Mirage of Blaze volume 3: Glass Lullaby | Chapter 9: The Glass Lullaby

By Kuwabara Mizuna (author), Toujou Kazumi (illustrator)
Translated by asphodel

The next morning, Takaya ate a hurried breakfast and then left the temple immediately to rendezvous with Ayako, who was on watch at the Touhoku University siteTouhoku Daigaku Nougakubu (東北大学農学部)

Touhoku University was founded in 1907 as Touhoku Imperial University, the third imperial university in Japan. It was comprised of the colleges of Agriculture and Science. The College of Agriculture was transferred in 1918 to Hokkaido Imperial University and transferred back in 1947. It is now divided into the three divisions of Biological Resource Science, Life Science, andBioscience and Biotechnology for Future Bioindustries, as well as the Field Science Center for research.

The Graduate School of Agricultural Science is located in the north-central part of Sendai City.
view map location
.

They met up and went into a nearby coffee shop to hash out their strategy for the immediate future.

“This is a map of Sendai CitySendai-shi (仙台市)

The capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, it is also the largest city in the northeast region of Japan. It is home to one million people, and is aptly nicknamed Mori no Miyako, the Capital of Trees.
view map location
,” Ayako said, spreading a large map on the table and picking up a pen. "The first site in Miya Town view map location is here. The second in Teppou Town view map location is here. Here are the third at the high school view map location, the fourth at the highway in front of the tunnel view map location, and the fifth at the Touhoku University Agricultural DepartmentTouhoku Daigaku Nougakubu (東北大学農学部)

Touhoku University was founded in 1907 as Touhoku Imperial University, the third imperial university in Japan. It was comprised of the colleges of Agriculture and Science. The College of Agriculture was transferred in 1918 to Hokkaido Imperial University and transferred back in 1947. It is now divided into the three divisions of Biological Resource Science, Life Science, andBioscience and Biotechnology for Future Bioindustries, as well as the Field Science Center for research.

The Graduate School of Agricultural Science is located in the north-central part of Sendai City.
view map location
.

Looking at the numbered X’s at those locations, Takaya exclaimed, “Huh, so that’s it. I can see the circle now.”

“All the sites except for the first one lie perfectly on east, west, north, and south points from the city center. You can see it more clearly if I draw in lines like this—”

Taking a ruler, she drew a line between the second and fourth sites and another between the third and fifth.

“So the place where the lines intersect is the center of the barrier. Which means Hirose Avenue view map location in the Ichiban neighborhood?”

“Yeah. Actually, try this compass.”

He stretched the compass from the center to one of the X’s and drew in the circle, and the five sites fell almost cleanly on its arc.

“So now we know that the ‘platforms’ were set on a circle with a radius of about 1.5 km. This is the size of the small barrier.”

“I know that the foundation points are east, west, north, and south, but why is it that only the first site is north-east? What do you think it is?”

“It’s probably controlling the ‘demon gate’. Northeast is the unlucky direction. It’s said to be the direction of bad omens which hinders Buddhist practice. Incidentally, if you look at this map, the reverse-demon gate point (southwest) falls right on Aoba CastleAoba Joushi (青葉城趾)

Also known as: Sendai-jou (仙台城), Gojourou (五城楼)
Lit. 'Fresh Leaves Castle Ruins'

The ruins of a castle located in Sendai City built by Date Masamune in 1601. It was the governmental seat of Sendai-han and designated a historical landmark of Japan.

The castle sat on Aoba Hill and was naturally defended by a 400-foot cliff on one side and the Hirose River on the other. Masamune built the Inner Citadel and the Western Wing on Aoba Hill, and Date Tadamune built the Second Wing and Third (Northern) wings at its base. The ruins of the Third Wing is now the Sendai Museum.

