Mount Yougou — the Grand Narukami Shrine.
When Yae Miko returned to the shrine once more, she found that the long-familiar place had changed in subtle ways since she had last lived here.
At her side, little Yae still a small pink-haired kitsune—\ looked around curiously, her bright eyes reflecting the shrine's red pillars and lush greenery.
Miko exhaled softly. She lowered herself to eye level.
"Little Yae, from today on, you'll be living here.
Once you've learned what you must, you will inherit the position of Guuji."
"Is Lord Luo Li going to teach me? Will I get to live with him too?
And… does being Guuji come with any perks?"
The little fox was visibly excited.
Though that "bad man" liked teasing her, compared to her strict master… she definitely preferred Luo Li.
Miko stroked her head gently.
Instead of answering the first questions, she smiled.
"As Guuji… you can eat all the fried tofu you want. No one will stop you."
"Really?!"
Little Yae's eyes lit up instantly, her fluffy pink ears flicking happily.
Miko's smile held a faint sadness.
She still had to visit Mitsuba Kouden and Asase Hibiki.
Since Chiyo already knew the truth, it was only a matter of time before the others learned as well.
Rather than wait for them to storm in demanding answers, it was better to tell them herself.
Months and Years Pass
Life in Inazuma gradually returned to normal.
With the monsters around Narukami Island cleared, the citywide curfew was lifted.
Safe sea routes were finally opened several of them fully secure.
Merchants could once again travel abroad for trade, albeit under restrictions.
Ordinary citizens barely felt any change.
Only the higher ranks sensed something was amiss.
The once lively political circles had grown cold and oppressive.
Tenshukaku no longer echoed with the laughter of the Shogun and Her Highness.
The Ogitengu guards, who once frequently caught glimpses of the Shogun strolling the halls, rarely if ever saw the divine figure again.
Only rumors circulated through the populace:
That the tengu who often visited Mount Yougou had departed
Sailing away aboard a supernatural manor floating upon the sea, never to return.
That the gentle young shrine maiden Asase Hibiki, known for her archery practice, had suddenly left to return to Seirai Island and inherit Asase Shrine.
That the oni general Miyuu Chiyo shut her doors to all visitors, adopted a child, and refused to leave her home.
And that the Grand Narukami Shrine's solemn Guuji had been replaced by a twelve-year-old girl—
Said to be a descendant of the Hakushin lineage, handpicked by Miko herself.
As time passed, the people slowly realized:
Inazuma was changing in ways they could not comprehend.
Until one day, a decree from Tenshukaku shook the nation
The Sakoku Decree.
The Shogunate would seal the seas, limit trade, and prohibit foreign entry.
Without a travel permit, outsiders would be restricted to Ritou.
Though inconvenient, the people only grumbled in private.
Toward the Shogun who protected them, they still held deep respect.
Five Hundred Years of Change
Generations rose and fell.
The wounds of the Abyssal invasion gradually faded.
Life under the Sakoku Decree became the norm, a quiet constraint they adapted to.
Some did not understand the Shogun's pursuit of "Eternity"
But none dared to question her.
The one consolation was that, for five centuries, Inazuma had suffered no upheaval.
Its people lived in peace.
Perhaps this tranquility could last forever.
Somewhere Far from Inazuma
A windless place.
A sea of ash.
A dead ocean where no living thing should exist.
Not for a hundred years
Not for a thousand.
And yet, today, the still waters were disturbed by a small boat cutting across the ashen sea.
Two adventurers stood aboard.
"Stanley… are you sure there's treasure out here?"
One of them looked around nervously, terrified that some monster would burst out of the water and end their lives on the spot.
They had been sailing for days.
If they failed to find anything soon, they would need to return for supplies.
Seeing his companion so frightened, the other man gentle-faced and confident patted his shoulder.
"Hans, I told you not to come.
But don't worry. Even if something happens, I'll protect you."
Hans nodded vigorously.
"I trust you, Mr. Stanley!"
Once reassured, Stanley resumed rowing.
Before long, a faint shimmer appeared in the distance a domain hidden amid the grey.
"There it is!"
Unable to hide his excitement, he pointed ahead.
Hans urged him to row faster, but distance on the Ashen Sea was deceptive.
Hours passed.
The domain grew closer, inch by inch.
Just as the two men's smiles began to bloom
The sea erupted.
A deafening whirlpool formed beneath them, and a colossal shadow swept by beneath the surface.
Hans paled.
"W–What was that…?"
Stanley's expression hardened.
"A sea beast. We've encountered one before."
"A SEA BEAST?!"
Hans' voice cracked.
Stanley, already expecting his partner to panic, moved quickly.
Calm and practiced, he pulled numerous tools from his pack clearly experienced in dealing with such hazards.
He was a seasoned adventurer, after all; something like this wouldn't shake him.
Or so he thought.
Perhaps starved of living prey after so long, the sea beast gave them no time to prepare.
With a thunderous roar, it surged up from the depths
And smashed their boat to splinters.
The tiny vessel was nothing compared to the monster's enormous bulk.
Reacting instantly, Stanley unfurled his glider and grabbed Hans, pulling him into the air.
But with the dead sea offering no wind, and with another person dragging him down, the wings barely functioned.
Seeing its prey rise, the beast snarled, leaping skyward.
It opened its foul, jagged maw huge enough to swallow both men whole.
Hans nearly wet himself, clinging to Stanley like a terrified child.
The distraction prevented Stanley from drawing any tools.
He could only watch as the shadow of the beast engulfed them.
Time slowed.
And then
Space froze.
The air between the two adventurers and the beast solidified.
Everything halted mid-motion.
The monster.
The spray of seawater.
The two men suspended in air.
Hans tried to scream but no sound came out.
Stanley stared at the frozen scene, astonished beyond words.
He thought they were doomed
Yet something had intervened.
Moments or minutes passed.
Just as the two believed they might remain trapped forever
Space shattered.
Like a mirror breaking.
Like reality cracking.
The world turned black.
An abyss swallowed everything.
Stanley's eyes went wide as he stared at the impossible scene.
It was as though the Abyss itself had descended.
He felt his mind go blank.