107 The Curtain Falls and the Beginning

Kurama’s sigh did nothing to shake the resolve of the youths before him. From their eyes, the Nine-Tailed Fox could easily discern how stubbornly these children clung to the desire to uncover the “truth of the world” that Yukimura had spoken of earlier, seeking answers from both himself and Natori.

After exchanging glances with Natori, Kurama fell silent alongside him. Yukimura, the leader, pressed his lips together and spoke again with utmost solemnity:

“We are not asking this out of rashness or mere curiosity.”

“If it weren’t for the troubles concerning our comrades, we would have the sense to keep our distance and avoid such perilous situations as much as possible.”

“But we cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering of our friends.”

“Therefore, please tell us—the true nature of this world.”

“And what must be done so that our comrades are no longer tormented by this reality?”

His gaze briefly swept over Yanagi’s calm and serene face. Yukimura hesitated, then caught sight of his friend’s tightly clenched fists, white-knuckled and bloodless from the pressure. The boy’s expression hardened with even greater determination.

“No matter what, please help my comrades! If anyone can do it, it must be you…”

To have subdued such a powerful demon so effortlessly, this silver-haired fox youth’s abilities must surely surpass even those of the high monk who once performed a ritual to shield Renji from monster attacks and gifted him a protective talisman. If so, might he be able to do what others could not?

Could he save Renji from ever seeing those monsters again—the ones that haunted him with terrible memories?

With sincere eyes fixed on the imposing silver-haired fox, Yukimura’s concern for his friend was palpable, seemingly unaware that despite the fox’s strength, he was not simply a “highly skilled sorcerer,” but a yokai—a demon fox.

Kurama sighed resignedly under such earnest pleading.

“I think this falls within your area of expertise.”

He turned his gaze coldly toward Natori.

Caught off guard, the star performer looked back innocently.

“But I can’t do what they want me to do.”

From the boy’s words, Natori inferred the nature of their companion’s long-standing distress and shrugged helplessly.

“So far, all I can do is allow those with faint spiritual sensitivity to see demons under certain conditions. As for those born with strong spiritual power who can easily see yokai… I don’t know how to make them lose that ability.”

—And if he did, he would have long since used it on himself or Natsume.

Though his current life was not bad, Natori would never forget how, as a child, he had been misunderstood, rejected, and despised by those around him because of his ability to see yokai. The pain and confusion he felt then were unforgettable.

Kurama shot him a cold glare worthy of a regent’s icy disdain.

In his yokai form, that glare was doubled in its intensity. Natori’s previously carefree demeanor immediately dissipated.

He smiled wryly and raised his hands in surrender.

“Alright, alright. Though I don’t know what you plan to do, leave these boys to me for now, okay?”

“Do what you wish during this time. I’ll handle their questions, and of course, it’s up to you whether to grant their requests in the end. That’s acceptable, right?”

Across from him, the silver-haired youth nodded with a frost-cold expression, seemingly satisfied with the proposal.

Natori, disarmed by the stark contrast in the fox’s demeanor, found himself oddly relieved. He then led the group of reluctant but obedient youths away down a corridor that, strangely, had not been noticed by any patrolling officers in the inn, leaving the space to Kurama and the still-stone-like little detective.

***

“All gone now. Stop pretending, little detective.”

After watching Natori and the others depart and waiting until even their footsteps faded into silence, Kurama turned to the boy who still seemed dazed and let out a low chuckle.

The boy slowly lifted his head.

“What are you?”

He asked in a low voice.

The fox suddenly smacked him on the head.

“Ow—ow, ow, ow, ow!!!”

Tears welled in the boy’s eyes from the pain.

In an instant, all the carefully maintained composure and wisdom vanished, replaced by teary-eyed resentment. He glared fiercely at the silver-haired fox.

The fox grinned.

“Care to be even more rude?”

Conan clutched his head and glared harder.

“To try and provoke me with such a weak attempt? You’re too green, boy.”

The fox smiled knowingly.

“Back when I was a notorious thief in the demon world, I heard far worse insults from other yokai. If I took every word seriously, I’d have been driven mad with anger.”

“Besides, do you think a great demon like me is on the same intelligence level as some fool who, after being scolded, lost their name and then got their head chopped off and sealed in a pickle jar, all while nursing petty grudges and plotting revenge?”

“Don’t underestimate me, little one.”

With a flick of his wrist, Kurama pulled the “fool” from the shattered floor—who had tried to secretly slip away from the thorny rose blade’s grip while the fox was distracted speaking to Conan—and slammed her down in front of Conan with a miserable thud.

“Perhaps there are many fools like this, blending into human society unnoticed by most. Some are good, some bad; some commit evil acts, others cherish and protect humans. But kid, if you can’t see them or feel them, then you can’t react to what they do—cannot stop them, punish them, help them, or even be moved by them.”

“Because you live in your world, and they live in theirs.”

“There should have been no intersection between these two worlds, if it weren’t for your stubbornness, secretly trailing me, trying desperately to uncover what I call the ‘secret’ of infinity’s military base.”

Shaking his head, Kurama didn’t wait for a reply. He flicked his hand and pulled the female yokai from the broken floor, dropping her lightly before Conan.

