Chapter 146: From Now On, the Sky is Vast

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When the ship left the shore, the waiters of the port restaurant stood in a row on the pier, waving at the ship and bowing from time to time.

On the surface of the Tsugaru Strait, cold and fine waves rippled. Minamoto Kiyomoto and the other two were on a ship, leaving Honshu for Hokkaido.

“I also boarded the ferry alone~”

“Looking at the seagulls that were about to freeze~, I couldn’t help but cry~”

“Ah, the winter scenery of the Tsugaru Strait~”

Himegami Izayoi hummed a song happily, her delicate fingers pulling open the tab of a beer can.

“Please look, that’s Cape Tappi, at the northern end,” Minamoto Kiyomoto also continued to sing without a trace of sadness.

Himegami Izayoi raised her beer can. Minamoto Kiyomoto clinked his wine with hers, and the two of them had a drink.

They were always so in sync.

But if the original singer, Ishikawa Sayuri, had heard them, she would probably have given them a score of one—besides their good voices, they were useless.

On the contrary, Kamibayashi Miko, who was drinking hot milk, her black hair blown back by the sea breeze, her pure and otherworldly temperament, and her indifferent expression, interpreted the sadness of “Tsugaru Strait Winter Scenery.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto drank his beer and looked at her, deeply feeling the deep and quiet side of her heart, which made her breathtakingly beautiful.

41°35.14’N, 140°47.8’E.

Arriving at the agreed coordinates, three divine lights of blue, turquoise, and green pierced the sea surface and landed on the deck.

When the ferry had just left the port, there were a few tourists on the deck admiring the scenery, but at this time, they had all gone into the cabin to warm up, leaving only Minamoto Kiyomoto and the others.

“Is this a trip to Hokkaido?” The blue light slowly faded, revealing Itomi Sayaka’s beautiful figure.

The turquoise light disappeared, and it was Yagyu Michiko holding a pipa; in the grass-green light was Hanyu Chika.

The three of them did not completely retract their divine power. Kamibayashi Miko and Himegami Izayoi were the same, leaving a thin layer. With their constitutions, they couldn’t stand such a strong cold wind.

Minamoto Kiyomoto simply released his divine power as well. Otherwise, if a crew member saw him all alone, they might think he was planning to jump into the sea.

“A trip? It would be nice to be so leisurely,” Minamoto Kiyomoto sighed.

He turned his gaze to the other two, nodded at Hanyu Chika, and when he saw Yagyu Michiko, he said with a smile:
“Long time no see. The streets of Tokyo at night have become lonely without the sound of your zither.”

Yagyu Michiko was still as gentle and weak as ever, as if she were about to be blown away by the wind at any moment.

She looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto with some surprise, then gathered her hair that had been messed up by the wind and smiled shyly.

“Is it the streets of Tokyo that are lonely, or are you lonely?” Himegami Izayoi’s smiling voice came.

“I meant to praise her for playing the violin well. No, was it the cello?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked Yagyu Michiko.

“The cello,” Yagyu Michiko answered softly, looking at Himegami Izayoi with some fear.

“Let’s get down to business,” Kamibayashi Miko interrupted their unique reminiscence.

She said to Itomi Sayaka, “The ‘Coral Demon Moth’ is about to awaken and will soon return to Kanto. We hope you and Yagyu Michiko will come and help us.”

“Help you? How can we help?” Itomi Sayaka laughed as if she found it amusing.

Minamoto Kiyomoto habitually prepared to speak and explain, but Kamibayashi Miko beat him to it:

“I am the commander this time. As long as I vouch for you, no one can question you.”

“Not even me?” Himegami Izayoi said as if to deliberately oppose her.

Kamibayashi Miko ignored her completely.

“No one will question us before the battle, but what about after? After we deal with the ‘Coral Demon Moth’, will you deal with us?” Itomi Sayaka’s short hair danced in the sea breeze, a few strands sticking to her lips, giving her a messy beauty.

Kamibayashi Miko’s black hair, however, all floated backwards, as if she were about to ride the wind and leave.

“No,” she said. “The Ogosho has already promised Kiyomoto that as long as he can deal with the ‘Coral Demon Moth’, he will be the ninth Honshu Shinto Lord. At that time, you can use your contribution in the subjugation to leave the Shinto sect and return to your parents.”

