Chapter 45 - Chapter 42 - Fox

[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗚𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝟮𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀!]

"..."

The masked teenager — Lux — fell silent for a moment.

In the silence, he watched Chen Ye's back as he walked out of Yozakura Tsubomi's room. The young man looked utterly broken, as if his heart had just been trampled.

Honestly... Lux hadn't intended to show that scene where Yozakura Tsubomi cared so much about him.

It was purely a coincidence...

At first, he'd only wanted to gauge how powerful the girl's Someinine energy was. Who would have guessed Chen Ye would show up at the wrong moment and misunderstand...

But well, that didn't mean he cared.

Besides... squeezing Achievement Points out of Chen Ye this way turned out not to be so bad after all?

That thought made his mood feel strange. But Lux quickly brushed it aside.

Right now, there was something more interesting to focus on... the Someinine life energy belonging to Yozakura Tsubomi.

When he'd used the 'History Template Creation' feature to build Yozakura Tsubomi's background in this world, he hadn't had time to check the details of every template.

Understandable... he'd been in too much of a rush back then.

Only now did he have time to spare.

And he had to admit, Yozakura Tsubomi was only a four-star template (✯✯✯✯), but her abilities left him at a loss for words.

'𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻.'

That was the most fitting description for her.

In Lux's view, the girl nearly deserved to be called a five-star template (✯✯✯✯✯). The only thing holding her back was her optimistic nature.

Unless sealed, absorbed, or killed by an extraordinarily powerful Transcendent being... Yozakura Tsubomi was essentially near-absolute immortal.

True, her current condition was far from her prime. But that wasn't a problem. She would fully recover before long.

And speaking of immortality...

'Tsukuyomi Tsukasa and Kokushibo...'

Both could also be called immortal beings, though the way they worked and their weaknesses differed.

Kokushibo had once been human before transforming into a malevolent being called an Oni.

This world also had Oni, but the concept was very different. The Oni here didn't have immortal bodies, let alone regeneration as fast as the Oni in Kokushibo's world.

Unfortunately, the Oni from Kokushibo's original world, including Kokushibo himself, had one fatal weakness... the sun. Once exposed to sunlight, all they could do was say their goodbyes.

Then there was Tsukuyomi Tsukasa...

He came from an ordinary world, but that world, strangely enough, possessed a potion capable of making humans immortal.

His weakness was that his regeneration speed depended on the strength of his will. But... Lux doubted that was really worth calling a weakness. Even if Tsukuyomi Tsukasa were lazy about it, his immortal body would still heal on its own.

Compared to Yozakura Tsubomi... Lux felt the two were nearly equal. Both were essentially impossible to kill through ordinary means.

One thing was certain... a family that housed three immortal beings at once — Yozakura Tsubomi, Tsukuyomi Tsukasa, and Kokushibo — would never be left alone by the World Organization.

For now, they only suspected Yozakura Tsubomi. But once everything was exposed, greedy beings from every side would surely make their move.

Of course... Lux didn't particularly care.

If anyone dared touch them, they'd have to get past Cecilus Segmunt first.

And if not Cecilus Segmunt, they'd most likely be struck down by Ji Xuanyuol's Edge of Taixuan, which could literally make every Transcendent being tremble.

Transcendent beings, huh...

Murmuring to himself, Lux looked at the diamond-colored template card in his hand.

The card radiated an aura of 'heroism' and 'undeniability.'

[𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻: 𝟬𝟱 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀, 𝟮𝟬 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝟱 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀, 𝟮𝟬 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀]

A crystal-layered figure clad in imposing armor was displayed there. Above the name, six stars (✯✯✯✯✯✯) shone brightly.

𝗔𝗱𝗼 𝗘𝗱𝗲𝗺.

His raw power was, at best, on par with five stars (✯✯✯✯✯), or perhaps even just four (✯✯✯✯).

But his specialty lay in his attacks, which were capable of killing any non-human being.

Honestly... Lux was rather surprised to hear that.

According to the System's explanation, Ado Edem could also be considered a counter to every six-star template (✯✯✯✯✯✯).

Even if his opponent were the world itself, as long as they threatened the survival of humanity, and were not 'humans' themselves, Ado Edem could kill them permanently.

And this was where a question arose in Lux's mind...

Ado Edem's strongest attack was essentially ineffective against ordinary humans. So in Ado Edem's eyes, what exactly made someone count as human?

Were humans with a Talent still considered human?

Were humans with a lifespan exceeding 200 years still considered purely human?

Or... would a psychopathic serial killer be immune to the Slash Emperor, as long as he was still technically human?

There was still much Lux wanted to ask about the conditions for what counted as a 'normal human' by Ado Edem's standards.

But all of that could wait.

What was clear was that Ado Edem was now his strongest template, followed by Takamiya Mio.

And now...

