Fragment 12. Resolution

Even after that Miko passed away, the legacy she left behind did not die. One could even say that the spirit of the Miko never faded. Every time the world is struck by a crisis, a miko with similar power is born into the world. It is as if they exist to fight against the evil beings that threaten the continuation of the world.

“And now it is your turn, Haruno. You are that miko who bears the responsibility to save the world.”

“I… am that miko?”

Hearing the story about the miko of the past moved me. If this were the lore of a manga, then it’s such a magnificent story. But if this is something that truly happened in the past, then it’s not something worthy of applause.

Yet, I still couldn’t accept the fact that I was the miko in that story. I mean, I don’t have any recollection of my past life. And if someone suddenly told you that you were actually Rudolf Hatler, your first reaction would surely be, “Are you crazy?”

“So, will you carry on the responsibility that the miko of past generations have carried?”

The way Hakusha phrased his question made it seem as if I had a choice. When in reality, I had no choice but to accept it.

“For the meantime, I will try my best.”

“Very well. In that case, I will personally train you to become a miko.”

“Geh! You?”

“Is there any problem?”

“N-No.”

I couldn’t say it to his face, but I didn’t like Hakusha. I mean, he is handsome and all. But he is a mysterious man who makes me unable to feel at ease when I’m near him.

“Well then. We’ll leave our Haruno in your care, Hakusha-sama.”

“Wait?! You’re going to leave me here alone?”

“What are you talking about? You have Hakusha-sama with you.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

My father furrowed his brows. He seemed confused as to why I said I was being “left alone” when Hakusha was clearly with me. But that was exactly the problem! I didn’t want to be left with Hakusha. Like I said, I don’t trust him one bit!

“Don’t worry. I will contact the school and tell them that you couldn’t attend for a couple of days.”

That’s not it!!

I was about to scream at my father. What girl would willingly be left behind by her parents to live with an unfamiliar man? But even if I explained it, my father probably wouldn’t understand. So I simply waved my hand, resignedly seeing the two of them off.

Perhaps because I looked dissatisfied, my father tried to comfort me.

“It’s okay. We’ll come pick you up next week. One week is enough time, right, Hakusha-sama?”

“To be honest, I would like more than that.”

“My deepest apologies, but Haruno has her own life. If she doesn’t return for too long, the school will start questioning her. Her friends might begin talking behind her back. And worst of all, she might not be able to enjoy her high school days like a normal girl anymore. So it will defeat our purpose by coming here. I just want Haruno to have a normal life. Can’t you make it work?”

My father bowed ninety degrees. He was earnestly pleading with Hakusha. He had knelt earlier, but I knew that was merely a formality—something that had to be done. But this time, he lowered his head because he was sincerely begging from the bottom of his heart. He didn’t look like he would raise his head until he heard the answer he wanted.

Seeing my father’s sincerity, Hakusha finally backed down.

“Sigh… Like father like son. You two spoil her too much. But fine. I will try my best to train her during this one week. I will make sure she masters all the basics. After that, I think there should be no problem if she continues her training as she goes.”

“Thank you very much for your generosity!”

My father bowed deeply once again. I used to think he was stubborn, but maybe he understood me better than I thought. I rarely interacted with my father. I even thought our relationship wasn’t that close. But perhaps I was the only one who felt that way. To my father, I would always be his beloved daughter.

“Alright. We’ll take our leave now. Haruno, listen to what Hakusha-sama says. He knows what’s best for you.”

“I understand, Dad.”

After that, my parents truly left me behind. Once they were gone, I immediately felt awkward standing beside a man I barely knew.

To ease the awkwardness, I tried to talk to him.

“So, what should I do?”

“Eager, aren’t you? Well, it’s not like I dislike it.”

He walked away, then turned back and said, “Follow me.”

I followed him to the small building on the left side of the main hall. The building didn’t have many rooms, and I was led into an empty room covered with four tatami mats. The wooden walls looked old, their color slightly faded, and the distinct scent of tatami mixed with dry wood filled the air.

The room was relatively empty, containing only a simple wooden pillar on one side. Hanging from that pillar was a red-and-white miko outfit. The garment was incredibly clean. Not a single speck of dust clung to it, as if it had just been washed and dried indoors.

Despite containing only a single piece of clothing, the room’s aura felt strange. The atmosphere was incredibly calm, sounds felt distant, as if this room were separated from the outside world.

When my gaze returned to the only object in the room, I felt as if the outfit was staring back at me. I knew it sounded unreasonable, but that piece of cloth didn’t feel like ordinary clothing. It felt like something inside it was calling out to me.

“Please change into this and then meet me in the main building.”

When Hakusha said that, I realized that my hand was reaching toward the miko outfit. I was just about to touch it, but when I noticed something was wrong with myself, I quickly pulled my hand back.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I looked around the room. But no matter how many times I looked, there was nothing else there. Only the miko outfit remained, as if the room had been made solely to house it.

I still felt reluctant to get close to the outfit, let alone wear it. But I had a feeling that Hakusha wouldn’t let me go until I put it on. After struggling with myself, I finally gave in and started changing.

I left the room and the building after changing into the miko outfit. Strangely enough, I couldn’t find anyone. Not Hakusha, not even the talking animals. The silence was killing me.

I hurried to the main building, just as Hakusha instructed. When I opened the double sliding doors behind the saisen bako, what greeted me was a hall-like room.

The room was extremely dark. Both the walls and the ceiling were made of wood, with not a single window for ventilation. The only sources of light were the door I had just opened and the candles planted into the floor.

The first thing I thought was how stuffy the room must be, sealed off without ventilation. The second was how dangerous it was to light so many candles in a wooden building. The third was why this place looked like a demon summoning site?!

Upon closer inspection, the candles were placed along white lines forming some kind of symbol. I didn’t remember exactly what the magic circle my father made in my room looked like, but this was more or less similar. The difference was that this magic circle was far larger, considering the room itself was two to three times the size of my bedroom.

Standing across the room was Hakusha, and surrounding the room were the talking animals. Swallowing my breath, I stepped inside.

The moment I entered, the door behind me closed on its own.

“Eep!” 

I screamed in surprise. It was the most ladylike scream of my life. Even I didn’t know I could make a sound like that. After all, I was far from feminine.

When I turned back, there was no one there. I tried to think positively and assume it was just the wind, but the door was tightly shut, as if someone had deliberately closed it.

Geez… I can’t take this anymore!

I was sick of living in fear like this. I wanted to scream for help, hoping someone would reach out to me. But I knew no one would. Grandpa was gone, and my parents couldn’t be relied on either. I had no one. I was completely alone.

I was tired—tired of being toyed with. But the me right now didn’t have the power to protest if someone played with me. That’s why I needed power. At least until I could stand tall and protect myself.

I stared at Hakusha, who was still standing in the same place. Even though his expression hadn’t changed, I felt like his mood had improved.

Was he enjoying seeing me scared? Was he happy toying with me? To hell with all of that! I would just use you for myself and leave without even saying thank you.

A miko who saves the world? Hah! Why should I care about any of that?

Just as I was on the verge of a mental breakdown, Hakusha opened his mouth.

“Well then. Are you ready to master the power of Miko?”