The Formless Shadow, Folklore of the Doppelganger Yokai – Afterwards (2)

<<Regarding this incident, the government is seeking emergency yokai extermination measures…>>

<<A statement on how to recover their depleted forces…>>

<<Bereaved families are divided over victim compensation…>>

<<Who is the mysterious assistant, and why are they not revealing them…>>

<<Meanwhile, the Taoist Society, the Spell Master association, is facing suspicion for not mentioning the mysterious assistant…>>

Click.

Lee Ha-neul, director of the Jiri Mountain Yokai Extermination Office, turned off the TV with complex emotions.

The news only covered the ‘Formless Shadow’ yokai incident.

Not surprising, given the catastrophic toll:

Hundreds of civilian deaths, zero injuries.

The Jangsan Office, annihilated.

The specialized Yokai Extermination Battalion, annihilated.

Two Martial Artists killed, one severely injured.

One Spell Master killed.

The damage was staggering.

As the worst casualty incident since the nation’s founding, not just domestic but global media focused intense coverage on it:

Was there a correlation to increasingly powerful yokai appearing?

Why could the yokai not be stopped beforehand?

Who was the Spell Master ‘Ho Joon’, dubbed Woosa Uchi’s reincarnation who appeared out of nowhere?

And also,

Who was the ‘mysterious assistant’?

Naturally,

Lee Ha-neul was one of the few who knew the identity of that ‘mysterious assistant’.

He was the one who had initially dispatched her to Busan.

‘If Miho hadn’t been there…’

They could have somehow captured that yokai called ‘The Formless Shadow’ through sheer force of numbers, but

The casualties would have been double, triple,

No, perhaps over ten times greater.

Undoubtedly, the decision to send Miho to Busan at the cost of severe losses could be counted among the finest judgments of his life, without exaggeration.

‘Here at the Jiri Mountain Office too… when the blue-furred fox appeared, had Miho not been present,’

It would have been one of two outcomes:

He would already be dead,

Or still alive as a dedicated fox yokai liver storage.

Lee Ha-neul, who came to provide support, would have died as well.

The second wave of reinforcements would have perished next.

Only by the third wave could they have barely exterminated it.

Though uncertain, the scale of damage would likely have been no less than this Busan incident if Miho had not intervened.

‘…This cannot continue!’

The director felt a sense of crisis.

If a powerful yokai had appeared here in Jiri Mountain while she was in Busan…

The mere thought was dreadful.

He was relieved to have forged a solid alliance with Miho, but they could not rely on her forever.

This was the third calamity after the blue-furred fox and Cho Ma-gu.

An ominous feeling gnawed at the director, as if some terrible disaster loomed just over the horizon.

---

When Miho returned, even the director who was not enamored by her was compelled to let out an audible ‘Huh’ at her bewitching new appearance.

Not only had she grown another tail,

But her figure had improved as well –

Her breasts, larger.

Her rear, seemingly plumper too.

…Though he had not closely observed her, so he could not confirm about her rear.

In any case, her breasts were undoubtedly larger.

After all, as a fox spirit, her physique was inherently developed to entrance humans.

However, one peculiarity:

The yogi detection radar did not sense any yogi from her seven-tailed form.

Naturally, the director called Miho to discuss this phenomenon, but

Her reply was ‘I don’t know’ either.

She seemed to have evolved from a yokai into a spiritual beast, but did not know the details.

There was apparently a spiritual beast in the other world who knew the specifics, so she would inquire and let him know afterwards.

Then she should quickly visit the other world to ask, no?

Why,

Even three days after the Busan incident, was she still idling at the Yokai Extermination Office?

The director sighed.

---

Lee Ha-neul was in a foul mood.

Two fellow Martial Artists had perished, so how could she not be distraught?

As Martial Artists were exceedingly rare beings, it was natural for them to be acquainted.

The two Martial Artists killed in Busan had been her precious colleagues.

As individuals engaged in the perilous work of ‘yokai extermination’, they were always prepared to die, yet

She never expected to face her comrades’ sudden deaths like this.

…Still,

Thanks to Miho, at least one had survived.

A silver lining amid misfortune.

“Haah…”

In low spirits yet resolving to visit Miho, Lee Ha-neul brought dog treats to where Miho was.

Her whereabouts were obvious:

She would undoubtedly be frolicking in the sprinkler on the office’s grassy field.

As it was work hours, no one would disturb Lee Ha-neul.

Envisioning petting Miho’s soft fur, she headed to the field with a bright smile.

