Trust Kaguyahime
[player]I think... Kaguyahime's version is closer to the truth.
[Ichihime]M-Master! Why aren't you on my side? Why, nyaa!
[player]I'm sorry, Ichihime. I heard that Mai's grandpa is very strict, so refusing to organize festivals to protect her go-shintai sounds like something he would do.
[Kaguyahime]Hehe, human, you're not beyond saving after all.
[Ichihime]Nyaa...
[Narration]Now that we know what to do, Mai and I return to the Temple of Moons. It is getting late by this time.
[Mai Aihara]Master... Can you take a look at the go-shintai with me? I don't understand why that is the reason.
[player]Sure thing, but are you sure it's okay for an outsider like me to look at the precious go-shintai?
[Mai Aihara]You've always been helping me. To me... you're n-not an outsider.
[Narration]Mai blushes and looks down at her toes like she is shy about her proposal. It seems that I have become someone Mai is willing to trust and rely on.
[player]Of course.
[Mai Aihara]Really? That's great, Master.
[Narration]Mai raises her head and smiles brightly after I agree to her request.
[Narration]Mai leads me to the meditation room located in the inner hall of the shrine. It is said that this is the oldest room of the Temple of Moons, and it is generally not open to the public.
[Narration]Mai doesn't turn on the lights. Actually, it's more accurate to say that there are no lights installed here. Looking up, I see tall interior pillars that extend all the way to the roof. Unlike the other buildings of the shrine, this room still has a quaint style.
[player]I see that the Temple of Moons has... a lot of history.
[Mai Aihara]This place should have been repaired many times already, but it does indeed retain many traces of history.
[Narration]Mai walks to a hanging scroll at the innermost part of the room and begins to rummage through the drawers.
[Mai Aihara]Found it! This is the Kagura bell, the go-shintai that is passed down the Temple of Moons generation by generation.
[Narration]She takes out a bell with colorful ribbons from the box. Moonlight shines onto the Kagura bell through the window, reflecting a golden brilliance.
[Narration]Maybe it's because of the quaint appearance of the room, but I feel a solemn atmosphere. It almost feels like the combined will of the many priestesses of the Temple of Moons is guarding Mai, the successor of the shrine.
[Mai Aihara]Ah... I remember now...
[Narration]Mai stares blankly for a while in the quiet meditation room before suddenly making a sound.
[Mai Aihara]When I was little, grandma performed the Kagura dance with this bell in this meditation room!
[Narration]As if she is searching for her memories, Mai faces the center of the meditation room and shakes the go-shintai in her hand, making a crisp sound.
[Mai Aihara]Grandpa sat here holding me while we watched grandma perform the dance... They all seemed very happy and blessed.
[Narration]Mai's words surprise me. If what she is saying is true, that means what Ichihime said earlier was...
[player]So your grandpa didn't want to organize any more festivals because he misses your grandma?
[Mai Aihara]Yes! Both Ichihime and Kaguyahime are right. Grandpa refuses to organize any large events because he misses grandma and because he wants to protect the go-shintai...
[Mai Aihara]I kind of feel like I understand how grandpa feels now.
[Narration]In front of me, Mai, who has learned the truth, is waving the Kagura bell excitedly. The serene moonlight seems to flow like water in response to its sound.
[Narration]I look at the bell again and no longer feel the solemn atmosphere from before. The golden radiance of the go-shintai reminds me of the warmth of family.
[Mai Aihara]"Noisy child, quieten down quickly. It is so noisy indeed."
[Narration]Mai performs the Kagura dance for me, not as part of a festival, but as a performance for just me.
[Mai Aihara]"Noisy child, rest in the arms of a loved one. It is so noisy indeed."
[Narration]It gives off a wonderful feeling, like our love for our deceased loved ones has been revived.
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