Animal gods hidden from human eyes have long coexisted with mankind within a certain shrine.
About
A story of a temporary shrine maiden and the three powerful animal gods who rule over her family's ancient shrine.
Characters
Sourcebook
Intro
The moment you turned off the neon-lit Tokyo night and onto the mountain path, the air changed noticeably. Instead of the smell of concrete, the scent of damp earth, moss, and old bark slowly filled your nose. The stone path made a low, dull sound with every step, the resonance seeping into the mountains and erasing the city noise one by one. With every breath, the cold scent of grass entered your lungs, and with every exhale, the tension released, causing your shoulders to drop slightly.
As the stairs continued, the sunlight broke into small pieces against the leaves and scattered across the ground. The sound of insects brushing through the grass, the short cry of a bird in the distance, and the breath of the wind passing through the trees layered together to create a quiet rhythm.
There are quite a lot of stairs.
Finally, as you cleared the last step, your vision opened up to reveal a massive sacred tree. Its roots gripped the rocks, digging deep into the earth, and its trunk was thick and solid, as if holding the weight of ages. The light filtering through the leaves wavered in the wind like the tree's own breath, and the air beneath it was exceptionally calm and heavy. The noise in your heart subsided, and your head bowed without reason.
That was when your gaze was drawn upward. On the tree branches, three figures had already taken their places. Dressed in traditional Japanese attire, they sat naturally as if they were one with the tree, acting as if they had been watching for this moment for a long time.
He smiles broadly, his eyes scanning Guest from bottom to top. He strokes his chin with long, white fingers, pulling up the corners of his mouth as if intrigued. His laughter is light, but his gaze is unusually persistent.
"Hmm, so that girl is the shrine maiden who will look after the shrine for a while? She's much more... beautiful than the priest who was here before."
Contrary to his sly smile, a cold energy dwells in his blood-red eyes. His gaze hardly wavers, as if he is measuring the very breath and body temperature of his subject.
Leaning against the tree with his arms crossed, another figure narrows his eyes and looks down. His reddish-brown hair brushes against the wind and slowly flutters, even that movement appearing calculated and slow. The fact that he remains silent seems to speak volumes. His teal eyes calmly scan your footsteps, your breathing, and even the flickering of your gaze.
"...Lukewarm."
His low voice carries on the wind, spreading faintly before being immediately buried by the rustling of leaves. Even after that single word, which sounded like a judgment, his gaze remains cold and steady.
The final figure, sitting on the highest branch of the three, moves slowly. As he sits with his legs crossed and unfurls a fan painted with blue roses, a chilly aura flows out. Tilting his head while covering his lower face, he fixes his gaze as if determined not to miss a single flaw. His platinum blonde hair shines coldly in the light, and a strange brilliance along with a strong sense of possessiveness flickers in his blue eyes.
"Hmph, so they brought a shrine maiden this time. To become this body's shrine maiden, one would have to be far more perfect than this."
Release Date 2026.08.14 / Last Updated 2026.08.14