All that remains of the original castle today are old stone walls; the rest were dismantled or destroyed in fire, earthquakes, and bombings.
view map location
,” Ayako answered, tracing the line. “Generally, you’d need foundation points in eight directions to establish a barrier, so I don’t think this is over. I’m guessing that they’ll capture three more points: southwest, southeast, and northwest. Because southwest is the reverse-demon gate, it’ll probably be taken last. That leaves us with two other places. If we look at it like this...”

She drew in the southeast to northwest line she had pointed out and marked where they crossed the circle.

“I’m going to predict that the next attack will be around one of these two areas.”

“‘One of these two’...hey, wait a minute!” Takaya leaned forward abruptly. “This southeast point... This...this line falls on the Northeast Bullet Train overpass view map location, doesn’t it?!”

“Ye-yeeeeah...”

“No way. Don’t tell me that these guys would even blow up the bullet train tracks if we don’t stop them.”

“The map is approximate, so we can’t say anything about the position for certain, but it really is suspiciously close.”

“Hey, wouldn’t this be really bad?”

If it were to happen just before a train passed through, a horrible disaster would ensue.

“It’d become Mothra’s world.”

“How is that supposed to be reassuring!”

BAM! Takaya’s hands slammed down on the table.

“Gimme a freakin’ break! I’ll go if you won’t go, dammit! I’ll ambush those bastards and beat ’em down!”

“You’re going to beat them down without even being able to use your «powers»? That’s totally absurd.”

“Yeah, but now that I know, it’s not like I can just sit back and watch it happen!”

Thump—he jumped up, kicking the chair aside.

“Kagetora! Stop that! If you go as you are now, you’d just get beaten to a pulp. If anything happened to you, it wouldn’t just be your problem, you know!”

Takaya unexpectedly turned.

“Stop running out with your head on fire. Imagine how worried I am when you do that.”

“...”

Takaya shut his mouth and quietly returned to his seat. Ayako took a deep breath.

“I’ve asked for backup from Nagahide.”

“? From Chiaki?”

“Yeah. He should get to SendaiSendai-shi (仙台市)

The capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, it is also the largest city in the northeast region of Japan. It is home to one million people, and is aptly nicknamed Mori no Miyako, the Capital of Trees.
view map location
by tonight at the latest. I’ll do my best until then. And I’m guessing you just can’t concentrate right now. There’s a problem you have to resolve first, right?”

“Huh?”

“About your mother.”

A frightening expression instantly entered Takaya’s eyes. But Ayako said unflinchingly, “I feel sorry for her, after all the things you said to her. You do know, don’t you? I think it must certainly have been more painful for your mother than you. She hasn’t really forgiven herself. And besides, it was painful for you to say all those hurtful things, right? You should be able to talk it out together if you’re honest with each other. It’s not like you can’t understand your mother, right?”

“Shut up...”

“Nothing will be resolved in you if you run away. A few words from you will probably be enough to help her. You want to say those words, don’t you? Please stop twisting everything and say what you mean. If you want to depend on someone, then it’s fine to let yourself depend on them, so please be honest.”

“I told you to shut up!” Takaya shouted at her as if in an attempt to shake off her words. “I can’t do what you guys do; I can’t atone by being the filial child!”

“!”

Struck by Takaya’s words, Ayako glared coldly at him. Takaya stood from the table and left the coffee shop.

In the direction of the city covered by broken clouds—

Takaya walked alone, biting his lips.

 

Takaya returned to Jikou TempleJikou-ji (慈光寺)

Lit. Light of Mercy Temple

A temple of the Shingon school of Esoteric Buddhism located in the suburbs of Sendai. The head abbot of the temple is Kokuryou Keinosuke.

The temple is likely fictional. There are real temples named "Jikou", but apparently none in Sendai.
sometime past noon.

He noticed the teacup used by guests as he entered the living room. Kokuryou was nowhere to be seen, but Takaya could sense the faint remaining «energy» of the visitor, who must have left just a short while ago.

“...”

Takaya looked down wordlessly.

“Gramps...”

Beneath the persimmon trees in the garden, Kokuryou turned as Takaya called to him. He appeared to be in the middle of pruning.