"Show me everything... this reward."

...

[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁! 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗨𝗻𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲! 𝗚𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝟭,𝟬𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀!]

[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱: 𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲-𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿 (✯✯✯✯✯) 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺!]

[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 '𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰'! +𝟯,𝟬𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀!]

[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱: 𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿-𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿 (✯✯✯✯) 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺!]

[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱: 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄 𝗮 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲!]

[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿! 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱: 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘆 (𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁)]

[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿! 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 '𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻' 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝟭𝟬𝟬%! 𝗢𝗻𝗲-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆]

[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘇𝗮𝗸𝘂𝗿𝗮 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲! 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁! 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱: 𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲!]

[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀! 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗯𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 (✯✯✯✯✯✯) 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝟱𝟬% 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝘀!]

[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴!...]

[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴!...]

...

"..."

This time, Lux was no longer surprised by the endless stream of system notifications.

With the emergence of Ado Edem... plus Observer α somehow managing to summon a Rank Unknown, it would honestly be strange if the System didn't reward him this generously.

The only real surprise... he now had a chance to permanently obtain a six-star template (✯✯✯✯✯✯).

Adding it all up, he now held nearly 25 chances to draw a random template.

With a number like that, various scenarios immediately began flashing through his head.

So without further hesitation...

"Save about 10 templates. As for the rest... draw them all, including the Template equivalent to a Son of Destiny."

[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻...]

That was when... Lux blinked a few times.

Oh... this was somewhat unexpected.

Fifteen templates, each with different colors and auras, appeared on the System's screen, a screen visible to no one but himself.

Then—

"Lux..."

"..."

That warm, affectionate voice touched his ear.

The boy fell silent for a moment.

His right hand was held tightly, as if seeking his attention.

Without meaning to, Lux's sapphire-blue eyes behind the mask met directly with the beautiful sakura-pupiled eyes of the founder of the Yozakura family.

For a moment, the two of them simply stared at each other in silence...

In a certain sense, Yozakura Tsubomi was 'another version of himself.'

Their thoughts, feelings, even their bodies could be sensed by one another... Of course, the same applied to all his other templates.

Because of that, without needing a single word, Lux already knew what the girl wanted.

He thought about it for a moment, then let go of her hand.

Instead, he slowly drew his body closer.

Yozakura Tsubomi seemed to understand. Without saying anything, she leaned her head and small frame against Lux's body.

Her small body, which had been trembling from her injuries moments before, now looked calm. And... at peace.

So the two of them leaned against each other, without a single word passing between them.

At the same moment, Lux closed his eyes and quietly said in his heart...

'𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹... 『𝗨𝘇𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝗺𝗮』...'

***

𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗶-𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻.

Besides humans, this world was home to other races... Elves, Dwarves, Dryads, Demons...

And Demi-Humans were the race with the second-largest population after humans.

The name made it obvious enough. They were essentially humans with body parts resembling animals.

Unlike humans, who used a system of kingdoms and empires (though not all of them did), Demi-Humans lived under a system called clans.

The cat clan, the dog clan, the bird clan...

Every Demi-Human was grouped according to their animal type.

They also didn't need a Talent. Their abilities were already inherited according to the type of Demi-Human bloodline they carried.

But among all these clans, there was one that stood out above the rest.

The fox clan.

A clan filled with fox-people.

The reason for their fame, of course, wasn't just their combat strength. Their beauty and captivating presence played a part as well.

Male foxes did exist, but they focused mainly on combat prowess. Female foxes were a different story entirely. They were born with figures that could drive any lecherous man wild.

Countless people had tried to take a fox-person as a bride. In the end, most of them were swindled and left destitute.

Well, that was only natural.

They were foxes, after all. It would be impossible for them not to inherit their ancestors' cunning. Deceiving people was practically a daily routine for them.

But unfortunately... this time, they had no chance to deceive anyone.

Every fox-person in the clan was facing the greatest crisis of their lives.

The clan head's son had gone missing.

At that moment, all the high-ranking officials had gathered in one room, kneeling before the magnificent figure before them.

Each of them had between five and seven tails. But none of that meant anything compared to their clan head.

An adult woman with a captivating aura. Her hair and eyes were the color of gold.

A gold-and-silver kimono wrapped around her body, with a fairly revealing slit. Her thighs were clearly visible, while the plunging neckline was more than enough to make an ordinary man lose all self-control.

But what stood out most of all was... the nine golden tails behind her.

She was the true ruler of the entire fox clan, known as 𝗜𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶-𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗮.

Her name... 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘂 𝗻𝗼 𝗞𝗶𝘁𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗲.

It was certainly surprising that the fox clan was led by a woman. But not a single person in that room dared to question it.

For behind that figure, capable of igniting desire in any man, this fox woman was the only one to have ever reached nine tails, while other foxes struggled desperately just to reach eight.

