"Communicating with yokai..."
After returning to her room, Satsuki sat quietly, pondering the purpose behind the trial that had been proposed to her.
It was clearly not a test meant for an ordinary shrine maiden. After all, if this were simply an introductory trial for novices, the level of difficulty would be far too high.
Any yokai capable of retaining reason and conversing with humans would at least be of mid-tier level or higher—and such creatures were powerful enough to annihilate a human army with ease.
"Host, what do you plan to do?" asked the system within Satsuki's mind, already aware of the news. Its tone was light, almost teasing. "Are you going to try persuading them with words—or with fists?"
Satsuki thought for a moment. "From what I know, this god mentioned in the Kojiki, Futsunushi no Kami, isn't exactly a deity of peace. Born from the blood of gods slain in battle, He's a divine incarnation of the sword itself—no stranger to slaughter or combat."
"Sounds like a straightforward and honest god," the system remarked dryly. "A lot better than those hypocritical ones you find in the Akashic Records."
That was hardly surprising. In an era where yokai held overwhelming dominance, achieving one's goals by any means necessary was the only thing that truly mattered.
And gods unbound by human morality naturally followed results over ideals.
Knock~ knock~ knock~
Just then, a series of soft knocks echoed against the shōji paper door. When Satsuki opened it, she was greeted by a familiar face—Miko.
The shrine maiden had changed into a pristine new set of red-and-white robes, embroidered with golden patterns of swords and flames. Her armor was gone, replaced by light purple eyeshadow across her lids and two delicately drawn maru eyebrows. The massive weapon she once wielded had been traded for a gohei and a pair of gold-and-silver fans. The only thing that hadn't changed was the resolute, dignified gleam in her eyes—and the faint trace of embarrassment at her current, unfamiliar attire.
Though she now lacked the heroic vigor she'd once displayed, her femininity had increased greatly.
"Good morning, Miss Satsuki," Miko greeted shyly, her tone polite and slightly awkward. Even the way she addressed her had changed.
"Miko, what brings you here?" Satsuki asked with a gentle smile. "You must be quite busy these days—after all, you've just completed the Shikon Jewel trial, something few in the entire Jingū ever accomplish."
Miko let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. "You're right. I haven't been back to the Jingū in years, and I'd forgotten how complicated all the formalities and procedures are. Honestly, I still prefer being out in the field, exorcising yokai."
"That's because you're not the same as before," Satsuki said softly, reaching out to adjust a stray lock of Miko's hair. "You carry heavier responsibilities now, and that means more restrictions—but at the same time, you'll also become stronger."
Miko smiled faintly. "Stronger, huh? Compared to the great Saien of the Jingū, I still have a long way to go. And besides... you and Miss Ruri are both far stronger than I am."
"You can save the flattery," Satsuki replied with a light smile. "You're a busy woman now—did you come for something important?"
"Actually, yes." Miko's expression turned a little more serious. "My Celestial Coronation Ceremony will be held at the Jingū in a few days, and I'd like to invite you to attend."
"Celestial Coronation Ceremony? What's that?" Satsuki asked curiously. She was still unfamiliar with the ranking and promotion systems of shrine maidens within the Jingū. In fact, she barely had a general understanding of the hierarchy at all.
Of course, that was because such information didn't particularly matter to her. Satsuki had never become a shrine maiden out of concern for rank or status.
Her current existence already stood at the level of a divine being—so the formalities of human institutions were of little consequence to her.
For ordinary shrine maidens, however, such details were of utmost importance, as they directly affected the resources they could access within the Jingū.
Take the dining hall, for example. Though all shrine maidens ate meals infused with spiritual energy, the quality and quantity varied drastically by rank. Lower-ranked shrine maidens received simpler fare, while those of higher standing enjoyed food far richer in spiritual essence.
Part of this was due to the rarity of certain ingredients. But more importantly, different foods carried different forms of power, and shrine maidens with weaker spiritual foundations could not withstand higher concentrations of external energy. Thus, a whole hierarchy of rules and privileges naturally evolved within the Jingū.
All of this knowledge had been accumulated painstakingly over hundreds of years.
"This is actually one of the most important steps in a shrine maiden's promotion within the Jingū. Miss Satsuki, haven't you heard about any of this before?" Miko asked in surprise, gesturing toward the bookshelf in the corner of the room. "You can find plenty of materials about the hierarchy of shrine maidens right there."
"Maybe it's because there are other things in the Jingū that have caught my attention more, so I didn't pay much notice to them," Satsuki replied with a subtle, meaningful smile. "But I'll take a proper look later."
"Well, in any case, it's really important information. You should take it seriously, Miss Satsuki," Miko said earnestly.
"Don't worry, I'll remember," Satsuki assured her.
