I'm in another world, and I start out transformed into Lancelot.

When Yuko's lips, still warm from the hot spring, pressed against Tsukuyomi's neck, and her fingertips unconsciously traced lightly across her smooth lower back, the goddess trembled violently and let out a soft, startled gasp.

The cold fingers that had been gripping Yuko's shoulders trembled uncontrollably as they sank into the warm skin of her back.

This reaction was so amusing, revealing a vulnerability she had never shown in front of others, that it stirred a mischievous urge in Yuko's heart.

She lowered her head, her warm lips brushing against Tsukuyomi's flushed earlobe, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, carrying a hint of satisfaction after just having experienced "exploration": "Lady Tsukuyomi's body... is much cooler than the moonlight in this cold winter..."

She felt satisfied with the sudden, petrified stiffness in her arms, and continued mischievously, "Especially when my fingers... accidentally touched... beneath your slightly open collar..." Yuko's voice trailed off softly and slowly, like a feather scratching at Tsukuyomi's taut nerves.

Tsukuyomi's ears, hidden beneath her silver-blue hair, were so red they looked like they were about to bleed. She was so ashamed and indignant that she dared not look at her. Her icy fingertips unconsciously tightened around her open collar, trying to cover up the marks of being "watched".

She forced herself to remain calm, trying to regain her divine authority, but her voice trembled almost imperceptibly: "How dare you... how dare you make such a comment..."

Seeing her adorable expression as she tried so hard to hide her feelings but was actually caught off guard, Yuko couldn't help but chuckle.

She slowly withdrew her hand from Tsukuyomi's side, her gaze casually sweeping over her fingertips.

There seemed to linger a cool, silky touch, and a faint, almost imperceptible sheen that reflected a soft, lustrous glow in the dim candlelight.

With a playful languor, she casually ran her long, slender fingers through Tsukuyomi's long, silver-blue hair that fell to her side.

“There’s nothing I can do,” Yuko shrugged, her eyes full of mischievous amusement. “After all, you were just… so engrossed in your reaction that even the moonlight generously soaked my fingertips.”

That gentle wiping motion was less of a cleansing action and more of a way of presenting the intriguing "evidence" once again to Tsukuyomi's lowered eyes.

Tsukuyomi's gaze was forced to catch the strand of her own hair that had been touched, and the barely perceptible yet infinitely magnified luster in her heart.

She felt a sudden roar in her mind, and the blurry yet surging chaotic memories from the hot spring, completely dominated by the other party—the embarrassment, the anger, the indescribable thrill of losing her defenses—exploded in her mind with crystal clarity.

All her arrogance and coldness crumbled completely, and she let out a low growl that was almost a sob, filled with rage and shame: "Naru! Ue! Yu! Ko—!! You blasphemous and disrespectful wretch! I, I will—"

The rest of the words were lost in the sudden kiss of Yuko's smiling lips.

"Shh...be good," Yuuko gently sealed the chilling divine decree that Tsukuyomi was about to unleash with her fingertips.

The warmth spread silently, once again entering the slightly cool breath that had just shared its warmth with her and was still trembling slightly, like soothing a newly thawed stream.

“Your solemn oracle… perhaps it would be better to reveal it again when the spring is full… I will wait devoutly,” she whispered tenderly, like a feather brushing against my ear, “Until then, let all that cannot be said at this moment… be witnessed by the water in this pool and by the stars and moon…”

All unspoken words melted into a silent understanding, leaving only the barely audible breaths that could not be controlled from the throat, and the honest texture of the body unconsciously shedding its cold armor and gradually approaching the source of warmth amidst extreme shyness.

Those lines, which were originally proud and taut, eventually transformed into supple undulations like moonlit water.

In the quiet Japanese-style room, only the mingling of breaths gradually rises and falls, gazing together with the cold moon outside the window at this intimate echo that resonates from the connection between lips and breaths to the most subtle corners of the mind.

With an almost blasphemous attitude, it etched a unique mark on the realm where our spirits intersected.

