The Yin and Yang of a Genius Immortal Cultivator Girl

Night fell, stars dotted the sky. In a secluded valley in the back mountains of the Yue family, a renowned family of immortal cultivators, a slender figure sat cross-legged. The girl was around ten years old, her skin fairer than snow, her features as beautiful as a painting. A faint golden halo surrounded her, a symbol of condensed, pure immortal energy. She was Yue Huangying（岳 黃英，黃英 means "yellow blooms"), the Yue family's proud genius girl.

At this moment, Yue Huangying was immersed in deep cultivation. Her consciousness, like invisible threads, extended outwards, trying to capture the elusive truths of the Great Dao. She gently raised her hand, and brilliant immortal light flowed from her fingertips, sometimes transforming into sharp sword energy that cleaved through the void, and sometimes condensing into gentle rain that nourished all things. To master such a diverse range of immortal techniques at her age was a testament to her extraordinary talent.

Even more remarkable was Yue Huangying's understanding of Daoist philosophy. Her comprehension of Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, and the cycle of heavenly laws had already surpassed that of many seniors who had cultivated for years. Her insights often struck at the very essence of things, as if only a thin veil separated her from the Great Dao, within easy reach.

However, no matter how hard she tried, no matter how much her strength improved, that thin veil always remained impenetrable. The Great Dao was right in front of her, so close, yet always just out of reach, as if an invisible barrier was blocking her.

Yue Huangying opened her clear eyes, a hint of frustration flashing deep within them, almost imperceptible. She knew that the problem likely lay within herself. Her cultivation was nearly perfect, yet there was always a sense of disharmony, a subtle stagnation, like a tiny grain of sand mixed into the gears of a precise machine. This grain of sand, Yue Huangying vaguely felt, was related to a hazy shadow in her memory—her mother.

Her mother had "disappeared" since she could remember. The elders of the Yue family always avoided the topic, their eyes carrying an unspeakable complexity. Her father, Yue Qingyan, had died from cultivation deviation when she was very young. Her memories of her mother were only fragmented pieces, along with the lonely smile on her father's face before his death.

She still remembered when she was little, innocently tugging at her father's sleeve and asking curiously, "Daddy, why is my name Huangying?"

The afterglow of the setting sun fell on her father's face, adding to his loneliness. He looked up at her words, gazed at the gradually darkening clouds in the sky, then turned back to her, forcing a gentle yet lonely smile.

"Huangying ah..." His voice was a little hoarse, as if recalling some beautiful past events, "Daddy loves spring very much. At that time, all kinds of flowers bloom, colorful and vibrant. Especially yellow flowers, you see, there's the warm apricot yellow, the lively goose yellow, they always bring Daddy the power of life. So, Daddy named you Huangying, hoping that you can also be like the yellow flowers in spring, full of beauty."

At that time, Yue Huangying didn't understand the deeper meaning behind her father's smile, she just thought the name "Huangying" sounded very nice. But when she asked further about her mother, her father's eyes dimmed, and he just perfunctorily said that her mother had gone to a faraway place. And the others in the Yue family always had a subtle, strange look on their faces, vaguely avoiding her questions.

As she grew older, Yue Huangying gradually sensed the Yue family members' unspoken secret about her mother. They seemed to deliberately avoid the topic, their eyes always carrying a hint of pity and unease that she couldn't understand. Intelligent as she was, she slowly stopped asking. She told herself that as long as she cultivated diligently enough and reached the Great Dao in the end, all questions would be answered.

However, when her cultivation reached an extremely high level, she felt an unprecedented resistance. Her Daoist skills were nearly perfect, but they seemed to be stuck by something deeply rooted in her essence. The feeling was very peculiar, as if she wasn't a complete individual.

Once, during an extremely deep cultivation session, Yue Huangying tried to disassociate herself and feel the origin of all things. Just as her consciousness was about to merge into the void, she suddenly felt that her legs, which originally carried her light existence, seemed to bear immeasurable suffering. That sorrow and despair didn't belong to her, yet she couldn't separate herself from it. And her wisdom and knowledge were "borrowed" along with her head, absorbed by a force from an unknown source, as if only to satisfy some indescribable demand. As for the emotions and instincts deep within her heart, they coldly watched all of this, like an irrelevant bystander.

Yue Huangying suddenly pulled herself out of that strange state, a strong sense of unease rising in her heart. She realized that she didn't completely control her own existence. Having made up her mind, she created a special Daoist technique, trying to communicate more deeply with her own being.

Several days later, Yue Huangying completed the Daoist technique. She closed her eyes and visualized herself in her mind. This "self" reached out and gently took off her head, holding it up to manipulate it, so that the self-awareness it carried would no longer cover her body. This allowed her body to break free from the constraints of being Yue Huangying, freely interact with the world, and release all its hidden information.

While observing herself, Yue Huangying was surprised to find that her composition was not a unified whole, and there was some inherent disharmony. Beneath her appearance as the Yue family's genius immortal cultivator girl, there seemed to be something else hidden. A strong desire grew in her heart; she had to undertake a thorough "deep dive" into herself to explore the root cause.

After a period of preparation, Yue Huangying finally made up her mind. She focused her mind and elevated her cultivation to the extreme. Her consciousness was highly concentrated, like a sharp blade, ready to cut through the fog that shrouded her.

She began to perform the dangerous Daoist technique. In her visualization, the head representing her identity as Yue Huangying slowly separated from the body representing her true being and heart. Then, she ventured to dismantle the Taiji, formed by her pure Daoist cultivation and symbolizing the unity of her mind. The Taiji slowly rotated, and the Yin and Yang components that constituted it gradually separated, creating a deep rift between them. As the two components separated, Yue Huangying's self-awareness and her inner self completely parted ways.

Yue Huangying's head turned into a soulless, precise machine, executing the plan exactly as she had conceived it beforehand, unleashing immortal techniques without restraint on her headless body. These immortal techniques were like invisible hands, forcibly opening the torso that represented the core of her being, extracting from it rays of brilliant light, which were information about her existence—narratives of her essence, memories, emotions, and experiences. This information condensed in the air, eventually transforming into an ancient and simple book, slowly forming on the legs that were responsible for carrying her existence. Yue Huangying's "head" began to read this book that recorded her self. The pages turned silently, and lines of tiny characters flickered like starlight. When she turned to the page recording her mother, a line of blurred handwriting entered her sight: "Mother: Huang."

The character "Huang" in her mother's surname was deliberately blurred, as if trying to conceal something. But even so, Yue Huangying still recognized it through her deep self-examination. It turned out that the character "Huang" in her name was not only the color of flowers as her father had said, but also came from her mother's "Huang."

Moreover, her mother's "Huang" was not ordinary; it was filled with an extraordinary aura. Her mother was no ordinary woman with the surname Huang; her "Huang" had characteristics that were too self-assertive. It was clear that her mother came from another immortal cultivation family, the Caotou Huang family.

