Sosuke Inutake remembers the first time he took his son to the cemetery.

The moss-covered tombstones, old and new, cleaned, or uncared for, are crookedly crammed into the small cemetery.

Jizo statues of different heights and heights, but all of them look very round, stand scattered all over the place.

The air was damp, and it might have rained that day, so you could still smell the smell of earth and some stale smells that couldn't be said.

Sosuke Inutake was impressed by the mixed and unpleasant taste of the cemetery.

As a perfumer, he has a keen sense of smell.

That time I went to the cemetery because my father died of illness. His son Mizuse was only six years old at the time, and he was held in his arms by Sosuke Inutake.

"Dad, grandpa is dead."

The water was quietly shrunk in his father's arms, staring at those innocent eyes, pure and innocent.

"Hmm."

"I'll never see my grandfather again, will I? Grandpa will never take me to the Waguo shop to buy chestnut yokan to eat. ”

Death is a model concept, especially for children of the color of the water.

He probably didn't really understand what that meant.

But for the water color, the grandfather's departure is real, and this cemetery with the smell of dampness is also real.

In the criss-crossing tombstones and the Jizo statues, even children are aware of the fact of death.

Perhaps he also realized something from this, thinking that one day, his father, his mother, and even himself, would die like his grandfather.

For a child who is curious about the world and is always full of energy, it is a bit cruel to realize this too early.

And Inutake Sosuke has always attached importance to the education of children's concepts of life and death.

At the age of five, Aqua already knew how she came from: the crystallization of the love between father and mother. Part of the father's genetics, and part of the mother's genes, are conceived in the mother's womb, conceived for ten months, and then give birth to the water color.

Sosuke told his son so.

Sosuke remembers that when he was a child, he asked his mother the same question as Mizuse.

The mother's reply was: The little ones were picked up by the mothers in the garbage can on the street corner. Whenever mothers want a baby, they go to the dumpster to look for it.

There was no malice in this deceptive reply, but Sosuke Inutake was obsessed with it. He couldn't forgive his mother for lying to him, or for believing it.

For a long time in the future, whenever he passed by the garbage can, young Sosuke would worry about whether there would be a crying baby inside.

However, the education of students is not difficult.

This is a good thing, there is no need to twist and hide. But death is different, and the education of death is too heavy.

Many adults can't face it, let alone children?

Sosuke Inutake still remembers how he responded to his son in the cemetery that day, saying, "Grandpa, under the guidance of Jizo Bodhisattva, went to Naraku to reincarnate. Grandpa has been a very good person all his life, so he will live a good life in the next life. ”

"Mizuse has also been a good child for the rest of my life, and when I die, will Jizo Bodhisattva also let me live a good life?"

"Yes."

"In that next life, can Shui Se still be the child of his parents?"

The pure, unadulterated eyes of the water color make people unbearable to look at directly.

"Yes, Aqua."

Sosuke Inutake rubbed his son's head.

Does he believe in reincarnation?

Maybe I believe it.

……

Originally, it stands to reason that his son Inutake Mizushi would send Sosuke to the end.

And then maybe many years later, Mizuse will also hold his grandson or granddaughter in his arms, stand in front of Sosuke's tombstone, and say some words of reincarnation to his next generation like Sosuke, chatting to comfort him.

But the development of fate is always unsatisfactory.

The life of the water color came to an end prematurely.

This year, he is only eight years old.

Although he is also like children of the same age, he occasionally does some meaningless, irritating crying.

But the water color is actually very well-behaved, always so innocent and lively, cute and beautiful.

Everyone likes him very much, and Shui Se has always been a good boy.

It always has been.

Also...... Always.

"Will Jizo Bodhisattva take Mizuse and let him be reincarnated into a good family?"

Sosuke Inutake stood in front of the mourning hall, thinking about some previous things in his mind for no reason, and it was a mess.

"Cangsuke, the festival mourns and changes."

"The water color is still so young, he is always so well-behaved, and fate is unfair......"

The voices of the people around him brought Inutake's thoughts back to reality.

He flickered for a few seconds and saw Anzhai and his wife, dressed in dark clothes, standing in front of him.

Mr. and Mrs. Anzhai are good friends with themselves and even their wives, and they have a close relationship.

