"To participate in the recreation of the Shikon Jewel..." After pondering for a moment, Kagura Magenrou said, "That will not be a simple matter."
Satsuki smiled faintly and asked, "Since Katori Shrine has already released the news, there must be a plan in place, correct?"
The incident at the Lunar Palace had dealt an enormous blow to Katori Shrine. Based on Satsuki's understanding of the shrine, the ill-tempered Futsunushi Ōkami had likely placed considerable pressure on Kagura Magenrou. As the current acting Saiin, Kagura Magenrou naturally would not dare relax in the slightest.
After weighing her words, Kagura Magenrou said, "Since Lady Kurotsuki Ihime intends to participate in the reconstruction of the Shikon Jewel, I will speak frankly. Katori Shrine does indeed possess records and research left behind by our predecessors regarding the Shikon Jewel. However, we have encountered a problem in attempting to recreate it."
Satsuki spoke softly. "Is it related to the souls within the Shikon Jewel?"
Kagura Magenrou nodded. "The original Shikon Jewel was formed from the entanglement and fusion of Priestess Midoriko's soul with the souls of countless yōkai. The shrine does not lack yōkai souls. But a soul as powerful as Priestess Midoriko's is exceedingly rare."
The birth of the Shikon Jewel was not solely due to Midoriko's immense spiritual power, Satsuki mused inwardly. It was also because she possessed the power of purification. That priestess could use her spiritual power to alter the structure of another's Four Souls, transforming the crooked soul into a straight one. For yōkai, that was nothing short of annihilation.
At that thought, a spark flashed through Satsuki's mind—perhaps the Shikon Jewel's activity was inseparable from Midoriko's power of purification.
The Shikon Jewel was constantly in a state of dynamic change. In the hands of a good person, it would be purified. In the grasp of a wicked being or yōkai, it would be corrupted.
It was almost as if the Four Souls within the jewel were perpetually locked in a dynamic equilibrium of equal strength. Even the slightest external influence could shift the balance between good and evil inside it.
And what Satsuki's Yasakani no Magatama lacked was precisely this kind of dynamic vitality.
Moreover, judging from how the Shikon Jewel could flip back and forth countless times, even when either the crooked soul or the straight soul held absolute dominance, neither could completely eradicate the other. This indicated that its structure was remarkably stable. Unless a powerful external force intervened—such as the imposition of a strong and pure wish (as mentioned before, the essence of spiritual power is the power of the human heart)—the balance would not be easily broken.
After considering it for a moment, Satsuki asked, "May I see the current progress of the Shikon Jewel?"
A trace of contemplation appeared on Kagura Magenrou's face. After carefully choosing her words, she replied, "The matter of the Shikon Jewel is of great importance. I cannot decide alone. I must consult the other senior members of the shrine before I can give Lady Ihime an answer."
"I understand..."
Satsuki nodded, then rose to take her leave.
On her way back, she began reflecting on the matter of purification.
Although she had come into close contact with the Shikon Jewel several times before, at the time it had seemed to her nothing more than a somewhat novel spiritual jewel. To Satsuki, its ornamental value had far outweighed any benefits it could provide.
But now she realized that what was most precious about the Shikon Jewel was not the power contained within it, but the property that ensured the balance of that power and kept it from ever truly losing its activity.
—To think that even I would misjudge something.
After sighing inwardly for a moment, the image of the system's sphere of light suddenly appeared in Satsuki's mind.
"Host, that old man is looking for you!"
Sinking into her sea of consciousness, Satsuki glanced at the system. "Understood. I'll be there shortly."
The sphere of light bounced in response, then vanished once more into the sea of consciousness.
Within a few minutes, Satsuki returned to her residence.
From a distance, she could already hear a voice coming from inside the house.
"Damn it, why does even I have to wait here for that woman..."
The speaker was a tall, red-haired oni god. Vajra-like divine power radiated from his entire body, and he held a golden axe in his hand.
It was Zenki, who had already regained his true oni form. Squatting atop a stone stool, he exuded an aura equivalent to that of a great yōkai.
By contrast, the blue-haired oni god beside him, who held the Immovable Dragon Staff, was far more tactful. Upon spotting Satsuki's figure, he immediately coughed awkwardly and nudged Zenki's shoulder. "Ahem... Zenki, no one will mistake you for mute if you keep quiet."
