First Hearing of 'Transcendence'

"Too slow."

At the entrance of Imperial Sakura School, Akiyu Sora struck her classic tsundere pose.

Akihi Yu and the class representative, Ai Nao, were both long accustomed to this.

"It can't be helped. The subway in Arakawa Ward is still under repair due to the 'terrorist attack,' so we have to take a detour for the time being."

As Akihi Yu shrugged in explanation, the delicate Akiyu Sora pulled out her phone.

"Follow me."

?X2

"The incident that occurred in Arakawa Ward wasn't an earthquake, nor was it a terrorist attack."

As the three walked home, led by Akiyu Sora, they intentionally detoured to an empty park. Sora, who had her hair tied into twin tails with black ribbons, held her phone out to Akihi Yu.

Ah, this...

The image showed a pitch-black, gargantuan entity soaring into the sky. Because it was moving at high speed, the photo was nothing but a blurry afterimage.

Yet, one could still distinguish the signature flat, oversized head of a catfish, along with two striking whiskers.

"Is this... a catfish?"

The class representative, Nao, who had leaned in, spoke with hesitation.

The thing in the picture looked exactly like a chubby, short catfish.

But compared to the surrounding buildings, this catfish was simply too large—it looked like something out of a tokusatsu show.

That was impossible, however, because the image also captured ordinary people fleeing in terror, and even figures lying in pools of blood. Such scenes would never appear in a tokusatsu production.

Over thirty years ago, in Saitama Prefecture, right next to Adachi Ward, a heinous case had shocked the entire island nation.

The Miyazaki Tsutomu incident!

The things that guy did—

The level of bloodshed and depravity completely shattered the bottom line of humanity.

After his arrest, the police found over 6,000 adult films, anime, and tokusatsu tapes in his home.

In an instant, The entire nation was in an uproar, and otaku were practically equated with "potential criminals."

The condemnation of anime and tokusatsu reached its peak: themes regressed, production numbers plummeted, projects were scrapped, companies went bankrupt, and the industry faced discrimination and criticism from all sides.

This was also the reason why, later on, tokusatsu shows were almost exclusively "aimed at children."

To this day, the "harmful books movement" still exists.

Therefore, the class representative, Nao, was certain that such a bloody image could never be from a tokusatsu filming set.

Then—

"This is not a composite image, nor is it a movie scene."

Pointing to a broken sign flying into the air in the photo—a shop they were all familiar with—

Akiyu Sora whispered a secret that was truly earth-shattering.

"This is the reality of what happened in Arakawa Ward."

"The true culprit is a monster—no, I should say, a supernatural creature."

???

Adjusting her glasses, The model student Ai Nao fell into deep thought.

"So that's how it is."

Turning to look at the "suddenly enlightened" Akihi Yu, the class representative, Nao, couldn't help but speak up.

"Yu-kun, just based on one photo..."

"Since Sora says so, of course I believe her."

Akihi Yu's serious expression caused the corners of the delicate girl's mouth, who was holding the phone, to curl up slightly.

"This is a photo from the scene obtained by a member of my 'Cyber Club.' By now, not a single trace of it can be found anywhere on the internet."

As an elite school, most students at Imperial Sakura Girls' Academy participated in various club activities; only those with special circumstances would head home early. The club Akiyu Sora had joined was the "Cyber Club"—as the name suggested, a gathering of tech geeks.

That was why Akihi Yu took the train over after school, just in time to pick up Sora after her club activities ended.

"According to the intelligence obtained by our club president,"

Akiyu Sora continued, "Several supernatural incidents have occurred in Tokyo recently, and the casualties have already reached triple digits."

In short, stay safe.

"Your club president is truly amazing, being able to dig up so much information through the internet."

To class representative Ai Nao's exclamation, Sora simply offered a faint denial.

"What are you thinking?"

"This is a secret her brother told her."

Interpersonal relationships, could they also be considered a kind of 'network'?

Thinking of this, a flash of lightning streaked across Ai Nao's mind.

"Could it be that Amame Ei is also..."

That day, they had witnessed with their own eyes Amame Ei appearing at the crime scene in full regalia, surrounded by a crowd of high-ranking figures.