Hearing Satsuki's promise, Miko looked satisfied. Then, as if recalling something, she glanced around cautiously before leaning closer to whisper in Satsuki's ear.
"By the way, I heard that Lady Genrō herself met with you this morning. Did she approve you becoming a shrine maiden?"
"Ah, that. She neither accepted nor refused on the spot. Instead, she gave me a trial."
"A trial? What kind of trial? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Miko spoke instinctively, without even asking what kind of trial it was. In her heart, although they hadn't known each other long, Satsuki had already become a close and trusted friend.
"For Ruri and me, it's not exactly a difficult task," Satsuki said lightly. "The problem isn't whether I can complete it, but rather finding a suitable target nearby."
"A target? You mean for a blessing or a purification ritual?" Miko asked, trying to guess. But seeing the faintly amused smile on Satsuki's lips, she looked bewildered. "Don't tell me the trial is to slay a great yokai."
"If it were that kind of trial, it'd be simple enough. You've already seen Ruri's power, haven't you?"
Miko was left speechless.
"Slaying a great yokai—simple? That's not simple at all!"
In this world, yokai dominated not through sheer numbers or cunning tricks, but because their strongest individuals stood at the absolute pinnacle of existence.
Even the highest authorities of the Four Grand Jingū—the Saigū herself—could barely contend with a single great yokai, and only within the protective domain of the shrine's divine territory.
Moreover, the number of great yokai in the world far exceeded the number of those blessed by the gods. Their demonic aura was so overwhelming that spiritual energy itself could hardly suppress it.
Were it not for the fact that great yokai constantly clashed with one another and kept their powers in check, humanity might have already been wiped from existence. If a being could unite all the great yokai to launch an assault on mankind, not even all the world's mages and shrine maidens combined could withstand their might.
But Satsuki diverted the topic slightly and asked, "Do you know if there are any yokai in this area capable of communicating with humans?"
"Yokai that can communicate with humans?" Miko blinked, then thought for a moment. "There are quite a few, actually. But... what does that have to do with your trial?"
"Of course, it's directly related," Satsuki replied calmly.
After a brief explanation—
Miko finally understood. "Ah, so that's how it is. Lady Saigū really knows how to give you a difficult challenge, doesn't she?"
"A difficult challenge?" Satsuki asked with mild amusement.
"Of course! Most yokai are nothing more than creatures that act purely on instinct. They lack even the most basic intelligence—it's practically impossible to communicate with them."
"Most yokai can't be reasoned with?" Satsuki asked softly. "But didn't the shrine maiden Suiko travel with Kirara as her companion?"
"That's different," Miko said with a nostalgic expression. "According to what I've heard, Lady Suiko once saved Kirara when she was still a young yokai, severely injured by others of her kind. Through years of patient care, they slowly formed a deep bond. Even so, it took a very long time. Such coincidences are extremely rare—among all the shrine maidens in the Jingū, I don't think there's another who's managed to build such a connection with a yokai."
"Besides, yokai like Kirara are considered lower-class beings. They don't possess full intelligence, and in most cases, they harbor malice toward humans. Even in death, it's nearly impossible to change their stubborn perception."
"Then what about mid-tier or high-tier yokai? Their intelligence should be comparable to humans, shouldn't it?"
Miko shook her head. "That's basically impossible. Mid-tier yokai might have the strength to rival powerful humans, but their contempt for humanity runs deep—it's an instinctive bias. Just as ordinary humans naturally fear yokai, yokai, in turn, look down on humans. To them, we're nothing more than food..."
"What about high-tier yokai like the Thunder Beast?" Satsuki asked.
"Those are rare to begin with," Miko replied. "They're clever, and they rarely commit evil acts within the boundaries of Katori Jingū."
It seemed that only a great yokai would do.
Satsuki thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you have any maps showing the distribution of yokai in the area?"
"Oh, I do! Here, this is a map the Jingū gave me back when I was still an exorcist shrine maiden." Miko extended her hand and passed Satsuki a rolled-up scroll.
"Perfect. This will make things much easier," Satsuki said with a nod. Then she added, almost casually, "By the way, what does the Saigū think about the Lunar Palace and that black magatama?"
"Ah—technically, that's supposed to be classified information," Miko said, lowering her voice. "But since you already know about it, I guess there's no harm in telling you. Actually, several months ago, Lady Saigū had already received reports about this organization from the shrine maidens dispatched to the Kinki region."
Kinki region...
Satsuki recalled what someone had once said—that the Kinki area had been torn apart by battles between several great yokai, and many renowned shrine maidens and mages had been conscripted there.
So that was probably how the Saigū's informants had gathered this intel—from the shrine maidens who survived those battlefields.
Did that mean some of those shrine maidens had also received the black magatama?
