Okami 3(Re)

Okami 3(Re) is the third in the Okami series, a series remarkable for its paint-like art style and animal-like protagonists. This time, players control an odd kitsune able to swap between various animal forms. This kitsune was simply enjoying her day, when some strange boy with a sword appeared in her small shelter. He'd try to deny it, but he clearly needed help, so the kitsune would decide to accompany. Unfortunately, she'd get wrapped up in a strange matter that could very well concern the world at large.
This game was made as a re-do of the creator's old game, Okami 3
==Gameplay==
Okami 3 is an Action Adventure game, consisting of players traversing an expansive overworld while utilizing various powers they gather through the adventure to solve puzzles and open up various passages in the overworld. Said powers take the form of Celestial Brush Techniques, realized through the shrines built and scattered around Nippon. 
In addition to that, players can acquire one of three different types of weapons throughout the game:
*Reflectors - Mirrors regarded for their connection to the divine. These are typically used as a sort of blunt instrument, swung to strike enemies. It can also be used to nullify certain attacks and counter some attacks.
*Rosary - Chains of beads that are normally used for prayer. These have the most range of any weapon, with later ones able to cover from one end of the battle field to the other. They can also be used akin to a projectile.
*Glaive - Blades the exude great power. These are usually used to rack up damage on foes, though at the cost of general speed. It can also be used to dash blade-first towards a target.
===Kitsune Form===
The player character is a kitsune, who, unlike most, is able to transform into various animals, though these have to be provided via the divine blessing of the gods. The various forms can be selected from the menu, and players can assign forms to Quick Choose during battle. These various forms can be used for various puzzle solving, and can feature various strengths in certain battles. Be mindful of the Demons that roam the various settings, and prepare your forms for them.
It should be noted that the dojos around Nippon will have new abilities for the transformations to use. 
*Human - This form is utilized to interact with common people. The human form is notable for being firm on her feet, not moving too far with her attacks, and also not suffering as much knockback as she normally would. She's very midway in terms of speed and damage against foes.
*Fox - This form is the first transformation available to Kuzunoha. This form, alongside other animal transformations, is able to interact with animals. Said fox is faster than the human form, covers a lot more ground with her attacks, and can wall jump.
===Kuni===
The strange companion that popped up seeking some sort of answer about his own origins. When he realizes this kitsune wishes to look into the Demon problem, he decides he'd like to help out, and so accompanies her in this journey. Kuni acts as an AI controlled companion, who can assist in puzzle solving and in combat. Players can use the menus to adjust his behavior for oncoming battles, and can also adjust his equipment. From engaging enemies to the best of his ability, to hanging back to block blows directed at the kitsune, to providing items to her when needed.
Players will uncover equipment and techniques that can improve Kuni, from allowing him to do more damage and negate more damage, to even allowing Kuni and Kuzunoha to team up for certain attacks.
==Story==
===Prologue===
The game begins with a brief recap via inked scrolls. It tells of how once upon a time, the god Shiranui was once believed to be a familiar of the evil Orochi, until Nagi fought the serpent and the wolf stepped in to rescue the warrior. Unfortunately, Shiranui sustained too many wounds, and fell soon after the fight. 100 years later, Orochi rose again, Amaterasu, Shiranui reawakened, was called upon to counter the demonic forces, eventually suppressing the darkness responsible for the demonic presence in Nippon and the destruction of the Celestial Plane, Yami. Following his defeat, Amaterasu, accompanied by Waka, one of the few surviving Celestials, traveled to the Celestial Plane to reconstruct it.
While in the Planes, Waka realized a terrible evil would descend on Nippon, and Amaterasu would be forced to stay in the Celestial Planes and repair it in the mean time. So, she gave life to a little god, Chibiterasu, to go in her stead and battle the forces of darkness. While down there, he met many friends, friends that'd help to battle the demonic forces. And with them, they battled the last remaining remnants of Yami, Akuro, and ended him. After that, one of Chibi's friends, Kuni, decided to set out on a journey of self discovery.
He decided that he wouldn't find the answers he's looking for on the island, so he took a ship out to new lands to try and find out more about himself. In the meantime, hidden in the land of Nopon are strange creatures of darkness, the likes of which that take the form of people and animals to beguile mortals. The source of these creatures have been lost to myth, even to them themselves. But they exist to cause danger, and that's all they know. And this story looks over one such of these troublemakers.
----
The opens up in a small cave in Nippon. Here, an old-looking man can be seen approaching, a pickaxe propped on his shoulder. He continues through the cave, but his advance is halted when he sees a strange girl before him. He asks her what she's doing in here, to which the girl says that she lives here. She and her family grew up as miners, and stayed on the scene to gather material. The old man says that that doesn't sound fair or legal, to which she assures that they're tougher than they look. Anyways, they have an excess of material, and would like to hand him some. She thusly hands him a crystalline object, the old man's eyes widening as he takes it. He thanks her and rushes out.
As he rushes out, the girl, now alone, gives a snicker. She then magically turns into a teen girl, remarking to herself that it's a good thing they stumbled upon that cubic zirconium. She then remarks, to no one in particular, "Sucker." She saunters back into the cave, coming closer to the end of it, where she gives a series of knocks to the cave wall at the end. Then, like magic, the wall fades away, revealing a chamber within with a river running around a stone platform, straw buildings set around the interior. She makes her way deeper in, people coming out from the buildings within. These people boast a flurry of tails, in addition to their normal appearance. The girl that tricked the old man peeks back at herself as she realizes she's getting odd looks, and realizes her mistake. In a quick burst of magic, she herself dons a single fox tail.
Seeing that, the various other fox-tailed creatures shrugged, before going back to their own business. The main character makes her way along the trail, and she gets greeted by a trio of ladies (one short, one fat, one tall) greet the woman as Kuzunoha. She welcomes the three of them, greeting the short one as Kinoko, the fat one as Ishi, and the tall one as Hana. She said she just scared off some miner, and the three of them snicker at that. Ishi says that they finally got around to making that jungle gym. Kinoko says they had to go through a lot of pockets to get it ready. Hana glares at her, though turns back towards Kuzunoha and says that they've run a couple tests on it, and it looks safe enough. 
Thus, the four make their way into the village and towards a corner in the back. And once there, indeed, there's a jungle gym set up such that one could maneuver around it through feasible feats of strength and dexterity. Kuzunoha says that this looks like a good chance to finally stretch her legs. And thus, players are thrust into a tutorial. During it, they learn to move around, and they learn to change the character's shape. Said character is currently able to transform into a fox, which is not only able to get into small spaces, but to wall jump as well. She does this work and eventually gets to the end of the jungle gym, where she poses victoriously to her friends.
The trio are excited to see her out. Kinoko says she did great for the first test subject on it, prompting a slight bump to come from Ishi. Hana says that now that she's tested it out, the rest of them can stretch their legs on this thing. And so, the rest of the friends pop into their fox forms and race into the jungle gym, Kuzunoha stepping aside to let them. She couldn't help but be a little impatient, and raced in herself. And thus, the group enjoyed their time in the jungle gym. They go on and on, before eventually the bunch of kitsune step away from the gym, each deciding that they should turn in for tonight.
They thus make their way to the various huts, the interiors being dirty and having little straw beds. The many kitsune lay on them and relax for the night. However, in the middle of the night, a smell tickles Kuzunoha's nose. She rouses awake and starts to step out. She carefully steps out and towards the entrance of the village. She makes her way near the entrance, where she sees odd footprints. She follows them curious, and when she gets close to the end of the trail, she sees a boy with a purple tunic, black hair with red tips, and a wooden sword across his back hiding behind a hut. Kuzunoha approaches him and asks him where the heck he came from. 
The boy turns towards her, and spies those odd fox tails. He gasps, remarking her as a demon, and draws the sword! Kuzunoha stumbles back, asking him what he means by "demon". However, the boy, albeit on shaky legs, rushes in to try and face her. At this, Kuzunoha draws a weapon from behind her, a circular mirror, and gets ready to battle the Intruder. This proves to be a tutorial fight, teaching players about attacking, how there's a rhythm to the combos, and about utilizing fox form versus using human form. Eventually, the boy is beaten.
He's knocked down and panting, and he's now on his rump, cowering before her. He begs her not to eat him, insisting that he tastes terrible. However, the kitsune says that she's not going to do anything like that. She asks him what he's doing here, and he says that he was exploring. He thought he smelled some demon smell down this cave and grew curious, and thought to check it out. Then he fell through the wall, and saw this village. Kuzunoha says she has no idea what a demon is, before saying that he shouldn't be here. The master says that any human on these lands is bound to bring ruin to them. Kuni asks her how she doesn't know about demons, but she's already dragging him away. She brings him to the entrance and tells him not to come back before bumping him back through the illusory wall. She then sighs and makes her way back to her hut.
----
She struggled to sleep all night. She kept thinking of that word, "Demon". She wondered what it was, and why that kid wanted to seek them out. She thinks that the elder might be able to help, and heads into the village. Players are led around and directed to one of the kitsune, this one in a golden tunic and with straight hair. Kuzunoha greets him, referring to him as Elder Naegi. The man greets her and asks her how her morning is, Kuzunoha responding that it's been nice, though she's curious. She says she came upon a word she never heard before: "Demon".
Hearing that, Naegi cocks a brow and gives pause. Kuzunoha asks him if he's alright, to which he says that he's just fine. He says that a word like that doesn't exist, and the woman before him seems uncertain about that. She asks if he'd really just made up a word, to which Naegi asks who "he" is. The younger kitsune seems ready to talk, though she thinks about what'd happen if she revealed who "he" is. And what'd happen if she reveals she didn't report him. She says that there was someone in her dream, and Naegi gives pause, though supposes that that's nothing to worry about. He tells her to relax for now. The week of break has only begun, and she needs to enjoy it as much she can.
Kuzunoha thanks him, and thus breaks away from the Elder. She goes back to where she first met that boy in purple, and looks on curious. He spoke with such conviction, she doubted that'd be a simple lie. She looks back at the city the kitsune are enjoying themselves in. She thinks to herself that she has time before Naegi's teachings continues. So now, players are taught about using the Fox transformation to get the scent of something and follow it. In this case, it's the faint trace of the intruder from the other night, her following the scent through the illusion. She's partway up the cave, and gives pause as she thinks about her own decision. She looks back, before deciding her curiosity is too great, and advances onwards, going beyond the threshold of the cavern her village is hidden in.
She comes close to the mouth of the cave and begins to exit. And one out, she looks up and sees the field of Nippon. From here, she can see the shore and large waves stretching out, a temple partway along one of the trails and the sight of a big city beyond a patch of trees and at the other end of a stone passage. Kuzunoha has stepped out into Ryoshima Coast. Again, players are prompted to follow the scent, which leads them along the path and towards the shore. Down at the beach, she sees a tent set up, and the scent billowing there. She prods the opening and peeks in, where he can see that intruder from the other night resting. 
She thinks to take on her human form, though briefly thinks that he might still think she wants to eat him. She paws at the boy who stirs and struggles awake. He spies the fox and welcomes her, though says she shouldn't be wandering into someone's tent. He gets on his feet and walks on out, though the fox tries to dart in front of him to cut him off. Kuni says he has to keep walking, and he's going to take down this tent anyways. He steps over her and the fox heads out, seeing him indeed take it down. As he does, Kuzunoha wonders to herself how she could get him to explain what a Demon is without scaring him. For now, she decides to simply follow him, the boy a little curious about the following creature, though he lets her follow.
Eventually, their travel gets interrupted when a wail along the trail sounds out. The boy races after, and Kuzunoha follows him, and once they go along their way, they find some old man being accosted by a truly surprising sight: a pair of lanky creatures with green fur, and a wooden sword in a single hand each. The boy's eyes widen, him referring to them as Demons as he draws his sword! Kuzunoha ponders to herself about that word, him describing these weird creatures as that. Strange creatures harassing some meek-looking man? Kuni rushes them and swings at them, prompting the imps to change their target. Kuni actually lands a few hits on them, though the two of them combine their forces and are able to disarm him. 
Seeing them threaten him, Kuzunoha is shocked, especially as they look like they're going to destroy him even as he's looking scared. The fox rushes forwards before bringing out the reflector and using it to block them. Having caused them to stumble, Kuni seems surprised, remarking on the reflector she's holding. However, she looks at him, silently telling him to be careful, and so he goes to pick up his own sword. And thus, players battle the Green Imps. And along with fighting them, players get to cooperate with the boy, getting a brief tutorial about stuff he can do for the fight while saying that the list of things he can do will only expand.
The two beat the imps, and the old man gets up and thanks the two of them, declaring that they have such kind souls. He walks off and Kuzunoha looks towards the human expectantly, though he's looking at her suspicious. He repeats what he said about the reflector, and asks if she's that stranger from the village in the cave. Kuzunoha realizes she can't really deny it now, and nods. Kuni says that he's not sure why she hid, but he thinks that she's not here for anything harmful if she fought those Demons. The fox then ells him that she'd like to learn about that word he keeps using, "Demon". The boysays that they're evil creatures born of darkness that've tried to destroy this world twice now. He doesn't know why they're starting to crop up again, but he's sure that they must be elilminated. 
Kuzunoha is shocked by that description, remarking that they just sound like bullies! The boy affirms as much and says that he'll be sure to take care of them on his journey! The fox asks if she can come along, it sounds like there's a lot out here she hasn't gotten to know back home. She hasn't seen this sand or this sun or this wind before, and the boy seems surprised that she hasn't heard of those things. He says that if she wants to learn about all of that stuff, he'd be glad to help her. But first he feels like they should know each other's names. He introduces himself as Kuni, and the fox introduces herself as Kuzunoha. Kuni nods in understanding and offers her a handshake, though Kuzunoha instead bows. Kuni puts his hand away and bows in kind.
With that, Kuzunoha and Kuni are now a duo, the latter offering to help Kuzunoha learn about this world she hadn't seen before.
----
For now, Kuni decides that they should go to the closest town. That happens to be Sei'an City, it's a pretty big deal. And on thinking on it, he himself hasn't been there. Should help to set them on the right path. So, the player is tasked with going along the trail to the far end, leading them towards the city with great big walls, though coming close reveals the front gate to be sealed shut. Kuni remarks that this is a bit of a bump in the path. He looks over the sign and says that this is using a lot of words he doesn't understand. He asks Kuzunoha to read it, the kitsune looking over the sign. 
She asks what he means by "read". Kuni looks over her curious and asks if she's serious, to which she answers that she doesn't know what he means by reading. Kuni remarks that she looks much older than him and wonders what they do teach back in that cave. She says they've been taught about transforming, about wielding weapons, about hygiene, about communicating with other kitsune, and about communicating with humans. She's always been taught to be weary of them, to which Kuni remarks that that doesn't all seem like good stuff to teach. She should get to know how to read for one! First, though, they need to figure out what's going on with Sei'an City and if they can even get in here.
He thinks their best bet is to check out the beach, there are some guys there that could probably tell them what's going on here. With that, the duo makes their way around the city to get to North Ryoshima Coast, an area with a large ocean to the north, a tall tower on an island to the side, and some buildings set there. However, where once hermits and whatnot sat there, now there appears to be a small village on this shore with a little shrine in the middle of it. Kuni says that he should probably do the talking over there, though Kuzunoha says that she can talk too. Kuni, however, points out that she's new here and might stick out, especially with her transformation stuff. Plus, he knows a bit more about this place, it's apparently a good place for fishing, and uses its docks to sail out to those islands out there.
With that, the duo press on, entering the Mārin Village. And inside, they can spy a fair few villagers fishing, including an old man called Urashima, alongside a young son. Kuzunoha asks if that bearded guy knows something, though Kuni points out that they shouldn't make him walk farther than is really necessary. Though maybe he knows someone that's more able-bodied. Heck, maybe he's heard of something that's gone on in the general locale. The kitsune and Kuni walks over and greets the man and son, Urashima greeting Kuni back. Kuni says he was passing by the big city but found it was locked up, and wonders if he knew anything about that. Urashima says he hasn't really paid much attention over there, though suggests that that Umi guy might know a thing or two about stuff there. He says that the boat over there's currently in use though. He'd suggest asking around for someone else that might know.
