My personal opinion on Gensokyo

"This……"

Hearing Emperor Jitō's tired question, Fujiwara no Fuhito broke out in cold sweat and was terrified.

It was he who proposed the secret execution of Princess Ai to Emperor Jitō, and it was accepted by Emperor Jitō. If it was indeed Emperor Jitō's faulty decision that led to the burning of Fujiwara no Miyabi, then the noble Kari who proposed it would undoubtedly bear a heavy responsibility.

"Oh...never mind, let's go."

However, after inquiring, the queen did not delve into the matter further. She just sighed, pulled up her thirteen-year-old grandson, and gave instructions to the palace servants.

"Get on the carriage and head to Yakushiji Temple to temporarily take shelter from the fire."

"I will obey your orders..."

Kari no Kousuke breathed a sigh of relief, pulled up his little daughter, and prepared to accompany Emperor Jitō to Yakushiji Temple in Fujiwara-kyo to avoid the fire.

Originally, bringing children into Fujiwara Palace required permission from the imperial court, but now no one cared about that. Fujiwara Palace was burned down, and more importantly, the Daigokuden, which had been built during the reign of the previous monarch, Emperor Tenmu, and symbolized the majesty of the imperial court, was burned down.

Emperor Chitong's reign was already on the verge of collapse.

"Then, who's that over there?!"

Suddenly, a foot soldier of the Imperial Guard pointed at the blazing Daigokuden and shouted in horror.

Everyone hurriedly looked towards the blazing Daji Hall on the stone steps of the high platform, and suddenly, everyone gasped.

In front of the blazing Daji Palace, a black-haired girl with long black hair spread out like a waterfall, a white dress stained with blood, and white jade feet walked slowly to the front of the blazing Daji Palace. She raised her head slightly, her eyes blurred, and calmly looked at this magnificent palace engulfed in flames.

"Yes, it's the ghost of love!"

The Emperor Chitong pointed at the black-haired girl on the platform with a trembling finger. His voice was trembling with fear. The emperor's grandson beside him was also terrified and hid behind the Emperor Chitong in fear.

"Quick, protect His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Grandson!"

Shouyi Gongqing recovered from his panic and immediately ordered the maids and palace servants and some palace warriors to protect Emperor Jitong and the emperor's grandson and leave. At the same time, he glanced sideways at his little daughter who was hiding behind him in the same fear.

Forcing down his fear, Kari Kousuke protected his little daughter behind his back with his left hand, drew his long sword with his right hand, and stared at the thin figure on the high platform in horror, quietly watching the burning Daigokuden. Some of the surrounding samurai foot soldiers also held weapons and surrounded Kari Kousuke.

However, looking at the samurai and foot soldiers' shaking hands as they held their weapons, it was clear that they were almost at their limit.

"……Um?"

In the distance, the noisy sound from under the platform caught the attention of a black-haired girl who was quietly watching the burning Daji Palace. The girl turned around and faced the crowd below the steps.

On the high platform, only about two hundred meters away from the stone steps, Ai recognized the Shouyi nobleman who had killed her lover and framed her.

"Fujiwara... Fuhito!"

The tone of love is chilling to the bone.

Ai turned around completely, and her fair jade feet lightly stepped on the bricks of the platform.

The bricks and stones were suddenly covered with cracks.

The petite and thin girl jumped down the stone steps like an arrow.

The shrill sound of breaking through the air resounded throughout the vicinity of the Daji Palace. The figure of the black-haired girl who leaped down the stone steps at a speed absolutely unattainable by humans instantly left behind several afterimages.

Then, Ai appears before the frightened Fujiwara no Fuhito.

The beautiful face was as cold as ice.

The several palace warriors protecting the noble Kari had no time to react before they found themselves engulfed in flames...

"what!!!"

The screams of the warriors as they were burned by the raging flames echoed throughout the entire Fujiwara Palace, which was engulfed in flames...

Faced with the black-haired girl's bone-chilling cold expression, Shouyi Gongqing stepped back in fear, his legs went weak and he sat down on the ground.

