Chapter 2: Chapter 02
"Sweets?"
When Ayame realized what the other person was saying, all four of her limbs were already on the table. In front of her was the "General" with a smiling face, holding sweets and feeding her.
"Come, open your mouth."
Ayame obediently swallowed the offered sweets, and her fluffy tail happily swept across the table.
"Sweets seem to be something she rarely tastes."
Putting aside the past hardships for now, she had been learning breathing techniques day after day and killing evil spirits day after day ever since she was brought back by the beautiful woman who resembled a white birch fairy. During her time in the Onmyouji, she had once tasted sweets that her older brother brought her from the market. That sweet taste, she never forgot even in death. Even as she watched the familiar faces disappear one by one, and eventually even her older brother disappeared, she still remembered the taste of those sweets.
As the spirits became more and more rampant, her time was only spent on the path of killing evil spirits. No matter how severe her injuries were, she would jump back into battle as soon as she recovered. The peaceful moments that allowed her to savor sweets were not something that a person in debt was qualified to enjoy.
So, when she saw her beloved thing in this peaceful situation, she couldn't help but start walking towards it.
"But it's our first meeting after all... It might not be appropriate."
The person in front of her was the most esteemed person, and yet she was acting like she hadn't eaten in eight lifetimes... Ayame was a little annoyed.
Looking at the white dumplings on the table, with her head hanging down, her tail sweeping the papers on the table with a rustling sound, Raiden Shogun chuckled.
"No need to be so restrained, Ayame." Raiden Shogun spoke softly, "Look, instead of letting your tail touch the ink and disturb the papers, why not eat more sweets and see how well I work."
"Huh?"
Hearing Raiden Shogun's words, Ayame suddenly felt like her tail was damp, so she turned around immediately to check her tail. As a result, because she hadn't yet adapted to her new body, she stumbled forward a few steps. Just as she thought she was going to fall, Ayame instinctively closed her eyes. And then she felt herself being lifted up.
"Oh dear."
Ayame opened her eyes and saw her perfectly pristine white tail being held up — not a trace of ink.
Ayame: "?"
"Now it really looks like a work of art." Raiden Shogun sighed.
Moving her gaze forward, she didn't see any marks left by her tail on the pale yellow paper. The only thing she saw were...
Several ink paw prints that hadn't yet dried.
Ayame turned her head to look at Raiden Shogun, squinting her eyes, and her tail swept across.
"I know, I'm not blaming you. After all, I brought this upon myself." Raiden Shogun grumbled softly, "I just wanted to play around, but it turned out... not bad at all."
Just as Yingjian felt puzzled by what Raiden Shogun had said, she saw her put herself down. After making sure that the ink had dried, she neatly folded the letter on the table and put it in the drawer.
"Just consider it as a gift from you to me, how about that?" Raiden Shogun took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the ink-stained paw of the little fox, "As an apology, you can have these snacks, what do you think?"
Yingjian tilted her head slightly.
"Just consider it as you agreeing." Raiden Shogun laughed, "I know you have many things that you don't understand - that's why you came here, isn't it? Let me think... where should I start..."
After the commotion just now, Yingjian's nervous mood had also relaxed. She leaned on the table and looked up at the beautiful woman who had picked up her pen again.
"You were discovered by Kamisato at the base of the Divine Sakura tree under the Narukami Shrine." She said, "That place is the source of the Divine Sakura, where the most concentrated demonic pollution accumulates..."
In Raiden Shogun's gentle narration, Yingjian heard the true nature of the original truth.
In the war against the ancient demons hundreds of years ago, a large number of demon bodies died, but their power dispersed. The powerful energy flowed into the land and could not dissipate, and this energy was called "Miasma of Sango". This power had no effect on the gods, but it was deadly to humans and beasts. In order to reduce the spread of Miasma's power in the land, which endangered the people of the Electro Kingdom, Raiden Shogun planted the seeds of the Divine Sakura and had the Kamisato Clan, who possessed the bloodline of Byakyou, purify the residual pollution.
The five Divine Sakura trees on the land of Inazuma were connected to each other and absorbed the pollution of the Miasma. However, this was not unlimited. When the Divine Sakura tree absorbed enough pollution but did not clean it up, the tree would wither. Therefore, a "Minor Purification" was conducted after a certain period of time, and after several "Minor Purifications", a "Major Purification" was conducted. As for the timing of the Major Purification - this was determined by the Kamisato Clan, who served as the priests of the Narukami Shrine.
The judgment of the timing of the Major Purification by the Kamisato Clan depended on the degree of pollution of the four external Raiyousakura trees. However, when it was found that the time interval between the last Major Purification was too long, she went to observe the Divine Sakura under the Narukami Shrine, only to find a white fox that was on the path of the Miasma's outflow, blocking the passage and being heavily tainted with Miasma's power.
"I don't know how you managed to pass through those layers of barriers. But in any case, this is a mistake made by us, and it is understandable."
From beginning to end, Raiden Shogun did not conceal any part of the truth. She just narrated the events that happened truthfully. But it was precisely because what she said was highly credible that Yingjian felt somewhat puzzled.
