Within the deep, tranquil bamboo forest stood a rustic mansion. Inside one of its elegant rooms, a girl with long, straight black hair looked toward the white-haired woman who had just slid open the door.
“You’re back, Eirin. What is the situation in the outside world?” the girl asked with a puzzled expression.
“I have scouted the human villages and the Yokai Ghost Market,” the woman named Eirin replied in a mature, steady voice to the girl she addressed as ‘Princess.’ “Whether in the human realm or the demon realm, there has been little change. At most, there are the usual rotations of officials in the human imperial court and shifts in the territories of the Yokai Lords.”
“No major changes, then… I thought the disturbance in the stagnation was because the world outside had undergone some great upheaval. It seems that is not the case,” the Princess mused.
“Indeed. Therefore, the disturbance to your eternal power was not caused by some large-scale incident, but by something else…”
“Something else…” Hearing Eirin’s words, the Princess fell into deep thought. After a moment, her eyes widened slightly as a realization struck her. “Could it be… pursuers from the Lunar Capital?”
“It is highly likely. Moreover, it is worth noting that for something to disturb your eternal power, it is most likely an entity possessing a power of the same nature…” Eirin’s expression became grave. A flicker of shock appeared on the Princess’s face.
“Power of the same nature as mine… You mean those people in the Lunar Capital have created another ‘Princess’ over these past few centuries?” The Princess looked incredulous at the conclusion, but Eirin remained calm.
“For the Lunar Capital, the existence of a ‘Princess’ is indispensable. After you used your power to stagnate the causality of the entire Eternal Pavilion, it became impossible for the Lunar Capital’s pursuers to find us. Since you have been unable to return for so long, they would inevitably begin work on a replacement. When I left the Lunar Capital, research into a ‘Second Princess’ had already begun. After several hundred years, I expect they have achieved results. After all… there is no shortage of brilliant talents among my disciples. Even without the Brain of the Moon, the Lunar Capital would never be reduced to incompetence.”
As Eirin spoke, a trace of worry touched her brow. On the other side, the Princess showed clear signs of panic.
“Then… have they succeeded? Was the disturbance I felt the ‘Second Princess’ created by the Lunar Capital? Are they using her to track us? If she truly possesses power identical to mine, my concealment might not work against her. She could lead the pursuers straight to us… Eirin! Do we need to move again?” The Princess grew anxious, but Eirin quickly moved to soothe her.
“Please do not worry too much, Princess. Creating a ‘Second Princess’ is no simple feat, and we cannot be certain they have succeeded. Consider this: two days have passed since the Eternal Pavilion felt that disturbance. If the Lunar Capital had truly confirmed our location using her power, they would have arrived long ago given their speed. The fact that we remain undisturbed proves they have not yet grasped our trail. We should still be safe for now.” Eirin analyzed the situation slowly, and the Princess finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Phew… If that’s the case, I can relax a little. But Eirin, what was that disturbance then?”
“I believe it was indeed a phenomenon caused by the Lunar Capital’s research into the ‘Second Princess,’ but not one they triggered intentionally. It is possible an accident occurred during their experiments,” Eirin continued.
“An accident? What kind?”
“That is unclear. Their research may have made a significant breakthrough but has not yet reached perfection, leading to an uncontrollable anomaly. Regardless, this is not good news for us. Once the Lunar Capital truly possesses a new ‘Princess,’ we may no longer be able to use your power to remain hidden…” Eirin’s words only deepened the Princess’s unease.
“Then Eirin… what should we do? We can’t just sit here and wait for death…”
“Perhaps… we must temporarily change our strategy for hiding, Princess,” Eirin replied after a moment of reflection.
Back in Heian-kyo, after Miketsu had brought the infant from the bamboo forest, she immediately used her identity as Asakura Hao to officially open the mansion she had acquired for free.
She recruited servants and hired samurai. Under Mokou’s direction, the Fujiwara clan provided Miketsu with a great deal of assistance, allowing the establishment of the Asakura household to proceed smoothly. The Asakura Residence was situated in the Upper Capital District of Heian-kyo. From that day on, the Asakura family officially took root in the capital as part of the Onmyo Clans, even if the entire family currently consisted of only two people.
With a full staff of servants, the mansion could finally function. However, Miketsu did not intend to live there often. From the beginning, it existed solely for the daughter she had adopted as Asakura Hao—Asakura Kaguya.
Once the matters at the Asakura Residence were settled, Miketsu made her way back to Mount Inari. In a secluded area, she practiced the familiar shift back into the divine realm. This time, she did not choose to ride a fox up the mountain; instead, she stepped onto the crowded approach, climbing the path step by step alongside the people.
Legends of a golden deity descending upon Heian-kyo to subjugate demons had spread from the Kizoku and Onmyoji to the common folk. People were speculating which deity had manifested in the mortal world. Because many had seen unnatural fox-cries and strange lights on Mount Inari on the night of the manifestation, the theory that Inari Okami had shown her power was very popular. This led to a surge in pilgrims. The long approach to the Inari Shrine was now bustling with people at almost every hour. The shrine had completely shed the desolate appearance it had when Miketsu first arrived. Given the miraculous and rapid revival of the Inari faith, the Hata clan, acting as the priestly family, decided to hold a grand celebration for the upcoming annual Hatsu-uma Grand Festival to symbolize the faith’s rebirth.
Ignored by the passing crowds, Miketsu finally reached the shrine’s torii. There, she saw a familiar figure who seemed to have been waiting for a long time.
“Lady Uka, your disciple Byakuren has been waiting for you.”
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