After dinner, Miko returned to the second floor and entered her bedroom.
Looking at the white robe and red hakama laid out on her bed, she asked with a slight blush, "Do I really have to wear this for the livestream? It feels... a bit embarrassing."
Aomori, who was sitting at the desk setting up the streaming equipment, smiled and tossed her a matching fox mask. "Put this on and you won't have to worry about anyone seeing your face. I can also process your voice. Rest assured, no one will discover your true identity."
"But..."
Seeing her waver, Aomori immediately doubled down on his persuasion. "Miko, this is a major matter concerning the prosperity of the shrine. It's an important mission for a shrine maiden. You wouldn't give up just because of a little shyness, would you?"
"Fine... okay." After a fierce internal struggle, Miko finally acceded to Aomori's request.
After all, Kami-sama had helped her so much; this was the least she could do.
"I knew Miko was a sensible girl." Having said his piece, Aomori tactfully left the room.
Miko closed the curtains and locked the doors and windows. Looking at herself in the mirror, she cheered herself on. "Miko, you can do this! It's all for Kami-sama!"
After a deep breath, her slender fingers reached for the buttons of her pajamas.
A short while later, the figure in the mirror had transformed into a refined shrine maiden with a bashful face.
"It actually looks quite good." The more Miko looked, the more she liked it; it felt as if the miko outfit was tailor-made for her.
After she had admired herself for a moment, Aomori returned. He looked at the radiant Miko in her attire and clicked his tongue in admiration. "Excellent. My eye for style hasn't failed me."
"..." Miko didn't know how to respond; she felt her face burning up.
"Try on the mask." Aomori used his psychokinesis to lift the mask from the bed and gently placed it over Miko's face. It covered her forehead and cheeks, leaving only her golden eyes and small lips visible.
"Just one more touch." Aomori picked up her lipstick and lightly applied it to her lips.
Her originally pale lips instantly became moist and dewy, looking like jelly that one couldn't help but want to take a bite of.
"Now, it's perfect."
Seeing the two figures in the mirror, so similar in style, a warm feeling washed over Miko's heart.
"Take a seat."
"Okay."
As she sat down and saw the livestream interface, a new wave of panic set in.
"How do I do this? What should I say? What should I do?"
"Don't be nervous. I've already set up the key information. It doesn't matter if you say nothing at all. I've planned out the flow; you just need to cooperate with me."
"Really?"
"Of course. If you're ready, I'm going to start."
"Let's do it," Miko said, looking as if she were marching to her doom.
…
"I'm so frustrated about yesterday's club activity. We were so close to finding where the God resides."
At home, Makoto lay on the sofa, scrolling through his phone while sighing deeply.
The abrupt end of the club trip had left him very dissatisfied, but he couldn't blame the others; in the end, it was his own lack of organizational skills.
"If only I had gone with them at the time."
Being labeled a pervert was a small price to pay; failing to find the God was the real tragedy.
Filled with regret, Makoto decided to browse a video-sharing site to see if he could find any inspiration for new activities.
He typed in some keywords and scrolled through, only to find videos of magicians pretending to be supernatural; not a single one with real substance. He shook his head in disappointment.
Suddenly, a pop-up appeared on his phone. Thinking it was a spam ad, Makoto reflexively tried to close it, but accidentally clicked into a livestream instead.
"Huh? Did I slip?"
Just as he was about to close the window, he saw the streamer and his finger froze mid-air.
"This is..." Makoto sat up straight and leaned in close to the screen to get a better look.
On the screen, a shrine maiden wearing a fox mask sat quietly. She had unforgettable golden eyes, and her pink lips were pursed with a trace of a faint, enigmatic smile.
"This is the feeling!"
Makoto was overcome with excitement. He knew Kotoha was a shrine maiden, but she was far too down-to-earth and lacked that otherworldly, mystical aura. Compared to this streamer, she was worlds apart.
He could confidently assert that this shrine maiden was the master he had been looking for!
He forced himself to look away from her eyes and noticed the stream title: The Arrival of the First Shrine Maiden Serving Under the God! The Deity Only Crosses Paths with the Destined—Want to Know How to Become One? Watch Until the End.
