"Warding Radiance, World Protector" & "Regrown For New Adventures" Memory Scrolls

* TW/JP Servers: October 18th - November 7th 2023
* GL Server: October 18th - November 7th 2023

This was the double memory scroll event accompanying the release of Amaterasu and Byounen Hotarugusa.

### Rewards

When each part of the scroll is fixed, rewards will be distributed across server depending on participation. The participation value depends on the shards being given, and the more given the higher the value. Each portion of the scroll has a separate ranking for participation, and the ranking spans the entire server. Data is refreshed once every minute.

* Amaterasu
* SP Kusa

Personal Contribution Ranking Rewards

2

3
3

3

Personal Contribution Ranking Rewards

2

3
3

3

## Amaterasu Story

* Scroll I
* Scroll II
* Scroll III
* Scroll IV
* Scroll V
* Scroll VI

### Appreciating Radiance

It was more ancient than any mortal could remember. But in Amaterasu's memory, it felt just like yesterday. In the boundless darkness, there was nothing but Izanami's features, as clear as day.

Amaterasu recalled when they had sat on the edge of a cliff, gazing down at the world below. Across the barren lands, seeds were sprouting, tiny but connected by threads that sewed the land together, where flowers bloomed and trees grew. Amaterasu and Izanami had shared many such moments. The sound that intrigued Amaterasu the most was the cracking open of seeds as new life sprouted from within. In that moment, everything else was silent, and she felt the origin and destruction of all things - the miracle of life. Amaterasu usually smiled in these moments, but when she turned to Izanami, she sensed that the other god possessed different emotions. The light of morning awakened the world from darkness, but when the warmth of the light reached everything, the colors felt somehow cold. Izanami's expression was like the dim sunlight and made Amaterasu feel that if she kept looking at it, it would freeze her to the bone.

"You love the moment they're born, don't you?" asked Izanami.

"I do." Amaterasu nodded.

"I prefer the time when they end. All the resignation, the despair. Or perhaps the honesty and abandonment. Things keep changing."

"Is that a bad thing?" asked Amaterasu.

"Not if you haven't seen too much of it. Consider it. Only destruction is eternal, and only destruction can mean a new start. It's going to take some time for you to understand this." Izanami looked at Amaterasu.

"Perhaps I understand it perfectly. You stand higher than me, just as we are sitting high above the world. The difference is in our perspectives. I feel that your perspective is a little lacking...in kindness. Destruction goes on and on, and improves our creation, but even those who don't 'improve' deserve to be heard. If we disregard the process of life simply because the end is inevitable, how can we conclude that new lives are 'better'?"

Amaterasu gently tended a plant that had just sprouted next to her.

"Your perspective is from a higher place, but that doesn't make it the only way to view things."

Izanami did not answer, but smiled. Amaterasu did not understand what was in that smile, until a long time after.

### Decisions

In Izanami's absence, Amaterasu started to hear a new voice, which came from a chaotic space, yet sounded strangely familiar. The voice asked Amaterasu how much she knew about the world, and if she had truly experienced her own creation.

"Experienced?"

Even when the mysterious voice had gone, the word lingered in Amaterasu's mind. Before this, Amaterasu had only been allowed to observe the world from above with Izanami, as the goddess did not like to interact with her creations. But now, something stirred inside Amaterasu. She wanted to experience the world for herself. However, this notion of "experiencing" did not immediately change Amaterasu's mind. On the contrary, things were closer to her expectations, and she discovered more of their imperfectness, the closer she got.

Perfection is what people aspire to, and it is rare for people to accept imperfection without question. Amaterasu was no exception. The world was such a massive, intricate creation, one imperfection was barely noticeable, but even a small leak can sink a great ship. Amaterasu had asked Izanami before about what would happen if she made mistakes and created an imperfect world. Izanami answered that those that who are not perfect were not eligible to exist. So perhaps, the imperfect world is a failure that should not exist, just as Izanami had said. This idea haunted Amaterasu like a shadow, almost consuming her at times.

