Natsume Misumi holds the solemn role of chief shrine maiden in the cyclical Ritual, entrusted with guiding the colossal dragon Mitatsu to its slumber every seventy-four years. A childhood companion of Haruto Okonogi, a Gifu Air Base mechanic, she nurtures quiet affection for him, a sentiment that ignites simmering jealousy toward Hisone Amakasu as Hisone’s bond with Haruto deepens. Bound by tradition, Natsume must offer herself as a sacrifice to ensure Mitatsu’s peaceful repose, a fate she resigns herself to despite yearning for a different life. During the Ritual, fragments of past maidens’ garments—mirroring her own ceremonial attire—are discovered within the dragon, starkly foreshadowing the doom she narrowly escapes. When Hisone disrupts the Ritual’s ancient cycle, sparing Natsume from sacrifice, she relinquishes her shrine duties to forge an independent path. The epilogue reveals her newfound vocation as a florist, a deliberate step toward personal freedom and a quiet repudiation of her former constrained existence. Her journey weaves duty and longing into a poignant tapestry, contrasting selfless devotion to tradition with the courage to claim a life shaped by her own choices.