"Yes, Kuroha-san, you even gave her a name… My father wouldn't let me name her, saying she is the Inari God enshrined in our shrine…"
"Meow! Meow meow!"
Kuroo even cooperatively raised her proud little head, puffing out her chest as if saying, 'What? You're not convinced? This cat is a god!'
Kuroha Akira squatted down, raised one eyebrow, and while playing a pat-a-cake game with Kuroo's paws, he complained,
"Uh, Tomita, are you serious? If you said she was a mascot, I could understand a little…"
Tomita Haruka gave a wry smile; she didn't actually believe in the existence of gods, but she was the miko of this shrine, so she still had to put on a show for appearances.
"This… my father said it. It's probably because this cat is very similar to the incarnation of the deity passed down in our shrine. Both are pure white, with only the tail, symbolizing divine power, being black… Although the deity in the records has nine tails, and this cat only has one… After all, it's impossible for a cat to have so many tails…"
And what Kuroha Akira was thinking about at this moment was that Kuroo would guide newly 'landed' transmigrators, that she could eat anything, and was somewhat intelligent, and other 'examples' that had been piling up in his mind. And now, even the shrine that worshipped her had appeared.
This… perhaps, Kuroo was really a god? Or a divine messenger? Was he finally getting closer to the truth of the transmigration?!
"Hehe, it's not surprising for something so cute to be worshipped as a god."
Asato Hitomi liked cute things—a weakness she rarely showed—so she also squatted down, wanting to pet Kuroo.
"Can you become a god just by being cute…? Wait, Class…"
Kuroha Akira was about to remind the class representative that Kuroo was a cat that wouldn't let people touch her—a fact he had learned through painful experience. But then he saw the class representative's hand had already touched Kuroo's back.
Although it wasn't like when Shion was there—the cat had literally rolled on the ground and even let her belly be touched—it was already extremely rare for Kuroo to willingly let someone pet her fur. Kuroha Akira's jaw nearly dropped.
Then Tomita Haruka also showed a surprised expression.
"Huh? Cat God actually let someone touch her! This is the first time I've seen it… When I tried to touch her before, she would always avoid it… My father even got attacked when he tried to touch her…"
Then Tomita Haruka also moved closer and tried to extend her hand to Kuroo, and sure enough, Kuroo twisted her body to avoid it with feline agility.
Tomita Haruka looked disappointed; she also really liked cats, especially wanting to get close to the Cat God recognized by her own shrine, but Kuroo just wouldn't let her touch her.
Kuroha Akira immediately felt a sense of kinship with Tomita Haruka.
It's not just me who's being treated differently by Kuroo! It's not just beautiful girls who can touch her!
Now, only Shion and the class representative had successfully touched Kuroo… The commonality between these two…
Could it be… whether you can touch her… depends on talent?
If you have talent, you can touch her?
If you don't have talent, you're not worthy of touching her?
Kuroo can also distinguish talent?
So, is Kuroo actually related to the sudden appearance of the cheat?
He had been wondering before why Tashiro Kurenai and Hijikata Isamu, also transmigrators, didn't get cheats. Was it because they didn't have much contact with Kuroo? Because Kuroha Akira was the one responsible for feeding Kuroo, spending the most time with her.
Just as Kuroha Akira was pondering the connection between the two, a low and slightly desolate voice rang out, accompanied by the rustling of feet on fallen leaves.
"Of course, something cute can also be a god. As long as someone is willing to believe, any existence can be a god. This is the law of this world."
Walking over was a middle-aged man in a white hakama, wearing thick-rimmed square glasses. His hair was neat, and his side bangs were clean-shaven, giving him a scholarly appearance.
"Father!"
"Uncle Hoken."
Tomita Haruka and Asato Hitomi greeted the newcomer together. It seemed this middle-aged man was the manager of this shrine.
Although Kuroha Akira didn't know much about Shintoism and shrines, he remembered that shrine priests were ranked, and their rank could be seen from the color of their hakama. White should be the color worn by the highest rank—he remembered it was called 'Jokai'?
"Hitomi-chan is here, and a new face."
Tomita Hoken showed a kind smile and introduced himself to Kuroha Akira.
"I am the Guuji and Kannushi of this shrine, my name is Tomita Hoken, and I am also Haru-chan's father."
The Guuji was the representative of the shrine, the highest-ranking existence in the shrine, fully responsible for all shrine priests. The Kannushi, on the other hand, was mainly responsible for rituals. People often confused them because many Guuji also served as Kannushi.
These were legitimate shrine priests, while miko were quite casual—any healthy girl could become a miko. So, during New Year's, popular shrines often temporarily recruited some part-time miko. Tomita Haruka probably only helped out at home on holidays because she was born in a shrine.
"Hello, my name is Kuroha Akira. I am a friend of Hitomi-chan, and a jogging partner with Tomita."
Kuroha Akira also introduced himself, explaining his relationships with the two girls. It could be seen from the way he called the class representative by her given name but Tomita Haruka by her surname how close he was to them. It was better not to appear too close to his daughter in front of her father—after all, no father in this world would like a young man getting close to his daughter.