So it could be said that Amaterasu no Kitsune, or Inari-sama, the sacred ruler worshipped like a god, was one of the strongest Demi-Humans alive today.

And now she gazed down at all of them.

Their bodies trembled without pause.

Her voice sounded indifferent.

"I'll give you the chance to explain... How did Kitsune-no-Miya go missing right under your watch?"

"..."

Everyone's faces turned pale.

Amaterasu no Kitsune appeared unconcerned. But they knew... one wrong word, and their bodies would explode!

𝗞𝗶𝘁𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗲-𝗻𝗼-𝗠𝗶𝘆𝗮 was the title given to the prince or princess of the fox clan's head. In Inari-sama's case... that meant her missing child!

"Forgive us, Inari-sama! This is our failure!"

One of them slammed his head against the floor, begging in terror.

Almost everyone else followed suit.

"..."

Amaterasu no Kitsune stared at them coldly.

If she could, she would erase every one of these foxes from the world. She was sick and tired of their filthy thoughts about her body.

But she held herself back.

Setting aside their vile thoughts, they were useful for defending the clan. Their strength was on par with Rank S, even Rank SS.

Besides, this wasn't the first time Kitsune-no-Miya had gone missing. What had truly soured her mood was something else entirely... the terrifying aura she'd sensed a few weeks ago.

Amaterasu no Kitsune looked down at her own hand. Her fingers were still trembling.

At this point, she was just one step away from becoming a nine-tailed celestial fox. She'd believed there was nothing in this world capable of making her feel 'terror.'

But this time... she finally understood what that word meant to weaker beings.

For the first time, she felt panic.

Not even a Rank Unknown had ever given her a feeling this terrifying.

Even from a distance, she'd been able to sense it — an attack capable of wiping out a Rank Unknown. If even the faintest spark of it had touched her, she would have been gravely wounded.

'Those humans... how could they possess something so terrifying?...'

Precisely because of that, Amaterasu no Kitsune needed Kitsune-no-Miya. In other words, her son.

She didn't know what was wrong with that child. Aside from a face that was almost impossible to tell the gender of, for some reason the world's luck itself seemed to spin around him.

Foxes were naturally blessed with good fortune. But in her son, the intensity of it was beyond reason... it felt as if the world itself adored him.

Thanks to that, Kitsune-no-Miya had managed to slip away from the clan several times, despite being closely guarded by members with three and four tails.

"This is your last chance. Bring him back, or... never dare to stand before me again."

Amaterasu no Kitsune's expression remained calm. But her tone was cold and merciless, making everyone present shudder.

Not a single one dared to object.

They nodded hastily and swore they would find Kitsune-no-Miya as quickly as possible!

But Amaterasu no Kitsune had already stopped caring about them.

Only one thought filled her mind...

She would punish her disobedient son severely.

Just as she was about to dismiss these old foxes, her vertical golden pupils narrowed sharply.

That shift didn't escape their notice.

"Inari-sama?"

"..."

Amaterasu no Kitsune didn't answer.

Instead, she turned toward the window. Specifically, toward the west.

Then—

𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈!!

Without warning, a massive explosion roared and shot up toward the sky!

The shockwave swept over everyone!

Their faces changed. Just as each of them moved to act...

"...Guard the clan. I'll handle this myself."

With just those few words, their movements froze.

They turned back toward Amaterasu no Kitsune.

—But their clan head was already gone from where she'd been standing.

***

𝙏𝙖𝙠... 𝙏𝙖𝙠... 𝙏𝙖𝙠...

Fire raged in every direction. The screams of villagers echoed. Amaterasu no Kitsune's expression remained flat.

Even as several of her people lay dead, she showed no sign of concern.

The sound of her geta — her traditional wooden sandals — rang out clearly amid the chaos.

—Then her steps stopped.

Her golden fox gaze narrowed.

Before her, a young man stood calmly, dragging a corpse behind him.

His hair was jet black. His face was hidden behind a white kitsune mask.

He wore a dark blue-gray robe layered with gray, its fur collar disheveled. Fingerless black gloves were neatly wrapped with reddish-brown leather straps. His pants were loose and black, his sandals a reddish-brown.

Just from the sight of him dragging a corpse, it was obvious he was behind all of this.

Normally, Amaterasu no Kitsune would have killed this young man on the spot without a second thought.

But this time, she held back. There was something that felt... familiar.

—As if she were meeting an old acquaintance.

Yet she was certain she'd never met this young man before.

Unless...

"Are you a Kyūbi-no-Miya?"

𝗞𝘆𝘂̄𝗯𝗶-𝗻𝗼-𝗠𝗶𝘆𝗮 referred to a separate group within the fox clan, made up of one- and two-tailed fox-people. Weak, useless foxes.

They relied on human-made technology and tools to get by. Because of that connection, it wasn't surprising that a few humans had become members of their group.

