Back in the courtyard, Ryūshiki once again activated Tsukuyomi.
Kaguya spent a full year inside the illusion, mastering the Heaven's Eye Rift.
When Tsukuyomi ended, only a single day had passed in reality. Now, less than half a day remained before Ryūshiki's promised meeting with Isshiki.
By dawn, it would be time to part ways.
After a hard training session, Kaguya was drenched in sweat. She went to the sacred spring at Mizutsu-no-miya Shrine to purify herself. Once she'd finished, she dressed and returned to the courtyard.
Ryūshiki was there, dangling a tiny monkey by the scruff.
Kaguya's eyes lit up. "What's this?"
Ryūshiki grinned. "My friend Sarushiki stole my celestial sake gourd, got drunk, and hooked up with a female ape. That led to this little guy—neither parent wanted him, so he ended up with me."
He gave the monkey a gentle pat. "Takamagahara's climate isn't right for him. When you go to Tsukimi Nation, set him free."
Kaguya cradled the monkey in her arms. For a monkey, it was shockingly well-behaved.
The two sat beneath a tree, gazing at the moon.
Kaguya, remembering she was born in the Year of the Rabbit, asked, "Ryūshiki, were you born a dragon?"
Ryūshiki hesitated. "Uh… sort of."
He lied. The truth was, he'd started life as a carp, only becoming a dragon after leaping the Dragon Gate.
Kaguya pressed, "What do you mean, 'sort of'?"
Sensing trouble, Ryūshiki quickly changed the subject. "You know, besides us, there are ten others chosen by auspicious power. Want to hear about them?"
Kaguya nodded, genuinely curious.
Ryūshiki launched into the stories, his eyes alight.
"Onishiki is the 'Rat.' He's our clan's cleaner. When Divine Trees drain a planet dry, Onishiki goes in to finish the job—drilling through the core, spreading disaster so the world rots and never supports life again. He's got a natural stink to him."
Kaguya stroked the monkey's head, listening quietly.
"Kaishiki is the 'Ox.' He's the biggest in our clan—people call him the Meat Mountain Demon King."
"How big?" Kaguya asked.
Ryūshiki grinned. "You've seen Kinshiki, right?"
Kaguya nodded. "Big guy."
Ryūshiki chuckled. "Next to Kaishiki, Kinshiki looks tiny."
"Tiny…" Kaguya gave Ryūshiki a pointed look.
Ryūshiki coughed. "Big guys are usually all muscle, not much else. It's the concentrated ones that are the real deal. Besides being huge, Kaishiki doesn't have much going for him…"
But Kaishiki was still a High God, the only one who could move mountains with brute strength alone.
"Torashiki is the 'Tiger.' He was an orphan from the Root Solid Island branch family, but after returning to the main clan, his power skyrocketed—now he's the top High God."
Ryūshiki's tone turned regretful. "Too bad Torashiki has plenty of force but not enough flexibility. Otherwise, he might make it to Upper God in the future."
He looked at Kaguya. "The Rabbit… is our little princess right here."
Kaguya: "…"
Ryūshiki continued, "The Dragon is yours truly—me."
Kaguya: "…"
"Hebihime is the 'Snake.' She's got the white snake's immortality—no one can kill her. Every hundred years, she drops snake eggs randomly onto different lands. Her dream is to have descendants everywhere."
Kaguya asked, "Are there any in Tsukimi Nation?"
Ryūshiki shrugged. "Only Hebihime knows for sure. Maybe, maybe not. But don't worry—snake eggs take centuries, sometimes millennia, to hatch. You probably won't run into any, and even if you do, you can handle it."
Kaguya nodded, reassured.
"Gōshiki is the Horse, Jūshiki is the Sheep—brother and sister, same rank as Momoshiki and Kinshiki, both Lower Gods. They're peaceful and keep to themselves. By the way, Jūshiki… likes me."
Kaguya: "…"
Ryūshiki glanced at the monkey in her arms. "Sarushiki—this little guy's father. He's a drunk who loves fighting and weapons. His mastery of the Vajra Body is second only to mine. One of the few people I actually talk to in Takamagahara."
Kaguya pictured a wild, rowdy ape-man.
"Nakishiki is the Rooster—a real talker. He mediates clan disputes."
Kaguya asked, "What if he can't mediate?"
Ryūshiki smirked. "That never happens. If you can't solve the problem, you solve the person causing it. His 'crowing' technique is lethal—even High Gods can't handle it if they're not careful."
Kaguya nodded, figuring Ryūshiki was immune as an Upper God.
"Inushiki is the Dog. Loves gnawing bones. I lost an All-Killing Ash Bone once, and he chewed on it. Guess what happened?"
Kaguya asked, "He turned to bone ash?"
Ryūshiki laughed. "No, he learned my technique instead. That's him—always picking up tricks from others. But he probably won't last much longer."
Kaguya: "Why?"
Ryūshiki explained, "Kamishiki wants the All-Killing Ash Bones, but won't mess with me. So he'll go after Inushiki. I don't think Inushiki's got much time left."
Kaguya: "Aren't you going to save him?"
Ryūshiki shrugged. "Dog eat dog. Why bother?"
Kaguya nodded, realizing Ryūshiki was pretty cold toward the rest of his clan.
"And finally, Butashiki—the Pig. He's the only one who's eaten two chakra fruits."
Kaguya's eyes widened. "You can only eat one?"
Ryūshiki nodded. "Exactly. Eat a second, and no matter how strong you are, you'll die almost instantly."
"That's why the quality of the fruit matters so much—there's no second chance."
"After eating a fruit, if you want to get stronger, you have to absorb life from a planet with a Divine Tree. But that takes ages. That's why some clan members get desperate—turning people into pills for quick power."
"Butashiki broke the rule, probably because pigs eat anything…"
Kaguya asked, "Is Butashiki super strong now?"
Ryūshiki shook his head. "Not really. He was weak to begin with. Two fruits only bumped him up to the lowest High God. Kamishiki will probably surpass him once he eats his own fruit."
Ryūshiki summed up, "Chakra fruit gives a huge boost, but relying on it too much makes you forget—people are the real source of strength."
Dawn broke.
The time to say goodbye had finally come.
Ryūshiki stood, unclasped the black magatama from his neck, and gently put it around Kaguya's.
"Keep it as a memento."
Kaguya's fingers traced the magatama, her eyes swirling with emotion. After a long silence, she whispered, "Thank you…"
Ryūshiki smiled. "Go on."
Kaguya hesitated, reluctant to leave, but after a moment's struggle, she turned and walked away.
A breeze picked up. Ryūshiki pulled up his hood, dragon horns jutting out.
Hands in his pockets, he watched Kaguya's silhouette fade into the distance, sighing wistfully. "Ah… In the end, I never did make her smile."
…
At Awokigahara, before the Pillar of Heaven.
Isshiki was waiting. He glanced at the monkey in Kaguya's arms. "What's with the monkey?"
Kaguya's face was cold, her silence icy.
Isshiki shrugged. "Whatever. Come on—let's go to Tsukimi Nation."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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