Kuni starts to make his way out, though Kuzunoha asks if she's just going to watch him talk to a bunch of guys to find out whatever's happening in that big city. Kuni says that they don't really have a choice. He doubts these guys know much about the demons, seeing as he's only recently bumped into a couple. At the very least he thinks he can warn these guys. Kuzunoha says that she'll leave that to him, see whether or not she can figure something out herself. Kuni says that he's not sure about that, but the kitsune says that she'll behave, even says he'll meet up with him by that front entrance. Kuni supposes that'll be alright. He says he'll look around and try to find out what he can about the city. 
With this, players are able to go around the city, though are basically forced to remain in her fox form. As she wanders around, she may notice a group of bullies being mean to a cat, tossing these toys near it that let out a loud bang. Seeing this, Kuzunoha can't help but feel that trouble-making spirit in her stir, and players are taught about using illusions to prank people. In this case, players can approach an appropriate position, undetected, and use a command to summon up the shape of a bear that bellows out a roar at them. The kids, terrified, each flee, though the cat remains. Kuzunoha's illusion dissipates and she approaches the cat, asking if he's alright. 
He says he's quite thankful, though the kitsune notes that he didn't flee. The cat says he's a little wiser than those brats, and he can tell she's not exactly a normal fox. She says that's true, some boy's trying to guide her around here, but his first stop ended up locked up and now he's trying to find someone who can explain why. The cat wonders where that is, to which she motions to Sei'an City. The cat says if it's just the front door that's locked, then she might have a way in. It's a longshot, but someone was able to use a particular magic to scale walls with ease. He thusly leads her to the shrine in the city, it depicting a cat. The cat says that the locals apparently believe it to bring them fortune, cats snatching up fishes and known for wealth and all, but this particular cat is known for more than just gobbling food and getting money.
Kuzunoha approaches it curious. The cat teaches her about praying to these shrines, and she does so with slight confusion. She starts to feel like this isn't doing anything, though becomes interrupted when she feels herself pulled somewhere else. She looks around and spies a vast, golden expanse that seemed to exist above the mountaintops. And before her, she notices a cat clinging to a wall, her boasting white fur with bright red marks along her coat. She turns to Kuzunoha, the latter looking positively shocked with the scene around her. The cat greets her, saying that she was hoping she'd appear soon. Kuzunoha asks what she means, to which the cat says that something is brewing in corners hidden to almost everyone. Corners that not even the mightiest warrior or the most agile rogue will be able to breech. But, it's been foretold that someone like her might be just what's necessary to prevent darkness from destroying them. Kuzunoha asks what she's supposed to do about that, though the cat says that not all answers are available to her, but what she can do is give her what she needs to get started on her journey.
She says that she, Kabegami, God of Walls, will grant her power to breech the barriers that've sealed her off, and to reach the truths that've evaded her for so long. With that, the cat morphs into a ball of light with a kanji in it, gleaming with a divine energy. It flies around before diving into Kuzunoha's very being, the latter dodging around in slight concern until she's eventually hit. With that she's brought back to the mortal realm, the cat asking her if anything happened. Kuzunoha affirms that something happened. The cat hopes that it helps with her own journey. He thanks her again, and says he may get a fish specifically for her later. The kitsune thanks him and the cat goes off. With this, Kuzunoha is now curious about this power, and thinks to go see Kuni again.
----
She sees Kuni, who says he wasn't able to find anybody that knew anything about that, and apparently, they're not sure about getting close if something weird is happening in town. Kuzunoha, however, says that she did some solo work and thinks she might have something. Kuni asks what she's got, to which she replies that she doesn't know, but she thinks it'll work out. The boy is confused, but the kitsune tells him to come along, they may as well test it out. She thus makes her way out of Mārin Village, Kuni following suit. 
The duo makes it to the wall of Sei'an City, though on the way, Kuzunoha spies a large, jade, cat statue alongside it. And as she looks over it, she feels a strange tingle in her very core. She approaches, Kuni coming close to her. He asks her what she's doing, and she just looks and looks. Players are prompted about using the Celestial Brush, here prompted to draw a line from the statue up the wall. With that, a trail of gold lines up the wall. Kuzunoha tests the trail, and finds her paws stick to it. She makes her way up it, and finds that she can cling to it as if gravity pulled her to the wall. With this, the kitsune has the power of Catwalk. She went up it more, and Kuni was awestruck. He asks how she's doing that, to which she says that she doesn't know, she thinks it's whatever happened back in that village. She went to some shrine and talked to something calling itself a god of walls.
Kuni is shocked at the description, and says this is amazing. Kuzunoha continues up the trail the player drew and makes it to the top of the wall. She leans over and sees Kuni try to test the gold trail, only to find that he can't cling to it. Kuzunoha says that she'll look for some sort of opening in the city and let him in. Kuni tells her to be careful, and thus players resume controlling her as she leaps down, ending up in Sei'an City, where the area just past that door features the Commoner Quarters, though the many buildings appear to be locked tight. She also feels a very odd sensation in this city, something akin to those creatures that she and Kuni fought out near the beach.
Right now she decides to go towards the gate towards the front of Sei'an. She walks and walks, though as she does, she feels a presence around her. She turns around and sees figures up in the sky. She watches them, confused, before seeing them start to dip down. She'd see among them, a large, black-furred creature almost resembling a monkey with leather wings. Said creature is accompanied by a couple similar to it, except smaller and resembling squirrels. The monkey-creature glowers at her, though pulls away, retreating to the skies. Kuzunoha is unsettled at the appearance of the foe, though decides she still has a mission. So she goes to the front gate, and manages to unlock it from this side, opening it up and allowing Kuni to enter. 
The swordsman enters, saying that that was still pretty cool what she did, her rushing his thanks before asking him if any flying, furry beings are normal around here. Kuni asks what she means, to which she talks about some sort of flying squirrel and flying monkey. He says he's not familiar with either of those creatures, before asking if she might've seen a demon. Before she's able to answer, they hear the sound of a monkey screeching overhead. They turn and see that weird monkey, perched on a building and pointing at the duo. With that, the squirrels hover around, before rushing at them. Kuni draws his weapon and tells Kuzunoha to look alive. And with that the duo is forced to battle a group of Nobusuma. The fight proves slightly tricky, with them often going up in the air, but with enough work the player is able to defeat them.
Kuzunoha pants a bit after taking care of those creatures, remarking that that was annoying. However, as she contemplates on that, she hears a yelp of alarm. She turns, and sees the monkey demon has gotten its claws on Kuni. He tries to pull free, but the larger demon flaps its wings and takes to the sky. She shouts for him and runs after, only able to watch as he's taken away towards the northern part of the city. She's crestfallen as she sees this take place, and though she just met him, she feels like she needs to help him. So, she's now made it a goal to race after the foe and save that boy.
----
She begins making her way through the streets, and makes her way to the very end, to a gate that stands between her and the bridge leading further into the quarters. However, to her misfortune, she finds a wooden gate blocking her. She paws at it in frustration, wondering what she's supposed to do now. She looks around, but sees now cat statue. However, she does see some rats nearby. They see her and gaze towards her curious. She looks back at them and cocks her head, before swearing she sees one of them motion her towards them. Kuzunoha realizes she doesn't have much else to go on right now, and follows them. 
This leads her to a weapon shop that seems locked up, though near said shop appears to be another shrine. She thinks back to that fishing village and wonders if this is something like it. She asks the rats what this is, to which they say that this shrine was erected in celebration of the Rending God, brought here to bless the weapons made within these walls. They say that if she can beat those flying creatures, then she can probably wield its power well enough to get rid of that big one. She asks where this weapon is, to which the rats tell her to pray at the shrine. Kuzunoha supposes if it worked the first time... She thus approaches, and goes to pray.
There, she waits, before soon finding herself in that scene she was in when she prayed to that cat shrine. Only now she sees a small rat with white fur and red streaks, wielding a sword at least twice his size. Despite this, said rat seems able to flip the blade around easily, and greets her. He says that her arrival has been foretold, and he'd hoped to greet her under less dire circumstances. He says that he believes his blade will be safe in her hands, and she says that she hopes she can get a bit of an explanation about who they are when she doesn't have to worry about saving that kid. He hopes to make her more comfortable with what goes on, though he says that her and Kuni are linked, and will need each other to grow. And growth will be necessary in the near future. Kuzunoha asks him what he has to do with her, though the rat says that answer eludes even him.
He says that he, Tachigami, the God of Rending, will grant her power to cleave apart the obstacles before her. He thus takes the form of an orb of light and waves around, the kitsune looking over it, now a little less unsettled than she was the first time. After waving around, the orb flew into her, and then she's brought to the mortal realm. She sees those rats running back to where that gate was, and she realizes this power is probably meant for that. So, she makes her way over to it, looking over the locked gate. She has a feeling deep in her core, and thinks to act on it. With that, players are prompted to draw a line through the gate, causing them to be cleft in twain as if they were struck by a sword. Kuzunoha now realizes she has the power of Power Slash. And now that the way forwards is open, she races forwards.
----
Kuzunoha races forwards more and more, and soon arrives at the bridge connecting the Commoners' Quarters and the Aristocratic Quarters. The bridge between the two is currently raised, but positioned before it she can see Kuni and that weird monkey squaring off. It seems like he'd wrestled himself out of its grip. Kuzunoha races over and asks if he's ok, to which he says he is. He says that this creature's pretty tough, though the kitsune says that she thinks they can take it. She gets in a low stance and Kuni brandishes his blade, while the monkey screeches angrily.
With that, players are forced into a boss fight with the Yamachichi. Said creature has more health than the squirrels fought beforehand, and also is difficult to hit. If players take a while to do it themselves, whenever the Yamachichi hurls a projectile, Kuni will say that if they can just hit those things back they can knock it down, prompting players to use the Power Slash on it to hit the projectile back at the creature and knock it down. When knocking down its health a decent bit, it'll fly up to the top of the bridge, at which point players will now be made aware of a cat statue near it. Players will be able to use it to get up the bridge and near it, where they can attempt to knock it down. Repeat the process twice more, and the creature's health will be depleted. 
It groans and collapses onto its stomach, the two heroes left panting and panting. Kuni turns to Kuzunoha and says that she was amazing. They would've never been able to beat that jerk if she hadn't done all of that stuff! He asks how she was even able to get those powers, he doesn't see those weird marks on her. Kuzunoha asks what he means, to which he points out that a guy he knew could do that stuff, but he was nothing like her. She says that this is a new development to her too, though she notices the figure begin to get up. Kuzunoha shouts out for him to watch out, prompting Kuni to turn. He sees the monkey raise its claws and screech, prompting the boy to bring up the sword. 
Suddenly, players find themselves in a brief sequence where Kuni dodges the creature and slashes him, the player prompted to use the divine brush to create slashes across the enemy. Players slash when and where prompted as Kuni dives under it, swings through its abdomen, across its legs, and through its chest. It groans before turning to Kuzunoha suddenly. It gets on all fours and tries to scamper towards her, prompting Kuni to rush at it. He leaps up and slashes yet again, across its back, and, with Kuzunoha's Power Slash, is able to completely bisect it. In response to its defeat, a flurry of flowers sprout around. The two pant some more, but can feel that former oppressive presence now beginning to fade. It's as if healthy life has been breathed back into this city yet again. 
Kuni says that those swings hadn't felt that powerful in a short while. Kuzunoha says that there was indeed some power there. She says one of the people that granted her power said something about the two of them are linked or something, and she wonders if this is part of what they were talking about. Kuni mulls over the information, but says that he's supposed to get stronger on his own. The kitsune says that she thinks she might need him, she still has a lot to learn. He says she's right and he's sorry about that. It's just that he was supposed to take this journey to grow into his own and whatnot. He says that he owes her a lot anyways, and he promises to repay her.
----
The duo makes their way out, and as they do, they see several people exiting the buildings, looking a little uncertain but seeming to have an air of gratefulness. One of them approaches the duo, and asks if they'd struck down the demon that threatened this land. Kuni answers that they have, and at that the many citizens are cheerful. One shakes Kuni's hand gratefully while another pets the kitsune, her leaning into it and enjoying it. The duo is showered in gratitude up until evening, the lot of them granted a bunch of yen.
Kuzunoha asks if this is normal, to which Kuni says that they were clearly threatened by these creatures for a while. They're just showing thanks. Kuzunoha remarks that she likes getting thanks. The kitsune then asks what they'll do now, to which Kuni says that he thinks they should get a room at the inn. Their first visit here was real busy, so tomorrow they should be able to really enjoy this place. Besides, the two of them never really got to know this city before now, and he owes her some time with it. She nods in approval, saying that she can't wait to see what a city in the sun is like. So, the duo goes to rest in an inn, time passing.
===Chapter 1===
The next day, the duo wakes up, though Kuni appears to've woken up before she has. He comes back with a map and says that he's checking out a map of the location. It sounds like with that freaky demon gone, they've got access to the Aristocrat Quarters, which means the chance to see the Miko. Additionally, they can check out some of the locations around here, and he in particular would like to check out the Playhouse, especially to meet with its actress. Kuzunoha mulls over the date, before saying that she can't spend too much time here. At that, Kuni declares that they'll just have to be quick with their investigation over Sei'an!
And thus, players have a list of locations to check out and get to know Sei'an.
*Playhouse - Going there, Kuni and Kuzunoha end up catching the tail end of a play, depicting four friends (a swordsman, a mermaid, an actress, and a guy with blazing hair) and a wolf pup parting ways down in this place called Kamiki Village. With the group parting, the curtain pulled close, before the many actors bowed to the cheering audience. Kuni sighs, remarking that they missed it, but at least they can meet up with that girl later. Some time passes, and the duo comes close to a crowd, through which they can see the girl that played an actress; a girl with a headdress resembling a cherry blossom, a pink, sleeveless kimono, black hair, and black pants. She greets the various onlookers, before seeing Kuni and enthusiastically greeting him, though she says they should talk more later, she's got a lot of audience to talk to. Kuni understands and tells the fox they'll be over later, they've got more stuff to check out.
*Palace - Going there, Kuni and Kuzunoha find themselves looking at the field in front of the palace, with various people of varying ages in meditation. And seen leading them is a woman in a gold-colored kimono, a headdress with a long, silky veil, and a magatama hanging from her neck. Kuzunoha asks who this is, to which Kuni explains that this is Sei'an City's new protector. This city apparently used to have an empress, but a demon took her life. In her place, this woman, Miko Cho, rose to power, and she'd been training people called Miko in attaining their spiritual powers. Kuzunoha wonders what a Miko is, and also wonders if she might be one. Kuni says that he doesn't think that's the case. Of the powers he read up on, he didn't read any ability to turn into a fox. Kuzunoha swears that she can turn into more than a fox... eventually. Kuni says that that's not the point. Either way, it looks like Miko Cho may be busy for a bit, and that they should wait for sunset to meet with her.
*Mr. Flower's House - Towards a corner of the Commoner's Quarter's is a house whose roof is covered in cherry blossoms, and it features a man in a flowery kimono with a cherry blossom tree seeming to grasp his scalp, who's tending to several plants outside the house. Kuzunoha asks what's up with this patch of forestry here, to which Kuni says that the gods place a lot of importance in the plants around Nippon. The blossoming of nature has actually helped to repel the forces of darkness and brought life back to the land when demons run rampant. Along with some of the gods, there are some on this land that have the ability to help a god blossom them. Mr. Flower here is one of them, and he just generally likes nature. Kuzunoha wonders if she can try that, to which Kuni says he just hopes that power won't be necessary any time soon. Kuzunoha thinks back on what those strange beings that granted her brush techniques said, and feels uneasy at Kuni's statement.
