While Xiaolang runs off to track the target with a nose more sensitive than any high-end scanner, I stand still. I cross my arms and look up at the seemingly ordinary neighborhood before me. A cloaking spell. It’s an old trick, but I have to admit, whoever cast this one has some skill.

  The mechanism is a type of barrier. It doesn't hide the entire area but selectively "conceals" a specific target from all forms of detection. In this case, that target is the kid, Kaito. Everything else functions normally as ordinary people walk by and cars drive past. It is sophisticated.

  "To break a barrier, you just need to find its core."

  I mutter to myself. I close my eyes, deploying my "Empathic Resonance" again, scanning deeper, trying to pinpoint any unusual concentration of energy. But there’s nothing. Everything is as flat as a calm lake.

  "Aha. Hiding the core in a pocket dimension. A common move."

  I smile. This cat-and-mouse game is getting old. I raise my hand, my sharp claws lightly tracing the air. A pitch-black tear, thin as a thread, appears before me. Without hesitation, I slip inside.

  The space within is dark and cold. Right in the center, a faintly glowing sphere of energy levitates, serving as the barrier's core. Piece of cake. But just as I am about to approach and destroy it, a massive holographic screen suddenly materializes and blocks my path. A line of glittering Japanese text appears.

  "Welcome to the Brain Teaser of the Smartest Being Alive! Solve the following riddles to unlock!"

  And then, what appears below makes me scream out loud, my voice echoing through the pocket dimension.

  "KARASU, YOU DAMN BASTARD!!!"

  There’s only one guy in existence with this kind of taste and a level of narcissistic self-love this pathological. Before me is a series of Japanese word puzzles, the kind only old men on TV shows would find amusing.

  Question 1: "Which fish always carries a heavy object on its back?"

  I growl. "Katsuo. A pun on the verb 'katsugu' (担ぐ), which means 'to carry on one's shoulder.' The character to enter: KA."

  Question 2: "In a race, which animal finishes last but is never considered a loser?"

  "Easy. Rakuda (camel). Related to 'rakudai' (failure). The character to enter: RA."

  Question 3: "Which dish always has a little bit of vinegar?"

  I pout. "Sushi. A wordplay based on 'Su' (酢), meaning vinegar. So old. The character to enter: SU."

  Question 4: "Which god has eight mouths?"

  I roll my eyes. "Hachiman. A pun on 'Hachi' (eight) and the English word 'man', pronounced 'man' (mouth) in Japanese. This cheap, bilingual joke... The character to enter: HA."

  Question 5: "Which animal is always there?"

  "A dolphin, Iruka. Because it contains 'iru' (to exist). Oh, for heaven’s sake... The character to enter: I."

  Question 6: "Which dessert is always hairy?"

  I shudder. "Keeki (Cake). Because it has 'Ke' (毛), which means fur. Is this guy obsessed with creepy jokes? The character to enter: KE."

  Question 7: "Which food must you constantly apologize for while eating?"

  "Noodles, Men. A pun on 'Go-men' from 'Gomennasai'. I'm speechless. The character to enter: MEN."

  Done. I put the characters together:

  KA-RA-SU-HA-I-KE-MEN.

  I frown, reading the characters again, and a chill runs down my spine. The bastard even worked grammar into this. The character "HA" in this context must be read as "WA".

  "KARASU WA IKEMEN."

  "KARASU... IS... HANDSOME."

  I let out a furious scream, typing the disgustingly narcissistic password into the screen. Ding! A cheerful sound chimes, and the energy sphere before me pops open, revealing the tiny barrier core inside, as fragile as a piece of paper.

  And then I realize. This seal... I could have broken it from the start with a flick of my wrist without solving a single riddle. That bastard set up this entire charade just to make me admit that he’s handsome.

  "..."

  I stand frozen for five seconds. Then, without another word, I swiftly crush the core into dust, tear open the pocket dimension, and storm out.

  Karasu. That damn Tengu was once worshipped on a few remote mountains, another down-on-his-luck deity who had to pack his bags and look for a job in The Nexus. With the appearance of a raven deity, glossy black hair, and his signature Tengu wings, he always thinks of himself as the pinnacle of cool.

  Back when I was still working at Takama-ga-hara Ventures, Karasu and I were the closest of colleagues. We ate together, complained about our boss together, and whined about the budget together. But then, when I decided to move to The Jade Palace Conglomerate for a much better salary, he lost it. He was shocked and furious, screaming in my face that I was a traitor, a money-grubbing sellout who had abandoned our ideals and our friendship.