The lingering heat of the hot spring seemed to still cling to the skin, but it was replaced by a strange tranquility.

Yuko leaned back on the cushion, and Tsukuyomi, surprisingly, did not struggle. Instead, like a cat that had finally found its nest and was a little awkward and proud, she curled up in her warm embrace.

Her long, silvery-blue hair, as if it were solidified moonlight, cascaded down Yuuko's chest. The cool strands of hair clung to her warm skin, sending a subtle shiver down her spine.

Chapter 172 Even the God of Lies Has to Obey and Reveal Information

This goddess, known for her lies and coldness, originally came to tease, but was instead well "served" by Yuko.

After finally settling down, she didn't flee in panic. Instead, she unusually abided by a contract that even she herself hadn't explicitly stated.

Tsukuyomi tilted her head slightly, her eyes, which seemed to reflect the cold stars of the abyss, looked at Yuuko. Complex and unfathomable emotions surged deep within her eyes, eventually settling into a calm that was almost resigned to fate.

"Cough..." She cleared her throat, her voice less deliberately aloof than usual, with a slightly hoarse quality, as if it had been warmed by Yuko's body temperature.

"A thousand years ago, the execution ground in Takamagahara was destroyed by an attack from an evil god. To protect those humans, Amaterasu transformed herself into the sun..."

She paused for a moment, as if organizing her thoughts, or perhaps resisting an instinctive aversion to "honesty."

Yuko didn't urge them, but simply adjusted the position of her arm to make Tsukuyomi more comfortable. Her fingertips unconsciously stroked Tsukuyomi's cold arm, trying to dispel the lingering chill.

This subtle movement caused Tsukuyomi's body to tense up almost imperceptibly for a moment, before slowly relaxing again.

“She’s doing alright for now,” Tsukuyomi said, her voice even softer, as if she were telling a secret she didn’t want anyone to hear.

"Like a piece of amber encased in thick glass. The prophecy is near, the footsteps of the end are stirring more fiercely. Ara and Susanoo—"

When she mentioned those two names, there was a subtle hint of sarcasm in her tone, mixed with an extremely faint trace of weariness.

"Those two stubborn fools are putting all their effort into dragging her out and putting her back on the throne of the god-king. Ha, they just want to gather their strength to confront our good mother, Izanami, head-on."

She deliberately used a teasing tone, but Yuuko could clearly sense the heavy shadow beneath her words. The threat of the World-Destroying Mother Goddess weighed on everyone's hearts like a mountain.

“However,” Tsukuyomi’s tone shifted, her silver-blue eyelashes trembling slightly, a hint of cold cunning in them, “on the day of the ceremony, a certain troublesome old friend will certainly not be absent. Orochi has been eagerly hoping the world will fall into chaos.”

Of course, she cleverly omitted how she ruled Takamagahara and used political maneuvering to maintain the fragile balance during the long thousand years when Amaterasu was asleep and Susanoo was dead.

And her past alliance with her "old friend" Orochi. These shadows of the past are subtly buried beneath her understated narration.

Tsukuyomi suddenly reached out her hand, and her pale, almost transparent fingers were now warmed by Yuko's body heat.

She gently brushed her hand across Yuko's eye. "Well~ good luck, kid," she said, her red lips parting slightly, her voice carrying a seductive languor, "with those eyes of yours... that can see through the truth."

Her fingertips lingered on Yuko's eyelids, her gaze penetrating through her pale knuckles as if trying to delve into the depths of Yuko's pupils to uncover the hidden light.

Even without the "True Moon's" power to see through the river of fate, Tsukuyomi can still vaguely capture it.

Within this seemingly ordinary human girl lies an indescribable power capable of distorting or reshaping certain predetermined trajectories.

[As expected of someone who could make that idiot Amaterasu fall for her...]

Tsukuyomi whispered silently in her heart. This realization was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creating ripples in her calm, still heart that she had never anticipated.

【But now…】She felt the warmth of human life emanating from beneath her, a warmth that seemed to be slowly breaking through the icy shell she had built over thousands of years.

