‘Akira-kun, this is the Assistant Head Priest of this shrine, Zaimoto Azuma-san. Zaimoto-san, this is Kagenashi Akira-kun.’ Yui introduces us.

   Zaimoto-san and I bow at each other.

   ‘Nice to meet you, sir.’ I say to him.

   ‘Likewise.’

   Zaimoto-san looks at Yui.

   ‘It’s been a while since we last saw each other, Yui-kun. I believe it was at least five years ago.’

   ‘Yes, sir. It was when-’

   Yui quickly stops herself. Zaimoto-san looks impassive, but he looked nervous for a second. I had a feeling that it has something to do with the incident that Yui was forbidden from telling.

   ‘So,’ I say in an attempt to change the subject. ‘Can you show us the stones?’

   ‘Of course. Right this way.’

   Zaimoto-san brings us to an open field behind a small but magnificent-looking shrine. There, there a lots of stones the size of a car. All of them are forming the shape of a huge circle.

   ‘Before I go near those stones, is there anything I can or cannot do to, near and/or around them?’ I ask cautiously.

   ‘Worry not. Pretty much everyone can go near them without getting harmed.’ Zaimoto-san assures me.

   After getting his assurance, I go near one of the stones which is the nearest from me. Upon close look, the stone, like all the other ones, have lots of talismans on it.

   I look down towards the ground. The ground around the stone have indeed been dug. Whoever that placed these stones in the first place had buried the underneath of the stones with the soil. Now that it’s been dug out, I can see the entire stone. I could be wrong, but it sure looks like the perpetrators used shovels for the job.

   As I mentioned, these stones are the size of a car. There’s no way you can dig them out by using conventional means. You’ll at least need a tractor. Why would anyone try to dig them out using shovels? It’s slow and pretty much impossible.

   ‘Did any of the priests at least saw the ones who did this?’ I ask Zaimoto-san.

   He shakes his head. ‘I’m afraid not. By the time the ones who were doing rounds got here, the ground has already been dug up.’

   I can’t find anything suspicious, if any, with my own eyes. Maybe I should have studied forensic science when I had the chance. I might have make good use of my phone’s application, once again courtesy of the Research Department, if it isn’t for the fact that I can’t use electronic devices here. I tentatively take out my phone and tries to activate it. No good. I can’t start it up no matter how many times I press the on/off button.

   ‘You manage to find anything, Yui?’ I ask while putting away my phone.

   Yui isn’t answering me immediately since she’s too busy staring at the stones. From her expression, I know she’s seeing something that I can’t see at all.

   ‘I see something seeping out from the ground.’ she says. ‘It’s very faint, but it’s definitely there.’

   She squats down in front of one of the stones to take a better look.

   ‘I feel…the energy of the planet itself.’

   ‘Wait, what?’

   ‘Ah, so it is true. My spiritual sense isn’t that good, so I thought I’m being mistaken. If Yui-kun can see it too, it’s definitely coming out.’ Zaimoto-san says.

   ‘There’s no reason for you to doubt yourself, Zaimoto-san. After all, you have been a priest way longer than I did.’ Yui tells him.

   ‘Still, I’m much more at ease when the daughter of the High Priest himself also sees the same thing I’m seeing right now.’

   ‘I’m sorry for interrupting, but I’m at a total loss here. Can someone explain to me what this “energy of the planet itself thing” is?’

   ‘Ah, my apologies. Do you know anything when it comes to Dragon Pulse?’

  ‘I’m afraid I know next to nothing when it comes to them.’

   ‘Since ancient times, it was known that each and every Dragon Pulse contains tremendous energy. If misused, it could cause great calamity.’ he explains. ‘Recently, scientists found out that the Dragon Pulse are somehow connected to the Earth’s core. In other words, all those tremendous power actually came from the planet itself.’

   ‘Please hold on. Does that mean even a single misuse can cause destruction on a planetary scale?’

   ‘That’s right.’

   I gulp loudly at the revelation.

   ‘Um, how many Dragon Pulse are there in total?’ I ask nervously.

