Raiden Ei walked calmly through the streets. She never had to worry about bumping into anyone—people moved aside the instant they saw her.
When she smiled, it was breathtaking. But she rarely smiled. Koji, walking beside her, couldn't help thinking how stunning she looked when she did.
"Even if you don't use your sword," he said, "with a god's body, you could easily defeat anyone in your way."
Ei tilted her head slightly, amused.
"Some reincarnations retain memories; others don't," Koji continued. "But if one doesn't inherit the mind, they can't use the power those memories held."
Ei nodded slowly, listening as they walked.
Then her gaze sharpened. "The Ruler of Time—Ishtaroth?"
Raiden Makoto blinked when Koji mentioned the name, surprised. But remembering that he had resurrected her, she accepted it as natural that he might know of such things.
"I've never met her true form," Makoto admitted. "Our contact was only through distant communication. She governs time itself—her authority is terrifying. Among the Seven, none can compare to her."
"Yeah," Koji said casually. "Last time I ran into her along the River of Time… I elbowed her."
Makoto froze. "You… what?"
"It was an accident," Koji said with a straight face. "She was in the way. Felt soft, though—not bad. Hopefully, she's not flat now."
Makoto stared speechlessly. She knew he was powerful, but this was beyond anything she'd imagined.
She sighed. "The Divine Sakura seed… that's troublesome. I meant to send it back in time, but now I don't even know what's become of Ishtaroth."
"I'll handle it," Koji said, pounding his chest.
Makoto gave him a long look. He was probably the only person alive who could actually do that.
The sound of chewing filled the room.
Raiden Makoto glanced at her sister lying on the tatami, nibbling sweets while reading a light novel.
Because Ei was no longer ruling as the Shogun, she had completely reverted to a shut-in lifestyle.
Once, she had been nothing like this. Makoto couldn't tell whether to laugh or sigh.
"Woof! Woof!"
At Komore Teahouse, Taromaru barked angrily at Lumine, who had pried open his secret treasure chest.
"That's my savings, you thief!"
"What's the problem?" Lumine retorted, hands on hips. "There's no name written on it."
"Traveler, that's Taromaru's money box," Kamisato Ayaka said helplessly.
She had just brought Lumine back, and now the girl had looted the dog's chest of Mora.
"Ayaka, you don't understand the joy of opening chests. It's addictive," Lumine said with conviction.
Ayaka sighed. She really didn't understand this "adventurer's joy."
Since the Traveler liked it so much, she said nothing more and quietly replaced some Mora into the box.
Just then, her brother arrived.
"Traveler," Kamisato Ayato greeted, looking tired. "Handling Watatsumi's affairs lately has been… stressful. I think I'm losing hair."
"Brother-in-law, you look kinda weak," Lumine teased.
Ayato's face darkened. "Don't call me that."
He turned to his sister. "Ayaka, I'm going to meet with Sangonomiya Kokomi. Don't skip meals."
"I'm not a child, Brother," Ayaka said dryly. "Take care of yourself too."
He nodded and left. Dealing with Watatsumi was no small matter—its people worshipped Orobashi, the serpent slain by the Shogun herself. Negotiations were delicate.
"Ei, you're amazing," Koji said sincerely.
The so-called "Raiden cuisine" had exploded in the kitchen. The result: a pot of ominous purple soup releasing violet fumes that shaped themselves into a skull.
It almost seemed to announce that it was poisonous.
To turn cooking into this… only Raiden Ei could manage it.
"...I can't cook," Ei said bluntly. She had no interest in culinary arts.
Makoto couldn't hold back a chuckle. "Sister, your cooking hasn't improved at all in five hundred years."
"Actually, it's gotten stronger," Yae Miko snickered, clutching her stomach from laughter. "More lethal than ever!"
Seeing her god embarrassed was, to her, the purest joy in the world.
A blue vein appeared on Ei's forehead. She grabbed a wooden slipper, pinned the fluffy fox in her arms, and began the "lesson."
"Argh!! Stop! Mercy!!" Yae Miko shrieked.
"Don't interfere, Makoto," Ei said seriously. "She's my attendant. Fox Shrine Maidens belong to you, not her."
Makoto sighed. "Just don't hit her too hard."
No one tried to stop her.
Ei continued her divine "discipline" until Miko's tail was trembling.
"Koji, what do we do with this?" Makoto asked, pointing to the purple soup. The ingredients were indescribable.
"Feed it to Miko," Ei said, her expression calm and dangerous.
The fox shuddered. "No! If I drink that, I'll die on the spot! The Grand Narukami Shrine would shut down for a day of mourning!"
"Then I'll take it," Koji said, placing a seal over the pot. "It might be useful later."
(End of Chapter)
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