새벽녘의 사수 슌란/9권

Chapter 9: The Appointed Hour
'Over there, see? That's were the avalanche occured. What a mess...'
'How come they've been happening all over lately?'
The blizzard was over, and the morning sun was shedding light upon the fresh powder of snow along Mount Whitecrown. Observing this as they climbed through one of the mountain's trails were two men wearing puzzled expressions—one tall and thin, the other short and stout. Both were the very picture of traditional Matagi in their straw hats and coats, each wielding a spear and hunting rifle.
That there was an avalanche in itself was not surprising. They happened often. Yet being so used to them was also why the locals were keenly aware that something was off about this one in particular. They could fast recognize impurities that threatened the mountain, and right now, this event was quite impure.
Their steps hastened as they approached the site of the avalanche. Even from a distance, seeing how unnatural it looked only heightened their unease.
'I heard Chunlan was talking to the chief yesterday,' the stout Matagi piped up, 'but have you seen him around here since then? I know he hunts 'round here sometimes.'
Chunlan wasn't know for late-night hunts, but none had caught sight of him since the day before. It was another factor of the scene that unsettled them.
'He learned his ways from the man trained by Kiiun. I think he'll be all right.' reassured the thin Matagi. 'Though I get why you're worried. Boy's had a lot on his mind. If that were to ever come into play mid hunt...'
'He turned down the chief's offer again. I don't blame him with how things went with his father, but at the same time... Our kids surely do have it rough.'
Though they felt for Chunlan, they also couldn't treat it as though it had nothing to do with them. Their youth were leaving the village one after another, and not just that—they were struggling with the concept of what it meant to be a Matagi. It was this that had put their people in the dwindling position they were in now.
'Got word there was strange lightning to be seen on the mountain last night. Do you think Chunlan went to get revenge on Raiju?'
They floated more questions and speculation between one another as they arrived on site, starting with the thin Matagi.
'This was no natural avalanche.'
'But then who did it?'
'It could've been Raiju... I know it's a beast of thunder, but there's got to be more to this we aren't seeing.'
'Well, I guess it doesn't matter. I'm just worried about Chunlan.'
They had no idea what unimaginable threat from another land was awakening beneath the snow.
'Chunlan... Raiju... The name of the boy who buried me...and the name of my prey.'
Beneath snow and ice, the weakened Oni pondered inwardly the names the two Matagi were speaking of. And the more he pondered, the more a power inside of him ignited. He could hear the sound of thunder and echoes of those names he now hated and hungered more, birthing the perfect catalyst to reawakening the rage that fueled his every waking moment.
'Look! What's that light?'
'Is there something underneath the snow?'
As these fires continued to burn brighter and brighter within the Oni, his flesh began to quiver with the need to hunt. A terrifying light once more glowed through the patterns inked across his body.
'Chunlan... Mouse... Raiju... Chunlan... Mouse... Raiju!'
The Oni awakened as his burning emotions pushed through his sensory threshold. Steam erupted from the snow like a geyser, revealing his body enveloped in a mysterious light and startling the two Matagi.
'Something's come out of the snow!'
'I've never seen anything like it. Is it a monster?!' The men, despite all their experience, were struck with a fear that left them falling on their behinds and wailing before the creature that appeared from a bed of steam and ice. The Oni spared the two a glance as their mouths hanged agape.
'Chunlan... The mouse...and Raiju... Where are they?'
'You know Chunlan and Raiju?!' cried the thin man. He worked to regain control of his senses once they heard the man speak.
He then leveled his hunting rifle toward the Oni.
'Chunlan and Raiju are the perfect prey for me. As for you two... Hmph. You will do as an appetizer.'
'I don't know what you mean by that,' the thin man seethed, 'but if you plan to harm someone from our village, then you are an impurity of this mountain! Now git!'
He then fired as his stout companion returned to his feet and aimed his spear, but there was no hope of the bullet reaching the Oni. In an instant, it had been blocked by an earthern wall, vanishing in a spray of harmless sparks.
'Where'd that rock come from?' the thin Matagi cried. 'This man... He really is a monster!'
