Chapter Four Old Books
- Crimson Wing Tome -
Shrine Maidens of the past and future, made into Crimson Butterflies, return from the *, as guardians of the village.
Those that become butterflies ascend to heaven, parting the skies above, inviting the light upon us.
- Taboo Tome -
The gate to hell is called the *. Gaze not upon the *. Eyes that glimpse the * will be blinded by the *. Speak not of the *. The mouth which utters * will be made speechless by the *. Listen not to the *. Those who heed the * are turned heartless by the *.
- Twin Tome -
In the Crimson Sacrifice Ritual, the Shrine Maidens become one again, they become a deity and appease the *.
The latter stays here, watching over the human world.
The first shall pass through the *, calming the earth.
- Disaster Tome -
If the ritual is not performed the * will open.
Inhuman wretches shall burst forth from the *, villagers will be engulfed by the *, and the sky will be plunged into darkness.
The darkness will spread over the land for generations, awaking the *.
We must think of this disaster as a Repentance for our failure to fulfil our duty to the *, which grants us life.
We must accept that this is the reason for our existence.
- Ritual Tome -
If the * rumbles on a year without the ceremony, a Kusabi is needed.
A Kusabi is an outsider, made into a Buddha, and offered to the *.
The more they suffer, the greater the calming of the *.
- Ceremony Master's Note 1 -
The Malice coming from the * is getting stronger. I've searched, and there is no record of it getting this strong in the past.
Recently, poor harvests and deaths have begun to increase.
The time of repentance for Tachibana's failure to perform the ritual is drawing near...
Half of the Mourners were driven mad by the Malice and jumped into the *.
We must prepare more Mourners, we'll use the sinners.
If we don't do something, the * will overflow in a few years.
I must use my daughters in the ritual.
Sae and Yae must be cleansed.
For the village!
- Ceremony Master's Note 2 -
An Outsider visited with perfect timing.
I'll use him for the Hidden Ceremony, and pacify the *.
We must ensure he doesn't escape before that.
- Ceremony Master's Note 3 -
When the twins were born, I was miserable knowing that they were doomed.
They were raised freely, without pain or sadness.
They say the pain of the * never stops.
The elder sister must kill the younger in the Crimson Sacrifice Ritual.
It's a cruel, horrible fate.
- Ceremony Master's Note 4 -
Sae and Yae ran away with that boy, a Remaining.
The Kusabi calmed the * a little, but it is still rumbling.
If the twins aren't brought back, the village will be swallowed by the *.
They are my daughters, I must find them.
- Ceremony Master's Note 5 -
Yae is not coming back. Did she really leave Sae behind? Did she survive in the forest?
If Sae is cleansed and acts as Shrine Maiden alone, the * might be appeased.
The records do not mention any rituals with a single Shrine Maiden, but I will do it. I have to try.
Yae, why did you run?
Why won't you come back?
- Folklorist's Note 6 -
The twin girls of the house gave me a map that shows a side door.
They said that the Hidden Ceremony is near, and I should escape out the side door during the night.
They left so quickly I couldn't even ask them about it.
The other people in the house are acting normally.
Was there some ulterior motive behind the generous hospitality?
Just to be safe, I will tell Munakata to go home ahead of me.
- Folklorist's Note 8 -
Long ago a visitor to a mountain village became a ceremonial sacrifice.
When the Veiled Priests captured me, they said things like Outsider
and Kusabi
...
What exactly is the nature of the Hidden Ceremony?
The key the twin girls gave me must be for the side door of the house.
The key for the cell must be in another house. According to the map, the key is hidden in a cave under the Osaka house.
Maybe this is the cellar in the passageway that I read about...
- Folklorist's Note 9 -
As expected, the jailer won't tell me anything, won't even say a word.
It's a total reversal of the treatment I got when I came to the village.
I guess this was the real reason I was invited to the village.
The cell is also used to store documents.
I was able to find several important manuscripts.
I can continue my research, but I doubt that anyone will ever see it.
Hellish Abyss
It is unclear how long this hole that connects our world to the underworld has existed.
They say that if the cover to it is opened, it will cause a terrible disaster.
This is the origin of the gate to hell
folktale. As a taboo word, it is often represented in other texts as *
The suffering of the sacrifice is used to seal the Hellish Abyss.
The Mourners
They are the guardians of the Hellish Abyss, and are the only ones that can get near it.
When the year of the ceremony comes, the Mourners sew their eyes shut so they cannot glimpse the Hellish Abyss.
Criminals and anyone that has seen the Hellish Abyss are also forced to become Mourners.
Afterwards, they live underground, never returning to the surface.
What can be so bad that looking at it is forbidden?
- Folklorist's Note 10 -
Twin Shrine Maidens
The Twin Shrine Maidens are sacrificed in the Crimson Sacrifice Ritual.
Boys are sometimes used as well. In this case, they are called Altar Twins.
The people of this region believe that twins were once a single being, which was split into two at birth.
The ceremony is based on the belief that when the two bodies are reunited as one, the Shrine Maidens will gain the power of a deity.
The text says the older sister must ** the younger, and throw her into the *
.
The ** part must refer to the most horrible part of the ritual, probably some kind of sacrifice
.