*Yama's Restaurant - Towards another corner of the city is an odd restaurant, it bustling with activity. Kuni says that this place is apparently a popular foodery over on this side of Nippon. It serves lots of cool stuff and is known for serving it hot. It apparently is the birth place of the ultimate dish as some call it. Kuni says that this might be a good place to eat sometime, and Kuzunoha asks if she can be in her normal form at that point. Kuni says that of course she can... As soon as he figures out a good explanation for why some girl is traveling with him. The kitsune droops her head, saying that they've been together a day at least and he hasn't figured that out. Kuni then asks what kind of stuff she's eaten, to which the kitsune explains that the elder's always brought food over. They've had fish, fruits, veggies, and some meats. Kuni asks if she had dumplings, and she'd shake her head. Cake? She'd shake her head. Rice? She'd shake her head. Stew? She'd shake her head. Kuni says that he has to treat her to some of the best food in Nippon!
After checking out the appropriate locations, the duo look up and notices that the sun is setting. He supposes that that friend they talked to earlier should be free right now, and maybe it'd be a good time to check out the restaurant. Kuzunoha asks what they should do about her, to which Kuni realizes he'd forgotten to think about that bit. Kuzunoha groans in disappointment, though Kuni assures that they can still salvage this. Maybe they can just get away with he bumped into her on the way to Sei'an, and they decided to hang out, and he decided to show her around once the city was off lockdown. Kuzunoha asks if that'll be enough to stop her from being suspicious, to which the boy says that he thinks it should be ok. He says that she can iron out some details if she wants and he'll bring her over. In the meantime, he should get to human form and get over to the Yama's Restaurant. 
With that, players are again allowed to go around, and prompted to have her take her normal form within a certain alley. And once she takes a human form, a cutscene plays showing her sniffing at her clothes a little, though she winces at the smell, remarking that that is very different from home. As she does, a figure with white fur is seen on top of one of the walls looking down at her. Kuzunoha suddenly feels like she's being watched. She glances around and upwards, but the figure with white fur is gone. She raises a brow in confusion, though she makes her way back to the outside, her hair and clothes untidy. She's out front, when she sees Kuni coming with that actress.
Kuni greets the lady, referring to her as Ku. Kuzunoha raises a brow curious, though plays along, saying that she is Ku. The actress says it's nice to meet her, and calls herself Kagu. She says it'd been six months since she saw Kuni, and she can't wait to catch up with him. Ku initially wonders how she knows him, to which she says it's a long story they can discuss over dinner. Anyways, the trio makes their way through the door.
----
The inside proves much bigger than before, boasting a fair few more tables than its old self. They're led in by one of the staff and set at a table. Once there they begin placing orders, though Kuzunoha herself seems uncertain, looking at the available foods as if she's reading an alien language. When asked what she likes, she says that she'd just like the special. The server nods in affirmation before heading off. With that, the three are left alone, able to talk to each other, and Kagu says that she's never quite seen someone like Ku, and that she's gotten to know a fair few of the people in the city. Kuni answers that she's new around here. She's kind of a wild child, hasn't been in a village as of late.
Ku affirms this, saying that she is very new. Got surprised when those weird creatures were threatening the city. Kagu raises a brow and asks if she means "demons", to which Kuni nods, saying that she doesn't know what those are. Kagu stumbles in shock and asks if she lived in a cave. Kuzunoha is quick to answer "yes". The actress is so flustered by the answer, she can't even muster a response, merely lay back in her chair and shift uncomfortably. At this point Kuni decides to break the silence and asks Kagu how that Miko training is going. Kuzunoha asks if he's referring to those people over at the temple, to which Kagu answers that she feels it's coming along fine... for the most part. Miko Cho herself has gotten a bit of a cold as of late, so she's been a little less independent as of late, needing to rely on her and some new guy to train the Miko. Heck, she would've helped take care of that freaky monkey if the Miko weren't such scaredy cats and if Miko Cho wasn't threatened by some imps. 
Kuni admits that he's surprised to hear her fighting demons. Kagu huffs and says that only six months ago they'd battled the big bad lord of demons. Speaking of which, she asks how he's been, going on his own. Kuni says that he's still searching. He hasn't found much, and all he really has to go on is the fact that he drifted in towards the shore by Kamiki Village. Right now he can only hope that someone decides to boat out way that way, or that he can track down the flow of the water to wherever he's from. Kagu asks if he tried talking to Nanami, to which he says that he thought of that recently and spent a short while trying to find her, but the locals don't really seem to've seen someone like her as of recent. Kagu strokes her chin, remarking that that's a little odd. She's an important person to the Dragonians, she certainly wouldn't just disappear...
Kuni asks if she thinks something might've happened to her, to which Kagu says she doesn't know. Still, a part of her thinks they should try and look. Just in case. Kuni likes that idea and asks Ku if she thinks she can help out. The kitsune mulls over the information and thinks about how much time she probably has. She answers that she can probably spare two days. Kagu is curious about that, though after the previous question, she feels like she probably shouldn't ask anything she might regret. By now, however, the food's come to the table, and Kuzunoha is presented with dumplings. She takes the food, eats it, and is gasping in delight. She suddenly digs in, mesmerized by the taste.
She ends up eating several dishes of dumplings...
----
Kuzunoha and Kuni return to the inn, and once there, she asks him who that girl was, what Dragonians are, and who this Nanami is. Kuni tells her that that's a lot to explain, but once they find her, he'll be sure to explain. But he can't wait for her to meet Nanami, she was really spirited last they met. He just hopes they'll be able to find her. However, he asks her what's happening in two days. She says that her elder is going to be continuing classes, and she'll be expected back again. Kuni says that it doesn't sound like they're teaching her a lot, but she says that once upon a time she didn't think she'd be involved with humans. In fact, the elder said that they shouldn't talk with humans, but having interacted with Kuni this long, she's not sure why that is.
Kuni finds that weird. He asks if she really thinks she should continue leading under him, to which she says that he's been his only guardian, she can't imagine defying him. Kuni says that whatever the case, he's sure that Kagu and the rest would enjoy getting to know her. Kuzunoha thanks him, but says that she still should go back to classes. She has friends there too, and thinks they might be curious about where she is. Kuni supposes that makes sense, but promises to make her remaining days here super fun once they find Nanami. With this in mind, the two rest.
----
Morning comes, and the duo steps out of the inn. And as they did, they'd soon see Kagu rushing over to the front door. Kuni asks her what's wrong, to which she answers she was going over to Mārin Village to try and rent a boat to go search. She was going a bit far from shore, when suddenly some stinky demons climbed on board and tried to attack. The duo are shocked at the description and Kuni is shakily reaching for his handle, asking if anyone got hurt. Kagu says that she was able to keep them away, but the fact that there are demons out there... she wonders if maybe they might have something to do with Nanami's disappearance. Kuni thinks that that could be possible, but first they'll have to get to those demons herself. Kagu says she'll lead them to where they attacked.
The trio makes it to the village, and Kagu asks the boat man if he can get them out to sea. The man asks her if she's insane, stating that there's no way he's going anywhere near those monsters! Kagu says that this is important, but the boat man says that he and this boat are important too! If anything happens to it, he won't be able to bring fish to the restaurant over there, get their food, and deliver it. Kagu growls and grabs him by the face, saying that their friend could be in trouble, and they need to get close to those demons! The man still seems scared, and Kuni turns towards Kuzunoha. He tells her that this conversation could take a while; Kagu's more likely to scare that man into a crying ball than get him to actually help.
Kuzunoha glances towards the sea and furrows her brows, contemplating on it. She ponders, and thinks that she might be able to find some way to travel the water without getting this guy's boat. Kuni asks what it is, to which she says that she needs to try it first, and also that Kagu will have to not see her, that is if they want to keep up this Ku thing. Kuni sees her still berating the guy, and thinks that that might not be too hard. Thus, he parts, and players are prompted to go towards the ocean shore near the cliff with the broken stairs beside it.
She goes there, and looks into the water. There's a brief flash to her time in the cave, where she's learned about the ability to transform into a fox. The teaching is led by Elder Naegi. He explained that part of the process involved being familiar with the motions of the animal, to get so knowledgeable of it that you can imagine doing it yourself. Then, to concentrate your magic while keeping everything you know about the animal in mind. She remembered it took her a few tries, but she eventually could do it, and she remembers the Elder telling them that they'll go over other creatures. She thought that if she could do that with a fox, maybe she can do that with one of these sea creatures...
She spies a whale swimming about under the water. She takes notice of it and thinks about how it could help her and those other two get out to sea. So, she sits in a meditative stance, and monitors the whale closely, taking careful note of its movement and muscles. She closes her eyes, and keeps those movements in mind, thinking about moving just like that. Players are prompted to use the transformation button, and select the newly added option, Whale. With that, she suddenly transforms, and with a few blinks, she finds herself laying on the beach, as a majestic whale with multiple tails behind. She flops excitedly at having managed that, and that transforms back. 
She rushes back to Kuni and Kagu, the latter of which is still harassing the boat man. Kuzunoha speaks up and says that she was checking out the area, and she thinks she found a way to get out on sea. Kagu pulls away from the man and asks what she did, to which she tells them to wait here, and she'll get it. Thus she rushes away, stealthily enters the water, and transforms into the whale. She swims over by the shore and uses a fin to wave at them, surprising Kuni and Kagu. The actress wonders what this is, to which Kuni wonders out loud if this is what Ku got them. Kagu wonders in that case, where Ku is, prompting Kuzunoha to turn her head away. She says, her mouth no longer in Kagu's view, that she's hanging out inside the whale, kinda feels like home. Kagu is weirded out by that, but Kuzunoha tells them to hop on and they'll find those demons. Kuni trusts her and climbs on, and see him trust her, Kagu would get on her back too.
----
The player swims through the water, making their way across the ocean surface, while directed by Kagu. They swim and swim, before soon arriving at a particular point on the sea. And here, Kagu says that those demons sprang up here. Kuni holds his weapon wearily, and asks if they're safe, to which Kagu waits a moment, before saying that they appear to be safe for now. Kuzunoha looks down in the water and notices a crack in the sea floor. She turns her head up and makes the motion of holding her breath. Kuni realizes what she's saying and spreads the command to Kagu, who also holds her breath. With that, Kuzunoha heads into the water, and swims towards the crack, passing it...
They make it into an underwater cavern, a pocket of air available for them with a cropping of rock for them to hop onto. Kuni and Kagu hop on, the actress saying that she hasn't seen something like this before. Meanwhile, Kuzunoha recedes under the water, before leaping up in a human form, jumping onto the rocky cropping. Kagu and Kuni are surprised by her sudden appearance, the kitsune saying that it feels real good to stretch her legs after that. She then says that they've got a friend to find, right? The humans shake off their confusion, Kuni affirming as much. 
The duo thus makes their way forwards, attempting to head into a cavern that was adjacent from the rock cropping, before they hear some noises inside; the sound of claws scraping across rock and wet slaps and angered grumbles. The group pulls away, certain that whatever this is, this is bad. Eventually, the source of the noise comes forwards, them revealed to be a trio of lizard-like beings with big bowls upon their head, grumbling in frustration. However, once they're out, they see the trio there, and one of them asks how the heck humans got down here, to which Kuni says it doesn't matter! They're here for their friend, and he wants them back! One of the trio asks how they know about the girl, prompting an "ah-ha!" from Kuni, and prompting the other two to angrily smack the one that revealed that little bit of info.
Either way, the demons rush forwards, realizing it's time to attack, and players are forced to battle the kappas. The creatures prove easy enough for starter enemies, though at a certain point of them will dip into the water near the edge of the water, coming back up and becoming stronger and faster. Players don't currently have a counter and will have to be careful as they beat down the foes. Fortunately, the kappas are beaten, and left panting. With them down, the three stand before the reptiles, Kuni saying that they need to release that girl, now. The kappas say that they're not listening to some dumb humans, and that the girl is way too important to just release. Kuzunoha says that they're just gonna get her herself, so they better save them the trouble. The kappas still refuse, and Kuzunoha and Kuni glance at each other, knowingly. 
Seeing the look in their eyes, two of the kappas suddenly spin around, and Kuni and Kuzunoha tries to rush them. Kagu shouts for them to stop, though the two are already racing. Before they get within striking range, the two turned kappas suddenly fart, knocking the two back and stunning them. Kagu sighs before brandishing some prayer slips. The demons recognize those slips and start fleeing, though she hurls them, suddenly wiping those demons out. She goes over to the two and shakes them awake, the duo gasping for fresh air. Kuni asks what happened, and Kagu answers that the two of them were reckless. She berates them that if she weren't here those guys could've torn them to shreds! The two nervously rub the back of their heads and get up, Kuzunoha groaning about how something can smell that bad.
----
Either way, Kagu says that there's probably more creatures like that deeper in, and that they should be cautious as they head deeper in. Definitely more cautious than what those two pulled right there. The two answer they will, as if they were addressing a strict senior. The trio now have to go through that cavern the three kappas were going through before and enter into the Underwater Cavern, the first of several areas players will have to explore and puzzle solve. The passage forward appears to be blocked when the group sees a room with a large, empty area with a passage continuing onwards, but said passage is too high for them to reach.
They're forced to go down one of several branches, which leads them downwards through the cave. As they go down, they'll find themselves looking upon, of all things, an underwater shrine, the shrine almost seeming to create an air bubble amongst the sea. Kagu wonders whether or not Otohime was trying to expand. Kuni says that whatever this is doing down here, they should investigate it. Though as they approached, they'd hear some odd giggling. They'd look around in confusion, hearing that strange voice speaking of darkness, endless darkness. The group's already drawing their weapons in concern, scanning around for the foes. One of the rambling voices says that their eyes were opened, another saying the future is as clear as water, and another says that the swallowing darkness is all they'll look forwards too.
Then, lunging from the sea outside are a bunch of demons resembling mermaids, albeit ones with bird-like heads and scales running down their whole forms. The group is forced to battle the Amabie, a group of demons that're able to swim around air as if it were the ocean, and assail Kuzunoha with tail whips and streams of bubbles. They're a bit tricky to hit, but quick enough maneuvering will fell them, and as they start to fade, they declare that the girl will see the what's ahead too! As they die, Kuni wonders what those things were possibly talking about, to which Kagu remarks that they're probably trying to psyche them out.
Either way, they investigate into the shrine, where they see inside a statue of a snake in a jar. Kagu supposes that a shrine to a water god only makes sense, but she can't imagine what one of them is doing down here. Especially while demons are out and about. Kuzunoha, meanwhile, looks at it curious. She comes close to it, standing before the statue. Kuni and Kagu wonder what she's doing, though she starts to pray like she had with the previous shrines. And then, she finds herself in another one of those strange realms covered in divine fog. And she's joined by that statue from before, her being a white snake with red markings seemingly trapped in a vase, as evident by her struggling to open it up. She stops trying, and addresses the kitsune. 
She says that her visit has been ordained, and truly they'd be remiss to underestimate her. She'd singlehandedly found a path to the depths and found her. She's sure that she'll be able to undo the darkness that threatens them in the future. Kuzunoha asks her what's happening in the future, though the snake tells her that the full scope eludes them, though they see her at the end of it. Kuzunoha asks if Kuni or anyone else is a part of that end, like that mouse mentioned, only for her to say she cannot say for now, and what she can do will give her the power to advance. 
She says that she, Nuregami, the God of Water, will allow her to bend her element to her will. Thus, she transforms into a ball of light and travels into her, Kuzunoha seeming slightly more comfortable with this. And then, she's back from that strange scene, the two with her tapping her to see whether she's still there or not. Eventually she brushes them off, asking what they're doing. Kagu says that she just sort of clocked out, like she'd fallen asleep while standing up. Kuni asks what she was doing, to which Kuzunoha says that she was... learning. Kagu wonders if she's meditating or something, to which she says that she's indeed doing that. Anyways, she says that she's learned something, and she wants to go test it out.
They proceed out of the shrine and head down another branch, where they find their passage forwards blocked by a large hole with driftwood at the bottom of it in the room with a passage across, but it's too high on the wall to go through. Looking around the room, they'd notice running water along a few veins adjacent from the hole. Kuni wonders how they could possibly cross this, to which Kagu remarks that if they just had Mutt here they could get across just fine. Kuzunoha wonders who she's talking about, to which the actress talks about some pup with white fur and red markings. If he were here, he could probably take the water from those veins and fill up this hole so that they could get across. Hearing that description, Kuzunoha has an idea.
