Tomoe’s full appearance.

Tomoe’s strikingly handsome features attract numerous admirers wherever he goes, though he generally remains indifferent to their attention, preferring not to form any deeper connections.

Tomoe’s strikingly handsome features attract numerous admirers wherever he goes, though he generally remains indifferent to their attention, preferring not to form any deeper connections.

Tomoe’s life almost ended abruptly 500 years ago when he was unexpectedly ambushed in a brothel by Ikusagami, the god of war. The gods determined that Tomoe and Akura-ou’s violent rampage through the human and yokai realms had to be stopped. To achieve this, Ikusagami wielded a sacred sword and set out to hunt the elusive white fox.

Tomoe as a familar.

In the ensuing battle, Tomoe’s weapon was shattered by Ikusagami’s superior blade, leaving him mortally wounded. He fled to the countryside, only to collapse near a river as armed humans closed in on him. In a desperate attempt to escape, he transformed himself into a child to deceive his pursuers. However, this strategy nearly failed, if not for the timely intervention of a kind-hearted young girl who appeared just in time to save him.

Before arriving at Mikage shrine, Tomoe’s life was marked by violence and bloodshed. As the companion of Akura-ou, the demon king, he forged a path of death and destruction across both human and yokai worlds. This reign of terror came to an abrupt halt when he was attacked and critically injured by Ikusagami. Yet, even five centuries later, the wild fox is still known and feared by every yokai he encounters.

The events leading up to Tomoe’s binding to Mikage are intertwined with a mysterious romantic history. Long ago, he fell deeply in love with a human girl and made a pact with a fallen god to live as a human, intending to perish when his beloved did. However, something went awry; he did not transform into a human and was left to die when Mikage discovered him wandering alone in the woods. With Mikage’s sealing of his memories, Tomoe retained no recollection of this chapter of his life before meeting Nanami.

Contract with Nanami
When Tomoe first encounters Nanami, he holds a deep disdain for her and decides to leave the temple, making his way to the Red District of The Other World. Despite her frustration, Nanami feels compelled to follow him, recognizing the effort he has put into maintaining the temple. In a fit of anger, she heads to the Mikage Temple to retrieve his belongings, intending to leave for good. However, on his journey, Tomoe falls prey to a witch’s trickery, who invites him to her home under false pretenses, planning to devour him later.

Persuaded by Kotetsu, Tomoe ultimately decides to “rescue” Nanami, who has escaped from the witch’s lair alongside Onikiri and is being pursued. Initially, Tomoe seeks only to humiliate her, declaring that he will save her only if she begs for forgiveness. But when Nanami falls from a branch, he instinctively accompanies her descent, telling her that she still has a chance to save herself if she pleads for her life. In a surprising turn of events, as she falls, Nanami kisses him, sealing their pact as land god and familiar. From that moment on, albeit reluctantly, Tomoe becomes Nanami’s familiar and ultimately defeats the witch.

Journey to the Past
Amidst a new curse, Tomoe wishes to hide his vulnerable state from Nanami. To achieve this, Mikage places him within the Magic Mirror, a refuge he previously used to escape the Goddess of Lightning. Yukiji, a woman surrounded by destructive demons, brings misfortune, and Mikage warns Tomoe that if he doesn’t eliminate her, the demons will wipe out all existing life. He also reveals that he was compelled by a woman to seek a Fallen God.

Returning to the room where Yukiji is in labor, Tomoe experiences a mix of emotions when the midwives suggest that he hold the newborn. Though he has the capacity to love a human, he grapples with the knowledge that his strength can easily destroy them.

Epilogue
Eventually, Nanami and Tomoe marry, and he takes up a job in an office. However, after ten years, he decides to quit to spend more time with his wife. When he learns the gender of their child, he hopes they will inherit qualities from Nanami. The couple returns to Mikage Shrine following the birth of their son.

Tomoe possesses extraordinary abilities that elevate him to a nearly god-like status, marked by a short temper. His remarkable powers, charm, and striking appearance make him a highly sought-after shinshi, admired by envious gods and feared by yokai alike.

Tomoe’s Kitsunebi Fox-fire.

In his early days as a wild fox, Tomoe was renowned for his command over vast oceans of foxfire—a supernatural flame capable of incinerating his foes in an instant. He can harness this foxfire to soar through the air, locate individuals or objects, or simply illuminate his surroundings. Additionally, he is an accomplished swordsman and can alter his appearance and that of others using enchanted leaves. Tomoe possesses exceptional hearing, strength, dexterity, and a reliable sixth sense. His fingers and toes are equipped with razor-sharp claws, which he is not hesitant to use in combat. Perhaps his most formidable traits are his intelligence, cunning, courage, and resourcefulness.

Despite his penchant for leisure, Tomoe demonstrates a strong work ethic when he commits to a task. He takes his responsibilities as a shinshi of Mikage shrine seriously, diligently ensuring that everything is clean and well-maintained on a daily basis. In his role, he also protects and cares for Nanami, managing the cooking, cleaning, and laundry while she is occupied with school or honing her divine abilities. Although he does not require sustenance, he immerses himself in the art of cooking, achieving impressive results. This culinary skill has become a tool in his clever repertoire, as he playfully adds shiitake mushrooms to Nanami’s meals when she annoys him or threatens to serve an enemy as sashimi.

Tomoe’s ability to transform using enchanted leaves allows him to change his form or that of others. He has used this power to turn Kurama into an ostrich and a servant of Himemiko into a fish, all while playfully threatening his adversaries with the prospect of being cooked. Notably, he once transformed into Nanami to substitute for her when she fell ill and was unable to attend school. This ability also proved crucial during a life-threatening encounter with the God of War 500 years ago, when he transformed into a child to mislead those pursuing him, disguising his yokai nature as human.