Fog Mountain..
*Smiles slightly* Aito, Chimon, Izumi, how have you all been?...
Three of them stayed quiet. Akimitsu used his mana to make their shadows visible. "We are fine, Sensei... when did you return from the time zone?"
Akimitsu begins, "How did you know I was at the time zone?" Chimon replied, "We can know certain things now."
Akimitsu asked, "Then can I get some answers for myself?"
Chimon replied, "Forgive us, Sensei, but we can't say any further... We have done our job by handing this scroll. This scroll will help you further. We may take our leave now, Sensei... Please allow us."
Akimitsu hesitated a bit but asked again, "Fine, but can I at least know where you three are residing?"
Aito replied, "Forgive us, Sensei, but we don't have permission to provide you with any information about that either."
Akimitsu stayed silent for a while.
When Izumi also added, "And please take care of our Misaki for us. In this vast world, she might only have you by her side right now."
Akimitsu almost remembered something when he said, "Why just me? Mother Nature is also with her. Last night, she came to her dream taking your form. I had seen the marks on her hand and neck."
Stating this, Akimitsu took a breath and said, "Do you know anything about this either?"
Izumi replied, "Sorry again, I do not have the permission to give you any information regarding that... Please allow our departure, sensei."
Akimitsu let out a sigh and said, "Fine, you are welcome to leave, but do keep in touch with me." A fading voice claimed, "Rest assured, sensei." Then everything went quiet. Lord Akimitsu sensed that the airy clones of his three disciples had flown away from the fog mountain area and disappeared somewhere far away.
Now, Akimitsu looked at the scroll in his hand, a bright reddish roll made of fine silk with golden designs, shining under the sun. He took a deep breath and opened it. In the scroll, it says, "Respected Lord Akimitsu - By the end of this forest resides the secret cave of the infamous chief bandit Yuto. Your visit to such a person is mandatory as he could be a key for you to reveal many more hidden truths. Hope this letter finds you well, Lord Akimitsu." Akimitsu looked away from the scrolled letter and gazed at the bright vegetation around him. As thoughts ran through his mind, he noticed the writings on the paper were slowly disappearing. A soft smile formed on his face as he predicted such an occurrence. Suddenly, a word released from his heart, "Today I am really proud to have three disciples like you. My blessings will always be with you."
-- -----
BACK AT YAJIMA MERCHANT HOUSE
Swiftly and cautiously, Misaki entered the house's premises through the back door, navigating across the rooms. She entered her cabin and realized the presence of someone in the room alongside her. Out of fear and curiosity, she asked, "Who... who's there?" After a bit of pause, an old soft voice echoed in the room as she said, "Don't be afraid, Misaki-chan. It's me (a maid whom everyone addresses as grandma) and Hina." As Misaki heard this, she took a breath of relief. The old lady then asked, "Where were you last night, Misaki-chan?" Misaki almost ignored the question and asked, "Did anyone realize anything last night?" In response, the old lady started to describe everything that happened last night. As Misaki stood in the cabin listening to her, a stream of tears rolled down her cheeks. After she was done, Misaki waddled around, calling out for Hina in the darkness.
Seeing her struggle, Hina came forward and grabbed Misaki's hand. Misaki gently ran her hand through her hair, feeling the intensity of her pain. Misaki started to cry again. They both tried their best to comfort her through this. After a while, she stopped crying and hurried to take out the remaining portion of ointment wrapped in a leaf, which the chief bandit had prepared for her. Then, very carefully and gently, she applied the ointment to her wounds. As Misaki was applying the ointment, her worries grew deeper for Hina. But suddenly, something unexpected happened at that moment. After she finished applying the ointment to her wounds, it faded almost instantly, as if by magic. Hina gasped out of surprise at this and asked, "Wha... what was that?"
Actually, when Lord Akimitsu used his healing powers by touching Misaki's head, some of those powers were radiated into the ointment of Misaki since it was directly in touch with her body. And as it was crafted by living organisms, that is plants, the old lady was in shock too as she asked, "Misaki-chan, pass me the ointment." She gently took hold of the ointment for a while and examined it carefully. To her, it looked pretty normal. But as soon as she took it near her nose, a strong aroma of divine lotus hit her. She and Hina realized it was not an ordinary medicine at all. Through all this, Misaki suddenly asked following Hina's gasp, "*W...what's wrong, Hina-chan?*". Hina was about to say something when she was interrupted by the old maid, who whispered to Hina, "We can't let her know." So instead, Hina answered, "Oh, it's nothing, Misaki-chan, it's just a bit of a burn." The old maid hummed with Hina's statement and asked, "Misaki-chan, where did you find this ointment?" Misaki thought to herself that she couldn't reveal Mitsuo sensei's name nor tell them about the chief bandit. Instead, she said, "Oh, since I was feeling unwell, I had been out last night in search of some peace, and that's when a kindhearted person gave me this ointment." The old maid smiled a bit and said, "If it's okay with you, can we keep this ointment? You know, sometimes we get small wounds here and there." Misaki agreed with a nod. After leaving Misaki's cabin, Grandma smiled softly at Hina and said, "This is not just any ordinary ointment; it is a real magical lotion, so it would be a good decision to save it for major emergencies. But who gave her this great potion?" Hina replied, "I think Her Highness is hiding something really big." Grandma said, "Yes, I guess so too, but I also know that she doesn't lie.Her Majesty Izumi imposed extremely strict restrictions on her from childhood. Our Misaki Chan continues to follow them like an obedient child. So it is clear that she is not lying. But it is also true that she is not revealing the whole truth. Maybe she also has some compulsion behind it. Who knows?" *sigh* Saying this, they walked towards the servant cabin.
-------
Cave of flute bandit..
Outside the fog mountain area, there is a small hill zone with a small forest area next to it. Hence, the name of this region from the beginning was "The Province of Harmonious Devils." Few people say that the forest serves as a border of separation, while others claim it connects the Fog Mountain and the Torihiki Land forever. As scenic as the surroundings are, the place is dangerous as the home and haunt of the notorious flute bandit group. Mainly, there are many different bandit groups scattered throughout the Lotus Continent, but this infamous group was the best of them all because they possessed magical powers.
