Himiko had two faces—one for the day and one for the night.
By day, she assumed the role of one who served the gods, making use of the power of the shrine maidens to project the image: "I am divine."
She did not readily show herself to the public, but by crafting a stage and atmosphere befitting a sovereign ruler, she instilled in the hearts of the people the belief that "Himiko is truly a great being."
And yet, she also had a face for the night.
There was another Himiko—one who toyed with the shrine maidens as she did with men.
She forged connections with those in power and used that power to her advantage.
Claiming, "The gods speak through me—I am the incarnation of the divine," she manipulated men with ease.
The energy behind this was intense and formidable.
Himiko would gaze coolly at men intoxicated by her allure and presence.
Her heart had grown so cold that it had lost the capacity to love.
"To me, men are nothing but slaves. They exist only to serve me."
So she thought, calculating coldly how best to extract wealth and privilege from them.
She used the language of divinity to lure their hearts, until she had absorbed all they could offer.
At times she used her own charms, and at other times she wielded the powers of the shrine maidens.
In doing so, she stripped men of their will and made them empty shells.
It was as if Himiko delighted in this pitch-black world, bound together by lust and desire.
Such was the pitiful nature of Himiko, who knew nothing of turning inward and looking at her own heart.
Her heart had grown so frigid that she could trust no one.
Even if someone had appeared before her, swearing absolute loyalty from the depths of their soul, her heart would not have been moved.
Himiko had always sought only the divine.
Her yearning for the gods was powerful—fierce.
Only the gods, she believed, would never betray her.
Indeed, to her, she herself was god.
"I am one with the divine. If I am with god, I need nothing else."
That was the nature of Himiko's heart.
And yet even so, now, I am able to reach out to her.
To say: You are mistaken.
That heart of yours is in error.
Still, the pain and darkness you carry within you—
they, too, can return to joy and warmth from within yourself.