Inside the resplendent hall, pearls and jade shimmer while brocade drapes hang low, every corner showing off the power and luxury of a great yokai. Fuzenkitsune has already been waiting here for quite some time, yet the master of the hall refuses to appear, as though deliberately trying to put this stray wild fox in his place. But he does not care. That reckless gamble from before, in the end, is one he wins.

With nearly mad calculations and one last sliver of luck that never bows its head, he successfully reaches Heian-Kyo. This place is different from the Shadow Kingdom, yet not truly different at all. Rules, wit, and fortune are woven together, the strong still sit high above, and the weak still struggle in the mire. But compared to his homeland, where raw demonic power decides everything, this place clearly suits Fuzenkitsune far better.

Here, he plans to make good on a vow he once gives himself, to build a city of his own. And before a city can rise, he first needs land. That is why he comes here today. At last, slow and unhurried footsteps echo from deep beyond the palace doors. The great yokai finally arrives, robes trailing across the floor, wearing an arrogant expression and the familiar look of disdain and scrutiny that powerful beings so often carry.

You want that stretch of desert land? Then what exactly are you offering for it? Fuzenkitsune lifts his head, golden light turning within his eyes. Let's play a round. I'll wager all the wealth I have, along with these eyes of mine. How does that sound? A wild fox truly is as crude and insolent as the stories say. The great yokai lets out a cold laugh, every word thick with contempt.

Yet beneath that contempt, greed clearly stirs, impossible to hide. He has already heard far too many rumors about those eyes. A one-on-one match is dull. We do this as a team battle instead. If you agree, I'll put that desert land on the tabl e. He already makes his inquiries. Fuzenkitsune is nothing more than an unknown stray fox, and those at his side are merely weaklings who arnount to nothing.

With overwhelming demonic power alone, there should be no suspense at all in how this game ends. Why not? Fuzenkitsune smiles lightly and accepts the wager. On the day of the game, the great yokai gathers several fearsome demons famed across the land. Meanwhile, behind Fuzenkitsune stands only a trembling rabble, a group with no fighting strength worth mentioning. People worship power, but strength and weakness are never absolute. The game begins.

As crushing pressure bears down on him head-on, Fuzenkitsune opens his strange eye. In that instant, the shifting battlefield becomes perfectly clear before him. He starts giving orders, his voice steady and sharp, every word landing exactly where it needs to in the ears of his companions. One is blind, and so remains untouched by the illusion arts that twist the enemy's vision, making that person perfect for breaking through their visual tricks.

Another struggles to move freely, so instead that one simply holds a narrow choke point and forces the enemy to detour. Yet another lacks strong demonic power, but is born with astonishing physical strength, and in the middle of the melee, crashes straight through the enemy formation they work so hard to maintain. No one suddenly becomes stronger. It is simply that all the traits others mock, all the flaws they sneer at, under Fuzenkitsune's command, become pieces on the board that can finally be used.

Boom! When the final powerhouse on the great yokai's side crashes to the ground in utter disbelief, silence slams over the whole arena. Then after that brief stunned pause, the weaklings stare at one another in disbelief, before erupting into cheers loud enough to tear the roof away. They win. They truly win by their own strength against those lofty beings who always look down on them. Fuzenkitsune casually tosses up the deed that marks his victory, then catches it neatly back in his palm.

A loose, unruly smile curls across his lips. If a game is nothing more than a contest of whose fist is bigger, then it's far too boring. Don't you think?