The town where Hozuki Nozomi now found himself was called Itomori—a quiet, rural community nestled among mountains, far removed from the bustling city life he was accustomed to. Miyamizu Yotsuha, the energetic little loli he'd just escorted, was currently a fourth-grade elementary school student with all the confidence and bossiness that entailed.
After descending the long staircase leading from the shrine, they walked together for several minutes until they reached a fork in the road. Yotsuha turned and waved enthusiastically to her sister.
"Well, Sister, I'm off to Itomori Elementary now! You do your best today too!"
With those parting words, the spirited little girl dashed off toward her school without a backward glance, her twin-tails bouncing with each step.
Hozuki Nozomi watched her go, then resumed his leisurely pace, one hand resting behind his head while the other casually held the strap of his—or rather, Mitsuha's—school bag over his shoulder. He took his time, genuinely appreciating the scenery of this unfamiliar town.
His soul currently resided in the body of Miyamizu Mitsuha, which meant—if his understanding of the situation was correct—Mitsuha's soul had taken up residence in his body back in Sakura Dormitory.
Which raised an interesting question: what exactly was that girl doing with his body right now?
Was she spending his money on fancy desserts she couldn't get in this remote town? Was she interacting with Shiina Mahiru and Yukino and the others, speaking and behaving in her own distinctly feminine way?
The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable Hozuki Nozomi became. Yukino and the others would surely notice something was off... but then again, he supposed he wasn't really in a position to criticize Mitsuha's behavior.
After all, what had he done on his very first day inhabiting her body?
He'd measured her figure with his own hands, taking note of her development. While changing clothes, he'd naturally taken the opportunity for a thorough... appreciation. In comparison to that, whatever Mitsuha might be doing with his body seemed almost trivial.
Continuing along the peaceful road, Hozuki Nozomi found himself in surprisingly high spirits. There was none of the city's relentless hustle and bustle here—just quietude, occasionally broken by the pleasant sounds of insects and birds. It was a genuinely novel and long-missed experience.
He wasn't in any particular hurry to tackle the mission. The mission title was "The Succession of Miyamizu Shrine," and as far as he could tell, there were two potential heirs: the current owner of his body, Miyamizu Mitsuha, and the little loli, Miyamizu Yotsuha.
So, if he were to "inherit" Miyamizu Shrine, would that require him to marry either Mitsuha or Yotsuha? Or, to be bolder about it—both of them?
Hozuki Nozomi chuckled at the thought, though he suspected the reality was more complex. There was clearly a deity residing at Miyamizu Shrine, and the braided cord he'd used to tie Mitsuha's hair was imbued with genuine divine power. It was that very power that had enabled his soul to traverse time and space, entering Mitsuha's body and forging their connection.
In the original story, Itomori Town would eventually be destroyed by a comet falling from the sky. So his primary objective upon arriving here was almost certainly to save the town's residents before that catastrophe occurred.
But he couldn't simply follow the original plot blindly—it could only serve as reference. There was no guarantee that other elements hadn't been added to this world. The evil god presence he'd sensed at the shrine earlier was one such possibility.
Perhaps he needed to broaden his perspective. Was the destruction of Itomori Town truly caused solely by a falling comet? Or could something else be involved? And maybe the deity of Miyamizu Shrine, seeking to save the descendants of its believers, had condensed divine power into the shrine maiden's braided cord, allowing her soul to traverse time and search for a possibility of salvation?
Before arriving, he'd thoroughly searched for information about Itomori Town and Miyamizu Shrine but found nothing substantial. Now that he was here, he should be able to uncover more once he returned to his own time.
Well, there was no rush. He'd use Miyamizu Mitsuha's body to experience the charm of rural life for now. It was a shame there were no beautiful girls to pursue—he couldn't exactly go after Yotsuha, a fourth-grader. And pursuing her sister while inhabiting Mitsuha's body would be far too strange, even by his standards.
Lost in these meandering thoughts, Hozuki Nozomi heard the approaching sound of a bicycle. He turned to look.
A young man with a buzz cut was pedaling slowly, and seated behind him was a girl with twin braids and a distinctive tear mole at the corner of her eye. She had her arms wrapped around the boy's waist as they approached.
