After the recent 'incident,' Satsuki and her companions' journey back to Katori Jingū became much smoother.
Although they occasionally encountered some yokai attracted by the Shikon Jewel along the way, most were merely low-level creatures—there were hardly any mid-level ones with even a trace of reason.
It was unclear whether this was due to their gradual approach toward the territory of Katori Jingū or the terrifying spiritual power that Ruri had unleashed during that last battle.
In any case, despite the minor troubles along the way, the group arrived in Ueno safely on the third day.
As they entered the first large city in the Ueno region, Satsuki immediately noticed a dignified and beautiful shrine maiden standing beneath the city gate from afar.
She possessed a pair of violet eyes that seemed capable of peering directly into one's soul, with a crescent-shaped kaji mark adorning her forehead. Dressed in a traditional red-and-white shrine maiden's outfit, her long hair—tied neatly behind her—fell to her waist. Upon her head rested a maetengai crown reserved only for high-ranking shrine maidens. In one hand she held a gohei, while a set of kagura bells and a pair of gold-and-silver fans hung gracefully at her waist. She was conversing warmly with passing travelers.
At a glance, this shrine maiden appeared far more mature and composed than Miko, exuding a completely different charm—one of serene dignity and gentle authority. Her expression was kind and her smile approachable, yet her presence carried an unmistakable air of noble grace.
—Such a temperament seemed tailor-made for a shrine maiden.
What drew Satsuki's attention, however, was that when she used her Tenseigan to observe the woman, she discovered seven overlapping layers of barriers woven intricately around her—each forming a petal-like [Domain].
These domains not only completely shielded the maiden from external spiritual detection, but every time Satsuki tried to lock her gaze upon her, she felt her line of sight subtly deflect, as though being gently pushed aside.
And that was far from the full extent of the domains' capabilities.
From a single glance, Satsuki could tell that this shrine maiden was no ordinary person. To wield barriers of such complexity with a human body—she was without question one of the strongest beings in this world.
At the same time that Satsuki's gaze brushed over her, the shrine maiden seemed to sense it as well. Her brows furrowed slightly before she followed her intuition and turned her eyes toward the distant terraced fields—where Miko and the others were approaching.
Her gaze swept across Satsuki, Ruri, and En no Ozunu before settling on Miko, and her expression softened into a joyful smile.
As the two groups drew closer, the beautiful shrine maiden was the first to speak.
"Oh my, little Miko, it's been so long. Three years already—you've grown even more beautiful. As your teacher, I'm truly proud."
"Lady Mirai!"
Upon seeing her, Miko nearly skipped forward in delight, clearly overjoyed to see this shrine maiden, for whom she held deep admiration and affection.
"Your spiritual power has grown stronger, but you've also lost some weight. You must have gone through a lot recently, haven't you?"
The love in Lady Mirai's voice overflowed with warmth.
"It's fine, Lady Mirai. Not... not hard at all."
Though she said so, the faint quiver in Miko's voice couldn't escape Mirai's notice.
This shrine maiden, who had always presented herself as strong and unshakable, was revealing her genuine emotions for the first time.
Lady Mirai smiled gently and brushed Miko's forehead twice, sighing softly. "Good child..."
Before long, however, her attention turned to the group walking leisurely behind—Satsuki and the others.
"Master En no Ozunu, it's been a while. You're not planning to run off halfway again this time, are you?"
It seemed Lady Mirai was quite familiar with the wandering ascetic, for her greeting carried a teasing tone.
Satsuki recalled what Miko had told her about Katori Jingū—En no Ozunu was a special instructor there, responsible for teaching shrine maidens how to control shikigami. However, his restless nature often got the better of him; he would begin teaching only to vanish halfway through class, wandering off to who-knows-where.
From what Satsuki understood, it was probably because the shrine was full of lovely shrine maidens, yet the sacred barriers established by the Saien and Saigū forbade him from so much as approaching them. Eventually, the frustration must have driven him to flee the premises.
"Ahahaha~ Lady Mirai of the Saien, it's been a while..." En no Ozunu scratched his cheek awkwardly, laughing dryly. "Have mercy on me, will you? At least let me keep a shred of dignity in front of my juniors."
Covering her lips with one hand, Mirai chuckled softly. "That depends entirely on how well you behave this time at the shrine, Master En no Ozunu."
Finally, Lady Mirai's gaze fell upon Satsuki. Like everyone else, a trace of shock flickered in her eyes. However, that expression lasted only for an instant before she regained her composure.
"I assume you must be Miss Satsuki, the one Miko mentioned," she said with a polite smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Kagura Mirai, currently serving as the Saien of the Katori Jingū's Kashima Shintō-ryū Barrier Division."