She walks over to the edge and looks over at the veins and decides to focus. Now, players can use the divine brush to direct the water down to the pit. And then, the two kids are shocked to see the water leap from the vein and into the pit, it filling up. Using the second vein fills it up all the way, the driftwood now forming a path to the walkway ahead. Kagu asks what that could've been, before she suddenly darts her eyes around. She excitedly calls out "Mutt! Mutt!", asking where he is. Kuni comes close and asks Kuzunoha if that was her again. The kitsune nods and peeks back at Kagu, before asking if they should clear it up with her. Kuni looks back, before saying that they should probably keep that a secret for now.
Following that, players progress through the dungeon, soon coming to an inner sanctum with various architecture that'd remind players of the Dragon Palace. Kagu supposes that the Dragonians are indeed working on another city, though she wonders why. Kuni asks where anybody is, though as they look around the hidden city, they noticed a bowl with Amabie and Kappa around it, the brutish Kappa hogging the water while the Amabie tell them they want a turn. Kagu supposes that if this is a water city, then having something like that could be useful. Thus, the party is forced to battle the aquatic demons. After beating them up, Kuni remarks that those guys went down more easily. Kagu says that with Mutt around they're certainly making quick work. She then turns around and shouts "If only he'd show his face!" 
Either way, Kuni approaches to try and pick up the large bowl, remarking that it weighs a ton. The other two come close to help and try to lift it up. However, when they do, the bowl suddenly shakes and the water inside rumbles, prompting the party to retreat. Then, a creature leaps from the water and touches down, said creature being a large, turtle-like creature with a long tail and head. The creature turns towards the party, demanding to know who'd disturbed it! The three stumble back and are already reaching for their weaponry. The creature howls that it just wants to sleep! Thus, the group's forced to fight the Hōnengyo. The creature is slow with claw and tail swipes and gets up on its hind legs to slam down on them. It also tries to launch a stream of water at Kuzunoha or Kuni. Fortunately, players have a split second when it's on its hindlegs and exposing its underbelly to Power Slash. With enough work, they're able to defeat the amphibian, causing it to fade away.
With it beat, the group is now able to go to the bowl. Kagu grunts and picks it up, noting it's a lot lighter. With her holding it, she says that she thinks she can take it wherever they need, and they can keep investigating this weird place. So, the group is now tasked with investigating this weird city-place. The party needs to find their way around and finds themselves needing to transfer water into the bowl to either weigh down pulley systems, weigh down ramps, find their way down streams, and use the bowl to ride along the water. The end goal is to fill up a moat around a central town hall so that they can go into it. And once inside, Kagu will remark that she can't hold this thing anymore, and will set the bowl down. 
They make their way into the hall, and inside, they see a mermaid girl with wavy blue hair and orange scales trapped inside a vase. She's also surrounded by a trio of demons boasting green scales, humanoid faces, and monkey-like hands. The creatures slither around the vase, telling her that she's been here for so long, she must be starving. They say that she should eat, but the girl says she doesn't want whatever they have! Kuni tells Kuzunoha that that girl is Nanami! Kagu says that whatever those demons have planned, it can't be good. They thus rush onto the scene as the strange demons continue to harass her over finally eating. 
Kagu throws a prayer slip, stunning one of them and causing the slithering women to turn towards them. One asks them what they're doing on their territory, though Nanami shouts that this was going to be a place for the Dragonians! But these weirdos fed the people some weird meat and turned them into demons! Kuni is worried, asking if they'd just sturcken down those people. The green-scaled note his reaction and ask if they'd just torn down their residents. They declare that these three... they aren't worthy of their gifts. However, one of them sniffs and focuses on Kuzunoha, remarking that she has a different smell. The other two smell as well and note that she's right. They slither closer, prompting Kuni and Kagu to pull away. They're confused over their focus on her, though the actress realizes that she can get close enough to that vase. So, she rushes over while Kuni hangs back, watching as the strange demons loom over Kuzunoha. 
One of them notes that she smells... that she reeks of darkness. The kitsune feels uncomfortable under their stares, though tries to play it off, saying that she bumped into some smelly Kappas on her way over... They encircle her, saying that they know enough about their subjects to know this isn't one of their work. No, something else birthed her... Kuni grips his sword tight and tells them to leave her alone, declaring that she's nothing like them. Kuzunoha draws her own weapon, saying that he's right. She doesn't know what they're smelling, and that they need to pay for what they did to this town! And with that, players get into a fight with the Ningyo Trio.
Players will have to be careful as the trio are exceptionally fast. They weave around, pull in close for swipes, before pulling away. Players will have to be careful as they deal with the creatures, and eventually the Ningyo will start pooling water between their hands. When they do this, players can use Waterspout to redirect the oncoming blast to another one to knock them over and stun them. As players deal more damage to the group, they'll pass the blast between them, requiring more redirection to make the blast land. Fortunately, the trio shares a health bar, which means that players don't have to worry about focusing on one to deplete it. When they get down to half health, Kagu manages to open up the vase, allowing Nanmi to escape. The actress shouts that she's free, and Kuni says that these guys are tough, they gotta get outta here before anything happens to Nanami.
The trio thus tries to flee, the Ningyo, a little weakened from the fight, will look on in frustration. They declare that they cannot leave unhanded! The party runs and runs and makes it to the moat. They start to move the bowl, though Nanami tells them that she can get them out of here, fast. A pair of gems on her hair start to glow, and the water around the moat raises up before sloping up to the bubble surrounding the town. She says that she can keep them safe, and Kagu says that this sounds good. They thus hop on the water she offers and begin traveling up. However, they notice the Ningyo hopping into the water after them and swimming after them. And they notice that they're fast. Nanami cries that if they get to them while they're underwater, they're doomed. Kuzunoha ponders over their options, before remembering her old form. She pulls Kuni in and whispers her plan to him. 
The group raises closer and closer to the bubble, and the Ningyo are getting closer. Kuzunoha, meanwhile, tenses up and focuses. Eventually they break the surface, and while the Ningyo are about to collide, Kuzunoha suddenly takes on her whale form and shoves forwards, headbutting them out of the stream and out towards the open sea, Kuni wrapped up in the many tails of the whale. They break the surface, and Kuni climbs up on the creature's back. The Ningyo stand and look over her confused, before smiling, remarking that she's that kind of creature. Kuzunoha asks what they mean, to which they say that she's on the wrong side. The darkness is coming, and if she fights against it, she'll be burned by the light. The kitsune is concerned over their words, though shakes her head, glaring pointedly at the creatures. 
The second half of the fight proceeds, with players getting used to water combat against these creatures, who're able to move faster and more freely. Players can still redirect water blasts at them, though now the creatures will spice things up by either hitting her with multiple blasts at a time, or instead hurling some water discarded in the sea that can be power slashed back at them. Players also have to worry about a dive attack, where the Ningyo can dive into the water, swim through the ocean, before rising up to try and hit the player with an uppercut-like attack. The player drains their health more and more, and they wail in defeat. The Ningyo tense up and close, groaning in defeat. They tell Kuzunoha that she'll learn... she'll learn how badly she'll hurt herself... They then seem to giggle sinisterly and fade away, leaving Kuzunoha unsettled. Kuni asks her if she knows anything about those three, to which she swears this is the only time she's seen anything like them. Kuni senses the discomfort in her, and gently pets her head, telling her that they're just trying to psyche her out. Kuzunoha supposes that he's right. The swordsman says that they should return to shore; Kagu and Nanami are probably waiting for them.
----
The duo returns to the shore, where they see Kagu and Nanmi up to that ferryman, the former demanding he gets them out to water. However, they see Kuni and the kitsune return, and Kagu rushes over to check on them. She asks them where they went, that they looked all over the shore for them. Kuni says that Ku and him had split off to deal with those demons. The two of them were able to knock those monsters to the next world. Kagu says that that's great, though looks at the kitsune curious. Before she can inquire about what went on in further detail, Kuni comes up to the mermaid to ask her if she's ok. Nanami says she is, but she's terrified of what's become of the other workers. Kuni gets quiet and apologizes, though Nanami says that he just did what he had to. It's those demons that are to blame, though she doesn't understand what they're even doing here. She thought that they defeated them. 
Kagu says that she plans to bring it up to Miko Cho, but for now she suspects they've witnessed only minor remnants of the previous fight. These creatures weren't in nearly as large droves as they were beforehand. Nanami supposes that makes sense. Kuzunoha and Kuni, however, think about what those Amabie and the Ningyo said. They, however, didn't feel the need to speak up about it, not while they're all licking their wounds. Nanami decides to ask about the new girl, saying that she hasn't seen her before. Kagu says that this girl is named "Ku", and Kuni apparently bumped into her on the way from Sei'an City. Kuzunoha waves hello, and says that she's expecting to leave after tomorrow, so wanted to help while she had the chance. 
Nanami says that she's very grateful she showed up and hopes that these two treated her well. The kitsune assures her that she's been more than enjoying her time here, regardless of the demons. Kagu says that they'll make sure that tomorrow is as fun a day as they can get. Surely she deserves it after everything she's done for them. Kuzunoha says that she'd be grateful, and Kuni asks Nanami if she'd like any sort of help tonight. Kagu, however, says that she'll make sure that she's healed to the best of her ability. Nanami tells the two of them that she looks forwards to tomorrow, and thus the actress walks off with the mermaid in her arms.
The two, meanwhile, are left on their lonesome. As they stand there, Kuzunoha asks him if they should talk about what those demons said. Kuni mulls over it, and thinks that saying something about that stuff would only make them worry. He's sure that it doesn't mean anything. The kitsune notes that he said something similar way back, that she smelled like a demon or something? Kuni admits that he might've been quick to judge there. He doesn't think there's anything evil about her, she's just different. He then asks her if she thinks she'll be able to meet again. Kuzunoha says that she expects her classes to go on for almost a whole 'nother year. Kuni seems saddened by that, but he swears that they'll make her last day as great as possible. She thanks him, and is sure that he and those two will make tomorrow really memorable. 
With that, those two go back to the inn to rest.
----
The next morning comes, and Kuni and Kuzunoha makes their way out. Kagu is there to greet them, Nanami in her grasp. The mermaid says that the Miko took good care of her last night, and that she feels like a whole new fish! The other two are very grateful, and Kuzunoha asks her what they did, to which she answers that they just tended to a few scratches before feeding her a ton. She says that she thinks she gained a dozen pounds. Kagu silently nods in confirmation. Kuni, however, says that he hopes she still has room for some, because they still have a day with Ku to enjoy. 
Kagu says that she got them all front row seats for a performance tonight, though that won't be for a while. Kuni supposes that Ku should learn more about the general area. Especially about the Dragonians, seeing as she came upon Nanami and their architecture. Nanami says that she can probably find Orca to get them over, she has to tell them about what happened with the project anyways. Kagu supposes that that sounds like a good place to start, and says that they should get moving. And thus, they make their way out of Sei'an City.
They make it to the usual village, where Nanami is let into the ocean. She swims down, and soon a proper orca came up to the surface, greeting the group, said orca boasting a red platform on its back. The mermaid introduces this guy as Orca, emissary of the Dragon Palace. The creature chirps excitedly as it greets the group, and they greet it back. Nanami says that this boy can bring them to the palace easily. The whale comes close and lets the party climb onto that platform, with Nanami hanging next to the creature. It then began swimming out into sea, close to a patch of swirling water. And once close, the majestic whale would dive in, allowing the group to head under the seas.
...
The whale settles down in a location under the sea, it sat inside a large oyster covering the upper edge of it. The structure itself resembles a Japanese palace with sea green roofing and coral upon the uppermost roof. In here, the group notices that Nanami herself almost appears to be floating in what they register as a sort of air bubble, much to the trio's confusion. Nanami explains that the queen performed some powerful magics to make sure this place is inhabitable to both Dragonians and surface people. The other settlement is supposed to be that way, but those demons stopped them. 
Either way, she offers them to follow. The group does so, heading through the area, Kuzunoha especially being curious. She hangs back with Kuni, asking him if these guys are sort of like her, able to transform into animals. Kuni, however, says that they're simply people that live in the water. As long as he knows they've stayed down here, which is why seeing one of their structures elsewhere in the sea is a bit of a surprise. Before that, Nanami was the only person they saw outside, and even then she got caught by a fisherman and put in the clutches of some demons.
Either way, they join Kagu and Nanami forwards, passing by some other mermaid guards who let them in upon Nanami explaining the situation. They're led deeper and deeper in, brought up the central stairs to an elevator system in the back. And then, they're led up it and to a throne room, where they find, lined by a pair of guards, a woman with a fin-like crown, a blue gown, and a seaweed hovering around her like a wrap. In her arms is a baby boy. Nanami introduces the group to Queen Otohime, and vice versa. The Queen greets them, saying that if the lot of them had helped Nanami, she says that they're welcome here. She then wishes to know of who each of them are. Nanami says that she's more than happy to introduce each of them!
She goes up to Kuni, saying that he's the adoptive son of the guy that'd slain Orochi! He's stronger than he might look, though he's pretty easy to scare. Kuni blushes and rubs the back of his head. She then goes up to Kagu, saying that she's a great actress who's also real strong and mystical. She says that she has a tendency to be pretty scary, but is also really caring for the guys around her. Kagu stands with great poise to try and look nice and proper for the Queen. Nanami goes up to the kitsune, though admits she doesn't know a lot about her. Kuni says that this woman is named Ku. They bumped into each other a short while ago, and she wanted to learn about the general landscape. He also says that she's really dependable, Kuzunoha blushing and rubbing the back of her head.
Otohime is thankful to all of their efforts, though says that she can only hope that the other dragonians that were with Nanami rest in peace. There is a moment of silence among the group, soon opened up by Kuni apologizing. Otohime assures that from the sounds of things, nothing could be done about it. She is grateful the three of them arrived when they did. She just supposes that their progress will have to go on hold for a while. Kagu decides to ask why they started work on another settlement, to which Otohime says that after demon-kind had seemed to calm down, she'd felt that maybe it was time to branch out. However, it seems that for some reason, they still threaten them. She just hopes that the Gods will see them to a brighter future. 
Nanami thanks the Queen for seeing all of them and says that Ku actually has a limited amount of time for now, so they should get moving. Queen Otohime thanks them for their efforts and offers them to enjoy the sights that are here. With that, the group makes their way back down, and once at the bottom of the elevator, Nanami says that Orca can take them up to the surface whenever they finish looking around. With that, the mermaid makes her way to the entrance, and players are now able to explore the Dragon Palace.
*Down one passage is the dragon gardens, with a shrine set up to King Wada, a king that'd fought to protect the kingdom, though in doing so suffered a terrible madness that caused him to attack people in Ryoshima Coast. There, Kuni is seen reading the tale. There are also flowers set at the shrine. Kuni says that he feels like this guy and his dad would've gotten along.
*Down another passage is the Spring adjacent from the palace, where Kagu can be seen interacting with the various dancers. She follows their movements before seeing Kuzunoha, telling her that these people have been teaching her some good moves. Maybe if the demons stay away this time, they can come up to impress the surface.
After interacting a bit, Kuzunoha is free to go to Nanami, who, after checking and making sure she's ready to leave, says she'll round up the others. One quick cut later, the gang is brought up to the surface and to the sandy shore, where Kuzunoha remarks that the Dragon Palace was really cool. Kagu agrees and says that she wishes she could've visited earlier. Nanami says that she's sure she can get them there more often. However, suddenly Kagu tenses up and asks what time it is. Upon reviewing the time, Kagu realizes that that play she scheduled for them is about to start! She thus rushes off, the mermaid being confused. Kuni carefully picks her up and says that they have a show to see. And thus, the trio walks back to Sei'an City. 
