Too easy

Oh, what was I awaiting for? The moment arrived when my companions decided to reveal themselves in all their splendour and magnificence. We had already traversed the third, fourth, and fifth floors of the castle, where Ader and Olaf took turns in showcasing their abilities.

On the next level, Witold displayed his full might. Ader engaged in combat with a kitsune that resembled a frenzied creature, furiously fighting in the center of the hall and attempting to gnaw at the energy chains that restrained her, originating from the bed where she was meant to lie in wait for our arrival.

However, everything fell into place once I gazed upon the kitsune through my spiritual sight. Her divine attribute appeared as a second soul shell, hypertrophied and swollen to an extraordinary size. Alongside the ba-hyon, which she seemingly did not employ for some reason, this creature possessed access to an immense reservoir of the second most potent energy accessible to the soul — prana!

Were it not for the utter lack of any semblance of rationality on the part of this nine-tailed entity, I would not have allowed my most precious artefact to come within a mile of this vixen, regardless of what he might have asked or begged for. And my head blacksmith was resolute in his determination for battle, eager to engage in the fray.

Adair managed to confront the kitsune, aided by artefacts he had fashioned himself. As he approached the creature, the chains that bound the kitsune began to lengthen, reducing the distance between them. Adair hurled a scattering of pyramids, each no more than a few centimetres tall, towards the kitsune. Upon reaching their destination, these minuscule artefacts generated a resonant oscillation in the astral and mystical realms, momentarily disorienting the kitsune and allowing Adair to strike with his enchanted axe.

The impact was a spectacle to behold. Even after Adair severed the fox's head and torso, the kitsune managed to unleash a devastating blow on the diminutive witch and dragon knight, had it not been for the exceptional quality of Adair's armour. The force of the kitsune's strike would have atomized Adair if not for the protective properties of his armour.. The wild fox's prana, which she infused into the crash, was equivalent to several archmage's reserves of energy. The armour had protected him, allowing him to fly past us with the swiftness of a bullet, crashing into the wall with immense force. Had the wall not been fortified with enchantments rendering it indestructible, the impact would have propelled him through several tens of thousands of kilometres beyond it.

Despite the armour's ability to mitigate some damage, it could not fully protect him from the full force of the collision. We were forced to act swiftly, administering elixirs and casting healing spells to provide immediate assistance. However, before we could do so, we needed to free Adair from the confines of his armour, which had become wedged due to the impact. I felt akin to a hungry Papuan discovering a can of food but lacking the tools to open it, with knowledge that the food was within reach.

We had to disassemble his armor, lest we damage the unfortunate man and destroy Adair's creation. However, after struggling with the iron for over half a minute to no avail, I gave up, summoned my archmage's staff, and with a sharp blade of adamantine hidden in its heel, I pierced the armor of my finest blacksmith. The enchantment was gone, for I had to sever the armor with the adamantine blade. Never mind, Adair could make another one. His health came first, unless I intended to revive him later in my egregore.

I intercepted the slain kitsune's soul at the moment of its demise, preventing it from slipping into the cycle of Sansara. Once Adair is back on his feet, I will bestow it upon him. It is his trophy, after all.

The creature we encountered next, waiting for us on the fourth level and claimed by Olaf, was a powerful fire mage, to be more specific, a supreme elemental of fire in the form of the Kurogitsune.

During their duel, we were forced to erect a shield with the archmages in order to observe the unfolding conflict. However, despite their immense power, witches consider themselves warriors, not sorcerers. Thus, I was able to witness Olaf, clad in his frost-covered armor, approaching the kitsune in close combat.

Initially, he severed the fox's forepaw, disregarding the raging flames surrounding him, followed by the removal of its six tails. Only then did he strike the creature's skull with his blade, piercing it from beneath the jaw. It was evident that Olaf momentarily forgot his role as an archmage, but upon realizing it, he summoned his staff and drove it into the kitsune's body, capturing her soul. The fourth floor concluded without any injuries or delays.

But on the fifth level, Vitold stepped forward and decided to test his mettle. His adversary was also a dark nine-tailed fox, who relied on elemental magic, and its manifestation was in the form of lightning. Oh...

And this time, things played out almost exactly as they had with Olaf. Again, we watched the clash of two close-combat fighters. While the nine-tailed sought to maintain distance and strike with lightning from afar, Vold — the first warlock in history — instead sought to keep the fox at bay, imposing close proximity. He relentlessly attacked the nine-tailed with his artifact sword and shielded himself from its attacks with the Spell of Perseus' Shield, which deflected all lightning back towards the kitsune.

