The Price of Power

Nakano Ward.

Beneath a plaque inscribed with the sweeping, elegant calligraphy of "Nagisa Garden," two massive wooden doors stood wide open.

The area outside the perimeter wall was packed with high-end luxury cars, and guests dressed in formal attire filed in one after another, led by servants into the inner courtyard of the estate.

The courtyard had been redesigned with a distinctly Western flair. Long, pristine white tables were laden with exquisite pastries and fine wines in stemmed glasses, free for the taking. Maids in black dresses and white floral headpieces stood by with smiles, waiting to serve the guests.

The young, handsome men and women mingling in the courtyard with wine glasses in hand all possessed composed or gentle temperaments. Every one of them was impeccably polite, showing none of the arrogance typically associated with "second-generation wealth."

At the far end of the courtyard, inside a faux-antique building with its wooden doors thrown open to the sides:

A group of middle-aged and elderly people sat in two rows on the wooden floor, some kneeling, some cross-legged, chatting casually. With their traditional kimonos, the scene felt like something out of a period drama.

It was a true fusion of the traditional and the modern!

Yet, no one dared to voice any objection, nor did a single expression of disdain cross their faces.

For those sitting on the floor in that hall were either old-money elites with deep-rooted lineages or nouveau riche tycoons with immense financial power. Every one of them was a titan of politics or business, the kind of existence whose mere foot-stamping could cause the world to collapse for tens of thousands of families.

These top-tier figures of the Island Nation, all wealthy or noble, had gathered here for one person.

Amame Ei!

The illegitimate daughter of the head of the Nagisa Zaibatsu.

Of course, no one would—or could—ever say that out loud.

Because today was the day Amame Ei would "acknowledge her ancestors and return to the clan."

The reason for such a grand spectacle, with half the noble and zaibatsu circles of Tokyo sending representatives to observe, was simple:

An Awakened!

And one backed by a god, at that. The "Miko" of the Inari God.

The bigwigs chatting in the hall cast inadvertent glances toward the two people in the seats of honor, their eyes filled with barely concealed envy.

Yet, the very young-looking Madam Nagisa, sitting in the seat of honor, wore a dazed expression.

To think...

That classmate of little Ei's had been right!

"Madam Nagisa, shall we make a wager?"

"It won't be long before your husband begs for Amame-san to come here."

Recalling it now, the boy had spoken with such certainty, as if he were describing an inevitable event. She hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

"Madam, are you feeling unwell?"

The middle-aged man beside her—who was only three years her senior but looked as if he were in his fifties or sixties—spoke in a low voice.

"Please, hold on."

In his eyes, his wife surely hated seeing the "illegitimate daughter" born to another woman enter their home with such fanfare.

But this was an Awakened! If Amame Ei were to fall out with the Nagisa family, the entire upper echelon of the Island Nation would undoubtedly side with the girl.

While zaibatsus were the de facto rulers of the Island Nation, there were many of them, and they were all competitors.

As for Awakened—at the very least, the Island Nation's government possessed almost none of them.

Otherwise, the incident in Arakawa Ward would not have been handled so passively.

"No, I'm fine."

Shaking her head slightly, the young Madam Nagisa didn't actually resent Amame Ei; rather, she felt uneasy about the matter involving that classmate of hers.

In fact, she already knew she could not disclose any information about that classmate in any form.

It wasn't that the Madam was a gossip; it was because she had a habit of keeping a diary.

That night, the moment she picked up her pen to write a vague reference like "a certain classmate," her entire body had instantly stiffened, rendering her unable to move!

From that point on, she discovered that any attempt to reveal information about him would immediately cause her to lose control of her own body.

Coupled with the scene before her—

Just what kind of sacred existence was that classmate named Akihi Yu?

"Ei, if you don't want to..."

In Nagisa Kazuha's room, the young lady, now dressed in an elegant kimono, was adjusting the clothes of her sister, who was more petite than herself.

"No, I just... I just feel like this is all so unreal."

Dressed in the red-and-white robes of a shrine maiden, Amame Ei was also in a daze.

She had always longed for family affection, of course.

Ever since she learned of her "father's" existence, the young Amame Ei would often run to the area across from this estate, watching the family of three go out with envy.