The Huang family, who dominated Caotou, did not have a good reputation in the immortal cultivation world. If not notorious, they were at least controversial. They seemed to have little interest in pursuing the Heavenly Dao, but they had an almost fanatical pursuit of the power of immortal techniques. They believed in the supremacy of strength and used it to exchange for fame, status, power, and wealth. In addition, the Huang family's methods of exterminating demons were extremely violent and cruel, often criticized by other immortal cultivation families. Towards those immortal cultivation families weaker than them, the Huang family was even more extremely snobbish.

The Yue family, as a leader in the immortal cultivation world, had always kept the Huang family at a distance, regarding them as representatives of vulgarity. However, the Huang family tried every means to please the highly esteemed Yue family, trying to get close to them with excessive flattery. Yet, the rising star of the Yue family was actually born to a mother from the Huang family, which was undoubtedly a great irony for the Yue family. The nearly perfect talent for immortal cultivation and personal traits that Yue Huangying possessed were actually nurtured by an existence that the Yue family viewed as full of vulgarity, snobbery, and cruelty. How could the Yue family accept this?

Yue Huangying also knew that the Caotou Huang family had offended too many enemies and had been wiped out by allied hostile forces several years ago. Was her mother still alive in this world? Yue Huangying had no idea. She let her body reach out and gently stroke the mottled and blurred character "Huang" on the page. An unspeakable sense of resonance surged from the depths of her body. Yes, her name also had a "Huang," and her blood also flowed with the bloodline from that Huang family.

She could choose to seal all of this away and continue to be the flawless genius immortal cultivator girl of the Yue family, enjoying the admiration and expectations of everyone. However, how could a person who didn't even dare to face their true identity truly reach the Great Dao? Yue Huangying knew very well that she couldn't bypass reality. She had to let the part of her existence that came from the Huang family emerge from the dust to explore the truth about herself.

After the Daoist technique was completed, Yue Huangying returned to her original state. She gently stroked her chest, closed her eyes, and looked inward, feeling the other half hidden within her body. The Huang family's traits had not been "activated" before, but after being recognized, they began to surge beneath her calm exterior. She felt the desire for power, the ambition for worldly authority, and the ruthless decisiveness when facing things she disliked. The time had come for her to truly become a "Huang family member" once. Yue Huangying carefully considered and planned the steps to transform herself, collecting the necessary items and creating the required Daoist techniques.

After some more time, Yue Huangying had done everything she needed to do, so she loosened the reins on her nature and let it guide her. She slowly got up, took off the clothes she usually wore as a genius immortal cultivator girl, and put on attire suitable for the Huang family's traits. A pearl-colored silk dress, intricate gold ornaments transformed into blooming flowers, setting off her originally delicate face with a hint of enchanting charm. She looked in the mirror and carefully applied makeup. The rouge and eyeshadow on her face were a departure from her usual bare face, and her eyes and brows carried a hint of sharpness and allure.

Just as she finished dressing, Yue Huangying clearly felt the part of her that had been sleeping was completely awakened. Her mind, which should have been as calm as water, was now like a raging fire, churning within her. She stood up, glanced at the elegant embroidered shoes she usually wore, and turned to slip her feet into sandals from the Huang family. Her jade-like toes peeked out from the front of the crystal-clear shoes, as if declaring that she was no longer bound by elegance, wantonly flaunting her existence.

"Strike while the iron is hot!" Yue Huangying whispered, her fingers forming a hand seal, and cast a spell on herself again, reconstructing the essence of her being. Just as the immortal technique took effect, an unspeakable sense of strangeness washed over Yue Huangying. Her head seemed to be ejected by an invisible force, with only a wobbly, spring-like connection remaining between it and her body. She found that she had lost the dominance over her self-definition. The genius girl who represented the Yue family's glory was only remembered in her head, attached to her foundation made up of the Huang family's bloodline. The demands from the depths of her being solidified into illusory hands, pulling her forward. Yue Huangying didn't know where she would be taken, she could only let herself be manipulated.

As she walked, the figure symbolized by the illusory hands gradually became concrete, forming the illusion of a woman. This was the embodiment of the Huang family's lingering thoughts establishing a connection with her through her mother. The illusion reached out and gently stroked Yue Huangying's body, then gently opened her chest, took out the "Huang" character from the page about her mother in the record of her existence, and embedded it into Yue Huangying's heart, putting a hand on her shoulder, welcoming her "return."

Yue Huangying's existence was completely reshaped. Her "Yue" no longer held meaning. Her name became the simplest two characters—Huang Ying, surname Huang, given name Ying.

Huang Ying returned to the Yue family and calmly informed her bewildered family members that she would be leaving for a while and would return after dealing with some matters. The elders of the Yue family felt an aura emanating from Huang Ying that was completely different from before. It was an aura filled with desire and temptation, carrying a hint of elusive danger. Their proud, flawless little princess was gone. Realizing the complex situation Huang Ying faced, although their hearts were filled with questions and unease, they could only helplessly watch her leave.

Following the pull of her Huang family roots, Huang Ying traveled a long distance alone to the ruins of the Huang family manor. The former prosperity had long since turned into a scene of broken walls and rubble, with only weeds swaying in the wind, telling tales of past glory and decline. Huang Ying wandered through these ruins, carefully feeling what it meant to be a Huang family member.

Yes, at this moment, she could clearly feel that pursuit of a gorgeous appearance, that attitude of flattering superiors at all costs, and the contempt for the weak and those inferior to her. A cruel thought of wanting to completely eradicate the existence that disgusted her also surged in her heart. The so-called perfection, the so-called calm elegance, nobility, and benevolence, now seemed somewhat hypocritical in her eyes. These beautiful qualities were all built upon the foundation of ordinary and desire-filled human nature.

However, Huang Ying did not deny Yue Huangying because of this. Who said that people with ordinary human nature are not qualified to strive for peace, elegance, nobility, and benevolence through hard work? She believed that to reach the Great Dao, she had to be able to accept all of herself, including those less glamorous parts, whether she liked them or not.

Huang Ying found the underground dojo hidden beneath the ruins of the Huang family. She stood with her hands down, activating the facilities in the dojo with magic, causing it to decompose her existence and immerse each part in the lingering thoughts of the Huang family. Her right foot left first, stepping on a treasure pot shimmering with dazzling light, symbolizing the Huang family's strong desire for wealth; her left foot bore a golden token, representing their relentless pursuit of power; a gorgeous crown was placed on her head, symbolizing their craving for fame; and her body was hung high in mid-air, her hands hanging down limply, as if accepting this transformation without resistance.

