Two centuries ago...
Mortals may never understand the true meaning of "walking miles" to the palace, but it is not something typically brought up in discussion among the divinities. Above the living realm rested the high court of deities, a palace that stretched across the entirety of the Nihonese islands below. Roads of jade and gypsum creating an iridescent pathway to multiple large buildings. Continuous streams of pure water cascaded down cataracts seemingly formed from the clouds and hardening to crystallized structures of varying shapes, sizes, and grandeur. Large rainbow koi fish the size of sailboats were calmly swimming in ponds wide enough to be a gulf or small ocean. As Kako Seigi, deity of the forest, quietly walked to the funeral shrine of the queen of deities, he took notice to the cherry trees losing their vibrant pink coloring. With it being summertime, the maple and ginkgo biloba trees would be turning to their notorious red and gold coloring soon. Then, the divine realm will truly shine to something spectacular. Hearing footsteps rushing behind him, Kako Seigi turned around to see his comrade in arms losing breath as she was coming towards him.
Maboroshi no kohime was chasing after the patient lord of the forests for some answers. Kako Seigi was known among the court for being level-headed, patient, and loyal to the rulers of the court. Though part of the dwindling generation himself, he preferred to live the way their ancestors did in part. Fusing ancient ways with more modern ones made him very popular, and the Nana-dai no Kamigami often advised him or simply spoke with him at length. Though Kako Seigi was not among the worshipped deities, Maboroshi no kohime heard from a member of the High Court that Bishamon had planned to include Kako Seigi and his sprite children in the Shichi-fuku-jin. Kako Seigi was rumored to have declined the offer in favor of being an apprentice to Ōkuninushi, but it's unknown as to whether or not Bishamon even asked the calm dwindler to join the Lucky Seven or that Ōkuninushi made such an offer. It wouldn't surprise the valley goddess if either turned up true, but Maboroshi no kohime needed his advice in this moment so it was unimportant.
Father Izanagi had noticed changes in the Web of Divine Might and wanted reports from each of the heads of the holy warrior clans. They all complied, of course, as it would've been unwise to disobey the father of Nihon; however, one of the holy warrior clans had a major shift in power, and this sudden spike altered that clan's fate significantly. Prophecy beasts and the gods watching over this systemic exposure of future events alerted the High Court of the Web of Divine Might's changes. One of the patrons from the dwindling generation of deities was showing unusual behavior, and Izanagi had expressed concerns about it at the very shrine Kako Seigi was visiting. He was somehow hoping that the queen would answer him, even if it was just in spirit. Maboroshi no kohime was one of the few patrons chosen to rule and watch over her small group of humans, and Izanagi had come to her to speak in private about her position. She was to visit him next today.
She had overheard that Kako Seigi had intended to speak with Izanagi about the Web of Divine Might, so she wanted to speak with him first for a second opinion. If Kako Seigi could convince Father Izanagi to allow the patrons to speak amongst each other about the situation, Izanagi may not have to take drastic actions against the coalition. Hearing fluttering behind her, Maboroshi stopped and turned to see one of Kako Seigi's children floating to him. He was the small sprite named Bonitas: black hair groomed into a Paige cut, gray eyes the color of beach pebbles, and white robes floating about in an ethereal glow and manner. Bonitas was the serenity of goodness from what she had heard. Today, however, Bonitas seemed to be rattled about something as much as she was. When she finally reached her comrade and his son, she bowed politely to respect their space in case the situation was more urgent than hers.
"Father!" Bonitas said, landing near the man's feet and catching his breath. When he regained some air, Bonitas wiped some dribble from the corner of his mouth and informed, "Yogen no Tori received a vision about the Baohu qi Voluptatis. The time of justice is coming swifter."
Kako Seigi kneeled down to the sprite and mussed his hair gently. Though the man never smiled, he gave a gentle gaze to Bonitas to reassure him in his own way. Bonitas blushed at this and was silenced by the sweet gesture. Kako Seigi then said, "Thank you, Bonitas. Have your sister, Fides, join you in crafting a safe place for the sword. We still have yet to discover what happened to our brother. His disappearance troubles me greatly. I refuse to believe he perished! Fides may be able to locate a human of pure heart to help as well."
