Cao Cao left, carrying his broken body and shattered pride. Facing Ethan's demand to deliver a message to Ophis, he had no reason to refuse and understood that Ethan was simply giving him a face-saving excuse to let him live.
Ethan spared him not because he wasn't a threat, but because throughout the battle, Cao Cao never once laid a hand on the nearby Kunou. Even though Ethan's barrier was thin, a man of Cao Cao's caliber could have easily used the child as a hostage. That shred of "Heroic" integrity earned him a second chance at life.
"Let's go," Ethan said, undoing the barrier and taking Kunou's small, soft hand. "I'll take you to your mother."
The young fox-girl finally snapped out of her daze. "Ethan-sama... were you always this strong?" she whispered, her eyes filled with awe and newfound devotion.
Saving Yasaka was trivial after defeating the Hero Faction's leader. Ethan led Kunou to the sealing chamber. After ensuring that a brute-force approach wouldn't harm the occupant, he raised his fist and struck the crystalline barrier.
Crr-ack!
The walls of the cage shattered like glass, dissolving into pure mana. Inside, a tall, voluptuous woman with long golden hair and fox ears slowly opened her eyes.
"Mother!" Kunou cried, throwing herself into Yasaka's arms.
Yasaka, the leader of the Kyoto Yokai, was confused at first, but as Kunou tearfully explained how Ethan had single-handedly crushed Cao Cao and rescued her, Yasaka's wariness transformed into profound gratitude. As a Nine-Tailed Fox who had lived for centuries, she knew that if a man of Ethan's power had ill intentions, she would be powerless to stop him.
"Red Dragon Emperor, I cannot thank you enough," Yasaka said, bowing deeply alongside her daughter. "Please, come to my shrine so I may properly show my gratitude."