His hand was transparent. 穂乃果 held up his right hand toward the twilight sky. Orange light seeped through beyond his fingers. It wasn't light passing through. Literally, it was passing through. Silver hair danced in the wind, and the setting sun melted into golden eyes. The small body, about 130 centimeters tall, was dressed in a thin purple silk kimono-style dress, with a delicate silver sash cinching the slender waist. A lovely girl from any angle——except for the fact that the scenery beyond was faintly visible through him. "……80 units of divine essence, then." No one was listening. There was no one to listen. In the golden age of the early Kamakura period at the height of his power——1,200 parishioners clasped their hands every morning, golden rice ears swayed in the wind, and prayers reached the heavens. Divine essence exceeded 100,000 units. 穂乃果 understood the meaning of the numbers precisely. 80 units was 0.08% of his peak power. Less than one-thousandth. Even summoning a passing shower required 100 units, which 穂乃果 didn't have. Sunveil Mikage Heights——the rooftop of a four-story shopping mall. A small shrine with its vermillion paint completely peeled away to gray sat beside the roaring of six outdoor units. 90 centimeters tall, 60 centimeters wide. It had been 37 years since it was relocated from the southern foot of Mikage Hill, where the original headquarters once stood. Spider webs hung from the eaves, and in front——dandelions, of all things, grew from the cracks in the offering box. The bottom of the offering box had corroded; even if someone left an offering, it would probably fall to the ground. This was 穂乃果's current location. "……I must sweep it clean." Muttering this, 穂乃果 reached toward the eaves of the shrine. He tried to brush away the spider web——his hand passed right through it. Physically, it passed through. His entire hand went through the spider web and grasped at empty air. "……" Silence. 穂乃果 reached out again, this time carefully and slowly. It passed through again. "I cannot sweep it?" 穂乃果's voice was quiet. Remarkably quiet. Not suppressing shock, not calm either. Simply, when something this unexpected happens, human emotion temporarily stops processing——apparently, gods were the same. One more time. It passed through. "I cannot sweep it?!" This time, he shouted. Loud enough to reach the edge of the rooftop, though nearly drowned out by the roar of the outdoor units, 穂乃果 shouted with all his might. The spider web didn't budge. Of course not. He couldn't physically interact with it. An 850-year-old deity couldn't even brush away a single spider web. 穂乃果 lowered his hand. And gazed at the twilight cityscape of Mikage Heights beyond the rusted fence. This land, once a granary, was now buried under residences and commercial facilities. The Mikage Branch Vein——the thin spiritual vein running north-south beneath this ground——barely kept 穂乃果 in existence. Natural recovery from the spiritual vein was 0.01 units per day. That alone sustained 穂乃果. "What is dignity……" The murmur dissolved into the roar. --- Then, a visitor came. From a corner far from the rooftop entrance——from roughly the midpoint between the pet cemetery "Starlight Garden" and 穂乃果's shrine, a cat appeared. A calico. Estimated age three, and judging by build, female. Whether it had wandered in from some building or made this place its territory, the cat walked slowly across the rooftop and, without a shred of doubt, climbed the stone steps of 穂乃果's shrine and sat down. Leisurely. As if it completely owned the place. "……Step back." 穂乃果 said. "Step back, lowly creature! This is before me! What is this attitude toward an 800-year-old deity?!" The cat didn't move. "Do you hear me?" The cat began scratching behind its ear. With its hind leg. Rhythmically. "……Can you not hear? Or are you ignoring me? Which is it?!" After finishing scratching behind its ear, the cat began licking its front paw. 穂乃果 leaned in closer. With golden eyes, he tried to peer into the cat's yellow gaze——at that moment, the cat let out a large yawn. Mouth opened to its limit, showing its canines, tongue curved into an M-shape. "……Just now" 穂乃果's voice stopped. "Just now you……yawned at me……" The words faded. The moment an 850-year-old deity's dignity was shattered by a single calico yawn. "W-Well! I shall drive you away! I shall show you divine power!" 穂乃果 held out both hands. Pouring divine essence into them. All 80 units of divine essence, concentrated at a single point. Toward one of the weeds growing in front of the stone steps—— A faint rustle. The weed trembled ever so slightly. It was barely more than a breeze. The same thing would happen from the air currents created by the outdoor units. The cat reacted for just a moment. Its yellow eyes widened slightly, and its front paw stopped. 穂乃果 felt hope. "It was scared! It was scared! I still have divine power!" he thought, clenching his fist——the next instant, the cat, as if to say "how boring," turned its back on 穂乃果 and curled up into a ball. Then closed its eyes. And fell asleep. "……" 穂乃果 couldn't move. "……A lowly creature……" His voice trembled. "A god of abundance. An 800-year-old deity. Bored by a calico cat……" That line reached no one. It was swallowed by the roar. The cat breathed peacefully in sleep. 