Chapter 16– The Kitsune’s Veil

Denzan's vision blurred as the world twisted around him. The shrine, the sky, the lanterns—all gone, swallowed by darkness. But it wasn't empty. Shapes flickered at the edges of his sight, shifting like ghosts in a storm.

Then, just as suddenly, the shadows peeled away.

He staggered, feet finding solid ground. When he looked up, he wasn't at the Grand Narukami Shrine anymore.

A vast, moonlit clearing stretched before him, ringed by towering sakura trees that bloomed with unnatural, violet-glowing petals. In the center stood a raised platform, carved from smooth black stone, its edges inscribed with symbols older than any script he knew.

And surrounding it—them—stood figures clad in dark robes and fox masks, their golden eyes gleaming through the night.

Paimon gasped. "W-Where arebwe?!"

Renshin, tense beside Denzan, scanned the figures. The Traveler instinctively shifted into a defensive stance.

Thoma muttered a curse under his breath. "Damn it.l"

Denzan exhaled slowly, his grip still tight on the mask. "Alright," he said, voice steady. "Somebody want to explain what the hell is going on?"

One of the masked figures stepped forward. Their mask, unlike the others, was adorned with intricate silver markings. When they spoke, their voice was layered—like two people speaking at once.

"You stand before the Veilkeepers—those who guard the forgotten truths of Inazuma."

Denzan raised an eyebrow. "Dramatic name."

The figure ignored him. "The mask you carry is not simply an artifact. It is a key. And you, outsider, have unknowingly set events in motion that cannot be undone."

Denzan frowned. "Tomoe sent me to retrieve it. If this thing is so dangerous, why was it hidden away instead of destroyed?"

The Veilkeeper tilted their head slightly. "Because knowledge is power. And some power must be sealed, not lost."

Thoma took a step forward, his usual laid-back demeanor gone. "If this is about the Fox of the Forgotten Shrine… what are you hiding?"

The surrounding figures stirred at the name. The air itself seemed to grow heavier.

Finally, the Veilkeeper spoke again.

"She was one of us."

Silence.

Denzan's grip on the mask tightened. "You're telling me she was part of your little secret organization?"

"She was our greatest protector… until she chose exile."

The words sent a shiver down Denzan's spine. He looked at the mask in his hands, the delicate violet markings suddenly feeling more like a warning than a mere design.

"And now?" he asked.

The Veilkeeper's golden eyes bore into his.

"She is returning."

The wind howled through the clearing. The glowing sakura petals spiraled through the air like embers.

And somewhere—just beyond the veil of the living—a presence stirred.

Denzan narrowed his eyes. "That's a hell of a thing to say about someone who's been gone for centuries."

The Veilkeeper stood unmoving. "Time does not bind those who walk between worlds."

Paimon shuddered. "O-Okay, can someone please explain what that means?"

Renshin crossed his arms. "Sounds to me like she was never really gone."

Thoma exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "So, what? She faked her disappearance? Became some kind of ghost? You're not being very clear here."

The Veilkeeper finally moved, slowly lifting a hand. The moment they did, the glowing sakura petals around them froze in midair. A deep hum resonated through the clearing, like a distant bell tolling beneath the earth.

"The Fox of the Forgotten Shrine," the Veilkeeper intoned, "was not erased.She was sealed."

Denzan felt something shift in his chest like a storm that's about to break. He looked down at the mask in his hands, the violet markings pulsing faintly in the moonlight.

"She's in here, isn't she?" he muttered.

The Veilkeeper's silence was answer enough.

The Traveler stepped forward. "If she was sealed, then why is she 'returning' now?"

Another pause. Then:

"Because the seal is weakening."

The weight of the words pressed against them like unseen hands. The mask in Denzan's grip grew colder.

Renshin let out a sharp breath. "Let me guess. This is where we come in."

The Veilkeeper inclined their head. "Yes. You were brought here because fate has already chosen you as pieces in this game." Their gaze settled on Denzan. "And you, storm-forged one, have carried her key to its rightful place."

Denzan scowled. "Don't like the sound of that."

Thoma crossed his arms. "What happens if she wakes up?"

The wind stirred. The frozen sakura petals began to move again, swirling in slow, deliberate patterns.

"She will seek what was taken from her," the Veilkeeper said. "her vengeance."

The Traveler tensed. "Against who?"

The Veilkeeper's voice was barely more than a whisper.

"The Raiden Shogun."

Silence.

The weight of the revelation settled like a storm cloud over them.

Denzan ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. "So, what? You want us to stop her? Help her? What's your play here?"

The Veilkeeper tilted their head. "That is not for us to decide."

A slow crack echoed through the mask.

Denzan's breath caught.

He looked down.

The mask in his hands—

A fine web of cracks had begun to spread across the porcelain.

The seal was breaking.

And she was waking up.