Saien—the third-highest rank among shrine maidens, one of the true authorities within the Jingū. Above them stood only the Saigū, the supreme leader of Katori Jingū, and the Divine Child, the living representative of the gods.
That this woman before them was a true power-holder of one of the Four Great Jingū—and had come personally to greet them—spoke volumes about the importance Katori Jingū placed on their arrival.
Satsuki did not put on airs. She returned the courtesy with grace. "It's an honor to meet you, Lady Mirai. When I first met Miss Miko, I was already curious about what kind of shrine could raise such an exceptional shrine maiden. Now that I've met you, my curiosity has finally been satisfied."
The corners of Mirai's eyes curved like crescent moons. "You certainly know how to speak, Miss Satsuki. I have a feeling that if you manage to pass the trial, you will surely become a remarkable shrine maiden yourself."
Satsuki smiled softly, replying neither humbly nor arrogantly. "Thank you for your kind words, Lady Saien. I will do my best."
After the polite exchanges, the group followed the Saien into the city known as North Ueno Castle.
The shrine maiden in white robes and scarlet hakama walked gracefully at the front, speaking softly as she introduced the history and structure of Katori Jingū.
Though Satsuki had already heard a brief version of it from Miko, Mirai's explanation was far more detailed.
"Katori Jingū is primarily composed of two shrines—Katori Shrine and Kashima Shrine. Originally, they each maintained their own training grounds, but several centuries ago, due to reasons lost to history, the two merged, gradually forming the present-day Katori Jingū."
"Katori Shrine enshrines Futsunushi no Ōkami, while Kashima Shrine venerates Takemikazuchi no Kami. In addition, there are numerous branch shrines scattered across the nation—bekkyū, sessha, massha, and shokansha. Those, however, are merely considered 'shrines.' When we speak of the 'Jingū,' we usually mean the Grand Shrine of Katori Jingū located here in Ueno. Shrine maidens from other affiliated shrines do not have the right to call themselves 'maidens of Katori Jingū.'"
"No exceptions?" Satsuki asked curiously.
The shrine maiden walking ahead paused briefly before answering with a faint smile. "There are exceptions, of course. From time to time, shrine maidens of the Grand Shrine go on pilgrimages across the land. When they encounter young women or shrine maidens with outstanding potential, they are invited to train within the Jingū. If they can pass the Grand Shrine's virtue and skill trials, they earn the right to call themselves Maidens of Katori Jingū."
...
As they talked, the group eventually arrived before the grand gates of Katori Jingū.
Before them was the most crowded scene Satsuki had witnessed since coming to this era.
Merchants, fishermen, farmers, and travelers—all gathered here, each with their own wishes, offering prayers to the gods or seeking the protection of shrine maidens.
Lifting her gaze, Satsuki saw a massive vermilion torii gate standing proudly before the crowd. On both sides, cherry trees were planted—and even in winter, their blossoms were miraculously in full bloom. Two rows of stone lanterns flanked the approach, stretching inward along the path.
To their right stood a monumental stone stele, upon which four bold characters were engraved: [香取神宫]—Katori Jingū.
"This is the main gate of Katori Jingū," Mirai explained. "It was constructed according to the highest standards of the Heian period's Grand Imperial Shrines. In the era before yokai ran rampant, it was one of the shrines directly funded by the imperial court itself, receiving sacred offerings and fine fabrics from the highest ranks of nobility."
A Grand Imperial Shrine—the highest rank a shrine could attain in ancient times. From the heavy flow of visitors and the faint age-worn air of the torii, it was clear that the shrine had a long and venerable history. Though renovated several times, the structure still bore the aura of centuries past.
Beyond the gate stretched a long stone-paved path. In this era, to have a walkway constructed entirely of processed stone bricks was a luxury that even some nations could not afford.
Shops lined both sides of the approach. Satsuki glanced around and noticed that, much like temple markets, they sold a variety of small charms and talismans meant for blessings.
As the Saien shrine maiden guided them, she explained in a gentle tone about the items sold here.
Most of the shops specialized in omamori—protective charms.
There were ones for leg strength and health, neatly sewn pouches embroidered with symbols and tied with pearl cords. In such a turbulent age, omamori represented the simplest wishes of ordinary people.
Since their creation, these charms had been used to ward off evil and misfortune. Over time, they evolved to address more personal and practical wishes—safe childbirth, harmonious relationships, success in studies, and so on.
In the early days, shrine priests would write the name of a deity on a wooden plaque or paper slip, seal it in a small cloth bag, and sell it to the worshippers who came to pray.
