Five-tailed Fox, Ema, and Priest's Robe

Is this another "door-opening kill"?

Uesugi Tetsu, who had already pushed out a section of his blade with his fingertip, froze. He discovered that what was grabbing his ankle was actually a...

A small fox, pure white all over?

Actually, "pure white all over" wasn't quite accurate. In the often rainy Edo Castle, a couple of steps would inevitably leave one covered in mud, and the little fox was no exception.

It was only about thirty to forty centimeters long, its originally snow-white, fluffy fur matted with black mud.

But the fox didn't seem to care. It simply swayed its five short, snow-white tails and stared up at Uesugi Tetsu with eyes like blue sapphires.

Wait, five tails?

Uesugi Tetsu's guard, which had just relaxed, shot back up. A Three-tailed Fox, with only three tails, was already considered a "yokai."

Wouldn't a Five-tailed Fox be a Great Yokai?

After staring intently at the top of the little Five-tailed Fox's head for a while, Uesugi Tetsu was astonished to discover that it belonged to the "Sporadic" category.

What's going on?

"Squeak, squeak."

Uesugi Tetsu felt his trouser leg tugged again. The Five-tailed Fox squeaked, clearly wanting him to follow it.

What would be the destination?

--A trap hidden with deadly intent? Or a treasure trove of forgotten relics?

Interesting.

Regardless, Uesugi Tetsu's curiosity had been piqued. As an outsider who didn't fear death, there was no reason for him to be afraid of a mere mysterious local fox.

"Lead the way."

Uesugi Tetsu gestured with his chin towards the fox.

"Squeak squeak!"

The Five-tailed Fox seemed to understand human speech. After receiving Uesugi Tetsu's reply, it squeaked excitedly and trotted ahead, leaving a trail of clear, plum blossom-shaped footprints on the muddy path.

Uesugi Tetsu looked down at the ground.

Although the footprints were quite visible, the number of intelligent yokai wandering around Edo Castle should be very small. Overall, there shouldn't be any major problems.

Perhaps afraid Uesugi Tetsu couldn't keep up, after a few steps, the Five-tailed Fox looked back and squeaked softly at him twice.

"Don't rush, don't rush."

Uesugi Tetsu picked up his pace, his own steps covering the fox's footprints.

As the Five-tailed Fox walked for a while, Uesugi Tetsu was surprised to find that he encountered almost none of the large numbers of minor monsters that usually roamed Edo Castle.

Even when they did see one, the Five-tailed Fox seemed to have foresight, leading him to easily avoid them.

He knew that in the past, he would usually be killed by a wandering ronin within ten minutes and sent back to the real world.

Stopping again at another corner, Uesugi Tetsu crouched down and asked softly, adding a respectful title, "Brother Fox, can you sense the movements of these yokai?"

"Squeak squeak."

The Five-tailed Fox nodded proudly, confirming his guess.

This ability is too powerful.

Uesugi Tetsu's eyes burned with desire. If he could capture this Five-tailed Fox, wouldn't exploring the map in the future be as easy as using an x-ray cheat?

"Squeak."

As if sensing Uesugi Tetsu's thoughts, the Five-tailed Fox shook its head solemnly at him, then continued walking forward.

How is this fox so smart?

Uesugi Tetsu secretly shook his head. If the other party were cooperative, he might have tried asking his fellow salaryman netizens if there was a way to subdue a Shikigami.

But if not... Uesugi Tetsu respected others' wishes, especially when the other party was a friendly Great Yokai who might be hiding its strength.

He might as well follow obediently and see what the fox was up to.

After walking quietly for a short distance, Uesugi Tetsu saw the Five-tailed Fox stop in front of a torii gate half-buried in the ground and stand up.

As if to say, "This is it."

Uesugi Tetsu looked inside and found that not only had the vermilion lacquer on the torii gate completely peeled off, but the narrow path leading to the shrine was also covered in dark, sticky moss. The trees on both sides grew wildly, twisted and winding, looking eerie and terrifying.

The entire shrine, judging by its facade, presented a scene of desolation and ruin, as if no one had visited for a long time.

Why does this feel like a BOSS room?

"Are we going up?"

The Five-tailed Fox nodded and squeaked twice, leading the way up the steps.

Uesugi Tetsu had no choice but to follow. He placed his hand on his sword hilt, vigilant of his surroundings, ready to draw his sword at any moment.