This erudition was as difficult to master as it was to resist. Lord Akimitsu knew it well because it was an ancestral couple from the lineage of the flute bandit group who worshiped Lord Akimitsu devoutly and gained his blessing by pleasing him and mastering this knowledge. He also thought that once upon a time, the main origin of the Satori Land's Hatsu Clan belonged to the flute bandit group. At the rise of the Hatsu Clan, the most vicious flute bandit group had isolated themselves and continued the tradition of their bandit group in secret. Thinking of all this history, a milky white swan was flying towards the mountain cave where the main branch of the infamous flute bandit group has been living for generations.
He landed in a desolate area of the province of Harmonious Devils and assumed his legendary form, which he usually takes to enter the human world. He remembered that he had attended and led to help the Satori Region get the foundation as a guardian in this form. As the ruler of that region, he nominated an ancestor of the Flute Bandit's Clan, who did not want to get rich by wetting his hands with the blood of helpless people but sought the glory of scholarship. Therefore, he bestowed upon the emperor that his descendants would acquire knowledge and spread its gleam unhesitatingly among all. Needless to say, the Satori Land was blessed by almost all the ideologies. But the main branch of their ancestors went to hide themselves from civilized society in the caves of these green hills covered by the jungle.
Lord Akimitsu slowly landed in a deserted place near a graveyard in 'The Province of Harmonious Devils' and changed his outfit almost instantly to a glamorous white dress and a pair of gloves that covered his bare hands, along with an Uchikatsugi that completely covered his face and hair. He was slowly navigating through the graveyard when he spotted a new patch of seven graves in the corner of the cemetery and a shovel that lay next to them. He instantly realized the connection to the incident from the previous night when he had to protect Misaki from the bandits.
He remembered how he had hypnotized the bandits to make them confess their deeds to the Chief Bandit, but somehow he was quite confused as to why there were seven graves, as he had only encountered four bandits. He slowly walked towards the graves, crouched down, and used his clairvoyance to perceive the exact backdrop of the deaths of those dissatisfied spirits. Therefore, he started to chant a prayer of sorts to show the poor souls a way to the afterlife. This was not the first time Lord Akimitsu had delivered souls; in fact, he felt that this was his duty to fulfill towards this creation.
Akemitsu slowly moved forward after he was done praying. He halted as he approached the entrance of the cave and spotted some people from this community going about their daily activities. Some were armed and guarding in various directions. Hence, he instantly created a misty white smoke that slowly thickened like a wall behind him and waited with bated breath for orders. That mandate would allow it to spread throughout the region.
Finally, the time of patience came to an end. Lord Akimitsu commanded this condensed fog with a special gesture of his fingers, and it immediately spread all over the area. At the same time, the entire Province of Harmonious Devils was covered in thick fog, resembling a fog mountain. Lord Akimitsu walked slowly through the fog towards the cave.
Then Yuto sat down to have breakfast. This is his dining hall. Yes, their ancestors had carved the mountains many generations ago to meet the needs of the elites of their clan. Not only the dining hall, but also the bathroom, bedroom, conference hall (where judgments were also given), quality room, kitchen, storeroom, granary, armory, forge, treasury, cells, and next to it was the slaughter chamber and treatment center. Moreover, there were also many rooms and a dormitory for the commons, as well as a place of worship, which was built on one of the highest steps of that hill. There, they worship God, Mother Nature, Lord Akimitsu, and the war god.
However, in his dining space, a waitress was setting his dining table. Another waitress was coming forward with a bowl of soup. Yuto said, "Hurry up and serve the food; I'm starving." At that time, the entire dining room was filled with fog. Yuto yelled out, "Did you guys set fire to the kitchen? Huh?" The waitress who was setting the breakfast table was looking around frantically, trying to figure out where the smoke was actually coming from. She sniffed and said, "No, my lord, it's not smoke; it's maybe fog... but where is this fog coming from.. and what about the aroma..?" Yuto became more surprised when he finally inhaled and got the aroma. Then he said, "Yes, you are right. It's not smoke; it's fog. And I wonder too, as you said, where it is coming from... and..." He became silent and continued, "... and about the scent... I'm damn sure that this is the fragrance of lotus. But how could the redolence of the lotus scent be so intense?" Just then, the second waitress, who was bringing a bowl of soup, took it to the end of the table where Yuto was seated. Reaching there, she suddenly fell to the ground, and at that moment, the bowl of soup in her hand flipped and fell onto Yuto. He shouted as he stood up, brushing off his clothes and unsheathing the sword beside him, "How dare you pour hot soup on me?!" The room was not completely foggy yet, so his vision fell onto the floor as he saw the maid lying still there. Observing and judging the whole atmosphere and its outcomes, Yuto became a bit worried and came to the conclusion that some unknown danger was breathing down their necks. Immediately, he saw another maid fall down unconscious as well. By then, the fog had thickened significantly throughout the room.
Now the chief bandit roared and called out to the General of their Army, "Isamu... Isamu... Where have you all gone? And what about the fog?" Naturally, he didn't get any reply, so it didn't take long for him to realize that a thick layer of this fog spread all over their lands, and everyone who came within its reach, like these two maids, was lying unconscious somewhere else. At that stage, his sixth sense was telling him that he was unable to fight against it. So he did what he always does in an emergency like this: he calmed himself down excessively. Soon after, just like a flashlight, a question arose in his mind. He wondered why he hadn't become unconscious like all of them! With this question and these facts, his mind began to search for clues one after another. "No, this is not a man-made event. There must be some official from heaven or maybe a great legend. And in this case, only one has arrived here. Because... hmm..." he made a soft hummed to himself. Ever since this thought came to his mind, he began to connect the possibilities one by one, communicating with himself with the intention of dealing with this situation. "It isn't impossible for someone who can create such a powerful illusion to kill anyone else with a trick like this. But they didn't. Also, this smell gives an indication that they are perhaps deeply connected with the Supreme Soul. This means they have not been able to kill living beings. According to that fact, I don't have to panic about life threats. Additionally, I didn't lose consciousness like everyone else, which means that the stranger came here for me. So, has this official come here to punish me? Because my people wanted to take Misaki out of here and tried to cause some nuisance, so...? Well, is that little blind girl just Yajima Yamato's eldest daughter, or does she have some other significant identity? Otherwise, after her departure, why would such powerful beings come to face me again and again? Also, what about those supernatural actions? I don't know why this fog and the fragrance of lotus are trying to remind me of something familiar. But what is it? Why can't I remember? Well... well... is the spiritual being controlling my mind, that is, forcing me to think what I am just thinking right now?" He was trying to remember something very familiar but could not quite reach the truth. So, he put the brakes on his thoughts and went directly to meet the legendary powerful being. Yuto said to the unknown legend in a slightly sarcastic tone... "Oh please, no more shyness or hide and seek. It's my humble request that you come out in front and grace me with your presence, my Lord." With that, a response came from the other side of the fog in an intelligent, divine tone. "Yuto, the present chief of the flute bandit group. The demonstration of your sharp mental strength has really impressed me. We can continue the conversation..."
