"All right. What have I got to lose," I tell him.
Suddenly he comes out of his stupor.
Wait a minute.
With every step he takes, he humanises himself more and more.
Until a young man in traditional warrior's dress stood in front of me.
He stops abruptly in front of me. He bends down to me and brushes a tear from my face with his hand.
"Hello, Asta," he smiles at me with his perfect face as he places his hand on my head.
His strange white fringe remains in human form, a stark contrast to his black hair. But his colourless eyes are slowly taking on colour.
He startled in anger and horror at the same time.
He mumbled something to himself, touching his ears at the same time.
I don't know why or what made me touch his ears.
But judging by his expression, I probably shouldn't repeat it.
As they say, half a thing is not always a whole thing.
Self-recrimination.
Suddenly he turns back to the fox. Now I understand his anger.
"I didn't know. Sorry."
"Now you know. If you touch my ears, even in this form, I will turn back into the chain".
He sighs and shakes his head.
"Let's start at the beginning. The being you just saw is a Yokai.
A demon called Ame ona. Normally, they are peaceful towards humans. Except for the fact that -his voice gets softer- they steal children and make their mothers -his voice gets louder- do the same.
But that was just on the margin - he clears his throat -. Well, this lady is an exception".
He catches my worried look.
"Did my grandmother experience things like I did?"
He shakes his head.
"More indirectly. I have never had direct contact like you. After all, it was more like Tsukumogami that haunted your grandmother from time to time."
"Tsukumogami?"
"Objects that take on a life of their own. Perhaps you noticed that as a child?"
"Yes, now that you mention it. Was there really an incident?"
"I have to admit - his fluffy tail moving from right to left and under his snout - that even for me, the situation is new. Acting in the background was uncomplicated for me. And much less stressful for you".
"I ask him anyway, although my mind already knows the answer.
"To put it plainly, encounters can happen at any time. For you this means that you will have to carry me with you at all times," he replies, as expected.
"Will this spitting ever come to an end?"
I have an uneasy feeling about this question. Of course, the answer to this question will not suit me. But it's worth a try.
He hesitates a little.
He closes his muzzle a few times and opens it again.
"I'm probably not making myself clear in some places. My master has chosen me as a gift to your bloodline. I will stay with you and the rest of the unborn until I reach the highest rank."
For some inexplicable reason, his answer makes me angry.
Under his confused gaze, I grab the ball and start running.
I simply run away from the problems I never had until this chain.
Mine ends today.
I stop.
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