“Ah. You’re back.”

“Yeah.”

“Have you had lunch yet? If not, there should be some leftovers in the kitchen... Hmm?”

Kokuryou, noticing Takaya’s intensely earnest gaze, took a second look at him. Takaya asked haltingly, “It looks like—my mom was here...wasn’t she?”

“...”

“Did you call her here?”

Kokuryou didn’t deny it; the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes simply deepened.

He walked over to the main temple building and took a seat on the veranda.

“Here, young monk.”

“?”

“When were you born?”

Takaya blinked blankly.

“I...was...”

If he was kanshoushakanshousha (換生者)

Those who possess others by driving out the soul from a body and making it theirs.

Unlike normal spirits, kanshousha cannot exchange bodies at will; they can only switch to another host body when their current body dies. Because kanshousha become the owners of their bodies, choubuku does not work on them. It is, however, still possible to exorcise kanshousha when they are in spirit-form (i.e. between possessions).
, it would mean that he had been born four hundred years ago. But that also meant that he had experienced the instant of his body’s birth many times...

Looking at the silent Takaya, Kokuryou smiled easily.

“I am asking about you. When were you...when was Ougi Takaya born?”

“Ougi Takaya was—...”

Takaya choked on the words. What was Kokuryou asking?

Kokuryou narrowed his small eyes and looked up at the sky.

“People make many fresh starts in the course of their lives. So even if their bodies do not die, they can, if they wish, start over countless times.”

“...”

“Could it be called a rebirth? If so, then you are born again at the moment you wish from your deepest heart to start over from the beginning.”

Takaya lifted his head.

Kokuryou gently continued, “Long ago you must have thought thus. That you wanted everything to start over from the beginning. To begin again from nothing, to return to the pure white soul of a baby.”

“...”

“Now, though you struggle to forgive, you cannot forgive, even if it had been for the sake of forgiving both yourself and others—”

Takaya’s eyes widened. Kokuryou’s words had touched him for the first time.

“Gramps...”

“You sought your mother’s womb as your place of rebirth, did you not? You choose your mother’s womb as the place of your new beginning, as a place from which to make a fresh start, to turn everything back into a blank slate.” Kokuryou met Takaya’s eyes. “Your mother’s womb was where your soul was reborn. It was where your soul was born in order to make a fresh start; it is the home of your new beginning as Ougi Takaya.”

Layered over Kokuryou’s words was what Masamune had said to him:

“We begin our existence in our mothers’ wombs. Our mothers are our home.”

The one who had given him birth was his mother—his one and only mother.

His mother’s womb was—the place where his life had begun.

Birth.

Which was.

The one instant he had—he, who was less than a speck of dust in the eyes of the world, who was less than even that in the eyes of history—

The one instant which he might engrave into that unduplicable history.

Yes—though a person could start over again countless times, Ougi Takaya existed only here and now. He had ‘Sawako’, the mother who was no longer by his side, ‘Miya’, the sister he would protect, ‘Yuzuru’, his irreplaceable best friend; though he bared fangs wounded from battles with grown-ups, he could still form connections with many ‘persons’—

He was not the same as any of those selves who had lived in the past.

And his future would probably be different as well.

The only self who existed here and now.

It was Sawako who had given him birth.

This person so precious to Ougi Takaya had given him the present. Had she not also given him each of the values that he held so dearly?

Kokuryou said, “She is the one who gave birth to the new you. Far from being a stranger to you, she is the mother of Ougi Takaya’s soul.”

Takaya stared at Kokuryou, startled. “Gra...mps...”

Kokuryou smiled faintly. “You have not deceived anyone. You have not betrayed anyone. You, who exist here and now, are liked by all, are important to all.”

“...”

“There is nothing for you to feel guilty about. You are quite honorably that person’s child. Please go see her just once. She seems very much worried about you.”

Takaya stood motionless. The power to hold the loneliness in his heart at bay would instantly crumble if he made one false move.