'How'd a thing like him manage to get so close to the village?!'
Before the eyes of the Matagi, now once again overwhelmed with terror, the rock wall crackled and crumbled to the ground. It did not appear as though it was the Oni's intention to do this, but it had at least fulfilled its purpose of shielding him from the bullet.
'It appears I've not fully recovered. A trifling issue,' he resolved with a brutal, level tone. 'I have a small feast right here to warm me up before I hunt them down.'
The Oni did not hesitate to feed his disadvantage into his hunger of violence, stoking the flames of his fighting spirit till it became a full rage for the hapless man. With it, he summoned a spear of stone.
'What is he? Is this the curse of the mountain?!'
'Pull yourself together! If we don't stop him, think of what will happen to the village!' The Oni crept closer to them, making the dim red light glowing from him dance before their eyes. Despite its crude make, the spear in his hand seemed vicious enough to end their lives in an instant.
All they could think of this man before them was that he must have been a demon from Gehenna.
The morning air of Mount Whitecrown would have split with the sound of a useless gunshot and wild shrieks of death were it not for the roaring wind. A feeling of impending disaster caressed Chunlan's neck as they kneeled in a cave at the summit to keep out of Raiju's sight. It had nothing to do with the beat he was facing now—something else now violated the mountain.
'Something's got the spirits of the mountain in an uproar,' he muttered.
'I feel it, too,' replied Sayu. 'I've felt his presence plenty of times before.'
Though the trio found Raiju, they were in no position to implement the plans they conjured along the way. Knowing that the Oni was awake and likely to head toward them added insult to injury.
'He's already up?!' cried Dau in surprise. 'Then we're running out of time!'
Chunlan nodded. 'Yeah. We have to take down Raiju before he arrives. No way am I letting him steal this kill from me!'
He did not know how long it would take the now-freed demon in human skin to pursue them to the summit, meaning every second battling, breathing—even thinking—was a second wasted in an unknown countdown. He could take days. He could take hours.
'We're going to have to be quick about this. No distractions.'
'Right. There's no time to go back to the cabin and think more on what to do next,' Chunlan agreed, reviewing the goods they carried with them from the cabin. They were all limited in their function, but some were indeed brought as countermeasures against Raiju's incredible power. The question was: would they be enough to stay them from the jaws of defeat?
It was time for Chunlan to put his knowledge as a Matagi to the test. It was a strategy he had been wondering for years how to apply in his own life; a strategy he had not used for years; a strategy that he left behind the day of his father's death.
'I think I've got a plan,' he started. 'Have you heard of the makigari tactic?'
Makigari was a group hunting tactic that was deeply rooted in Matagi tradition. In essence, it involved one or multiple members acting as guides—seko—to surround it to prevent escape. An aggressive offensive would then be utilized to lead it to a specific spot, where the sniper, the buppa, would finish the cornered beast.
It was a tactic generally carried out by those who had long hunter together, as it hinged heavily on both the leadership of whoever headed the hunt and implicit trust between the rest of the team. It was a difficult tactic to pull off even then—and yet it had to work with Chunlan's new companions.
'I got no idea,' replied Dau.
Chunlan explained in detail what it was before following up with a personal anecdote. 'It's a way we hunt. Me and my dad tried it with Raiju a long time ago. We actually had one over it back then, but... Well, this time we're much better equipped and we're up one person. I think we can make it work.'
The reality was more that not a single other tactic came to mind. Chunlan was deeply concerned about their ability to coordinate. Even if he had enough confidence in his own skills to compensate, it would be difficult to sync up with Sayu and Dau on a technical level. Could them being raised in completely different cultures change things too drastically for it work?
'Sounds good, Chunlan. Let's go with that.' Sayu was surprisingly quick to voice her agreement to the plan. 'So we've got the traditional methods of the Matagi, and artifact, and thunderproof equipment to work with, then.'
Up till now, Sayu had been a thinker—a logical individual. Chunlan fully expected her to reject the idea and propose something of her own.