Izanami had never told Amaterasu her duty once she'd created the world. Amaterasu used to think her duty was to improve upon what she had created, but now she hesitated: maybe it was wiser to start over than trying to fix it?

In her wanderings, Amaterasu met a little girl called Reina. During their short time together, Amaterasu learnt more about people's lives in this world. On the road, Amaterasu met a group of refugees escaping from their flooded homes. They traveled by day, and camped in the wilds at night. Natural disasters were beyond even Amaterasu's control. The chemistry between all things in the world could cause so many different things to happen. Each potential event could turn out to be a myriad of possibilities; like rain can nourish the forest, but can also cause deadly floods.

The refugees assumed Amaterasu was another refugee, and took her in. Even when they struggled to keep warm and feed themselves, they still prepared a place for her with them. They even gave her a blanket to protect her from the cold night wind. Sitting together around a bonefire, Amaterasu was awestruck by their hospitality, amongst other things; the element of fire which she had created herself had been turned into a tool by humans they could use to improve their lives. Behind Amaterasu, children were playing carefree around the fire. The faces of the adults were happy and contented. Amaterasu asked the leader of the refugees, how they could smile like that when they were living in such terrible circumstances. Perhaps the man failed to understand her question, or perhaps he didn't think it was a question in the first place.

"Everyone is alive and well, why shouldn't we be contented?"

Hearing his words, Amaterasu's heart stirred. Perhaps it really was just that simple. Thousands of her creations existed in this world in marvelous harmony, even if they didn't necessarily all work together. In every patch of land, a different and unique system of coexistence had sprung up. People adjusted, adapted, and even changed the environment to fit their needs. Imperfection has never been the reason why this world should not exist, it was the beacon that made the world unique and intriguing.

### Inner Radiance

After that day, many things happened. Izanami returned to the world, bringing destruction with her. It was then that Amaterasu finally learned her objectives and her own secret. The final lesson she learned from the person she had once worshiped was a painful one.

Amaterasu separated her own divinity and foiled Izanami's ambition. Amaterasu had once promised Izanami that she'd never return her to that place, but then ended up breaking her own promise. Later, Amaterasu built Takamagahara, embedding her power into every corner. Before the Goddess of Destruction returned to the world, the pantheon was able to protect the mortal world from this place. When Izanami inevitably returned, it would be the first bastion of defense. Amaterasu knew that her power was nothing compared to Izanami. She also realized that Izanami had already been defeated once, so she would be more prepared, and more ferocious the next time.

Waiting is always a torture. Every night Amaterasu thought about building order out of the chaos and making preparations for the inevitable destruction. But she still couldn't help feeling she was being selfish. Sometimes Amaterasu stayed up all night meditating. There was so much life in the world, yet she felt so lonely. Even when she meditated, a vision... a nightmare kept haunting her. In that vision, it was Amaterasu herself who was reveling in the destruction of the world, not Izanami. Her own features overlapped with Izanami's, icy and emotionless, gazed at the world. The monsters trampled on everything, all she could hear was wailing and screaming.

Ever since she'd learned the secret of her own birth, Amaterasu knew that she could become the destroyer of the world. When the separated divinities returned to their rightful places, would she become the guardian, or.... the exterminator?

But even when the night ended and the sun rose, the adamant Amaterasu returned, her light reaching every corner of the world. The longer she walked the mortal world, the greater her feelings for the lives in that world. The name and life of each and every mortal was written on her heart. Mortals always thought the gods were so far away, but here she was, watching them, right at their side.

If she was at fault, then it was up to her to suffer the upheavals and torments, to accept her destiny and her end. But before it came to that, Amaterasu would do her utmost for the world.

### Morning's Glory

A long time had passed since Takamagahara was created. Since then, Takamagahara changed rapidly, more and more gods resided there, the laws and rules stabilized the chaos, the number of natural disasters decreased and the world became more and more prosperous.

The rise of Takamagahara wasn't purely a good event for Amaterasu. The increasing amount of gods turned out to be a hindrance to Amaterasu's rule. The newborn godlings have never experienced the hardships of the ancient times, and usually didn't pay enough respect to the God-Empress. More importantly, the God-Empress is unpredictable and often considered rash.

