The Fox's Tail

When Kaguya returned to the ground, she found that Tohka Yatogami, Origami Tobiichi, and Yoshino were nowhere in sight. After searching for some time without finding a trace of them, a frown creased her brow.

Could they have already left?

Yet Kaguya, after a moment's thought, knew that with their personalities, they would never leave without at least seeing her first. Could it be that something happened to them while she was gone? Or perhaps Westcott took advantage of her absence to attack them?

Both seemed entirely plausible, especially since Ellen, even after Kaguya had given her a hard time, was still extraordinarily powerful. Being the world's strongest wizard wasn't just her own claim; her strength was indeed far beyond what most could match. Even if Tobiichi Origami, Tohka Yatogami, and Yoshino teamed up, they might not be able to take her on.

If Ellen had been involved, then Tohka and the others would indeed be in danger.

Kaguya regretted leaving them on their own. Though each of them was a powerful Spirit, their opponents weren't pushovers either. A simple skirmish wouldn't be an issue, but if their enemies had come prepared, it might very well spell disaster.

It seemed she had no choice but to try that method.

Just as Kaguya was about to use a large-scale jutsu to locate them, she sensed something. Her gaze shifted, narrowing slightly as she spotted a graceful figure stepping out of the shadows.

The figure wore a black and red Gothic-style dress, with an intricate headband crowning her head. Long black hair spilled like mist down her shoulders, tied into uneven twin tails—one side longer, one shorter. Beneath her bangs was a breathtakingly beautiful face, with clear, dark eyes, her left eye glimmering with a captivating light. Slender legs, elegantly wrapped in sheer black stockings, exuded a seductive allure that drew the eye. Her delicate pink lips parted slightly with a smile that could charm or haunt anyone's soul. It was Kurumi Tokisaki.

"Why is it you?" Kaguya asked, taken aback as she watched Kurumi's graceful approach. "Why are you here?"

"My dear, could it be that you don't miss me at all? To ask me something like that...or have you forgotten about me already?" Kurumi placed a hand over her chest, her beautiful face showing a look of sorrow. "I think of you constantly, you know."

Kaguya's brow furrowed, ignoring Kurumi's words. She knew Kurumi wouldn't show up somewhere without a reason, and with Origami and the others now missing, she couldn't help but suspect Kurumi's involvement.

"Where are they?" Not wanting to waste time, Kaguya began to walk toward her, getting straight to the point.

"They?" Kurumi's face shifted like flipping a page; her expression went from mournful to mischievous, lips curving into a smile. "I'm not sure who you mean when you say 'they,' my dear."

"Don't play dumb," Kaguya's tone sharpened. "Tohka, Origami, Yoshino—they were here. Where did they go?"

Kurumi's expression alone was enough to confirm her suspicions. She was likely behind their disappearance or at least knew something about it.

"Oh, my dear, how fierce!" Kurumi took a few steps back, clutching her chest in mock fear, her delicate face showing a playful hint of dread. "I was going to tell you, but now I seem to have forgotten."

"Forgotten? As if," Kaguya thought, but didn't voice it aloud. "Just name your terms," she said, keeping her gaze fixed on Kurumi. But seeing that unwavering gaze staring right back at her, Kaguya let out a sigh, conceding.

She knew Kurumi had something to do with it, but it wasn't as if she could force her to talk; even if she could, it didn't guarantee that Kurumi would actually tell her the truth. She also had a feeling Kurumi bore her no ill will. If she was here, then it was likely she wanted something from Kaguya.

"My dear, you're being so distant," Kurumi moved closer, leaning in and smiling, her lips so near Kaguya's ear that her voice felt like a playful breeze. "When we're alone, you're so... rough with me. You've even hurt me quite a bit with 'this and that.'"

Hey, hey! "Rough?" And what does she mean by "this and that?" I didn't do anything like that!

"Just tell me what you want, or what condition you have," Kaguya sighed, finding herself growing exasperated with Kurumi's forward attitude and disregard for decorum.

"What I want..." Kurumi walked up to her, brushing a delicate finger over Kaguya's lips, her face suddenly wearing a mischievous expression. "What I want is you."

With that, she leaned closer, whispering a few words into Kaguya's ear.

Kaguya's eyes widened, disbelief flashing across her gaze. "What did you say?"

"Oh, nothing really," Kurumi's delicate fingers traced her own lips, a coy smile on her face. "Wasn't that your reason for coming here in the first place? I'm simply saying out loud what you would have done eventually. You'll do it sooner or later, won't you, my dear?"

"How exactly do you know that?" Kaguya's voice grew serious, her gaze fixed on Kurumi.

"What if…" Kurumi's playful smile returned as she held Kaguya's arm gently. "What if you told me yourself? Would you believe that?"

I told her...myself?

That was absurd—Kaguya would never tell her something so important, especially since they hadn't known each other long, and she had only met her a few times. She had no memory of anything like that.

Kurumi clasped her hands behind her back, leaning forward and looking up at Kaguya with an innocent smile. "So, what do you think? Will you agree to my terms and win their innocence?"

