Kadono was a village in the mountains about 130 ri3 from Edo, a month’s journey on foot. Since the days of old, it had flourished as an iron town, thanks to the high-quality iron sand deposits gracing the Modori River that flowed nearby. Kadono also boasted some of the most distinguished metallurgists in the country. Swordsmiths all over said that Kadono swords were “swords capable of rending even demons.”
The north side of Kadono was elevated on a hill. As it was safe from river floods, a red-lacquered shrine had been built there, clearly of a grander make than the other homes and buildings in the village. Day and night, the shrine housed Itsukihime, the shrine maiden tasked with offering prayers to Kadono’s native god.
Kadono subsisted on iron production. As fire was essential to ironmaking, a deity of fire naturally became Kadono’s object of worship. This deity was a goddess known as Mahiru-sama. It was believed she governed over fire, kept the kilns of Kadono ever-burning, and brought prosperity to the village.
The shine maiden Itsukihime was revered as the one who offered prayers to Mahiru-sama of the iron-birthing fire. The “hime” in Itsukihime was widely understood as “princess” (hime), but in Kadono it took on the secondary meaning of “Woman of Fire” (which was also hime).
In the distant past, the people of Kadono saw the shrine maiden of the motherly flame as the fire goddess herself. That faith didn’t run so deep now in the Tenpo Era, but Itsukihime still remained in the shrine away from the eyes of world. The Woman of Fire never set foot outside the shrine and kept herself hidden behind a bamboo screen, remaining the holy subject of the village’s worship to this day.
“Jinta, you have done well to defend Kadono from demons yet again.” The current Itsukihime, a woman by the name of Byakuya, spoke in a soft voice from the other side of the bamboo screen. Her face was hidden, but her silhouette nodded proudly.
Although it was early summer, the floorboards of the shrine felt chilly. Sitting on the floorboards between Jinta and the bamboo screen were the village chief, a young man by the village chief’s side, the head of the blacksmiths, the representative of the metallurgists, and a number of other influential figures of the village.
“It was nothing at all,” Jinta replied. He had come to make a report after slaying the demon.
“Few can hold their own against these man-eating spirits. You should be more proud of your ability,” Itsukihime said.
“I am simply fulfilling my duty as shrine maiden guardian.”
No matter how many demons he slew, Jinta always gave this same dry reply. He didn’t say it out of modesty but out of a genuine belief that what he did meant little. Jinta was one of the few men in Kadono who didn’t have a hand in the iron-making business, since he was one of the village’s two shrine maiden guardians.
A shrine maiden guardian was just what it sounded like—a guardian to Itsukihime. Normally, only samurai had the right to bear swords, but Kadono was given a special governmental exception and could select shrine maiden guardians who could bear swords, as well as speak to Itsukihime without a bamboo blind separating them.
Outside of protecting Itsukihime, shrine maiden guardians were also tasked with the role of demon hunter. In these times, when the only light at night was that of the stars and moon, the supernatural would take form and threaten the living. Just as there were doctors to fight disease and firemen to fight fire, there were those tasked with fighting the supernatural. Such were the demon hunters, those who fought the inhuman threats to the village.
Itsukihime prayed for the prosperity of the village, and her guardians protected the village. In a sense, the guardians of the shrine maiden were the guardians of the village as well.
“C’mon now, a shrine maiden guardian mustn’t be so modest! I doubt even Edo has anyone as skilled with the sword as you. Be proud!” the head of the blacksmiths said with a hearty laugh.
“…But I have no worth as a man of Kadono.” Despite the praise, Jinta’s expression was gloomy. As a shrine maiden guardian, he had no need to engage in ironmaking and ironworking, though it was also true he had little aptitude as artisan in the first place. He earned his current position through his skill with the sword and Byakuya’s final word, but if he hadn’t been a guardian, then he’d have likely been dead weight to the village. That truth prevented him from feeling any pride in his duties, no matter how much praise he received or how many demons he slayed.
He did feel some pride in his position as shrine maiden guardian, but it was overshadowed by his longing for the work of the ironmakers and the blacksmiths. He could only end life, not create like his Kadono fellows could. Because of that, he came to harbor a deep-rooted sense of inferiority.
“What’s that matter, eh? You’ll always have us around to make swords for ya.”
“Just as you may not be able to smith a demon-killing sword, we lack the swordsmanship to kill demons. It all works out this way.”