Even though none of these remarks were passed openly, they were like a wandering snake, roaming freely among the pantheon. Once the doubt is planted, it will gradually germinate. Even just a small bud of doubt will pry up the soil, and even if the soil is hard, cracks will appear.

Some of the elder gods became worried about the situation and told Amaterasu their concerns, but Amaterasu did nothing and let them be. That was until the Seven Evil Gods, led by Orochi spread countless sins in the mortal world, and nearly broke it with worldwide warfare.

After the Elder God Izanagi past, Takamagahara was fighting an uphill battle against the Seven Evil Gods. The pantheon gathered to work out a strategy, all of them knew that Takamagahara needed a new Warrior God to replace Izanagi. Each god voted for their candidate, but Amaterasu, sitting on her throne, didn't nod in approval to any of them. The meeting was long, and an impatient god finally spoke directly to Amaterasu, telling her she needed to select one of the candidates. That was when Amaterasu finally spoke.

"The late General Izanagi of the Divine Army had a ward, named Susanoo who governs thunder and storms."

She didn't even need to finish the sentence, when yells of protests and retorts were rising from below. Immediately, every god in the hall began to discuss and conflicted, most of them against the idea. Amaterasu stood up, watching the quarreling gods.

"I have chosen my candidate. If you find yourself not agreeing, then let the time tell." With that remark, Amaterasu left the hall.

It didn't take long. The next time they heard about Susanoo, he was already leading his army of divine beasts to the gate of the Great Hall, stepping over the monster's carcasses. The pantheon knocked open the gate of Amaterasu's Great Hall, bringing the news of the disrespectful rebel god who was about to attack Takamagahara. Amaterasu ignored the crowd, but sat at her desk and continued to read the book in her hand. The crowd shouted and called Amaterasu an unworthy God-Empress, who would bring about the end of Takamagahara. The gods became more excited, and their words, more profane. Amaterasu snapped her book shut, and her desk burst into flames, turning into ashes in mere seconds. The inner hall finally became silent again.

"Who among you is sure that Susanoo is here to slaughter his own kind, but not for the salvation of the mortals?"

"You would bet on him, risking the whole pantheon getting slaughtered? The Takamagahara will bleed to death and never be able to restore its glory ever again."

"If it comes to that, I shall not let him harm any of you, not until he takes my head."

Amaterasu did not wait for the gods' retort, but waved her hands. All the doors and windows in her hall slammed shut and were sealed with divine power. Panic erupted in the crowd again, but Amaterasu said calmly.

"Those who believe me shall remain here. Those who don't shall remain here also. Today, no one shall stop Susanoo!"

It was not until the hour of sunset, that a divine magistrate came to report that Susanoo had led the army of divine beasts and routed the army of monsters besieging Takamagahara. They have now sheathed their weapons and had the beasts camp a few miles away from the palaces, awaiting the summon of the God-Empress. The calmness on Amaterasu's face broke into a thin smile. She walked through the crowd of the stunned Takamagahara Gods, and opened the gate of her hall, as light shone back into the great hall.

"Let us greet this new Warrior God of Takamagahara together."

### Persisting Soul

After the great battle against Orochi, the trial was successfully completed, but the world was still infested by the Evil God's corruption. Amaterasu turned her divine power into the true sun, illuminating the entire world and restoring the circle of life. The dark clouds finally cleared, as Amaterasu shed the sunlight back onto the earth, repelling the darkness. The newborn sun lifted Takamagahara back into the clouds, and Amaterasu became one with the sun. The sun was too bright to be looked at directly, so no one could see Amaterasu's silhouette anymore. From then on, there would be no Amaterasu, the God-Empress of Takamagahara, but only the one true sun.

Amaterasu did not lose all her feelings even after she became one with the sun. Whenever the sun sheds its light onto the earth, wherever the light can reach, Amaterasu can see like with her own eyes. For a thousand years, she observed the mortal world like this.

