Kyoto, nighttime.
The Inari Festival had reached its climax due to the sudden, unexpected light and fireworks show. The unprecedented, massive display atop the Inari Tower was a sight to behold for everyone present. People across the city were cheering enthusiastically, raising their phones and cameras toward the Inari Tower in anticipation of the next performance. This year's Inari Festival was destined to be unforgettable for many.
At the top of the Inari Tower, the clone created by Dark Seimei’s infiltrated power had dissipated along with his main body in Hell. The Heavenly Ascent jutsu-shiki they had constructed had completely collapsed. The light that had pierced the heavens vanished, and the top of the tower returned to silence. Only the sound of the whistling wind and the distant cheers from below remained in the air.
Miketsu stood at the peak of the Inari Tower, looking down at the brilliantly lit city. She reminisced about the sight of Heian-kyo from Kojin-mine a thousand years ago, unable to help but sigh with emotion.
"With this, the final remnants of the Great Snake have been eliminated. Everything should be over now, right?"
As Miketsu murmured, a dragon's roar echoed in the sky. The White Dragon God, returning from the Underworld, reappeared above the clouds. Its massive, winding body slowly coiled downward until its elegant head lowered before Miketsu.
"As you willed, the remnants of the Snake God have been purged."
"Mhm, thank you for your hard work. That fellow should have been the largest remnant of that snake left in this world. Things will be much more peaceful now that he's gone."
The White Dragon God responded respectfully. "Exterminating those who defy heaven is my duty. It is the very purpose of our existence."
These were a group of deities created by the sealing of ancient gods, specifically under the command of the Heavenly Dao. Many of them were modern gods or suitable divine beasts carefully selected from various mythologies. Miketsu had liberated them from their original myths and enhanced their powers for her own use.
In truth, if the Heavenly Dao were purely composed of its divine nature, it would never have created servants to share its burden. It possessed the ability, will, and efficiency to handle all work alone. However, during the period when the Heavenly Dao was a fusion of humanity and divinity, Miketsu, representing the human side, found handling everything herself too exhausting and troublesome. Driven by a desire to reduce her workload, she desperately influenced the divine aspect to create subordinates for lower-level tasks. The divine Mandate of Heaven eventually yielded to Miketsu, and after the compromise, several Heavenly Dao Gods were created to be at her beck and call.
The essence of a Heavenly Dao God was a deity selected and liberated from mythology by the Heavenly Dao and granted greater power. Under the privileges bestowed by the Heavenly Dao, they were not restricted by boundaries and could freely roam the Three Realms, fulfilling tasks assigned by heaven and punishing any who dared to defy the will of heaven. Yet, for a Heavenly Dao running purely on divine nature, these gods were not strictly necessary.
The White Dragon God lowered its head before Miketsu, then suddenly spoke with a hint of confusion.
"Actually, I am still somewhat unclear on one point. Why did you specifically obscure the heavenly secrets when I first descended? You only lifted the veil when I was on the verge of making a terrible mistake."
Earlier, as he prepared to attack the Inari Tower, he had suddenly seen through Dark Seimei's disguise and sensed the presence below. He had nearly lost his life from the shock. Fortunately, the White Dragon God had superb control over his power; otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable. The White Dragon God knew that the Heavenly Dao had both a divine and human side, and he knew the human side had descended to the mortal world, but he hadn't known her specific identity. He truly thought the fox of Inari was trying to force open the celestial gates to bring Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami down to earth. He never imagined that the human side of the Heavenly Dao's identity in the mortal world was the Inari God herself!
Hearing the dragon's words, Miketsu tapped her chin with a finger, thought for a moment, and then smiled.
"Well, it's quite simple. I'm currently holding a festival here. It's the first time in a thousand years I've attended my own festival, so I wanted to add some special flair. I figured I'd have you... how do I put it? Fireworks? To add to the excitement."
"You... you treated my Exploding Breath as fireworks?" the White Dragon God stammered in disbelief. Miketsu twirled happily on the spot and opened her arms toward the cheering masses below.
"Of course. Is there a problem? Your fireworks looked quite nice, didn't they? Look at how much everyone down there loves them!"
The White Dragon God was speechless, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. Suddenly, he felt that staying too long in the presence of his superior's human side was not a good idea.
"I... I see. As long as you like my fireworks, that is all that matters. I still have important matters to attend to as commanded by the heavens, so I must take my leave now."
As he spoke, the dragon hurried to fly upward. However, Miketsu smiled and reached out with a deft grasp, catching the White Dragon God's whisker. As he ascended, his whisker was yanked by an irresistible force. He cried out in pain, unable to take flight.
"Since you're already here, don't be in such a hurry to run. I'll tell my other self if there's anything to do. No rush."
Miketsu smiled while holding the dragon's whisker. The dragon cried out in alarm, "Please! Please let go! I won't run anymore, just please let go!"
Hearing his plea, Miketsu chuckled and released him. The liberated White Dragon God breathed a sigh of relief and continued to float quietly before her, waiting anxiously for her next instruction.
"I see that your fireworks were very popular, and everyone is looking forward to what's next. It would be quite rude to have a fireworks show with only a beginning. So, you should continue the performance. Ten minutes or so should do."
Miketsu stood with her hands on her hips, smiling at the obedient white dragon. The White Dragon God was stunned.
"What? A fireworks show? Me? I am to perform a fireworks show here?"
