Sakuya slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze swept across her surroundings, and she immediately realized her current state: both hands were chained behind her back, her ankles also locked, the restraints extremely tight, completely unable to move.

She struggled slightly, but found no sign of loosening in the chains, and they even emitted a strange energy that blocked the flow of her magic.

What entered her sight were four people: one man and three women. Sakuya's gaze swiftly swept between them, first stopping on Emiya, then shifting toward Haruhime, the fox ears and blonde hair standing out particularly.

'Blonde-haired fox person,' Sakuya thought, 'Someone from the Sanjou family... why are they here?'

Her thoughts quickly raced. The situation before her forced her to associate with the worst possible outcome, 'Two elves, extremely rare in this country, a mysterious man, and a Sanjou fox girl... could it be that the Sanjou family has colluded with outside forces and is preparing to launch a coup against the [Far East]?'

Sakuya's expression hardened. She realized that, as the young mistress of the Gojou family, she had already been "decapitated," and this was perhaps the first step of the Sanjou rebellion plan. In her mind, she quickly sketched out a possible situation, 'The Sanjou family first seized control of the Gojou family's [Dark Division], severing ties of intelligence and command. Next, they will only need to launch a surprise attack on the Ichijou family and seize control of the leader; then the political balance among the families will collapse.'

'Besides Sanjou, which other families are involved?', she quickly calculated in her mind, 'Did the Rokujou family's [military] intervene? The Sanjou's [Priests] shouldn't be the masterminds…'

However, at this moment, Emiya and his companions were clearly unaware of Sakuya's inner drama.

Emiya opened his mouth, breaking the silence, his voice carrying a probing tone, "Excuse me, Gojou-san, where is this place?"

This simple question caused Sakuya's thoughts to snap like a broken string. She looked up at Emiya, her gaze confused.

Sakuya hesitated for a moment, her lips slightly parted as if pondering her words, and finally spoke coldly, "This is... my home."

Emiya: "So, this is the [Far East]?"

Hearing this, Sakuya quickly turned to look at Haruhime, her eyes full of indescribable complex emotions, as if silently asking, "Are your brains functioning properly?"

Riveria calmly surveyed the surroundings and then asked, "Why... did we arrive in the [Far East]?"

The [Far East] was separated from Orario by thousands of miles. There had never been any magic known to accomplish such a teleportation, let alone do so silently and without warning.

Haruhime hugged her tail tightly and shook her head blankly, clearly having no idea what was happening.

Only Ryuu ignored the others' confusion. Her gaze burned as she stared at Sakuya. Such a stare made Sakuya instinctively avert her eyes, and an inexplicable sense of nervousness arose in her heart.

Sakuya took a deep breath and said coldly, "What is your goal? I advise you to abandon your unrealistic delusions as soon as possible! Your rebellion is absolutely impossible to succeed!"

"Gojou has already set their sights on you. After today, you will never know peace! Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, the [Sakura of the Far East] will personally put an end to your delusion!"

Ryuu: "This child is so serious, much cuter than Kaguya."

Sakuya's expression froze instantly, and the dignified atmosphere she had painstakingly constructed collapsed in an instant.

But Emiya seemed to have caught on to something crucial. His tone grew solemn, "Wait a second, Gojou-san... what is your level?"

Sakuya coldly shifted her gaze aside, clearly unwilling to answer.

"What is it?", Ryuu noticed Emiya's strange tone and asked.

"Her level... should be Lv.4," Emiya said. Ryuu and Riveria were briefly stunned, then also realized something was wrong.

Gojouno Sakuya or [Sakura of the Far East], one of the few top-tier powerhouses in the Far East, should be at least Lv.5, if not higher.

If she was only Lv.4, as Emiya claimed, then that would be very unusual.

So, was there an error in the intelligence from the [Far East]? Highly unlikely, such vital information had been personally verified and confirmed by the [Academy District].

Seeing Emiya's judgment was correct, Sakuya snorted coldly, "What levels are you all?"

Emiya: "I am Lv.5; they are Lv.6 and Lv.7."

Sakuya froze for a moment, then let out a scornful laugh, "If you're going to make up stories, at least try to be realistic."

'Lv.6 and Lv.7? Why don't you just fly to the heavens?'

