Chapter 84: Journey to the West Heaven Palace
Under the watchful eyes of the accompanying witches and the members of the [History Compilation Committee], Shirou felt a faint trace of embarrassment at the prospect of openly discussing spending a pleasant night at the bathhouse.
"Let's stick to the original plan."
Hearing Shirou's words, Erica breathed a secret sigh of relief, though on the surface, she displayed a look of slight regret.
"Eh... is that so... I was originally thinking of dragging Liliana along, too."
"What!? Erica, you...!!"
Liliana's face flushed with anger instantly. Her understanding of this woman's degree of shamelessness had been refreshed yet again, but the feeling of helplessness left her deeply frustrated.
Meanwhile, Mariya Yuri, who possessed a more serious personality, had grown accustomed to the unique relationship between the two. At this point, she couldn't even be bothered to lecture them anymore.
As they continued their bickering, the group arrived at the entrance of the shrine.
"Everyone, this is the shrine of the West Heaven Palace," Amakasu Touma introduced to the group.
"Speaking of which, Yuri, didn't you mention before that you've been to this palace or whatever it is?" Erica asked, striking up a conversation.
Yuri nodded. "Yes, I came here once when I became a Shrine Maiden. I only entered the main hall; I did not enter the inner sanctuary."
Yuri pointed without hesitation toward the torii gate of the Toshogu. Following behind her were Princess Alice and Shirou, both looking over the architecture with curiosity.
"What do you think of this place?" Shirou asked the girl standing beside him.
"Mmh... it's quite nice. It gives off a heavy, ancient atmosphere," Alice replied with a small smile.
"I see..." Shirou raised an eyebrow.
The Nikko Toshogu is a mausoleum built to worship the deified Tokugawa Ieyasu, known as the Great Incarnation of the East Shore (Tosho Daigongen). It is a shrine of magnificent splendor, often visited for school excursions.
The standard route involves viewing the five-story pagoda, climbing the stone steps, crossing the torii, passing through the famous Yomeimon Gate to enter the Haiden (Worship Hall) and Honden (Main Hall), and finally entering the Okusha (Inner Shrine).
However, along the way, Yuri turned toward an inconspicuous building.
When speaking of Toshogu, one usually thinks of a luxurious space built with funds equivalent to tens of billions of yen in modern currency. It leaves an impression of exquisite gold carvings and detailed craftsmanship. But this place was a small, undecorated wooden hut.
It stood in stark contrast to the five-story pagoda and the front gate seen so far, yet despite its simplicity, there were tourists around; surprisingly, it was a popular spot.
"I feel like only this specific spot is different from the rest. Everywhere else looks like they spent every penny they had," was the only evaluation Shirou could offer for the hut.
"This is the Sacred Stable... the building in Toshogu most closely associated with the Divine Lord," Yuri answered.
Hearing this, Shirou looked inside the fence outside the stable, where two horses were tethered. On the side walls of the building's front, there were carvings of monkeys from one end to the other. Monkeys closing their eyes, monkeys closing their mouths, monkeys covering their ears; sitting, looking at the sky, lying down—there were over a dozen in total.
"Since ancient times, there has been a rumor that monkeys can cure diseases in horses, which is why this stable is filled with monkeys," Yuri explained.
"The West Heaven Palace is merely a part of the Nikko Toshogu, a sacred sanctuary for the independent worship of a different type of deity. The Divine Lord worshipped at the West Heaven Palace is named the 'Monkey Divine Lord.' He is an incarnation of a monkey and a protector of dragons. That is all I know..."
'Why would a monkey protect a dragon?'
Although Shirou knew that the prototype for the "Monkey Divine Lord" was taken from Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven from Journey to the West, he couldn't judge whether this one counted as the real deal.
"I just hope his strength doesn't disappoint me..."
Muttering this to himself, Shirou followed Yuri into the vast forest behind the Sacred Stable. This was the middle ground between the Futarasan Shrine and the Toshogu precincts—a secluded area that dozens of tourists failed to notice.
The group followed Yuri into the woods, and after about ten minutes, their sense of direction began to blur. Fortunately, they eventually found the entrance to the ancient shrine.
"Welcome. We have been expecting you all for some time."
Kujiuka Mikihiko came out to greet them, dressed in priestly attire.
"We of the Kujiuka Shrine are greatly honored by the King's arrival. Soon, the gates of the sanctuary will open, and we shall prepare for the Divine Lord to meet with you. Please wait a moment longer," Kujiuka Mikihiko spoke deferentially.
Hearing this, Shirou frowned. "Did you just say 'meet' with the Divine Lord?"
"Correct. We are already aware of your purpose for coming here. Although we wished to dissuade you, upon further thought, for the safety of the Kujiuka family, it is better to proceed this way."
"How sensible of you," Shirou couldn't help but remark. Had his mere mention of coming here caused this family so much panic?
However, a slight anomaly in the young man named Kujiuka Mikihiko's gestures and movements had already been caught by Shirou's eyes. He didn't expose it intentionally, intending instead to wait for the mastermind to jump out so he could deal with them all at once.
"In that case, please have the Shrine Maiden come over."
Following Kujiuka Mikihiko's words, it wasn't long before a petite girl dressed in a red-and-white miko outfit arrived. She had shoulder-length brown hair, a red hairpin, and a slender, small frame. Her face looked pale and youthful, as if she were still a minor.
"Hikari?"
Seeing her, Yuri immediately stepped forward. This Shrine Maiden was Mariya Yuri's younger sister, only eleven years old. As an apprentice Shrine Maiden, Yuri's sister possessed the ability to dispel disaster by eliminating magical and cursed energy, which was why she had been brought here. To prepare for the meeting with the Divine Lord, Mariya Hikari had donned her miko vestments.
"...My King, it is a pleasure to meet you. You may just call me Hikari."
The young Shrine Maiden approached Shirou nervously. Her small hands were shyly folded over her stomach as she bowed.
"Mmh. Let's go." Shirou nodded.
"Understood." The girl immediately straightened up and led Shirou toward the interior of the sanctuary.
"Speaking of which, a hundred years ago, after the last time the Divine Lord was liberated, everyone associated with the West Heaven Palace was blown away. This shrine was rebuilt afterward," Amakasu Touma reported to Shirou, holding a document.
"To let a 'Heretic God' that was finally sealed escape... and the god that was released actually comes back on its own?" Shirou found this quite interesting.
"Correct. As for the reason for its return, it is because the cursed power gathered from various sanctuaries across Japan became the divine power of the Great Incarnation of the East Shore, binding the 'Monkey Divine Lord.' Even if he goes out on a rampage, he will ultimately return here to accept the seal."
"No matter how many magi gather, they are no match for a 'Heretic God.' That should be the rule of this world, shouldn't it?" Hearing this question, Amakasu Touma also looked somewhat incredulous.
"Indeed, it should be impossible. But for some reason, perhaps because the wisdom of ancient magi was pooled together, this mechanism has been unexpectedly successful."
As they spoke, Mariya Yuri also walked over.
"My King, could I please ask you to take me to the 'Monkey Divine Lord' as well?" Yuri requested with a look of determination.
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