Then I vanished again, appearing on the roof, the cold wind tugging at my hair.
"What is with this world and its problems?" I muttered. My fists clenched.
A heartbeat later, Mom and Dean appeared behind me.
"Tell me why Rachel is in this mansion," I said, voice flat, stripped of all emotion.
Mom's lips pressed together, but she wasn't surprised. "Well... I guess you figured it out already."
"Yeah," I said, eyes narrowing. "She was demanding when we were alone just now. At first, I thought it was desperation, but thinking back-how she acts around Amari versus with me-it's like she's two different people. She only acts touchy when others are around. Alone? Cold, sharp, calculating. It's annoying. And it reeks of an agenda. So why is she still here? Is it the church? Or do you two want to teach Amari some kind of lesson?"
Dean opened his mouth. "Yes, in a way, both. It's more complicated than you think. Even if she's a half-breed, the church would still try to kidnap her. They'd use her as their angel idol."
I barked a laugh, sharp and bitter. "Yeah, nah. I'm not buying that bullshit."
Mom shot Dean a look. "Really, Dean? Couldn't you come up with a better lie?"
Dean lowered his head. "I'm sorry."
Mom turned back to me. "Okay, it's like this. The king hates the church."
"Then why are they in the capital?" I asked, brain was already piecing things together. "The reason she is here is that the king wants to use her for his own purposes." He wants to use her to get rid of them, doesn't he? But how? If the church knew about her, they would've already taken her. No... the church is more of a cult. You're planning to let them attack the capital, use her as a scapegoat, and then rally the people against them. That's the plan, isn't it?"
Dean let out a low whistle. "She really is like you, Stacy."
Mom smirked faintly. "Umu. You got most of it right. Initially, we considered using you to provoke them. But with Rachel becoming a full angel, it'll be easier."
"Using me?" I asked, my tone hard. "And when were you planning on telling me about that?"
"When we started proper planning," Mom replied evenly. "Once we had a date."
I let out a humorless laugh. "I see. Makes sense. I'm only thirteen, after all."
Dean tilted his head. "So you don't mind being bait?"
I shrugged. "Yeah, it's fine. But I want to know everything."
"Fair enough," Dean said with a nod.
"But this isn't your final goal," I added quietly. "Is it?"
Mom's eyes sharpened.
"You want to kill the God of Light," I said. "Don't you?"
Silence. Then Mom smiled faintly. "You really are like me. Thank you." She pulled me into a hug.
"Don't worry, Stacy," I said with a grin, leaning back.
Her brows furrowed. "What is with 'Stacy' again?"
"You lost the privilege to be called Mom last night when you let the commander stab me in the chest."
Dean's head whipped toward her. "What!? Stacy, how could you let that happen!?"
"But-" Mom started.
I smirked and pulled a set of restrainers from storage. The heavy cuffs are designed to block mana and skills, causing the body to feel as heavy as lead. I'd intended them for training, but revenge would do.
She was distracted, arguing with Dean-just like always. And I knew her weakness. When it came to him, her guard always dropped.
Sliding the cuffs onto her wrists and ankles, I whispered under my breath, "Hasta la vista, baby."
The moment they activated, Mom stumbled, her limbs weighed down.
"What!? Kitsuna, come back here now!" She shouted, fury burning in her eyes.
"Haha! Come and catch me, S-T-A-C-Y!" I yelled over my shoulder as I bolted.
Her enraged scream followed me as the chase began.
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Chapter 55: Kaydas' magic method
In a small clearing deep within the forest, two figures collapsed back-to-back, their ragged breathing filling the otherwise quiet air. Sunlight filtered weakly through the canopy above, speckling the ground with shifting patches of gold and green. The smell of damp earth clung to every breath, and somewhere in the distance, a bird let out a sharp cry before fluttering away.
"Huff... huff... I'm so tired," I muttered, sinking deeper against Mom's back, letting the rough bark-and-grass floor support me. My muscles ached as though I had just carried the entire mansion on my shoulders.
