Mentioned Characters: Yukari, Ran, Saki, Yachie, Yuuma, Chiyari

"Renewing old ties? Beasts don't bother with that. Ran's still the Gouyoku Alliance's strategist!" This is the story of a world where Yuuma Toutetsu might well have said something like that. In this hypothetical world, it seems fate veered far off its original path during the incident where animal spirits, land spirits, and beast youkai ran rampant. "I'm Lady Yukari's shikigami now. I'm not coming back to the alliance." "How many times are you going to say that? Aren't you tired of repeating yourself over and over?" "What are you talking about?" "I never told you, huh? The truth is, Chiyari..."

"Wait, back when I was still around, you weren't the alliance leader. And I don't remember ever being a strategist." "We were so green back then. The Animal Realm was a hellish wasteland. There was nothing there. Yet also, everything. Ambition. Desire. The very spirit of a beast. Surely you remember it, Ran? As time passed, it grew into the metropolis it is today. The fruition of the beasts' dreams―a big apple, ripe and juicy. But you left while it was still a wasteland, so I doubt you know what it's like now." "That sounds like something out of a Wild West movie." "Come again?" "I've been watching outside world movies lately. VHS tapes have been washing up in Gensokyo, so I had a few delivered to me." "You're a real free-spirit, huh?"

"But this scrawny fox was your strategist? You were Yuuma's right hand? She looks way less useful than me." "I'm telling you, I wasn't a strategist." "I was the Gouyoku Alliance's leader, and you were my strategist. We chased our dream of becoming the strongest beasts together. Did you forget?" "For the last time! That was just some silly little game we played!" "It wasn't a game. I'm still chasing that dream." "..." "Honestly, you seem like the kinda beast who's best suited to clacking away on a computer." "A computer? ...Now that you mention it, I think I overheard the Kiketsu Family complaining about one of those." "They've got their claws in all kinds of tech. But it sounds like their leader isn't too tech-savvy." "In that case, Ran, why don't you go give them a hand?" "Aren't the Kiketsu and Keiga Families your rivals? Why would you want me to help them?" "You really don't know how things work in the Animal Realm these days. It's all about give-and-take. Even when it comes to your rivals."

"Yachie Kicchou is the leader of the Kiketsu Family and Saki Kurokoma is the leader of the Keiga Family. Remember them? Seems like they remember you." "Yachie and Saki... You mean the cheater and the musclehead?" "So you DO remember them." "Hard to argue with the impressions they left on her." "Those two are still going strong, but in some ways, they've realized their dreams. The days we spent strutting around the wasteland were fun, but things are pretty good now, too. As the city advanced, it's definitely gotten a lot dirtier―in a good way! That's the point you're missing. As a place for beasts to live, the Animal Realm is more fitting than ever. How did we manage it, you ask? By putting human spirits to work!" "Wow, you look SUPER evil right now." "Pfft, this is nothing. I've got an alliance leader's dignity to maintain, and the eagle spirits are watching too."

"So anyway, I already belong to Lady Yukari. I can't go back to the alliance. Don't worry, I'll pay for the food we ate." "Don't bother. This is one of the restaurants I own. You can come eat here whenever you like." "Huh. You really have climbed up in the world, Yuuma." "I'm only a third of the way there. One day, everything will be mine." "...Well, goodbye." "See you around." Yuuma Toutetsu watched as Ran walked away, her silhouette dominated by her nine huge tails. Chiyari glanced at Yuuma, puzzled. "Is she your type or something?" "Huh?" "I'm just thinking, maybe you're into girls with big tails. That would explain why you like me, too." "What are you even talking about?" "I don't mind. Anyway, our recruiting mission was a bust. You even said she could keep working as a shikigami on the side, and she still turned you down. Let's try someone else. I know a kasha and a Hell raven who are both super strong." "You really think we failed just now?" "What do you mean?" "Her reaction seemed pretty positive to me." "You can't be serious?" "When Ran lived here, she was an animal spirit. This is the Animal Realm, in other words, the afterlife. And from there, she somehow ended up serving her current master as a beast youkai shikigami. Don't you think that's strange? You don't normally get to keep your memories and personality after reincarnation." "That... is not the kind of answer I was expecting." "I smell Yukari Yakumo's meddling. And there's one more thing." "What is it?" "Back in Ran's Animal Realm days..." "Yeah?" "Her tails weren't like that. Looks like becoming a shikigami changed them. I preferred them before." "Th-That's got nothing to do with anything!"