After a brief exchange, Satsuki returned once more to Katori Shrine.
This time, since Ruri had already completed the task assigned to her, Satsuki brought the lively troublemaker back along with her. At the moment, the two sat facing each other in the room.
There were several sets of data and information that needed to be retrieved from the system. Moreover, lacking the stabilization of a spacetime insignia, Satsuki also needed to use the Akashic Records to determine the coordinates of this timeline and establish a permanent portal. The intelligence source for that positioning came from the power of Hagorome Gitsune.
From the very first moment she saw that enchanting Hagorome Gitsune, Satsuki had noticed the anachronistic black formal attire and the distinct sense of dissonance surrounding her. Hagorome Gitsune regarded Satsuki as an interesting target, and Satsuki felt much the same. The fox was equally worthy of research.
In short, neither of them had truly regarded the other as human.
With that in mind, Satsuki extended a finger and lightly pressed it against Ruri's forehead.
Ruri had already withdrawn from [Destruction Mode], yet at Satsuki's gentle touch, the third eye upon her forehead opened once more. Information from the recent battle and records concerning Hagorome Gitsune's power streamed continuously into Satsuki's eyes, archived by her authority.
"Though the mastery of that eye is still lacking, it is surprising that the Ten-Tails could break free from the suppression of Veil of Light and Shadow. It seems this technique is not flawless after all."
The Ten-Tails was a special existence, a biological weapon combining both plant and animal traits. It did not rely solely on five senses for action, and with Kaguya directing it from the side, the pressure Veil of Light and Shadow exerted upon its senses and will was perfectly countered. Meanwhile, the gravitational distortion imposed by Veil of Light and Shadow was suppressed by the Rinne Sharingan possessed by the Ten-Tails itself. In nearly every aspect, Veil of Light and Shadow had been placed at a disadvantage.
In simple terms, it was akin to using genjutsu against a puppet—high effort with little reward.
A golden gleam flashed across Satsuki's Tenseigan as her gaze fixed on the third eye on Ruri's forehead. As a shikigami created by her own hands, Satsuki naturally understood every ability Ruri possessed.
With the Nine-Tails' power as her core, unless she were devoured by the Ten-Tails, Ruri was virtually immortal. Though she had activated Destruction Mode, endured a Tailed Beast Bomb, and unleashed the Fallen Heaven Orb, none of it constituted a serious problem for her.
Of course, part of that was due to Kaguya holding back in the latter half of the battle. Setting aside the overwhelming Expansive Truth-Seeking Orb, the troublesome abilities [Amenominaka] and [Yomotsu Hirasaka] alone would have left Ruri with little recourse unless she revealed her ultimate trump card.
In the realm of space-time, Ruri was still far from being able to compete with Kaguya and the Ten-Tails, both wielders of the Rinne Sharingan.
After spending some time organizing the data obtained from Ruri, Satsuki flicked her sleeve, releasing a flash of azure authority-light.
Under [Status Infusion], Ruri's condition was restored to its peak state, and the will of the Strongest System Across All Worlds re-entered her.
Once that was done, a faint glow passed over Ruri's body, and she returned to her original childlike form.
Activating Destruction Mode had imposed a tremendous burden on her body. Although Satsuki's Status Infusion repaired the physical strain, the mental exhaustion would require time to recover.
As a result, Ruri was already struggling even to maintain her Battle Mode, and simply reverted to her initial appearance.
...
Ruri could rest.
But Satsuki still had matters to attend to.
Specifically, the issue of the Yasakani no Magatama in her possession.
As one of the most renowned Three Sacred Treasures of Shinto, the value of the Yasakani no Magatama required no elaboration. Yet what concerned Satsuki was not its reputation, but the power contained within it.
Previously, she had determined that the Yasakani no Magatama possessed the power of fusion. Thus, during this period, aside from researching the temporal power of the Era Tree, she had been attempting to use the Yasakani no Magatama to fuse her authorities of [Perpetuity] and [Instant Death Authority].
