This operation looked miraculous, but in reality it wasn't much—just obscuring one person's perception. If the opponent could obscure the perception of all Tokyo, that would be impressive. But hiding from one person wasn't much at all. Even Kael could do that.
Yato saw the stairway to the shrine and grew excited. This wasn't just a stairway to the shrine—it was the road to a better life. The path to becoming a proper god. Thinking of this, Yato grew even more thrilled.
"Wait here. I'll deal with that god now and make them return your presence."
With that, Yato rushed toward the shrine. A better life, here I come.
Kael gestured to Mai to stay calm and wait, then followed.
As they climbed, Kael asked curiously: "Without a regalia, can you handle that fox?"
Yato replied confidently: "Don't worry. It's just a fox god. Even without a regalia, I can handle it."
Kael's eyes flickered. This was different from what he expected. In Noragami, most gods fought using regalia—human souls transformed into weapons. Without regalia, gods couldn't fully use their power. Yato himself, with a regalia, could challenge Bishamonten. Without one, he might not even defeat an ordinary spirit.
But in this crossover world, gods seemed able to fight strongly even without regalia. That matched Kael's own understanding of gods. The Noragami gods relying on regalia were rather weak.
In less than a minute, they climbed the long stairway and entered the shrine. Mai had said it was abandoned when she came before. But now, before Kael, it was vibrant and clean. Though small, it was nothing like an abandoned shrine. It seemed the fox god, once remembered, had restored it.
Yato entered, not attacking, but shouting loudly: "Is anyone here? I'm Yato, here to meet the god of this shrine."
At once, the shrine's doors opened. A man in white robes stepped out. He looked about twenty, dressed like a priest, stern-faced, with narrow, smiling eyes.
The priest said: "Welcome to Harvest Shrine, Yato. I am the god here. What business brings you?"
Kael studied him. His narrow eyes resembled a fox's—long, sly, half-smiling.
Yato stepped forward. "Nice to meet you, Harvest God. I came for a friend—Natori Shuuichi. He visited your shrine. Could you let him come out to greet me?"
The fox god shook his head. "Natori Shuuichi? No such guest here. You must be mistaken."
Yato wasn't fooled. He smiled. "Harvest God, may I look around your shrine?"
The fox god shook his head again. "As you see, this is just an ordinary shrine. Nothing special to see. Please leave." He began to dismiss them.
Yato sighed. He had wanted to give the fox a chance. After all, they were both gods. But this fox was unreasonable.
"Sorry, Harvest God."
In a flash, Yato dashed forward, striking at the fox's chest.
"Barrier!" The fox quickly formed a golden shield before him.
Fast reaction—but too small for Yato.
With a crack, Yato's punch shattered the barrier. His fist slammed into the fox's chest with the force of a runaway truck. The fox flew back like a cannonball, crashing through the doors into the shrine's main hall.
Impressive—Yato's punch was powerful. Even Kael couldn't strike so brutally. This world's gods had some merit after all.
With the fox knocked back, Yato strode into the hall. Kael followed. In the corner lay an unconscious man.
It was surely Shuuichi, as Mai had said. Seeing his face, Kael finally understood why the name had sounded familiar. He realized which anime Natori came from.
Natsume's Book of Friends.
Yes, he was Natsume Takashi's friend, the man with a gecko-like spirit living in his skin, crawling across his body, sometimes appearing on his face.
Amazing—this crossover world even included Natsume's Book of Friends. That meant yokai truly existed here.
Thinking of this, Kael grew excited. Yokai were superior nourishment compared to humans—their blood and souls more delicious. Devouring many yokai would be a huge boost.
But Kael remembered Shuuichi had three yokai companions who protected him. Yet they weren't here. Perhaps the fox god had destroyed them.
It was possible—after all, even Shuuichi had fallen. The three yokai likely hadn't survived.
Kael recalled their loyalty to Shuuichi, his faithful helpers. A pity they were gone.