The Heian period. A time when yokai and demons ran rampant, an era where humans, yokai, and gods existed in chaos. It was an age where the boundary between this world and the other was blurred, where yin and yang were intermingled.
Kyoto, or rather Heian-kyo, was the center of Japan in this era. It was the founding of this city that established the name and beginning of this period.
The outwardly prosperous Heian-kyo was the most remarkable place in the land. It was the capital of humans, a dwelling for yokai, and a place where gods descended.
Several hundred years have passed since a certain Emperor relocated the capital here for his own purposes. During these centuries, what was once a small settlement has been continuously built up under government decree, and has now grown to a considerable scale.
Within Heian-kyo's Imperial Palace, countless high-ranking nobles resided, weaving conspiracies for power that gave birth to a dense darkness. And this darkness, in turn, nurtured innumerable yokai.
This capital, seemingly peaceful and prosperous on the surface—the center of Japan, the residence of the Emperor, a living god—was secretly churning with countless undercurrents...
Far from the deep, dark vortex of Heian-kyo, to the southeast of the capital, lies a sacred mountain named 'Inari'. Inari Mountain is composed of three peaks that rise progressively higher from west to east. In the gentle land between these peaks stands a shrine, an ancient shrine that has stood there since long ago.
Long before this land was a wasteland, long before Heian-kyo was even founded, this shrine already existed here. From atop this Mount Inari, it has looked down upon the land, witnessing the gradual establishment and flourishing of Heian-kyo.
It is said that a very efficacious deity once resided in this shrine. She used foxes as her messengers, brought bountiful harvests to the fields, granted people's wishes, and protected the land and its waters.
Then one day, this deity stopped responding to prayers. Legend says she fell into a deep slumber to protect this land. However, people believe that one day she will awaken from her sleep and continue to bring blessings to those who believe in her.
...
The sky was clear and the sun was bright; it was a cloudless day. On both sides of the long approach to the shrine on Inari Mountain, wildflowers of various colors bloomed amidst the sprawling weeds. The gentle breeze of April or May, carrying the scent of fresh grass, swirled along the quiet, secluded path.
Although the sunlight was brilliant, the shrine on the ground appeared quite deserted. Only two shrine maidens were listlessly sweeping the open area in front of the worship hall with their brooms. On such a fine day, not a single worshipper had come to the shrine.
At the end of the long path was the shrine's vibrant red torii gate. And atop that torii, a dazed-looking young girl was currently lying prone.
White robes and crimson hakama—it was a very typical shrine maiden outfit, but the style was more exquisite and complex. Not only were there faint patterns of flying cranes and rice ears printed on the white robes, but a satin ribbon and two golden bells were also tied at her waist.
The girl lay on the torii, the loose sleeves of her robe dangling down. Her short white hair was adorned with an exquisite Heavenly Mirror Crown, and her crimson eyes were half-open, her expression looking utterly listless.
Judging by her age, the girl looked to be about thirteen or fourteen. From her current posture, it seemed she was sunbathing.
Climbing atop a shrine's torii gate was, by any measure, an act of great disrespect towards the gods, even for a shrine maiden who served them. But strangely, the other shrine maidens sweeping below did not reprimand her. Or rather, no one even glanced in her direction.
"Ah... I'm so bored..." the listless girl lying on the torii muttered. Her dull eyes were filled with listlessness.
"No phone... no computer... no games... nothing... What the hell is this place..."
If the modern internet were a river, then the girl was like a salted fish thrown onto the shore, able to do nothing but lie there motionless after a brief struggle.
Deprived of the nourishment of the sea of information, the girl was clearly having extreme difficulty adjusting.
"Lady Uka!"
A mature female voice came from in front of the girl. She slowly lifted her head, and what came into her view was a massive fox.
It had black fur, a long, bushy tail, markings painted on its face, and a golden bell tied around its neck. Its body was the size of a lion or tiger. This large fox had appeared on the torii at some unknown point.
"Tsuruha..." Looking at the large, talking fox before her, the girl showed no surprise and simply spoke its name.
"Lady Uka, why are you still languishing here? This is truly not the proper demeanor for a god," the fox named Tsuruha said, a hint of anxiety in her voice as she looked at the girl.
"Tsuruha knows you have just awakened and are still adjusting, but at this critical juncture, I hope you can pull yourself together quickly, gather faith, and revitalize the shrine."
"Ugh... alright, alright... I know, I know..." Hearing Tsuruha's words, the girl on the torii slowly sat up, stretched languidly, and looked at Tsuruha, unhurriedly wiping the corner of her eye as she spoke.
"If I'm going to be this 'god' thing, I need to know how to do it first. I don't remember anything right now, so nagging me won't do any good."
"Er... you have a point. Although we anticipated that Lady Uka might lose some memories during this slumber, we never imagined it would be this complete..." Hearing the girl's words, Tsuruha sounded a bit helpless. After all, she had never heard of a god forgetting how to use their own divine power.
"So, just let me be quiet here by myself. Maybe I'll be able to remember something, you know."
"Hmm... What you say makes sense, Lady Uka, but you've been 'being quiet' for two days now. Have you remembered anything at all?" Tsuruha tilted her head slightly.
"I'm telling you... you can't force these things, Tsuruha. Just let me be alone for a while."
