I have an unlimited number of shikigami

"You're welcome. When you see Madam, please say a few kind words for me."

"Ah."

Yukino Riho waved her hand gently and turned to walk towards the backyard.

Sitting in his chair, Mr. Kamiya watched her retreating figure.

Her light green dress complemented the lush green courtyard perfectly. While her attire was undeniably simple, her black pointed-toe heels suggested a style common among urban professionals. However, upon closer inspection, even just considering her figure, her exceptional气质 (qi zhi - inherent quality/temperament) was undeniable; and in a face-to-face conversation, her elegant and refined appearance was impossible to ignore.

It can only be said that the Snow Woman truly deserves to be called the purest and most flawless being in the world.

Under the same sunlight, just as Yukino Riho passed through the entrance hall and entered the backyard, a man walked in.

Wearing a white shirt and trousers, the man was about 1.85 meters tall, with his hair in a ponytail, a small tuft of beard on his chin, and a scar next to his right eye. His gaze was deep and sharp, like the eye of a wild beast hunting its prey.

"It's been a long time, Kamiya."

Mr. Kamiya was silent for a moment, then extended his thick right hand forward: "Takenaka, it's been a long time."

Their hands clasped together in a firm grip. After a moment, Takenaka Akira sat down on a chair nearby and asked casually, "How's A-Wen?"

“It’s even better than me,” Mr. Kamiya replied.

Awen is a German Shepherd kept at the Furukawa Kaikan. He has a good temperament and is very intelligent, but he has a few strange habits, especially his love for spinach.

"Does it eat spinach?" Takenaka Akira asked.

"I'm eating a lot. Spinach has been very expensive lately, and our finances are starting to strain."

"I've never seen a dog that likes to eat spinach."

“Awen doesn’t consider himself a dog.”

"So what does it consider itself to be?"

"It seems to consider itself a special being that transcends that category."

"Superdog?"

"Perhaps."

"So you like spinach?"

"Haha, probably." Mr. Kamiya chuckled, his gaze not meeting the person he was speaking to, but instead lightly lifting his foot to check the luster of his leather shoes. Then he continued, "I heard you've been short of money lately?"

"As expected of Mr. Kamiya, nothing can be hidden from you." Takenaka Akira looked surprised, then smiled and whispered, "But we found a sugar daddy a few days ago, and the funding gap has been filled quite a bit."

"That's good." Mr. Kamiya then turned to look at him, a smile playing on his lips. "I thought you came to borrow money from me, and I almost kicked you out."

“I’m just here to catch up, don’t be so heartless.” Takenaka Akira leaned back in his chair, saying nothing for the time being, his hands on his knees, quietly gazing at the lush trees in the courtyard.

The air was fresh, filled with the fragrance of flowers, grass, and trees.

The lawn was still damp from the watering, and the wild grasses with their small white flowers drooped with water droplets. The tender green of the grass roots seemed to be bathed in sunlight, while the pollen-laden petals shimmered with a luster.

This is the real world, time flows as usual, a peaceful August afternoon, with no sign of darkness.

“The Nagano Mountain God Festival is about to begin,” Takenaka Akira suddenly said.

"Oh, I know, it's around this time every year," Mr. Kamiya replied in a mumbled tone.

A large dog ran over, dug around in the grass for a while, then came running back, wagging its tail, and pounced on Mr. Kamiya, sniffing his face. Then it turned to Takenaka Akira and shook its head.

“Awen.” Takenaka Akira whistled.

The German Shepherd ran over and slapped his legs with its tail, seemingly trying to shoo him away.

"You still don't welcome me." Takenaka Akira tapped the armrest of the chair with his fingers, then shook his head helplessly.

Mr. Kamiya did not reply, but gazed peacefully at the courtyard.

The wind has completely stopped.

The willow leaves drooped quietly, and the tips of a few branches almost touched the ground.

"Is Yukino still there?" Takenaka Akira asked.

“I come back occasionally,” Mr. Kamiya said, then pursed his lips. “Not to criticize you, but the Yuki-onna is a heartless youkai. Even in her presence, I still get the cold shoulder… Uh, what do you want?”

“I recently learned a little about her from my partner. I’m still very happy. It’s been five years since she left the club, and this is the first time I’ve heard from her…” Takenaka Akira touched the scar at the corner of his eye, his expression slightly melancholy. “To be honest, Mr. Kamiya, although this scar was caused by Yukino, I don’t blame her at all… Over the years, I’ve met many women, and I’ve unconsciously compared them to Yukino. In comparison, I still think Yukino has the most elegance. It’s a pity… If I had known this five years ago, I should have come to take her away…”

Mr. Kamiya frowned slightly.

The tone of the demon's voice seemed to contain a slight possibility that could arouse his wariness.

"You're looking for Yukino?" Mr. Kamiya asked.

Takenaka Akira looked into his eyes.

As the human representative of Madam Furukawa, this bodyguard's eyes remained neutral, devoid of any emotion or sway towards either side.

“I wanted to catch up with her,” Takenaka Akira replied. “Back when I frequented the guild hall, she was still the old lady’s maid, and she already had a very attractive aura. Although I don’t know much about her past, I still think it’s worth a try.”

"What did you find out about Yukino?" Mr. Kamiya's lips deepened slightly.

“These past few days, I’ve learned from my partner that she’s living with a young man,” Takenaka Akira said gravely. “That young man committed a heinous act in Nan-in-dou. He kidnapped a fox spirit from the Nine Divisions, raped her, and then killed her using a shikigami binding technique.”

