Shikigami Summoning in Konoha

Chapter 2: "Wait, isn't this…?!"

Staring at the scenery around him, Katsuragi felt a strong sense of familiarity. There was vibrant green grass, a small stream with no discernible origin or end, a long row of wooden houses, and that towering, iconic shrine gate (torii).

"Isn't this the courtyard from the mobile game I used to play?!" Katsuragi stood there dumbfounded, unable to believe it had appeared before him in this world.

"What in the world is going on?"

His mind felt sluggish, but after having already experienced something as absurd as transmigrating, Katsuragi managed to calm down quicker this time. He scanned his surroundings while thinking: "If this isn't just someone casting a genjutsu on me, then this must be…"

Suppressing the excitement welling up inside, Katsuragi tried to organize his thoughts. He recalled the moment he arrived here and the message that appeared in his mind:

"Acquired Summoning Talisman x1."

Although there was neither a voice nor a visible "system," Katsuragi inexplicably knew how to use the talisman. The instructions simply surfaced in his mind, a sensation that both fascinated and unsettled him.

"I'll hold off on using it for now," he decided, tamping down his urge to summon something immediately. He began exploring the courtyard instead.

First, he walked to the colossal cherry blossom tree in the middle of the yard. As he reached out to catch a few drifting petals, the pale pink blossoms vanished after just a few seconds in his hand.

Next, Katsuragi walked to the brook. The water was so clear he could see small fish swimming about. But when he tried looking upstream for its source, everything turned hazy, making it impossible to see where it began.

"This place isn't as large as I imagined," he noted.

After roaming around for a while, Katsuragi discovered that the courtyard was bounded by a barrier-like wall, preventing him from going farther. It also stopped him from seeing whatever lay beyond.

Apart from what he had already seen, he found a small wooden hut beneath the large torii gate. Inside, on the floor, was a summoning circle. Connecting it to the information he had mentally received about the talisman, Katsuragi inferred that this was where Shikigami could be summoned.

"So, do I summon first or figure out how to leave this place?" Katsuragi returned to the spot where he had initially appeared and deliberated. In the end, he decided to summon a Shikigami first. If there was any kind of cooldown or waiting period involved, he wanted to get started as soon as possible.

"My future might just depend on this…"

He took a deep breath and stepped into the wooden hut. Standing before the summoning circle, Katsuragi sat down cross-legged. He focused on the words that had surfaced in his mind and chanted them out loud, one by one:

"Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!"

As the final syllable left his lips, the previously dim summoning circle lit up with dazzling brilliance. Intricate and mysterious patterns flickered in midair. A sudden flash of intense light followed, and a lazy yet bewitching voice echoed through the space.

"Mm… ah…"

At the same time, Katsuragi's mind received a flurry of messages:

"Shikigami Obtained: Three-Tailed Fox!"

"Shikigami Registry Activated!"

"Shop Activated!"

"Missions Activated!"

"Bounty Seal Activated!"

However, Katsuragi couldn't spare any attention for those messages at the moment. Standing before him, rising slowly from the summoning circle, was a figure bathed in fiery red. He was at a complete loss for words to describe the way he felt. If he had to say something, the main thought in his mind was:

"Damn it, did I lose my super-lucky gacha bloodline, or did it come with me after all?!"

"Heeey, you over there—won't you come play with me?" The voice was sweet, a bit sultry, yet strangely not off-putting at all. That was Katsuragi's first impression of the Three-Tailed Fox's voice.

Shoving aside his stray thoughts, he took a steadying breath and asked, "You're the Three-Tailed Fox?"

"Oh? I didn't expect my little master to already know who I am! Then I won't need to introduce myself," the Three-Tailed Fox replied with a charming smile. She sauntered over to Katsuragi, her fluffy red tail gently brushing his cheek. "I have come in response to your summons!"

"Little master!?"

Katsuragi looked at her quizzically, desperately needing an explanation.

Noticing his confusion, the Three-Tailed Fox smiled seductively. "I'm not entirely sure what happened, either. But I could sense, somehow, that you had called me. So, that makes you my little master!"

Hearing that even she didn't know the specifics, Katsuragi felt a stab of disappointment. But he quickly recovered and pressed on. "So, where were you before? And how did I manage to summon you here?"

"Before…?"

The Three-Tailed Fox frowned slightly, her beautiful face clouded by doubt. "That's strange… Where was I before this? For some reason, my memories feel all fuzzy…"

Katsuragi wrinkled his brow as well. Just what is going on?

