The last rays of the setting sun streamed in through the windows of the compartment, tingeing its contents red and casting a long shadow of Ceres who stood with her back to it. The other end of the shadow touched the tip of Hei Lian’s bare foot.

“Ready?” asked Hei Lian.

Ceres nodded.

Stepping forward, the doppelganger of the Dark Sun sank into the shadow, making it ripple like the surface of a still pond disturbed by a pebble. Then, the shadow stilled, leaving no trace of her behind.

Ceres walked up to the bed and lay down on it in a comfortable position facing upwards. Rising once to fluff up her pillow, she settled down again and pulled the thin blanket over her body. She wiggled a bit to let her four tails splay out from under her comfortably. She didn’t want them getting crushed under her for the entire night after all. The severe case of pins and needles she would suffer from would be a bitch to deal with otherwise. Taking a deep breath, she let it out, relaxing into the soft mattress as much as she could.

Reaching out to the bedside table, she picked up the mind crystal shard containing the fragment of Miyagi Vulpine’s soul and laid it on her stomach, cradling it within the intertwined fingers of her hands.

Closing her eyes, she let her own magic affect her. Thin tendrils of purple smoke emerged from her body, twining around her in a hazy cocoon. Soon, her breathing evened out and she drifted off to sleep.

On her stomach, the crystal began to glow.

***

Ceres reappeared in her usual spot in the dreamland. A bustling marketplace in a magnificent city, nestled within a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. Judging by her prior experiences and the extensive reading she had done when she was awake, she had identified the location as the capital city of the Kitsune Daimyo in Nihon.

Looking down, she found that her appearance was no different from what it had been during her prior explorations of the dreamland. She was clad in a light pink kimono with purple smoke patterns printed on it, a broad white obi cinching the traditional garment at the waist. Her four tails emerged from the gaps provided for them at the back and twined around her hips and waist giving her a broad, fashionable belt of fur.

The most eye-catching part of her getup was an umbrella composed of solid purple light that she held open above her head. The bright sunlight of the dreamland summer filtered through it and cast a purple tint on her complexion.

Looking around, Ceres frowned.

“Hei Lian,” she called out in a low voice. “Where are you?”

Her ears twitched and she looked down as she heard the sound of scrabbling claws coming from her feet. She saw her shadow stretching and warping, before finally darkening into a jet-black portal to the void.

A burning claw found its way out of the portal, followed closely by a wolfish snout, then the entire body of a huge jet-black wolf with six long fox-like tails. Black flames burnt all over its body in the place of fur. Its snout was divided into two by its jaw that stretched right back to its ears, giving it a nightmarish smile. Bright yellow flames burnt in its sockets and within its gaping maw; the fire dripping from the corners of its mouth like molten metal, creating sizzling, scorched holes in the ground beneath.

The wave of heat emanating from it caused Ceres to take a staggering step back.

“Hey!” she called out. “Your power is leaking out. Rein it in.”

“Easier said than done!” replied Hei Lian, her voice hissing and spitting like a moist branch in a bonfire. “My soul is much stronger than yours. The difficulty of keeping it in check is exponentially higher.”

What her pride kept her from adding was that despite her having a Demigod level soul, her control over her soul very shaky. This was the unfortunate consequence of Miyagi Vulpine storing all of her memories of magic in this fragment of her soul.

Her current situation was that, with her powerful soul, she could comprehend the Aspects related to fire and shadow at an extremely accelerated rate – as demonstrated by her grasping Phobos’ clone technique in just three tries after seeing it used only once. But her theoretical foundations were just as weak as Hei Lian’s had been before their merge. This was why this dreamland exploration was so important for her.

“Here. Let me help.”

Hei Lian shot her a sideways glance as she wrestled with her flames. “Fine!” she finally conceded.

Ceres’ umbrella grew fuzzy as tendrils of purple smoke seeped out of it and wrapped around the flaming wolf, blurring its form. From outside, the silhouette of the wolf could be seen shrinking as the smoke pressed in upon it on all sides – from the size where its shoulders were level with those of an adult man, to little more than the length of Ceres’ forearm from tip to tail.

The smoke diverged, revealing a criminally cute, dark-furred wolf cub in the place of the nightmarish wolf made of hellfire from a few moments before.