   ‘In Japan, there are three. One at each Holy Mountain.’

   ‘So, Mountain Haku and Mountain Tate has those stones too?’

   ‘That’s right.’

   ‘But, father didn’t mention anything about the seals of those mountains being sabotaged.’ Yui tells Zaimoto-san.

   ‘Indeed. I’ve made inquires to Shiyarama Hime Shrine and Oyama Shrine by using shikigamis. The Assistant Head Priests of both shrines told me that the stones there have zero trace of being dug up.’

   ‘So, it’s either the ones here are the only ones being targeted, or the perpetrators have yet to go to those mountains.’ I predict.

   ‘Yes, those would be the only other possibilities.’ Zaimoto-san agrees. ‘I warned them of possible intruders, and they assure me that they will tightly secure the site so that what happened here won’t be repeated.’

   ‘It’s nice to hear that the security elsewhere has been tightened up and all, but is there any way to fix the leakage here?’

   Yui is the one who ends up answering my question.

   ‘I could perform a ritual to seal it up again, but it involves fasting for three day.’

   ‘Three days…That’s kind of long.’

   ‘It can’t be helped. It’s all part of the procedure, after all.’

   Lots of questions start to appear inside my head, like why couldn’t Zaimoto-san perform the ritual? Does it have to be Yui? If yes, why her? That said, I can’t ask all those questions since they’re busy talking about the ritual.

   ‘You can use one of the rooms we have inside the shrine to prepare for the ritual. I can guarantee you that no one will enter it as long as you don’t give them permission.’ Zaimoto-san is telling Yui.

   ‘Thank you, Zaimoto-san. I shall begin the preparation at once.’ Yui says.

   And so, we head for the shrine. The shrine’s kind of small compared to the one Yui lives at, but it’s a majestic shrine nonetheless.

   Being a small shrine, it doesn’t have a lot of priests and priestesses either. Including Zaimoto-san, there are only four priests and two shrine maidens.

   Once inside, Zaimoto-san guides us to a door.

   ‘Here you go, Yui-kun. You can stay inside until you have fasted for three days straight.’ he tells her.

   ‘Thank you Zaimoto-san. Before I go in, may I have a little private time?’

   ‘Ah, of course.’

   After Zaimoto-san leaves with a knowing smile, Yui comes over and hugs me. I put my arms around her back and hugs her back gently.

   ‘Well, I guess we’ll be seeing each other after three days.’ I say to her.

   ‘Yes, which is why I want to feel your warmth while I still can.’

   ‘Hey hey hey, mind your phrasing. You’re talking like this is the last time we’ll meet.’

   ‘Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t meant it that way. Even if I am in danger, you will come and save me, right?’

   ‘Of course. I’m your knight in shining armor, remember? Or in this case, a samurai.’

   She giggles. ‘A samurai? Really?’

   ‘Hey, this is Japan. We don’t welcome no knights from the West. Not to mention we had some bad experiences with them in the past. I don’t feel like being a knight after I met those rotten ones.’

   ‘Fair enough.’

   We hug a bit longer before breaking it up.

   ‘Well then, I’ll be off.’

   ‘Alright. Try not to starve while you’re in there.’

   ‘Don’t worry. I had some practice in fasting. Three days is nothing for me.’

   With that assurance, she goes into the room and closes the door behind her quietly. I wait for a few seconds more before heading back to the main hall where Zaimoto-san is waiting.

   ‘You are free to stay at one of the rooms here until she is done. There is no need to be shy, and you can treat this place as if it is your own home.’ he assures me.

   ‘Thank you very much for that. Um, I would like to ask some questions regarding the ritual Yui will be performing. Is it okay with you?’

   ‘Of course it is. Right this way. We might as well get comfortable.’

   He guides me to a room that looks like a dining hall. Not long after we sit down, one of the shrine maiden I saw earlier serves us tea.

   ‘Now then, what would you like to know?’

   ‘What’s this ritual that Yui’s going to perform?’

