In the pitch-black forest, Miketsu and Tsuruha arrived at the place where they had previously hidden from the Demon-Faced Centipede. Seeing Yura still lying safely within the Concealment Formation, Miketsu couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
At least she wasn't eaten by wild beasts.
"So, Tsuruha, how much longer will it take for Yura to wake up?" Looking at the still-unconscious Yura, Miketsu asked Tsuruha. Without Yura, they couldn't find their way out.
"A human corroded by miasma will probably need about half a day to awaken," Tsuruha replied to her goddess's question.
Half a day? That's twelve hours, six shichen? Do we have to wait that long in this wretched place?
Miketsu glanced around at the gloomy, yin-filled environment, a sense of despair creeping into her heart. Everything that needed to be done was done; she didn't want to stay here a moment longer.
Right now, Miketsu desperately missed the hot springs in the hidden realm of Inari Mountain. All she wanted was to go back quickly, soak in a nice bath, and sleep for an entire day.
Just then, Miketsu's gaze swept over Yura's belongings, which she had scattered all over the ground. Her eyes focused on one particular item.
"Tsuruha, how is your recovery? Can you carry someone?"
Turning her head, Miketsu asked her divine messenger. She herself didn't have the stamina to carry a person of similar weight for several kilometers.
"Mm... Rest assured, Lady Uka. It was just an excessive drain on my spiritual power affecting my body. My physical strength is fine," Tsuruha said with a nod. As a spiritual beast, her recovery ability far surpassed that of a human.
"Although I can indeed carry this girl out, I don't know the way."
"It's fine. We don't know the way, but this thing does."
As she spoke, Miketsu picked up the object from the ground. It was a compass.
...
And so, with Miketsu and Tsuruha—who was carrying Yura—relying on Yura's compass to pinpoint their direction, they walked out of the forest without much trouble. After wandering aimlessly for a while, Tsuruha caught the scent of oxen and successfully led them back to their starting point: a clearing where a number of ox carts were parked. At this moment, aside from a few servants guarding the carts, there were only about ten dejected adepts. It seemed they were all survivors of the Demon-Faced Centipede.
The final deadline for the selection trial had already passed, yet only this few had emerged from the forest. This meant that the vast majority had likely perished in the belly of the Demon-Faced Centipede. At this thought, Miketsu couldn't help but sigh internally.
The Onmyoji were still inside the forest. Tsuruha guessed they were probably dealing with the Demon-Faced Centipede's corpse; after all, the body of such a powerful yokai could yield many valuable materials.
Without alerting the servants or the group of adepts, Miketsu and Tsuruha started back towards Heian-kyo along the road. Since she hadn't been affected by the Yosuzume's blinding spell at all, Miketsu knew the way back quite clearly.
Although the journey there had taken a long time, it was because the ox cart convoy had deliberately taken detours to confuse the passengers. Now that she knew the way, Miketsu took the shortest route. Even so, they walked for nearly two shichen, stopping and starting, until Miketsu felt her legs were about to break and the sky began to show the pale light of dawn. Only then did they see the silhouette of Heian-kyo in the distance.
Looking at the city's silhouette against the horizon, Miketsu's eyes welled up with tears.
Before the sun had risen, Miketsu and Tsuruha entered Heian-kyo. Because Tsuruha was too conspicuous, Miketsu had to make her shrink down and hide inside her sleeve. Finally, she personally carried Yura to an inn, rented a room under the owner's strange gaze, and dropped Yura onto the floor bedding inside.
After letting out a long sigh of relief in the room, Miketsu thought for a moment, then borrowed a brush and paper from the innkeeper and left a note by Yura's bedside.
Having never practiced calligraphy, Miketsu's brush strokes were crooked and messy. After writing, she prepared to sign her name, but after looking at her own handwriting, she gave up the idea.
After that, Miketsu left Heian-kyo directly. Halfway there, she returned to the divine realm without anyone noticing and finally rode Tsuruha back to Inari Mountain.
The only thing on her mind now was the warm hot springs in the hidden realm.
...
The sun was high in the sky, gradually passing its zenith. In an inn somewhere in Heian-kyo, a ray of sunlight slanted through the window and fell upon Yura's cheek. After her face twitched for a while, she finally, groggily, opened her eyes.
"Uwaa~"
Sitting up from the floor bedding, Yura let out a deep yawn. Her half-lidded eyes glanced around in a daze, finding herself in a very ordinary bedroom.
Where is this? What happened? Why am I here?
Rubbing her temples, Yura shook her head, which was still aching slightly. Then, as she tried hard to remember, fragments of memory gradually surfaced.
The Onmyoryo selection... the Demon-Rearing Ground... Asakura Hao... magatama... and a giant centipede yokai...
"A yokai!"
At this thought, Yura was startled. She remembered the last moment before she lost consciousness. During the selection, she and her newfound companion were being chased by a powerful yokai, and then for some reason, she suddenly passed out. Before she fainted, she had instructed the girl named Hao to draw a Concealment Formation to hide their tracks.
Given the current situation, does this mean we successfully escaped? Did that Hao girl bring me here? Where is she now?
As she was thinking this, she suddenly noticed a note and a small, cloth-wrapped bundle by her pillow.
Filled with confusion, Yura picked up the note and began to read.
The moment she saw the words, her brow furrowed.
...
The yokai has been dealt with, and we're safe. You are now in an inn in Heian-kyo. I left first because I didn't know when you would wake up. There are some magatama in the bundle; you can take them to the Onmyoryo for submission. Although the deadline has passed, they might still let you through since there was an accident during the selection this time.
Farewell for now. If you stay at the Onmyoryo in the future, we will surely meet again.
P.S. I really didn't have a single coin on me, so I just used your money to pay for the room. If you oversleep, remember to pay the extra yourself.
...
Frowning, Yura struggled to decipher all the words on the note. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly, and she couldn't help but complain.
"Such a pretty person, but such ugly handwriting..."
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