They make it to the play, where the staff leads them down to some special seats. Kuzunoha asks what they're about to see, to which Kuni asks her if she's seen a play before. The kitsune shakes her head, to which he tells her that plays are performances where the actors act out stories that either have happened or haven't happened. He's not sure what this one is about. And then the play starts, and the moment Kuni spies one of the actors representing a small wolf, he suddenly realizes what's going to happen. What follows is a quick play, summarizing key points from Okamiden, including Chibi meeting Kuni and battling a giant toad demon, the duo meeting Nanami and battling a giant catfish demon, Chibi separated and meeting Kagu and battling demons threatening the playhouse, Chibi teaming up with Kurow to battle King Fury, Chibi and Kurow traveling through time to try and defeat the then commander of demons Akuro, Chibi teaming with Manpuku after Kurow had a crisis of faith, and eventually the death of Akuro, unfortunately resulting in Kurow's own death. The play is given applause once it wraps up, the kitsune joining in. Though she peeks to the side and sees Kuni looking a little uncomfortable.
The group leaves the playhouse, Kuzunoha asking Kuni if that was a story that had happened. Kuni admits it was... Kuzunoha apologizes for what's happened there. She didn't realize he'd been used like that, or his other friend... Kuni says that it's happened, and he's working past that stuff. He'll learn about himself and learn how to get better. Kagu comes by and sees the group, though she apologizes. She says that she forgot that this story was showing today, and if she had more time she would've changed it. Kuni says that it's fine, helped explain things to Ku anyways. As they stand around, Kagu tells them that she'd had a shrine built for Kurow. She hadn't gotten the chance to show either of them it before, but since everyone's here, she'd be happy to escort them. Kuni says that he'd like that, and Nanami says so as well. 
The group is led over to Sei'an's palace, led past the fields and to a garden adjacent to it, where they see a well-tended shrine with a painting of that blonde guy set on it. Seeing it, Kuni, Nanami, and Kagu approach it. Kagu tells Kuzunoha that she can join if she wishes. The kitsune says that she'd like to, though she doesn't know how. Kagu simply tells her to follow their lead, and so she does. They have a moment of silence and prayer, before soon stepping up. Kuni and Nanami thank Kagu for the moment, the actress telling them that this is available if they ever need it. By now, the sun's setting, and Kuzunoha says that it's getting late, she has to get going.
The group tells her that they've enjoyed hanging around with her, and hope that she can come back soon. Kuzunoha tells her that she'll try and find time to meet them again, though asks Kuni how she'll find him again. He's planning on going abroad, isn't he? Kuni admits that he hadn't thought of that... He swears that if she gives some sort of signal, he'll try to respond to it. Maybe a sort of song? Taking that in and thinking to her fox form, Kuzunoha says that she thinks she can try that. She says that she'll see them later, the other members saying they'll see her. Thus, the kitsune makes her way out of Sei'an, now feeling a bit more confident about walking through its streets and to the outside.
----
Kuzunoha walks on, making her way to that cave she'd come out of beforehand. She walked more and more, though as she approaches the cave, she feels a strange, calming aura. She looks around curious and sees upon one of the hills adjacent to the trail a white wolf with red marks. The stranger squats down before leaping off and landing in front of the kitsune. Kuzuonha is confused, and wearily asks her who she is. The wolf sits still for a moment, before standing upright. She then squats down and starts growling, causing Kuzunoha to stumble back in concern. She asks her what she's doing, when she sees a weapon manifest over her back, it being a mirror with a green back. 
Kuzunoha suddenly feels the need to draw her own weapon, glancing to her side on instinct in order to address Kuni, only to realize she's alone with this thing. Before she can contemplate any further, the foe lunges at her. With that, players are forced to fight the White Wolf. Said wolf proves to be quite challenging, being exceptionally fast, able to cover a decent area in front of her with her reflector, and shocking evasion. After wearing her down to half health, a cutscene shows her taking pause before her tail waves, a red line appearing in the air. Suddenly, it's as if the space is slashed, causing Kuzunoha to stumble while pondering "Was that-?!" Either way, on top of her dangerous combos, players now have to look out for images of lines to avoid being cut from a distance. With enough work, however, they should be able to defeat the White Wolf. 
After that, the two drive each other off, skidded across the dirt after landing their last blow. Kuzunoha is left panting while the wolf stands still and stares. They keep a careful eye on each other, before the wolf's weapon disappears. She then turns from the kitsune and leaps off and up the hill, Kuzunoha shouting that she better run. She sighs and puts her own weapon away, wondering what the heck that was about. As she contemplates, she looks where the wolf sat, and sees a set of rosaries left behind. She picks them up curious, thinking about how she only has more questions now... Still, she pockets the rosary and makes her way back to the cave. 
She makes it deeper and crosses that illusory wall, back to the village, though already thinking about how cramped it feels right now. She walks further in, when she hears the sudden cry of her friends. Kinoko, Ishi, and Hana rush up and hug her, asking her where she's been. They tried to find her to play, but she was never home. She apologizes and says that she got lost in the cave. They ask her what she was even doing out there, to which she says she felt the need to stretch her legs but messed up. Hana says that it's a good thing she showed up when she did, classes are going to start again tomorrow. And Kinoko tells her that she promised to help tutor her! Kuzunoha says that she will, she will, and she's sorry. 
They say that it's getting late, and they'll see her later. For now, she should rest up. She understands and thanks them. She apologizes for worrying them, though Ishi says that they're sure she'll make up for it later. With that, the friend group parts, with her going to her own hut. And as she does, she's still caught up on what she saw out there, already thinking about how lonely this little hut seems. Still, she has a duty to Elder Naegi. So, she tries to rest, though stirs about throughout the night...
===Chapter 2===
Time passes in the village, and during it, there's quick glances of Kuzunoha in this village. She can be seen, alongside Kinoko, Ishi, and Hana, turning into a fox and racing around that obstacle course (with several other kitsune looking on in either confusion or envy), sitting in one of the houses while being led by the Elder (some showing the biology of certain animals and some showing forms during combat), and going to rest. The process repeats from time to time, though one time the friends go to the obstacle course, only to see that it's been torn down. 
Kuzunoha's friends each seem upset, Kuzunoha herself exceptionally saddened. She decides to break from the group to look for the Elder, who tends to a flower bed outside of the teaching building. There, the younger kitsune's previous bravado fades, and she sheepishly gets his attention. She asks him if there was something wrong with the obstacle course, to which Elder Naegi tells her that there'd been a few complaints. Apparently some kitsune stay on it all day after their lessons and make it so others can't play, so a bunch of other kitsune get upset. So, he decided to take it down. 
Kuzunoha tries to stay civil and says she respects his authority but points out that it's one of the only places that people like her can be allowed to stretch their legs. Elder Naegi sets down his watering can, and asks Kuzunoha if she can keep a secret. The kitsune thinks on her own experience, and concludes that she can. Elder Naegi tells her that they will one day be able to step out onto the land. This is why they are learning things. They as a whole need to be ready to go into the world at large. All he asks is for them to all behave.
Kuzunoha is slightly confused, though she feels like he might have a point. So, she decides to listen to him. She thanks him for explaining, to which Elder Naegi says that he's more than happy to assuage their fears. So, the younger kitsune goes back to her quarters to rest.
----
A year passes, and Kuzunoha is seen with her friends yet again, the latter three looking more lively than the former. Ishi asks Kuzunoha if she's doing ok, to which the kitsune says that she's just been feeling really couped up. Hana says she knows what it's like to be unable to stretch your legs, but she reasons that the jungle gym's been done for a long time now. Kuzunoha realizes that she can't really talk about what's really bothering her, and says that it was a really good jungle gym. Besides, after all the work the three of them put in... Kinoko says that it did sting, but it was Elder Naegi's will, so they mustn't be too upset. 
Either way, it's time for their lessons. The group of friends makes their way in, and once inside, they set at their mats before the desk, waiting for their elder. Eventually, he enters, getting behind the desk and looking over them. He says that they've been doing great in their time here. He says that he remembers when they were mere kits, but now he can see them grow more and more. He says that this is why it hurts him to say that they will not be having a break as soon as last year. The bunch of kitsune are worried and ask why. Elder Naegi tells them that they are about to enter a very important lesson, a lesson that he'd feared to teach them. 
He says that he can feel their frustration at being stuck here, and has had a few of them try to build something to help them get the feel of outside. As such, he feels like they must be wondering why they are hidden, and he warns that the answer to this he'd hoped to kept hidden as long as he could. But the truth is that the world outside will not accept them. When the world was created, one species above all others was allowed ownership of the realm. At that, he unveils a scroll depicting a human hunter, prompting gasps from the kitsune while Kuzunoha is confused. Elder Naegi explains that these people cultivated the world outside into their own image, and will fight to make sure none other take it. 
He explains that he'd been with their mothers on the outside, and had seen the humans destroy them. He says that if they are to go out into the world, it will be their enemy. It is for this reason that he's had to train them. From wielding their transformation powers, to understanding the powers of trickery, to learning how to fight. Before they go out into the land, they need to know to defend themselves. Kuzunoha is immediately uncertain, saying that that can't be right. Suddenly, she feels as if all eyes are on her, and Elder Naegi says that her naivete shows. He understands how hard a concept like that is to grasp, but he's seen it first-hand.
He tells them that the world of man will be their predator, but they do not have to keel over for it. He says that they'll learn more and more about what they need to survive, and he swears that he'll never let them fall. The kitsune around him bow, telling him "thank you", and though Kuzunoha is hesitant herself, she does follow suit. She just thinks about what went on with Kuni, and is now only more confused as she stays bowed.
----
Later in the day, the various kitsune are making their way to rest, though Kuzunoha herself is struggling to go to bed. Eventually, she climbs out of bed and heads out to the village, where she looks around. She sees Elder Naegi tending to a garden at his very own home, and looking on it, thinking about what he spoke of earlier, she thinks to go check out his place, just out of curiosity. She comes near, though comes to realize that as long as the Elder is gardening, she can't sneak in. She thinks over her own abilities, and thinks that she might have to use one of her tricks again.
Players once again use an illusion, deciding to depict the image of Kuni sneaking near the Elder's garden. The man perks up in confusion, and begins to walk over to investigate. At this, Kuzunoha herself is able to sneak past him and slip into his own cabin. It seems a little more immaculate than the other cabins, it featuring multiple rooms. She eventually finds a study, where a bunch of books are held. And inside, she's able to find scrolls under a section marked "Future Lessons". She decides to snoop through several of the scrolls, before one in particular gets her attention. 
The scroll speaks of Friends. It seems as though a majority of what Elder Naegi speaks during lectures is either kept elsewhere or in his head, but this scroll has with it several images, and the images are unfortunately quite familiar. Strange, small creatures with paper masks over their faces, just like the imps she saw harassing people back in the outside world. She looks at more, and can see those flying nobusama, those stinky kappas, those flowing amabie, and even some she hadn't seen before. First Elder Naegi is telling them that humans are going to destroy the lot of them, then he plans on telling them that demons are friends? She has no idea what is going on here. 
She reads more and more, looking over some of the demons present. And among them, she sees a creature with a tiger-like body, a tail resembling a snake, and a head akin to a monkey. It also has with it a map, which Kuzunoha reasons the Elder is planning to lead the kitsune over here at some point. She wonders how soon he planned to lead them out. Either way, she takes a spare paper and tries to draw down the map present here. With the drawing down, she thinks that her best bet right now is to go outside. She's very concerned about whatever's going on with Elder Naegi, and thinks that he might lead them into danger. That boy from before knew something about demons, so maybe he can help out here.
With that, Kuzunoha puts the scrolls back, and sneaks out of the Elder's hut. She races over towards the cave that leads out, and flees her home yet again.
----
She races out of the cave and back out to Ryoshima Coast, night upon the area. And looking out over it, it looks like the docks have expanded ever so slightly and the foliage being more spread out. Looking over how different it looked in comparison, and she remembered that at least a year had passed. And thinking of that, she thought about that human from before, and realized that it's been a year since that boy was here, and she has to wonder if he'll be even close to this location. She tries to think about how she could find him, how... She thought back, and remembered that there was a song she could possibly sing to attract him. Only thing is, she has to think about where he could hear that noise from. 
With that, she's prompted to go over to one of the big hills by the sea, where she'd be prompted to howl her song to the sky. Once singing it, she gives a sigh and waits... and waits... She mulls over how long she should wait for that boy to show up. However, as she waits, she takes notice of someone by the sea. She looks like some girl with scales. Seeing her, she grows especially curious, thinking back to Nanami. That girl was supposed to help move that boy around, and realizes that she might know something. Thus, she thinks to go down to that girl to see if she knows something. 
Thus, the kitsune heads down to the shore, where she finds a young mermaid with pink scales and wavy black hair that reaches down under her arms. She sees the kitsune and shies away, trying to hide under the water. However, Kuzunoha tries to calm her down, telling her that she's not going to hurt her. She says that she'd helped out Nanami a year ago, and visited Otohime, and checked out her palace. As she explains, the girl peeks out of the ocean, looking up at her curious. She asks if she really helped Nanami, to which the kitsune nods, saying she was helped out by these two humans, a boy named Kuni and a girl named Kagu. The girl gives pause as she speaks, before realizing that she recognizes each of those names. 
She asks if she's Kuzunoha, to which the kitsune affirms as much. The girl with pink scales explains that her name is Shinkai. She's been mentoring under Otohime after Nanami went away. The kitsune furrows a brow and asks what she means by "went away". Shinkai explains that shortly after she was saved, Kuni had asked her for help in his personal quest. He'd remembered where he'd floated in from, and thought that she might be able to help him swim off in that direction. Kuzunoha says that she's looking for Kuni, and asks where he left from. Shinkai says that she thinks that he left over at this place called Kamiki Village. The kitsune asks where that is, to which the mermaid realizes that that place is pretty easy to miss. 
She says that if she were to follow the trail eastwards, she should find herself on a trail that'll lead her towards another landscape. She's not sure where to go from there, but once she enters a big plain, she should be able to find someone that could point her to Kamiki Village. Kuzunoha thanks her, and says that she'll keep that name in mind. She then asks what she was doing waiting by the shore anyways, to which the mermaid says that she was hoping to meet up with Nanami. When she isn't busy, she goes over here to wait for her. The kitsune feels uncomfy about that, and then says that since she's going in Kuni's and Nanami's direction, she wonders if she'd like to follow along? Shinkai shakes her head and says that she should really stick to business over here. But if she does find her, she just asks that she point her over here sometime soon. The kitsune promises she will, and thus makes her way to the passage, eastwards.
And through that passage, she soon makes her way towards a drawbridge set up from one walkway to another. Between them is a giant river dozens of feet down. However, Kuzunoha notices on this end that the drawbridge is up. She cocks a brow curious and looks nearby, where she finds a samurai man in a bright pink shirt and purple skirt, a bow in one hand and a sword at one side. He was also snoozing. Kuzunoha tries to wake him, but the soldier doesn't seem to react to her. She shouts again, but still he isn't moving. The kitsune is starting to get annoyed, wondering to herself if someone else knows how one might lower this bridge...
With that, the kitsune is now prompted to look around the new location, the City Checkpoint. This means needing to go around this half of the map to try and find some means of progressing. Nearing the edge of the cliff has the camera pan down, revealing a great, big, pink blossom on the edge of the cliff. And a fair distance down is some sort of bucket of dumplings that got caught on some root down in the river. Interacting has the kitsune remark that she can smell it from up here, but there's no way she can reach it. Looking elsewhere, Kuzunoha can find a patch of grass overgrown around one of the cliff faces, and searching through it, she can uncover a passageway into the wall. 
She walks forwards through it, and deeper in, she finds a shrine with several smaller versions of those blossoms around a statue depicting a monkey wielding cymbals. The statue depicting it also has empty slots around it, as if something else is supposed to go there. However, before she can tend to that, she takes notice of some villainous-looking scroll seeming to exude some dark gas upon it. The kitsune rushes forwards, and ends up summoning up demons from the scroll. These ones are imp-like creatures with a shield on either arm. These are Red Imps, and require the woman to beat on them, and to power slash them when they guard.