Return to my parents—Itomi Sayaka’s heart skipped a beat, but she didn’t agree immediately.

“Sayaka!” Hanyu Chika called out, looking at her friend eagerly.

No one knew better than her how much Itomi Sayaka missed her parents and her sister.

“But you have to think carefully,” Kamibayashi Miko’s voice was clear and transparent, like the air in the north. “The subjugation is life-threatening. Leaving the Shinto sect will also put your parents at risk from the Shinto sect.”

Hearing her words, the eager expression on Hanyu Chika’s face disappeared, and she frowned.

On the contrary, Itomi Sayaka was no longer hesitating.

“I have a question,” she said.

Kamibayashi Miko waited for her to continue.

“We’ve met a few times,” Itomi Sayaka said, “but this is the first time you’ve taken the initiative to speak to me. Is there a reason for this?”

Because I want to recruit experts, because I don’t want to be separated from Minamoto Kiyomoto—Kamibayashi Miko certainly wouldn’t say that.

“I am the Divine Medium,” she said.

“Is it that simple?” Itomi Sayaka pressed.

Kamibayashi Miko glanced at Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“I will take over for Lady Divine Medium from now on,” Minamoto Kiyomoto took a step forward.

Itomi Sayaka sized the two of them up.

“As Miss Kamibayashi said, she is the Divine Medium. It is her duty to protect the world. What’s more, she was born in Kanto, so she must do her best,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said, ignoring her puzzled expression.

Just like Himegami Izayoi’s identity, the matter of Kamibayashi Miko only being able to speak five sentences to a person within ten minutes, without her permission, he would not take the initiative to say it.

Regardless of whether Kamibayashi Miko cared, and regardless of whether she would blame him for it.

“I have an idea. I don’t know if it’s feasible,” Itomi Sayaka didn’t press the issue. Her attention was not on this at the moment.

“Let’s hear it.”

“If I help you while I’m alive, Yuki and my parents will be threatened by the Shinto sect. What if I die?”

“You mean—you’ll be killed as the leader of Group Nine, and then come to help us in disguise?” Minamoto Kiyomoto confirmed.

“Mhm!” Itomi Sayaka nodded. “That way, I can both help you and earn merit for leaving the Shinto sect, without having to worry about my family’s safety.”

“Then what about Rabbit and the others?”

“Ah!” Itomi Sayaka reacted and slapped her smooth forehead. “I forgot about them. By the way, why don’t you become the new leader of Group Nine?”

“No, no,” Minamoto Kiyomoto waved his hand. “It’s okay to go and play occasionally. I don’t even have time for class. How can I have time for some Shinto sect?”

Although the excuse of class made Itomi Sayaka a little dissatisfied, Minamoto Kiyomoto’s refusal was very firm, so she could only ponder again.

Just now, because of her excitement, she had forgotten about the members of Group Nine. Now that she remembered, she naturally couldn’t abandon them.

Minamoto Kiyomoto didn’t disturb her and admired the sea view along the way.

Three seagulls landed on the deck railing, looking as if they were planning to take a free ride to Hokkaido.

Their heads were tucked in, and their feathers were constantly being blown up by the wind, like a woman’s skirt.

“Think it through,” Himegami Izayoi said with a smile. “Either you stay like this forever, being a mouse in a place where the sun doesn’t shine, or you seize the opportunity, go all out, and go back to being your rich young lady.”

After saying this, her gaze turned to Yagyu Michiko.

“You too,” she said. “This is the only chance. I will help you plead with Her Majesty. Let bygones be bygones and spare you this once.”

“Her Majesty… Her Majesty will never let me go,” Yagyu Michiko shook her head gently.

“Of course she won’t let you go,” Himegami Izayoi sneered, then pointed at Minamoto Kiyomoto and said with a smile, “But with Her Majesty’s favorite Master Kiyo here, everything is not a problem.”

“You have a relationship with the Lord of Kyoto too?” Kamibayashi Miko asked Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“Well… do I or don’t I…” Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at Himegami Izayoi with gritted teeth.

“Have you thought it through?” Himegami Izayoi asked Yagyu Michiko with a smile.

No matter how you looked at it, she didn’t seem to be interested in Yagyu Michiko’s answer. She was teasing Minamoto Kiyomoto.

Yagyu Michiko looked at Itomi Sayaka.

