When Laura came back to her senses the first thing she noticed was the bandage wrapped around her head slightly digging into her ears. The second thing was that instead of lying on the ground, she had woken up in an actual bed. Telling anything more was a bit hard with how her tails had enveloped her.
Opening her eyes slowly and looking around two things stood out to the Kitsune. One she was in the Universities small infirmary, which was, so Daiki had claimed, mostly used when Student's keeled over form panic or exhaustion during and immediately after exams. And two there was a young woman kneeling besides her bed, wearing the traditional outfit of a shrine maiden.
"Oh you finally wake Kitsune-sama" the miko said, bowing down until her head touched the ground. "I hope these accommodations were acceptable Kitsune-sama, they were the only ones available for you to regain your strength after your victory over the demon."
"They were indeed." Laura replied, still a tad confused what had happened after she had passed out. "May I ask who you are?"
Blushing furiously, the young woman slowly replied. "Of course Kitsune-sama, I am Kimura Unagi, and will be your humble servant for the time being."
"Sure, sound good." Laura replied, unsure what to make of it for now. Not noticing how her casual tone affected the priestess, the Kitsune continued. "So could you please fill me in on what happened since I fell unconscious Miss Kimura?"
"Of course." came the prompt reply as the younger woman finally stood up. "Three days ago, you slew the demon rampaging across campus with the aid of Prof. Yakamura who had been about to disassemble a test setup for an engine. You were found unconcious while my shrine, which was the closest one to this University was contacted. The head priest sent his most promising assistant and myself here. Me to take care of you Kitsune-sama and the young priest to oversee construction of a shrine to honor you and your victory."
More than a little overwhelmed with all of this Laura simply let the Miko continue for the moment, trying to sort her thoughts enough to respond.
"By now only a small portion of it housing the weapons you used and the scythe of your foe as a trophy has been finished. The plans were made by civil engineering students of this very institution, while its owner promised to fund anything necessary to get the shrine build and to pay the priest and miko who will tend it as well as setting aside rooms in the dormitories for them."
"That is most generous of him." Laura replied, not doubting for a moment the man who build a university to please a spirit would bankroll a new shrine.
The young shrine maiden just nodded, before mumbling under her breath "I wish I was chosen to tend Kitsune-sama's shrine"
Not responding to the mumbling to keep the younger woman from getting even more embarrassed, Laura slowly got up. "Would you show me the way to it please?"
"Of course. But would you like to get dressed first?" Unagi inquired, picking up the yukata Laura had worn three days ago.
With Unagi insisting to assist Laura in putting it on, they were done surprisingly quick and headed out to where the student had blown up an engine. As the duo walked across Campus, everyone they passed made way for Laura and bowed down.
Fifteen minutes later they arrived at the former track and field area of Campus, where a construction site now resided. Stepping inside it, Unagi led Laura to two men standing before the little hut that had been finished so far.
Although calling it a hut might be overselling it, as it was just a small roof covering the wrecked engine and an altar on which the pieces of Laura's sword were laid out in an approximation of its original shape. Hanging from above it, supported by ropes tied to the damaged glass screens was Yo-tsu's scythe.
"Mr. Fuguia, Priest Kazanmori I present you Kitsune-sama." Unagi introduced Laura with a wave and bow, which only served to make Laura a bit uncomfortable.
"Greetings Kitsune-sama, I fear we have yet to progress very far with the shrine." The priest said with a deep bow.
"That is not a big concern of mine." Laura replied before deciding to do something to make up for how she had probably shattered the poor miko's expectations of 'Kitsune-sama'"What is a concern of mine is to ensure Miss Kimura is rewarded for the time she spent tending me so far and for as long as I remain here."
"Of course Kitsune-sama" Mr Fuguia replied. "I was going to offer her a position of her choice once the new shrine is finished anyways.
"Good good." Laura replied, still not comfortable with the referential behaviour expressed towards her. Trying to figure out a way to get out of this situation and back to just being Laura the exchange student, she simply nodded along as the two men explained the plans for the shrine to her, which would be finished a couple of months before exams were scheduled to take place, which allowed for the University to put together a festival for its completion, which would be turned into a yearly festival that would be held on the day of Laura's victory.
"Miss Kimura would you be able to show me the closest restroom?" Laura asked the miko, having finally found a way to get out of all this.
"Of course Kitsune-sama." Unagi said as she began to lead Laura back to the main building.
Once they reached their destination, Laura quickly wove an illusion to let one of the stalls appear occupied. Entering the adjacent one, she confirmed that Unagi had kept a respectful distance from the stalls. Crafting a larger illusion to cover both the stall she was in and the seemingly occupied one, Laura hid herself as she climbed into the other stall. Once inside she spent a few moments crafting an illusion to appear once more like her old, mundane self. Flushing the toilet to keep up the ruse she left the stall and approached Unagi.
"Oh hi there are you a real Miko?"
"Indeed I am, but if you don't mind I am waiting for Kitsune-sama right now." Unagi said politely. "I will be around for a while longer, so I suggest you postpone any questions you may want to ask."
"Sure will do." Laura said as she left to get back to her dorm.
Inside her room, she was immediately tackled by a puffy eyed Tanuki. "Oh you are alright Laura. And you're back. I was so worried no one said anything about you on campus after that one professor told your local friend you were okay, and they came here and left a couple of notes but I didn't dare open them. Everyone was talking about a Kitsune so I hoped that was you…" Takeko rambled on as he sat on Laura's shoulder.
Reading through the notes left by Daiki and Gabe, she learned that Prof. Yakamura had told Daiki what happened and kept her true identity silent for now, unsure what was going on, but assuming that whatever it was she would want to keep pretending to be a student.
After sending both of them a text message that she was alright and back to her real self. Laura closed her room's drapes, dropped her illusions and just sat down, enjoying Takeko's company and being treated like a normal person.