But to Amaterasu no Kitsune... their existence was frankly laughable. If she wanted to, she could wipe them all out with a single finger.

But this time... it seemed her guess was wrong.

The young man appeared to think for a moment, then spoke calmly.

"Seems you've misunderstood. I'm not part of some weak group like that."

"I see..."

—Then what was this feeling?

"...For an ordinary human, you've got some nerve, attacking my clan. Tell me..." Amaterasu no Kitsune stared at him calmly. "What do you want, human?"

"..." The masked young man tilted his head, then raised a finger.

He pointed it directly at the clan head.

"You."

"..."

Amaterasu no Kitsune said nothing. But the air around them grew tense and silent, to the point it felt suffocating.

"...It seems humans have started underestimating me lately, thanks to recent events."

A golden aura began enveloping the space between them.

Slowly but surely, the surrounding flames shifted color to gold.

Her voice grew colder as she continued.

"You want me? 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻."

The instant that sentence ended, the golden flames blazed brightly, and then...

𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈...!!!

The golden fire consumed the entire area in an instant!!

***

𝘽𝘼𝙉𝙂!!

Lux's (Menma's) body slammed into the ground and skidded dozens of meters. Debris exploded along its path.

"Ugh! Urg..."

Blood sprayed from behind his kitsune mask. The right sleeve of his robe had already burned away, and the skin beneath it had blackened. The golden fire refused to go out, continuing to gnaw at him as if it had a will of its own.

White steam rose from his wounds. The burnt flesh had begun reconnecting, but far too slowly. The pain stabbed all the way to the bone.

Even with the Kyūbi's chakra overflowing through his body, instant recovery was still too much of a burden in the presence of a Transcendent being.

"Exactly as expected from a Transcendent being... and the mother of a Son of Destiny, no less."

The right sleeve of his robe had been burned completely away by the still-blazing golden fire.

Lux (Menma) had to admit it... even the real Uzumaki Menma wouldn't have been able to withstand this.

𝙏𝙖𝙠... 𝙏𝙖𝙠... 𝙏𝙖𝙠...

The sound of wooden geta echoed softly amid the sea of fire.

"𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻."

That cold voice returned as the entire area was now consumed by golden flame.

Amaterasu no Kitsune walked forward. Her nine tails swayed elegantly behind her. Each tail ignited golden fire that made the air tremble and the surrounding stones melt.

She wasn't even in a hurry. To a being like her, this wasn't a battle. It was simply exterminating an insect that had dared to bite.

"..."

Lux (Menma) rotated his wrist.

How had Lux (Menma) known that Amaterasu no Kitsune was the mother of a Son of Destiny?

Simple.

When he'd drawn templates earlier, one of them had turned out to possess the ability to connect with fate, though faintly. That ability could even access knowledge that was 'nearly' all-knowing.

So then... why was he targeting the mother of a Son of Destiny?

Also simple.

Even though she was "just" a mother, Amaterasu no Kitsune's status as a nine-tailed fox was something he needed right now.

Besides, in the future, he was bound to become enemies with the Sons of Destiny. Sooner or later, Amaterasu no Kitsune would become his enemy as well.

Of course... that wasn't the only reason.

Lux had a small "experiment" he wanted to try, using the Uzumaki Menma template on Amaterasu no Kitsune.

But he also knew... the Uzumaki Menma template alone wouldn't be enough to face a Transcendent being like her.

Which was why he'd already prepared a certain other template...

Lux (Menma) stood up.

White steam rose from his injured arm as it regenerated.

But that wasn't all.

Dark red chakra writhed upward from his feet.

The chakra crept upward like a snake. His waist, chest, shoulders, and then his entire body. Every cell inside him screamed, and a stifling heat clawed its way out from within.

Amaterasu no Kitsune raised an eyebrow at the sight, but made no comment.

"..."

The two faced each other in tense silence.

Silence.

One second. Two seconds.

Then Lux (Menma) lifted his foot.

𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈!

The ground beneath him cracked and exploded. His figure vanished.

No. More precisely, his speed had exceeded what an ordinary eye could follow. The air along his path split apart, and the shockwave swept the rubble left and right!

In an instant, he was directly in front of Amaterasu no Kitsune's face. His fist, wrapped in red chakra, shot forward!

In a flash, he drove a punch straight at Amaterasu no Kitsune!

𝘽𝘼𝙉𝙂!!

A shockwave exploded in every direction.

But the fist stopped.

Amaterasu no Kitsune caught it with one hand. Her slender fingers gripped the fist as if holding nothing more than a pebble.

"...𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀?"

Unsurprisingly, Amaterasu no Kitsune had stopped it with just one hand.

Lux (Menma) felt the bones in his hand crack. He tried to pull back, but her grip didn't budge.

