I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit

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The figure before her possessed an allure that could captivate anyone, young or old. There was an enigmatic charm about her—impossible to describe yet deeply entrancing.

Kirina Kitō found herself staring, completely mesmerized.

There was something about this presence that felt oddly familiar, as though she had spent considerable time around someone with a similar aura.

"Hmm… I don't particularly mind, but I feel it's my duty to point out… you've been staring at my face for quite a while now."

"!!!"

Realizing her rudeness, Kirina quickly averted her gaze, bowing her head. "I'm sorry, that was very impolite of me."

"It's fine, really. I've grown used to it. I suppose it's because this face of mine is just that captivating?"

The woman's voice came again, but this time it wasn't from above—it was directly in front of her.

Kirina blinked in shock. The stunning figure was now standing right before her, with a few pure white feathers drifting to the ground around her.

Most people wouldn't make such a bold comment about their own appearance. Coming from anyone else, it would have sounded conceited.

Yet, staring at this breathtakingly beautiful woman, Kirina couldn't find it in herself to disagree.

She's truly stunning, Kirina thought. I don't think I've ever seen anyone this beautiful before.

The only person she could think of who came close was… her Guuji, Lady Yae Miko.

Wait a minute—

Kirina's eyes widened as she pieced it together. That sense of familiarity…

The Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine, Yae Miko, was a five-hundred-year-old yokai. This woman…

Kirina's gaze shifted to the figure's head, where three horns jutted out. The central one resembled an ornamental headpiece, but the other two on the sides were unmistakably real.

Her heart skipped a beat as realization dawned.

The shock and fear in her eyes didn't go unnoticed by Kiichi Hougen.

"Ah, I see you've figured out who I am."

"Y-Yokai!"

Kirina instinctively stepped back, trembling.

Kiichi Hougen let out a small sigh.

"So, you're the shrine maiden sent from the Grand Narukami Shrine. You came here looking for me, didn't you? And now you're stepping back? Really?"

"I-I… I didn't know I'd encounter an actual yokai! And—uh…"

Kirina's mind was in complete disarray.

"I thought this would just be a simple paid outing! Why am I meeting a real yokai? Not just any yokai, but one that looks so… powerful! If this were a light novel, someone with your looks would definitely be a high-ranking being! Am I going to die here? Oh no, Lady Guuji, forgive me! Please send my regards to the next volume of Eternal Kitsune Chronicles in the afterlife—I still haven't read the ending!"

"You're surprisingly chatty for someone who thinks they're about to die," Kiichi Hougen remarked dryly.

Not only was this shrine maiden's internal monologue vivid, but she was also saying everything out loud. She was like a living, breathing comedy act.

Perhaps deciding to embrace her fate, Kirina glared at Kiichi Hougen with a defiant expression.

"What? I'm about to die, right? Can't I at least speak my mind?"

"No, I'm more curious why you think you're going to die in the first place," Kiichi Hougen replied, raising an eyebrow.

Under Kiichi Hougen's calm yet probing gaze, Kirina froze, blinking in confusion.

"Wait… you're not going to kill me?"

"No, I'm not."

"…"

Tears began welling up in Kirina's eyes, and she looked as though she might burst into sobs at any moment.

Kiichi Hougen's lips curled into a sly smile.

"I was joking. While I wouldn't call myself a saint, and my hands are far from clean, I despise pointless killing," she said with a shrug. "Without reason or benefit, why would I bother? If anything, I'm curious—why were you so sure I'd harm you?"

"Because… don't yokai eat humans?"

Kiichi Hougen frowned, perplexed.

"That's absurd. Why would I eat you just because I'm a yokai? Back in the day, Raiden Shogun's closest friends were yokai—leaders of the Oni, Tengu, and White Kitsune clans. Even now, the Guuji of your shrine is a yokai. Why assume I'd do such a thing?"

"Uh…"

Her words left Kirina utterly speechless.

"Because… that's how it works in light novels?"

Kirina blinked, realizing how ridiculous her assumption sounded.

Right—her Guuji was also a yokai. Why had she immediately jumped to the conclusion that this one would eat her?

Maybe I've been reading too many light novels…

"No, I think it's less about the novels and more about you being a bit dim. You seem to struggle distinguishing reality from fiction."

"…Did I just say that last thought out loud again?"

Seeing Kiichi Hougen nod in confirmation, Kirina covered her face in embarrassment.

"Besides…"

Kiichi Hougen placed a hand on her hip, her expression remaining neutral but her gaze drifting elsewhere.

"If I truly wanted to harm you, I doubt I'd get very far before being stopped, don't you think?"

"...Huh?"

Kirina blinked, confused by the comment.

Kiichi Hougen glanced toward the shadows, her tone laced with playful disdain.

"Honestly, why go through all this trouble? Wouldn't it have been easier to come here yourself instead of sending this poor shrine maiden? And then following her to ensure her safety?"

A silky, seductive voice responded from the shadows, dripping with mischief.

"Well, if I handled every little rumor myself, I'd shed my fur from exhaustion. Let's just say I was curious this time."

A figure stepped out from behind a tree, her pink hair glinting under the moonlight.

Kirina's jaw dropped.

"L-Lady Guuji?!"

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