In the height of summer, Enzouzan was lush with vegetation. Birds sang and insects chirped without cease, while branches and leaves swayed in the wind, their refracted light spilling rich emerald hues and filling the eye with life.
Along the winding mountain path, the occasional devout visitor climbed the stone steps toward Ryudoji Temple at the summit.
Built halfway up Enzouzan outside Miyama Town, the temple handled the usual funerals and prayers for blessings, while also taking care of exorcisms and warding off evil spirits.
Its legends of efficacy had earned Ryudoji Temple a modest reputation throughout Fuyuki City. Fifty training monks lived within its walls, and its acting head priest, Ryudou Reikan, had muscles so massive they nearly burst his robes, making him look exceptionally reassuring at a glance.
Of course, Enzouzan's abundant earthly energy and beautiful scenery made it more than just a place of worship. It was also a fine leisure destination, and along the way, Fuyuki residents in kimonos and casual clothes could be seen touring the mountain with their families.
On a relatively level slope, a little girl with black twin-tails tied with delicate ribbons at their ends, dressed in a red Western-style dress, jogged beneath a tree by the mountain path. Her sapphire-blue eyes fixed on the beetle gleaming with multicolored light atop a branch, and she excitedly pointed it out to her younger sister behind her.
"Sakura, look! A rhinoceros beetle! A rainbow rhinoceros beetle!"
Unlike her energetic, endlessly curious older sister, the younger sister, with chin-length black hair and dressed in a kimono, smiled sweetly and remained remarkably quiet.
"Don't let Mother find out. Wait here, I'll catch it and give it to you!"
The twin-tailed little girl glanced back, confirmed that their mother was chatting with an acquaintance on the path,