After Gender Swapping, I Became the Daughter of a Yandere Mother with Animal Ears—With the Help of My Yandere Mom and Powerful Sister, I'll Live as a Fox Girl - Chapter 18: Emergency Rations

Before us stood an old shrine-like building with a stone torii gate covered in moss at the entrance.

“This is the Shrine of Soul Exchange…”

“The door is open… Hopefully, the mirror hasn’t been stolen yet.”

“We have no choice but to go in.”

Inside, we found only stairs leading downward. Below was dimly lit, and the depths were not visible.

“I can light the way with my foxfire…”

“No need. I have light.”

Before Kohaku could light her foxfire, Hiiro stopped her and unsheathed a sword longer than her height.

“Hmph!”

The blade glowed red, its light growing until it flickered like flames.

“We don’t need a fox’s trivial magic. I am enough.”

With that, she descended into the underground without hesitation.

“…Annoying. Let’s go.”

Kohaku puffed her cheeks and started walking, followed by Yorikoma.

Can we really do this? I thought, feeling uneasy, but followed them down the stairs.

☆★☆

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, we entered an open space where the smooth, manufactured floor met the rough natural cave walls. Water dripped from the ceiling, wetting the ground.

“It’s so damp here…”

“The air is heavy with moisture. It feels like it’s clinging to my body.”

The cave walls were dotted with various-sized holes, making the cave a labyrinthine structure.

“I guess Hiiro is already ahead of us…”

“Doesn’t matter. We don’t need that dog.”

Kohaku muttered discontentedly.

We’re already splitting up… I expected it, but it has been a while.

“Let’s keep moving. Splitting up might increase our chances of finding the mirror.”

“Right.”

Although I was worried about Hiiro, Yorikoma was right; standing still wouldn’t help.

We started moving deeper into the shrine.

“It’s dark…”

The world seemed swallowed by endless blackness, the only light source being Kohaku’s faint foxfire.

“Be careful. The person controlling the Magatsuhi might have left some lurking around in case of pursuit.”

Yorikoma’s cautionary voice echoed. Hearing that, I involuntarily held my breath.

If we’re attacked in this darkness, escaping, let alone fighting, would be impossible…

Drip… Drip…

The sound of the droplets heightened the tension. Suddenly feeling scared, I found myself unconsciously holding Kohaku’s hand.

I realized and tried to let go, but it was too late.

Her grip tightened.

Looking at her, I saw a serious expression in her eyes, different from usual.

“It’s okay… I’ll protect Onee-chan.”

The strength in her hand grew.

It was reassuring…

Despite her quirks, she was reliable when it mattered.

Drip…

The sound echoed again.

We continued forward, cautious and alert.

☆★☆

How long had we been walking?

We had covered quite a distance, but the scenery remained unchanged.

“Is this okay? At this rate, we might not even be able to find our way back…”

“Now that you mention it… I’ve been focused on moving forward and didn’t think about the way back…”

“I haven’t thought about it either.”

A heavy silence fell over us.

Could we die from such a silly mistake? How painful would starvation be? Which is worse, choking on Inari sushi or this…

Such thoughts began to dominate my mind.

“Don’t worry! We have food, so we’ll surely find our way back!”

Yorikoma tried to reassure us, but her voice was shaking. She was scared, too…

“All we have is Mom’s rice balls…”

Her words only amplified my sense of despair.

“It’s okay, Onee-chan. If we run out of food… we can eat that dog.”

“Wha-!? No, no! Please don’t eat me! How can you even think like that? That’s terrifying!”

“If that dog isn’t enough, I’ll offer my flesh and blood. I’ll ensure you’re the only one who survives, Onee-chan.”

I didn’t even have the energy to retort to Kohaku’s bizarre comments.

Having experienced death once, I understood something clearly: “I don’t want to die.”

My memory of dying in my previous life was hazy, but that pain is something I could vividly recall. I never wanted to experience it again.