However, as she grew older, she gradually understood that an "illegitimate daughter" who had never lived a single day with them could never enjoy the doting love of parents. Although she had later recognized, met, and bonded with her sister, Nagisa Kazuha—and their relationship was now like that of true sisters—a strange, inexplicable longing had always remained in her heart.

But now, with just a single nod, she would have parents, and a home!

She and Kazuha would also be sisters in the open.

"Everything I feel now is like a dream. When I wake up, it will all disappear—"

Two arms wrapped around Amame Ei from behind, and Nagisa Kazuha, holding her, leaned her head gently against her sister's.

"No matter how the world changes, you still have me."

"We will always be good sisters."

"Mhm,"

Swish, In the corner of the room, Little Black, curled into a ball, raised its head, its eyes darting around.

What the...

To see people being all lovey-dovey right off the bat.

Akihi Yu, who had transferred his consciousness to this clone, was stunned, his expression turning strange.

As the 'mastermind,' Akihi Yu gave Amame Ei power for two reasons. One was to fulfill her wish: as Akihi Yu had said, the entire Nagisa Clan was now begging Amame Ei to return to the family.

The other reason was related to the planting of the 'Divine Tree.'

As the treasure of the Otsutsuki Clan, the planted Divine Tree could provide the planter with an endless supply of magic power. It should have been planted immediately.

But this was a parallel world's Blue Star! It was outer space, orbited by over five thousand satellites, with countless monitoring methods sweeping across it—areas like the mysterious 'Bermuda Triangle' and the 'Loch Ness Monster' had become places for tourists to visit and take photos under the scrutiny of dense detectors.

Under satellite mapping, every inch of land was owned!

With the Divine Tree's 'outstanding' appearance, it would be discovered the moment it was planted, and then—it would be cordoned off for all sorts of research!

Even if Akihi Yu didn't care about the Otsutsuki Clan's reputation, what if the government found the tree suspicious and decided to destroy it?

Would he have to make the undeveloped Ten-Tails get up and run in the sunset?

The thought of that scene was too much to bear.

Therefore, Akihi Yu planned to plant the Divine Tree in Tokyo, in broad daylight!

To make the government not destroy it, and even protect it, he needed to offer a condition that the powerful figures couldn't refuse.

Medical ninjutsu was only the first step.

Even the illusory promise of 'longevity' was not out of the question.

Of course, these were just future plans. For now, he would first fulfill classmate Tenmokunyo's wish.

With that thought, the half-human-tall Black Fish swam towards the two young girls who were preparing to leave.

"Eh?"

"Little Black, no."

"You'll scare people if you go out..."

Just as Amame Ei waved her hand, signaling the Earthquake Catfish, which she had named 'Little Black,' to stay behind.

This half-human-tall Black Fish slapped its tail and leaped directly towards the girls.

?

The Earthquake Catfish shrank again in mid-air, finally becoming only cat-sized. With a thump, it landed in Amame Ei's arms, who had instinctively reached out.

Curled into a ball, it patted the girl's hand with its tail, signaling to its 'owner' that it was ready to go.

"Alright,"

"But you can't run around."

Holding the curled-up 'Little Black,' Amame Ei, dressed in a shrine maiden outfit, took a deep breath. Under Nagisa Kazuha's encouraging gaze as she pushed open the door, she stepped forward.

"Ichizaki, you're here too."

In the courtyard, young people gathered in twos and threes. A handsome young man holding a wine glass walked towards another cool man.

"It's Ginkawa,"

The cool man nodded slightly.

They both belonged to the elite wealthy second generation and had already begun learning to manage their family businesses. They had met a few times and could barely be considered friends.

Of course, in the business world, 'business is business,' and neither of them could say how deep this friendship truly ran.

"Do you know the background of today's 'protagonist'?"

"You don't know?"

The cool man asked, receiving a helpless shrug in return.

"You know, I have an ambitious brother at home, so—"

Being a rich second-generation heir wasn't easy either.

Many people assume that being a second-generation rich kid just means lying back and enjoying life, but how could that possibly be the case?

Ambitious partners, cunning lawyers, and devious executives—if you lack the ability yourself, your family fortune will soon be hollowed out by those around you through various "legal" means. By the time you come to your senses, they have already become the new power brokers.

The saying "Don't fear a rich kid who wastes their life on toys, fear a rich kid with grand ambitions" exists precisely because most of them fall into the hands of these clever people.

