Chapter 68: The Fox Ear Switch

Yae Village.

With their house destroyed and no immediate means to rebuild a simple grass-thatched hut, not to mention the lack of need for such a thing... they'd settled for a few basic tents instead, planning to make do for a few days.

They weren't picky; all they needed was something to keep out the rain.

As for other concerns, like insects and such creatures...

None existed here. There wasn't even a single blade of grass, let alone any bugs. Nothing would dare venture near this place anytime soon.

Setting up a few small tents was no problem at all for Yae Sakura, Kallen, and the others.

Later that afternoon, Higokumaru had built up a fire in front of the tent, consisting of logs and other materials she'd transported from elsewhere.

With Higokumaru around—who could fly and run, and change her size at will—none of this was an issue. There was not only plenty of firewood, but also a decent supply of food ingredients. It should be enough to eat for several days.

-

Kallen's group of six, plus the two foxes, huddled by the fire. Two "Yae Sakuras" held branches with fish skewered on them, roasting them over the flames.

Occasionally, they brushed oil onto the fish and sprinkled seasonings, filling the air with a tantalizing aroma that made everyone's mouths water...

Aside from the fish, there were plenty of other ingredients in a basket nearby. It wasn't just fish... there was also chicken and vegetables, all bought earlier.

Every piece of food was skewered on a stick...

Tonight's dinner theme was barbecue. The others might not have known it, but Higokumaru was definitely very fond of it.

Right now, Higokumaru's eyes were fixed on the fish in the Gyakushin Miko's hands, swallowing hard from time to time. Although Higokumaru loved grilled food herself... to avoid wasting ingredients, the Gyakushin Miko firmly stopped her.

"Serenade, you're not turning back?"

Yae Sakura, holding the grilled fish and turning it occasionally, glanced at the Gyakushinn Miko beside her and asked somewhat awkwardly:

"Going back to normal? It'll probably take until tomorrow..." Serenade (disguised as Gyakushinn Miko) replied, casting a glance at Yae Sakura, her voice tinged with helplessness.

In truth, it wasn't that she couldn't change back earlier, but doing so would cause Higokumaru to disappear along with her. The 24-hour duration was already brief enough for the little fox Higokumaru.

To make her vanish even sooner—wouldn't that be too pitiful for the little fox Higokumaru?

"Tomorrow, huh..." Yae Sakura muttered, not pressing the matter further. Though the situation felt slightly odd, it was only for a day, so she supposed there wasn't much to say about it.

It must be said, though, that Serenade's ability was truly remarkable. If one wanted to, they could completely impersonate someone else.

At any rate, Yae Sakura examined the current Gyakushinn Miko and, apart from the added pair of ears, couldn't discern any differences even upon close inspection.

If her ears were covered, even if Yae Sakura told her own sister that she was herself, Yae Rin would probably believe it.

With this thought, Yae Sakura glanced at Kallen again. Previously, Serenade had looked identical to Kallen. Doesn't Kallen find it strange? Or has she grown accustomed to it?

It was hard to understand.

"Serenade, these ears on your head, are they real?"

As Yae Sakura pondered, Yae Rin approached the Gyakushinn Miko, staring eagerly at the fox ears atop her head.

"Of course they're real... What did you expect, some kind of decoration?" As she spoke, the Gyakushinn Miko wiggled her long ears like a rabbit's might.

"Wow! They're real ears! What kind are they? Rabbit ears?" Seeing that the ears could move, Yae Rin grew even more excited.

"Rab-b-it... Not quite. They're fox ears! Just like those two foxes over there." The Gyakushinn Miko gestured towards the pair of little foxes nearby.

She wasn't lying; they were indeed similar...

Though no one could figure out why these ears were even longer than the little foxes'.

"Fox... Foxes..."

Yae Rin paused, looking almost incredulous... Still, if Serenade said it was a fox, it must be one!

"Can I touch it?" Yae Rin asked, her eyes brimming with anticipation as she gazed at the Gyakushinn Miko.

"Uh... No!" The miko stiffened, immediately declining... It wasn't that she was stingy, but rather... such things were simply inappropriate.

"Not allowed?"

Yae Rin's expression instantly shifted from hope to disappointment. Seeing her crestfallen look was deeply disheartening.

"..."

"Only this once..."

The sight of Yae Rin's dejection rendered the Gyakushinn Miko silent for a moment... Then, after some thought, she extended a single finger.

"Really? Yes! Thank you so much, Serenade-nee!" Yae Rin exclaimed, momentarily taken aback by the Gyakushinn Miko's response. Once it sank in, she became visibly excited.

"But only this once!" the Gyakushinn Miko emphasized, though it mattered little; in this world, she had already used up her chance to switch. The remaining two opportunities could only be granted to the other Valkyries.

"I understand," Yae Rin nodded.

Yae Rin approached the Gyakushinn Miko from behind, gazing at the soft, pink, long ears in front of her. She took a deep breath, then rubbed her small hands together.

And then... with both hands, she grasped the Gyakushinn Miko's long fox ears!

Eep!

The moment Yae Rin's hands closed around the fox ears, the Gyakushinn Miko's body shuddered, and she couldn't help but let out a soft, "Eep."

Her cheeks flushed slightly pink...

Even ordinary human ears can be sensitive at times, but these peculiar fox ears were on another level.

Moreover, the Gyakushinn Miko possessed four auditory channels. The fox ears had extraordinary abilities related to her body and surroundings, making them far more sensitive than human ears.

Especially... Yae Rin's fingers just happened to press into the inner part of the ears, near the ear canal, where it was even more sensitive.

Fluffy, long ears...

Yae Rin was completely absorbed in the fluffy texture before her, paying no attention to the reaction of the Gyakushinn Miko (Serenade-nee), who had a response similar to her sister Sakura's.

Playing with the long ears, Yae Rin even... even considered trying to tie a knot in them...

However, this terrifying thought was quickly suppressed by Yae Rin; if she really did it, Serenade-nee might draw her sword and kill me!

For now, being able to touch the ears was happiness enough!

"Damn..."

Off to the side, Higokumaru watched her own Big Sister's ears being toyed with by Yae Rin, her lips pursing in obvious displeasure.

These are clearly my elder sister's ears. It's bad enough that the previous Kallen snatched my big sister, but now here's another one...

No... there's more than one.

Higokumaru noticed Kallen also eyeing with restless interest the Gyakushinn Miko's ears.