Spring Gourmet Series - The Mystery Edition -
The golden week that arrived in May while visions of Nyuto Onsen still lingered in my mind. For its grand finale, I decided to conduct a mysterious ritual.
Tomorrow, my steps as a slave resume once more—a reality already weighing down the air like lead during this ceremony.
The inevitable burden seeped into every corner of my mind, binding my thoughts in frustration.
This moment, this fleeting peace, seemed to rush past like an overturned hourglass, flowing rapidly.
Its urgency pressed down on my shoulders with an invisible weight, and with each step toward the future, I had to battle the small resistance rising from deep within.
"Do I really have to step back into this world of impermanence…?"
I sighed. My friend Muhomatsu looked at me with a vacant gaze.
"What’s wrong with you? Your eyes reflect the abyss, like a ghost who’s forgotten the joy of life."
I replied, "Joy of life? Hmph, it burned out along with this brief respite..."
Suddenly, I heard a voice calling me from the depths of Amazon.
It was a summons from another realm...
"This is… a mystical tokkuri for bone sake! Finding such a miraculous item leaves me no choice but to purchase it immediately."
"With this in hand, what kind of otherworldly feast awaits us?"
Thinking this, Muhomatsu interjected, "But in Hyper Metropolis Tokyo CITY, how will you get your hands on spirit fish like Iwana?"
With a smile, I replied, "Even without Iwana, we have the secret art of bone sake. Forget worldly norms tonight, Matsu."
We sought out ayu in a flickering corner of the city.
The ayu appeared before us as if guided by fate, chosen as an offering for our sacred ritual.
With quiet yet steady hands, we wrapped the ayu and carried it to the altar.
The altar was a sacred place, where time and space intersect.
By placing the ayu there, we solidified our connection with forces beyond this world, marking the start of a mystical ritual.
With the sacred sword entrusted only to the chosen, we carefully sliced open the belly of the ayu.
The blade, aglow, slid through the scales and flesh, creating a sensation as if traversing two realms.
Removing the innards and gills was not mere preparation but an integral part of an ancient sacred ritual.
Each movement symbolized the balance between this world and the other.
Through this ritual, the ayu transcended its simple biological form, transforming into a divine vessel.
We preheated the oven as though it were the gate to another world at 180°C.
"The ritual begins now. Ayu, fear not your journey to the otherworld!"
After 20 minutes, the ayu took on a transformed appearance.
However, I forgot to record the entire transformation.
I thought, "Indeed, this ritual is not of this world..." and decided to roast it slowly at 100°C.
The ayu had fully transformed into an otherworldly entity.
I raised my voice, declaring, "Behold, the ultimate form. This is the true material for bone sake!"
The ayu was placed on the altar as we performed a prayer ritual. Our prayers guided the ayu towards the gate to the spirit world.
Its form was no longer merely a fish but had become a passport to another dimension.
The wind caressed its bones and soul, drawing out every last drop of moisture, guiding it into a state of complete dryness.
Having undergone this sacred process, the ayu was liberated from earthly bounds, transforming into the ultimate entity suitable for the mystical ritual of bone sake.
At last, the bone sake ritual was complete.
Surrendering the cursed sake to the embrace of heat, we waited for the liquid to quiver slightly. As its warmth infused it, I poured the sake into the ancient tokkuri, filled with timeless secrets, and the atmosphere changed.
The scent wafting from the tokkuri seemed like two thousand souls once gracing this world gathering across time and space, reciting their ancient poetry.
Their intertwined stories filled the air, deepening the mystical ambiance of the ritual.
This aroma was not just the scent of sake but an invitation to distant memories, lost eras, and worlds unknown.
I called out to Muhomatsu.
"See, Matsu! This is the true bone sake, an experience beyond the rules of this world. Tonight, we indulge in ultimate pleasure!"
Thus, the last day of the illusions of Nyuto Onsen turned into an unforgettable, bizarre night filled with an inexplicable ritual.