The sixth reincarnation of Chikane and Himeko, of Destiny of the Shrine Maiden and Shattered Angels fame, also drawn by Kaishaku. The manga ran in Young Ace from 2009 to 2011.
This time, Himeko is cast as a devout Christian priestess-in-training whose parents and "beloved" older sister Chika died in an accident some years ago. One day, after observing a total solar eclipse (taking place 46 years after the previous one), she finds a beautiful young woman pinned to the wall above the altar of her church with a katana. Astonishingly, the woman is still alive and utters Himeko's name but even more so, she is a spitting image of her late big sister Chika. With a little medical attention, the woman rapidly recovers enough to introduce herself as Chikane and explain that she doesn't remember anything else except Himeko's name and her own love for her. Said love manifests in repeated seduction attempts but also in the utter devotion to protect Himeko from all dangers.
Said devotion comes in handy when the villainous members of "Nine Days" show up, targeting Himeko, whom they believe to be the carrier of the "Absolute Sanctuary" and the "Dragon's Cry". Now Chikane is pretty much the only protector Himeko has got—not to mention that her resemblance to Chika repeatedly leaves her in a dazed state.
This manga provides examples of the following:
- Anthropomorphic Personification: It is implied the "Nine Days" are the incarnations of the Navagrahas.
- Blessed with Suck: Hayate has to
dye her ribbons every time with her own blood to manipulate them. - Body Horror:
- Having a katana in you and surviving it.
- Having your feet caught in hot melted asphalt and running on leg stumps after cutting off said feet without any hands.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: Chika and Chikane who are oblivious to everything that does not pertain to her/their love for Himeko, protecting Himeko, or Himeko herself.
- Continuity Nod: The manga possibly takes place 46 years after Destiny of the Shrine Maiden. The side story maybe Where It All Began in Destiny of the Shrine Maiden.
- Disproportionate Retribution: One fan did not show up at the cheering concert, suddenly every fans are responsible for Mashiro's death, despite the fact that the operation only had a 50% chance of success anyway.
- Eye Scream: A Nine Day has one eye now thanks to Chikane.
- From Bad to Worse: The severity of the situation seems to escalate, no matter what the Kagome does. Destiny of the Shrine Maiden is one-upped with not one, but both priestesses defecting to the dark side, with only an Anti-Hero wielding the power capable of fighting them. Said Anti-Hero has... serious issues.
- Government Agency of Fiction: Kagome Agency is supposed to protect Himeko but some of its members are really like Nine Days.
- Nose Bleed: Oogami has a tendency to burst in whenever Chikane is molesting Himeko, with predictable results.
- Punny Name: Sort of. Himeko refers to her late sister as "Chika-nee", so she is reasonably confused when her new acquaintance introduces herself as "Chikane", in addition to looking and acting exactly like Chika.
- Shades of Conflict: It is unclear whether it is Black-and-Gray Morality or Gray-and-Gray Morality or even Evil Versus Evil, but that there is no White to be spoken is definite.
- Tempting Fate: "Don't worry, even if I'm just a clone, my feeling for Himeko is real." Cue not the next scene, but the next panel, Himeko figuring out that the real Chika-nee is with the Nine Days, and defects accordingly. It gets worse.
- Time Skip: Chapter 13 onwards happens after 16 months later.
