Multiverse: Why does the world show a health bar? !

"Hahahaha, Aki, do you know? Li Mo's expression at that time was absolutely hilarious! I never thought I'd see such a helpless look on that brat's face."

At the Grand Narukami Shrine, the sound of **Yae Miko's** laughter could be heard. She was sharing her observations with the shrine maidens beside her.

As for the source of her amusement…

It was a photo in Yae Miko's hand.

The photo clearly showed Li Mo and his helpless expression. From the surroundings, it was evident that he was in the middle of a conversation with **Arataki Itto**.

When had she taken this? Did she use some kind of magic to preserve the moment?

Preserving a moment like this was something Li Mo could do now. The **Yuishin Onmyodo** techniques included such spells. The more he learned, the more he felt the power of the great Onmyoji from centuries ago.

But the question was, how did the photo come to be?

It must have been something like a camera, right?

"Lady Yae, are you done sharing your amusement?" Li Mo asked, noticing Yae Miko's movements as she prepared to share the story with other shrine maidens. He couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated.

The shrine maiden being shared with was **Aki**, the older sister of **Kuki Shinobu**. After leaving Arataki Itto, Li Mo had suggested visiting **Yae Publishing House**, but the pink-haired fox wasn't interested. Instead, she dragged him back to the Grand Narukami Shrine.

So this was her plan all along!

"What do you think, Aki?" Yae Miko turned the question to the shrine maiden.

Aki covered her mouth and laughed. "It's true. It's rare to see the shrine priest looking so helpless. He's usually so indifferent about everything."

"It's because I needed something from him. Honestly, at that point, I was thinking of just leaving. I could always… leave it to her to handle personally," Li Mo said, pointing to the fox mask hanging at his waist.

Yae Miko's smile faded slightly. "So, have you figured out how to revive **Hanachirusato**?"

Li Mo was a traveler who roamed across worlds, and he had access to knowledge that didn't exist in Teyvat—though it wasn't obvious from his demeanor.

"I just need to keep traveling. Eventually, I'll find a way. There are countless worlds out there. I'm sure I'll find a suitable method."

Providing a body for a consciousness.

There were many things that could achieve this. The wish-granting dragon balls from the Dragon Ball world, for example. Although that world was dangerous, he could just make a wish and leave. Then there was the world of *A Certain Magical Index*, where even gods could reshape the world with a single thought. Surely, they could handle something like this…

"I see. I was hoping that with you as the shrine priest, I, as the Guuji, could take it easy. But alas…" Yae Miko sighed. "I should've known better than to take you to Inazuma City."

"Are you worried, Lady Yae, that if I leave, the matter of the oni will fall on your shoulders?" Li Mo asked.

If he were to leave, and Arataki Itto found the blue oni, they would undoubtedly need help in the ever-changing landscape of Inazuma City. This wasn't the time after the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree had ended.

Although the Vision Hunt Decree hadn't yet begun, the Fatui had already made their appearance. The **Kanjou Commission** and **Tenryou Commission** were cooperating with the Fatui, while the **Yashiro Commission** and the Grand Narukami Shrine remained indifferent. More importantly… the Raiden Shogun sat high in Tenshukaku, and **Raiden Ei** meditated in her Plane of Euthymia.

In any case, would the reappearance of the blue oni catch the attention of certain individuals, dragging them into the whirlpool of events?

This was where the Grand Narukami Shrine's assistance would come in. The shrine was more than capable of protecting them.

"Sigh, it seems I'm destined to be overworked. I still have to deal with **Five Hundred Years**' matters. Fine, fine, I understand," Yae Miko said, waving her hand dismissively.

First, Aki left with a smile. Then Li Mo quietly excused himself. He didn't ask for the photo. Asking for it would only play into Yae Miko's hands, giving her more material to tease him with.

As he left the main hall, he ran into **Kano Nana**, who asked if he had seen **Sayu**. It was almost mealtime, but Sayu was nowhere to be found, likely hiding somewhere.

—Among the items Sayu had delivered were documents from the Kanjou Commission, as well as an appointment for Sayu herself. The adorable little girl, who resembled a tanuki, was now working at the Grand Narukami Shrine.

After bidding farewell to Kano Nana, Li Mo saw Aki waiting outside his room.

"May I take a moment of your time, Shrine Priest?" Aki asked.

"Of course."

They moved to a different location, and Aki sat gracefully before speaking. "If you happen to meet **Shinobu** in the future, could you pass on a message for me? Ask her to visit me more often."

"I will."

"Actually, if you had used my name to approach her earlier, it wouldn't have been a problem. I personally wouldn't have minded," Aki said.

Li Mo replied, "But I didn't have your permission at the time, did I?"

Aki smiled. "If only that could pressure Shinobu into coming home to take over the family business. Alas."

Li Mo asked, "Why don't you ask Lady Yae for help? I'll be leaving this world eventually."

The fact that the Grand Narukami Shrine's priest was from another world wasn't a secret. The shrine maidens all knew this.

"That's out of the question. Shinobu is too afraid of Lady Yae."

After a while, Aki left, leaving Li Mo alone in his room to continue studying **Yuishin Seikaku's** manuscripts. But today, he couldn't focus. His mind was in disarray, and he simply sat there, lost in thought.

First, he needed to organize the information.

Li Mo felt that Yae Miko's recent actions were aimed at pushing him into the spotlight.

The shrine priest, **Kamisato Ayato's** documents, Sayu, the oni, Arataki Itto, the tanuki…

The Grand Narukami Shrine, the Yashiro Commission, the Fatui, Five Hundred Years…

All these elements combined to form a seamless circle. Apart from the Kanjou Commission and the Tenryou Commission, it seemed like every other major presence on Narukami Island was part of this circle.

Closing his eyes, Li Mo began to sense Yae Miko's intentions.

"A chance to regret?"

Thinking about the storyline, after the Raiden Shogun discovered the actions of the two commissions, Inazuma quickly corrected its course. Even without the Raiden Shogun's direct intervention, could policies have been adjusted so swiftly?

Li Mo suddenly felt that since coming to Teyvat—no, since arriving at the Grand Narukami Shrine—he had been thinking more and more.

Turning his gaze toward the Sacred Sakura, he guessed Yae Miko was probably there.

"Maybe I'm overthinking it. Many of these events were supposed to happen after the Traveler arrived… Speaking of which, is the Traveler in this world the sister or the brother?"

Setting aside these thoughts, Li Mo refocused on studying the Yuishin Onmyodo techniques. He had already decided that once he fully understood Yuishin Seikaku's manuscripts, he would leave Teyvat.

As for the oni, it didn't seem too complicated. Once Arataki Itto found the blue oni, most of the work would be done. The rest would be figuring out how to settle them, which shouldn't be too difficult.

And so, time passed. Perhaps because Li Mo had told Yae Miko he would eventually leave, the Guuji rarely dragged him out anymore. Instead, he often accompanied shrine maidens on missions to purify evil, and occasionally dealt with monsters on the outskirts of Mount Yougou that the Tenryou Commission soldiers hadn't cleared.

It seemed like time was slipping away.

Narukami Island welcomed its summer.