Deep within the uninhabited mountains, an old woman clad in a voluminous hooded cloak advanced slowly.
She was Mitsue Takeda, known as the "Downtown Godmother." In her youth, she had been a formidable exorcist. Now, in her twilight years, she survived by selling prayer beads with minor spiritual properties or using a crystal ball to read fortunes for others.
She had shared a brief encounter with Miko and Hana once. Hoping to help, she had given Miko a string of prayer beads she had poured her heart into making. To her shock, the moment Miko put them on, the cord snapped violently, and the beads pelted her in the face.
Utterly humiliated, Mitsue had become disheartened, planning to retire from the occult world and return to her hometown to farm. However, a photograph sent to her yesterday had forced her back into action.
"That shrine that shouldn't exist... how did those two girls get in there?"
The photo was the group shot Hana had posted online. Although their faces were blurred, Mitsue had memorized their spiritual auras and recognized them instantly. Fearing for their safety, she risked venturing into these woods, hoping to eliminate the hidden threat by herself.
After walking for some time along the mountain path, Mitsue noticed something strange.
"It's too quiet. This mountain used to be called the 'Abandoned Land'; spirits should be swarming here. Why can't I see a single one? Has my spiritual power faded to this level? No, I felt much stronger recently. Something else must have happened."
She looked at her hands, wrinkled like old tree bark, and sighed softly. "In my final moments, let me help someone one last time."
Forcing herself to take a deep breath, she used a tree branch to steady her gait and continued upward. By the time she reached the mid-slope, there was still no sign of the shrine, and her stamina was nearly depleted.
"Is it no use this time either?"
Just as she was about to give up, she suddenly noticed the scenery ahead flickering. Different landscapes seemed to be overlapping. Rubbing her eyes to ensure it wasn't just her cataracts acting up, she exhaled sharply and dragged her weary body toward the anomaly.
Reaching the blurred area, she tentatively reached out her hand. It felt as if she were passing through a thin membrane; her palm became hazy as well.
"A barrier?" Mitsue muttered. She pulled several strings of prayer beads from her pockets and donned them. After taking several deep breaths to compose herself, she stepped across the boundary.
The scene transformed. Where there had been lush forest, there was now a weathered stone staircase.
"Finally... back here again." Her voice was thick with hatred and sorrow. "This time, we settle this!"
Mitsue's aura shifted, as if she had regained the vigor of her prime. She climbed the stone steps with a firm, steady pace, completing the hundreds of stairs in under ten minutes. At the summit, she saw the shrine that had haunted her dreams.
"There's no mistake. This is it. This is where Oka Towako..."
Mitsue's face contorted into a grimace of rage. She screamed at the surroundings, "Come out! I know you're here! Come out and fight me! Even if it costs me my life, I'll drag you down to hell with me!"
The moment she finished speaking, a powerful storm erupted in the clearing. Dust and leaves swirled through the air. She shielded her face with her arms, leaning forward with all her might to avoid being blown away.
Following the storm, a pure white light descended. Mitsue lowered her arms, staring blankly at three blurred figures appearing within the radiance.
The figure on the left was massive; the other two were smaller, though the one in the center was still taller than her.
Wait? This doesn't match my memory. Shouldn't there be two small children? Could it be... A horrifying thought crossed her mind, and her face paled. Could it be that after all these years of killing, it has evolved and mutated?
Realizing she might not survive this encounter, she pushed the thought aside. She was at an age where she didn't have many years left anyway; she might as well settle the score now while she could still move! Even if she couldn't slay this evil god, she had to wound it severely enough to stop its malice.
With that thought, she whipped several jars and bottles from her cloak, hurlng them at the largest figure while screaming: "Demon Scourge!"
Seeing the projectiles flying toward it, Pidgeot was offended. It hadn't done anything, and there were three of them—why target the bird first? Did she think it was the easy mark?
With a flick of its wings, a whirlwind caught the jars and sent them flying back. They shattered against Mitsue's feet, drenching her in the very exorcism salt she had intended to use.
"As I thought, it won't be that easy."
Mitsue hadn't lost heart. She pulled out a stack of talismans and flung them at Pidgeot: "Demon Scourge!"
Pidgeot: "..."
The bird didn't even move; the talismans simply froze in mid-air.
Aomori, who had been striking a pose nearby, couldn't take it anymore. He realized the old woman couldn't even see them clearly, otherwise she surely would have aimed those tools at his face instead.
He decided not to waste any more time.
In a flash, he appeared before Mitsue. Before she could react, he pressed a finger to her brow. A massive surge of Holy Light flowed through his finger, circulating through her body before concentrating in her eyes.
Mitsue felt a wave of heat in her eyes. Suddenly, the world became crystal clear, as if someone had removed a pane of frosted glass from before her vision. She finally saw the three figures clearly.
The one she had been targeting was a giant bird with a sharp gaze. Further back stood a strange-looking dog, and directly in front of her was a young man wearing a fox mask.
"What is this?" Mitsue was bewildered. How could she suddenly see them? Moreover, a powerful, strange energy was coursing through her, washing away her fatigue. She had never felt so vital.
Was it because of this power? Did the young man do this?
Mitsue asked directly, "Who are you? Are you the god of this place?"
Having successfully restored her sight, Aomori withdrew his finger. He smiled and replied, "I am indeed the god of this place, though I only took over this shrine a few days ago. An evil god occupied this place before, but I eliminated it."
"You eliminated the evil god?" Mitsue was skeptical. She probed further, "What did that evil god look like?"
"It was merely a fox spirit merged with a vengeful wraith."
