Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Only the Gods
Yae Miko wrapped the boy in a sheet, holding him in her arms as she walked out of the room.
Outside, lightning flashed, and the wind howled.
With a loud roar, the fierce wind transformed into an invisible, transparent hand, which reached out into the torrential rain.
The pouring rain, as if receiving a command, began to converge, enveloping the transparent hand, transforming into a blue-green hand made of wind and rain.
"Smash!!!"
The blue-green hand violently struck at Yae Miko, generating a screeching sonic boom as it tore through the air, aiming to strike her down.
"Hmph." Yae Miko snorted coldly. Suddenly, nine fluffy, large tails stood up behind her.
She raised her hand, releasing a powerful lightning strike, instantly forming a giant lightning hand that clashed violently with the blue-green hand.
"Boom!!!"
The two giant hands collided with a deafening sound, sending shockwaves that shook the pillars of the shrine as if they were about to be uprooted.
...
A faint voice echoed from the sky: "You've overstepped, Lady Guuji."
As the rain poured down like a waterfall, a man in a blue robe descended from the sky.
His figure appeared faintly through the misty rain.
The howling wind and rain, which had been raging just a moment ago, briefly paused during their confrontation before resuming their descent.
"...." Yae Miko squinted her long, beautiful eyes, peering through the misty rain at the figure.
"This is none of your business, Aoi-no-Kami Harunosuke."
The man remained silent for a moment after hearing her words. "Lady Guuji, why do you insist on reviving a life that has already passed?"
Yae Miko did not answer, only tightening her hold on the small Teiyu in her arms.
She channeled her power again, a wave of heat emanating from her embrace, causing the rain to evaporate and rising white steam.
"...." The man known as Aoi-no-Kami Harunosuke spoke again: "Forgive me, Lady Guuji. Since I have taken over the position given by the old man, I have no choice but to act."
"Yin and yang have their order, fate is unpredictable. Death is difficult to foresee, but it has its own rules."
"No matter when or where, or for whatever reason, one should not easily challenge the matter of 'death'." Harunosuke's words were filled with the weight of experience, as if he had seen much in his time.
"Enough talking!! A human life is at stake, and you have no right to interfere with my actions!!"
Yae Miko suddenly shouted at Aoi-no-Kami Harunosuke in the sky. [She had no patience for Harunosuke's tedious preaching.]
Her purple eyes were wide with anger, radiating a domineering killing intent, as her nine tails furiously thrashed the ground.
Time could not be wasted any longer, and despite Harunosuke being an old acquaintance of her white fox sister [Kitsune Saiguu], Yae Miko was not planning to hold back any longer.
"Then... I apologize."
Hearing Yae Miko's determination, Aoi-no-Kami Harunosuke no longer tried to persuade her. Knowing her mind was made up, his words would be futile.
"With the sky as my canvas." Aoi-no-Kami Harunosuke softly murmured as he began to gather power in the air.
He used his hand as a brush, drawing a talisman in the void. As his hand moved and the strokes flowed, the talisman's lines and veins became clearer.
....
Suddenly, the elemental energy in the surrounding world began to surge violently, and a wave of immense power, like a tidal wave, burst forth from Aoi-no-Kami Harunosuke's body.
These immense energies gathered above Aoi-no-Kami Harunosuke's head.
Vaguely, it seemed to form a massive black seal hundreds of meters wide. A powerful and overwhelming aura began to spread out in waves.
Yae Miko looked up.
The black seal was ancient and solid, with two large characters "往生" (Death Rebirth) inscribed on it. As more and more elemental energy was infused into it, the seal grew even larger.
Rebirth Seal.
The strongest technique in Aoi-no-Kami Harunosuke's arsenal.
Knowing how powerful Yae Miko was, he decided to use his most formidable skill right from the start.
"Master, I hope I won't disappoint you." Aoi-no-Kami Harunosuke looked at the ever-growing Rebirth Seal in the sky, his expression complex.
....