The speed of movement and exchange of blows in this battle was so swift that it surpassed the five-stroke mark long ago and continued at a steady pace for a full three minutes without any sign of slowing.

The confrontation continued until the paw of the nine-tailed being entered the ring of the anti-demon chain of Vitold, which he was able to deploy without the fox's notice. As the battle progressed, he brought the creature closer to the trap, effectively closing it. This was the fundamental principle upon which the chain operated once the kitsune's paw had been enclosed within its ring.

The chain instantaneously seized the creature's appendage, exerting a tight grip and embedding its sharp edges deep into the flesh. Simultaneously, it began to extract energy from the nine-tailed beast.

With such a weight upon her leg, the kitsune had lost much of her mobility, and soon she lost first her forepaw, then her hindpaw, and finally she was pinned to the ground by Archimage Vitold's staff, which my vassal had used to extract the soul from the dying fox. Yet, she had sustained many wounds from the blade, which Vitold had anointed with my lethal poison, and by the time Kurogitsune had pierced the staff, the fox was on her last breath.

I continue to provide the citadel with my own concoctions: slugs, salivary secretions, venom, blood (obtained through ritual sacrifice), as well as fangs and bone. Only archmages are granted access to such precious materials, yet I already possess approximately two thousand of them within my order! Thus, the stores in the vaults are constantly dwindling, necessitating their replenishment. While it does not cause me any regret, it serves the needs of my companions.

In this confrontation, everything hinged on a single misstep. As Kitsune found herself ensnared in a trap, her paw became entangled in the anti-demon chain, resulting in a significant loss of one-third of her offensive prowess and agility. This was the turning point for the nine-tailed fox.

Throughout six further exchanges of strikes, a seventh lunge saw the severing of one paw, followed swiftly by the loss of the second, both without interruption. The culmination was the piercing of the creature's head with a staff.

Before us lies another staircase, an ascent to a new sixth level, no different from those preceding it. As I ascended, I pondered: "Why did none of the five other nine-tails employ ba-hyon? Where is their divine might?"

The kitsune that we had encountered earlier in the tower appeared to be significantly more robust and formidable than the brown-faced creatures with the same number of tails that we had initially encountered outside the castle. These creatures within the confines of the building may represent either a distinct subspecies within their species or perhaps the next evolutionary stage in the development of the kitsune fae.

"What is on your mind, Svyatozar?" May interrupted my contemplation.

I voiced my query, although I refrained from delving into the specifics that had piqued my suspicion and confusion. Mei's response was a curious and skeptical glance, but in the absence of any further reaction from me, she chose to elaborate. Who was she addressing? Not only I, but also those around me, were left wondering. They, too, observed the disparity between the available information on man-eating foxes within our order and the evidence presented before their own eyes.

"So these are not mere kitsune," she continued, as if we had not already come to that conclusion ourselves. "These are kurogitsune," she added, "but without any visible change in my demeanor at this revelation, she went on. "Until today, I had believed stories of black kitsune to be mere folklore. These creatures must be a dozen times more powerful than their counterparts of other colors with the same number of tails. In order to evolve and transform into black, kitsune must consume multiple nine-tails.

We require accurate information about the kurogitsune, and our findings must be verified. Even among the mystical inhabitants of Asia, kurogitsune were considered mythical, a product of imagination. However, what concerns me now is that the black foxes we have encountered do not conform to the legends surrounding them. I have yet to observe the level of power disparity attributed to them.

That is what concerns me. I perceive their immense potential and power, yet in reality, I can only discern a faint reflection of their abilities, and this is in the midst of deadly battles without any indication of their true strength. It could not trouble me more.

After all, when something is beyond our comprehension, it may imply that something dire is likely to follow, and fate may have in store a terrible surprise that could claim our lives or even worse consequences.

Yet here we are, on the sixth floor, encountering the same situation once again. This time it is May, and like everyone else, she desired to engage in combat with Kurogitsune. As Mei was a representative of the group that had invited us and granted us permission to avail ourselves of China's hospitality and venture into the realm of ogres, I could not decline her request to participate in the eradication of these creatures that primarily plague the lives of those inhabiting the country in which the ayakashi resides.