The war against the Evil Gods scarred the lands. People were looking forward to the day when the war ended, but their joyful faces could hardly hide the exhaustion of rebuilding and the pain of losing their loved ones. For the time being, the Evil Gods will not return, but this will not be the end. One day, the cycle will begin to spin again.

Amaterasu thought of her last conversation with Izanami, when she divested her own divinity and forced Izanami back to the Aether Sea. Just before she left, she left a remark.

"Remember, Amaterasu. Destruction is always inevitable, as are the Seven Evils you have separated today. The desires and emotions of the mortals are the most chaotic and unfathomable of things. All evil is sprouted from them. The Evil you separated will not disappear from this world, it shall only reincarnate."

Amaterasu then thought of Orochi's questions for her.

"Where do these sins come from? Why is it beyond absolution? Why don't you defeat the creator of sin yourself, and make sins disappear from the world?" The Serpent Lord came to his final realization: "Aha! So you are the creator of everything... even sin itself."

Amaterasu kept her silence, not because she did not have an answer, but because she was not sure if the world and all mortal lives were prepared for it.

Sin is not defined by her. A soul always has a bright side and a dark side. Amaterasu took her own soul and created life, so each life in this world shared her essence. Human, which is the closest to the gods themselves, are more intelligent than other beings and delve deeper into both sides of their soul. That is how sins began to be defined. Amaterasu wanted to create life of pure goodness, free from sins, but such life would be trees without roots, a palace without foundation. All she could do was to create love for the mortals, to help them endure the pain of their sins.

Amaterasu used to ask Izanagi the Elder God, whose wisdom surpassed that of this world. But the old god only raised his head towards the starry sky and murmured.

"Black or white, it is the color of the soul's canvas itself."

Time flew through, as Amaterasu witnessed the rise and fall of the world again and again. Heinous sins have brought the world close to destruction, but there were always good people whose hearts shined like gold, those who would step forward to fight against darkness. Like that onmyoji Seimei, he has the most sincere heart, defends his beliefs, and protects all he cares about.

During her thousand years as the sun, Amaterasu has gradually come to understand. Purity might not be the most correct form, and sin should not be hidden and ripped from the world. The mortals will toughen up and stand on their own, one trial at a time. And they shall be the true guardians of the world.

### Light Followers

When Amaterasu wakes from the sun, Izanami will return to the world.

After negotiating, Susabi and Amaterasu decided to return to Takamagahara, leaving Susanoo and the divine army to guard the mortal world. Amaterasu's divine power was still recovering, so she secluded herself to meditate and restore her power. At night, she walked the streets alone, reinforcing the fields she had left in the past.

During one of her walks, she met a newborn god whom she had infused her divine power into the fields long ago. Now, the newborn god had become a full-fledged Takamagahara God and narrated the history of Takamagahara's thousand years in Amaterasu's absence. He had dutifully maintained the fields she created, so when she returned, the fields were perfectly maintained.

"Thank you for defending this place," said Amaterasu. "May Takamagahara's blessing be everywhere the light touches."

"Lady Amaterasu, I am at your disposal until the moment I die in glorious combat. The Takamagahara Gods are yours to command and guard the world."

The bricks on the walls had let traces of wear and tear, but the god's eyes were still full of hope for new life.

The following day, Amaterasu recalled Susanoo from the mortal world and Susabi from the Galaxy. Both looked exhausted, presumably from preparing for the upcoming battle. When they entered Amaterasu's hall, they saw three glasses of wine on her desk. This was the reunion of the three after a thousand years. They sat down before the desk, and thousands of unspoken words dissolved into the spirits they drank, whether it was bitterness, sorrow, or joy they felt...

"Let's visit the old place together."

Amaterasu stood up and headed out of her hall. Susabi and Susanoo followed in silence..

The old place was a ladder that had the most open view of Takamagahara, where they used to take breaks from their busy schedules. Standing in the same place thousands of years later, the view they saw was different. In that instant, all three of them recalled the same moment--a clear sky, blue seas, and light pouring through the thin clouds onto the lands. That was the most beautiful moment in the world that the three cherished together.

