"Hey, hey, little girl, is this how you leave your big sister behind and run ahead all by yourself?"
Looking at Yuri, who was being supported by Erica and a few others, constantly patting her back and gasping for breath, Sora looked speechless and said to the little miko Hikari, who was still sitting beside him hugging Athena and rubbing her.
"Hehehe, who told sister to be so weak that she got tired after just a few steps? I just really wanted to see Sora-oniichan."
With no sign of remorse, the little miko lifted her little head and gave a coquettish expression.
Well, that mischievous little girl's words made Sora feel warm inside, and he felt embarrassed to lecture her further.
"Yuri, sit down and rest for a while. I told you to exercise more before. You didn't slack off after going home, did you?"
Since he couldn't lecture the little girl anymore, Sora turned to Yuri. He had specially trained her for a while on Sardinia Island, and she had improved, but now it seemed like she had gone back to square one!
"Sora, I… I…"
Supported by Erica and Liliana, Yuri sat down beside Sora, lowering her head. Her cheeks were red, unsure if from exhaustion or embarrassment.
Sora's words were indeed correct. Yuri had been a complete novice in mechanics and sports since childhood and disliked those things. She only trained because Sora forced her to, but she relaxed again after going home.
Seeing the girl's state, Sora knew what was going on. That evil guy was planning to have Yuri strengthen her body so she could take off her brace, but now it seemed like a distant dream!
Thinking this couldn't go on, looking at Yuri, Sora had an idea. But to carry it out, he needed to solve the little girl's problem first.
"Speak up, little girl, what exactly is the matter?"
Patting the little miko Hikari's head, Sora asked.
Erica and the other girls also turned their gaze to Hikari. This little girl had specially called Sora out, and even Yuri had followed along. It must be something important.
"Well, Sora-oniichan, actually, the situation is like this…"
Recalling her own matter, the little miko stopped clinging to Athena, put away her smile, and began to speak seriously.
As the little miko explained, Sora and the others gradually understood. It turned out the matter was quite serious and involved the Four Great Families.
The Four Great Families—Seishuuin, Kuhoutsuka, Renjou, and Sayanomiya—dominate this country but each has its own role.
For example, the Seishuuin, to which Ena belongs, specializes in military and politics. The Sayanomiya, where Miss Kaoru is from, forms the core think tank of the official compilation committee. The role of the Renjou family is not mentioned for now, while the last, the Kuhoutsuka family, guards the Nikkō Tōshō-gū's Western Shrine.
This palace was originally built to worship a certain "Divine Lord" from the early Edo period. The Western Shrine is a shrine protected by powerful barriers and sealing spells. According to the Kuhoutsuka family's teachings, mikos who can use the "Calamity Purification" technique weaken the seal. By doing so, their family gains the Divine Lord's martial prestige—in other words, they can harness the Divine Lord's power.
However, the Western Shrine has not had a guardian miko for nearly a hundred years because the ability "Calamity Purification" is very rare, even among mikos. It is as precious and rare as Ena's summoning technique.
Don't be fooled by this little miko Hikari's quirky and mischievous appearance—she just happens to possess this rare ability, so naturally, the Kuhoutsuka family has been targeting her.
According to the little miko, a young man named Kuhoutsuka Mikihiko has been calling her recently, trying to recruit her to become the guardian miko of the Western Shrine.
At first, the little miko firmly refused. After all, she is still young, only an apprentice miko, and her abilities are not yet mature. But Mikihiko stuck to her like glue, constantly lecturing her on principles, to the point where the little girl herself became confused and unsure what to do.
Although the two sisters from the Mariya family are high-ranking mikos with considerable status, it is obviously impossible to compete with the Kuhoutsuka family.
Since the Kuhoutsuka family aims to obtain the Divine Lord's power, it's clear they are determined to get Hikari's ability and will not give up easily. So, the two sisters naturally thought of Sora, hoping he could give the little girl some advice or help resolve the Kuhoutsuka family's trouble.
"Little girl, let sister verify your ability first."
After hearing the little miko Hikari's story, Erica's beautiful eyes flashed with a strange light. She stepped in front of Hikari with an expectant expression.
Opening one jade-like hand, magical power surged, and a flame flickered in the center of Erica's palm, radiating intense heat.
Understanding Erica's intention, the little miko Hikari did not hesitate. She stretched out one small hand and directly touched the flame.
Contrary to expectations of pain from being burned, the moment Hikari's hand touched the flame, the fire created by Erica's magic instantly vanished without a trace.
