A Cliché Multiverse Story

Chapter 378 - CH. 387: The Fox And The Ronin

"Wow," Ray muttered, her wings shaking in excitement. "Master, the clouds are so close. It's like we're standing on them."

They were gazing at the city from the 50th floor of Babel, formally owned by Freya. The goddess in question was behind them, looking at someplace in a daze.

"I don't see your maid dress," Asahi said with a frown.

Freya bowed her head. "My apologies. The dress will take a day to be tailored. Syr's uniform doesn't fit me."

"Freya, why did you agree to my condition?"

"I was confident in my children's victory." Freya dodged eye contact for an instant. "Is it surprising that I'm a supportive goddess?"

"Liar," Asahi muttered.

Freya giggled playfully. She wasn't opposed to the idea of serving someone, especially her Odr. Otherwise, she wouldn't be spending most of her time at Hostess of Fertility.

"Now if you will excuse me, Lord Asahi. I have to take care of the chaos we created."

Asahi waved his hand. "Go on."

They had already established the soul oath with three conditions.

She will not harm Asahi or the people around him.

She will not betray Asahi.

She will be his maid until one of them dies.

She was free to do anything as long as she didn't think about breaking those conditions.

As Freya left, Asahi returned his attention to Ray and ruffled her hair. She wrapped a wing around his waist and leaned to his side.

"Master… you," Ray paused and hung her head. "It's nothing…"

"Why are you hesitating?"

A pat on her head encouraged her to speak her mind. With slightly wet eyes, she revealed her desire, "Can you take me on a date?"

She was a bit envious of the girl who got to spend so much time with Asahi. She knew her position in the family wasn't similar to them. But if possible, she wanted to experience this date for once.

"You sweet little bird, it's just a date. Let's go now."

He had all the time in the world for his wives. Besides, he had to investigate the devil's schemes in Kyoto. Now was a great time to do so.

A wide smile put some shine on Ray's face. "Let's go, Master!"

***

Kyoto of the 14th century had nothing of its brightness like Asahi had in his mind. The first village in Asahi's route was full of crude stone houses. No civilians were on the streets. Everyone was inside their homes, peeking from windows or whatever opening they could find. There was a terror in their eyes as they looked towards the stylish wooden house far away from the village.

Asahi shook his head. "The lord and their taxes."

A group of swordsmen in kimonos arrived at the village. Messy hair, unshaven face, and an intent to kill in their eyes—they seemed like cold-blooded murders.

"They are leaking demonic power."

His intimate relationship with Grayfia gave him a good grasp on demonic power. The demonic power wasn't coming from the swordsmen' bodies. The source was something in their possession.

Asahi appraised the swordsman, who gave off the strongest demonic power.

[Ren Motoyasu]

Designated Title: Ronin Leader

Race: Half Devil

Class: Swordsman

[Attributes]

Strength: 35

Dexterity: 40

Constitution: 40

Defense: 40

Charm: 20

[Skills]

[—Mutated Devil (Curse): The user's race is forcefully changed by external factors.]

[—Demonic Magic (E-Rank)]

[—Sword Mastery (D-Rank)]

'God was talking about them. Is my luck skill working in this world too?'

(It should be working, my love.)

The Ronin leader stood at the entrance of the village. "Coward youkai, come out before we burn this entire village."

These men were searching for a youkai hiding in the village.

'Surely they won't be provoked with those words—'

Asahi's prediction turned out to be wrong as a woman in ragged clothes stormed out of a house. A fluffy fox tail flicked behind her, confirming her identity as a member of the kitsune race.

"Lowly devils, why do you have to threaten innocent villagers?!"

Tamako was utterly furious at the group of swordsmen. They had ambushed her when she was on a stroll outside Urakyoto—the dimension in which the members of the West Youkai Faction lived. They also threatened to burn down a village that protected her.

"Master, she is a beastman," Ray pointed out the obvious. "She doesn't smell like one."

"She is a youkai."

Tamako clad her fists in fire and took an offensive stance. "Devils, I'll burn you like no hell could ever do."

Tamako growled like a beast and leaped at the swordsmen. The gruff-looking men took up their swords and surrounded the kitsune. She fought them valiantly, throwing punches left and right and dodging the swords with her heightened reflexes. She sent two devils flying, knocking them unconscious.

"Seven more," Tamako whispered and lunged at the leader.

Ren saw the flame-enveloped fist coming right at his face and panicked. His subordinate got between him and Tamako and protected Ren. The Ronin leader grinned and slashed at her leg.

The half devils were no slouch in combat; their leader could easily rival a low-class devil, however the rest not so much. Tamako's ability was beyond a low-class devil, almost at the mid-class. Yet the odds were unfavorable.

"Hellspawns." Tamako's eyes glinted with a ferocious light, her flames surging with her anger. "I'll take you all down."

'In Orario, she could be a level 3 or 4 adventurer.'

But in this world, she was just a bigger mob.

"Master, will we save her?"

"Of course. I want to know why these devils were chasing her."

He stepped in the fight to make the earth a living hell for the half devils. Tamako didn't even see how the devils around her collapsed except for the leader Ren. He stared at his fallen subordinates, befuddled by the sudden situation.

Fortunately or rather unfortunately, he didn't share the same fate as them since he only lost consciousness.