Beside them, Kitsune Saiguu watched the scene unfold with a peculiar expression—flashes of reluctance mixed with delight. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then her eyes fell on Kamisato Ayaka's flushed cheeks and the beaming joy on Mikoshi Chiyo's face.
"No faithless lovers, huh..." she murmured. "Fine then..."
"This kind of punishment... doesn't seem so bad after all..."
Ayaka was so embarrassed she wished the ground would swallow her whole. At first, she'd only wanted to watch Lin Mo from afar. Just gazing at the man she loved had been enough to fill her heart. Who could have predicted this twist of fate? Reuniting with her beloved was one thing, but now...
Ayaka couldn't help but wonder: in a way, could this "punishment" be seen as a divine marriage decree?
...
At that moment, Yae Miko's amused voice cut through the air, reaching everyone's ears.
"Lord Sasayuri~ Why the long face? Did that kiss swell your lips and fog your brain?"
"But... I... I'm not ready for marriage yet..."
Lin Mo stared in stunned silence. Once this law was enacted...
He shuddered at the thought of the spectacle that awaited him under punishment.
"Not ready for marriage?"
Ei looked puzzled, repeating firmly, "Sasayuri, this isn't a divine marriage—it's a penalty! It's the legal responsibility you must bear."
"Ei, maybe we can discuss this a bit more?"
Lin Mo tried tentatively. "Look, those are just stories from popular novels—bound to have some inconsistencies. As a god, shouldn't you consider revising it? Make the terms a little more flexible, add some original tweaks."
"Revise it..."
Ei fell into thought. Making the heartbreaker face his consequences seemed perfectly reasonable to her. So she looked up and asked, "What changes do you suggest? Feel free to propose them."
"Uh... well..."
Lin Mo's expression turned awkward. Canceling the law outright... Ei would never agree. And it wasn't just her—Ayaka might stay silent, but she'd surely feel disappointed inside. Chiyo would outright reject it, and Yae Miko, grinning mischievously over there, would definitely fan the flames.
Lin Mo prided himself on his quick wit, but right now, he was drawing a blank on any viable amendments.
Then, salvation arrived unexpectedly.
"Hayase~! Where have you been~!!"
A shout echoed from the distance, and a petite figure dashed toward the Yae Publishing House.
Wasn't that his adorable student, Sayu?
But what puzzled Lin Mo was: who was chasing her? That voice didn't sound like the shrine maiden Nayo Shikano's.
What girl could make Sayu flee in such a panic?
Just as Lin Mo assumed she was seeking his help...
Whoosh!
The little one zipped past him like a gust of wind, clearly not noticing him at all!
"Hey! Sayu! Why are you running?"
Lin Mo's reflexes kicked in, and he grabbed her tail with a swift hand.
"Waaah... Teacher, why are you here~"
With her tail caught, Sayu's whole body went limp, utterly defenseless.
"Teacher?"
Ayaka's eyes sparkled with interest. So... Sayu's master was Lin Mo. What a coincidence.
"Is this little tanuki your student?"
Ei asked Lin Mo curiously.
Sayu was about to huff indignantly, "I'm not a tanuki~," but the moment she looked up and saw Ei, she shrank back.
"G-General... Sayu is a ninja from the End User License... I mean, the Shuumatsuban. I'm Teacher's student."
Her timid, cautious demeanor, as if afraid of upsetting Ei, was utterly endearing.
Ei couldn't resist crouching down, gently patting her head with a smile. "Sayu, do you like sweets?"
Patted on the head again~!
I'm never gonna grow tall at this rate~!
Sayu wailed inwardly.
"I... I like food that lets me run fast. Like rice balls and stuff."
"But... if there are lots and lots of sweets, I'd like those too~" Sayu replied softly, head bowed and looking utterly pitiful. She didn't even dare refuse Yae Miko's head pats—let alone Ei's.
"Sayu likes to eat her fill and then nap, so she prefers high-energy foods like rice balls," Lin Mo explained with a smile from the side. "That way, she can snooze right after."
"Likes sleeping? Then we're kindred spirits."
Ei smiled. "If you ever want to nap, you can come to my Plane of Euthymia."
"Plane of Euthymia... what's that?"
Sayu tilted her head in confusion.
"Ahem... it's probably the safest place in the world," Lin Mo said with a wry smile. "If you're sleeping there, even I couldn't disturb you."
"Ah~! It's that safe?!"
Sayu's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, General~!"
"Mm~"
Ei continued stroking Sayu's head gently. This adorable child reminded her of the past—of Yae Miko before she took human form, a fluffy pink fox just as cute as this little tanuki.
"By the way, Sayu, was someone chasing you earlier?" Lin Mo asked curiously.
"It... it was Yoimiya~!"
Sayu's cheeks puffed out in displeasure.
"Every time she sees me, she says stuff like 'Little kitty~ Let's go to the festival together~'"
"I'm not a kitty~"
"And I don't wanna go to the festival!"
"She says it's to play together..."
"But really... she just wants me to help with her fireworks performance using my ninjutsu at the festival~"
"But what does that have to do with Shuumatsuban work?!"
...
Ei didn't quite understand the term "festival," since Inazuma in her era hadn't had such events.
Lin Mo patiently explained, "Festivals originally were ceremonies to give thanks, pray, or honor ancestors and gods."
"But nowadays, they're lively affairs with huge crowds."
"That's why vendors set up stalls selling snacks, sweets, toys, and more."
"Oh, and there are grand fireworks shows too~"
"Lots of vendors... selling sweets..."
Ei's mind seemed to latch onto that one detail.
Meanwhile, Ayaka shyly approached Lin Mo and asked softly, "Mr. Lin Mo... would you accompany me to the festival?"
"Sure."
Lin Mo nodded with a smile, turning to the group. "Everyone, let's all head to the festival tonight."
The others nodded, their eyes gleaming with anticipation at the idea.
"But... Sayu doesn't wanna perform ninjutsu~"
Sayu's face scrunched up in misery. If she went, Yoimiya would definitely catch her.
And sure enough...
"Sayu~! There you are!"
"Huh? Lin... Lin Mo!?"
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T/N:
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