---

The air in Japan is different from that of America.

Perhaps it’s because there’s no distinct smell of garbage typical of New York, or maybe it’s because the area is surrounded by greenery. The lack of many people around is also a significant factor, but the most crucial reason is…

Yeah.

The body that is currently in motion isn’t that of a normal person.

The deity.

Park Jinseong moved his body.

He stretched his legs, swung his arms, and walked. The heat generated by the squirming insects concealed his body temperature, while the clumps of what appeared to be his insides caused periodic reverberations, mimicking biological activity as he walked and walked. Climbing the steep and numerous stairs, he even shed a liquid mixed with salt that looked like beads of sweat, so there was no doubt—he looked like a person.

Thus, disguised as a human, Jinseong reached his destination.

He arrived at a cave.

It seemed to be a recently constructed cave with a torii gate erected at its entrance.

*Thud.*

Interestingly, the ground in front of the cave was paved, though it was narrow and messy. It was so tight that vehicles couldn’t navigate it, and while a motorcycle might manage, the winding path was so chaotic that only someone of considerable skill could attempt it. Outside the paved area lay a field of sharp stones; if a typical tire made contact, it seemed it would burst with a bang immediately.

A treacherous path created between the sharp stones.

It looked like a miniaturized and shabby version of the Hell of Blades.

Of course, someone might scoff upon hearing such a description. They might think it absurd to compare a path with just some sharp gravel and a narrow winding trail to the Hell of Blades. They might say it’s too much of an exaggeration.

And indeed, it is.

At first glance, the path leading to the cave looked unimpressive and was a common sight in the deep mountains.

But could one still say such things knowing what lies buried beneath those stone piles?

Could anyone say such things after seeing the sharp metals hidden among the gravel, painstakingly concealing their presence?

The sharp traps concealed within the gravel.

Near the trail, shards of blades and needles lay hidden, capable of springing up to inject poison upon contact with skin, paralyzing one’s body and drowning their consciousness in the sea of sleep. And if one wandered further away, there were deadly items coated in poison that threatened life unless a specific antidote was administered, and a little farther off lay ankle mines made of plastic and leap-type anti-personnel mines.

But that’s not all.

Upon walking the hazardous paved road embedded with concealed blades, more perilous traps awaited inside the cave.

At the cave’s entrance, a special trap was set. An object designed to launch items outward upon receiving a certain level of pressure; while its structure is simple, the contents contained within were the troubling part.

Divine Objects.

Specifically, malevolent artifacts crafted for sinister purposes from the past.

Among items scattered throughout Japan, some with considerable power were hidden beneath the ground.

The moment they spring out, they would unleash terrible curses, inflicting great harm upon whoever ventured through. Just this would likely weaponize a capable person.

But that’s not the end of it.

Entering the cave reveals even more horrific things.

Explosives positioned inside the cave walls could collapse the entrance upon discharge, and devices designed to spew sleep gas would activate if an unauthorized entity approached. There were zones that densely fired needles coated in paralyzing venom, primitive traps that could drop people into dozens of meters of abyss, and the gruesome insects that thrived at the bottom of those traps…

This space is filled with objects designed to ensure a harsh reckoning for anyone who carelessly steps inside.

What awaits after passing through these traps?

A very tiny simple shrine welcomes them.

It is said to be related to the myth where the deity Amaterasu Ōmikami hid in Ama-no-iwato, a cave blocked by a massive rock, as if to highlight its image against the wall that bears the engraving of the myth.

Those who have traversed the arduous path might sigh in disappointment.

They might come expecting something significant, only to find their destination is just a simple shrine.

Of course, it’s not just any simple shrine.

Inside is a precious old jade platform carefully enshrined.

But that’s all.

There are no rare treasures.

There is no crucial facility.

It’s just a matter of something that holds importance in the shrine, nothing more.

Perhaps the intruder will leave feeling deflated.

Regretting that they exerted themselves just to see something so mundane.

But this is merely a facade.

Once they pass through the security measures, they shall witness something astounding.

“Huuuu—”

Jinseong took a long hair from his chest and placed it in his mouth.

The strangely glowing strand was the tail hair of Saigo Rise.

And at the same time, it was an object imbued, even just slightly, with the divine power of Mukuri Kokuri no Inugami.

Jinseong inhaled the faintly imbued divine power and exhaled it, sending the breath to the simple shrine. Then, adhering to the prescribed procedure, the shrine activated its device…

*Boom!*

The enlarged door disguised as a wall engraved with the myth swung wide open.

What lay on the inside was nothing like the damp and gloomy scenery of the cave—a completely different otherworld unfolded.

The concrete walls bore evidence of human touch, and the lights spaced at regular intervals illuminated the space bright and clear. Of course, due to the damp atmosphere within the cave, the mildly heavy and humid air couldn’t be helped, but at least it did not emit the moldy stench that threatened to suffocate.

Jinseong counted the lights as he moved forward and paused when he reached the 314th light, again releasing divine power to unlock the hidden passage.

Inside the passage was a door.

A front door, to be precise, equipped with a standard city-door lock.

He smoothly input the password and stepped inside.

Upon entering, he was welcomed by a spacious living area of about 20 pyeong, and the aroma of soy sauce and meat wafted into his nostrils. Then, from one side of the living space, he heard a clattering sound along with a door swinging open, followed by a rush of hot, humid air—

“You’ve come.”

The lady, Saigo Rise, who had just emerged from the bathroom, greeted him.

* * *

Had she just finished bathing?

Rise was dressed in a yukata, the kind typically seen at hot springs.

Perhaps it served as an indoor gown.

The yukata she wore was a hiro-sode, unstitched at the armpits, and her skirt was rather short, just reaching her thighs.

“I can feel the saltiness from the steam coming out of the bathroom,”

Jinseong approached Rise, who was drying her long hair with a towel.

Then, placing his right hand over his left, he ignited Samādhi True Fire between them.

Holding the heat generated by Samādhi True Fire close to his palm, he curled his fingers into a claw shape.

He brought his warm hand to Rise’s hair, skillfully combing through it.

Rather than combing, it resembled a light and gentle stroking of her hair.

Yet, despite its seemingly gentle nature, the effect was undeniable.

The strands of hair brushed by Jinseong’s fingers became beautifully arranged and dried to a suitable extent. Additionally, from his other hand, a transparent but slightly viscous liquid oozed from his fingertips, coating Rise’s hair and, combined with heat, ensuring her hair was healthy.

Thus, Rise’s hair was groomed.

Mixed in with a few processes, it shimmered beautifully.

As the grooming came to an end, Rise opened her eyes.

With a smile of contentment on her face, she gazed at Jinseong, entrusting her hair to his hands; her charming gaze urging him to quickly reveal why he had come.

Meeting her eyes, Jinseong spoke up.

“Isn’t it stuffy?”

In response to Jinseong’s question, Rise was about to say it was fine, that anything ordered by the deity would be alright.

But as Jinseong’s following inquiry came, she retracted her original modest reply.

“How about we go on a trip together?”

Together.

Travel.

A sweet reward seemed to pour down upon her for the labor expended.

In response to that question, Rise answered cheerfully.

“Yes!”

 

---