Chapter 926: Your Godmother

Vergil woke after a nap that, to his own surprise, had been much better than expected. After spending hours getting beaten by Scathach with whatever she happened to find on the ground, going home and sleeping seemed like the most sensible decision he had made all day.

His eyes were still closed when he realized something was different.

A warm body was pressed against his, an arm wrapped around his waist, and the soft scent of lavender lingered very close to his face.

Vergil slowly opened his eyes and found Yamato lying beside him. The former sword was holding him with a naturalness he probably would have considered absurd only a few days earlier, wearing a bright, light-colored silk robe that definitely wasn’t among the clothes Viviane had picked out for her.

The thin fabric followed Yamato’s new feminine body in a way that seemed specifically chosen to draw attention, though Yamato herself was sleeping peacefully, apparently unaware of it.

Vergil stared at her for a few seconds before murmuring sleepily,

"Who taught you about this kind of thing?"

Yamato’s eyes slowly opened. She blinked a few times until she realized where Vergil was looking, then answered with complete calm.

"Nivara."

The answer had barely left her mouth when an indignant voice immediately appeared inside Vergil’s mind.

’It wasn’t me!’ Nivara protested, sounding almost offended by the accusation. ’It was Crymsaria!!’

Vergil showed no surprise.

"Good job, Crymsaria."

Nivara immediately fell silent.

Crymsaria, on the other hand, responded with obvious satisfaction.

’I told you he’d like it.’

Vergil decided not to encourage the argument between the two and simply wrapped an arm around Yamato’s waist, pulling her closer. The movement ended with his face pressed against her soft chest, and Yamato turned completely red when she realized the position they had ended up in.

Even so, instead of pushing him away, she simply took a deep breath and began stroking his silver-white hair, trying to ignore her own embarrassment while Vergil remained comfortably nestled against her.

"Are you feeling better?" Yamato asked, slowly running her fingers through his hair.

Vergil merely nodded.

He didn’t seem particularly interested in talking at the moment. He remained wrapped around her, enjoying the warmth of her body and the lavender scent he now associated with Yamato’s new form.

His defeat against Scathach remained perfectly recorded in his mind, along with every word she had said, but a few hours of sleep had been enough to ease his initial irritation and allow him to think more clearly.

Yamato noticed it from how quiet he remained.

"Do you want to sleep a little longer? We have plenty of time."

Vergil tightened his arm slightly around her waist and finally lifted his face.

Their eyes met from up close. Yamato was still noticeably red from their previous position, though she tried to maintain her usual composure.

"I want to stay like this for a little while."

Yamato didn’t argue.

She simply adjusted her arm around him and resumed stroking his hair while Vergil closed his eyes again.

For the first time since his training with Scathach, he simply allowed his mind to stop working for a few minutes.

Inside the Oni Gate, Raphaeline and Ada had already left Okuni behind and headed directly toward the mountain where Inari’s temple was located.

The difference between that region and the cities Ada had seen earlier was obvious. The higher they climbed, the fewer buildings appeared and the denser the vegetation became. Ancient trees covered the slopes, small shrines were scattered along the trails, and countless torii marked different paths through the mountain.

Some were large enough for carriages to pass beneath them, while others were partially hidden among trees and moss-covered stones.

Ada could feel something far more significant than the change in scenery.

Energy.

There was so much spiritual energy spread throughout the mountain that she could sense it without even trying. It didn’t seem to come from a single source. There were dozens, hundreds of different presences hidden among the trees, rocks, small temples, and even beneath the ground.

Some moved alongside them for several meters before disappearing, while others remained completely still, simply watching.

Ada discreetly glanced toward the forest beside the trail.

"I’m sensing a lot of energy in this place."

Raphaeline continued walking without showing any concern.

"It’s the Kitsunes."

"All of them?"

"Don’t try to count." Raphaeline cast a quick glance toward the woods. "Fox spirits live all over this mountain. Some have one tail, others have several, and some have already been here for centuries. This is their queen’s mountain, so a large portion of the Kitsunes living here also serve as Inari’s protection."

Ada narrowed her eyes when she noticed two golden points between the trees.

They vanished immediately.

"So we’re being watched."

"Since the moment we set foot on the mountain."

"Great."

Raphaeline smiled faintly.

"If they wanted anything from us, we’d already know."

They continued climbing until the trail ended in front of a large red torii. Unlike the countless gates they had passed earlier, this one had no path beyond it. There was only a small stone platform surrounded by vegetation, and behind the torii stood a natural wall formed by trees and the mountain itself.

