Kyoto was yokai territory—home to the legendary Nine-Tailed Fox. Most ordinary people had no clue about the supernatural, but fox spirits were everywhere in the city's culture.
Fox masks. Fox figurines. Fox plushies. Every shop along the street was a shrine to foxes, foxes, and more foxes.
Ravel stifled a yawn, looking unimpressed. Tenra couldn't help but feel the same—this was a bit much. But the girls? Asia and the kendo club members were completely enchanted. The sheer cuteness of these little foxes hit their sweet spot perfectly.
Asia darted from shop to shop, arms full of fox-themed bracelets, declaring she'd bring one home for everyone. Tenra just played along, content to see the girls happy.
"Captain! There's a shrine up ahead—I heard it's super spiritual. Can we check it out?"
A kendo club girl bounced over, eyes sparkling with excitement.
Shrines… Tenra's mind wandered to memories of "bad things" he and Akeno had gotten up to in such places. Outwardly sacred, inwardly… not so much.
"Captain? Captain?" The girl called again, snapping Tenra out of his daydream.
"Ah—right, the shrine. Sure, let's go if you want," he replied, masking his embarrassment with a smile.
"You're the best, Captain! I'll get everyone!"
She dashed off, leaving Tenra to wipe away imaginary sweat. Someone as "filthy" as him had no business in a place like that, but as long as he kept his mouth shut, nobody would know.
Soon, the girls gathered and the group set off toward the legendary shrine.
Shrines like this were always built atop mountains, gathering spiritual energy and feng shui. From the foot of the hill, the stone steps seemed to stretch up forever.
But Tenra's training had toughened the kendo club girls beyond ordinary limits. Even the delicate-looking Asia climbed effortlessly, not a hint of fatigue.
"Ha… ha… Are those kendo girls even human?" Motohama, Matsuda, and Issei Hyoudou collapsed halfway up, drenched in sweat and gasping for air.
They'd wanted to see the shrine too, but only made it halfway before their bodies gave out. Three guys, overtaken by a parade of girls. The contemptuous looks from Aika and the others as they passed by stung worse than the climb itself.
Tenra and the girls reached the summit with ease.
The ancient shrine loomed ahead, solemn and majestic. Stone foxes guarded the entrance, replacing the usual lion-dogs. This place didn't worship some generic deity—it was dedicated to the nine-tailed fox.
True shrines naturally repelled devils and fallen angels, but the effect here was laughable. It didn't bother Tenra or Ravel in the slightest. Even Asia, with her holy affinity, handled it just fine—joining the others for photos and even offering a prayer to the fox spirit.
Tenra, of course, wasn't interested in worshipping fox gods. If anything, they ought to be worshipping him.
After the girls had their fill, dusk began to settle. Tenra asked Aika and the others to round everyone up and get ready to head back to the hotel. But then—
"Y-yokai!"
Someone's scream cut through the evening. Suddenly, strange figures in fox masks and priestly robes appeared all around, and from the nearby forest, bird-headed, black-winged creatures wielding steel tridents swooped in—karasu-tengu, straight out of a folklore illustration.
The fox priests and karasu-tengu closed in, surrounding the shrine's visitors. Panic spread, but the kendo club girls kept their cool. They'd seen Tenra and Rias's crew fight Kokabiel; they knew devils, angels, and even yokai were real. Compared to the shrieking civilians, they looked almost bored.
"Tenra-san…" Asia clung to Tenra's sleeve, eyes wide.
He patted her gently. "Don't worry."
Elsewhere in the crowd, Motohama and Matsuda were both nervous and oddly excited.
"Issei, why are there so many yokai? What do we do?"
"Too many enemies. Don't do anything stupid. I'll send oppai energy—wait for my signal," Issei said, voice low and serious. Motohama and Matsuda nodded, faces grim.
Just then, the fox priests parted to reveal a path. Through it marched a girl in shrine maiden robes, fury blazing in her eyes.
"You villains! Give me back my mother!"
She looked like a grade-schooler—adorable, with long golden hair, fox ears, and several fluffy tails swaying behind her.
A little fox princess.
Despite knowing she was a yokai, her cuteness melted hearts all around.
"Little miss, we haven't seen your mother. Maybe you've got the wrong people?" Tenra tried.
"Liar! You devils and fallen angels are the culprits!" she snapped.
"Capture them! Make them return Mother!"
She wasn't listening. At her command, the fox priests and karasu-tengu surged forward.
"Ahhh…" Tenra casually waved his hand, sending the first wave of yokai flying. They were scary enough for regular people, but to him, they were no more than gnats.
Ravel, who'd been bored all afternoon, perked up with a bloodthirsty grin. In a flash, she shifted into her fallen angel form, conjuring a spear of light and aiming it at the fox princess.
"Ravel. No killing."
Tenra's voice was calm, but absolute.
Ravel pouted, her excitement instantly doused. Still, she obeyed—her light spear morphing into a blunt, metallic weapon as she restrained her power, knocking back several charging yokai instead.
Screams and chaos erupted, but the yokai only targeted Tenra's group, leaving civilians alone.
"Kiryuu, now's your chance. You girls should get some practice," Tenra called, casting a protective barrier around Asia.
Aika Kiryuu waved her hands frantically. "Hahaha… Captain, those are actual yokai! We can't—"
"You can," Tenra said, and booted her forward.
"Ahhhhh…" Aika stumbled, face-to-face with a karasu-tengu flying straight at her, steel trident raised. She nearly died of fright.
But danger has a way of unlocking hidden power. Instinct took over—Aika drew her wooden sword in a blur, channeling spiritual energy as she slashed.
"Ow!" The karasu-tengu, thinking she was just a regular human, never saw it coming. Cut down, it rolled on the ground, clutching its chest.
That's a yokai? Not so tough! Aika blinked, stunned at her own success.
Her lips curled into a grin. Fear forgotten, she surged forward, spirit blazing.
Damn yokai dared scare me? You're dead meat now!
She charged into the fray, blade flashing—swish, swish, swish—dropping fox priests and karasu-tengu left and right.
It felt incredible.
But her rampage didn't go unnoticed. The remaining yokai adjusted, no longer seeing her as just a human. Several karasu-tengu squawked and dove at her together.
Clang, clang, clang! Aika blocked desperately, arms going numb.
The more she fought, the more she realized—this was nothing like chopping vegetables.
Whoosh— A steel trident whistled through the air, aimed straight at her. No room to dodge, face pale as a ghost, Aika's mind raced:
Is this it? Is the universe's unrivaled genius sword princess really about to die here?
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