"If we are destined to meet our end. If the destiny written for us is a cruel one. Then let our lives pave the way for the world. After this day, we will go our separate ways again. But the darkness will end, and the dawn will surely come. For the light is in you and me, and in every mortal being. The hidden light in our hearts will never be destroyed."

## SP Kusa Story

* Scroll I
* Scroll II
* Scroll III
* Scroll IV
* Scroll V
* Scroll VI

### Dark Home

I was born in late summer. The first thing I saw in life was a lake of foul, dark water. Everything across the endless black tides was wilted and rotten. Beneath the boundless darkness of the night, I walked through the waters. There was no life at all... only the darkness.

"Someone... Anyone?"

I murmured cowardly again and again, but only silence was the answer. I quickly realized that I had been born from the rotten vegetation, | alone. My self-doubt weighed me down. Only feelings of helplessness and confusion kept me company, as I slowly made my endless journey to nowhere...

But then I saw something white against the eternal black canvas. It looked like the last bit of hope in a ruined world. I reached out to it and saw that it was a dandelion growing at the water's edge. The seeds were soft and white, and so delicate to the touch. But when the wind blew, the flower seemed to disintegrate and the seeds scattered. I didn't want its beauty to be lost to the dark waters, so I held out my hands to catch them in desperation. To my astonishment, motes of light appeared on the tip of my fingers, and the scattered dandelion seeds gathered in my hands. Small freckles of light lit up the dandelion, as well as the surface of the water, where I was able to see my reflection for the first time. I saw the same light shining in my eyes. I felt... happy. Comforted. That was the first time I used my spiritual powers.

I protected the dandelion with my powers. The glimmering light was weak, but it created a boundary from the rest of the dark waters. I realized my purpose was to find light and hope. I had been born from the rotten grasses, but my heart yearned for the light.

Is this why I had been born? I listened to my heart and gave myself a name.

"My name is Kusa."

### Vast Memory

﻿Throughout my years, I journeyed across the world, treading the path of spiritual beings where the strong preyed upon the weak. It was never easy. I lost count of how many times I was forced to hide in bushes, enduring hunger and fear, just to avoid becoming a plaything for stronger spirits.

Once, I was fetching water by a river when a batch of bad spirits found me, circled me, and tried to drown me just for fun.

"Press her down!"

"See how she struggles!"

They yelled, as I struggled to no avail. Just as I shut my eyes in desperation--

"Release her at once!"﻿

An arrow shot through the air and pierced its way into the group of bullies, before they scattered away for their lives. A handsome and well-built lupine young lady passed through them and helped me up. That was how I met Hakuro. Her proficiency with the bow was artful and elegant, the bullies looked stunned by her charisma.

"This is the last time. You have been warned."﻿

She said, and that ended my miseries. She turned to leave, but I mustered all my courage and pulled on her sleeves.

"Thank you... Could you tell me your name?"

I asked, eager to know the name of the hero who had saved my life. Perhaps one day I could repay her kindness, or draw strength from her name. Perhaps one day, I could even become someone like her.

"I'm Hakuro."

I repeated the name several times in my mind, making sure it was engraved in my memory.﻿

After Hakuro saved me, my hard life finally came to an end. I joined a group of lesser spirits in the forest, learning from them how to become strong enough to protect myself from the bullies. At first, we had no clue how to become stronger, but that ended when the group was taken over by a newcomer wielding a spiked club. Her strength proved to be very convincing. This was how Satori became the boss around our turf. She was usually violent, but somehow extremely curious and patient with me.﻿

"So you're Kusa. Is this dandelion your weapon?"

"No... I gave it my spiritual power to it, so it can heal everyone..."

"What an idiot! You are too weak to protect anyone! I know. You should learn to be strong like me! Check this out!"

Satori raised her club and smashed it down.﻿

"What are you waiting for? Raise that dandelion up!"

"Wha- My dandelion?"

Confused, I held up my dandelion, and waved it down like she did. Satori waited for a second, then burst into laughter while patting my shoulders.

"Not the worst you can do! Now, do it again!"

