Please to Kitsune-sama!

Chapter 186 : Shadows Are Banished by Light

Now then, the aftermath of the urban legend incident—to put it bluntly, it was decided that nothing would be made public. Well, as always, that was only natural.

Humans live their lives walking out into town, crossing crosswalks, boarding buses. They must go to schools, hospitals, all sorts of places.

If the authorities were to announce, “In daily life, you may suddenly vanish without a trace,”—what then? How would they possibly follow up?

It wasn’t about staying away from dangerous places. It was everyday life itself being dangerous. Announce something like that, and it would only paralyze society. People would be too afraid to leave their homes. And since urban legends are horror tales that cling to daily life itself, you cannot truly avoid them. The impact such an announcement would have is utterly unpredictable.

Better the comfort of ignorance than the terror of knowledge. Once again, that was the decision.

“Well, fair enough. Sure, making it public might increase demand for people hiring awakener bodyguards… but that wouldn’t really solve anything.”

“Indeed. Nor was it the kind of problem that could be solved so easily.”

A few days later.

Shion, after a hospital check-up had found nothing wrong—which nearly caused a commotion once they realized Inari was responsible, until the Awakener Association gagged the hospital staff with airtight confidentiality contracts—came to Inari’s home that day to offer her thanks.

Her gift was famous shop dango: sweet-salty glaze and sweet bean paste, two flavors arranged neatly on a platter. With hot tea steaming beside them, the two shared them at the table.

“But really, Shion—why’d you fall for such an obvious trap?”

“I had no leeway left… and it wasn’t impossible, either.”

“Hmm. Well, yes. In the end, that’s it.”

Inari and the others had suspected from the start, but until the moment of truth they’d allowed for the possibility of an innocent bystander. If the target had truly been a civilian, striking preemptively would have been disastrous. It was the natural caution—and Inari’s abnormal ability to casually nullify “sure-kill” attacks that made the difference.

“So then—what is that so-called godlike being, anyway?”

Indeed, Inari had reported it again: the “godlike beings.” But as before, no one else had perceived them—only Inari had been “contacted.” Thus, they remained in the same ambiguous category. Still, the Top Rankers were warned, and Shion was among them.

But, with nothing actionable, she decided she may as well ask Inari directly.

“Hm? Honestly… I don’t know.”

“Not gods, then?”

“Unclear. To start with, how dost thou define a god…?”

A very difficult question. After all, “godlike beings” was merely the system’s label. They very well could be gods in truth. But that was not something Inari could determine.

So far, Inari had confirmed three such existences: The Bearer of Endless Agony and Delight, The One Who Dwells in the Deep Abyss, and The Formless That Is Spoken Of.

They made pacts with “apostles,” exerting influence upon the world. But their true purpose remained unknown. What was clear: nothing good had come of them, and so Inari’s stance of banishing their influence seemed justified.

“Though, ‘temporary’ suppression… hardly a fundamental solution…”

“Well, if by some chance one whispers to thee, best not lend an ear.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“If it persists, tell me. I can handle it.”

“Got it.”

Nodding at Shion’s honesty, Inari popped a bean-paste dango into her mouth. Delicious… not only the dumpling itself, but the smooth, carefully kneaded koshian topping.

Inari liked both tsubuan and koshian, but this one was truly splendid.

“Delicious… truly delicious. Shion, thou hast fine taste in dango.”

“That’s the first time anyone’s ever praised me for that.”

“Is that so? Well, then. Go on, Shion, eat thy fill. ’Twas thou who brought them, after all.”

“But they’re supposed to be thanks.”

“And thanks I have already received, have I not? Now, it is time to enjoy dango together.”

Good food should be shared. Two at the table, rather than one alone—that made it taste all the better.

Shion accepted the feeling, bit into a mitarashi dumpling, and smiled.

“Mmm. Yes, delicious.”

“Indeed, indeed. Mayhap I should visit this shop myself sometime… where is it?”

“Asakusa.”

“Oh. I know the name.”

Rumors abounded. This shop’s treats were excellent; that alleyway had an incident; always a mix of light and shadow.

And because any rumor could be true, they were passed down as if they were real.

Urban legends were much the same. But in this new era, they had taken the form of dungeons and monsters—become “real.” It was no one’s fault. It could not be blamed on any one person.

But if there was one truth to remember—

Where there is shadow, there is also light. And light, more often than not, has the strength to banish shadows.