“Sister Sayaka, I’m with you,” her voice was as gentle as the wind rustling through willow branches, but her tone was firm.

Itomi Sayaka was even more troubled and pondered without speaking.

She dreamed of returning to Chiba, to that warm home.

Sometimes in her dreams, she would return to the living room. Her parents would be urging her to get married, and her sister would be watching the fun on the side. When she woke up, the corners of her eyes were always wet.

She also wanted to go shopping properly, to walk on the streets of Chiba or Tokyo, instead of turning up her collar and wandering in the deserted late night.

This was also Yagyu Michiko’s only chance to leave the Shinto sect.

But, what about Hanyu Chika, Rabbit, and the others?
“Sayaka, don’t worry about us,” Hanyu Chika saw her difficulty. “After you leave, we can go to Group Four. There are a lot of people there. Maybe it’s safer than staying in Group Nine.”

Itomi Sayaka glanced at her, then turned to Minamoto Kiyomoto, who was staring at the seagulls, and said:

“Can’t you find a way to let them leave the Shinto sect too?”

“Even a Kasen-level like you, your family will be threatened if you leave the Shinto sect, let alone them. This is for their own good,” Minamoto Kiyomoto withdrew his gaze and replied.

He saw that Itomi Sayaka was unable to make up her mind, and he was also afraid that she would refuse, so he took the initiative to speak:
“Sayaka, actually, the main reason I’m looking for you this time is not to help you, but because I need you and Michiko. Of course, you can completely refuse. I understand your difficulty.”

Not far away, the distant whistle of another ferry could be heard, and the ship under their feet also sounded its whistle.

The seagulls perched on the deck railing spread their wings and flew towards the vast sky.

“I promise you,” after a long time, Itomi Sayaka said with a sigh. “If you die, or don’t become the Honshu Shinto Lord, everyone will truly have no hope.”

“Thank you,” Minamoto Kiyomoto smiled and turned his gaze to Yagyu Michiko. “Is Michiko also willing to help me?”

“Mhm,” Yagyu Michiko nodded, then asked, “Will Her Majesty really let me go?”

“I and Izayoi promise you together,” he said.

“But… Her Majesty is very cruel and has no mercy at all. She—”

“Don’t worry!” Minamoto Kiyomoto interrupted her.

Himegami Izayoi’s smile deepened. If she continued to talk like this, the “Lord of Kyoto” really wouldn’t let her go.

“Chika can also follow me. She has no family and is not afraid of the Shinto sect’s revenge,” Itomi Sayaka suddenly said at this time.

“If you’re not afraid of the ‘Coral Demon Moth’,” Minamoto Kiyomoto had no objection.

Hanyu Chika was silent for a while, then shook her head gently, “My cultivation is too low. I’d better stay and take care of Rabbit and the others.”

“That’s fine too,” Itomi Sayaka thought for a moment and said, “It’s just that you’ll be alone in the future. Be careful of the government.”

Hearing her say this, Hanyu Chika hesitated again.

She could endure hiding with Itomi Sayaka, but if she were left alone, it would be more dangerous and too lonely.

“I’d better go with you,” she hesitated and changed her mind. “With experts like you around, and the spells given by Minamoto-kun, I should be able to survive.”

The level of one’s capacity could be seen from this.

“Chika, that’s a prefecture-level yokai, not a town-level. It will be very dangerous. I might even die there.”

“It is indeed very dangerous,” Minamoto Kiyomoto added. “If it weren’t dangerous, it wouldn’t be considered a meritorious service.”

This time, Hanyu Chika did not hesitate.

“Then I have to follow you even more,” she said to Itomi Sayaka. “I have no relatives in this world, and I’m wanted by the government. If you die, there’s no point in me living.”

“Chika…”

“Hold on,” seeing the atmosphere becoming ambiguous, Minamoto Kiyomoto raised his hand. “Are you two lesbians?”

“Mhm, I like her,” Hanyu Chika answered frankly.

“Chika, you?!” Itomi Sayaka was startled.

Her breasts bounced. She leaned towards Minamoto Kiyomoto as if scared, her hands tightly wrapped around his waist, her face nestled in his chest.

“Chika, I already have someone I like. No, I already have a boyfriend. Let’s just be friends.”

Himegami Izayoi grabbed the two of them by the shoulders, as if to tear a person in half, and separated them.

“I didn’t do anything,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said, spreading his hands.

