I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit

Some might wonder: was it true that Kiichi Hougen treated Sara differently from her other two disciples, Itto and Gorou?

Kiichi Hougen wouldn't deny it. There were differences in how she treated them.

Part of the reason was straightforward—Sara was a girl, while Itto and Gorou were strong, sturdy young men.

Another reason was that Sara had been with her for much longer. For a long time, Sara was her only disciple, and the one-on-one teaching setup had allowed Kiichi Hougen to create meticulous, personalized training plans. During that time, she even took Sara out on field training, which led to many of their shared experiences in sealed spaces.

But for Gorou and Itto, things were different. The sudden increase in her disciple count—from one to three—meant she couldn't maintain the same individual teaching style. Moreover, Gorou and Itto were far behind Sara in their training progress, making joint lessons impractical.

For them, the routine was simpler: teach them something during the day, then toss them into the training space to run laps and consolidate their learning. It was a crude but effective system, akin to assigning homework after a day of school. Meanwhile, Sara, who had already progressed significantly, no longer needed such brute-force training.

Once Gorou reached a certain level, he would join Sara in studying tactics and combat techniques. Kiichi Hougen envisioned Sara and Gorou following a similar path—combining battlefield strategy with physical prowess. Having Sara as a senior to guide him would undoubtedly speed up Gorou's progress.

As for Itto? His training plan was simple: train hard enough that you almost die, but don't actually die.

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The moment Kiichi Hougen stepped inside, she spotted Gorou clutching his tail.

"Why are you holding your tail so tightly, Gorou? Don't tell me you've fallen in love with how it feels?" Kiichi Hougen teased. "When people are obsessed with their own looks, we call them narcissists. I guess this is similar?"

"No, no, no! Master, it's not like that!"

Gorou blushed furiously, waving his hands in protest. "I-I just think… uh… Master's spell is incredible! It made me clean in an instant, even my tail is all fluffy now… It used to take me ages to groom it properly."

Behind Kiichi Hougen, Sara poked her head out, her curiosity piqued. "Junior, can't you just tuck your tail away? My wings can fold up when I don't need them."

As a tengu, Sara had two pairs of black wings. However, she often envied Kiichi Hougen's pristine, cloud-like white wings. Every time Kiichi Hougen spread her wings, Sara couldn't take her eyes off them. Despite having two pairs of wings, hers were smaller in comparison.

Normally, Sara kept her wings tucked away, so they didn't interfere with her clothes or daily activities.

"No… I think my tail and your wings are completely different," Gorou replied with an awkward expression.

To be honest, he was a little envious of his senior. Her wings could fold away at will, while his tail, though soft and pleasant to touch, became a real hassle in the rain. Once wet, it required time and effort to dry and groom properly.

He had even suspected that both Kiichi Hougen and Sara's wings weren't entirely physical but rather elemental constructs. After all, when Sara's wings unfolded, they shed dark feathers that shimmered with violet lightning. In combat, activating her wings boosted her elemental power.

But Sara's wings were tangible. She could even use them for brief flights now. As for Kiichi Hougen, her wings didn't just allow flight—they enabled supersonic speeds with just a gentle flap.

"Besides, Senior, look at Itto's horns. He never hides them, right? I think tails… and ears… not being retractable is normal."

Apparently, tengu's retractable wings were just a species-specific quirk.

Speaking of Itto, Sara suddenly remembered something.

"Where's Itto?"

"Itto went home," Kiichi Hougen answered before Gorou could.

"Itto's situation is different from yours. He has family. With the New Year here, of course he'd want to spend it with them. Though he was adopted by Granny Oni, to him, she's an irreplaceable part of his family."

The "Granny Oni" Kiichi Hougen referred to wasn't an actual oni, nor a yokai. She was just an ordinary human—an extraordinarily kind one.

In Inazuma, many people feared the oni, viewing them as dangerous and savage. Granny Oni had earned her nickname and the town's wary glances solely because she took Itto in.

Kiichi Hougen had met Granny Oni when she sought her approval to take Itto as a disciple.

Looking at her disciples now, Kiichi Hougen often felt a pang of bittersweet irony. Teyvat was supposed to be in a time of peace, and yet all three of her students were orphans. Itto was fortunate to have Granny Oni, but Sara and Gorou had lived solitary lives, fighting their own battles.

Perhaps that's why taking them in as disciples had been so easy.

"Itto's not celebrating with us?"

Sara seemed surprised, then visibly deflated. Kiichi Hougen raised a brow.

Since when had their relationship gotten so good? Sara usually found Itto insufferable.

"Apparently, Itto is allergic to beans. I even prepared three whole bags of beans, planning to give him a proper taste of holiday tradition…"

In Inazuma, it was customary during festivals to scatter beans to ward off evil. The act was rooted in the belief that oni were malevolent creatures afraid of beans, though it eventually evolved into a broader ritual to drive away bad luck.

But for Itto, it wasn't just symbolic. He had a severe bean allergy. Not only could he not eat them, but even skin contact caused him to break out in unbearable itching, swelling, and difficulty breathing.

Sara's face darkened, her expression tinged with malice. "Looks like I'll have to wait until next time… Or maybe I should disguise the beans in food and make him eat them instead."

Listening to Sara's mutterings, Kiichi Hougen thought to herself:

What kind of expression should I wear right now?

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