As Kuroyasha and the others exited the portal, they found themselves standing before a grand gate guarded by two stone tanuki statues. Looking ahead, they saw the DaiTanuki Castle. It resembled Nakatsu Castle from the human realm-but was five times larger.
Kuzuno looked around, immediately sensing the peaceful nature of the land. Tanuki of all shapes and sizes wandered about, going about their daily lives. Some enjoyed the casinos and natural parks, while others spent their time at amusement parks, endless food stands, and bathhouses.
Kuzuno smiled warmly. It was clear that Goddess Minoyama took great care of her people.
Just then, a small tanuki child approached her, staring in awe. It was obvious the child had never seen a fox before. The child giggled playfully and began tugging at Kuzuno's tails.
A voice quickly called out-
"Kari!!! That is so rude! You should not play with a fox's tails like that!"
A mother tanuki rushed over and gently pulled her child back. She was roughly human-sized but retained full tanuki features, standing upright. She wore a lovely green dress with matching shoes, while her daughter wore a yellow dress to match her own.
The mother bowed deeply.
"I sincerely apologize for my daughter's rudeness."
As she lifted her head, she got a clear look at Kuzuno's face-and immediately panicked. She bowed again, forcing her daughter to do the same.
"A thousand apologies, Princess Kuzuno of the Fox Realm!!! Please forgive my daughter's thoughtless actions!"
Kuzuno smiled gently.
"Please, lift your head. It is quite alright. I'm sure your daughter meant no harm."
She knelt beside the child and, using her ice powers, formed a small charm-a miniature three-tailed fox made of shimmering ice. She fastened it gently onto the girl's arm.
"Your name is Kari, correct? This is a gift from me. It means we're friends now. Take good care of your mother, okay? She's very kind."
The mother began to cry tears of joy, deeply moved by Kuzuno's kindness.
Kari's face lit up with pure happiness.
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"Thank you so much, Princess Kuzuno! It's so pretty!"
She hugged Kuzuno tightly before running back to her mother to show off the charm. The two bowed once more before heading on their way.
As Kuzuno turned back toward the group, she noticed Kuroyasha wearing an annoyed expression.
She approached him softly.
"Is something wrong, Kuroyasha? You seem troubled."
He snapped out of his thoughts and gave her a warm smile before looking back at the castle.
"I was just thinking about when I used to come here as a kid... with my little brothers. I haven't seen them in a long time. I didn't really keep in touch after I left, so... they might not be too happy to see me."
He paused.
"And... there's her too. She can be a bit... over the top."
Kuzuno tilted her head, confused-but before she could ask anything, the stone tanuki suddenly came to life.
They transformed into large, round-bellied tanuki warriors. One held a spear, the other a sword. They approached the group, eyes locked onto Kuroyasha.
Murasaki and Kuzuno tensed, preparing for a fight.
But instead-
The tanuki dropped their weapons and rushed forward, hugging and nuzzling Kuroyasha with joyful tears.
"BELLY!!! BELLY!!!"
Kuzuno and Murasaki stared in confusion.
Kuroyasha laughed, returning the embrace.
"I missed you guys too! Sorry I've been away so long-work's been hectic. But I'm glad to see you're both doing well."
The tanuki beamed even brighter.
After a moment, they looked at him again.
"Belly?"
Kuroyasha nodded and gestured toward the others.
"I've brought guests. This lovely blue fox is Princess Kuzuno of the Fox Realm, and this is Princess Murasaki of the Demon Ogre Realm."
He smirked slightly, knowing Murasaki disliked being called a princess.
She turned away, embarrassed, muttering under her breath.
The gatekeepers bowed respectfully to both of them.
"Belly! Belly!"
Kuzuno and Murasaki exchanged confused looks.
Murasaki frowned.
"...All they said was 'belly.' How did you get all that from that?"
Kuroyasha shrugged.
"That's just how they communicate. It took me a while to understand them too-but they're great tanuki. They've been guarding this gate for hundreds of years, so they've seen everything. They used to tell me stories when I snuck out at night."
He turned back to them.
"And I assume... she's here today?"
"Belly! Belly! Belly!"
The massive gates creaked open.
The path to the castle was now clear.
The gatekeepers returned to their posts, weapons in hand. As Kuroyasha walked forward, they called out softly-
"Belly...?"
He looked back with a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. Once I'm settled, I'll come back. We'll share some ramen-I promise."
The tanuki lit up with joy before turning back into stone.
As they approached the castle, Kuzuno asked-
"What did they mean when they said 'belly' three times?"
Kuroyasha replied casually,
"They said the goddess is waiting for us in the throne room and told us to head straight in."
Kuzuno fell into thought.
The Tanuki Realm is vast and powerful... equal to the Fox Realm in many ways. But how is Kuroyasha so welcomed here? Even the gatekeepers treated him like family...
She smiled softly.
There's still so much I don't know about him... and that's okay. I want to learn everything-little by little.
As they drew closer to the castle, a smooth, alluring female voice echoed all around them-
"Well, well... the two princesses have finally arrived. It has been quite some time since I've had such honored guests. However... I have more pressing business with the one who calls himself Kuroyasha~"
A snap echoed.
In an instant, they were inside the throne room.
The walls were lined with portraits of ancient tanuki warriors and deities, all set against deep red walls. The polished wooden floor gleamed like a mirror.
Two cushions rested before the throne.
A figure sat upon it, hidden in dim lighting.
"Princess of the Fox Realm, please sit. Princess of the Demon Ogre Realm, you as well."
Kuzuno and Murasaki obeyed.
Kuzuno glanced around.
"There's no seat for Kuroyasha..."
The voice chuckled.
"Do not worry... there is indeed a place for him~"
The room brightened-revealing not one, but two thrones.
Kuroyasha sighed and stepped toward the second seat.
But before he could sit-
A figure suddenly appeared behind him and wrapped him in a warm, intimate embrace.
"It has been far too long since you came home... I simply couldn't wait to see you, my dear Kuroyasha~"