Chapter 196: One-Seventh of the Power
"Help?"
Hachiman Hikigaya raised his head slightly and looked at Inari-sama.
To be honest, when he heard that the Inari God planned to move her headquarters to Chiba, he was even a little pleased. After all, having a deity in Chiba would greatly enhance its safety.
"That's right. If you agree to let me move my headquarters to Chiba, I will dispatch my servants to protect the safety of your family and friends. You were worried about this matter before, weren't you?"
"But I don't really need it now."
If the Demon King had not yet been dealt with, Hachiman would have been very tempted by Inari-sama's offer. However, most of Yotsuya's friends were now wearing the charms he had made, and their safety was greatly assured.
In this case, Inari-sama's promise was no longer that enticing.
"...…"
Hearing Hachiman's words, Inari-sama fell into a brief silence.
Hachiman sat quietly opposite her, waiting for her to increase the stakes.
"Very well…"
After a moment of thought, Inari-sama compromised.
"I can share a portion of my power with you. In exchange, you must promise to help me restore control over all the Inari shrines in the future."
"Can you be more specific?"
How much "a portion" is can vary greatly. Without clarification, it could be one-thousandth, one-ten-thousandth, or even one-hundred-millionth.
"One-seventh."
Without playing any tricks, Inari-sama clearly stated the exact portion of her power she would share.
"One-seventh?"
Hachiman's eyes revealed a calculating look. A deity offering one-seventh of her power in exchange for a future promise seemed like a very reasonable deal.
Hachiman fully understood the principle of "a starving camel is better than a horse." He nodded, accepting Inari-sama's terms.
"So, is the agreement reached?"
Hearing Hachiman's response, Inari-sama, who had been slightly pained by the concession, smiled again.
A golden light flashed, and two copies of the agreement suddenly hovered in front of them.
"These are the specific terms of the pact. If there are no issues, please place your hand seal on it."
Without further ceremony, Inari-sama pressed her hand on her copy of the agreement.
Compared to her decisiveness, Hachiman was much more cautious. He carefully scrutinized every clause for potential loopholes, then double-checked using his system before finally pressing his thumb onto the agreement.
As the hand seals appeared, the two agreements merged into one in midair, transforming into two beams of golden light that entered the bodies of Hachiman and Inari-sama.
Hachiman immediately felt an indelible mark form in his mind. When he looked up at Inari-sama, a strange connection seemed to link them.
"Next, we move on to the power-sharing segment…"
Saying this, Inari-sama's eyes glinted with a subtle smile as she looked at Hachiman sitting before her.
.
.
.
Half an hour later.
While the shrine maidens waited quietly outside, the door suddenly opened.
A familiar presence stepped out first.
"Inari-sama!"
The little fox, who had been waiting anxiously, leapt forward without hesitation.
However, what greeted her was not the usual gentle embrace, but being grabbed by the scruff of her neck.
"Eh? Why is it you, Lord?"
The little fox's eyes were filled with confusion as she looked at Hachiman.
When she sensed the power that should belong to Inari-sama flowing through Hachiman's body, her eyes widened even further.
"Wh-Why do you have Inari-sama's power?!"
"That's naturally because I'm the one she shared it with, Kogou, stop fussing."
From inside the shrine, Inari-sama's slightly fatigued voice sounded. Her face looked somewhat worn, but she still radiated the dignified and majestic aura of a deity as she slowly stepped out.
"I'll go first…"
Having not yet fully mastered the newly received power, Hachiman nodded to Inari-sama and awkwardly activated the teleportation array according to the method newly imprinted in his memory, returning home.
"Lord!"
No sooner had Hachiman left than Kogou, the little fox, leapt again toward Inari-sama.
"You five, come with me."
Inari-sama caught Kogou in her arms, glanced at the four full-sized shrine maidens and the three-tailed fox guarding the doorway, and then turned back into the shrine.
"Lord, your strength has declined to that of an ordinary demon god. In this situation, if you share your power…"
Among the four full-sized shrine maidens, the eldest spoke first after the shrine doors closed, her voice filled with concern.
"I know exactly what you mean, Ai…"
Gently stroking Kogou resting in her arms, Inari-sama looked at Ai, the serving maiden, and the other second, third, and fourth full-sized maidens beside her. She then glanced at the cool-headed woman standing by the wall in her three-tailed fox form before explaining the reason.
"The offerings from this shrine have been stolen. With only the remaining six shrines' offerings, I cannot sustain my power."
"Rather than waiting for it to fade, it's better to form a favorable relationship with an exorcist while I still can.
Don't worry. I've already signed a soul pact with Hachiman-san. He has agreed to set his main base in Chiba. Everyone knows the current situation in Chiba, and especially that another exorcist resides nearby in Tokyo. Once he relocates, there's no need to worry about further attacks."
"But sharing power with a human…"
Ai remained deeply concerned.
To her, humans might appear polite and courteous, but when enough interest is at stake, they could easily betray others.
Now, Hachiman's strength was far below Inari-sama's, so mutual respect was possible. But when Hachiman grew stronger someday…
"Don't worry. Nothing will happen."
Hearing Ai's concern, Inari-sama shook her head with a smile.
Her judgment of people was precise; Hachiman would never betray her.
Even if he did, as a deity who had survived for over a thousand years, she surely had contingency plans.
"It's just that I really hope it never comes to that…"
Thinking of the consequences of using a contingency, Inari-sama let out a long sigh.