In her hypothesis, Perpetuity and Instant Death could be unified into a single superior authority—Super Instant Death.
However, despite all her efforts during this time, she had made no progress whatsoever in the field of authority fusion.
Not to mention her subsequent plan of merging [Perpetuity] with [Black Domain Buddhakṣetra].
This forced her to spend a great deal of time contemplating where the issue lay. She even devoted considerable effort to consulting both the Giant Tenseigan and the Akashic Records for relevant information. Yet perhaps because such knowledge was too advanced or too rare, descriptions in that regard were exceedingly scarce.
After consolidating the limited intelligence available, Satsuki ultimately traced the problem back to the Yasakani no Magatama itself.
"No wonder Susanoo-no-Mikoto bestowed such a treasure so easily. It turns out this artifact comes with far more hidden pitfalls than expected…"
However, news that Katori Shrine intended to recreate the Shikon Jewel stirred her thoughts.
In terms of function, there was naturally an immense gap between the Shikon Jewel and the Yasakani no Magatama.
But that did not mean the Shikon Jewel could not serve as a reference.
As a spiritual jewel, the Shikon Jewel's limited value ultimately stemmed from the insufficient grade of power contained within it. Entities above the level of great yōkai simply had no interest in it.
That was indeed a flaw the Shikon Jewel could not change.
Yet it also possessed a distinct advantage—its power was highly active.
Almost immediately upon contact with the Shikon Jewel, a yōkai's demonic energy would experience a noticeable enhancement. That very activity was precisely what the Yasakani no Magatama lacked.
Therefore, upon learning that Katori Shrine intended to recreate the Shikon Jewel, Satsuki began considering whether she might extract some benefit from the process.
Although she possessed partial data from the previous Shikon Jewel, that had been a finished product. It was far less informative than reconstructing one from the ground up.
Having reached that conclusion, Satsuki decided to inquire about the shrine's progress regarding the Shikon Jewel's reconstruction.
With her mind made up, she stepped out of the room, preparing to seek out the current person in charge of Katori Shrine.
Coincidentally, it was an old acquaintance—the Saiin of Katori Shrine whom Satsuki had met before: Kagura Magenrou.
After Kagura Magenrou departed for Kyoto, the affairs of Katori Shrine had been placed under her full authority. Surely she would not be unaware of matters concerning the Shikon Jewel.
—"Has anyone ever considered a question? What is the true essence of the spiritual power we shrine maidens possess?"
When Satsuki arrived outside the classroom where [Barrier] techniques were being taught, she could already hear Kagura Magenrou addressing the shrine maidens gathered from across the country.
Most of these maidens were practical fighters. Some specialized in kotodama, some in divine harmonization, some in archery, others in barriers…
Yet due to the lack of deeper education and theoretical understanding, few of them truly knew why they possessed such powers—or what the true potential of those powers might be.
Throughout the development of Shinto, the lineage of shrine maidens had incorporated a great deal of Taoist techniques and beliefs. The most obvious example was talismanic spells.
Seated formally upon the tatami, Kagura Magenrou remained as captivating as ever.
Her face bore a pair of violet eyes that seemed capable of reaching directly into the human heart. A crescent-shaped floral mark adorned her brow. She wore the standard red-and-white shrine maiden attire. Her long hair, reaching to her waist, was neatly tied behind her back. Upon her head rested a ceremonial crown, and at her waist hung kagura bells and a gold-and-silver folding fan. Her demeanor was gentle and smiling, her tone approachable and warm, yet an air of quiet nobility lingered about her.
A soft smile graced her lips as she continued gently, "Or perhaps I should phrase it differently. Does anyone here know what the shortest spell in this world is?"
Clearly, such a question exceeded the scope of most of the shrine maidens present.
One maiden seated closest to her pondered for a moment before cautiously asking, "Teacher, I belong to the kotodama lineage. Is the shortest spell you refer to… a 'name'?"
