The moment the flyer was shown, Honoka's face took on a distinctly suspicious hue. "……What is this?" "A spiritual salon called 'Lunar Eclipse Room'—they deal in tarot readings, power stones, that sort of thing. The name came up in yesterday's video comments," After finishing his morning change of clothes in the back room of the Daily Port Mikagegaoka store, Kazuma pulled a pale purple flyer from his pocket. It had become a recent habit to report to Honoka on the rooftop for fifteen minutes before his shift started. Among the deafening roar of six outdoor units on the mall, Honoka—her silver hair swaying in the breeze—stood with her arms crossed, glaring at the flyer. "It's a cursed talisman shop," "It's not a cursed talisman shop," "Suspicious. I smell sorcery," "What does that smell like?" "……A spiritual stench, as it were. Hmm," Honoka furrowed her brow. But at the same time, she glanced at the offering box in front of the shrine. The wooden box with its corroded bottom contained only a few coins that Kazuma had deposited yesterday. Her divine power was currently at a level so pitiful it was depressing to measure—this morning's self-check had confirmed a recovery of 0.03 units, but that was closer to "margin of error" than actual "recovery." "……I'll go," Her voice was low, reluctant, yet resolute. "They might be a social media management professional. If the followers—" "Too slow! Far too slow!! What is 0.03 units?!!" "That's exactly why we're going," "……I'm going!!" And so the two headed toward Mikage Ginza Street. ＊ Twelve minutes southeast on foot from Sunveil Mikagegaoka—when they entered the back alley of Mikage Ginza Street, narrow stone steps led upward to the second floor. In a shopping street of roughly 350 meters with only 31 surviving shops, this was an even more secluded alley. The scent of sweet red bean paste from the confectionery "Hozumi-an" drifted through the alley. "This is it," "Yes. It's upstairs," Kazuma began climbing the stone steps. Honoka followed—or should have. Thud. "……Ugh," Her translucent foot passed straight through the step. Honoka's body sank one step's worth before floating back up of her own accord. Her golden eyes held a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "Are you alright?" "Be silent. Don't look," Second step. Again, Honoka's foot passed through the stone. "Ugh……!" "Your form and feet are both falling through," "Shut up!!" "No, it's just a fact," Third step. This time she sank up to her waist. "Nngh……!!" Honoka floated back up, her translucent legs flailing. An 850-year-old deity had just suffered three consecutive defeats to a stone staircase. Kazuma pressed his lips into a thin line—his face clearly straining not to laugh—and simply said, "Let's take it slowly." The door to the Lunar Eclipse Room was old wood, with pale purple light seeping through the frosted glass window. Kazuma pushed the door open. ——That was the moment. A woman appeared from beyond the door. Skin like white porcelain. Lustrous jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a deep crimson dress wrapped around gentle curves. She stood a full head taller than Honoka, her sharp eyes holding an intelligent light—a woman in her late twenties. Anri Minase, proprietor of the spiritual salon "Lunar Eclipse Room"—ostensibly dealing in tarot readings, power stones, and purification sessions—stood with a gentle smile. Honoka reflexively looked down at her own chest. "……Why is she so……what is the difference between her and me……" It was a whisper, but in the narrow space of the back alley's stone steps, it carried surprisingly well. Kazuma coughed loudly. "Um……hello. We saw your flyer," "Welcome," Anri's voice was low and calm. When she continued with "I've seen your social media," Honoka seized Kazuma's sleeve with lightning speed. "A spy," Silver hair and a small breath grazed the side of Kazuma's neck. Small lips whispered near his ear—the distance was closer than he'd imagined, and warmth crept up his neck. A temperature that was neither warm nor cold, the ambiguous sensation unique to Honoka's body. For one beat, Kazuma's heart faltered. "Not a spy," Anri, seeing this, allowed a faint smile to cross her lips. ＊ The interior of the salon was dimly lit, with lavender scent dissolved into the air. Shelves lined with tarot cards and natural stones, a round table and two chairs in the center. Anri set down a teacup with a soft clink and sat with grace. "If you want to rapidly increase your follower count—real-time miracle live streams and participatory content are effective," "Exactly! That's it!!" The moment Kazuma became enthusiastic, Honoka yanked his sleeve. "……" "Honoka, that's rude," "I am a god who has lived 850 years. I can see through human intentions," "Then see through modern language too," "That's completely different!!" She pulled again. Kazuma's sleeve stretched gradually. Anri tilted her teacup while leisurely observing the two's exchange. In the depths of her eyes—there was a quality of light that only Honoka could perceive. Not the eyes of prayer. Eyes that appraise. A quiet, sharp gaze that measured and valued something. Honoka's golden eyes narrowed. "However——" Anri suddenly changed her words. She slowly set down her teacup. "You have a very ancient divine essence. ……I sense the aura of abundance," Honoka froze. Completely immobilized. Vigilance. Surprise. And——a strange tremor that couldn't be explained by logic, the sensation of being recognized, collided in a three-way crash inside Honoka, becoming uncontrollable. It was a word that touched the depths of 850 years of solitude. This woman——was seeing her. A god fading away, half-transparent. "Um, what are the specific procedures?" The air became a vacuum. Honoka held her head in her mind. This fool. This fool!! "Specific procedures" at this very moment?! she screamed internally, yet her golden eyes never