"She is essential in dealing with the darkness. Therefore, I implore you to accept my assistance." With these words, I caressed Ayakashi's head and bestowed upon her my blessing. The phrase "do not reject" was a benediction, for the benefit would not have manifested had she not allowed me to infuse my power into her. She remains a deity, and I cannot unimpededly invade her energetic body. Even the resistance of her energy to the interference of a magician would be challenging for me to surmount, let alone archmages. My curse-casting abilities extend to deities, not to mention lesser spirits. It is all about the nature of a blessing, and how it diverges from a curse.

Oh, what could Mei have expected, venturing into battle against an adversary with near-absolute mastery of darkness, armed only with a meager knowledge of Chinese ritualistic magic, a few restraining omamori seals, and her inherent racial abilities? In the absolute darkness, her illusions proved utterly futile, as her opponent had unleashed the full force of darkness upon the chamber from the very onset of the confrontation, and Mei, an ayakashi, had never been one to thrive in such conditions.

Nevertheless, Mei performed admirably even in this dire situation. Unwavering in her resolve, she relied solely on her primal instincts and animal essence, taking the fight head-on. Her initial strikes were not only successful in repelling her opponent but also inflicted wounds in the process.

However, this was but a fleeting triumph. Kurogitsune soon discerned that brute force would not suffice to overcome her adversary. After suffering some nicks, she adopted a more circumspect approach, resorting to long-range assaults. This tactic ultimately proved effective for Kurogitsune. The entity delivered a searing blow of concentrated darkness, which struck Mei's shoulder like a bolt of lightning, corroding her flesh with the ferocity of sulfuric acid. A mournful cry escaped our companion, serving as the catalyst for Kurogitsune's unbridled fury, prompting her to launch a swift and decisive attack, determined to conclude the confrontation. This was a predictable and logical response from one who wields the power of darkness.. To safeguard oneself and avoid succumbing to the personality transformations that inevitably await the unwary initiate who embarks on the journey of mastering the dark arts, one must possess an unyielding resolve, which must be cultivated throughout one's subsequent life and cultivated in tandem with the discovery of one's potential as a sorcerer of darkness. Additionally, it is essential to dedicate no less effort to working with one's mind, disciplining it and protecting it from external influences. This approach is the sole means of maintaining one's composure while evolving as a dark mage.

The fact that Kurogitsune, as a highly skilled practitioner of darkness, did not appear like a deranged animal and did not lash out at us like a frenzied beast, speaks in her favor. Moreover, the fact that she reacted now and rushed towards Mei, who was beginning to lose consciousness due to her wound, suggests that even a relatively rational and composed individual could make such an error and, fueled by the intensity of the fight, succumb to the thrill of combat.

At that very moment, when Kurogitsune appeared ready to sink her jaws into the neck of our ally and lock them there, my blessing took effect. A brilliant flash illuminated the hall, yet it did not impair the vision of Mei or any of those I consider allies. The light emanating from Mei inflicted damage only on her adversary, blinding and scorching it with a divine essence. The dark and deformed nature of Kurogitsune proved incompatible with my power, resulting in its full force being directed against her.

Once again, Mei demonstrated her exceptional abilities. Despite the pain inflicted by her wound, she swiftly regained her composure and utilized the momentum to launch a decisive attack, bringing an end to the life of the frenzied creature, which had been momentarily disoriented by the intensity of my light.

The moment my sanctity erupted, Kurogitsune had already loomed over what she perceived as a vanquished adversary, while Ayakashi slumped to the side, suffering from the wound he had sustained. Only when Kurogitsune's attention was diverted by the impact of my radiance did Mei find the fortitude to hurl her taloned hand towards her foe and pierce her chest.

Then, what faeries and demons are renowned for occurred — May tore the heart from Kurogitsune's form and sank her teeth, resembling fangs, into the still-pulsating organ, voraciously devouring it before our very eyes. My pupils could no longer bear it, and they retched.

Meanwhile, Ayakashi consumed her opponent's heart, oblivious to everything around her, and in my spiritual sight, I observed how our fox spirit consumed the essence of Kurogitsune along with the physicality of her heart.

Few are aware of this in such intricate detail, but the youthful race of Ayakashi is not merely a species of faerie. They also encompass the essence of demons, beings belonging to the realm of faery, one among the myriad magical races that inhabit the multiverse. Among the most potent members of the Ayakashi lineage, there exists the capacity to absorb the souls of adversaries they have vanquished.

