I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit

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Draped in a shrine maiden outfit more revealing than most, exposing her shoulders, underarms, and back, Yae Miko radiated an alluring charm. Her sakura-pink hair and amethyst eyes were complemented by a mischievous smile that suggested she could see through any secret.

She was the embodiment of a sly, enchanting fox.

Kirina Kitō, overwhelmed, stammered out her recognition.

"L-Lady Guuji!"

"Lady Guuji, what are you doing here? D-Did you… follow me the entire time?"

"Oh, dear. I didn't expect to be discovered so soon," Yae Miko replied, lightly placing a hand on her cheek in mock regret. "I was hoping to observe more of your amusing reactions, Kirina. But, hmm… your current one is delightful too. Keep it up, won't you?"

"Uh… oh, o-okay?"

Although confused about why the Guuji of her shrine was here, Kirina immediately felt a sense of relief.

The beautiful yokai she had just encountered didn't seem hostile, but being alone had been nerve-wracking. Now that her Guuji, her dependable superior, was present, her instinctive reaction was to cling to her safety net.

Her body moved before her mind did, and she was already standing behind Yae Miko, peeking curiously at Kiichi Hougen from her newfound refuge.

Having spent so much time with Yae Miko, Kirina often forgot her Guuji was a yokai herself. Yet now, facing another yokai of comparable stature, her curiosity was impossible to suppress.

"My apologies," Yae Miko began, tilting her head slightly toward Kiichi Hougen. "It seems our shrine maiden has embarrassed herself a bit. I hope she didn't alarm you."

"Your politeness is almost unbearable," Kiichi Hougen sighed. "Do I need to give you two some privacy to have a little heart-to-heart?"

"Thank you for your consideration," Yae Miko replied with a smile that masked her cunning, "but compared to our small concerns, I'm sure your matters are far more pressing."

While Yae Miko's words sounded deferential, they carried an undercurrent of confidence.

The sly fox always sought to control the conversation. Though Kiichi Hougen bore no ill will toward her, she wasn't inclined to let Yae Miko lead her around by the nose.

Instead of playing along, Kiichi Hougen decided to flip the board entirely.

"Aren't you tired of talking like that?" Kiichi Hougen asked, exhaling dramatically. "You're not as cute as you used to be. I remember when you were just a little fox who could be lured away with a piece of fried tofu…"

Though Yae Miko maintained her usual calm façade, Kiichi Hougen noticed the subtle cracks—her smile faltered ever so slightly, and her movements stiffened for just a moment.

Kirina, however, was completely out of sync with the conversation, her expression blank.

Little fox? Fried tofu? Who's she talking about?

"Oh, my~" Yae Miko raised a hand to her lips, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons. "I haven't the faintest idea what you mean."

"If you say so," Kiichi Hougen replied with a casual shrug. "I'm not here to dig up anyone's embarrassing history, after all."

Kirina, finally catching on, paled as the implications hit her.

Wait… Am I overhearing something I shouldn't?

"Kirina~~"

"Eek!"

The saccharine tone in Yae Miko's voice sent shivers down Kirina's spine. Though her Guuji's smile remained, the absence of warmth in her tone was chilling.

"When we return, come to my quarters. There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

Can I pretend I heard nothing?

Kirina felt her world crumble. She could already envision herself losing her secure position at the shrine and ending up begging in a cold, dark alley.

No… worse. Knowing too much might mean she'll silence me forever!

Unbothered by Kirina's distress, Yae Miko turned her attention back to Kiichi Hougen.

"It seems we have a slight misunderstanding here. May I ask where you heard these rumors?"

"Why are you so sure I heard it from someone else?" Kiichi Hougen replied with a faint smirk. "Couldn't I have seen it with my own eyes?"

"That's impossible."

Yae Miko's gaze sharpened, the weight of her presence pressing down.

"I don't even know who you are."

"But I know you, little fox." Kiichi Hougen's cryptic smile deepened. "I remember when you hadn't even taken human form yet and liked to perch on Kitsune Saiguu's shoulder."

"You…"

Yae Miko's expression finally cracked, her composure giving way to shock.

"How… how could that be possible?"

"I've lived far longer than you, little fox."

"Are you claiming… to be a thousand-year-old yokai?"

Though her words were laced with skepticism, Kiichi Hougen could tell Yae Miko was beginning to believe her.

"Who knows?" Kiichi Hougen replied, her ambiguous tone more convincing than outright confirmation.

"If that's true, why have I never heard of you? Have you been hiding away in the mountains all this time?"

"Not quite. I've interacted with humans occasionally, just not under this identity." Kiichi Hougen gestured nonchalantly. "You, being a fox yokai yourself, should understand how easily we can blend in. Transformation magic is simple. Mine just happens to be a little better—so good that even you, or even a god, wouldn't notice unless you looked very closely."

To illustrate her point, she made a small gesture with her thumb and forefinger to indicate "just a little."

The smugness of that motion made Yae Miko's eye twitch.

"Then why reveal yourself now?"

"It wasn't intentional," Kiichi Hougen admitted with a sigh, her tone laced with faint exasperation. "One of my disciples got carried away. But now that I've been exposed, I don't particularly mind."

She tilted her head, fixing Yae Miko with a pointed look.

"I didn't expect the first to arrive at my door would be the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine. Are you really that free?"

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