The White Dumpling That Changed Hands Four Times

The power of a demon fox...? Kurama was taken aback by these words.

—Don’t misunderstand; it wasn’t that he found Yuko’s demand too precious to part with.

On the contrary, Kurama was astonished that Yuko had asked for something so "simple."

On his way here, Kurama had already imagined several possible prices Yuko might ask of him. The most important, and the ones he thought most likely to be demanded, were either his memories and emotions connected to the world of his birth, or those tied to the people of the Spirit Detective world.

Of these, Kurama believed Yuko would be more likely to ask for the former. Although both were equally important to him, the reason he sought Yuko’s help was precisely to return to the Spirit Detective world. If he lost his feelings and memories for that world, the transaction with Yuko would become meaningless—a dead-end loop with no conclusion. Yuko, as shrewd as she was, would not let such a pointless situation occur.

Thus, the only thing left was his memories of the world where he first belonged.

Of course, whether Yuko knew about all his bizarre adventures or not, Kurama felt that the accumulation of experiences from both worlds was what made him whole. Losing any part would render his personality and emotions incomplete; he would no longer be himself.

But he couldn’t think of anything else of equal value to those two, which left him somewhat troubled.

Now, even as he was still struggling to find a way to persuade Yuko to change her terms, she herself unexpectedly offered a condition Kurama had never considered but which suited him perfectly. How could he not be both surprised and delighted?

“Is it really enough just to give up my power as a demon fox?” he asked, regaining his composure and solemnly confirming with Yuko.

The black-haired witch paused for a moment, apparently not expecting such a reaction.

Soon, however, Yuko seemed to understand and smiled with keen amusement.

“Did you think I would ask for something else?” she raised an eyebrow. “And compared to that, you believe that the great power of the demon fox is less important to you?”

Kurama pressed his lips together and did not answer.

Did he truly not care about losing his power? Of course not. In his brief life as an ordinary young man in China, he had lived just over twenty years, but as the demon fox Kurama, he had lived several times that span. Over that long period, the power of the demon fox had become as natural and indispensable as any part of his body.

Even so, the thought of trading away the memories from either of his two lifetimes, making him incomplete and no longer himself, was far more unbearable than losing his strength.

Yuko, reading his expression, found the whole thing rather amusing.

“Wait, Kurama, did you misunderstand something? What makes you think that crossing worlds always requires you to give up your most ‘precious’ thing?”

“Indeed, the price I demand from my clients is always equal to their wish and is something very important to them. But that doesn’t mean I always take the most precious of all their treasures.”

“If I did that, this shop couldn’t survive. After all, there aren’t many people in this world who have the resolve to sacrifice their most precious thing in exchange for something else.”

“So, I always set the price according to the client’s abilities. It only needs to be ‘very important,’ not necessarily ‘the most precious’—do you understand now?”

Faced with this, Kurama had nothing to say.

He certainly couldn’t confess, “I read it in a manga.” Regardless of whether Yuko knew of his original crossing or not, he would never reveal his deepest secret.

His belief that traversing worlds required an enormous price came from reading about Syaoran, Sakura, Kurogane, and Fai in "Tsubasa," who all had to offer something of great value to obtain that power. But now, Yuko was telling him this was a misconception, which left Kurama more confused than ever.

However, in this transaction, it was Yuko who held the reins. Only she could decide what constituted an equivalent price. After a moment’s struggle, Kurama simply let go of the matter—at this stage, he felt as though he had already gambled everything and didn’t want to worry about the risks any longer.

This mindset... Kurama stroked his chin, thinking it might be a bit dangerous.

Still, as mentioned before, Kurama was the type who, once he made up his mind, rarely wavered. So his hesitation lasted only a short while before he raised his head again and gave Yuko a flawless, gentle smile.

“Well then, I’ll leave it in your hands, Miss Yuko.”

For her part, the witch was in no hurry to conclude the deal. She looked Kurama up and down with interest, then suddenly reached out and plucked a strand of his soft, shining red hair.

“Consider this a small advance payment,” she said, tucking the hair into her sleeve without giving him a chance to protest. She nodded to the two girls at her side, and they immediately leapt up, cheerfully dragging a bewildered Watanuki away, chanting “To the storeroom! To the storeroom!” as they pulled him along.

Kurama watched the scene with a mix of curiosity and amusement.