Since there are monsters, there naturally exist forces that correspond to them: Shinto priests, monks with dharma power, and espers.

"Mm,"

Akiyu Sora nodded slightly, "Although there is no concrete evidence, a saying has already been circulating in our school in secret:"

"Respect Amame Ei just as you would respect your own father."

As high school girls who have yet to enter the workforce, everything possessed by the young ladies of Imperial Sakura School is built upon their fathers. Faced with the dignified head of the household, few dare to shout or act out.

This also indirectly illustrates the status 'Amame Ei' holds within the school.

"I see,"

Class representative Ai Nao finally understood why Amame Ei had transferred schools so quietly.

"Let's go. What does the supernatural or non-supernatural have to do with us?"

Akihi Yu waved his hand, completely lacking the self-awareness of a 'mastermind behind the scenes.'

"What we should be considering now is: what are we eating for dinner tonight?"

"That is your business,"

Akiyu Sora replied bluntly as she put away her phone.

Don't let her sweet and cute appearance fool you; she isn't particularly skilled at cooking.

Her pastry-making skills, however, are quite good.

"Yes, yes, yes~~"

Akihi Yu replied offhandedly to this.

He even had the spare capacity to control numerous clones wandering about elsewhere.

Toshima Ward, Sugamo Town.

At this moment, the 'old friend' mentioned by the trio, Amame Ei, was being escorted by a motorcade back to her family's shrine.

"Eh?"

"Wait a moment."

As soon as Amame Ei finished speaking, the entire motorcade slowed down and came to a halt with a smooth motion.

Rolling down the window, Amame Ei greeted an elderly woman by the side of the road.

"Mrs. Hamasaki, what are you doing?"

"Oh, if it isn't little Ei."

The old woman standing in front of her house was directing workers to move furniture, and she answered Amame Ei with a beaming smile.

"My unfilial son suddenly called and demanded that this old woman go stay with him."

"Sigh, I really have no choice but to be annoyed by him~~"

Although she kept complaining, looking at the smile on her face, it was clear she was very happy.

"So I sold this old house and am preparing to move."

Of course, this was only the surface reason.

The deeper reason was—

Her son had received a 'commission fee' of five million, urging his mother to sell the old house at double the market price.

It wasn't just her; many families on this street had received generous offers!

The staff from those 'real estate companies' seemed to have lost their minds; the usual petty tricks of pestering, gift-giving, and feigned concern had all vanished. Each one was flush with cash and only knew how to 'add more money,' acting as if winning the property one second earlier was the ultimate victory.

Amidst the skyrocketing housing prices, the majority of the residents began to prepare for relocation.

The remaining few, sensing a dangerous aura in the increasingly impatient and high-priced offers from those staff members, also gave up their persistence one after another.

When the price reaches a certain point, many people will stop playing by the rules with you!

The yakuza of this island nation are not like the advertisements suggest; they don't just sell milk tea.

It should be said the other way around: the milk tea business has been tainted by the yakuza.

"Is that so?"

Amame Ei only felt that there were many people moving out on the street today, but Nagisa Kazuha, sitting beside her, already understood.

"Someone is buying up the land on this street."

"Eh?"

"What could this old street possibly have that is worth—"

"Silly Ei-chan."

Raising her hand to tap her sister's nose, Nagisa Kazuha spoke with a smile.

"You are the greatest treasure, an existence looked up to by countless people."

Just as Nagisa Kazuha said, when the sedan they were riding in arrived at the foot of the mountain where the shrine was located, a group of big shots was already waiting there.

"Shrine Maiden of the Heavens,"

"Please forgive our presumptuous visit."

Director Takeya, who led the group, greeted them with a smile that felt like a spring breeze; he was truly a man who lived up to the 'spring' in his name.

Of course, if he were facing others, he would show a completely different face; did they really think the head of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department would be such a mild-mannered person?

"It's fine,"

"The shrine is a place for people to come and worship, after all."

For these big shots who had come together to pay their respects at the shrine, Amame Ei naturally would not turn them away.

"Please, head up the mountain."