But as yokai grew rampant and the world descended into chaos, omamori began to focus more on protection. Many of them truly contained varying levels of spiritual power—naturally, proportional to their price.
For those made by apprentice or novice shrine maidens who had yet to pass the virtue and skill examinations, the price was relatively low. Such charms held only faint traces of spiritual energy—enough to calm one's mind, but hardly capable of warding off evil or exorcising yokai.
However, based on what Satsuki had observed during her journey, these lower-grade charms were the most widely sought after. They were affordable, and people did not expect miracles from them—making them both practical and popular.
Those made by fully qualified shrine maidens, or the higher-ranking Miko, were far more expensive. Yet their quantity was limited; only nobles or the wealthy could afford them.
As for the highest-grade charms—crafted by Great Miko or even Saien-class shrine maidens—each was a rare treasure, never sold to the public and reserved strictly for internal use within the Jingū.
Besides omamori, there were also local specialties, such as sweet rice dumplings. Miko, it seemed, had quite the sweet tooth. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw them, and she immediately bought a portion with visible delight.
The group continued deeper along the stone path.
After passing through the ninth torii gate, the number of ordinary visitors began to dwindle, replaced by increasing numbers of shrine maidens in red-and-white attire.
The air here was serene and orderly.
The return of Miko and the Saien caused no commotion. Every shrine maiden who saw them greeted them respectfully—out of admiration for Miko's exorcism journey and reverence toward the spirit of Midoriko, who continued her eternal battle within the Shikon Jewel.
Satsuki's Tenseigan swept across them one by one, and she was quietly astonished by the spiritual pressure emanating from each shrine maiden.
"So this is what it means to be a 'shrine maiden of Katori Jingū,' huh? Even the weakest among them possesses spiritual power several times stronger than the most formidable freelance exorcist I've encountered."
This explained why Satsuki had been so impressed by Miko's spiritual power when they first met. Shrine maidens with such strength were exceedingly rare—almost unheard of.
Yet here, within the Jingū, Satsuki had already seen more than twenty shrine maidens—and at least five of them had spiritual power equal to Miko's. Their shrine robes were embroidered with patterns of flame and swords—the symbols of Futsunushi no Ōkami, god of battle and purification.
Satsuki silently marveled to herself. In such an age, if humanity lacked the foundation embodied by this sacred place, then surely a single gesture from a great yokai could have wiped humankind from the pages of history.
Nearby, En no Ozunu bid farewell to the group. As one of Katori Jingū's instructors, he was required to report his return. He also needed to brief the Saigū about the magatama incident and attempt to find a way to dissolve the 'contract' that bound him. Thus, upon reaching the Jingū, he had to attend to his own matters immediately.
Satsuki and Miko's situations were different. Miko, having successfully fulfilled her duty as guardian of the Shikon Jewel, was about to be formally recognized. According to the Saien shrine maiden, this was an achievement rarely accomplished even within the Jingū itself.
If an exorcist shrine maiden could survive three years as the custodian of the Shikon Jewel and return it safely to Katori Shrine, she would earn the right to compete for the position of the next Saien.
Therefore, as Miko passed by the main hall, the shrine maidens at the entrance invited her inside—said to be a personal summons from the Saigū herself.
That left only Satsuki and Ruri. Under the Saien's guidance, the two were led to a large side hall.
After stepping up onto the wooden veranda, they found a young shrine maiden already kneeling inside, waiting. When she noticed the Saien's arrival, she stood and approached them respectfully.
Although she wore the same red-and-white shrine maiden's attire, there was no emblem of Katori Jingū upon it, and her spiritual power was faint—pitifully weak, even. From Satsuki's perspective, she was only marginally stronger than the untrained freelance shrine maidens wandering the countryside.
"This is Miyo, a shrine maiden in charge of assisting newcomers with their daily needs," the Saien explained. "This hall is reserved as living quarters for newly admitted shrine maidens. There aren't many rooms, but since only a few new maidens join each year, there are always vacancies. Three rooms have been prepared for you—they're cleaned and fully equipped. If there's anything you find uncomfortable or require specially, you may ask Miyo for help."
"The atmosphere here is serene, the surroundings beautiful, and the air carries a faint scent of flowers," Satsuki said softly. "I like it very much."
"I'm glad to hear that."
The Saien smiled warmly, her violet eyes glimmering with a deep, assessing light as she studied Satsuki and the quiet Ruri beside her.
"Miko has always had an excellent eye for people. In her report, she spoke very highly of you, Miss Satsuki. I trust that child completely, so I'm inclined to trust her judgment as well. If you ever encounter difficulties in your training," she said gently, "you may come to me at any time."
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