She walked, and she kept walking. If she stopped now, Shiori’s sacrifice would be in vain.
The morning sun warmed her back. Light streamed from the east—a warm, steady glow. Koyoi carried that light on her shoulders as she forged ahead.
Her feet ached and her whole body throbbed. She had been running, walking, and weeping since yesterday, but she couldn't stop.
The drawstring pouch swayed against her chest. Inside were the Shrine God and the Vacant Lot God. She had to deliver them.
◇
The path began to open. She emerged from the forest into a wider world, and in the distance, something came into view.
“...”
Koyoi narrowed her eyes.
Two massive boulders stood side by side, leaning toward each other like a great gateway.
The pouch grew warm against her skin.
“...This is it.” The Shrine God’s voice reached her. “The Second Boundary.”
The place where he was to be delivered. Koyoi’s pace quickened.
◇
Close up, the rocks were even more imposing—five meters tall and carpeted in ancient moss. A narrow path, barely wide enough for one person to squeeze through, lay between them.
“...Go through,” the Vacant Lot God said. “It’s right on the other side.”
Koyoi passed between the stones. The air was cool and crisp. Light spilled in from the opening ahead as she stepped through the gate.
There, she found a circular clearing about twenty meters across, guarded by ancient trees. In the center sat a flat, waist-high stone. Its surface was carved with swirling patterns, like the flow of water.
“...Here.” The Shrine God’s voice was trembling. “This is my place.”
The Divine Seat. The place where he belonged. Koyoi stood before the stone.
◇
“...Hokora.” Koyoi spoke to the pouch. “We’re here.”
“...Yes.” His voice was small and wavering.
“...Are you scared?”
“...Just a little.”
Koyoi gripped the pouch tight. “...It’s okay. This is where you’re meant to be.”
Silence followed, then the Shrine God spoke again.
“...Thank you, Koyoi. For waiting for me. For bringing me here.”
Tears traced paths down Koyoi’s cheeks. It wasn't sadness or joy, but something much deeper.
“...Thank you,” Koyoi rasped. “For coming this far with me.”
◇
She opened the pouch against her chest. A warm, soft light flooded out, and the Shrine God emerged.
Koyoi caught her breath.
A sphere of light hovered in the air—small, yet unmistakably real. The being she had only ever heard was finally visible. The light moved slowly from Koyoi’s hands toward the stone, descending into the center of the carvings.
“...Suiro.”
“...Eh?” the Vacant Lot God asked, sounding startled.
“...Your name,” the Shrine God said. “Suiro. Look after Koyoi for me.”
“...I will,” the Vacant Lot God replied. His voice shook with a mixture of joy at being named and the sorrow of parting. “...I’ll stay with her until the very end.”
“...Koyoi.” The Shrine God’s voice rang out one last time. “...Go all the way to the end, okay?”
“...I will,” Koyoi promised, wiping her eyes.
The light began to shift, transforming from a sphere into a tiny, transparent shrine. He had returned to his proper place, in his proper form.
◇
For a while, she couldn't move. She simply stared at the beautiful, transparent shrine atop the stone. This was where he belonged.
“...I delivered him,” she whispered.
The Shrine God was silent now, but he was there, standing quietly in the morning sun.
“...Thank you,” Koyoi said once more. “And thank you, Shiori-san.”
She had made it here because of Shiori’s sacrifice. That sacrifice had not been in vain. The tears fell again, but this time, she was smiling.
◇
She gripped the pouch. It felt lighter now, but it was still warm because the other god was still there.
“...Vacant Lot God,” she started, then corrected herself. “No. Suiro.”
Suiro. The Waterway. That was his true name.
Had there once been a waterway in that town? A place where pure water flowed, where people did their laundry and children played? Perhaps he had protected that place, living alongside the people before it was filled in and forgotten. Only the name remained, buried deep in memory.
“...Yes,” came Suiro’s voice. He was the only voice left now.
“...It’s your turn next, Suiro.”
“...Yes. Let’s go... to the Third Boundary.”
The journey wasn't over.
◇
Koyoi turned from the stone and headed toward the exit. She looked back one last time. The transparent shrine was bathed in the morning sun, glowing as the light passed through it.
“...Goodbye.” She gave a small wave.
There was no answer, but she felt him say it back. She turned toward the stone gate. Beyond it lay the next path.
“...Let’s go,” she said, clutching the pouch. “To deliver Suiro.”
“...Yes,” his voice echoed softly.
She took a step forward. She had delivered the first god, but she wasn't finished. Suiro was still with her, and she had to see him home, too. With those words in her heart, Koyoi walked out into the morning light toward the next boundary.