Chapter 206: The Three Keys to Tracking a God; Kaguya Shinomiya's Case of Puberty Syndrome
Miyamizu Hitoha, having spent her entire life as a Shrine Maiden, still found the current conversation a bit much to digest. She took a moment to steady her thoughts before speaking.
"Entities known as 'Gods' generally possess their own Domain. You can think of it as an independent pocket dimension, separated from our reality."
"Oh, no need for the 'think of it as' part," Yoru interrupted with a casual wave. He offered a bored smirk. "I've seen it with my own eyes. It definitely exists."
Seen it with his own eyes?
Hitoha felt another tremor of shock. This boy had stood before the Domain of a God... and lived?
If she weren't a Priestess who had already received a direct omen from her own Deity about this boy, she would have dismissed him as a delusional brat. But the Great Deity of Itomori had vouched for him.
"If you've already seen it... that makes the explanation much simpler," Hitoha continued. "In almost every legend, a God's true body resides in a space completely distinct from the 'Present World' (the world of humans). Normally, humans cannot enter, and Gods cannot leave."
"This is why Shrine Maidens and Priests exist—to act as bridges and interpret the divine will. If you truly intend to kill a God, you must first reach their Domain. And for that, you need a Catalyst."
Mitsuha looked at her grandmother, her curiosity piqued. "Like our family's Chewed-Sake?"
Hitoha nodded. "Exactly. Like the Kuchikamizake, or the Kumihimo braided cords I have you and Yotsuba make. These offerings are the bridges between the human and the divine."
"What about a Weather Maiden?" Hina asked.
"A Weather Maiden (Sunshine Girl)?" Hitoha's expression soured at the mention of the term. She let out a cold snort. "Young lady, the Deity our family serves has protected Itomori for centuries. He is nothing like that... thing that demands 'Spirited Away' sacrifices from innocent girls. Don't confuse the two."
As soon as she said that, the Red Threads manifested behind Hitoha's back. They wove into a little stick figure that started doing a high-energy "Victory Dance" and a "L-O-V-E" sign. It looked like it was having a one-man rave.
Hina and Mitsuha exchanged a look of pure, concentrated "cringe."
Especially Mitsuha. As the official Priestess of this generation, she felt a profound sense of secondhand embarrassment. It was like having your great-great-grandmother show up at a party and try to do a TikTok dance.
"I am begging you... please stop," Mitsuha whispered.
The threads immediately froze and vanished.
Hitoha turned around, looking at the empty air behind her with suspicion. "Mitsuha... don't tell me... you can communicate with the Great Deity directly?!"
"Uh... yeah... you could say that." Mitsuha hesitated. She decided not to tell her grandmother that the Great Deity they had worshiped for generations was actually an "Abstract" simp who loved flattery and acting like a child.
Grandma was old. If she found out her life's work was dedicated to a God who acted like a Discord troll, she'd probably have a stroke. Let's keep his 'majestic' image intact for her sake.
"I see... how remarkable..." Hitoha paused, her gaze shifting to Yoru and Hina. "Wait. The God you want to kill... it's the Weather God from the Sunshine Girl legends, isn't it?"
Yoru nodded. "Bingo."
"This is..." Hitoha didn't know how to evaluate this. Killing a God who demands human sacrifices? If it were possible, it would be a miracle. But was it possible?
The Miyamizu family were Shrine Maidens, not magical girls from a late-night anime. Fighting a God had never even been a variable in their equations until today.
"Entering a Divine Domain is hard, but not impossible," Hitoha said, her voice dropping into a professional tone. "First, you need the Catalyst—something linked to that God's power."
Yoru smiled. "We've got that covered."
He didn't need to elaborate. Both Hitoha and Mitsuha knew: Hina Amano was the catalyst.
Mitsuha looked at the two of them with a complicated gaze. Going to war against the sky itself for the sake of one girl? It was the most "Abstract" thing she'd ever heard. Yet, for some reason, she felt that if anyone could pull off such a stunt, it was Yoru.
Normal people choose between the girl and the weather. Yoru just chooses to murder the one asking the question.
Is he actually a genius?
"Once you have the Catalyst, you need two more elements," Hitoha explained. "First: a Spirit Medium with high-level perception who can 'observe' the divine traces. Second: a person whose soul is perfectly synced with the Catalyst—someone who can open a 'Path' into the Domain."
"For example," Hitoha continued, "Our Kuchikamizake is the Catalyst. But only the Priestess who made it, or someone with a deep, fated connection to her soul, can use it to cross over."
Hina went quiet. A person whose soul is perfectly synced with me...
She instinctively glanced at Yoru, then quickly looked away, her face heating up. Wait, no. We're not that close yet, are we? I'm just being delusional again...
"Is that all? Just those three things?" Yoru asked.
Hitoha nodded. "With those three, plus a high-mana location—like an ancient shrine—you can force a breach. I won't give you a 100% guarantee, though. I've never heard of anyone 'home-invading' a God's Realm without an invitation. The ancient texts don't cover 'Tactical Assaults' on the Divine."