The kitsune, a particular breed of ayakashi, upon attaining a certain level of strength, can augment their own abilities by absorbing the souls of their fallen foes. After waiting for the fox-spirit to succumb to her primal instincts and ultimately absorb her prey, leaving her ready to move forward, we retrieved Mei and proceeded towards the staircase leading to the seventh level.

With the lifeless form of the deceased kurogitsune in my possession, I took it with me, for our kitsune companion was somewhat agitated and intoxicated following the incident, necessitating me to claim her trophy. It would be given to her at a later time, when she could regain her composure.

And here we find ourselves once again facing yet another adversary for the evening, and this time, Kurogitsune wielded the power of spatial magic, making her the most formidable opponent among those present — save for me, of course. As the Goddess of the Astral, Koneka was able to disregard Kurogitsune's attempts to manipulate reality by interacting with the world through its astral reflection, which remains fundamentally unalterable. Any alterations made to space through the use of magic would be reflected in the astral realm. My feline companion exists in this dimension, but we perceive only its manifestation in reality; its essence lies in the astral plane.

The confrontation between Koneka and Kurogitsune resembled a cat-and-mouse game. Koneka taunted her adversary, silently savouring the situation. Kurogitsune employed all her abilities to manipulate space against Koneke. By warping reality, she created spatial rifts that ignored almost all forms of defence, affecting matter at the point of contact on a conceptual level. However, our feline adversary was unconcerned by these deceptions. She remained in the astral realm, disregarding the consequences, instead targeting the very fabric of reality.

As Koneka grew weary of the game, she initiated a rapid assault, moving swiftly behind, above, and to the sides of the fox. Her attacks originated from the astral plane, returning to reality with devastating force.

Kurogitsune endeavored to stabilize the space around herself, aiming to prevent my feline companion from striking her with impunity. However, her efforts proved futile. Despite Kurogitsune's strength in spatial magic, she was unable to effectively counter Koneka's divine power, which allowed the latter to manipulate the material world through the realm of the astral with ease, where she seemed to be at her most comfortable.

With absolute dominance and superiority in mind, Koneka ultimately grew weary of the game of cat and mouse, striking a decisive blow from a position of advantage. The attack originated from the front, as a cat's tail emerged from the astral realm, swiftly striking the back of Kurogitsune's head, leaving her shaken by the nearness of death. In the next instant, Koneka unleashed her tiny hand, its claws extended, burying themselves in Kurogitsune's throat, ripping it open along with her trachea, leaving the fox in a state of shock and terror.

Only then did my feline companion deign to summon her archimage staff, with which she pierced the body of her adversary, capturing its soul.

As I watched yet another battle conclude with success, I reflected on the events that had unfolded since we had entered the castle's tower. In the span of just two hours, seven battles had taken place, resulting in the demise of seven entities of divine rank!

With only two floors remaining, I anticipated that Maria, driven by her impatience, would confront the eighth foe. The penultimate floor held a formidable adversary that awaited my companions, save for Maria and myself. This creature possessed expertise in manipulating the sentient spirit, amplifying its magic through the energy of the soul layer. The Kurogitsune was colossal in size, but its most formidable aspect lay in its ability to oppress and manipulate the sensual spirits of weaker opponents. It played with their emotions, increasing its influence over their souls.

However, Maria presented a formidable challenge for Kurogitsune. Firstly, their spiritual essence was nearly equivalent in potency, and secondly, Maria, as a deity and wielder of higher-order energy, far surpassed Kurogitsune's capabilities, with the exception of her own unique ability, the ba-hyon. Nonetheless, I was confident that the fox spirit would not resort to using her divine powers.

As it became evident who would face off against Kurogitsune, Maria advanced towards her adversary, unleashing her dream power. This power began to permeate reality, subsuming it into the realm of her Dream Goddess. She created a zone under her absolute dominion and subject to the whims of her imagination.

Kurogitsune, guided by her instincts, immediately sensed something dreadful occurring in her vicinity. However, she was unable to act, as she needed to maintain a magical shield in front of herself, protecting her from the relentless barrage of potent spells and curses that were being hurled at her by the aura of her former student at a rate of several dozen per second, attempting to exact retribution on her adversary.

The spectators in the hall were witnessing a masterclass performance of magic by Maria, showcasing her mastery of various schools of magic. My wife had chosen to demonstrate her prowess to all around, once again establishing her reputation as the most skilled magician of our time.

It was impossible to determine when Maria's adversary, still shielded and defending herself, suddenly collapsed lifeless. Even the Almighty, for some reason unwilling to intervene, could not withstand the might of the dream state when Maria was fully immersed in it.

