The air at Narukami Grand Shrine was tense and heavy with power. Before the sacred sakura, the Raiden Shogun stood with her arms folded, her gaze steady. At her side knelt Ayato and Ayaka Kamisato, the siblings bowing deeply, awaiting her command.
They had assumed the General summoned them for something practical—managing Inazuma in the wake of the purges. After all, with so many nobles executed, there was a wide gap in governance. Surely, she meant for them to step into the role of administrators, guiding the nation until stability returned.
But instead of spoken words, the Shogun reached forward. She pressed a single glowing finger to each of their foreheads.
A flood of knowledge tore into their minds.
Visions of entire worlds.
The outline of the World Devouring Plan.
Details of the Demon Slayer world—its demons, its hunters, its fragile gods.
Stories from the myths of Takamagahara.
The terrifying truth of replacing indigenous gods to claim authority.
Both siblings staggered, gasping. Their heads spun as if tossed in a storm.
Ayato, ever the strategist, was first to recover. His heart raced wildly, but his voice remained calm. "So this… this is the mission?"
The Shogun nodded. "Yes. The gate to the other world lies before you. You two, along with Yae Miko, will cross it. You will act in my name. When I call by my true title, you will carry my divine power as my envoys."
She pointed toward the glowing torii arch. Its surface rippled with light like water, a veil leading to the Demon Slayer world beyond.
Yae Miko gave a long, dramatic sigh. "Ah~ a hard life, always being sent to dangerous places." She flicked her gaze at Ayato, her smile sharp. "Kamisato boy, if you've got questions, ask them now. Once we step through, there's no holding on to a Buddha's feet at the last second."
Ayato steadied himself. He knew the Shogun's trust was an honor he could not refuse. The rise of his clan rested on his ability to obey and deliver. "Yes, Lady Guuji." He inhaled deeply. "Then… my first question, General. If both my sister and I leave, who will manage Inazuma's civil order? There may be a power vacuum."
The Shogun answered without hesitation. "Sangonomiya Kokomi will serve as head of civil administration. Sasa—once Kujou Sara—will lead the Tenryou Commission."
Yae Miko's eyes softened briefly. "That poor girl," she muttered. "Inazuma's problems are a mountain even three meals a day can't fix. Kokomi will need all her wits."
Ayato nodded. "Then I am reassured. Lady Sangonomiya is skilled beyond compare. If anyone can keep the nation steady in our absence, it is her."
He lifted his eyes again. "Second question: Why must you, Lord General, replace the Thunder God of that world? You are already our thunder god. Why claim another's place?"
The Shogun's gaze shifted toward the sacred tree. On one of its great branches, lounging lazily, was Mathew, the god of Celestia, watching them with quiet amusement.
Ayato and Ayaka both turned. They already understood that the young man before them was no mere bystander. He was a higher power, even above the Shogun, one whose orders shaped the course of nations.
Mathew sat up slightly, his golden eyes gleaming. He looked first at Ayato, then lingered a moment longer on Ayaka. Her calm, pure presence reminded him of a white egret, poised and graceful. The kind of soul one did not tease, but rather wished to sit with beneath the blossoms.
"Every world has its rules," Mathew said, his voice smooth. "But one law is universal: the law of gods. Whether weak or strong, a god represents authority. They are the officials of creation, just as your Shogun governs Inazuma's tri-commissions."
He plucked a leaf from the sacred sakura and rolled it between his fingers. "To replace a god is to replace a world's administrator. Once you hold that seat, you can slowly absorb its authority until the entire system bends. That is the purpose of this mission. The Shogun will be the straw we drive into the Demon Slayer world. Through her, we drink its power."
Ayato bowed his head. "I see. Then our task is to support her presence and maintain the illusion of divinity."
"Exactly."
Mathew's lips curved. "The hard work of eroding worlds falls to me. You, little Kamisatos, are only to step through and hold your parts in the play."
---
Yae Miko rang her Kagura bell, the sound chiming like laughter. "Then let us begin roles and titles, shall we?" she said mischievously.
"My master is Lord Yuken Narukami. The so-called 'Thunder God' of that world was only a mistaken name, born of human rumor. All gods are called wrongly; their true names are never heard. Thus no prayer is answered, for no call is ever correct."
She smiled slyly at the Shogun, who raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "And so we are sent to cleanse their land of ghostly sin. That is the story we shall tell."
She tilted her head. "As Guuji, I will be the envoy of Narukami. My duty is to spread the teachings of Teyvat—ah, excuse me, of Takamagahara—to the mortals of that world."
Ayato gave a respectful nod. "Then I shall also serve as divine messenger, as will my sister. If this is how the plan requires us to move, we will play the part of heavenly envoys."
Ayaka's hands were clasped before her, but her eyes were bright, her heart thundering. "Yes… a divine messenger." She whispered it almost reverently. The thought of crossing into another world, of guiding it under the banner of eternity—it thrilled her beyond words. This was the kind of tale she had only read in books, and now she would live it.
Mathew leaned back against the branch, a smile tugging at his lips. He could feel her excitement, the hidden flame of adventure in the quiet Kamisato princess. "She thanks me," he thought with some amusement. "Such a polite young lady, yet her heart yearns for something vast."
---
"Then let's not waste time." Yae Miko strode toward the torii, tails flicking as she laughed. "The stage is set, the curtain rises. Time to see how mortals of another world take to gods from Takamagahara."
Mathew called after her, voice teasing. "There's plenty of time in that world. Play as much as you like."
Yae Miko rolled her eyes. "Thank you, oh god of ill taste. You're impossible." But there was no fear in her tone now, only banter. She stepped through the shimmering veil without hesitation.
Ayato glanced at Ayaka, then back to the Shogun. Together, the siblings bowed low, then walked side by side into the torii. The world beyond rippled to receive them.
Behind them, Mathew's pupils flared golden. "Now then, let us prepare the Visions these messengers will carry. The Demon Slayer world knew nothing of elemental power… until now."
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