"Your god feels the pain if you're blighted," Hakkai said, which wasn't an answer, but was important.

He'd have to tell Gojyo as much as he could, right now, and then -- discourage him from coming back. This was too dangerous. Gojyo could be careless, but he wasn't stupid, and he'd be as eager to pick up on clues as Hakkai himself had been a few months ago.

He couldn't risk it unless he could stop himself from revealing those clues.

Mechanically, he continued, "... and if it spreads too far, water won't work anymore. There's a ritual called an ablution that three other shinki can perform to cleanse you at that point. Try not to let that happen. It's painful.

"If it goes further than that, you'll transform into an ayakashi yourself."