Rest and Recovery

In the hot spring, Miketsu listened to Dakini-ten’s words and tried to imagine the lives of the gods and Buddhas in the Celestial Realm. Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine.

While these Modern Gods appeared powerful, transcending the cycle of reincarnation and standing above all living beings, they were in fact restricted by a mysterious force that limited their thoughts, turning them into cogs in some vast machine. In a sense, Modern Gods shared a similarity with those mortals who had transcended the mundane world to ascend to the Celestial Realm: purity. One was a purity that completely adhered to its own predetermined nature, while the other was a purity born of being devoid of desire.

Miketsu suddenly thought of Kanako. Although this war god was as bold and bellicose as her own nature dictated, and her thoughts were likewise restricted, she didn't seem as extreme as the description Dakini-ten gave. Perhaps this was due to Suwako’s influence; though they didn't share a relationship of syncretism, they did share the single divine name of Moriya-no-Kami.

"Is the situation you described true for every deity in the Celestial Realm?" Miketsu asked Dakini-ten, her brow furrowing slightly.

"Probably... almost every deity I’ve encountered fits that description, except for one I’m not entirely sure about," Dakini-ten said, resting a finger against her chin as she pondered. This piqued Miketsu’s curiosity.

"Which one?"

"Tathagata... As the most important Buddha, His actions are often unpredictable and impossible for me to decipher. I suspect He might not be as restricted as the other deities, and that He knows something about the state of affairs among the gods. And He’s not the only one; based on the information you heard from the Emperor, I suspect your Amaterasu might be in a similar situation." Dakini-ten’s expression turned solemn. As Miketsu’s incarnation, she was, in a sense, Miketsu herself, and she shared much of the information Miketsu possessed.

Dakini-ten’s words startled Miketsu as she suddenly realized a problem. Indeed... if Amaterasu protected the Imperial Family as the myths dictated, how could she have remained motionless when the Great Snake used Prince Sawara to stir up chaos?

In a way, the Great Snake’s ability to run rampant in the human realm was largely due to Takamagahara’s indulgence. Even the Great Snake’s first divine messenger, Yamato Takeru, had been corrupted because of the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi bestowed by Amaterasu. Had Amaterasu really failed to notice something was wrong with that sword beforehand?

"Are you suggesting... that the chief deities of the major pantheons aren't bound by those constraints?" Miketsu asked with a hint of doubt. Dakini-ten simply spread her hands.

"I don't know—it’s just a guess. But without such a guess, there’s no way to explain why your Amaterasu Omikami would abandon her own descendants like this. I can only say He might also stand outside the constraints of myth, and is perhaps using the Great Snake for some scheme of His own." Dakini-ten continued, boldly putting forward her theory. Hearing this, Miketsu’s heart sank.

Dakini-ten’s analysis made sense. Takamagahara had consistently maintained a bystander’s attitude regarding the Great Snake, which was very likely Amaterasu’s intent. As the chief deity of the Yamato, she had ignored the suffering of her descendants and subjects. Yet, the moment there were signs of her own revival as the Inari Okami, Amaterasu had immediately sent someone to investigate and even tried to forcibly bring her to Takamagahara. No matter how one looked at it, this was abnormal... The only explanation was that Amaterasu was plotting something related to the Great Snake, and for the sake of this plan, she was willing to sacrifice certain things.

Amidst these layers of doubt, Miketsu’s face clouded with distress. Facing a Takamagahara with unknown motives and the gradually reviving Ancient Gods, she felt a heavy sense of worry for the unknowable future.

Just then, she felt a weight on her shoulder. Turning her head, she found that Dakini-ten had somehow waded over to her in the hot spring. She pressed herself against Miketsu’s side, resting one hand directly on her shoulder.

"Ha~ why the long face? We came to this hot spring specifically to relax. Don't make yourself miserable, or there’s no point to this." Holding Miketsu’s shoulder, Dakini-ten smiled as she raised a small sake cup. Miketsu’s heart tightened as the naked girl rubbed against her, but after watching Dakini-ten for a moment, she too smiled and relaxed.

"Heh... it seems you’re quite optimistic. You have a great mindset."

"You’re joking. I chose to enter this mortal world specifically for joy and pleasure. Why would I go looking for misery? Here, have a drink. Don't think too much. It’s useless to worry anyway; you can't solve the problems right now. You might as well live every day comfortably!"

Dakini-ten continued to speak. Facing this girl who looked exactly like her, Miketsu maintained her smile as she took the offered cup and drained the sake in one gulp.

Then, she looked up at the night sky, relaxing her body as she watched the bright, clear moon.

...

The moon set and the sun rose, and a new day soon arrived at Mount Inari.

People came and went along the long approach path. The Inari Shrine was no longer as desolate as it had been over a decade ago. The deity of Inari still preferred to stay in the same spot, watching over the masses who came to the shrine to worship.

Miketsu lay atop a torii gate. Today, she hadn't gone to the human realm or the demon realm; instead, she stayed at the shrine to rest, leisurely shifting her mood so she wouldn't spend all day worrying about Takamagahara and the Great Snake, lest she give herself a case of chronic anxiety.

The sun shone brightly in the sky. The divine girl lay on the torii gate as sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, dappling her in spots of light. Beneath the torii gate, worshippers came and went, praying to the Inari Okami and making wishes.

However, because the number of daily worshippers was increasing, Miketsu had long since grown accustomed to filtering out general prayers while at the shrine; otherwise, she would be driven mad by the constant, dense noise. Aside from dealing with major calamities, Miketsu didn't go out of her way to grant the wishes of individual mortals. There were simply too many such wishes to ever fulfill.

Ordinary prayers were blocked by Miketsu and went unheard, allowing her to rest peacefully atop the torii gate without being disturbed. This time, however, was different. A sincere prayer reached Miketsu’s ears.

"Lady Uka, deity of Inari... I am a priest of the Hinanawi clan. Please, hear my prayer..."