Walking along the path leading to the shrine in the Land of Demons, Kei Yamanaka listened as Ashiki, the shrine maiden's guardian, continued explaining the unique national governance system of the Land of Demons. He silently admired Miroku's foresight.
The Land of Demons was unlike most nations in the ninja world.
During the Warring States era, before national borders were clearly defined or the Land of Demons fully took shape, this place functioned less as a nation and more as a sealed prison for Moryo.
Influenced by Moryo's presence, centuries ago, the land bore no vegetation—its air thick with corrupted energy.
Only through the sacrifices of generations of shrine maidens did the seal on Moryo remain intact.
It was because of their devotion that the land eventually regained vitality, becoming fertile soil suitable for farming, blooming with flowers, bushes, and shrubs.
The daimyos of other nations avoided this tainted land, fearing that if Moryo ever broke free, they'd be the first to suffer. As a result, the shrine maidens ruled this land for centuries.
In other words—
The Land of Demons has no daimyo. It is not a monarchy, but a theocratic state where religion and governance are united.
The highest authority naturally belongs to the current shrine maiden.
Beneath her are eight deputies who manage various institutions and affairs.
Though the shrine maiden rarely involves herself in governance, in a land where nearly every citizen reveres her, a single word from her can earn unconditional support from the people and determine the direction of the entire nation.
As soon as Miroku learned of Konoha, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure's merger,
She immediately ordered her guards to deliver an official diplomatic letter to Konoha.
It clearly stated that the Land of Demons willingly accepted Konoha's rule, pledged full compliance with Konoha's decisions, and only requested that Konoha preserve the shrine and assist in sealing or handling Moryo within their capabilities.
While most rulers and nobles in the ninja world wallowed in luxury, oblivious to the shifting tides or Kei Yamanaka's true intent,
Shrine Maiden Miroku seemed to foresee the future, sending such an official letter without hesitation.
And after receiving no reply to that message,
She sent one letter after another, steadily softening her demands!
Kei Yamanaka wasn't sure whether Shrine Maiden Miroku truly saw the future, but her attitude, combined with her repeated mentions of Moryo in those letters, definitely warranted his personal visit.
Walking along the path paved with smooth, bluish stones, he passed through dense jungle and stepped beneath one ancient torii gate after another.
A modest shrine came into view, nestled peacefully against the mountainside.
At the top of the long staircase,
Dressed in a white robe trimmed with gold, Shrine Maiden Miroku watched the finally-arrived Kei Yamanaka approach. A relaxed smile finally graced her previously tense face.
Golden radiance shimmered from the crown atop her head as she floated gracefully down to the base of the steps.
"Shrine Maiden."
Ashiki, the guard who had led Kei Yamanaka here, knelt respectfully on the ground.
"Well done, Ashiki. Rest now."
"Yes, Shrine Maiden."
Ashiki bowed deeply, then rose and stepped back respectfully before turning and leaving.
Kei Yamanaka sensed the power emanating from the shrine maiden Miroku, a force that originated from the shrine itself. He found it fascinating.
No wonder he couldn't locate this place when he first used Otsutsuki Teleportation for space transfer.
This was an entirely different kind of power, separate from spatial laws—it existed between illusion and reality!
The entire shrine was enveloped by the power of generations of shrine maidens, and since Miroku lived within its walls, anyone unfamiliar with this energy finding their way here would be nothing short of miraculous.
"Welcome to the Land of Demons, Kei-sama."
Miroku gave a graceful bow.
Her tone was gentle, her demeanor noble, and her voice carried an indescribable warmth that naturally drew people in.
"Eh, you don't have to act so formal. I'm not really fond of overly polite people either,"
Kei responded with a slight bow himself, deliberately loosening his stance.
Judging from appearances, Miroku was probably only a year or two older than him.
Maintaining that shrine maiden composure clearly felt unnatural—her limbs and expressions were stiff and awkward.
It was obvious she wasn't accustomed to such social formalities.
"Phew~ then thank you, Kei-sama."
Miroku quickly glanced back twice toward where her subordinate had left moments ago, released a soft sigh of relief, and broke into a bright smile.
