-Break-

  I was looking at the vast blue sea in front of me, entirely memorised. I read that the o was enormous, but I never expected this. It is se that it makes Fimbulwinter look small in parison. I am in love with this sight, but the part that makes it all better is the suffering of Sparrow beside me.

  As Sparrow vomits from seasiess, “You feel that Sparrow, that’s justice I hope you enjoy it.”

  “I already apologised, so please get me some water.”

  “No, I will still punish you for all the other people you have robbed without my knowledge.”

  So as Sparrow tio vomit, Cyrus es from ihe ship. When I see him, I say, “You ged back to the clothes Pine gave you. I liked the outfit the church gave you.”

  “I did, too, but-u-u-ut it stood out too much. I felt embarrassed.”

  “You shouldn’t. You looked amazing.” Suddenly as I said this, a swarm of giant butterflies came flying in our dire. What a pretty sight, I think to myself. But mere seds after I do that, the other people on the ship start pig the butterflies out of the sky.

  “WHAT ARE YOU DOING.”

  Looking at me strangely, one of them says, “Cheg the news.”

  While I stand there, fused by what he said, I see the man tap the butterfly on its head, which causes its enormous wings to expand revealiers and pictures on the wings. “Now, what’s going on in the world today.”

  Sparrow says, “Those are omega butterflies a type of wonderbeast. They carry news all across the world for people to read. A rather useful wonder beast but a tough oo find.” Then he vomits.

  “Then I want to try one,” so I jump up and pie out of the sky, and copying what the others around me are doing, I tap its head to see the news. It was in the saviour’s song. But after I tap its head, again it ges to the heavens song, then the heroes song. By tapping the ers of each wing, I ge the text it is presenting, and by moving my finger down its tail, I move the curre up, revealing more text below it.

  “This is fun,” I say as I tio mess around with it, but while moving from page to page, I eventually e across a story about Basileia.

  Φ “Father Timothy, what are you doing? I need you to get to work.”

  “I will. I am just reading the news first. Staying up to date with curres gives us more to pray about.”

  “I guess you’re right. So, what’s writteoday.”

  “Well, there is some good news and bad news.”

  “Good news first.”

  “The war Gevurah has been fighting has finally e to an end. So, no more i lives will go to waste. We should probably send some priests over te to help any war refugees.”

  “I will be right on it, sir but first, what’s the bad news.”

  “It is about Basileia.”

  “Oh, I heard there was a disaster over there.”

  “Yes, apparently, people say a drago on a rampage.”

  “I find it incredibly hard to believe a dragon would do such a thing. If there is ohing, those creatures are known for, it is minding their business.”

  “Yes, I agree, but l have no way of knowing. It could all be a set-up that people have used to justify their as.”

  “What as.”

  “It says here that there is a hunt for all the Basileia workers. Most of them have been captured and sold into svery, though some have beeed. Man must not have been able to meet the prote fee, and all the parasites used this opportunity to strike dowhing she is.”

  “Isn’t that going too far? I know they hate Man, but if they wao use this opportunity, they would have goer the crystals siheir value would be worth much more than the people.”

  “It says here they have vanished, every si one.”

  “How is that possible? But wasn’t the amount was almost endless.”

  “I couldn’t tell, but without the Crystals to appease their ahose monsters went for everything she had. Even written here, there is n after n of people insulting her and calling her a husband-killing witch. I never agreed with her methods, but her positive impact was undeniable. Tell everyohat we have to prepare for a turbulent time with Basileia crystals missing. Many lives have been upended, and some are even going to end, but all we do is work hard and pray to god.”

  Φ Reading this article, my throat hurts, my skin feels pale, and I feel like all blood in my veins has disappeared. I don’t know how or what to do with this overwhelming feeling. I thought I could ighis if I didn’t know his, but all these people are going through hell because of me.

  “Orb, are you o-o-o-ok.”

  With a big smile, I say, “I am fine. I just read something weird.”

  “Wha-a-a-at was it.”

  “Throwing the butterfly bato the air, I say, “Nothing you will have to worry yourself with.”

  Looking across the sea in the dead of night, I see we are almost at Higashinagisa-shi, the port city of Seirei. So, I tell Cyrus, let’s see the city from the front of the ship. Looking at the city from a far it seems like it is glowing in the night.