At this moment, although Huang Ying had completely accepted the traits of the Huang family, the self-awareness belonging to Yue Huangying still existed in her head. That once near-perfect girl quietly watched her disassembled self, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

When Huang Ying walked out of the ruins of the Huang family manor again, she was already a complete "Huang family member." When she raised her head, examining the surging desires and emotions within her, she felt the lingering thoughts and wishes of the Huang family lingering around her, sometimes enthusiastically inviting her to integrate into them, and sometimes with a hint of mockery, whispering questions to her: Are you still that noble Yue family member? Aren't you actually one of us? The Huang family's twisted feelings towards the Yue family even made Huang Ying feel an absurd sense of inferiority towards Yue Huangying, as if her former self was both an object of worship and an object of jealousy.

Huang Ying tasted this strangeness, remaining silent, her heart already having a clear goal. She allowed herself to become a Huang family member not to indulge in their desires, but to better understand them, understand her mother, and thus understand herself. She returned to the residence she had when she was Yue Huangying. At this moment, her "Huang" was completely formed, filled with the lingering thoughts and information of the Huang family. She carefully took out the "Huang" character originating from her mother from her body, preparing to reconstruct her projection in the real world.

Because Huang Ying's understanding and knowledge of her mother were already very complete, the reconstruction process was quite smooth. Her mother's limbs and components were projected one by one according to the appearance Huang Ying had conceived; and her mother's personality projection gradually formed, watching her own body parts being created and assembled by her daughter in order. Her daughter's gentle and emotionally rich spiritual power wrapped around her soon-to-be-formed body through magic, causing her to feel shy.

As the reconstruction projection process neared completion, a soft light illuminated the room, and the figure of a woman with a gentle smile slowly emerged. Huang Ying finally got to see the face of her mother, whom she had never met. "Mom..." Huang Ying whispered, her eyes slightly wet. She and her mother's projection embraced and wept, pouring out the words of longing that had never been conveyed.

Her mother's original name was Huang Chunxiang (黃 春香，春香

means "smells of the spring"). Although she came from the Huang family, known for its toughness and ruthlessness, her personality was gentle and kind. She possessed innately powerful spiritual energy, but because she couldn't bear to harm living beings, she was unable to fight and was considered an anomaly by the family. Ultimately, she was expelled from the Huang family and even stripped of the Huang surname. During her wanderings after losing her surname, her mother silently used her spiritual power to care for the weak and transform those demons who had lost their minds. By chance, her mother rescued Yue Qingyan, who was seriously injured in a battle with demons. Yue Qingyan was deeply attracted to her and pursued her passionately, which led to the birth of Yue Huangying. Unfortunately, the spiritual energy contained in the Yue family's bloodline was incompatible with the physical characteristics derived from the Huang family, leading to a difficult labor. Chunxiang faced a dilemma. To save her daughter, she sacrificed her physical body and passed away after giving birth to Yue Huangying in the spring when all things flourish. Yue Qingyan and Chunxiang didn't have time to hold a formal wedding, so Chunxiang didn't marry into the Yue family, and the Yue family, due to various considerations, didn't leave a record of her position in the family. Yue Qingyan was very sad, deeply feeling that he had let her down, and also regretting that he didn't have the chance to give her the Yue surname, making her Yue Chunxiang. The inner trauma also caused Yue Qingyan's cultivation to not enter a suitable state, leading to cultivation deviation and the recurrence of old injuries, and he passed away in just a few years. Yue Huangying understood that the name her father gave her was to commemorate her mother, who fell like a yellow flower in spring—so beautiful, so short-lived, so fragile.

Huang Ying reconstructed her mother's projection. Through reuniting with her mother, her heart felt like the clouds had parted to reveal the sun, and all her confusion and entanglement vanished. She mended the previously unnoticed cracks in her own existence and understood her own composition. She entrusted her "Huang" to her mother's projection (in essence, the projection was also composed of her existence, a part of her). Her main body could be said to no longer have the surname Huang, reverting to Yue Huangying, a Yue family member who had completed her own "Huang." Her composition was still complex, still full of contradictions, still had internal conflicts, but these were all parts of herself that she could get along with and treat well. Vulgarity, snobbery, resentment, and various desires—Yue Huangying would fully experience and savor these components of herself, advancing towards the Great Dao with the pursuit of truth. In this process, no part of herself could be abandoned.

The season came to spring again. Following her mother's projection forward, the Yue family's genius immortal cultivator girl was fully restored. As she walked, she felt so happy—yes, if she didn't have human desires, where would her happiness come from?

The Demon-Slaying Shrine Maiden Who Serves Her Own Body as a God

Deep within the old mansion of the Kanda family, a solemn ritual was underway. Eighteen-year-old Sakura Kanda knelt in the center of the altar, surrounded by the venerable elders of the family, their expressions grave as they chanted ancient incantations in low voices. The air was thick with the scent of sandalwood, and an indescribable spiritual energy, as if emanating from the depths of the earth, permeated the atmosphere.

Sakura Kanda could feel the torrent of spiritual power within her body, a powerful force she had possessed since birth, as radiant and full of life as cherry blossoms blooming in spring. Since childhood, she had been told that she bore the heavy responsibility of restoring her family's fortunes. This family, which once held a lofty position in the Shinto world, was gradually losing its former glory, like cherry blossoms that wither after blooming. Sakura Kanda was their only hope.

On the altar, a cherry-colored jewel emitting a soft glow lay quietly. It was no ordinary gem, but a treasure that the Kanda family had created with painstaking effort, condensing the hopes and thoughts of countless people towards cherry blossoms. In Japanese culture, cherry blossoms represent life, beauty, and ephemeral brilliance. This profound emotion and faith had been absorbed and sealed within this jewel by the Kanda family through secret methods.

As the ritual progressed, the elders' chanting grew louder and more resonant, and the jewel's light shone even brighter. Finally, in a moment filled with mystery, the jewel transformed into a streak of light and merged into Sakura Kanda's body. She felt a warm and powerful force spreading throughout her, like spring rain nourishing parched earth, bringing forth abundant vitality.

The ritual was a success. Sakura Kanda slowly opened her eyes, feeling the changes that had occurred in her body. It was no longer just a body of flesh and blood, but was filled with some sacred power, radiating an awe-inspiring light.

From that moment on, Sakura Kanda's torso became the embodiment of the Sakura God, a newborn deity. And she herself became the Sakura God's exclusive shrine maiden, serving and worshipping a part of her own body. This incredible and bizarre situation was the very meaning of Shrine Maiden Sakura Kanda's existence.

One day, an ominous aura enveloped the Kanda family's domain, and traces of demons began to appear, threatening the peace of the land. Sakura Kanda knew that it was her turn to fulfill her mission.

She went to the shrine alone, facing the altar where the Sakura God was enshrined, chanting ancient prayers and kneeling devoutly. As the ritual progressed, her torso emitted an increasingly intense divine light, as if a sleeping deity was gradually awakening.