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Heaven: Abode of all Ideologies
Enya, the Goddess of Fire, was sitting in her Indoor, thinking about something. Umi, the Goddess of Mercy, suddenly appeared and bowed slightly forward to Enya, reverently saying, "I, the Goddess of Mercy, honor God and Mother Nature, and the most radiant of all the elements in their creation. The Goddess of Fire, Enya, showing her my best regards."
Enya looked at Umi and said, "Umi, what made you come here all of a sudden? Did you come with a message or a request?"
Umi said, "No, madam. Actually, some time has passed but we still can't find any answers to some of the questions. You know, God and Mother Nature are very busy with all the activities of this creation. From that point of view, it would be inappropriate to approach them with such small questions. On the other hand, Lord Akimitsu is silent regarding the entire matter, so we came here to you because you were her only closest friend. Therefore, you might know something. So we came to you. Are you busy, Goddess Enya? Shall we come later?
"'We'? Ie... Who has came with you?" Enya asked. Umi said in a calm voice, "The Goddess of peace, Aiko... but she is waiting outside. If you allow her, then..." Enya said, "Both of you, come inside."
Enya knew that both of them would surely come to her one day with some questions. Umi calmly entered Goddess Enya's indoor with Goddess Aiko. Enya said in a calm voice, "Sit down." They said, "Thank you for your courtesy, Goddess, but we are fine." Enya said, this time in a soft tone. "This is not about courtesy. After all, you two are the spiritual daughters of my dearest friend, The Great Goddess of Love, Kiyoko. I must take care of both of you in the absence of my dearest Kiyoko. And rather than that, you have now came to my indoor. So it's my responsibility to make both of you feel comfortable, dear. So think of it as your room and make it as comfortable as you want. Sit down". They both took the seat very hesitantly. Enya says, "Yes, now tell me what is bothering you?"
Umi hesitantly asked in a soft tone, "Goddess Enya, do you perhaps have any knowledge about where our beloved Mother Kyoko might be at the moment? Actually, as we all know, you were her dearest friend, and she used to discuss everything with you, and that's why we came to you." While twisting the dangling locks of her brilliant red hair, Enya gazed down at the floor, lost in her thoughts, and slowly murmured, "but she didn't used to tell me everything either." She snapped out from her thoughts, overhearing a slight movement of Aiko, as a shadow of concern was clearly visible on her face. Enya gently smiled and said, "Don't worry, dear. Since you two have informed me, I will try to do my best to find her. But first of all, I need your help regarding this matter. Since this is a matter of high officials, we need to do it secretly." Umi and Aiko glanced at each other with confusion and then faced Enya. Aiko said, "What kind of help, Goddess Enya? We are ready to do whatever it takes to bring back Mother Kyoko." Enya, still twisting the locks of her hair, said, "In order for me to navigate to her, firstly I would need to investigate her indoors. As you two know, every deity in heaven has particular access to their residence. However, since you two were her spiritual daughters, you didn't really need access to enter her abode." Both Umi and Aiko listened patiently as they stayed silent for a while. Suddenly, Umi spoke up, "Alright, Goddess Enya, we shall leave now. We will guide you to her indoors." Enya got up and stopped Umi and said, "No, dear, not now." Aiko asked, holding a bit of confusion in her tone, "Then when, Goddess Enya?" Enya got up from her seat and walked over towards Umi and Aiko. She gently placed her hands on both of their heads, patting them gently with adoration, and said, "Dear, when the Sun God leaves the Paradise of Deities (where Ideologies, angels, etc., live) and goes to the Abode of Celestial beings (a place where Demigods and pure souls stay), we will embrace in our journey, okay."
6 months have passed on Earth, where as 12 hours had passed in the Kingdom of Heaven and it's the resting time for Deities right now, almost all the Deities were taking a rest at there Indoor, At that moment Aiko and Umi carefully and secretly navigated through corridors and knocked on Enya's indoor's door, after a while the door gently opened revealing Enya. Today she sent all her guards away on some other errand. Enya said with a soft tone "So are you two ready", Aiko and Umi nodded and they began there journey through the corridor carefully and silently. Umi suddenly asked in a whisper, "Goddess, why do you want to go to Mother's indoor? What's the purpose of going there?"
Enya was about to say something but suddenly stopped and looked back. Umi and Aiko, along with her, also stopped and said, "What's wrong, goddess? Why did you stopped?" Enya replied while sharply looking around the back side of the corridor, "Nothing," then again said as she got ready to leave, "Let's go." Enya asked while walking, "Yes, what were you asking?" Aiko said humbly, "We wanted to know why are we going to Mother's indoor in her absence? And isn't it a crime? If God, Mother Nature, and Mother Kiyoko found out, won't they be disappointed in our actions?"
Enya stopped and replied with a *sigh*... "First of all, I didn't went to you for help; it was you who did. Second, I am an Elemental Ideology, so I work through the elements. And to know the truth, I have to come in contact with an element associated with the Goddess Kiyoko. And....." Suddenly, Enya, Aiko, and Umi, all three of them, heard a noise. So, they stopped talking, then looked around but there was nothing. So, they turned around again. Enya regained her composure and continued. "..And all her things are locked in her indoor after she disappeared, that's why I want to visit there so that I can help you. Thirdly, yes, God, Mother Nature, and your mother Kiyoko may be a bit disappointed in what you are doing today, but I think it is more important to be clear with yourself if you want to do something good. If you worry about who is disappointed in your actions and who is thinking about you, you will never be able to achieve something significant but will fall behind."