Then he saw it.

Right in front of his chest, a golden flame blazed to life.

𝙆𝘼𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈...!!!

The explosion shook every bit of light!

Golden fire roared into the sky, forming a pillar hundreds of meters tall. Lux's (Menma's) figure vanished, swallowed by the light.

Amaterasu no Kitsune slowly lowered her hand.

"𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗲."

But her sentence cut off.

From within the pillar of fire, something moved.

A dark red aura spread with a hissing sound, tearing through the golden flame from the inside. A destructive vortex formed and dragged the fire away, then exploded in every direction!

𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈!!

Amaterasu no Kitsune's pupils widened slightly.

𝘿𝙀𝙂!

A fox stood in the middle of the rubble.

But not the graceful, revered fox one might expect.

What stood there was a fox that was disfigured and ruined.

Its skin had peeled away. Not blood, not flesh. What showed beneath was a glowing red substance crisscrossed with black lines like a living spiderweb, pulsing in rhythm with its heavy breathing.

The figure crawled on four legs. Every paw that touched the ground melted the stone into lava.

Seven tails swayed behind it, stirring up scorching winds that made the air spin.

And most terrifying of all... white skulls clung to its body and head, as if the bones of some ancient monster had been wrapped around the peeling red flesh.

Ah... no wonder this feeling seemed so familiar.

That young man was...

𝙍𝙊𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝙍𝙍𝙍...!!!

—a corrupted version of himself.

The roar shook the very sky. What remained of the rubble was blown away, and the ground around them cracked, forming a massive spiderweb pattern.

The figure lunged forward!

𝙒𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙎𝙃!!

A sphere of purple energy was released without hesitation, streaking straight from its mouth toward Amaterasu no Kitsune!

𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈...!!!

The explosion was deafening!

Like a miniature nuclear bomb, the heat wave swept away everything that remained. The air felt like boiling water. Even breathing became torture.

Smoke and dust blanketed everything.

Lux (Menma) charged through the haze, ready to press the attack. But his survival instincts screamed.

And sure enough...

A golden glow flared from within the smoke!

𝘽𝙇𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝙍...!!!

A pillar of golden fire roared out, leaving a trail of scorching heat that melted the very air.

The light swept forward like a giant blade, tearing through earth, forest, and even a distant mountain!

The mountain exploded in an instant. Its peak crumbled away without a trace!

Even a Rank S+ wouldn't have survived a flame like that. But in his seven-tailed form, Lux's (Menma's) insane speed let him leap aside just in time. The tip of one of his tails was left scorched and smoking.

But he didn't get a chance to breathe easy.

𝙒𝙊𝙎𝙃! 𝙒𝙊𝙎𝙃! 𝙒𝙊𝙎𝙃!

A hissing sound echoed across the sky.

Dozens of golden fireballs appeared above Amaterasu no Kitsune. Each one as large as a house, glowing like a small sun. Each one capable of annihilating a mountain.

Then... the woman snapped her fingers.

𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈! 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈! 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈! 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙈!

A rain of golden fire pounded the earth without mercy!

Lux (Menma) ran.

Left. Right. Leap. Roll. Every time he landed, the ground he'd been standing on a second before was already a gaping crater.

Every time he dodged, the residual heat scorched his skin. The Kyūbi's chakra patched his wounds, but too slowly to keep up with the damage piling on.

Even after unleashing most of Menma's power, all he could manage was to keep running!

Amid that relentless barrage, Amaterasu no Kitsune floated calmly in the sky. Her kimono fluttered, her nine tails radiating a blinding light. She looked down without expression.

Like a god watching ants dance in the palm of her hand.

Then, the next second, a massive shadow blotted out the sky above Lux (Menma).

One of the fireballs, as large as a giant mountain, was already too close. There was no time to dodge!

𝙆𝘼𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈...!!!

But...

𝙍𝙊𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝙍𝙍𝙍!

A dark red aura erupted furiously from the point of impact!

From every crack in the ground, countless giant red hands emerged. They gripped the fireball from every direction, holding it back with all their strength!

Cracks spread across the chakra fingers. One by one they shattered, but new hands kept growing to replace them!

Lux (Menma) stood in the middle of it all.

His body trembled, feeling as though it were melting and boiling, but he didn't retreat.

Then he looked up.

With a roar that shook the earth, countless purple orbs shot into the sky. An insane number of Bijūdama, each carrying enough destructive power to level an entire city!

Yes. This time, he held nothing back. Everything he had was unleashed at once!

All of it aimed at a single point: Amaterasu no Kitsune, floating in the sky!

The sky filled with purple and red light.

A brief silence.

Amaterasu no Kitsune watched the wave of attacks without blinking.

Then she raised a single finger.

Just one.

And instantly...

All the light seemed to be sucked away.

