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[C.G] Ch 123: Moving to the Underworld
🕑 Added 2025-06-02 16:32:37 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
While Hancock was preparing to set sail in search of her future aircraft pilot…
In another world—
A portal opened up in the middle of the sunflower fields.
"Hmm? No little yokai tagging along today?"
The moment the portal appeared, Kazami Yuuka—who'd been lounging in the sun—narrowed her eyes. But once she saw who stepped out, the tension vanished, and the energy gathering in her hand dispersed.
"It's just me," Veyron replied casually. "The little one's stockpiled enough energy and is holed up to try breaking through to the great yokai level."
He gave a quick update on Inukimi's situation, then raised a bronze key with a bit of a grin. "Figured I'd also test out this shiny new toy."
"...That's a pretty sweet item."
Yuuka gave a soft chuckle, clearly amused, as she glanced at the now-closed portal behind him—the space sealed off the moment Veyron's aura stopped supporting it.
"Have you shown her yet?"
Knowing exactly who Yuuka meant, Veyron smirked. "Just about to 'share' it with her."
He waved the bronze key again and opened a new portal, this time to the Saigyouji estate.
Ever since Yuyuko Saigyouji had entered the picture, a certain gap yokai had been treating the Saigyouji residence like her second home. Her original mansion in the Boundary had practically become her backup.
"Ha?"
As Veyron peered through the portal, he blinked in surprise.
The entire Saigyouji estate… was gone?
Not just the house—the massive cherry tree, Saigyou Ayakashi, had vanished as well.
He expanded his Ki outward, spreading it across the entire planet, but still—no sign of Yakumo Yukari, and no trace of Yuyuko.
Frowning, he used the bronze key again to open another portal, this time aimed directly at the Saigyou Ayakashi's roots in the Underworld. And sure enough—there it was: a spacious three-tiered courtyard nestled beneath the ghostly skies.
In the front garden, a certain golden-haired yokai sat across from two identical pink-haired girls, the three of them sipping sake under the cherry blossoms.
"What are you all doing here?" Veyron asked as he stepped through the gate.
One of the twin pink girls immediately perked up and cheerfully ran over, pressing herself against him and offering her half-full sake cup right to his lips.
He didn't bother with formalities—he downed the rest of her sake in one go before replying.
"I could ask the same. Someone stirred up a mess and bailed, and now poor Yuyuko here has to bow her head under pressure, forced to pack up and move out of the human world into this dead, lifeless place."
Yukari snapped her folding fan shut with a sarcastic smile, her tone dripping with mockery.
"…Wait, are you saying that hole I tore open the other day actually caught the Underworld's attention?" Veyron asked, rubbing his chin as he thought back.
The first time he saw Saigyou Ayakashi, he'd been curious about how a cherry tree in this era could possess such strong ties to death. He had followed its root system deep underground, and in the end, used his psychic powers to punch a hole straight through the border between worlds—creating a tunnel from the tree in the human realm down to its roots here in the Underworld.
"It's not just about that incident," Yuyuko chimed in with a soft smile. "Sure, the Enma who came around back then was drawn by the disturbance and gave us a little lecture—you know, stuff like 'Tearing holes between the worlds is extremely dangerous and irresponsible'—but that wasn't the main reason we moved."
"It's the little yokai," she continued. "Her roots are in the Underworld, but her body grows in the human world. That kind of cross-world existence creates all sorts of problems for both realms. Honestly, the fact that you managed to force your way down here through her roots kind of proves the issue."
"The Enma gave us a choice: either move the roots to the human world, or relocate the body to the Underworld."
"So you picked the Underworld?" Veyron asked.
"Mm-hmm," Yuyuko nodded. "From a long-term perspective, Yukari said this place is better suited for our growth. And the little one herself… she just feels more comfortable here."
She gave a little chuckle. "And the Enma admitted that letting a Underworld sakura grow into the Human World was a mistake on their part. So Yukari took advantage of that, twisted her words a bit, and convinced her to help us fully relocate the tree."
"And not just that—she even got me an official title: 'Underworld ghost Overseer.' Pretty sweet deal, huh? Now I can legally live here full-time."
Veyron raised an eyebrow. "Okay, but did you have to destroy the house on the surface?"
He turned to Yukari. "Don't tell me you're powerful enough to move an entire world-spanning cherry tree, but not a mansion?"
"That wasn't her call—it was mine," Yuyuko admitted with a small cough.
She looked slightly sheepish as she lowered her voice. "There was… a lot of residual spiritual energy from the little one spreading unconsciously. And quite a few people had died near that spot. So I figured, why not just leave it as a shared resting place for the dead?"
"It's also where my father's buried… and the little yokai had been guarding it for years. It felt right to turn it into a memorial."
"And as for this place—me and Yukari wanted to start from scratch. Build a new home, from the ground up, something that's completely mine."
By the end of her sentence, her pink eyes were sparkling with excitement.
"I see… that's fair," Veyron nodded, understanding her reasoning.
"So, Veyron," Yukari cut in, glancing at the still-open portal behind him, "you've been gone for over two months. What've you been up to?"
"If you're curious about the portal, just ask," came a voice from the other side—Yuuka Kazami, still lounging in her sunflower field. She looked through the gate and tossed Yukari a disdainful look. "Stop tiptoeing around it. You're being gross."
"You think every yokai is as bold as the 'Flower Master of the Four Seasons'?" Yukari said sweetly, fan half-covering her smirk.
"Right, and not every yokai goes by 'Scheming Yukari,'" Yuuka shot back, completely deadpan.
"…They are?" Yuyuko turned to Veyron, curious.
"Old friends," he said with a small wave, signaling for her to relax. Then he looked back through the gate. "Hey Yuuka, if you're not busy, why don't you come join us?"
"Whoa, whoa, hold up," Yukari rapped her knuckles on the table. "Aren't you forgetting something? It's not your house—you can't just invite guests in!"
"It's fine~," Yuyuko said cheerfully, deliberately ignoring Yukari's pointed glare. "If she's your friend, she's welcome. Want to come try some of my homemade cherry blossom sake?"
Yukari: "..."
And that's how the day turned into an impromptu little garden party.
Yuyuko provided the venue and her signature sakura sake. Yuuka brought fresh fruits like watermelon, cherries, and starfruit, plus some solid BBQ materials like potatoes and corn.
As for Veyron and Yukari?
They contributed by eating and drinking, of course.
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