[96] The Goddess of the Sun

Chapter 96: The Goddess of the Sun

—

It's not funny if this situation was karma for that mistake. I had already paid enough for betraying her, I had made it up to her a thousand times.

But that's a story for another time.

“The moon's beautiful tonight,” My hand was still stretched forward, trying to hold it, even while I spent hours revisiting old memories.

The night was getting lighter now, and I had to make my decision already.

My mood has significantly improved. It always does when I recall my Emmanuelle. I've also come up with an idea of what to do next.

“Stronger…” I lowered my hand and let out a soft sigh. Whatever the problem was, it could be fixed with strength. Well, not this one, but I'm talking about it in general.

I got up from the bench and yawned. It'd be a waste to go to school today, and I also have a date with Akane tomorrow.

I should first earn some cash, and then find myself a place to stay and cultivate.

I did have some cash in my PayPay, but I intentionally didn't bring cash from home. There was no point in that. If… she ever questions why he took the money in PayPay, I'll just say it's a payment for giving her the Psyker Elixir. Or for saving her life.

I checked my phone and opened PayPay. I intentionally ignored the notifications from messages that came from different people.

“About ¥100,000. Not bad.”

Hmm, what's the quickest way to make some money from this?

* * *

When the sun rose, I went to the city of Tokyo and into a music shop. I spent all of my 100k on a good violin and a big hat.

With the instrument in hand, I stood on a morning street in Japan, where salarymen and students bustled back and forth.

I had the [Tiger Icon] gently reigning over me, without taking shape in the sky. Just to change the color of my hair and eye, as well as change my height. I also grew more muscular so that nobody could recognize me.

With that done, I began to play the violin. A Thousand Years played out in a smooth, rhythmic sensation, my uncountable years of experience flowing out as music.

People stopped as the magical sound touched not their ears, but their hearts. A small crowd gathered, and then a big one. My one hat seemed too small in no time, but to the people's surprise, it never filled. It was a minor spell that slightly stung my mana reserves for breaking the promise, but didn’t cause any significant harm.

At one point, my voice couldn't hold it anymore. I began to sing along with the music.

“I have died every day waiting for you, Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand more…”

The crowd erupted into cheers as my voice carried far. People silently listened and a few began to cry at the feelings I poured into the words.

A minute later, I stopped. There was a silence before applause filled the air.

“Hey, are you a foreigner?!”

“You must be someone famous, can I get an autograph?!”

People yelled different things, rushing to my private space, but I raised a hand and quickly stopped them. I poured a tinge of willpower into the Tiger Icon to make the humans not approach me so easily.

“Who broke your heart?! I'll beat them up for you, just tell me their name!” Someone from the crowd yelled, and I laughed.

“It's nobody, it's just a song.” I waved at her and paused. I recognized her. It was a little girl, it was… Yuzuru.

She didn't recognize me, so I stayed silent. “Anyhow, since it's morning and most of you are going to work or school, I can't let you leave with a heavy heart. So I'll play cheerful music now if you let me. Um, and it might be shameful of me to ask, but,” I snapped my fingers as party papers burst out near my feet and more hats appeared. “I have prepared more hats just in case.”

“Ooh, even magic tricks~”

Under the awe-filled people, the strings of my violin cried and I began to sing.

“Havana, ooh na-na, Half of my heart is in Havana, ooh na-na, He took me back to East Atlanta, na-na-na, ah, Oh, but my heart is in Havana, There's somethin' 'bout his manners, Havana, ooh-na-na…”

I let my voice free and let the girls fall in love while my hats filled with more cash than I could count.

* * *

Sitting on the edge of a bridge, dangling my legs, I divided the notes depending on their type and closed my eyes. The sheen of my Jade Perception helped me count the notes in a second.

“So, in total,” I hummed. “210k? Insane.”

Who knew the money game was so easy? Well, I knew. Money is easy. I spent half an hour and earned back double what I spent on the violin.

I was in the mood to sing, otherwise I'd have robbed a bank.

“By the way,” I looked to the side, at a wall. “How long are you going to hide?”