Takaya looked down, hiding his expression.

He could make no reply.

(Mom—...)

It was not to be considered. It was self-evident. But—

He would never understand without thinking about it.

The problem was not the past, but the future. What should he do from here? What should he do so that he would not hurt those who were precious to him, so that he would not betray them?

Being Kagetora was not an acceptable excuse.

Why could he not be honest?

Why did he have to hurt someone who was so important to him?

If the answer was his weakness, then he wanted to become strong as soon as he could. If the answer was his childishness, then he wanted to hurry up and become an adult. If he was hesitating, if he was hurting people over this, then he wanted...he wanted to grow up. —He wished for that, so very much.

(I...) His shoulders shook with the weight of his thoughts. (I’m—just a kid after all.)

As Kokuryou watched over him, Takaya bit his lips. Harder and harder.

“You should just be yourself.”

His mother, the mother who appeared in his mind, still called his name with a smile that embraced him.

He noticed it for the first time.

That the moss rose garden had never disappeared from his heart...

Kokuryou picked up the phone.

It was sometime past seven in the evening.

Takaya descended from the second floor, feeling a sense of foreboding at its ring.

“What?! Where are you? Where are you now?!”

Takaya immediately guessed from the change in Kokuryou’s expression that something out of the ordinary had happened and took the receiver from him.

“Hello? It’s me!”

“Ka-Kagetora...?!” It was Ayako who answered. “The sixth barrier point...was attacked!”

“The sixth? Not...the bullet train...”

“No, the opposite...northwest point. The hospital affiliated with Touhoku UniversityTouhoku Daigaku Byouin (東北大学病院)

The Touhoku (Northeast) University Hospital is a research hospital affiliated with Touhoku University in Sendai.
view map location
in the Seiryou neighborhood view map location. The building’s destroyed...I can’t...”

Ayako’s agonized voice seemed about to fail altogether as the sounds of her breathing grew fainter and fainter.

Nee-sannee-san (姉さん)

Also: "onee-san (お姉さん)", "onee-sama (お姉さま)", "onee-chan (お姉ちゃん)", "nee-sama (姉さま)", "nee-san (姉さん)", "nee-chan (姉ちゃん)", "ane-ue (姉上)"

"Older sister"—like nii-san, one of those very simple terms which is unfortunately difficult to translate because of the differences in usage between English and Japanese. In Japanese, it is much more natural to call your (older) sister "nee-san" or "onee-san" rather than by their given name. It connotates a degree of respect and at the same time a certain closeness. ("Onee-sama" indicates more formality; "ane-ue" indicates even more formality, i.e. "honorable sister"; "onee-chan" indicates less familiarity.)

One can also use "onee-san" to refer politely to an unrelated slightly older female.

In Mirage of Blaze, Takaya initially calls Ayako "Onee-san" (actually, "おねーさん") and later "Nee-san" ("ねーさん"), which has a somewhat slangy feel to it, and might actually be translated as "Sis" if it had the same rough connotation as "Bro".
? Are you hurt?!”

“I’m...fine. I’m fine, but...nobody...nobody’s doing anything...”

“Not doing anything? What do you mean!”

Ayako cried out with anguish, “Nobody’s noticed the collapse! It’s like they can’t see anything! They’re not reacting at all! They’re not calling anybody! Not the police, not the fire department! Nobody’s doing anything!”

“!”

“A lot of people have been affected...there are a lot of injured people! Everybody’s suffering—what should I do, Kagetora! What should I do?!”

“They aren’t...but...!”

“I’ve called again and again, but nobody’s done anything! No one’s come to help! I’ve called and pleaded, but nobody’s reacting! A building’s collapsed, but nobody’s taking any notice! It’s like their eyes are deflected away, and everybody’s behaving as if nothing’s happened! At this rate even the people who survived will die! Kagetora!”

Hypnotic suggestion.

