The sound of flute stopped when the champion finally died.

I glanced at the loli kitsune, and she glanced back.

“Was that good enough?”

“Maybe.” She melancholically glanced at the body, and though for some time.

Soon she decided to do something with the flute. A short tune turned the dead body into ashes, and only then did she finally show interest in me.

“You proved yourself to be quite capable.” (A)

“Then…?” Can I go home now?

She remained silent. Only after I started waving at her to attract her attention, she started talking again.

“Maybe Akagi-sama can spare a bit of her time for you.” The loli said with no interest. Then she looked at Yuri, who was done applying ice to the bump.

“What do you think?” (A)

“Aside from the obvious?” Akagi-sama nodded.

“He surpassed my expectations. Not that they were high in the first place.” (Y)

“It is settled then.” Akagi-sama took a fan out of her dress.

“What’s that?”

“This?” She showed the fan.

“It is my fan.” I facepalmed.

The loli swung the fan, and suddenly, the rock platform was cut.

“Cross this line, and then we will talk.” I looked at the cut.

There was nothing extraordinary about it. Aside from the fact that the paper fan cut the stone platform, without even remotely touching it.

Just a couple of meters, and I will cross it.

[Now, where the hell is the trick?]

[Bah, whatever.]

I took a step, and…

‘Tap’

… nothing happened?

A step…

‘Tap’

… nothing? Again?

The loli kitsune was grinning, as I cautiously took step after step.

‘Tap’

I just need to make one more step, and this talk will be finished.

[But there just has to be some sort of a trick. She’s grinning even more now!]

[Or maybe it is just me being a paranoid?]

“Erhm… Yuri-san, did she place a trap here?” I did the least obvious thing. I asked for help.

While Akagi-sama was holding back the laughter, Yuri fidgeted in doubt.

“You never know if a fox tells lies, because when fox tells something, she can cover it up as either truth or lie. You can never tell what Akagi-sama is thinking, can you~?” After her sister’s reassurance, Yuri finally answered.

“There is nothing.” (Y)

The fox girl answered with such a straight face, that I couldn’t tell for sure if she was serious, or not.

I cautiously lifted a leg, but I hesitated to cross the line.

‘It really is interesting to look at him.’ (Y)

‘When the time comes, just take a bunch of pets, and enjoy observing them.’ (A)

‘What if they are as stupid as this one?’ (Y)

‘Beating is just a way to show your affection~.’ (A)

[Ha-ha-ha. How funny.]

Finally, I gathered the strength to make a step, and…

‘BOM’

A millimeter away from the line, I was suddenly pressed into the ground. The gravity around me increased so much, that I couldn’t even lift a finger. And it happened to do so in such a way, that the line was not crossed.

“HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!”

While the kitsune were dying of laughter, I was struggling not to be crushed to death.

[HOW. FUNNY.]

‘As I said, having pets can be funny.’ (A)

‘And if I get tired of them?’ (Y)

‘Until you get your 7^th tail, keep them. Afterwards, do whatever crosses your mind.’ (A)

[HEY! MAJESTIC, AND WHATEVER, AKAGI-SAMA! CAN YOU PLEASE RELEASE ME?!]

“Sure~!” She lifted the spell, and I could breathe at last.

Seeing that they were distracted for a bit, I rushed at the line.

‘Ffew’

When I almost crossed the line, I found myself being at where I started when the task was given.

“SERIOUSLY?!”

After a couple more attempts I understood, that she just looped this damned line to teleport me back to the start.

“You are such a b*…”

“He-he-he~!” The loli feigned rejoice. But her eyes were not laughing.

“Since I am getting tired of seeing you run like a hamster…” She swung the fan, and the line disappeared, as if the platform was never cut.

Akagi-sama played a short melody, and then said: “I will go have a dinner. Yuri, watch this idiot for me.”

With this done, she disappeared in a torii gate.

---

I glanced at Yuri. The fox girl was not bothered in any way. She was strolling around the platform, and picking pink paper flowers off cartoon-like bushes.

“And what now?”

‘RATTLE’

When I understood that I was too presumptuous, it was too late.

Through a dozen of rifts, a dozen of samurai in red armor climbed out on the platform.

“He-h-hey, Yuri! W-when will your sister return?” I gripped the sword in hurry.

“Hm? If she went to Mother’s for a dinner, then… Unless she goes to sleep afterwards, she should return within 10 hours….” (Y)

“And what if she sleeps…?”

“Then within a decade.” (Y)

[I. Am. So. Dead.]