The sun was setting, but I continued to practice this strange "way to become strong," sweating profusely with each wave. I was exhausted, but I never let go of the dandelion. I dreamed of becoming brave and strong enough to protect those around me, and I looked forward to the day when I could achieve that goal.

### Luminescent Glow

﻿On the day of the reunion with Hakuro, my wish came true. She had agreed to take me in as a novice, to train at her side. She reminded me that my training was going to be tougher than I expected, but that I would be fine as long as I was with someone kind and fair like her.

During the training, Hakuro told me about her past. She used to be one of the shikigami of the famous onmyoji Seimei. Also, ﻿there was another archer she looked upon as a role model... She said her own skills with the bow were much worse than her role model's, but, to me, she was the strongest, and the most determined one.

She was always serious and patient, even when training someone like me. At first, I was terrible with the bow, sometimes I was so nervous when I held my bow, and I couldn't control it very well. But Hakuro put her hands on mine to﻿ help me get the feel of how to do it right. There were eight basic postures and three skills she created especially for me: "One step, one breath", "One drill, one day", and...

"Kusa, to reach the third skill, you need more courage."

"I... I don't understand."

"Just imagine. You're all alone in your training... but you need to fight for the most important person in﻿ your life. One shot, one life... Treat each arrow as your last."

The wind blew across the cliffs, through the forest, to where Hakuro and I were standing. Hakuro's expression was calm as always, but I suddenly felt a determination like never before. From that moment, I decided she was the most important person in my life, and our training became the time I most cherished.﻿

But this precious time did not last long. The corruption of the Goddess of Destruction had spread far and wide, and ruin fell upon us like tide. When the corruption came upon us, Hakuro sheltered me from a fatal attack, but she was terribly hurt in the process. For the first time in my life, I tried to fight the corruption with my healing powers, but only rendered myself unconscious. When I awoke, I was already at Mt. Septem, but Hakuro was﻿ nowhere to be seen. I had no idea what had become of her. I decided to travel by myself through this chaotic world. I was so afraid of everything, but when I imagined Hakuro by my side, I found the courage to keep going.

On Mt. Gloom, I saw how Enenra and her brother helped each other during these difficult times. At Arakawa, I saw the solitude of its children and, at Mt. Oe, I entered a great challenge... The﻿ demon boss could see how disheartened I had become and was gentle with me. The demoniac power rushed towards me, but stopped its advance just as it was about to reach me, so I only had a little bit of power to deal with. I was surrounded by the warmth of the residual heat. I realized the blazing demoniac fire... was there just to give me warmth. I have witnessed so much happiness and sadness on my journey, but this journey came to an end﻿ when I reached Heian-Kyo with Master Tamamonomae.

I wondered if Hakuro would be proud of me for what I had accomplished.

Would she smile fondly upon me, and give me words of encouragement? Hakuro... If only you were still by my side. When I was alone at night, I cried for her as I wrote down my wishes in my journal. I believed they could help me keep things together﻿ until the end.

I knew right from the start, that fighting against the corruption would only end in failure. Every time I used my healing power, my spiritual being weakened, and I became closer to turning back into the rotten grasses from which I had been born. The end of my journey became the starting point for a new life. Now this will be my last training. No more turning back. But there's a hidden wish in my heart.

Just as I embarked, I made a decision, this is the point of no return. No matter what, I will keep saving those within my reach, and keep on... until we can be reunited, Hakuro.

### Scooped Promise

﻿Hakuro opened her eyes. A white dandelion was next to her. It was so small and delicate that the slightest breeze might have whisked it away. Hakuro turned around so she could protect the flower.

The second day Hakuro awoke in Heian-Kyo. The final battle was looming, and the destruction was already running wild through the city. Seimei was leading the others in fixing the field.﻿

The night before her awakening, everyone in Heian-Kyo witnessed the sea of light. A myriad of dandelion seeds drifted in the air, healing the frenzy in the spirits and demons. It took only seconds for everyone to regain their serenity, to raise their heads and gaze up at the sky, having been rescued from insanity. Dandelion seeds scattered, but the light remained in everyone's memories.

