Abnormal Disappearances

In the mountain ridges of northern Ise Province, Miketsu stood atop a peak, gazing down at a human settlement in the distance. Beside her stood Watatsuki no Yorihime, dressed in her miko robes with a long blade at her waist, looking quite timid.

"U-Uka-sama, we’ve already arrived in this place called Ise, haven't we?" Yorihime asked, her expression somewhat uneasy as she glanced at the divine girl beside her.

"Yes, we should be in North Ise now. The manifestation site of Amatsumara that Eirin mentioned should be within this area. Next, we just have to find it," Miketsu said slowly, her gaze still fixed on the landscape below.

To repair the lunarians' space station, Miketsu and Eirin had originally planned for Yorihime to borrow the power of Amatsumara—the god of wind and forging—to manifest the necessary repair materials. However, Yorihime discovered that, for some reason, Amatsumara's divine power could not be summoned at all. Consequently, they concluded that something serious must have happened to him.

Just as the group was at a loss regarding the dilemma, Eirin suddenly suggested visiting Amatsumara's manifestation site in the human realm. If possible, they might find him there and determine his current status. Thus, Miketsu set out immediately for the location Eirin specified, bringing along the newly appointed miko, Yorihime, as her companion.

According to Eirin, Amatsumara's manifestation site was somewhere in the North Ise region. She wasn't sure of the exact location, so Miketsu had to investigate for herself. Compared to the Eastern Provinces, Ise was not far from Heian-kyo, and Miketsu and her companion reached their destination quickly by flight.

"So, Uka-sama, where should we begin our investigation?" Yorihime asked Miketsu. As a Lunarian, she was naturally unfamiliar with the affairs of the surface world.

"I have sub-shrines established in this area. We’ll first look for the Inari god responsible for this district; they should have the relevant information," Miketsu said as she took to the air, flying forward. Behind her, Yorihime wore a complex expression.

"The Inari god responsible for this district...? Just how many Inari gods are there?" Yorihime muttered to herself as she flew to keep up with Miketsu.

Flying through the valleys between the mountains, Miketsu and Yorihime soon arrived at a relatively large town. Within this town, they quickly located the local Inari shrine, where Miketsu encountered an unexpected figure.

"Uka-sama! It’s been so long~ I never expected to be graced by your presence here!"

"O-Oitsuki?" Inside the shrine, Miketsu looked at the beast-eared girl—who resembled a cross between a wolf and a rabbit—and couldn't help but feel surprised.

"Why are you here? If I remember correctly, your shrine isn't in this area," Miketsu said with a hint of confusion to the delighted Oitsuki. As Oitsuki was her first subordinate deity, Miketsu was well aware of where her shrine was located.

"Well... about that, I’m here to help. The Inari god here, Azusa, is a friend of mine. He’s been having some trouble lately, so he asked me to come over."

As Oitsuki spoke, a small black cat yokai less than a meter tall, dressed in a kimono, stepped out from behind her. He looked at Miketsu with large, blinking eyes, his expression clearly tinged with trepidation. Facing Miketsu, the tiny Inari god gave a deep, respectful bow.

"W-Welcome, Uka-sama. I... I never imagined Uka-sama would suddenly descend. I, Azusa, was completely unprepared. Please forgive me..."

Looking at the terrified little Inari god, Miketsu breathed a sigh of relief and spoke in a casual tone.

"There's no need to be so stiff. Stand up straight... What kind of trouble did you run into that required borrowing another Inari god's power? Is it that difficult?" Miketsu asked Azusa directly. The latter seemed too nervous to speak clearly, so Oitsuki spoke up on his behalf.

"Ah, Uka-sama, it’s like this. Recently, in the town Azusa is responsible for and many surrounding villages, several unusual incidents have occurred simultaneously. He couldn't figure out the cause of the strangeness, so he asked me to investigate."

"Unusual phenomena?" Hearing Oitsuki's words, the confusion on Miketsu's face deepened. Finally, Azusa began to speak haltingly.

"I-It’s like this, Uka-sama. Lately... lately, many believers have come to pray, begging me to find their sons or daughters..."

"Find their sons or daughters... Have they gone missing?" Hearing Azusa's words, Miketsu immediately sensed the gravity of the situation.

"Yes... while such things happened before, they were rare. Recently, however, they’ve been occurring in clusters. And it’s not just this town; many surrounding villages are facing the same situation..." Azusa said timidly. As she listened, Miketsu’s brow furrowed slightly.

When things were this abnormal, there was bound to be a monster behind it. One or two disappearances might be a coincidence, but a large-scale concentration suggested a major problem—likely the work of a powerful yokai.

"Could it be... that there’s a man-eating yokai active in this area?" Miketsu asked with a serious expression. Azusa shook his head in response.

"Probably not. Almost all the yokai in North Ise are kept in check by the Yokai Lord, Yamakaze. Since that Forest King underwent a mysterious change in temperament, he has been actively restraining his subordinates from attacking humans. Large-scale man-eating incidents haven't happened here in a long time," Azusa continued. Miketsu was momentarily stunned by his words.

So this is that fellow Yamakaze's territory, Miketsu thought, recalling the Yokai Lord she had briefly met back on the Nightless Island.

"If the possibility of a man-eating yokai is low, then what could be the reason for these disappearances? Do you have any other leads?" Yorihime, standing beside Miketsu, asked directly.

"I—I have leads! I’ve been investigating here for a while now and found quite a few, Uka-sama!" Oitsuki raised her hand and spoke loudly, her enthusiasm catching Miketsu by surprise.

This little girl actually managed to find something?

"Oh? Then tell us what you've found," Miketsu said with a smile. Upon hearing Miketsu's encouragement, Oitsuki’s spirits lifted. She pulled a small booklet from her sleeve; the pages inside were covered in elegant, small handwriting.

Looking at the notebook-like booklet, Oitsuki cleared her throat and spoke with a serious expression.

"Ahem. First, I carefully investigated the families with missing children. I discovered that the children they lost were all young men and women around sixteen or seventeen years old. Furthermore, many of them were at the age where they were discussing marriage..."

"All young men and women..."

"Exactly. Almost all of them... I searched the rooms they left behind. In the rooms of the wealthier families, I found hidden letters. The recipients of these letters turned out to be other missing persons—and they were always paired as male and female..." Oitsuki explained while consulting her notes. A look of realization dawned on Miketsu's face.

"Male and female pairs, exchanging letters... In that case... were they couples?"

"Exactly, Uka-sama. Though I should say secret couples... Therefore, I believe these people haven't gone missing. They've eloped."