After Qiuqian and Yae Miko walked out of the cave, it wasn't until the gentle breeze brushed against her face that the lingering sense of unreality finally began to fade.
Yae Miko closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, then slowly opened them again.
Listening to the cicadas around her, it all felt like a dream.
"I really wonder what expression Ei would make if she learned about this," Yae Miko murmured, resting one hand on her hip as she chuckled to herself. "Haha… she'd probably be completely stunned."
To possess such an unbelievable power…
No wonder the gods he killed during the Archon War hadn't left behind any lingering resentment.
But even with such strength, he still claimed he wasn't as powerful as Orobashi.
She couldn't help but wonder… could this ancient god eliminate the resentment left behind by Orobashi after his death?
And what about the Musoujin Gorge formed by Ei's slash back then, still filled with her lightning to this day?
If he could resolve those as well…
That would truly be a blessing for Inazuma.
But he had said his power was greatly reduced due to severe injuries.
Could the current him… really eliminate such large-scale remnants of divine resentment and lingering might?
I'll ask him another time…
"Haha…" Qiuqian chuckled softly and continued walking toward the Grand Narukami Shrine.
Yae Miko followed behind.
Finally, two days later, at dawn, they arrived at the foot of the shrine.
"We're finally here… I'm exhausted," Yae Miko complained, looking up at the towering mountain in the distance.
"So even a fox spirit gets tired?" Qiuqian teased with a smile, glancing toward the peak.
Faint streaks of purple-pink light flowed across the summit, blending with the morning mist into a soft, dreamlike scene.
"Hmph~ Of course I get tired," Yae Miko said, crossing her arms. "It's mental exhaustion."
"Alright, alright, let's go," Qiuqian said with a light laugh, continuing forward.
"Yeah, yeah, let's go…" she muttered under her breath, still following him obediently.
Over these two days, the two of them had grown quite familiar.
On the first day, she had still been wary of this legendary figure.
After all, he was said to be a god who slaughtered without blinking during the Archon War.
Naturally, there had been a trace of fear in her heart.
But gradually, she realized he wasn't like the rumors at all. Instead, he felt surprisingly approachable.
No matter what topic she brought up, he could casually chat along.
Then, she suddenly remembered how he had teased her earlier.
Now that they were familiar, she began thinking about how to get back at him.
But along the way, a strange feeling had been lingering in her mind.
It reminded her of when she was young, following Lady Saiguu.
Then she recalled the tone Qiuqian had been using with her the entire time.
"…?"
Realizing something, Yae Miko slowly came to a stop.
Her hands clenched tightly as she lowered her head, her body trembling slightly.
A faint blush crept onto her beautiful face.
"Th-this guy…"
"Has he been treating me like a child this whole time?!"
She lifted her head, staring at Qiuqian's back, her heart filled with both embarrassment and anger.
It felt like using all your strength to face someone you considered your equal…
Only to realize that the other party had never taken you seriously at all—and had been treating you like a kid the entire time.
All along, he had been speaking in that coaxing tone:
"Alright, alright~"
"Stop messing around, you're right."
"Let's keep going, we're almost there~"
Damn it, damn it!
This is infuriating!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. In a fit of embarrassment and rage, she stomped hard on the ground.
Since the passing of Lady Saiguu and Makoto, when had she, the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine, ever been treated like this?
But right now, she had no way to retaliate.
So she looked around… and finally set her sights on a nearby hilichurl camp.
"The Grand Narukami Shrine…" Qiuqian said, looking at the ascending stone steps ahead with a faint smile. "I'm actually looking forward to it."
At that moment, the sky suddenly dimmed.
A bolt of lightning split the heavens behind him with a deafening roar!
Qiuqian paused and turned around in confusion.
"Phew… that feels much better."
Yae Miko exhaled, dusting off her hands as she casually walked toward him.
Behind her, the hilichurl camp had been completely obliterated.
Every hilichurl lay sprawled on the ground, their bodies charred black.
The huts made of straw and wood had been blasted apart.
Hilichurls: You already know what I want to say.
Seeing this, Qiuqian's lips twitched slightly.
Well, well… looks like she finally figured it out.
Suppressing the smile tugging at his lips, he turned around and continued walking up the stone steps.
He raised a hand to his forehead, forcing the grin down.
But every time it threatened to resurface, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed it again.
"Ha… hahaha—HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
He failed.
The more he thought about it, the funnier it became, until he burst out laughing.
"I can't, I can't—this is too much!"
"You only just realized it now!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Qiuqian turned back, waving at the slightly stunned Yae Miko, laughing so hard tears nearly came out.
Yae Miko stared at him, recalling how he had acted calm and composed for the past three days.
…No.
On the first day, he had already put on that exaggerated performance just to scare her.
Which meant…
Everything since then—his calm demeanor—had all been an act.
He had deliberately kept it up for two entire days… just to watch her make a fool of herself now.
Realizing everything, and understanding why he was laughing like this—
Yae Miko exploded.
Lightning surged violently around her, her pupils narrowing sharply as nine pink tails burst into view.
"You… you bastard ancient god!"
She gritted her teeth, fury blazing in her eyes.
The next instant—
A massive bolt of lightning struck Qiuqian head-on!
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