Ryuu whispered, "It is indeed strange... She looks too young."

Aside from their personalities being completely different, Gojouno Sakuya's appearance was nearly identical to Kaguya's.

That snowy fair skin, long hair black as satin, and delicate features, all reminded one of Kaguya. However, Ryuu noticed that the girl before her looked even younger than the Kaguya she remembered from four years ago.

Kaguya had once mentioned that her younger sister was only a few years younger than her, about Ryuu's age. But the current Gojouno Sakuya looked far too young.

Hearing Ryuu's words, Riveria thought of a possibility and hurriedly asked, "What year of the divine era is it now?"

———

"We've arrived six years in the past, this is the Dark Age," Riveria said in disbelief.

Sakuya had already been knocked out by Emiya and quietly placed to the side.

At this moment, in the silent room, even the air seemed to freeze.

Emiya and Ryuu exchanged glances, then turned to Riveria. The three of them remained silent; no one spoke. Haruhime too was speechless for the moment, her ears drooping.

Riveria stood beside Emiya, a trace of worry in her emerald eyes. She asked softly, "Shirou, what should we do next?"

Emiya pondered for a moment. His gaze swept across the environment and then toward the unconscious Gojouno Sakuya. His brows furrowed tightly as he considered a countermeasure.

"First, we need to confirm our intelligence. Especially: where we are, and when we are," Based on the few words gleaned from Gojouno Sakuya, and combined with this environment completely different from Orario, Emiya speculated they seemed to have arrived in the [Far East] of six years ago.

He turned to the fox-girl beside him, "Haruhime, do you know anything about this country?"

Haruhime heard the question and showed an apologetic look. She lowered her head, "This humble one has rarely left the Sanjou estate. The most I've seen is Lord Takemikazuchi's shrine..."

Emiya nodded. He wasn't surprised by her answer.

"Who is the main god of the Sanjou family?", Emiya asked.

The [Far East] was a [Familia-Type] country. Unlike nations like Rakia or the Battle Nation, which were ruled by a single god, the Far East's ruling body, the [Imperial Court], was a compound faction centered on the great deity Amaterasu, assisted by other gods.

Among them, the nine oldest families served as high nobles, responsible for governing the nation and steering its course.

Due to the country's remote location, nearly isolated from the dungeon city, adventurers knew little about its inner workings. They only knew fragmented intelligence: the primary deities of the Ichijou, Nijou, and Rokujou families were Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo, respectively.

Also, because of Gojou-no-Kaguya, Emiya knew that the Gojou family's main deity was [Konohanasakuya-hime].

Haruhime lowered her eyes and softly replied, "It is... Ukanomitama-no-Mikoto."

Ukanomitama-no-Mikoto, also known as Inari, is the Japanese goddess of grain and food, symbolized by the fox, ruler of harvest and wealth.

After a brief assessment, Emiya decisively made a decision, "Let's go meet the gods of the [Far East]."

Ryuu thought for a moment, "Konohanasakuya-hime, or the Inari god? If this really is six years ago, then Takemikazuchi should still be in the Far East..."

"To meet the Goddess Amaterasu," Emiya said softly.

He raised his hand, his fingertip tracing a glowing arc in the air. From the deepest part of the [Unlimited Blade Works], a sword slowly emerged.

[Sword of Radiant Sunlight Victory (Excalibur)]

One of the "Thirteen Seals" upon it was bestowed by the goddess Amaterasu herself.

———

The residence of the goddess Amaterasu was Tenshukaku in Sakura Capital, Imperial City, in the [Far East]. Emiya and the others easily obtained this widely known piece of information from the mouths of passersby, and at the same time, they learned the formal national name of this land, Nihon.

'It seems, we really did arrive six years ago,' Emiya confirmed in his heart.

Their starting point, the mansion of Gojouno Sakuya, was also located in Sakura Capital, not far from the Tenshukaku. At this moment, Emiya and his group were walking along the street leading to the castle.

In order not to attract too much attention, Riveria and Ryuu, the two elves who were extremely rare in Nihon, and the blonde fox girl Haruhime all donned wide robes to conceal their appearances. Emiya had also changed into a black haori.