"I see. Are you also here to see Cat God? Come, Cat God, I have prepared top-grade offerings today…"
However, Tomita Hoken didn't care about Kuroha Akira's relationship with the girls. After he squatted down, he pulled out a cat treat from somewhere and started feeding it to Kuroo with an eager expression.
As a result, the usually greedy Kuroo unexpectedly didn't eat the cat treat Tomita Hoken offered this time. She even bit his hand fiercely.
"Meow!!!"
"Woah…"
That must have bitten through… It looked so painful… Kuroha Akira winced sympathetically.
Although Kuroo didn't let people touch her, she wasn't a shy cat that would randomly attack people. Kuroha Akira had never seen Kuroo be so unfriendly towards a specific person before.
Uncle Tomita, what on earth did you do to Kuroo? Why does she hate you so much?
However, Uncle Tomita was still laughing, as if it wasn't his own hand that was bitten, and he tried to touch Kuroo with his other hand. As a result, Kuroo scratched him several more times, and both of his hands became bloody.
"Cat God is still the same—it's good to see her lively…"
Seeing her father bitten and scratched by the cat, Tomita Haruka was not surprised. She took out a first-aid kit from the shrine office, threw a roll of bandages to her father, and said with practiced calm:
"Father, haven't you known for a long time that Cat God doesn't like you? Don't seek trouble for yourself again. You'll have to wear bandages during the rituals."
"I brought high-grade cat treats today, and I thought it might make Cat God feel a little better… It seems it's still not working. I'm completely hated, haha…"
"Hiss—! Ha—! Meow ow ┗|｀O′|┛~"
Kuroo had actually started hissing at him. If Kuroo also had a favorability meter, her favorability towards Tomita Hoken must already be at the maximum negative value—lower than rock bottom.
"Mr. Tomita, have you ever hurt Kuroo before? This is the first time I've seen her hate someone so much…"
"Hmm… If I had to say, I did do something bad to her. After all, I moved her home here without permission. Although I hope Cat God can still consider this her home, Cat God seems very resistant."
"Oh? Moving?"
Did he mean the shrine relocating? Indeed, shrine relocation was very rare. After all, facilities like shrines were historical legacies—even if they became dilapidated, they were only repaired, not casually relocated.
Tomita Hoken pushed his glasses up with his ring finger and asked,
"Yes… Kuroha-kun, where did you hear the name Kuroo from?"
"Uh, I heard it from the landlady, Granny Kobayashi…"
"Landlady… Do you mean Granny Mika?"
Kuroha Akira was stunned for a moment. Calling Granny Kobayashi directly by her given name implied he was very familiar with her—close enough to drop the honorific entirely.
"Yes, are you and Granny Kobayashi old acquaintances?"
Hearing the surname Kobayashi, Tomita Hoken murmured, "Kobayashi, huh…"
His eyes grew distant, as if recalling memories from long ago.
Then he immediately laughed heartily, the sound echoing through the shrine grounds.
"Haha, we're more than familiar! After all, I'm the child she watched grow up. I used to visit their house often when I was a child. In fact, our family's shrine was still in that vicinity until Haruka went to middle school."
"Ah! Could it be that abandoned shrine?!" Kuroha Akira's eyes lit up like a protagonist discovering a hidden quest.
He had always wondered why that shrine was abandoned. So it was because it had moved—relocated to this new location. And Kuroo often appeared in that vicinity, rarely coming to this area. For her, it was as if her original territory had been messed up by hateful humans who didn't understand the concept of "sacred ground."
In the past, many people who visited that shrine might have seen this cat, which looked very similar to the divine statues, and treated her as a mascot. Regular visitors would bring her delicious food and treats. Kuroo only had to act cute and roll on the ground, and foolish humans would willingly feed her the finest delicacies. But now that the people and the shrine were gone, she could only humbly come to Kobayashi for food, forced to lower her divine standards.
"Yes, that's the former site of this Yomi Inari Shrine. Although the shrine has moved, the old site has not been demolished…"
"Meow!"
Speaking of the shrine relocation, Kuroo immediately jumped up like a spring-loaded missile!
Kuroo unleashed a furious flurry of scratches—a combo attack worthy of a fighting game character. The effect was outstanding!
Six intersecting bloody marks appeared on Tomita Hoken's face, but the man remained expressionless, unmoving like a mountain.
How calm… Kuroha Akira thought, genuinely impressed by the man's stoicism.
Kuroha Akira tried to take the cat treat from his hand. When he was responsible for feeding, Kuroo was very cooperative and started eating without complaint. It was indeed a problem with the person, not the food. It seemed that moving the shrine was indeed the reason Kuroo disliked him so intensely.
"Living at Granny Mika's house, no wonder Kuroha-kun is Hitomi-chan's friend…"
At this moment, Tomita Hoken noticed Asato Hitomi's meaningful glance at him, which conveyed 'don't say too much' with the subtlety of a slap to the face.
Tomita Hoken understood instantly. He was well aware of the current situation of the Asato family and the Kobayashi household, so he didn't continue speaking and smoothly changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, are you the only guest living at Granny Mika's house now?"
