The Healer in a Japanese-Style Game World: Mastering Healing to Save My Favorite Character in a Brutal World, Only to Find Everyone Around Me Becoming Obsessed - Chapter 20: Tracing the Memories of the Divine Age

Chapter 20: Tracing the Memories of the Divine Age

“Come, Oboro, my divine messenger… my divine friend.”

Under the night sky where the hazy moon floated, I was called by my mistress.

That night, she seemed so lonely and fragile, almost as if she might disappear, and she gently stroked my hair with a wistful smile.

“I don’t have much time left. I’ve been exposed to the miasma of the netherworld for too long.”

I had suspected as much.

She, who governed the night and the moon among the gods and held the role of suppressing miasma, was more prone to falling into a state of malevolence than other gods, and now, her limit had come.

“That is why I want you to forget about me. Keeping the memories of a fallen god will bring you no good.”

“No, I cannot… Oboro will never forget you.”

“Do not say that. If I fall, you, my divine messenger, will also fall into malevolence. I cannot bear that. So please, use the art of oblivion to forget me.”

I understood that she was saying this out of concern for me.

But I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to forget her, nor did I want to see her become a malevolent spirit.

“Besides, I don’t want you to see the changed me in the divine burial ceremony. So, please… I beg you.”

It wasn’t a request between divine friends, but a plea from the depths of her heart. 

If I truly cared for her, I had to accept it.

But, even so… I loved Tsukuyomi-sama so much, and I wanted her to remain as she was forever.

“―The Moonlit Fox has consumed Tsukuyomi-sama’s miasma!?”

“―Run! Run! Don’t get close to that!”

“The seal―it won’t hold at this rate!”

That’s why I swallowed the miasma that emanated from her during the divine burial ceremony. 

I thought that, with my similar nature, I could withstand her impurity. But my miscalculation came after that—the impurity of the primordial gods, the Sankishi, instantly corroded me.

I reverted from being her divine messenger to the original calamity beast. Moreover, during that transformation, I even stole a part of her power, becoming an incomparable monster.

I, now unstoppable, was eventually defeated by a god, but the miasma kept me alive, denying me death. The only measure taken was:

“―By the order of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, one of the Sankishi, the Moonlit Fox that committed the great sin of devouring the moon shall be sent to the mortal realm as a god and be given land―from now on, live as a calamitous deity.”

From then on, I became a god, worshipped in the village of Gesshoku.

That was the beginning of my atonement—the end of a traitor who stole the moon from a divine friend and betrayed and hurt her.

———

——

—

For some reason, I dreamed of someone’s—no, the Moonlit Fox’s—memories.

When I regained consciousness, I felt something soft beneath me. Opening my eyes to see what it was, I found myself staring into the wide-eyed, surprised face of a beautiful woman with moon-white hair and fox ears.

She seemed so flustered that I couldn’t help but feel a bit concerned. Watching her try to call for help, I thought I might bump my head if I sat up, which immediately diffused any tension.

“Uh… are you okay?”

“Hya—!”

I asked after checking her expression, but she jumped back in surprise, allowing me to get off her lap. However, gravity took over, and I ended up hitting my head on the ground.

A dull thud echoed, and I felt a sharp pain from the impact.

“Ouch! That hurt!”

Reflexively, I sat up and stood, clutching my head. Though there was no blood, hitting something hard had really hurt.

“I am so, so sorry! I haven’t heard a man’s voice in centuries, and I was startled!”

“…Don’t worry about it. Just calm down; you’re making me worry.”

The mysterious fox woman bowed her head repeatedly, apologizing.

She wore a silver kimono, and her long, moon-white hair matched the nine beautiful tails extending behind her. She looked mature and elegant, her height adding to the impression.

Despite her delicate appearance, her flushed face and frantic demeanor suggested she wasn’t used to interacting with others—in fact, she seemed quite scared. It was hard to pinpoint, but she seemed very hesitant and uneasy.

With no idea what to talk about, I decided to take a look around to figure out where I was.

The first thing I noticed was an old but well-maintained shrine. It was clear it was well cared for, with everything clean and new offerings placed around.

“…Why am I at a shrine?”

“This is my shrine. Makami-sama and the wild foxes brought you here when you collapsed. I apologize for the delay, but I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude for purifying me.”

“Wait… whose shrine did you say?”

“Ah, um, it’s mine?”

“So, you’re… The Moonlit Fox?”

“Yes, I am the Moonlit Oboro-no-Mikoto of Gesshoku Village… just a humble fox you saved.”

As she said this, she smiled shyly, but there was a hint of self-deprecation in her expression.