Chapter 292: The New Karasumori Castle

Characters (in order of appearance)

 * Yoshimori Sumimura
 * Sumiko Sumimura
 * Chushinmaru Karasumori (in Yoshimori's memory)
 * Madarao
 * Unnamed Man
 * Unnamed Ayakashi

Summary
Sumiko Sumimura's Shikigami clone and Yoshimori arrive at what appears to be an abandoned house. She assures him that it has been paid for, and has both electricity and water. The Shikigami explains they will begin training to seal the lord there, so the house is essentially the new Karasumori castle. She begins speaking formally, but Yoshimori asks her not to, because it is unlike his mother. She suggests that he rest because they will be busy at night. Yoshimori quickly finds that most things in the house are old and break easily. He accidentally opens a closet, spilling a pile of boxes onto himself. In one of these, he finds an orb similar to the one Chushinmaru was sealed in. He goes to question Sumiko's Shikigami about this, only to find her making a resting place for the lord in the upper portion of the house. She says he'll understand soon enough.

That night, Sumiko's Shikigami shows Yoshimori the orb containing Chushinmaru's soul. The orb is now cracked because the lord's power is too great to be contained for more than a day or two. This makes it necessary to transfer the power to a new orb fairly often, which will be Yoshimori's job. The Shikigami demonstrates, using Nenshi to combine the old orb with a new one, breaking the old orb in the process. She adds that Yoshimori will need the blank state to accomplish this. Yoshimori is concerned about what would happen if he should fail. The Shikigami says that the lord would obtain a body and become human, and his time would flow forward (it was stopped to prevent him from growing up and becoming reckless with his power). Madarao comes in to warn Yoshimori that the house is surrounded by Ayakashi.

Outside, a man and a large Ayakashi observe the house.