第４５４堀：考察 酒呑童子といふ者 (Part1)
### Chapter 454: Analysis – The One Called Shuten-doji
*Note: This analysis of Shuten-doji is a personal interpretation based on various documents. Since historical records regarding his birth and other details are scattered and contradictory, this does not imply support for any single theory. Please understand this beforehand.*
#### Analysis: The One Called Shuten-doji
**Ichirei Shikon (One Spirit, Four Souls)**
There is a concept known as *Ichirei Shikon*. It is a Japanese philosophy positing that the human soul and heart are composed of one spirit connected to the heavens, called the *Naohi* (Direct Spirit), and four distinct souls.
The general, easy-to-understand interpretation is that gods and humans possess four souls—*Aramitama* (Rough Soul), *Nigimitama* (Gentle Soul), *Sakimitama* (Happy Soul), and *Kushimitama* (Wonder Soul)—which are controlled by the *Naohi*.
* **Aramitama is Activity.**
The "Courage" function of the *Aramitama* is the power to move forward. It is not just about charging ahead valiantly, but also the strength to endure and work steadily. People who are proactive and extroverted have a strong *Aramitama*.
* **Nigimitama is Harmony.**
The second soul's function is the power to befriend and interact. In one character, it is "Affection." Those who desire peace and harmony and possess strong affinity have a strong *Nigimitama*.
* **Sakimitama is Happiness.**
The third soul is the power to love and nurture others. This is represented by the character for "Love." People who value compassion and emotions and seek mutual understanding have a strong *Sakimitama*.
* **Kushimitama is Inspiration.**
The fourth is the intellect composed of observation, analysis, and understanding. Those who seek truth and explore have a strong *Kushimitama*.
These are the roles they are said to fulfill. While it may be slightly difficult to grasp, the idea is that the heart is divided into these four parts. The spirit that governs them is usually called the *Naohi*, but if it leans toward the concept of evil, it is called the *Magatsuhi* (Curse Spirit).
***
**Side: Seraria**
The one scribbling these things onto the whiteboard is my husband, Yuki.
"Hey. I’m pretty sure I asked for an explanation of Shuten-doji, didn't I?"
I had asked about Shuten-doji, who seems to be the biggest problem right now, but we’ve ended up here, starting from "What is an *Aramitama*?" Japan's unique concepts are truly something else. To think they came up with the *Ichirei Shikon* theory by pondering how the heart is formed. It certainly feels logical, much like the Five Elements theory of the continent. I suppose the Earth is quite advanced when it comes to these internal matters.
...It’s an interesting story, but that’s not what I wanted to hear.
"It’s necessary for explaining Shuten-doji."
"You mean the sealed *Aramitama*, right? Looking at this, it just seems like an active soul. Why would that go out of control?"
"In a good sense, *Aramitama* represents activity and courage, but in this context, it becomes a word for violence and cruelty. The practice of 'calming the *Aramitama* of the gods' comes from the idea of stopping disasters caused by such rage."
"In other words, the sealed Shuten-doji is a soul of a rowdy troublemaker?"
"Exactly. Ideally, the other three—*Nigimitama*, *Sakimitama*, and *Kushimitama*—would be present to keep the heart in perfect balance."
"So, because there’s only the *Aramitama*, it means there’s no room for negotiation?"
"That’s right."
"Isn't that no different from a wild monster?"
It sounds like it just attacks people, just like any animal or beast.
"That’s where you’re wrong. Since basic abilities are distributed among the four souls, his performance might be lower with only the *Aramitama*, but the *Aramitama* primarily acts to rampage and settle grudges. It targets places where there are many people."
"Ah, so it doesn't have a territory; it just becomes a monster that attacks people."
"Exactly. It just can't control its emotions, but its strength, knowledge, and capacity for thought remain intact."
"From what I hear, it sounds like a reckless human driven by grudges. But wouldn't it need power to be a threat? I wanted to know about Shuten-doji's strength or combat capabilities. You told me before that even the famous samurai of that time could only manage to slit his throat while he slept, right?"
That is the problem. Whether it's his personality or just an *Aramitama*, I can formulate countermeasures if I know his strength. Personally, I even think it's exciting that something interesting has fallen into our laps. After all, isn't it thrilling that there was a monster so strong that the legendary samurai of Japan had no choice but to resort to a sneak attack?
Perhaps because I wore such an expectant look, my husband frowned.
"...This is why I'm explaining it properly. Listen. Basically, physical attacks are ineffective, he has high resistance to spells, and there are even anecdotes about him being an incarnation of fire."
"What is that? Then shouldn't we just slice him up with one of Narjia's special swords?"
"Try to step away from that battle-focused mindset for a second. The most famous of Shuten-doji's atrocities is that he kidnapped noble princesses to serve him, or even ate them alive."
"He's an enemy of women. We definitely have to kill him, not just seal him."
He’s nothing more than a piece-of-trash bandit worse than a monster.
"That’s what’s strange about it."
"What is?"
"The part about the women serving him."
"Why?"
"Why would an Oni, which is outside the laws of humanity, keep women as servants for purposes other than food or reproduction?"
Now that he mentions it, that is true.
"But aren't legends like that? Isn't it possible he was just a bandit, and kidnapping women is the typical trope? It would be embarrassing for future generations to record that they were just pushed around by a bandit, so they probably framed it as 'there was a very strong monster'."
"And against that bandit, five famous heroes gathered to slit his throat in his sleep?"
"...Maybe the enemy had too many men?"
Even the heroes of that time would use their heads. If they were outnumbered, they would know it's better to slit the leader's throat.
"There are also stories that such an opponent lived in a magnificent mansion... though you wouldn't know what the Dragon Palace looks like."
"What do you mean? He lived in a magnificent house?"
"When you research the stories of Shuten-doji, regardless of the various theories about his birth, it always ends with him building a magnificent mansion or estate on Mt. Oe."
"That leads even more to the idea that Shuten-doji was human, but then..."
I realized what my husband was trying to say.
"In other words, was Shuten-doji a person who became an obstacle in the power struggles of that time?"
"You’re quick on the uptake."
"I come from that kind of status, after all. And the capital of Kyoto at the time was the capital of Japan, right?"
"Well, I'm not sure if it deserves to be called a capital, but there's no doubt the Emperor was there."
"...Haa."
Hearing the facts my husband was laying out, I sighed.
"What? Don't tell me there's a possibility that Shuten-doji was of the Imperial bloodline?"
"Who knows? I don't have the details. But based on what we've discussed, it's a possibility."
"It's a high probability!! The order to subjugate him came from the capital, right? And they knew he had a castle on Mt. Oe. That means they drove him out to Mt. Oe. That's why he was able to kidnap people in the capital so brazenly—because he was originally from the capital. Or rather, even that is suspicious. Maybe the people of the capital actually followed Shuten-doji when he was driven to Mt. Oe? That would explain why they gave him such a bad reputation. Those five samurai were invited to sit at his table for drinks, weren't they?"
"Yeah, that's the story—they served him poisoned sake, put him to sleep, and cut off his head."
"There's no way he would have welcomed them unless they came as envoys from Kyoto! They put a man who intended to negotiate to sleep with alcohol and then cut off his head!?"
"Well, Shuten-doji's head even spoke after being severed, saying to the Minamoto clan who had tricked him: 'There is no crooked path for an Oni. What are you who commit deeds inferior even to an Oni?'"