[Kyoko’s Point of View]

"Yami, do you have eyes on Hina and Eri?" I asked on the phone.

"Yes, Kyoko-sama, they just left to spend time with their friends at the mall," Yami replied. I could hear the longing in her voice to be with them.

"Yami, I'm sorry you can't be with them. I know how sad you were when Hina was sealed," I apologized to Yami.

"It's okay, Kyoko-sama. I understand why it had to be done now," Yami answered, though I could sense her struggle to hold back tears.

"Thank you, Yami. I know it hasn't been easy for you, watching what happened to Hina, unable to do anything. I promise this will all end today, and we will go see her together," I assured Yami, empathizing with the pain she had endured.

A month or so after Hina was sealed, I announced to our followers that Hina was sealed away to protect her from other clans that wanted to kill or use her due to the powers inherited from my great-grandmother, one of the strongest Goddesses, The Fox Goddess Kitsune.

Four years later, Kitsune appeared in my dream, warning me about the family I had sent Hina to. When I learned what had happened to her during those four years, I wanted to rush to her and save her, but the seal wouldn't break until her 16th birthday. Even if I did, she wouldn’t recognize me. So, instead, I sent Yami in disguise to watch over Hina at school and at that family’s house.

Yami would watch over Hina until the day she turned 16, witnessing the bullying and loneliness that Hina had to endure. The tears she cried every night, Yami had to witness it all because she was the only person around Hina’s age I could trust to keep a calm mind. Eri would have tried to reveal herself or take drastic actions, so I had to keep her in the dark.

"Thank you, Kyoko-sama. Let's finish this today. I want to hug my two cute little sisters. What are my orders?" Yami asked with determination in her voice.

"Sebas will keep an eye on Hina and Eri. I want you and your unit to handle any issues that might interfere with the plan. Remember to use non-lethal force; I want them all captured alive and brought to the temple. I will personally deal with that family," I instructed before ending the call.

I rested my head on my desk at the hotel, falling asleep to communicate with the one who devised our plan.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in a familiar white room. A woman with nine dark gray fox tails, silver-white eyes filled with years of wisdom, and dark gray fox ears greeted me. She bore a striking resemblance to my daughter, with the only difference being her taller and slightly older appearance. This woman was my Great-Grandmother Kitsune.

"Hello, Grandma. Thank you for bringing me here," I said, bowing in gratitude.

"Don't be so stiff, Kyoko-dear. It's not necessary," Grandma Kitsune chuckled, gesturing for me to stop bowing.

"As you wish," I replied, straightening up. "Is Yami and her unit going to be okay taking care of those problems?" I asked, my concern apparent.

"Don't worry about that girl. I have a certain Dragon-girl watching out for them if they encounter any issues they can't handle," Grandma Kitsune reassured me confidently.

"Thank you. Is it truly okay for me to capture that family myself instead of going after the one who provided them with those slaves in the first place? As much as I want vengeance on that family, I feel like the other person is a major problem. I've already taken out the heads of the other clans that were after Hina; he is the last one," I inquired of my grandmother.

She laughed once more and then looked at me with utmost seriousness and determination in her eyes. "Don't worry about that child. I have already dealt with him personally."

I swallowed hard, feeling the intensity radiating from Grandma Kitsune. "If that's the case, can you show me the memories you sealed when you brought her here?"

She lowered her intensity, regarded me with seriousness, and asked, "Are you sure you want to see those? I've already reported their contents, but experiencing them firsthand is different. It took me two whole days to find and seal those memories; they were so traumatic that Hina had repressed them deep within her mind, making them difficult to locate. So, I'll ask you again, are you sure?"

I didn't waver. Instead, I replied, "Yes, I need to know. I need to see what they did to her with my own eyes."

"Very well. If you insist on seeing them, I won't stop you," Grandma Kitsune responded before touching my forehead with two fingers.

Suddenly, all the memories that my daughter had repressed and Grandma Kitsune had sealed away flowed into me, playing one after the other as if I were the one experiencing them. As the final memory of her moving into the apartment played, I couldn't control my emotions, and tears flowed freely.

I cried, still hearing her screams for them to stop. "I should never have sent her to that family. I should never have sealed her away. I thought I could give her a normal life without anyone chasing her or living in fear, but that's exactly what I subjected her to."

Grandma Kitsune embraced me, tears in her own eyes, and spoke with a solemn tone. "Don't blame yourself. You did what you believed was best, and it's true that you saved your daughter when you sealed her. You wouldn't have been able to take down the other clan heads if you had kept her. I was away, unable to help or explain anything at that time. You had only your instincts to rely on, so don't you dare think any of this is your fault. Don't give those people the satisfaction."

I absorbed her wise words, understanding their truth, but I couldn't stop crying. Then I asked, "What if she hates me? What if she blames me for not being there for her all this time? I should have been with her when she regained her memories, when she collapsed, and when she found love. Every time I should have been there as her mother, I wasn't. What if she has given up on me? What if she doesn't want to see me?"

Grandma Kitsune offered me a gentle smile and replied, "You know, I was watching over that girl when she was in school, playing with her friends. She was asked to join a club, but she told them she didn't want to. She said there was a special family member she wanted to be the first one to greet and hug when they got home."

My tears stopped, and I looked up at Grandma Kitsune, who was hugging me warmly. She smiled and continued, "Both you and I know who she was talking about. Does that sound like a girl who hates her mother, blames her, or doesn't want to see her?"

I released Grandma Kitsune and smiled. "No, it doesn't. I shouldn't be dwelling on my emotions right now. I need to end this once and for all, so I can see and embrace my daughter."

"Good. Now go. As the Goddess of this World, I grant you permission to unleash my wrath upon those greedy humans who have harmed my descendant. I have granted you temporary power to reach them swiftly upon awakening. I will handle matters when they reach me here," Grandma Kitsune declared with a fiery determination in her eyes.

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you, Grandma Kitsune, for everything," I expressed my gratitude before my consciousness faded, and I woke up in my hotel room.

"It's time to end this," I stated with unwavering determination, using the power bestowed upon me by Grandma Kitsune.

In the next instant, I found myself standing inside that family's house. However, they hadn't noticed my presence; I had concealed it before teleporting here. I wanted to hear what they were discussing.

"Ha-ha, the boss is amazing. We've already made a fortune off that foolish fox and her worthless child. Now, he'll pay us a sum we can't even spend for kidnapping that so-called 'Princess' and delivering her to him," a man who resembled an overweight pig laughed, conversing with his wife.

"You're absolutely right, dear. The boss even sent us some slaves to do the work for us. This is easy money; the earnings from that fox woman don't even compare. We should've betrayed her years ago."

"So, that was your boss's plan. Just so you know, it's not going to turn out the way you expect," I declared, revealing my presence and struggling to contain my anger.

"Why the hell are you here? We did exactly as you asked; we 'took care' of that child just like you told us to," the corpulent man yelled at me, sporting a sarcastic smile on his face.