"That's the other concern, father. Yogen no Tori wishes to speak with you. He believes the shift in power is connected," Bonitas informed.
"I will meet with him soon then," Kako Seigi replied, rising to stand firm and tall. "Find your sister, my son. You wished to speak, Maboroshi?"
The valley goddess was worried about Kako Seigi's son, but, when Bonitas fluttered away, she shook her head violently to focus and responded, "I seek your advice, cousin. Father Izanagi has become suspicious of the coalition, but he hasn't said why or what's changed. Might you know something about it?"
"It's related to the shift in power of one of the patrons' clans. We're not sure whose," Kako Seigi answered. "From what I understood, this shift is unusual, but I wanted to look deeper into it because nothing is ever so simple in the High Court. There is a reason for that imbalance of power, and our forefathers know it. If Yogen no Tori is correct about their being a connection between our missing brother and the shift, then your Web of Divine Might will be under fire. Either one of the patrons is trying to start a war or one of the holy warriors is trying to obtain our strength. Both are violations against the High Court."
"My onmyoji would never betray us! Is there no way we can detect who's trying to do this?" Maboroshi pleaded.
"That is the problem, Maboroshi," Kako Seigi replied with soft eyes. "The patrons are too biased to be confronted with this allegation of betrayal. You have grown too loyal and too trusting of your clans. Father Izanagi has even begun to suspect that one or two of you are intending to mate with at least one of the holy warriors. Whether or not this mating is with a simple farmer of the clan or the head him or herself is to be determined, but that is a complete violation of the agreement with our father. Stay out of mortals' affair. I don't know if it's you who intends to unite the Great Divine with a clan member of the Web of Might, but you will face great punishment for such a crime."
"But if a clan member loves a patron, we have no right to stop them! We can only warn them!" Maboroshi tried.
Kako Seigi didn't hide his displeasure with the goddess's debate and said, "If a clan member thinks of having relations with his own patron, the patron has been living too closely with the clan and the clan head has become too dependent. You risk acts of tyranny with such an affair! Do you know how easily a human can turn crazed with the power of a god in his hands, especially one he has manipulated into bedding? How easy do you think it will be for a god to lay waste to our forefathers' hard work in building Nihon at the command of a whining human? Think, Maboroshi! Your orders were simple: ensure that your passing of power is to someone pure of heart within your respective clans. You are not permitted to do more than this."
"But they have been kind to us!" Maboroshi tried, crying a bit. "They don't want power! They only seek peace! That's all any of the clans want!"
"It is clear to me that you highly biased, so you are one of the patrons seeking to join hands with the mortals," Kako Seigi assumed, frowning at this revelation. "It was implied that there was another wishing to do this. Far be it from me to know the reasoning behind your desires, Maboroshi, but know this, sister. Father Izanagi is a powerful adversary. Either you separate yourself from your clan as was intended or face the consequences that our father will ready for you."
"I never said I wanted to mate with my onmyoji! I never said anything! They are kind to me! With them, I'm never alone like I am in this High Court! Everyone's so scared of me because of my eyes and horns. I'm not like you, Kako Seigi! People fear me! They believe I am one of punishment and ill will when I am a leader of great fortune! But, my onmyoji... they're pure. They don't see me as fearsome, only my valley and temple. I moved them away from those places so they would be happy. And they are! If a clan member falls in love with me, or any of the patrons, for an act of charity or good will, what right does the High Court have for judging them so harshly? They didn't do anything and neither did we. I didn't ask for attention. They just gave it! I thought Father Izanagi created the Web of Divine Might to protect Nihon and maintain a balance of power."
"Why did you move the onmyoji, Maboroshi?" Kako Seigi asked with a tinge of outrage. "Where did you even move them to?"
"My castle frightened them! They didn't want to serve me because I scared them so!" Maboroshi answered.
"They weren't supposed to enter your castle at any point. You were supposed to approach them," Kako Seigi replied. He sighed, quieting his anger, and merely said, "Dear sister... you may have sentenced these humans to a fate that was unnecessary. Was loving them so strongly worth the pain?"