Ichi inside Miko watched on in silence and relief. At least the cat wasn't going to betray him. The Fox laughed with Rikya's face, then calming down, she drank some tea.

"A lost cat. That is all you are. Were I free, I would have helped you. A war between the Bakeneko's and the Tengu means nothing to someone free spirited like me. Very well then."

With that, Rikya closed her eyes, and the one ear and tails on Rikya's body receded. When Rikya opened her eyes again, they were both dark violet again instead of one being golden. Rikya adjusted her witch hat, and tucked into the packaged snacks ignoring Miko. on his side.

After Rikya ate, she patted her stomach, sighing.

"I get hungry after the half possession. Full possession takes less concentration for either side. Half possession takes full union of will. It's amazing that you did it the first time. Ichi is very powerful because of his bloodline. Because of that, you should be able to pull off half possession with anyone now. However, your full possession..."

Ichi felt Miko recede back into him and the ears and tail disappeared. Ichi stood up, moving his arms and legs about, patting himself down. He made sure his shikigami was where he left it. Security first. Ichi sat down cross legged breathing hard from the sudden exertion.

"She can't do that again, can she, Rikya?" Ichi asked.

He leaned into the witch girl, eager for her answer, but Rikya was still chewing. She swallowed in the frozen time between when Ichi expected her to answer and when she decided to finally answer, taking her time as if nothing was amiss.

"Miko's full possession is permanently weakened. I could tell from seeing your aura at school that you were possessed. It took more time and magic to uncover your murder of the Mountain Lord. Without even knowing how to channel or use magic, you used both to kill a god. Your talent is amazing. And, The Fox likes you. And, I thought we could be friends. Which is why I decided to help you when Myon asked. The only reason you were brought here was so that T- er, 'The Fox', could confirm the bakeneko's intent."

Rikya smiled at Ichi.

"Want to be friends?"

She held out her hand.

Ichi grasped the little girl's hand an shook it. In a daze, Ichi's relief that he wasn't about to live out his life controlled by a cat dissipated looking at Rikya's carefree smile. Rikya nodded her head.

"So, you're going to fight Renya?"

"Yeah. At this point, I think I want her have the cat." Ichi sighed.

Rikya laughed.

"That's no good. Then the Seer's Council gets what they want."

Ichi remembered what Rikya said about Miko's half possession.

"But it's not that big of a punishment anymore, is it, if Miko can't even take full control for that long? Maybe I could talk it out with Renya..." As the words went out of Ichi's mouth, he doubted them himself.

Renya, probably, Ichi thought, was looking for a way out of this place just like him. Fighting Ichi wasn't her real reason.

Rikya shook her head from side to side.

"That isn't the only reason she's fighting you."

Ichi nodded his head. Finally, someone was talking sense. Rikya set down her teacup.

"Renya is planning something. I have a magic ability called 'Path Weaving', it allows me to see the hidden connections of the world. When I look at Renya, all I see is a vast mass of tendrils spinning outward. She's like a fountain of threads of connections to this world. There's one tendril, though, that goes straight to the worst place possible."

"The Seer's Council." Ichi groaned.

"One of the members. The worst one. It's possible that the fight on the rooftop is a trap Renya set for him. How she could manage to do that, I have no idea. Even with 'Path Weaving' that lets me see what fate lies between people and objects, the ability that let me understand what happened during your fight with the Mountain Lord, I couldn't see why that tendril extends to 'that' man. She's incomprehensible. In my current state, at least." Rikya pointed to the shadows of fox tails streaming behind her.

Ichi didn't like where this was going.

"Free the Fox, and then you'll be able to know what Renya is thinking?"

Rikya drank some tea, then shook her head again.

"With the Fox free, I could just kill whoever disturbs your fight. Myon said you were dead set on fighting Renya, I don't mind killing that 'man' myself."

Rikya pouted. Ichi smiled at the contrast between her cute face and her talk of murder. This just happens to be what his life is like these days/ Ichi shook his head.

"You're very cute, but I'm not doing it. That Fox has a voice that sounds like bad news. She's probably been playing you like a violin."

Rikya made a smug face, twirling her wand.

"What if I told you that your mother sealed the Fox here, solely for you?"