Chapter 142: The Senior's Kagura Dance

Light snowflakes drifted onto the tree branches; compared to a heavy blizzard, this felt more like the true essence of snow. In the deep mountains covered by falling snow, a standard Mercedes S600 was traveling along the mountain road of Haruna Mountain.

Uesugi Muneyuki sat in the passenger seat, striving to digest the vast amount of knowledge Mai had brought him, and gradually deepening his understanding of this world.

Without a doubt, this world was extremely close to the world of his previous life, but the existence of supernatural powers added a layer of mystery to it. From Mai, he learned that so many great historical figures who changed the course of the world were "New Gods," and that their brief brilliance could only last for an instant, after which they were merely mortals slightly stronger than ordinary people once their power was exhausted.

According to Mai, with her current strength, she could at most deal with a micro-submachine gun and a semi-automatic weapon. She could throw her weight around in Japan, but would have to be extremely careful if she went to the United States. As the Head of the Alliance for the Kanto Shrine Alliance, she did not understand matters in Kansai; she could only control the Kanto region.

"Every time Haruna Mountain is mentioned, I think of the 86 going up the mountain and the Mercedes hitting a tree," Uesugi Muneyuki casually teased his radiant Mai: "When Takumi is going up the mountain, the Mercedes man is hitting a tree."

"Pfft!" Mai could not help but laugh; she really was driving a Mercedes.

Haruna Mountain had a more famous name called "Akina Mountain." That's right, this was the holy land for street racers in Japan, the place where the legendary five consecutive hairpin turns and drainage ditch drifting occurred, and the main setting of the famous manga *Initial D*.

However, what left the deepest impression on Uesugi Muneyuki regarding *Initial D* was not the driving techniques or racing scenes, but the relationship between the male and female leads in the story—how stunning and cute Mogi Natsuki was when she first appeared, and what a perfect match she and the protagonist Fujiwara Takumi were. Later, when it was revealed that she earned 300,000 yen every month through "compensated dating" with a "Daddy" Mercedes man, it was truly world-view shattering.

She loved Takumi, she took the initiative to date him, and she had mutual feelings with Takumi, even taking the initiative to ask him to go to the beach to buy a "winning" swimsuit, but that did not prevent her from still having regular "dates" with "Daddy" to get money from him.

When Uesugi Muneyuki first saw this plot, he felt his world view was completely destroyed.

And later he discovered that the anime version had already toned it down. In the manga drawn by the original author, Natsuki's senior had once explicitly said, "Just like before, let's do all sorts of positions again?" and "Isn't it true you can do it with anyone?"—that was enough to know how chaotic this female lead's private life was.

Then, thinking about it carefully, Uesugi Muneyuki discovered that it seemed many women in *Initial D* were like that.

The female lead Natsuki, whom the protagonist Takumi valued immensely, was eventually discovered to be a green tea bitch; Akiyama Kazumi, whom the protagonist's friend Takeuchi Itsuki dated, was eventually discovered to be a green tea bitch; Kaori, the former lover of the Captain and early-stage big boss Takahashi Ryosuke, was also a green tea bitch (though not as severe as the first two); and finally, the protagonist's father gave up his career as a racer for his mother, only for his mother to abandon the father and son—another green tea bitch (as stated by the author himself).

Of course, there were other types of women in the manga, but they were either only focused on their careers or were the type of childhood sweethearts who remained loyal to the end.

Many people's view was that the author was trying to emphasize that "women only affect the speed of my drifting," but in reality, if one looks at the era, the author grew up in the Golden Age, drove an AE86 during the bubble economy, and began creating *Initial D* in 1995 after the bubble burst; one can understand how disappointed the author was with the Japanese women of that time.

It was precisely because he was disappointed enough and had experienced it deeply enough that he could draw such a classic character as Mogi Natsuki.

No matter how fast the 86 is, it can't catch up to the uncle's Mercedes.

Your 86 corners fast, but the uncle's Mercedes hits the tree faster!

Natsuki, the uncle is going to sprint!

