Kuro raised his right hand toward the distance, while his left hand remained casually in his pocket.
"Here, the concepts of direction and space are no longer absolute. Up can become down, distance can be folded, and perspective is something that can simply be rewritten."
As a demonstration, his index finger moved slightly.
Instantly, one of the distant buildings folded like paper before slowly returning to its original shape.
Tamamo fell silent.
Her expression shifted again, from confusion to complete blankness.
She stared at the building.
Then at Kuro.
Then back at the building.
A few seconds passed in silence.
"…Master."
Her tone was extremely cautious.
"May I ask one very important question?"
Kuro gave a small nod.
"Go ahead."
Tamamo took a long breath, as if mentally preparing herself.
"Was I summoned by a completely normal Master?"
Silence.
Kuro thought for a few seconds.
"…I don't think so."
Tamamo immediately covered her face with both hands.
"Ahh… just as I feared."
Her single tail drooped lifelessly.
"So of course I was summoned by someone who casually says 'there is no Counter Force' like it's good news."
She peeked through her fingers.
"And why is there a party popper?"
That final question sounded far more sincere than anything she had said before.
Kuro paused for a moment, as if considering it.
"Atmosphere."
Tamamo stared at him with a blank expression.
"…I see. I apparently already have a lot of mental work."
Hearing that, Kuro let out a soft chuckle.
Then he turned around, facing another direction.
"In that case," he said casually, "let's go over your task list while walking home."
A small Gate of Babylon opened beside him.
The golden portal rippled gently.
From within, a Sling Ring dropped neatly between the fingers of Kuro's left hand, as if it had been precisely placed there from the very beginning.
Tamamo's eyes widened slightly.
Her gaze snapped from the golden portal as it slowly closed, then back to Kuro.
"…That."
Her tone shifted.
Now it sounded far more focused.
"That just now…"
She narrowed her eyes, clearly recognizing something.
"A storage gate of treasure?"
Her gaze sharpened further.
Aura, isolated space, absence of Counter Force, and now a golden portal storing various objects.
The longer she observed, the more her list of questions only grew.
"Master…"
Her voice carried a deeply thoughtful tone.
"I'm starting to feel like this contract is going to require mental adjustments."
Without answering, almost at the same time, Kuro raised both hands.
His left hand still wore the Sling Ring.
Meanwhile, his right hand traced a circular motion in the air.
Orange sparks immediately began to appear.
A flame-like light formed a glowing ring, expanding steadily.
Within seconds, a perfect portal opened in front of them.
Beyond it, a quiet sidewalk could be seen—somehow familiar to Kuro.
Without hesitation, he stepped through first. Once on the other side, he immediately turned around.
His body slightly bowed in an elegant manner.
His left hand was placed behind his back, while his right hand was raised with the palm facing upward—exactly like the formal gesture of someone helping a noble descend from a carriage.
His expression remained calm.
Yet this time, there was a faint playful undertone that rarely appeared.
"Allow me to guide your steps, Lady."
Tamamo fell silent.
She stared at his hand for several seconds, then shifted her gaze to the portal in front of her.
Then back to Kuro again.
Her face slowly flushed a faint red.
"…Eh?"
Her fox ears twitched slightly.
Her single tail gave a subtle flick behind her.
Even though she had just been going through an existential crisis about her Master and this strange reality, her feminine instincts still seemed to be working perfectly fine.
Tamamo covered her mouth with one hand.
Her expression slowly softened into a sweet smile.
"Oh my."
Her voice now sounded much gentler.
"So Master can actually be quite the gentleman."
She stepped forward gracefully, then placed her hand over Kuro's palm as if she were truly being helped down from a noble carriage.
"In that case, I will gladly accept this treatment."
The corners of her lips lifted slightly.
"Your points have gone up a little."
Kuro let out a small chuckle.
"Then how many points am I at now?"
Tamamo pretended to think very seriously.
She placed one finger against her chin and narrowed her eyes slightly, as if performing a deeply important calculation.
"Hm…"
A few seconds passed.
"At first, it was quite low."
Her golden gaze shifted toward Kuro.
"Considering my first impression involved a dimension that violates geometric laws, the absence of the Counter Force, a traumatizing party popper, and a Master whose aura feels like an illegal magecraft experiment."
Her tone remained gentle, but her words were brutally honest.
"However…"
She stepped a little closer.
Her smile turned sweeter.
"Since you are quite the gentleman, I believe your score has increased quite significantly."
Tamamo tilted her head slightly.
