Current State

High above the Central Plains, amidst the thick layers of clouds, a giant Immortal Crane soared at high speeds through the sky, heading straight toward the east. Miketsu sat upon its back, riding the wind as she made her way back.

While riding the Immortal Crane provided by the white-robed Daoist, Miketsu pondered the information she had just acquired. Thanks to the Daoist's explanation, she now had a basic understanding of the truth behind the Modern Gods and mythology. She was currently organizing these thoughts.

So-called mythology was actually a segment of secondary history created by human "prophets." For the living beings within its sphere of influence, this created history was as real as any other. As for those Modern Gods, they were originally mortal beings who became Modern Gods because they received an investiture from mythology. The reason for their investiture was specifically to combat the weakened, final generation of Ancient Gods.

This explained why the Modern Gods acted according to the settings within their myths and why they believed so firmly in their mythological worldviews. While they drew power from these stories, they were also bound by them; only a Chief God could remain unaffected.

The question now was: where did the prophets' ability to create mythology come from? According to the white-robed Daoist, this power manifested naturally within certain humans. Miketsu did not believe such a formidable power could arise from nothing. It had to have a source, even if it was still unknown. The white-robed Daoist speculated it was the Mandate of Heaven, but whether the Mandate of Heaven itself actually existed was still a matter of debate.

This power felt as if it had been specifically granted to humanity to allow them to overthrow the last of the Ancient Gods...

Aside from the matters of Modern Gods and mythology, the other significant issue concerned Miketsu herself. Although she now knew she was an Ancient God, she still possessed no memories of her past in that role. She didn't even know when or how she had fallen as an Ancient God. This was something she would likely have to ask Suwako about once she returned.

What was certain was that her fall couldn't have been too long ago—at least, it happened after the ancestors of the people of Qin appeared. Even after her fall, the people of Qin continued to worship her as a totem. This perhaps allowed her to persist as a sort of wild god, much like Suwako, rather than disappearing entirely.

Later, her faith was likely integrated into the ancestral worship of the people of Qin. After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, it was carried to Japan by members of the Hata Clan. At that time, Japan had not yet experienced the creation of mythology or the investiture of gods.

Afterward, she might have participated in the war to seal Yamata no Orochi in the capacity of a Hata Clan ancestral spirit. During that process, she was enshrined as Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami through an investiture led by Hieda no Akyu...

While this speculation was generally logical, it still had many holes. For one, if Suwako was also an Ancient God whose spirit remained due to the faith of her followers, why didn't she retain the same level of immense power? Furthermore... how could her own consciousness as a transmigrator be explained? Had an ordinary modern person from another world truly possessed the divine soul of an Ancient God?

These questions troubled Miketsu for a long time without resolution. Regarding the transmigration in particular, Miketsu had a feeling... that her arrival might not have been an accident at all.

Rubbing her temples, Miketsu decided not to dwell on things she couldn't yet understand. Sitting on the crane's back, she reached into her sleeve and fumbled around until she pulled out an object.

It was a small white crystal. Inside, a wisp of pitch-black fog swirled. As she held the crystal, Miketsu felt the fog within was closely linked to her, as if it were a part of her own body.

Holding the crystal, Miketsu recalled the words the white-robed Daoist had spoken before her departure.

...

"This is a tiny fragment of power that split off when the Exalted One's form was unstable. This power attached itself to a crystal eroded by Chang'e. This humble immortal discovered it upon leaving and took it. I return it to you now, Exalted One; perhaps you will find a use for it in the future."

...

The memory ended, and Miketsu continued to carefully examine the pitch-black fog swirling within the white crystal. She could feel the power within belonged to her, and she could call upon it to perform certain tasks.

This crystal was to Miketsu what the divine stone was to Suwako. By utilizing the Ancient God power within, Miketsu could exert a degree of her Ancient God authority without assuming her Ancient God form. This could prove extremely useful at a critical moment in the future.

According to the white-robed Daoist, forcibly manifesting one's divine soul without being fully revived would lead to unstable power and a potential rampage. She couldn't recklessly explode with Ancient God power by shattering the godhead; that would be playing with fire.

Therefore, until her revival was complete, this crystal was Miketsu's means of invoking her Ancient God power.

Stowing the crystal back into her sleeve, Miketsu reached out her hand and closed her eyes, beginning to draw out divine power through her Inari godhead. Instantly, an arrow of light radiating a golden glow appeared in her hand.

"I can use it directly now... without needing a weapon..." Miketsu murmured softly as she looked at the arrow of light. When the white-robed Daoist repaired her godhead, he had also wiped away the seal that had been placed upon it. This allowed Miketsu to draw out divine power even without relying on the Blade of the Three Realms. Without the seal, the upper limit of her divine power output had been raised from the limit of her weapon to the limit of her godhead, which was a significant improvement.

However, it still couldn't compare to the limitless Ancient God form.

"Now that the seal is gone, if it really was placed by Takamagahara, they should be able to sense it by now." Looking at the light arrow, Miketsu couldn't help but think. Previously, because she suspected Takamagahara had sealed the former Inari God, she had been on guard against them, doing her best to keep the awakening of the Inari God a secret. Now, it seemed... she could no longer hide it.

Fine, let them come. She wasn't particularly afraid anymore anyway.

Just as Miketsu was thinking this, the light arrow in her hand suddenly underwent a slight distortion, and her divine power became unstable. Seeing this, Miketsu decisively dispelled the arrow. In her ears, the Daoist's parting words echoed once more.

...

"Please remember, Exalted One, though your godhead has been repaired, it still requires a short period of recovery. During this time, it is best to avoid excessive use of divine power. Once the recovery is complete, you will no longer have such concerns."

...

"Phew... it's like being told by a doctor not to exercise too much after recovering from a serious illness..." Miketsu quipped to herself. Meanwhile, the Immortal Crane beneath her had already flown over the ocean and was about to reach Japan.