Alien Alisa and Lord Enma's Instruction Manual Episode 15: Mayumi's Return and the Mysterious Mirror of Atago Shrine [70% Realistic Serial Novel]

“Ugh... ugh, it hurts...”
Mayumi groaned faintly.

Even the doctors and her family had almost given up on Mayumi regaining consciousness. Yet, in the midst of that, she slowly opened her eyes.

Having recovered from her coma, Mayumi was to remain hospitalized for a while longer. Although her mind had become much clearer, her body felt heavy and would not move as she wished. The bump on her forehead had grown even larger, and the injury to her left knee was more severe than expected. It seemed it would take a little more time for Mayumi to return to her normal life.

Two days after regaining consciousness, Mayumi was moved from the intensive care unit to a general ward. There, she enjoyed surfing the internet on her laptop more than watching television. However, doing that all day long made both her eyes and shoulders tired. Concerned for Mayumi, Alisa came to visit her.

“Oh, congrats on your recovery! I knew you’d be fine, Mayumi. I even talked to Lord Enma about it properly!”
Alisa said lightly, wearing a beaming smile.

“...Lord Enma?”
Mayumi asked back blankly.

“Yes, yes! That Great King with the cool face. Don’t you remember? He was quite a nihilistic guy, too!”
Alisa said playfully, waving her hands.

Gently touching the bandage wrapped around her head, Mayumi opened her mouth.
“Alisa... hey, did you do something again? Was that real? You know, I feel like I had a dream where I was talking to Lord Enma and demons. What on earth does that mean?”
Her voice was a mix of confusion and anxiety.

“Minerva told me, ‘It’s better not to tell Mayumi too many wild stories since she had an impact on her head.’ But Mayumi, you’re bored, right? I have time until the next tour, so I’ll come visit you every day until then.”

Mayumi stared intently at Alisa and replied with a straight face.
“Look, Alisa. You really are out of your mind, aren’t you? What is there left to be surprised about now? You’re dying to talk about it, aren’t you? Fine, I’ll listen to as much as you want.”

Alisa seemed surprised for a moment at those words, but the next instant, she burst into laughter.
“Hahahaha... oh, really? Then I guess I’ll tell you.”
Alisa continued with a smug expression.
“Well then... today I’ll go with a soft topic. Hey, Mayumi, have you ever been to Atago Shrine in Kamiyacho?”
Alisa began to talk happily while sitting in a chair.
“That shrine had a sacred mirror with very mysterious powers. But, you see, it was stolen by someone.”

Mayumi leaned forward and asked.
“I’ve never been to Atago Shrine, but it’s the shrine where Homusubi-no-Kami, the god of fire protection, is enshrined, right? What is that mysterious mirror?”

“Since you like visiting shrines, I’m sure you know, but in Shinto, a mirror is also a symbol representing the sun, isn’t it? It’s said to be a good tool for reflecting on yourself by looking into it.”
Alisa continued, using hand gestures.
“However, the mirror that was at Atago Shrine was completely different from ordinary ones; it had super special powers. Apparently, it made people who looked into the mirror younger and more beautiful.”

Mayumi listened with great interest.

“Maybe that’s why it was super popular with female worshippers. I used to go whenever I had free time. Like, two or three times a week! But, you know, that mirror suddenly lost its power, so I don’t go there at all anymore.”
Alisa continued, shrugging her shoulders.
“Rumor has it that a certain feng shui master told a client about the sacred mirror at Atago Shrine, and immediately after that, the mirror disappeared. Isn’t that suspicious? I don’t know who stole it, but it’s a real shame.”
Alisa paused for a moment and said with a frown.
“Of course, a new sacred mirror was placed at Atago Shrine, but it’s just an ordinary mirror. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t have any of the power to give youth and beauty like before.”

Hearing that story, Mayumi said very regretfully.
“Oh man, if I had known there was such an amazing mirror, I wouldn’t have bought that 50,000 yen electric brush. And the expensive cosmetics I use every month... too. I should have gone to visit sooner!”
Mayumi sighed and continued.
“But isn’t it sacrilegious to steal such a precious thing from a shrine? That is truly an act that fears no god. Surely the gods won’t forgive the thief!”

“Actually, it seems that’s not the case.”
Alisa continued with a puzzled expression.
“The gods of Japanese shrines might be too kind. When a psychic I know probed the feelings of the god at Atago Shrine, the thief hadn’t faced any divine retribution at all. A bit strange, right? But, I don’t think the gods are encouraging theft, of course.”

To be continued in Episode 16