Tamamo no Mae's Fake Death, the Marvelous Use of the Fox's fluid!

T/N: Hope it's not a inconvenience as I am going to only use the name Abe no Taishin from now on honestly that name is a bit underused.

.....

[Minamoto no Raiko did not initiate this demon extermination operation in her own name.]

[Instead, she chose to report this matter in the name of "Abe no Taishin".]

[The situation has changed.]

[This has become a demon extermination operation organized by you—its purpose is to kill the "Algae Woman".]

"My lady."

"Why give me all the credit?"

Abe no Taishin had a confused look as he looked at Minamoto no raiko

But Minamoto no raiko only smiled and replied.

"Because my husband is also a member of the Minamoto clan."

"Seeing my husband's abilities recognized and respected by everyone makes me feel like I am being respected by everyone too."

"This feeling... is much happier than taking all the credit alone."

[You understand Minamoto no Raiko's meaning.]

[But what you have to deal with is not just Minamoto no Raiko's situation.]

[Tamamo no Mae's side also has things worth dealing with.]

[You have to make the whole demon slaying scene look seamless.]

Inside Tamamo no Mae's residence.

A thin rope passed through the upper beam and fell back down, tied to the pillar next to it.

The other end of the rope was tied to Tamamo no Mae's hands.

This forced her to pose with her hands raised high and her feet barely tiptoeing on the tatami.

"Tama-chan, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Okay, let's try it now."

"I understand."

After Tamamo no Mae responded to Abe no Taishin, she began to try to break free from the rope that bound her hands.

She swayed back and forth on the tatami, her tail and ears swaying with her.

It was a posture with a different kind of beauty.

But Abe no Taishin didn't have the heart to appreciate it, but silently recorded the time required for the whole process.

When Tamamo no Mae completely broke free, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Tama-chan, great, you did it."

"In this way, you will have a chance to run after the fire starts."

"Really?"

Tamamo no Mae was very happy to hear this.

"Mr. Abe, my efforts are useful, right?"

"Yes." Abe no Taishin smiled slightly.

"Tama-chan's efforts are indeed very useful."

The moment she met Abe no Taishin's eyes, Tamamo no Mae suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

"Mr. Abe... am I a little carried away?"

"A little."

"But it doesn't matter."

Abe no Taishin pinched Tamamo no Mae's cheek.

"Because I think you should be cheerful and lively."

"Mr. Abe..."

Tamamo no Mae's face was slightly red, but her heart felt as sweet as sugar.

But suddenly, she seemed to remember something, and she looked a little lost.

Abe no Taishin naturally couldn't fail to notice this change in Tamamo no Mae.

"Tama-chan, what's wrong?"

"..."

Tamamo no Mae glanced at Abe no Taishin, as if she had made up her mind.

She blurted out:

"Mr. Abe, in fact, I have had several strange dreams..."

[Talent Fox Demon Dream has been obtained: You learned about several dreams that Tamamo no Mae once had.]

[In the dream, she destroyed several dynasties in different identities.]

[In dreams, she saw herself as a figure who brought ruin to ancient kingdoms.]

[She dreamt of being a woman whose actions led to the fall of powerful rulers.]

[She envisioned herself as a spirit that caused the collapse of dynasties.]

[She had visions of herself as a being that brought down empires.]

[She often feels very sad because of these dreams.]

"..."

Abe no Taishin hugged the sad Tamamo no Mae into his arms, gently stroking her back again and again.

Until she calmed down a little, the Grand Onmyoji said:

"Tama-chan."

"In those dreams, were you so lonely too?"

"...Yes."

Tamamo no Mae grabbed Abe no Taishin's clothes and nodded slightly aggrievedly.

"So—"

"I'm a little worried that I will bring misfortune to Mr. Abe."

"Then Tama-chan, you may underestimate me."

Abe no Taishin looked at the worried Tamamo no Mae and smiled calmly.

"I am the number one Onmyoji in Kyoto. The curse of the demons and ghosts has no meaning to me."

"And—"

"Those are just dreams, nothing to worry about."

"In comparison."

The Grand Onmyoji's hand lifted the fox demon's long skirt, looking at the fox's treasure inside.

"Tama-chan, why not replace it with some more real memories?"

"Yes..."

Tamamo no Mae took the initiative to press the Grand Onmyoji's hand in.

She moved her body closer to the Grand Onmyoji's hand and gently rubbed it.