“Oh, I’ve heard about that.” Mr. Kamiya gave him a sharp look. “What do you think we should do?”

“Yukino is too naive; she must have been deceived by him,” Takenaka Akihi said, gently waving his fingers in the air. “As someone who admires her, I should do something for her. What do you think, Mr. Kamiya?”

"I have no objection." Kamiya extended his right hand again. "I wish you all the best."

Takenaka Akira shook hands with him once again.

After that, he stood up, straightened his shirt and tie, and prepared to turn around and walk away.

Mr. Kamiya also stood up.

He was very tall, and when he stood up, it was as if a stone wall had sprung up there, often surprising people with its dense texture.

The sparse sunlight of late summer dappled the courtyard. After watching the other person leave, Mr. Kamiya sat back down in his chair, his tall frame bowing to check if his leather shoes were dusty.

Furukawa Kaikan is a gathering place for yokai (supernatural beings).

As the second person in charge here, he has met countless monsters, both big and small, over the decades.

This demon named Takenaka Akihito was an old acquaintance, and Takenaka Akihito also had deep friendships with many demons in the Kanto region. Mr. Kamiya had absolutely no interest in, nor did he want to know, about the demons' schemes. What concerned him somewhat was the matter of the Yuki-onna (snow woman). However, as a completely neutral party, the Furukawa Kaikan would not interfere in external affairs. Besides, the one who should be more concerned about this matter was not him, but that boy named Fujiwara Izaya.

“Mountain God,” Mr. Kamiya said with amusement, reaching out to poke the dog beside him, “if you don’t come back soon, the silly and cute Yuki-onna will be tricked away.”

The dog turned around: "Woof!"

※※※※※

Furukawa Kaikan, backyard.

The chirping of cicadas in summer meticulously sews the scorching air of the blazing sun into a thick cotton garment.

The trees were so dense that they obscured the pond in the yard. There was not a breath of wind under the eaves, but the calamus leaves by the pond were swaying slightly. The white branches full of tiny flower buds stirred up dappled shadows on the pond.

Intermittent singing drifted from the antique courtyard.

"Drive the waterwheel to draw water from the tide,"

"The wheels are moving slowly."

"The four seasons of this floating world cycle endlessly."

"The world is inherently impermanent."

In a secluded spot where the sunlight couldn't reach, Yukino Riho, dressed in a blue kimono, was gracefully playing the shamisen. Her voice, normally clear and melodious, became light and soft when she sang. She simply sang a short Noh piece, bringing an ethereal atmosphere to the entire garden and completely drowning out the noisy chirping of cicadas.

The summer sunlight seemed to soften because of her singing voice.

The polished floor was illuminated, making it appear even smoother and brighter, even revealing the wood grain on the wall panels.

A little girl named Kitagawa Ryoko stared wide-eyed at Yukino Riho with longing and fervor. Yukino, already possessing a delicate and charming appearance, seemed perfectly attuned to the poignant sentiment of the poem, her slender figure slender and slightly thin. The little girl's eyes were filled with adoration.

After singing a short song, Yukino Riho put down her instrument and let the girls practice.

Amidst the chattering discussion, Kitagawa Ryoko came over, exchanged a glance with Yukino Riho, and walked out onto the veranda.

"Sister Yukino!"

"what happened?"

There's something I need to tell you!

"I'm listening."

Two figures stopped by the pool. The greenery was lush and verdant, and even the pool water was tinged with a deep green.

"Are you going to the mountain god festival with us, Yukino-nee?" Kitagawa Ryoko asked expectantly.

Yukino Riho thought for a moment before turning her gaze slightly to the side: "Go ahead. Consider it me, as your teacher, coming along to see how you shine at the festival."

"That's great!" Kitagawa Ryoko boldly reached out and quietly grabbed her sleeve.

The sunlight was so bright that it even seemed frivolous. The cool light on Yukino's blue silk kimono, like the snow reflecting the moonlight, gave her a serene and beautiful appearance.

"Is there anything else you want to ask?" Yukino Riho asked.

Birds chirped and twirled in the treetops, but her voice was even more melodious than theirs.

"And another thing, your Fujiwara-kun did something really bad..." Kitagawa Ryoko muttered, glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention before whispering in Yukino Riho's ear, embellishing the story she had heard.

“You’re exaggerating,” Yukino Riho said, rubbing her temples with a helpless expression. “The version I heard was that he forcibly abducted a fox woman. How did it come out of your mouth as him abducting a whole mountain of fox women and forcing them to work in brothels?”

“I’m telling the truth!” Kitagawa Ryoko put her hands on her hips, stuck out her tongue and made a cute face. “I told you long ago that guy isn’t a good person. Let’s get rid of him and let me move in with Yukino-nee.”

"Let's talk about it when he gets back." Yukino Riho looked up at the treetops.

The sunlight was a bit too bright, so she opened her hand to block the sunlight filtering through the trees. Her palm was gracefully open, like the elegant gesture of a dancer in motion.

Above the not-so-tall trees, the sky was clear and blue, bright and serene.

Kitagawa Ryoko stood next to her, her face stern for a while, before saying in bewilderment, "Yukino-nee is just biased."

Rebirth in the Great Era of Surfing Waves

“Yes.” Yukino Riho answered without hesitation.

"..."

Kitagawa Ryoko's body trembled, and for a moment she seemed about to collapse.

"Yukino-nee, you're too blunt," she said, sounding a little aggrieved. "Even if that were true, you should have said it more tactfully. It's a necessary etiquette in interpersonal communication..."