But this eerie journey was exceptionally smooth. Apart from the slippery ground underfoot, no accidents occurred.

Was it because they had crossed the torii gate and entered the shrine's boundary...

After climbing the long approach, Uesugi Tetsu finally saw the main shrine building, the oratory—and of course, the divine messenger stone statues flanking it.

Uesugi Tetsu squinted at one of the three-tailed fox stone carvings and asked, "Brother Fox, is this you?"

Legend had it that a three-tailed fox could only grow another tail every hundred years, meaning the one before him had been alone in this shrine for at least two hundred years.

"Squeak!"

The Five-tailed Fox raised its head proudly.

It walked in with light steps and soon returned, holding a light red, blank Ema in its mouth, and stood before Uesugi Tetsu.

"This is for me?"

"Squeak."

Uesugi Tetsu crouched down and took the unremarkable Ema. "You mean you want me to take this Ema and give it to someone?"

The Five-tailed Fox nodded heavily.

[Shrine Ema] [Quality: None] [Effect: None] [--An ordinary Ema, perhaps giving it to a shrine maiden will have a miraculous effect.]

This riddle-like description didn't even say which shrine or which maiden... Another nonsensical quest.

But to boost the Five-tailed Fox's favorability, Uesugi Tetsu didn't mind accepting it.

"Alright," Uesugi Tetsu put the Ema into his storage backpack and nodded to the fox, which dared not make a sound. "I'll help you with this. But I can't say when it will be completed."

"Squeak squeak!"

The Five-tailed Fox let out a cry of surprise. It then bit Uesugi Tetsu's trouser leg and gestured for him to follow it inside.

Uesugi Tetsu went along with the flow. After entering the oratory with the Five-tailed Fox, he saw the cold white robe enshrined in the center.

The robe was exquisitely made, adorned with deep red cherry blossoms, and most importantly, it was unstained by dirt or dust, forming a stark contrast with the surrounding dilapidated environment.

The Five-tailed Fox leaped onto a nearby offering stand and squeaked twice at him.

Uesugi Tetsu was slightly stunned and tentatively asked with disbelief, "Are you saying this robe is for me?"

"Squeak~"

The Five-tailed Fox nudged the robe in his direction.

Uesugi Tetsu, who hadn't expected such good fortune, reached out to touch the robe. The moment he saw its stats, he knew this was worth it.

[Priest's Robe] [Quality: Superb] [Effect: Slightly increases spell power and casting speed.] [--A Priest's Robe from an unknown shrine. The emblems and incantations on it have been worn away by time, making it impossible to discern their origin or era.]

Although Laughing Brahma probably couldn't fight effectively in this restrictive robe, this was for the future. When he summoned a sorcerer-type yokai, they could wear it directly.

This time, both the human and the fox were very satisfied with the transaction.

Taking the robe, Uesugi Tetsu walked with the Five-tailed Fox to the torii gate of the abandoned shrine.

He took a few more steps outward but no longer heard the light footsteps following behind him.

So Uesugi Tetsu turned back knowingly. "Are you going to stay and guard this shrine?"

"Squeak." The Five-tailed Fox nodded.

Uesugi Tetsu tried to persuade it, "No one will ever come to this shrine again. Won't you come with me to see the outside world?"

The Five-tailed Fox shook its head in silence and, under Uesugi Tetsu's gaze, turned around and walked step by step into the quiet darkness.

--Having bid farewell to the kind guest, it was time to go back.

Uesugi Tetsu gazed at its small, retreating figure, thinking of the spotless Priest's Robe.

Perhaps the Five-tailed Fox meticulously maintained it every day, hoping that the priest would be able to wear it immediately upon their return, repair the shrine, and restore order.

But the priest who was supposed to wear the robe never returned. It knew, perhaps, that person would never return.

That was why the Five-tailed Fox had given this timeless robe to him.

After a moment of contemplation, Uesugi Tetsu left Tokoyo. If he slept any longer, Ririko would notice something was wrong.

--The Five-tailed Fox looked back and saw that the Brahma who had taken the Priest's Robe had already vanished.

It nodded in satisfaction and, in a few leaps, jumped onto the offering stand in the center of the oratory. It was the warmest, cleanest, and largest spot.

The little fox curled up and fell into a deep sleep.

The damp wind of Edo Castle blew into the empty shrine as usual, but the Five-tailed Fox no longer woke from its slumber.

Because from now on, it no longer had to worry about how to care for the robe.