   ‘It’s called the Dance to Calm Dragons. It was invented by our predecessors when they first sealed up the three Dragon Pulse. All one has to do is fast for three days to cleanse her body and dance in the middle of the sealing stones.’

   My ears perk up at once.

   ‘Dance, you say?’

   ‘Yes. An elegant and beautiful dance which has been passed down from generations to generations.’

   I clench my teeth in frustration.

   ‘This is so unfair. Why can’t we use electronic devices here? I would love to record Yui’s dancing.’

   Zaimoto-san chuckles. ‘I’m pretty sure that’s what the High Priest would have said if he was here, since he absolutely adore his daughter.’

   ‘Oh well, at least I get to see it in person. More importantly, why can’t you do it, Zaimoto-san? The Dragon Pulse would have been sealed off earlier if you did.’

   ‘That’s because it could only done by a shrine maiden. Since ancient times, ceremonial dances had been done by women since Gods and Goddesses are more likely to possess female bodies.’

   ‘Huh? Are you saying that this dance involves possession?’

   ‘Indeed. After Yui is done with the dance, the Dragon God who guards over this land will possess her and complete the sealing while residing in her body.’

   I suddenly got very worried.

   ‘It’s safe, right?’

   ‘Of course. The Dragon god is a benevolent deity. He will not harm a messenger of His kind.’

   ‘That’s great and all, but will He have zero complaint on how we had been treating this planet?’

   Zaimoto-san’s confident face suddenly looks less confident.

   ‘...I’m sure it’ll be fine. Rather, let us all hope that things will go well.’

   I guess that’s the only thing we can do right now.

   ‘But, if you need a shrine maiden, don’t you have two right at your shrine?’

   ‘Ah, them. The two of them are shrine maidens in name only, and have no spiritual power whatsoever. They are not allowed to participate in exorcism, much less a dance that involves getting possessed by deities.’

   ‘But, why hire them then?’

   ‘Allow me to ask you a question of my own, and please answer it honestly. Will you go visit a shrine that has no shrine maiden?’

   ‘Um, no.’

   I might get divine punishment for this, but it’s true.

   ‘There you have it. It’s bad enough that this shrine is on top of a mountain, so we need to do everything we can to increase the number of our visitors. It’s a bit of an underhanded method, but it has to be done.’

   ‘But, isn’t it better to have at least one shrine maiden with actual powers here? I mean, if Yui wasn’t here, you would have to wait until someone sent their shrine maiden over.’

   ‘The thing is, we are no longer allowed to have more than one hundred shrine maidens at the same time, and all of them has to be far away from each other. So yes. It is quite fortunate that Yui-kun happens to come over, instead of another priest.’

   ‘Does it has to do with the certain incident the one outsiders are not allowed to know?’

   ‘Yes.’

   ‘I shall leave it at that then.’

   ‘Thank you.’

   ‘But, what if someone gave birth to a girl with spiritual powers, and she has the potential to be a shrine maiden?’

   ‘It depends on her background. If she comes from a normal family, we would recommend her to join the Academy or other benign organizations. That is, if she wants to make good use of her powers.’

   ‘If she doesn’t?’

   ‘Then we would seal off her powers. Let’s face it. It would benefit both sides.’

   ‘I guess. And if she is born in a family of priests?’

   ‘If she wants to be a shrine maiden, she will have to wait until one of her seniors to retire. Until then, she is not to go near anything related to our religion.’

   ‘That’s harsh.’

   ‘I agree wholeheartedly. However, we cannot take any chances, not after what had happened.’

   The more this incident is brought up, the more I find it intriguing. Sadly, I’m not allowed to know about it.

   ‘Well, that’s it from me. My apologies for bombarding you with questions.’

   ‘No apology required. I can tell that you’re just worried for Yui-kun.’

   ‘Speaking of her, can I at least talk to her while she’s fasting?’

   ‘You may, but please keep conversations to a minimum. She needs to prepare herself for the possession, so she should be disturbed as little as possible.’

   ‘I understand. I’m just going to check up on her every once in a while to make sure that she’s doing okay.’