Then Enya pauses for a while and repeats, "I don't think I can help you. Because you may not be able to trust me for some reason, but that is also an insult to me. That hurts me a little. So I'm going back. Try your best and be successful. My best wishes will always be there for you." Saying this, Enya was about to leave when Umi stopped her anxiously and said. "Goddess Enya, please wait and please don't leave us like this. We had no intention of hurting you. Yet, we understand that you have been hurt by our behavior. We are, therefore, ashamed of our behavior and apologize to you. Today, If you are saddened by our conduct, then the ethics instilled in us by our mother, which is our ideal, will fail completely. Actually, we don't want to disappoint anyone. But today, despite our reluctance, you may feel upset with us. Please forgive us for all our faults, great Goddess Enya. And please guide us." Saying this, both of them bowed before her.
At that time, All three of them heard two masculine voices. Then suddenly, a voice roared between the two of them, and immediately an unexpected thing happened. Goddess Enya didn't waste a single moment and vanished from there with Goddess Umi and Aiko. Then the three of them arrived in front of The Goddess of Love, Kiyoko's Indoor. (There is a rule of Heaven: when an ideology goes out of Heaven for an indefinite period, the entrance to their indoor space is completely blocked. Only God, Mother Nature, and certain powers associated with that ideology, who are permitted by them, can enter the indoor space. The only difference is that while it is impossible to impose time restrictions on God and Mother Nature, it is possible to do so on the powers associated with that ideology. So, needless to say, the need for guards is a luxury for such enclosed interiors.)
Aiko and Umi silently and gently opened the door to Kiyoko's indoor using the same mana that connects them with Kiyoko, and then the three of them entered in.
Umi gently waved her hands, shutting the door close.
Enya, the Goddess of Fire, awakened her intensity from within and lit up the murky space of Kiyoko, the Goddess of Love's, indoor realm.
After this, Umi let out a sigh and said, "They literally followed us like ghosts."
Aiko said in a frustrated tone, "Just because of those two, Goddess Enya had to use up so much of her mana for such a small work."
Enya added, "I knew those two were fools, but I didn't know they were such big hopeless fools. 'Tch.' What were God and Mother Nature thinking when they gave those two fools such a high ranking?"
Umi pouted, sighed, and said, "What else can I say? One of them is my Lord Husband another one is my stubborn younger brother..." *sigh*
Aiko pouted, scratched her cheek, and said like a sage, "Okay... So, technically, they both were following you... hmmm...! However, your husband and your brother almost turned the corridor into a battlefield as well...! *sigh* Well... I wonder how you handle these two careless gods in a single lifetime...?"
Umi said thoughtfully, "Umm... what you said is partly true, but not entirely. Because, no matter what impressions my younger brother shows in front of the entire creation, he will never dare to follow me secretly like this." (Then suddenly Umi said something in a slightly teasing tone) "But... I think his reason for following us was something else."
Aiko said again in a worried questioning tone... Hmm... So what else could there be? (Suddenly, she was startled by a terrible thought, then widened her eyes as she asked) So... d-did God and Mother Nature know everything...?! and send him to watch over us?! What will happen now?! (Saying this, Aiko started biting her nails out of fear.)
Enya stood (in chibi form) with a crooked look at Aiko, wearing an annoyed expression on her face. On the other hand, Umi (in chibi form) was smirking at Aiko with a cat-like expression. Then she patted Aiko's head and said, "Don't be afraid, Sister Aiko. Nothing will happen." Aiko (in chibi form) stayed still with big, scared, and confused eyes staring at them (o-o!).
At the same time, the scene was interrupted by Enya. Suddenly, she said, "Fine, we have wasted enough time talking and doing unnecessary activities. Let's get to work because we all know this is Kiyoko's indoor, and we got in here with the power of you two. If we don't get out in the given time, we will be trapped here. So... let's go..."
---------
Back to the chaos..
As Goddess Enya, Umi, and Aiko were walking to their destination, they didn't realize that two figures covered in dark cloaks were following them from two sides. As these two figures were on their quest to silently follow the goddesses, they unknowingly bumped into each other at a small junction of the corridor. Yoshiki(God of Pride) fell back and said in an annoyed tone while on the ground, "Ouch... Did I just hit a wall or something?" On the other hand, Kayashi (God of War) also fell down on the ground as he gasped in pain and said, "What the heck did I just walk into?" At this moment, Goddess Enya looked back cautiously, and immediately Yoshikiand Kayashi hid themselves behind the two thick pillars of the corridor and started whispering to each other from their positions.
The impact of their collision took down their cloaks as both Yoshiki and Kayashi gazed at each other, almost gasping, but controlled themselves, knowing the place and situation. Yoshiki said in a tone of surprise, "Kayashi, what are you doing here like this?" Kayashi said while rubbing his head with a tone of annoyance, "I should be the one asking you this. Where were you going in such a disguise?" Yoshiki stood up and claimed, "My wife, Umi, had secretly left during the resting time, and I was following her. And Who were you following? Huuh?" Kayashi stayed silent for a while, looking at the distance as Umi, Aiko, and Enya were getting further. Yoshiki looked towards them as he spotted them and said in an angry tone, "Ohhh... now I get it. You are a very evil god..! Aren't you? Basically, you follow three goddesses at this resting hour?! And one of whom is more honorable than you, the other one is married "and... who is my wife...!! ...wait... ...what...?!...no, no, no, no...!!... it's not possible...!! You're not that type of evil...!! I believe in you, brother...!! Can I believe you, brother..!?!?" (Yoshiki asked this almost crying!) Then Kayashi looked at him with an annoying look. And with that, Yoshiki controlled himself, scratched his head, and said in a gentle voice while waving his hand, "okay.. okay.. I understand my wife is your elder sister... sorry.. my fault..!! Please don't mind, brother.. hehe..!! ...Well.. What was I saying...? Yes... I remembered..!! ..And.. an innocent goddess.. who is..." Yoshiki pauses a bit, lifts his Right eyebrow, then says with widened eyes and a sarcastic smile, "wait a minute..! Are you following Aiko, the goddess of peace.. Haa haaa?!" Now, Kayshi quietly tried to get a little closer to Yoshiki with a cold yet angry look, said in a strained voice, "If you say another extra unnecessary word and if anyone knows anything about this, I will break every single one of your teeth... got it?"
