by using the sound of bells as his guide,

where the fusion of the serpent's body and former priestess now slumbered.

Once he had verified each location,

he met with his surrogate father and mentor, the local carpenter,

to pass on that knowledge along with a dire warning...

and finally, to convey his intent to leave the village.

Jurota's destination was a place described in a letter held by the priestess' family,

an old invitation to the city of Kyo—

specifically, to the person who had mentored the sisters in their arts.

You must never approach those grounds.

A glimpse will sicken you; a touch will curse you.

Its name, passed down since ancient times, is Yamatagi-Madara.

Yamatagi-Madara

Yamatagi-Madara

Dara-san of the Reiwa Era

Dara-san of the Reiwa Era

Dara-san of the Reiwa Era

Dara-san of the Reiwa Era

Hinata Misogiya.

Child of the family that attends to the mountain where I am sealed

and the priestess's remains are hidden...

That alone would make her a person of note.

But that whelp forged a pact with the wretched priestess who usurped my throne

and bears the rare spiritual strength needed to wield a portion of her power.

In another age, she would have been a sorceress of great renown.

There was great risk in sending a fragile sliver of my spirit

to possess something directly within the priestess's territory,

hence why I went to the trouble of finding this Amane vessel elsewhere.

But her spiritual strength and resilient soul

has made seizing total control a time-consuming task.

You, who will be one day be flesh of my flesh...

While my soul has yet to settle within you, you must avoid the Misogiyas!

Welcome, folks!

Human?!

I don't think we've had a summer vacation homework sleepover since fifth grade.

I remember that!

I figured it was a good chance to get it all done,

since summer break started up before Amane-chan got a chance to settle in.

m 0 0 l 100 0 100 100 0 100

m 0 0 l 100 0 100 100 0 100

Actually gets good grades in every subject except music

Looks like he takes class seriously, but doesn't try very hard at anything but art, so his grades are middling

I really appreciate your concern, not to mention your invitation.

This sounds like it'll be fun.

Cease your slovenly chuckling!

I suppose it is ultimately fortuitous that my possession has not fully taken root.

Even one as spiritually sensitive as the Misogiya whelp cannot yet perceive me.

Amane-chan, you ever save a snake's life or somethin'?

I don't think so?

Unless she can?!

Well, even if she can see me,

she has no way of knowing that I am the great yokai Yamatagi-Madara.

What about a garden eel, then?

Is that really what I look like?!

I must say, this dwelling... it feels both familiar and yet uncomfortable.

Is it because this land

was once my mountain but is now overseen by the priestess as its local deity?

If we were further up the mountain, I'd understand,

but for her presence to be so strong even where humans have settled...

Fool! You should warn me when guests are at hand!

Hey, this was news to me, too.

Whozzat?

Uh...

My wife.

I'm just a family friend.

I shouldn't be exposed to so many other humans!

What if they start asking inconvenient questions?

And then there's what I sensed.

I can't say for certain, but it brought to mind the Yamatagi-Madara of yore.

This house is my territory.

None here should be able to conceal their yokai or spiritual nature.

And the truth is, Yamatagi-Madara's miasma was not completely contained.

A small portion has seeped into the land, tainting it.

Not enough to harm anyone, but if I were to search for it,

I would likely come across small pools.

Perhaps one of her friends came in contact with one?

I should probably offer my assistance in cleansing it before too long.

KO!

You're actually really good, you know?

That one match would've been 7K in ranked.

That was a close call.

To think the priestess would be here as an apparition...

Hopefully my host can perform a hasty retreat.

Amanecchi, you're spending the night too, right?

Of course.

Or not?

It vexes me that I am unable

to defeat the priestess with the portion of my spirit I used for this possession.

And her presence makes it unwise for me to drain the spiritual power of the others.

At school, I can only absorb a trickle small enough not to cause a commotion,

so I had hoped I'd be able to drink more deeply here...

Oh, such frustration!

You're leaving already?

What would you have me do? Your mother will return shortly.

If I leave now, I needn't worry about encountering her.

Hmph.

I have to ask, did she not say anything about that doll you made from my hair?

She actually liked it.

Asked for the pattern and everything.

What is wrong with you, Chiyo...?

With the priestess' departure, the atmosphere has changed.

I see. She was invited in, rendering this place her own, temporary territory!

This Hinata whelp's own spiritual strength is too great,

and I believe she has the priestess's protection.

But even in my current state, I should be able to drain the energy of the others.

Once my strength grows at the hour of the ox, I can finally begin!

Excluding Hinata, the house contains three of Amane's schoolfriends,

the whelp's parents,

her grandfather,

and her little sister.

As could be expected, the whelp's family bears strangely potent spiritual strength.

All the better.

A feast lies before me, and I intend on partaking!

Hey.

Morning.

'Sup?

What about a dried-up worm? You ever save one of those?

Wouldn't it be past saving?

Yamatagi-Madara's possession form

had the branches it intended to use to devour spirit energy thoroughly trimmed,

leaving it with less power than it started with.

Huh. Did someone put extra stuffing in you?

Meanwhile, Daradaradara-san, who had consumed that same power...

had fluffed up some.

What business d'you got with my master?

The man made his home among the mountains, a short distance from the capital.

It's been years since I've had a visitor.

His name was Kenju.

If you've come out of your way to visit a shifty old fellow like me,

you're either a real eccentric... or someone with little other choice.

I learned of you from this.

This letter of invitation is old, but I remember it.

It was from when I took in a pair of sisters who didn't look much alike.

From the look on your face... I assume they aren't doing well.

What became of them?

I see. If what the transformed priestess told you is true, six years remain...

and you'd have me use that time to give you the knowledge

and means of dealing with this great threat?

I realize what I'm asking! But I beg you!

Two months.

You'll learn the basics.

How to handle cursed tools, plus their proper storage and maintenance.

That's all that I can teach you.

My hands aren't the cleanest, you see.

I've taken money to curse people to death.

But in spite of my past deeds, I lead a comfortable life here.

Tiresome as it may be,

cleaning up after my apprentices is my duty as their teacher.

I don't know if I can live up to your expectations,

and I'm not certain I'll even survive another six years myself...

But I suppose I can afford to take on one last apprentice, given the situation.

Kaoru!

I'm heading out after I get changed.

Got it!

Do you have some errand today?

Well, the local kids' association...

They're doing a little event for summer vacation.

One of the things they're doing is a gift exchange.

A setup where you hand a gift to the person next to you

So, here's one for you to give out, Dara-san!

Can't imagine our mountain god wants one of her tender followers

letting some wicked lady get her claws into 'em!

Who's the tender one here?!

It's gonna be all grade schoolers otherwise. I'm begging you here.

This sudden earnestness...