For the people of Tsurumi Island, the sacrificial ritual held every few years was the most important event for the tribe. Any mistake was unacceptable. Only by offering sacrifices to the guardian deity would they receive her protection. Only by doing so would the tribe gain safety and good harvests.
Now, the time for the sacrifice had arrived. According to Tsurumi's customs, they would offer the little girl's blood to the guardian deity at the foot of Mount Kanna, binding her lifeless body to the altar and burning it to ashes, as a sign of respect.
But when the people opened the cage where the little girl had been held, they were horrified. Their carefully chosen offering had vanished without a trace. Not only the girl, but her parents had also disappeared from the village.
Faced with this absurd turn of events, every adult in the tribe panicked, unsure of what to do next. For centuries, they had performed this ritual without fail, always receiving the guardian deity's protection and ensuring the tribe's safety.
But now, the prepared sacrifice was gone. If the ritual were delayed, the guardian deity would surely be enraged, and the entire tribe might pay the price. What could they do? How could they salvage the situation?
There was less than half an hour before the ritual. In such a short time, it was impossible to find the escaped sacrifice in the mist. Without an offering, the guardian deity would surely unleash her fury.
At that moment, everyone involved in the ritual was as frantic as ants on a hot pan, utterly lost. Finally, one villager spoke up.
"The ritual cannot be delayed! If we anger the guardian deity, the entire tribe will suffer! The ritual must go on!"
"Since the chosen sacrifice is gone, we must choose another quickly!"
"Even if we choose another, the guardian deity will notice the change and punish us."
"We need an offering that will please the guardian deity!"
"Don't just talk! We have less than half an hour! Find a sacrifice that will satisfy her!"
The adults gathered together, desperate to find a way to continue the ritual. The only solution, under the circumstances, was to find a new sacrifice—one that the guardian deity would favor above all others. Only then would she not punish the tribe for losing the original offering.
But finding such a sacrifice was easier said than done. The previous offering had taken the High Priest an entire day to select. A perfect new offering, one that would please the guardian deity, would take at least another day—not half an hour.
As the minutes ticked by, the people grew more panicked, as if they could see their own doom approaching.
"What if we offer two sacrifices? Maybe that would satisfy her."
"Fool! The guardian deity doesn't care about the number of sacrifices!"
"Only whether she likes them!"
"Only a sacrifice she favors will please her and bring the tribe her protection."
"Then we just need to find a child she likes, right?"
"Yes! But we don't have time!"
"Actually—there is one."
"Who? Which child? Are they the right age?"
"Have you forgotten? Just three days ago, the High Priest's son, little Aru, said he met the guardian deity, sang for her, and received a feather from her!"
"The guardian deity must like Aru. She must be very pleased with him."
In their panic, when someone mentioned Aru, many remembered what had happened three days ago. Many villagers had seen Aru carrying the huge feather, singing songs about the guardian deity as he happily entered the village.
Since the guardian deity liked Aru so much, wouldn't offering him satisfy her? Wouldn't she forgive them for losing the original sacrifice and grant them her protection?
At this thought, the panic on the villagers' faces turned to excitement. Even Aru's father, the High Priest, heard their murmurs.
Make Aru the sacrifice in place of the little girl? The High Priest frowned. But he did not stop them, because he knew they were right. The chaos of this ritual had surely angered the guardian deity. Only by offering a sacrifice that pleased her could they earn her forgiveness and avert disaster.
If offering Aru would satisfy the guardian deity, even the High Priest could not openly oppose the ritual. When word spread about Aru, nearly every adult in the tribe—ordinary villagers and tribal leaders alike—agreed that he should be the new sacrifice.
Only then would the guardian deity be pleased.
Aru's father looked at the crowd's decision and silently nodded, accepting what had been decided. Even if he opposed, it would not change anything.
But still, he spoke up. "I think Aru should be given a choice. If he refuses, the guardian deity will not be pleased even if he is offered."
The tribe agreed to his request. They set out to find Aru and persuade him to accept the sacrifice.
Meanwhile, at Aru's home, according to tribal custom, once the ritual began, all children except the one being sacrificed had to stay indoors. Only then would they receive the guardian deity's protection.
Aru was obedient and followed the custom. He stayed quietly at home, waiting for the ritual to end, waiting for Lady Kapatcir to call his name as promised.