"…Maybe around six out of ten."
She raised one finger again.
"With potential for improvement."
Her eyes sparkled faintly, clearly teasing him.
"As long as you don't suddenly show anything strange on the way home."
Kuro let out a faint sigh.
His eyes closed for a moment, and his expression briefly looked like he was carrying the weight of a great disappointment.
Of course, it wasn't entirely genuine.
More like a deliberate dramatic gesture to enhance the effect.
"So my path toward earning a perfect score from you is still quite long, huh…"
His tone sounded calm, but intentionally theatrical.
Tamamo stared at him for a few seconds.
Then she let out a soft laugh.
Her laughter was gentle, light, and oddly comforting.
"Master."
She shook her head slightly, a sweet smile still lingering on her face.
"If someone gets a perfect score right at the first meeting, wouldn't that actually be boring?"
Her golden eyes lifted to meet Kuro's.
"There's a certain appeal in watching someone gradually improve their score."
She paused briefly, then added in a much softer tone.
"Besides, the journey toward a full ten sounds far more enjoyable."
After saying that, Tamamo extended her hand.
Her slender fingers gently touched Kuro's right hand, allowing him to guide her through the portal.
Once Tamamo had fully stepped onto the other side, the portal behind them slowly shrank.
Its orange glow faded little by little before disappearing completely.
The street returned to silence.
Now, the two of them walked side by side under the night sky.
The night air was cool, comfortable enough to accompany their relaxed pace.
Streetlights cast a soft yellow glow, stretching their shadows across the pavement.
Their destination was simple.
Kuro's residence in the One Punch Man world.
And along the way, the night was filled with slow footsteps, cool air, and Kuro's explanations about various things that Tamamo would likely need to understand to avoid further existential confusion in the future.
***
"Hm."
Some time had passed.
Throughout the journey, Kuro had explained quite a lot about this world, including the various tasks he had assigned to Tamamo.
Now, walking casually along the quiet sidewalk under the warm glow of streetlights, Tamamo seemed lost in her own thoughts.
Her left hand rested lightly near her chest, while her right hand was raised, index finger and thumb touching her chin in a thoughtful pose.
After a moment, a sweet smile slowly formed on her face—almost too beautiful to ignore.
"…This world is quite interesting."
She paused briefly, then continued in a much more enthusiastic tone.
"And the tasks you've given me, especially the housework…"
Tamamo stepped slightly ahead of Kuro.
Her body spun lightly in a graceful motion, almost like a small dance.
Her sleeves swayed gently with the movement.
"Leave everything to your dependable Shrine Maiden Fox Girl, Caster!"
Her voice rang out with bright enthusiasm.
Kuro stopped walking.
A warm smile appeared on his face.
"That's some good enthusiasm."
His gaze rested on Tamamo.
"You seem quite suited to be an ideal wife candidate."
Tamamo froze.
For a full second, her expression went completely blank.
Then her cheeks slowly turned red.
"…Eh?"
Her fox ears shot straight up.
Her single tail twitched sharply.
"A-Ah?!"
She reflexively covered part of her face with her sleeve.
"M-Master, that's way too sudden to say something so dangerous!"
Her voice rose several levels.
Even so, the blush on her face only deepened.
"Though… that compliment is somewhat… pleasant."
Her last words came out much softer.
But immediately after, her expression changed.
Her smile faded, and her golden eyes sharpened as her fox ears gave a subtle twitch.
She clearly sensed something approaching.
Even though there was no obvious killing intent or hostility, Tamamo didn't let her guard down for even a moment.
In fact, that made her even more cautious. It was entirely possible someone skilled enough could conceal such things perfectly.
Without hesitation, Tamamo moved closer to Kuro's side.
A sacred mirror appeared, slowly rotating beside her, emitting a faint glow.
At the same time, several paper talismans formed in her hands.
Her body lowered slightly.
Her posture shifted into a combat-ready stance.
"Master, please stay close to me."
Her tone was now fully serious.
However, even though Tamamo had already shifted into full alert mode, Kuro himself showed no sign of concern at all.
His expression remained relaxed.
As if he didn't perceive any danger whatsoever.
To Tamamo, there were only two possibilities.
Either her Master had complete confidence in his protection.
Or… he knew something she had yet to realize.
And somehow, Tamamo felt the second option was far more likely.
_________
Author's Note:
Creating something, even a fanfic, is not easy! Please support me! Leave comments, reviews, and some (or all) of your Power Stones! 😎