He guessed that Watanuki was being taken to fetch the item Yuko had prepared for the deal, something that would help him travel between worlds. But as for what it was, Kurama had no idea.

Surely, it wouldn’t be the Mokona Modoki, would it? That was reserved for the four travelers in "Tsubasa"!

Kurama half-joked to himself.

Yet a few minutes later, when he saw the young Watanuki return, holding two adorable, unusually shaped round creatures—one black, one white—Kurama lost his composure.

“Oh? You know about Mokona?” Yuko asked, accepting the white one from Watanuki and looking at Kurama’s startled face. “So, there’s no need for a lengthy introduction, is there?”

“...No, please, I must ask you to explain everything in detail.” This time, Kurama was quick to react—if Yuko told him nothing, he really would be at a loss!

After all, those anime and novels were from his past life. Even with his enhanced memory as a demon fox, over time, his recollections had faded. The main story he could still recall, but the details escaped him. If a small oversight led to irreparable consequences, he’d regret it forever.

Kurama’s expression was clearly entertaining to Yuko.

The witch gently cradled the white Mokona in her hands, rubbing it against her cheek with a faint trace of reluctance in her eyes.

“This little one is called Mokona Modoki. He will take you to the world you wish to visit,” Yuko said softly. “But before I give him to you, there’s something you must understand.”

“Mokona has the power to travel across space and time, but he cannot independently determine the precise coordinates of the destination you seek.”

“In other words, hoping to return to your own world in one jump through Mokona’s power is a miracle that could only happen with immense luck.”

“More likely, before you reach the world you truly desire, you’ll pass through several that aren’t your goal. Each time Mokona crosses a world, he must pause to absorb the energy there to replenish what he’s spent. Until he’s gathered enough energy for the next leap, you’ll remain in that world. The length of time needed to recharge depends on the energy of each world and the way Mokona absorbs it.”

“In other words, letting Mokona passively absorb ambient energy is very different from actively seeking out each world’s unique energy source for him to consume. Deciding how and what Mokona should absorb is up to you.”

“That’s all I wanted to say. Now, do you still wish to go through with this?”

Yuko’s fingers gently stroked the white Mokona’s ears, her expression now so solemn that Watanuki glanced over in surprise.

Kurama lowered his lids, silent for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed softly.

“Miss Yuko, do I seem like the type to change my mind so easily at the last moment?”

He smiled, reaching out to take the soft, warm white Mokona from Yuko’s hands.

“Then, shall we consider the deal concluded?”

Yuko gazed at him for a while, then slowly smiled as well.

“You really are an interesting one, demon fox... Kurama.”

Still kneeling, Kurama gave the witch a graceful gentleman’s bow, though it seemed oddly mismatched. “Soon, I won’t be anymore,” he said, his voice tinged with a little sorrow, but far more with calm acceptance and determination.

Yuko didn’t reply, but a mischievous glint flickered in her deep, dark-rose eyes—

There’s nothing truly "absolute" in this world, dear Kurama.

Author’s Note: So, the "white puffball" in the chapter title actually refers to the white Mokona! Did you guess right? (Ahem, playing games again...)

Anyway, that’s the situation. Mokona was originally created by Clow and Yuko specifically for Syaoran, Sakura, and their companions to travel. As for how Kurama can take Mokona, well... that’s part of the upcoming plot, so I won’t spoil it yet. But for everyone worried that Kurama will never be able to transform again after losing his demon fox powers, I can assure you—there is a way to resolve this! Our silver-haired fox lord is too beautiful to seal away forever!

So, everyone can relax—Kurama in his silver fox form will not disappear!

Next, an illustration of the white Mokona who is about to embark on the journey with Kurama, alongside his twin (or is it?) the black Mokona—

How can these two be so cute? I just want to take them home!

And now, as usual, a preview of the next chapter: Turning Point and Setting Out. What deeper meaning lies behind Yuko’s last unspoken words? Will Kurama be able to retain his demon fox form? Once the deal is sealed, Kurama is about to set out on an unknown journey with Mokona... Look forward to the next chapter, "Demon Fox Kurama: Turning Point and Departure!"

P.S. I recommend a fantastic novel from Qidian: "Thriller Paradise." A close friend recommended it, and I’m glad I finished all the released chapters early—otherwise, I’d be so caught up waiting for updates that I might not be able to keep up with daily updates here...