Long ago, after a terrifying disaster struck, Aoi-no-Kami Harunosuke decided to part ways with his friend.
He chose to journey across the sea to Liyue to learn the arts of immortality.
After much effort, he finally had the fortune to meet an elderly man named Hu, and successfully became his disciple.
He obtained the immortality arts he sought but also inherited the responsibility that the old man asked him to bear.
The old man, who referred to himself as the 75th Head of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, was a reclusive master with no close relatives except for a little granddaughter named "A-Tao."
He treated Aoi-no-Kami Harunosuke as his own, imparting all his knowledge to him. However, he did not consider him as a successor but rather sent him back to Inazuma City to do what needed to be done.
.....
"This is what I should be doing now, Master!"
Aoi-no-Kami Harunosuke, his white hair billowing wildly in the storm, stood tall and unyielding. The wind and rain intertwined like dragons, soaking his blue robes.
His expression was stern and resolute, as he held the Rebirth Seal high, appearing almost godlike in his unparalleled might.
"Boom!!!" He lifted the massive seal, his figure like a dragon, and slammed it down towards Yae Miko.
.....
Yae Miko's face grew serious as she watched the massive seal in the sky. "This strange technique seems unusual, likely infused with the immortal arts of Liyue, and its power rivals that of Sister Ganyu's full-strength attack!!"
"I can't take it head-on." Yae Miko's body suddenly shifted, splitting into countless clones that scattered in all directions.
Her true form, however, transformed into a towering pink fox, letting out a clear, sharp cry towards the heavens.
Then, her body shuddered as countless torrents of lightning surged forth from her.
Yae Miko rode the river of lightning, sweeping across the sky with a ferocious and overwhelming force!!
She charged through the sky like a river of thunder, striking towards Aoi-no-Kami Harunosuke with the force of a heavenly punishment!
"Lady Guuji!!"
In the center of the shrine, the shrine maidens began to gather. The commotion caused by Yae Miko and Harunosuke's battle was too great, and could be seen clearly even a hundred miles away.
"What is.... Lady Guuji?"
Kano Nana stared up in shock at the giant fox enveloped in lightning in the sky, her face showing a deep sense of awe.
Lady Guuji had been forced to reveal her true form!! And who was that white-haired man holding a giant seal in the sky??
"What are you standing there for?" A quicker-thinking shrine maiden, Genfuyu Ringo, rushed over to her and said, "Quick, get to the cellar for safety!"
"The cellar?" Kano Nana was momentarily confused. "Since when did our shrine have a cellar?"
"Enough talk, follow me." Genfuyu Ringo, seeing that there was no time to explain, grabbed Kano Nana's hand and pulled her towards the building.
"Eh?" Kano Nana exclaimed in confusion as she watched Genfuyu Ringo sprint ahead with astonishing speed. "How is Ringo so fast?"
Genfuyu Ringo, who was pulling her along, moved with incredible agility, nothing like an ordinary shrine maiden, but rather like a skilled ninja!
However, Kano Nana didn't have time to dwell on her confusion—they had already reached the small house.
Inside, several shrine maidens were already gathered.
Most of them wore anxious expressions, their faces showing signs of worry, clearly shaken by the sudden turn of events.
"Lady Guuji... sob... Lord Shogun above, can someone tell me what's happening?"
The shrine maiden Maki, standing next to Kano Nana, couldn't hold back her tears and began to sob quietly. She had the same bob haircut as Kano Nana and was usually lively and cheerful, beloved by all the shrine maidens. But now, she lowered her head and cried silently, looking pitiful.
"Maki, don't cry," Kano Nana, who always treated Maki like a younger sister, couldn't bear to see her in distress. She gently hugged Maki and comforted her softly.
"Alright, everyone, stop crying! We should have faith in Lady Guuji!"
The shrine maiden Aki stepped forward, addressing the other maidens.
Aki had long, straight black hair and a delicate appearance. She spoke calmly, "All of you should go into the emergency cellar, enter the tunnel, and escape down the mountain."