Although she might not be happy about it, I managed to steal this warmth from her before she could!

A faint, almost imperceptible smile, somewhere between smugness and satisfaction, flickered briefly at the corners of her slightly pursed lips.

Tsukuyomi pressed her cheek closer to Yuko's neck, her cool hair flowing like moonlight.

Under the moonlight, the Goddess of Lies shed her sharp disguise, leaning against the girl she jokingly called her "trophy," enjoying this moment of tranquility and tenderness.

--the next day--

Golden morning light streamed through the delicate window lattices, spilling onto the tatami mats. Yuko Narukami was awakened precisely by her internal biological clock, and with a swift movement, she sat up.

She subconsciously rubbed her lips and neck—and yes, her skin was as smooth as ever, without any suspicious marks.

Last night's strange dream, dominated by Tsukuyomi and filled with transgressions and mental clashes, was ultimately just a storm on the level of consciousness, leaving no "evidence of crime" in the physical world.

"He really is an expert at manipulating illusions," Yuko muttered to herself, her tone a mix of helplessness and amusement.

Although she was physically fine, the dream brought her an extreme experience—a mix of tension, excitement, secret pleasure, and the thrill of her taking the initiative at the end.

It's like the lingering aftertaste of a delicious dessert, a sweet feeling that keeps spreading in your heart.

The world I saw when I opened my eyes seemed to be infected by this unusual good mood. The sunlight outside the window was dazzling, and the air was filled with particularly light particles.

She opened the paper door, and a fresh morning breeze carrying the scent of grass and trees rushed in, instantly invigorating her.

Just as I was about to stretch my body, which was a little stiff from sleep, a tall and slender figure walked over from the corner of the corridor on the other side of the courtyard.

It was none other than Susanoo, the greatest hero of Heian-kyo. When his gaze met that of Yuko, who was stretching lazily down the corridor, his sharp eyes seemed to freeze for a moment.

Susanoo stopped in his tracks, his expression momentarily strange. His brows furrowed slightly, and his lips seemed to move unconsciously, as if he wanted to speak but hesitated.

[Hmm! Were you trying to call me Father just now?!]

Susanoo's internal alarm bells rang, and he nearly broke out in a cold sweat. [I'm completely bewitched! What's going on? Just a moment ago, I felt a strange sense of familiarity.]

He was deeply annoyed by the absurd title that had suddenly appeared, and forced himself to attribute it to his excessive longing for Izanagi.

There was also something that seemed, perhaps... he caught a very faint trace of a scent that made him instinctively frown?

The feeling was somewhat like... something that shouldn't exist here? [It must be a hallucination from being too engrossed in checking the seal yesterday!] He tried hard to convince himself.

After all, that Ame no Habakiri was thoroughly reinforced by him, Seimei, and Ara together, with even the concepts locked away, especially the "Tsukuyomi" sealed inside the sword, which should theoretically have already quieted down.

With that thought, his confidence returned. He forcefully put this little, inexplicable episode out of his mind.

So, faced with Yuko's bewildered eyes, which were filled with "???" and still a little watery from just waking up, Susanoo finally just nodded somewhat hastily.

He shook his head as if trying to shake off the strange thought, muttering to himself, "Hmm... I probably misread it."

Then, he turned around and walked away down the corridor, his back conveying a forced calm as if "nothing just happened".

Only Narukami Yuko was left standing there dumbfounded.

She blinked, her gray pupils clearly reflecting Susanoo's hurried departure, as well as his series of hesitant words, evasive glances, and finally, his forceful head shaking.

【Huh?】Yuko's mind went blank for a brief moment. 【W-What's going on?】

Confused, she looked down at herself—ordinary traveler's attire, clothes not inside out, hair not a mess.

I raised my hand to touch my face—could there be drool at the corner of my mouth? It doesn't seem like it.

[Could it be because of yesterday?] This thought had barely crossed her mind when she immediately shook her head and dismissed it.

Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Her confrontation with Tsukuyomi in that dream was a secret known only to heaven, earth, and the two of them.

