The day after Inari resolved the incident, the public was in an uproar over what came to be known as the “Akabane Port Assault Incident.” But as for Inari herself? She was at home.
Was she avoiding the press because of the aftermath? No, that wasn’t it. She simply had something she had to do. Namely... consume magic stones.
“Hmm… Even if 'tis for a purpose, consuming these magic stones… grows tiresome.”
Following the Merman extermination, the loot had been split: all items went to Eri, and all the magic stones went to Inari. Eri had refused at first, since the items were clearly worth far more in total, but Inari had insisted, saying she would just toss the items into auction anyway and didn’t need them. More importantly, she had been greatly helped and wanted Eri to accept the stones. Eri finally agreed, on the condition that she’d send Inari a thank-you gift later, which Inari had no problem with.
And so, Inari sat at her desk, snacking on magic stones. But with her tastebuds spoiled by delicious rice, she couldn’t help feeling dissatisfied with their flavor. Of course, magic stones weren’t food to begin with, so her complaints were entirely misplaced.
And for some reason, Atsuage was eating them too, or rather, absorbing them. By pressing the stone into its blocky body, it would melt and disappear inside it at a surprisingly fast pace.
“Tasty, art they? But eat not too many. I eat them for a purpose.”
At Inari’s comment, Atsuage looked up while still clutching a stone—then promptly absorbed it. Whether it didn’t understand or just didn’t care was unclear, but Inari suspected the latter. Oh well—she decided not to worry about it.
It seemed magic stones did serve as food for Atsuage. In fact, its wooden body even looked glossier lately. Which meant… Inari now had another reason to collect magic stones.
“But really, though I’ve gained levels, my stats hardly improve…”
Name: Kogami Inari
Level: 23
Job: Fox Shrine Maiden
Stats:
Attack: E
Magic: A
Physical Defense: F
Magic Defense: A
Agility: E
Luck: F
Skills: Kogetsu Summoning, Divine Power Lv9, Kogami-ryu Aikijutsu, Divine Concealment
Her level was starting to rise more slowly, and her physical stats—Attack, Defense, Agility, and Luck—weren’t budging at all. While stat growth on level-up varied by individual, perhaps Inari’s growth in these areas was just innately slow. Even her Magic stat hadn’t risen past A.
Still, she felt stronger than before, so maybe ascending past A required truly immense power.
As she pondered this and reached for the final magic stone, Atsuage snatched it from the table before her.
Clutching it in both arms, Atsuage looked up smugly. Inari waved a finger at it gently.
“Now now, Atsuage. Hand it over, wilt thou? 'Tis the last one, thou knowest.”
But Atsuage shook its head vigorously. Its entire posture screamed “Mine.”
“Ngh… Thou want it that badly, do ye? Still… Ah!”
Before she could act, Atsuage absorbed the stone. Then, as if to say “Too late!” it struck a cheeky pose.
Inari swiftly grabbed it.
“Nay, nay, Atsuage! That won’t do! The mortal realm hath suffered many wars due to actions like that. Though we be not humans ourselves, we should strive to act with greater thoughtfulness!”
While Atsuage could only say “Beam,” Inari still got the impression that it understood her words. So, she released it.
Atsuage, in turn, struck a pose—one hand raised to its mouth.
“Hmhm… 'Forgive me'... is that thy message? Well and good, so long as thou understand—hm?”
Then it turned around and began slapping its own backside repeatedly.
Inari froze.
Wait… could it be?
“D-Dost thou mean… 'Bleh! Spank you, spank you!'⁉”
Atsuage leapt off the table at full speed, while Inari, trembling with shock, shot to her feet and gave chase.
“Come back here, Atsuage! Where didst thou even learn such things!?”
It was now obvious Atsuage fully understood human speech—and had enough intelligence to tease her.
It dashed nimbly across furniture, dancing atop the TV, dodging expertly while causing no damage.
“I shan’t forgive thee! I shall catch thee and give thee a lecture!”
And so, Inari and Atsuage spent the day thundering through the house in chaos, completely unaware of the serious developments unfolding at the Awakener Association.
Their world, at least for now, was peaceful.