Pseudo-Sleep

Daytime at the Inari Shrine, within Inari's Secret Realm.

In a small, simple room, Yorihime still lay in the center, locked in a deep slumber with no sign of waking.

Beside her, Eirin was conducting another round of examinations. A medicine box stood open nearby, with various strange instruments scattered around it. On the other side, Miketsu and Konkiku sat on the tatami, waiting for the results.

"How is it? Is there any sign of her waking up?" Miketsu asked, watching Eirin work. It had been three days since Yorihime fell unconscious, a significant amount of time.

"No. Yorihime is still in a coma, completely unconscious," Eirin replied, turning to Miketsu after finishing her check.

"She isn't faking it?" Miketsu's brow furrowed slightly as she questioned further. Eirin, while packing away her instruments, answered with absolute certainty.

"I am one hundred percent certain she is still in a deep sleep. There isn't a single sign of her waking. Trust me, I am an expert in this field," Eirin said confidently, neatly stowing the scattered tools into her box and closing the lid.

"So she really is unconscious... Then how long will it take for her to wake up?" Miketsu continued, seemingly satisfied with Eirin's explanation.

"That, I do not know. This is the first time I've seen a coma caused by a backlash of excessive divine power. There is no precedent to refer to," Eirin said with a helpless shrug. Miketsu could only let out a soft sigh.

"Then there's nothing for it. We can only wait for her to wake on her own. Konkiku, you and Tsuruha will have to work hard for the next few days." As Miketsu spoke, she looked at Konkiku. Upon hearing this, Konkiku's fox ears immediately drooped. Though her mood was dejected, she still replied.

"Ugh... It's alright, Lady Uka. My sister will keep a close eye on this girl, so don't worry... though it'll be a bit tough when the sleepiness hits me at night..."

"Sleepiness? In that case, I'll arrange for another capable fox to take over your shifts. However, I'm worried that if she suddenly wakes up and goes on a rampage, a weaker fox might not even be able to sound the alarm..." Miketsu said, sounding conflicted. Eirin suddenly spoke up.

"No need for that. I can give you some medicinal incense. It'll guarantee you stay completely awake through the night."

"Medicinal incense?" Konkiku looked at Eirin, who had finished packing and stood up with a faint smile playing on her lips.

...

Within a pitch-black dreamscape, Yorihime floated in the void. Before her, Toyohime's figure rapidly materialized.

"How is it? They haven't noticed anything unusual, have they?" Toyohime asked her sister immediately.

"No. Sister, the hypnosis you cast upon me in the dream was a complete success. Even Master couldn't see through it," Yorihime told Toyohime with a serious expression. A smile touched Toyohime's lips.

"Even Master didn't see the problem? Heh, it seems the old woman has indeed grown dull after losing her godhead. In that case, we can proceed with our plan."

"Because of your dream hypnosis, I remain in a deep sleep even though I should have woken up. I can perceive the outside world and wake up instantly at any time. You did this so I could coordinate with your actions at a moment's notice, right?" Yorihime asked earnestly.

"Exactly. The timing of your awakening is the key to our next move. You must ensure that no one is visiting when you wake. The moment you open your eyes, you must immediately neutralize the one monitoring you. Without alerting anyone else in the Secret Realm, you must draw the magical array that will link me to this place... Then, I can use my ability to slip into the Secret Realm without the Inari Okami sensing me," Toyohime said with a smile. Yorihime followed up with another question.

"And then? Will we act together to assassinate the Inari Okami?"

"No, I will act alone. I have items recently sent from the Lunar Capital that can shield me from divine power perception. Only with these can I move within the Inari's realm undetected. Your role is to set up the array so I can successfully bypass the outer barrier." Toyohime continued. Yorihime nodded in understanding. She knew her sister possessed the ability to move instantly, but she couldn't teleport into a deity's Secret Realm without a node being established from the inside. Fortunately, Yorihime was already there.

"I understand. So, when do we begin?"

"Tonight. To ensure the success of this mission, the Lunar Capital has sent a total of three precious items, including the Concentrated Essence of Chang'e's Power and the God-Evading Feather Robe. The last item is quite bulky and needs to be installed and prepared at the Monitoring Pavilion. It likely won't be ready until tonight, so that is when we will make our move," Toyohime explained. Yorihime looked confused.

"A bulky item? What is it? Is it also necessary for this operation?"

"No, that thing has nothing to do with our mission. The Council of Sages took it upon themselves to send it as a backup measure in case we fail. They even sent a overseer along with it... He's at the Monitoring Pavilion right now," Toyohime added, her voice dripping with clear dissatisfaction.

"A overseer... Does that mean... the Sages have stopped trusting us?" Yorihime asked slowly, her expression grave.

"Indeed. Who can blame them when we are both the prize disciples of the most 'unforgivable traitor' in the history of the Lunar Capital—Eirin? Even though we hold our positions through strength, there are plenty who resent us. Some in the Council of Sages have been looking for an excuse to bring us down for a long time. They just haven't found any leverage until now. Your failure, Yorihime, gave them the opening they needed. Sending this 'backup measure' and a overseer was entirely expected," Toyohime said, her tone becoming exceptionally stern.

"So... Yorihime, we cannot afford to fail this time. If we fail again, there will be no place for us in the Lunar Capital. Even if we're lucky enough to return, we'll be dragged before the Tribunal..."

"Sister..." Hearing Toyohime's words, Yorihime couldn't help but swallow hard. She could feel the immense pressure Toyohime was under from the Lunar Capital because of her own failure.

This time, failure was not an option...