left Anri. She looked once with intense focus. Anri's smile remained unchanged. But——thanks to Kazuma's innocent interruption, that thread of tension snapped cleanly. Honoka took one deep breath and released her hand from his sleeve. (I'm glad I brought this idiot.) While exasperated, Honoka noticed herself thinking exactly that. It was a contradictory feeling, but she couldn't take it back. ＊ They returned to the rooftop in early afternoon. "Well then, let's begin," Holding a fried chicken stick from Daily Port Mikagegaoka in one hand, Kazuma set his smartphone on a stand. He tapped the broadcast start button. Thirty seconds later——simultaneous viewers: 200 people. "Wow, already this many," "Of course. My divine radiance——" "Honoka, please perform a miracle," "Leave it to me!!" Honoka concentrated her divine power on the dandelion in front of the shrine. Drawing in the thin flow of spiritual energy that ran through the Mikage branch meridian—the nodal point directly beneath the shrine—Honoka extended her hand. "Manifest," The dandelion blazed golden. Each petal glowed with light, a golden radiance clearly visible even in the afternoon air. The comment section filled instantly. "Is this real??" "CGI?" "No way, definitely real" "There really is a goddess" ——simultaneous viewers surpassed 500. But in the next moment, Honoka swayed. Rapid divine power depletion. Her form's outline began to fade. Kazuma reflexively reached out. His hand touched Honoka's slender waist, supporting her. He remained frozen while continuing the broadcast. The lightness of Honoka's body against his arm. In contrast, a warmth unmistakably transmitted through—the gentle body heat unique to Honoka. Her silver hair brushed past his jaw line, swaying softly. Each strand that touched his cheek——made his neck grow warm. He tried to move the hand holding the phone, but couldn't. "So noble" "They're flirting" "Wait what is this scene" Text flowed through the comment section. Honoka looked up while unsteady. "This is a sacred composition——" Her voice cracked dramatically. Honoka froze for three seconds. "Pretend you didn't hear that," "Everyone heard it," "Be silent," In that moment, a convenience store bag rustled in Kazuma's arm. The fried chicken stick was half-sticking out. Honoka's golden eyes caught it. She snatched it. It was lightning-fast. Less than 0.1 seconds. "Today's offering of abundance——" She began eating it in large bites toward the camera. "Stop!!" "An offering!!" "Give it back!!" "The abundance of——nom nom" "You can't say 'nom nom' while calling it an offering!!" The comment section exploded. "Food review started" "Does the goddess eat fried chicken sticks??" "Wait that's cute" "140 yen each!!" "From Daily Port Mikagegaoka! I've been there" ——the second bite disappeared. Honoka nodded contentedly while chewing. Kazuma's retorts couldn't keep up with the pace of events. And immediately after——Honoka's golden eyes caught the countless heart marks flowing through the comment section. "……What are these red talismans?" "Those are likes!! It means they like you!!" Honoka thought for three seconds. "……Tribute, then," "That's not it——!!" "The people are offering their hearts!! Well done, my people!! Send more tribute!!" She declared it toward the camera with conviction. Super chats flew in. "Tribute from the goddess lol" "Happy to make her happy" "Digital tribute 500 yen" ——Kazuma stared at the screen in shock. (Wait, tribute?? They're sending super chats!! Why!! But they're sending them!!!) Honoka stood with her chest out. Her expression said "Digital tribute is a convenient thing in this age." An 850-year-old deity had completely and correctly reinterpreted the concept of "super chat" as "tribute." Something inside Kazuma quietly collapsed. Broadcast ended. Follower increase——3,200 people. Kazuma tapped his calculator. "That's our best yet!!" Honoka stared silently at that number for a while. "……That's too few," "Please don't criticize that part this time," Kazuma said it with an exhausted face. Honoka didn't apologize. ＊ As dusk approached, the commotion on the rooftop quietly settled. The two sat side by side on the stone steps in front of the shrine. The roar of the outdoor units continued unchanged. Orange dusk seeped into the residential area of Mikagegaoka, and the black silhouette of distant Mikagegaoka floated in the sky. Honoka, her form's outline thinned from divine power depletion, slowly rested her forehead against Kazuma's shoulder. Kazuma didn't move. The weight transmitted to his shoulder was impossibly light. Perhaps a single feather's worth, or less——yet unmistakably, a warm body temperature was there. Silver hair flowed from his shoulder down his neck, and the faint sound of small, regular breathing was near his ear. Kazuma simply received it while gazing vaguely at Mikagegaoka's evening scenery. (I don't want to lose this.) That emotion's outline took shape. It had no name yet. Not love, not obsession—something at an earlier stage, something before it became words. Kazuma tried to touch it——and couldn't, so he simply continued watching the night view. Honoka murmured in a drowsy voice. "That woman today……no aura of faith……she was observing something……" Then she fell silent. Regular breathing sounds continued. Kazuma pulled out the flyer from his pocket. Pale purple paper. The "Lunar Eclipse Room" logo. He recalled Anri's smile——intelligent, refined, certainly offering kind advice. But. "She seemed like a kind person though……" His words trailed off. The small body temperature on his shoulder remained there, seeping in gently. Kazuma folded the flyer and put it back in his pocket. ＊ At the same time, in the back alley of Mikage Ginza Street. In the back treatment room of the Lunar Eclipse Room——different from the tarot card-lined front space, in a locked inner room, Anri Minase held a smartphone to her