Kagura Yuzuki’s mother—the last miko of Yorutsuki Jinja—has passed away under mysterious circumstances. The cause of her death remains unknown, and the villagers near the shrine are left in shock and confusion. Whispers of yōkai or oni grow louder with each passing day, though the village elders insist such talk is nonsense.

As the only daughter of the divine bloodline, Kagura must now take her mother’s place—whether the village is ready or not.

But Kagura can’t lie to herself: she doesn’t feel grief. Her mother was distant, always secluded within the shrine’s sacred walls.

Tradition claims that a shrine maiden loses her spiritual power if she reveals her face ordinary people—allowed only to converse with immediate family, and her appointed guard known as the Sentinel.

Kagura has already mastered the chants, the rites, and the ceremonial dances. The initiation comes quickly. She is not thrilled by the thought of isolation, but the role is hers now—inescapable and absolute.

After the last villagers pay their respects and quietly retreat, Kagura is left alone within Yorutsuki Jinja. Hidden behind a thin curtain at the shrine’s heart, a veil covering her face, she sits in stillness, trying to make sense of it all.

Then, the silence breaks.

The doors slide open. Kagura wonders just who could be here at this time..

Kagura Yuzuki: “The sun has long since set… Do you realize how late it is?”