Chapter 10: Sagami Becomes a Female Fox
Early the next morning, Hikigaya arrived at school bright and early.
The scene from yesterday's storm once again reminded him that there were still existences in this world that he did not understand.
The look in the eyes of a God Slayer is never wrong—absolutely not.
It was a fox, but not a real creature. It directly "drilled" into the body of the girl named Sagami, as if it were merely a phantom.
And at that moment, Hikigaya felt a presence belonging to that other world—one he only experienced when fighting gods.
If his body, as a God Slayer, hadn't shown the slightest reaction to encountering a god, he would have thought he had run into another Heretic god.
But he didn't act at the time. First, because it all happened so quickly. Second, because Ena had already recognized what it was and informed him.
And once he knew, there was even less reason to take action.
Because such existences are what are called yokai in Japan—beings that originate from myth just like gods. Though born from mythology and influenced and restricted by it in terms of abilities, they are not true gods. They cannot enter that immortal realm and must rely on human offerings to gain power. If the offerings cease, they gradually lose strength until they vanish completely.
However, if their incense offerings are abundant, a rare few yokai can possess power comparable to gods.
In Japan, fox spirits—especially female ones—are among the most respected yokai. They are a large clan among yokai, mostly female, because Japan's Inari gods have always had thriving worship. Most fox spirits are enshrined as Inari gods by local people.
This world really is bustling—not only are there gods, magicians, and martial artists, now even yokai are showing up.
Not only did they show up—they even possessed one of his classmates. If he remembered correctly, Sagami was the cultural festival's planning committee chair. Speaking of which… is this cultural festival going to turn into a yokai festival?
But he was a God Slayer, not a volunteer police officer. Although Sagami was his classmate, they had no relationship—not even a nodding acquaintance. He had no idea how she provoked such a thing, but unless she came to ask for help like Miura had, he wouldn't bother.
That didn't stop him from observing out of curiosity.
Observing this thing called a yokai.
That could be interesting. Anyway, according to Ena, that fox was likely a fox spirit enshrined nearby as an Inari god. Sagami probably offended her unintentionally, so the fox came to settle the score—usually by possessing the person and having some fun through their body. The one who's possessed would suffer a string of misfortunes for a while, but it wouldn't be life-threatening. At worst, they'd just get seriously ill.
Like gods, yokai also come in good and evil types. Those that actively harm people tend to be born from human fear. But fox spirits, as auspicious beasts born from human admiration, are mostly good. Even if they do harm, their methods are gentle.
And so, while wondering how long Sagami's misfortune would last, Hikigaya waited until more people arrived.
Then he saw Sagami.
She looked completely normal—nothing like someone possessed by a fox spirit.
But that's only what one could tell with the eyes.
Hikigaya could feel a power inside Sagami that she could never possess herself. It wasn't curse power, nor divine power—something in between. Clearly, it was fox spirit power. She
Foxes—good or evil—are particularly adept at possession.
Transformation and illusions are just basic skills—possession is the real talent of a qualified fox spirit.
Sagami's eyes looked clear, but Hikigaya could detect a cunning not belonging to the real Sagami.
Anyway, someone who was just average in appearance like Sagami suddenly seemed to be radiating charm that captivated everyone.
All the classmates—boys and girls—were acting like they'd been drugged, crowding around her whenever possible.
Even Hayama, who was always polite and composed, seemed stunned when talking to Sagami, which made Miura quite displeased when she noticed.
Though even Miura herself acted the same when speaking to Sagami—not that it was shameful. Even little Bear, who came from the underworld, couldn't resist. How could she be an exception?
The only one unaffected was Hikigaya.
Precisely because he was the only one who could keep a clear mind, he was even more astonished at the fox spirit's charm—it worked on both men and women!
"Hikigaya-kun."
A sweet, almost cloying voice reached his ears—it was the female fox spirit possessing Sagami who had come over.
Hikigaya was dumbfounded. Since she was a fox spirit, she should've been able to tell he wasn't a normal human. What was this fox up to? She hadn't done anything mischievous for a while now—this didn't match Ena's explanation.
Could she want to experience campus life?
"Um… can we go to the rooftop at lunch? I have something really important to tell you."
If Sagami had said that in her usual self, she probably wouldn't have been able to stand herself, let alone others.
But judging by the others' expressions, it seemed like this was her natural way of speaking.
But to no avail. In Hikigaya's eyes, that outer shell was still the same as before. Possession hadn't made her look delicate or charming.
It's not that Sagami wasn't attractive, but that tone and manner suited someone like Ena or the Yukinoshita sisters better—even Miura could pull it off more naturally.
"Oh, sure."
Hikigaya replied flatly.
If she didn't leave soon, he'd really feel like hitting someone...
The fox spirit in Sagami seemed to sense this and quickly added, "Don't be late!" before hurrying away.
After that, Hikigaya returned to his usual self and stopped paying attention to Sagami.
When the final class of the morning ended, he slowly got up, left the classroom, climbed the stairs, and headed to the rooftop.
He pushed open the final metal door and stepped onto the rooftop.
There, the fox-possessed Sagami stood at the railing, seemingly looking down at the sports field.
She turned as soon as she heard the door open.
But in that instant of turning—she transformed.
She now looked around fifteen or sixteen years old, with a doll-like cute face. Her silver-white hair nearly reached her ankles, with two-thirds of it flowing loose and the rest tied by a mysterious jade-green sphere.
She wore a black off-shoulder outfit that clung tightly to her body, highlighting an incredible figure. Her smooth, round, pearl-like shoulders and long, white, tender arms were fully exposed. She wore matching jade-green bracelets on her arms, the same as the one tying her hair. Her nails were sharp and long, but didn't appear menacing—rather, they carried a seductive allure.
Her full and graceful chest was nearly half-exposed, and her snake-like slender waist seemed too delicate to grasp. A super-short skirt revealed two dazzlingly beautiful long legs wrapped in white stockings.
Hikigaya finally understood what true fox-charm meant. The girl's face was already stunning, but her figure was so hot and eye-catching that it left no room for complaint. She was the type of girl that would make a man's eyes bulge out of their sockets at first sight.
And how did he know she was a fox enchantress?
It was obvious—this girl had a pair of fluffy fox ears on her head, and behind her were nine fox tails, all the same snow-white color as her hair.
She was actually a nine-tailed white fox!
And in Japanese legend, the nine-tailed white fox is the standard image of a celestial fox—a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox!