"Stupid Natsume! What's so wrong with eating a little something? How dare he tell me to get out! Who wants to stay in that crummy house anyway? Fine, I'm leaving!"
After a heated argument with Natsume, Nyanko-sensei had stormed out of the house in a fit of rage.
After extorting a heap of sake from the forest spirits, the drunken cat began searching for its next target.
"I know, I'll head over to that godling kid's place. I won't let him off the hook so easily for waking me up last time. That guy must have plenty of good stuff tucked away."
Just thinking about it made Nyanko-sensei drool. It immediately transformed into its majestic white fox form and took to the skies.
"I can live a perfectly lush life without Natsume. The Book of Friends? Like I care about that scrap of paper!"
Orienting itself, Nyanko-sensei flew through the clouds and soon reached the shrine. The crude barrier couldn't block its vision; instead, it acted as a beacon.
"There it is!" With a drunken hiccup, it dove straight toward the mountain peak.
As it drew closer, it noticed three humans on the summit, along with an evil spirit that radiated an aura it found utterly loathsome.
"Hmph." Nyanko-sensei snorted in annoyance. Upon landing, it crushed the evil spirit beneath its paw. At the same time, it made no effort to hide its aura, reveling in the terrified expressions of the three humans.
"Eh?"
Nyanko-sensei looked down. The evil spirit had been trampled, but it wasn't quite dead yet. Its mangled upper half was still trying to crawl toward Kai and Kotoha.
"Even you dare to mock me? If I don't kill you, where's my dignity?" Nyanko-sensei bared its fangs viciously. It raised its right paw, claws extended, preparing to rip the spirit apart.
Mistaking the great monster's movement for an attack against them, Kai and Kotoha immediately unleashed their own techniques.
"O contractor wandering the spirit realm, descend to my side as promised! Shikigami, Advent!" Kai rapidly threw three paper dolls while her hands wove a series of complex seals.
The three paper dolls hovered in the air before abruptly bursting into flames, transforming into three horned serpents that lunged to entwine the white fox.
Kotoha's method was far simpler. She pulled out a stack of talismans and threw them all at the fox. "Sealing Charms! Seal, seal, seal!"
Just as Nyanko-sensei obliterated the evil spirit, their attacks struck home.
"Humans, do you have a death wish?" Stung by the sudden assault, the furious Nyanko-sensei flexed its muscles, shaking off the three horned serpents and the pile of charms before crushing them underfoot.
"Oh boy, this misunderstanding is massive." Rom, who had realized the truth, quietly backed away a few steps. He had no intention of being dragged into this. However, seeing such a high-level battle was a rare treat, and his eyes lit up with excitement. These two girls were too impulsive; it'll do them some good to learn a lesson.
As for whether they would actually get hurt, Rom felt there was nothing he could do to help.
"What? It did absolutely nothing?" The two girls were shocked.
Seeing the white fox's counterattack incoming, they gritted their teeth and pulled out their trump cards, items they had brought just in case after hearing Mu's warning yesterday.
Kai produced a red paper doll. With a solemn expression, she bit her finger and smeared blood onto it, pushing it forward with both palms. "Noble contractor, answer my call and reveal your magnificent form! Shikigami, Advent!"
The red paper doll exploded in a burst of flames, and a two-headed rattlesnake roughly the size of the white fox emerged, instantly locking in combat with the beast.
Kotoha, meanwhile, took out an ancient-looking amulet and held it before her, pouring her spiritual power into it. "Divine Spirit, I beseech your protection!"
The amulet glowed brightly and hovered in the air, projecting a teal shield that encased them, blocking the shockwaves from the battle between the rattlesnake and the fox.
The two-headed rattlesnake coiled around the white fox, its massive maws snapping at the fox's body.
The white fox let out a yelp of pain, its rage reaching a boiling point. "Foolish humans! You will die for this!"
The bloodlust it had long suppressed was completely triggered by the scent of blood. It threw its head back and howled. Its body began to swell even further; its pupils turned a deep crimson, and its long fangs and claws glinted with a cold, murderous light. It no longer looked like a noble creature.
This was its true form as a high-ranking yokai, a form it hadn't used in years. Stimulated by alcohol and its resentment toward Natsume, it finally unleashed its full power.