The black-haired girl had now officially become a non-human alien. Her dark pupils, which were as clear as a spring when she was alive, turned into the blood-red pupils of a non-human creature.

"Wait, wait!!!"

At the critical moment of life and death, the hounding noble, whose mind was overwhelmed by fear, was chattering his teeth and wanted to beg for mercy in fear.

"The Fifth Rank, Lower Level, High Court Judge Fujiwara no Amon is incomparable! The pain of killing the one I love..."

Love remains unmoved. Her white jade feet step forward on the bricks and stones, raising her fair right hand, stained with coagulated blood, high in the air. The coldness contained in her blood-red pupils is so intense that it would take tens of thousands of years for it to dissipate...

“…I’ll let you experience it all!!!”

Volume 1 Heian Past and Present Stories: Chapter 35 Please Look at Me Carefully

"Don't hurt father!"

Suddenly, something strange happened. The black-haired girl, who had been stunned by fear for a long time, suddenly rushed towards Ai, hugged Ai's legs, and cried loudly.

"Meihong! Run!"

Shouyi Gongqing screamed, wanting his little daughter to escape from the terrifying and beautiful black-haired girl.

"Your Highness! I leave my life at your disposal!"

The nobleman, seized by fear, immediately knelt on the ground, banging his forehead against the bricks, and kowtowed to the beautiful black-haired girl who raised her fair hands high.

"Please, please, please spare my little daughter's life! This is all my fault! My daughter has done nothing wrong!"

Ai was stunned for a moment when her legs were hugged by the frightened but brave black-haired girl. She subconsciously lowered her right hand and gently stroked the little girl's long red and black hair.

Then, Lengmo glanced at the Shouyi nobles who were kneeling and kowtowing in panic, squatted down, raised their white hands, and wiped away the tears of the black-haired girl who was crying because of fear.

Ai's pale and sad beautiful face softened a little.

Fujiwara no Fuhito, the samurai, and the attendants stared at the scene in amazement, not knowing what to do.

Love combed the frightened girl's long hair, comforted her, and asked her questions softly.

"It's okay, don't cry... Is this man your father?"

"Um……"

The black-haired girl choked and mustered up the courage to secretly glance at the black-haired girl who was squatting down. There was a terrible stain of coagulated blood on her cherry lips, but her expression was extremely gentle.

The black-haired girl, her fear somewhat relieved, threw herself into the girl's arms.

"Your Highness, please don't kill my father..."

"I am willing to die for my father. Your Highness, please kill me and forgive my father..."

"Mother doesn't have long to live. If Father dies too, my sister, brother, and younger brothers won't be able to survive..."

"...That's it."

After listening to the girl's crying and speaking incoherently, Ai hugged the black-haired girl's petite body and gently patted her back.

"But your father... killed the most important person to me..."

"He is the only person in this world who has been kind to me... If I can't avenge him, I won't be able to forgive myself."

"The most important person? ...Is he the lover of His Highness's sister?"

The black-haired girl looked up at the black-haired girl in confusion.

"...Just like Father and Mother?"

"Well... he was killed by your father, and so was I. Now I am also dead."

The girl stared at the confused black-haired girl, her gentle tone filled with confusion and pain.

"But... whether in the other world or in this world, I can't find him..."

"...Is your sister's lover the youkai who caused a commotion in Kyoto that my father told me about?"

The girl continued to squat and asked confused questions.

"...Meihong!"

Shouyi Gongqing shouted in fear and worry, worried that his little daughter would anger the sad and beautiful black-haired girl.

"Ah."

The black-haired girl nodded slightly.

"But, I overheard my father's conversation yesterday. He said that Your Highness's sister's lover, Youkai-sama, was ambushed by an unknown foot soldier... This foot soldier was killed by Youkai-sama's dying counterattack. The person in charge of commanding the suppression of Youkai-sama wasn't my father, but a third-rank official of much higher rank than my father... Hmm, I remember it was... Yes, it was the third-rank official, Councillor Zuo Lieutenant General. My father received a secret order from His Majesty to lead some troops to eliminate those whom His Majesty found annoying... Hmm, yes, the nobles of the old clan who His Majesty found annoying, not to suppress the people who surrounded and killed Your Highness's sister's lover..."