"I think so too."

"Mr. Abe, please let me forget those terrible dreams."

"Migu!"

The fox demon started her finger surfing journey again.

[Talent Fox Demon Dream has been strengthened to Fox Demon Dream+: You replaced the terrible scenes that Tamamo no Mae dreamed of with teaching scenes.]

[You think it is better to feel the beauty in contact than to be afraid in nightmares.]

[You have unknowingly cultivated Tamamo no Mae's ○ tide dependence on you.]

[She will be more thoughtful in front of you than usual.]

[She began to look forward to a further future with you.]

[A future that will not provoke the destruction of the dynasty.]

[But she also knows that the premise of everything is that this fake death can succeed.]

[You also know this.]

"Tama-chan, get ready."

"That day should be coming soon."

"Yes, I understand."

Tamamo no Mae, lying on the wet tatami, nodded very seriously—although her legs were still shaking.

It seems that there were a few more performances today.

[The demon extermination plan submitted by Minamoto no Raiko soon received a response from the Emperor.]

[You and her got the Emperor's permission.]

[But some details in the reply made you a little concerned.]

"Try to capture alive?"

Abe no Taishin listened to Minamoto no Raiko's reply, looking a little confused.

"My lady, are you sure you didn't hear wrong?"

"If the 'Algae Woman' is a beauty, it's understandable to capture her alive... but now the other party is a fox demon, is it really okay to do this?"

"..."

Minamoto no Raiko was silent.

Obviously.

Abe no Taishin's words had also been considered by her.

"Husband, I don't know what's going on either."

"But—"

"Let's do what the Emperor told us to do."

"...Understood."

[Although you say so, you don't intend to do so at all.]

[If you capture her alive, it means handing Tamamo no Mae back to the Emperor.]

[That is something you must avoid.]

[You decided to proceed according to the original plan—after all, the Emperor's order was to try to capture her alive, not to capture her alive.]

[But you still feel a little strange.]

[The Emperor's attitude towards Tamamo no Mae seems to be a big problem.]

[But you don't have time to think—because there are still many details waiting for you to perfect.]

[Time flies.]

[The planned day has arrived.]

Night.

The cold wind blew through the streets of Heian-kyō.

Abe no Taishin's rumors of an affair in the past have disappeared—everyone knows that it was a trap set by the Grand Onmyoji to capture the fox demon.

The foot soldiers responsible for the capture surrounded the residence where Tamamo no Mae was hiding.

The two standing at the front were Abe no Taishin and Minamoto no Raiko.

"Husband, the fox demon is inside, right?"

"Yes, my lady."

Abe no Taishin adjusted his breathing and tone to make what he said sound more real.

"After tonight, Heian-kyō will no longer have to be on guard against the fox demon."

"Yes."

Minamoto no Raiko nodded—she believed what her husband said.

"It's not too late, husband, let's start now."

The clouds are heavy and the wind is high, only the green light shines.

According to the plan, Abe no Taishin led Minamoto no Raiko and several relatively prestigious foot soldier representatives into a part of the residence.

As planned.

Tamamo no Mae was tied up with ropes and hung there.

Of course—

Only the Grand Onmyoji knew her real name.

In the eyes of others (including Minamoto no Raiko), this was just a fox demon.

And the place where Tamamo no Mae was hung was also carefully chosen.

It was a place where light and darkness intersected.

Everyone could only see her lower body, which was illuminated by the moonlight and wearing clothes, and could not see the upper body, which was immersed in darkness.

Her feet were surrounded by spell seals, which were swaying in the wind.

This scene did look like a fox demon being caught by Abe no Taishin.

No one doubted it.

Abe no Taishin breathed a sigh of relief.

He coughed softly—a signal.

Tamamo no Mae immediately strained her voice, emitting low growls from her throat.

It had to be said.

If Abe no Taishin didn't know that Tamamo no Mae actually disliked doing this, he would probably be intimidated by the sound.

It was like a fox demon's death throes, sending chills down anyone's spine.

However—

Since he knew the truth, there was no need to be afraid.

The Grand Onmyoji looked at Minamoto no Raiko behind him and the terrified foot soldier representatives.

"It seems this fox demon cannot be captured alive—it has a strong grudge."

"I must kill it with fire here."

Hearing this, Minamoto no Raiko immediately nodded.

She always supported her husband's actions.

"I understand."

"Evacuate now!"