The surprise must have shown on his face, as she continued. 'It's not impossible. We jsut need to minimze any quirks we have that might impact our cooperation and cover the rest with the equipment. One person's problem to solve is everyone's problem to solve here.'
This encouragement came with a smile. Another surprise, Chunlan supposed—she believed in this tactic more than he did.
She was right, of course, that both sides were in the same awkward position of having to find out how the other one worked in a short time. She was also right that this could be solved by deviating just slightly from the traditional form of the tactic and utilizing the things they had—the equipment and the artifact—to cover their shortcomings.
'That vagabond told me, 'Hit the unexpected with the unexpected,' she said. Certainly, they were doing just that.
'All right!' Dau piped up cheerfully, 'If we've got your endorsement, Sayu, then I don't see any reason not to back it up.'
He then chided Chunlan playfully about having more faith in his own plan, for no plan goes well when its proposer lacks proper faith in it. Doubts must have accompanied Chunlan's expression of surprise for him to say it.
Dau was more brawn than brain, but he was very perceptive of other's emotions, meaning he knew exactly what to say to help someone who was wavering at the time. That chiding was just what Chunlan needed.
'You're both right,' he said. 'You're just as caught up in me, so I'm going to put my trust in this plan—and you. No more doubts as to whether this will work.'
It was time to execute their very own brand of makigari tactic.
To Be Continued

第９回　刻限
「あそこだべな、件の雪崩は。こいつは酷ぇな……」
　　「何でいきなりこんな局所的なのが起きたんだべか？」
吹雪が収まり、日の光が白笠嶽の新雪に新たな光を吹き込み始めた朝。長身と小太りの二人組の男が神妙な面持ちで山を歩いていた。蓑と笠を被り、それぞれ猟銃と槍を携えた典型的な《マタギ》だ。
雪崩自体は珍しい事ではない。だが、それ故この地に住まい、その災厄の何たるかを知る者達は、そこに不可解な要素が介在すれば、すぐさま違和に気づく。彼らは、山を脅かす穢(けが)れを見極めに赴くのだ。