   ‘I guess that much is fine. Now then. Let me show you the room that you’ll be staying for the three days.’

   The guest room he shows me is very simple. It consists of a bed only big enough for a single person, a drawer and a closet.

   ‘My apologies for not being able to provide you with a better level of hospitality. As you already know, this is a place of worship, and we are not allowed to have a luxurious accommodation.’

   ‘Please don’t worry. I’ll be fine as long as there’s a bed.’

   ‘I’m glad to hear it. Lunch will be served shortly, so please stay here and rest until then.’

   ‘Thank you. I will.’

   Even though I said that, I got bored after lying down on the bed for less than five minutes. I can’t mess with my phone, and there’s no other source of entertainment around, so I decide to go outside and take a walk.

   Right after I step outside my room, I almost bumped into one of the shrine maiden I saw earlier.

   She’s wearing a while long-sleeved vests just like Yui’s on the upper half wearing a long skirt that reaches all the way to her ankles on her lower half. She looks quite young, and she’s probably around the same age as Amesaki-senpai.

   ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ I quickly apologize.

   ‘No no, I’m the one who should watch where she’s going.’ she says while keep bowing to me.

   ‘My name’s Kagenashi Akira. I’m a first year student at the Royal Blade Academy.’ I say to her as a way of introducing myself.

   ‘My name is Hiraoka Chieko! I’ve started working here since two weeks ago! Pleased to meet you!’ and she’s still bowing repeatedly at me.

   ‘Um, Hiraoka-san, was it? You can stop bowing at me now.’

   ‘I-I can’t! I’ve almost rammed at our precious guest! There’s no way I can be forgiven!’

   ‘Like you said, you almost rammed at me. And I almost rammed at you. It work both ways. So please, raise up your head.’

   She finally stops bowing and straightens up her body. She’s pretty much close to tears, and her whole body’s trembling with fear.

   ‘Do you require anything? I could get it for you in your stead.’ she says to me.

   ‘No thank you. I was just about to go out and take a walk since I was bored out of my mind.’

   ‘I see. I would love to give you a tour, but unfortunately I have chores to do. So I have to leave you now.’

   ‘What kind of chores are we talking about?’

   ‘Oh, it’s nothing significant. I just have to chop some firewood for the baths and cooking.’

   ‘In that case, let me help you.’

   ‘What? I can’t do that! You’re our esteemed guest!’

   ‘And this esteemed guest said that he’s bored out of his mind. Let me help you. Please.’

   Luckily, I didn’t have to spend more than two minutes to persuade her. She probably figured out that if she has to keep on refusing my help, she won’t be able to get it done at all. She brings me to the back of the shrine, where mountains of sticks are piled up. Meanwhile, a hatchet has been placed on top of the pile.

   ‘You can use the hatchet. I’ll just snap them with my leg.’ I tell Hiraoka-san.

   She picks up the hatchet. ‘I understand.’

   And so, we got to work. Hiraoka-san is a bit clumsy with the hatchet, so her progress is a bit slow. Meanwhile, I manage to snap sticks after sticks. By the time we’re done, I snapped way more sticks that she chopped in half. Not that I mind.

   The same can’t be said for her, though.

   ‘I-I-I-I-I-I’m so sorry! Not only did I made you work, you did most of my work for me! Please forgive me for being so useless!’ she shouts while doing dogeza.

   ‘Please get up. It’s fine. I was the one who wanted to do it. It doesn’t matter if I ended up doing more than you. Now then, where do you want these firewood to go?’

   That got her attention.

   ‘Oh, we can just leave them here. Anyone who needs them will just come here and get the amount they want.’

   ‘Alright. Is there anything else that needs to be done?’

   ‘Well, I think we need to start preparing for cooking lunch.’

   ‘You mean kitchen work? Now we’re talking.’

   In the end, Hiraoka-san pretty much gave up on persuading me to sit back and relax. Zaimoto-san, the others priests and shrine maiden are surprised that I’m helping them out, but they didn’t object to it.