Although she appeared middle-aged, Akiyama Sakura possessed an ageless elegance. Her soul reflected her final moments in life—graceful, poised, and meticulously composed.
Her black bob-cut framed her delicate features, giving her a sharp yet gentle aura. Her figure, though mature, was flawlessly balanced—curves that hinted at motherly warmth, tempered by the quiet strength of a woman who had endured. She carried the presence of a true Yamato Nadeshiko, tinged with a subtle edge of quiet heroism.
A rare beauty—elegant, unshakable, and sincere.
"I understand, Master," Sakura said, bowing her head respectfully. A soft smile broke through the stoicism of her expression, making her features glow with newfound life.
To be chosen by a god as a Shinki—a divine artifact—was considered a miracle for wandering souls.
Though she would lose her past memories, she had gained something just as profound: a new beginning, an eternal bond, and a life that could last as long as her master endured. Of course, that path only shined if the god she served was worthy.
Sakura could feel it instinctively—Akiyama Ren was not like other gods.
His aura, though cold and distant at times, held a quiet strength and a rare patience. He hadn't forced her. He hadn't dominated her. He offered her a name, a place by his side, and treated her as more than a tool. Letting her share his surname was more than tradition—it was a declaration of trust, even kinship.
But there was no time to bask in sentiment.
Ren lifted his hand and invoked it again: the mystic ability known as Witch's Eye.
A chill swept across the sky.
As before, a colossal spectral eye unfolded in the heavens, peering down upon Tokyo like a forgotten god awakening from slumber.
This time, however, its presence didn't go unnoticed.
The moment the Witch's Eye opened, a wave of divine panic swept across the capital. Gods, both minor and exalted, surged from their shrines and spiritual domains, mistaking the phenomenon for a cataclysm. To them, it looked like Izanami herself had clawed her way out of Yomi and was gazing upon the mortal world.
From every corner of the city, divinity gathered.
Yato of the Delivery God cult. Sugawara no Michizane, the esteemed heavenly scholar. Kofuku Ebisu, the unlucky god of poverty. Even Bishamonten, the war goddess renowned for her might, took to the skies.
A storm of spiritual energy surged toward Ren's eye—but to him, their presence was little more than background noise.
He looked at them and scoffed internally.
"They're nothing but glass idols."
Even the strongest gods of this world lacked true combat power without their divine weapons. Their spiritual forms were fragile, unable to cleanse corrupted souls without outside assistance. And when their Shinki became infected with magatsubi, it required purification rituals—Misogi—and holy water drawn from sacred shrines.
It was inefficient. Vulnerable. Archaic.
Compared to the Jujutsu Sorcerers of his Main World, these gods were like paper cranes pretending to be dragons. Even a second-rate Jujutsu Sorcerer could deal with them. If someone like Gojo Satoru ever walked into this realm, he'd flatten them all without lifting a finger.
Ren let out a quiet sigh.
He wasn't here to pick fights or educate inferior deities.
He had come to this world for one thing only: the secret of turning souls into weapons. Now that he had acquired the knowledge—and successfully forged Sakura—there was no reason to remain.
He scanned Tokyo one final time with the Witch's Eye, searching for any other viable souls.
Nothing.
Ren exhaled with mild disappointment. "No wonder Yato couldn't find a new Shinki after breaking his contract with Mayu in the original timeline. These souls really are rare."
With a flick of his fingers, he summoned the Star Gate once more. The swirling portal roared open behind him.
Without a backward glance, Ren stepped through and vanished—leaving behind panicked gods, an echoing silence in the sky, and a lingering feeling that something powerful had just entered—and left—their world like a phantom.
---
As Akiyama Ren stepped through the glowing Star Gate, he emerged back into the familiar surroundings of his base in the Main World. The air was still. The lights—unchanged. Not a single second had passed.
His brows lifted slightly. "Huh... time hasn't moved?"
"System, does time in the Main World freeze when I travel to another realm?" he asked instinctively.
[Ding! Yes. When the host uses the Star Gate to travel across worlds, you may choose to either freeze time in the Main World or synchronize it with the passage of time in the target world.]
"Interesting..." Ren nodded, mentally noting the flexibility of the system. "Then, can I also freeze time in other worlds when I return here?"
