<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Was that the kegare?â€ Shiraishi asked as soon as the ground settled, and Akiko forced a nod. “And the harae?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“It worked, but it didn’t go far enough. It would take us far too long to purify the whole area like this.â€ <em>Especially as it seems to provoke the kegare when we do it,</em> she thought, but she decided against sharing that particular worry. They had enough to think about.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Can we make the aramitama stronger?â€ Kazumi asked. “You know, have another festival?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“There’s no time!â€ Akiko shouted it, and then clamped her mouth shut, closing her eyes and drawing a deep breath. <em>It’s not a silly suggestion. Don’t take it out on Kazumi.</em> “I’m sorry. I don’t think we have long enough to organise a festival, though.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well, what about the kami forest?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“What about… Oh. Yes.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“The kami forest?â€ Shiraishi sounded puzzled.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Come on,â€ Akiko said. “I’ll explain on the way.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Is it really that ur…â€ the priest began, and Akiko cut her off.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“It might be. I don’t know. Do you want to take the risk that it is?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Shiraishi stared at her for a moment, and then shook her head, starting off up the steps, following Kazumi.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“So, what about the kami forest?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Right. Kazumi and I explored it a couple of nights ago, and found that it connects to trees all around here. <em>And</em> if you do a purification within the forest, it has some effect around the trees outside. That’s how we were able to get out and back again.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Hang on, you were going naked all over Kawasaki?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Very briefly. And it was mainly Kazumi.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Hey!â€ Kazumi objected.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well, it was. Anyway, we needed to know. So, if I can take the aramitama into the forest and perform a purification, maybe we can do the whole city at once.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Do you really think so?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I think it’s worth a try.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">They had reached the tree, and Akiko reached out to touch the bark. It was not calming; the tree seemed to be as nervous as she was, which only made Akiko even more nervous. Kazumi was already undressing, and Akiko handed the mask over to Shiraishi.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Hold this a moment.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">As soon as she was naked, she took the mask back, avoiding Shiraishi’s eyes and trying not to blush.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“OK, it’s probably best if you purify me again.â€ Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Kazumi vanish into the tree, and she shifted awkwardly in place as Shiraishi recited the norito, stumbling over a few of the words.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">As soon as the harae was complete, she placed the mask over her face, without tying it.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">The aramitama rushed into her, and this time the expectation had a questioning edge.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“We’re going into the tree,â€ she said, out loud, “and I can’t take the mask. Stay with me.â€ Holding her breath as she did so, she lowered her hand, removing the mask, but the aramitama was still boiling within her. She could see flames leaping from the skin of her forearms, and she held the mask out towards the priest, who took it. Without looking at her, she stepped forward and embraced the tree.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">There was a moment in which Akiko felt utter terror, excruciating pain, total euphoria, and a mind-shattering orgasm, all at once, and then she was standing in the kami forest.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">She was still burning. She could see the flames rising from her skin, dancing over it, almost like feathers.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Immediately, she began the harae norito, chanting the words as quickly as she dared. As she spoke, the flames around her hands spread up, forming an ohnusa of fire, which she lifted.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">She spoke the final words of the norito, and swung the ohnusa, waves of light spilling from it to wash around and through all the trees.</p>