"Understood. Thanks for the intel." Yoru nodded, filing the "Three Elements" away:
Catalyst: Hina.
Perception: Yotsuya Miko.
Soul Sync: ??? (TBD).
Just then, Yoru's phone buzzed. It was Sakurajima Mai. He stepped outside to take the call.
"Yo, Mai-senpai. What's up?"
"When are you coming back to Kyoto?" Mai's voice sounded more weary than panicked.
"Mmm... we're heading back today. Why? Did a Disaster-Class spirit show up at the apartment?"
"Not a ghost," Mai sighed. "Well, not exactly. Honestly, I don't know how to explain it. You're the one who caused this mess, so hurry back and fix it."
"Excuse me?" Yoru was baffled. "Don't tell me Haruno is pregnant? Wait, no, if it were that, Yukino would be the one calling to kill me. Why are you calling? Are you pregnant?"
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Mai shrieked through the phone, her voice a mix of rage and embarrassment. "It has nothing to do with that! Just get back here now!"
Click.
Yoru shook his head, a smirk on his face. "Riddle-masters, all of them."
The Next Evening: Mai Sakurajima's Apartment.
"You're finally back."
Mai, dressed in a loose loungewear dress, opened the door for Yoru. She looked completely exhausted. "Get in here. Your 'trouble' is waiting."
When Yoru stepped inside, he saw a blonde girl sitting on the sofa. At first, he thought it was Mai's half-sister, Toyohama Nodoka. But a second look revealed a familiar face.
It was Ai Hayasaka.
Seeing Yoru, Hayasaka stood up and walked over, inspecting him with a sharp, clinical gaze. "So... the 'Minister of Chaos' and President of the Super-Quant Club really is you."
She didn't waste a second. "I pulled some strings. I heard that the only person in Kyoto capable of solving 'Abstract' anomalies was an exorcist named Oda-san. When I found him, he pointed me to you."
"Anomalies?" Yoru sat on the chair, looking intrigued. "What happened? Is the Shinomiya Mansion haunted?"
Hayasaka nodded solemnly. "You hit the nail on the head."
"Figures," Yoru chuckled. "Kaguya's house is so oppressive it's a miracle it hasn't manifested its own Demon Lord by now."
Hayasaka ignored the jab. "I'll keep it brief. Kaguya-sama has contracted a... 'condition'."
"During the day, she's normal. But the moment the sun sets and she goes to sleep, she becomes a different person. She wakes up in a trance, sits at her desk, and reads books all night. She doesn't blink. She doesn't react. She just... consumes information."
"The weirdest part? She has no memory of it the next morning. And her physical exams are perfect. She's healthy as an ox."
"She sleeps less than five minutes a day, yet she shows no fatigue or brain-fog during school. It's as if the 'Night Kaguya' and the 'Day Kaguya' are sharing the same body but don't know each other exists."
Yoru and Mai exchanged a look. This didn't sound like a standard haunting.
Sudden personality shift? Night-time anomalies? No physical cause?
"Puberty Syndrome," they said in unison.
Yoru leaned back, thinking. "When did this start?"
"The night after the joint exams between Shuchiin and Sobu High."
Yoru smirked. Kaguya Shinomiya definitely has Puberty Syndrome.
He'd have to send the club's resident genius, Futaba Rio, to investigate. This was a "Quantum Mechanics" problem, which meant Rio would finally have a job that actually fit her job title.
He noticed Hayasaka watching him with a strange, intense gaze.
"What's with the look, Hayasaka-san?" Yoru teased. He glanced at Mai. "Mai-senpai, I think she's trying to NTR you."
Mai rolled her eyes and smacked his shoulder. "Stop it. Hayasaka-san is being serious. Don't be weird."
Hayasaka looked at Mai, then back at Yoru. "Sakurajima-senpai... I have a question for you."
"Go ahead," Mai replied politely.
"Being by this man's side... don't you ever feel a sense of frustration? Or even pain?" Hayasaka's voice was soft but heavy. "He's a genius whose talent is so far beyond everyone—beyond Sobu, beyond even Shuchiin—that he's basically in a different dimension. Even for something as simple as making a decision on an investigation, you have to wait for him to return. Doesn't it feel... suffocating?"
Mai looked at Yoru, then smiled warmly at Hayasaka.
"Not at all."
"Really? Never?"
"Never," Mai said firmly. "In fact... I think he's the one who needs us. Without us by his side, a guy like him wouldn't be able to function at all."
"I see... I think I understand," Hayasaka murmured. She stood up and headed for the door. "If you decide to accept the case, contact me. I'll provide the security clearance."
As she reached the door, Yoru's voice drifted over, sounding unusually profound.
"Hayasaka-san."
"A hedgehog grows sharp needles to hurt anyone who gets close... but at its core, it only does that because it's a small, terrified creature that's afraid of being crushed. Tell Kaguya she doesn't need to be a hedgehog around me."