It wouldn't be surprising. The Three Kings' plan had already involved yokai and mages—adding shrine maidens to the mix was only natural.
"Has Lady Saigū come up with any countermeasures?" Satsuki asked.
Miko shook her head. "The members of the Lunar Palace are incredibly mysterious. There are no solid leads from the outside world. We only know that there are at least three individuals whose power rivals that of great yokai. Right now, Lady Saigū is trying to find a way to sever the connection between the black magatama and the shrine maidens who received them. But the power used by the enemy is completely different from our world's spiritual energy or yokai energy. We haven't found an effective method yet. That's why Lady Saigū decided to recall Master En no Ozunu—to see if the divine power of his two oni familiars could counteract it. But..."
"But she didn't expect even En no Ozunu to fall victim to it, right?" Satsuki finished for her.
"Yes. But even though Master En no Ozunu can't use his full power right now, his knowledge is vast, and his two oni retain immense divine strength. There's still hope."
"Let's hope so," Satsuki murmured.
...
After chatting a while longer, Miko excused herself, as she had classes to attend.
As the Great Shrine Maiden, her quarters and activity areas weren't located here but within the inner sanctum closer to the main hall.
"Host, it sounds like those Three Kings have caused quite a lot of trouble for everyone," the system remarked in Satsuki's mind as she closed the door behind Miko.
Satsuki replied coldly, "That just means their plan is proceeding smoothly. As long as they don't destroy this world, they can do whatever they like."
"Hahaha, that's the tone I remember!" the system said cheerfully. "I was starting to think that spending so much time among these humans had mellowed you out, Host."
"I've said before, I have plenty of time in this world. There's no need to rush."
With that, Satsuki calmly unrolled the map in her hand. Using the gravitational control of her Tenseigan, she drew down every book from the shelves related to Katori Jingū's internal structure, forming a neat circle around herself.
Under the 360-degree perception of the Tenseigan, her method of reading differed completely from that of ordinary people. Manipulating gravity and repulsion to turn the pages of books and scrolls was hardly a challenge for her.
Soon, the only sound left in the room was the swish, swish, swish of pages being turned.
Given Satsuki's current mental capacity, memorizing all this information simultaneously was child's play.
Before long, she had already extracted the information she sought. The first set concerned the classification system of shrine maidens within the Four Great Jingū—though the details were somewhat general and focused mainly on the advancement process for novice shrine maidens.
This hierarchy was used exclusively within the Four Grand Shrines. Shrine maidens who traveled or operated independently outside rarely referred to it.
The ranks of shrine maidens, from lowest to highest, were as follows: Beginner, Trainee, Virtuous, Fragmented Shrine Maiden (Kata-Miko), Spirit Medium (Fushigi), Ordained Shrine Maiden (Gomiko), Great Shrine Maiden (Ōmiko), Saien, Saigū, and the most exceptional—Divine Child (Miko).
However, the title of Divine Child was typically synonymous with the current Saigū, so in practice, the final two were often regarded as one rank.
Under normal circumstances—
If a young girl was discovered to have the talent to become a shrine maiden and was fortunate enough to be accepted into the Jingū, she would start at the lowest rank—as a Beginner.
A Beginner Shrine Maiden essentially knew nothing. At this stage, the girl was required to study numerous foundational subjects, primarily focusing on the Shintō arts of purification, cleansing, and ritual prayer. In addition, she learned basic practical skills such as herbcraft and the crafting of protective charms (omamori). Since she could not yet control her own spiritual energy, this stage served to build her foundation.
After one to two years of study, if the girl could pass the corresponding examinations, she would be promoted to a Trainee Shrine Maiden.
By that time, she was usually around nine or ten years old. During this period, her spiritual power would begin to surge dramatically, with her growth varying greatly depending on her innate talent.
As a Trainee, the young girl would begin learning to sense and manipulate spiritual energy, as well as study more advanced Shintō knowledge.
The curriculum expanded to include several major disciplines: Barrier Arts, Shikigami Techniques, Cursing and Exorcism Arts, Sealing Arts, and Purification Rituals, among others.
These subjects were far more complex and dangerous than what she had learned during the Beginner phase. Even under the supervision of Saien-level instructors, most Trainees could only choose one or two subjects to specialize in. Those with exceptional talent might handle three at most—any more would exceed the limits of their spiritual endurance.
This stage of training was extremely grueling. Both the danger and the time investment far surpassed the beginner phase. Similarly, upon completing this portion of their studies, the shrine maidens were required to undergo a Trial.
Those who managed to pass the Trial were exceedingly rare—the success rate was less than ten percent.
If a young girl was truly gifted and succeeded in passing the Trial, she would be promoted to the rank of Virtuous Shrine Maiden (Tokugyō Miko). It was only at this point that she would be formally recognized as a full member of Katori Jingū.