Kayda's eyes narrowed. "Stacy, why all these questions?" Her tone carried suspicion now.
"My daughter found something outrageous again," I said with a defeated sigh, my shoulders sagging.
"...Haah, what is it this time?" she asked, already looking tired of the conversation.
"In her room, there's a wolfkin with a green dragon egg," I said, pointing to Kitsuna's door.
"And I presume the wolfkin is female?" Kayda asked, her tone quiet but sharp.
"Yes."
"Let me see," she said, pushing past me, shaking her head.
"No, wait. Allow me to explain more," I interrupted, stepping in front of her.
"What?"
"She's terrified of dragons. Like, seriously terrified. Who can blame her? She gave birth to a dragon egg the size of her." I spread my hands helplessly.
"...I guess it would be quite dramatic to give birth to an egg," Kayda mused, nodding slowly.
"Somehow I think we're thinking about two different things," I said flatly, raising a brow.
"Huh?? What do you mean?"
"She's scared of dragons-not because of the birth-but in general," I explained, watching realization dawn on her.
"Oh... so you mean it like that." Kayda folded her arms again, thoughtful. "Well then, we just need to wait for Kitsu to show up." She turned away, heading toward the nearest drawing room.
"Yeah," I muttered, following with a heavy step.
As we walked, two wolfkin maids hurried past us, arms laden with folded clothes, blankets, and trays of food. At least Rebecca had taken my instructions seriously.
[Two hours later]
The sun had shifted low, painting long golden beams across the courtyard. I sat with Kayda at the outdoor table, tapping my fingers impatiently against the polished wood.
"Oh, Rebecca, you finally got her," I said with relief as Rebecca appeared, dragging Kitsuna by her arm like a sack of grain.
"Yes," Rebecca said dryly, dropping my daughter beside the table without ceremony.
"Zzzzzz," came the utterly shameless sound of Kitsuna snoring.
"Is she out cold?" Kayda asked, frowning with concern at the sprawled fox.
"Yeah, I found her like this outside some big hideout. Most of it was burned down by the time I got there. Amari and Zagan were nearby too. They seemed to be doing something... but I couldn't get any info out of them," Rebecca explained, her voice tight with disapproval.
"Why? Did something happen to Amari?" I asked quickly, alarm flickering.
"They both looked red-eyed and depressed," Rebecca admitted with a sigh.
"...Okay, one thing at a time," I said, forcing myself to focus.
"Agreed. Let's go talk to Amari first," Kayda said, lifting Kitsuna gently onto the couch like she was a wayward child.
"Agree."
"Do not worry. Amari is on her way here. She just went to freshen up before coming to you, ma'am," Rebecca added, bowing slightly.
"I see. Kayda, dump some water on this dimwit," I said, pointing at the sleeping fox.
"No! Let me rest, for crying out loud!!" Kitsuna suddenly shouted, springing upright with a glare that could've curdled milk.
"Oh, you're awake," I said, utterly unsurprised.
"Of course I'm awake! Do you think this BDSM woman would be gentle with me?" Kitsuna snapped, shooting Rebecca a dirty look.
"But it seemed like you liked it," Rebecca smirked.
"Woman, you are married," Kitsuna said flatly, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
"True. Well, I'll take my leave," Rebecca replied with a bow, still smirking, before walking off.
Sigh. "Whatever. So, how is the little wolf?" Kitsuna asked, stretching like a lazy cat.
"Scared. She got some food and is sleeping in your bed with the egg."
"Tsk. And no angry dragon showed up? Boring," she muttered with a click of her tongue.
"What do you mean by that?" Kayda asked sternly, her eyes narrowing.
"Uhm."
'At least Kayda can shut her up,' I thought, crossing my arms and waiting for the inevitable excuse.
[One long-ass explanation with many gaps later.]
"So you wanted to fight an unknown dragon because you were bored?" I asked, one brow raised.
"Yeah, the tournament isn't as fun as I thought it would be," Kitsuna replied with a complete lack of shame.
"Going after an unknown dragon isn't exactly smart," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"It's like the guy let his girl go with no protection," Kitsuna muttered, sounding genuinely baffled.
"What do you mean, his girl?" I asked, frowning.
"Well, she had his baby egg," Kitsuna said as if it were obvious. Her ears flicked in irritation.
"Kitsuna, dragons aren't loyal to anyone but their soulmate. And finding your soulmate is like finding a needle in a haystack," Kayda said firmly.