"Sigh... In that case, I won't disturb you any longer, Lady Uka. But please, try to recall your memories as a god soon. Because of your slumber, the shrine has been without a presiding deity for a long time. The number of worshippers has been dwindling, and we are losing faith rapidly." Hearing the girl's reply, Tsuruha sighed softly, then leaped down from the torii, landing lightly on the ground. She then walked away, ignored by the two sweeping shrine maidens.
"Phew..."
Watching Tsuruha leave, the girl let out a long breath. She gazed leisurely at the azure sky, a thousand thoughts welling up in her mind.
"It's been three days since I came to this godforsaken place..."
Clearly, the girl was a transmigrator. She had crossed over from a different time and world into what seemed to be ancient Japan, changing her identity, her gender, and becoming a being known as a god.
Astonishment, panic, fear—all the emotions of first encountering a strange world had now faded. After tentatively accepting her reality, the girl's heart was filled more with anxiety about the future.
From her observations over the past few days, the girl gathered that she was now in what appeared to be ancient Japan. She herself was a god named Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami. The fox from before, Tsuruha, called herself her divine messenger and was the first creature she had contact with after waking up. All the information she had about her current body came from her.
According to Tsuruha, the original owner of this body was a powerful god who deeply loved humanity. A hundred years ago, this god fell into a deep slumber to protect the land from disaster, only waking up a few days ago.
When she first awoke in this world, what appeared before her was Tsuruha, and behind her, a large pack of foxes of all shapes and sizes, all looking at her with eyes full of immense expectation.
At first, the girl could only respond to Tsuruha's various questions with complete bewilderment. Just as she was racking her brain for a way to tell the large fox, "I'm not your master," Tsuruha had already come up with an explanation for her.
Amnesia... Tsuruha believed her master had lost her memories due to the long slumber. This deduction saved the girl the trouble of having to invent an excuse herself. Upon hearing Tsuruha's assessment, the girl quickly and silently nodded in agreement.
It was cliché, but it was the only explanation she could offer at the moment.
Her subconscious told her it would be wiser not to let this fox know that she might be an outsider who had taken over its master's body.
"A noble and sacred god who protects humanity? What a pain..." The girl shook her head and muttered softly. She reached into her long sleeve, fumbled around for a moment, and pulled out a small carving knife. Holding the knife, she began to carve Chinese characters into the torii beneath her.
She decided to properly organize the information she had gathered about this body over the past two days.
Stroke by stroke, crooked and uneven, a name soon appeared on the torii.
'Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami'
This was the girl's divine name, or her ritual name. According to Tsuruha, it was her most important name as a god, and it was because of this name that Tsuruha called her Lady Uka.
"Hmm... it looks cool, but it's too long. Not really suitable for a name, is it..."
After humming in thought for a moment, the girl carved a second name.
'Uka-no-Mitama-no-Mikoto'
Tsuruha had said this was an honorific title for her, and that many gods had names in this format.
"It's a bit shorter, but it still looks a little weird..."
She shook her head slightly, then proceeded to carve a third name.
'Miketsu'
...
The sun set and the moon rose. Night fell. On Inari Mountain, shrouded in darkness, only the flickering lights from stone lanterns offered a faint glow.
Kojin-mine. This was a peak separate from the three peaks of Inari Mountain. Although it wasn't the highest point on Inari, it offered a wide, open view, allowing one to look down on the vast plains below and see Heian-kyo in the distance.
At this moment, a man stood on Kojin-mine with his hands clasped behind his back.
His face was stern, his gaze majestic, and his posture erect. He wore magnificent blue robes, and various magical implements floated around him. His long hair was braided into a long plait that hung down his back. Such an appearance was certainly not that of a mortal.
On Kojin-mine, the man looked up at the star-filled sky, silent, as if waiting for something.
Just then, with the rustling of grass and trees, a massive fox emerged from the thicket and walked slowly up behind the man.
"Lord Kou..." Tsuruha said, looking at the man's back.
"How are things?" the man named Kou asked. His voice was deep and heavy, condescending, and carried an unquestionable authority.
"There are no signs of Lady Uka's memories returning yet. It seems she has lost far more than we imagined. I never thought that, after awaken, Lady Uka wouldn't even recognize me."
"Is that so..."
"Yes... The Lady Uka of now is very different from before. I can no longer feel the gentleness of the old Lady Uka. She even seems to lack interest in the mission of protecting humans and gathering faith," Tsuruha continued.
"No interest in protecting humans?" Hearing this, Kou's tone changed.
"Hmph. If that's the case, it's not necessarily a bad thing." As he spoke, Kou's feet left the ground, and he levitated, slowly rising into the sky.
"Continue to protect her well. No matter what she becomes, that is your responsibility as a divine messenger." Turning around in mid-air, Kou looked down at Tsuruha on the ground and said.
"I understand... Tsuruha would do so even without you telling me, but..."
"Lord Kou, are you really not going to see Lady Uka?"
Hearing Tsuruha's words, Kou paused in the sky, then turned away.
"There's no need."
With that, Kou's figure shot up and disappeared into the distance in a mere instant. On the night-shrouded Kojin-mine, only Tsuruha's silhouette remained, gazing up at the star-dusted heavens.
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