After saying this to Himegami Izayoi, he looked at Kamibayashi Miko.

Under Kamibayashi Miko’s gaze, which was getting closer and closer to the temperature of Hokkaido, he raised his spread hands, making a gesture of surrender, indicating that he really hadn’t done anything.

During this time, Itomi Sayaka and Hanyu Chika secretly winked at each other with their right eyes.

This was the tacit understanding and tactic between the two of them—to win over Minamoto Kiyomoto and defeat the two shrine maidens!
The power of this move was indeed very powerful.

Don’t look at Itomi Sayaka’s open coat, under which she was wearing a sweater and a stand-up collar shirt. They all highlighted her figure. The soft mounds of her breasts pressing against him were as powerful as a lazy sofa when one was tired.

“Ahem,” Minamoto Kiyomoto cleared his throat. “Next, let’s talk about Yuki’s safety.”

“Transfer to a school in Tokyo?” Mentioning her sister, Itomi Sayaka immediately forgot about seducing men.

“Why not just take a leave of absence from school and follow Minamoto-kun, like a secretary, and start learning in advance? And that’s the safest way,” Hanyu Chika said.

Itomi Sayaka looked at her friend, suspecting whether she was helping her or “helping” her sister.

“…That’s a good idea,” although she didn’t agree in her heart, for her sister’s safety, she still voted in favor.

“Well—” Minamoto Kiyomoto was very confident in himself, but in this matter, he had to look at the faces of the two Mrs. Minamotos.

One was smiling as if she had no emotions, the other’s expression was flat, as if she didn’t care either.

This was the most dangerous signal!
“Yuki is still a student. It’s not good to take a leave of absence directly. How about transferring to a practitioner’s academy?” he suggested.

“No,” Hanyu Chika immediately vetoed. “The Shinto sect doesn’t dare to go to a practitioner’s academy because they’re afraid of the government’s retaliation afterwards. It doesn’t mean it’s safe there.”

Itomi Sayaka looked at her friend for the second time.

But for her sister’s sake, she could only agree:
“For its own stability, the Shinto sect will never let go of any traitor. Even in a practitioner’s academy, Yuki will be in great danger.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto felt that what they said made a lot of sense, and he also didn’t want anything to happen to Itomi Yuki.

He once again asked the two shrine maidens for instructions with his eyes.

“As long as Yuki is fine, Sayaka will definitely do her best in the subjugation of the ‘Coral Demon Moth’!” Hanyu Chika said again.

Itomi Sayaka looked at her friend for the third time.

But what could she do?
“Kiyomoto-kun, please,” Itomi Sayaka took his hand and held it to her chest. “She’s my only sister. I’m willing to do anything for her.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto took back his hand and asked the two shrine maidens, “What should we do?”

“No,” Himegami Izayoi said firmly.

“I can recommend her to work at the National Diet Building,” Kamibayashi Miko said faintly.

“Kiyomoto-kun, you promised me,” for her sister’s sake, Itomi Sayaka also became serious. “My sister is your sister. Is this how you treat your own sister?”

This involved Minamoto Kiyomoto’s principles of being a person.

“…Okay, let her stay by my side,” he said.

Himegami Izayoi’s face turned cold. She raised her hand and was about to pinch him, but suddenly stopped in mid-air.

“Alright, since Master Kiyo has said so,” she acted very gentle and understanding. “After all, his sister is also my sister.”

Kamibayashi Miko sighed helplessly and dotingly.

“What’s with them?” Itomi Sayaka asked Minamoto Kiyomoto, puzzled.

Hanyu Chika and Yagyu Michiko also looked at them with either curiosity or surprise.

“It’s nothing, just a war,” Minamoto Kiyomoto was very calm.

In a war, the weaker third party could gain some benefits. And once the war was over, it was time to “divide” the spoils. The most unfortunate thing was that both shrine maidens had very good memories.

Minamoto Kiyomoto took out his phone. He had originally planned to tell Itomi Yuki this news, but after thinking about it, he decided to wait until Itomi Sayaka had successfully returned to the government before mentioning this matter on the phone.

As he put away his phone, he suddenly heard Itomi Sayaka’s sigh.

“The sky is so vast!”

The group looked up. Just as she said, looking up, they could only see the boundless blue sky.

The white waves rolled. They were almost at Hokkaido.