The long night still shrouded the sky of Heian-kyo. Rolling clouds in the sky obscured the myriad stars and the bright moon, leaving the land dim tonight.
To the south of Heian-kyo, Choyo-machi, where many yokai gathered, was still brightly lit and bustling as usual.
In the central area of Choyo-machi, there was a towering archway gate. Behind it were several tall buildings linked by suspended bridges, adorned with countless lanterns. Numerous yokai women of various races, dressed in beautiful and luxurious attire, stood behind the railings of the tall buildings, fanning themselves and whispering. Countless yokai of all kinds came and went, with laughter and joy echoing endlessly.
In a window-side room of one of these tall buildings, the leopard cat yokai general Torin sat. By his window, a pitch-black crow was perched.
"So, you want us to be your pawns? To be at your beck and call?" Torin said, drinking the sake on the small table in front of him, without glancing at the crow.
"Hehe, I think you've misunderstood me, Lord Torin. You are not pawns, but collaborators. We both have common interests in this matter; we simply take what we need." The crow spoke, its voice that of a young man.
"Collaborators? Hmph, don't be so hypocritical. You're just afraid of getting into trouble and dirtying your hands, so you thought of pushing us to the forefront. Lord Oyakata was right; among human onmyoji, there are schemers more insidious than yokai." As he spoke, Torin drained the sake in his cup.
"Don't overthink it, Lord Torin," the crow continued, observing Torin's reaction. "This is the best opportunity to eliminate the thorn in Lord Oyakata's side. If you miss it, there might not be another."
"According to the information we've obtained, the leader of the dog yokai is secretly plotting to forge an unparalleled powerful weapon. Once successful, their strength will greatly increase, and they will cause you more trouble in the future."
"I have already revealed the specific time and place to you. Whether or not to take action is ultimately your decision. Of course, I believe Lord Torin would not miss this excellent opportunity. We will not stand by completely; we will provide some assistance when necessary."
"Well, everything that needed to be said has been said. Now, please allow me to take my leave."
The crow finished speaking, then spread its wings and flew into the vast night, leaving Torin to refill his empty cup.
Just then, another voice suddenly sounded in the room.
"Hehe, it seems we've arrived at just the right time. We caught that fellow's tail as soon as we got here." From the shadows of the room, a female figure slowly emerged.
She had somewhat messy chestnut short hair, cat-like whiskers on her face, slightly dark skin, and wore attire similar to Torin's, but predominantly red and lighter with fewer armors. A slender cat tail wagged constantly behind her.
"How many subordinates did you bring this time, Kaen...?" Torin asked unhurriedly, looking at the woman who stood before him.
"At least six or seven times more than you brought, right? What, do you plan to use cannon fodder to wear down that dog before personally intervening this time?"
"No, I just don't want him to escape again. I've had enough of this chase game." As Torin spoke, killing intent spread through his eyes.
"Now, let's end everything together."
...
On the other side of the night sky, within the Secret Realm of Inari Shrine on Inari Mountain, Miketsu, who should have been asleep by now, sat by the window, silently watching the starlight faintly visible through the clouds.
At this moment, her heart was filled with a torrent of thoughts.
Toga's voice from earlier in the day echoed and resurfaced in Miketsu's mind.
...
"Your Excellency, as you must have seen, our plan is currently facing immense unforeseen changes. Although I don't know what the leak of the plan will ultimately lead to, what is certain is that the night after tomorrow will definitely not be peaceful."
"What strength of enemies we will face then, and whether our strength will be sufficient to handle them, all these things are unknown. All I can do now is to strengthen our forces as much as possible to prevent any possible accidents."
"Your Excellency, your power is immense and unfathomable. Although this matter originally had nothing to do with you, you have repeatedly assisted me, helping me all the way to this point, which can be said to be the utmost benevolence and righteousness. I am ashamed that I have no way to repay your deeds, but now, I can only shamelessly ask for your help once again!"
"This matter concerns not only me and the Dog Clan, but also the myriad beings of Harima. The blade that is about to be forged is crucial for us to resist Oyakata, and crucial for saving all of Harima. Its forging must not have any mishaps! If we fail here, then who knows how many more beings will suffer Oyakata's cruelty, their souls and flesh becoming his sustenance."
"Perhaps I do not have the qualification, but I still wish to plead in the name of the countless beings of Harima, to beg you to join us and collectively face this unavoidable crisis..."
...
As Miketsu was still deep in thought, the divine messenger Tsuruha quietly approached her at some unknown point and asked warmly,
"Lady Uka, it's getting late. Please rest soon."
"Hmph... I know, Tsuruha. I'll go to sleep in a bit." Miketsu replied to Tsuruha with a long sigh.
"Lady Uka, you seem to have something on your mind?" Tsuruha asked directly, noticing Miketsu's state.
"Yes, a little. It's about Toga's request to me earlier today. Heh... I really don't know why I agreed without even thinking. Tsuruha, do you think I'm looking for trouble?" Miketsu confided her worries to her divine messenger.
Honestly, Miketsu always thought of herself as someone who feared danger and trouble. She shouldn't get involved in such a dangerous, troublesome mess that had no direct relation to her. No one knew what kind of enemies they would encounter then, or if she could handle them. More importantly, what did the beings of Harima have to do with her?
Though she thought this way, as soon as Miketsu heard Toga's words, she almost instinctively made the decision. This was completely unexpected by Miketsu; she hadn't realized she would care so much about the lives of people she had never met.
Regarding the situation in Harima, Miketsu did not doubt Toga's statements, as Yura, also from Harima, corroborated them. While she didn't doubt it, Miketsu had only heard about these matters; she hadn't seen them herself and couldn't empathize. Miketsu didn't know why Toga's words had moved her.
Listening to Miketsu's worries, the divine messenger Tsuruha smiled gently and slowly said,
"You don't need to worry about such things. In Tsuruha's opinion, Lady Uka's choice today is absolutely correct. This is the choice you, as an Inari deity, should make. If the former Lady Uka were to choose, she would have chosen the same as you."
Tsuruha's gaze was gentle, as if she was looking at the former Inari deity. She always believed that although the current Lady Uka's personality differed greatly from her predecessor's, their profound essence was the same.
"An Inari deity... should make this choice?" Miketsu repeated Tsuruha's words in astonishment.
"Lady Uka, do you know? The divine virtue of an Inari deity... that is, your true divine virtue, is to..."
"Cherish the lives of all beings."
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