Purple, red, even the moonlight itself, vanished, swallowed by a strange, brief darkness.

'...What?'

𝙒𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙎𝙃!

Not a waterfall. Not rain. More precisely, a tsunami of golden fire, a wave as tall as the sky, descending at the speed of a meteor!

The chakra hands tried to hold it back. They were destroyed in an instant.

The Bijūdama shot forward to meet it. They were swallowed without a sound.

That golden fire was insatiable. Every attack it touched was absorbed, turned into fuel to fan its own flames even higher!

Lux (Menma) stared at the tsunami, his eyes wide.

The golden shadow blotted out his entire field of vision.

'No choice left... Come out, Kyūbi!'

The golden tsunami swept across the entire region, felt even by the Demi-Humans in the distance!

𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈𝙈𝙈𝙈....!!!

***

Silence.

No sound of explosions. No roaring. Only the faint hiss of golden flame still licking at the scorched remains of the earth.

"..."

'Oh... no resistance at all.'

For a moment, Lux (Menma) was at a loss for words.

He had thought that with the Uzumaki Menma template, at least one attack would land on Amaterasu no Kitsune's body.

But forget landing a hit... even getting close felt impossible.

𝙍𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙧...

A weak, pain-filled growl sounded beside him.

Next to him, a dark orange fox with nine tails lay slumped on the ground. Its fur was scorched in many places, its breathing heavy, and the red chakra that usually surged wildly now flickered like a candle about to go out.

That was right. To protect himself from Amaterasu no Kitsune's massive assault, Lux (Menma) had summoned the Kyūbi. And just as expected...

Just to withstand a single serious attack from a Transcendent being, the two of them had needed to pour out everything they had.

Even with a massive, oversized Bijūdama, he hadn't been able to close the distance by even an inch.

"..."

Without a sound, a shadow fell over them.

𝙒𝙊𝙊𝙎𝙃!

Amaterasu no Kitsune landed gently in front of them. Her nine tails spun slowly, golden fire dancing around her body. Not a single strand of her hair was out of place, not a speck of dust on her kimono.

As if the battle before had never happened at all.

Her golden gaze fell on the Kyūbi, weakly growling toward her.

A moment of silence.

Then she spoke, her tone colder than before.

"𝗔𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂? 𝗪𝗵𝘆..."

The flames around her flared slightly.

Her gaze shifted to Lux (Menma). "...𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗲-𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝘅?"

Only two nine-tailed beings were meant to exist in this world.

The first, herself, as clan head... and the second, her son.

So then... who was this young man before her? His strength was certainly no match for hers. But the fact that this human possessed nine-tailed fox power was undeniable.

This made no sense.

Lux (Menma) wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and chuckled softly.

"Heh... why don't you take a guess?"

"..."

Amaterasu no Kitsune stared at him in silence.

One second. Two seconds.

Then she spoke quietly.

"𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲?"

"Because I can help you."

"...𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻?"

Her tone was now as cold as ice.

"You're almost there, aren't you?" His voice was calm, even though his body could barely stand. "The true Transcendent state... 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗼 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗸𝗼 𝗞𝘆𝘂𝗯𝗶."

"..."

For the first time, Amaterasu no Kitsune's vertical pupils trembled.

"You might be hoping there are three nine-tailed foxes in this world. Unfortunately... I'm human, not a Demi-Human."

"You've felt it yourself... even though we both carry nine-tailed power, my strength isn't even 40% of your true power."

That was true.

But her instincts couldn't be wrong. That power really was nine-tailed fox power.

The problem was, this world would never tolerate a third one. Even the strongest Magical Beasts could, at best, only reach eight tails.

Unless...

"𝗔𝗻 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿..."

"..."

That was the moment Lux (Menma) smirked.

"Yes. Your guess is right. I'm an Outsider. Ironic, isn't it? In this world, a figure with nine-tailed fox power is respected and admired. So what about me?"

"..." Amaterasu no Kitsune stared at him, saying nothing.

"A walking disaster. The center of hatred. A figure feared by all. The embodiment of everything negative. That's what I am. In the world I came from, I was seen as a nine-tailed fox monster."

In other words, a weapon of war.

"As a fellow of the same kind, you know what I felt, don't you? Yes. Hatred. Hatred that never stopped."

For a moment, Amaterasu no Kitsune's heart felt complicated.

Ever since this young man had unleashed the Kyūbi's chakra, she'd already sensed it... a level of hatred so dense it rivaled that of a Transcendent being.

Hatred that hadn't been born from one or two years. Hatred accumulated over thousands upon thousands of days.

"...𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗼 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗸𝗼 𝗞𝘆𝘂𝗯𝗶." Her voice was calmer now. "𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗵𝗼𝘄?"

Kinko Tenko Kyūbi or the Golden Sky Nine-Tailed Fox.

The pinnacle of fox-people power.

