Felix shamelessly accepted the praise, knowing that being stubborn at this time would be suicidal!
Ibuki was clearly stunned, then smiled very brightly.
"Oh my, I'm rarely praised like this. Most people's first impression of me is either challenge, fear, or even hatred."
After many similar incidents, Ibuki liked to walk while releasing her aura so that no one would bother her.
As before, many people treated her like a pure demon and frantically tried to challenge her.
Unfortunately, she wasn't a man-eater; she only liked wine and good food.
Ibuki-dōji glanced meaningfully at Minamoto no Yorimitsu, but the complex look in her eyes did not anger her. Instead, she walked towards Felix.
"A human being like you is just wonderful! Unique and polite, and so cute. Ah, I'm inexplicably starting to like you."
"Wait a minute!"
At this moment, Felix suddenly realized something serious.
Ibuki had a good personality, but her morals plummeted after drinking, and she tended to act on instinct.
In short, it meant she acted crazy while drunk.
For example, in the Valentine's Day storyline, if it were a normal plot, Ibuki's "big car" would have already run over everything, completely disregarding your opinions.
Furthermore, Ibuki also said that she especially liked children like Erice, who, like babies, evoked a sense of nostalgia.
It might be related to Izanami, but more so because Erice was indeed quite cute.
Then, there was a question—
Felix had been in contact with Izanami!
In Ibuki's eyes, was he just a carbon copy of Erice?
As expected, Ibuki-dōji didn't hear Felix's words at all and picked him up without hesitation, rubbing her face against his cute one.
"Polite, cute, oh my, I can't resist anymore."
Wait, Ibuki-dōji, what are you doing?!
Felix was only a few years old!
Tamamo-no-Mae's pupils contracted slightly. If she hadn't been so cautious and Ibuki wasn't hostile, she would have run away long ago.
"Let him go!"
"Huh?"
Despite being in a good mood, Ibuki-dōji did not make a move. The moment her blood-red pupils looked at the purple-haired girl, Minamoto no Yorimitsu's body stiffened, and she dared not make any further movement.
Clearly, the vast difference in strength between the two sides caused Minamoto no Yorimitsu to subconsciously fear her.
"Sister, don't be afraid, Ibuki-dōji is a very nice person."
Now that things had come to this, what else could Felix say but try his best to persuade Minamoto no Yorimitsu not to cause trouble?
It wasn't shameful to be hugged and petted by a strong older sister.
It could also establish a friendly image, making it easier to borrow the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi from her later.
"Hmm~ You still don't harbor any hatred towards me? You're really interesting."
Actually, Ibuki wasn't drunk.
She regained consciousness the moment she saw Felix and Tamamo-no-Mae.
Unexpectedly, the two were so calm and didn't even think about fighting.
So she just kept pretending.
"Because I know you, on Shuten-dōji's side, are also the child of the dragon god and have inherited the flood deity nature of Yamata no Orochi."
"You're more like a god than a demon."
"Oh, right, you also like to drink, even though it causes some trouble afterwards, you'll laugh and say it's all the alcohol's fault, shifting the blame to it."
"What?"
Ibuki-dōji was stunned; the boy in her arms was someone she was meeting for the first time.
How did he know so much about her?
"By the way, if I remember correctly, you have the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi from the tail of the Yamata no Orochi."
Felix, who almost immediately revealed the information about Ibuki-dōji, made the older sister even more sober. She looked down at the boy, whose face was full of smiles and who was not frightened by her.
"Hiss... It seems I underestimated you."
Ibuki-dōji gently put Felix down, clearly acknowledging his presence.
"So..."
Before Felix could say anything, Ibuki, under Minamoto no Yorimitsu's angry gaze, forcibly picked him up, rubbed his face hard, and then rubbed him against her chest.
"I admit, you are indeed very different, which is why you are able to attract countless people, but I'm not happy with how you seem to control everything."
In other words, she was too much of a little devil.
Did he really think that controlling intelligence would make everyone fear him?
Ibuki-dōji never thought that way. Instead, she would boldly knead Felix's hand, only reluctantly letting go when Felix felt resentful.
"Sorry, the alcohol was too strong~"
---
You did it on purpose!
Felix rubbed his face; the liquid, whether it was rain or something else, made him very uncomfortable. Even though it had a fragrance, he still stared at Ibuki-dōji with a resentful look.
"I'm so sorry, I was really drunk. I'll make it up to you next time~"
You enjoy exposing other people's secrets, don't you?
Then be absolutely real.
That's the kind of person Ibuki was. When she looked at the cute boy, her face was full of smiles and joy as she happily headed toward Mount Ibuki.
Before leaving, she deliberately paused for a moment.
Instead of looking at Tamamo-no-Mae, she looked at Minamoto no Yorimitsu, who was filled with resentment, and teased him.