Mogami’s «jike-kekkaijike-kekkai (地気結界)

Lit.: "earth-energy barrier"; one type of juso-kekkai which is erected for the purpose of manipulating the 'mood' or 'energy' of the earth, which in turn influences all living beings and spirits within its radius. It can be used to brainwash people, as in the case of a saimin-kekkai.
» was already beginning to take effect. Under the suggestion, people would neither question nor care about the supernatural phenomenon wrought by the onshouonshou (怨将)

Lit.: "vengeful general": the spirits of the warlords of the Sengoku period, who continue their battles even in modern-age Japan.
or take notice of the resulting victims.

“What should I do! I...ah...!”

“! Nee-sannee-san (姉さん)

Also: "onee-san (お姉さん)", "onee-sama (お姉さま)", "onee-chan (お姉ちゃん)", "nee-sama (姉さま)", "nee-san (姉さん)", "nee-chan (姉ちゃん)", "ane-ue (姉上)"

"Older sister"—like nii-san, one of those very simple terms which is unfortunately difficult to translate because of the differences in usage between English and Japanese. In Japanese, it is much more natural to call your (older) sister "nee-san" or "onee-san" rather than by their given name. It connotates a degree of respect and at the same time a certain closeness. ("Onee-sama" indicates more formality; "ane-ue" indicates even more formality, i.e. "honorable sister"; "onee-chan" indicates less familiarity.)

One can also use "onee-san" to refer politely to an unrelated slightly older female.

In Mirage of Blaze, Takaya initially calls Ayako "Onee-san" (actually, "おねーさん") and later "Nee-san" ("ねーさん"), which has a somewhat slangy feel to it, and might actually be translated as "Sis" if it had the same rough connotation as "Bro".
, you all right?”

“Ka-Kagetora...!”

“I’ll go right now! I’m heading over there, so wait just a while longer, okay? Wait for me!”

He replaced the handset and turned to Kokuryou.

“Are you going?”

Takaya nodded.

“Even if I can’t use «power», I can’t just stand around doing nothing, right?”

“... The divine protection of all the gods go with you. They will certainly protect you.”

There was a smile in Takaya’s eyes.

BishamontenBishamonten (毘沙門天)

Also know as: Bishamon, Tamonten, Vaiśravaṇa, Kubera

Bishamonten is one of the 12 Deva Guardians, the protector of the North and the most powerful of the Four Heavenly Kings. He is the god of warfare and warriors, sometimes called the "black warrior"; black is his symbolic color, and winter is the season over which he presides. He is often depicted as warrior with a crown on his head, a pagoda in one hand and a trident in the other. He punishes those who do evil and is also the guardian of the places where Buddha preaches. He is one who is all-knowing, who hears everything, who is always listening, and is completely versed in Buddha's teachings. He is one of Japan's Seven Deities of Fortune. The soldiers of his army are the powerful earth deities called Yaksha.

Bishamonten is also called "Tobatsu Bishamonten" (刀八毘沙門天), or "Eight-Sword Bishamonten", because of an error in translation passed down through the centuries. The original name, "Bishamonten of Tobatsu", pointed to a manifestation of Bishamonten which appeared in the Central Asian kingdom of Tou-po or Tobatsu (兜跋) to protect the capital city against invaders. Bishamonten in this form is depicted with a diadem on his head, four hands holding a key, a gem, a pagoda, and a halbert before him and eight arms holding eight swords around him.
will, right?”

In that moment.

Sssszzzz...

An eerie sound came from beneath the floor.

“What the!”

The earth rumbled. The house began to shake. The lights trembled violently. Flower vases fell. The entire house jolted and creaked in waves of growing shocks.

“An earthquake?!”

“!”

Suddenly a terrible howl came from the ground. An unimaginably immense power enveloped the house. Cracks ran across the ceiling. Pillars snapped, and the ceiling collapsed unto walls unable to bear its weight.

“Wh...!”

The ground dropped out from beneath his feet.

In the next instant.

Crimson flames sprouted up in front of his eyes.

“!”

A thunderous roar shook the entire area.