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Mai held the steering wheel with one hand and covered her mouth, laughing: "Junior, what on earth do you usually watch? Speaking of Mercedes, it wouldn't be very difficult for your family to buy you one, right? You should be the one sitting in the Mercedes, not the one driving the 86 to deliver tofu!"

"I don't like driving," Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head with a smile: "Forget it, let's not talk about this. A Mercedes isn't suitable for drifting either... Speaking of which, how exactly do you control the entire Kanto Shrine Alliance? If you don't reveal your Inner World identity, would those big shrines below be willing to listen to you?"

"Giggle, indeed. Relying on my master's 'last wishes' and the ownership of the large amount of fixed assets and real estate she left behind, I cannot completely control the entire Kanto Shrine Alliance. So... look, didn't I come out to be a National Goddess?" Shirakawa Mai laughed brightly: "The big shrines below are still counting on me to promote them and attract tourists!"

So that's how it was!

Uesugi Muneyuki suddenly realized.

This move by Mai was high! Truly high!

Relying solely on her Inner World identity and her late master's designation, her prestige was not enough, and the big shrines below might not necessarily submit to her. But she entered the game herself, joining the entertainment industry to become a National Goddess. With these two prongs, she finally suppressed the members of the Kanto Shrine Alliance.

"Moreover, having an official status and sufficient national popularity makes those hidden Inner World existences even more afraid to touch me. Perhaps some suspect whether I am on the side of the Inner World, but since I am in the spotlight, it is they who have to protect themselves to avoid exposure." Shirakawa Mai glanced at Uesugi Muneyuki meaningfully: "Junior, you are also very smart. While utilizing your power, you are firmly tied to the Metropolitan Police Department, and your actions are basically always with the police. This can also largely ensure your own safety."

"It seems I really must deepen my relationship with the Metropolitan Police Department in the future. I don't want a repeat of the Saijo Yasue incident." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded calmly.

"And me," Mai smiled sweetly: "I will protect you."

"Then, what is the price?" Uesugi Muneyuki rolled his eyes.

"Hahaha~"

Haruna Shrine is located on the back of Haruna Mountain and is a little-known mysterious place. The path in front of the shrine is full of retro charm, and one can also taste local delicacies here. It is cool and pleasant in the summer, making it a great place for a stroll, and it is beautiful in the spring and autumn. Although it is cold in winter, with Mai accompanying him along the way, Uesugi Muneyuki did not feel lonely.

A few hours later, they arrived.

The main hall of Haruna Shrine was under construction, but the Gozuiwa was still visible. The shrine itself was not large; the bright red torii gates were covered in white snow, the mountain path leading to the shrine was covered in snow, the stone railings on both sides were carved with names, and the thick, giant trees bore a thousand years of history.

Under the Triple Pagoda, a pool of Ten Thousand Year Spring was surrounded by a red fence. Two elderly Shrine Maidens in white robes and red hakama, draped in heavy fur coats, immediately knelt in the snow the moment they saw Shirakawa Mai appear: "Your Excellency, Chief Priestess!"

"Mm." Mai's aura as a superior was fully displayed at this moment: "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

With overgrown grass at the Shinko Hall and the majestic Double Dragon Gate, when Mai opened the main hall door of Haruna Shrine for Uesugi Muneyuki, she signaled for Uesugi Muneyuki to wait here for a moment.

The shrine was not large. Uesugi Muneyuki sat kneeling on the tatami, listening to the howling of the snow and cold wind blowing through the deep forest outside the mountains, waiting for his Mai.

After a while, hearing a "Ready," Mai slowly stepped out from inside the shrine.

A shrine maiden with a slender, graceful figure, holy and noble, slowly walked into Uesugi Muneyuki's line of sight. The woman had a head of thick, jet-black hair neatly gathered behind her head. Her skin was fair and delicate, and her face was lightly powdered, appearing sexy and elegant. Her vermilion lips were full and translucent, her gorgeous charm was undoubtedly highlighted, and she was high-spirited, like a peacock dancing gracefully.