With them down, the kitsune pants victorious, realizing that those demons really are popping up. She wonders what could've happened that'd lead to them appearing. As she does, she's drawn to the statue. She thinks back to her previous prayer, and kneels before it, repeating it. With that, she's brought to that familiar landscape, with the monkey to greet him, the god Tsutagami. He greets the woman, saying that he'd been wondering when she'd appear. He tells her that his power is in three, and hopes that she can find his brothers. But for now, they have high hopes she can utilize their strength well. With that, he claps the cymbals together, startling Kuzunoha just as a ball of light flies out and into her. She's soon brought back to the material plane, feeling like she learned a new technique. She feels the need to focus on those blossoms, and players are prompted to draw from one blossom to the scrap of scroll nearby. A vine shoots out and grabs it before tugging it towards the flower. The piece of scrap flutters down, and Kuzunoha thinks to stamp the scroll out, just in case. For now, she has learned the Brush Technique, Vine. 
With this in mind, players can go back to that cliff. They send a vine to grab the bucket and tug it up, snapping the bucket up to her. Holding it, Kuzunoha admits that it does smell really good... before saying that she didn't do all of this just to get a quick lunch. Players go up to that rotund man by the bridge, who smells the dumplings. He seems to perk up and stands up on his feet. He sees Kuzunoha, who's presently in human form, and seems sheepish. He says he smelled the food and just assumed it might've been his... The kitsune looks over the bucket, and says that she'd be happy to give it to him... but first, she needs the bridge down. The soldier seems uncertain, stating that he received orders to keep this bridge up. Kuzunoha, however, waves the bucket for him, saying that she'd hate to let it go to waste. The soldier looks over it uncertain, before saying that surely he could bring it up shortly after (though it won't for gameplay purposes). So, the bridge is lowered while the soldier eats heartily. And now, able to proceed onwards, Kuzunoha advances through the bridge and onwards, past the checkpoint.
----
The kitsune continues onwards, soon arriving upon a giant plain with large mountains reaching high, lining the path and providing a crossroads for the player. This is Taka Pass. However, instead of the greenery one would expect, there exists a sight that stuns Kuzunoha to her core. Further along the path, she sees as if the color has faded from the land, leaving gray all over it. Meanwhile, vibrant clouds of darkness cover it, them looking as if they'd devour any life that dared to approach. The kitsune feels horror and inches closer, looking around. She looks down and sees no other path but through it, and supposes that this could be her only chance to find Kuni.
So, she enters. And once she crosses into the lifeless land, she immediately feels the weight of darkness upon her. She feels as if her very power is fading! Her own body shimmers, before her tails unfurl, and her humanoid body now brandishes a thick coat of fur and a fox-like face. She's horrified and looks over herself, wondering what's happening. However, as she mulls over this, she swears that she can feel some incoming presence. She feels like something in here is after her. She thusly feels the need to move, her ink gauge slowly draining while in this zone. 
She races forwards more and more, and as she does, scrolls floating about that bear an evil aura to them. Players are encouraged to avoid these things as they are greatly underpowered in this realm, unable to swap between forms and unable to use ink techniques. She walks more and more, and swears as if the path before her is disappearing. She groans, feeling like she's drowning, like she'll descend into the very soil beneath her. As she mulls over this, she feels a breeze, carrying with it a waft of life that she sorely missed, along with the scent of water. She felt the need to follow it...
She's brought forwards, and soon feels the intense darkness that bore down on her fade away, with her now able to change back to her normal form. There, she collapses and pants and pants, shuddering. She looks back at the field she'd just passed, wondering what she could've possibly seen. She ponders if this is what those demons are going to do... She steps up and looks ahead, declaring that she needs to find Kuni, quickly. So, she presses onwards through the path she'd been following. 
----
And once out, she crosses a furnished bridge, and then she sees a large land before her. The land is full of water with large trees stretching taller than most houses she's seen so far. They form a roof of leaves that let the light of the sun or moon shine down through them. She's come upon Agata Forest. Kuzunoha looks over the realm curious, seeming confused about water being in a closed off area like this. She begins to head down one of the ramps and approach the water, where she touches down in it. As she does, she hears someone call out to her, curious.
Kuzunoha turns to the voice, where she sees a tan boy in an orange coat with a rabbit skin over his head, accompanied by a dog with a pink coat and orange scarf. Said boy also has a fishing rod propped up on his shoulder. Kuzunoha greets him, and asks who he is. He answers that he is Kokari, and notes that he hasn't seen anyone like her before. She answers that she is new around, she's actually looking for a friend that she thinks passed through here, a swordsman with in purple. Kokari answers that he knows someone like that. However, his dad says that demons have been spotted over in that direction. Kuzunoha says that she needs to find him. Kokari seems uncertain, though says that he thinks he can lead her to his dad at the very least.
Kokari begins leading her onwards, going along the shore, and eventually finding a hut. However, from here, Kuzunoha can see one of those fields of darkness cutting off her way from here through the rest of the forest. The kitsune asks the boy where Kamiki Village is, to which he points out that it's in the direction of that foul darkness. He says that now's not a good time to try and go through, demons are likely lurking in there. She asks if there's any way to get rid of it, though he says he doesn't know anything about that. He does, however, say that there is a fortune teller that can probably tell her about stuff like that. He says that his dad is here, though, and can offer aid to her. And at this, players can stop by the house to see a man with a bearskin and a bow, named Karude. If he sees Kuzunoha is injured, he will offer her food to fully heal her.
Fed and healed, Kuzunoha is now tasked with going to a small cavern before a minor waterfall. Once in there, they find a cavern with a small hut inside, and entering the hut, they can find an elderly woman in a lavender dress with a skull on top of her head. The kitsune greets her, and asks if she's the fortune teller. She affirms as much, saying that she is also known as Madame Fawn. She assumes that she is here for a reading, to which Kuzunoha affirms as much. She needs to get to Kamiki Village, but the trail before it appears to be corrupted. Fawn says she knows about the land out there, and has seen such darkness years ago.
She says it was felled by a radiant goddess and her offspring, though she can't be certain that they will be around anytime soon. Kuzunoha asks how they got rid of it, to which Madame Fawn explains they were able to use their grand magic to give life to a sapling hidden within this forest that drives the darkness away. When the kitsune asks how it was revived, the fortune teller continues her seeing. She says that the power to revive it appears to be swallowed up by the lake of the forest, though she still doesn't see the goddess in the future.
Either way, the kitsune says that she's grateful for her help, and that she should get going now. Fawn nods. The lady leaves, and as she does, she swears she catches a whisper from Fawn, her seeing darkness ahead. Still, Kuzunoha presses forwards into the lake, looking down into the water, curious about what could possibly be down there. Still, she has her whale transformation, and thus heads in and begins to descend into the lake. Down and down she goes, where she can see a strange pit at the very bottom. She goes down, and can see the pit extends further in. She can't help but wonder if this was a natural formation or not, and begins to head down it more...
----
Kuzunoha swims through the passage, further and further. Eventually, she manages to get up through a pocket within the area, and leaps up to get upon the cavern underneath the Forest. She can see the underneath has thick roots stretching throughout it in odd directions, some of the roots even having leaves extend from them. The kitsune raises a brow in curiosity as she observes the various plants. She thinks, if the power she looks for is anything like the other powers she uncovered, then what'd lead to a shrine being down here? However, she supposes she can ask the god about it later.
Thus, she progresses through the Underground Caverns, needing to navigate the terrain to find something that looks like a power she could use to regenerate that tree Fawn talked about. As she progresses, she sometimes uncovers dead-looking trees with whisps of darkness about them, a large bulbe on them. These are Cursed Trees, and they will through large fruits at the player to try and damage her. Players can Power Slash the fruits back at the trees to stun them, though at the moment they don't have a way to defeat the trees for good.
She progresses more and more, when she takes notice of some of the roots. She notices that several of them appear blackened and weak, and wonders what's going on down here, and even curiously taps one. At which, she sees some part of the root she touches crumble. She realizes that these things are in trouble, and then looks up. She thinks about how these trees make up the whole of that forest overhead, and is worried about what could possibly happen if they lose the rest of their life. She proceeds onwards, thinking about what's going on still.
She progresses more and more, when she finds her path blocked by some roots. She looks past them, and can see a shrine. She complains "Who puts one of these things all the way down here?", though decides she'll try and figure it out later. First, though, she looks over these roots. She's already seen a fair few of them in trouble, but it seems clear that she couldn't go through these ones. As she does, she hears a voice telling her to cut it. She wonders what the voice is talking about, before it says that they can fix it. So, with a deep breath, she Power Slashes the roots, opening the way forwards.
She heads past the roots and stands before a shrine, this one depicting a monkey holding a sho. Kuzunoha realizes that there's a bit of a trend here, and thus decides to kneel. She prays, and after enough time, finds herself in that familiar plane again, seeing the monkey, Sakigami. The divine being says that they sense she's met one of their brothers, and hopes they treated her well. He says that as darkness seeps into the land again, the power to restore the earth is needed yet again. He tells her to use this to restore the land where she goes, before that familiar orb manifests and flies into her core. At this, the kitsune has learned Bloom.
Back in the normal realm, Kuzunoha would step out from that small passage and look up, focusing on the roots she had to cut to get here. She says that that guy talked about restoring the earth with this technique, and is curious... Players are prompted to draw a circle around the injured roots. Then, cherry blossoms seem to surround them as life pumps into the plant. At that, the roots extend back to their normal form, looking as if they weren't even injured. The kitsune seems surprised, awed by the power she'd just received.
She wonders if she can use this on the various roots she saw around the underground here. Thus, players progress through the underground caverns, needing to use this new power on the damaged roots found underground, as well as on those cursed trees players sometimes encountered after power slashing their fruit back at them. Players take care of more and more and more cursed plants underground, with the path opening up more and more in the underground. As the kitsune progresses deeper, she takes notice of another one of those cursed trees. She gets ready to battle it, but she hears chuckles from it. She gets immediately unsettled, and the cursed tree turns towards her, its branches seeming to brandish fruit in the image of demonic heads. Players are quickly introduced to the Jinmenju, which proceeds to throw the cackling fruits at her. Players find themselves needing to be fast to avoid the projectiles, unable to power slash them, until it throws another, bigger fruit. It takes two fruits, but after it's stunned, players are able to Bloom it, Kuzunoha huffing and puffing.
She's left wondering what kind of creature that is... She asks to no one in particular if that's just another work of these demons. She looks over the tree now unpossessed, and can only wonder how the elder could be fooled into following these things. However, she has to wonder if one of those might be possessing him... She then realizes that first she'll have to continue on more. Though before she can continue, she hears a buzzing. She looks around, and notices a small bee. She tries to pay it no mind, but it keeps flying in front of her. She notices how it seems to be motioning towards deeper in the cavern, and realizes it's trying to lead her. She notes to herself "Things are already weird, why not see this through."
Thus, she follows the bee through the caverns, finding herself needing to use vines to maneuver around, bloom to rejuvenate certain roots, combos of power slash and bloom, so on and so forth. Eventually, she reaches the end of the cavern, where it looks almost as if some of the rock overhead has crumbled. In here is a chamber with a big tsubaki tree. Kuzunoha looks over it, though can see the bee buzzing towards the roots. She's curious about what's going on and begins to head down, when she's stopped by a smiling lady on the trail. The smiling lady has short black hair and a black dress that seems to feature the plant from the tree, her saying that she's been lonely down here. The kitsune looks around curious, and asks how she got down here.
The woman says that the floor collapsed under her a long time ago, and no one's come to find her. The lady comes a little closer, and she says that she was hoping someone would finally come save her, and she's grateful that someone has. The kitsune remarks that that is pretty terrible, though the bee lunges in to buzz in her ear. Kuzunoha tries to wave them off. The lady comes closer, saying that she's so happy she could just hop in her arms right now. Kuzunoha still feels somewhat frozen in place, but the bee is at work. It spins around a part of the dirt just at the roots, drawing the kitsune's eyes. She looks down... and sees a bunch of bones at them. Realizing there's danger, Kuzunoha leaps away from the woman in front of her, just in time to avoid her breathing a mist of darkness upon her.
Kuzunoha has ended up near the tree itself and the strange woman turns towards the kitsune that has just evaded her. She asks what gave her away, while the kitsune demands the woman explain herself. The young woman begins to go down the trail, and she tells Kuzunoha to call her Furutsubaki. She's rooted down over here, and been left isolated from the nourishments up above. So, she's had to make do in whatever ways she can. Kuzunoha looks over the tree, before asking if she's the one who's been weakening the trees here, her nodding. She remarks that they hardly give the nourishment that a legitimate soul can offer, but it's rare for one of those to wander before her.
She takes a closer look at the kitsune, before sighing in disappointment. Kuzunoha asks what's going on, with her saying that she'd hope she would provide her some sustenance too. But her soul... it doesn't look like it'll truly feed her. Kuzunoha asks what that means, though Furutsubaki says that she doesn't have the energy to explain something like that. She asks if she has friends, people who'd notice if she's gone. Kuzunoha is confued, though supposes that she does. Furutsubaki then says that this might work out: If she wipes her out here, then those friends of her might come looking, and she can feed on some proper souls. Hearing that, the kitsune draws her weapon, and tells the lady that she's not going to just let her kill her.
With that, players are forced to battle Furutsubaki as the strange woman engages Kuzunoha while the tree itself acts. The woman seems to float about the arena, lingering in close to try and smother her in a choking miasma. The tree itself is the weakspot, and players can beat on it, though will have to avoid the spirit and the poison she produces. As the kitsune drains her health, the tree will cause noxious-looking buds to full onto the ring, these threatening to expel poison when they open. Players can use Bloom on them to prevent them from releasing this miasma and to prevent them from covering more of the arena. Soon, they're able to get the tree to half health, which causes the spirit itself to wail as she lingers near the tree, continuing to unleash the painful mist, this time covering the base of the tree.
It seems like Kuzunoha can't deal with the tree up close, but Furutsubaki's rage causes certain flowers to lower, them looking just like the kind of flowers that can produce vines. Players are able to use these to capture the spirit and pull her away, giving them more of a chance to attack the main tree's trunk. Players have to now contend with having to watch out for the spirit so they know when to use the vines to keep her away from the main weakspot. Fortunately, with enough work, the players are able to drain the tree's health, at which the kitsune stands before the trunk, the spirit huffing and puffing and looking distraught.
She looks up at the kitsune, saying she just wanted to live. She's been stuck down here for years, starving. She asks her why she couldn't just let her live. Kuzunoha seems unsettled by this position, though she shakes her head. She says that it sucks what she's gone through here, but she can't just look past what she's doing. One day she's going to take all the life in the area until there's nothing else to feed her. Kuzunoha promises to make this quick. At this, players are given a chance to draw a power slash, driving it across the trunk to slice it. With this, the tsubaki tree is cut in twain, it falling. Furutsubaki tenses up as she feels it fall, before she releases one last breath. She seems to begin to fade, and quietly thanks her as the draining tree is ended.
With it down, Kuzunoha receives another Reflector from it, and can already feel some life return to the underground of this area. She then notices that bee near the bones of the tree. Kuzunoha goes near it and kneels down, telling it that it really helped her. The bee bows thankful, before seeming to shimmer. For a split second, the kitsune can see the bee seem to transform into some traveling merchant, still bowing to her. And then, the spirit fades as well, Kuzunoha stunned by what she's seen. She remarks to herself that the world beyond her cave is so weird... She then realizes that she's gotten a little sidetracked now. The trees seem to be good now, so maybe she can rejuvenate that one tree that fortune teller talked about.
----
With that, the kitsune makes her way up back to the Agata Forest. She searches around, before soon finding her way in a cave at a part of the forest. Deeper in she makes her way to the innards, where she soon finds what looks to be a tree, though it's tiny and without any growth on it. The kitsune stands before it and thinks to those various bits of greenery she'd find underneath the forest. She supposes that it'd probably work now, but she's curious about if it could really work on that strange darkness around the Forest. So, she'd stand before it, and players are prompted to draw a circle around it.