Everyone came outside the residence.

Under their gaze, Abe no Taishin raised his hand.

The firelight flickered, and the heat surged.

The lights of every household in Heian-kyō were gathered together by the Grand Onmyoji at this moment.

The next second.

The entire residence was ignited and then engulfed in flames.

It was a funeral to announce the fox demon's death.

[The burning residence is the last step you can control in the plan.]

[You know you can't do anything else.]

[Whether Tamamo no Mae can survive depends on herself.]

"Husband?"

Minamoto no Raiko's voice came.

"Is there still a problem? You keep looking at the fire."

Abe no Taishin smiled slightly.

"No."

"I just hope to kill the fox demon sooner."

[The fire surrounding the residence finally went out.]

[Black smoke rising from the ashes filled the air.]

[You returned the lights to the households of Heian-kyō.]

[Now it's time to check the results.]

Bypassing the burnt and fallen beams blocking the way, Abe no Taishin and Minamoto no Raiko arrived at the place where Tamamo no Mae was previously "imprisoned."

The Grand Onmyoji breathed a sigh of relief the moment he arrived.

Because—

The plan was successful.

On the dark ground, there was a charred "fox" lying there.

Of course.

It was not a real fox.

It was a fake body made by Abe no Taishin using "earth" while observing Tamamo no Mae naked.

But—

Although it was a fake body, the Grand Onmyoji put a lot of effort into it.

The size was naturally unquestionable.

With the real one as a reference, even if it turned back into a fox, there would be no sense of incongruity.

The tail fur was the same—they were all plucked from Tamamo no Mae, genuine fox fur.

But just doing these two points was not enough for Abe no Taishin.

So after making this fake body, he also had Tamamo no Mae spray it with water from her fox treasure several times.

In this way.

This fake body was almost indistinguishable from a real fox, except for the lack of life.

Even the smell was exactly the same.

Of course.

If you looked closely, you could find some clues.

But Abe no Taishin chose a day when the new moon rose, and the light was not sufficient.

And he also used fire for secondary processing.

No one would find any problems—not even Minamoto no Raiko.

"Husband."

Minamoto no Raiko looked at the "fox corpse" in front of her and said with some emotion.

"It has returned to its original form."

"Yes."

Abe no Taishin responded to Minamoto no Raiko, preparing to make things even more real.

"My lady, I'm going to do the final step."

The Grand Onmyoji took out his small knife from his sleeve.

It was a weapon that had killed many ghosts, and it was also the beginning of the bond between Abe no Taishin and Minamoto no Raiko.

He stabbed the "fox corpse" fiercely.

At the moment of arrival, Abe no Taishin imperceptibly used it to cut his hand.

Instantly.

Blood flowed onto the "fox corpse" as the knife tip pierced in, as if it were its blooming blood flower.

All illusions became real at this moment.

Abe no Taishin pulled out the knife, picked up the "fox corpse," and smiled at Minamoto no Raiko.

"My lady, it's over."

"We can report to the Emperor and claim credit."

"..."

Minamoto no Raiko looked at the man in front of her and nodded happily.

"Yes, it's all over."

"Husband, let's go home."

[The demon extermination in Heian-kyō has come to an end.]

[The fact that Onmyoji Abe no Taishin identified the fox demon will be recorded in history.]

[You and Minamoto no Raiko rewarded the foot soldiers who participated tonight.]

[Afterwards, you walked towards the residence together.]

Minamoto no Raiko was rarely drunk tonight.

But Abe no Taishin fully understood her behavior—after all, the "Algae Woman" incident had troubled her for almost a season.

And speaking of which.

The Grand Onmyoji looked at his wife next to him and couldn't help but smile.

Minamoto no Raiko pouted, blowing hot air and said:

"Husband~ do you think mommy is cute~"

"Does husband like mommy very much?"

Her coquettishness was also a beautiful sight.

Speaking of which—

Abe no Taishin looked at the road not far away.

Tamamo no Mae should have escaped by now, right?

As long as she followed the escape route, there would be a village outside Heian-kyō where she could stay temporarily.

He had observed and confirmed this in advance.

Abe no Taishin thought, holding the drunken Minamoto no Raiko with one hand and carrying the "fox corpse" with the other, and returned to the entrance of the residence.

But at this moment.

He suddenly heard a familiar cry.

"Migu!"

Tamamo no Mae hadn't left yet?