112 The Conditions of the Underworld King

He possessed a pair of eyes so beautifully indescribable, their color a clear, piercing blue-green. Though these eyes radiated a cold, indifferent aura, simply resting quietly and silently upon you was enough to bring on an overwhelming suffocating pressure—as if a rising tide would engulf you entirely. Yet, paradoxically, this did nothing to diminish the crystal-clear tranquility those eyes conveyed.

Being watched by such eyes, the body instinctively tensed, alert and ready for battle, weighed down by the powerful aura unintentionally emitted by their owner. Yet, the spirit felt an opposite sensation—relaxation, peace, even… liberation.

It had to be admitted: this was an extraordinarily rare and wondrous experience.

Pulling his consciousness back from the king of the underworld’s emerald gaze—eyes that seemed capable of devouring one’s very soul—Kurama blinked and smiled silently.

He wondered… could this be some sort of preliminary test?

His golden eyes, sharp and bewitching thanks to his fox heritage, narrowed slightly. The demon fox gave a slight nod to the black-haired lord of the underworld, who had finally revealed his true form. This was his way of responding to the latter’s earlier agreement.

“I’m pleased Your Majesty agrees with my opinion.”

Though politely phrased and impeccably courteous, the fox’s words betrayed a complete absence of reverence toward Hades—one of the three chief Olympian gods and ruler of the underworld—a fact that both Hades and Hypnos easily discerned.

The golden-haired god of sleep cast a cold glance at Kurama but did not reprimand him.

As for the king of the underworld himself, he seemed indifferent to Kurama’s attitude, showing no reaction at all.

“This will not trouble you.”

He fixed his gaze on Kurama for a moment before speaking lightly.

“You will accomplish this task with ease and remain unharmed.”

Kurama raised an eyebrow in surprise at these words.

Hades’ nonchalant tone was expected, but the fox had not anticipated that the king would take the trouble to assure him personally that helping with this small matter would not bring him harm…

He hardly seemed the considerate type.

Kurama chuckled softly.

“Very well,” he said with a smile. “With that promise from Your Majesty, I can agree to half of the tutoring for the scoundrel husband: the legitimate daughter-in-law.”

“As for the other half… please inform me of the specifics before I decide.”

Ignoring the furious expression of the god of sleep beside him, Kurama’s eyes gleamed with clear mischief, plainly saying, “Yes, I’m testing the limits of your tolerance.”

Yet His Majesty remained serenely unmoved.

“Follow me.”

Disregarding Hypnos’ almost palpable anger and resentment behind them, the tall, black-haired deity turned and led Kurama out of the bedchamber, walking slowly one after the other.

Hypnos stood at the doorway, watching their departing figures, his expression fluctuating between pale and sullen.

“If not for His Majesty’s grand vision…”

The golden-haired god muttered bitterly, then turned and quickly strode out of the temple.

Danaus, that fool, was still trapped by a mortal at the Yellow Springs’ Hiraizaka; he had to check if the man was dead yet!

Though… for them gods of the underworld, death was something that would never truly come.

***

Led by Hades out of the temple’s main hall, Kurama noticed the king did not take him down any of the corridors leading to the side chambers or the rear of the temple.

Silently, the two descended a long flight of black stone stairs, eventually arriving once again on the lush, sun-drenched meadows of the Elysian Fields.

Unlike Danaus and Hypnos, who could casually open portals for swift travel, Hades chose to walk with Kurama along a path unknown to the fox but clearly etched in the king’s mind, winding through the picturesque Elysian Fields.

Though the uncertainty of the destination was somewhat dull, Kurama’s wounds—previously unable to heal in the deathly atmosphere of the underworld—began to mend rapidly amid this verdant land brimming with life.

After just a few breaths, even the injuries worsened in his struggle against the death god were mostly healed, requiring only a little more care. This allowed Kurama to face what lay ahead without reservation.

As they walked slowly among blooming flowers and emerald grasses, with his injuries nearly gone, the fox—usually patient with solitude—began to feel restless in the strange silence between himself and the king of the underworld.

After their brief prior contact, during which he had formed a favorable impression of Hades, Kurama decided to break the silence.

“Your Majesty, where are we headed?”

His tone was casual, as if speaking to an ordinary person.

The black-haired god glanced sideways at him, his expression unreadable.

“Deep within the Elysian Fields,” he replied succinctly.

“The matter for which I need your help will become clear when we arrive.”

Kurama seemed oblivious to the subtle hint that the topic was closed.

“Oh? A secret so important it requires Your Majesty’s utmost caution, yet it’s not kept under constant watch in the underworld’s temple but casually placed in the Elysian Fields? Isn’t that unsafe?”