彼らは崩落の跡を視界に収めるや足を速めた。改めて見ても状況的に発生の仕方が不自然な雪崩は、彼らの懸念を強める。「そういやシュンランの奴、昨日《頭領(スカリ)》と話したっきりだが
こっちさ来てるって事はねぇべが？
たまにここらも狩場にしとるって聞くが」
と、小太りの《マタギ》。普段であればそう遅くまで狩りをする事は無いシュンランが自宅に帰った様子も無いと聞く。故に彼らは不吉な予感に囚われ始めていた。
　　　「まあ、あいつも仮にもギウン様の孫弟子じゃ。
大丈夫とは思うが……心配は判んべ。
あいつも何かと思いつめとる。それが祟ったら……」
　　　「また《頭領》の誘いも断ったみてぇだしなぁ。
親父さんの事もあるし、気持ちは判らねぇでもねぇが……　
最近の若ぇのは難しいもんじゃ……」
　二人の《マタギ》にとってもシュンランの状況は完全な他人事と割り切れるものではない。若者の流出が深刻なだけではない、《マタギ》である事への迷いを持つ者がいるのは普遍的な事象だ。その末に、今の状況がある。
　　　「昨晩は妙な雷を見たと言ってる奴もおった。
よもやシュンランの奴、《雷獣》に復讐しようと……」
二人はそんな話をしつつも、間も無く崩落現場に到着する。「自然に起きる雪崩じゃねぇ……じゃが、誰がどうやって」　「まさか《雷獣》がって事はねぇか？
あいつは雷の魔獣じゃが、何もかもが計り知れねぇ」
　　　「なおの事、シュンラン坊が心配だべな……」
検分しつつ、郷の者として考え得る最悪の可能性に考えを巡らす二人。彼らは気づいていなかった。外界より来たりし、彼らの想像を超えた脅威が雪の下で目覚めつつある事実に。
　　（……シュンラン……《雷獣》……オレを沈めた者の名……　
糧の名……）
《鬼》は氷雪の下で、刺青(いれずみ)の無い耳に外界より入る名を反芻(はんすう)していた。反芻する度に彼の身に宿る力が熱を取り戻す。雷の波動と、忌々しくも欲をそそる名。《鬼》がその猛りを取り戻すには最適な要素であった。
　　　「おい見ろ！　こりゃ一体何の光だ！？」
　　　「ゆ、雪の中に何かがおるぞ！？」
《鬼》の身体に憎悪の熱が宿る。渇望の波動が湧き上がる。全身の文様が再び禍々しい光を燈し始める。
（――シュンラン――山猿――《雷獣》――シュンラン――　
山猿――《雷獣》――！）
激情が、衝動が閾値(いきち)に達すと共に《鬼》は目覚める。間欠泉の如き蒸気と共に、その妖しい光に包まれた全身が露わとなる。「ひぃ！　な、何か雪から出てきおったぞ！」
　　　「何たる面妖な……！　よもや物の怪というやつか！？」
突如として雪の中から水蒸気と氷片を四散させ現れた怪異を前に、歴戦の山男達も思わず情けない声と共に尻餅をつく。　
《鬼》は自らに向けられた畏怖の視線を受け彼らを一瞥(いちべつ)した。「シュンランは……山猿、そして《雷獣》はどこだ……？」　「な、何じゃ！　シュンランと《雷獣》を知っておるのか！？」
眼前に現れた見知らぬ怪異の口から見知った言葉が飛び出した事を受け、長身の《マタギ》が我に返る。彼はすぐさま、猟銃を《鬼》に向けた。
　　「《雷獣》……シュンラン……オレに相応しい糧よ。
フン、貴様らも前菜程度にはなりそうか……」
　　「わ、訳が判らねぇが、郷の仲間に害をなすなら……
おめぇは山の穢(けが)れじゃ！　儂らの山から退散せい！」
長身の《マタギ》が銃を放ち、続いて起き上がった小太りの《マタギ》も槍を持ち直す。
しかし銃弾は、当然の如く岩壁に阻まれ、虚しき火花と化す。「何じゃこの岩は！？　儂のスルベを防ぎおったぞ！」
　　　「こ奴……やはり物の怪か！？」
　　　「こんな怖ろしい奴が郷の近くにいたとは……！」
　再び恐れおののく《マタギ》達の前で、岩壁は罅(ひび)割れ、力無く崩れ落ちる。意図して解除したものではなかったが、それでも銃の一撃を受けるには事足りていたのだ。
　　「まだ本調子ではないか……まあ良い。
丁度糧もいる。身体を温めてから向かうとしよう……」
《鬼》は自らの逆境をも、その渇望の中で闘志に変え、猛り狂う力を哀れな二人の山男に向け、岩の槍を拵(こしら)える。
　　「何という事じゃ、これはきっと山の祟りじゃ……！」
　　　「お、臆するな！　儂らが戦わねば郷がどうなるかも……」　
猛り狂う赤い光を揺らめかせながら、ただの岩から成るにも関わらず、獰猛な覇気を帯びた槍を手ににじり寄る《鬼》。　
その姿は、まさしく煉獄より来たりし悪魔であった。
　朝の白笠嶽に響いた、虚しき銃声と壮絶な断末魔。しかし、無情にも山風はその叫びをも溶かし、流し去ってしまった。　