"Kusa, do you know?﻿ Everyone saw it, everyone witnessed your courage."

Hakuro smiled, the smile that Kusa loved most about her. Feeling so much regret and heartbreak that she had been taken away by the miasma, torn from Kusa's side, she cried.

Kusa was no longer the Kusa who had saved her in the end. Kusa drew determination from her memories, and she finally found herself. Now she had to be the calm Hakuro,﻿ the one Kusa had taken as her role model. She wiped away her tears and went to look for Master Seimei, who was still trying to stabilize the field.

"Master Seimei, allow me to fight by your side once again."

Seimei saw the Hakuro that had once stood beside him, the familiar bow, and that familiar, determined expression. A light shone in those eyes, reminding him of Kusa.﻿

The mortals were weak and had to beg the gods for everything. The mortals would never get stronger, but they would do their best to defy those gods. Deep down, Hakuro knew she would fight by Seimei's side to the bitter end. When dawn breaks, the warm sunlight will reach every corner of this world, and she will hold out her hands to welcome the gleaming dandelion seeds carried to her by the winds. Hakuro knew she would meet Kusa again.

### Archery Practice

﻿I was awoken by the first light of day. It had been some time since my return, and I stood up straight, noticing that I had grown taller since yesterday. I basked in the warm sunlight for a moment before remembering my appointment with Hakuro. I ran lightheartedly towards the sun.

Oops, I should've introduced myself first! I'm Kusa! Perhaps you knew me before. Although I couldn't remember anything about﻿ my past, I knew my feelings for Hakuro. She was the first person I saw when I opened my eyes and the one who held me in he palm. Today was the day she promised to teach me archery.

As I approached the grassy field, I saw Hakuro's silhouette in the distance, holding something out.

"Is this... for me?"

I asked as I got closer and recognized her bow, which﻿ now had a huge white dandelion tied to it. The delicate seeds waved in the wind, appearing cute and exquisite.

"I owed you this."

"I know you're the best!" I leaped and spun around, "Did you customize it for me?"

Hakuro nodded and smiled, "Give it a spin?"

Without hesitation, I raised the bow, which was much﻿ lighter than I expected. I waved it several times, and countless dandelion seeds danced in the air. I felt a hint of recognition without knowing why.

"One step, one breath, one drill, one day..."

As I stretched the bow, it felt natural, and old memories flooded into my brain.

"Kusa, to fully understand the third skill, you need to learn courage."﻿

The Hakuro from my memories said. I opened my eyes and saw Hakuro's kind smile. She put a hand on my head lovingly.

"Well done, Kusa."

I must have worked really hard to get her approval. That should be the only explanation for why my nose tingled and my eyes welled up with tears.

### Wind Falls

﻿As the dandelion season passed, Hakuro and I embarked on a new journey, exploring mountains and forests, and experiencing springs and autumns. During our training sessions, I retrieved more and more of my memories, including the dark waters where I was born and the glimmer of light in the dark night. However, despite these recollections, I still felt like an important piece of the puzzle was missing.﻿

On a warm, sunny day, I convinced Hakuro to play "drifting dandelion" with me. I ran in the same direction as the wind and leapt from the hillside with the big dandelion in my hand, drifting with the wind. As I soared through the clouds and winds, I looked down upon the wilderness..

"Here I come!"

I yelled from the sky.

"Wait- The wind isn't﻿ going the right way!"

A gust of wind blew through, messing up my landing. I adjusted the dandelion, then noticed that Hakuro wasn't the only one waiting for me until I'd landed.

On the boundless plains, the friends Hakuro had told me about welcomed me. The kind wind god, the maverick demon boss, the powerful nine-tailed fox... Memories from across the river of time﻿ returned and enveloped me like a breeze. I felt as if endless time was compressed into this instant. In a trance, I recalled everything.

In the warm daylight, Hakuro stretched out her hands and gently caught me in her arms.

"Welcome back, Kusa."

Here comes another late summer, and we are all waiting for you. Waiting for you to be free, and in the world of light.

## Gallery

Amaterasu

SP Kusa