Chapter 249: The Filial Son Returns to His Hometown
Time kept passing by.
Before long, it was already half past eleven at night.
The air around gradually grew colder. The weather in Kyoto in November was already chilly, and the night wind blew past making people feel as if blades were cutting into their skin.
But fortunately, everyone present here was not an ordinary person.
The head of the Shinomiya family, Shinomiya Gan'an, whose health was not good, had temporarily left, going to the side hall next to the Inari shrine, where there was a place to rest.
The aura in the main hall of the Inari shrine became increasingly powerful, making everyone around feel their breathing grow difficult.
"It's almost time." Murakami Ryu muttered.
Even if he didn't say it, Sakurai Saki also understood clearly.
After an endlessly long wait, the stagnant air around suddenly began to move again, the temperature also rose quite a bit, and even though it was nighttime, the entire area no longer felt freezing.
"It's over."
Everything became peaceful.
At this moment, Murakami Aka, the dragon who had poured all his effort into this plan, moved from not far away toward the main hall. Seeing this, Sakurai Saki immediately removed his glasses—if the other party made any move beyond the limit, he would strike without hesitation.
Even though right now, standing beside Sakurai was none other than his son, Murakami Ryu, the one with whom he had once exchanged sword techniques.
"Tamaki-dono, the matter you promised, may I ask when it will be fulfilled?" Murakami Aka's voice was calm, neither humble nor arrogant.
He was the second strongest among all those present here.
Even facing Tamamo no Mae's subordinate, Ibuki Douji — who was also Ibuki Yuki — he felt no fear.
What's more, at this moment Tamamo no Mae had just seized the power of the god Inari, at her weakest state.
A few seconds later.
From within the shrine came a charming voice, carrying a trace of laziness and fatigue: "It will still take three more years as planned."
"Three years?"
"Help me for another three years, and I will go to Yomi, bring your wife, who has not yet reincarnated, back." Jinguuji Tamaki's voice carried a smile, and anyone hearing it would know her mood was good.
But in Murakami Aka's ears, it was not so at all.
Three years, then three years again. For more than ten years, he had clenched his teeth and endured, thinking this time would be the last. Yet the other party's reply made his heart sink into the abyss.
He suspected she never intended to tell the truth.
"Yomi will hold on to a soul for more than ten years?"
"The gods have left, only some little spirits remain. Naturally the efficiency will be low." Jinguuji Tamaki replied smoothly.
"Are you deceiving me?"
"Red Dragon, without you, I still have Azure Dragon, White Dragon, Vermilion Dragon, there are always replacements for you. Don't think yourself too important." Jinguuji Tamaki's voice turned cold.
At this moment, she completely forgot her adopted son was standing outside. Otherwise, at least she would have softened her tone a little.
"..."
"If you do not believe my promise, then why ask at such a crucial moment? Stepping forward here proves that you already have made your decision. No matter what I say, you will not listen." Jinguuji Tamaki said with a smile.
These words, in Murakami Aka's ears, were nothing short of provocation.
The very next second, before all eyes, Murakami Aka's body swelled within a mist. In no time, a Jiaolong with a blazing red body shot into the sky. It circled a few times, then glared fiercely at the main hall of the Inari shrine.
"Ara~ Angry now? If I said that the matter I promised about saving your wife was nothing but a lie from beginning to end, then what would you do?" Jinguuji Tamaki giggled twice, just like a little girl who had succeeded in teasing someone.
...
"…Pfft." Hearing his mother's words, Sakurai Saki couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.
She was sulking, his mother.
After living together for so many years, Sakurai Saki knew her temper all too well.
She was only upset because her subordinate had doubted her.
"How can you still laugh at a time like this?" Murakami Ryu was dumbfounded.
He had no idea what was going on, or why his father could be confronting Tamamo-no-mae.
"Be glad, at least your father hasn't struck yet. If he attacks, even if my mother doesn't act, I will." Sakurai Saki stared intently at the Jiaolong in the sky.
"..."
"The relationship between us isn't close enough for me to spare him once he attacks."
"I…"
"What? Take my advice, don't do anything stupid. Think about your girlfriend."
"…How about you just bring my father down, as long as you don't kill him."
"Ahahaha." Sakurai Saki couldn't help bursting into loud laughter.
It was truly the first time he had seen father and son so in sync like this.
His laughter echoed throughout the open courtyard, standing out sharply.
He laughed for several seconds, then raised his hand to rub his eyes.
"Alright then, I'll go along with you."
Sakurai Saki put away his smile.
Then lifted his gaze to the Jiaolong above.
'Petrifying Eyes.' He muttered in his heart, then activated his ability.
The very next moment.
"Whoosh——~"
A stream of white light engulfed the sky.
