"I must depart," the Nine-Tailed Fox said calmly. "If thy purpose remains unchanged, and thou wishest to swim against the current of that frozen Celestial River to reach the Takamagahara that none have set foot in for centuries... then thou shalt find use for this."
The giant jade fox, shrouded in mystery, raised her head and let out a clear, resonant cry. At her call, the horde of youkai she had recruited in the distance howled in response. They stirred, crawling and shifting, finally converging into a massive throng that marched toward her.
Sū ěr glanced at Think, who held the Yasakani no Magatama in both hands, her eyes closed and her expression uncharacteristically solemn. He then turned his gaze back to the jade fox, whose intent to leave was manifest.
"Why?" he couldn't help but ask.
"I do but that which I must; such is my destiny." Turning her head slightly to look at Sū ěr, the beautiful great fox seemed to be smiling. Though her sharp teeth were visible, the expression was remarkably gentle. "Fret not for me, nor offer thy hand in aid... If thou hast the heart for it, to watch quietly from afar... that shall suffice."
As if sensing the intervention Sū ěr might consider, the Nine-Tails offered a tranquil warning.
With that, she turned and marched East without another look. Her nine tails brushed against the early spring wind, her silhouette appearing incredibly dashing and free. The demons following her gradually matched her pace. As they passed Sū ěr and Think, they cast glances of curiosity or provocation, but not a single sound was uttered, nor did a single youkai break stride. The seeping youkai energy, like drifting mist, intertwined with the golden radiance of the fox, shimmering so brightly that the two became indistinguishable.
They were no longer individual demons, but a connected whole—like a mantle of gossamer draped behind the jade fox at the vanguard. No words were needed; the mere sight of them evoked the same thought in one's heart: Ah, so this is a Lord of Youkai.
Sensing something, Sū ěr pulled back his gaze and looked at Think beside him. The Dhampir [Elf] had reopened her eyes and held out her hand. Hanging from her translucent fingers was the string of magatama the Nine-Tails had just bestowed. However, unlike moments ago, the gems had turned a color darker than the deepest night.
They were a hollow black, as if they were incessantly swallowing the surrounding light without reflecting a single ray.
Sū ěr felt no sense of warning. He only felt that the pitch-black color, intertwined with the jade fox-hair that still emitted a faint white glow, looked strangely... absurd.
Had the magatama always been this color?
Negation.
Had they turned this color because they fell into their hands?
Negation.
Had they been like this for a long time... or did they change the moment the Nine-Tails chose to give them away?
Unknown.
Yet, Sū ěr undeniably held a vague answer in his heart.
If one were to stand high in the sky and look down, they would find that both the Nine-Tailed Fox and the Izumo army were moving in directions that, while never coordinated, were in perfect, unspoken alignment. They only needed time to pass before they would meet across the shortest possible distance.
Just as they were now.
The snow that had accumulated all winter was melting. Gurgling meltwater flowed from the mountain peaks, gathering, bursting, and surging, roaring like a flash flood toward the foothills. Yet, invisibly, their spirit was being drained. They grew weak, slow, and finally... dry.
The withered leaves that had fallen last autumn were barely soaked by the meltwater before the moisture was steamed away. They turned brittle, and the air became incredibly dry. When the latent sparks were suppressed to their limit, they erupted into flames, transforming into a fire dragon. The dragon coiled and danced, charging straight toward the massive encampment.
"Gwahahahaha!"
Hair curled and emitted a foul stench, and skin felt as though it were about to crack. Just as the mortals of Izumo huddled into terrified heaps to protect themselves from the oncoming inferno, a boisterous laugh—loud enough to shake the rocks from the cliffs—erupted from the Izumo ranks. A figure leaped out and struck with a fist.
No, that was undeniably no human.
His originally small frame grew with the laughter. Soon, a towering giant, tall enough to reach the midpoint of the nearby mountainside, stood before the Izumo army. He wore a luxurious robe of silk. His distinct appearance and clothing immediately identified him to Sū ěr and Think, who stood on a distant peak—this was the god they had seen accompanied by Yukari Yakumo.
The massive fire dragon appeared like a tiny snake before him. He caught it by the neck with casual ease, then clapped his hands as if brushing off dust, causing the inferno to vanish without a trace.
"Nine-Tails..." the burly god called out in a heavy, booming voice toward the Youkai Lord approaching with elegant strides from the front.
He knew that for the fox ahead, that previous attack... could barely be called an attack. It was merely a casual greeting, like a toy made of air, a yawn manifested through the natural elements.
The youkai were restless, howling and baring their teeth. Whether they belonged to Izumo or the Nine-Tails, beneath the clear daylight and within the mist of youkai energy, they brandished claws and fangs, showing their most threatening sides to their enemies.
"Takeminakata..." The Nine-Tailed Fox murmured the name of the god who had jumped to the front, her voice betraying neither joy nor sorrow.
"Submit, Nine-Tails!" the god known as Takeminakata shouted impatiently, his lips curling into a grin. "Let Amaterasu stay in her Takamagahara. This Ashihara no Nakatsukuni belongs to us, the Izumo!"
These were undeniably provocative words, evidenced by the angry curses from the youkai behind the Nine-Tails.
"...Just like your dead brother?" Unexpectedly, it was the first time Sū ěr heard the great fox speak with such a playful, mocking expression.
As she finished the sentence, the beautiful fox seemed to lose interest in further pleasantries. She arched her back, and points of light leaped from the void, converging on her like falling stars. Every living thing in the vicinity trembled instinctively. They were afraid; they knew that infinite power was being condensed.
"I am—Tamamo-no-Mae!!!"
The sun erupted.