The Return Journey

All battles had concluded, and the lake island of Ogura Pond quickly returned to silence. After Miketsu, Fujiwara no Kanehira and Totosai soon came to the surface and reunited with everyone. Fujiwara no Kanehira frowned after inspecting the traces of the battlefield.

"What? You said the Onmyoryo people will arrive soon?" Totosai asked in surprise after hearing Fujiwara no Kanehira's words.

"The clash of demonic power that erupted here just now was too immense. It's impossible for the Onmyoryo not to have noticed. Kamo no Tadayuki must have already sent people over," Fujiwara no Kanehira continued, gazing at the northern sky.

"You all must leave quickly, or it will be too late!"

"Aren't you coming with us?" Totosai asked, understanding Fujiwara no Kanehira's implication.

"Heh heh, I cannot leave. If I leave, the problems will only be greater. Such a significant incident occurred with the Vermilion Bird Seal tonight; the Onmyoryo needs an explanation, and someone must bear the corresponding responsibility for it." As he spoke, Fujiwara no Kanehira turned to look at the cave behind him.

"The restriction on the Vermilion Bird Seal was opened by this old man; this fact can be clearly investigated. Therefore, I must stay, to explain to the Onmyoryo what happened here, and to bear the responsibility..."

"Then you..." Totosai said, a little anxious at Fujiwara no Kanehira's words.

"Heh heh, don't worry, this old man will be fine. I've had two most fortunate things happen in my life, one of which is being born into a good family with a good elder brother. For their sakes, nothing major will happen to me... So, you all should leave quickly."

Fujiwara no Kanehira reassured everyone, and they ultimately heeded his advice, choosing to leave first. Only Seimei chose to stay, stating that he would be Fujiwara no Kanehira's "witness" for a while.

Thus, everyone quickly departed Ogura Pond before the Onmyoryo's Onmyoji arrived. By the lake, Miketsu parted ways with the others and set off alone on her journey back. Along the way, Tsuruha, who had been absent for some time, returned to her side, completely drenched.

"Lady Uka, are you alright... Eh... this sword is..."

"I'll tell you about this later. Tsuruha, where were you before?" Miketsu asked, both happy and puzzled, looking at her returning divine messenger.

"Just now, to evade the leopard cat yokai's and the Fallen Fox's ultimate moves, I had no choice but to jump into the water. I only just emerged from the water. I apologize, Lady Uka, it might be a bit uncomfortable to ride on me for a while." Tsuruha shook the water from her body, then said apologetically. However, Miketsu's attention was caught by a particular word in Tsuruha's recent statement.

"Fallen Fox? You mean that fierce-looking two-tailed black fox?" Miketsu asked in a confirming tone. That two-tailed fox had appeared inexplicably, suddenly becoming hostile towards their side for unknown reasons. The only one who might know its background was probably Seimei, who had suddenly appeared with it. However, Seimei hadn't revealed much about the fox demon's origin, only saying he was helping it find a name.

"Yes, I mean him. He is a fox that fell from a spirit beast to a yokai, which is why I call him the Fallen Fox." Tsuruha nodded solemnly, then continued.

"He just unleashed the Heavenly Fox Calamity Fire, which should be a technique only spirit foxes who have cultivated to a certain level can master. Judging by his physique, demonic power, and the might of his flames, he must have once been a very powerful spirit fox, far stronger than I, Tsuruha. Moreover, he clearly had strong restrictions on him, to the point that he didn't use his full power until the very end."

After hearing Tsuruha's words, Miketsu fell silent. At this moment, her mind recalled what Konkiku had told her on the day they rescued Toga in Choyo-machi.

"Tsuruha, if I'm not mistaken, the way to quickly make a spirit beast fall into a yokai is by killing humans, right?" Miketsu said gravely, her tone becoming solemn.

"Yes... If a beast wishes to cultivate spiritual power and become a spirit beast, it absolutely cannot kill humans. For us spirit beasts, killing humans accumulates defilement, and the more one kills, the more it accumulates, eventually causing us to inevitably lose our minds and gradually fall into yokai." Tsuruha's eyes held a dimness, and her tone conveyed an inexplicable meaning.

"Then... to make a spirit beast of that black fox's caliber completely fall, how many people would need to be killed?"

After hearing Miketsu's words, Tsuruha paused, thought for a moment, then said gravely.

"Well... for someone like him to completely fall, it would probably require killing three or four hundred people... perhaps even more..."

After Tsuruha finished speaking, both master and servant fell silent. After a long moment, Miketsu let out a cold laugh and spoke.

"Heh... Tsuruha, it seems the mastermind behind this incident is no stranger to Inari Mountain..."

...

As it was too late, Miketsu couldn't wait for Tsuruha to dry and rode her all the way back to Inari Mountain. After returning to the Secret Realm, she indulged in a long-awaited soak in the hot spring. After putting on a yukata, she returned to her bedroom.

Due to the lack of a sword stand, the blade Miketsu had just acquired was temporarily placed in the corner. She was now carefully placing the mask she carried with her onto a cushion, then gently stroking it.

"You worked hard today, Qin Xin. Rest well now."

Under Miketsu's caress, Qin Xin, who was originally a small mask, transformed into a Fukujin mask, indicating her improved mood.

Although Qin Xin displayed a mask of good cheer before Miketsu, Miketsu knew that her demonic power was almost depleted tonight. For Qin Xin, who had not yet taken human form, this level of demonic power release was not a good thing. Miketsu could clearly feel a decrease in her activity.

Regarding Qin Xin's current condition, Miketsu decided not to borrow her power for a considerable period in the future. After all, she was not a tool or an object, but a friend and companion who had helped her. Since she had helped Miketsu, Miketsu should also respect her.

"I truly hope to see what you look like after you take human form someday. What will it be like? You must be very beautiful," Miketsu said with a slight smile to Qin Xin, who also vibrated slightly twice, as if expressing something.

After settling Qin Xin, Miketsu didn't rush to sleep. Instead, she slowly walked out of the bedroom, gazing at the bright moon in the sky, her mind filled with swirling thoughts.

"Matara Okina... who exactly are you? Why did you help me? Heh, but no matter what, this child Qin Xin is really cute," Miketsu murmured to herself, gazing at the bright moon in the sky, then added another thought internally.

'And I seem to have some connection with this child. I really didn't expect to meet someone with the same surname as my former self in this foreign land of a different timeline...'