However, all this didn't seem to work. The invisible aura surrounding Emiya was too sharp, and combined with the authority from [Throne], no matter how he disguised himself, he still exuded an oppressive feeling that couldn't be ignored. Passersby retreated in fear, avoiding him like the plague; some timid ones even directly knelt at the roadside, not daring to look up.

Like a yakuza boss patrolling the market with three wives.

Emiya didn't have the leisure to think about that. He was carefully observing the streets and architecture of Sakura Capital.

'Compared to the Orario, this place is clearly more impoverished...', he thought silently in his heart.

Along the way, he saw dilapidated wooden houses, stone-paved but somewhat worn streets, and the vendors' crude stalls. Even though it was the capital, Sakura Capital, the prosperity here was far inferior to any bustling district of the Orario.

Images of the Gojou mansion resurfaced in his mind. That residence of a top noble of the Far East, although spacious and dignified, couldn't be called luxurious or wealthy.

Emiya recalled the noble residences he had seen in the Orario, for example, the base of the Ishtar Familia, [Belit Babili], its extravagance was of an entirely different level.

Obviously, not everywhere could be compared with the [City at the Center of the World].

What's more, Nihon was a relatively resource-poor island nation to begin with. Before the descent of the gods, this land was barren, the climate unpredictable, and even many nobles were often in a state of hunger.

Nowadays, although the existence of the [Falna] had greatly improved the country's condition, it still had a long way to go before reaching "abundance."

Soon, Emiya and his group stopped. Ahead was the tall inner city wall, a towering defense made of thick stone blocks. On the walls, arrow towers in the Japanese style were visible, and dozens of armored guards vigilantly watched the unfamiliar visitors.

In the distance, they could see the torches on the city wall flickering in the breeze, highlighting the guards' shiny spears and bows.

Emiya raised his head, his gaze passing over the city wall, looking toward the even higher Tenshukaku.

The Tenshukaku was a typical Nihon-style building, with an overall tiered structure. The base was solid and massive, and the upper levels narrowed progressively. The eaves were upturned, covered with deep green tiles that shimmered subtly under the sunlight, symbolizing supreme authority. In the middle of the tower's red-lacquered main door hung a plaque engraved with gold leaf, exuding an ancient and solemn atmosphere.

Beneath the Tenshukaku, in the courtyard, flourishing flowers and trees could be faintly seen, their branches and leaves swaying gently in the wind. The stone steps at the front seemed to lead straight to the heavens, making one subconsciously hold their breath and look up.

Emiya glanced sideways; Riveria was looking at him with an inquisitive gaze, seemingly waiting for his next decision.

"Efficiency above all... and, we don't really have any other options," Emiya said softly. He raised his head, gazing at the palace that seemed to sit in the clouds, "Let's break in."

"Just in case, Haruhime, prepare to use the [Uchide no Kozuchi]."

———

Among the many countries and regions outside the Orario, the [Far East] was considered one of the more powerful in terms of military strength.

Aside from Gojouno Sakuya of the [Sakura of the Far East], who was currently Lv.4 but, in the memories of Emiya and others, would in the future ascend to Lv.5 and above, there were two others: Rokujou family's [Wind-Cutting Thunder Sword] and Ichijou family's [Radiant Sun Guardian], respectively a Lv.5 warrior and a sorcerer.

In addition, the [Far East] also had several Lv.4 samurai and ninja, and dozens of Lv.3 warriors. Overall, the number of combatants above Lv.2 wasn't inferior to Orario's [Ganesha Familia].

Because it was far too distant from Orario, the power of the Orario couldn't provide direct support, and the [Academy District] couldn't patrol the area frequently either. This meant that the monster threats in this land had to be handled by local forces.

As an island nation far from the continent, the threats the Far East faced weren't limited to land monsters, but also oceanic monsters that were even harder to deal with.

Additionally, there was the [Abyss] sealing the ancient monster [Yamata no Orochi], which had never been truly pacified over the past thousand years. Occasionally, powerful monsters would still emerge from there.

Similar to the [Great Tree Sea], the [Far East] was also considered a front line for surface dwellers in the fight against monsters.

The frequent monster attacks and the prolonged struggle against them caused the country's resources to be continually depleted, resulting in low living standards for its citizens and an overall sense of poverty.