Bending down, Ceres picked it up with one hand and settled it in the crook of her elbow while holding onto her umbrella with the other.

“There,” she said. “Much better.”

Hei Lian scowled up at her from her bosom, which in her current form failed to be even a tiny bit intimidating. Seeing that she wasn’t getting the desired effect, “Hmph. I suppose this form will have to do for now,” Hei Lian snorted disgruntledly and turned her head away.

“My umbrella is actually the shape my Domain takes in this dreamland,” Ceres explained. “While I have it, I can hide myself from Miyagi Vulpine’s consciousness. I can even trick her into thinking that I’m just another part of her dream. That way, I can infiltrate into its depths and steal the information I need.”

“I gathered as much,” said Hei Lian, pointing a small furry claw at the throng of people who were parting around them like a river around a rock, none of them paying them even the slightest bit of attention. “It’s like we’re invisible.”

She shook her head and looked up at Ceres. “Anyway, now that we’ve entered the dream, what do you usually do next? And what role am I supposed to play?”

Ceres began walking against the flow of the people towards the centre of the city.

“Well,” she said. “To start off, we’ll be paying a visit to the Daimyo.”

***

The Daimyo’s residence was a magnificent building styled like a nine-layered pagoda with each subsequent storey occupying less area than the one beneath. The building was capped by a bronze statue of a nine tailed fox, its ruby eyes keeping silent watch over the entire city.

Getting in was surprisingly simple, what with Ceres’ umbrella manipulating the perceptions of the guards and making them think her name was on the roster of visitors for that day. None of them found it odd that she insisted on keeping her umbrella open indoors, or that she had a wolf cub in the crook of her arm.

“Impressive,” praised Hei Lian. “It must have taken a lot of practice for you to have gotten so proficient at this.”

“It’s all I’ve been doing, every night for the past eight months,” said Ceres.

The first level of the pagoda was basically a broad hall with tatami mats spread across it and with a staircase leading to an elevated throne at the other end. There were already a dozen people sitting in seiza upon the mat, facing the throne. Ceres selected a position at the back and joined their number.

A few more people joined them in the hour that followed, after which the doors to the hall were closed for the day. With the sound of fanfare, a herald announced the Daimyo.

Everyone seated on the mats bowed to a degree befitting their status. Those of the merchant class bowed deep, their foreheads almost touching the ground. The samurai belonging to the kitsune’s subordinate clans lowered their heads in a half-bow. And one young man at the very front of the group, with short silver hair and four silver tails, kept his back ramrod straight, simply casting his gaze down – a kitsune lordling. Ceres followed his example.

She heard the sound of footsteps and the rustling of cloth as the Daimyo took his place upon the throne. “Rise,” he commanded with a deep, masculine baritone that resonated with years of accumulated authority.

All of them obeyed, raising their heads.

No matter how many times Ceres saw him, she was always surprised by the sharp contrast between the Daimyo’s voice and his appearance. He was the most effeminate man she had ever seen. Mars too was on the prettier side of the male population with his sharp nose, sculptured jawline and soft eyes. But with his long eyelashes, soft features and not a single exaggerated muscle on his slender body, the Daimyo could only be described as beautiful.

A waterfall of black hair cascaded down his back, a few strands spilling over his shoulders and contrasting with the pure white kimono he wore. The kimono was kept loosely open at the front, displaying the pale skin of his chest. And combined with his posture – right leg crossed over the left, left elbow resting on the armrest, his chin resting on the fist – he practically oozed an aura of laziness. All he had to do to complete the picture was yawn.

The seven jet-black tails swinging lazily behind him, belied that though. No one reached the peak of Tier 4 without putting in an ocean of blood, sweat and tears. His bright red pupils set in his half-lidded eyes were full of a nimble intelligence. Kagami Kitsune, the previous Kitsune Daimyo, and the father of the current one was no fool. And that impression of him had been captured within Miyagi Vulpine’s subconsciousness and reproduced faithfully in her dreamland.

As Kagami casually dealt with all the issues put forward to him by the visitors, Hei Lian asked in a low voice, “All of them are real historical characters, aren’t they?”

Ceres nodded and whispered back, “They are all characters from her memories and even these issues and their solutions put forward by the Daimyo are something that really happened sometime in the past. Just like us, she must have been in the audience when they were being discussed.”