When the divine light reached its peak, Sakura Kanda felt a powerful force surge through her entire body. Her head and limbs began to separate from her torso, and from below her neck, several thin strands of condensed spiritual energy extended, like invisible bonds, touching her limbs. And her torso appeared in the once-empty shrine, returning to its divine position as the Sakura God.

Following this, her limbs, separated from her body, gradually shifted into battle mode. From the cross-section of her right thigh, a long whip covered in sharp bone spurs appeared, emitting a chilling aura. And her left leg, as if granted life, wielded a blade formed from spiritual energy, its edge so sharp it seemed capable of slicing through anything in the world.

Her hands each gripped charms inscribed with ancient runes. At the severed ends of her arms, two spirit orbs emitting a brilliant light were embedded, providing an inexhaustible source of energy for her battles.

Sakura Kanda's head floated in the air, her sharp gaze sweeping across the surrounding darkness. She could clearly feel the immense power her limbs possessed, a divinity bestowed upon them by the Sakura God. Through the spiritual threads, she could command her limbs without needing instructions from her torso, which had become a god. Her head was no longer superior to her torso but was subordinate to the head of the shrine maiden who served the god, and disrespect towards the divine body was forbidden.

A terrifying roar echoed from the darkness, and a gigantic demon with a grotesque face appeared before Sakura Kanda. It bared its fangs, emitting a foul aura as it tried to devour the shrine maiden before it.

Sakura Kanda felt no fear whatsoever. With a thought, the long whip of her right leg struck out like a venomous snake, its sharp thorns tearing through the air with a piercing whoosh, lashing fiercely against the demon's body and leaving streaks of blood. At the same time, the shrine maiden's left leg wielded the spirit blade, its sharp edge moving like a phantom through the demon's body, severing its limbs before it could even notice. The demon only realized it had lost its hands and feet when it tried to attack. The shrine maiden's hands were not idle either. The charms in her hands were activated by spiritual energy, transforming into streaks of golden light that shot towards the demon like sharp arrows, weakening its power with each hit.

Within her floating head, Sakura Kanda concentrated fully on directing the battle, transmitting commands to each limb through the spiritual threads, allowing them to coordinate perfectly like well-trained soldiers, driving the demon into a corner.

The demon let out a desperate roar, its attacks repeatedly thwarted by the shrine maiden's limbs' superb martial arts, while it itself continued to suffer severe damage. Finally, the demon let out a piteous shriek, transforming into clumps of foul flesh and blood, decaying on the sacred ground and gradually being purified.

The battle ended, and Sakura Kanda's limbs, guided by the spiritual threads, returned to her torso. Her legless feet knelt once more before the altar, and her independently floating hands clasped together, giving thanks for the divine power. As the divine body emitted a light of acceptance, the shrine maiden's head and limbs slowly reconnected with her torso, as if they had never been separated.

Sakura Kanda knew that this was only her first battle against a demon. As the shrine maiden of the Sakura God, she had to continue to protect this land, using the power bestowed by the god to drive away all evil, until the Kanda family regained its former glory.

As years passed, the shrine maiden who housed a god within her body neither aged nor grew, spending her days in a cycle of battles and rituals. Sakura Kanda often gazed at her reflection in the mirror, a young face that remained eternally eighteen. Time left no trace on her smooth skin; the passage of time on her seemed to have solidified like cooled cast iron. However, the mirror only reflected her outward appearance. Deep within her seemingly clear eyes were etched the bewilderment that had gradually accumulated through countless battles with demons and countless nights spent facing the Sakura God alone.

She had once naively thought that as time went on, she would better understand her form of existence and more deeply comprehend the essence of the Sakura God, but things rarely went as one wished. Every time her head and limbs separated from her torso, every time she slayed demons as a shrine maiden, it felt as if an invisible distance was drawn between her and the Sakura God. The more she relied on the Sakura God's power, the more she felt like a manipulated puppet, and her understanding of "god" became increasingly vague.

The Sakura God, a deity created by her family with all their might, was not a god with a concrete image or a clear will. It was not a personified god, but rather an aggregation of concepts, an interface for Sakura Kanda to exert her immense spiritual power. And her torso was the manifestation of this concept in the real world. Even as the exclusive shrine maiden, Sakura Kanda could not directly ask the Sakura God's thoughts or receive clear instructions from it, as one would speak with another person. All guidance was as obscure and difficult to understand as the starlight in the night sky, requiring her to pray devoutly, empty her mind, and only then, in a daze, could she catch a glimpse of an abstract revelation, and with the results of her arduous training, transform these vague feelings into actual power and guidance for her actions.

Whenever she served the Sakura God, the strange feeling always troubled her. Her head floated in the air, directing her hands to gently wipe the silent torso. It had once been a part of her, the foundation that sustained her limbs, the bridge that connected her to her various body parts, the place where her heart beat. She knew that even after becoming the divine body of the Sakura God, this torso still functioned as Sakura Kanda's torso. It would make sounds when it lacked food, feel cold when it was chilly, and even slightly gain weight when she occasionally indulged in sneaking sweets. These subtle connections were always genuinely felt by the shrine maiden beneath the god.

"Is this really my god?" This thought, like a persistent ghost, often surfaced in Sakura Kanda's mind. The torso that held all her private feelings and had experienced countless embarrassing moments was now bestowed with a sacred status, becoming great and unfamiliar. The enormous gap filled her with an indescribable sense of absurdity.

She quickly shook her head, trying to drive these blasphemous thoughts from her mind. This was a betrayal of her family's expectations and a great disrespect to the gods. She carefully cleaned the dirt from the skin of the divine body, wiping the orifices for bodily waste, keeping the divine body clean. Then, she carefully stood the body upright and placed it in the center of the altar.

At night, the bright moonlight poured into the shrine. The girl without a head and limbs, bathed in silver light, emitted a faint cherry-colored glow from her entire body, like a beautiful porcelain statue of a deity, sacred and fragile. Sakura Kanda directed her hands to gently caress the smooth skin. The warm touch from her fingertips brought her a strange sense of pleasure. She wondered if the Sakura God could also feel this pleasure?

In the silent moonlight, Sakura Kanda's kneeling legs slowly stood up. Her hands carefully lifted the divine body, placing it on her own legs, and then her head and hands, as if drawn by magnetism, returned to their respective positions. The moment her body was reassembled, a familiar sensation flowed through her entire being, and the connection between her head, hands, and feet was re-established through her torso. That feeling, both familiar and strangely odd, always made her tremble slightly.

Donning her solemn shrine maiden attire, Shrine Maiden Sakura Kanda danced gracefully in the moonlight, offering her dance to the Sakura God. Her movements were beautiful and dignified, each gesture filled with reverence for the deity. However, the lingering confusion and bewilderment in her heart, like a dark cloud drifting across a clear sky, never completely dissipated.