However, blessing and misfortune go hand in hand. Frequent battles and a harsh environment also gave rise to many strong individuals.

Yet, for Emiya and the others who had already made up their minds, even the strongest of the [Far East] could not stop their advance.

Today, the one guarding the Tenshukaku was the Lv.5 [Wind-Cutting Thunder Sword], but her strength paled before the Lv.6 [Gale]. Within a few exchanges, she was easily defeated, not even forcing Haruhime to use the [Uchide no Kozuchi] she had been preparing.

The adventurers advanced like an unstoppable tide, breaking through the guards' defenses with overwhelming force. They killed no one, yet none could halt their steps, until they finally reached the top floor of the Tenshukaku.

At the summit of the Tenshukaku, golden and radiant, grand in scale, the central hall of the top floor featured a vast floor of white jade, carved with a relief of a nine-tailed fox, exuding a faint divine aura. When Emiya and his group pushed open the door and entered, what met their eyes was a dazzling existence.

"As guests, you are being somewhat rude," Standing at the end of the hall, upon the throne, they saw the goddess Amaterasu.

Amaterasu was a fox-woman with bright pink hair. Behind her, nine tails stretched out like waterfalls, swaying gently, as if light rain was falling.



The upper half of her face was covered by a white fox mask, revealing only her sharp golden eyes, which glowed like torches. The lower half of her face was obscured by an elegant paper fan, showing only the graceful lines of her jaw beneath the fan, radiating an untouchable nobility.

The goddess wore a magnificent kimono of interwoven gold and blue, its collar slightly open, revealing fair skin, both noble and charming. The kimono was adorned with patterns of rice ears, cherry blossoms, and the Yata Mirror.

Upon her head rested a delicate golden crown, matching the bell ornaments hanging on either side. As she gently waved her folding fan, the bells chimed melodiously.

"Guests from Orario, what business brings you to my abode...?", Amaterasu's tone was gentle, carrying a distant haze-like air, her trailing voice like the final note of a long melody.

She paused briefly, the paper fan slightly lowering to reveal a glimpse of red lips, lightly curved into a faint smile, "Oh? It seems, you're old acquaintances?"

Then, she slowly stood up from her high throne. Her dark-blue kimono trailed the floor, swaying softly with her steps. As her wide sleeves lifted, her feet, like white jade, were revealed.

Amaterasu walked slowly toward Emiya, her foxlike long eyes narrowing slightly, the soft tails behind her swaying gently, as if reflecting her will.

"I have indeed never seen you before, and have no recollection of you," she said warmly, "yet your body clearly carries my divine will."

"Projection, start (Trace, on)," Emiya gently raised his hand, light gathering in his palm, the holy sword appeared.

Amaterasu's gaze fell on that sword, her eyes widening with an unreadable expression.

She gently waved her paper fan and slowly approached, raising her hand to touch the blade. Her fingertip tapped the sword's surface, and golden ripples spread from the point of contact.

"This is indeed my divine will," Amaterasu murmured, her voice filled with disbelief and confusion, "There is no doubt, this is divine authority bestowed by my own hand."

"Yet I have no memory of it."

The goddess smiled lightly. In the next instant, an immense divine will burst forth from her.

It was an indescribable pressure, as if billions of stars were crashing down from the heavens, enveloping the entire Tenshukaku. The divine will surged like waves striking the air; where the ripples passed, golden brilliance spread like a tide, illuminating the entire space.

The holy sword quivered, resonating with Amaterasu's divinity, its radiance intensifying. The sword's runes began to glow with increasingly intricate golden inscriptions, shining too brightly to look at.

Amaterasu stood silently, the white mask hiding her expression, only the nine tails slowly swaying in the light.

"So... that's how it is," A moment later, she opened her eyes, the narrow fox-like gaze narrowing further, sweeping across the group, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.

"You came from the future?"

"No, no," Amaterasu slowly shook her head. She lowered the paper fan and gently traced the edge of her mask with her finger, then slowly removed it.

At the moment the mask came off, all the light of the Tenshukaku seemed to focus on her face.

"Not the future... but a 'pseudo' future."

"I see. So our ending is 'pruned'... no, from now on, there may be a turning point?", Amaterasu narrowed her eyes and spoke softly.