The tree starts to writhe a bit. Kuzunoha gets curious and leans in, only to get blind-sided as the branches suddenly burst with life, petals of cherry blossoms erupting along them as waves of light seem to emanate outwards. Players have the chance to see waves of nature sweep out of the cave and out into Agata Forest, the greenery and water lighting up with life and whatever clouds of darkness lays in its path is smitten from the ether. And like that, this part of Nippon has become a whole lot brighter, and a whole lot safer.
The camera then returns to the cave the tree rested in, Kuzunoha rubbing at her eyes as she gets up. She glances around, already feeling the effects of divinity on the general area. She ponders how a simple tree could harbor power like that. As she ponders on it, she hears a woman's voice say that these are sacred trees meant to guard Nippon. The kitsune is confused and looks around, asking who that is. The voice answers that her energy is unfortunately low right now. She can't manifest herself easily right now, but she should be able to answer more questions for her if she can make it to Kamiki Village. Kuzunoha remarks that she's heading there anyways, though asks what's going on over there. A friend of hers was supposed to be there too. The woman explains that she rested easy, but could see this large leg come out of nowhere. It struck the Konohana Tree, and caused the rest of the trees to be weakened. The kitsune asks what that is, but the voice insists that she'll know it when she sees it at the village. She says she has to go now, but hopes she can see her again. She thanks her for helping out here.
With that, Kuzunoha can feel the mysterious presence fade. She thinks about her warning of the weakening of the trees around here, and how they're connnected to something in this village she was going to. She can only hope that Kuni is doing alright. So, she takes up her equipment, and makes her way out. Players are led to the other end of the Agata Forest, where the kitsune can now see that the darkness is gone. She is grateful that her efforts were not in vain. She makes her way out, and tells Kuni to hold out for her.
===Chapter 3===
Kuzunoha makes her way out, coming up a slope and making it out onto a set of fairly large plains. Half of it is covered in darkness, while Kuzunoha is in the half free of the influence. She is on a cliff that stands above much of the rest of the plains, where she can see the ocean north eastwards and rolling greens, with a path connecting from where she's standing on to the way downwards. Players have made it to Shinshu Field. And downwards, she can see more of that darkness that'd previously covered the forest she was just in. From here, she can see, past the darkness, a pair of villages.
There's a patch of greenery in front of the passages to those villages, but she does have to go through the darkness to get near it. She can only hope that one of those places leads to Kamiki Village. So, she makes her way down the path, near the darkness. She shudders, before trying t hype herself up. She takes a deep breath, and enters. Again she is stricken with an intense darkness, herself feeling immensely weak and all of her tails flaring out. She tries to power through it, and eventually manages to get to the clear grass on the other side. She groans and collapses as her tails retreat to their hiding spot. As she lays there, a short man with a large red moustache and a gourd with a matching stache notices her, and asks her if she's ok.
Kuzunoha glances up towards him, feeling tired still. Realizing she's still upset, the man approaches and brings out some herbs. He hands it over and tells her to have this. Kuzunoha quickly gobbles it up, with him saying that a lot of people have needed recovery ever since these nightmarish mists appeared. She thanks the man for his help, and asks who he is. He answers that he's Dr. Redbeard, he's set up this village a while ago once he realized it offers fertile ground for his stuff. The kitsune asks if he's talking about Kamiki VIllage, to which he shakes his head. He says that he's near it. He founded Yakushi Village. He says that Kamiki Village is in trouble right now, so he recommends that she stops by that place in order to stock up on more of those herbs. He motions her towards a passage nearby, players prompted to head in that direction.
They follow Dr. Redbeard, finding a village with several buildings perched upon cliffs with wooden scaffolding connecting the various parts of the village. And on the far edge is a large building with a gourd upon it resembling the one on Redbeard's back. Players have entered Yakushi Village. Dr. Redbeard explains that a while ago some wolf pup appeared here and supposedly led a bunch of the villagers here. Since then, this village has been allowed to blossom. Kuzunoha finds that quite interesting. He then says that when that strange miasma came forwards, a few villagers from Kamiki came over for refuge. The kitsune perks up, and asks if he saw some boy among them. He answers that he did see one, and offers to let her relax in here until she's ready to go out.
Thus, players are encouraged to look around the general area for the npcs within. There are many npcs that can be found, the lot of them being characters that players could recruit to Yakushi Village in Okamiden. In fact, players might find Momotaro, and realize that this might've been the boy Redbeard was talking about. However, players can also find a young girl with a kimono bearing gourd images upon it relaxing. Kuzunoha greets her, and the young girl greets her as well, introducing herself as Ayame. Kuzunoha will ask her about how the village is, to which the girl answers that this place saved her life. She affirms that that Redbeard is a miracle worker, especially when he's in sync with Dr. Bluebeard. The kitsune remarks that she didn't see Bluebeard yet, though also is impressed. She asks what exactly the two did, to which Ayame says that they use various plants to cure things. She had a disease with no cure until they came along, and Kuzunoha remarks that that does sound impressive. 
Ayame says that she happened to be visiting back here, but the fields were struck by demons so she has to settle in here for a little bit. Kuzunoha says that she has to make her way out there. Ayame is sure that if anyone can help her make her way out, those doctors can. She's grateful for that idea, and says that she should go chat with them soon. So, Kuzunoha makes her way to the building with a great big gourd set on it. She enters, and finds the building appears to have a distinct line separating one half of the room and the other. One half has a bunch of blue paint on it with barrels of mushrooms about, and the other half has a bunch of red paint on it with a bunch of barrels of herbs. And on the far end is a set of stairs that happens to be on the red side. Kuzunoha also sees a bed on the blue side, with a guy in a blue kimono resting upon it, him bearing a bright blue moustache and a mushroom-like hat.
Kuzunoha enters and clears her throat, getting the guy in the bed to grumble. He stirs awake and looks out, seeing the lady. He remarks that he doesn't recognize her... He asks if she was outside, prompting the kitsune to nod. She introduces herself and supposes that he is Dr Bluebeard, prompting the doctor to nod. She says that she was in that freaky fog just outside when that Redbeard guy came by and helped her out. The guy with the blue hair would climb out of bed and say that she's lucky she's ok. However, the woman would say that she wants to be able to go out. She's looking for someone close to her. The doctor looks her up and down, and asks if she's sure she can handle herself. Kuzunoha says that she's beat up a fair few demons already. She talks about traveling with this young guy with a sword a long time ago, and the guy with the mushroom hat actually seems curious about that guy. He says that back when the strange aura filled the fields, that kid, Kuni, showed up and wanted to be able to do something. He begged them to come up with something to power through that fog, and to shut him up they searched around for potential solutions. Redbeard found a patch of sun-kissed blossoms among the darkness out there and realized it stood tall despite the smog. So, they tested it, and bob's your uncle, that turned out to be what Kuni needed.
Kuzunoha lights up upon hearing that he'd gone here, and she asks where he went. Bluebeard says that he said he was going to go to Kamiki Village practically next door. She says that she wants to follow them, though Bluebeard is still unsure. Then again, he doesn't really have reason to doubt her story. He says that he'll be back with her for a moment, and then goes to step on the red side of the room. This prompts Redbeard to rush in from out of nowhere and remind him to stay on his side, though he says that this woman wants to go out to Kamiki Village. The guy with red hair listens to him, and nods. He supposes it's time to combine their talents again, and thus they race around the room, gathering ingredients and blinding speeds. Kuzunoha finds herself struggling to keep up, until they both come up to him. They offer her some special herbs, them rolled up and brandishing a blossom upon them. Kuzunoha receives the Kami Herbs.
The duo tell her not to take any unnecessary risks: if she goes out into that village unprepared, odds are no one can come out and help her. She says that she's ready for anything. She thanks them for their services, and tell her that she's welcome. However, this begins an argument with Redbeard saying that she was thanking him, where Bluebeard swears that she was thanking him. They seem to continue their argument despite her insisting that they were equally thanked, and eventually she decides she should probably just go. Thus, she makes her way out of the village, and once back in Shinshu Field, she's struck with that cursed presence again. However, the herbs she'd gathered begin to shine in the presence of it. She's able to keep her kitsune parts hidden, and doesn't feel the overwhelming presence of evil immediately about her. She says that she probably owes those two an even bigger thank you. Players are prompted to head in the direction of Kamiki Village. It should be noted that if players go to the Guardian Sapling in the middle of the fields, they'll find that the way to it is inaccessible, with the area the tree is surrounded by being blocked by... it's hard to tell in the smog. It appears to be a long, chitin-covered tube curled around and over itself, forming an almost mountain in the middle of the field, and it seems to continue upwards into the skies. If players get too close, spider-like legs will jut out and stab at her, dealing damage.
---
She proceeds through the passage, and on her way in, she takes notice of the halves of a boulder in front of her. She can also see a sign nearby, it reading "Be careful of boulders overhead". She presses forwards more and more, and as she does, she can see a red bridge leading across a short river, said bridge pointed towards a quaint-looking village. There's a rice farm right beside it and a house just adjacent to it, a fairly plain looking building, and then a building with what looks like a giant orange on top of it. Past that is a gate that leads to a trail that curls up around the mountain attached to this village, though she can't see much of the skies overhead thanks to the thick fog. Players have entered Kaimiki Village.
Kuzunoha steps forwards and across the bridge, though as she tries to, she takes notice of the river running below, or at least it should be running. Its waters are blackened and dirty. And the wind also seems to've hitched. She definitely feels like some of this demonic influence is at foot, but it doesn't feel wholly like the fog she'd gone through previously. Either way, she continues onwards, where she swears she sees a human in the village. She approaches ready to talk to them, but sees them made of stone. They're a fairly large woman holding a bucket on top of their head, it looking to've been filled with water. The kitsune can't help but wonder why someone would fill up a statue's bucket like that... Either way, she continues onwards, and figures that the gate she sees at the other end of the village might be helpful. Though, of course, players may see statues of very familiar-looking characters sprinkled throughout the village.
The kitsune progresses further and further in, clearly still unsure of exactly what she's seeing. She begins to make her way towards the mountain, and gets close to a fork in the trail. She attempts to press up the left fork and towards the upper part of the mountain, though before she makes it up there, she finds the way forwards is blocked with a thick fog. Just trying to be near it would cause Kuzunoha to start to choke, and she'd pull back. She would realize that she can't handle this path forwards and thus would shy away. She'd realize that she can't progress this way. So, she'd decide to take the other path. She makes her way down the trail, seeing a cave off in the distance. She figures it must be of some importance, but before she can press onwards, she becomes aware of a noise overhead.
She looks overhead, the dark fog overhead still too thick for her eyes to pierce. However, she swears she can see some... stalactites above? There are indeed some sharp objects overhead, and... they seem to sway slightly. As she mulls over this, she notices some creatures climbing down those pointed objects. And then, the figures release their grip and seem to descend with wings. She notices that they appear monkey-like, before soon realizing that they look just like a certain demon way back in the day. They soon come within range, and Kuzunoha recognizes these things as another of that yamachichi thing! Thus, players are forced into a fight with the screeching monkeys, where they tend to remain in the air. Worse still, the area is thick with darkness, which makes it harder to perform divine brush techniques. However, with enough work and patience, the kitsune will be able to take both of the yamachichi down.
She huffs a bit after taking them down, remarking that one of those messed with that big city way back. She then looked towards the sky again, specifically at those stalactite-like protrusions from the sky. She can only assume that whatever is up there is behind the trouble here... She presses onwards along this trail, where she eventually makes it in a cave far back. In there stands a great big statue of some heavyset bald man with a big sword. She remarks that she hasn't seen a statue this big before, and wonders what it's for. However, as she looks over it, she notices some of those cat statues set about, as well as some of the blossoms she's been using to grapple around. Players are thus prompted to try and maneuver up the statue. 
It takes a little bit, but eventually, she makes it up near the tip of the statue. Once she gets upon the sword itself, she approaches one part of it. She notices the remains of some flower petals on it, and wonders what this is about. She looks forwards, and notices the sword leads to a ledge, almost like a bridge. She follows it to its edge, where she finds a segment of the cave where one of the entrances is closed off by rubble. At this chamber, she sees a shrine with a horse statue set in it. She comes closer to it, where she feels that familiar sensation, one that led her to getting these powers before. So, she chooses to follow the previous actions, praying to it. And then, she feels herself drawn into that familiar plane. 
She looks around, before taking notice of the sound of hooves clopping. She turns, and sees a horse with snow white fur, red markings, and a long flag planted firmly on his saddle. The stallion races forwards, seeming intent on his path forwards. However, he takes notice of Kuzunoha far too soon, and he plants his hooves into the ground to try and stop himself. He manages to stop short, but the wind he generated causes the kitsune to be tossed forwards a few feet, prompting a little bit of awkwardness. He quickly apologizes, before saying he'd been hoping to see her soon. He says that these skies have been blighted by a powerful demon. The path ahead will be dangerous, but with this, he gives her the power to direct the winds themselves. 
With that, the god, Kazegami, turns into that familiar orb of light that flies towards her. She absorbs him, and earns this great power. She definitely feels the new strength in her and wonders what she can do now. She looks around, before taking notice of an opening in the ceiling of this cavern. It's covered up with a thick fog, and said hole is positioned over the remnants of those petals. She grows curious, and players are prompted to draw a swirl. Once the swirl is drawn, there's suddenly a gust of wind cast forwards, removing the fog that covered up the opening. Now, sunlight shines down gently through the opening, where, with its presence, a small bud that can be Bloomed forms upon the sword. Now that she's confirmed that she can manipulate the wind, players officially have access to Galestorm. 
With this new move, Kuzunoha makes her way out, before thinking about the wall of fog she encountered earlier, blocking her way up that mountain in the corner of the village. She figured it as good a lead as any. So, she makes her way towards the mountain, where players can use Galestorm to clear the fog. She progresses up it more and more, having to deal with other demons along the way. As she does, she eventually makes it near the peak, where there stood a big tree that appeared dead. Another fog clouds it, though those strange stalactites are scratching the top of this mountain. And at the front of it, she'd see another one of those statue people... except, it appeared to be... Kuni! 
She cries out in worry and runs towards him. Upon coming closer, he appeared statue-like just like the other statues in the village. She wondered whether these were really statues, or if there was some sort of magic going on here. She thought about what the darkness did to her, revealing her tails and whatnot. But this wasn't like that, right? However, as she thought, some of those weird stalactites would lift up threateningly. She'd see the shadows of them before looking, and seeing them raise threateningly. Kuzunoha would thus take the statue and swing him away while leaping away from a stab attack from the many things. Once she touches down, players are put into a gameplay segment where the structures keep trying to stab at her, though they can use Galestorm to sweep away the fog overhead. 
And once it's removed, a short scene plays showing the source of the stalactites. It turns out that those "stalactites" were actually centipede-like legs. Indeed, they belonged to a long, chitinous tube that looked about as wide as your average road. One end seems to extend far past the mountain and hover over the village, while the other end looms over the tree, revealing a large head with great big mandibles, long antennae, and bug-like eyes. It is seen gnawing on the big tree, and then realizes it is spotted by the kitsune. The massive being cranes its head to face the kitsune, before hissing. A scroll comes up to introduce the being, referring to it as a Ōmukade. It gazes on the creature, snarling that this land is meant to be free of nuisances! Kuzunoha is disgusted by the creature before her, too much to even say something to it. 
It says that the guardian over this village has made those people inedible. They're protected, but she seems to be untouched by Sakuya's kindness. Kuzunoha asks who that is, though the Ōmukade doesn't seem to address her. Instead, it flashes its mandibles and snarls hungrily. Suddenly, players are thrust into a battle with the massive monster. The Ōmukade's body hovers up in the sky while the dangerous head looms in close to the battlefield. The creature's legs will lash towards the player to try and stab her, the monster will attempt to bite her, and it'll spew a foul poison towards her. Players will have to be careful on their feet as they avoid the physical strikes and can drive back the poison with Galestorm. It can also rear back to try and slam its face into the ground, though it'll daze itself upon a particularly powerful headbutt. Players can strike at it during openings, though they'll find that it's not taking too much damage. 