  When we arrive at the port and head off, I say to Cyrus, “Let us go find somepce to rest our heads for the night. We will tih our busiomorrow.”

  “It should be over here.”

  “What is Orb?” Cyrus asks while carrying a sick Sparrow.

  “I asked someone on the ship for dires to the inn, and they told me to go in this dire from the port.” After walking a little further, we e across this inn.

  Walking inside, I see a decorated hall an old woman behind a desk. Waking up tiddily, I ask, “ I get a room.”

  “Sorry, we are quite packed, so I only offer you one for you three together.”

  “That’s fine.”

  The s her hands and says, “Everyos a move on,” moments after she says this, a punch of tiny creatures with fox heads wearing the same robes as the woman es in.

  They all glow yellow and have white markings throughout their body. They run all over us and take our stuff from us.

  “What is going on.”

  The woman behind the desks says, “Those are spirits.”

  “Spirits?” I say, amazed at these little things.

  “The nd in our try has a little curse on it where spirit energy aions of all sorts take the physical form, we call those creatures spirits. Those little foxes are made from the happy emotions of passionate workers. So, they like to help out.”

  As they take gage, one of them hugs my leg. “How cute.”

  “These spirits are excellent judges of character atracted to good people.”

  I hear Sparrow scream owe behind me. Looking over, I see one of the little spirits biting him.

  “But these little guys ate violent towards people they don’t like.”

  “Hey, stop that,” a little girl with white markings like the other spirits appears and says to the fox.

  “Zashiki-warashi, please escort the people to their rooms.”

  “I will, but don’t go sg fners.”

  “I know, but it is so cute how they act at the sight of spirits.”

  After this, with the little spirits carrying gage, we head into the corridor led by the little girl.

  “Umm, Zashiki, are you human.”

  “How observant of you most fake a mio realise. I thought my human disguises were pretty good. How could you tell.”

  “You didn’t have any st, and you have white lines like the foxes.”

  “Well, you are correct. I happen to be a spirit like all these foxes running around.”

  “So, what emotions are you made from.”

  “Asking a spirit whose emotions jured them is a form of harassment.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

  Letting out a little ugh, Zashiki says, “I am just joking. I happen to be made from the emotions of all the kids who have eheir stay here sihis inn’s founding. That’s why I look like a child. I happen to be an exception among Spirits. Most of them have inhumane forms.”

  “Is that why you also so intelligent?”

  “No, that has nothing to do with it. The factor that affects our sentience is the plexity of the emotions put into us and e.”

  “So, how old would that make you?”

  “Now that is rude.”

  “Sorry, I am just ied in you. I am pletely fasated by your existence.”

  “Well, if you fatter me that much, I guess I might give you a hint you. Won’t tell any numbers, but I am probably older tha-grandparents.”

  “That’s amazing. You must have experienced lots of things over that time.”

  Sombrely, she says, “Well, I have, but not all of it has been, good things ge dramatically over time, like how human lives pass by rather quickly,” but as she stops and turns around, she says “At the very least the smiles of people walking out this inn have not. Your room is here. Enjoy your stay.”

  “We will,” as they walk aave at them, walking down the corridor, they wave back. After we settle down in our room, Cyrus lets out a yawn while taking the c off his tail and stretg it out. I guess it must be annoying not getting to use it. I would feel like that if I kept my arm or my leg restrained all day.

  Seeing Sparrow, I say, “Let’s go have a bath to get all that vomit smell off of him, the’s get some rest. I am sure we will siomorrow will be a big day.”

  “Yes,” Cyrus says hastily, and Sparrow nods in agreement.

  -Break-

  As Sparrow snores beside me and Cyrus sleeps quietly, all I do is lie there. I have been uo sleep. I thought a bath would have rexed me enough, but I am still wide awake.

  So, I get up and put on my church clothes and gh the window in my room. If I ’t sleep, I might as well go sightseeing.

  As I arrive on the roof I hear, “Where are you going?”

  Letting out a shriek, I say, “Zashiki, what are you doing here?”

  “Well, you see, this little guy informed me you left your room,” she says while pointing at one of the fox spirits. “So, I was w what you are doing. This is your first time here, so why would you be leaving in the dead of night if you didn’t have some ulterior motives? If they are bad, I will.” She says as she stantly moves closer to me.

  Putting my hands up in defence of her, I say, “Too close. I promise I am not going to do anything bad. I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to go get some air.”