"My apologies, you are not unwelcome guests, but rare and noble ones."

As expected of a deity, and one of the highest-ranking gods among all gods, Amaterasu seemed to grasp the situation in an instant.

"You must have many questions," Amaterasu said slowly, mysterious light flickering in her eyes. She gently tapped her head with the paper fan, her posture casual yet elegant, "If there's anything you want to ask, just ask. But let me state beforehand, not all questions can be answered."

"What kind of 'cannot' is it?", Emiya asked.

'Is it that she doesn't know? Unwilling to say? Or, even if she knows, she cannot say?'

Amaterasu did not respond directly, only gently shook her paper fan.

"What time is it now?", Emiya continued asking.

"It is six years before this sword was forged," Amaterasu stroked the [Excalibur], and as her fingertips slid across the blade, a faint golden glow reemerged.

Emiya: "Why did we come here?"

Amaterasu gently shook her head and gave no answer.

"Then, how do we return?", Emiya thought for a moment and asked.

"There are many ways. The simplest is to 'wait'. Over time, this world's rejection of you will increase, and eventually it will expel the outsiders."

The goddess spoke lightly, as if discussing the weather,n"You can think of it as a dream. When you wake up, you return."

"Oh, there is another faster method, that is, 'death'. Or rather, 'departure' and 'death' are essentially similar from the perspective of the world," As these words were spoken, Ryuu and Riveria's expressions changed immediately. Haruhime even widened her eyes in panic.

Emiya was silent for a moment, seemingly thinking about what to ask next. However, just then, the ground suddenly shook violently.

"What's this...?"

"It is the [Yamata no Orochi]," Amaterasu said, "Since the disappearance of [Leviathan]'s aura, it has been restless."

Her gaze passed through the Tenshukaku's window lattice, looking toward the distant horizon where sea met sky.

"Don't worry, the seal is still intact," Amaterasu turned back, relaxed, "Guests from the future, you don't have any memory of the Far East being destroyed by ancient monsters, right?"

Emiya nodded, confirming this.

At least six years later, the Far East still existed.

At this moment, Ryuu hesitated for a long time before finally gathering the courage to ask, "Um... I'd like to ask, how is Orario now?"

"The Orario should, at this moment, be in chaos due to the downfall of the Hera and Zeus Familia...", Amaterasu paused, tilting her head slightly, "But as for the specifics, I don't know. After all, Orario is too far away from here."

"Afterward, do you plan to head to Orario?", the goddess asked.

Emiya nodded, "Yes."

"Actually, I'd like to suggest you do nothing at all... but then again, it won't get any worse," The goddess chuckled softly, "If you decide to stay in this world a while longer, then be sure to hide your identity, that's my advice."

Riveria: "May I ask, the reason?"

"For a god like me to know your origin, the impact is minimal. But if ordinary people in this world learn that you're from the 'future', it's highly likely that the 'rules' of this world will reject you, eject you outright," Amaterasu explained:

"In short, from now on, your identity in the Far East is that of travelers from Orario... After today, I will also make some modifications to my own memory," Saying this, the goddess lightly tapped her temple with a slender finger.

"In this world, just do what you wish to do."

Just then, the doors of the Tenshukaku were forcefully pushed open.

"What's going on, sister, are we being invaded?", A violet-black-haired warrior goddess entered, her gaze sweeping across Emiya and the others.

Amaterasu waved her hand, "It's fine, these are friends from Orario, just a bit of a misunderstanding."

The warrior goddess's gaze lingered on Emiya and the others. Purple light shimmered in her captivating eyes, but in the end, she said nothing.

She turned around and looked at Amaterasu, "Thunder Isle is under monster attack and needs reinforcements. Where is Rokujou?"

The "Rokujou" in her words was naturally the top-level warrior of the Far East, [Wind-Cutting Thunder Sword].

Amaterasu's gaze subtly shifted to Ryuu.

Ryuu guiltily lowered her head, "..."

That Lv.5 warrior had been knocked unconscious by her and was still lying in the palace beneath the Tenshukaku.

Emiya broke the silence and asked, "Thunder Isle, what direction is it?"

The warrior goddess looked at Emiya and scrutinized him for a moment. Then she spoke, "Follow me."

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