[Ding! Absolutely.]
A small smirk tugged at his lips. "This is ridiculous… No, not the Star Gate—you, System, are the truly broken one."
After all, the Star Gate was just a product retrieved from a high-tier system chest. If something as powerful as interdimensional travel was only a tool, then the System's true capabilities were on an entirely different level.
His musings were interrupted by a soft, hesitant voice.
"Master… this… where are we?"
Ren turned to find Sakura, his newly bound divine artifact, looking around with wide eyes, her form flickering faintly in its soul-bound state. The environment was utterly alien to her. Gone were the traditional shrines, spiritual streets, and the flickering torii gates of the Noragami World.
"This is my base in another realm," Ren said simply. "From now on, this will be your home as well."
Sakura blinked. A home? In another world?
"I-I understand," she said quietly, her heart fluttering. Her Master… could travel across worlds. That wasn't just power—that was divinity in its purest form.
"Tonight, you can sleep in my room," Ren added, heading toward the hallway.
"W-What?! No! I-I can't possibly take your bed, Master!" she protested, flustered. "I'll sleep outside. It's unthinkable for a servant to—"
Ren glanced over his shoulder, raising a brow at her sincerity—and couldn't help but let his eyes wander just a little. Her figure… yeah, he definitely noticed.
"Well then," he said with a playful glint in his eyes, "why don't we just share the bed? It's big enough."
"E-Ehh?! B-But—! I—! Uh…" Sakura's face lit up like a lantern, but after a moment of inner turmoil, she bowed her head. "O-Okay… if Master insists…"
And so, the two lay under the same covers, warmth and awkward tension filling the room.
———
The next morning, Kyonshi Ani—Ren's cheeky, overly attached fox spirit familiar—was preparing breakfast. He cheerfully carried a tray of onigiri and miso soup, humming to himself as he approached Ren's room.
But the moment he stepped in...
His eyes locked onto the sight of a woman—beautiful, mature, and soul-bound—wrapped tightly around his Master like a clingy octopus. Kyonshi Ani blinked. Rubbed his eyes. Blinked again.
"...I must still be dreaming."
But the scene didn't disappear.
Snapping back to reality, he pointed at Sakura with wild suspicion. "Who the heck are you?! A ghost? How dare you defile Master's bed?!"
Sakura stirred at the commotion, only to realize—with horror—that she was half-draped over Ren, her yukata slightly open at the chest.
Her face instantly turned crimson.
But Kyonshi Ani's accusation hit a nerve.
"W-Who are you calling a ghost, you little raccoon?! I'm Master's divine artifact!" she fired back, puffing up like an angry cat.
"Divine artifact?!" Kyonshi Ani's jaw dropped. "Since when did Master get another divine artifact? And why does she look like a spirit in heat?!"
Just as sparks were about to fly, Ren sat up and groggily placed his palm on Kyonshi Ani's head like a sleepy dad disciplining his noisy child.
"Kyonshi Ani, enough. This is Sakura. She's my Shinki—our companion… and family."
The word family echoed in Sakura's heart like a chime.
Her eyes softened.
Kyonshi Ani blinked, stunned. Then lowered his head. "I... I'm sorry."
Sakura let out a breath and smiled faintly. "It's fine. You were just worried about Master. That's... admirable."
Soon after, they dressed and emerged from the room.
In the dining area, the rest of Ren's odd household was already awake.
Kurahashi Kyoko—the tough-as-nails exorcist girl with trust issues. Hotarugusa, the quiet seer with a tragic past. And Kyonshi Imoutol, the ghost-child with eerie precognition.
The moment they saw Sakura walk out of Ren's room in morning-after dishevelment, the room froze.
"You… you… YOU?!" Kyoko pointed accusingly, her face twisting between shock and betrayal.
Even Hotaru and Kyonshi Imoutol gave Ren long, judgmental stares.
Ren sighed and rubbed his temples.
"She's a divine artifact. A new one. Not what you're thinking."
A long pause.
Then all three exhaled with clear relief.
"Oh thank the kami…" Hotaru whispered, genuinely spooked.
"You've got to warn us when you add new girls to the house, Pervert!" Kyoko snapped, puffing her cheeks.
Ren just smirked and sat down. "Next time, I'll send a memo."