After a bit of trying to take down the head, the Ōmukade hisses and pulls its head out of Kuzunoha's range. It declares that back in its day, humans didn't move so much- before it cuts itself off. It realizes that she's different... It asks if she is human. The kitsune says it doesn't matter who she is, she's here for her friend! The creature says that it doesn't care for whatever she has to drivel on about. It hasn't had a good eat ever since it descended on this village, it will seek out another morsel. With that, it snakes across the sky, its massive legs digging into the mountain side as it scurries off into the distance. Despite it leaving, the kitsune can see its long body is still looming over the village. She looks over the wrecked tree, and realizes it's similar to the one she used that one brush technique on. So, players attempt to Bloom it... but find that it's not reacting. 
She wonders what's going on... before she hears a voice behind her, saying that the tree needs a divine hand. She bristles in worry before turning to face the voice. She sees a stranger in bright clothing with a big cap on. She asks who he is, to which he says that he is merely an observer, and he couldn't help but notice her going this far out of her way into demon territory. She asks if he just watched her fight that thing, to which he says that he was impressed, seeing someone clear out the sky like that. However, while the guardian is damaged like this, that monster cannot be beat. Kuzunoha looks towards the tree, and asks how it can be restored. He says that she'll need a divine hand, and it just so happens that the monster is going for one. He says that the Ōmukade has long sought to feast on a dragon, and it just so happens one of those can bring the guardian back to life. He suggests that she follow its tail. She turns, ready to ask more questions, but finds that the strange man has disappeared. 
Either way, Kuzunoha realizes she can't progress further like this. Either she follows that strange man's instructions, or she'll never repair this tree and will never take care of that monster. So, players use a cat statue near the edge of this area to get up to the top of the mountain ridge, where they are able to jump onto the demon's back. 
--- 
Players are thus required to race along the creature's back to hopefully reach whatever dragon that monster wants to devour. Players race and race, though as they race along, they'll find that the creature sometimes curled around on itself such that a wall of those nasty legs stand in front of her. Whenever she comes to these moments, players are required to use Power Slash to take down those legs so she can safely cross. As she traverses the Ōmukade's back more and more, demons will sometimes appear on it to try and take her down, including Yamachichis, who are now vulnerable to galestorm. As she walks more and more, she eventually finds the creature has made it back into Shinshu Field, where the light of the landscape looks as if it is physically struggling against the Ōmukade's shadow. 
She eventually finds the head looming over the sandy shore to the south where a giant gate stands where once stood a massive isle of darkness. However, now under the gate stands another shrine. The demon mutters to itself how the weakening of that guardian has made even this god easy pickings for it... However, as it mutters that, Kuzunoha is breaking into a full sprint, to the point that she's turned into a fox. She races faster and faster, before soon making it to the top of the centipede's head, where she springs off of it and down onto the shore. The creature seems surprised, and moreso when it sees her transform back into her human form before she gets up to the shrine. And when she gets there, she prays while silently begging the god to get this over with quickly. 
And then, she is sent back to that familiar void with the golden clouds about and the mountains tops visible. She looks around for the one she's looking for, when she suddenly picks up the sound of wind whooshing. She turns towards the source, where she can see a long, serpentine dragon with white scales, red markings, and a parchment following his trail flying around her before settling in front of the kitsune. The dragon greets the lady, saying that the forces of evil have yet again threatened the land, though Kuzunoha is quick to interrupt and says she knows, one of those is going to strike down right now! The dragon explains that in this state, the outside realm flows far slower than the two of them do. He assures her she is safe for now. The kitsune sighs and apologizes. 
The dragon assures her that it is of no trouble, she has been granted a powerful burden in her short time back out of the cave. Kuzunoha tilts her head curious, and asks how he knows about that. The dragon explains that he's had plenty of time to observe the lands, which is why he knows that the power of divinity is needed once again. He explains that he, Yomigami, offers the power of Rejuvenation. He tells her to use this power to restore the damage done by these foul forces, before turning into a ball of light. The ball flows around and begins to come towards her, before getting absorbed. And once in place, Kuzunoha is back in the mortal realm, where her calm is quickly disturbed by the sound of the demon looming overhead. 
She races for the door and leaps out of it just before the Ōmukade plunges through the roof to bite down on the statue to the dragon. However, once it leaves gashes in it, the demon becomes quickly aware that there's nothing to take. The monster pulls back and barks allowed in annoyance. It searches around, and realizing that she shouldn't get spotted, Kuzunoha digs into the sand and hides. Realizing it can't find where the dragon's presence has disappeared to, the beast growls in anger before pulling away from the shore. Kuzunoha, with a bit of a struggle, proceeds to pull herself free from the sand around her and then standing up. She walks forwards and realizes that creature was going to devour one of those divine abilities. She comes over to the busted shrine, and ponders over what that dragon meant. She approaches, though players realize that they'll have to be out of the cursed area to be able to pull up the celestial brush. This allows her to fill in the destroyed parts of the statue, which restores them and makes the statue stand in its previous state. 
Kuzunoha can't help but be amazed at this display. She remarks that she just keeps seeing newer and newer amazing things from these gods... And then, she thinks back to Kamiki Village. That one tree that the centipede gnawed on was broken apart. She wonders if she can use this power on that thing and if that'll do anything. 
--- 
The kitsune is thus required to rush back to the village as fast as she can. Faster and faster she runs, before soon making it back to the top of that mountain. And up there, she stands before the broken tree. She hopes that this works, and thus goes through the process of mending it back together. Once she does, the tree stands back in one piece. The kitsune sees it standing just like that one sapling she saw, and thinks that it's time... She uses her other brush technique to bloom it. And once the light begins to flow into it, it begins to be wrapped up in its energy, before exploding out into a flurry of petals. The energy attempts to swirl out, to blanket the whole of the village... only for the Ōmukade to hurl itself back onto the peak. It coils its body around the oncoming divine intervention, and seems to stop it from flowing outwards! 
Kuzunoha is stunned and looks around in worry, before looking up at the demon and gasping. The Ōmukade declares that the guardian will make it so much harder to devourer around here if she returns at full strength. It declares that it will tear this tree to pieces! The kitsune glares at them though is still worried. She didn't do much against it before... And then, she looks towards the edge of the divine aura, where she can see it near the Kuni statue. She needs to fight this thing somehow, and thus she decides to engage. Thus, players enter into another battle with the Ōmukade, needing to beat against the monster's face. They'll have to watch out for some of the wriggling legs and before they try to stab her, and also watch out for the beast's poisonous breath (which can be swept away with galestorm). With enough hits on the monster's face, the ring expands far enough, and the stone prison containing Kuni will be undone. 
Once the Ōmukade is repelled enough, Kuni can be seen starting to shine. Kuzunoha sees it, and she starts to get excited. The bindings keeping Kuni in place is removed, and the swordsman is back to his normal self. He looks around, wondering what just happened, before looking up and seeing the creature's legs. He stumbles back, before the kitsune rushes up to him and hugs him, thankful that he's better. Kuni turns and sees that familiar face, before excitedly declaring her name. He asks where she came from, to which she says that she's been looking for him for a while now, then came here and saw everyone was frozen. As they speak, the massive centipede curls closer and raises a few of its legs, ready to stab down on them. However, the pair breaks and Kuni slices at it while Kuzunoha, on reflex, goes for a Power Slash. Their attacks combine again, and are able to chop off the set of legs that were trying to attack them! 
The Ōmukade shouts in alarm and recoils further, more of the natural aura returning to this mountaintop as the duo stands, realizing what they just did. Kuzunoha says that she couldn't lend a dent on this thing, Kuni remarking that his sword couldn't get through its hide either. The Ōmukade glares down at the duo, shouting that it is impervious to all mortals, how have they harmed it! The kitsune says that she doesn't know the answer herself, but it's clear that the two of them are stronger than it can ever understand. Kuni holds his sword, though he still appears fearful. He tells Kuzunoha that it's time to free Kamiki Village! With that, the players go into one more fight against the massive demon. 
The creature attempts to stab at the duo with its legs and to spew foul poison, easily evaded with more dodges and galestorm. Players are prompted to beat on the face of the monster, with Kuni sometimes offering his sword to power slash the Ōmukade in order to deal even more damage to it. After dealing enough damage to it, it'll rear back before swinging at the duo, managing to drive them off and knock the party onto its back. And when placed in that position, the creature curls around to try and surround the duo with its stabbing bits, and spit up poisonous buds that players can remove with Bloom. Players can beat on the legs, and after dealing enough damage, Kuni will leap up to deliver a slash across its body, with players prompted to Power Slash, managing to split the part of the body the players were tossed onto.
The creature screeches and is rendered smaller. Players will have to repeat the process, though the Ōmukade will begin to add various demons in order to assist itself while fighting the duo. Eventually the process is repeated with them being tossed onto its back yet again. Now they'll sometimes have to worry about the creature tumbling in the middle of the air, else they might be tossed from it, dealt damage, and have to repeat the phase in order to be tossed onto it again. With careful enough work, players will weaken the Ōmukade yet again, and leave it open for another twin Power Slash. And once more the creature's body is rendered shorter and the demon is looking weaker and weaker. 
With this, players need to repeat the process once more, only now it will sometimes orient itself to unleash its poisonous breath on large portions of the battlefield, limiting player movement unless they use galestorm. Once more players need to beat on it until it rushes the party and hurls them on its back. The duo has to once more mind the creature tumbling, as well as it now sometimes trying to smother them in its toxins. But with enough work, they weaken the beast yet again and leave it open to yet another powerful slash, splitting its body once more and leaving just its head. Though by now, the fight is pretty much over.
Kuzunoha and Kuni are left panting at the peak of the mountain as the Ōmukade's head collapses at it, the beast growling still. It bellows about how this is impossible. It says that its was the power to destroy dragons... Not even that woman from the sea could scratch its hide... It asks the two of them what could possibly make them capable of hurting it. Kuni asks "the woman from the sea?" in concern, while Kuzunoha says that they have the gods backing them. The people need protection from monsters like it, and she's ready to provide. However, the Ōmukade is still and sniffs the air a little, before chuckling. It remarks that it never noticed her smell before... "The people need protection", "monsters like me" it mutters. It says that she has no idea who she's even rallying behind. The kitsune becomes weary, though shakes her head. She tells Kuni that she's sick of this thing, and asks him to end it.
Thus, with one more cutscene, Kuni and Kuzunoha combine their power to slash it once more, destroying the head of the beast. And now, with its influence completely eradicated, the divine intervention previously contained is free to flow out. The Ōmukade fades into foliage while life returns to Kamiki Village. The people, once statue, are restored to flesh, and the oppressive air is quickly depleted. And now, the duo stands victorious, though ultimately tired from the fight. They can't help but collapse after all of that, the two of them deciding that they desperately need to rest.
The two sit, huffing and puffing after everything. And as they rest, they remain unaware of a duo by the tree, one a woman in a peach-pink kimono with long, black hair, and the other a familiar white wolf. The player isn't informed of whatever the two say, just simply that they converse. The woman seems unsure, but ultimately nods. The wolf thus races away from the scene, unnoticed by the two in the clearing. After that, the woman approaches the two, and thanks them for their efforts. Kuzunoha and Kuni perk up at the noise, before turning towards the source of the voice, finding the pretty woman that seemed to appear from nowhere. Kuni recognizes her as Sakuya, which gets the kitsune curious.
The tree spirit takes notice of Kuni, and remarks that she's grateful to've met him again, now that there's no demon threatening them. She faces Kuzunoha, and asks who she is. The kitsune grows curious about her voice, before wondering if she heard her down below Taka Pass. The lady perks up, and realizes that she was the one that helped out down there. Kuzunoha seems to realize they're at least partially familiar now, and introduces her name. She admits that she doesn't totally know what's going on, to which Sakuya realizes she should start from the beginning. She says that she's the spirit of the many guardian saplings of these lands. She looked over the land, but demons had begun to seep into the land and weaken her influence. Darkness has started to strangle the land, and her grasp on the rest of Nippon is weakened.
Kuni remarks that those demons seem to be at it again, but he can't understand how. Akuro was destroyed... Kuzunoha says she doesn't know much about demons or that Akuro guy, but someone seems to've spread the demons' influence to her own home. Kuni supposes that they'll have to check that place out... but then he thinks back to what that demon said. He thinks that they'll have to check on Otohime quickly.
==Areas==
==Dungeons==
==Dojo==
==Sidequest==
==Characters==
*Kuzunoha - The main character of the story, a kitsune raised in isolation, a boy'd infiltrated her realm and brought forth a word she'd never heard before. Curious, she sought to seek them out to learn about it, and in the process learned about the outside world. In exchange for learning more about the world, she becomes an aid to Kuni in his journey to self discovery, and would eventually grow more thoughtful of the mortals around the realm.
*Kuni - The boy that infiltrated the Kitsune village at the start of the game. He learned that he has a lot to learn after his time with Chibiterasu, and has decided to set out on a personal journey to try and figure out about himself. He's still a little bit scared of hero-ing, but is trying to work up that muscle. He finds himself needing to act when demons are cropping up and when this kitsune lady wants him to help teach her about the world.
==Enemies==
Name 	Description 	Floral Finisher
Green Imp	A standard grunt to the Okami series. These ones come with a wooden sword, and seem to motion for people to train with them. Once someone else learns their sloppy technique, these jerks group up on someone to beat them. They're very simple to beat, being very predictable and slow with their movements. Players should watch out for when they extend their sword to try and slam the player. 	When they're dying, chop them in half with a Power Slash to reap the Demon Fang from them.
Nobusuma 	A new demon. This is a large squirrel capable of flight that stays up in the air and occasionally either hurls nuts at Kuzunoha or swoops down to claw at her. Said nuts can be hit back at the creature with a Power Slash, managing to konk them out of the air and leave them open for punishment. Additionally, once players get it, they can use Galestorm to knock these foes out of the air and leave them open to a beatdown. 	When they're dying, hit them with a Galestorm to pluck their Demon Fang.
Kappa 	A new demon. This small, reptilian creature likes to lure mortals to bodies of water, and store water in their bowls to strengthen themselves. On top of claw swings and bursting jets of water, they have a nasty tendency to fart at Kuzunoha or Kuni to damage the former or stun the latter. Players are able to use Waterspout to drain water from their bowls to weaken them. Players should refrain from bringing water to a kappa, else risk strengthening them. 	When they're dying, drain the remaining water from them with Waterspout so you can collect the Demon Fang.
Amabie 	A new demon. These bird-headed, mermaid-like demons seem able to swim through the air. They're said to have the ability to see into the future, and bring with them terrifying visions. They're made when people eat their superiors' flesh and follow their commands. In battle, these creatures are able to swipe Kuzunoha with their tail, and buffet her with streams of bubbles. 	While they're dying, striking them with Lightning will cause them to drop a Demon Fang.
Hōnengyo 	A new demon. This is a turtle-like creature with a long tail and a long neck. They're said to be quite solitary, not wanting to bother people unless they are bothered. However, other demons tend to bring them close to other humans so that they can use their extreme power to cause trouble. In battle, these creatures swipe at Kuzunoha with their claws, and use their long tails to attack her if she's behind. It's also able to belch forth a stream of water at either Kuzunoha or Kuni, damaging the former or stunning the latter. In addition, it has access to a belly slam attack for large damage, though players can Power Slash it to knock it off balance.	While they're dying, striking them with Lightning will cause them to drop a Demon Fang.
Red Imp 	 	
==Bosses==
Note: Bosses in the early game are strange in that they later turn into enemies that players can fight in certain random encounters. The early game boss fights serve as special cases where the enemies are fought in non-conventional ways in comparison to the random encounters they appear in. 
Name 	Description	When they're Fought
Yamachichi 	 	Prologue
Ningyo Trio	 	Chapter 1
Category:Ursa Division Games
Category:Okami Games
Category:Okami
Category:Action Games
Category:Action Adventure Games