"-and with that out of the way, eat, drink and make merry!" I finished as the crowd erupted into cheers.
The shrine's honden, the most sacred building of the shrine itself, intended purely for the use of enshrined Kami, this is where the higher 'new gods' would mingle amongst themselves, isn't where I am currently.
Instead, as improper as it is, I am currently in the haiden, the worship hall. No different is the place than the lobby of a brothel and marketplace with the screams and yells lost among the bustling crowd as the try and muscle past each other with elbows striking ribs and feet stomping toes.
Normally, this building would be... more subdued, in a way... than it is but the chaos grew exponentially even more so now that I am here.
As another part of my duty as a kami, it is crucial that I show myself among the masses like this at least twice a year since deities in a cult are not too dissimilar to public figures or celebrities. A cold comfort is it that my coworkers here also assign themselves this torture but knowing what little I understand of them, they would only show themselves for an hour at most.
Part of the reason why the believers are acting so feverishly desperate to witness my visage. They're probably assuming I'd do the same and leave within the hour.
As uncomfortable as the situation is, my nerves are still tense from the rest of the day so I'd probably stay for an extra hour at most. I'm in desperate need of peace and quiet, away from literally everyone else before I end up snapping and doing something terrible.
I've already resolved myself of the fact that the next few days will be a severe test of my patience of that nepobaby's highschool-level meddling just because his pride was lightly stepped on. After all, the internships are like what? A week at most before I have to head back to U.A., surely I could handle a grown-up man-child without any incidents, right?
By the gods, does that man love to tempt fate.
The gossips are tolerable, I can just turn a deaf ear and tune them out. Spiking my food and drinks are fine, I could get my sustenance in the society or in a feast here like today. Trying to sully my name in the academic community would be inconvenient but not irreparable with a few phone calls.
But insulting my home? My friends and family? And last but not the least, Kuroko?
Let's just say that someone is getting cursed and that it's money well spent.
With the thoughts of rightful retribution in the not-so-distant future, I leaned back on my seat and took a deep sip of refined sake from the sakazuki cup in my right hand while using the left to take a bite of taiyaki --No way I touching the meat dishes, who knows who got used there-- before releasing a contended sigh.
With the short respite, I turned my gaze below my elevated platform to take in the scene before me.
What little I could understand from my investigations so far are:
At the very forefront were the fanatic, dependent and broken. Frantic in energy and erratic in movement, these people focus entirely on me even as they trampled over each other. People like them either become the canon fodder at best, or the food to be cooked or toys to be played with at worst. Or, on the very unlikely chance, one of the broken would be chosen and rebuild to achieve a rank similar to the Naishoten that attacked during the sports festival.
They are left what they are as their faith amount to more than what the others can generate.
Behind them are somewhat calmer, with their wits still about with them and are more cognizant than the fanatics. These people have been believers for a time, loyal and still faithful even after surviving the whims of the other Kami for so long. They have been jaded to the point that bodies no longer bothered them as much as they used to, as such, they are more likely the type to become servants or lesser priests similar to those serving us tonight, using their limited sanity to follow orders but discouraged to think for themselves.
They are also the people who have been doing as I've told; to keep the order and chaos on the lower end, at least for tonight.
They're not doing a good job of it but well, not like the entire blame rests on them.
Scattered about here and there are groups or crowds of the more rabid believers. Feral and wild, these people who lost too much and broke too abruptly, the harrowed existences that they are stick closer to a pack-like structure even when surrounded by what they recognize as 'kin', as a result, they are given as wide of a berth as possible even when among the sea of bodies, which is to say very little space. There are multitudes of reasons why they are what they are today, but it is undeniable that they are the consequences of the Kami's actions, whether directly or indirectly.
And lastly put at the very back of everyone else, is the growing bulk of the group amid believers; The newcomers, so to speak. Their numbers swelled to an alarming rate in recent days, not to the point of surpassing any of the other types but with the pace that it's going, it wouldn't suprise me if they did eventually outnumber them.