  After that, he blocked my GodChat account. From that day to this, we haven’t even looked at each other.

  The air on the rooftop suddenly grows cold, but I bet sweat is trickling down the back of my neck. The Tengu god, Karasu, stands on the railing, his giant black wings obscuring the moonlight. He doesn't need to raise his voice; every word he speaks feels like a stone tossed into the quiet pond of my mind.

  "I will repeat myself, kid," he says, his voice low and a little condescending.

  "That fox is not to be trusted. He's the kind of guy who values money above all else, even friendship."

  My throat feels dry. I want to look away, to shrink into myself and pretend I'm just part of the shadow at my feet, but I can't. Itsuki-sama saved me. That single thought keeps replaying. I rub my fingers along the seam of my jeans; the rough fabric helps calm me down a bit.

  "...But," I mumble, my voice so quiet I can barely hear it myself.

  I clear my throat and try again.

  "But Itsuki-sama... he's the one who saved my life. I... I already promised to work for him."

  Karasu-sama scoffs, a sharp, cold sound.

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  "Saved you? He's just investing in a new 'asset.' Did you know? Itsuki was originally a god of this very country, Japan. But he betrayed his homeland, abandoned his faith, and went to work for those Taoist gods from China. All for a higher salary."

  "Betrayed?" The word hits me like a punch to the gut. I take a step back, my mind going blank. Itsuki-sama... Is that who he is?

  The Tengu leaps down from the railing, landing softly in front of me. His piercing red eyes seem to bore right into my soul.

  "As a Japanese with a conscience, think for yourself. Is helping a traitor like him the right thing to do?"

  My heart pounds erratically. My hands feel cold. I've never wanted to make my own decisions. At school, I even ask my friends to choose my lunch for me. This... How am I supposed to choose? Repay a debt... or be a good Japanese? What am I supposed to do?

  Seeing my silence, Karasu-sama continues, his voice becoming gentler.

  "I have a proposal for you, Ishikawa-kun. Come work for Takama-ga-hara Ventures. We are the true gathering place for the finest Shinto gods. There, you will be respected and developed to your full potential, instead of being a tool for a money-grubber."

  An escape route. He's offering me an escape route. I can choose the "right" path, and be acknowledged by the gods of my homeland. But the image of blue flames consuming the monster and the sound of Itsuki-sama's teasing voice flash in my mind.

  Just as I'm about to be swallowed by my own chaotic thoughts, a sharp voice rings out from the stairwell.

  "Quite the silver tongue you have there. Tell the kid half the truth, then burden him with the heavy responsibility of patriotism. Is that the only trick you know?"

  Karasu-sama spins around, his black wings flaring wide.

  "Did you enjoy the puzzles, you pointy-eared rat?"

  "It's been a while," Itsuki-sama replies, his usual cheerful expression gone.

  "I really want to punch you right now."

  He doesn't even spare Karasu-sama another glance, instead gliding over to my side.

  "He's only telling you half the story, kid. You shouldn't just listen to one side."

  "Half the truth?" Karasu-sama growls.

  "The truth is you abandoned us for FP! Isn't that the whole truth, you traitor?"

  "Where I work is my business! It has nothing to do with you, you narcissistic crow!"

  "At least I have loyalty, unlike a sellout fox like you!"

  They start arguing. The volume gets louder. I stand between them, feeling like an ant caught between two elephants. I just want to cover my ears. I want to run away. But my feet feel like they're nailed to the floor.

  I have to do something. I can't just stand here forever.

  And then, a crazy idea, a solution that seems to only exist in manga, flashes in my mind. It's stupid. It's childish. But it's the only thing I can think of right now.

  I take a deep breath, mustering all the courage from my sixteen years of life, and shout.

  "YOU TWO... STOP ARGUING!"

  Both gods fall silent, turning to look at me.

  My heart feels like it's about to leap out of my chest.

  "How about..." I stammer.

  "How about you two have a match! Whoever wins, I'll follow that person!"

  Itsuki-sama looks like he's just been struck by lightning.

  "A match...? Wins...? You mean... kill... each other?"

  "No, no, not like that!" I quickly wave my hands, horrified by the misunderstanding.

