Chương 173: Chapter 173

Takumi looked at the 'Tree of Ages' and took back the 'time authority' from both the 'Tree of Ages' and the 'Bone-Eater's Well,' feeling the differences between Teyvat's time authority and that of the world of Inuyasha.

In terms of power, Teyvat's time authority was undeniably more potent, but in terms of flexibility and freedom, the world of Inuyasha allowed for much more fluid manipulation.

In Teyvat, the river of time is composed of countless fragments, making it challenging to alter the past. In contrast, the river of time in the world of Inuyasha is like a river of sand; as long as the total amount of sand remains constant, the river of time will automatically restore itself without catastrophic consequences like temporal paradoxes.

When Takumi regained the 'time authority,' Istaru, as the 'Time Ruler,' instantly received her share of the renewed power.

Istaru felt her strength multiply, and she immediately began circling around Takumi excitedly. "Alright! My authority has grown stronger once again. Hehe, now I'm the strongest of all the dependents."

Takumi grabbed the twirling Istaru by her feet, speaking with a hint of dominance, "I said you are the strongest. If one day I'm displeased, you may just be the weakest."

Istaru immediately put her hands on her cheeks and looked at Takumi with pitiful eyes, "Master..."

Takumi said, maintaining a stern expression, "Smile for me, Istaru."

In an instant, Istaru's pout turned into a radiant smile. "Hehe," she giggled.

Takumi nodded approvingly and let go of her. In her heart, Istaru muttered, 'What a bad master.'

"The river of time in this world seems to have checkpoints every now and then to correct errors periodically. Each period is an era," Takumi mused. "The next era is only a few decades away. Let's go see what's there."

As he spoke, he took a step forward, and his body vanished into thin air like a bubble.

Takumi arrived in the 'narrow space of time.' Here, countless points of light formed a river resembling the Milky Way. These tiny specks were the 'Sands of Time,' which made up the passage of time in the entire world.

As long as the 'Sands of Time' were intact, no matter how much time was manipulated, there wouldn't be a temporal paradox.

For example, Kagome and Kikyo—although Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyo, the two coexisted in different timelines. Even if Kagome traveled back to the Warring States Period and tried to eliminate Kikyo, she would not vanish. The 'Sands of Time' would correct any discrepancies.

Even if Kikyo left the world of Inuyasha, Kagome would still be born, as the 'river of time' had already determined her existence.

It would simply mean that Kikyo and Kagome would now be two identical individuals with separate souls.

Takumi and Istaru blinked after entering the 'River of Time,' then returned to the world in an instant.

They were still standing in front of the 'Tree of Ages,' but it had grown much larger, with more branches than before.

Takumi and Istaru walked out of the maple forest while chatting.

"Wow, this time authority has become much stronger. I couldn't freely travel between the past and the future like this before," Istaru said excitedly.

After leaving the maple forest, they arrived at 'Maple Village.'

This was the 'theocratic era' of the 'High Heaven True Gods,' fifty years in the future.

The entire world had become one country, 'Liyue.' Even small villages like Maple Village enjoyed peaceful and carefree lives. Across the fields, humans and yōkai worked together harmoniously—a utopia-like coexistence.

In this era, seeing someone like Takumi, who carried an aura of nobility, alongside an elf-like companion such as Istaru was entirely normal, and the villagers barely gave them a second glance.

After all, merchants and travelers frequently visited their village.

To the people of this era, the notion of 'monsters' and 'humans' harming one another was completely alien.

However, disputes still occurred. After all, wherever there were people, there would be conflicts, not to mention in a world where humans and yōkai coexisted.

That's when shrine maidens and onmyoji who worshiped the 'High Heaven True Gods' would step in to mediate.

And the shrine maiden who served the 'High Heaven True Gods' in this village was Kikyo.

Takumi and Istaru arrived at the shrine, somewhat surprised to see that it was dedicated to the 'High Heaven True Gods.'

It wasn't dedicated to Rex Lapis, the newly appointed divine kings, or even the immortals—it was dedicated to him, the 'Lord God of Heaven.'

A stern voice suddenly rang out.

"Who are you? Do you know that this is a shrine dedicated to the 'Lord God of Heaven'? It is disrespectful to look directly at a god."

Takumi turned around, smiling, while Istaru copied his pose, touching her chin and looking at the newcomer with curious eyes.

Standing before them was a shrine maiden in a white and red uniform, her eyes filled with determination. Her delicate facial features were framed by black hair in a traditional Ji-style, tied up with a plain white ribbon. A touch of pink adorned her lips.

She was an exceptionally beautiful girl, whose looks, paired with her shrine maiden outfit, only added to her charm.

If Takumi had to admit it, his favorite anime attire for divinity was the shrine maiden outfit.

After all, shrine maidens held an inherently sacred aura. More importantly, they dedicated their lives and hearts to the gods they served, making them almost like the concubines of the gods.

Takumi smirked slightly, deciding to tease the shrine maiden.

"Most shrines are dedicated to emperors, gods, or immortals. Why is your shrine, in such a small village, dedicated to the 'Lord God of Heaven'?"

"You should know that the God of Creation rarely responds to the prayers of believers. After all, to the Creator, the world was made by him, and human sacrifices hold little importance in the grand scheme of things."

"For humans, there's no practical difference between the God of Creation and the God of Air."

Istaru nodded in agreement, adding, "Yes, worshiping the Creator has little tangible meaning for humanity."

"Just like Fanes, even if he cares for humans, he won't answer their prayers or fulfill their wishes because he's at a different level of existence."

Kikyo looked at the man and the yōkai who had barged into the shrine, disrespecting the god she served, and even speaking ill of the god in front of her. Her face flushed red with anger.

"You two rude individuals, leave this shrine at once! You're not welcome here!"

She picked up a broom and made to strike Takumi and Istaru with it.

Istaru was taken aback, thinking, oh my goodness! How dare she hit 'Master Tenri' with a broom?!