Purifying

The crowd exploded in cheers.

"Such strong reaction, the last one was nowhere near it!"

"How pretty!"

"I bright new future awaits us under the new Divine Priestess!"

"Hail Sangonomiya Kokomi! Hail Watatsumi Island!"

"But, isn't she too young?"

"Would she be able to govern?"

"She will need our help."

Allen carefully listened to the words of the crowd, trying to learn how the people sided on this occasion. When someone young and inexperienced reached a position of power, it's sure that problems would appear like the case with Kamisato siblings.

Fortunately for the new Divine Priestess, her position wasn't one that could be taken by force and even taken her out of the picture won't assure for a better one to take her place. Nevertheless, that didn't mean she shouldn't worry as surely there would be some people wanting to take advantage of her, making her a puppet under their control.

And those were precisely Allen's thoughts 'I should try to meet her. Now that she obtained the position, she is the most vulnerable, and being the same age would make it easier for her to trust me. If I can take advantage of her, it will be incredibly useful for my plans.'

After the cheering lowered a little, the old priestess stepped forward "Now, the Purification Rite would start." She took Kokomi by the hand guiding her down the platform.

The crowd dispersed, leaving way for the new Divine Priestess as she stepped forward until reaching a near cliff. Kokomi stood at the end of the cliff, looking down at a little pool with a whirlpool in it.

"What?!" Allen's eyes went wide as she saw the little girl stepping forward, jumping over the cliff, falling and disappearing through the whirlpool.

"You must not be afraid, boy" An elder lady next to Allen said seeing his worry "The Divine Priestess is fine. Under Watatsumi island lay a sacred land only accessible by the Divine Priestess. She would stay there for a week, purifying herself."

'Sacred Land? I'll need to investigate. She is alone there, if I am able to access there it would be a good opportunity...'

After she jumped, Allen followed the crowd dispersing from the plaza. Once a week pass and the Divine Priestess returns, there would be a new festival celebrating the new ruler, until that point they could only wait.

From that point onwards, Allen started investigating, trying to learn more about Watatsumi's people and customs. Unfortunately, the only information that he was able to learn from the people was completely vague. They followed ceremonies and traditions but never knew the truth behind them, being little useful.

Finally, Allen opted for a riskier and more illegal manner, directly invading the Sangonomiya Shrine. For that, he started using his Fatui's uniform.

If he was to be discovered inside, he wouldn't be able to escape with the excuse of being a young boy. His identity as Niwa Allen would be discovered if they were to search and that would make it very difficult for Allen in Watatsumi and Inazuma.

For Watatsumi Island's side, he would be thought to be a spy sent by the army and for the Shogunate, how could he be able to explain why he was investigating Watatsumi Island in his holidays.

So after thinking about it, he preferred to risk with the Fatui's uniform. Fatui rounding around was more or less normal, the world already being extremely warry of them. And while it was dangerous if he was captured and they related him with the Fatui, his uniform gave him more strength and opportunities to escape. Unless they mobilized all the island, Allen was quite sure to escape even if he was to be found as in a place with so much water, his Cryo Vision was the best one.

...

A week passed quite quickly and Allen was able to go in and out of the Sangonomiya Shrine during the night without many difficulties, escaping thanks to his Cicin for the unexpected shrine maiden round, easily investigating the place and focusing on its private library.

Thanks to it, Allen learned quite a lot from Watatsumi's history, completing some voids of it and learning that the place where Kokomi should be "purifying" would be the previous Byakuyakoku, now known as Enkonomiya.

However, as that elder woman had told, there seemed to be no way to enter, only Divine Priestess having access to it as no outsider that had tried to enter had ever returned.

There was an exception called the Watatsumi Goryou Matsuri. That for what Allen could learn, it was similar to a harvest ritual where a hero of noble heart entered Enkanomiya for its treasure to stop the "sacred soil", whatever the sacred soil was.

But even that wasn't an option as there was a need for the Divine Priestess to break some seals before doing.

In the end, nothing had been possible and the festival started, the crowd reuniting over the whirlpool and Kokomi surging from it.

She was now wearing a new attire, an off-the-shoulder navy-blue kimono-like coat with paler blue swirling accents that resemble waves at the bottom of her tamoto sleeves with her Hydro Vision attached with a bow over her chest.

Kokomi started walking on the water as if it was ground, completely ignoring the powerful whirlpool until she reached the shore.

Allen couldn't help to be surprised at her changes. It wasn't only her dress, her aura and demeanor had changed completely in this week.

"Thanks everyone for coming today." Kokomi smiled at the crowd, showing the perfect presence of a ruler that hugely contrasted with her young age. "Watatsumi Island had passed difficult times..." She started a discussion about their history, the difficulties, their lost god, all their efforts... "But I am sure that with everyone's cooperation we can strive for a better future. For Orobashi! For Watatsumi!"

"For Watatsumi!" Everyone cheered, moved by Kokomi's words that resounded over them "For the new Divine Priestess! For Sangonomiya Kokomi!"

The festival went full bloom, food stalls and games everywhere, similar at what you could expect from the new year, everyone celebrating the new Divine Priestess.

...

When the evening came and after spending all the day saluting everyone, giving handshakes, Kokomi finally excused herself, returning to the shrine.

'Now, it's the time' Allen escaped from the crowd, finding a hidden place to change for his uniform. With the festival going strong and with Kokomi leaving the place, now was the best time to interact with her alone if he wanted to do it before his holidays finished, tomorrow needing to go back to Inazuma City.

Being used to infiltrate over the last week, Allen entered the shrine as usual, however...

"Hey, who are you?!" Allen turned his head over, seeing at the end of the corridor a Watatsumi soldier wielding a spear.

'Fuck! There shouldn't be anyone here!' Allen cursed at the sudden situation that never happened over the last week.

"A Fatuus?" The soldier's eyes went wide with the realization "STOP!" He said with strength, this time pointing the spear toward him.

"Shit!" 'I've been completely found' Allen didn't doubt, quickly activating his uniform's skill, teleporting outside where the Cicin was prepared for this kind of occasion.

"W-wha!?" Just as Allen appeared outside, he found a soldier near him, shocked by his sudden appearance, but he quickly calmed down, understanding the situation and wielding his spear "STOP!"

'What the fuck is happening!' Allen cursed as he started running away while pursued.

...

Over a room at Sangonomiya Shrine, Kokomi was over a desk, writing some documents when a soldier entered.

"Your Excellency!" The soldier bowed to Kokomi "You were right about there being an intruder."

"I knew it" Kokomi stated 'Very few people can enter the library and there are about 48 books in an incorrect position, most of them about Enkonomiya. It was good to reorganize the troops' "Who was the culprit?"

"It was a Fatuus, we are actually chasing over him following your written guidelines." the soldier explained.

"Good" Kokomi nodded and smiled "Let's trap him."