HI3: I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

"Then... shall we revive him?" Kallen asked the two girls once more.

"This... I don't know," Yae Sakura suddenly felt uncertain...

She could not forgive her father for what he had done to her sister. If she revived him and he hurt Rin again... She compared the two—her father and Rin—and ultimately decided that Rin was more important.

Moreover, if she brought back her father, he would still be the head of the village... and Kallen and her plan would never succeed. But at the same time... the head was also her own father.

Feeling deeply conflicted, Yae Sakura looked towards Yae Rin.

Yae Rin, standing beside her, smiled and gazed patiently, as if waiting for her to make up her mind.

"I... I don't know," Yae Sakura shook her head repeatedly.

"Well then... how about this? We'll preserve his body first, and you two can take your time to decide. As long as the corpse remains intact, I can revive him at any moment."

Through the power of the Luna Kindred, one could revive others. As long as their body was perfectly preserved, they could return to life.

Even Kallen, who had been dead for hundreds of years, could be revived after being infected by the Luna Kindred. Theoretically... as long as the body was intact, it didn't matter how many years had passed.

"Revive at any time..."

Upon hearing this, Yae Sakura looked at Kallen with even greater admiration. To be able to revive humans at any time, even mythological gods of the underworld couldn't do that, right?

Just who was this Kallen? Or perhaps more accurately, which divine being was she?

Yae Sakura suddenly recalled the myth of Izanami from Japanese folklore tales.

Izanami, also known as Izanami-no-Mikoto, was the primal maternal goddess, queen of the polluted underworld and mistress of death. Most of the gods in Japanese mythology were born from her union with her brother Izanagi.

Could Kallen truly be... Izanami?

It wasn't just Yae Sakura; her younger sister, Yae Rin, also gazed at Kallen with admiration, as if this Kallen-older sister were omnipotent.

Not only Yae Sakura, but also her younger sister Yae Rin looked up to Kallen admirably, as if this Big Sister Kallen could do anything.

"If there are no objections, I'll freeze him up," Kallen said. She had no intention of bringing back the village head; this was the best course of action.

As for what would happen in the future? Who could say?

What if, by some "accident," his body were to go missing? Wouldn't that be fitting?

"...Very well," Yae Sakura considered briefly before nodding her consent. Truth be told, she didn't want to see her father again either.

He can always be revived. For now... let's just put him in a... prolonged sleep!

With Yae Sakura's agreement, Yae Rin's consent was naturally a given.

-

Certain of her decision, Kallen positioned herself beside the God Lord's body. She raised her hand above him, and a mist of freezing elements materialized around her.

The mist swiftly enveloped the village head's corpse, which began to freeze rapidly. In no time, Kallen had completely encased the head in ice.

Observing the frozen head, Kallen withdrew her hand. "Find a dark place to store him. This ice, unless something extraordinary happens, will remain intact for decades."

"Really?" Yae Sakura stared at the ice before her, wondering how something that looked no different from ordinary, cheap ice could last for decades without melting.

And... Kallen's ability stirred a hint of envy and desire within Yae Sakura.

If only I possessed such strength, I wouldn't have felt so utterly helpless during that late-night ordeal.

Although Kallen had rushed to her rescue in the end... what if she hadn't come?

Yae Sakura contemplated the possible outcome, feeling that deep sense of powerlessness once more...

If only I were powerful enough. A newfound yearning emerged in Yae Sakura, unprecedented in her experience.

-

After chatting briefly with the Yae sisters, Kallen slung the massive block of ice—the Frozen Village head—over her shoulder. Following Yae Sakura's lead, she headed towards a storage cellar.

The dimly lit space beneath the shrine was the perfect hideaway.

-

With the matter of the head resolved, and given the possibility of resurrection... Kallen was no longer the murderer of Yae's father but rather the savior of Sakura and Rin.

Thus, any other thoughts about Kallen were naturally dispelled. Recalling that subtle strangeness from before, Yae Sakura began to feel a hint of something else towards Kallen—now she even felt a touch of guilt.

We've come to the shrine to handle some matters. The chief is no longer there, and as discussed before, it's time to entrust the affairs of Yae Shrine to Yae Sakura.

Although Yae Sakura is still an apprentice miko, she has no choice but to become a full-fledged priestess now.

At barely over ten years old, she's an awfully young priestess.

However... Yae Sakura has already mastered the training of a miko completely; she doesn't need anyone else to teach her anymore.

All she lacks is actual experience.

Moreover, Yae Sakura isn't alone; Kallen and Yae Rin are by her side, assisting her. Therefore, Yae Sakura feels no concern.

-

As dusk settled in, Kallen and Sakura arrived at the main hall of Yae Shrine. By this time, all the villagers of Yae had gathered.

Yae Village wasn't particularly large, but it wasn't the smallest either, boasting a population of around a hundred souls.

With the exception of a few children and those indisposed, everyone had made their way to the hall.

Roughly one hundred people were present...

Once she confirmed the assembly was complete, Kallen patted Sakura's shoulder and nodded encouragingly. It was now time to begin cultivating Sakura's leadership over Yae.

Little Sakura stood there clad in a miko's outfit, with a short dagger and a long sword belted at her waist.

Feeling Kallen's encouragement, her heart steadied. She nodded and stepped forward, her movements deliberate.

She began to speak to the villagers... about the plan she and Kallen had outlined.

Praying for rain was within Kallen's power.

From this day forward, the village would be guided by Sakura's decisions. Today, she would transition from apprentice to full-fledged shrine maiden.

It was time to take control of Yae Shrine.

-

The villagers erupted like a pot of boiling water at Yae Sakura's words, barely past ten years old. They began chattering like a noisy market, voicing their opinions and concerns.

Facing this crowd, Yae Sakura, who had never formally presided over such an assembly before, suddenly felt flustered, unsure of how to proceed.

A familiar hand placed itself gently on her shoulder.

Yae turned, meeting Kallen's encouraging gaze, and her nerves instantly settled.

Then... without hesitation, she drew the katana at her waist!

"Silence, all of you!"

-

"..."

As Yae drew her blade and spoke with a cold voice, even though the Yae before them was just a child, she exuded an undeniable aura of power.

The villagers promptly closed their mouths and turned their attention to Yae Sakura.