Mentioned Characters: Yachie, Tsukasa, Biten

An atmosphere of chilling dread came over the Kiketsu Family office as Yachie Kicchou brainstormed ideas for her next underhanded scheme. Yachie weaves lies with uncomfortable truths as she continues to betray her "allies" and manipulates the hearts and minds of her enemies. Hidden away, she crafts meticulous plots within plots. Yet, despite all this―or perhaps because of it―she is also an incredibly charismatic leader. She was joined in the office by her Kiketsu Family members, who admire and respect her.

Tsukasa Kudamaki is a spy who plays on multiple sides across various realms, including the Animal Realm. Recently, she had become an official member of the Kiketsu Family―a clan led by the schemer, Yachie Kicchou, and infamous for its underhanded tactics. The greatest schemer and the greatest spy had joined forces. Surely, they would become the ultimate duo that would take the Animal Realm by storm.

Son Biten is a sarugami who claims to be the reincarnation of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Her straightforward personality and martial prowess may seem like an odd fit for the Kiketsu Family, which values cunning and trickery above all else. However, her physical strength poses a clear and tangible threat to the Keiga Family, which has earned her the trust of her fellow clan members.

Early in the morning, before the first pot of tea had cooled, an unfamiliar otter spirit came to the Kiketsu Family's office. Yachie had sent out a different animal spirit on a dangerous, undercover mission. She picked them precisely because she knew they had no friends, and thus, she did not have to fear any information leaks. However, it seems that spirit did, in fact, have a friend. "Will I ever see them again?" Fearful for her friend, the otter spirit looked up at Yachie with tears in her eyes. "So, you're saying she lied to me?" In any other clan, lying to the clan leader would be unthinkable. However, in the Kiketsu Family, skillful deception is a virtue. Yachie smiled, happy to have such a clever underling. "Tsukasa, Biten, we've got a new mission." Yachie's smile morphed into a mischievous grin. "We're going to extract an undercover otter spirit."

"This is our chance." Having received the all-clear from Tsukasa, who had infiltrated the building ahead of time, Yachie called a start to the mission. With the info provided by Tsukasa, the double-crossing spy, Biten swept through the building, squashing all resistance. Before long, they managed to successfully extract the undercover otter spirit. Overjoyed, the reunited animal spirits hugged. "But what about the original mission you sent the spirit on?" Having calmed down after her rampage, Biten brought her misgivings to Yachie. She hadn't been told what the spirit was doing there. "It's fine. It's in situations like this where the Kiketsu Family truly shines." "What do you mean?" "They'll never see us coming." Yachie went on to explain that Tsukasa used the chaos to gather intel. She uncovered another clan's weakness that they could exploit. "No way... Did you plan for this since the beginning?" Instead of answering the question, Yachie merely grinned wider and said, "Keep watching our backs, Biten."