Within the opulent, sprawling shrine, Yuri Mariya was going through the motions of sweeping, her mind clearly elsewhere.
In any other place, she could have used magic or sorcery to keep things pristine, but this was a shrine.
Unclean magical energy would only defile this sacred space.
Despite holding the rare and high-ranking title of "Hime-Miko," Yuri still clung to the habit of manually sweeping the grounds.
Recently, her Spirit Vision had revealed that the Heretic God who slew a Campione was about to arrive in Japan, intending to complete a ritual here that would trigger a worldwide disaster.
The scenes of devastation she beheld in her vision shook her to her core. She had wanted to seek help, but realized there was no one who could possibly stop this entity.
This was a Heretic God who had killed the oldest Devil King. Could anyone truly defeat such a being?
Furthermore... saying nothing of stopping this Lord Lancelot, the Martial King who was also currently in Japan was already an insurmountable foe for Student Kusanagi.
Thinking of Kusanagi Godou—covered in wounds and taken away by the History Compilation Committee for recuperation—the suffocating pressure in Yuri's chest swelled even further.
She could only rely on herself, but what could she do?
Offer her life to remonstrate with that Heretic God?
What if that god took offense and decided to destroy Japan on the spot?
At the thought of that possibility, Yuri lost all courage.
Her complicated mood didn't last long, however, as it quickly became even more complicated.
Melusine, having arrived at the foot of the mountain in a stretch limousine, spotted Yuri sweeping the steps at the summit instantly.
The moment Yuri saw Melusine, her Spirit Vision activated due to survival instinct.
Scenes she couldn't understand, yet inexplicably comprehended, flashed rapidly before her eyes. She couldn't accurately capture the information, only doing her best to summarize it concisely.
"Inner Sea of the Planet... Primordial Dragon... Albion...?"
Due to the draining of her magical energy and the overwhelming influx of information, Yuri's human brain could no longer cope with processing so much divine knowledge, despite her extraordinary willpower.
Her vision went black, her body lost stability, and she tumbled down the steps.
It was only then that she snapped back to reality, her heart instantly filled with sheer terror.
She couldn't correct her movement to stand firm again without using magical energy.
But this was a shrine, right in front of a god. Using magic here wasn't just disrespectful; it was a massive offense.
Though just falling like this is disrespectful, she thought, that is only my personal problem. It's not nearly as sinful as defiling the shrine... I'm sorry, Hikari. Big sister probably won't be able to see you again...
Yuri lacked neither the preparation nor the determination to die.
She just hadn't expected to use this preparation now, welcoming her end in such a comical fashion.
However, the expected pain and uncontrolled falling sensation didn't come. Instead, she felt herself being caught?
Shocked by this turn of events, Yuri opened her eyes.
"Are witches in Japan always this careless?" Melusine hadn't expected one of the reliable main heroines from the original plot to fall down the stairs the moment she saw her, nor that she would completely refrain from using magic to protect herself even then.
If Melusine hadn't been fast enough, Yuri would have truly made a fool of herself.
However, due to their slight height difference, a shorter girl not even five feet tall catching a normal-sized girl over five-foot-three resulted in a 'reverse height difference' posture that was inevitably a bit comical.
"I... I am deeply sorry! Please place all the blame upon me, please do not vent your anger on anyone else!"
Hearing this, Yuri was so frightened she nearly lost consciousness again, frantically trying to jump out of Melusine's arms to bow and plead for mercy.
"Huh?"
Watching the Shrine Maiden suddenly prostrate herself on the steps in a dogeza, Melusine looked disgusted.
"I have no interest in punishing you, nor in taking out my anger on this country. If you are unharmed, get back to work."
"...Eh?"
Another unexpected answer.
Yuri looked up, dazed.
She had only met a few Heretic Gods and Devil Kings—four in total: Kusanagi Godou, the Martial King, Heracles, and Sun Wukong.
Among them, aside from Kusanagi Godou, the other three gods and Devil Kings were beings incapable of communication, extremely self-centered and arrogant.
While they had no intention of punishing the humans, it wasn't out of consideration; they simply didn't notice them.
In the eyes of these beings, humans were no different from pebbles or blades of grass.
Let alone showing disdain, they wouldn't even deign to look at them.
"...Yes. Um... Honorable Lord Lancelot, I am Yuri Mariya, the Shrine Maiden responsible for personally attending to you." Yuri carefully observed Melusine's expression.
Noting that while Melusine seemed a bit annoyed, she showed no real discontent, she finally felt relieved.
"As for personally attending to Melusine, there is no need for you to do it, human."
Athena slowly walked up, her face still expressionless, her inorganic voice tone making it impossible to read her emotions.
"Lady Athena..." Yuri looked at Athena, then back at Melusine, unsure of how to respond.
Theoretically, she belonged to Melusine and should obey her, but Melusine hadn't given the nod yet, and now another god had spoken... Whom should she listen to?
Melusine glanced doubtfully at Athena, who had stepped beside her.
Didn't you say when we arrived how good Japanese Shrine Maidens are at serving gods and pleasing them?
Considering the treatment of these Hime-Mikos are even better...
Why are you firing my Shrine Maiden now?
"No matter how well a Shrine Maiden does, she cannot be more attentive than I, who possesses the wisdom of a god," Athena stated. "Has not our life together during this time proven this?"
That was true.
Melusine stopped worrying about it.
Seeing that she had no intention of speaking further, Athena continued, "Lead the way, Shrine Maiden."
"Ah... Yes...!"
With the matter settled, Yuri was somewhat surprised by the friendship between the two Heretic Gods, but said nothing more.
The more she spoke, the more mistakes she would make. Besides, she had already left a bad impression during their first meeting; she would have to find a way to make up for it later.
Also...
Primordial Dragon, Albion... I've never heard of such a legend. Who exactly is this Lord Lancelot...
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.