[Name: Nine-Tailed Fox (Yakumo Ran)]
[Rank: Demi-God (Intermediate)]
[Description: A Nine-Tailed Fox who arrived in this world either by accident or through her master's deliberate mischief (lol).]
[Yakumo Ran: The Shikigami of the Youkai Sage.]
[To disguise herself as a mere puppy is quite a grievance for one of her stature.]
Kawashima Toya looked at Kasugano Sora with a gentle expression. "Sora, may I take a look at the puppy you're holding?"
His acting was impeccable, revealing nothing amiss to avoid alerting the entity before him.
A Demi-God class Nine-Tailed Fox... if he wasn't careful, a tragedy could occur in an instant.
"Onii-chan, I knew you'd like it!" Sora beamed happily as she handed the "puppy" over to Toya.
"What a cute little creature." Toya took Yakumo Ran into his arms.
Instantly, the warmth vanished from his eyes. His gaze turned razor-sharp.
"Drop the act, Fox."
"What is your purpose?"
"Why would the Nine-Tailed Fox, one of the Three Great Youkai of legend, disguise herself as a dog to approach us?"
"Eh? A Nine-Tailed Fox?" Sora stared blankly at Toya.
"Onii-chan never jokes about things like this... does that mean this puppy is actually a kitsune?"
She adored the little white puppy, but her trust in Toya was absolute.
Sora immediately backed away, giving Toya space to operate.
The white puppy blinked its eyes innocently, tilting its head as if it didn't understand human speech.
Toya sighed, his voice low and knowing. "Yakumo Ran. The Shikigami of the Sage of Youkai, Yakumo Yukari."
"How... how did you recognize me?"
A crisp, enchanting, and bewildered female voice finally emerged from the white puppy.
Soft light swirled around the small creature, and an exquisite fox spirit slowly materialized.
Nine large, fluffy golden tails stretched out lazily, revealing her true form—the beautiful and majestic Nine-Tailed Fox.
Toya smiled faintly. "Answer my question first."
"Why did a Great Youkai of your caliber disguise herself as a puppy to approach us?"
He was well-versed in the lore of Gensokyo; otherwise, he wouldn't call himself a fan of the series.
In Gensokyo, humans were a minority, and the vast majority of the population were youkai.
Although most residents of Gensokyo bore no specific ill will toward humans—and Yakumo Ran was generally considered one of the more reasonable ones—it was always prudent to be cautious. After all, this was a powerful youkai approaching him with unknown intentions.
Ran flicked her nine fluffy, luxurious tails. "I merely wished to use your identity to return to Gensokyo."
"Are you lost?" A flicker of surprise crossed Toya's eyes.
Ran's voice, elegant and polite, was filled with confusion and a touch of distress. "I am not lost."
"Over a decade ago... I am unsure if I committed some error, but Yukari-sama lifted me up and cast me into a Gap."
"Since then, I have lost my connection to the boundaries and have been stranded in this Outside World."
"I noticed that your identity is special, and that you are destined to visit Gensokyo in the future."
"Thus, I sought to request your assistance in taking me back."
"Is that so?" Toya stroked his chin, falling into deep thought.
What Ran said didn't seem false, but there was no way to confirm if she was acting.
The Nine-Tailed Fox was a legendary figure known for her cunning and ability to manipulate people. Her acting skills were undoubtedly peerless.
If a high-ranking kitsune wanted to lie, unless one possessed greater strength than her, it would be impossible to discern the truth.
I chose the handle "Trash Fox" for a reason. I can't simply trust Yakumo Ran based on words alone.
After pondering for a moment, Toya began searching for countermeasures in the System Shop.
Even if Ran was a character he liked from the series, he couldn't skip the necessary precautions.
[Name: Pet Collar]
[Rank: A-]
[Description: Can bind any non-human entity. Automatically seals their spiritual power while equipped.]
[Duration: Proportional to the price paid.]
[Price: 4,000 Origin Points (1 Month)]
"Seriously? Four thousand points..." Toya was mentally shocked.
Four thousand Origin Points for just one month of binding?
No matter how many points he had, he couldn't afford to burn them on a single item like that.
Unless the owner agrees to release it, the binding duration is indefinite.
Suddenly, a notification chimed.
[Ding! World Request Issued: Request from the Youkai of Boundaries, Yakumo Yukari. The following is the client's description.]
[I slept in during the winter and, while sleepwalking, I might have accidentally tossed my Shikigami, Ran, into another world. To any kind soul out there: please send her back.]
[Target Description: Yakumo Ran. A Nine-Tailed Fox with nine very fluffy tails.]
[Personality: Gentle, obedient. She won't bite. Please rest assured.]
[Note: I don't know how time flows in the Outside World, but when I threw her out, her tail fur had been plucked bald. It should have grown back by now.]
[This request is issued by the Youkai Sage, Yakumo Yukari. Reward: 100,000 Origin Points.]
"System, I accept the request!"
"As for when I can send her back, that's for the future."
Seeing the reward, Toya accepted without hesitation.
One hundred thousand Origin Points just to find a Shikigami?
Especially since this particular fox was already in his hands. It was free money.
[Yakumo Ran detected. Camera device issued. Please take a photo of the target for verification.]
A beam of light coalesced in the space, forming a camera.
Toya picked up the camera and looked at Ran with a wide, meaningful smile. "I've never seen a Nine-Tailed Fox in person before. Ran, may I take a picture as a souvenir?"
"Y-Yes..."
Ran's nine tails bristled, a chill running down her spine. Toya's smile reminded her terrifyingly of her master, Yakumo Yukari.
Their smiles were eerily similar—carved from the same mold of mischievous intent.
Snap!
Toya took several photos from various angles to ensure Yukari would recognize her Shikigami without a doubt.
The next second, the camera vanished into thin air.
Ran stood stiffly, waiting for Toya to finish. She only let out a sigh of relief after the camera disappeared.
So scary... why does this human give off the same aura as Yukari-sama?
[Ding! World Request Complete. 100,000 Origin Points obtained.]
[Objective Update: Please return the Nine-Tailed Fox to Gensokyo within 100 years.]
[Yakumo Yukari has added a bonus condition: The sooner she is returned, the higher the additional reward.]
[Additional Reward starts at 100,000 Points!]
"Don't worry, I'll definitely send you back." Toya's smile grew even brighter.
He didn't expect that Sora's little excursion would result in her bringing back a shikigami worth over 100,000 Origin Points.
With such a bounty on the line, he would naturally do his best.
Before, he was considering finding a place to dump Ran, but now he had to take good care of her to ensure she didn't lose weight or depreciate in value before the handover.
Toya chuckled softly, his tone relaxing. "Yakumo Ran, you've been wandering this world for over ten years, haven't you?"
.....