"If you had hidden the truth of the matter, you would have become my benefactor. But by telling the truth as it is, it becomes equivalent to compensation."
"Why choose the former?"
She couldn't find the words to say, she just twitched her ears slightly.
"As far as I can remember, it has been a long time since I last saw Kamisato in such a panic. She rushed into my garden and asked me how to save you." Raiden Shogun said, "You were weak at that time, almost on the verge of death. Even I was somewhat helpless."
"Just when Kamisato was about to cry in desperation. I tried to use my divine power to remove the pollution you had come into contact with. But the power of the gods can only slay demons, and it is helpless against their remnants, so I didn't have much hope. But just like a miracle -" she said, "as the divine power flowed into you, the Miasma on your body gradually began to dissipate."
Raiden Shogun propped her elbow on the table and supported her face as she looked at Yingjian, "However, I don't think that was my achievement. If my power really had an effect on the 'Miasma', there would be no need for Kamisato to perform the Major Purification. It's probably your constitution - perhaps you were born incompatible with the 'Miasma'?"
Kamisato should understand this too. But as the priestess of the Narukami Shrine, where the 'Miasma' dared not intrude, the area was the purest within a few kilometers and the best place for your cultivation. That's why Kamisato insisted on keeping you here."
Yingjian listened attentively, her tail no longer wagging. When she heard Raiden Shogun finish speaking, she nodded seriously.
"Then what about her adoptive mother?"
When she first entered the Heavenly Terrace and saw Raiden Shogun for the first time, Yingjian was certain that the person in front of her was not the one who had held her before, the one called "Kage". Their aura was really quite different, it was hard to tell them apart.
"You must still have questions about Yae, right?" Raiden slowly tapped the table, organized his words, and said, "Yae and I are twin Archons. For both me and her, the title of 'Raijin' is the same. I excel in governance but not in combat. In name, I am the deity that rules over the nation of Inazuma. However, when it comes to matters on the battlefield, it is 'General Raiden,' or your mother, Raiden Yae, who takes charge."
Most of the citizens living in the nation of Inazuma believe that there is only one supreme deity in this land. Whether it is the Lord of the Kamisato Clan, who sits high and strategizes, or the Thunderous General, who excels in forging and battles with swords on the battlefield, they are all seen as one person.
Due to the current lack of martial skills as the Electro Archon, Raiden Yae voluntarily took on the responsibility of being the Shogun, protecting the nominal worldly governance, which is her elder sister.
"The current worldly Shogun is merely in name only because of me. Without Yae, I wouldn't be able to sit in this position peacefully."
So, the competent Thunderous General that I heard about from the shrine maiden earlier... does the "military" part refer to Raiden Yae?
Yae nodded thoughtfully.
"As for why she became your mother... we have to start with a game of kanshō." Raiden thought of something and there was a smile in his words. "During that gathering, Yae made a tough statement at the beginning, claiming that she had practiced her kanshō for many days and would not lose to the Kamisato Clan. Unexpectedly, she lost.
'I will fulfill a request if I lose the bet.' That's what Yae said at the time. So..."
Raiden dragged his voice, piquing Yae's interest, then continued in a leisurely manner, "While we were still worrying about 'how to accommodate you,' Yae came back and without a word, she wanted to play kanshō with the Kamisato Clan again. Kamisato Clan casually said, 'The request from the last time you lost hasn't been fulfilled yet,' and Yae pondered for a moment and asked Kamisato Clan to state their request."
Yae seemed to have a premonition.
"Long story short, Kamisato Clan enjoys teasing Yae. But this time, they said it casually, not expecting her to take it seriously.
To avoid deceiving her, Kamisato Clan added, 'If you lose in this round of kanshō, you won't be able to take back your words, and you'll have to take responsibility.'" Raiden covered his mouth and chuckled. "You already know the result."
Yae should have known, after all, she even gave her a name.
"Your situation is still unstable and needs someone to observe you all the time. Moreover, the power of an Archon is also very beneficial to you now. With Yae's care and protection, your future life should be worry-free."
There are still some selfish motives behind this, but Raiden didn't mention them.
Yae's tail swayed unconsciously again.
She felt that her cheap mother wasn't very smart, but...
She seemed to unexpectedly like it.
Handsome and beautiful, no matter how you look at her, it's like a great bargain. And also...
Yae originally thought that she would definitely be useful when she was brought back, but now she feels that even if she changes her name to mascot, it would still be fine (?)
"So, you don't have to feel so distant." Just when she was feeling complicated, Raiden's gentle voice entered her ears. "From now on, we are family."
Yuzawa Yae looked up, her eyes reflected the Shogun, who was supporting half of her face and looking at her. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond. Just then, a sudden pain rose from her heart, as if being cut by a knife, causing a sudden pain that spread throughout her body, making her trembling limbs that had just stood up start to shake.
Her consciousness gradually began to fade with the intense pain. She vaguely saw the astonishment in Raiden's purple eyes and the familiar voice coming from behind, seeming to come from the door.
"Rai... I just finished forging the storage device for the divine power. Just give it to Yuzawa... Yuzawa?"
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