Sure enough, Miho came into view, but

The somewhat shocking sight left Lee Ha-neul speechless.

---

“Grrrrrrowl.”

Swish swish.

Seven tails swayed vigorously.

What was I doing?

Lying on my back in the grassy field, getting sprinkled.

Hee hee.

Hee hee hee.

Ah,

A delicious scent wafted from somewhere.

This was…

Dog treats.

Turning to scan my surroundings, Lee Ha-neul was gawking at me with a bewildered expression.

Why that look again, suddenly?

If she had come to play, she should hurry and give me treats while petting my head.

Pitter patter.

I scampered over to Lee Ha-neul on all fours, then

“Grrrrrowl.”

Let out a growling sound –

A signal for ‘Hurry and give me treats, and pet me.’

“…”

What’s wrong?

Don’t just stare, hurry and pet me, you fool.

“Miho…”

“Yeep?”

“You’re aware…”

“…?”

“That you’re in human form right now…?”

“What nonsense… Oh.”

Why

Were human words coming out of my mouth?

Ahh,

I had shapeshifted.

In other words,

I had been lying on my back,

Growling,

Walking on all fours in human form,

All while Lee Ha-neul witnessed it.

“…”

“…”

Oh no.

Shit.

---

Serious.

This was, truly,

A truly, truly serious situation.

I was not a forgetful fox yokai,

Nor an airhead.

No matter how joyful my mood, to have forgotten I was in human form and displayed such an unsightly spectacle before Lee Ha-neul was undoubtedly a grave situation.

In that sense,

I asked Lee Ha-neul for a favor:

Could she assist me in an experiment?

Her answer was naturally yes.

“So what experiment did you want to try?”

“An instinct experiment.”

“…Instinct?”

“Yes.”

While humans were undoubtedly instinctual beings, human and animal instincts were fundamentally different.

Human instincts could be modified or eliminated through learning, but

For animals, it was nearly impossible to modify or eliminate instincts after birth.

The reason I brought this up was that

Ever since manifesting seven tails,

Even while shapeshifted as a human,

It had become nearly impossible to suppress my ‘instincts’.

Unleashing seven tails enhanced all my senses,

And it felt as if my fox yokai instincts had been utterly liberated as well.

First, before the experiment,

I shapeshifted into my three-tailed petite form –

A ten-year-old girl.

Then yogi, not Spirit Power, began emanating from my body.

It seemed that below six tails, I expended yogi instead of Spirit Power.

Fortunately, after manifesting seven tails, my yogi proficiency had improved enough to maintain the three-tailed state indefinitely.

“Sooooo cuuuute!”

Upon taking the three-tailed petite form, Lee Ha-neul excitedly began petting my head.

Exactly,

This was the reaction I anticipated.

Focused on the sensation of her petting, I observed my tails:

Swish.

Swish.

They swayed only slightly –

Evidence that it did not feel particularly gratifying.

Alright, the experiment’s results were already in.

Going forward at the Yokai Extermination Office, I would revert to my three-tailed state without fail.

Next was six tails.

Poof!

Upon manifesting six tails, Lee Ha-neul licked her lips in apparent disappointment:

“Hmm.”

“What’s wrong, hurry and pet me.”

I presented my head to Lee Ha-neul.

She then began petting me, though seeming displeased about it.

Not a sincere reaction from the heart,

Just obliging my request, but

Regardless,

The six tails above my rear began swishing vigorously –

Clear proof that it felt quite pleasant.

Finally,

Seven tails.

Poooooof!

Instantly transforming from a petite form into a voluptuous adult female, Lee Ha-neul’s expression turned markedly displeased:

“Do I really have to pet you? This feels rather awkward…”

“It’s an important experiment.”

“Haah… The tiny Miho was far cuter… This is just too gross. Why are your breasts so huge now?”

“Just do it.”

I presented my head to Lee Ha-neul.

She then began mechanically petting me with indifferent strokes that felt devoid of affection.

“Grrrrrrowl.”

“Wh-Why are you growling suddenly!”

“Huff, huff, huff, huff, huff.”

Swish swish.

Swish swish swish swish.

Fwapfwapfwapfwapfwap.

Like a helicopter’s propeller, my tails began thrashing violently.

Sticky saliva dripped from my lolling tongue under gravity’s pull.

Pet more.

More.

Moooore.

“I, I want to stop now! It’s gross, weird!”

“Huff huff huff huff.”

Don’t run away.

Come here, you fool.