Moving on…

"Did you let the Yokai trick you on purpose, hoping to break its seal and gain some kind of power?"

Avery's eyes drift. "Maaybe…"

A deep sigh escapes Atsunori.

The ending of her story smells fishy, too. If anything, this tale only makes things more complicated.

"As for what I did in the hospital," she adds, "I just wanted to cheer the kid up. So I asked a nurse for some paper and made a butterfly. But he was still too grumpy for my liking, so I started thinking really hard about a way to make it cooler. Like maybe if it could fly like a paper plane… and then, well, it just happened."

Should he press further about the clearly made-up ending with Blake?

No. Not now.

Enough suspicion for one day—for the week, maybe the whole month.

"Did the Yokai have many tails?"

"Tails? No, I don't think so."

"Based on your story, it sounds like you met a Kitsune. They sometimes have multiple tails that show their age and power."

"Ah, yeah, nine is the max and means they are real badasses. Hmmm… sorry, I don't remember seeing any on Blake, so I guess there weren't many."

"Let's just assume the worst: five or more, all hidden. The fact that it was sealed also bothers me. Hostile Kitsune are very annoying to deal with because of their illusions."

"But Blake seemed nice, and it even gave me a blessing and powers, right?"

"True, but I'd still like to take measures once we return to the estate. Also, the magic with the paper butterfly was probably just a small illusion. You even fooled yourself because you're inexperienced."

"Huh. Wait, did you just say we return to the estate? I thought you wanted to cut ties and forget about me."

"The situation's changed. Now that you have a Blessing, I must at least consult the elders before leaving you on your own. You'll likely need to stay with us for some time and receive guidance on using your powers responsibly."

"Guidance… makes sense. And I do want to check out your neighborhood, as long as you don't try to lock me in there."

"I won't, no need to worry."

"Okay, cool. By the way, do you know many Yokai? Are they usually nice to hang around?"

"I've never met one personally. Only the priests in my family are allowed to interact with our Yokai Guardians."

"So do the priests also have these Blessings?"

"Almost every Munakata has one. But the priests also have additional spiritual powers. They allow them, among other things, to protect our family against dangerous Yokai, like the one Blake could turn out to be."

"I see, I see. Now that I think about it, you used some powers to heal yourself in the hospital, and me too, right?"

"That was the doctor. She's a Munakata as well."

"Healing magic, right?"

"Something like that."

"What about her Yokai?"

"...a Ningyo."

"So Japanese mermaids can heal, good to know."

Let's just hope she never ends up in a situation where that misunderstanding matters.

Atsunori continues. "For now, the most important thing is to avoid overusing your powers until you gain better control and experience."

"Why? Do they drain my lifeforce or something?"

"No, only your stamina. But if you use them irresponsibly, especially the transformations, you risk being overwhelmed by the Yokai instincts. Since you're already prone to… mischief, the nature of a Kitsune could easily blend with your true self. That can be a real headache."

"Oh, so you're grumpy and serious because it's the nature of an Oni?"

"That has nothing to do with it, alright? I went through rigorous training so my powers wouldn't affect my personality at all."

"So you also became this big by yourself?"

"Yokai Powers come with another effect: physical changes. How quickly they appear varies, but in your case, expect your reflexes to sharpen and your agility to spike." The early signs hadn't escaped his notice. "Still, my body isn't all thanks to my powers. I train regularly to maximize my potential."

"Will I… also get hairier?"

"It shouldn't happen unless you ignore my warning and abuse your powers early on. Developing those kinds of inhuman traits means you're dangerously close to giving in to the Yokai instincts irreversibly. There have been cases where people gave in so completely they couldn't turn back into humans."

"Shame, I'd have loved me some animal ears and a tail or two. But would that make my human ears disappear? Or would I end up with a whole set of four? Hmmm…"

"Let's just get going. Unless you have some actually important questions left."

And the real answer—the only valid one—is that your human ones would simply grow upward into an animal-like form, while still connecting to your original ear canal.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

Now wearing one of his spare long-sleeved shirts, Atsunori brings Avery into the Munakata estate. The guards at the entrance bow in welcome. She returns the gesture.

Once on the family grounds, it's as if months have passed since he last set foot here. With his first breath, his throat already feels cleaner, fresher—finally tasting something other than modern pollution. The sky even looks bluer than in—

"This. Place. Is. Amazing."

And Avery is already… walking right next to him at a leisurely pace?

"How come you're not running and jumping around?"

"What? Do you take me for a little kid? I know how to behave," she says, hands clasped tightly behind her back.

Her steps match Atsunori's pace, but each one has a little extra lift to it, like a contained hop. Unlike her body, though, her eyes seem to have free rein, flicking across every house, flower, person—even rock.

But she's right, she does know how to behave. Although Atsunori stops frequently to greet different family members and entertain their questions, the girl maintains perfect decorum—staying close, smiling politely, speaking only when spoken to.

"I'm actually impressed, didn't know you had it in you to act like this. Did you learn this from formal instruction growing up?"

"Ha! Nice one. Nope, everything I know I learned on my own. I know how to conduct myself because, sometimes, it's just fun to do so."

Now that makes much more sense.

Another game—that's what it actually means to her.

She'll only stay this way as long as it keeps her entertained.

"You know, you also act a bit different here than usual," she says.

"What do you mean?"

"Your posture is less stiff. You even seem somewhat relaxed, like you've removed the stick."

He rolls his eyes.

"Of course I'm calmer on my own turf. Way to state the obvious."

"It's nice," she says. "You're always so strict with yourself that seeing you like this… it's refreshing."

He considers replying, tempted, but lets it slide and keeps walking.

"Hi Atsun! Who's this girl?" his younger cousin Renya says, appearing out of nowhere.

"This is Avery," he replies, and she waves. "She will be—"

"Staying around? Can we play?"

"Can we?" Avery joins in.

The adult in her could only last so long. Now both kids are looking at him with puppy eyes. The faint remnants of redness in hers stir memories of what he did earlier.

His jaw clenches so tight his teeth feel like they might shatter.

Then he releases it.

"You know what? Fine, but only for a short while."

"Yay!" Two equally childish voices reply.

She deserves a little something to balance out this horrible day he's given her.