“Blooming, and then falling gently to the ground, just like cherry blossoms. After birth comes death. Life is like a flower. But I think having empathy for plants is a pretty amazing thing!”

Yuyuko Saigyouji is a ghost who cannot reincarnate. As such, the Yama has entrusted her with managing the phantoms in the Netherworld. Ordinarily, she seems a little airheaded, but when needed, she demonstrates high levels of intelligence. She truly is a fine lady.

In order to access the multi-dimensional neural network, I’m (forcibly) borrowing your language system. Why? Because you were close by.

The Netherworld is where phantoms await their reincarnation. After being reincarnated, some phantoms find themselves in the human world, while others arrive in Heaven or Hell. It’s also likely that some even go to the Animal Realm. It seems that there are humans living in the Animal Realm, so at the very least, the phantoms reincarnated there could end up as humans… right? It’s often said each reincarnation destination is full to the brim, so perhaps the Netherworld waiting time has gotten longer over the years.

The Netherworld is famed for its cherry blossoms, which are found on its phantom and youkai cherry trees. Due to a certain incident, the Netherworld has become strongly associated with spring, but it actually experiences all four seasons.

Hakugyokurou is the mansion where Yuyuko Saigyouji, her servant phantoms, and Youmu Konpaku live. The mansion is impressive to look upon, being built around a garden filled with all kinds of plants, including phantom pine trees, and having what appears to be a stone garden within its grounds. The mansion’s features aptly reflect Yuyuko’s lady-like qualities.

The phrase “to become a resident of Hakugyokurou” is used to mean death, making Hakugyokurou the literal home of the dead. The phrase is often used when a poet or artist passes away, so in that sense, it would seem inappropriate for Yuyuko to be a swordswoman. However, it’s clear from looking at the mansion that she comes from a family of samurai or something similar. Not to mention the live-in fencing instructor…

This record is being written by me, the Saigyou Ayakashi. I say written, but I can’t hold a pen or think at high speeds like humans. I don’t even have a language to write in. What you are reading has all been transcribed for me.

My memories are carved into my plentiful growth rings. My nervous system can access the multi-dimensional neural network, allowing me to borrow other people’s excess resources (which, coincidentally, is how I’m having this transcribed). Then, I take the ideas that I’ve spent countless years carefully pondering and, little by little, put them into words. I don’t have the luxury of being able to develop my own style of speech or write about unnecessary things. Yay!

The Saigyouji family’s style of swordsmanship is named “bladeless” and involves no cutting. It utilizes two wooden swords that can’t cut through anything: the Blue Blossom Blade and the Blossoming Blade. But Yuyuko Saigyouji is content with all of that. She herself has forgotten, but she once felt a great deal of sadness regarding her ability to invite others to death. She felt that way about her own ability… and also my ability, which is why she won’t allow anyone else to perish.