She wore a full set of red and white Chief Priestess robes, with a white top, scarlet hakama, and her hair tied with sandalwood paper. This special shrine maiden outfit was beautifully designed, exposing the woman's fair and delicate shoulders and arms. Below her sexy and beautiful collarbone, her high, upright breasts were adorned by a Chihaya and a bright red silk ribbon, perfectly showcasing the woman's perfect breast shape. The golden dangling hairpin swayed with pearlescent light, lighting up a dream in the winter snow.

The red scarlet hakama reached near her ankles, just revealing her rounded ankles and slender calves. As she walked, her beautiful legs, wrapped in white long socks with slightly thick red silk ribbon cuffs, were full of a jade-like quality. The two sections of fair insteps were even more alluring against the backdrop of the long socks, also making her beautiful golden figure even more graceful.

"Get ready, Junior. Do not resist; accept my power," Mai, in her shrine maiden outfit, said seriously: "Trust me, okay? I will not harm you. I swear in the name of Konohanasakuya-hime."

"Okay." Uesugi Muneyuki already knew at this moment that Mai's Dharma Image was the ancient goddess of cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji, Konohanasakuya-hime. He responded softly.

The ritual began.

At the sacrificial moment in the deep winter night, during the silent hour of the demon, the moonlight and firelight intertwined to create a surreal rift in time and space.

Before the altar of the thousand-year-old shrine, many statues condensed the Spirit Power of generations of shrine maidens, and the vermilion torii gate was like a barrier leading to the divine realm.

Mai began to dance, shaking the Kagura Bell in her hand.

The Requiem Kagura, passed down for a thousand years, was a secret ritual using dance as a sacrifice and bells as a medium. As a Living God, the shrine maiden became a medium connecting yin and yang. The girl in white robes and scarlet hakama danced under the moon, the sandalwood paper hair tie symbolizing the purity of a divine official, and the clear sound of the bells pierced the boundaries of time and space.

The scarlet skirt hem swept across the tatami, and the ice dew condensed on the tree branches outside the window refracted fine silver light. The Chief Priestess tapped her toes lightly in succession, the hem of her snow-white undergarment clicking with her movements. Her black hair, which hung to her waist, was tied into a knot with sandalwood paper, swinging arcs of light across the vermilion hakama with every turn of her neck.

Circles of pure white light spread outward, and the Chihaya draped over her shrine maiden robes expanded a field of divine power with her dance. Every movement echoed a mysterious trajectory. Mai shook her wrists lightly, the silver rings of the Kagura Bell emitting tremors, and the five-colored ribbons snaked through the night wind. The fan ribs adorned with golden bells unfolded one by one; when the fan surface painted with sun and moon patterns brushed past her chin, the jade ornaments hanging from the hairpin on her forehead suddenly moved without wind.

The incantation turned into white mist in the forest between her teeth, and the sleeves of the Chihaya surged like a sea of clouds in the high mountains. Mai took three steps back, shaking paper snow from her sleeves, and as she took five steps forward, her skirt swirled open like a red lotus. The moment her toes touched the ground and she spun rapidly, the surrounding environment fell silent simultaneously.

With both hands raised above her head, the bellflower petals hidden in her sleeves fell, but turned into fireflies and scattered upon touching the ground—that was the wish-power condensed by generations of Haruna Shrine shrine maidens, rising to the Eternal World along with the Chief Priestess's call.

When the last bell sound faded into the sea of snow-covered pines, Mai maintained the final pose of the Kagura dance, panting slightly. The scarlet pleats fell onto her shoulders, and hundreds of divine bells chimed simultaneously, shaking the residual snow from the branches.

"It's now, Uesugi, hold it!" Mai signaled for Uesugi Muneyuki to reach out and hold the other end of the Kagura Bell.

"…………" Uesugi Muneyuki reached out as Mai had instructed.

Princess Connect! Re: Dive!

Light burst forth, and the moment he connected with Shirakawa Mai, the surrounding scenery changed!

It was still the deep mountains, but surrounded by thick fog where one couldn't see their own hands; it was still the shrine, but the facilities had been altered by the dark, covered deep mountains; and the road extending behind Mai that hadn't existed before—all of these indicated that this was another place!

The Inner World!

(End of this chapter)