Materials for Repair

Mino Province, by the shores of Lake Suwa, at Moriya Shrine.

Inside the shrine in the early morning, a small fox was darting up and down, hither and thither. Its frantic movements sent several miko into a fluster. The little fox’s expression was one of sheer panic, as if it were desperately searching for something.

After a long, fruitless search throughout the shrine grounds, the little fox finally lowered its head in disappointment.

"Oh, little Harumutsu, what’s the matter? I saw you running around all night... are you... looking for Lady Suwako?" A figure appeared before the small fox. She knelt down and offered a concerned greeting; it was the miko of Moriya, Kochiya Kaki.

Harumutsu nodded at Kaki. Seeing the fox's reaction, Kaki’s brow furrowed slightly.

"So you really are looking for Lady Suwako. Does that mean... Lady Uka has sent another letter? This is quite a predicament. Neither Lady Kanako nor Lady Suwako is at the shrine right now..." Kaki said, looking troubled. Harumutsu’s spirits visibly sagged upon hearing the answer. Kaki thought for a moment before speaking again.

"Hmm... as a miko, it isn't proper for me to read correspondence between deities. However, we can't just leave Lady Uka waiting. How about this? I’ll write a letter for you to take back to Lady Uka, explaining the situation. Would that be alright?" Kaki asked, looking down at Harumutsu. After a brief consideration, the fox nodded.

Heian-kyo, the Inari Secret Realm on Mount Inari.

Inside the small building within the secret realm, Miketsu looked at the letter on her desk, the ink still wet. Her brow creased. She had found it strange that Suwako hadn't replied to her letters for so long. It turned out neither of them was even at the shrine. What could have possessed the two of them to head out together?

With that question in mind, Miketsu picked up Kaki’s letter and read it. It was short and she finished it quickly.

"Honorable Lady Uka, I am Kaki, the miko of Lady Kanako and Lady Suwako. I take the liberty of replying to you in their stead. Regrettably, neither Lady Kanako nor Lady Suwako is currently at the shrine. Lady Suwako found a clue regarding the recent ley line disturbances in the Kanto region, confirming they are linked to the God of the Eternal World mentioned by Lady Suwako. To further track the movements of this God of the Eternal World, both ladies have departed to conduct an investigation and will not be returning to the shrine for some time."

After reading Kaki’s reply, Miketsu’s surprise deepened. She hadn't expected Suwako to have already grasped the trail of the Eternal Worm and taken Kanako with her to investigate.

Setting the letter down, Miketsu stood lost in thought for a moment. While capturing the God of the Eternal World was certainly important, her side needed timely information on Chang'e's status as an Ancient God to deal with the Lunar Capital. There was no telling when they would return from their hunt for the Eternal Worm.

Consequently, Miketsu wrote back to Kaki, stating that if possible, she hoped Kaki could locate Suwako and bring Harumutsu to her so that Miketsu could communicate with Suwako directly. As a miko, it would be easy for Kaki to determine Suwako’s location, and with Kanako’s power as a wind god, moving quickly would be no trouble at all.

After finishing the reply, Miketsu sighed softly. She stretched her limbs and flew out the window, soaring above the metallic mechanical giant bow that lay within the secret realm. She looked down at the bustling scene below.

Amidst a cacophony of clanging and banging, numerous moon rabbits were scurrying through the space station, repairing it from every angle. Everything seemed to be proceeding in an orderly fashion. On the surrounding trees, quite a few foxes were gathered, watching the spectacle with wide-eyed curiosity.

'These rabbits are actually quite impressive,' Miketsu thought. 'High technical skill, high efficiency—every single one of them is a born technician. I should ask those two sisters how they train their rabbits when I have the chance. Who knows, maybe one day I can train my foxes like this.'

While Miketsu was pondering how to make her own foxes as capable and diligent, Eirin flew up from the mechanical giant bow and came to her side.

"Yo, are you here to supervise the work, Uka-no-Mitama-no-Mikoto?" Eirin asked in a relaxed tone. Miketsu was quick to respond.

"Just checking in. So, can this thing be fixed before the Lunar Capital makes its next move?" Miketsu asked directly, looking at Eirin.

"Don't worry. After two consecutive failures, the Lunar Capital will need time to regroup. They won't be back so soon. We still have time..." Eirin said, giving Miketsu a strange look.

"But you... are you truly determined to make an enemy of the Lunar Capital? Just for that adopted daughter of yours?" Eirin asked with a hint of doubt. In her view, there was no fundamental conflict between Miketsu and the Lunar Capital.

"Naturally, it's not entirely for Kaguya... More importantly, I don't want Chang'e to awaken. If the Lunar Capital continues like this, it's only a matter of time. If He awakens, it won't just be the moon that suffers... Isn't that exactly why you defected from the Lunar Capital? Because you didn't want to wake Chang'e?" Miketsu replied with a smile. Eirin was momentarily stunned, then laughed softly.

"True. If Chang'e were to revive, the disaster He would cause would definitely spread to the surface. I didn't expect that you, having never personally encountered Chang'e, would understand the danger so clearly. In this regard alone, you are far superior to the Sages currently in the Lunar Capital."

'I haven't met Chang'e, but I've met other Ancient Gods,' Miketsu thought privately. According to Suwako, Ancient Gods were things that should be pinned down in the river of time and never allowed to wake. If even one of them fully revived, it would bring unimaginable calamity to the entire world.

"Anyway, how far along are the repairs? How much longer until it's fully functional?" Miketsu changed the subject.

"About that... actually, we've run into some difficulties in repairing this thing." Eirin turned her head to look at the massive space station below.

"Difficulties?"

"Yes. While repairing it isn't a problem technically, we lack the necessary materials. Many of the essential components can only be produced in the factories of the Lunar Capital. We simply don't have the facilities for it on the surface."

Hearing Eirin’s words, Miketsu’s brow furrowed. She hadn't considered the issue of materials. The space station was a product of the Lunar Capital's cutting-edge technology; the current technical level of the surface was completely incapable of providing the corresponding repair materials. After all, the Industrial Revolution was still eight or nine hundred years away.

"However, you needn't worry. Although we have a problem with the materials, I already have a solution in mind." Seeing Miketsu’s distress, Eirin smiled again, which took Miketsu by surprise.

"You have the ability to manufacture the repair materials?"

"No, I don't have that ability. But another orthodox god does."

"Another... orthodox god?"

"Yes. He is the grandson of Amaterasu, the orthodox god of Takamagahara who presides over wind and forging: Amatsumara."