The situation had thrown everyone into chaos, and with no clear leader, the oldest among them, Aki, took it upon herself to help the others stay calm and escape.
"Okay..." "Yes..."
With a trusted elder sister leading the way, the others steadied their nerves and responded, filing into the cellar one after another.
As more people entered, fewer remained behind.
In no time, only Kano Nana, Genfuyu Ringo, and Aki were left in the room.
Seeing the two of them still not moving, Kano Nana grew anxious and asked, "Why aren't you two heading into the tunnel?"
"..." Genfuyu Ringo didn't respond, simply staring silently at the wooden door.
Aki smiled gently at Kano Nana, "Nana, you go in first. Ringo and I need to maintain the [Tengu Great Extermination Curse] left by Lady Guuji to ensure the shrine's safety."
"This..." Kano Nana, sensing something was off, held herself nervously.
"Go on, quickly," Aki urged, gently pushing her into the hidden passage and closing the hatch.
======
Kano Nana was pushed into the cellar.
She could hear the sound of the hatch being securely shut above her, the clicking noises echoing in the silence.
She stood there for a moment, staring at the hatch in frustration, before reluctantly gritting her teeth and running down the tunnel.
"You two better be safe!"
....
Back in the small house, the shrine maiden Aki's expression turned solemn, her face becoming serious and grim.
"Shhhh!" Suddenly, she drew a short sword from her sleeve and, with the speed of the wind, stabbed at Genfuyu Ringo beside her. "Who are you? How do you know about this hidden cellar?"
Genfuyu Ringo didn't say a word, as if she had anticipated Aki's attack. Her body moved like a phantom, easily dodging the strike. "Instead of fighting me, you should focus on maintaining the curse to protect the shrine."
Genfuyu Ringo's movements were swift and ghostly, showcasing extraordinary skill, and she even had the composure to speak to Aki while evading her attacks.
"You!!..." Aki was furious, swinging her short sword even faster, but she couldn't touch the elusive Genfuyu Ringo.
After all, she was just an ordinary person without the aid of a Vision, making it difficult to deal with this "Genfuyu Ringo," who seemed different from the one she knew.
"Hahaha, I'm done playing with you." Genfuyu Ringo suddenly accelerated, shooting out of the room like lightning. Her figure flickered like smoke and mist, and in the blink of an eye, she reached the shrine's entrance, spreading her wind wings and diving down the mountain.
"Damn it!!!" Aki watched with a dark expression as Genfuyu Ringo successfully escaped, angrily throwing her short sword to the ground.
"One day, I'll expose your true identity!!!"
She was both saddened and furious. The usual Genfuyu Ringo, though ill-tempered, was all bark and no bite. The shrine maidens understood her youthful nature and cared for her despite her flaws.
But today, faced with danger, she had revealed a hidden side of herself.
As Yae Miko's most trusted shrine maiden, Aki had long been privy to certain secrets.
Years ago, Yae Miko, ever foresighted, had ordered the construction of the escape tunnel leading down the mountain, in response to the sudden ancient disasters that had befallen the humans who couldn't escape in time, suffering heavy losses.
This secret was known only to Aki and Yae Miko. No one else in the shrine had any knowledge of it.
Yet today, besides herself, Genfuyu Ringo had also shown awareness of the tunnel. It was clear that this "Genfuyu Ringo" had ulterior motives, likely even being a spy sent by the Fatui!
Aki was well aware that in recent years, Fatui agents had been stirring up trouble and secretly sending spies to infiltrate various locations.
She never expected that even the Grand Narukami Shrine, under Yae Miko's watchful eye, would be infiltrated. The realization filled her with dread.
"Hmph, when this storm passes, I'll report everything to Lady Guuji. You won't escape justice!!" Aki silently vowed to herself.
——
If you're interested in reading ahead, feel free to visit my patron which has over 20+ advanced chapters:
https://www.patreon.com/SenatusPopulus
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Senatus
Senatus Check out the other fics I'm translating! They are just as good or even better! :D
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone