But soon, Kamuna Harunosuke noticed something off.
The aura of the woman before him was very similar to hers, but it wasn't her.
["…No, who are you?"]
[Mysterious Woman: "I'm… My name is 'Hanachirusato.'"]
She almost blurted out a different name but corrected herself at the last moment.
[Enigmatic Man: "…No need to say more. I understand."]
["I thought she had come back, but it's like this, huh."]
Kamuna Harunosuke had seen through everything and realized Hanachirusato's true identity.
Hanachirusato's existence also confirmed that Kitsune Saiguu was truly gone, and though his heart was inevitably filled with disappointment, he forced himself to stay spirited and said:
["Well, well, it's nothing. Miss Hanachirusato, nice to meet you."]
Yes, she won't come back, so this is just our first meeting… isn't it?
[Hanachirusato: "I… I remember now. The 'Sacred Sakura.' Your matters. The Raiden matters."]
Hanachirusato suddenly said this, leaving readers a bit confused. Did she have amnesia or something?
Ei, however, had largely confirmed her suspicions, her heart pounding.
Lucian had given Lumine the puppet that could 'revive Makoto.' Could I see her after that?
Ei's gaze toward Lucian carried a hint of gratitude—something she normally wouldn't dare imagine, as unrealistic fantasies only brought more sorrow.
Lucian noticed Ei's gratitude and said bluntly, "So, can you cut down on my assignments?"
Ei shook her head. "I must teach you even more diligently."
Lucian: "…"
Lucian thought to himself: If I really master your skills and inherit your teachings, would that be called the Raiden Makoto Legacy or the Raiden Ei Legacy?
Seeing Lucian fall silent, Ei thought he lacked confidence in becoming stronger and comforted him, "You have great talent."
Ei's words were clumsy, but her encouraging gaze was genuine. Lucian could only say, "Thanks."
Back to the story, seeing that Hanachirusato recalled some things, Kamuna Harunosuke started joking.
[Enigmatic Man: "Well, well. Oh, wait. Maybe the person standing before you is actually 'Ioroi' in disguise, you know."]
["After all, you've never seen me in person, right, Miss Hanachirusato?"]
He meant that 'Hanachirusato' had never seen him in person, not that 'Kitsune Saiguu' hadn't.
Hanachirusato indeed hadn't met Kamuna Harunosuke in person, and she said:
["From what I recall, it doesn't make much difference."]
Her words implied that Kitsune Saiguu hadn't really paid much attention to him either.
[Enigmatic Man, deeply hurt: "Ugh! That's harsh—!"]
I was just teasing you, and you hit me with a critical strike?
What's with you? You skipped the whole flirting escalation and went straight for the ultimate move?
Kamuna Harunosuke's mentality was still strong. If it were someone less resilient, they'd have shed at least a couple of tears.
Your white moonlight is gone, you think of her day and night, finally meet her, and she doesn't recognize you, only to later say, "Oh, it's you. I didn't notice you back then."
Kamuna Harunosuke didn't know that when Hanachirusato first awoke, her memories were jumbled, and she couldn't recall much. But seeing him gave her a sense of nostalgia.
Hanachirusato's words were just a result of the fox lady's inherited mischievous streak—teasing the young man like a big sister would.
[Hanachirusato: "Then let's part ways here."]
["'In the morning, a beauty's fame lights up the world; by evening, her bones decay in the wilderness.'"]
[Enigmatic Man: "What a mood-killer. For me, this was at least 'half' an emotional reunion. No, maybe a quarter?"]
But Hanachirusato didn't wait for Kamuna Harunosuke to finish and turned to leave.
[Enigmatic Man, watching Hanachirusato walk away: "Ah, she just left like that. What a frustrating person…"]
He said that, but he remembered the short poem Hanachirusato recited for the rest of his life.
["...Well, well, I've decided. I won't deal with her this time."]
Kamuna Harunosuke could naturally see Hanachirusato's true identity, but how could he bring himself to act against her?
In fact, there were hardly any in Inazuma who could.
You can't expect Ei to cut down Mikoshi Chiyo and then come for Hanachirusato too, right? Ei's little heart couldn't take that.
[Enigmatic Man continued: "Anyway, it's not my job, and she's not some Nobushi or monster charging at me, screaming."]
["I'm already tired today. Thinking I saw a friend I'd never see again—that feeling is exhausting…"]
As an 'Onmyoji,' exorcising evil and slaying demons was indeed Kamuna Harunosuke's job, but he was just making excuses.
How do we know he was making excuses? Because right after saying he was tired, Kamuna Harunosuke said something else.
["Come to think of it, after she left, Ioroi seems to have been causing a ruckus with his clan."]
["If he'd just stayed quietly in the Chinju Forest, I could've turned a blind eye."]
["Well, well, I'll have to give him a good thrashing…"]
Just moments ago, he was saying it wasn't his job and that he was tired, but the next second, he was planning to take out his frustration on Ioroi.
Kamuna Harunosuke had a good mentality, but he also had a bit of a 'temper.'
[Enigmatic Man, after Hanachirusato left, continued muttering to himself: "That person, what a mood-killer."]
["If I ever take a disciple someday, it has to be a cheerful, beautiful big sister. Yes, that's settled."]
He said that, but in reality, he never took a disciple.
Or perhaps, the cheerful, beautiful big sister in his heart was none other than Kitsune Saiguu.
In any case, after sealing the sacred object and Ioroi, he established the Onmyoryo to protect Inazuma until his 'passing,' without ever having heirs or disciples.
This was why the 'Kamuna' bloodline didn't continue. If he had taken a disciple, at least the art of 'Spirit Incantation' wouldn't have been lost.
[Enigmatic Man: "Since this is her domain, it's the land of the Hakushin lineage. Let's use this then."]
["'Fried Tofu, Come Quickly'!"]
In the end, he still used Kitsune Saiguu's favorite thing as the third line of the 'Spirit Incantation.'
From this, it's clear that it's not just Yae Miko who loves fried tofu—the entire Hakushin lineage, or at least this branch of the fox clan, all love fried tofu.
Fried tofu is practically an Inazuma fox trap. Now you know what to buy, right?
This tofu is truly something else—it can lure fox ladies and be used to tease Itto.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice · Kitsune Saiguu: About Kamuna Harunosuke
"Hm… Human lifespans are short and fleeting, but I never expected he'd be the first to shed tears for me."