The instant my wife imbued the surrounding space with her essence, it came under her absolute dominion. In the ensuing moment, she swiftly established a new and unyielding conceptual law of existence within the subservient domain, affirming that only she could manifest as a sentient entity within this realm. All else was to remain inert. Thus, the fox met its demise. Its spirit lacked the fortitude to challenge the tenets of reality, even in the face of an expansive expanse of space that lay beyond the confines of the open area where the confrontation between the divine entities had erupted.

Maria's actions were executed with such finesse and mastery, leaving me almost oblivious to the precise moment when the spirit of the deceased kurogitsune vacated its physical form and was drawn into my student's aura, swiftly being absorbed by Archmage Maria's staff.

She did not even need to manifest it in the physical world. Having complete control over a small portion of reality, she seized it so firmly that she could even exert a limited influence on the process of reincarnation within it. As a result, she was able to channel the essence of the creature directly into her instrument. Words fail to convey it, but emotions speak volumes! Well done, my dear!

It is a profoundly satisfying experience to witness the performance of my apprentice as she swiftly overcame an adversary that is intellectually superior to most mages on the planet, and from what I currently know, is also highly intelligent, based solely on the capabilities of my most elite vassals.

"Well, shall we proceed?" my wife asked cheerfully and with contentment, having sensed the audience's enthusiasm, which naturally brought her great pleasure.

"Let us move forward. Before we do so, I implore everyone to heighten their defenses to the utmost and exercise utmost caution, for I am certain that the final opponent will not pose a challenge comparable to those we have encountered thus far."

Whenever I impart straightforward truths to those I hold dear, I fervently hope that it does not appear as though an elderly person is addressing a child, inquiring about whether they have taken their handkerchief and whether they have not forgotten to don their undergarments, and generally ensuring that they have their mittens and where in the world their hat is, why they cannot be seen atop their head!

And finally, as I had anticipated, the stairway ascended to the pinnacle of the tower, yet it led us to a destination far removed from our initial expectations. The first discrepancies became apparent as we ascended, for the steps appeared and felt distinct from those we had encountered previously.

Instead of ascending to the summit and finding ourselves in the chamber beneath the tower's roof, we emerged into an expansive clearing. The moon and stars shone overhead, crickets chirped in the background, fireflies danced in the air, and the entire scene was reminiscent of a bucolic paradise.

Amidst this tranquil beauty, not too far from our location, lay a tranquil pond, fed by several cascading streams. In the center of the pond, upon a small man-made island, stood a spacious pavilion, where a charming little fox reclined upon cushions. Indeed, its appearance was undeniably real, for it was not an illusion.

The kurogitsune appeared to be curious about us, regarding each of us with keen interest. Her gaze lingered particularly on Mei, Koneko, and Maria, but eventually settled on me. However, as soon as her attention turned to me, she became visibly apprehensive.

At last, I had encountered a formidable adversary. If I were not so paranoid, she might have deceived me. She expertly manipulated her emotions, attempting to mislead me by substituting genuine feelings with falsehoods. Her illusion skillfully permeated the fabric of reality, influencing the energy planes that reflected it, beginning with the mental layer and extending to the emophone.

This entity could deceive even my perception, albeit partially. Yet, such an achievement is remarkable! The fox possessed the ability and strength to feign its magical potential. It deliberately underestimated its true power, appearing five times weaker than it truly was.

I caught her red-handed, thanks to my serpentine instinct, which is based on thermal perception and a keen sense of smell. The body temperature of her reactions to our presence and my presence did not correspond to the pattern expected in cases of surprise, curiosity, and apprehension, as I sensed through empathic empathy. She also made clumsy attempts to conceal her scent. My olfactory abilities were so acute that I not only detected the odor but also perceived its traces lingering in the atmosphere. I can perceive the ethereal layers where memories of objects, environments, and events are imprinted. Her pheromonal emissions and scent exuded a high level of caution towards us, revealing the persistent animosity and fury that Kurogitsune harbors towards me, sensing the inherent serpentine nature within me.

Had it not been for my reptilian features, the entity would have deceived even me, for my gift of discerning illusions had faltered for the first time, my eyes unable to detect any deception in what lay before me. It was only the discordance arising from my serpentine senses regarding the other senses, and the information they provided, that allowed me to discern a clue, enabling me to break through the illusion of deceptive reality.