Yoshiki pressed his hand over his mouth and laughed nervously, then said, "Fine, fine... let's be cautious while following them... Okay?" Kayashi nodded in agreement, and they both began to follow the female trio silently. Yoshiki was cautious and took steps very carefully, while Kayashi took bigger and louder steps. After a while, Enya, Aiko, and Umi stopped together for their own business, but a few moments later they heard something and looked around. As usual, they didn't find anything, so they finally turned back and started talking among themselves.
Yoshikiand Kayashi hid behind a small wall to prevent being noticed. As they stayed hidden, Yoshiki exclaimed quite loudly, angrily, and sarcastically, "Why are you even walking behind them? Instead, just take my advice; go and ask them directly where they are going. Your heavy steps are audible from the ends of heaven!"
*Sigh* Then he tried to listen to their conversation. But Kayashi got very angry at Yoshiki's words and shouted, "Oh yeah, my steps are the problem. And what about you screaming out like a damn monkey, huh?" Yoshiki gestured to him to keep quiet. "Shhhhhh...." But Kayashi became more violent and said, "No, I won't shush. I am not your servant. You got it? And besides, why are you even overhearing the conversation of three goddesses, like a typical mortal woman?! Isn't it a bad manner? You outrageous God..."
Yoshiki whispered in annoyance, "I said, 'Shut up!, let me hear!" Kayashi roared louder, "How dare you? Did you forgot who I am? Huh?" Yoshiki couldn't control his anger and said, "I know what you are! You are a stupid, pathetic attention-seeking god, with whom no one wants to be associated. Got it? Now just shut uppppp!"
This time, Kayashi was so distraught with anger that he came out from behind the pillar, raised both of his arms, and started shouting. Needless to say, at that moment, he completely forgot that he was on a secret mission. But Yoshiki was still hiding behind the pillar. Kayashi roared in a firm tone, "What did you say to me? I am a god who is a stupid, pathetic attention seeker... huh?! Oh, my lord Yoshiki, (in a mocking tone) then you tell me, what kind of god are you? Don't you know... huh... Alright, I will make this matter clear to you. So, you are that kind of god who is more familiar with his bad vibes in the whole creation. You instilled arrogance in everyone. Huh... you stupid god..." Yoshiki said in his mind with a smirk on his lips, "Yes... yes... even I can see in front of me right now that my vibes can be this powerful, which also affects a powerful ideology like yours... hehe..." Kayashi kept screaming, "Ohh... you have no idea how strong I am, Yoshiki!" Yoshiki sighed while scratching his forehead. Kayashi continued, "Okay... then listen to me, you fellow God! 'THE WAR' begins in my hands and only ends in my hands too, because I am the one and only 'God of War'!"
Then suddenly Kayashi remembered that he was on a secret mission. So he turned his head towards where those three goddesses were; yes, all three of them were now looking at him, bewildered. Then he looked at the pillar; still, Yoshiki was there, looking at him, hiding himself, with a stupid smirk on his face. Then Kayashi realized what he had done, so he didn't take any time to jump again towards the pillar. This time, Yoshiki sarcastically said in a very low tone, "Ohh really?! Thank you, my friend, for introducing me to this fact. I had no idea who you are! In fact, I will be grateful to you for this knowledge, my lord..." Kayashi growled and was about to say something but Yoshiki interrupted him. Please, brother, we have already made so many major mistakes, so no more. We will fight the rest later brother." Then thought to himself, "It would be the right decision for me to keep quiet this time because in the meantime my influence on you is immense."
Seeing this scene, Enya did not wait for another moment. Instead, she disappeared from there with Umi and Aiko. Upon reaching Kiyoko's indoor, they entered and locked themselves in. After standing behind the pillar for a few moments, both of them peeked out to see that there was no one in the corridor ahead. Seeing them disappear, Kayashi jumped out and screamed angrily at Yoshiki, "You know, sticking with you was my biggest mistake. You speak and scream a lot." Hearing this, Yoshiki also stated with frustration, "Blame yourself for walking like a giant. And the conversation I was listening to, I couldn't hear anything because of the shouts and all those chaos which were made by your fat wits. You Stupid God...!!"
Kayashi said with red eyes in anger, "What did you say?" Then clenched his fist and stood there ready to launch himself at Yoshiki, but instead of pouncing on him Kayashi asked an unexpected question "You know Yoshiki I sometimes wonder why my sister accepted your proposal to marry you at the first place?!" Yoshiki chukled softly as he stretches his his arms out as he stood his ground like a prideful lion and said "You know I had the same though lingering in my mind when she accepted you as her brother way before our marriage". Kayashi grinned angrily and said as his voice now shifted to much deeper and intemediating tone, "Oh heaven's about lose a God Tonight". Yoshiki now said with a deep voice as well "Like wise brother like wise!, My dear Umi is sure to shead some tears tonight..!" Yoshiki realised that all his efforts so far were in vain. Therefore, he also made a direct effort to engage in conflict. They both began to circle, looking for an opening to start a battle. When Kayashi said, "I will break you; I am certain." To this, Yoshiki replied with a funny reaction, "Oh, really? Listen... You might be the War God, but somehow are you trying to scare me with those intimidating looks of yours?"
Kayashi, now frustrated, launched himself towards Yoshiki, while the other launched himself as well. A rain of punches and kicks followed between them as the calm atmosphere of heaven was echoed with the sounds of fighting and thunder. Kayashi now drew back and said, "I have played enough now." He reached his hand behind him and grabbed two axes (Hinote and Nami) from the cross wise tattoo on his back. Giving a devilish smile, Yoshiki took a few steps back and grabbed the chimes on his waist as it turned into his main weapon, A Whip, and said in a low tone, "Oh Yes, man..!! I have played enough too.. haha..!!" Kayashi said mockingly, "God of Pride, Yoshiki's famous whip "Nariko"... huuh? I heard that my fellow friend's main stream of negative vigor resides in it. Well, does it even work? Or has it lost its intensity, hanging around your waist as an ornament, brother?" In response, Yoshiki smirked and said, "Oh, yes, please! In fact, I'd love to take a trial of it too!" Saying this, he slammed the whip once on the floor. Suddenly, a bright red light flashed from the whip, just as thunder flashed across the sky. This time, dark red, smoke-like fragments were coming out of it. On the other hand, Kayashi began to collide his two axes against each other, causing sparks to take form, which fell to the floor like meteors falling from space. As they were about to pounce on each other, a very gentle and sweet voice said, "I believe it's resting time for Deities."