These two were known as the strongest oni gods of this era. In Satsuki's eyes, however, that title of "strongest" carried a rather exaggerated amount of water.
Not water mixed into wine—but wine mixed into water.
Seated on another stone stool nearby, En no Ozunu had not changed much. His eyes were still weathered with experience, though strands of silver now mingled within his once-black hair.
Upon seeing Satsuki, he broke into a genial smile and offered her a respectful bow.
"Who would have thought that the junior shrine maiden I once met only briefly would, in the blink of an eye, become such a prominent figure? A capable person will never remain buried, no matter where she goes."
Satsuki returned the courtesy. "You flatter me, Master En. Strength and fortune alike have been pillars supporting me to this point."
As she spoke, Satsuki swept her golden Tenseigan gaze over Zenki and Goki.
Goki felt little from that glance. Zenki, however, reacted as if struck by lightning. He sprang up from the stone stool, golden vajra-like divine power surging from his body as he assumed a combat stance and stared at Satsuki.
"Zenki, what's wrong with you?"
Goki looked puzzled. Compared to Zenki, this defensive-oriented oni god clearly lacked the same sharp instincts.
"That shrine maiden's gaze... It makes even me feel pressured... How is that possible!"
The vajra-like divine power around Zenki flared even more violently. The seemingly calm yet subtly arrogant posture Satsuki displayed caused him, for a fleeting instant, to recall the Lunar Palace that had forced him into humiliation several times before.
"...Damn it!"
Zenki knew this feeling was not unfounded. The last time they had met, at that hot spring inn, he had already sensed that this shrine maiden's strength was in no way inferior to his master, En no Ozunu.
But at that time, his own power had still been sealed. Aside from recognizing the extraordinary strength of the shikigami by her side, he had been unable to fully perceive the shrine maiden's own capabilities.
Now, however, he was no longer in that sealed, childlike state. Naturally, he could sense Satsuki's strength far more clearly.
To him, it felt like a bottomless black hole.
Satsuki did not linger on Zenki. Instead, she turned her gaze toward En no Ozunu and spoke directly. "Master, what brings you here to see me?"
En no Ozunu replied frankly, "To be honest, after the Celestial Coronation Ceremony, I would like to invite Lady Kurotsuki to accompany me on a trip to Hōraijima."
"Hōraijima?"
Satsuki found the name somewhat familiar. Not long ago, she had heard it mentioned by the celestial maiden Kaguyayo. "What is so special about that place that it warrants your attention, Master?"
"It is certainly valuable."
En no Ozunu paused briefly before continuing, "Hōraijima is said to be an island of the gods in ancient times. Humans, yōkai, and half-yōkai all live there..."
"Humans, yōkai, and half-yōkai living together?" Satsuki frowned slightly. "How do they survive like that?"
En no Ozunu explained, "Because on that island there is a shrine maiden named Kanade. She uses a certain divine artifact to cast a spell that conceals Hōraijima. Normally, it only appears once every fifty years, accompanied by thick mist."
"That is not the only issue..." Satsuki shook her head lightly. "Half-yōkai are one thing, but the Four Souls within yōkai and those within humans are fundamentally different. If the two coexist for long, problems are inevitable."
Through her research on the Shikon Jewel, Satsuki had already gained considerable understanding of the Four Souls that constituted the spiritual essence of humans and yōkai in this world. The Four Souls of yōkai and those of humans were, in essence, completely opposite existences.
When two fundamentally opposing forces remained together for extended periods, the result was effectively a slow process of humans becoming "demonized," while yōkai were gradually "purified."
Such gradual alteration of their spiritual essence would inevitably manifest in their physical bodies. For instance, a yōkai's demonic power would slowly decline, and its monstrous traits would gradually fade.
Meanwhile, certain humans might undergo physical changes—such as growing horns—and become beings akin to oni.
These transformations were typically negative and irreversible. There was also another problem: it was highly possible that half-yōkai born of humans and yōkai would be infertile as a species. (Like mules born of horses and donkeys, which are infertile because their chromosomes are not properly paired and cannot align during meiosis—though in some cases fertility does exist when chromosome pairs are compatible.)
Though no issue might be visible in the short term, in truth this was a violation of natural law. And anything that violated natural law was bound to encounter problems sooner or later.