"Yeah, so? A descendant is a descendant," Kitsuna argued.
"The kid will be half-dragon, half-wolfkin," Kayda countered.
"Exactly! Both races have combat advantages," Kitsuna pointed out eagerly, tail swishing.
"Yes, and there are many weaknesses as well," Kayda said sharply, causing me to facepalm.
"Hey! Why did we shift from trying to help someone to discussing how the kid will perform in fights? I shouted, exasperated.
"Ah, right, sorry. Let's get back on topic," Kayda said quickly, clearing her throat.
"So the woman is asleep in your bed with her egg. And her egg is huge, even for royal dragonborns," I said, giving Kayda a pointed look.
"This is a common occurrence with interspecies births," she replied casually.
"...So what now?" Kitsuna asked, sounding more grounded than usual.
"I don't know. Maybe we talk to her?" I suggested with a shrug.
"Good luck with that. I'm going to bed," Kitsuna said, flopping toward the couch.
"Whoa, whoa, don't run away now."
"What?" she asked, tail flicking.
"She'll probably talk to you easiest."
"Why?"
"You're the one who saved her."
"Yeah, but I only did that to get her dragon here so I could kill him," she said bluntly, tilting her head as if that excused her.
"Dragons aren't easily killed, Kitsu," Kayda said firmly.
"Meh. Never tried," Kitsuna shrugged.
"Sadly for you, he's not coming. He might've already forgotten the egg existed," Kayda said, voice calm.
"..."
Kitsuna's expression darkened. Without a word, she stood and walked out, her silence sharper than any retort. Kayda blinked after her, confused.
"Why? What'd I say?"
Thud.
I smacked Kayda on the head hard enough to drop her to the floor, out cold.
"Lucy, get Kayda in a room. When she wakes, make sure she understands what she just said," I instructed, glaring at the maid who'd peeked in.
Lucy bowed quickly.
'To think Kayda can be denser than Kitsuna... I hope Kitsuna will forgive her.'
avataravatar
Chapter 185: final group 4
[Kitsu's POV]
"So they said a level 800 is in here," I muttered, rolling my shoulders as I glanced at Mom walking beside me. My tail twitched lazily behind me, but my ears were perked in anticipation.
"Yeah, they said this should be the strongest group out of the four," Mom replied matter-of-factly, her lips curling into a small smile. She always had that tone when she was trying to make me pay more attention than I felt like giving.
"Only because of one person?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her, not sure whether to take the rumors seriously.
"No, there are quite a few angels in it as well," Mom explained with a shrug.
I clicked my tongue, unimpressed. "Yeah, so? They aren't very strong themselves, though. They always talk themselves up, but half of them break down the second you push hard enough."
"It depends on what class they have." Mom's counter was calm, but her tone suggested she was baiting me into an argument.
I sighed and shook my head again. "Yeah, but most holy classes are classified as rare, which means they generally have low stats." Some of them are higher, sure, but none have legendary classes. That's the real difference. Rare's good for support, but not when you're aiming for dominance." Even saying it out loud made the whole rumor feel inconsistent. If this group's strength hinged on a few winged idiots with rare classes, then it wouldn't amount to much.
"Yes, but rare classes are still good if they put in enough training," Mom said, smiling at me like she knew she'd caught me in my trap.
"True, true," I admitted grudgingly. "However, there is a reason the federation has yet to win a battle against the Draigs." My sarcasm was sharp, and Mom laughed at the bite in my tone.
"Haha."
"Now then," I said, trying to shake off the lecture before it dragged on. "Are we going to the VIP section or the normal stands?" I wasn't sure where she was leading me.
"Oh, the special VIP section, of course," Mom said with a grin. She loved pulling me into these things.
"Okay, let's go then. The battle will start any time now." I could feel a low buzz of excitement under my skin. Strong enemies meant potential entertainment, and I needed that.
"Kitsuna, remember what I told you," Mom said suddenly, her voice turning firm.
"Yes, yes, there is always someone stronger than you in life. I know that by heart already; give it a rest," I said quickly, annoyed. She had this habit of hammering lessons into me like I was still ten years old.
"I'm just making sure," Mom said, grinning at my scowl.
"Ah, here we go. Go down there and turn left and go up," she instructed, nudging me forward like a mother bird pushing a chick out of the nest.
"Okay, but why must I go first?" I muttered, feeling weird about her literally shoving me ahead.