Hearing this, both (chibi form) Kayashi and Yoshiki looked terrified and trembling. They dropped their weapons as they looked towards the direction of the voice. As soon as they looked, the entire place was illuminated by the brilliant, tender greenish shine coming from Mother Nature as she levitated in the air. Mother Nature now looked at Kayashi and smiled softly. Kayashi was frozen in fear, but he bowed down and said, "Mother, I am sorry... I will take my leave now." In a hurry, Kayashi leaped into the air and vanished. Now Mother Nature gazed at Yoshiki with smile; her looks were as if to say, "My assumption was that I had to ask him, but I never thought that one of my obedient children, like you, was waiting for my injunction. Therefore, do I really need to direct you too?" Yoshiki understood from Mother's look, and he also bowed down and disappeared into the air after saying, "I beg my pardon, Mother... please forgive my audacity." After they escaped, Mother Nature smiled affectionately seeing such an adorable scene. Then suddenly, she gazed towards the direction of Kiyoko's resident with a serious manner and then herself disappeared.
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Goddess Kiyoko's Indoor
Enya looked around for a while quietly while Umi and Aiko stood there silently observing her. When suddenly, Enya said, "After a long time, I am once again standing in my beloved friend's indoor." She paused for a while and asked, "Do you guys know where her safe is, where she keeps all her valuables?" Umi said in a low tone, "Mother Kiyoko didn't have any particular safe to store her valuables." Enya was surprised as she reacted, "What! So where did she used to keep them?" Aiko answered softly, "Actually, there was a small hidden shrine... we heard that it was made of crystal, where Mother Kiyoko had idolized God and Mother Nature, and some belongings of the one she pursuit. And.." Hearing this, Enya gently asked, "And..?" Aiko replied.. ""Um... as we know, it's right here somewhere..." Enya looked around and asked in a calm voice. "So where is this shrine, Aiko?" Umi replied hasitatly , "The legend that exists in heaven about this hidden shrine is, in fact, true. But we do not have any memory of that shrine in our recollection.." Enya asked them, surprisingly. "What? What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Are you sure that Kiyoko placed that small shrine somewhere in this place? And how can you be so sure about the presence of this shrine when you cannot remember it?" Aiko glanced at Umi once, then bowed her head and politely said, "Well, the memory of our birth remains very dim to us. Still, we are sure that it was a shrine. Furthermore, we can assuredly say that there is no shrine in this entire heaven that looks like that particular one." Hearing this, Enya asked impatiently, "Even if I take your words as a true statement, why hasn't it caught our view? We have noticed every single detail of this indoor space; then why can't we point it out? You say... where could it be?" Suddenly, Umi questioned an unexpected thing, "Goddess, what did you just say?" Enya said, "Which one?" Umi said, "Not one, it's two words, actually." Enya gave Umi a questioning look. Umi answered, "The word 'point' and 'view'... 'point of view,' right?" Umi started to say with a bright look on her face, "Goddess Enya, Mother Kiyoko once told us..." What we see may not be real all the time, but then again, what is not directly perceived in reality also exists sometimes. All we need is the point of view and faith. Because what exists today may not exist tomorrow, and what does not exist now may take shape later. It builds on our point of view, faith, unity, concentration, effort, practice, brainstorming, etc. Saying this, Umi looked at Aiko with a smiling look, and the two of them concentrated by holding each other's left hand and placing their right hand on their heart chakra.
A few moments passed. Suddenly, a white light began to radiate from the points of Aiko and Umi's heart chakras simultaneously, and it was growing. In an instant, soft white rays spread all over the space. And immediately, an unexpected event happened.
Suddenly, Goddess Kiyoko's indoor features seemed to have completely changed because it now resembled a courtyard. The direct path into that courtyard was a stairway that led to an illuminated doorway. From that entrance, holy gentle white rays were emanating, which, with a gentle pulse, erased all the gloom from the mind. Goddess Enya was observing the scene with widened eyes in utter fascination. Meanwhile, her daze was broken by Aiko and Umi's call. "Goddess Enya... Goddess Enya..." Enya composed herself and looked at Aiko. "Yes, Aiko, say." Aiko said in a calm voice. "Goddess Enya, I think this is the legendary shrine that is known by every other deity but they could never reach it." Enya glanced at the entrance and said, "Yes, ages ago I heard that too. But when I asked her, she replied... *sigh* let it go. Leave that topic, let's go inside."
They kept walking silently for a while, looking around. The silence in the air was broken by the echoing voice of Enya, and she said in a calm manner, "I can clearly observe the anxiousness on your faces, and I think it would be better for us if I clear some matters before reaching the entrance, isn't it?" Aiko and Umi glanced at each other and said hesitantly, "Yes, please, Goddess Enya." Enya glanced at the beautiful surroundings and continued, "As you two are spiritually linked with Goddess Kiyoko, you can easily access the secret and enduring shrine of hers that she has kept confidential for so long. Am I right?" Aiko and Umi nodded in agreement. Then Enya continued, "Well, if you say that you are doing wrong by exposing the shrine, which was secretly created by Goddess Kiyoko's illusion without getting her permission, in that case, I would not disagree with you. But you mentioned something a while back, which is 'Point of view'... remember? So now you think that it is absolutely correct that Goddess Kiyoko did not give you direct permission. But you turn on directly ostensibly this legendary shrine using her potential, which exercises with both of you. Now answer my question: If the goddess Kiyoko had any objection to this, despite being connected to her Energy stream, would you really be able to use that mana to open the door to her enduring secret fantasy world, which she had never shown to anyone? Aiko and Umi gently nodded in agreement.
