Ichiyo and Syurin grow closer playing together in the courtyard of the Celestial Palace of the Jade Pond as children. A curious Syurin asks Ichiyo about his servant-god, Tenko. Ichiyo recalls their first meeting - when he got separated from the Minister of Kashi, Sonto, deep in a forest. There he found a man bound with a strong seal in the depths of a hidden shrine...