Everything within Sakurai Saki's line of sight instantly froze within that white brilliance, the sight making everyone present shiver down their spines.
The mighty Jiaolong, which just a moment ago had been rampaging across the horizon, in the blink of an eye turned into stone, plummeting straight from the air. A few unlucky bats foraging in the night also got caught, falling to the ground and shattering.
The whole space suddenly turned silent.
Silent, silent to the point of terror.
All the members of the Shinomiya family stared at the harmless-looking boy, each of them swallowing with difficulty.
'...'
Among everyone, Shinomiya Oko was the most shaken.
He knew Sakurai Saki's outward identity — a member of the Shuchiin student council. As for his secret identity, being Jinguuji Tamaki's adopted son, Hayasaka Nao had once told him. But because of that, the overwhelming disparity before his eyes horrified him to the point he nearly pissed himself!
'I must find a way to release the Hayasaka family! I can't keep monitoring Kaguya anymore.'
He didn't want to die. Facing someone like this, if he wanted to crush him, he wouldn't even need to lift a finger.
...
After a long silence.
It was Sakurai Saki's voice that broke it.
"Your father's tough, isn't he? Falling from that high up and still not smashed to pieces." Sakurai Saki said with a smile.
Murakami Ryu: "..."
Sakurai put his glasses back on. "Don't worry, he won't die. I controlled the force, only petrified the surface."
Originally, he had come here to celebrate his mother, but ended up watching a whole play instead.
Murakami Ryu said nothing, only quietly stepped a bit farther away from him.
Those eyes were far too terrifying.
Back at the Gyokuryuu-ki tournament, the reason the other party hadn't used his true power — now he understood — he had been afraid of accidentally killing him.
'So that's done, huh.' Sakurai Saki relaxed his body.
His gaze swept over the Shinomiya family members — aside from a few with obvious youkai traits, who were likely his mother's subordinates, the rest were Shinomiya family.
'That one… is Kaguya's father?'
Outwardly aged, but his spirit was still strong.
At that moment, Sakurai Saki's phone rang.
He glanced at the incoming message — [Gaen Izuko].
It was that oddity specialist.
Attached note: Be careful of an attack from the sky. The people of Heaven have arrived. They will not permit gods to appear in Japan; that is a destabilizing factor for the human world, and they will seek to eliminate it.
Sakurai Saki put his phone away.
'Heaven, looks like it's that direction?'
He removed his glasses once more, gazing toward the moon.
A few seconds later, he withdrew his sight.
'Didn't expect to run into an acquaintance, can't kill them.'
...
Heaven.
An angel in a white cloak landed, lowering the bow in her hand.
"How could he have known?" Zelel looked at her body, already half turned to stone.
And it had only been a few seconds.
Zelel White Tenma, an angel of Heaven, bearing the title "Hand of God." In addition, she had another identity — Gabriel's elder sister.
Using the power of an angel, Zelel spent half an hour dispelling the petrification, then prepared to leave and report the situation.
———
The dust settled.
Everything seemed perfect.
But apparently, not quite so.
"Uwu~ Baby, don't look at mama anymore~"
(∩>﹏<∩)
Jinguuji Tamaki covered her face with her hands, lying sprawled in the middle of the main hall.
Sakurai Saki looked at the enormous nine-tailed fox before him, his eyes full of curiosity.
This was the first time he had ever seen his mother's true form.
To be clear, Sakurai was absolutely not someone into furry — he just found this appearance far too novel.
"No wonder mom didn't go out to fight that jiaolong earlier, turns out it was because you temporarily couldn't return to human form." Sakurai Saki smiled as he spoke.
To be honest, this giant fluffy fox actually looked pretty cute.
"Uwu~" Jinguuji Tamaki covered the large ears atop her head, the whole fox flustered.
"Right now mama isn't wearing anything, you know."
Tamaki: (⸝⸝⸝>﹏<⸝⸝⸝)
Sakurai Saki: "..."
So fur doesn't count as clothing?
"Forget it, if you want to look then just look." Tamaki rolled over, revealing her fox belly, lying flat on her back.
Since she'd already been seen, so be it — embarrassed or not, it didn't matter anymore.
"Mom, just take your time to rest, I'll be going now."
Hearing that, Sakurai Saki quickly left the scene.
After he left, Jinguuji Tamaki returned to her human form, leaning against the wall, panting, her face unusually flushed.
She almost… almost couldn't hold back from laying hands on him.
The divine power actually had such a side effect, completely beyond her expectations!
Inari, are you sick or something?
Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, Sakurai Saki stepped back in through the door.
"Huh? Mom, you're already better? I was just about to ask if you wanted something to eat…"
"..."