The days of walking alongside the Sakura God were still long. The familiar yet unfamiliar self had become a part of her life, even if she couldn't fully get used to it. Sometimes, when those "discordant" thoughts resurfaced, she couldn't help but reassure herself: weren't these thoughts allowed by the Sakura God? After all, her heart was also a part of the Sakura God's divine body, wasn't it?

Occasionally, Sakura Kanda would, with a hint of playfulness, throw her torso into the hot spring, letting the warm water envelop it, bringing a comfortable sensation. Perhaps this would also please the Sakura God? Or maybe, when she secretly savored those spicy and stimulating foods, although she would later hear rumbling sounds from within the divine body, perhaps that was the Sakura God and her heart feeling happy together?

She even gave herself a little "break," freeing herself from her role as a shrine maiden, and taking her divine body out as an ordinary girl, Sakura Kanda, to experience the life of a typical girl. The colorful streets, the dazzling array of goods, all sorts of drinks and desserts – they all made her feel a cherished sense of ease and joy.

However, as Sakura Kanda strolled through the bustling streets, a sudden surge of demonic energy brought her back to the reality she didn't want to face. "Seriously, can't you just let me enjoy the life of a normal girl for a little while?" she complained inwardly. She had just booked a reservation at a super famous dessert shop, and now she wouldn't have the chance to enjoy their most popular strawberry parfait. Despite her reluctance, the demon-slaying shrine maiden had to mobilize once again.

So Sakura Kanda reluctantly performed an emergency ritual. "I'm sorry, Lord Sakura God," the shrine maiden murmured in her heart. Her consciousness began to communicate with the divine presence within her, urging the Sakura God to activate its spiritual power.

The familiar sensation returned. The shrine maiden's head slowly began to separate from her neck, and the threads of her soul extended like invisible tentacles, preparing to connect with her limbs. Inside the legs of her jeans, spiritual energy transformed into weapons, equipping her legs and turning them into warriors. Each leg ripped through the jeans with its sharp edge, and the hems of the jeans, which she didn't have time to change, served as makeshift long socks and tabi, part of the shrine maiden's attire. "What a waste," the shrine maiden preparing for battle clicked her tongue. These were a trendy style she had secretly slipped out to buy last time. Her feet weren't clad in straw sandals blessed with divine power, but in cute girl's sandals, which were playful but lacked the seriousness and solemnity appropriate for facing demons. Her arms, preparing to fight, had also lost the protection of the shrine maiden's sleeves. Her head floated in the air, her face lacking the usual calm and serious expression of battle, her eyes bearing a dead-fish-like gaze, her empty expression seeming to say, "Why does it always have to be at this time?"

Sakura Kanda sighed, glancing back at the T-shirt worn by the Sakura God, which had a cute cartoon print. She had endured her embarrassment to buy it at a store filled with high school girls. The jeans, now shorts, still clung to the lower half of the divine body. No matter how she looked at it, where was the slightest hint of solemnity or holiness in this divine body?

Well, there was no help for it. This was what they called an emergency situation. The shrine maiden, who had hastily completed her preparations, looked around helplessly. The street, which had been filled with cheerful laughter just moments ago, now seemed to be shrouded in shadow. The shrine maiden raised her head high into the air, searching for any trace of demons.

Found them! They turned out to be a group of spider-like demonic spirits. Although not particularly strong, they were quick and agile, capable of capturing people's souls with their webs without being noticed, making them rather troublesome combat targets.

Sakura Kanda first concealed her body with a spell, then her head, through the threads of her soul, touched her armed limbs, transmitting battle commands. She knew she had to act quickly and decisively, to prevent too many people from being harmed and to eliminate the spider demons as soon as possible. The shrine maiden decided to disperse her body parts, forming a combat squad, to eliminate the demons separately.

This was a risky tactic. Each leg had a relatively independent fighting ability, but the hands required close combat guidance. What made it even more troublesome was that Sakura Kanda's head controlled her limbs through contact with the soul threads, unlike humans who directly feel and control their limbs through their torso. The simple commands, lacking continuity, and the time-delayed sensory feedback posed a severe challenge to her command, especially since she had to handle four different combat situations simultaneously. The shrine maiden's head flew back and forth busily, rapidly switching its awareness, trying its best to meet the command needs of the combat squad.

When the left leg's sharp blade sliced through the waist of the last spider demon, the rolling, round belly symbolized the arrival of victory. The battle shrine maiden was exhausted; she was practically schizophrenic. Her hands and feet had sustained injuries of varying degrees, especially her left hand, which had been captured by a demon and had to be taken back to the shrine for purification and recovery. The big toe of her right foot had also been carelessly cut off in the counterattack during the battle. After the battle, Sakura Kanda had finally found the toe and had her right hand pick it up.

"What a fierce battle!" The shrine maiden said, looking at her mushroom-like right big toe as she recalled the battle situation. Wasn't I supposed to be just a normal girl today? Why did I end up like this? My body parts are battered and broken, and there are even rebellious limbs. This is really absurd for a "normal girl."

Let's go back to the shrine. Sakura Kanda retrieved the silent Sakura God and reattached her limbs one by one. Her left hand was sealed with a charm and held by her right hand. The hems of her jeans on her legs were taken off and put into her backpack. She wondered if they could be sewn back on. The big toe of her right foot was placed in her jeans pocket. Sakura Kanda's head was still floating. She didn't want to go back yet, didn't want to continue pretending to be a girl on the divine body. She watched her headless body walking laboriously behind her, a strange feeling in her heart. What exactly is "myself"? The shrine maiden had no answer.

Suddenly, a bug flew over. Her right hand swung her left hand, trying to swat the bug away; and her right foot, missing its big toe, lost its balance due to the sudden movement, causing her entire body to fall.

Sakura Kanda watched her body lying on the ground. She felt the pain, but didn't recognize that she had fallen. The big toe of her right foot fell out of her pocket, its secretly painted cherry-colored nail facing Sakura, as if revealing a mocking smile.

The Fighting Saintess : Conflicting of Different Holiness

Chapter 1: The Saintess Holding Her Own Legs

Kannazuki Yui, a Japanese college student whose name embodies holiness and purity, was God's most dazzling miracle in the world. Born into a devout Catholic family, she was immersed in the light of the Bible from a young age. Her faith was as steadfast and unwavering as the pulse in her blood.

However, fate played a cruel joke on Yui. In her childhood, she was struck down by a sudden and severe illness, her life flickering like a dying flame. Just when everyone thought she was about to leave, a miracle occurred. An angel descended, and holy light enveloped Yui's sickbed.