Umi still asked in a confused tone, "It's understandable, but still, Goddess Enya, there is something that's been bothering me deeply." Enya gently asked, "Hm, what is it?" Umi asked hesitantly, "Why can't we trace Mother Kiyoko at all? Despite us having a spiritual connection with her, why is it even hard for us to connect to her?" She paused for a while and asked again, "We can even enter her indoors. More than that, we uncovered her hidden shrine, which confirms to us that our spiritual bond is still strong. It means maybe she isn't far from us, so why can't we locate her through the same spiritual bond?" Enya sighed and said, "I don't know either. Not only that, I'm not even sure if we'll even get the answer here or not! Or maybe we are here to find that answer too! Who knows!" Aiko asked, "What if we fail?" Enya, hiding her disappointed expression, gave a fake smile to them and said, "Well... We can try again and again to find her with renewed vigor. *sigh* Now this is all we can do for her, I guess!"
Saying this, the three of them reached the gate of the shrine. The gateway appeared to be made of crystal, but it sparkling so much radiant that anyone could easily say that it is none other than but a diamond. At the top of the whole unobstructed entrance, a few different sizes of colorful crystal and jade chimes hung in a row, which were being swayed by the breeze, causing a soft tinkling sound that spreaded everywhere. The three of them were looking at the beauty of the gate with absolute fascination, thinking in their minds that if the gate of the shrine, created by the might of the imagination of Goddess Kiyoko, can be such a wonderful sight, how beautiful could the view of the world inside it be!? Without wasting much time, they took a deep breath and went inside. They walked slowly, admiring the beauty around, populated with little fireflies of energy orbs. Through those orbs, they could easily recognize their own selves, a little happier version of themselves wandering around peacefully (Actually, they were the purest form of every deity and every soul who took birth from the Supreme soul of the entire creation). After quite a bit of a walk, Aiko, Umi, and Enya halted as they stood side by side, looking at the mesmerizing scene that unfolded before them. From this paradise, anyone could observe the entire creation in the lap of Mother Nature. Above their heads, the court of the universe was clearly visible. Such a beautiful scene was beyond description. After this, they quietly observed the surroundings and then gazed upon the marbled monument. A beautiful glassy staircase led up to the massive structure, which was a beautiful shrine with White Jade pillars and walls adorned with Meenakari designs with various gemstones, including rubies and sapphires. The top had an azure crystalline roof. Along the center of the shrine's peak, there was a Metallic Chakra that seemed to glint even in the darkness of the night. Thus they were about to enter the shrine when suddenly, they heard a rhythmic noise that caught their attention. It was tearing through the calm and quiet atmosphere, a gentle sound of a waterfall echoing throughout the shrine premises.
Aiko said in a surprising tone, "Wait... Is that...!?" looking around with sharp eyes. Enya said, "Yes, I think so. That's the sound of a waterfall." Umi indicated with her index finger, "Does that sound come from there?!" Enya said again in a firm voice, "Hmm, it comes from behind the shrine, I guess. Okay, before entering the shrine, let's take a look at the entire shrine zone." Enya stepped forward and said, "Come on, hurry up. We don't have much time." Aiko and Umi, like obedient children, began to follow Goddess Enya.
There was a path on the side of the shrine, so naturally, they were following it; it was the way to reach the rear of the shrine. After reaching the rear area of the shrine, as usual, they saw another beautiful scene. They were also fascinated by this beautiful aspect, but they stopped being surprised because, unlike all the scenarios they had observed since entering this imaginary shrine of Goddess Kiyoko, indeed this sight was as exquisitely beautiful as the others. They spotted a beautiful and clear blue lake into which water was gushing down from a waterfall.
The numerous Azure Lotus blossomed and newly blossomed in the lake, swaying blissfully in the gentle waves of the water, welcoming a tender morning and its holy, gentle golden rays. A few swans and their cygnet are swimming merrily in the blue water of the lake in the early morning light. Suddenly, they saw something vivid moving in the water: a white dolphin calf took a happy dive from the bottom of the water to the air then went into the water again.
Enya glanced at Aiko and Umi once as they nodded in agreement. She gently kneeled down and gazed at the dolphin calf and said in a soft tone, "So this is Mizu 'The God of Water', huh?" She glanced at the water for a while and then stood up to take a look at the edge of the lake. There was a small ferry wharf with two boat moorings on it. A little far from that ferry, there was a cherry tree on the edge of the lake too, which also took on a magical form as if supporting this illusional kingdom. They spotted the tender cherry petals dropping on the ground and the water; some petals were floating away depending on the wings of the air. "Wow, what a mesmerizing sight!" Aiko said surprisingly. Suddenly, a dim vision appeared under the cherry tree, just like a dark, silent film floating on an invisible, vibrating screen, which made this fantasy world more magical.
They saw a young girl wearing a worn pale cloth sitting under the cherry tree. Her body appearance seemed like she was singing a song. It was quite a normal scene, but the shocking scenario was, there was another person sitting in front of that young lass, and he is none other than Lord Akimitsu himself. He was playing his main instrument, one of the integral parts of his existence, his harp, his affectionate 'Setsuko.'
Then, as suddenly as this scene appeared in the first light of the dawn, it was extinguished just as suddenly by itself, like a mirage disappearing in the desert. Instantaneously, Umi shouted, "Goddess Enya, Aiko, this is not an imaginary shrine; rather, it is a replica of a shrine that really exists in the mortal world, i.e., the shrine is actually a replica of Akimitsu's shrine in the Fog Mountain of the Mortal World. If I try to elaborate it more simply, it is easy to accept that it bears witness to the pure pattern of Mother Kiyoko's adept emulation power."
Enya said, "It is not the right decision to waste more time here; we have to do the work we came for. Follow me." Then they proceeded towards the main gate of the shrine again with the intention of entering the shrine. Upon reaching the premises again, they saw the energy orbs, in the shape of small fireflies, roaming in the darkness of the night. Now, all of them turned into their soul animal form, with a few of them happily roaming in the entire mountain area, while the vast majority spread out to roam happily in the wide lap of Mother Nature. All of them seemed so happy in this world. Aiko asked worriedly, "So did the Sun God return to the Paradise of Deities, i.e., should we get out of here now?"
