As of now, we're already on our way to Shizuoka, where Mount Fuji is located. Himeko and I are riding the train, while Kitsune and her kids are already on their way.
"Misaki, look… we can already see Mount Fuji!"
I looked out the window, and my eyes were delighted by the breathtaking view of Mount Fuji.
"By the way, Himeko, where's your spirit? Yuki is her name, right?"
"Oh, she's here in my pocket. I removed her ring so she could revert to her original size," she said. Then, she gently took Yuki out of her pocket along with the manifestation I gave her.
"You look great in that dress, Himeko, but I don't think it's suitable for camping."
"Don't worry, Misaki. I brought a spare outfit in my bag."
We chatted for a while until we arrived in Shizuoka. The train ride was about two hours. From there, we planned to take public transportation to the foot of the mountain.
We took the Mount Fuji Skyline, a route that led directly to the Mt. Fuji Climber General Command Center, where Kitsune and her daughters were probably waiting.
Himeko fell asleep on the bus; she was likely tired. While riding, I received a telepathic message from Kitsune.
"Misaki, where are you? I've already found a good spot for camping."
"What? I thought we were meeting up first."
"Fine, I'll send Nishi to the nearest human settlement to escort you."
"Have Nishi wait for us at the Mt. Fuji Climber General Command Center."
After that conversation, I woke Himeko. We were almost at our destination, and I needed to tell her what Kitsune had said.
We got off near the foot of the mountain. After walking for about half an hour, we reached the Mt. Fuji Climber General Command Center. There, we saw Nishi.
"Misaki, Mother sent me to escort you to our campsite."
"Mo... mother? And who's this kid, Misaki?" Himeko asked, looking at me.
"Oh, she's Kitsune's adopted daughter. Her name is Nishi."
"Hello, Nishi," Himeko greeted her with a smile.
"Yes, it's my pleasure to meet you."
We were lucky there weren't any people around; otherwise, they might have seen us talking to ourselves. Suddenly, I realized Himeko didn't know that Nishi and her siblings were spirits. I decided to address it with Nishi first.
"Excuse me, Himeko. Nishi and I need to talk about something privately."
"Ah, okay."
We stepped away so Himeko couldn't hear us.
"Nishi, Himeko doesn't know you're a spirit. She's a special kind of human who can see you. To avoid raising her suspicions, please don't use your powers unnecessarily," I whispered.
"Yes, I understand."
After our brief conversation, we returned to Himeko.
"What were you two talking about, Misaki?" she asked.
"Uh... Ms. Ishi said we should head out now. She also wanted me to let you know we'll be hunting evil spirits and demons while camping—for the shop."
"Ehhh? Ms. Ishi can hunt spirits too?" she asked, clearly impressed.
"Yes, she's my shop assistant, after all."
We set off, following Nishi to the campsite Kitsune mentioned. However, after walking for over an hour, I started to feel uneasy.
"Nishi, how much farther is the campsite? We're already in the middle of the mountain…"
"We're almost there, Misaki."
"What? We're camping here? We might freeze to death in the cold night air," Himeko said, her voice heavy with worry.
"Don't worry, Himeko. Mother has her ways to handle the cold. She's a survival expert," Nishi assured her.
"O... okay, if you say so," Himeko replied, though she still seemed uneasy.
Honestly, I was worried too. I'm starting to feel that trusting Kitsune with this was probably a huge mistake.
After a bit more walking, we finally saw Kitsune.
"Kitsune, where's our camp?"
"Our camp? It's here," she said, gesturing around.
"What? I don't see any tents," I replied, feeling even more concerned. Kitsune had definitely done something reckless again.
"Tents? Oh, I didn't bring any, Misaki. We're surviving this night with sheer willpower!" she said proudly.
"KITSUNE!"
I shouldn't have let Kitsune take charge. We were doomed.
"Misaki, what should we do? There aren't any trees to set up a fire," Himeko asked, her worry intensifying.
"Oh, don't worry about that, Himeko. Your spirit can grant us immunity to the cold, and for light, we'll use the moon. We don't need beds because we'll be hunting demons all night!" Kitsune explained, as though this was a foolproof plan.
"Sigh... I'm really sorry about this, Himeko."
"No, it's okay. If Ms. Ishi has a plan, then I trust her."
"But Misaki, you seem so close to Ms. Ishi. You even call her by her first name casually," Himeko said, sounding curious.
Before I could respond, Kitsune jumped in.
"Of course, we're close. Or rather, intimate. We even slept together last night," she teased with a sly grin.
"E... eh?? Is that true, Misaki?" Himeko asked, blushing.
"No, that's not true! Kitsune—uh, I mean Ms. Ishi—loves to joke, so don't take her words seriously."
"I... is that so?"
Kitsune flashed a mischievous smile at me. That woman… she's clearly said it on purpose...
"Now, Kitsune, it's already afternoon. What's the plan for dinner? We still don't have any food."
Kitsune called Mitsushi and Yoshi, who arrived carrying baskets full of fruits.
"Here's dinner, Misaki—fruits!" Kitsune declared, once again sounding proud.
"Fine, at least we have something to eat. Is this okay with you, Himeko?"
"Yes, I'm not picky about food."
Himeko pulled out a picnic mat from her bag. We all sat down to have dinner.
We talked a lot until night came.
By nightfall, we were enjoying the breathtaking view of Shizuoka from our high vantage point.
"Misaki, the views of the city here, its so beautiful..." Himeko said while looking at me.
"yes indeed, it is.." I replied.
"Misaki, are you really NTRing me? In front of our kids? Really?
"E.. eh?? NTR?? ki...kids? Misaki,??" Himeko said with an embarrassing tone.
"Don't mind her Himeko, she's just saying some obvious non sense... and as I said before, these three are not Kitsune's real daughters.."
"Yes, we are indeed not mother's daughter by blood." Nishi added.
"Misaki, sorry to interrupt your lovely time with Himeko but, we should go now..."
Kitsune's voice suddenly shifted into serious tone...
"Let's start hunting some big fish here"