Feeling entranced by Kurumi's alluring charm and her captivating scent, Kaguya had to admit, Kurumi was an extraordinarily captivating woman. Though her beauty was perhaps slightly less than Kaguya's, the difference was marginal, and her allure was incredibly unique. She exuded the youthful energy of a young girl but also held the mature allure of a woman, with a casual charm that lingered in one's memory and could easily be addictive.

Seeing no reaction from Kaguya, Kurumi smiled mischievously and began letting her hands wander. At first, she only wrapped her arms around Kaguya's waist, but soon, her hands began to drift upward, resting on Kaguya's stomach. As Kaguya still didn't react, Kurumi grew bolder, her fair hand slowly gliding up Kaguya's lower abdomen, aiming lower.

But just as she was about to reach further, her wrist was firmly caught by Kaguya.

"That's enough," Kaguya snapped, annoyed. "If you keep this up, I'll throw you out."

"Oh, I'm far from done," Kurumi said, leaning in to blow softly by Kaguya's ear, laughing lightly. "What's the matter, dear? Are you finding it difficult to endure? You don't have to hold back if there's something you'd like to do—I wouldn't mind at all."

The words were laced with endless temptation.

This little fox was getting out of hand. Enough was enough.

Irritated by the teasing, Kaguya felt a surge of anger. She turned to face Kurumi, preparing to pounce on her and teach this girl a lesson—make her understand the consequences of provoking her.

But Kurumi seemed to have anticipated this and immediately released Kaguya, retreating gracefully as if flitting like a butterfly through flowers, evading Kaguya's lunge. With a playful smile, she said, "Alright, I won't tease you anymore, dear, but don't forget the promise between us."

When Kurumi mentioned the "promise," a peculiar gleam flickered in her eyes, and a gentle smile spread across her beautiful face.

"What's this? Trying to escape already?"

A slender, fair arm suddenly stretched out, and before Kurumi could react, Kaguya pulled her close, hugging her tightly.

In the distance, Kaguya vanished with a muted "poof," dissolving into a wisp of white smoke. It was Kaguya's Shadow Clone technique.

"Looks like you have more tricks up your sleeve than I expected," Kurumi said, surprisingly unfazed by the situation.

"There's much more you don't know," Kaguya's lips curved into a sly smile. "Trying to tease me comes at a price, understand, little fox?" With that, Kaguya's hand slid out, brushing past her side before suddenly grasping and giving a soft squeeze to her chest.

Kurumi gasped, taken aback by Kaguya's boldness, though her expression quickly shifted back to a smile. "You're as eager as ever, my dear."

"I thought of letting you go, but it's too late to beg now," Kaguya said as she continued her playful grasp, savoring the softness under her hand. She leaned in, whispering with a wicked grin, "I'm going to give you a lesson you'll never forget, one that'll leave you unable to even cry."

"If that's what you want, then I have no choice," Kurumi replied, acting as if she had surrendered entirely, allowing Kaguya to explore as she pleased. "But I wonder how Origami, Tohka, and the others would feel if they saw us right now?"

"Tohka?" Kaguya blinked in surprise. "Where are they?"

Hearing Kurumi's mention of them made Kaguya stop in her tracks.

"What's wrong, dear? Don't stop now," Kurumi teased with a look of triumph. "Don't worry; I'll explain everything to them. It's all my fault, really."

Right, as if she'd trust Kurumi with an explanation.

Knowing Kurumi, she'd add so many twists that it would spiral out of control. Tohka especially would likely get worked up enough to tear the place apart, resulting in an all-out fight and devolving into an absurd soap opera with Kaguya scrambling to placate two petty girls.

Just thinking about it made Kaguya's head ache.

As Kaguya tried to pull away, Kurumi clamped her hand over Kaguya's, holding it against her softness. But for once, Kaguya wasn't in the mood to continue.

"No need to hurry, my dear," Kurumi teased with a smirk. "Rest assured, I won't put you in a tough spot. I'll just let them know exactly what we are to each other—I'm sure they'll understand."

Understand? This was clearly a trap.

At that moment, footsteps echoed from a distance, gradually growing closer, accompanied by faint voices. It was unmistakably Tohka.

If this continued, things would only get worse. To prevent the situation from taking an even stranger turn, Kaguya finally activated her Mirror Flower, Water Moon ability just in time.

Mirror Flower, Water Moon: Time Manipulation.

Instantly, the world around them slowed down, and Kaguya managed to pry Kurumi's hand off, immediately freeing herself from her embrace.

Given Kaguya's strength, she could easily have broken free from Kurumi's hold, though doing so with brute force might have shattered Kurumi's wrist. Being a gentleman—no, a nice person—Kaguya would never resort to such methods.

Of course, anyone not as appealing wouldn't be so lucky.

"What a pity," Kurumi said with a wistful sigh. "I was looking forward to watching a good show."

Kaguya's mouth twitched, her eyebrow slightly raised. Just now, Kurumi had offered to "help explain," but clearly, she was showing her true colors now.

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