The Jigoku is a post road station located on the border of the Kitsu Family and Akodo provinces, built around a small lake featuring a Shrine of the Lake Kami. This waystation is jointly administered by the Akodo and Kitsu Family clans and serves as accommodation for travelers, particularly samurai. The station provides well-maintained lodging with samurai quarters for dignitaries and nobles, along with facilities for rest and refreshment. The area exudes a tranquil atmosphere, with the lake's waters described as delightful, especially after dark.
Kitsu Family samurai greet visitors upon arrival, assuring them that their paperwork will be reviewed the following morning. Travelers are invited to a tea ceremony at a dignitary's tea house by the lake, where discussions about home, family, and culinary preferences take place. During the gathering, Kitsu Family hosts share their lineage, including one member who speaks of being significantly distanced from the line of succession.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Shiba Midori senses a supernatural presence and invites her companions to step outside by the lake. They propose visiting the shrine to make offerings and attempt to connect with the spirit world, resulting in a communion with the ancestor Matsu Tomoe, who manifests before them, issuing a challenge and a warning regarding their duties and companions.