Chapter 7

It has been four more years since then, and I have turned eleven.

"..."

In the quiet of my midnight room,

under the light emitted by the shiki, I carefully inscribed words onto the human-shaped paper I had cut out with scissors.

Come to think of it, I did something similar around this age in my previous life.

How nostalgic. I remember I had my coming-of-age ceremony around this time of year. Thinking about it, I've grown quite a bit in this life.

"…It’s done."

I exhaled, having completed the human-shaped paper.

This is a door.

In my previous life, I subjugated and sealed many youkai, using them as combat forces.

The talismans used for sealing were mostly burned in my previous life, so naturally, they are not here. However, theoretically, it is possible to summon the sealed youkai here.

Sealing means sending them to a different phase.

The talisman is merely a door.

The phase is another world. Therefore, as long as you have a door, you can connect to any world, theoretically.

Whether it really works or not, I will test it now.

I placed the human-shaped paper on the floor.

I formed the seals and chanted the mantra.

Honestly, I don't know what will happen.

So, the first one I will summon is the most docile one.

Eventually, the spell is completed.

"―――Om Chaturdasha Dasha Trini Nava Nava Ekam Nirhvayati Sakala Svaha"

《Summoning―――Yuki, the Kanzaki Fox》

The human-shaped paper emitted light, and the surroundings distorted.

Then, a white girl appeared in the dim room.

She had hair as white as virgin snow. Her unusually short kimono and the hands and legs extending from it were also white. She had a mysterious appearance.

Her eyelids slowly opened, revealing contrasting pitch-black eyes.

Huh? Did it... succeed? But something seems a bit off,

"Haruyoshi-samaaaa!!"

The girl suddenly hugged me.

She pushed me down with momentum and rubbed her face against mine.

"Haruyoshi-sama, Haruyoshi-sama! Oh, to see your face again, Yuki is truly, truly blessed! Sigh... I have dreamed of this moment so many times while sleeping in the phase! Sigh... Ah, Haruyoshi-sama's scent!"

"Stop it, you idiot! Get off!"

I pushed the girl away and stepped back.

Then, I cautiously looked at her.

"Yuki... right?"

"Yes, Haruyoshi-sama! It's Yuki!"

I observed the smiling girl closely.

Yuki, the Kanzaki Fox.

The youkai I gave human form to and used in my previous life...

"Didn't you... get smaller?"

In my previous life, she was supposed to be a mature woman...

Yuki looked down at herself and said,

"Ah, really? I wonder why. I think it's because of the current Haruyoshi-sama's curse power or the influence of this world."

Well... both are plausible.

The essence is still Yuki, so it can be considered a success.

"Phew... At least I'm glad I could summon you. It's been a long time, Yuki."

"Haruyoshi-sama...!"

"I get it, but don't hug me!"

"Yes, but... I'm so glad."

Yuki said with a tearful voice.

"At that time... when that girl was identified as the enemy... Haruyoshi-sama seemed to have already accepted death..."

"Hmm, yeah..."

"But your promise to definitely call me in the next life... it was worth waiting for..."

"Ah, there, there..."

I patted her head, and Yuki sniffled and wiped her tears.

"But, you recognized me in this form?"

"That's... because I can. You look a bit younger, but I can see the resemblance in your curse power and face."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Indeed, I'm the only one in the family with black hair and black eyes.

It's probably just the blood of my father's mistress, but it must be the chosen reincarnation body that crossed worlds.

"Haruyoshi-sama?"

"Hmm?"

"Since you called me, I will do anything! This place doesn't even seem to be Japan or any other world, so I'm sure Haruyoshi-sama must be very busy. What do you need me to do, Yuki?"

"Well... I don't really need anything. I just wanted to test if I could summon youkai here..."

"Whaaat!"

Yuki's shoulders slumped.

I feel bad, but Yuki isn't really useful as a Kanzaki Fox...

I recalled my previous life.

The Kanzaki Fox is a youkai used by Iinagawa practitioners for curses.

The Iinagawa practitioners of Shinano Province use this youkai to perform various curses. Divination, exorcism, and possession. The more famous ones can even control the possessed target at will.

One time, a friend who was an Iinagawa practitioner said with a hundred percent sincerity, "I have a very rare white variant with black eyes, and I'll give it to you! It must have great power!!" That's how I got Yuki.

At first, I had high hopes. But Yuki couldn't do the Kanzaki Fox's specialties of precognition or possession at all. No matter how many times I tried, she would always fail and become listless.

I couldn't bear to abandon her, so I gave her human form and had her serve tea.

I never had children in my previous life, but thanks to Yuki, I understood the meaning of the phrase "the more useless, the cuter."

But, that aside, there's no work for her.

"Anyway, no one can see you in this form."

"But I don't want to go back to the phase..."

"Then you can hide wherever you like."

"Okay."

With that, Yuki returned to her fox form and quickly became very thin.

Then, she slipped into my hair.

"Still, this is the most comfortable place."

Yuki's one rare skill is being able to become extremely thin. Ever since I got her, she would often hide in my hair.

Indeed, it is one of the Kanzaki Fox's skills... but, whatever.

"By the way, Yuki. My name now is Seika, so please call me that from now on."

"Seika-sama, is it...? Hehe, it's a perfect name for Haruyoshi-sama!"

Perfect or not... I remember being called that a few times in my previous life.

Well, I think I'll go to bed now.

I put away my tools and climbed into bed.

I can summon youkai from this world.

The most crucial part of my plan seems to be achievable.

Now, it's whether everything goes according to plan...