A figure flinched behind the wall, all of whose movements were caught by my Jade Perception, as a short figure jumped into sight. It was Yuzuru.

“Aqua!” She pointed a finger at my blue eyes and blonde hair. “Yo- you can shapeshift?! So all this magic that Shoko talked about is real?!”

“Well, it wasn't exactly shape-shifting, but sure. Yeah. Why are you skipping school?”

“No, why are you skipping school?! How poor are you that you have to skip school to earn money?! Did… did your Reality Show not pay you?” Yuzuru asked.

I jumped off where I was sitting and let out a yawn. “Oh, I got kicked out of my home. So I was earning some money since I needed money to rent a place.”

“.…” she stared at me. “You’re serious?”

“Well, I didn't get kicked out per se, I left after we had a pretty serious argument. But my parents didn't stop me from leaving. Would you count that as getting kicked out?” I asked with a tilt of my head.

“Depends,” she shrugged. “If your parents are trying to call you back right now, then no, you haven't been kicked out, you're just being rebellious. But… I know life can be hard sometimes, some parents would be happy to never see their children's faces. So if your parents haven't reached out to you yet, despite being out here all night long, then yeah, you are kicked out.”

I smiled at her. I was just trying to make a conversation, but she gave a nice answer. “Wow, you are smart for a 12-year-old-”

“I am 15!”

“No you're not, your older sister is 15.” I scoffed at the little liar who grumbled.

“Ugh. Fine, I'm 14. But that's still not 12.” She crossed her arms and frowned. “You sing well, by the way.”

“Wait, was that a compliment?”

“Shut up, I'm just being nice.”

She checked me up and down, “And you looked better when taller.”

“Did you just call me short? I’m still tall, 6”1.” I placed a hand on her head. “You're the shorty here, you 4-feet-9 little girl.”

“Shut up! I am average!”

“Yeah, sure.”

She frowned, opened her mouth, and then closed it. She quickly took off her school bag and began to go through it. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought she was looking for a weapon. Instead, she took out a packet of biscuits and offered it to me.

“You said you were kicked out? Then you mustn't have had breakfast yet.”

I took it. “Such a cute little sister-in-law I have, thanks.”

“W-WHAT?! I am not letting you marry my sister, you playboy bastard!”

“I am joking,” I evaded a kick and undid the packet, pouring all of the biscuits down my throat. That inhumane showing put her on her guard as jumped back.

“Skinwalker!”

“I'm just fucking with you.”

I laughed as I took out a bottle of water from my Void Storage, which startled her, and drank from it.

Yuzuru silently stared at me until I was done. Then, she opened her mouth, “Can you teach me m-”

Was she talking about music or magic I didn't get to know as her phone rang and she blinked. She frowned and took it out of her pocket, receiving it.

“Hello, mom?” she asked casually, but a second later her face darkened. Her phone fell from her hand. “G-grandma?!”

* * *

[Third Person Point of View]

In the dimly lit room of their modest home, Shoko and her mother stood vigil beside the bed where the family's eldest member lay, her breaths shallow and labored. The atmosphere was thick with worry and the unspoken fear of impending loss. Shoko's grandmother, a pillar of their small family, was fading fast.

Shoko's heart ached as she watched her grandmother struggle. Her grandmother was 69 this year, and naturally, she was old enough for death to be a common fear. This old lady, Ito Nishimiya, was fine even last night. However, she was oddly late in getting up in the morning. When Shoko came to check on her, she found her groaning in pain while staring at the ceiling.

Shoko and her mother tried to call an ambulance right away, but her grandmother kept shaking her head. “It’s time… It’s my time… I can see the grim reaper…”

They called the ambulance still, but it was supposed to take a long time. So Shoko called her sister who had left for school hoping Yuzuru would bring a doctor home.

‘There is no time…!’ Shoko could feel that her grandmother was dying. But she didn’t like that, she wanted to stop it. Somehow. Anyhow. Other than Yuzuru, Ito was the person she was closest to. She didn’t have a father, and her mother was always out for work, Shoko didn’t want to lose her.

