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"I... I spoke out of turn!"
Kujou Sara was sensible enough to realize her place. She remained loyal to the Shogun and to Inazuma, but she had been raised within the Tenryou Commission. She was a soldier meant for the battlefield, not a servant suited for the inner chambers of the palace. Compared to the refined and graceful Kamisato Ayaka, known as the Heron Princess, a warrior like Sara did indeed lack a certain delicate touch. Rushing in to replace Ayaka in serving the deity might only prove counterproductive. Even so, the inability to see Raiden Shogun in person left her deeply anxious.
"Also, from today on, remember to have meals delivered for both deities and that girl from the Kamisato clan."
Su Ran might not require sustenance, but Kamisato Ayaka certainly did. Yae Miko doubted that the mysterious new god would go out of his way to care for Ayaka. After all, Ayaka was there specifically to serve as a maid to the deity.
"Understood!"
A glimmer of hope flickered in Kujou Sara's heart. Sensing this, Yae Miko offered a stern warning.
"Remember, you are to leave the food only at the entrance of the room on the highest floor. Do not enter without permission. If you provoke the wrath of the deity, not a single soul in the Kujou clan will survive."
Under normal circumstances, Yae Miko would never utter such ruthless threats. But these were extraordinary times. As the highest authority currently holding the reins of Inazuma, she had to exercise extreme caution. The state of the Shogun could not be leaked, nor could she allow panic to spread among the populace. An already chaotic Inazuma would only spiral into total ruin if the public lost heart. For now, stabilizing the tense situation was the priority.
Crushed by the loss of her expectations, Kujou Sara felt frustrated, yet she would never dream of defying the command. Yae Miko was the familiar of the Narukami. With the Shogun absent, she was the highest-ranking official in the nation. This was especially true given the current political climate. The heads of the three commissions might have been able to pay lip service to the Grand Narukami Shrine in the past, but that was no longer an option. With the Shogun nowhere to be seen, Yae Miko had become their only pillar of support.
The heads of the Kujou and Hiiragi clans shared a common consensus despite their lingering terror. They had been able to act recklessly across Inazuma only because Raiden Shogun stood above them like the very heavens. Now that the Shogun had seemingly met with disaster, what else could they do? They needed someone to hold the sky up for them. It could not be them, nor could it be the long-suppressed head of the Kamisato clan. It had to be the fox deity, Yae Miko. She was neither human nor tethered to their petty factional rivalries. As the trusted familiar of the Narukami, her status and capabilities were second to none. Having her in charge put their minds at ease.
"Good. You may lift the martial law in Inazuma. Since the gods are safe and sound, there is no need to waste resources on such measures."
If Raiden Shogun were truly fine, maintaining such a high state of alert would only betray their internal panic. Inazuma was already restless enough; if things descended into further chaos, who could predict the outcome?
"Understood!"
Receiving the order, Kujou Sara did not delay. She relayed the commands immediately. Seeing the relief wash over the faces of the shogunate troops, Yae Miko finally let out a soft breath. However, she had no time to waste. As long as Raiden Shogun remained broken, the underlying doubts would never vanish. Five hundred years ago, Ei had used many rare materials to craft the puppet that served as the vessel for the Gnosis. Fortunately, some of those materials still remained. If she could gather them quickly, perhaps the Shogun could be restored sooner.
Yae Miko prepared to return to the Grand Narukami Shrine. It was there that Raiden Ei had originally forged the puppet, and it was there that the Gnosis had been entrusted to her care. The only pity was that, against the original design, the Gnosis had never been installed within the puppet. Perhaps that was why the Shogun always seemed so devoid of heart.
On her way back to Narukami, she encountered someone she had little desire to see.
"Guuji, I heard that my younger sister accompanied you to Tenshukaku to see the deity?"
Kamisato Ayato, head of the Kamisato clan, had sought her out directly. Upon hearing the news that Kamisato Ayaka had followed Yae Miko to Tenshukaku, he had been unable to sit still. He had rushed out in a desperate attempt to stop his foolish sister's reckless actions. Ever since the Shogun had vanished into the sea, there had been no word of her fate. No one knew if Raiden Shogun was alive or dead. For his sister to follow Yae Miko into Tenshukaku to confront a strange, mysterious god was nothing short of a death wish.
Unfortunately, the journey from the Kamisato estate to Inazuma City was long. He had arrived too late. Yae Miko had already departed Tenshukaku. The only thing that left him deeply unsettled was that Kamisato Ayaka had not come out with her.
"My, my. It couldn't be helped. The little girl is quite pleasing to the deity, so she remained behind. I must say, I am quite envious of her."
As for whether she was alive or dead, Yae Miko could not offer any guarantees.
"Ayaka... she was left inside?"
Looking up at the cloud-piercing towers of Tenshukaku, Kamisato Ayato felt a burning urge to march inside. But reason eventually triumphed over his emotions. His sister could not come to harm, but the stability of Inazuma was even more critical. Human beings were ultimately so powerless in the face of deities.
"Look at you, so distraught. If the girl can manage to win the favor of a god, wouldn't all the troubles of the Kamisato clan be solved in an instant?"
Though she had little desire to interact with Kamisato Ayato, since they had crossed paths, Yae Miko decided to stop holding back. She would throw a bit of provocation his way to see if she could break his legendary composure. If he remained unfazed, that was fine; she had no energy for a prolonged battle of wits. But if he did break, all the better—it would provide some amusement to relieve the heavy pressure weighing on her.
"My sister is but an ordinary mortal. How could she possibly catch the eye of a deity?"
With a fox like Yae Miko already present, could that god possibly have taken a liking to Ayaka? Only in this moment did Kamisato Ayato have to admit that Yae Miko possessed beauty far surpassing that of his sister. Yae Miko merely smiled in silence. Her expression caused Ayato to lose his grip on his nerves.
Could it really be true?
"Now that you mention it, I am just a little bit envious. That deity actually complimented little Ayaka on her beauty. That is an honor I, the Guuji, have yet to receive."
Kamisato Ayato felt as though he had been struck by lightning.