Isis-san knelt before the fallen fox, her expression set in a look of grave determination.
"…Kaito’s magic power… has incredible adaptability. That is why… I will mix my magic power with Kaito’s… and rebuild its magic power structure."
"I see. Uh, what exactly should I do?"
"…I want you to… hold my hand. Borrowing Kaito’s magic power… I will surely… save this little one."
There was a sense of growth about Isis-san—she felt stronger now. Not just in terms of raw power, but in the resilience of her heart. Her voice carried enough conviction to convince me that the current Isis-san could certainly save this fox.
I nodded and knelt beside her, taking her hand in mine. Isis-san held her other hand over the fox. As the creature’s body flared with a brilliant light, I felt a massive surge of magic power being pulled out of me.
"Kuh…"
"…Kaito… are you okay?"
"I'm fine. If my magic power runs low, I’ll just eat a Fruit of the World Tree to recover, so please go right ahead."
"…Yes… thank you. Having Kaito here… is so reassuring."
Since my own magic power amount was low, even a negligible amount to Isis-san felt like a vast quantity to me. However, since my magic power could be replenished with the Fruit of the World Tree, it wasn't a problem. There was a lingering sense of fatigue and lethargy from the sudden drain, but those were minor issues.
"…Isis-san, why did this little one end up like this?"
"…Its magic power structure isn't normal. This little one’s structure… limitlessly absorbs magic power from the air. Even if it exceeds the body’s capacity… it is as if… the lid is broken."
"So, it was about to burst from the inside because it couldn't stop taking in magic power?"
"…Rather… even before the structure failed… its original magic power was simply too massive. Based on how it feels while I'm interfering… it wouldn't have been strange if its body had collapsed… a long time ago. This little one likely… suppressed that enormous power through sheer natural instinct. But with that power held inside instead of released… combined with the magic power forcibly absorbed by the chaotic structure… I think it finally became too much to hold back."
"…I see."
Basically, it was like a balloon that kept being pumped full of air with no way to shut it off. It had likely managed to hold it together for a while thanks to the natural sense Isis-san mentioned, but it had finally reached its limit and collapsed here. The unpleasant feeling I had picked up through my Sympathy Magic must have been an omen of the impending explosion.
As I worked through those thoughts, I ate a Fruit of the World Tree three times as my magic power dipped. Eventually, the light surrounding the fox faded, and its ragged breathing grew calm and steady.
"…There. It’s okay now. I restructured its magic power structure… so it won't absorb it limitlessly anymore."
"We did it!"
"…It was thanks to Kaito. Thank you."
"No, no, it was all you, Isis-san."
"…In that case… before this little one wakes up… I will move away."
"Eh?"
"…Animals and monsters… are very sensitive to magic power."
She gave a slightly lonely smile before standing up and moving about five meters away from the fox. She was being considerate of the creature's fear of the Magic Power of Death, but it still made me feel a bit sad. I stood up as well and moved to stand beside her, watching the fox's condition.
A moment later, the fox slowly sat up and began looking around. I hadn't noticed while it was lying down, but it had so many tails that it definitely felt like a monster.
I counted them quickly—ten tails. Not a Nine-tails?
While I was puzzling over that, the fox noticed us. It wagged its ten tails happily and came sprinting toward us.
"…Ah… no!"
Isis-san cried out in alarm, but contrary to her fears, the fox showed no sign of terror. It ran straight up to both of us.
"…H-Huh? It's not… running away?"
"It doesn't seem scared at all."
"…I wonder why. Monsters are usually so sensitive to magic power, but…"
Puzzled by the unexpected reaction, Isis-san tentatively reached out a hand. The fox leaned in and happily rubbed its face against her palm.
"Kyu!"
"…So cute."
"Let's see here…"
"Kyuu!"
"Whoa, this little one is incredibly friendly…"
Beside the bewildered but clearly happy Isis-san, I knelt down and reached out as well. The fox happily nuzzled against my hand too. It was pampering itself against us with everything it had. It was adorable.
As we were basking in the cute sight, Alice’s voice drifted over from behind us, sounding completely dumbfounded.
"…Ten tails. Silver fur. A complete mess of a magic power structure despite having god-tier magic power amount… Wow, are you serious? Wait, ten tails? It was suppressing that much power without going berserk? Ahaha… I'm getting a headache."
Serious-senpai: "…Is it over?"
???: "Just a little longer (for Serious)."
Serious-senpai: "I see."