Chapter 184-2

Chapter 184-2

[Part 2/4]

"That's my job. If you want to help, just play with the kids."

"Playing... Excuse me, Azuma-dono, what's your mission? Is it okay to ask?"

It feels rude for me, just a subcontractor, to ask about the higher-ups' tasks, but I ask anyway.

"Ah, well... Just report back, and then it's up to them to decide what to do..."

Azuma responds a bit hesitantly to my question. I can't tell what mission she has or what she has seen or heard, but it doesn't seem like a pleasant situation.

"...Well, let's put that aside for now."

She cuts off the conversation there and stands up, smiling gently at me like an orphanage director.

"There's a bottle of water over there... Are you hungry? Would you like some porridge?"

"No, not right now... Can I ask for some later?"

"Of course. Don't hold back as my guest."

In response to my request, Azuma cheerfully turns around and opens the shoji paper door. Then, she invites a waiting child into the room.

A white fox, inviting Shiro...

"Tomobe-san...!?"

The child glances at me and rushes over, then collapses in front of me, looking relieved. After a moment, she starts to sob.

"I'm so glad... I'm really glad...!!"

"Hey, hey..."

I try to comfort the child while looking at Azuma. Unfortunately, she doesn't offer any help. She leaves the room with just the two of us...

"I'm so glad... Really, I'm so glad! I, I...!!"

"Ah, there, there. Don't cry, don't cry. Okay? Okay?"

The young white fox cried loudly. As I tried to comfort her, I remembered a past fantasy.

She reminded me of my whiny, spoiled little sister from that long-ago fantasy. She was a bit taller and more mature, but I was sure they were the same person.

(What a strange feeling.)

As I thought about this, I asked Shiro why she was crying, and the answer I got was just as I expected.

"Um, I... I feel like something's wrong with me, and I've become like my old self, and then...!!"

With deep worry and fear, Shiro spoke. She had no memory of it. Even if she didn't remember, if she was told she had done something like before and hurt others, it made sense that she would be so shaken up.

"Calm down, calm down. ...It's not that serious. It's just a little prank."

I told her, who was starting to calm down, that it was nothing.

"Nothing? That's..."

"Um, I've been really anxious and scared... can I take a nap with you?"

Shiro whispered shyly.

"Maybe... maybe I'm afraid of not being myself anymore. Afraid of not being Shiro anymore. So..."

She looked really worried, staring at me as if she was clinging to me.

"Can I stay with you?"

Even though her words were different, I couldn't help but think of my little sister from those dreamy days in the past.

"..."

I realized again that they were the same. It was obvious, but for some reason, I felt relieved. It was a bit selfish, but as a brother, I was happy that my sister was safe.

She must have faced many tough times, filled with pain and sadness. She likely committed many sins and felt anxious and hurt. Still, as a brother, I couldn't help but feel happy about her presence.

"...I guess there's no helping it. Just this once, okay?"

This feels like a selfish way to make up for things. Just like before, I gently pat Shiro's head and her fox ears. She squints, looking a bit ticklish yet happy, leaning closer to chase away her worries.

Maybe her body remembers that rewritten past and is unconsciously seeking it? No, thinking too deeply isn't the point here.

...In place of the real big brother who died, it's only natural that I should let this young girl lean on me.

"...Good night, Shirona."

As I give in to the heavy sleepiness that has come back, the words I weave just before closing my eyes are surely just a self-satisfying lie....

* * *

The girl's amethyst-colored pupils were staring into the void. Those bright, youkai-like eyes continued to gaze at the empty space...

Divine beings don't exist in the present. To be precise, high-ranking divine beings exist in more than just the present.

Present, past, future──they exist at the same time in multiple dimensions. They embody existence as points, surfaces, and lines. They've become something close to a concept. This is one reason why killing a god is so difficult.

So, in Fusō-kuni, people have sought ways to deal with divine beings. Since killing them is difficult, sealing them is the solution. The goal is to weaken them into mere monsters, preventing wild divine beings from gaining power through faith and sacrifices.

Miko, or shrine maidens, play a similar role. They are there to calm the gods, attract them, and capture them. They see the same world as these beings, share the same viewpoint, and work with them.

But high-ranking gods exist beyond time as concepts, making it impossible to fully understand them just by looking. A shrine maiden who opposes the divine must have strategies in place.

And this girl, a shrine maiden, gazes at fate, pulling it closer. Her eyes hold a higher form of divination. Understanding the world varies from person to person based on their backgrounds and experiences.

This understanding is crucial in the process of killing gods.

"..."

The invisible threads floating in the air are manipulated by Miyataka's shrine maiden. Each thread's thickness, texture, and color represent the "fate" of all things. Her eyes capture these threads, defining the world and reality.

Instead of a crystal ball for divination, this is a substitute for direct and purer observation. As the shrine maidens' bloodline in Fusō weakened, this substitute was created to partially replicate their functions. This being is known as Miyataka Shinobu.

She inherits the lost secret powers of the shrine maiden...

"...Hah."