“Are the issues and characters the same every time you enter?” asked Hei Lian.

“No. They are different. But after experiencing the same scenario so many times, I’ve noticed a few characters and issues being repeated. I suspect the dreamland is drawing randomly from a pool of the witch’s memories.” She paused. “While I can't be sure of the identities of the merchants or the samurai… they’re too obscure to have left a name in any records I have access to…” She pointed discreetly at the silver tailed kitsune at the front of the gathering. “I’m pretty sure that one is the Daimyo’s son, the current Kitsune Daimyo. And his issue is the key to our dreamland exploration.”

“Hmm. What would you have done if he wasn’t there this time then? Gone out and come back in? Would that have refreshed the scene?”

Ceres nodded, impressed. “You catch on fast,” she praised.

Hei Lian snorted. “Of course, I do. Who do you think you’re talking to? Anyway, why’s he so special?”

“Hehe. The entire Shogunate works on a feudal system of merits and punishment. The authority is really centralized upon the feudal lords. The highest wealth isn’t money, it’s personal power and the favour of the Daimyo. And the only way to gain access to the former is through the latter. If you want to grow strong, you need magical knowledge, and if you want that, you need to accrue enough merit through service to the Daimyo.”

“Ah!” Hei Lian exclaimed in understanding. “So, these meetings are where missions are generated. I can see a scribe busy scribbling away over there. I’m sure whatever he is writing will make its way to the desks of the samurai and the noticeboard of the various guilds before the day is over.”

Ceres nodded. “All of these months when I was exploring alone, I could only take up the non-combat missions and the combat missions with low difficulty. After all, my cultivation base is limited within the dreamland. That’s why I could never take up the mission with the highest rewards…”

“The prince’s mission?”

“Exactly.”

After the Daimyo had dealt with most of the issues, it was finally the prince’s turn.

“Lord,” he said. “A fishing village on our western coastline has been submerged by the sea. This is the third such village in as many months. We need to send someone to investigate!”

Kagami sighed. “You can call me father, you know?” he grumbled. “It’s not like everyone here doesn’t know already.”

The corner of the prince’s eye twitched. “Lord!” he exclaimed. “It might be a Kaiju! It might strike again momentarily!”

Kagami winced at the volume. “Sheesh. So serious.” he muttered under his breath. “Just like his nagging mother.”

Seeing the veins popping out on his son’s forehead, he hastily added.

“Fine, fine. Do what you want… Just take someone reliable with you.”

Seeing her chance, Ceres spoke up respectfully. “My lord, as a wandering warrior, I would like to volunteer my services for the prince’s mission. My birthplace is a village by the western coastline. If the prince’s news is true, then my family might be in danger.” She bowed to him deeply. “Please let me assist him in ensuring their safety.”

“Hmm?” The Daimyo raised an eyebrow. Beneath his heavy lids, his scarlet eyes were calculative as he sized her up.

The entire dreamland seemed to close in around her as Miyagi’s subconscious sensed something anomalous about her behaviour. Ceres’ umbrella glittered with a purple brilliance as it resisted the pressure and shielded her true nature.

“You’ll do nicely,” he said finally before turning back to the remaining visitors.

The pressure abated and the umbrella stabilized – much dimmer than before. Ceres relaxed. “I’ll only be able to pull of such a major manipulation three more times,” she said. “After so much practice, I can use my umbrella five times every exploration. I used it once to hide you. And once again, now. After all my chances are used up, Miyagi will discover us and kick us out. We have until then to complete our mission and get our rewards.”

“So,” said Hei Lian, looking up at her with accusatory eyes. “Now we have to hunt a giant monster. A Kaiju.”

***

“Remind me again… why am I your wife?” asked Hei Lian.

Ceres shrugged. “Because that was the more convenient explanation. Rather than weaving a complicated tale about how I managed to tame a demonic wolf that is stronger than me, it’s easier for others to accept that you are my wife. Specially since I can help you change your form in the dreamland.”

Hei Lian, who had reverted to her Bestia form, nodded. “Then, if you could let me remain as a woman, why pray did you transform me into a wolf cub earlier?”

“Well, making the guards add one name to the roster was less taxing upon my Domain than adding two.” She pointed to the illusory straw hat she now wore instead of her umbrella. The purple light making it up having become more unreal. “The less conspicuous I am in the dreamland, the longer I can last within it.”