The white fox surged with strength, pinning the rattlesnake to the ground and shredding one of its heads with its claws while tearing the other to pieces with its fangs.
With a pop, the rattlesnake reverted into a red paper doll before disintegrating into dust.
"Ah! My father's contract doll!" Kai cried out, watching the scene in disbelief.
After defeating the snake, the white fox wasn't satisfied. It raised a massive paw and slammed it down onto the teal "turtle shell" below.
BOOM!
The two girls paled as cracks spread across the shield. The impact was so great that the ground beneath them sank an inch, sending debris flying.
BOOM!
With a second strike, the shield shattered completely. The amulet followed suit, crumbling into a pile of fine powder.
"No! The amulet Kami-sama gave me!" Kotoha looked pained at the loss of the treasure.
Seeing the fox's final blow descending, the two girls closed their eyes and clung to each other, accepting their fate.
Rom was breaking out in a cold sweat. He gripped several stones in his hand, but his arm trembled so much he couldn't throw them. He knew none of his tricks could stop a rampaging Daiyokai.
Now, only the deity of this place can save them.
As if in answer to his thought, just as the fox's claws were about to crush them into a pulp, a beam of light shot from the horizon, interposing itself just in time.
CRASH!
The shockwave from the collision rippled outward, kicking up a cloud of dust. Although they weren't hit, the terrified girls couldn't keep their footing and fell to the ground.
They opened their eyes and looked up to see a young man standing before them, wearing a fox mask and radiating a brilliant white light.
The same realization dawned on Rom and the girls: This is the deity of this shrine.
Aomori hadn't just "happened" to show up; he had been nearby for a while. He had even ordered Absol and Pidgeot not to interfere so he could watch the show before stepping in at the last second.
Who knew Nyanko-sensei had such a wild side? I guess if you don't show your strength, people really do take you for a fat pig.
Seeing its attack blocked, the white fox didn't relent. It lunged at Aomori, baring its fangs.
"Calm down already." Aomori landed a solid punch right on the bridge of its nose, knocking it flat on its back.
Despite the heavy blow, the crimson light in the fox's eyes didn't fade, and it tried to stand again.
So, it got another punch.
"Calm yet? No? Still no?"
After a dozen consecutive punches, the white fox finally regained its senses. It threw its paws up in surrender. "Stop! Stop hitting me! I'm calm! I'm totally calm!"
To avoid more pain, Nyanko-sensei immediately transformed back into the plump calico maneki-neko. However, its face was covered in bruises, making it look quite ridiculous.
"Curse you... that was way too hard."
Seeing the deity beat the ferocious monster into submission with just a few punches, Kai and Kotoha felt an overwhelming surge of admiration. They immediately knelt before Aomori.
"Thank you, Kami-sama, for saving our lives!"
"Stand up," Aomori said with a wave of his hand. "Why were you fighting? As far as I can see, you shouldn't have had any reason to cross paths before this."
"Who knows? They just started attacking me out of nowhere!" Nyanko-sensei said, nursing its nose. "I was acting in self-defense!"
"What?!" Kai couldn't believe this shifty cat was flipping the script. She quickly countered, "You were the one who moved against us first!"
"Nonsense! Keep lying and I'll bite you to death!"
Normally, such a threat from a fat cat wouldn't be scary, but Kai had nearly died at its paws. She didn't dare treat it like a normal house cat. She shrank back and muttered, "I'm not lying..."
"I believe there has been a misunderstanding," Kotoha said with high emotional intelligence. She noticed the deity and the monster seemed to already know each other. It was clear that even if it was the monster's fault, the matter would likely be dropped. There was no point in forcing the deity to choose sides.
"It truly was a misunderstanding," Rom added, stepping forward after watching from the sidelines. He explained the entire sequence of events. "So it was all a coincidence. Neither side was truly at fault."
"Ah... really?!" Thinking of her ruined treasures, Kai wanted to cry. She turned on Rom. "If you knew, why didn't you say something earlier? We could have avoided all of this!"
"You were moving too fast, and my words don't carry much weight. You might not have believed me," Rom said with a wry smile.
"Hmph. You won't know unless you try!"
"Fine. Since it was a misunderstanding, let the matter end here," Aomori said.
"Wait, I'm not okay with this!" Nyanko-sensei cried out. "I saved them from that evil spirit. It's only fair I get a reward!"