Raphaeline stopped before it.

Ada did the same.

Raphaeline’s expression lost much of the casualness she had maintained during the journey. She straightened her posture, brought her feet together, and bowed respectfully before the gate.

"I request an audience with Lady Inari. I am Raphaeline Baal, daughter of Akemi Baal, and this is my daughter, Ada Baal."

Nothing happened immediately.

Ada waited beside her without saying anything.

A few seconds later, a small golden ripple appeared in the empty space within the torii.

A fox emerged through it as though it had simply walked through an invisible curtain.

It was small, with immaculately groomed white fur, and calmly walked forward until it stopped in front of them.

The fox looked first at Raphaeline.

Then at Ada.

Its eyes glowed gold.

Ada felt spiritual energy sweep over her body. It wasn’t aggressive, but it was clearly examining who she was. The same happened to Raphaeline, who remained motionless until the glow disappeared.

The fox nodded.

The interior of the torii immediately changed.

The forest that should have existed on the other side disappeared, replaced by a passage illuminated by a soft golden light. Beyond it, Ada could see part of an enormous religious complex built atop another mountain.

Raphaeline bowed to the fox again.

"Thank you."

The two stepped through.

The change was instantaneous.

Ada had expected to find just another temple, but she stood still for several seconds when she realized the scale of the place.

Inari’s shrine seemed to occupy the entire mountaintop, formed by different traditional buildings connected by walkways, staircases, and small gardens. Sakura trees grew practically everywhere, their pink petals constantly carried by the wind across courtyards and over small pools of perfectly clear water.

There were Kitsunes everywhere.

Some remained entirely in animal form, while others resembled human men and women with visible fox ears and tails. Ada even spotted a woman with seven tails crossing a distant walkway, carrying a tray of tea while casually talking to another Kitsune.

None approached them, but many watched the newcomers.

The small white fox continued walking.

"I’m guessing this is the part of the temple normal visitors never see," Ada commented.

"Normal visitors can’t even reach the torii we used," Raphaeline replied as she followed the fox. "That’s a restricted entrance."

Ada looked at her mother.

"You know this place pretty well for someone who said she hasn’t been here in years."

"My mother used to come here often."

Raphaeline said nothing more, and Ada decided not to press the subject.

The fox led them up a long staircase toward the highest part of the complex.

There stood a traditional Japanese residence, considerably larger than it had appeared from a distance, surrounded by sakura trees and small channels of water flowing down the mountain. The spiritual presence there was so intense that Ada could feel constant pressure in the air, though it wasn’t hostile.

The small fox stopped in front of the entrance.

It bowed.

Raphaeline and Ada understood the gesture and entered.

The interior was silent.

They crossed a wide corridor before reaching a large chamber where practically every piece of decoration appeared to have been carefully preserved for centuries.

At the far end stood a raised platform.

A woman sat upon a low throne.

A thin silk curtain hung from the ceiling in front of her.

Ada could only make out her silhouette.

Long hair.

An elegant posture.

And behind her body, large, soft shapes occasionally moved beneath the light.

Tails.

Raphaeline stopped immediately.

Ada stood beside her.

The woman behind the silk spoke before either of them could introduce themselves again.

"I’m glad you came. It’s been quite some time since I last heard the name Baal within this temple."

Inari’s voice was calm and pleasant, carrying no need to demonstrate authority.

"The demons of the Underworld have grown quite distant from our culture over the centuries."

Raphaeline bowed.

"Lady Inari."

Ada followed her gesture.

Inari remained silent for a moment.

Then her voice came through the curtain again.

"You took your time, young Raphaeline."

Raphaeline subtly raised her head.

"Your mother would be quite upset if she knew you took this long to visit your godmother."

Raphaeline froze.

Ada slowly turned her head toward her mother.

Raphaeline continued staring at the silhouette behind the silk as though waiting for Inari to correct herself.

The correction never came.

"G-Godmother?!"

Ada brought a hand to her mouth but couldn’t completely hide the smile beginning to appear.

Behind the curtain, one of Inari’s enormous tails moved slowly.

"Akemi really never told you?"

Raphaeline remained frozen.

"No."

Several seconds of silence followed.

Then Inari let out a quiet laugh.

"That explains quite a lot."

Ada finally gave up trying to hide her amusement.

"Looks like I’m not the only one learning things today."

Raphaeline turned toward her daughter.

"Don’t even start."