When she opened her eyes again, the world was different. Her legs were no longer ordinary limbs but vessels of divine power. The angel had taken her legs and bestowed blessings upon them. When her left leg was detached, the cross-section of her thigh revealed a sword hilt. Grasping it, her left leg transformed into a holy sword that vanquished demons; wherever the blade pointed, evil had no escape. When her right leg was detached, the cross-section of her thigh revealed the head of a scepter. Grasping the ankle, her right leg transformed into a holy staff emitting sacred light; wherever the light touched, all pain was healed, and evil had no escape.

Even more astonishingly, when Yui removed her legs, a pair of pure white holy wings unfurled from her back, and a radiant halo appeared above her head. Holding the holy sword and staff, she was like an angel descending to earth, becoming the church's most cherished saintess, the embodiment of God's glory in the world.

Yui did not disappoint this divine gift. With unparalleled courage and unwavering faith, she threw herself into the battle against demons and monsters. She moved between darkness and light, using the holy sword to sever the shackles of evil and the holy staff to soothe wounded hearts. Her footsteps covered the land, and her good deeds were sung far and wide.

In a battle against a powerful demon, Yui was severely wounded, on the verge of collapse. Just as the demon was about to prevail, Yui unleashed unprecedented power. She vigorously wielded the holy sword, severing the demon's source of evil, and released a dazzling holy light from the holy staff, dispelling the demon's dark power.

After the battle, Yui collapsed to the ground, exhausted, but her eyes were filled with determination. She knew her mission was not over; she would continue to fight until the world was filled with light and peace.

Chapter 2: The Mother from the Unknown

However, behind Yui's radiant image as a saintess lay a dark secret she could never have imagined. Her beloved mother, the woman who always tenderly protected her, actually had another hidden identity.

Yui's mother, formerly known as Ouma Ichimu before marriage, came from an ancient and eerie family—the Ouma family. The family's origins could be traced back to the famous tragic hero in Japanese history, Amakusa Shirō. When he was beheaded as a Kirishitan (early Japanese Catholic), his resentment towards the world and his unwavering faith gave birth to the Ouma family.

The Ouma family's faith, though claiming to be Catholic, was considered utter heresy by the orthodox Catholic Church. They used Amakusa Shirō's resentment and residual demonic power to quietly grow in the shadows of Japanese society. Family members appeared to have their own personalities and backgrounds, but in reality, everything they did was controlled by the family's core, serving the family's goals like pawns.

The Ouma family had intricate connections with the demons that often opposed the church. They used the power of demons to achieve their goals, even at the cost of innocent lives. Their ambitions far exceeded people's imagination.

Yui's mother, Ouma Ichimu, was a member of this family. Carrying the family's mission, she married into the spiritually powerful and deeply rooted Catholic Kannazuki family, gave birth to Zergai, and observed and raised her as Kannazuki Ichimu, while also giving Yui a blood connection to the Ouma family. She showed genuine love for Yui, but at the same time, she was a member of the Ouma family, secretly serving the family's interests and goals.

Chapter 3: The Ouma Within Kannazuki

During Yui's childhood, her mother occasionally took her back to the Ouma family's main residence. It was an ancient mansion hidden deep in the mountains, filled with an eerie and oppressive atmosphere. Every time she stepped into it, Yui felt an indescribable sense of unease.

She couldn't explain the feeling, but she could sense that the Ouma family's main residence had a surreal, supernatural aura that resonated with her own existence in a strange and alien way. The feeling was both nauseating and irresistibly attractive, like the tug-of-war between the Ouma blood from her mother and the Kannazuki blood from her father and faith, threatening to tear her apart at any moment. Moreover, her memories were fragmented when she was in the Ouma main residence, only vague recollections that couldn't be connected, as if another Yui existed within her. It seemed she had experienced some ritual, as if her existence had been dissected and analyzed, her parts separated and used, but all she could remember were the gentle but emotionless smiles of her grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

As Yui grew older, she became a saintess of the church, fighting against demons. In these battles, she occasionally encountered Ouma family members disguised as ordinary people. These people exuded a familiar aura that made Yui feel inexplicably uneasy.

Whenever she faced these people, her power seemed to be hindered by some invisible force, preventing her from wielding the holy sword and staff as freely as usual. Her heart was filled with conflict and struggle, as if something was stopping her from attacking those who shared a part of her existence. Yui's cognition, faith, and spiritual power were disrupted, her head and the legs that transformed into holy equipment malfunctioning as if in battle.

This strange feeling confused and pained Yui. She didn't understand why she had this special sensitivity towards certain individuals. She only knew that this feeling was gradually shaking her faith and making her doubt her qualifications as a saintess.

After each similar battle, when the defeated Yui returned to the church, she would detach her legs in a spirit of atonement, place them on the church's holiest altar, and then make a fervent confession, hoping that the divine would cleanse her battle reliance once more. Even so, Yui's heart was still like a stormy sea, turbulent and restless. She knew she had to find the reason.

Chapter 4: The Self You Don't Know

In a conflict with the Ouma family, Yui's mother, Ouma Ichimu, was successfully captured by the church. When Yui rushed to the church and saw her mother's body, rendered inactive by the church's spells, a strong wave of nausea surged from her stomach. She remembered her childhood experiences of returning to the Ouma family's main residence with her mother, and the alien yet familiar feeling sent chills down her spine.

Yui remembered, no, she realized, she was also from the Ouma family; her name in the family was Ouma Yui. And the saintess Kannazuki Yui was just a role played by Ouma Yui, a role that could only exist when Ouma Yui didn't actively interfere. Ouma Yui's consciousness was more fundamental than Kannazuki Yui's; she could receive the Ouma family's telepathic communications and instructions.

All of this was like a bolt from the blue for Yui. The faith she had always believed in, the role she had always played, was just a lie, a lie woven by the Ouma family. She felt her world collapsing; she didn't know who she was, she didn't know what to believe.

The church elders noticed Yui's wavering; they knew that if her mental connection with the Ouma family was restored, she would be controlled by the family's will, becoming their pawn. To protect her and the world, the church activated a holy force field, completely severing Yui's long-distance mental connection with the Ouma family.

Under the protection of the holy force field, Yui was able to continue existing as Kannazuki Yui. However, her heart was filled with conflict and struggle. She knew she had to find her way forward. Whether it was Kannazuki Yui or Ouma Yui, she had to face her true self.

She began to wonder if Ouma Yui was the more fundamental existence, then was everything Kannazuki Yui stood for, a beautiful castle built on sand? Were her memories and feelings with her mother, and her pride in being a Kannazuki, all designed by the Ouma family? What could she still believe in?

Yui's heart was like the eye of a storm, with various emotions and thoughts swirling together, forming a huge vortex. She didn't know where this vortex would lead her.

Chapter 5: Reverent Rebellion

Yui understood that the church's holy force field could only temporarily prevent her connection with the Ouma family, but it couldn't completely solve the problem. She had to find a way to preserve the precious, even if false, essence of Kannazuki Yui while facing the Ouma family.