Thankfully, her Sacred Gear, [Echo] whispered in her ears about healing spells, urging her to try healing magic. With tentative hope, Shoko placed her palms over her grandmother. When she followed the command of Echo in a desperate attempt, a soft green light came out of her palms, easing the old woman's pain.

“W-what’s that, Shoko?!” her mother, Yaeko Nishimiya gasped, but didn’t object. It was easing Ito’s pain.

But as the minutes passed, it became clear that the healing was superficial, doing nothing to halt the steady decline of her grandmother's health. It wasn’t working.

[Something Greater. Death Can’t Be. Cheated With Such Weak Spells.] – was what her Sacred Gear muttered in broken Japanese.

But how could Shoko, with zero magical experience, try such death-defying spells?

‘Why isn't Yuzuru back with the doctor yet?’ Shoko's thoughts raced; a Doctor was the only hope now.

Well, there was someone else too, but…

Her eyes flickered between the door and her grandmother's frail form. ‘Should I... call Aqua?’ The idea sprang unbidden into her mind, fueled by desperation. Aqua, her friend, was experienced in Magic. Perhaps he could cast the appropriate spell?

But doubt crept in, clouding her resolve. ‘No, I can't. He has helped me enough… I can't keep depending on him. Besides, what will he think of me if I call him only when I need help?’ she reasoned, her heart heavy with the decision.

‘But still, Grandma…’ she was unsure what to do.

Just then, the sound of the door swinging open cut through the silence. “I am home!” Yuzuru’s voice screamed.

Shoko's mother spun around, a mix of hope on her face as she expected to see the doctor. Instead, two figures stepped in, neither of whom was the awaited physician.

"Ah, it's not the doctor..." Yaeko began, her voice trailing off as her gaze landed on the unexpected visitors.

"Then who—?" Shoko’s question was left hanging as her eyes widened, a wave of relief washing over her. It was Aqua, accompanied by her sister. She smiled, “Don’t worry Mom,  it’ll be alright now!”

Strangely, after looking at the patient from a distance, his head turned to the open window. His gaze locked on empty air for a second before he looked at Shoko. “Looks like someone is dying.”

Yaeko Nishimiya frowned at him.

* * *

[First Person Point of View]

I looked at the open window, where a white-haired little girl sat. Her hair flowed in the wind as she smiled at me, tilting her head.

[Image Here]

She looked familiar, somehow, but more importantly, nobody in the room could see her. Nobody other than the old lady on the bed.

‘A shikigami?’

Still, I shouldn’t have said that. Both Yuzuru and that woman, who must be Shoko’s mother, were frowning at me. Shoko kept up her healing magic and cried at me, “A-are you saying there is no way to save her life?!”

“Hey, Shoko, why are you listening to him?! Yuzu, where is the doctor?!” Shoko’s mother glared at me as I moved closer to the patient.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean that.” Before Shoko could respond, I stepped forward, my eyes fixed on the patient. "I heard about the situation from Yuzuru. I know I might not be the doctor you were expecting, but I believe I can help."

Shoko's eyes glistened with unshed tears, her voice barely above a whisper. "Aqua, I... I didn't want to trouble you. But since you said that, please, check her.”

“Hey, Shoko-” her mother tried to say something, but Shoko pulled her out of the room. Yuzuru too, despite my earlier words, nodded and left. She had seen me shape-shift, and she believed it was me who cured her sister. So she believed in me.

The white-haired child in the window smiled at the situation, speaking in a high-pitched voice. “You think you can save her from death?”

“Ah,” I turned to her. I remember. “God of Guides, Yatagarasu?”

The child blinked and then smiled. “No. This is a Yatagarasu’s vessel body. But right now, it’s not her. I am borrowing it.”

Having lived in Japan for 15 years, I knew enough about the Shinto religion to guess who this little girl was. “Amaterasu? Odd for you to come down yourself for a single mortal soul.”

“It’s not just for her, I knew you would be here.”

I ignored her and moved to the patient, who was staring at the ceiling. Looking at her dazed eyes, she was moments away from death. If I had access to my Magic, I could have prolonged that with a single spell, but sadly I didn’t.