Aomori hadn't expected that particular angle. Before he could speak, Kotoha replied, "That's reasonable. What kind of reward does the Daiyokai-dono require?"
Her generosity made Nyanko-sensei nod in approval. "You've got a bright future, kid. Hmm... what should I ask for? Let me think..."
"I've got it! I want lots and lots of sake, plenty of dried squid, and a mountain of meatballs!"
"Deal. No problem at all," Kotoha agreed instantly. Trading some cheap food for the goodwill of a Daiyokai was a steal.
Kai realized the logic too and added, "I'll buy some for you as well!"
"Good, good! Hehe!" Nyanko-sensei beamed, the pain from the punches already forgotten.
Seeing they had reached an agreement, Aomori cleared his throat. "Your business is settled, but we still have a debt to settle between us." He pointed at the cratered ground and the partially collapsed shrine. "Shouldn't you help me restore this place to its original state?"
"Eh?!"
"Uh... I don't have any money," Nyanko-sensei said, immediately opting to play dead.
"I... I don't have much money either." Kai looked at the damage. This was a massive project; her salary wouldn't cover even a fraction of it. Is this the 'spending money to ward off calamity' Mu talked about? She wasn't kidding!
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Kotoha, the rich girl with her own shrine, waved her hand magnanimously. She basked in the admiring gazes of Kai and Nyanko-sensei.
"Kotoha, I love you!"
"Don't hug me! And hey, watch where you're putting your hands!"
Aomori smiled at the blushing girls. "Then I'll leave it in your hands."
"Rest assured, Kami-sama. I'll make sure it looks better than ever."
Aomori wasn't short on money, of course, but that wasn't his goal. He checked the system: his bonded count had indeed increased by two. Even without a formal wish, a mutual agreement counted as an "en."
However, out of professional habit, Aomori asked, "Do either of you wish to make a request of me? It will require a price, an equivalent exchange."
"No, that won't be necessary," Kotoha refused first. Her family already worshipped a deity; why seek out another?
Kai shook her head as well. In the Onmyo Agency, she had seen too many cautionary tales and had a natural distrust of "gifts from heaven." Even if this deity seemed to be Lawful Good, who knew if that would change? Besides, a god was just a being stronger than her. She preferred to rely on her own strength.
It seems those experienced in the supernatural are quite wary of gods. I should focus my missionary efforts on ordinary people in the future, Aomori noted.
"Oh no! We've been out far too long. We have to get back!" Kai said suddenly, looking panicked.
"Yes, we shouldn't make our companions worry." Kotoha turned to Aomori and Nyanko-sensei. "Our apologies, but we have other business. Please allow us to take our leave. We will visit again when we can. And we haven't forgotten our promise."
"Yeah, me too!"
"Just don't forget my food," Nyanko-sensei muttered.
"I'll lift the barrier when you arrange for the workers to come," Aomori said.
"Understood. Until next time." After a respectful bow, Kotoha and Kai hurried down the mountain.
Once they left the barrier, their phones regained a signal. Seeing 18 unread messages, Kai stuck out her tongue and immediately called Makoto.
"Hello, Makoto?"
"We're fine, we just walked too far and lost track of the way back."
"Sorry, ehehe."
"Yeah, I know you're the best, Makoto!"
With a bit of cutesy acting, Kai successfully smoothed things over. They used the excuse to end the club activity then and there. After today's emotional roller coaster, they just wanted to go home to a safe, familiar environment.
A few minutes later, a worried Makoto and a calm Mu found them, and the four reunited. Under their strong insistence, Makoto was forced to call it a day.
"Sigh... and I didn't even get to see a god."
…
Back at the shrine, only Aomori, Nyanko-sensei, and Rom remained. Ignoring the cat grooming itself, Aomori turned to Rom. "You're still here. Do you have something to discuss with me?"
"Yes." Rom nodded. "I think I know the answer, but I have to ask. You aren't 'him' from 20 years ago, are you?"
"I am not." Aomori vaguely recalled Rom was a character from Mieruko's world. He briefly explained the fates of Oka Towako and Mitsue Takeda.
"I see." Rom smiled. "Thank you for your mercy, Kami-sama. If there is anything you need, please feel free to command me. Consider it my meager way of showing gratitude."
"Perfect. I actually have something you can help with."
"Eh?"
————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]