"Yo, Mitsuha! Good morning!" the girl called out cheerfully, waving.
Hozuki Nozomi blinked. "Good... uh, who are you exactly?"
The girl's cheerful expression froze instantly.
"Mitsuha, is this some new kind of joke? Or are you still half-asleep and messing with me?" She pointed at herself, looking genuinely bewildered. "It's me, Sayaka! Natori Sayaka!"
"Hey, that's too close!" the buzz-cut boy protested, his cheeks reddening slightly as he tried to shrug off her embrace.
"What do you mean by that? Isn't this how we always are?" Natori Sayaka pouted, dismounting from the bicycle and approaching Hozuki Nozomi with a suspicious expression. "Mitsuha, are you still half-asleep or something?"
Only then did the pieces click into place for Hozuki Nozomi. These were Miyamizu Mitsuha's friends. Natori Sayaka—that was her name. A typical country girl, he noted, but she'd probably look quite good with a different hairstyle. The boy beside her was likely Sayaka's childhood friend, and also an acquaintance of Mitsuha's.
"Haha, you caught me—I really am still half-asleep," Hozuki Nozomi covered smoothly. "Sayaka, you two are still as close as ever, I see."
"We are not!" they both denied simultaneously, pulling exaggerated expressions of disgust.
Sayaka squinted at him suspiciously. "Are you sure you're just half-asleep? Then tell me—who is he?" She gestured at the buzz-cut boy.
Hozuki Nozomi's expression turned slightly awkward. When he'd watched the anime, he'd focused primarily on the main characters' plotlines. Why would he have memorized detailed information about two supporting characters?
"Haha, well... you know. He's your childhood friend?" he attempted.
Natori Sayaka and Teshigawara Katsuhiko exchanged a long, meaningful glance. Then, simultaneously, they both took two steps backward.
"...Mitsuha, have you been possessed by a fox or something?" Sayaka asked warily.
"Is this some kind of supernatural phenomenon?" Teshigawara added, his eyes gleaming with barely concealed excitement.
"Uh, fox possession? Nothing like that. I'm just a bit forgetful today, that's all." Hozuki Nozomi smiled innocently. "So, what's your name again, classmate?"
"I'm Teshigawara Katsuhiko!" the boy exclaimed. "Don't tell me you've genuinely forgotten us? Is this legendary amnesia?" His excitement was palpable—as a known enthusiast of the occult, he found the idea of a shrine maiden's daughter suddenly losing her memory thoroughly fascinating.
"Amnesia? That's probably a good way to put it," Hozuki Nozomi agreed amiably. "Anyway, I'm a bit out of it today. Please bear with me, Teshigawara, and Sayaka."
He offered them a polite, charming smile—in Mitsuha's body.
Both Sayaka and Teshigawara stared at him blankly.
"What?" Hozuki Nozomi asked, unnerved by their expressions. "Why are you looking at me so strangely?"
Sayaka stroked her chin thoughtfully, circling him slowly. "It's just... you seem really different today, Mitsuha. Especially... cheerful? And confident? Like, really confident?"
Hearing this, Hozuki Nozomi straightened his back unconsciously and replied with a proud smile. "Isn't that obvious? I'm the mayor's daughter, after all! And the successor of Miyamizu Shrine!"
While he didn't know much about these two personally, he was aware of some of Miyamizu Mitsuha's background information. Her father, Miyamizu Toshiki, was the current mayor of this town—generally strict with Mitsuha and already preparing for the next mayoral election. From what he recalled, Toshiki would indeed continue as mayor in the following term.
Teshigawara couldn't help but complain at her—his—boastful words. "That's the aura of corruption talking! Mitsuha, have you been infected by your own father? You actually feel proud of being the mayor's daughter now?"
"Is there something wrong with that?" Hozuki Nozomi countered, hands on his hips. "Other people would kill to have a mayor for a father. If I were in a big city, I'd at least qualify as a rich young lady!"
He declared this with head held high and chest thrust out, completely shattering whatever timid image Mitsuha usually projected.
Natori Sayaka and Teshigawara Katsuhiko exchanged another long look. Then, in perfect unison, they declared:
"You've definitely been possessed by a fox!"
"Definitely! One hundred percent possessed!"