Her previously straight-backed stance now relaxed as well.
Due to their sacred duties, shrine maidens tended to be young girls.
Raised from childhood to master various rituals and knowledge, she had lived her entire life near the shrine. Yet deep down, she was still just an ordinary girl who longed for freedom and a carefree lifestyle.
"Do shrine maidens like you have the ability to see the future?"
Waving his hand casually, Kei walked side by side with Miroku toward the inner part of the shrine.
"To be precise, we see illusions of possible futures—events that might potentially occur..."
Climbing the stairs slowly, Miroku explained the source of her power.
The nature of Moryo was uniquely complex. This ancient demon drew strength from humanity's evil thoughts, and having absorbed generations of malevolence, it gained the ability to glimpse into illusory futures through its own might.
Generation after generation, shrine maidens dedicated themselves as living seals binding Moryo, unknowingly forming an inseparable connection with it.
And she, inheriting the shrine maiden's power,
could glimpse illusory futures herself when pushing her powers to the limit.
Understanding dawned in Kei's eyes.
At first, he thought it was a high-level time-manipulation ability, but now it seemed more like probability calculations—similar to big data analysis in the Hokage world?
That Moryo's ability was indeed intriguing!
"What kind of future did you see?"
"Many, and quite chaotic. But two possibilities appeared most frequently."
"Go on, tell me more."
"The first possibility is that you never came to the Land of Demons, Kei-sama—you vanished somewhere unknown instead... yet somehow, I gave birth to your child..."
"Hold on, hold on! Where'd the kid come from? I didn't even come to the Land of Demons!"
"I used a special technique unique to shrine maidens."
Seeing Kei look utterly bewildered, Miroku laughed joyfully, her eyes narrowing into crescents.
Each generation of shrine maidens publicly declared they bore divine children guided by heavenly will.
However, in reality, to give birth to even stronger shrine maidens capable of suppressing the Moryo, all shrine maidens inherited the bloodlines of the strongest individuals of each generation—whether it be hair, nails, or bits of skin.
As long as there was even a remnant of another's bloodline, a shrine maiden could fuse it with her own power to give birth to the next generation of shrine maidens.
And this generation's strongest was none other than Kei Yamanaka!
"...The hell?!"
Kei wanted to say something, but after struggling for a while, he only managed to curse out loud.
These shrine maidens... couldn't they at least act a little less absurd?
Did they even bother asking the guy's opinion before deciding to make kids?!
They just went ahead and did it anyway?!
"I can't see clearly what happens much later, but I did see one future involving a child with golden hair who's incredibly good at being adorable."
Shion said with a delighted smile, speaking of the illusions she had seen.
She looked like a little girl who'd just pulled off a mischievous prank, proudly standing with her hands behind her back.
Without stopping her walk toward the shrine, she continued.
"In another possible future, Kei-sama arrives at the shrine, and all these illusions simply cease."
"Meaning the Moryo dies?"
Kei shook the strange thoughts from his head.
The shrine maidens' ability to see into illusions came from the Moryo. If those futures ended abruptly, that could only mean the Moryo was dead.
But...
Given the connection between shrine maidens and the Moryo, under normal circumstances, wouldn't Miroku die too?
"That's right! The Moryo saw the same futures, and recently has been frantically breaking through the intensive seals left behind by generations of shrine maidens. These seals were originally meant to last for many more years, but now they might break within a year. And if Kei-sama still hasn't arrived here within ten days..."
Miroku, the shrine maiden, took out a small, finely embroidered sachet from within her robes.
Her expression carried a strange calmness, mixed with unmistakable regret, and she handed it to Kei with clear reluctance.
"...My hair."
Kei's eyelid twitched violently as he quickly sealed the sachet into his Boundless Realm.
Damn it!
If he ever stepped foot into a barber shop again, he'd turn into a dog!
What if suddenly a kid showed up out of nowhere? He could already imagine how hard explaining it all would be once he got home!
Just like the sages from his past had warned.
Guys need to protect themselves when they're out!
"That's amazing... Once the Moryo is truly destroyed, there will no longer be any shrine maidens..."
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