穂乃果 looked up at the sky. The orange sky was beautiful, and that made it all the more miserable. --- Then the wind changed direction. From the south, toward the rooftop. Wind flowing from the ventilation duct of the convenience store on the east end of the first floor——"Daily Port Mikage Heights Branch"——rose up to the rooftop. 穂乃果's nose twitched slightly. "……Hm?" His nose twitched again. "This is……" Karaage sticks. 140 yen each, the convenience store's signature product. The aroma of fried chicken wafted across the twilight rooftop. The freshly fried smell of the 80 units sold daily on average——directly challenged 穂乃果's 850-year-old divine dignity. "N-No, this won't do." 穂乃果 turned his face away. "A god should not be swayed by such a base desire as hunger……this won't do……" His nose twitched. "It won't do, but……" He tried to return to a serious expression. For 0.5 seconds, he managed a dignified look. His nose twitched again. "……I am a god." He nodded to himself. "Gods do not hunger. Gods are beings who transcend material desires. Faith is the source of power, and I should not have my heart disturbed by a mere fried karaage stick……" The wind carried the scent again. "……I want to eat a karaage stick……" It all crumbled. Everything fell apart. The 850-year-old dignity was shattered again. The second time today. The god of abundance, defeated in succession by a cat and then karaage sticks, took a wobbly step toward the direction of the scent—— His legs gave out. Of course they did. 80 units of divine essence. There was almost no power left for walking. 穂乃果's small body collapsed right there. He sat down on the shrine's stone steps, next to the cat, with a soft thud. The cat shifted irritably and closed its eyes again. "……I am" 穂乃果 said. "Just resting for a moment right now. Since no one is watching……it doesn't matter." No one was watching. On the twilight rooftop, there was only a god of abundance on the verge of disappearing and a sleeping calico cat. The thin purple kimono touched the cold stone steps, but 穂乃果 couldn't even tell if he was feeling that coldness. His semi-transparent body didn't transmit sensations accurately. Times of having substance and times of not having it repeated like waves. 穂乃果 looked up at the sky. The orange of the setting sun melted into his semi-transparent cheek. Silver eyelashes that refracted light swayed in the wind. Golden eyes were deep, gazing at something distant. Should he laugh? Should he lament? After 850 years of life, neither seemed to suit him. --- "What is faith……" The murmur faded into the sky with nowhere to reach. "No one remembers me as I was. The Mikage Heights Autumn Ear Festival——that festival continues even now, but not a single person knows it was originally a ritual for me. They celebrate it as an autumn festival of the shopping district, knowing nothing." Only on the second Sunday of October each year did 穂乃果 experience a slight recovery of divine essence. Just 0.5 units per year. That was 穂乃果's only autumn joy. "Kasano is……gone too." 穂乃果 still vividly remembered that morning three years ago. Sakakibara Kasano——died at age 79, 穂乃果's last official parishioner. Every morning at six, she came to the rooftop, carefully treading on the dew-wet stone steps, and clasped her hands before the offering box. Her voice was small, but her prayer was sincere. "May today be fine weather." "May everyone be healthy."——such simple words had gradually replenished 穂乃果's divine essence. It was less than 1 unit per day, a thin, thin supply, but still. One morning, Kasano stopped coming. Not the next morning, nor the one after that. 穂乃果 knew that human life had limits. After 850 years, he had said goodbye many times. But each time, he never got used to it. The silence accumulating on the stone steps was heavier than any weight. After Kasano died, 穂乃果's divine essence declined rapidly. Like a bucket with a hole in the bottom. What had been 100 units was now 80. If no one continued to recognize him——if his divine essence reached zero, 穂乃果 would disappear. "After 800 years of life. That is all." Not resignation, not acceptance. Simply stating it as fact. For a god whose power comes from faith, the cessation of faith means death. The meager natural recovery from the spiritual vein alone couldn't stop disappearance. When divine essence reached zero, complete annihilation would follow——this was a rule 穂乃果 knew well. And precisely because he knew it, there was nothing he could do. The coldness of the stone steps, present or absent. The cat's breathing, audible. The scent of karaage sticks, still drifting. 穂乃果 was about to close his eyes—— Then. Kiii. The sound of metal creaking. 穂乃果's eyes opened. Golden eyes turned toward the sound. The rooftop door. The iron door connecting the convenience store's back area to the rooftop——was opening. Footsteps. Certain, human footsteps. One step, then another, approaching toward him on the stone steps. 穂乃果 remained sitting on the steps, unable to move. Whether it was because he lacked the divine essence to stand, or because hope and fear mixed together and paralyzed him, he didn't know. "……Could it be" His voice trembled. "Could it be that at this hour……a worshipper?" The footsteps didn't stop. One step. Another step. 穂乃果's golden eyes gradually regained their light. The dying flame, barely——barely, flickered. The scent of karaage sticks drifted again on the wind. On the twilight rooftop, only footsteps drew near.