Enya said with a bit of insolence as she stepped forward firmly, "No, it's nothing like that. The answer is so easy to find with a little thought. You said a while ago that this shrine is a mimesis of the Fog Mountain's shrine in the Mortal World. Therefore, it's quite obvious that the mimesis architecture, which is created by your mother's imaginary power, could be connected to the original one, isn't it? Well, as we know, the difference between heaven and the mortal world is that heaven's one day is equal to the mortal world's six months. So I hope you understand what I am trying to say, or do I have to explain it to you more?"
Aiko and Umi answered Enya's words quietly, nodding their heads in a passive manner. In a few moments, the three of them stood in front of the shrine's entrance stairs. Aiko and Umi sighed and reunited once again, then used their spiritual powers together to open the entrance to the shrine. As usual, the closed door of the shrine had been unfastened by their effort. Looking at the scene, Enya took a deep breath and said with a firm tone, "Our long-awaited time has finally come to an end, so let's find the solution which we had been looking for so long. Because, it's time to get the key." It's true that Aiko and Umi couldn't properly assess Enya's enigmatic words, but they didn't even dare to ask her any further questions; moreover, they followed her obediently.
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Consequences of the chaos
After a while, as Umi and Aiko were returning from their mother's indoor, When Aiko and Umi were returning to their residence, they arrived in an area of chaos that had occurred in the past. They saw those things for the first time. After seeing this, Aiko suddenly asked, "U... Umi, aren't those weapons?" Umi looked in the direction where Aiko was pointing and let out a big sigh. She said, "I knew something like this would definitely happen... What am I supposed to do with them, both of them... *sigh*." They made their way towards the weapons. Umi picked up Yoshiki's whip and was about to pick up Kayashi's axes when Aiko said, "Umi, wait, um... if you don't mind, could I take those axes? Because I want to know something..." Umi swallowed and replied, "Aiko, my sweet sister... what happened?" Aiko replied with a determined expression, "I have to know why he was following us." Umi, trying to hide from Aiko's gaze, put her hand over her mouth and chuckled a little. Then she composed herself as usual and said, "Sure, why not?!"
Then Aiko sighed and said as they started walking indoors, "Umi, my dearest sister, you know, sometimes I wonder that I know it was not in your control to choose Mother Kiyoko and me as your mother and sister. But ten years ago, you accepted Kayashi as your adopted brother and also accepted the marriage proposal from Yoshiki five years back without any opposition. At the closing ceremony of Heaven's Era Mutation Festival, surprisingly, you had the right to express your own opinion. Then why did you accept everything without considering your assessment? Why?
Umi smiled softly and replied in a loving tone, "Aiko, as we all know, this entire creation is founded on the will of God and Mother Nature. You know, I often think that God and Mother Nature have written a great universal legend, which is gradually being revealed to all of us. Every particle of this universe is part of that tale, and every energy that exists in each dimension, including ours, is a character in the Great Legend."
Umi paused for a while and sighed, then continued, "Aiko, the entire New Era celebration of the heavens takes place under the shade of our Supreme Father and Mother. Therefore, everyone gets a golden opportunity to express their thoughts in the final accolade allocation of this ceremony. Am I correct?"
Goddess Aiko agreed with her. Then Umi continued, "So the courtyard where Suprim Father, Mother Nature, Lord Toki, Lord Akimitsu, and our dearest Mother Kiyoko were present: if anyone makes a proposal and it is not disapproved of by any of them, it means that the proposal runs through the flow of that noble legend. Hence, at the ultimate award ceremony for the different eras, both Brother Kayashi's and My Lord Yoshiki's appeals were not contradicted by God, Mother Nature, or any superior ideologies. Therefore, that was the reason I did not hold any dissenting opinion in those significant ceremonies. We are all going along with this great tale, Aiko, and that's also a novel truth itself.."
Saying this, they slowly proceeded towards their interiors. After a while, as they both left, Yoshiki and Kayashi arrived there again and were unfortunately forced to meet at the same spot. When Yoshiki spotted Kayashi, he first scanned the surroundings carefully and then said in a low, serious yet angry tone, "A... are you following me... seriously?" Kayashi bent his face a bit in irritation and then replied, "In this whole creation, why would I even follow a God like you? Obviously, I was just looking for my axes... huuh!" Yoshiki stayed quiet as he looked for his weapon too. Even after much searching, they couldn't find their weapons and left feeling confused. Abruptly, Kayashi inquired, a little worriedly, "Where did they go? Somehow, Mother took them from... oh no, no, no!" Kayashi raised his hands to his mouth in a childish manner and delved deep into his own thoughts. At that moment, Yoshiki replied, "No, no. Our weapons are here, in the Paradise of Deities, because I can discern it. If you try, you will feel it too. So all we can do now is concentrate our focus to find them." Thus, they both closed their eyes and tried to trace them by their spiritual flow, and after a while, the whole scenario flashed through their vision. As soon as they became aware of the truth, their eyes opened wide. Then they both swallowed hard because, somehow, they could predict their fate in the near future.
Kayashi roared, "What?" Yoshiki replied, "Okay, I gotta go." Saying this, Yoshiki was about to depart, but Kayashi prevented him and said, "Wait, Lord Yoshiki. Your whip is back in your abode, but why did sister Umi let the goddess of peace take my axes? How am I... do you have any suggestions for me? Because you're senior to me anyway." Yoshiki chuckled softly and said sarcastically, "Oh ho, Lord Yoshiki, huh? What happened? Okay, let me guess. A powerful god like you is expressing so much fear of the most tranquil goddess like Aiko? ..Umi will be so glad to hear it... you know... haha." Kayashi screamed, "Don't be so reckless. Just give me your opinion if you have one." Yoshiki nodded sagely and said, "Hmm... Look, if you ask for my opinion, I can give you advice on this trouble, but honestly speaking, I don't know how much it may help you. Yet, still, I can give you another piece of advice: this much counsel that you can turn to a legend who could guide you to get back from this complication. And he is..." Kayashi interrupted him and asked, "So where is he nowadays? Do I have to go to Fog Mountain to find him?" Yoshiki said, "Oh, yes... He likes being there most..." Before he could finish his words, Kayashi jumped into the air. Then Yoshiki took a deep sigh and started walking towards his residence to think of a solution to the impending danger... *Sigh*
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To be continued..