Kagura Magenrou nodded with a smile. "Haruko is correct. The shortest spell in this world is a name."
The shrine maidens exchanged puzzled glances.
Another maiden asked in confusion, "Teacher, do you mean names like mine—Rei Chiyo—or hers—Haruko?"
"Precisely. Just like 'mountain,' 'sea,' 'tree,' 'grass,' 'insect,' 'flower'—these names are also a form of spell."
The explanation left many of the shrine maidens momentarily stunned. Such metaphysical concepts were not easy to grasp.
Kagura Magenrou was not surprised by their reaction. She continued patiently, "A spell, in simple terms, is a form of binding. A name is precisely what binds the fundamental nature of a thing. If something in this world cannot be named, then it is nothing at all. One might even say it does not exist."
Silence filled the room.
The Saiin continued, "Take your name, Rei Chiyo, as an example. You and I are both human. But you are a human bound by the spell 'Rei Chiyo,' while I am a human bound by the spell 'Kagura Magenrou.'"
Haruko suddenly raised her hand again. "If I were to lose my name, would that mean I no longer exist in this world?"
Kagura Magenrou shook her head. "No. You would still exist as a 'human.' It is only 'Haruko' that would disappear."
Haruko looked bewildered. "But Haruko is me. If Haruko disappears, wouldn't 'I' disappear as well?"
The Saiin gently shook her head again—neither affirming nor denying.
At that moment, Satsuki's voice sounded from the doorway.
—"A fascinating perspective. I did not expect Katori Shrine's curriculum to convey such wisdom."
As Satsuki stepped forward slowly, every gaze in the room converged upon the black-haired woman clad in dark robes.
In the next instant, many of the shrine maidens froze in place. The woman who had entered possessed an extraordinary beauty so transcendent that even they, as women, could not help but be momentarily captivated.
"So long as something in this world has a name, it is bound by a form of restraint…" Satsuki said as she walked forward. "Only when one recognizes that a thing exists and gives it a name does one cast a spell upon it. Furthermore, the more people who believe in or revere that thing, the greater the power it gains. Over time, the spiritual power it possesses comes to be regarded as 'divinity.'"
"In the end—what we call spells or spiritual power is, at its core, the power of the human heart."
Hearing this explanation, the shrine maidens fell into contemplation. Fully grasping the depth of Satsuki's words would not be easy for them, but even understanding a fraction was enough.
"Lady Kurotsuki Ihime's explanation is correct. I hope that in your future studies, you will train your hearts diligently. Only a shrine maiden with a firm heart can maintain powerful spiritual energy."
About fifteen minutes later, the class concluded.
After the students bowed and departed, Kagura Magenrou personally approached Satsuki and offered a respectful bow.
"Lady Kurotsuki Ihime's understanding of the essence of Shinto is truly admirable. Your explanation of its nature was both profound and accessible."
"I merely gained some insight while browsing the shrine's archives earlier," Satsuki replied calmly.
Kagura Magenrou smiled softly. "Such insight is remarkable in itself. When we met previously, I already knew you were no ordinary individual."
They exchanged a few polite words.
Then Kagura Magenrou asked directly, "May I ask what brings you to see me today?"
Satsuki answered frankly, "I heard that the shrine intends to recreate the Shikon Jewel…?"
Kagura Magenrou did not appear surprised. A faint shadow crossed her expression, and her smile lost some of its natural ease.
"It seems Lady Satsuki has already heard about what occurred at the shrine."
"The strength of the Lunar Palace is unfathomable. Even with the Saiin and Master En no Ozunu, we were unable to repel them…" She paused before continuing, "Therefore, we have no choice but to recreate a Shikon Jewel."
Satsuki went straight to the point. "I had already guessed as much. I have come precisely for the sake of the Shikon Jewel."
Kagura Magenrou blinked in surprise. "The Shikon Jewel would be of little use to you."
Satsuki replied evenly, "I do not require the Shikon Jewel itself. I merely wish to participate in the process of recreating it."
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