En no Ozunu nodded in agreement and smiled. "Even so, Hōraijima has existed for several hundred years, and its inhabitants live quite well."
"That can only mean there is a powerful existence protecting them," Satsuki said, then immediately understood his implication. "Is that the value you speak of, Master?"
"Precisely. To be exact, there is one person and one object safeguarding the island's peace."
"A shrine maiden named Kanade, said to be a descendant of a celestial maiden—and a divine artifact known as the Sounding Cauldron."
After a brief pause, En no Ozunu continued, "The Sounding Cauldron harmonizes the balance of the Four Souls within humans and yōkai. Meanwhile, Shrine Maiden Kanade uses her spell to conceal Hōraijima, allowing it to appear only once every fifty years amidst thick mist, preventing invasions from external yōkai. It was not supposed to reappear for quite some time yet, but for some reason, it has emerged early."
Most likely because of Kaguyayo's return, Satsuki thought to herself.
At this point, she also understood the difficulty Katori Shrine faced regarding the Shikon Jewel.
The shrine did not lack powerful souls—whether from shrine maidens or from yōkai, they had accumulated quite a reserve.
The true issue was the absence of a soul possessing purification power comparable to Midoriko's. Without purification, the Shikon Jewel would be nothing more than a useless trinket.
As En no Ozunu had explained, the Sounding Cauldron possessed the ability to harmonize the Four Souls within a spirit. In essence, this was a gentler form of purification.
"So Katori Shrine intends to borrow the Sounding Cauldron to recreate a Shikon Jewel."
The master nodded. "Exactly."
"It sounds feasible. But the other party may not be so agreeable."
After all, without sufficient benefits or bargaining chips, why would they lend out such a priceless artifact? Moreover, the very fact that they concealed their island with mist indicated a distrustful attitude toward outsiders.
"That is not a concern," En no Ozunu replied. "Zenki and Goki both originated from that island. And I am acquainted with that shrine maiden."
As expected of a veteran of the immortal path—his connections were extensive.
"In that case, what remains to be resolved?"
"Well... the situation is this." En no Ozunu suddenly looked somewhat embarrassed. "You see... previously, the Lunar Palace paid us a visit... so... so..."
Goki stepped forward and explained considerately, "During the battle with the Lunar Palace, our master suffered severe injuries. At present, he can only rely on the shrine's barrier to barely sustain the existence of Zenki and myself. It is difficult for him to leave the shrine grounds."
"I see." Satsuki said calmly. "You wish for me to make the journey in your stead?"
"This is not a request, but a commission," En no Ozunu said. "If you agree, I will present this scroll to you."
With that, he withdrew a scroll from within his robes.
Ancient characters were inscribed upon it: [Amaterikiō True Scroll].
"And this is?"
Satsuki did not immediately reach out to accept it. Instead, she examined the scroll carefully with her Tenseigan.
It was wrapped in markings of vajra-like divine power strikingly similar to that surrounding Zenki, along with traces of space-time power akin to that of the Era Tree. At a glance, it was clearly no ordinary object.
"It was left to Zenki and Goki by their elders," En no Ozunu explained. "Later, it was entrusted to me to help temper their strength."
Zenki immediately protested, "Hey, old man, how can you just casually take out something left by our parents and give it away?"
"Oh, come now. You've already mastered vajra divine power. It is of little use to you now."
"That may be, but it still belongs to my family! How can you just trade it off like that?"
"But I have nothing else of value on me."
"That is your own fault for slacking off. The shrine hired you as a lecturer for the shikigami class, yet you are always skipping work and idling around!"
...
As they continued arguing, the two pressed their faces close together, glaring like an old man and his rebellious son locked in eternal feud.
Goki, standing beside them, helplessly raised a hand to his forehead. He was clearly accustomed to such scenes.
Just as the two were locked in their heated stare-down, Satsuki suddenly spoke.
"If it is merely a matter of making the trip, such a reward seems excessively generous. I would like to know whether there are additional risks involved."
"Nothing too serious..." En no Ozunu waved a hand and tossed the scroll toward Satsuki, his aged face still nearly pressed against Zenki's. "I have heard that a group of minor yōkai calling themselves the Four War Gods have recently set their sights on Hōraijima. Just keep an eye out for them."