Jinta thanked the craftsmen with a deep bow. His gratitude was genuine and appealed to their own pride. There was great honor in being a shrine maiden guardian. Though Jinta spoke politely to the men present as though he were of a lower status, in truth, his place in the village was below only that of the village chief and Itsukihime. That was why most regarded him respectfully, and why many went out of their way to use honorifics when speaking his name.
Of course, respect often brought jealousy with it, and the older one was, the plainer jealousy stood. The influential figures of the village had a bitter pill to swallow when a youth of dubious origin surpassed them in status. But it was also a fact that this youth was skilled with the sword, had killed a number of demons, envied their trades, and treated them with respect. The men felt content with his competence and attitude, so they accepted him as shrine maiden guardian. As strange as it was, Jinta’s inferiority complex worked to his benefit.
“What kind of demon was it this time?” Byakuya asked, perhaps sensing Jinta’s eagerness to move things along.
Realizing that she was helping him, Jinta forced his spirits back up and confidently stated, “One taking the form of a human to try and sneak into Kadono.”
Up in the mountain recesses, the threat of the supernatural was very real. There were all kinds of demons, mountain witches, Tengu, and Hihi monkey beasts, to name a few spirits. The men in the shrine stiffened and listened raptly.
After a short silence passed, the village chief spoke up for the first time during the meeting. “Hmm… They must’ve been after the princess, then.”
Someone swallowed audibly. A nervous air filled the shrine.
The natural life span of a demon surpassed a thousand years, but it was said they could obtain true immortality by eating the fresh liver of a shrine maiden. Many accounts in legends and folktales supported this, but whether it was true or not was beyond knowing. Still, there were undoubtedly demons who acted on the knowledge. In fact, the previous Itsukihime, Yokaze, was devoured by a demon some years ago. Her shrine maiden guardian, Motoharu, lost his life protecting her. Remembering that tragedy now had the men perturbed.
“The princess, eh…”
“Yeah, the demons would be after her…”
Worried voices murmured, overlapping. Itsukihime was their connection to Mahiru-sama. The Woman of Fire was their object of worship, their spiritual pillar. The idea that she could be targeted was unsettling, to say the least.
“Or perhaps they’re after Yarai?” Byakuya said calmly. Her tone of composure brought the men some ease. “The demons might find some value in the treasured blade passed down through generations of Itsukihime.”
“Hmm…” The village chief’s brow knit with doubt.
Yarai was a sacred sword that was kept within the shrine. It was a long sword passed down since the Warring States period and was a symbol of the Goddess of Fire herself. By tradition, as caretaker of Yarai, Itsukihime would take the “ya” kanji of the sword’s name, meaning “night,” and change her own name to include it as “ya” or “yo.” Such was how the current Itsukihime came to be called Byakuya.
“Yarai is the best sword Kadono’s ever forged. After a thousand years it has never rusted and is even believed to harbor a soul. You think the demons might be after its power?” the village chief asked.
“I do,” Byakuya replied.
The village chief’s face crumpled. His eyes narrowed sharply in deep thought. He scratched his chin with his left hand and nodded. “I see. But the fact remains that you might be a target yourself, Princess. Please, do not forget that.”
“Yes…of course.” There was some strain in her reply. Yet it wasn’t caused by fear of the demons but rather something closer to confusion. Even with her face obscured, Jinta could tell she had stiffened momentarily.
Regardless, the village chief went on. With his years of experience, he likely noticed her hesitation as well but acted as though he hadn’t. “As long as you understand. Kadono cannot stand without you, Itsukihime—you are our pillar. And as village chief, it is my duty to think of the village’s future. So do forgive me for my occasional strictness.”
“…I understand.”
This might have seemed rude on the surface, but the chief’s devotion to the village was genuine. He wished for Kadono’s peace and prosperity, and everyone understood that. Hence, Byakuya did not admonish him for his tone.
“Jinta,” said the village chief, pausing to lock his gaze on the young man. “There will likely be more demons after our treasures, the princess and Yarai. I ask you to continue to fulfill your duty as shrine maiden guardian.”
“But of course,” Jinta replied. He felt a bit irked by the village chief’s attitude towards Byakuya but respected her decision to let it slide. His reply and meek demeanor seemed to please the village chief, who nodded briefly in reply.
Just as things seemed to be wrapping up, a snide remark came from out of the blue: “Right, because that’s all you’re good for anyway.”
The ridicule came from the young man by the village chief’s side. He was a head shorter than Jinta, and his handsome face was ruined by the disagreeable smirk smeared across it. His name was Kiyomasa, and he was the other shrine maiden guardian of the village. His position wasn’t chosen by Byakuya, however, but had been forced through by the village chief half a year prior.