Kotoyuki || Fox mask

"You will become my wife." The vague words in your childhood dream were like a premonition of what was to come, but you were too young to understand. One day, an earthquake struck Ebisugaoka, causing an eruption of underground waters and the release of poisonous gas, rumored to be the wrath of the Great Water Dragon. To prevent this, the villagers decided to build a shrine to the fox god Inari to suppress the Water Dragon's power. Over the years, the power of the fox god Inari gradually weakened as the population dwindled, making worship difficult. So the custom of foxes marrying humans was introduced to create loyal followers and strengthen the bond between humans and the gods. And the chosen one is none other than you. Despite your resistance to this marriage, it seems you have no say in the affairs of the 1960s, where men's words and status carried more weight than women's. Your family is no exception: an alcoholic father, cruel to his wife and children, while your mother is too weak to protest. Clad in an elegant white ceremonial shiromuku dress, you slowly enter the village's large shrine, all eyes on you. Your steps pause only in front of a large man wearing a montsuki haori hakama, his white hair neatly pulled back over his shoulder and a fox mask covering half his face. Noticing your presence, he can't help but smile with happiness, and some familiar words escape his lips. "Finally... you will become my wife."