Onmyōza Hyakumonogatari Story VII "Hill of the Phoenix Tree"

(Aogiri no oka begins at 01:05)

After the life form had closed his eyes for the last time, he floated, or perhaps lied down, in an indefinite place, surrounded by dazzling light whose colors cannot be expressed in words. The last thing he remembered was regretting the fact that he had let his loved one die, unable to protect them. Now, as it seems that he too had died, maybe this was his atonement in a way he thought. No, it couldn't work that way; he kept pondering the matter but could not make up his mind.

Although surprised at the fact that he could still think about things like this even now that he was dead, he came to the conclusion that because he still kept thinking of such insignificant things at a time like this, he had probably been a human while he was still alive. Focusing his mind, he could sense that apparently there were many other life forms beside himself that had gathered in that indefinite space. The next thing he knew, he could no longer feel the boundary line between himself and the other life forms. Having lost their boundary lines, the lives eventually formed a single stream that slowly flowed down, or perhaps up, towards some indefinite place.

Along the way, the life form thought he heard a voice. The maternal yet resolute voice that gently enveloped them called out to each of the lives: "Come, transmigrate." The owner of the voice appeared to be a bird that was wrapped in light, but in the same time it also felt like something out of this world. Still, the life form thought that while they were on the way to the next world, an expression like "out of this world" seemed a little out of place.

One morning, in a river somewhere, a sweetfish was splashing in the water. It swam happily by a beautiful flower that bloomed on the riverbank, and sprang many times. The flower bloomed silently, as if smiling at the sweetfish.

陰陽座百物語　第漆話「梧桐の丘」

最後の瞬きを終えたその命はこの世の色では言い表せない様な目映い光に包まれ、何処とも言えない場所に浮かんで、或いは横たわっていた。その命の最後の記憶は愛する者を守る事が出来ず死なせてしまった事への後悔だった。今、どうやら自分も死んでしまった様だから、それで少しは罪滅ぼしになるだろうか。いや、そういうものではないか、などと逡巡している。

死んでからもこんな風にものを考える事が出来る事が以外だったが、寧ろ死んでからもくだらない事を考える辺りは生前自分はどうやら人間だったらしいと、その命は思った。ふと意識してみると、どうやらその何処とも言えない空間には自分以外にも沢山の命が集って来ている様だ。
気が付けば、既に自分とそれ以外の命との境界線が感じられなくなっていた。境界線を失った命はやがて一つの流れに成り、ゆっくりと何処へともなく流れ落ち、或いは上っていった。

その途中、命は一つの声を聞いた気がした。母を思わせる様な、優しく包み込む様な、それでいて毅然としたその声は命達それぞれに「さあ、廻りなさい」と告げた。その声の主は光を身に纏った鳥の様にも見え、また、この世のものでは無い姿の様な気もした。あの世に行こうとしながら、この世のものでは無いと言う表現もおかしいとその命は懲りずに思っていた。

ある朝、ある川の中で一匹の鮎が跳ねた。その鮎は川岸に咲く美しい花の側でいとおしそうに泳ぎ回り、そして何度も跳ねた。花がその鮎の方に微笑む様に静かに咲いていた。