Chapter 358: The Nine-Tailed Fox's Unique Hobby
"......"
Realizing her sister had been standing behind the glass door watching for an unknown amount of time, Yukinoshita Yukino stood in place silently for a moment before taking the initiative to walk into the hospital building.
"Yukino~"
The moment she pushed the door open, a soft, warm body pressed directly against her.
"You're heavy."
Yukino tried to push Haruno's body away, but found her own strength was no match for her sister's. Resigned, she had no choice but to let Haruno hang off her.
"Are you two dating?"
Because the relationship between the sisters had improved significantly over the past few months, Haruno no longer spoke in circles as she used to, but asked her question point-blank.
Hearing her sister ask so directly, Yukino's heart trembled. However, she then nodded and answered Haruno's question with absolute certainty.
"You really have changed a lot..."
Watching her sister answer without the slightest hesitation, Haruno's eyes held complex emotions.
"So, Sister, what do you plan to do? Break us up?"
Yukinoshita Yukino raised her head, looking at her sister—who shared nearly the same face—and asked in return.
"Of course not. Having my precious little sister find happiness is my greatest wish as an older sister~"
If she hadn't known Hachiman's true background, Haruno might have had thoughts of stopping them. After all, with Hachiman's family background, he would never gain their mother's approval.
However, after seeing Hachiman in his combat state previously and witnessing him fly down with Yukino just now, Haruno had already become a loyal supporter of the couple. Furthermore, she suspected that once her mother learned of Hachiman's true identity, she would definitely not object.
"My little sister is truly incredible."
Holding Yukino, Haruno rubbed her cheek against Yukino's smooth face while sighing with emotion. A figure from the mysterious side that the family could never establish a connection with even by exhausting all their resources had been easily handled by Yukinoshita Yukino...
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When Hachiman returned to the tent, Yotsuya Miko had already awakened. Currently, she was sitting on a mat, staring blankly at the top of the tent.
Hearing footsteps at the entrance, Miko gradually regained her senses. Upon seeing that the newcomer was Hikigaya Hachiman, a look of pleasant surprise instantly appeared on her face.
"Hikigaya-kun!"
With a gust of fragrant wind, Miko threw herself directly into Hachiman's arms.
"Rest easy, nothing will happen."
Hachiman mimicked the way people comfort others on TV, gently patting Miko's back.
"Hana-chan... she'll be okay, right?"
Leaning against Hachiman's chest for a moment of comfort, Miko raised her tear-blurred eyes and asked. Having just woken up, a strange fox had informed her that Yurikawa Hana had been snatched away by an evil spirit. Powerless to do anything herself, Miko could only place all her hope for saving her best friend on Hachiman.
"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to her."
Looking at the worried Miko, Hachiman nodded with a sincere tone.
"Thank you..."
Seeing Hachiman's determined look, the heavy stone in Miko's heart dropped. She held Hachiman tightly and began to sob quietly, as if venting all the anxiety and worry stored in her heart.
"Lord Hikigaya, Lady Inari is looking for you."
Half an hour later, a light, ethereal girl's voice—one he had never heard before—rang out from outside the tent.
"Alright, I'll be right there."
After comforting Miko and telling her to wait for his return, Hachiman stepped out of the tent.
Outside, a fox-eared girl dressed in a red-and-white sleeveless miko outfit was standing formally three meters away, waiting for him. Seeing Hachiman appear at the entrance, she immediately bowed to him.
"And you are?"
Looking at the unfamiliar girl, Hachiman was somewhat curious about her identity.
"You may simply call me Number Two. My eldest sister was sent back to the shrine by Lady Inari to preside over the overall situation; I am currently managing this camp."
"Number Two..."
Hearing this title, Hachiman felt as if ten thousand alpacas were stampeding through his heart. He had to admit, the Inari God was truly a "genius" at naming. Of course, he couldn't rule out the possibility that she was just too lazy to bother thinking of actual names.
Quietly roasting Inari's naming standards in his head, Hachiman followed the "Number Two" priestess back into the Inari God's tent.
"We meet again tonight, Hikigaya-kun."
Perhaps because she had slept, the Inari God's complexion looked slightly better than before, though her situation was still not optimistic.
"Is there something you needed me for?"
After guiding Hachiman into the tent, Number Two turned and departed. Seeing that only the two of them remained, Hachiman—who was already well-acquainted with the deity—sat down on the floor without ceremony.
"First, let me congratulate you on your successful confession."
Covering her mouth and letting out a soft yawn, the Inari God spoke with exhaustion in her eyes.
"Thanks, but I assume you didn't call me here just for congratulations?"
"Naturally."
A tail peeked out from the bedding, resting flat on Inari's lap. Then, while grooming her own fur, she explained the reason she had summoned him.
"That child named Yurikawa Hana—we've found her."
"Where is she?"
Shock at Inari's intelligence network flashed through his mind first, followed immediately by Hachiman's attention being fixed on Hana's location.
"Tokyo."
"Tokyo?"
Hearing that the Nine-Tailed Fox had taken Hana to Tokyo, Hachiman was stunned. It seemed the Nine-Tailed Fox's missing puppet was also in Tokyo. Furthermore, Sanzu no Kazuhiro had once said the Nine-Tailed Fox would attack a city...
"I see. Is that creature's goal to destroy Tokyo?"
As all the pieces connected, Hachiman finally confirmed the Nine-Tailed Fox's true intention.
"It wants to destroy Tokyo? It's truly the same as always."
Hearing Hachiman's deduction, the Inari God didn't look surprised at all; instead, she looked quite speechless.
"The same as always?"
"Yes. For some reason, that Nine-Tailed Fox has always been interested in the capital cities of human nations on this island. The reason it, as a top-tier Ghost God, ended up in its current state in ancient times was also because it tried to destroy the capital of that era, Kyoto."
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