"Please don't mind us, Shrine Maiden-sama, go ahead."

Only after Amame Ei and Nagisa Kazuha stepped onto the mountain path did the group follow behind.

From the way the crowd was positioned, one could easily discern their status: walking at the very front was the composed Director Takeya, followed closely by the American male and female consultants looking left and right, then the high-ranking officials from other departments, and finally, several old men dressed as Shinto priests.

This was the shrine of the 'Inari God'; even if they were the chief priests of Meiji Shrine or Yushima Tenmangu, they had to lower their heads and bow upon arriving here.

There was no helping it; the Inari God had bestowed divine power upon the 'Shrine Maiden' and suppressed the rampaging 'Earthquake Catfish' with a flip of her hand, while their own gods... well.

However, they were not the most awkward ones; the most awkward was the chief priest of Fushimi Inari Taisha, who had just rushed over from Kyoto.

As the head shrine for over thirty thousand 'Inari Shrines' across the island nation, they had received no 'divine oracle' nor witnessed any 'divine miracle,' yet now they had to pay respects at a place where the god had personally bestowed blessings. How could they not feel awkward?

But then again, in this modern society, how many true believers are left in the shrines?

Most people just treat this as a 'job': compared to any sort of faith, they are more like staff members at a 'tourist attraction.'

And so, a group of people with different agendas stepped along the forest path to the summit.

What they saw was:

"Ah, the torii gate."

Amame Ei scratched her head.

The shrine's torii gate had disappeared. No, it should be said that it was right on the back of 'Little Black.'

Without a torii gate, what kind of shrine could it even be called?

"Little Black,"

Taking the 'Earthquake Catfish,' which had shrunk into a ball, out of her school bag, Amame Ei requested in a whisper.

"Could you grow big and act as the torii gate for a while?"

"Please~~"

Giving the girl a 'wise' look, the Earthquake Catfish she had named 'Little Black' leaped from her palm.

Once it left the girl, the Earthquake Catfish grew as it met the wind!

?!

Witnessing the suddenly massive Earthquake Catfish, the high-ranking officials behind the girl paused in their tracks. Fortunately, they were all big shots and managed to keep their composure, avoiding making a scene.

Pop.

The giant Earthquake Catfish landed at the entrance of the shrine without causing a earth-shaking roar.

Instead, it silently merged into the earth, then swam to the entrance, its entire body sinking into the ground, leaving only a torii gate—restored to its original size—standing tall at the shrine entrance.

"Well then, everyone."

"Please, come in."

Seeing Amame Ei step through the torii gate and gesture for them to enter the shrine, the group of high-ranking officials looked at each other in dismay.

Facing the Earthquake Catfish without turning and running was already a testament to their self-control; now, asking them to step over the Earthquake Catfish to pass through the torii gate, this...

Before they had even taken a step, many in the crowd felt their legs go weak.

It was like standing beside a tiger in a park; even knowing the beast wouldn't attack, one still felt an instinctive dread!

And the Earthquake Catfish was far more terrifying than any tiger, as evidenced by the Self-Defense Force that had returned in total defeat.

"Then, we shall intrude."

In the end, it was Director Takeya who took the first step.

As he passed through the torii gate, the people behind him gritted their teeth and stomped—though they dared not actually stomp, instead holding their breath and treading lightly as they crossed beneath the gate.

Several of those with weaker nerves walked as if stepping on cotton, their footing uneven and unsteady.

"Your shrine. It is quite elegant."

Having crossed the torii, Takeya looked at the tiny shrine before him and nearly struggled to find words of praise.

"Hehehe~~"

"Although it is small here, it is my home!"

Back in her own domain, Amame Ei became much more lively, generously introducing the place to the group:

"I will take you—"

She stopped mid-sentence, her expression gradually turning serious.

"Everyone, my Lord requests your presence."

My Lord?

My Lord?!

The high-ranking officials were stunned for a moment, and then their faces changed drastically.

In this tiny shrine, only Amame Ei, the "Divine Child," resided.

Therefore, the "Lord" she spoke of could only refer to one being:

The Inari God!

A god. Wanted to see them?