Kokuryou’s home exploded into a gigantic pillar of flame.

A young man stood nearby, his eyes reflecting the blaze that scorched the sky.

[[Kousaka DanjouKousaka Masanobu (高坂昌信) 1527 - 1578

Also called: Kousaka Danjou Masanobu (高坂弾正昌信), Kousaka Danjou Nosuke Masanobu (高坂弾正忠昌信), Kasuga Toratsuna (春日虎綱), Kasuga Gensuke (春日源助)
Title: Danjou Nosuke/Faithful True-Shot (弾正忠)

Historically: One of Takeda Shingen's most loyal retainers who was one of his Twenty-Four Generals and played a key part in the fourth battle of Kawanakajima.

Kousaka was born in Kai to a wealthy farmer, Kasuga Ookuma (?) (春日大隈). His father died when he was 16, and he lost a lawsuit against his elder sister's husband for ownership of his father's lands. He then enrolled in the service of Takeda Shingen.

Kousaka first served as a messenger for Shingen. He distinguished himself in battle, and rose swiftly through the ranks of Shingen's trusted retainers. He participated in most of Shingen's battles. He did not hesitate to retreat when required, which earned him the nickname of "Escaping Danjou". However, he was calm and logical in the midst of battle, and was perhaps the best of Shingen's generals.

There are anecdotes that in his younger days, Kousaka and Shingen were engaged in a shudo relationship, and Kousaka rose so quickly in Shingen's service because of Shingen's affection.

After Shingen's death in 1573, Kousaka continued on to serve Takeda Katsuyori. He sought an alliance between the Takeda clan and their old enemy, the Uesugi clan, in order to unite against the threat of Oda Nobunaga.

Kousaka died in 1578 of illness at the age of 52. He was succeeded by his second son, Kousaka Masamoto (高坂昌元), his first son, Kousaka Masazumi (高坂昌澄) having died in the Battle of Nagashino in 1575.

In Mirage of Blaze: A kanshousha who, along with Sanjou-no-Kata, breaks the barrier over Takeda Shingen's tomb, the Maenduka, in an attempt to resurrect Shingen by using Narita Yuzuru as a vessel for his spirit.

According to Haruie, Kousaka has a high level of spiritual sensing ability (reisa), such that he is able to recognize someone he had met before even after their soul has undergone purification. He warns Naoe that Narita Yuzuru's existence is a threat to the Roku Dou Sekai.
Masanobu]] silently turned his face away as the wind fanned hot ashes against his white coat.

Jikou TempleJikou-ji (慈光寺)

Lit. Light of Mercy Temple

A temple of the Shingon school of Esoteric Buddhism located in the suburbs of Sendai. The head abbot of the temple is Kokuryou Keinosuke.

The temple is likely fictional. There are real temples named "Jikou", but apparently none in Sendai.
crumbled away within the raging flames.

With his head quietly bowed—

Kousaka’s lips curved into a slight, cold smile.

TO BE CONTINUED

Comments

TO BE CONTINUED?

  Thank you so much for the translation.   This chapter 9 is not complete? TO BE CONTINUED?  There is no epilogue in this volume 3 ?

Thanks a lot

See Volume 4

Volume 3 is continued in Volume 4: Amber Meteor Storm. :)

Thank you for the reply:)

Thank you for the reply:)

I figured that out when i hit my sheet.lol 

Your translation is so delicate, I wonder which language is your mother language, just curious:) Ignore me if i brother you:) 

...and I realized

...and I realized that I didn't note Volumes 3 and 4 are part of the same arc on the Mirage page, which is now corrected, so thank you.

My mother didn't teach me either English or Japanese, alas. ;) I think Volume 5.5 is the first translation I did that I'm really satisfied with. I hope you continue to enjoy them!

     You're welcome.lol I'm

     You're welcome.lol I'm really enjoying them,so thank you again. This is a huge project,I hope you keep going and enjoy them as well. Me either about the mother language part:)

    Best wishes;)