Miketsu stepped into the study, which was filled with an array of strange and curious tools. After gesturing for the servant boy to leave, Fujiwara no Kanehira bowed deeply to her and spoke with solemnity.
"I did not expect the Heavenly God to grace me with a visit today. Please forgive my hurried reception..."
"It's nothing... While I am in the human realm, I am not a deity, but an onmyoji just like you," Miketsu replied with a smile and a casual wave of her hand.
"Indeed... I should have realized that the sudden appearance of the genius onmyoji, Asakura Hao, was one of your earthly incarnations—much like the rising Lord of the Hundred Demons in the demon realm. In any case, please, have a seat..." Fujiwara no Kanehira replied with a smile. Back at the altar of the Vermilion Bird Seal, Miketsu had already confessed to him and Totosai that her identity as Owl was actually a true god from the Celestial Realm. Since this deity had one disguise, she could certainly have a second; Kanehira had been speculating about Asakura Hao's true identity for quite some time.
Hearing his words, Miketsu sat at a small table in the room. Seeing that Kanehira remained standing respectfully, she invited him to sit as well. He took a seat diagonally across from her, his posture still humble and slightly bowed.
"You mentioned before that you would be punished upon your return. How is it? Is everything alright?"
"Heh, thank you for your concern, Lady Uka. It was no great matter—merely a loss of rank. Although I no longer head the Spirit Tool Bureau, I still guide the younger generation here. My days are quite pleasant..." Kanehira spoke leisurely, and Miketsu felt a weight lift from her heart before she continued.
"I've come to see you today because of this..." Miketsu said, producing the Blade of the Three Realms that Kanehira had once personally given her. She unwrapped the cloth and placed it on the small table, immediately capturing his attention.
"You must know that this blade you forged has the ability to shift forms. Based on the materials used, it should have three states. I've come today to ask about the third form—the one corresponding to the divine realm..."
Miketsu then proceeded to detail the process and results of her attempts to activate the divine realm form. After listening with a grave expression, Kanehira fell into a silent, thoughtful pause before slowly speaking.
"I believe I understand the situation you've encountered. In fact, I had some inkling of this even before you arrived."
"You expected this?" Miketsu tilted her head curiously. Had he anticipated that the divine realm mode of the blade wouldn't function normally?
"Yes, because yours is not the only blade with this issue. The Lord of the Dog Clan in Harima is also unable to activate the divine blade. Totosai informed me of this via letter..." Kanehira said slowly. Though Totosai had returned to Harima, he and Kanehira maintained a correspondence to discuss matters of forging.
"Toga? He's having the same problem?" Miketsu was quite surprised. If that was the case, Toga must be as proficient with the demonic and spiritual blades as she was.
"Indeed. Since obtaining the new weapon, the power of the Lord of the Dog Clan has grown steadily, far surpassing an ordinary yokai general. The resistance in Harima against Oyakata's rule has gained significant momentum, yet the Lord of the Dog Clan is still a step away from becoming a Yokai Lord and cannot yet defeat Oyakata directly. Therefore, he too is seeking greater power." In a few sentences, Kanehira updated her on the situation in Harima before continuing.
"As for the reason the divine blade cannot be activated, Totosai and I have discussed it. We concluded that these two blades were initially designed only as dual-realm weapons, balancing demonic and spiritual power. It was only because those two powers couldn't reach equilibrium that your divine power was added as a temporary measure to complete the forging.
"This means that the inclusion of divine power was outside the original design. There was no specific architecture created for the release of divine power during its construction. Consequently, while divine power exists within the sword, it only serves to balance the demonic and spiritual energies and cannot be utilized directly." Kanehira explained slowly. Hearing this, Miketsu nodded in realization.
So the reason the divine blade couldn't be activated was that the sword had never been designed with a release mechanism for divine power; her appearance and the subsequent infusion of divine energy had been entirely unexpected for Kanehira and Totosai.
"So, is there a way to fix this?" Miketsu asked. Since the problem lay with the weapon itself, the solution could only be found with its smiths.
"Totosai and I have discussed a solution. The method is simple: the sword must be modified and reforged to include a structure corresponding to divine power."
"Simple? Does that mean you can do it?"
"The method for modification is simple in theory, but the crux of the matter is that neither Totosai nor I know what that structure should look like. I study spirit tools and he studies demonic blades; though we are masters of our respective fields, we have never touched the realm of the gods. Neither of us knows what a so-called divine weapon is supposed to be like or how it should be constructed," Kanehira said, frowning. The root of the problem was their lack of experience forging divine artifacts.
"I see..."
"Yes, so I fear I may struggle to resolve your dilemma, Lady Uka... It is an unfortunate situation. We know so little of vessels for divine power; if only we had a reference, we wouldn't be at such a loss." Kanehira's tone was one of helplessness, but as he finished, Miketsu's eyes lit up.
"A reference? Perhaps you could take a look at this." As she spoke, Miketsu pulled another item from her bundle—the Decaying Bow she had found in the shrine's Main Hall.
"This is... May I pick it up to examine it?"
"Of course."
Watching Miketsu place the stringless, Decaying Bow on the table, Kanehira's gaze was instantly riveted. With her permission, he picked up the bow and began a meticulous inspection. After careful touch and observation, he spoke slowly.
"This is truly a divine object. I know not why such a thing has decayed to this state, but its value remains immense. Perhaps through it, we can find a specific method to modify the sword..."
"If it can be of use, then that is wonderful. Tell me, is there anything else you can tell about this bow?" Miketsu asked, feeling a sense of relief and wanting to know if the bow from her Main Hall held any other secrets.
Kanehira took another long, detailed look at the Decaying Bow, organizing his thoughts before addressing her.
"It appears this bow may have been originally crafted by mortals and transformed into a divine object after receiving a divine blessing... Furthermore, it seems the person who made this bow was not of this land."
"Not of this land?" A flicker of curiosity appeared in Miketsu's eyes.
"Correct. This bow is perfectly symmetrical, with the grip clearly located in the center. This is not a characteristic of a wagyu," Kanehira stated plainly. Hearing this, Miketsu suddenly realized that the bows she saw daily—used by samurai and soldiers—were different from the bows in her memory. They were enormous and asymmetrical, with the grip positioned low so that the upper arc was much longer than the lower one.
She had later learned that this was due to a lack of high-quality materials; unable to produce powerful bows of standard size, the people of this country increased the size of the bow to improve its draw weight and power. However, a bow that long would hit the ground if held in the center, so the grip was moved downward, creating the characteristic asymmetrical longbow.
Such bows were the standard in this country, yet the one she had found in her shrine was clearly different—it was symmetrical!
"The upper and lower arcs are deeply curved, and the tips recurve outward... The materials are a composite of several substances... Despite the severe decay, one can still see the exquisite craftsmanship..." Kanehira remarked as he continued his examination. He then turned his gaze to Miketsu, looking at her with profound seriousness.
"Lady Uka, this bow... it likely comes from the Middle Kingdom."
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