"What is it exactly?"
Qin Yu leaned against the window and asked softly.
"Lord Qin Yu is about to conquer the Abyss forces. As the former Grand Witch, I naturally must offer my assistance."
Hoshi-no-Oto bowed slightly, her posture elegant.
"Assistance?"
"You will know when the time comes."
Faced with an invitation from the beautiful fox lady, who could possibly find it in their heart to refuse?
For Qin Yu, at least, the answer was obvious.
"Alright, let's take a walk."
Qin Yu nodded, a gentle smile gracing his lips.
It was nice to occasionally spend some time bonding with his own fox lady.
...
Led by Hoshi-no-Oto, the two arrived at a remote island.
"The Asase Shrine you mentioned is here?"
Qin Yu looked at the unfamiliar surroundings, his heart filled with curiosity.
All around, the scenery was vibrant and full of life.
The sound of waves gently lapping against the shore echoed, peaceful and melodious.
The sea breeze blew, causing the grass to ripple like green waves, a delightful sight.
...
Qin Yu instinctively reached out and caught a falling cherry blossom petal.
He hadn't expected cherry blossom trees to grow here.
This meant that even with the thunderstorms ravaging Seirai Island, this place remained a sanctuary.
Someone had protected this small patch of land.
"Lord Qin Yu, are you satisfied with the environment here?"
Hoshi-no-Oto tilted her head, a hint of reminiscence in her gentle gaze.
She too reached out and caught a drifting cherry blossom petal, a faint smile playing on her lips.
She had returned to this place.
"It's beautiful, I like it very much."
Qin Yu murmured, his gaze inexplicably fixed on Hoshi-no-Oto.
The white-haired fox lady seemed to possess a peculiar charm.
At times playful and lively, at times seductive and alluring.
And now, she exuded a quiet, gentle aura.
In short, he was captivated.
"Oh? Lord Qin Yu, are you curious about my tail?"
Hoshi-no-Oto deliberately leaned closer to Qin Yu, her alluring eyes twinkling.
If it were Lord Qin Yu, she thought, even letting him touch it wouldn't be a problem.
So, would he like to try?
Alas, her teasing words, which usually flustered others, had no effect this time.
"The scenery is beautiful, and so is the person."
Qin Yu admitted readily, smiling frankly.
Having such a lovely companion was indeed a joyous matter.
After all, she was his fox, so a few compliments were hardly out of line.
He had no other virtues, except honesty.
Yes, he deserved praise.
"Heh, you must have said such things to many little foxes, haven't you?"
Hoshi-no-Oto huffed, feigning that she had seen through him.
The two set off along the path, chatting idly.
"Not at all."
Qin Yu replied innocently. He was a respectable person.
"Is that so? Then in the dream..."
"Cough—alright, I admit I have."
Qin Yu cracked immediately, scratching his head with a hint of embarrassment.
The atmosphere was so good, why bring up that dream again?
It felt as shameful as having one's browser history discovered.
Alas, to have such a weakness exposed.
A miscalculation, a miscalculation.
"Please rest assured, I will keep your secret~"
Hoshi-no-Oto's lips curved into a smile, and she said cheerfully.
"I'm counting on you." Qin Yu sighed in relief.
"Especially your fondness for kitsune udon with fried tofu..."
"Wait a moment—!"
Those were just things from dreams, they couldn't be taken seriously!
"Hehe... Lord Qin Yu, are you blushing?"
The fox, adept at stirring emotions, seemed to be enjoying this leisurely time.
Observing Qin Yu's various reactions was quite amusing.
"Cough, let's talk about what we should do next."
Unable to parry her playful attacks, Qin Yu decisively changed the subject.
He could actually feel it.
The moment they set foot on this island, they were enveloped by a strange power.
Beneath the tranquility, this place seemed to harbor an extraordinary past.
And what did this have to do with the "assistance" for conquering the Abyss that Hoshi-no-Oto had mentioned?
As he pondered this in his heart.
"Lord Qin Yu, have you heard the story of the Asase Shrine?"
Hoshi-no-Oto clasped her hands in front of her and stopped, turning around.
And at the end of the road behind her...
A somewhat dilapidated building stood solitary amidst the dense forest.
"I have heard of the Asase Shrine."
Qin Yu's expression became slightly more serious, his tone low.
After all, the Inazuma Shogunate did not have a very friendly impression of this shrine.
The reason for all this was, naturally...
"Hmph, a den that harbored fugitives wanted by the Tenryou Commission."
Suddenly, an icy voice broke the silence.
"..."
Qin Yu looked up.
A tall, cold-eyed woman with short hair emerged from the woods.
The most visually striking aspect was her pair of long, slender, smooth legs.
A katana hung from her slender, powerful waist.
Further up, her prominent chest, bound by a black form-fitting outfit, strained against her hunting robe.
She was a valiant and beautiful woman.
"Lord Qin Yu, Lord Hoshi-no-Oto."
She approached, holding a longbow.
As she drew nearer, her military aura became even more pronounced.
"You're here so soon, Sara."
Hoshi-no-Oto smiled slightly and waved at her.
Like Makoto, she held a special regard and expectation for this heir of the Tengu bloodline.
For instance, passing on her bloodline and establishing a lineage.
In this regard, a certain pink-haired fox was working very hard.
"I dare not presume. I am merely diligently cultivating for the upcoming operation."
Kujou Sara stood up straight, her gaze towards Qin Yu exceptionally serious.
Her cheeks were flushed, still slightly out of breath.
Her fair neck and delicate collarbones were dotted with fine beads of sweat.
It was evident that she had undergone high-intensity training.
"Sara, wipe your sweat, don't catch a cold."
Qin Yu felt strange, why was she staring at him like that?
There were no other gods in his dreams, so what could be blooming on his face?
"Wipe sweat, me?"
Kujou Sara was clearly taken aback by Qin Yu's opening remark.
As someone close to the Electro Archon, shouldn't he be pointing out her weaknesses and urging her to train?
Moreover, she didn't have the habit of wiping sweat.
As she held command at the military camp, she would just casually wipe it off.
Of course, she would bathe during her rest periods.
"Alas... here."
Qin Yu rummaged around and found a towel, handing it to Kujou Sara.
Seeing her hesitate, he added:
"This is also part of training."
"So this is also why Lord Qin Yu grows stronger."
Kujou Sara's beautiful eyes lit up, and she solemnly extended her hands to take the towel.
She understood.
Only by meticulously wiping away every drop of sweat from her body could she recover her state faster and dedicate herself to training.
"...It's not like that."
Qin Yu's lips twitched. It was just a towel, why so serious!
"Then how do I become stronger?"
"Ah, this..."
He couldn't possibly say that getting close to Ei, the Electro Archon, was the key.
As Qin Yu was momentarily speechless, Hoshi-no-Oto stepped forward.
"Actually, Lord Qin Yu brought me here precisely to demonstrate how to become stronger."
"I see, as expected of the Electro Archon's confidante!"
Qin Yu: "?"
He looked at the two women, lost in thought.
Demonstrate, demonstrate what?
Was this part of the plan?
"How will we demonstrate?"
Qin Yu played along and asked directly.
"Naturally... a duel of swordsmanship."
Hoshi-no-Oto's words surprised Qin Yu.
A swordsmanship duel?
Between whom?
"Are you serious?"
Qin Yu's body trembled as he looked at Hoshi-no-Oto, who had drawn her electro-infused katana.
Stop it, you're a shrine maiden!!