As soon as this occurred, as I was able to peel back the illusion from certain elements of the scene, everything came into focus, and what I had previously observed on the lower floors, along with the peculiar behavior of those slain by my intelligent kurōgitsune, found its explanation.

Oh, the cunning creature! What a masterstroke of deception! Yet, the entity before me had deceived me throughout our stay in the tower of the castle. Only now, as the complex illusion was shattered, and I confronted its creator directly, could I see what had previously escaped my notice, what was concealed beneath the diversionary tactics employed by the inhabitant of the ninth floor for her own power source.

Each pedestal, from the first floor to the eighth, was part of a sophisticated artifact. In my mind's eye, I saw not merely pieces of furniture or interior decor where the kurogitsunes spent their time, but rather, a vast section of the spine of a magnificent reptile. Judging from the sensations I experienced at that moment, and the memories that suddenly returned to me, as well as by considering the skull upon which the kurogitsune rested, these bones were those of a genuine dragon.

Each such segment was adorned with a plethora of runes and glyphs, numbering in the tens of thousands, whose purpose was to serve as a tether to ensnare the victim, akin to a leech draining the lifeblood of its host, while simultaneously suppressing their rational thought processes. This artefact effectively rendered Kurogitsune incapable of coherent reasoning, transforming them into a feral beast. And all of the stolen ba-hyons were being conveyed to a specific location, but only upon reaching the ninth level did I discern their ultimate destination.

The abode of the local kuromitsune was an enormous skull, no smaller than a BelAZ lorry, which served as a repository for all the Ba-Hyon, redirecting and accumulating it. However, the skull served not only as a storehouse but also as a transformer, with the central part of the complex artefact within the crown reconstructing the received Ba-Hyon to suit the owner to whom it was tied.

This was not what caused me to tense up and prepare for an immediate evacuation of my companions, however. The location we found ourselves in, far from resembling a floor in a tower of a castle, was merely an antechamber to the egregore of the deific kuromitsune I now beheld. While this egregore paled in comparison to the one I possessed, dedicated to the All-One, even what our new adversary possessed was sufficient to overwhelm and destroy all of my companions save for my wives and Mai, and even they had only a slim chance of escaping, at best.

And for this reason, upon realising the magnitude and depth of my predicament, into which I had inadvertently stumbled, and having brought more than two hundred intellectually gifted individuals with me, I arrived at what I believed to be the most prudent and advantageous course of action from all perspectives.

My companions, with the exception of May, who partly regarded me as Nurarihyon and was my admirer, all believed in me. As they constituted my flock, I utilised their souls as conduits for communication with my egregor. Leveraging their trust in me, I could traverse the spiritual realm, akin to Ariadne's thread, guided by the multitude of believers I possessed, leading me towards another pantheon, where I could merge with my own egregor and establish myself.

With more than two hundred luminous beacons represented by the radiant souls of revealed and active archmages, my task was not daunting.

And in that moment, as I employed my loved ones as conduits, exerting my divine essence upon their souls, saturating the ambient space with my essence channeled from the seemingly limitless reservoir of the egregore of the One, they became unattainable and beyond the reach of my wishes and the will of the kurogitsune. In that instant, they embodied the pinnacle of my divine presence, and any harm inflicted upon them necessitated the annihilation of the entire magnitude of my divinity, both individual and inherited from Yahweh and His egregor.

And as soon as I succeeded in bringing my egregor and that of Kurogitsune closer to one another in the subjective space that exists between the magical world and Earth, my need for companionship vanished. For their safety, I relocated them all to my egregore, which is One. It is filled with many illusions, so they have someone to explain what has transpired and where they find themselves. Meanwhile, there is a creature that is watching me and the other egregore with increasing curiosity, as it appears on the edge of its pantheon.

Upon the arrival of my retinue in the form of the Egregor of Unity, judging by the emotions emanating from the creature, Kurogitsune appeared to be in a state of extreme agitation at the prospect of new «opportunities». It would seem that she had mistaken me and my companions for a young deity and his entourage, and was prepared to devour us with great relish. To her, we appeared like dinner that had wandered into her lair.

Now, now, now! I may be young in terms of my divine essence, but at my disposal I have the full might of the Egregore of Unity! And this makes me the most powerful toad in the celestial expanse of the magical realm and Earth.

Therefore, do not smile so complacently and anticipantly, for I shall bring great displeasure upon you, fox, in a fatal, literal sense!