"Yes, that's what I said. Is there a problem?" Miketsu continued to watch him with a friendly smile. Faced with that 'kind' expression, the White Dragon God shrunk back and spoke slowly.
"I... I understand."
Kyoto, nighttime.
Against the dark sky, a long white dragon wove through the clouds, its long roar echoing in all directions.
Toward the dark night, the elegant white dragon opened its mouth wide. White energy gathered within, and then a ball of light was spat into the sky. It exploded at the highest point, blooming into a dazzling flower of white light.
Seeing the brilliant 'fireworks' bloom once more in the firmament, the long-waiting crowds below burst into cheers of admiration. Subsequently, balls of light were fired from the dragon's mouth one after another. Countless fireworks blossomed in succession across the night sky. Following the rhythm of the explosions, the cheers of the crowd rose and fell in waves.
"Whoa! It’s so beautiful! It’s such a grand fireworks show! These are all huge fireworks!" Inside the restaurant, Rin Hayakawa pressed herself against the glass, looking at the fireworks blooming in the distance. Just then, a girl in a yellow rice-ear patterned kimono walked slowly to her side.
"See? I didn't lie to you. This fireworks show is pretty good, isn't it?" Miketsu stood by Rin, looking at the spectacular display with a smile. Rin was startled to see Miketsu appear beside her.
"Ah! Inaba! You were in the bathroom for way too long. You missed so much!"
Miketsu waved her hand dismissively and laughed.
"It's fine to miss a little. I can still see it now, can't I? Here, let's sit and enjoy it together."
As she spoke, Miketsu sat back in her seat and looked out the window at the sky full of fireworks. Listening to the passionate cheers of the crowd, the smile on her lips never faded. Just then, a child's voice came from a nearby booth.
"Wow, these fireworks are so big and pretty. But why are they all white? Aren't there any other colors?"
"Yeah! It would be even better if there were other colors! White is pretty, but if it stays like that, it gets a bit monotonous."
Hearing the voices from next door, Miketsu's expression shifted slightly. She telepathically contacted the dragon working hard in the sky.
'Hey! Do you have any other colors for your breath? Only white is getting a bit boring!'
'Ugh! Yes, yes I do! Please be patient!'
Following the dragon's response, a series of massive golden 'fireworks' erupted in the air moments later. The golden sparks showered the sky, and the cheers from below became even more fervent.
"Ohhh! This time it's gold! It's even prettier!"
"I knew there were other colors! I was right! It’s even better now!"
The excited voices of the children came from the next booth. Hearing them, Miketsu nodded with a smile. She picked up the cup on the table, took a sip of cola, and continued to gaze out the window at the night sky. Along with the millions of living beings in Kyoto, she enjoyed the colorful fireworks, celebrating the Inari Festival with them.
Outskirts of Kyoto, midnight.
Within a Secret Realm filled with miasma, amidst a withered forest, a giant white fox over thirty meters tall was rampaging. Nine massive tails danced wildly behind her, and the resulting storms leveled large swaths of the dead trees.
"Inari! Give Seimei back to me!"
Howling, Hagoromo Gitsune, in her true form, drove her massive body forward in a furious charge. Having sensed that her Dark Seimei had been eliminated, she had lost all reason. The fire of hatred was the only thing burning in her chest.
In front of Hagoromo Gitsune’s charge, a beautiful woman floated in the air. Her greyish-white hair drifted behind her. A pair of fox ears sat atop her head, and she wore layers of elegant robes. Behind her were nine phantom tails.
Facing the giant beast charging at her, Tsuruha’s expression remained unchanged. She slowly reached out her hand, and with a flash of light, a bow wrapped in golden rice ears appeared. Drawing the string slowly, an arrow of light condensed. Tsuruha aimed upward and fired. The arrow of light shot into the night sky and exploded at its peak, scattering into countless light arrows that fell from the sky. These arrows pierced into Hagoromo Gitsune’s body, accurately pinning her nine tails and four limbs. The powerful Demon-Slaying Power locked her firmly to the ground, leaving her unable to move.
"Let go! Let go! Tsuruha! Today, you must die here!"
Hagoromo Gitsune struggled bitterly on the ground, but no matter what, she could not escape the confinement of the light arrows. Her eyes reflected a murky purple-black.
"Sigh... Is she about to go mad? It seems she truly is heavily contaminated."
At that moment, Miketsu, still in her festival attire, slowly descended from the sky. She landed beside Tsuruha, shaking her head as she looked at the giant demon fox.
"Hagoromo Gitsune’s soul has been deeply contaminated by the power of the Snake Evil God. Even your power, Lady Uka, would find it difficult to purify her, or even to destroy her. Over the past thousand years, she has been controlled by the remnants of the Snake Evil God to undergo constant reincarnation, attempting to revive Seimei's dark half. We have killed her countless times already," Tsuruha said respectfully beside Miketsu.
Hearing this, Miketsu sighed softly.
"In the end, is it still a problem with that snake? It’s no wonder; that fellow's power is truly troublesome and far too stubborn. This is my fault as well. I went up in such a hurry back then, and I didn't expect the Great Snake's remnants to cause so much trouble."
Miketsu spoke slowly as she watched the struggling Hagoromo Gitsune. The Great Snake was an ancient god of flesh and erosion; his power possessed extreme levels of contamination and regenerative properties. Even with his divine soul destroyed, it was difficult to root him out.
"But now, it should be about time to... well, there are only about two or three chapters left until the end."
Rate on N.U.