  "Just... just make it so the other person can't continue the fight or admit defeat! Like in a martial arts tournament!"

  The moment the words leave my mouth, I instantly regret them.

  Oh gods, what did I just say? A fight? These are deities, not manga characters. What if they actually get mad?

  Karasu-sama is the first to speak. He looks at me like I'm some strange new species.

  "Losing? How does that work? Kid, what do you think we gods are? There’s no such thing as being 'knocked out' or 'gravely injured.' There's only one outcome when two deities fight with all their might: one of them will be erased."

  Erased. The word is as cold as a block of ice. Real panic sets in. My foolish actions could cause one of them to... disappear forever? I stammer, trying to take back my words.

  "I... I didn't mean it like that... I'm sorry..."

  Just then, Itsuki-sama speaks up. His voice is low, completely devoid of its usual playful tone.

  "You... you really want to kill me that much, Karasu?"

  The Tengu god freezes. His massive black wings tremble slightly.

  "I..."

  "Just kidding, though," Itsuki-sama's demeanor suddenly shifts back to his usual sly self.

  "If it's just a friendly match, we can do it human MMA-style. You know, punch each other and have a referee count the points. Whoever lands more hits on vital spots gets a higher score and wins."

  I let out a sigh of relief, though I'm also a little disappointed.

  A fistfight? That’s boring. I want to see their Divine Laws! The kind of world-destroying techniques you see in stories!

  Karasu-sama scoffs.

  "You think a mortal can even see the speed of our blows? Besides, look at you. You're tiny, like a weasel. And you're proposing a rule about 'hitting vital spots.' Are you trying to cheat?"

  "Hmm, that's a fair point," Itsuki-sama nods, not looking offended at all.

  "Alright then, new rule. Whoever is unable to act for a certain period of time loses. Could be from a control-type Divine Law or a sealing technique."

  "Woah!" I blurt out.

  "That suggestion sounds pretty good! Then... then whoever can't move for more than ten seconds loses!"

  I add, feeling like a sports commentator.

  Itsuki-sama turns to Karasu-sama with a dramatic sigh.

  "Of all the worst-case scenarios that could have happened, why did it have to be a fight with you, Karasu?"

  "Are you scared now, traitor?" Karasu-sama smirks.

  "It's a waste of my FP," Itsuki-sama retorts flatly.

  "Speaking of which," Karasu-sama narrows his eyes

  "Do you have the proper clearance to use Divine Laws that affect the material structure of the human world? One accident, and that's a hefty FP fine."

  "You don't need to remind me!" Itsuki-sama snaps.

  "If any mortal sees this fight of ours, at least two months' salary will go up in smoke! And if we accidentally harm a human, you and I can both start applying for new jobs!"

  "Then how are we supposed to go all out?!" Karasu-sama growls.

  "Use that crow brain of yours!" Itsuki-sama shoots back.

  "Think! Where is the safest, most discreet, and hardest-to-detect place?"

  Karasu-sama is silent for a moment, then his red eyes gleam.

  "You mean... a subspace?"

  "Where else!" Itsuki-sama snaps his fingers.

  "Just use a Divine Law to draw up an arena and we'll settle our grudge in there."

  "What about this kid?" Karasu-sama glances at me.

  "It's too dangerous for him to come with us," Itsuki-sama says.

  "Just leave him out here. A recording device will capture everything and stream it to him in real-time."

  Suddenly, Itsuki-sama pulls out a device that looks like a smartphone and starts typing.

  "Ah, hold on. The Director is calling."

  "Then talk to him directly, why are you texting?" Karasu-sama grumbles.

  "Talk directly and leak all our corporate secrets? I'm not that stupid," Itsuki-sama retorts.

  After he's done, Itsuki-sama pulls out a tiny device, like a metallic dragonfly. It buzzes once and hovers between the two gods. He then tosses me something that looks like a wristwatch.

  I put it on, and a 3D hologram screen immediately springs to life.

  "Wow!"

  "Hmm, seems acceptable..." Karasu-sama nods, then suddenly tenses up, his Divine Power exploding outwards.

  "Alright then... ITSUKIIII!!!"

  Itsuki-sama is not to be outdone. Nine fox tails materialize behind him, blazing with fire.

  "KARASUUU!!!"

  Then, in perfect unison, their roars echo across the rooftop.

  "TODAY, I WILL SETTLE THIS WITH YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!"