  “I see, well then we will e along with you. It would be good to have a guide if yoing into the city,” so, with both of them on back, I jump from building to building.

  “This city is well illuminated.”

  “That’s because Spirits are everywhere, here a perfect example jump over there.”

  “But there is nothing there over there.”

  “Trust me”, so following her instrus, I jump where there is no footing but miraculously, a hand stretches out from a building and catches me, pg me on top of the building.

  Looking at the building, I see white markings that weren’t there previously have appeared, and I see it has eyes. “Is this a spirit?”

  “Spirit form in objects and bring them to life as well. Thanks for the help,” she says as we jump away.

  Moving through the city, I say, “This pce is beautiful. I wouldn’t call this a curse but a blessing.”

  “I guess we have just made the best of this curse, but I would call it a curse.”

  After moving around for a while, I say, “I think I go to sleep now.”

  “So, you’re no loressed.”

  Looking at her with eyes full of surprise, I say, “How did you know that.”

  “I have worked at the inn for a long time, and the only people who don’t sleep are the ones who are stressed. So, I thought being yuide would help you, this little fox thought the same thing.”

  “Thank you for this. It helped.”

  “It was my pleasure. But if you want to show yratitude leaving a little tip won’t hurt.”

  “I got you, I definitely will,” after saying this, I suddenly hear something moving quite close to us. So, using my legay feet, I grab both Zashiki and the fox, then jump away as something pounces on the spot we previously were.

  “Orb, you’re a legacy,” she says as I move away.

  Looking down at what came at us, it had the same glow as the spirits, but it had bck markings. It is also much more inhumahan them. As it looks at me, it says, “Are you my preeeeey,” after saying this, it pou me again.

  Dodging its attack, I say “Zashiki, what is that?”

  “All emotions give form to different kinds of spirits that one over there is made from bad ones known as minuses.” She said as I tio barely dodge its attacks.

  “It is capable of some speech, but I haven’t heard of a strong one like this being around. Did it just form? If one capable of speech just formed, it must have a ridiculous amount of spirit energy. We have to run.”

  “If I was just to leave it, there is a ce it would cause further trouble.” So, putting them down, I luowards it and dodge its initial strike. Then I freeze it and shatter it. Turning around to Zashiki, I say, “That is that.”

  “Orb, if you don’t use spirit energy, it will just reform,” as she says this, I feel a blow that knocks me all the way over to Zashiki.

  “Dammit, what am I supposed to do then?”

  “We o call one of the twinstar corps here.”

  “ those guys beat this.”

  “Most definitely.”

  “Then go call them. Without a doubt, I at least keep this busy.”

  “But.”

  “Don’t worry about me a go. I don’t pn on dying anytime soon; I still have to tip you, don’t I.” Nodding her head in agreement with me, she leaves. “So now it is just you and me,” I say as I tio lead it further and further away.

  While luring it further and further away, I start to hear multiple noises approag me, and then I see more minus spirits, eae bigger tha, e over to me, and in no time, I am surrounded. I try to freeze them, but they are smart and only e for me in small groups. I try to hold my own, but eae is powerful in its ht, and, uo do any damage, they box me in until one of them, with its big open mouth, es in for a bite. But as it tries to p o disappears.

  Looking around me, I see the minuses all have holes in them, and then the big one in front of me is obliterated. In front of the st minus, I see a small person in front of it, just a little small thahis person is wearing what I believe is a Gi covered with stickers, pink bottoms, and a fox mask. But the most appareure was three erect white tails behind the person’s back with pink markings.

  Walking over to the person, I hear them whisper, “So weak”. When the person turns around and notices my presehey freeze and look like they’re panig.

  Seeing this say, “Thank you for saving me,” after I say this, the person stops freaking out and then walks up to me, bringing their face close to mine. “You want to say something to me.”

  But the person stayed quiet, and I was knocked out in what felt like an instant.

  Spirits: Beings made from dense spirit energy. They are only know to natural form on the spirit nation Seirei.

  Name: Gyaku Kitsune

  Type: Plus

  Description: A miniature humanoid spirit with the face of a fox and a tail. It glows yellow and, like all pluses, has white marks throughout its body. It was made from the emotions of passionate workers, so as long as passionate people exist, so will this.

  Fact: they are susceptible to people’s true nature and will be kind to good people but horrible to bad