Unlike ordinary Transcendent beings, its core power was directly connected to 'fortune.' That was what made them equal to a Rank Unknown.

Unfortunately, the secret to reaching it had long been lost. That was why Amaterasu no Kitsune's power had been stuck in place all this time...

And this young man was saying he knew how?

"The answer is simple..." Lux (Menma) looked straight into her eyes. "We join together."

"..."

Amaterasu no Kitsune's expression changed.

Join together?

Did he mean...

"Of course, not literally. But..."

"...𝗘𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵."

A dense killing intent cut off the sentence.

The air suddenly grew heavy. The ground beneath Lux's (Menma's) feet cracked.

"I don't need to hear another word."

Essentially, the word 'join' meant...

—𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘅.

Fury exploded from within her.

So basically, he wanted her body?!

How dare he! 𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗛𝗘!!

The golden fire covering her body roared wildly, scorching the air. Her nine tails stiffened, trembling with killing intent.

Who cared if this human possessed nine-tailed fox power?!

She would kill him! Whoever dared to target her body had to...

She suddenly stopped.

Lux (Menma) smiled.

Not a smile of fear. Not a smile of surrender.

A terrible premonition filled her.

An ominous feeling crawled up her spine.

Without realizing it, she looked up as well, and...

A black orb, small as a baseball, floated calmly in the air. White rings of energy spun around it, silent, without a sound.

'Since when?...'

In a hoarse voice, Lux (Menma) uttered the name of his technique...

"<<𝐃𝐚𝐢 𝐑𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮>>"

The ringed black orb touched the surface of the ground, and then...

—A blinding white light illuminated everything.

𝙆𝘼𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈...!!!

The explosion surpassed a nuclear bomb. Lux's (Menma's) chakra and the Kyūbi's near-limitless chakra were unleashed all at once. The earth was lifted, the sky split apart, and a wave of white light swept across everything with undeniable force!

But...

—the destruction suddenly stopped.

One by one, from various points, giant golden fox tails rose up from the ground. Each one glowed so brightly it stung the eyes.

The white light was swallowed, suppressed, and forced back by golden light!

𝙒𝙊𝙊𝙎𝙃!

The destruction they'd hoped for never came.

Instead, the entire area began sprouting a bright aura of life, until green grass sprang up from the scorched earth!

An attack capable of annihilating a Rank SS monster vanished as if it had been nothing at all!

Meanwhile, Amaterasu no Kitsune, the one responsible for it, simply stood there, her expression flat.

"An impressive technique, but that won't..."

—Her sentence cut off.

Not because someone had interrupted her.

But because her body suddenly shuddered violently.

She turned.

Somehow, without her noticing, a young woman had appeared not far from her, accompanied by an old man leaning on a cane.

The old man had messy black hair, with an X-shaped scar on his chin. He wore a white shirt, and a black or dark gray robe covered his body from the legs up to just above his right shoulder.

But... Amaterasu no Kitsune's attention wasn't on the grim old man.

Her gaze was fixed on the young woman beside him.

Long silver hair that looked almost transparent, radiating a soft glow like sunlight in the middle of this dark night...

Her blue eyes had slit pupils, framed by long lashes...

Her clothing was extremely simple, almost nonexistent. Just a single sheet of white cloth wrapped around her body, trailing down below.

It was clear at a glance — this woman was extraordinarily beautiful.

She smiled gently. Her gaze was full of compassion.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝘆?

...Why couldn't her body stop trembling?

The young woman was beautiful. That much was undeniable.

But that was precisely the problem — 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹.

𝗡𝗼.

𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹.

In appearance, her figure was the direct embodiment of the ideal image of 'beauty.'

Like a painting that was too perfect. Like a doll made without a single flaw.

So what was wrong?

...

...

...

'...𝗔 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿.'

What stood before her now was a 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿.

A monster disguised in the form of a young woman!

𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈!!

An immense pressure exploded from Amaterasu no Kitsune's body!

This time, without hesitation, she would unleash the full extent of her power as a Transcendent being!

Her nine tails whipped violently, golden fire blazing until the very sky changed color!

She wouldn't bother talking. She would burn both figures before her to ash!

But before that could happen...

The young woman opened her mouth.

『Such formidable power...』

Her voice was gentle. Every word flowed like a melody.

『But as a mother... perhaps it would be better if power that great were wielded with a bit more kindness』

Her words were beautiful. But Amaterasu no Kitsune felt as though a thousand insects were crawling across her skin!!

Her voice was like a melody. But Amaterasu no Kitsune felt as if countless insects were creeping across her entire body!!

"𝗬𝗢𝗨—"

She couldn't take it anymore.

That disgusting feeling — she hated it, absolutely hated it!!!

And yet...

'The world' itself seemed to stop her.

"...𝗛𝘂𝗵?"