Inutake settled down, and his somewhat sloppy gaze fell on his friend's face.

He saw An Zhai's expression sad and sympathetic, and saw Mrs. An Zhai, who was always amiable, holding a handkerchief, and couldn't stop crying, and her eyes were red.

There is no doubt that their grief and tears are real, they are genuine.

They also love the color of the water.

But at this time, Inutake only felt irritability for no reason.

"Mourning and changing", "unfair fate"......

He's been listening to things like that too much lately. I thought I should be a little numb to this, but every time I heard it, it was like a cat's claw scratching my heart, and the scar that couldn't be healed was cut open bloodily.

It's useless, it's useless to say these things.

But what can guests do?

Can anyone find a way to get the water back?

"Thank you, Anzai."

Inutake did not lose his temper and received Mr. and Mrs. Ansai like other guests who came to mourn.

In the corner of the room, his wife VII was resting her head on her mother-in-law's shoulder, and both shoulders were trembling.

I'm probably crying again.

On the laying hall, next to the son's coffin, there are yellow and white bouquets of flowers, and incense is burning.

The incense is made by the dog bamboo itself, and the incense is composed of agarwood, lavender, sandalwood, cloves, incense, musk, and incense aconite.

Shui Se is still young, and he has just become interested in the incense at home.

Sosuke still remembers that Mizuki loved this set of notes that were as empty as falling leaves.

If the water color can grow smoothly, it may inherit the family incense in the future?

Or maybe not.

Maybe he will have something to do that he is interested in, and his son is very active and lively, and he likes to watch baseball games with Anzhai's son, who is a few years older than him, at Anzhai's house.

Maybe he'll be an athlete, a baseball player, all the way to Koshien.

Inuzhu thinks that you can do whatever you want in the future, and you don't necessarily have to inherit the family business.

But ah.

There is no after.

"The water color is still so small, so small......"

Inutake once again felt a tightness in his chest, a boredom for no reason.

But he still had to keep his composure to receive the guests, and then to reassure his wife.

But why, why did he do this?

Inutake actually wanted to cry too.

He felt that he couldn't bear it anymore, he was about to be crushed, why would he be the one who experienced the pain of losing a child?

……

The guests came and went, and the crowd was silent and seemed to be bustling.

Sosuke Inutake seemed to take a breath, so he walked out into the courtyard alone.

The air outside doesn't seem to be much more comfortable than inside, just as oppressive.

Inutake took two hard breaths, and his chest was finally not so dull.

At this time, he heard a calm, low-pitched voice beside him: "Mr. Inutake, mourning is good." ”

Inuzhu turned his head, only to find that in the small pavilion in the courtyard, a man in a black suit was sitting.

Very young, Sven clean, meticulous hair, wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

Inutake didn't know him, he didn't seem to be from the town, but he only thought that the other party was a friend or relative that he didn't know from his wife's side.

So, Inutake nodded at the other party and responded, "Thank you." ”

"The pain of losing a child must be difficult to accept, right?" The man pursed his lips, "The child is still so young. Acute necrotizing enteritis...... It shouldn't have happened. ”

Acute hemorrhagic necrotizing enteritis, which is the cause of watery death.

Explosive onset, the water color fell into toxic shock in a short period of time, intestinal necrosis, perforation.

The disease is fatal.

But it is clear that the doctor will be treated quickly......

Inutake didn't respond to the other party's anything, and didn't speak with a calm face.

"But let me say, it's not like there's no room for redemption." The man spoke to himself again.

"What are you talking about?"

Inutake felt irritated again, even a little angry. His words were out of place, as if he was teasing people, and in such an atmosphere, it was too rude.

It makes people wonder if this man is a guest who sincerely came to mourn.

"Why, you should know, right? In this world, there are so many gods and ghosts, and you all know Mr. Inutake. The man smiled, "Haven't you been in contact with it?" Isn't your family's incense mixed with folk magic? As far as I know, it's pretty remarkable. ”

"Who are you?"

Inutake became vigilant.

This man is right, the incense of the Inuzhu family is indeed not an ordinary incense school. Strictly speaking, it should be a branch of some kind of folk house Shinto technique.

But this kind of thing should not be clear to many people.

Where did this man come from?

