When the world is shrouded in jet-black darkness, there are two beings whose mission is to sacrifice their lives to save it. One is the dragon who soars to the sky when the time is right. The other is the shrine maiden who has looked after the dragon since it was a nestling. Her task is to offer a prayer that releases the dragon to the sky. They both waited quietly for that moment while aware of the fact that after they had accomplished their mission, they would meet their end.
And now, having heard the prayer of the shrine maiden and having climbed to the sky, the dragon was looking down on the various sufferings of the world below.
As the girl gazed at the dragon that had soared out of sight, the image of the dragon when it was still small enough to be carried in her arms crossed her mind and tears started to roll down her cheeks before she knew it.
The terrestrial world ruled by humans, filled with insolent desires and petty falsehoods, was now full of more suffering than there had ever been and everyone was longing for the dragon of redemption to appear. The girl had offered the dragon a prayer in order to fulfill her mission as the shrine maiden, but now that the moment was at hand, at the same time as her love for the dragon suddenly awakened, she also started to feel intense hatred for the humans who had shifted the task of redeeming their crimes on the dragon. Her anger grew uncontrollable and in spite of herself the girl shouted inside her mind: "There is no need to listen to the hopes of the selfish humans. Give me back my dragon!"
However, at the same time she heard the voice of the dragon's consciousness echoing inside her mind.
"Girl. There is no need to worry. We shall never lose the memories of the peaceful days we spent together, not even if our bodies perish. I will now release the light that will save the world. With that light, the two of us will ascend to heaven. And the humans too——"
"Huh?"
Unable to grasp the meaning of the dragon's final words, the girl gazed at the sky even more intensely. Shortly afterwards, light so dazzling that one could not look straight at it came falling down from the heavens, surrounding the earth. The dragon, the girl, humans, and all other living things were enveloped by the light, and they all vanished from the face of the earth.
Thus the earth was saved from the threat of mankind.
陰陽座百物語 第廿陸話「蛟龍の巫女」
この世が漆黒の闇に閉ざされる時、それを救う為に命を抛つ使命を負った二つの者が在った。一つは時が来たら空に舞い上がり、この世を救う役目を持った龍。一つはその龍を幼体の頃から見守り、育て、時が来たらその龍を空へと放つ祈りを捧げる役目を持った巫女。どちらも役目を果たした後にその命が果てる事を自ら理解した上で静かにその時を待っていた。
そうして、今正に巫女である少女の祈りを受け、空高く舞い上がった龍は様々な苦難に喘ぐ地上の世界を見下ろしていた。
見えない程高く昇った龍の姿をじっと見詰める少女は、まだ両手に抱き抱える事が出来るぐらいに幼かった龍の面影を脳裏に浮かべていたが、気が付かぬうちに涙が頬を伝っていた。
傲慢な欲望と矮小な欺瞞に満ちた人間の支配する地上の世界はかつて無い程の苦難に満ち、誰もが世界を救う龍の登場を渇望した。少女は巫女としての使命を果たすべく、龍に祈りを捧げたが、すわと言う段になり、急速に龍への親愛が呼び覚まされると同時に、逆に自らの罪を贖う役目を龍に押し付けようと言う人々への激しい怒りを感じ始めていた。その憤りは最早抑え難いものになり、我知らず少女は胸の中で「勝手な人間共の願いなど聞く事は無い。私の龍を返して！」と叫んでいた。しかし同時に龍の心の声が少女の中に聞こえてきた。
「少女よ。憂う事は無い。我々が過ごした穏やかな日々の記憶は、例え二人の肉体が滅びても、決して失われる事は無い。私は今から、この世を救う光を放つ。我々二人は、その光と共に天に召されよう。そして、人間達も」
「えっ？」
龍の最後の言葉の意味が飲み込めない儘、少女は一層力を込めて空を見詰めた。その直後、正視出来ない程の目映い光が空から降り注ぎ地上を包んだ。龍も、少女も、人間も、その他生きとし生ける全ての物を包んだ光は、その全ての存在をこの世から消去した。
こうして世界は人間と言う脅威から救われたのである。
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