She knew that to the Ouma family, she, as the "saintess," had immense value. They might use her, they might try to control her, but she had to seize this opportunity to reverse the situation.

As the full-scale war between the church and the Ouma family erupted, the Ouma family's power gradually weakened. The church successfully eliminated or captured many high-ranking members of the Ouma family. Yui knew the time was ripe.

She decided to leave the church's protection and return to the Ouma family's main residence, allowing Ouma Yui to take over and influence the Ouma family to decide to keep Kannazuki Yui. It was an extremely dangerous move, but she had to take the risk.

When Ouma Yui once again took control of Yui's entirety, she found herself at the highest position in the Ouma family. Although she still had to follow the Ouma family's overall consciousness and faith, she had greater interpretive authority than other family members. She became the de facto spokesperson for the Ouma family's core existence, able to manipulate and change the family's direction.

Using this opportunity, Yui began to subtly change the Ouma family's beliefs and goals. She successfully allowed Kannazuki Yui to return to her body. When she, as Ouma Yui, conveyed to herself the Ouma family's approval for Kannazuki Yui to operate within her again, her heart raced. After all, to the Ouma family, Kannazuki Yui's faith was utter heresy; even though there was no longer a need to fight, the realization that she was operating within a body following the Ouma family's core consciousness was still an overwhelming challenge. In the beginning, Kannazuki Yui even subconsciously activated the holy sword and staff, wanting to purge the Ouma family, only to be interrupted by the Ouma-obedient Ouma Yui, causing a system crash. Other Ouma family members collected the forcibly disconnected parts of Yui and reassembled their de facto leader.

It took Yui a long time to adjust to the cognition of her two identities. Once she mastered everything, she used her position as the Ouma family's core spokesperson to convey new family instructions to her mother, Ouma Ichimu. Upon receiving these instructions, her mother gradually returned to the gentle and kind mother Yui had always known, Kannazuki Ichimu.

Chapter 6: Melting Reunion

On a quiet night, Yui and her mother, Kannazuki Ichimu, sat on a garden bench, bathed in the soft moonlight. The atmosphere between them was a bit tense, yet there was a subtle understanding.

Yui broke the silence, softly saying, "Mom, I know, you don't have to say anything."

Kannazuki Ichimu nodded slightly, her eyes reddening, "Yui, I'm sorry, but it wasn't my intention to hide anything from you."

Yui shook her head, softly saying, "Mom, it's not your fault. You were beyond your control. So was I, we both were."

Kannazuki Ichimu sighed, saying, "Actually, I always knew I was Ouma Ichimu, even when I thought I was Kannazuki Ichimu. It's just that at that moment, Ouma Ichimu would make herself indifferent to the fact that she was Ouma Ichimu and insist on being Kannazuki Ichimu, playing the best mother for Kannazuki Yui. It hurts to say 'playing,' but at that time, the fact that I was Ouma Ichimu didn't trigger any feelings in my mind; I just wanted to be your mother. It's strange, isn't it?"

Yui nodded, saying, "Mom, I understand. I couldn't have understood before, but I do now. Not only do I understand, but I've also become the Ouma family's proxy while still being the church's most loyal and devout demon hunter. This conflict and contradiction, in just a few days, has gone from absurd to taken for granted. Now we're playing the roles of the original Yui and Ichimu, but we are also truly the Kannazuki family's daughter and mother. Mom, this heart I borrowed from Ouma Yui still wants to love you."

Kannazuki Ichimu's tears finally fell, and she hugged Yui tightly, choking back sobs, "Yui, thank you. Thank you for understanding me, thank you for still loving me, and thank you for allowing Ouma Ichimu to love you as Kannazuki Ichimu. Even though my body is the mother of your body, and my composition is actually following the instructions conveyed by you from the Ouma family, I don't feel any resistance. As long as it's you, everything is fine."

Yui also hugged her mother, softly saying, "Mom, I'm sorry I essentially manipulated your body and existence, but I just want you to be my mom."

Mother and daughter hugged each other and wept, their inner conflicts and pain released at that moment. They were finally able to be honest with each other, they were finally able to understand each other.

They knew they had a difficult road ahead, but they believed that as long as they were together, they could overcome all obstacles.

Epilogue: The Saint-Demon Who Controls Herself

Yui successfully manipulated the Ouma family and set her mother back to the way she wanted. She was no longer just a saintess, nor was she just a pawn of the Ouma family. She became an existence that could wield both light and darkness, a holy witch who could freely travel between two worlds.

Witch Black Cat: Flawless Yet Fragmented, Imperfect Yet Whole

Legend has it there was a young, genius witch named Black Cat. As a witch, each part of her body carried a portion of her existence. Different parts carried different aspects; for example, the brain carried reason and identity, while the heart carried emotions and feelings. Among these, Black Cat disliked the part of herself carried by her legs the most.

Yes, she disliked her legs, always feeling they were the lowest of her body parts, having to touch the ground and carrying her least noble and elegant components. Moreover, since learning to fly, walking with her legs was no longer necessary. Black Cat felt she needed her legs less and less.

One day, Black Cat had a sudden idea to cast a spell to separate her legs. She knelt on a Persian rug with iris patterns, and moonlight slid down her shins like a ribbon of silver silk. Crushed medicinal herbs in a crystal mortar oozed juice, forming sigh-like dewdrops along the edge of a porcelain dish. "As gently as untangling tangled hair," she murmured to herself, her fingertips drawing runes in the air five inches above her knees. Ancient characters that appeared on the parchment suddenly curled into rings, gently encircling her legs coated with the medicinal herbs. The crackling sounds of cedar wood in the fireplace abruptly ceased, and even the flames solidified into amber flowers.

When the separation spell took effect, Black Cat's legs stood in the diamond-shaped light cast by the window frame, the starlight at the severed points dripping like molten silver into Black Cat's glistening eyes. "Come out," she whispered, blowing a gentle breath at the cut surfaces, her eyelashes casting trembling shadows on her cheeks. The individual existences of her legs were drawn out by Black Cat, transforming into little sprites that sprouted from the cut surfaces, forming two little girls, each seemingly with only one leg. They stretched as if facing the world for the first time, and received their respective names: Siren, the right leg, carrying Black Cat's overly sweet (she only wanted her noble and elegant self) and timid parts; and Alisa, the left leg, carrying Black Cat's curious, rude, and playful parts.

The legs had independent personalities and awareness, but still maintained a connection with Black Cat, so their actions, emotions, and feelings continued to affect her. In particular, some of Black Cat's "sunken" desires flowed into her legs, then were expressed by Alisa and Siren in childish ways.