　　　「――こいつは……！」
白笠嶽の頂上近くにて《雷獣》からの死角となる洞穴に身を伏せていたシュンランは、災厄の兆しをその身に感じた。今直面しているもう一つの危機。山を侵す存在の鼓動を。
　　「山の精が騒めく……《雷獣》とは明らかに違う気配だ」
　　「わたしも感じた……この邪気には慣れてるからすぐ判る」　「彼奴め……もう目覚めたというのか……！」
一行は《雷獣》の居場所を特定した反面、本来の計画の多くが使えなくなった状況にあった。そんな最中での凶報である。
「いよいよ時間がねぇって事か……」
　　　「ああ……それでも、奴より先に《雷獣》を狩らねば……
あの狂人に……《鬼》に《雷獣》を譲ってたまるか……！」
解凍直後の《鬼》が険しい白笠嶽の上層をどの程度の時間で突破するかは未知数だ。即ち、時間との戦いでありながら、その刻限が如何様か不明なまま《雷獣》と戦う事ととなる。《鬼》の到達は、今この瞬間かもしれないし。逆に明日かもしれない。「……一層、急ぐ必要があるね。寄り道は出来ない」
　　「小屋から出直すのも、作戦会議に興じるのも論外だな……」
シュンランは運び出した備品の数々を見渡す。数にこそ限りはあるが、《雷獣》の能力への対策を念頭に置いた選定だ。これを活かし、死中に活を求める事は出来ないか……。
　ここでシュンランの《マタギ》としての知恵が結実する。長年、どう自らの在り様に接続するか迷ってきた知恵が。
　　　「……一つ、俺に案がある」
しかしその案は、シュンランが何年もの間――父との最後の狩り以来、使わなくなって月日の長いものであった。
それが決着がための唯一の案となるとは、何たる皮肉か。　「――《巻狩(マキガリ)》でいこう」
《巻狩》――《マタギ》が伝統的に重視してきた、集団猟である。基本的にはまず、複数の《セコ》と呼ばれる追立役が獲物に退路を与えぬように包囲しながら、威嚇や牽制(けんせい)攻撃などを行い対象を予め指定されたポイントへ誘導する。その先に潜み待ち構える止め役の《ブッパ》が確実に仕留めるという戦法だ。
　《巻狩》は本来、同じ郷で生まれ育ち修行を積んだ者同士で行われるものだ。故に高度な連携や信頼関係、そしてその狩りにおける《頭領》の指導力に強く影響される。狩りのスタイルの異なる他の文化圏者を引き入れて成し遂げられるほど簡単なものではない。
それでもシュンランは、敢えてこの道を示した。
　　　「何でぇ、そのマキガリってぇのは？」
　　「俺達流の集団猟法だ。……昔、親父と共に《雷獣》に使った。
割と良いところまで追い込めたはずだが……
装備と人数はその時より有利だ。上手くいけば或いは……」
とはいえ、他に手が思いつかないというのがシュンランの本音だ。特に連携面に関しては、全く違う環境で育ち、それぞれ違った狩りのスタイルを会得した者同士である。例え信頼があろうとも、技術的な面での擦り合わせは困難を極める。
　　　「……良いね、シュンラン。わたしは《巻狩》に賛成」
しかし、サユが賛意を示したのは思いの外早かった。
　　　「《マタギ》の伝統猟法。これに古代遺物の力と、
《雷獣》対策装備を組み合わせる」
合理的思考と独創性を持つサユであれば《巻狩》案を却下して対案を出すのではないかとシュンランは内心考えていた。その驚きは、顔に浮かんでしまっていたようで。
　　　「そこまで難しい話じゃないよ。
お互いの“クセ”が連携に影響する過程を省いて、
《雷獣》対策のものでそこを埋める。お互い条件は同じ」　
　サユは微笑みかけながらシュンランを後押しした。彼女こそが最も、《巻狩》を信ずるかのように。
確かに、特異な相手故に正攻法が通用しない以上、一般的な《巻狩》のしきたりに一から十まで従う必要性は無い。そして《森の遊人》特有の技能と《凝空(ぎょうくう)の筒》を活用できさえすれば、多くが埋め合わせられる。
　　「……『想定外には想定外をぶつけよ』。
旅の《マタギ》が言ってた」
　　「さて、サユの御墨付(おすみつき)も貰えたんだ。《巻狩》案、自信持てや。
言い出しっぺがそんな不安晒してたら、
出来るもんも出来ねぇってもんよ」
驚きのみならず、迷いも顔に出ていたようであった。ダウはそれを見透かした上で選択を迫る。肉体派のような印象だったが、やはりはサユの血縁者といったところか。
　　　「そうだな……二人の言う通りだ。
二人の事を巻き込む訳でもあるしな……
俺がここで君たちを信じ、気張らずどうするのかって話だ。
――よし、改めてやろう。“俺達”の《巻狩》を」
　　続く