Tsukuyomi herself is still firmly locked inside Ame no Habakiri, right? Although that wicked goddess pulled a little unexpected "surprise" last night.

Could it be... that the sunlight was too strong and dazzled his eyes? Or... that he actually sensed something? Like... that lingering, peculiar smell from the "next-door neighbor" in his dream last night?

Chapter 173 Cute little girls are justice!

The afternoon sun lazily spilled into Abe no Seimei's courtyard, casting dappled light and shadow on the neat stone path.

Yuko Narukami sat on the edge of the corridor, leaning back slightly against a pillar, her gaze calmly fixed on the koi carp that were leisurely creating ripples in the pond.

The prophecies about the approaching end that Tsukuyomi revealed during her sudden visit last night weighed heavily on her heart like lead.

"Hey... Yuuko-neechan?" A timid yet affectionate child's voice, like a pebble thrown into a calm pond, interrupted her thoughts.

Yuko turned her head slightly and saw Kagura, the little shrine maiden who also lived in the courtyard.

She was carefully tugging at the hem of her dress, her clear, ruby-like eyes fixed on her, filled with anticipation.

"What's wrong, Kagura-chan?" Yuko immediately concealed the invisible pressure that had been gathering between her brows, and naturally softened her tone.

Kagura immediately seemed to receive a huge encouragement, her little face brightening up, and her voice cheerful: "The little monsters are all saying that Lord Kinara, who came all the way from Itsukushima, has arrived in the front yard! Everyone has run to see what's going on!"

As she spoke, her small hands unconsciously tightened their grip on the fabric of Yuko's clothes, and she pleaded with a slightly shy yet unusually firm tone, "Could you... come with me to see it? Yuko-neechan?"

For some reason, the calm and composed older woman in front of her always gave her a strange and reassuring feeling.

“Sure~” Yuko smiled, her eyes crinkling into a warm and sincere smile.

She reached out and naturally stroked Kagura's soft, smooth, jet-black hair, then gently pinched the delicate little goldfish hair ornament at her temple.

The little goldfish reflected a pinkish glow in the sunlight, and as Kagura tilted her head slightly, it seemed to dart happily in the water.

The little girl's soft, cute, and well-behaved appearance instantly touched the softest part of Yuko's heart.

Nanako's bright, carefree smile seems so vivid in my mind. Would she, like Kagura, tug at my clothes and beg me to take her to the ice cream shop on the corner?

That small, dependent figure was once the warmest comfort in those monotonous days. Now, facing Kagura, that tenderness buried deep in my heart is instantly awakened.

Indeed! No matter the time or space, no matter how heavy the responsibility, the adorable little girls themselves are an unquestionable force of justice!

Of course, no matter how turbulent her inner emotions were, she maintained her image as a gentle, reliable, and trustworthy older sister next door.

With a gentle smile on her face, Yuko stood up and naturally took Kagura's soft, small hand, her palm slightly damp with sweat.

"Let's go, Kagura-chan." Her voice was as gentle as a breeze rustling through cherry blossom leaves in a garden.

Kagura's hands were so small and soft, it felt like they would melt if you squeezed them too hard. This vivid touch reminded Yuko of the scene where Nanako held her fingers.

The protective instinct I felt for my older sister grew even stronger.

Protect these innocent smiles before us, protect the adorable little sister like Nanako, and protect this warmth and peace that belongs to everyday life.

Isn't this one of the fundamental reasons why she came into this era and shouldered this heavy mission?

The two held hands and walked slowly towards the front courtyard along the winding corridor, stepping on the stone path polished smooth by time.

A gentle breeze blew under the eaves, and the wind chimes hanging from the corners of the eaves tinkled melodiously, as if guiding them.

Just as I rounded an arched gate covered in layers of green vines and bearing the marks of time, a strange and beautiful melody reached my ears.

It wasn't a single note, but rather like a flowing spring, carrying a unique rhythm that seemed to draw the space in, making one's heartbeat gently resonate with it.