But for someone like me who pursued eternal life with my loved ones, how could I only have one way to increase a person’s lifespan?

I smiled at Amaterasu, “Of course, I can save her from death. Thanks to the herbs you provided last time. Thank you.” I slipped my hand into my Void Storage and used the Wind Aura in the air to keep many combinations of herbs afloat.

I hadn’t expended all the herbs while making… Ai’s Psyker Potion, and that was coming in handy right now.

With a slight nod to Amaterasu, who was looking at the potions she had gifted me last time with a raised eyebrow, I focused on the task at hand. My fingers danced through the air, selecting specific herbs from the assortment floating around me.

The mixture required precise proportions, a knowledge I had gathered over lifetimes of experimentation and study. As the herbs mingled in mid-air, I summoned a gentle, white flame — my [Soul Fire].

Unlike regular fire, this ethereal flame burned as I wished, or didn’t at all if I wanted. Right now, I commanded it to meld the herbs together, the mix of their properties would enhance their potency. The flame glowed softly, casting a light in the dim room as the herbs melted.

The herbs began to swirl within the white fire, and in just under a couple of minutes, they gradually formed a single, luminescent pill. The process was delicate, and it took a lot out of me, but the pill was done. Its color shifted from a vibrant green to a deep, golden hue, indicating its readiness.

With a final flick of my wrist, I guided the pill out of the flame and into my hand. The room fell silent, the only sound being the faint crackling of the [Soul Fire] as it dissipated into the air.

Turning to old lady Nishimiya, who lay on the bed, her breaths weak, I approached with the pill in hand. Her eyes, clouded with the proximity of death, flickered with a faint glimmer of awareness as I came closer.

"Here," I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper. "This should help."

Gently, I parted her mouth and placed the pill on her tongue, ensuring she swallowed it. Almost immediately, a subtle change began to take place. The pallor of her skin, once ashen and lifeless, began to recede, replaced by a healthier, more vibrant tone. Wrinkles that had etched deep lines in her face started to smooth out as if time itself was being rewound.

Within moments, old lady Nishimiya's appearance had transformed. Her once frail form radiated with a newfound vigor, her skin had a youthful elasticity as the deep lines of age smoothed away. She looked at least twenty years younger, and the toll of her years significantly lessened.

Her breathing steadied, becoming more rhythmic and less strained. She wasn’t going to die anytime soon.

In the back, I noticed the three ladies were peeking into the room. They had been peeking since I started the Soul Fire, as they were worried about the fire burning down their house. That’s why I didn’t speak to Amaterasu after that, since they’d wonder if I was crazy.

Varied looks of disbelief crossed the family’s faces as they witnessed the miraculous change. Shoko re-entered the room quietly and stood frozen in awe. Her eyes, filled with wonder, shifted from her rejuvenated grandmother to me.

"How...?" she began, her voice trailing off in astonishment.

"A magician doesn’t reveal his tricks," I replied with a smile. I glanced briefly at the window where Amaterasu’s vessel had been. The figure was gone now, as silently as it had appeared.

Old lady Nishimiya's eyes fluttered open, clear and lucid. She looked around the room, her gaze finally settling on me. A faint smile graced her lips, one that spoke of vitality that she hadn’t had for decades.

"Thank you," she murmured, her voice stronger than anyone would have expected moments ago.

I nodded, feeling a sense of fulfillment. "Thank your granddaughters, not me,” I suggested gently.

As I stepped back, allowing the family to reunite with their matriarch, I felt a gentle sense of satisfaction. Not only had I saved a life, but I had also given a family more time with their beloved member. It was moments like these that reminded me of the beauty of supernatural powers.

I withdrew back to the living room to give the family some alone time, and because I had to be there. Someone was waiting for me there. I found Amaterasu sitting and eating snacks at the dining table, just as my Jade Perception had shown me.

“Looks like you want to talk,” I said as I took a seat opposite her.

“Yes,” she said, gulping down the chocolate and giving me a creepy smile. “Let's start with… Who are you?”

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