"Just go."
"Fine." I groaned and obeyed, leading the way through the corridors, following her instructions like a half-obedient child.
After about five minutes of climbing stair after stair, weaving through guards and servants stationed along the way, Mom pointed at a tall set of doors decorated with heavy iron trim.
I raised an eyebrow but stepped forward and pushed them open. Instantly, sharp whistles cut through the air as several daggers flew straight at me.
The surprising part was their speed-they came at me fast, far faster than any ordinary thug could throw. But not fast enough. I flicked my wrist, letting a thin veil of wind catch and redirect them, the blades clattering harmlessly against the stone wall.
"Tsk, she used a human shield," a gruff male voice said in annoyance, as if I'd spoiled his little test. He didn't even bother to stand-he just leaned back into his seat again.
"Hello everyone, how are you doing?" I asked cheerfully, brushing the air of hostility aside as Mom finally came out from behind me.
"We already said hello, but we are doing well," the leading female said, standing and coming closer with calm, deliberate steps.
"Oh, that's good to hear." I tilted my head before glancing back at Mom. "So who are these guys?"
"Well, they are special generals," Mom explained, her voice edged with amusement.
"Yes, I presume so," I said, studying the three. My eyes immediately picked out the hierarchy.
One was a female Oni, her movements graceful yet dangerous. Despite her elegance, I could tell in a heartbeat-she was the sharpest blade in the room, the real threat.
The furry guy who had spoken first looked like someone had glued a bear pelt to a man. Human, yes, but with so much hair he resembled a stuffed toy. A dangerous stuffed toy, maybe, but still.
The last one hadn't even looked at me since I entered. His focus was locked on the arena below with almost religious intensity.
I nodded at the Oni and extended my hand for a shake.
"Oh, you're not introducing yourself," she said slyly while shaking my hand.
"No point. I know you've been following me around a few times," I said with a small smile.
"Oh, you knew." She looked genuinely surprised.
I didn't reply, but my grin widened.
"Oh, she got you, Samantha," Mom said, laughing loudly.
"Heh, it seems so," Samantha said with a grin of her own.
"Alright, guys, get to your seats; the tournament will almost start," the quiet man finally spoke, his tone clipped and precise.
"The commentators aren't even in their booth yet," I pointed out, glancing across the arena.
"They will be here in three seconds," the man said flatly, not even sparing me a glance.
And, like clockwork, three seconds later, the booth door opened and Kayda and another announcer stepped inside.
"So you're like a sensor or something," I asked, intrigued, dropping down into the seat next to him. Mom and Samantha settled on the other side.
"You can say that," the man said evenly, neither confirming nor denying.
"Huh, there is still so much I need to learn about what classes exist in this world," I chuckled, leaning back.
"You will never know all of them," he said, finally turning his head. His eyes shifted from purple to green, then back again, like the tide of some strange power.
"Oh wow, those eyes really give no privacy to other people," I said, chuckling knowingly.
"What?" Samantha muttered, her eyes wide. The man himself froze, his shock visible for the first time.
"How?" he asked, his expression breaking into disbelief.
"Oh well, there are many things that exist," I said casually. "Eyes that change color can mean a lot. Seeing as you have sensor abilities, I just assumed your eyes are the reason. I believe that the color of your eyes affects their abilities. I shrugged.
"Stacy, you've got a good successor here," the man said suddenly, grinning at me with sharp approval.
"Who said I will be the one taking over? I actually thought of giving Zagan that job," I said sarcastically. But the wave of killing intent that followed wasn't sarcastic at all.
"If you do, I will rip him apart as fast as you breathe," the gruff, hairy guy muttered darkly.
"I can breathe quite slowly if needed," I joked with a wide grin, unfazed.
"Tsk, you must be blood," the man said, glancing between me and Mom.
"Haha," Mom and I laughed together at his observation.
"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. "Let us begin the group four battle royal!"
"Ah, finally they are starting," I chimed, my grin widening as the announcer's voice boomed.
"Can all the contestants come to the arena?" The announcer's voice echoed over the mic, the crowd roaring in response.
"Man, I hope it lasts longer than the Kitsuna and Amaris battles," Samantha sighed, crossing her arms.
"What? Mine lasted quite long," I protested, giving her an incredulous look.
"No, no, it did not. Amari's fight was by far the fastest so far, and then yours. Most battles for the under-16s are over twenty minutes long, not just five," she explained, shaking her head at me.
