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At the very moment Yuki Suou was turned into a "retainer," far away in the deep mountains beyond the city—
The thick forest canopy tangled so densely that sunlight could barely break through. Past an old, long-neglected torii gate, the once silent Sanhugu Shrine suddenly began to tremble.
A suffocating aura erupted outward, scattering a flock of startled birds.
In front of the half-decayed shrine, the two fox maidens who had appeared at Yuki's side before revealed themselves once again.
"That human broke the contract!"
"He made a pact with another behind our backs—unforgivable!"
Their voices twisted with rage, once-beautiful features distorting into something feral.
And then—
With the wet sound of flesh writhing, a colossal figure rose behind them. Its shape was that of a fox, but its body towered more than ten times the size of any beast. Blood-red lines covered its fur, and its half-open jaws revealed rows of razor fangs. A faint golden radiance enveloped it, lending the monster an unsettling air of sanctity.
The fox maidens instantly dropped into reverent bows. The god spoke in a tongue no human could understand. After listening with heads bowed, the two kimono-clad girls floated away toward the distant city center.
They soon arrived at a lavish mansion—
The Suou family estate.
Inside, patriarch Suou Yanqing was, as usual, working in his private study while his butler-secretary reported on the clan's businesses.
Then, the faint sound of bells rang. Two fox maidens stepped straight through the concrete wall.
They scanned the room. The moment their eyes fell on the butler—the man who had originally sealed their contract—their aura flared like fire.
A furred, clawed hand shot out and gripped the butler's throat.
Crack!
His face flushed red as he kicked helplessly in the air.
"You dared to toy with us?!"
"You swapped out the offering to our god?!"
The sudden intrusion left Yanqing frozen. This was his first time facing creatures like this, but not his first brush with the supernatural.
Though his heart raced, he forced his voice to steady."Honored ones, surely there's been some mistake. When would I ever dare deceive a god?"
The fox maidens' fury only grew.
"The pact was sealed. In just a few days our god was to claim the girl as the sacrifice. And yet you insult us like this—unforgivable!"
With a violent twist, the fox maiden snapped the butler's neck.
A broken contract meant no worth in keeping him alive.
The other girl tore open the corpse's chest with clawed fingers and dragged a shrieking soul into the open.
Yanqing's face drained of color. His secretary, a man with ties to spiritual circles—even if weak—had been snuffed out like a bug.
As the fox girls turned their hunger on him, Yanqing blurted, "Wait! I know what happened!"
Terror sharpened his memory.
He had only sought protection for his granddaughter Yuki when she was attacked by a powerful vengeful spirit. On the butler's advice, he'd turned to Sanhugu Shrine. He thought the matter simple—pay back the god with offerings later, restore the shrine, burn more incense.
But the god's price had been Yuki herself.
"Honored ones, I swear I knew nothing of this. Let me investigate my granddaughter immediately—I'll deliver you an answer without delay!"
The fox maidens exchanged glances, whispered in their own tongue, then vanished. Yanqing caught just one word—"one day."
"Only a single day…"
A bitter smile tugged at his lips. He looked down at the butler's corpse without an ounce of pity.
The man had tricked him. Yuki may have been shielded, but the true cost had been hidden all along. In the end, nothing had been solved—only a god provoked.
"Gods…"
In politics and business, Yanqing always held the upper hand. But here, his wealth and connections meant nothing.
Two paths lay before him.
Bend to the god's will—hand Yuki over as a sacrifice.
Or resist.
But what allies could he muster in a single day?
Jaw tight, he dialed Yuki's mother.
"You want Yuki sent abroad? …" Her voice was baffled, but she obeyed. He was the head of the family—his word was law.
Meanwhile, at the Rosen household—
Fresh from the bath, Yuki hummed an anime theme as she blow-dried her hair, in high spirits.
She had hated the stench clinging to her body at first. But soon she noticed her chronic illnesses were gone. Her strength had grown. Her eyesight was sharper. And she could feel a strange, obedient energy flowing inside her.
When holy light flared in her hands, she squealed with delight.
At last, the power she had always dreamed of as an ACG fangirl was hers.
How could she not be thrilled?
Her imagination ran wild—night patrols in a heroic uniform, battling evil under the stars. People whispering about a new urban legend.
She giggled to herself, then stepped out of the bathroom. Her eyes shone as she looked at Rosen.
Even being "claimed" by him didn't seem so bad anymore.
"..."
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