Chapter 351: Successful Lure
With the experience of his previous battle against the Nine-Tailed Fox, Hikigaya Hachiman did not hesitate this time. Before even launching an attack, he directly deployed the Spirit-Locking Array, severing the surrounding space into an independent dimension.
Once he was certain the Nine-Tailed Fox had been dragged into this isolated mini-world, the spiritual energy within his body surged out at high speed, forming several massive torrents of spirit-flow that lunged toward the creature.
Watching the techniques coming her way, the Nine-Tailed Fox hovered in mid-air, manipulating the wicked miasma on the surface of her body to collide with the spirit-flows.
However, at that exact moment, the Nine-Tailed Fox felt her vision blur.
In the next second, she realized Hachiman had appeared on her back. He used his spiritual energy to wrap around the three girls and plummeted toward the ground below.
"Dammit, put them down!"
To the Nine-Tailed Fox, Yotsuya Miko and Yukinoshita Yukino were secondary, but she absolutely could not let Yurikawa Hana escape under any circumstances. Seeing Hachiman about to leave with that immense life force, the Nine-Tailed Fox abandoned her resistance against the spirit-flows and lunged her claws toward Hana.
Thud!
Her claws struck a transparent spatial barrier, emitting a muffled bang. It was only then that the Nine-Tailed Fox noticed she had been unknowingly pulled into an independent space by Hachiman.
"Interesting. Do you really think you can protect the three of them in a place like this?"
After the initial shock passed, the Nine-Tailed Fox regained her composure and attacked Hachiman once more. However, relying on the system's warnings, Hachiman maneuvered nimbly while carrying the three girls; not a single one of the Fox's attacks managed to land.
"Curse you..."
The "fat duck" already in her mouth had been snatched away, and she couldn't even chase it back. A surge of fury flashed through the Nine-Tailed Fox's heart. The wicked energy surrounding her began to expand outward, signaling her intent to launch a wide-area attack.
And right then—
"Release."
As Hachiman lightly uttered those words, the Nine-Tailed Fox felt the ground disappear beneath her. Her entire body began to fall rapidly. However, it only took a fraction of a second for her to react and hover in the air again.
But when she scanned the surroundings, trying to locate Hachiman and the others, she found they were already falling quickly toward the ground...
During the descent, Hachiman called for the Inari God's assistance. Because the Nine-Tailed Fox had escaped last time, Hachiman didn't have the Inari God teleport directly to him; instead, she was stationed at a specific location to set a trap, waiting for him to lure the Fox there.
"ROAR!"
Just as Hachiman landed and ran several hundred meters toward the trap, a furious roar from the Nine-Tailed Fox erupted behind him. The roar echoed through every corner of the city. One by one, pairs of crimson eyes began to open in the dark of night!
As he leaped across another rooftop, Hachiman suddenly realized that the buildings surrounding him were, at some point, covered in a dense swarm of evil spirits. Though their levels were low, they were enough to stall him for a brief moment!
"Lord Hikigaya."
Countless golden light-screens suddenly opened in the vicinity. Then, led by the Head Priestess, the collective foxes of the Inari Shrine stepped out from the passages and engaged the evil spirits in a chaotic melee.
"Great One, please use the passage we have opened."
Since her elder sisters were busy dealing with the high-level spirits, Xiao Wu, who had yet to grow a second tail, became the current spokesperson for the foxes. Perched on Hachiman's shoulder, Xiao Wu guided him to break through the encirclement of spirits.
The foxes Hachiman passed would charge toward the pursuing Nine-Tailed Fox after finishing off their own opponents, intending to slow down her chase.
"Please be at ease. As long as the Inari God exists, we will not truly die."
Noticing Hachiman's hesitation at the sight of her companions seemingly throwing their lives away, Xiao Wu quickly explained that their deaths were part of the plan.
"After all, only this can make that big monster believe that the Inari God cannot return in a short amount of time..."
Furthermore, if the Nine-Tailed Fox knew the Inari God was rushing toward Hachiman, she would feel a sense of urgency. In that state, she would be even less likely to be on guard against a trap!
One side pursued, the other fled. Looking at the Nine-Tailed Fox behind him, who looked ready to fight to the death, Hachiman couldn't help but wonder what she was actually after. The three girls shouldn't have been valuable enough to warrant such desperation...
Moving at high speed, Hachiman soon arrived at a bustling plaza filled with people.
"We're here, Lord Hikigaya. The trap set by the Inari God is right there."
Seeing the plaza, Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. She hurried Hachiman to cross the square and lead the Nine-Tailed Fox into the snare.
"But the people in the plaza..."
"Those are all illusions. If the scene looked deserted, that bad fox would suspect a trap, wouldn't she?"
"..."
That made sense. Unable to argue with Xiao Wu, Hachiman shrugged and bypassed the plaza, continuing his flight forward. Seeing Hachiman pass the plaza without slowing down at all, the Nine-Tailed Fox suspected nothing and flew directly over the square.
Swish, swish, swish...
The instant the Nine-Tailed Fox's body crossed the plaza, the noisy crowd vanished. In their place, chains engraved with unknown runes swept out, coiling around her entire body.
"What?!"
The sudden turn of events shocked the Nine-Tailed Fox. By the time she reacted, the runic chains had already bound her tightly.
"Nine-Tailed Fox, it's been a long time."
With a flash of golden light, the Inari God in her half-human, half-fox form appeared smiling before her.
"Inari God? It's you?"
"That's right. It's been several hundred years since we last met. I didn't expect our reunion to be under these circumstances. You look quite pathetic~"
Gazing at the bound Nine-Tailed Fox, the Inari God felt a sense of nostalgia. Long ago, as a peak existence among the Ghost Gods of evil spirits, the Nine-Tailed Fox's strength was equal to her own. After centuries of struggle, they met again, but the situation was now completely one-sided...
"Do you think this can hold me?"
Looking at the triumphant Inari God, the Nine-Tailed Fox let out a cold laugh.
"And if not?"
The Inari God crossed her arms, returning a cold stare. As their words fell, two vast powers began a fierce confrontation along the lengths of the chains...
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