“She might know something about this incident, but the event itself probably has nothing to do with her.”

“If you have questions, ask now.”

At these words, Conan suddenly looked up sharply at the silver-haired youth.

He had expected that even if the fox didn’t harshly reprimand him, he would at least make him forget everything by some strange method.

After all, he had said, “The two worlds should never intersect.”

But now…

Is this fox trying to help him?

Conan was confused.

Kurama glanced at him coolly.

“Let’s resolve this incident quickly, and then return some peace to my friends. Their identities are special; it’s not good for them to be constantly caught up in these situations.”

Those words made Conan—who also knew the true identities of Natori and Ren—understand immediately.

He looked at the fox with a complex expression before lowering his head, focusing his energy to interrogate the trembling female yokai who, even faced with a human questioner, had no reservations in spilling everything she knew.

***

The case was resolved at an astonishing speed by midnight that day.

When the killer attempted to enter the room of the third intended victim to repeat their crime, the lights suddenly blazed on, revealing police officers lying in wait.

The culprit, Fujisawa Mari, a company employee at Kawashita Corporation, was arrested on the spot after failing in her attempt and confessed to two prior murders.

Her motive was shocking:

“Those two shameless bitches! How dare they covet my Nitta-kun! Mine!!!”

“Σ&1t;(=っ°Д°)っ!!!”—Nitta Shunsuke, the ace of Rikkai University’s men’s tennis team, felt immense pressure.

He didn’t even know that girl! And yet she went so far as to kill for him…

From that day, the boy harbored a psychological shadow about the opposite sex.

Investigations by Chief Yamagata and others revealed that Fujisawa had fallen in love at first sight with Nitta during a company event, where he was practicing at the tennis center chosen by Kawashita Corporation.

Because of her abnormal personality, Fujisawa became an obsessive stalker who deluded herself into believing she had a romantic relationship with Nitta. She resented Nitta’s rumored girlfriend, Okamoto E, and a cheerful, popular colleague named Sakuma, who had spoken with Nitta at the inn.

Out of jealousy, she exploited the inn’s ghost stories to murder them both, hanging them in their respective rooms.

“Sometimes, love that is too intense is truly unbearable…”

Watching Fujisawa wail hysterically for Nitta’s name as she was forcibly taken away by the police, Natori sighed softly.

But soon, the star regained his composure and turned to the red-haired boy—now back in human form—with a broad smile.

“Well, now that the matter is settled, about those boys…”

Kurama smiled and glanced at him.

“I understand. I’ll find time to deal with it.”

Though their hot spring trip had been somewhat disrupted by the incident, it was not cut short.

Even after the case’s resolution, while Kogoro and Conan left to complete routine police procedures, Kurama, Natori, and the others stayed behind to enjoy their rare holiday.

The Rikkai youths declined their seniors’ invitation to leave and remained at the inn, awaiting the fox’s promised help.

That night, Kurama spent half the evening sealing most of Yanagi’s spiritual power using the spiritual techniques he had learned from Yusuke. This allowed Yanagi to sense the danger posed by yokai and protect himself, while no longer being troubled by the ability to see them.

The Rikkai youths were immensely grateful to Kurama and often accompanied him in the following days, helping Natsume make good friends and easing his prior melancholy caused by the possibility of yokai involvement in the case.

***

After the hot spring trip, Kurama spent a leisurely time in the town where Natsume lived.

He stayed through the New Year celebrations, sharing with Natsume his first New Year at the Fujiwara household.

On an early March day, when the snow melted and spring began to show, Kurama bid Natsume farewell, explaining his current circumstances.

With reluctant yet heartfelt blessings, the boy saw him off as Kurama departed for the Count’s pet shop in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho.

After receiving a vague hint from Yuuko, Kurama had already visited the Count once.

However, the Count knew little about the matter and, unlike Yuuko, was not a magician and had limited knowledge of fate and destiny. Thus, Yuuko’s cryptic clue left him clueless.

Though Kurama had since stayed at his home a few times and asked acquaintances from other worlds to investigate, the results were disappointing.

Yet, the lack of progress did not deter Kurama.

In this warm and healing world, having calmed his mind completely, Kurama made all preparations and set off once more on his uncertain journey.

This time, the Count saw him off.

Under the gaze of those enchanting heterochromatic eyes, Kurama slightly curled his lips, smiling warmly at the friend he had known only briefly but felt as if they had been acquainted for ages, as the magical circle of Mokona unfolded.

“Well then…”

“Farewell, Count.”

Before the words could fully leave his lips, the pet shop’s door—sealed by a protective barrier—was violently forced open!

Kurama’s eyes widened as a group of demon slayers burst in, led by a long-haired young man whose right half of his face was wrapped in bandages.

Half of them attacked the Count and the animals inside, while the other half formed a spell that surged toward Kurama.

Mokona’s small body was violently thrown back by the impact of the spell. Yet, the space-time teleportation had already begun and did not cease.

Kurama hastily swung the hastily conjured Rose Thorn Blade toward Mokona’s direction.

The moment the thorn touched Mokona, darkness overtook his vision as the shockwave of space-time forces overwhelmed him, and he lost consciousness…