A Bond of Eternity - Genshin Impact

Chapter 7: Healing

- Grand Narukami Shrine, a few days later... -

In the following days, (Katsuo) has brought home with him his greatest achievement yet: the recovery of Chiyo after she had disappeared during the Cataclysm five hundred years ago. She was lost into the depths of corruption and she is saved from it by her love who never stopped looking for her. Now, it is time for her to be cared for.

Keeping the success of the expedition a secret with the help of his enenra disciples, they brought Chiyo to the Grand Narukami Shrine. (Katsuo), Rikku, and Ujio along with several elite Shogunate soldiers acted as their escorts while the other two students, Enkō and Omura went undercover in the city to make sure that information about the expedition remained fictitious. In the Grand Narukami Shrine, Miko and the shrine maidens are eagerly waiting for the arrival of the victorious enenra and with the group entering the shrine with Chiyo in (Katsuo's) arms, Miko is genuinely impressed.

"You know that it is not easy to impress me, (Katsuo). For you to able to do so is an achievement on itself." Miko smiled and (Katsuo) chuckled.

"Then it means that I have not lost my touch in satisfying Inazuma." (Katsuo) replied to the Guuji. "I don't make promises as often as others do, but when I do... I always keep them." (Katsuo) looked at the sleeping Chiyo in his arms. "Even if it means I must take hundreds of years to fulfill them."

"How sweet of you." Miko commented before gesturing for them to follow her inside the main building.

(Katsuo) and his two disciples followed Miko inside, leaving the Shogunate soldiers to stand by in the entrance. With a few select shrine maidens entering as well, Rikku and Ujio closed the doors behind them as (Katsuo) gently set Chiyo down on a futon that was already prepared prior to their arrival; Miko was more than expecting them. Miko approached (Katsuo) and held out her hand to him, expecting an item that she requested to be brought back to her.

"The omamori, (Katsuo)." Miko inquired and (Katsuo) gave her the omamori that he used to absorb the corruption Chiyo's body. "Oh my. This is quite the feisty one." The fox envoy commented as she observed the angry being inside in amusement.

"What do you plan on doing with it?" (Katsuo) inquired.

"Not to worry, (Katsuo). I will dispose of the creature once I am done 'playing' with it." Miko remarked with a smirk as she temporarily sealed the omamori inside an enchanted box.

"Young Rikku, young Ujio. Stand on either side of the chamber. Be ready." (Katsuo) instructed his disciples who complied to his instruction right away.

"(Katsuo)." Miko called out to him, grabbing his attention. "You already know what will happen next. That said, this will be the only time that I am allowing violence to occur in the Grand Narukami Shrine." She told him.

"You need not to explain. I understand that fully." (Katsuo) nodded.

"Good~" Miko mused before taking her position beside Chiyo as the shrine maidens took their spots around as well. "Thankfully, we have already made all the necessary preparations. With the shrine's previous experience with Abyss powers, this will not take long, but to fully cleanse her, we may have to do this more than once." She explained to (Katsuo) who nodded in understanding. "Then let us begin."

Miko lifted the fabric that hid the area where Chiyo's arm used to be. She hummed to herself, coming up with a better way to use the residue corruption rather than purging it entirely from the oni's body. Miko gestured to the select shrine maidens who are to assist in the ritual and they soon began the process as the three enenra took seats around the ritual itself, ready to intervene if needed.

As the ritual commenced, (Katsuo) closed his eyes and went into a meditation to connect with with Chiyo's spirit through the immaterial realm, causing his physical body to start letting out traces of mystical smoke as usual. Soon, Chiyo appeared before him without the wounds on her left cheek and is overall in a clean appearance, though her right horn and arm remained missing.