Water Pranks

"Rin, wake up..."

Yae Sakura rubbed her eyes and called for Yae Rin to get up.

"Come on, get up already... We still have to clean the dojo today..."

After Yae Rin sat up from her bedding, she looked a little dazed, as though she had yet to wake from her dream.

"Big Sister." Yae Rin stopped Yae Sakura as she was getting dressed. "Do you remember meeting the Divine Lord last night?"

"Hm?"

Yae Sakura paused. "What Divine Lord? Isn't the Divine Lord safely staying in the shrine?"

Then Yae Sakura asked worriedly, "Rin, are you all right? You're not sick again, are you?"

"..."

After hearing Yae Sakura's answer, Yae Rin shook her head. "I'm fine, Big Sister. I just... had a very strange dream last night."

Yae Rin had confirmed it. Her sister truly did not remember meeting the Divine Lord last night, just as the Divine Lord had told the two of them.

But why had her own memories not disappeared?

Yae Rin still clearly remembered meeting Xu Yanwu last night, as well as what Xu Yanwu had said about their mother.

I should be able to see the Divine Lord again tonight, right? Yae Rin thought.

So Yae Rin clenched her fists and made up her mind. She had to ask about her mother.

"Rin, it's time to go."

"I'm coming."

—That night—

"Divine Lord, I'm here again."

Yae Rin skipped into her family's courtyard. Just as she had expected, the Divine Lord was sitting in the middle of it.

"Mm, your sister probably won't show up so soon."

Xu Yanwu nodded and said to Yae Rin, "Rin, come here. I'll nourish your soul for you."

Xu Yanwu continued, "Although I can't interfere much with reality right now, if I can make your soul stronger, your body should improve a little as well."

"Thank you, Divine Lord."

Yae Rin felt that she might have come to like her current state as a soul.

Because in this state, she could no longer feel the illness that had plagued her since childhood. Her entire body felt incomparably light.

"...You're welcome."

Xu Yanwu placed a hand atop Yae Rin's head. As he used his power to nourish her soul, he seemingly casually asked, "How did you feel during the day yesterday?"

"How much do you still remember about this place?"

"Of course I..."

Yae Rin had originally intended to tell Xu Yanwu that she remembered everything, but she suddenly changed her mind.

"I don't remember anything at all, just like Big Sister."

Xu Yanwu was somewhat puzzled after hearing Yae Rin's words. "You don't remember anything? That shouldn't be possible. With such strong spiritual perception, even if you can't recall most of it clearly, you should still remember some minor details."

"I really can't remember!"

Yae Rin said that, but no matter how one looked at it, she seemed to be lying...

"All right, then. It may be better if you can't remember, since I still don't know how long I'll have to remain dormant..."

Xu Yanwu did not notice Yae Rin's behavior. Or perhaps he simply had no desire to doubt her.

Xu Yanwu fell silent, but Yae Rin kept chattering by his ear about things happening in their village.

"Divine Lord, today, Ushino was running around the village and got severely scolded by his father and mother."

"Mm."

"And Tetsuya too. He accidentally knocked over a rack in the village,

and got his butt smacked..."

"Mm."

Xu Yanwu simply listened to Yae Rin. He offered no opinions and did not interrupt, quietly listening as she spoke of those trivial everyday matters, while the power in his hand continued flowing into Yae Rin's soul without the slightest fluctuation.

"Divine Lord..."

After talking for quite some time, Yae Rin suddenly called out to Xu Yanwu.

"Mm? What is it?"

Yae Rin gathered her courage and asked, "When... when can I be as free as everyone else?"

"..."

Xu Yanwu's hand paused. His eyes, which had remained still for so long, rippled faintly as he looked at Yae Rin.

"...It won't be long."

Xu Yanwu said solemnly to Yae Rin, "I will cure you. I promise."

Just then, the sound of Yae Sakura falling to the floor rang out from her room again.

"...Is your sister really that clumsy? This is already the second time, and she still landed right on her butt..."

"You're not allowed to talk about my sister like that!"

Yae Rin said fiercely.

"All right, I won't."

Xu Yanwu patted Yae Rin's head, and the power in his hand dissipated. "That's enough nourishing for tonight. I absorbed the sword-wielding clone back into myself, so I have to personally teach your sister swordsmanship..."

"Rin, although your body still isn't well, do you want to practice with us?"

Yae Rin's eyes lit up. Her large eyes fluttered, filled with hope. "Divine Lord, can I really learn swordsmanship with you too?"

Xu Yanwu nodded. "Of course. But you'll have to start from the basics... Also, I'm very strict."

"Bad god! Don't bully Rin!"

Yae Sakura stood in front of Yae Rin with a small wooden sword, glaring viciously at Xu Yanwu.

Xu Yanwu held a short wooden stick, looking utterly calm. "If you fail to finish, you get punished. That's only natural. Rin did not complete her assigned task, so she has to be smacked on the palm."

"If you keep blocking me, I'll hit you too, Sakura."

"No means no!"

Yae Sakura looked fierce.

Yae Rin timidly tugged at Yae Sakura's clothes. "It's all right, Big Sister. The Divine Lord is doing this for my sake too..."

"Hmph!"

"...What are you hmphing for?" Xu Yanwu pulled a long face. "Fine, I won't hit Rin. But tomorrow night, both of you will have to do five hundred extra sword swings!"

"Bleh, bad god!" Yae Sakura made a face at Xu Yanwu, grabbed Sakura's hand, passed through the wall, and ran back into her room. Familiar with the routine, she and Yae Rin leaped back into their bodies and waited for dawn to arrive.

It had been nearly half a month since Yae Sakura and Yae Rin met Xu Yanwu.

Xu Yanwu followed behind the two of them and shook his head.

"Two little brats..."

"They're really too naughty. Not quiet at all..."

"But... it really feels like it's been a long time since I've been this... happy?"