"I want to be a destined one!" Makoto screamed internally.
By now, the viewer count had hit 188 and was still climbing. Comments were flying across the screen.
[Wow, look what I found!]
[The Shrine Maiden onee-san is so pretty, let's hug.]
[Streamer, why aren't you talking?]
[Psh, obviously just attention-seeking. There are no gods, it's all a scam.]
[I know it's fake, but the girl is so pretty. Want to meet up offline?]
[Ugh, men. Spit!]
[...]
Makoto found the comments calling it a scam hilarious. The world wasn't nearly as simple as they thought.
While he was dismissive, he also hoped there would be more people like them, that way, there would be fewer people competing for a spot as a "destined one."
Even though the streamer sat perfectly still, like a photograph, the audience continued to grow.
Some people lost patience and left, but even more entered.
After waiting for nearly an hour, the shrine maiden finally parted her lips and spoke the first words.
"Do you wish to know the truth of the world? Do you wish for a better life?"
At the same time, a selection box popped up on the screen: [Yes/No].
"Is that even a question? 'Yes,' obviously!"
Makoto swore his hands had never been faster. The moment the box appeared, he clicked "Yes." Immediately, a registration interface appeared.
"Register to become a member of the 'Alliance of the God's Destined'?"
For someone like Makoto, who had joined many similar sites, the process was familiar. He finished it in a few clicks, successfully becoming a member of the [Alliance of the God's Destined].
When he switched back to the stream, he found the streamer had already gone offline. The chat was filled with people complaining that they were too slow to click.
Makoto smiled smugly and exited the stream. He entered the webpage for the [Alliance of the God's Destined] and found the interface incredibly simple, with only one instruction:
"The name of the God served by the Shrine Maiden is 'Aosora, the God of Justice.' To become a destined one, you only need to pray sincerely to Kami-sama. He will grant your wish."
"Granting wishes, huh? Sounds great." Makoto clicked every link on the site. After ensuring he hadn't missed anything, he reluctantly logged out.
"Aosora, the God of Justice? Alright, today I will pray to Kami-sama. I hope I encounter more and more paranormal events!"
Makoto clenched his fist with determination.
…
"Congratulations, your livestream was a huge success."
In the bedroom, after turning off the camera, Miko collapsed into her chair like a wet noodle.
"Really? I'm glad I could help. But that was truly exhausting."
Even though she didn't have to talk much, maintaining a smile and a formal sitting posture for that long was not easy.
Miko felt like her face had frozen, and her waist and shoulders were numb. If Aomori hadn't blessed her with holy light from time to time, she wouldn't have lasted.
Aomori chuckled. "Training your composure is very beneficial for the growth of your spirit power. Take a break first; later, I'll need you to help me film a few short videos."
"Eh? More?"
"Mhm. Don't worry, it'll be easy."
"Okay..."
…
On the other side, Ditto was helping Hiyori and Yato look for a Regalia.
Since Aomori had his hands full elsewhere, he had assigned the Yato storyline to Ditto.
Having become familiar with Hiyori, Ditto took the initiative to offer help in searching for a Regalia for Yato.
Yato, however, showed no gratitude and seemed to have quite a few complaints about Ditto.
"He really makes me so angry! Why is Yato always so stubborn and temperamental?" Hiyori said crossly.
For the sake of convenience, she was currently in her out-of-body soul state, allowing her to easily leap across walls and rooftops.
"Maybe it's because of me? Did I trigger his male competitive instinct?" Ditto attempted to analyze the situation from a human perspective.
"Huh?" Confused, Hiyori tilted her head and looked at Ditto.
This time, Ditto didn't answer. It stared at the empty street behind them and said gravely, "Something is coming."
"What is it?" Hiyori looked in that direction and saw a giant mantis walking down the path toward them.
Her eyes lit up, and she immediately asked, "That guy looks pretty cool. Do you think it could be a Regalia?"
"I don't know," Ditto answered honestly.
"Whatever, let's just ask Yato." Hiyori took the phone from Ditto and called Yato.
"Hey, Yato! I found a big one. It looks like the Regalia you mentioned. Get over here now!"
"What?!"
