After shopping, Rhode took Asia to see the famous landmarks, from Ginkaku-ji to Kinkaku-ji.
He had first learned about the Golden Pavilion from an old tokusatsu show where a monster melted it down into liquid gold to absorb it. Back then, he actually thought the temple was solid gold, but in reality, it was just covered in gold leaf.
Asia was just as impressed as the younger Rhode had been, asking if it was made of solid gold. Rhode ruthlessly crushed her fantasy: "No, it's just a trick to attract tourists."
Leaving the disappointed girl behind, they moved on to the next spot. Time flew by. Night fell, and Rhode took her to a festival—essentially a street food market. He wasn't much for sights, but he loved a good variety of food. When he wasn't on a mission, eating was how he killed time. His metabolism was high and he exercised regularly, so he never put on weight.
He was, however, worried about Asia. She had been thin due to exhaustion and malnutrition, but after just a few days with him, her cheeks were already starting to round out.
Suddenly, Rhode noticed several neutral white dots approaching on his system map. A moment later, a youthful voice reached his ears.
"Excuse me... you aren't locals, are you?"
Standing on the stone steps was a young girl in a shrine maiden's outfit. Her golden hair shimmered like ripe wheat, a slightly different shade than Asia's rapeseed-yellow locks. Her golden eyes were bright and curious as she looked Rhode up and down with clear interest.
"Who are you?" Asia asked, looking between Rhode and the little miko.
Rhode found the girl familiar. Her aura was completely different from a normal human's. This was the downside of transitioning from 2D to 3D; when a flat character becomes a 3D image, they look different. Unless they have an extremely unique design, they can be hard to recognize.
Fortunately, the system provided a character panel.
[Name: Kunou]
Description: A direct descendant of the Golden-Haired Nine-Tailed Fox (Yasaka).
Note: She was created through Yasaka's essence and blood, not through conventional reproduction.
Seeing the name, Rhode realized why he hadn't remembered her. Kunou was a character the protagonists would meet later in the story. She shared the "flat-chest" attribute with Koneko—which explained his lack of a strong impression. His memory usually favored more... "mountainous" characters.
Speaking of which, he had a much stronger impression of her mother, Yasaka. Fuji Mountain was indeed grand and generous.
Too bad no quest triggered, Rhode thought. Is this little fox just out for a stroll?
The conversation between Kunou and Asia confirmed it.
"I am Kunou, the protector of Kyoto!"
"Princess!" Two figures wearing masks and kimonos appeared behind her. They radiated a faint yokai aura—similar to the ones Rhode had killed, but different. The Kyoto yokai weren't a monolith; Kunou and her mother represented the moderate faction.
Seeing their princess announce her identity so openly, the two guards looked panicked and called out to her.
"A yokai?" Asia looked surprised. She knew nothing of Eastern culture or what the word "yokai" even meant."Princess, we cannot simply reveal our identities to these humans. If we do, we will be in violation of the rules established with the Five Great Clans!" the guards said anxiously.
"What rules?!" Kunou pouted, her lips turned out in a huff. "Those hateful exorcists love to bully us every other day, but I heard that other yokai attacked them last night. They don't have time to worry about us right now!"
She paused, looking at Asia. "Besides, Asia isn't a normal human, is she? I've seen her on TV—she looks like a Holy Maiden from a very, very far-away country."
The guards were left speechless. They knew they were no match for their young mistress in a battle of wits and words, so they wisely chose the path of silence. Their priority was simply to ensure her safety.
At the same time, their eyes remained fixed on Rhode. Although he appeared to be an ordinary human on the surface, the occasional glances he threw their way sent chills down their spines. If this man showed any signs of abnormal behavior, they were prepared to whisk the Princess away immediately.
Fortunately, the rest of the outing went smoothly. The young mistress and the foreign girl chatted happily, and the air was filled with their frequent laughter.
Meanwhile, Rhode was reflecting on the information he had gleaned from Kunou. It was clear that the deaths of Inugami Gyobu and Onra had caused a significant ripple effect in the Kyoto yokai world. It was because of the ensuing chaos that Kunou had the chance to sneak out and play in the human world. After all, the Five Great Clans currently lacked the energy to police the local yokai.
Happy times are always fleeting. By the time they parted, Kunou and Asia had become fast friends, promising to play together again next time. To Rhode's disappointment, he never received an invitation from Kunou, meaning a meeting with the Great Nine-Tails, Yasaka, was off the table for now.
However, Rhode quickly remembered that within the treasure box he had salvaged from the Okunoin, the remains of a great fox yokai were still sealed. He wondered how her true form would compare to Yasaka's.
As for the other two—Shuten-doji and Otakemaru—one could tell just by their names that they weren't exactly "good guys." He would have to find a way to deal with them eventually.
Aside from that, there was the Longinus that had dropped from Augusta. To boost his combat effectiveness, Rhode felt it was necessary to refine and fuse that item into his own power. The only reason he hadn't done it yet was that he had absolutely no clue where to start.
Equipment dropped by "natives" was entirely different from equipment granted by the system. The latter could be used the moment it was taken out, but the former required patience, talent, and hard work.
With these lingering questions, Rhode and Asia ended their day. The next morning, a knock sounded on the hotel room door.
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High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (117 Chapters – Ongoing)
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