"Merge with you temporarily..." Listening to the Maiden of Mandate's words, Miketsu murmured and nodded. Now that she was a complete Ancient God, she could feel that the structure of the original world had indeed been severely damaged by Orochi. Relying on the Mandate of Heaven alone to repair it would be difficult and take an unknown amount of time.
Most importantly, a host of Ancient Gods were currently awakening from their sealed slumber. If a way wasn't found to suppress them, they would become a multitude of Orochis constantly causing trouble all over the world. Dealing with them would be even harder, and the probability of their simultaneous revival was increasing significantly.
It was easy to break things, but hard to fix them...
Miketsu sighed inwardly as she looked at the Maiden of Mandate again and continued, "So, how long do we need to remain merged?"
"On the time scale of an Ancient God, it is very short," the Maiden of Mandate replied calmly. However, hearing this, Miketsu's mouth twitched.
An Ancient God's time scale was measured in tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of years...
"Just give me a specific, approximate time..." Miketsu said bluntly. After a slight pause, the Maiden of Mandate spoke slowly.
"It would be roughly a thousand years..."
"A thousand years..." Miketsu's eyelids jumped, and she couldn't help but shout, "You mean you want me to stay in this godforsaken place for a thousand years?!"
Facing the slightly agitated Miketsu, the Maiden of Mandate remained indifferent. She continued to look at Miketsu, her voice devoid of any ripples.
"Rest assured. Once merged, we can enter a special time-perception state. A thousand years will pass in a mere instant. You need not worry about being bored by the long passage of time..."
"..." Miketsu was left speechless. Being told she had to leap across a thousand years in one breath was clearly hard to accept. She had grown accustomed to life in this world and this era; leaving so suddenly was difficult. Moreover, there were people and things she was so familiar with—how much would remain after a thousand years?
Clearly, Miketsu was reluctant to leave this familiar environment. However, the repair of the world, the reshaping of mythology, and the suppression of the Ancient Gods had to be done. The longer these things were delayed, the more disadvantageous it would become. Under the weight of this grand trend, she seemed to have no choice at all.
For a moment, Miketsu fell into silence, her mind tangled in conflict. The Maiden of Mandate, fully aware of what Miketsu was thinking, opened her mouth and said calmly.
"Do not worry. The existences you care about in this era can basically persist until a thousand years later. Reunited, you shall be. And even if you truly miss this era, you can use a limited form to travel back through time and experience it again."
Miketsu was stunned, and her conflicted emotions eased slightly. After a long while, she let out a long breath and spoke slowly.
"Phew... Alright, I agree..."
"Then without further ado, let us begin..." Hearing Miketsu's words, the Maiden of Mandate opened her arms and floated directly toward her. Seeing this, Miketsu quickly reached out to stop her.
"Wait, don't be in such a rush! At least let me go back to the mortal world to handle some final affairs first..."
Seeing Miketsu's reaction, the Maiden of Mandate stopped in place and tilted her head slightly.
...
In the mortal world, Heian-kyo.
The sky was clear and the sun shone brightly. Merchants traveled from Fushimi directly into Rajomon, and people moved through the crisscrossing streets in a scene of vibrant life. Heian-kyo welcomed another peaceful day, as if the terrifying disaster from not long ago had never happened.
On Mount Inari, an endless stream of people moved along the narrow sando, and the shrine halfway up the mountain was as busy as ever with incense offerings.
Behind the shrine, in the quiet Inari Secret Realm, a group of figures was currently gathered in the grand hall of a longhouse.
Tsuruha, Konkiku, Menreiki, Qin Xin, Makoto, Kikyo... these close associates directly related to Miketsu were all gathered here now, and every one of them wore a solemn expression.
Having received a divine oracle, they were waiting for Miketsu's arrival. The reason Miketsu had summoned them had already been stated in the oracle, which was the direct cause of everyone's anxiety.
Suddenly, a phantom shimmered in the air, and Miketsu's figure appeared silently upon the main seat. Her translucent state indicated that she was not currently in a physical body.
"Lady Uka... this state of yours..."
Seeing Miketsu's current appearance, Tsuruha spoke with concern. Miketsu turned her head and responded with a smile.
"Don't worry, Tsuruha. I'm fine. This look is just a projection. My true body is currently a bit difficult to move..." Miketsu said with a smile. Having just returned to her Ancient God body, she had not yet figured out a way for an Ancient God to take a human form, so she could only come here as a projection.
After speaking, Miketsu looked around at everyone. Under their many gazes, she said softly,
"I believe you all understand why I have summoned you. Yes, I am about to leave the mortal world for a very long time. So, I have come here to bid you all farewell and to arrange a few matters."
As soon as Miketsu finished, an uneasy commotion broke out below. A sense of incomprehension and confusion hung over them. Amidst this atmosphere, Konkiku was the first to speak up indignantly.
"Ugh... Why, Lady Uka? Hasn't the battle with the enemy already been won? Doesn't Lady Uka have no rivals now? Even the High Gods of the Celestial Realm wouldn't dare provoke you... Why do you still have to leave us?" Konkiku spoke bluntly, her tone full of confusion. In her eyes, no one should be able to stop Miketsu's will now.
"Stop it... Konkiku. Lady Uka doing this naturally has deep reasons that we cannot understand or touch. It must be the most necessary thing for Lady Uka to make such a choice. We only need to follow Lady Uka's will..." Tsuruha, seeing Konkiku's outburst, hurriedly interjected. Although she was reprimanding Konkiku, there was a flicker of something different in her own tone and expression.
After silencing Konkiku, Tsuruha looked at Miketsu respectfully and spoke with reverence.
"No matter the reason Lady Uka needs to leave, Tsuruha and all the Inari foxes will forever wait for your return on Mount Inari..."
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