It's been several years since the "Prayer" incident has been resolved. The curse has been listed and now the Kirishima is enjoying its sunny days it missed in decades.
Most people now forgot the turmoil that permeated the island. Kirishima's Tatarigami became nothing but a mere legend, something akin to vengeful spirits such as Taira no Masakado. While there's no denial these people existed and people still fear them, their "miracles" are now doubted by skeptics and chalked mostly due to coincidental circumstances. It's... Sad honestly.
However their death and the following aftermath of their death did become a cautionary tale about respecting one's territory and NOT doing any blasphemous acts towards the islands' gods, especially as severe as executing the head priest. Now the job of shrine priests has become respected once again in this island and now there are two gods residing and protecting this land. Kirishima no Wadanojin - the local god of waves and the sea; and Kirishima no Moya-okou - the local god of the mist and the clouds. There are several shrines dedicated to them, but the main one is ironically extremely lonely and hard to get to. Moyachojo Shrine or the new Wadano Shrine is on top of the highest mountain in Kirishima that is said to be above the mist, and such this area never gets foggy.
There are two shrine priests working here currently, both are inhuman and both averse to human interaction. The half-amanojaku half-human Ibaraki Wadano and a sea slug Osen. While both of them don't mind the occasional human visitors, they do prefer the quieter atmosphere that this shrine has... Perhaps too much, much to visitors' dismay.
The Kirishima became too peaceful that it became uncanny considering the resolution of this incident was brutal to say the least, not to mention the war that broke out after Wadano Shrine Priest's execution and the fact it took decades to finally resolve this incident once and for all. The forgotten party wasn't alone in thinking that.
The person who resolved this incident in the first place struggled to fall asleep every night as far as they can remember and seemingly became obsessed with the past Tatarigami. While they didn't want the curse to befall upon the island again, when they finally properly pacified and exorcised the Tatarigami, they were sad. They were one of the few people who frequented the shrine and always gave their respects to its gods. The forgotten party approached the person and asked why they felt this way, to which they replied that they still feel that something wasn't resolved and they had so many questions towards these two in particular. But now that they're pacified, they doubt they'll get any answers. The forgotten party didn't like their response. They mocked the person for being such a weirdo and left them, never crossing paths with that person again - to that forgotten party, speaking with that person would be a waste of their time.
They still watched that person from afar though, seeing their state decline with each passing month - it seemed that person was doomed. But eventually, that person found a spouse and slowly they started to recover. The forgotten party was a bit envious of their recovery, but it didn't sting; why should they care? That party already forever lost what was dear to them, and that person wasn't even close to replacing them, not even a quettameter. The only thing they were jealous of is their ability to recover from that trauma. Sure, they didn't experience the magnitude and length of what the party experienced, but the party at least hoped that there would be at least someone who felt miserable just as they were.
But... Years passed, that person grew old and had children with their spouse. Then these children had children, and so forth. The forgotten party still resented the shrine residents and they still didn't have the guts to return to the sea. So they were here, all alone and miserable. Sometimes they wonder why the Wadanojin spared them, or anyone for that matter. They were also a contributing factor as to why the incident took so long and why Tatarigami was feared as they were - so why did they get scott free?
And it's not like they can reunite with their beloved friend in the afterlife either. Not only the party was afraid of death, but that party committed crimes way more heinous than their friend. Sure, both of them would end up in hell, but that party would end up in a far deeper and crueler part of the hell. They doubt that their friend would even recognise them after all those years since their death. The party, or should we say, the clam, sighed.
They're once again alone. No friends and no enemies. The shrine inhabitants would think them as a nuisance and shoo them off and that's it. Neither of the shrine priests are particularly cared about the clam's involvement. To them it was just a pathetic imposter with no esteem, someone who should be better ignored. Such awful existence.
But... Sometimes, the clam would just... Watch over everyone's day. How does the resolver's descendants grow; how does the Nijimura household is holding up after all those years; how do these two shrine "imbeciles" are doing; and how do other people live? Some people are having it better than the others, and now that the island has become less hostile, the clam can now just walk in a broad light like everyone else, not fearing that their shell would be smashed. To the villagers, that person was a miracle smoker who could create such intricate illusions with just their pipe. Sure, the clam doesn't like being surrounded by humans and still much more prefers hiding in the bushes, they do enjoy some clout as a local "magician". Believe it or not, their life also started slowly healing.
And now, every time they visit the island's foundation memorial, they're not filled with guilt, sadness and resentment, but rather a sense of nostalgia - they miss their dearest friend so much, and by extension, their nemesis who killed that friend. That nemesis was uncaring, but not cruel. To him, it was something he had to do in order to ensure his crew's safety and happiness. And while the clam didn't forgive the dragon, the dragon seemingly forgave them for their trickery. That dragon was an enigma to the clam, to them the dragon seemed like he was acting on a whim, but if he truly acted like that, why did he do such selfless acts? That clam would probably never know.
All they can do is to reminisce. Reminisce about their old times. The times when they were a wanted criminal, the times when they were a partner in crime, the times they were an outcast and the times when they were an urban legend.
Sometimes, they would just lay beside the monument, feeling the closeness to their beloved friend. It has been hundreds of years since their death; "if they weren't killed, they would've died from old age" - the clam thinks
And so, while they will never forget what the Wadanojin did to them, they can partially forgive them. There's no point in getting mad at the person who now currently doesn't exist corporally. Every evening, they lay beside the monument and close their eyes, remembering the fond memories they had with their friend and the bitter memories they had with the shrine. To Shen, it was their only sanctuary