The black-haired girl confusedly told the information she had overheard about the nobleman Shouyi and the guest's spy.

Ai didn't say anything, her cold blood-red pupils looked at the frightened Shouyi noble who was kneeling on the bricks.

The Kari noble Fujiwara no Fuhito gritted his teeth and nodded heavily, indicating that everything his little daughter said was true.

Ai's cold gaze swept over the surrounding palace warriors and the attendants of the Kari nobles.

The imperial samurai and Fujiwara clan retainers who had also participated in the Battle of Mount Yoshino hurriedly nodded in agreement.

Seeing everyone's attitude of agreement, he transformed into a non-human creature and used his own mysterious talent to confirm the truth.

Afterwards, Ai was silent for a long while. The nobles and the samurai attendants dared not breathe, waiting in fear for Ai's attitude.

After a moment of silence, Ai turned her gaze back to the black-haired girl and spoke softly.

"...This time, I can let your father go for now."

"real?!"

The black-haired girl was surprised and delighted.

"Ah."

Ai nodded slightly, which made the black-haired girl feel relieved.

Then, the girl raised her fair hand and waved.

With the exception of Fujiwara no Fuhito and several of the Fujiwara family's retainers, all the palace samurai who had participated in the Battle of Yoshinoyama and the siege of Shangyang were engulfed in flames...

“Please forgive us!!!”

"We are just following Lieutenant General Zuo's orders!!!"

"what!!!"

Amidst the terrifying screams and pleas for mercy from the palace warriors, all of them were burned to ashes by the fire.

Frightened by the sudden and cruel killing of the beautiful black-haired girl, the black-haired girl trembled in fear again, covered her ears and closed her eyes, not daring to look at this terrible scene.

Ai gently hugged the black-haired girl and used her spiritual power, or magical power, to make the little daughter of Shouyi Gongqing fall asleep.

Ai picked up the sleeping girl and handed her to Shouyi Gongqing, whose legs were still trembling. His cold eyes and bone-chilling words froze Shouyi Gongqing's heart.

"Raise your little daughter well. If it weren't for her, you would be dead today."

"However, this is only a temporary forgiveness. When your lifespan reaches its end and you fall into the underworld, I will kill you again."

After silently watching Fujiwara no Fuhito holding his little daughter and leading the remaining attendants to stumble away from Fujiwara no Palace in fear, the girl turned and walked up the stone steps, her fair jade feet stepping on the scorching stone bricks scorched by the heat of the flames, and stepped up the platform step by step.

Emperor Jitō was fleeing to Yakushi Buddha Temple in Kyoto, and had sent an envoy to order the Left Vice Admiral, the Junior Third Councilor, who had also left the burning Fujiwara no Miyabi, to join him...

The spiritual perception that far exceeded Shang Yang's previous perception range easily covered the entire Fujiwara-kyo. Emperor Jitō's escape route and the whereabouts of General Zuo who commanded the expedition to siege Shang Yang immediately appeared in Ai's perception.

...Do you think that I, a vengeful spirit, wouldn't dare enter the Medicine Buddha Temple? Then, once you've reunited, I'll be able to avenge Shang Yang immediately.

Then, wait for Fujiwara no Fuhito's life to end and destroy his soul.

In this way, I have done something for Shang Yangjun...

Walking to the Daji Palace which was still engulfed in flames, Ai raised her head slightly and looked at the magnificent palace in flames.

A beautiful shy smile appeared on the girl's sad face.

...Mr. Shang Yang, you may not know yet that I can dance.

I learned it bit by bit according to the drawings in Tang Guo's book.

Shang Yang, please look at me carefully...

I'll dance for you...

The chains locked on Aihao's wrists, the tinkling fetters nailed on her slender ankles, ignited the burning flames.

In an instant, the chains and shackles that had been hanging on Ai were burned into black ashes and scattered into the air.

In front of the blazing hall, a black-haired girl in a white dress spun around and danced gracefully in front of the blazing hall.

Like butterflies dancing in the light of a flame.