The summer heat had settled over Inazuma City, but the rising temperatures did nothing to slow the lively pace of its people.
"Inazuma City is still this prosperous?"
"Didn't you possess a writer earlier? Didn't you come into the city to see for yourself?"
The golden-haired girl's words seemed to come from two perspectives at once. To an outsider, it might have sounded like possession by some evil spirit.
Luckily, she kept her voice low, making it seem like she was just talking to herself. No one noticed.
If she had to describe her situation, she'd say she was definitely haunted.
Yae Miko had explained that this "Urakusai" was just a memory fragment of an ancient fox spirit who died in battle long ago. But when you thought about it, how different was that from a ghost?
Lumine, the traveler, wasn't thrilled about sharing her mind with Urakusai's ghost.
This whole mess had started when Lumine and Yae Miko investigated the *True Tales of the Supernatural* incident. After a series of events, they uncovered the mastermind behind it—someone Yae Miko knew well, and who had even pranked Paimon.
But that wasn't the main issue. The real problem was that Urakusai, an ancient fox spirit, could normally possess a body with ease. Yet with Lumine, it didn't work.
She carried a talisman given to her by Li Mo, which prevented Urakusai from fully possessing her. Instead, the fox spirit became more like a lingering presence, unable to be separated even by Yae Miko. With no other choice—and with Yae Miko mentioning something about a "Hyakki Yagyo" plan—Lumine had to bring Urakusai along to Inazuma City to gather the other spirits and lead them back to Mt. Yougou.
As for the *True Tales of the Supernatural*, the book described a ritual that allowed spirits to temporarily possess the ritual's host. Supposedly, it wasn't harmful—just a minor cold at worst. Yae Miko had promised to handle it, so Lumine had no choice but to go along with it.
Now, walking through Inazuma's streets, their task wasn't to collect more spirits—they'd already gathered them all. The reason they were still wandering around was because Urakusai wanted to see what Inazuma City looked like now.
"That little fox Yae Miko forced me into a writing competition! I had no choice but to lock myself away and focus on my drafts. But you know what? After all these years, my writing hasn't lost its edge!"
The old fox, Urakusai, spoke through Lumine's mouth, his voice growing louder. Lumine immediately cut off his ability to speak aloud.
They'd agreed on three rules: don't talk too much, don't speak too loudly. Yet the old fox had broken every single one. Left with no choice, Lumine had to silence him.
Paimon floated nearby. "Traveler, can he not talk anymore?"
"Of course not. The talisman from the shrine priest works perfectly." Lumine said proudly.
In her eyes, the Grand Narukami Shrine's priest was as capable as the adepti of Liyue.
*'This shrine priest you mentioned—who is he? I've been meaning to ask.'*
Urakusai's voice echoed in Lumine's mind. Though he couldn't speak aloud, he could still communicate mentally.
"The shrine priest? He's from Liyue."
*'Huh? A Liyuean? Why would a Liyuean become a priest at the Grand Narukami Shrine?'*
"I don't know. When I arrived in Inazuma, he was already the shrine priest. I heard he even presided over the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual." Lumine paused, glancing toward the distance where Tenshukaku once stood. Now, it was a bustling construction site, the skeleton of the new castle already taking shape.
Urakusai's voice returned. *'I see. I'll ask Yae Miko about it later. But why was Tenshukaku destroyed? I've been wondering about that since I started writing again.'*
"Didn't you ask?"
*'I did. They just said one day, twin-colored lightning pillars appeared, and Tenshukaku was destroyed.'*
The explanation was vague, offering little real information. At first, Urakusai assumed an enemy had stormed Tenshukaku, only to be struck down by the Shogun's blade—along with the castle itself.
But then again, Inazuma City showed no signs of battle damage. It was as lively as ever. How could a powerful enemy have attacked Tenshukaku without affecting the city? The mystery only deepened.
Lumine didn't answer immediately. Instead, she and Paimon stopped at a street vendor to buy dango milk and other snacks before she finally spoke.
"Tenshukaku was destroyed by the aftermath of a battle between the shrine priest and the Shogun. I don't know all the details, but I heard they both used *Musou no Hitotachi*, and the clash destroyed the entire castle."
Lumine spoke calmly between bites of her grilled skewer. Meanwhile, Urakusai fell into stunned silence.
The shrine priest fought the Shogun—and *lived*?
If the Shogun had used *Musou no Hitotachi*, it must have been a fight to the death. And yet, the priest had survived.
In Urakusai's mind, the mysterious priest's status rose several levels. A Liyuean? With that kind of power, who cared where he was from?
*'Where is this shrine priest now?'*
"Probably at the Grand Narukami Shrine. Not long ago, I saw him handling official business from the Tri-Commission."
*'What? The Shogun entrusted him with that much authority?'*
He challenged the Shogun and *still* earned her trust?
Urakusai suddenly felt a burning curiosity about what had happened in Inazuma during his absence. And the girl he was attached to seemed to know everything.
So he asked.
Lumine said, "How about we talk on the way to Mt. Yougou?"
*'Fine.'*
Their leisure time over, Lumine convinced Paimon to leave the city and head toward Mt. Yougou.
Along the way, Lumine asked if Urakusai needed to hurry back like the other spirits to rest and recover. His answer was no.
He had already tried to leave her body but remained bound to her. At this point, he might as well stay and see if the mysterious shrine priest could fix the problem—though aside from Urakusai, everyone else had full confidence in the priest's abilities.
With that, Lumine set off from Inazuma City without delay. Unlike the spirits, who could travel straight to the mountain, she had to pass through Konda Village. Still, she moved much faster than before.
The road from Inazuma City to Mt. Yougou was now heavily patrolled by the Tenryou Commission. Even their recent reforms hadn't changed that.
At the Kamisato Estate, Lumine stopped to visit, only to learn that neither Ayaka nor Ayato were home. So she and Paimon continued their journey up the mountain alone.