"Don't be nervous, I'm here with good intentions." The man still laughed, "You can call me Hai Shi, or call me a lawyer." ”

"Don't be foolish!" Inutake lowered his voice, but also tried to suppress his anger.

He was very unhappy with the man's frivolous attitude.

"Such an attitude of rejecting people from thousands of miles away is really sad." Lawyer Hai Shi said in a relaxed tone, sat upright, and rubbed his fingers against the stone table in the pavilion, "Before you drive me away, I'll make a long story short. Mr. Inutake, have you ever heard of Soul Rejuvenation Incense? ”

Rejuvenation incense.

Sosuke Inutake had really seen this kind of ethereal thing in the books at home-

[Si Lingwu also, the fragrance smells hundreds of miles, the dead body is on the ground, and the smell is alive.] ]

[The sick get up when they hear it, and the dead live when they hear it.] ]

But this kind of thing is just a legend.

The lawyer observed the change in Inuzhu's expression with great interest, and continued: "Your family's incense Dao, tracing back to the source, should come from the Taishan Mansion Jun Festival. Originated in China, it is a kind of yin and yang secret art that sincerely prays to the god of Dongyue Taishan for the equivalent exchange of the life of the deceased. Therefore, the rejuvenating incense should have been made by the people of your Inutake family. ”

"That forbidden technique has long been ......"

Inutake said, and suddenly stopped.

He realized that he should not question the existence of the "Taishan Mansion Monarch Festival" at this time, but should completely deny the words of lawyer Hai Shi.

Simply questioning the Taishan Mansion Jun Sacrifice is not equivalent to recognizing part of what the lawyer said before?

"Yes, yes. I can't find you the Mansion Monarch Sacrifice, but I have another set of secret techniques adapted from the Taishan Mansion Monarch Sacrifice in my hand. It is essentially the same origin as your family's incense, called 'Huangquan Naluo Mantra', aren't you interested? Maybe by combining the two, you'll find a way to make rejuvenating incense. ”

The lawyer said this, and somehow took out a stack of yellowed rubbings and placed them on the stone table.

"This kind of thing, where did you ...... it from?"

Inutake Oni made Kamicha take a step forward.

I don't know why, that rubbing seems to have an inexplicable attraction to him, Inuzhu can smell it, and there is an indescribable smell on the rubbing, heavy and ethereal, leading straight to Huangquan Naluo.

It's like in the dark, there is an inseparable connection with his family's incense.

"Hehe, a friend of mine left it for me. If you can study this stuff thoroughly, you might even be able to meet him. ”

"That ......"

Inuzhu took a few steps closer, and by the time he reacted, he was already standing in front of Lawyer Hai Shi, with only the yellowed rubbings in his eyes.

"Mr. Inutake, I can give this thing to you, that's what I wanted to do."

"What do you want?"

"Well, there is always a price to pay. However, what I want you to do is not excessive. Sign a contract with me and do something for me when I need it. The lawyer pulled out another thin wad of paper.

This time, the paper was white, and the black handwriting on it was clear.

Inutake could smell the fresh ink on it, and the so-called contract seemed to be far from simple, with an indescribable mysterious smell.

Price......

It's certainly not as light as the lawyer says.

"Hesitating. Mr. Inutake, don't you want your water color? He's such a good kid. ”

The lawyer's voice seems to have some kind of corrosive magic.

"Aqua ......"

In Inutake's mind, the sympathetic voices of the guests sounded again.

Condolences change.

Fate is unfair.

He thought of his wife's red eyes again, and thought of how she cried uncontrollably yesterday when she saw her son's toys scattered under the sofa.

Aqua came to mind.

He was such a good child, and his eyes were always kind and pure.

Thinking of Shui Se snuggling in his arms, he asked himself softly: "In the next life, can Shui Se still be the child of his parents?" ”

Those pure eyes make people can't look directly, as long as they think of the scars in their hearts, they will be lifted......

“……”

"Mr. Inutake, the pen is here, and the sign is here. According to your birthday, you are the perfect candidate. ”

“……”

"No, you don't have to sign your real name. You'll also need a codename. ”

“……”

By the time Inutake reacted again, the so-called "contract" in black and white had already appeared in his hand.

He saw the last page of the paper, with his own handwriting—

Perfumer.