"Huff... yeah, you don't say." Mom let her head rest lazily against my shoulder, her ears flicking tiredly. "These restrainers are heavier than they look."
A laugh slipped out of me despite the exhaustion. "Yeah. Three hours running around with those strapped on... I could see ... I could see you struggling."
"Oh, hush." She smacked my arm lightly, though there wasn't much strength in the gesture. Then she tilted her head in thought. "By the way-why do you even have them?"
"I was planning to use them for training," I said simply, which only seemed to confuse her further.
Her ears twitched. "How would they help with that?"
"I'm too lazy to explain. Just check your status," I told her with a mischievous smirk.
She raised an eyebrow but did as I said. A second later her eyes went wide, and her tail fluffed up like a startled cat's. "What the-what the fuck!?" she shouted so loudly that it rang in my ears.
Using what little strength I had left, I lifted my hand and bonked her head. "Can't you not scream directly into my ears?" I groaned.
"Sorry, sorry! But seriously-look at this." She shoved her status scroll toward me, her expression a mix of disbelief and giddy excitement.
I blinked, taken aback. "Wait... scrolls can check your status?"
"Yeah." She puffed her chest a little, looking smug despite her earlier yelp. "I can show you how to set it up later if you like."
"That's fine," I muttered, but my curiosity got the better of me as my eyes scanned the glowing runes. It wasn't my first time seeing her status, but... the numbers made me do a double take. Then, before I could stop myself, I shouted just as loudly as she had. "What the fuck!?"
Status
Name: Stacy Draig
Age: 36
Race: Nekomata
Bloodline: Nekomata
Gender: Female
Level: 970
Class: Duel Assassin (Exotic) (Berserker)
HP: 20,680 / 20,680
Mana: 22,160 / 22,160
Str: 10,230
Vit: 10,340
Def: 10,280
Int: 11,080
End: 10,390
Agt: 12,370
"My agility went up by fifty since the last time I checked it," Mom said, her eyes still glued to the scroll.
"Wow. The restrainers work even better than I thought." I stretched out my sore limbs, feeling an odd sense of pride.
"Hehehe." Her grin widened until it was borderline terrifying. "I just got the best idea ever." She laughed like a maniac, her tail swishing eagerly.
I stared at her with dread. "...Why do I feel like everyone's going to start hating me for this?"
She ignored me for a beat, then abruptly switched topics. "Oh yeah, so how are you going to change Rachel into a full angel?"
I blinked. That was... a shift. "Last night, when I dissected a demi-human, I noticed their blood is very different from a human's. Being curious, I tried it again with a half-breed. The end result? Their blood doesn't mix at all. Like oil and water." A sigh escaped me. "The more I talk, the more I sound like my father."
Mom's tail drooped in confusion. "I don't get it. Can you simplify it?"
"Fine, fine." I rubbed my temple. "Imagine a sword made of steel and adamite. Together, it's weaker than it should be. But if you remove the steel and leave it as pure adamite, the weapon is stronger." I waved my hands to emphasize, even though I knew she'd mock me.
Sure enough, she snorted. "Your references are the worst, but I get it. So... how long will it take?"
"A month for a one-hundred percent success rate. And what do you mean by "worst references"? It's not my fault you don't understand my detailed explanations!"
"It is your fault. You suck at explaining." She jabbed a finger at me.
"Like you're any better!" I shot back. "You toss out one sentence and expect me to figure out the rest."
"But you do figure it out, don't you?" Her grin returned.
"Yes-but I have to overdrive my brain just to keep up with you!"
"Overdrive, my ass. You're one of the smartest people I know. If you actually used your brain properly, you could probably write a book with only one word."
I stared at her. "...That's not possible. Who would understand a book like that? It'd only work as a show where you can use gestures."
"You think?" she teased.
"Yeah. Take the word "fuck." It can mean many things depending on how you say it. I walked up to a nearby tree, stretching my hands as though I were presenting it. "Fuck."
Mom tilted her head. "Giant tree, yes?"
