Celestial Realm? Transcendent beings?
Hearing Tsuruha's words, Miketsu couldn't help but think of the concept of the so-called Celestial Realm in this world.
The Human, Demon, and divine realms are collectively known as the Three Realms of the mortal world. Although they are three distinct realms, they overlap and exist within a single space. The Celestial Realm, however, is different; it is another space relative to the mortal world, with no physical connection to it. Beyond that, there is also the Underworld.
In other words, the mortal world was divided into the Three Realms precisely because of the Celestial Realm and the Underworld. The mortal world lies between the Celestial Realm and the Underworld, influenced by both. The Celestial Realm's projection into the mortal world formed the divine realm, while the Underworld's projection formed the demon realm.
The Celestial Realm is the abode of all gods and Buddhas: Takamagahara, Western Pure Land, Immortal Palace Grotto... the residences of deities from various sects and religions are all located in the Celestial Realm. The Underworld, on the other hand, is the location of the Other Shore, the Netherworld, Hell, and Yomi, and also the place of reincarnation.
These were all pieces of knowledge Miketsu had read in books from the Onmyoryo. From this knowledge, she also understood why she couldn't find her father at Gion Shrine. Although true gods have shrines in the mortal world, their true forms are almost without exception in the Celestial Realm, mostly concentrated in Takamagahara, with a small portion scattered in other parts of the Celestial Realm. She wouldn't find them by going to their shrines in the mortal world.
When Miketsu learned this, she felt very puzzled. She didn't understand if these true gods preferred to live in the Celestial Realm, or if it was difficult for them to descend to the mortal world.
Also, why doesn't Inari Okami, a true god, reside in the Celestial Realm, but instead stays in the mortal world from beginning to end? Does she have some conflict with the gods of Takamagahara? Tsuruha once told her that she dislikes interacting with other gods.
These new and various questions troubled Miketsu, leaving her unable to comprehend.
...
And so, with Itsumaden, Miketsu slowly made her way back to Heian-kyo. Although Itsumaden offered to transform back to her original form and carry Miketsu back quickly, Miketsu refused because she couldn't bear to leave Ami behind. Furthermore, she believed that a single Itsumaden flying high in the sky near Heian-kyo was not a safe matter; it would be bad if it were seen by a yokai or an onmyoji. Also, Miketsu had brought some luggage this time, and Itsumaden was clearly not suitable for long-distance flight with excessive weight.
Therefore, Miketsu obediently rode Ami all the way back. At night, she would wrap herself in Tsuruha and sleep in the wilderness, just as before. This time, however, she could also add a layer of Itsumaden's feathers.
However, not long after Miketsu fell asleep, a familiar voice resonated in her mind.
"Oh God... please... listen..."
"Oh God... I am here... praying..."
It was a faint and distant female voice. Miketsu remembered this voice; it was the same voice she had heard in her dream on the first night she arrived at Fangshan Castle, while sleeping in the wilderness.
Miketsu immediately woke up, sitting upright from the ground. Her actions startled Tsuruha and Itsumaden.
"What's wrong, Lady Uka?" Seeing Miketsu's appearance, Tsuruha asked with concern, but Miketsu simply made a shushing gesture.
"Hush... don't make a sound... let me listen carefully..."
After Miketsu spoke, Tsuruha and Itsumaden remained silent, quietly observing Miketsu's solemn expression.
At this moment, Miketsu was trying hard to listen to the extremely faint and intermittent prayer. Unlike last time, this time the prayer did not completely vanish after Miketsu woke up; instead, it faintly echoed in her ears, requiring careful listening to perceive it.
Miketsu had never heard a prayer so weak before. Generally, there are two reasons why a prayer to a god might be very weak: first, the supplicant is very far away; second, the supplicant's condition is abnormal. The first reason was understandable, but the second would be cause for Miketsu's concern.
Straining to concentrate, Miketsu extended her consciousness, doing her utmost to perceive the faint prayer. Finally, after several minutes, she was able to clearly sense the prayer and successfully pinpoint its direction.
It wasn't very far, probably about ten kilometers.
Receiving this information, Miketsu couldn't help but worry. For a prayer to be so weak at this distance indicated that there was indeed something wrong with the supplicant.
"Tsuruha, Itsumaden, let's go. Leave Ami here for now." Miketsu said, looking at her divine messenger and Itsumaden. Although the two of them didn't know what had happened, they silently nodded in agreement.
And so, after Miketsu placed a paper crane on Ami, who was carrying luggage, for tracking purposes, they prepared to depart. Itsumaden's body swelled amidst a burst of brilliant light, and in a short while, she had transformed into a beautiful, bright yellow giant bird with trailing tail feathers. This was Itsumaden's true form.
Putting Tsuruha away, Miketsu wrapped her hands with bandages and climbed onto Itsumaden's back. Accompanied by the strong winds generated by her flapping wings, Itsumaden soared into the sky. Miketsu experienced the sensation of flight for the first time in this world.
"Um... Lady Uka... are you alright?" Mimicking Tsuruha's address, Itsumaden asked Miketsu on her back with some concern.
"No, I'm fine. Keep flying, Itsumaden, just control your speed a bit." Miketsu said, her entire body sprawled on Itsumaden's back, her hands tightly clutching Itsumaden's neck.
Facing such unprotected, high-altitude flight with its inherent strong winds and swaying for the first time, Miketsu truly felt a moment of trepidation. At the same time, she inwardly complained about how onmyoji with bird shikigami managed to stand or sit steadily on their shikigami's backs; the conditions up there were like riding a roller coaster, and not a good one.
After wondering to herself if even gods were afraid of heights, Itsumaden continued flying forward, constantly adjusting her direction according to Miketsu's instructions on her back, heading straight towards the source of the prayer.
The bright yellow giant bird flew gracefully under the moonlight, quickly approaching the direction of the prayer. At this moment, Miketsu, using the moonlight, discovered a pitch-black tall tower with no lights deep within the distant forest. That was where the prayer had been pinpointed.
"Itsumaden, it's that tower ahead. Land there."
"Is there a tower ahead, Lady Uka?"
Itsumaden's reply made Miketsu frown involuntarily. Itsumaden couldn't see the tower?!
"Tsuruha, look ahead. Is there anything over there?"
To confirm further, Miketsu called Tsuruha out from her sleeve, asking her to also confirm.
"I apologize, Lady Uka, but in Tsuruha's eyes, there is only an ordinary forest ahead, with no other suspicious features." Tsuruha said, poking her head out from Miketsu's sleeve and squinting at the front.
Seeing this, Miketsu's expression tightened. She probably knew what was happening: the area before them had been subjected to a blinding spell, one so powerful that even Itsumaden and Tsuruha, as a yokai and a spirit beast, could not see through it!
Someone wants to hide something in this area!
Rate on N.U.