For example, if Black Cat were to choose shoes for herself, she would definitely pick the most elegant Mary Janes to make herself look dignified and noble. But she also had a desire to show off, wanting to wear sandals to display her feet, even with sexy and provocative thoughts. Black Cat didn't want to admit this part of herself, but her legs took over the traits she "discharged," transforming into two innocent little girls who loved to dress Black Cat's feet in cute sandals.

Every morning, when the morning mist still clung to the window panes, Alisa would draw smiley faces and rainbows on her exposed left heel and the side of her foot, tiptoeing and skipping about. Meanwhile, Siren would quietly squat down, shyly tucking newly picked beautiful flowers between the toes of her right foot, peeking out from her sandals, decorating dreams of princesses. When Black Cat called her little followers, they would rush to her skirts, wearing sandals covered in joy.

"Can't you be a bit more dignified? Why not try these elegant and refined shoes?" Black Cat gently protested, trying to get her little followers to wear the shoes she wanted them to.

After a moment of grumbling, Alisa and Siren would always accept Black Cat's suggestion, covering their limbs with stockings and leather shoes. But as soon as Black Cat left, they would change back into their favorite outfits.

Even though Black Cat's legs acted independently, the sensation of wearing sandals still transmitted to her, as if she were wearing them herself. Black Cat wore elegant and dignified clothes, but her feet wore sandals she didn't admit wanting to wear, her heart a mix of frustration and excitement. She felt her playful companions and herself simultaneously. She wanted to explore herself through these conflicting emotions, but couldn't let go of her pride to fully accept them.

One day, Black Cat was invited to a witch gathering. Not wanting to bring her legs, she entrusted Alisa and Siren to her friend Jack's care. "Please take care of them," Black Cat said, slightly uneasy. Alisa and Siren were having fun, and they liked being with Jack. Black Cat looked at their bare feet in sandals in front of Jack, her heart a mix of unease and complicated feelings. Of course, she knew that even if she asked Alisa and Siren to change into more formal attire, it would be futile once she left. With a sigh, Black Cat said goodbye and set off.

Black Cat arrived at the venue, chatting with other witches and discussing their newly developed magic. Black Cat was the most powerful witch at the gathering, as well as dignified and elegant, earning her much respect. Suddenly, she felt her legs getting closer, and she panicked. Black Cat didn't want the other witches to see her legs wearing sandals. But her friend Jack had brought her companions to the vicinity of the venue, and when the other witches saw them, they invited them in.

Black Cat's witch friends saw Alisa and Siren. "Oh my, are these Lady Black Cat's shadow sprites? The moonstones on their anklets are cut so beautifully," said a witch waving a dragonblood tree branch, expressing her admiration of Black Cat's legs.

Black Cat felt her ankles as if they had been thrown into a blizzard, the sandal straps tightening under the gaze of everyone present. When a young sorceress wearing a malachite circlet praised the curve of her instep, the words felt like hot resin dripping onto her skin—she clearly saw her reflection in the other's pupils: childish toes in playful sandals peeking out from under her dignified black dress.

The witches generally found the childish appearance of Black Cat's legs cute, but it didn't match her image, seeming out of place as a part of her. "Is this a new form of human transmutation?" a witch surrounded by mist asked, as if with a question mark. "But it's so unlike your usual demeanor..." She trailed off, making Black Cat feel as if she were about to be torn apart.

Black Cat was extremely embarrassed and angrily questioned Jack why he had brought her legs. Jack said he had no idea Black Cat was there; he was just playing with Alisa and Siren and ended up there without realizing it. Alisa and Siren said they didn't mean to come; they just felt a pull to go there while playing. Black Cat's reproachful gaze made them cry. Some witches offered explanations, suggesting that the separated parts of Black Cat were drawn to the main body, unconsciously moving towards it. An old witch with frost earrings tapped her staff on the floor, poetically stating, "The severed moonlight will eventually flow back into the night sky." Her withered eyelids blinked slowly. "The more they become complete individuals, the more they yearn to return to their origin."

Hearing this, Black Cat suddenly felt sorry for her legs. She knew that whether she accepted it or not, they were always a part of her. She slowly and carefully reached out her trembling hands, hugged Alisa and Siren, and gently apologized to them.

Then, Black Cat took a deep breath and made up her mind. She cast a spell on Alisa and Siren, who were in her arms, returning them to her body. Black Cat placed her forehead against the sprites' overlapping palms, letting their hair take root in her veins. After a flash of light, Black Cat's legs reappeared beneath her body, firmly supporting her. The moonlight streaming through the hall suddenly gained weight, causing her to stagger and fall back into her special throne—the vessel of Alisa and Siren, now supporting the long-lost perfect witch.

The first sensation to return was to her instep. The sandal straps rubbed against her flesh, each touch conveying the legs' love letter to the main body. Black Cat leaned against the crystallized tree wall, trying to take a step, moving forward under the gaze of thirty witches. She took clumsy, irregular steps, and her newly reconnected leg bones sang out in joy. Jack watched the little ones he cared for achieve their most desired wish, his eyes filled with tears of satisfaction, witnessing Black Cat's most complete form.

"Would you like to try this dance?" A witch wearing a rainbow on her head blew away the galaxy in her pipe, the stars descending into patches of light on the floor. Black Cat's left foot had already started tapping to the beat, while her right foot trembled slightly in its effort to follow the melody. As the first dance step crushed the illusion of Mary Janes, the shooting stars trapped in amber at the top of the tree hole suddenly turned in unison, showering her with never-fading starlight.

As the music ended and farewells faded into memories, in the thickest darkness before dawn, Black Cat walked alone across the mirror lake. Her reflection still held up her skirt, but the truth contained in her feet now dyed the reflected sandals with moonlight. Alisa's lingering laughter tickled her heel bones, while Siren's gentleness transformed into the graceful arch of her foot. She deliberately disturbed her shadow until all the ripples learned to breathe with a new rhythm.

Black Cat still secretly cherished the image of her perfect self, but she knew that not all perfection was worth preserving. She gazed at her uncovered feet, urging them forward, carrying her into the distance.

Epilogue

After the highly dramatic self-confrontation and reconciliation, Black Cat returned to her daily life. She remained the perfect witch, with no obvious changes. However, compared to before, she more often allowed her legs to return to her body, walking on her own feet. Although her legs were completely covered by stockings and Mary Janes, Black Cat still felt the two feet rubbing against elegance with each step. Yes, those ankles, those insteps, those heels, those toes, all were so vividly delicate and beautiful, how could they be despised and rejected?

Sometimes, Black Cat wanted to relax. She submerged herself into the lake of her inner world, where she released her feet. The freed feet manifested the outlines of Alisa and Siren, eagerly escaping the constraints of elegance, changing into unrestrained self-expression. Black Cat watched her feet, which had switched from Mary Janes to nude-colored sandals, feeling a hint of relief amidst the incomplete freedom.

Black Cat remained silent, simply allowing herself to reunite.