"You accepted my summoning..." she whispered, her voice as soft as the finest silk.

His hands found her waist before he answered, as if he wanted to confirm she was really there before speaking his mind.

"How am I here? And what’s a champion?"

"The Final Quest of my world has been at a stalemate for the last decade. I suppose the system got tired of waiting and changed the requirements."

A moment of silence passed before she continued.

"But forget about that for now..." she leaned a little closer, "We should have a proper greeting."

She leaned forward, her crimson eyes dropping briefly before returning to his with the look of someone who knew exactly what they wanted.

Damon didn’t move. He met her evenly as her lips met his.

It was soft, and unhurried in a way that made the world around them seem insignificant. She took her time, and so did he, as they both enjoyed the reunion that they had silently longed for since her departure.

It lasted exactly as long as she intended it to.

When she pulled back, her expression had returned to something more composed, the nine tails resuming their slow rhythm as if nothing had interrupted it. She stepped back slightly, creating just enough distance to look at him properly.

"Now," her lips curved up into a pleased smile. "Where were we...?"

Damon looked at her for a moment.

"The Final Quest," he said.

"Right," Her gaze trailed to the narrow window on the nearby wall, watching the waterfall with a distant look in her eyes. "The System... after a decade-long stalemate, it forced each Divine Beast to choose a champion, someone whose life would become linked to their own. If a champion dies, so does the one who summoned them."

Damon listened carefully to every single word as she slowly began to explain, but soon a question raised in his mind, one he couldn’t quite ignore.

Last time, she left him behind because he was too weak to survive in her world. Their bond was gone. She couldn’t have known how much he had grown, how strong he’d become, so why him?

As if reading his mind, Ayame’s hand pressed softly against the side of his face. "You’ve grown stronger... As I thought you would."

Their moment, however, would not last long as the sound of a wooden door opening cut through the small chamber.

"Lady Ayame I—"

The female servant froze midstep as she entered. Her eyes flickered between Ayame and the man beside her with a pale expression.

Damon turned to see a girl with light brown hair and fox ears, just like Ayame, with the sole exception being that she had no visible tails.

"It’s alright, Kazumi. This man here is my... champion," she explained with a pause that suggested a different answer.

A quick realisation flashed across Kazumi’s face as she bowed deeply.

"Forgive the interruption, my Lady." Kazumi straightened from her bow, reinstating her composure with the practised efficiency of someone who had learned to serve their whole life. "There has been news from the west mountain. Dragon and Naga clans have clashed near PLACEHOLDER valley."

Ayame raised a brow. "And?"

"Reports say that both have been severely injured."

Ayame nodded. "That is good news. It gives us time. Thank you, Kazumi. You may leave now."

Despite being dismissed, the female servant lingered behind for a moment, which Ayame quickly noticed. "Is there anything else?"

"Should I prepare a room for our guest?" Kazumi asked.

A smile curled across Ayame’s face. "No, that won’t be necessary. He will stay with me."

Kazumi’s face flashed red as she nodded. "I-I see, I shall take my leave now."

She left hurriedly, closing the door behind her with a practised softness of someone who was taught not to make unnecessary noise.

"Shouldn’t we make a move while the two clans are injured?" Damon asked the second the door closed.

"You may have gotten stronger, but you’re not ready to face them just yet."

"Other Divine Beasts," he said. "Tell me about them."

"They are the heads of their clans. You already know about the Phoenix Clan, then there is the Dragon Clan, Naga, Oni and Tengu Clans. Although we have been at a stalemate for quite some time, the Dragon Clan is the strongest."

Damon raised a brow.

Despite it being near impossible that the six divine beasts were all equal, hearing Ayame speak with such certainity meant that it probably wasn’t by a close margin. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"If that’s the case, then why hasn’t the war been settled?" Damon asked.

Ayame pondered over a question for a moment before replying. "You could say it’s a rock, paper, scissors type of situation. Dragon Clan can defeat most, but the Tengu Clan counters it with their wind techniques. The same goes for the other clans. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. You try to exploit one clan, the other does the same to you."

Damon nodded as he listened to the explanation. "If the Dragon clan is the strongest, then which one is the weakest?"

"Phoenix," she replied quickly. "By far. Their resurrection technique made them accustomed to death. They don’t view defeat like the others, and although it had been true that they couldn’t be killed, with their lives now linked to their champion, I doubt that will be the case."

A moment of silence filled the room.

Damon’s gaze trailed away from Ayame and toward the narrow window to the side of the room, thinking through everything she just told him.

"Do you know anything about other champions?" he finally asked.

"No." Ayame shook her head. "But knowing them they all probably chose their clan members as champions. They are too proud to let outsiders in, let alone trust them with their lives."

Five divine enemies and champions of unknown strength. Accepting the quest Damon knew things would be interesting but even he did not expect the situation to be this complicated.

Noticing his thoughtful expression, Ayame took a step toward him. "Second thoughts?" she asked in her usual playful note.

"No," he shook his head with a faint smile. "Wouldn’t expect anything else."