The Past and the Earthquake Catfish

In the Secret Realm behind the Inari Shrine, within Tsuruha's house, Miketsu rubbed her temples as she endured the constant voice echoing in her mind.

"Hey! Let me out! This is really uncomfortable, you know? Did you hear me? Let me out this instant!" Dakini-ten's voice reverberated inside Miketsu's head, but Miketsu kept a grim expression and ignored the demand.

"You... don't go around doing strange things in my name. I'm locking you away for a while as punishment," Miketsu said to Dakini-ten, whom she had retracted back into her essence. At the same time, she secretly resolved to keep a closer eye on this mischievous entity, lest she go off to plague someone else.

After sealing Dakini-ten back within her and locking her away, Miketsu let out a sigh of relief. She then began to look around the wooden house for Tsuruha, but after a few glances, she couldn't find her.

"Hmm? Tsuruha?"

Miketsu tilted her head and called out curiously. A moment later, a rustling sound came from the corner of the room. Miketsu turned and saw that Tsuruha had, at some unknown point, reverted to her fox form. She was curled up in a corner, buried under a quilt and trembling slightly.

"What's wrong, Tsuruha?" Seeing her like this, Miketsu walked over and knelt before her, asking with concern.

"Ugh... ugh... Not only did Tsuruha fail to recognize the real Lady Uka... but you even saw me in such a disgraceful state... It was so unseemly... I am an incompetent Divine Messenger..." Tsuruha mumbled, curling her head inward and not daring to meet Miketsu's eyes. Her words left Miketsu momentarily stunned.

What? How did this turn into her being an incompetent Divine Messenger again? Though she didn't quite understand Tsuruha's specific train of thought, Miketsu began to soothe her messenger anyway.

"There, there. It's not your fault you didn't recognize me. In a sense, that entity is also me, so it's fine, really..." Miketsu stroked Tsuruha's fur. After a while, she finally managed to calm her down. Then, Miketsu got to the heart of the matter and told Tsuruha about the young man who had come to worship earlier.

"What? You say a member of the Hinanawi clan visited just now?" Hearing Miketsu's words, the expression on Tsuruha's fox face shifted, her tone becoming solemn.

"Yes. He claimed to be a shinkan of the Hinanawi clan. Tsuruha, what exactly is this Hinanawi clan? Do they have some connection to my past self?" Miketsu asked seriously, watching Tsuruha.

"Yes... there is indeed a connection. Long ago, Lady Uka entrusted them with a very important mission. Their clan has persisted and flourished because of this mission, faithfully fulfilling their duties for a long time," Tsuruha continued. Her words only deepened the confusion in Miketsu's heart, prompting her to ask further.

"A mission? What kind of mission?"

"To watch over a divine yokai of immense power, capable of causing great calamities—the Earthquake Catfish..." Tsuruha said. At the mention of the 'Earthquake Catfish,' Miketsu felt her heart tighten.

"The Earthquake Catfish..."

"Yes. Just as its name suggests, it is a giant catfish capable of triggering earthquakes. It was once active in the Kinki region, specifically around Omi. It dwelt underground and within Lake Biwa. Its exact origins are unknown, but you, the Lady Uka of the past, once said it might be a Great Yokai that had attained the divinity of an orthodox god. It is extremely dangerous," Tsuruha explained slowly, recalling information from the past.

"Because the Earthquake Catfish possesses a portion of divinity related to the earth, it can trigger earthquakes. Before Heian-kyo became the capital and before you descended, Lady Uka, this land was frequently plagued by the violent tremors it caused. Disasters were frequent, troubling many living beings—our Inari fox clan included. Back then, humans had not yet settled much in this region.

"Because the Earthquake Catfish was so powerful and easily angered, neither humans nor yokai could stop it; they were powerless against the disasters it wrought. This continued until you, Lady Uka, descended from Takamagahara to this land and made Mount Inari your domain. To bring peace to this land, you took action against the Earthquake Catfish...

"You used your gentle spiritual power to soothe the irritable catfish, calming its rage so it would no longer cause calamities and would dwell peacefully in Lake Biwa. Afterward, you entrusted a human family living nearby to watch over and offer worship to the catfish, hoping that human faith would continually appease it. You even left them a Kagura suzu for emergencies. From then on, the Earthquake Catfish did not cause another disaster for a very long time, allowing both humans and yokai to prosper. That family you entrusted with the worship of the Earthquake Catfish was the Hinanawi clan."

Tsuruha spoke slowly. Once she finished, Miketsu had a general understanding of the situation. She nodded in realization.

"So it was a monster that my past self... well, pacified... But Tsuruha, with my spiritual power, I should have been able to just slay that Earthquake Catfish directly. Why go through the extra trouble of pacifying it? That just left a hidden danger for future generations..."

Hearing Miketsu's words, Tsuruha's expression became somewhat strange. She thought for a moment before continuing slowly.

"Well... how should I put this? Lady Uka... there is a vast difference between your past self and your current self. Back then, you were nowhere near as warlike or skilled in battle as you are now, and you almost never resolved problems through combat. The Lady Uka of the past believed that a heart of benevolence could encompass all things, and when faced with any adversary, you preferred to use conciliatory methods.

"Just like with this Earthquake Catfish. You once said that it was merely a child who had difficulty controlling its emotions. You believed that as long as you used spiritual power to soothe it and bring it peace, there was no need for senseless slaughter..."

As Tsuruha finished, Miketsu's lip twitched slightly. Hearing Tsuruha's description, she felt as though her current self was a bit too short-tempered for an Inari Okami.

"I see... It seems my past self was truly... well, benevolent..." Miketsu said slowly. However, Tsuruha's expression darkened as she continued.

"Yes. The Lady Uka of the past was truly exceptionally gentle and kind, regarding all things with love. I still cannot forget your former tenderness... But it was that very tenderness that ultimately caused you to fall into your long slumber... Lady Uka, the calamity that sent you into that sleep was triggered by that very Earthquake Catfish..."

"What?! Because of that damn catfish?" Miketsu exclaimed in shock.