Hei Lian narrowed her eyes. “And it has nothing to do with the fact that you are discontented with me for messing up your plans for revenge upon the Duchess? You weren’t trying to get back at me even a little?”

Ceres seemed shocked at the accusation. “Of course not. I wouldn't want to offend your highness. That would be utterly foolish of me.”

Her tone and her expression might have been sincere, she was good at that, this girl, specially within this dream, but Hei Lian’s gut told her that she was lying. Grinning, she raised her hand and ran it through Ceres’ short hair. “Hmm. I suppose that’s true.”

The young kitsune shivered slightly as she felt claws trailing lightly over her scalp.

Ceres was currently crossdressing as a man, her short hair and non-existent cleavage adding to the credibility of the disguise. And other than one of her tails, she had hidden the rest away.

The character she was playing was a wandering fox-clan warrior – a ronin as they were called – who had set out from his remote fishing village on the west coast to travel the lands with his wife, Hei Lian, in search of worthy opponents and bounties to hunt. The two of them had stopped by the kitsune capital to rest for a few days before continuing on their journey. It was then that he had chanced upon the prince’s request to quell a possible Kaiju rebellion near his hometown.

Right now, the two of them along with the prince were on a fishing boat some distance from the coast.

There had been no journey to get here, no gradual transition from one event to another. One moment they had accepted the prince’s request in the Daimyo’s residence. The next, they were at the latest village the Kaiju had destroyed. The abrupt transition was oddly appropriate as, after all, they were in a dream.

The silver haired princeling shot them a sideward glance, curious about their silenced conversation (they were using sound transmission), but too much of an honourable samurai to pry. Instead, he busied himself staring out over the boundless expanse of the sea around them.

The boatman, an old fisherman with dark skin wrinkled by both age and salt, pointed towards a direction. “That’s the way I saw it go… after it be done with the village,” he said, barely repressed emotion in his voice. “The only reason I be safe is I was at sea when it happened. It be dark then, ye see? All the boats were docked already. I was late cause a current dragged me a bit too far out. By the time I returned, it was over. All over.” There was a haunted look in his eyes.

Hei Lian frowned slightly. The realism was a bit too much for a dream wasn’t it?

Ceres addressed her unspoken doubts. “I suspect that the witch really did take this mission. Rather than a dream, we’re experiencing one of her memories. And a strongly imprinted one, judging by how solid all this feels.”

Hei Lian shot a glance at the prince. “She might have had a tie with the current Kitsune Daimyo then,” she said. “The Duchess might even be in contact with him if that’s the case.”

Ceres shrugged. “I thought of that too when I first tried this mission. The Duchess has to have some kind of connection to the Kitsune seeing that she managed to smuggle me all the way to Regiis from an orphanage in their territory. I wouldn't be surprised if she was friendly with the Daimyo. She certainly seemed a bit too well informed about their troop movements.”

As the boat made its way across the water, a dark mass became visible in the distance. And as they drew closer, it resolved into a small island.

“I followed it from a distance as far as I dared. It came here, then disappeared. That’s the last I saw of it,” said the old fisherman.

Hei Lian was impressed by his guts.

She turned to Ceres. “If you did this mission before, how strong was the creature, do you reckon? And what were its abilities?”

“It was really strong. Peak of Tier 3 at the least, and in the water, it is nearly invincible. Specially with both me and the prince wielding incense flame; neither of us could even touch it. There’s probably some trick involved to get it out of the sea and onto the island so the confrontation is a bit fairer… but the few times I tried, I never managed to figure it out. Not without the prince or the fisherman dying or the boat getting smashed… all of which resulted in failure.”

“But now that I’m here, the balance has shifted in our favour,” said Hei Lian, completing her statement for her. “Hellfire doesn’t fear the water.”

Suddenly, the prince cried out, “It’s here!”

All of them leaned over the sides of the boat to stare into the water. Just beneath their boat a huge triangular patch of shadow grew bigger and bigger, easily outsizing their boat, as something truly monstrous rose up from the depths.

Hei Lian clapped her palms together. Dark flames spilled out of her palms, across her body, and over the boat and all of its occupants, before collapsing inwards into a point and disappearing…

… just before the jaws of a gigantic serpent burst out of the sea and snapped shut where the boat had just been.