It was not extinguished in the usual sense but rather disintegrated and returned to nothingness. This is the power of "Calamity Purification," a rare ability that can eliminate all supernatural phenomena! (To me, it's like Kamado Touma's Imagine Breaker, sigh…)
In other words, whether it's magic or curses, they are meaningless before Hikari. Even divine power is no exception!
Of course, as a human, Hikari is still too insignificant. If it's divine power, she can only eliminate a small portion of it, but even that is remarkable. If Hikari herself were very powerful, theoretically, she could even nullify the authority of gods!
"So it really is the power of 'Calamity Purification'!"
Besides Ena and Yuri, who already knew, Erica and Liliana were both surprised, their beautiful eyes sparkling as they looked at the little miko Hikari as if she were a rare treasure.
Athena and Metis, who had been quietly nibbling on snacks, also glanced sideways and couldn't help but look at Hikari again. This is a very powerful ability, but unfortunately, it appears in a human miko. If some god possessed this power…
"King, you must not let others get the little girl's ability. Since Yuri wasn't spared, you should take her in too!"
Leaning close to Sora's ear as she returned, Erica whispered with a sly smile.
It was obvious how precious Hikari's ability was, and Erica could not tolerate her being used by others. Moreover, since this little girl is Yuri's sister, the matter becomes even simpler!
Whether intentionally or not, Erica deliberately chose to stay close to Yuri's side. Although her voice was low, it was just loud enough for Yuri to hear. Seeing the miko's face flush red instantly, it was clear she understood.
"Stubborn girl, what are you talking about!"
With a twitch at the corner of his eye, Sora sharply tapped Erica's little head.
Pretending to be honest and innocent, actually Sora, that bastard, was already laughing wildly in his heart. No wonder she is my considerate knight Erica, truly dear to my heart, dear to my heart indeed!
Of course, Sora would never let the little miko go to anyone else, whether it's her abilities or her person!
It's just that this girl is still young now, so Sora isn't in a hurry. He plans to raise her for another two years before making a move. By then, she and her sister Yuri will both be… well, you know…
Looking at Yuri's expression, although she was extremely shy, she probably wouldn't object. And even if she did, Sora wouldn't care—he could just train her until she no longer had objections.
Alright, this guy's wickedness really is beyond cure!
Although Erica was lightly tapped on the head, she didn't mind at all. Knowing the thoughts of her demon king at home very well, Erica naturally understood what Sora was thinking. A faint, mischievous smile curled at the corner of her mouth, and her gaze toward the little miko became even more affectionate.
"Little girl, what do you think? Are you willing to go help the Kuhoutsuka family as their guardian miko?"
Sora smiled as he gently patted the little miko Hikari's smooth little head and asked.
Although he had long regarded this little girl as his own, Sora would not restrict her freedom or decisions. If she wanted to go, then let her go. At worst, after she's had enough, he could just bring her back.
"I… I don't know."
A flicker of confusion passed through little miko Hikari's expression as she lowered her head and whispered.
The little girl was still too innocent. Over the past few days, the Kuhoutsuka family had fed her countless brainwashing words, telling her how important this job was to the country and the people, how it had to be her and no one else.
Although usually mischievous, Hikari was actually just like her sister—very responsible. If it was truly something important to everyone and only she could do it, she would want to try, even if she wasn't sure she could do it well.
"Yuri, what's your opinion?"
Seeing Hikari's expression, Sora naturally understood the situation. A slight curve appeared at the corner of his mouth as he turned to ask Yuri beside them.
"I… I think Hikari shouldn't go."
Her cheeks still faintly pink, Yuri put away her shyness and continued:
"Although this job might indeed be important, Hikari is still too young. And once she becomes the guardian miko of the Western Shrine, she won't be able to leave freely anymore—maybe she'll have to guard there for her whole life, so…"
Though equally innocent, Yuri was much more mature than Hikari. The Kuhoutsuka family might talk about righteousness and justice on the surface, but wasn't the divine lord's power mainly exploited by their family? They say it's so important, yet there was no guardian miko for a hundred years before, and things still went on fine.
Moreover, as Hikari's sister, Yuri could never accept the thought of Hikari living a lonely life there forever.
Although she felt embarrassed by Erica's earlier suggestion, if it meant the two sisters could be together forever, Yuri would rather choose that than let Hikari go to the Western Shrine…
"The little girl is confused and hesitant, and Yuri doesn't quite agree. Hehehe… then let me make the decision for you!"
Now that most of his memories had returned, and thinking of the original story's plot, Sora already had a plan in mind, a sly smile appearing on his face…