After cracking the combination lock using the crane, serpent, and tortoise symbols, I found a stone key left by the fox man. As toxic gas filled the area and a lot of Dark Shrines attacked me, I dodged the danger and placed the key in the Inari statue's mouth, which instantly restored calmness.
I finally approached the door with the combination lock, ready to arrange the symbols for the crane, serpent, and tortoise following the clues in the journal. My first attempt failed because I used the wrong combination, but I corrected it on the second try.
The lock clicked open, the door swung wide, and I stepped through to the other side. To my surprise, the fox man was nowhere to be found, leaving Hinako to wonder where he had gone.
I only found a small shrine featuring two Inari statues, one weeping and the other looking angry. Lying near them was something I could pick up: a stone key fashioned from a mysterious stone, which was undoubtedly the key the fox man had promised to prepare for me.
Once I picked up that stone key, Someone's voice then echoed around, asking if Hinako had accepted the gift prepared especially for her.
It was the fox-masked man who returned and said he fashioned this key from mystic jade, especially for Hinako.
Things quickly took a dangerous turn. Choking gas began rising from the ground below. Amidst the haze, Hinako spotted her doll again, bearing a written warning on the wood that explicitly told her not to touch the fox mask.
Before I could dwell on the warning, danger struck. A Dark Shrine monster came rushing toward me to attack, and I started losing health rapidly from the toxic gas filling the area.
Dodging the creature's fierce attacks, I ran frantically back toward the Inari shrine. On my way, I noticed all the Dark Shrines that I've been avoiding previously has come to hunt me.
Just in time, Hinako placed the key inside the Inari statue's open mouth. The moment it clicked into place, the chaos vanished, and the entire situation suddenly shifted into complete calmness.