"Hello, beautiful sister!"

The giant whale has been waiting for Kujira at the beach for a long time. When it sees me, it keeps flicking its tail. Although I am used to the way it speaks, it still feels a little awkward when I hear it.

"You go and play with the others." The giant whale pushed Kujira with his mouth in the sea water, "I want to talk to my beautiful sister."

Kujira glanced at me, and I had no choice but to nod. Kujira didn't say much and walked away.

"Sister, have you seen me?" the giant whale patted its fins and said, "Actually, I have always wanted to say this, but I don't know why and I can't say it."

"..." Compared to this, you should be calmer next time you see me.

"Well, when I first met my sister, didn't I capsize her boat..." The giant whale giggled, "Actually, I wanted to imitate a human hero and save the beauty..."

"..."

"Okay, okay, I know you don't speak, but I didn't mean it. I want to be friends with my sister, just like the young master and the others." The giant whale symbolically patted its tail again, splashing

The water splash wet the corners of my clothes, "Okay?"

I took a few steps back to prevent it from pouring sea water on my head. However, the giant whale did not pay attention to this matter, and it moved forward with difficulty on the shoal.

"Sister, just say yes, I'm very obedient." The pitiful tone made me helpless no matter what.

Sighing, I had no choice but to reach out and push the giant whale's head and said, "I understand. Anyway, you go back quickly. Otherwise, you will be stranded here like last time. It will be very hard for everyone."

"Sister talked to me!" The giant whale turned over excitedly, and then, the sea water directly drenched my whole body from its rear tail.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Crab Princess' laughter came from behind me. I turned around and found that Otakemaru who was following me also had a faint smile on his face.

"...Is it that funny?"

Kujira came over and was stunned for a moment, then pointed to his head.

I reached out to touch my head, and something slippery escaped from my hand. Without any hesitation, I grabbed the slippery thing above my head and threw it in the direction of Crab Girl.

As I expected, it was indeed an octopus. Crab Girl usually likes to eat octopus balls, so it would not be a loss to give it to her.

"Ah! Young Master! Crab Girl... Crab Girl can't see the road!" There was an octopus I just threw to her crawling on Crab Girl's face. I looked at her swaying posture and felt inexplicably relieved.

Otakemaru stretched out his hand to help her remove the octopus, and then handed it to Crab Princess: "Look, this is your snack today."

"Of course!" Xie Ji took the octopus, then looked at me and threw it over, "I'll leave it to you to help Xie Ji make it!"

I didn't have time to hide, and the slimy octopus clung directly to my face.

"Ah! Octopus!" Crab Girl watched me throw the octopus back into the sea expressionlessly. After running a few steps, she fell to the ground with watery eyes. "Ugh, Crab Girl's octopus balls!"

She immediately got up and said to me: "You bad guy, you lost Crab Girl's octopus balls!"

Saying that, Crab Girl came over waving her small pliers.

"Even so, let Otakemaru compensate you." I easily pressed Crab Girl's little head and said, "I'm going to rest."

Crab Princess paused, then raised her head and said, "But there is a Fireworks Festival tonight..."

"I know." I interrupted her, but with them watching me, I couldn't leave immediately, so I raised my head and looked at them, "I will come."

...The so-called resting actually means that I want to be alone. No one will disturb me, and I can recall those past events by myself. Although I have gradually accepted the life in Suzuka Mountain, only I know that.

My injury is still not healed, the healing... is just superficial.

The moment I returned to my house, I suddenly noticed a familiar force.

"It looks like you're living a good life here." He originally had his back to me, but when he heard me opening the door, he turned around.

After being slightly surprised, I picked up a dry towel not far from him and wiped my wet hair: "Then what? Do you want to take me away? Lord God."

Yamata no Orochi stretched out his hand and pinched a strand of my hair: "I welcome you to join me at any time, but you... don't welcome me now."

I raised my head to look at him, but I never saw anything related to gods in his eyes.

"I'm just here to give you something." He let go of my hair and wanted to reach out and hold my chin.

I blocked his hand: "No, thank you."

"...It seems that you have begun to doubt me." Yamata no Orochi smiled, "But...I am not here to give you anything."

"..."

The cold hands covered my face and pressed tightly against my hair that was still wet just now.

