Duality (DxD) (Part 1)

Ch 168 - Meeting A God (5)

With two cute and adorable foxes on Jin's shoulders, cuddling and licking away at him, Jin began to finish his work. Looking at the divine beauty of Inari, filling the statue with his energy and slowly carving it. Dust fell from the stone surface and into the pool as the large stone took shape. More and more, the statue was getting closer to completion and just like the rest of Inari's residence, it would be a show of her beauty. It would lie in the pool as a representation of her and her majesty.

Jin: So, what does a Kami of foxes, fertility, rice, tea and sake, agriculture and industry, and general prosperity and worldly success do all day?

Jin said with a small giggle, he was trying to hold them back but it was hard not to laugh when two pure white foxes kept licking at him like he was a popsicle. On top of that, Inari was the god of many things and he would be lying to say he didn't find it funny she had to introduce herself as such every time.

Inari: You want to know what I do?

Inari looked confused when she spoke, the initial embarrassment of being naked and Jin looking at her gone. She was now comfortable lying down and him looking at her. In fact, she welcomed his glances. He needed to look at her to work, but she also welcomed it if he ever happened to just want to look at her. However, the turn of interest into her life left her lying there confused.

Jin: Sure. Just like you've taken an interest in me, I'm interested in you.

Inari: Oh~. Did this Ban teach you how to be a smooth talker~?

Jin: What's a smooth talker?

Inari looked at Jin who was trying to stop his giggling with the foxes constantly licking his face and rubbing their soft fur against him. They were exploring the places they could lick and they were only getting better at finding the places he liked. Soft spots near his furry fox ears. Inari couldn't help but blush gently with a smile on her face.

With the foxes on Jin's shoulder, licking away at him, his innocence was only more pronounced.

Inari: {He's so innocent! How can someone with a harem be so cute and innocent at the same time?!} Well... I don't really do anything too special on the day-to-day. It's all quite boring to hear.

Jin: I'll listen.

Jin said with a smile and Inari could see it. She could see how Jin wooed so many women. She knew Jin was unlikely to have just Sona and Mittelt. A harem was unlikely to just have three people involved. Especially when it was a man with lots of women. But now she knew exactly how he had many women by his side. Any man could be caring, any man could have something "special" about them. Any man could be hard working, a Sacred Gear while special wasn't what made a man special, anyone could be strong.

These weren't unique to only Jin. Maybe all of them combined were unique, but that wasn't Jin's best qualities.

Instead, there was a special charm Jin seemed to have. A natural way with words, real innocence, a naturally cute demeanour paired with a handsome face many men didn't have. Inari could see the synergy as something quite amazing. Undoubtedly irresistible to most women.

Though it wouldn't woo Inari. Thousands of years. She had been alive for nearly two thousand years. It didn't just take a good personality and good looks to woo her.

Inari: Since you really want to know, sometimes I like to garden. I add a few flowers around my residence here and there. Something to make it a bit more colourful, new things to make the foxes happy. Though Takamagahara being in a constant state of spring takes the fun out of it. I used to care for them and water them, but it seemed pointless after so many years since no care was needed for them to stay in a constant bloomed state. So sometimes I oversee the cycles of nature in the human world. It helps me relate to what gardening feels like. Again as I said, nothing too interesting.

Jin: What about these little guys?

Gently, one fox nibbled at Jin's ear and made a giggle spill out of his lips. Trying to correct him on what he said.

Jin: You're right, you're right. What about this guy and this gal? You seem to have quite a few foxes.

Inari: My Divine foxes. I do have many of them. Those two especially are some of the youngest I have. They're immortal beings, but those two are nearing around twenty years old. Some of the time they help me do tasks. They carry messages around for me or protect places I ask them to. But much of the time I just let them play around and oftentimes times I cuddle with them.

Jin: They are quite soft. It would be a shame if you didn't cuddle up next to a large pile of them. {Their fur is as soft as mine.}

Inari gave a small smile as she watched the foxes rub against him more hearing he found the fur soft and nice. As if the two foxes were trying to make Jin happier. Though Jin hit one nail on the head. Inari often slept with a large pile of her foxes. They were too adorable not to, being buried under so much fur was amazing.

Inari: Then I listen to prayers, maintaining balanced levels of success and prosperity. If I can, I try to grant said prayer. Giving a farmer a more bountiful harvest, helping a struggling child on a math test.

Jin: Wait. How do you do that?

Jin asked as helping a child on a math test didn't seem like something a god would do. Especially since a math test didn't seem like it needed divine providence.

Inari: Often times they pray and then look for a sign with their pen. Then roll it, so I gently shift it if I can. Maybe they ask for a certain sign and I try to give it to them. I rarely just make the answer pop into their heads. However, I have to maintain the balance. I can't give everyone good days all the time.

Jin nodded, it made sense. If even the slightest bit of divine intervention from the heavens took up power, it would be exhausting or impossible to give everyone a good day all the time. On top of that, you had gods actively doing opposite roles. Gods of war acting against general prosperity and worldly success. Famine acting against agriculture. Death acting against life.

Even a god, a divine being could only do so much.

Inari: Then other times I just enjoy cooking food from a bountiful harvest and drinking sake. As I said, it's pretty boring. You would expect something more grand from a Kami, wouldn't you?

Jin: I think it's a very productive use of your time. Not only helping others but leaving time for yourself. Just like today has been, a nice, relaxing, productive day.

Jin said taking his hands off the statue. When he worked, he didn't know how long actually passed. He got so engrossed by his work that time seemed to fly by, especially talking to Inari, someone he seemed to have a connection to. Though he couldn't have been away from home for more than an hour or two. However, in that amount of time, he was done.

The statue of Inari Okami was finished.

But as she looked at it, the large statue sitting in a pool that quickly cleaned itself, she couldn't help but smile. She found herself smiling a lot around Jin. Even around his works. Because just as the figure was, the statue was beautiful. Not just a representation of her physical beauty.

But of the inner beauty Jin saw inside.

Inari: {Such an amazing job he's done. Such an amazing man you two have found.}

Inari looked at Jin, who was cuddling the two foxes close. Carrying them as he walked out of the water. Placing down the fox with crimson eyes and one with sea blue eyes.

Inari found herself looking at Jin and the foxes much more than her new statue. Because the sight of the three was much more beautiful.