Sangonomiya Shrine
"Lady Sangonomiya, y-you…"
Gorou stared in disbelief.
You're my superior!
Shouldn't you be on my side?!
Why are you thinking the exact same thing as that fox woman?!
…Or is this your true nature?
Just suppressed by the war all this time?
He staggered back a step.
"I will never crossdress!"
"Even if I jump off Sangonomiya Shrine—"
"Even if I jump from the Grand Narukami Shrine—"
"I absolutely will not crossdress!"
He planted a tragic flag with heroic determination.
Unfortunately for him—
There exists an eternal law in this world called 'True Fragrance.'
If he had known, he would never have spoken so boldly.
Kokomi, meanwhile, smiled until her eyes curved like crescent moons.
Now she finally understood why the Guuji enjoyed teasing people so much.
It was…
Actually quite fun.
Of course, that was only because Inazuma was peaceful now.
In wartime, she would never have such leisurely thoughts.
But then—
She froze.
"Wait."
"If Yae Miko is this much of a scummy trickster…"
"And I get along with her so well in our correspondence…"
"…Does that mean deep down, I'm also that kind of scummy person?"
She rested her chin on her hand, entering deep contemplation.
Gorou, seeing that thoughtful expression—
Assumed she was calculating how to make him crossdress.
He quietly shuffled several steps away.
[Extraordinary Chat Group]
Barbara: A male… becoming a beloved big sister… this is…
Yun Jin: Inazuma readers' fantasies are collapsing as we speak!
Ayaka: I had heard of Miss Hina… but Gorou…? (bitter smile)
Nilou: Gorou: "I just helped people. How did I turn into a woman?" (doge)
Furina: And poor Arataki Itto! Budget tight, yet he still reserved promotion funds for Miss Hina! (doge)
Paimon: He imagined everything except that Miss Hina was a man! (evil grin)
Lumine: In another world, this is a classic case of a top donor's catastrophic face reveal! (doge)
Nahida: Top donor? Face reveal?
Alice: When a man spends the most money supporting a female idol, he becomes the "Top Donor." If they meet offline and it's not what he expected—it's called a crash.
Yoimiya: That's… tragic…
Kuki Shinobu: I can already picture it… (facepalm)
Venti: Isn't that even more exciting? (doge)
Tartaglia: ???
Zhongli: By universal reason, female Gorou actually looks quite nice… so perhaps it isn't unacceptable… (serious.jpg)
Ei: Ahem. Reasonable.
The chat collectively blinked.
When did the Archons become like this?
Clearly, the light screen was corrupting them.
The Breaking Point
Gorou, already devastated—
Finally it exploded.
Gorou: I am Gorou! A man! Not Miss Hina! It's all that fox woman's fault!
Itto: I'm not some top-donor sucker!
Itto: Return my Miss Hina!
Gorou: Itto, I—
Itto: D-Don't come closer! (terrified.jpg)
Gorou: ...
The entire group lost it.
The Fox Descends
After watching the chaos unfold long enough, Yae Miko finally joined in.
Yae Miko: Oh? Isn't this Miss Hina and her top supporter? How was the meeting~? (evil smile)
Gorou: You scummy fox! I worked for Yae Publishing and you played me like this?!
Gorou: I can't even show my face outside anymore!
Gorou: I quit! Find someone else!
Itto: Fight fair, fox woman! Changing names behind the scenes is cowardly!
Itto: I demand emotional compensation!
Ei: Psychological damages.
Itto: Right! Emotional damages!
The two of them united against her.
For dignity.
For honor.
For shattered dreams.
Miko raised a brow.
Then smiled.
Yae Miko: @Gorou Quit? Certainly. But then your previous wages will be considered compensation for Yae Publishing~
Yae Miko: And Miss Hina cannot simply vanish.
Yae Miko: That crossdressed image from the screen is lovely. Perhaps I should distribute posters across Inazuma City~
Yae Miko: Let the people admire Miss Hina in advance. (smile.jpg)
Gorou froze.
If she did that—
Resigning would only make things worse.
The fox had spoken only a few sentences—
And completely crushed him.
He swallowed.
Gorou: Ahem. Lady Guuji, I must have been half-asleep earlier. How could I abandon such a fine position at Yae Publishing?
Yae Miko: Good. (smile)
Behind the smile—
He could practically see her grinning.
He clenched his fists.
"This isn't surrender."
"It's strategic retreat."
"Biding time."
From a distance, Kokomi watched sympathetically.
Offending the Guuji and thinking you could escape?
Childish.
The Oni Stands Alone
Itto stared at Gorou's sudden capitulation.
"…You surrendered?!"
So now he stood alone against the fox.
A sliver of doubt crept into his heart.
But then he remembered—
His funds.
His dreams.
His Miss Hina.
He stood tall.
Itto: Fox woman! You destroyed my love!
Itto: I fear nothing now!
Itto: Arataki Itto, Number One in the World, does not fear you!
Gorou: For the record, I have no romantic involvement in this—
Itto: Silence! You wouldn't understand the real Miss Hina's spirit!
Miko tilted her head slightly.
Interesting.
After neutralizing Gorou—
The oni remained lively.
Good.
Too easy would be boring.
She smiled.
Yae Miko: In Inazuma City, the Shogun watches. How could I possibly scheme?
Yae Miko: You are right. I owe you emotional damages~
Yae Miko: When the time is right, come to Yae Publishing to collect them~
Itto beamed.
He mistook this for fear.
Itto: Hahaha! Good! At least you know your place!
Kuki Shinobu quietly closed her eyes.
"Boss… may you survive what comes next."
Anyone with a brain could see it—
That fox was planning something.
She had merely lifted a finger—
And dismantled their resistance.
One retreated.
One walked willingly into the trap.
The Guuji of Narukami Shrine.
Truly not to be trifled with.
Villa
Luo Chen chuckled at the barrage of comments.
That pink-haired fox was terrifying.
Someone was definitely about to suffer.
He continued.
"Beyond those examples, let's look at some of Yae Miko's classic lines."
After the video montage of her infamous teasing quotes ended, the chat buzzed.
Ningguang: Traveler, Itto, Gorou, even the Raiden Shogun herself—handled effortlessly.
Navia: And that's just what the screen revealed.
Furina: With a familiar like that, even without the screen, reputations would collapse~ (doge)
Nahida: Perhaps her nature also stems from Lady Kitsune Saiguu's influence…
Many nodded.
A master had clearly taught her well.
Tenshukaku
Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances.
They realized—
Losing royalties wasn't so bad.
Compared to:
Losing gender.
Losing a month of mobility.
Losing divine dignity.
They were lucky.
Ei, however, felt dissatisfied.
She had hoped Miko would suffer.
Instead—
Everyone else suffered more.
"Cheer up, Ei~" Miko smiled. "I'm enjoying this very much."
Ei snorted.
"No one has ever walked away from the light screen laughing."
"This was only the first item."
"Let's see how long you smile."
She turned toward the screen.
"Oh great light screen—do your work."
Miko also looked up.
Calm.
Relaxed.
Who said no one could walk away smiling?
Perhaps she would be the first.
Villa
Luo Chen closed the video and continued.
"Through those examples, you've seen Miko's scummy side."
"Now—Unofficial Evaluation Item Two."
"Yae Miko's childhood."
"But not the childhood you're thinking of."
"This one…"
"Contains one of the key reasons for her eventual rebellion."
He clicked play.
On the screen appeared:
[Raiden Ei and Little Yae's Cohabitation Life]
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