"One day, you will come to me. Until then..."

Just like that time in the narrow room, he gently pressed his cold lips to my forehead.

When I was a child, I thought it was a blessing. Later I realized that it was just a curse he gave me. With the longing for God that I still have, I accepted the curse with gratitude.

"...I am already a demon, what else can interest you, Lord God?"

"No." He smiled and left my sight, "Your existence is the most interesting thing."

That's it...

So, Yamata no Orochi, what are you looking forward to? My hopeless life will eventually perish, so what fun are you looking forward to?

I pressed the spot on my forehead with my palm, and then went out. Now it was the time when the sirens of Suzuka Mountain were busy. I rubbed my eyebrows and thought about what Yamata no Orochi had just said as I walked.

Why did he come to Suzuka Mountain? Thinking of this, I suddenly thought of something. If he came to see Otakemaru, there was no need to do this. So he didn't come to see Otakemaru... or even, there was no need to show up...

Did you show up just to see me...

Come and meet this interesting being like me?

Mount Suzuka...Otake Maru...Kujira, Kanihime...who else is coming?

I stopped in my tracks, not because I didn't want to think about it, but because during the days I lived in Suzuka Mountain, I kept forgetting something. At first it was small things, and then it was recent memories.

This is very scary for me. So these days, I am also thinking about when should I leave here. Maybe this is a good opportunity. If I leave here, maybe I won’t forget things anymore...

What did Yamata no Orochi bring here?

I spent a day walking all over Suzuka Mountain and looking for all the suspicious places. I found nothing...

If this is the case, does that mean there is only that place?

My eyes fell on the torii gate in the distance.

"...there?" Otakemaru once gave me a certain explanation for my questioning look, "No. It's the only place you can't go. If you want beautiful gems or something, it's okay to come to me."

Can't go...? Why?

The secret of Mount Suzuka? But the secret of Mount Suzuka is only the treasure of Mount Suzuka. Otakemaru didn’t even hesitate to give me the treasure, so what is he hiding?

Concealing...?

But now, there is no way to enter there...and if Otakemaru goes in without telling him about this, will he be angry?

"Ah, you are here! The young master asked me to invite everyone to the Fireworks Festival!" Xiaodie hurried over, panting.

"..." Xiaodie's health is not good and she shouldn't run.

"What are you looking at?" Xiaodie followed my gaze, "Torii...? Are you also worried about the young master?"

Worrying about...him? Not really. It's just out of gratitude for taking him in.

"It's okay. The young master is so powerful, there must be no problem! With him here, everyone feels at ease." Xiaodie seemed to be comforting me, and then took my hand, "Let's go."

Under her expectant eyes, I nodded gently.

I tried hard to recall the Fireworks Festival in Kyoto, but only a rough outline could remind me of the lively scene. I was sitting in the dark, with an apple candy in my hand that had been forcibly stuffed by other monsters.

Among the figures of those monsters, I can see Otakemaru and Kujira, and there is another figure who is not unfamiliar to me, but not familiar either.

That was Kai Ming, whom Otakemaru respected as his teacher.

Why not go take a look at the torii gate at this time...

I easily slipped out while everyone was at the festival. Suzuka Mountain was very quiet at night, and after passing the torii gate, the silence became even more disturbing.

However, when I walked in, it was no different from an ordinary shrine. Looking around, I slowly discovered that on a stone platform in the center, there was a bamboo tube that was quite familiar to me.

That was... the bamboo tube filled with sea salt when Otake Maru grilled fish.

I walked forward slowly and saw black water slowly flowing down the stone platform. I frowned and immediately showed disgust at what was in front of me.

"How could something so unpleasant be here?"

"...That's what pollutes Mount Suzuka."

Otakemaru stood behind me at some point.

"Why did you come here? Didn't I say you couldn't come here?"

What pollutes Mount Suzuka...

"...does anyone else know?" I asked.

"This matter has nothing to do with you." Otakemaru showed a tough attitude for the first time, and his tone was not as usual, "You should leave."

Does it look like it has been polluted for a long time... Could it be that this is not the first time Yamata no Orochi has come here? So, he came here to give something... is this the gift?

Staring at the black water in front of me, I no longer struggled with the matter and turned around and passed by him: "I understand."
To be continued...