Saga's eyes were half-closed, as if she were sleeping, or perhaps deep in thought.
The golden body of the Nine-Tailed Fox slowly cracked down the middle.
Amid the monks' cries of alarm, Hebe walked to the platform where the golden body was enshrined.
Inside the Nine-Tailed Fox's golden body lay a faded omamori.
Hebe picked up the omamori, and the surrounding light abruptly dimmed. The many golden bodies enshrined within the Grand Hall vanished.
Saga, clad in gray, sat cross-legged before Hebe.
"Master." Saga pressed her palms together and bowed to the linen-haired girl. "We have finally met again."
Hebe said nothing. She could tell that the "Saga" before her was merely like a reflection in a mirror, one part of the Little Dog Spirit's spiritual body.
Saga had used this method to conceal crucial information, using the golden body and the verse as keys to unlock the hidden treasure.
This method of burying important information was called "Hidden Treasure" in Buddhism.
The process by which later generations unearthed it and inherited its secrets was known as an "Esoteric Sutra."
"Master Tamamo-no-Mae, while contemplating emptiness, this humble monk perceived traces of you in this era. Please remember that Sword Seeking carries three meanings."
"First, it is to find the sword you lost—you sacrificed yourself in place of the last dragon in the world, and thus lost that stalk of rice representing 'Inari.' That stalk of rice is your sword."
"Second, it is to find the sword of the self—the so-called secret sword is nothing unusual, merely an obsession. Your longing is too immense to be borne by one small secret sword."
"Third, it is to find the swordsmanship of future generations—the master need not surpass the disciple, nor must the disciple fall short of the master."
"Before this humble monk