Her power vanished from her body.

Not a figure of speech. Not an exaggeration.

Every ounce of her power as a Transcendent being truly left her, as if drained clean from a vessel!

Her golden fire went out. Her nine tails slumped limply behind her.

What... what was happening?!

Panic gripped her, something she'd only come to know these past few weeks.

She tried to channel her power.

No response.

She tried again. Empty.

At this moment, she couldn't use her Transcendent ability at all!

But the young woman didn't seem to care about the panic raging inside her. Her gentle gaze remained fixed on the sky, with a calm that was chilling.

『It seems... my Authority isn't functioning properly, because of the Will of the World...』

Her tone and expression didn't shift in the slightest.

『But it's fine. Everything will be over soon. So...』

She smiled softly. But to Amaterasu no Kitsune, that smile only gave birth to a deep and profound terror.

『Lord Danzo... I would appreciate your help』

The grim old man looked reluctant. But in the end, he complied, grumbling under his breath.

"Just this once. It's a genuine waste, this woman ending up under that Uzumaki brat. But after this, we're even. You have no right to order me around again."

『Fufu ~ Don't worry. I won't break my promise』

The old man stepped closer.

Amaterasu no Kitsune struggled. She tried to move, tried to flee, tried to do anything at all. But no matter how hard she fought, her body wouldn't obey her.

Danzo removed the bandage over his right eye, revealing what had been hidden beneath.

Not an ordinary eye.

A red pupil, marked with a windmill pattern of four black dots.

The moment their eyes met, Amaterasu no Kitsune felt something inside her lock into place. Her mind remained clear, but her body was no longer her own.

"Heh, going to resist? Useless. Once you come to your senses later, you'll be a different person. You'll bec—"

"Danzo."

"..."

The old man's expression darkened further at that voice.

He shot a sharp glance toward the young man with red, slit-pupiled eyes and three whisker-marks on each cheek.

The young man paid him no mind. He simply looked at Amaterasu no Kitsune, then spoke quietly.

"Use Kotoamatsukami so she becomes my partner. She stays herself, but can't harm me. Beyond that... don't you dare add any strange commands."

"How naive! You want to make her your partner?!"

"No." The teenager looked at him coldly. "I'm warning you. Using that eye's power, one that was never really yours to begin with, on a Transcendent being is basically suicide."

"How dar—"

『Danzo...』

The young woman's voice sounded gentle.

The old man instantly shuddered. The words caught in his throat.

Paying no attention to his reaction, the young woman continued.

『Menma is right. Kotoamatsukami truly is powerful. But unfortunately, you're not its true owner. To forcibly control her, especially her consciousness, won't be enough. There's a reason they're called Transcendent beings』

The old man looked visibly irritated. His jaw tightened.

But in the end...

He merely clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Fine. Don't blame me if this fox monster ends up out of control."

Amaterasu no Kitsune watched that brief exchange in silence.

The panic she'd felt at hearing her will was about to be forcibly controlled slowly faded. Not because she accepted it. But because she realized resisting was pointless.

So she closed her eyes, allowing Danzo to implant that command into her will...

...

...

...

...

"𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗨𝘇𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝗺𝗮 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁."

...

...

...

...

"..."

"No need to keep pretending. I know you're already awake."

Amaterasu no Kitsune rose from her unconscious state.

Her expression was grim. Her mood was clearly foul. Well, that was only natural...

Who would be happy to learn their will had been forcibly altered, forced to do something they never wanted?

"Lowly human..." Her voice was full of disgust. "You wanted my body that badly, didn't you?"

The teenager looked slightly surprised. He tilted his head and spoke indifferently.

"Who said I wanted your body?"

Amaterasu no Kitsune frowned.

"Didn't you say earlier that we needed to be intimate to reach Kinko Tenko Kyūbi?"

"Ah, that." He nodded in understanding.

"Of course not. That was just something I said to throw you off. I'll admit you're very beautiful, but..." His expression stayed calm.

"...Both me and the Kyūbi find the idea of doing something like that with a fellow fox disgusting."

"..."

What?

Disgusting?

This person had just called her — the most 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝘅 in the world, someone countless people were obsessed with — disgusting?!

Her body trembled violently with rage!

If she could, she wanted to show him right now exactly why she was called a Transcendent being!

Unfortunately...

"...You want to attack me?"

The young man looked at Amaterasu no Kitsune, who had suddenly frozen stiff right in front of him, her raised hand unable to move any further.

"...Be quiet."

—For the first time, this fox woman, who was also a mother, felt her face burning. Not from fire, but from something far more humiliating...

But...

Watching the young man slowly put his kitsune mask back on, Amaterasu no Kitsune turned her face away and muttered...

"Forced together with a human... what a truly terrible experience."

Well...

At least, compared to other humans, this young man might not be so bad after all...

***