---
The sun had barely peeked through the trees when the clearing was cleared again—this time, for something a little more personal.
Yuki stood on the sideline with Kai handing him a bowl of steaming ramen. "You sure you wanna eat during this?" Kai asked.
Yuki slurped confidently. "If they're fighting each other, it's not my business until someone shouts my name dramatically."
Kai blinked. "You've been hanging around Nogitsune too much."
In the center of the clearing, Aiko stood across from Himari. The tension was subtle—but not aggressive. Competitive. The kind that sparked between two people who'd been thinking just a little too long about the same guy.
"You ready, Himari?" Aiko asked with a slight grin.
Himari tilted her head. "Of course. I've been curious about how your aura feels when you're serious."
"Oh, I can show you more than aura." Aiko tapped her temple. "I've seen things."
Ren leaned against a tree, sipping tea—how or where he got it, no one knew.
"Oh boy…" he sighed, loud enough for everyone to hear. "The spiritual medium versus the mysterious guide. Two hearts. One fox boy. This is either gonna be poetic… or explosive."
Kai snorted. "Are you narrating again?"
"It's called setting the mood." Ren adjusted his invisible narrator cloak.
Back in the clearing…
Aiko dashed first, her steps glowing faintly with aura threads—just like Yuki's. Himari dodged with elegant slides, her movements almost floaty, like she was gliding rather than stepping.
"You've improved," Himari said.
"I had to," Aiko replied, "watching him change made me want to grow, too."
Aiko flared her aura in a concentrated burst—controlled and focused. Himari responded by channeling a soft, radiant energy from her palms, forming a veil of light.
They clashed—boom!—a burst of wind throwing leaves into the air. Sparks flickered from their auras, not quite violent, but passionate.
Ren cupped his hands like a megaphone.
"Whoever wins gets to feed Yuki next!"
"REN!" Yuki choked on his ramen.
Kai collapsed laughing.
Aiko and Himari froze mid-clash, both glaring at Ren.
"…I was joking!" Ren held up his tea defensively. "Mostly…"
Himari rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I don't blast you."
Aiko looked at Yuki—he was now covering his face with his bowl.
"Oh my god…" he muttered. "This is worse than training with Haru…"
Back to the sparring—Himari's energy turned misty and ethereal, wrapping around Aiko and momentarily blinding her. But Aiko countered with an aura flare so bright it split the veil apart.
They landed, both panting slightly—but smiling.
"That was fun," Aiko said, brushing her hair back.
"You're stronger than I expected," Himari replied. "You'll need that strength."
Yuki stepped up, now finished with his ramen. "You both were amazing."
Ren whispered to Kai, "He's doomed."
Kai nodded solemnly. "Two queens. One ramen-loving fox."
What happens when two mythic girls spar over more than just training? Yuki's ramen might be the only thing staying out of trouble…
---
The fire crackled softly in the center of the campsite, surrounded by glowing stones Kai said would "keep foxes warm and nosy tengu out." Yuki wasn't sure what that meant, but he felt cozy enough not to question it.
Above them, the sky was a masterpiece—stars scattered like paint splashes across deep velvet. The moon hung high and round, casting a gentle glow over the trees.
Yuki sat on a log, arms folded behind his head, eyes half-closed. On either side of him, Aiko and Himari were peacefully dozing, each having somehow chosen him as their personal pillow.
"I can't feel my arms," Yuki whispered to himself, "but I'm too scared to move."
From across the fire, Ren smirked as he sipped on something suspiciously fruity.
"Well, well, well," he said in his usual too-loud voice. "Look who's got himself his own little fox harem."
"Shh!" Yuki hissed, trying not to wake either girl. "I didn't ask for this!"
Haru plopped down next to Ren, casually throwing an arm around the tengu's shoulder. "To be fair… you did save their lives, train like a god, and then smiled at both of them like a shonen protagonist. What did you think was gonna happen?"
"Sleep. I thought sleep was gonna happen," Yuki muttered, his voice strained.
Ren took a long sip and nodded solemnly. "Sleep is a lie, young kitsune. This is your life now."
Kai, walking by with a marshmallow on a stick, paused when he saw the scene. "I give it two weeks before one of them starts stealing your clothes."
"I don't even have enough clothes!" Yuki whisper-yelled, panicking a little.
Aiko stirred lightly in her sleep and cuddled closer. Himari, not to be outdone, let out a quiet sigh and shifted, her head gently landing on Yuki's other shoulder.
Ren wiped an invisible tear. "Look at our boy. All grown up. Snuggling under the stars like a romance anime ending."
"You're not helping," Yuki groaned.
Kai tossed a marshmallow at Ren. "Let him rest. He's been through voids and ramen starvation. Let the fox boy nap in peace."
Ren caught the marshmallow in his mouth. "Fine. But I'm taking a picture with my spiritual memory. This one's going in the archives."
As the night deepened, the group slowly quieted down. Even Haru, who always looked like he wanted to spar with the moon, had settled down.
Yuki sighed, finally giving in to the moment. The stars above blinked peacefully, like they were watching over him. Despite the chaos, despite the uncertainty, he smiled.
"…I guess this isn't so bad."
---
"If you're enjoying the ride, don't forget to leave a power stone or a comment—it really helps this grow!"