Hades gave him another look.

“The Elysian Fields cover almost a tenth of the underworld’s territory. Even I cannot claim full control over its expanse.”

In other words, rather than hiding a critical secret in the conspicuous, heavily guarded underworld temple—where prying eyes closely observe the king’s every move and would immediately gain knowledge and a clear target—it was safer to place it somewhere even Hades himself did not fully understand.

No one could constantly monitor the king’s actions, after all.

Even if they intended to, they likely lacked the capability.

Kurama nodded in understanding.

“Makes sense.”

“But…”

Given the king’s usual demeanor, Kurama felt fortunate to have received such an explanation so far.

He had prepared himself to be ignored, yet Hades—aloof and distant as always—answered every question.

Gradually drawn into conversation, the two continued their exchange uninterrupted as they journeyed deeper into the Elysian Fields.

Until, without warning, the king suddenly stopped, calmly saying, “We have arrived.”

Only then did Kurama realize they had traveled an unknown distance; the mountains that once seemed near had drifted far beyond sight.

The fox was inwardly surprised—

He hadn’t expected the king of the underworld to be such a good conversationalist! So much so that he almost mistook him for a longtime friend.

Thinking this, Kurama looked intently at Hades.

“Your Majesty, what is it you need my help with…?”

Wait!

What was this feeling?!

Before he could finish speaking, Kurama abruptly halted.

Thump thump…

It felt as if something was pounding violently within his blood vessels.

Thump thump…

His heart adjusted its rhythm to an unknown drumbeat.

Thump thump…

Something seemed to be summoning him, stirring a powerful resonance deep within his body from inside out.

The fox seemed possessed, his deliberately concealed fox ears and tail suddenly bursting forth, swaying with captivating curves as he staggered forward.

Behind him, the black-haired god pursed his thin lips and stood silently, watching Kurama’s every move.

Just a few meters ahead, where there had been only empty blossoms, an illusory barrier shattered suddenly.

With scattered points of light dissolving like ice crystals, the scene before Hades changed abruptly—

A towering, colossal tree rose, seeming to embrace something yet also to give birth to something; to guard yet also to let go at any moment.

Its texture was crystal-like yet not crystal, stone-like yet not stone.

Countless branches twisted and intertwined, forming a whole that resembled a blooming flower—a strange and wondrous plant standing serenely.

As Kurama approached, it began to pulse with dazzling light.

Hades’ gaze darkened.

Though Kurama was immersed in a strange resonance and momentarily unresponsive to the world around him, he moved forward step by step, drawn by a call that shared the same origin as something within his body.

“Come… come here…”

A soft voice whispered in his ear.

“Come to me, and grant me the power of birth.”

“My ‘companion’…”

The fox slowly reached out toward the source of the voice.

In the next moment, a gentle pale green light flared suddenly, enveloping him entirely…

“!!!!!!”

The cry of surprise and wonder caught in his throat.

Kurama’s eyes widened as he gazed entranced at the wondrous visions flashing before him amidst the green glow—

Before the universe was born, the world was chaos;

Suddenly, a white light emerged from the darkness and void, and from pure white wings, the heavens and earth were born…

The cosmos formed, planets were born, the sky and earth parted, and seas gradually rose;

From the very depths of the earth, something began to gestate, ever longing to be born…

Life began.

Conscious, unconscious; intelligent, unintelligent; gods and mortals…

Ultimately, the world was fully formed.

This did not quite align with Kurama’s usual worldview—whether that of the young Kurama from the Celestial Empire or the demon fox from Yu Yu Hakusho.

Yet, surrounded by this gentle, life-filled green light, he found himself involuntarily relinquishing his previous beliefs, instinctively embracing the unfolding scene before him with unprecedented acceptance.

“Thank you…”

Suddenly, a voice of gratitude echoed in his mind.

It was the same as the one that had called him to bring it birth amid the powerful resonance.

But it was not only that one.

Ancient, youthful; male and female; deep, clear; pleasant, hoarse…

Countless voices intertwined with that soft call, mingled with a solemn, archaic, timeless tone.

Together, they spoke in unison, all uttering the same word—

“Thank you.”

The fox’s mind reeled under the weight of this impact—though it was entirely harmless.

His legs suddenly weakened, and Kurama finally broke free from that mystical state.

Yet, just before losing consciousness entirely, feeling his rapidly falling body caught in an embrace as cool as night breeze, the last image he saw was a faint, smiling, breathtakingly handsome face—

The face of Hades, king of the underworld.