"No, there are three others."
"There are three people now? There wasn't a single person before the shrine moved… May I be so bold as to ask their ages and genders?"
This wasn't a secret, and it should be fine without mentioning names, so Kuroha Akira told him.
"Besides me, there are two women and one man. One of the women is the same age as me, the other is a young woman in her twenties, and the man is about the same age as you, Mr. Tomita, just a little younger—a middle-aged man."
Tomita Haruka and Asato Hitomi had both met Shinomiya Shion, so they knew who he was referring to as the girl of the same age, and their expressions both darkened like storm clouds rolling in.
"I see…"
After listening, Tomita Hoken pondered for a moment, then asked, "Kuroha-kun, are you a high school student now? Are you and Hitomi-chan attending the same school?"
"Uh, yes…"
Kuroha Akira felt like complaining. Do I not look like I'm the same age as the class president and them? I am a genuine high school student right now! And he'd been asking so many questions since just now. What was he trying to do? Was he checking his household registration or something?
However, after he finished asking, there was no follow-up. Tomita Hoken suddenly turned to his daughter and asked, "Haruka, do you want to transfer schools?"
"Eh? Eh eh eh?!"
Tomita Haruka let out a series of incredulous sounds, her voice climbing higher with each syllable. Then she retorted, "Dad, didn't you say you wouldn't allow me to attend a co-ed school?!"
Then Tomita Hoken suddenly knelt down to his daughter, clasped his hands together in a bow, and kowtowed in apology—a full prostration that would have been comical if it weren't so unexpected.
"I'm sorry! I was too rigid before! I shouldn't restrict my daughter's freedom! Haruka! You also have the right to pursue happiness!"
"Wah! Dad, what are you doing?! Get up! Don't kowtow to your daughter! And don't act like an idiot in front of Hitomi-chan and them!"
Tomita Haruka was about to faint. Although her dad was never serious at home, for him to act like this in front of her friends… It was too embarrassing! Why is my dad like this?!
"Pfft…"
"Hehe…"
Kuroha Akira couldn't help but laugh out loud, and Asato Hitomi also covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, her shoulders shaking with barely contained amusement.
This father and daughter pair were truly interesting. He had originally thought that Tomita Haruka's father would be a very serious person, hearing that he didn't allow her to attend co-ed schools, but he didn't expect him to be such a comical uncle—a complete 180 from his initial impression.
"Haruka, I remember before high school you kept complaining that you wanted to attend a co-ed school, didn't you? Now, I, your dad, have had a change of heart, so I support your transfer, okay? How about transferring to the school where Hitomi-chan and Kuroha-kun are? If you have friends to look after you, I, your dad, can feel a bit more at ease…"
"That's none of your business! I think Shirayuri Academy is great now! Everyone in the swimming club is also very nice!"
Before high school, Tomita Haruka indeed wanted to go to the high school Asato Hitomi was attending, but now that more than half of the first year of high school had passed, her social relationships at school were already established. It was a bit difficult for her to transfer schools at this point. Tomita Haruka was not the type with a strong social personality; she cherished the friends she had at her current school.
"Is that so? Then think about it again. In any case, if you want to transfer schools, I, your dad, can help you transfer at any time."
He didn't want to force his daughter. Anyway, Tomita Haruka was already friends with Asato Hitomi and Kuroha Akira. There was no need to interfere; it was better to let them develop naturally.
...
After getting up from the ground, Tomita Hoken brushed off the dust from his knees with the dignity of a man who hadn't just performed a full prostration in front of his daughter's friends, then patted Kuroha Akira's shoulder and said, "Well then, I'll leave my Haruka in your care."
"No problem, Mr. Tomita."
"No need to be so formal, Kuroha-kun. Just call me Uncle Hoken, like Hitomi-chan."
"Okay, Uncle Hoken."
"Ugh…!"
Tomita Haruka was completely choked up. Even she and Kuroha Akira still only called each other by their surnames, so why did her dad let him call him by his first name first?! The injustice was staggering.
Tomita Hoken completely disregarded his daughter's resentful expression and continued to entrust the two promising young people.
"I hope you two can continue to get along well with Haruka in the future, preferably as good friends for life. You see, Hitomi-chan's father and I grew up together, practically brothers, like siblings…"
"Mmph! That's enough! Dad, go back! You're not needed here!"
Tomita Haruka couldn't stand her old man's antics anymore and directly pushed him from behind, driving him away from the scene with the efficiency of a bouncer ejecting a rowdy customer.
...
After being pushed back behind the shrine by his daughter, Tomita Hoken walked around the main hall, entered the newly built main shrine alone, and then closed the large door with a heavy thud.
He took off his glasses, revealing a fanatical gaze like that of a zealot—a burning intensity that had been hidden behind his comedic facade. He looked at the 'Divine Body' placed inside the main shrine and muttered, "As you predicted… After you, a new 'Traveler' has crossed the Yellow Springs Hirasaka and arrived in this world…"
No one in the shrine responded to his words. There was only a reverberation like a heartbeat, inaudible to ordinary people—a pulse that seemed to come from the very walls themselves.
Giving birth to new life.