"I'm sorry, little master. I really can't remember, and I'm not sure how I got summoned," she apologized earnestly.

Sensing no deception, Katsuragi waved off her concerns. "It's alright. By the way, could you not call me 'little master'? Just call me Katsuragi."

"Sure thing, little master. I understand, little master!"

Despite looking like a mature woman, her personality had a girlish quality to it. Gazing at the teasing smile on the Three-Tailed Fox's face, Katsuragi sighed helplessly. "Then, what can you remember now?" he asked.

"Hm…" The Three-Tailed Fox tilted her head, her big, fluffy tails swaying back and forth. After a moment, she spoke up. "I recall a lot of things, but at the same time, I don't. Oh! I do remember that I once lived in a place with plenty of other yokai like me!"

"Er…"

Katsuragi let out a speechless groan. That hardly helped—he already knew from playing the game that there were lots of yokai like her. It had been only three years since he'd died and reincarnated, so his memory of that game was still fresh.

"That's right! About those messages from earlier…"

Suddenly, Katsuragi remembered the notifications he had received when he summoned the Three-Tailed Fox. He took a deep breath and turned his attention inward, studying that mental message log. To his surprise, this time there were annotations, like footnotes, that helped clarify some details.

There was still no clue about the courtyard's origin or the Three-Tailed Fox's true background, but Katsuragi at least learned about their general functions. The new "Shikigami Registry" feature, for example, recorded each yokai he summoned as a "Shikigami Card."

He could equip these Shikigami Cards, allowing him to inherit some of their powers. Just imagining a future where he had more and more Shikigami at his disposal made his heart race.

"Youtou Hime (Demon Sword Princess), Princess Kaguya, Aoandon, Enma, Higanbana, Hana, and more…"

"Phew! Calm down, calm down," Katsuragi told himself, tamping down his excitement. He intended to keep exploring the messages, but the Three-Tailed Fox—who had been glancing here and there—spoke up and interrupted him.

"Little master, what do I do next?"

Katsuragi snapped back to reality. He realized he hadn't given any instructions yet. Meeting the Three-Tailed Fox's questioning gaze, he asked, "Oh, right—do you have a name other than 'Three-Tailed Fox?'"

"Hmm…" She gazed down at Katsuragi, who barely reached her thigh, and gave a bewitching smile. She swished her three plush tails. "How about… you just call me 'Big Sis?' I've always wanted a little brother, you know."

"…"

Katsuragi was momentarily speechless. Perhaps he felt that, as a yokai, she might actually be older. Or maybe it was just a natural closeness born from them both being outsiders in this world. In any case, he nodded. "Alright. Fox Sis, then."

"Mhm, my adorable little master!"

"…"

"Come on, Fox Sis—I'll show you to your room," Katsuragi said, exasperated by her unrelenting teasing.

He'd learned from the mental notifications that the row of wooden buildings in the courtyard was meant to house his summoned Shikigami. Each new Shikigami automatically got a nameplate on one of the doors. Perhaps it was to prevent disputes over rooms.

"Wow! This place is gorgeous!" the Three-Tailed Fox exclaimed, stepping out of the summoning hut into the courtyard.

Before long, Katsuragi found a wooden building with a small nameplate reading "Three-Tailed Fox" on the door. He turned and yelled toward the figure crouched by the river, apparently watching fish. "Fox Sis! Your room's over here!"

"Coming!"

In the blink of an eye, the Three-Tailed Fox bounded over to him in a few graceful leaps, moving so quickly that Katsuragi was taken aback. That kind of speed was already on par with a Genin, at least.

"Oh! It really has my name on it!" she said excitedly, looking at the little nameplate with a giggle. "So this is my room, right, little master Katsuragi?"

"Fox Sis, can you please change how you address me? I did agree to call you Sis, didn't I?"

Having lived his previous life in a modern society—only three years ago—Katsuragi still felt awkward about being called "little master." He sighed, exasperated.

"Alright, alright, I get it… Little Katsuragi! How's that?"

"Could you drop the 'Little' part too?"

"No way, maybe when you grow taller. Teehee!"

Katsuragi, who was only as tall as the Three-Tailed Fox's thigh, saw the mischievous gleam in her eyes and could only smile wryly. Fine. I am only three years old, he thought to himself.

"Fox Sis, why don't you check out your room first? I need to take care of something real quick," he said, directing her into the building.

He needed to carefully examine all the information in his mind. After all, this was crucial to his survival in this dangerous world, and he had to understand it thoroughly.