"A fox spirit?"
"This one." Aomori pulled out the little fox to show her. Its two lively tails proved it was no ordinary creature.
"By the way, that evil god was accompanied by two children. After the god was destroyed, they regained their true forms. One of them still possessed her sanity and spoke with me briefly. She told me her name was Oka Towako."
"Oka... Towako?!" Mitsue cried out, her voice trembling. "What happened to her?"
"She was an acquaintance? Unfortunately, she was merely a spirit. She dissipated shortly after to undergo reincarnation."
Mitsue's eyes dimmed. Years ago, after accidentally wandering into this place, her mentor and friend Oka Towako had sacrificed herself to ensure Mitsue's safety. She had carried that guilt for decades. Hearing that Towako was finally free to reincarnate brought a sliver of peace to her soul.
"Is that so? That's for the best then."
Mitsue sighed, looking as if she had aged another ten years in an instant; even the Holy Light couldn't stop the weight of time. Suddenly remembering something, she asked, "What about the two girls? One with short orange hair, the other with long black hair. You should remember them."
Having come to believe Aomori's words, she had shifted to using a respectful tone.
"Look at that photograph again."
"Hmm? How did you know I had a photo?" Mitsue pulled the picture from her pocket. This time, seeing the full, clear content of the photo, she couldn't help but smile.
"Don't worry, they are both fine. The girl with long black hair made a wish to me. I will protect them."
"I see. Then I can rest easy." With the business here concluded, she had no reason to stay.
Just as she was about to bid the deity farewell, Aomori spoke up. "Since you're already here, why not make a wish to me?"
"Make a wish?" Mitsue paused and shook her head. "I'm just an old woman with one foot in the grave. I won't trouble you."
"It's precisely when death approaches that one has wishes that need fulfilling. Don't you have something you want to see realized?"
"Of course I do. But if I may be so bold as to ask... making a wish to you requires a price, doesn't it?"
"Equivalent exchange. It is very fair. I am a proper deity. Unlike evil gods, I state the price clearly upfront, and you decide whether to accept it." Aomori repeated the same principles he had shared with Miko.
"I see. That is fair." Mitsue nodded. "May I ask the price that girl had to pay?"
"Her? She is required to serve as the shrine maiden here for three months."
"A shrine maiden? I didn't expect that. It seems... almost too simple."
"No. In my eyes, the two are of equal value."
"I shall consider it. Perhaps I will trouble you again later." As a seasoned veteran, Mitsue wasn't going to trust Aomori completely based on words alone. Furthermore, many past cases showed the dire consequences of trading with "gods." She had to be cautious.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Mitsue left the shrine, carrying her memories with her.
"Was I perhaps a bit too friendly?" Aomori wondered. In the past, he might have used any means necessary, threats or lures, to force her to make a wish. "But then again, even if a bond is formed that way, it would be a 'malicious bond,' wouldn't it?"
He didn't want to become a Great Evil God. That wouldn't do.
…
After descending the mountain, Mitsue Takeda returned to her closed shop.
"Oh, Mitsue, back so soon? I figured you couldn't bear to leave this place," the old man from the shop across the street said, walking over.
"Yes. I was born for this work. Farming isn't half as comfortable as holding a crystal ball," Mitsue replied.
"Good. It's no fun running my shop without you here."
"Why would a shoe store need me around?" Mitsue remembered something and added, "Take care of your health. At our age, it's easy to just... slip away."
"Don't worry, I'm as sturdy as they come."
After a few more words, the old man returned to his shop. Mitsue took out her keys, unlocked the door, and pulled up the shutter. At that moment, she heard footsteps behind her.
Without turning around, she said, "The shop doesn't open until tomorrow. Sorry."
"Ah, I just wanted to ask if you sell any particularly powerful prayer beads here."
That voice.
She spun around. Upon seeing the man's face, she said coldly, "It's you, Rom."
Rom, wearing a cowboy hat, waved and smiled slightly. "Sensei, long time no see. You look well."
"Cut the nonsense. You sent this photo to me, didn't you?" Mitsue pulled out the photo Hana had taken.
"Yes. Did you go there? What's the situation now?" Rom asked impatiently.
"The evil god we encountered before has been destroyed by another deity. Everything there is over."
"Destroyed? Is that so? That's great." With that, Rom tipped his hat, bowed to Mitsue, and turned to disappear into the night.
"Rom, I hope you don't do anything foolish." Only someone who had stood before Aomori could understand how terrifying a god could be. They were not beings humans could contend with. If that one harbored any malice, no one could stop him. That was her conclusion.
"That... is a true god."
…
On the other side, Hiyori, having finished her dinner at home, jumped onto her large bed and rolled around clutching a stuffed animal. Today felt surreal.
The ordinary world had suddenly become so strange. Ever since meeting that "Delivery God" Yato, her world had been turned upside down. Today, another human who could see spirits had appeared. And according to him, there was another god in his home.
Should I trust him? Should I go?
Hiyori let go of the toy and lay flat on the bed. She pulled out her phone and dialed a familiar number. The phone rang. Elsewhere, a certain someone currently locked in a battle of wits with a kitten was startled; the kitten took the opportunity to bolt.
Seeing the name on the screen, he immediately hung up and resumed his cat-catching mission.
Idiot Yato, ignoring my calls again.
It seemed she couldn't rely on him. In that case, she would go see Kudo-kun.
If he has bad intentions...
Hiyori jumped off the bed and struck a martial arts pose, throwing a few crisp punches. Her perfect form added an air of heroic charm.
My fists aren't just for show.
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