This group has faith both small and dim, still riddled with doubt and lacking in belief. They are those who have little else to lose or gain when they were present the choice to come here, having only done so when the invitation arrived to them first before all else.
Despite being made up of both humans and lesser youkai, they still have what the other groups lack, their capacity to think for themselves and to think critically. The former of which stil mostly disbelieving the notion of Kami and magic as whole but decided to follow anyone with a level of power above their perceived threshold due to circumstances beyond their control having ruined their way of living one way or another. The latter of which followed along the current trend, partly for survival and partly for opportunity. The choice to do so was a matter of life or death to them and decided to take the easier route, something I couldn't really fault them with.
Those in this final group are looking at the others before then in apprehension before their eyes flicker to me. Some still disbelieving, others awe and splendor, at times even cocktails of emotions swirling within. It is true that the believers who came before them are... Less inhibited than most... But their gazes stinging me is uncalled for, it wasn't like I was the reason they're like that you know? I new here too!
I took another sip of my drink to stamp our the growing irritation and closed my eyes to the scene before me.
Focusing on my breathing rather than the bloodshot eyes, on the burning sensation in my throat from the sake rather than the boisterous voices calling out my false name, on the fine fabrics touching my skin rather than the gazes filled with what-have-you.
I opened my eyes again to the same scene as before, only this time, calmer. And so, I raised my sakazuki cup in the air as the crowd turned deafening.
~~~
I've left the feast and hour and a half in, just as the more rowdy bunch could no longer stay civil and began feeling promiscuous. I excused myself towards the nearest bathroom which isn't near at all. The servants directed me toward one befitting of my status rather than the ones for public or servant use, one of the things I've come to appreciate as the relief facilities are mostly archaic that would fit well into the sengoku period.
The accommodations I've found myself in are thankfully more modern in facilities that are reproduced in a magical capacity. With the familiar layout, it was easy enough for me to wash away the scent of alcohol and the drowsiness.
My internship might end in a day's but I'm assuming that my investigation here would take more time. Not unless I've managed to unearth so groundbreaking secret or a large conspiracy, I think that my sleep schedule would only return to half of what it used to be, hopefully.
To do that, I need to go out and deal with the next potential obstacle in that plan.
Leaving the bathroom, I addressed the hidden tail I have. "Are you my escort?" I shifted my head to the left in their direction.
"Hai." They said, not appearing before me directly.
"One of Ishimaru's then." I muttured to myself. Somehow, I got the feeling that only he would be the kind of person with enough patience and taste to cultivate someone like this. Even while hidden in the dark, there was enough luminescence to see that the person was dressed head to toe in one of the darkest shade of blue, like an actual honest to gods ninja.
'The other Kami would have colored or adorned then in trinkets if it was up to them.' I mused.
Without saying another word to my tail, I turned and began my exploration once more. The first order of business; prodding to see where this escort of mine would draw the line.
~~~~~(Omake)~~~~~
A man in his late twenties with fuzzy brown hair, large glasses and freckles cheeks strode confidently through the halls after he was done with a conference with the other men. Just as he turned right, he struck his toe into a corner harshly from the brisk pace of his walk, making the man release a high-pitched squeal that made the people who heard it wince.
Later, the same man heard the call of nature and went to relieve himself and rushed to the restroom nearest to his location, completely missing the sign that said it was out of order. Once the call of nature passed, he attempted to flush the toilet only for the contents to gush out violently onto his face and flooding the floors.
Later still, the man attempted to navigate his way towards the facility's clinic solely through touch because the rapidly developing pink eyes are obstructing his vision only to fall down a flight of stairs in such a comical way that his crotch hit the handrails, making him squeal like a girl for the second time that night.
When he was eventually resting in the clinic due to someone hearing his groans of pain, one side of the overhead dividers gave way, landing sorely his chest and not only breaking a rib, but also hitting his crotch once more.
Elsewhere in the Otherside, Nanna was giggling to herself about how much she loved her job at times all the while organising the regents she'll use for the next few days.