Chapter 12 [Miku's Past]

At a shinto shrine somewhere in the Kansai region in Japan...

A dark blue-haired oni currently working as a shrine maiden at that said shrine is currently sweeping the pathway towards the deity's offering box.

'Swish' 'Swish' the sound of the broom that she is currently using can be heard from all through out that shrine.

The girl's family had been serving the aforementioned shrine for generations, and now it is now time for her generation of the family to serve the deity of the shrine.

"Miku, I can take over your duty for now and get some rest."

A woman also wearing a beautiful looking kimono approached looking like she was of middle age with short light blue-colored hair.

"But, Mother-"

"I can do it, I'm not weak yet, after all"

Miku's mother interrupted her mid sentence with caring eyes.

Miku trusting her mother's statement walks towards her and handing the broom over. "Fine... But don't over do it." She said so with a bitter smile on her thirteen year old-looking face.

"Yeah, Yeah. You always worry to much..." Her mother jested.

With Miku now heading into the shrine's administration office, her mother started worrying about her daughter.

She thought: "She really is a hopeless shrine maiden... she always puts her duties first before herself..."

At the same time Miku has now entered the said office, and is now sitting inside of the lounge area of the structure.

"I hope mother doesn't faint from exhaustion again..." She murmured soflty to herself drink a cup of tea that she had quickly brewed herself.

The door of the said room's sliding door gently slid open as she rested in it...

Another oni but but with small horns enters the room also wearing a shrine maiden's attire, with a smile on her face she quickly approaches the relaxing Miku quitely enjoyed her tea.

"Roar!"

-?!

Miku almost spills the tea on the tatami flooring of the room. She turns at where the sudden voice came from...

It was her sister Tohka, with a smile like a kid who had successfully just pulled a prank on her face.

"T-Tohka! Stop scaring me like that!"

Yui scolded her little sister for almost making her spill the tea all over the floor.

The now kneeling younger sibling just laughs at her with a smile still on her face.

Miku just sighs at her sister's mischief. "Mother is gonna get mad if I get tea all over the tatami floor, You know?"

Still with a grin across her 10 year old-looking face, tohka said:

"You're reaction is just way to funny, sis..."

Before continuing to snicker like a fox spirit would after attempting mischief.

Miku just puts a finger on her temple as if her head hurts.

"I swear... You always just do things like this... The deity of this shrine might punish You if You don't stop."

Upon hearing this statement from her older sibling, Tohka starts feeling scared as if she's fearing for her own life.

'Looks like I got her... Checkmate...'

A grin emerges from the older sibling- Miku's face upon seeing how effective her revenge tactic is on her sister.

"A-Am I actually gonna get punished by the... Diety...?"

She looks at her older sister with teary upturned eyes.

Miku quickly got rid of the grin as she sees her sister about to look at her face.

"Yes, If you don't stop pulling pranks." Miku replied with a serious look on her face as if she wasn't actually messing with her younger sister.

Tohka's head just droops and she apologies to her older sibling who she just scared a moment ago.

With a hand petting her younger sister on her head she said: "Good, Now just start behaving so that You won't get punished."

Tohka began wiping her tears on to her sleaves.

"Yes..."

~~~

Three months later, A middle-aged man who is wearing a shinto shrine head priest's attire arrived at the shrine that Miku and her family is serving...

Miku's mother Shigure who was at that time sweeping near the shrine's entrance.

"Excuse me..."

The middle-aged priest spoke up, making Shigure who was still sweeping stop and turn her head towards him

"Yes? How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for someone named Miku... Does she serve as a miko at this shrine?"

Hearing this, Shigure suddenly had a serious look on her face..

'What could he want with my daughter?'

The man then continued:

"I'm from the Earth's Immortal Management Division, and I would like Miku to cooperate with us."

He put a business-like smile on his face as he stated his visit.

"The E.I.M.D? What would you like my daughter cooperate with You for?"

She held the broom in her hands firmly as if she were holding prey.

The priest just continued smiling, "Well, You see... We need more teams to mornitor immortals who might cause trouble and hurt innocent people."

Shigure drops the broom in her hands in surprise to the man's answer. "I-Immortals, You say?"

"Yes, That's right. We just need her help with apprehending some immortals as part of a team in E.I.M.D."

Will Miku's parent Shigure agree to the man's reasoning?

She thinks for a moment before she calls her daughter...

"If it's for the public's safety then You have my permission as mother parent."

With a bitter but at the same time friendly smile, she allowed the man to have Miku work with the E.I.M D...

With Miku now outside near the shrine's entrance, she tilts her head out of confusion.

"What is it, Mother? Did you need something?"

Shigure upon noticing that her daughter's voice beside, telling her that she is now outside; she explains the circumstances about the dangerous immortals hurting innocent humans and that she has to help out as a member of E.I.M.D to apprehend them.

"Wha- M-My sister has to leave and protect humans?"

The younger sibling who had secretly followed her older sister Miku, had heard the whole explaination and is now shocked.

The middle-aged man nods to confirm that the explanation is indeed of what she just heard.

"You see, Where short on members right now so..."

The man said in a friendly voice to get Tohka to understand, but...

"I don't want her to go! Please! Don't take my sister away!"

With tears now dripping down her face, Tohka had now began crying.

Seeing that her sister is now in the verge of tears, Miku placed her hands on Tohka's shoulders.

With a smile she said: "I just need to help them, I'll come visit You on my days off."

Unfortunately this just made her younger sister cry even more.

"No! I want You to stay here!"

Their mother just sighs at Tohka acting like a spoiled kid...

"We need to let her join unless the humans will get killed. Do you want that to happen?"

"I-I... Fine! Just make sure that you visit!"

With her cries now halting, she wipes her tears on to the sleeves of her shrine maiden attire.

"Yes, I promise. I knew you'd understand."

Miku puts a hand on her younger sister then gives her a smile showing that she's glad that her younger sibling had understood that she had to absolutely cooperate.

~~~

With the head priest Hideo that had visited the shrine that Miku and her family served, Miku is now packing some change of clothes and other important necessities such as a bunch of talismans into her wheeled luggage before leaving the shrine and heading to Tokyo where the E.I.M.D building is located...

"Be careful of strangers, ok?"

Miku's mother Shigure who was standing by the doorway of their house warned as Miku herself is now at the door ready to head out.

"I know that already! You don't have to keep reminding me!"

Miku protested to her mother who kept on telling her 'to be careful of this', 'if you get lost ask' and many more reminders in case something were to happen.

"Mother is just worried about you..."

The younger sibling Tohka who was beside their mother stated with teary eyes again.

"I know and stop crying already... You're not a little kid anymore."

"B-But... I'm worried too..."

She started crying anyway even though her sister told her to not to.

"What am I gonna do with you... You are such a cry baby."

With tears also streaming down her face, Miku forced herself to smile.

"Like you're one to talk, sis."

The ten year old Tohka laughed with tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"S-Shut up... You cried first, you know?"

Checking the time on a nearby wall clock in the hallway, Miku said in a hurry: "I-I need to go! The train is about to leave!"

"Have a safe trip!"

Both the younger sibling and their mother Shigure waved as Miku ran out of the door as if she was flying.

- - -

Now at the train station's platform barely making it, Miku who is now out of breath panting spots the head priest Hideo waiting for her to get there...

"You finally arrived, The train almost left us, you know?"

"S-Sorry... My family distracted me..."

Hideo just sighs at the sweaty-from-running Miku who was about to get on the bullet train bound for Tokyo.

[End of Chapter 12]