As the saying goes, "If you are given a gift and do not take it, you will be blamed for the consequences." If you lack the ability to guard your family's assets, don't blame us for being impolite!

That is why great families cultivate elite heirs to take over, while the others are given a share of dividends and raised like pigs.

Should a few of the heirs happen to show real capability, it inevitably devolves into internal strife.

In general, it is no different from the "struggle for the throne" of thousands of years ago.

At most, it is simply less bloody; the winner continues to lead the conglomerate, while the loser admits defeat and exits the stage, content to live out their days as a wealthy man of leisure.

"You don't need to know her background; you only need to know that she is absolutely the 'protagonist' today."

The cool-looking man gestured toward the other female guests, most of whom were between 14 and 18 years old.

Furthermore—

Everyone was dressed in fresh, elegant attire. Forget about jewelry or gemstones; one couldn't even spot a hint of heavy makeup.

"I see, thanks."

The handsome young man raised his glass in a thoughtful gesture of gratitude.

Just then, a man dressed as a middle-aged chauffeur walked to the front of the hall.

"Begin."

The middle-aged man sitting in the seat of honor nodded.

As he spoke, everyone in the hall and the courtyard seemed to have been hit with a pause button; not a single sound remained.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

The sound of wooden clogs approached from afar. Amame Ei, dressed in a white-and-red shrine maiden outfit, walked slowly from the backyard, with Nagisa Kazuha following half a step behind.

?

Many young, wealthy heirs in the garden who were unaware of the situation wore expressions of confusion.

A shrine maiden outfit?

To those in the world of anime or foreigners, this attire is mysterious and elegant; but within the Island Nation itself, it is not exactly a prestigious thing.

After all, shrines are the property of the priests. As for the status of shrine maidens... well, let's just say it's complicated.

Even the shrine maidens in modern major shrines are all just part-time workers.

Though, in those kinds of shops, there are plenty of shrine maiden cosplays.

And—

Is that a catfish toy she's holding in her arms?

Most of the young people in the courtyard were completely baffled by today's display, but the middle-aged and elderly power brokers in the hall felt an irrepressible desire burning in their eyes.

The transcendence of healing abilities.

When their gazes fell upon the "Black Fish" in the girl's arms, they all revealed expressions of apprehension.

If this girl were to be provoked and she threw the "Earthquake Catfish" in her hands—

That wouldn't just be a simple case of "shutting the door to beat the dog."

It would be a bloodbath on the spot!

Taking off her wooden clogs, she walked step by step into the hall and stopped before the man and woman kneeling in the host's seats. Amame Ei gathered her courage and looked at the man before her.

His graying hair was combed back, his nasolabial folds outlined a stern face, and the corners of his eyes, accustomed to looking down on others, were crowded with crow's feet. Dressed in a dark kimono, he looked like a rigid patriarch who had stepped right out of a period drama.

"Fa... Father."

Her lips trembled, and Amame Ei instinctively hugged the "Little Black" in her arms tighter.

Now that the moment had arrived, these words she had practiced for over a decade refused to leave her throat.

"That is enough."

The stern middle-aged man nodded and raised his hand slightly toward the side.

"This is Kazuha's mother."

Facing her sister's mother, Amame Ei was just about to speak when she was interrupted by the woman.

"If you don't mind, you may also call me Mother."

?!

"Mo... Mother."

Compared to the "father" to whom she had never spoken a word, Amame Ei felt much more familiar and close to Kazuha's mother.

Under the witness of half the circle of power, this drama of "acknowledging one's ancestors and returning to the clan" was complete.

So-called red tape and formalities can only bind the weak.

Amame Ei was clearly not weak; one could even say she already stood above the heads of most zaibatsu families.

"Amame-san, thank you for your help the other day."

"Amame-san, I am—"

"Hello."

Stepping out of the main hall, it was time for the 'socializing' of the young elite.

Wherever Amame Ei went, everyone's gaze followed, and with her at the center, the young scions formed a 'vortex.'

"Hello, hello, hello."

If not for Nagisa Kazuha by her side to handle the introductions and social maneuvering, facing the greetings coming from all directions, Amame Ei would have been spinning in circles, though she was already close to that point.

Everything within her line of sight consisted of polite overtures; even in the distance, whenever her gaze swept past, people would smile, nod, and raise their glasses in acknowledgment.

This feeling of being surrounded by the 'world'—

It was so exhausting!