The moment the call ended, Yato teleported to Hiyori's side.
"There, that one."
Yato looked in the direction Hiyori was pointing. His face instantly turned pale, and he yelled, "You idiot! That's not a Regalia!"
"Eh? It's not?"
"Didn't you see something similar last time? Those are Ayakashi! Monsters!"
"You ran so fast last time I couldn't see clearly. Besides, this one clearly looks a lot better."
"In what world does that thing look good?!"
"If you're going to talk, talk, don't shout so loud!"
"I'm shouting because I'm afraid you won't listen or remember! And if you're an idiot, that's one thing, but does he not know either?" Yato turned his frustration toward Ditto.
"I really didn't know," Ditto said, shaking its head.
"You have a real god by your side; who would believe you didn't know?"
Their bickering caught the attention of the mantis Ayakashi. In a few leaps, it was right in front of the three of them, its purple eyes fixed on them.
"Now what?" Hiyori asked.
"Hey, whatever-your-name-is, can you handle it?" Seeing the monster's focus shift to him, a bead of cold sweat formed on Yato's forehead.
"Never tried, not sure." Ditto stepped in front of them and said, "But I can give it a shot."
"Well, without a Regalia in hand, I'm useless." Yato backed away slowly, leaving the battlefield to Ditto.
"I can help too." Having practiced Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist for the past few days, Hiyori was eager to try.
"No, you can't!" Yato quickly pulled Hiyori away.
"Wait, wait! Why not?"
"Just shut up!"
At that moment, the mantis Ayakashi could no longer restrain itself. Drooling, it lunged at Yato, swinging its sharp, serrated forelimbs downward.
At the critical moment, Ditto launched itself beneath the mantis. With a backhand punch, it sent the creature flying into the air, spinning 180 degrees before crashing to the ground.
"So strong! Go, sensei! Take it down just like that!" From a safe distance, Hiyori jumped up and down, cheering and shouting for Ditto.
In contrast, Yato stood beside her with a grim expression. "Hey, kid! if that's all the strength you've got, you'd better call your boss over here right now."
"Why? Isn't he doing great?" Hiyori asked, puzzled.
At the moment, the massive mantis Ayakashi was being bounced around like a ball by Ditto, covered in leaking fluids. To her, it looked like a guaranteed victory.
That was why Hiyori found it so strange.
"It's no use. I'll admit he's tough, but if this keeps up, he'll be the first one to break," Yato explained. "Do you see the kid's fists? Ayakashi are highly infectious. The moment you make contact, you'll develop a 'Blight.' If left untreated, it'll be a disaster."
"What?!" Only then did Hiyori notice that Ditto's fists had turned purple.
"Then what do we do? Think of something!"
"The only option now is to find a Regalia immediately, slay it quickly, and then treat him." As he spoke, Yato scanned the surroundings, trying to find a wandering soul that could become a Regalia.
But in such a rush, where would they find that kind of luck?
"Ah! I found one! Yato, look at that, is that it?" Hiyori suddenly cried out.
"That lucky? It's not another Ayakashi, is it?" Yato looked over skeptically, then his face lit up with joy. He actually found a soul that had passed away recently.
"A girl? She looks less than ten years old. This feels like it might be trouble."
But there was no time to hesitate.
"I choose you!" Yato immediately rushed toward the corner and spoke to the soul: "To thee who hast nowhere to go, and no place to return... I grant thee shelter. I am Yato. Grasping thy true name, I bind thee here. With borrowed name, I dub thee my servant. By this name and by its sound, I command thee: Become my Regalia!"
His right hand emitted a dazzling light that illuminated the soul.
"The name, Kaze, the vessel, Fū. Come forth, Fūki!" (Wind, Wind, Wind Vessel)
As soon as he finished, the kanji for "Kaze 風" was engraved upon the soul. It transformed into a beam of light and landed in Yato's hand.
As the light faded, the form of Fūki was revealed: a slender silver sword.
At the same time, the soul's memories flooded into Yato's mind.
Yato let out a sigh, gripped Fūki tight, and leaped high above the mantis Ayakashi.
With one swift strike, the creature was sliced in two.
The mantis Ayakashi was dead!