"How terrifying! If you feel pain, then try harder and challenge me again!"
Now, she was going back to brew her own fine wine.
As a treat, she would give it to Felix as compensation.
The two humans and the fox silently watched Ibuki-dōji walk away, exchanged glances, and remained silent.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! Once I get stronger, I'll make her pay!"
The current Minamoto no Yorimitsu was just like an incompetent husband, only able to vent her anger afterward, letting Ibuki-dōji knead and manipulate her Kagerin.
Her intense anger made her determined to train herself even more ruthlessly.
As for competing with the little fox for Felix's love, she ignored it completely; her primary task was to focus on only one thing!
Tatakae, get stronger!
Felix didn't know whether Minamoto no Yorimitsu's change was good or bad and looked at the fox on his shoulder.
However, all he received was a pleased look.
The best thing about her was that this little girl didn't bother her.
Moreover, did she really think she could defeat Ibuki-dōji just by working hard?
That was far too naive.
Tamamo-no-Mae didn't think highly of Minamoto no Yorimitsu; she only cared about spending time alone with Felix so she could recover faster.
Having suffered her first setback, Minamoto no Yorimitsu began to work hard to improve herself.
She tried even harder than before, and that feeling of helplessness deeply pained this strong-willed girl.
Ibuki-dōji was so powerful that she could do whatever she wanted without needing to consult anyone's opinion.
Even her father, Minamoto no Mitsunaka, the shogun who guarded Heian-kyō, dared not challenge Ibuki-dōji.
This led Minamoto no Yorimitsu to a complete awakening.
You know, her situation was very bad right now. If you tried to stop her, all you'd get was one sentence.
[I am your older sister, and also the daughter of Minamoto no Mitsunaka. I have inherited the power of the Ox-Headed Heavenly King. I no longer want to hide behind my younger brother and live a life of ignominy[1].]
You understood her choice, and all you could do was respect it.
From that day on, Minamoto no Yorimitsu was no longer the girl who needed stories to fall asleep.
She stepped out of the comfort zone you gave her and struggled to grow on her own.
[At night, it's just you and Tamamo-no-Mae.]
You felt a little unwell, but you were able to adjust well.
[With a adorable fox around, I can't really say I'm lonely.]
Unlike Minamoto no Yorimitsu, she had little interest in stories and preferred food instead.
Perhaps having lost most of her power, Tamamo-no-Mae was no longer so arrogant and had even started playing with you, making delicious food together.
Days passed one by one.
[For three whole years, Ibuki-dōji still hasn't come looking for you. She probably got drunk and took a nap.]
Although your training intensity wasn't as terrifying as Minamoto no Yorimitsu's, it was just as arduous. You frequently accepted her challenges, and your strength had already reached the pinnacle of Heian-kyō. There were very few beings who could compare to you.
The biggest change was in Minamoto no Yorimitsu; the giant spider of Kyoto and the demon of Sensō-ji Temple were all defeated by her alone.
Even so, Minamoto no Yorimitsu still felt her power was very weak, and she would continue to grow stronger until the day she could defeat Ibuki-dōji.
You stayed by her side through those crazy days, without a single complaint.
[The most Zen-like of them all was Tamamo-no-Mae.]
[They were either sunbathing or sleeping on you, as if they were practicing some kind of spiritual cultivation.]
Whenever you asked, she'd show her belly to brush it off.
Under the moonlight, the girl in the purple kimono was still training. She had never forgotten the humiliation that Ibuki-dōji had brought her, so she was desperately pushing herself to the limit.
"Cough, if you keep doing this, your body will break down sooner or later."
Felix couldn't stop Minamoto no Yorimitsu at all; her conviction was too strong to be resolved with just a few words.
"Her long-suppressed demonic nature, in turn, triumphed over her ideals and emotions, but the impact was not significant."
Because Minamoto no Yorimitsu would no longer be unable to control her power and wreak havoc as she did when she was a child.
From a certain perspective, Minamoto no Yorimitsu was very clear-headed; she always understood what she was doing, which is why she was not consumed by the demonic nature.
Instead, she was exploiting this powerful yet evil force.
"If you say that, Umeko, won't there be any danger?" Felix asked with concern.
"Don't worry, it's just a child's competitive spirit. She'll understand when she grows up."
Tamamo-no-Mae replied nonchalantly.
"Fine, judging from Ibuki's attitude anyway, I might as well let her hug me again!"
Upon hearing this, Tamamo-no-Mae rolled her eyes at Felix, who had a resolute expression on his face.
It was clearly about selling one's body, but in his mouth, it had become a huge sacrifice.
"I'm serious, Umeko."
"Pfft."
That's funny.
Tamamo-no-Mae laughed and rolled over, clutching her chest and making a clear, soft moan, as if to say, "You seem to have a bit of a sense of humor."
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[1] disgrace