"Fuck," I said again, summoning a small ice pole. I cut the tree down and let it fall dangerously close to me, dodging by a hair. Then I jabbed at the pole with irritation. "Fuck!"
For the next minute I carried on a bizarre argument with the pole, using only that one word and changing my tone and gestures each time. By the end of it, Mom was watching me like someone who just realized their daughter had turned into a lunatic.
"You actually made a story with only saying fuck... and the worst part is that I understood it." She facepalmed.
"See? So if you want a story with only one word, it has to be a show." I grinned proudly.
She sighed but smiled all the same. "Yeah, fine. Thanks for proving my point-you really are one of the smartest people I know. A crazy, airheaded one, but smart." She resumed walking toward the mansion.
I opened my mouth to protest but froze, my eyes narrowing toward the giant tree in the distance.
"What's wrong?" Mom asked.
"...Who the fuck is using ice in my domain?" I growled, already sprinting ahead.
[scene shift-base of the Guru tree]
After a short run, I rounded the magnificent tree and saw Kayda and Amari standing beside a fragile-looking ice pillar, chatting casually. In a flash step, I appeared next to it and slapped the thing to dust.
"Don't use this crappy ice magic near me or my domain. It's a disgrace," I declared.
Kayda didn't even flinch. "And there you go. See how weak it is."
Amari's eyes sparkled. "But it's still amazing that you can create ice while being a fire-type mage!"
Kayda nodded, slipping back into lecture mode. "My scorch magic is fire mixed with wind. With proper control, you can split it back apart into two elements. If it works one way, it should work the other."
Her words struck a chord with me. A dozen ideas bloomed in my head instantly.
"But that's not a theory anymore," I said, amazed. "You just created ice using wind and water mana. Weak ice, sure-but it's still ice."
"Yes," she admitted, raising her hand. Mana threads shimmered like strands of glass between her fingers. "But to achieve this, your control must be absolute-like moving another limb."
I leaned closer. "Wow. Are those... solid?"
"They can be if I like."
"Awesome. Thanks." I smirked and turned to leave. "Oh, and next time, don't hold your magic lessons so close to my bed."
Kayda blinked. "...Her bed?"
Amari chuckled. "Kitsune sleeps outside, under this tree." She pointed at the Guru tree nearby.
Kayda's ears twitched pink. "And you're telling me now?" She shoved Amari lightly, flustered.
"Haha! That's why I didn't tell you," Amari laughed.
I barely heard them-I was too caught up in my thoughts. If I can transform ice into water and wind, then what could I do with my regeneration? Could I make it into an actual healing skill? Could dimensional storage be transformed into dimensional magic? Hehe, dimensional magic, here I come.
Grinning to myself, I made my way back to the mansion.
[scene shift-mansion interior]
The air inside was cooler, perfumed faintly with polished wood and incense. Servants bustled quietly through the halls, their footsteps barely audible on the marble floor. I stopped a maid mid-step. "Where's Dean?"
"He should be in his office, my lady."
"I see. And... where's that exactly?"
After she gave me directions, I followed them until I stood before a carved oak door. Knocking lightly, I heard his voice from inside.
"Come in."
I pushed the door open. Mom was already lounging on a sofa, one leg crossed over the other like she owned the place. Across from her, three figures stood with their backs to me-one of them instantly recognizable as Apricot. Dean sat behind his desk, looking as though the world had personally wronged him. Papers were strewn across the wood surface, his jaw tight, his golden eyes narrowed.
"Sorry, Mom," I said, pulling out a pair of keys from my storage. "I forgot to give you these."
She caught them mid-air. "I'm not taking them off just yet."
"Yeah, I figured." I shrugged before crossing the room and wrapping my arms casually around Apricot's shoulders from behind. Her warmth seeped into me instantly, and I caught the faintest scent of her hair-like honey and ink. Peeking over her head at Dean, I smirked. "He's not giving you trouble, is he?"
Apricot's smile was soft. "No, we're just about finished with the final arrangements."
"Like hell we are!" One of the others snapped, her voice sharp as a blade. "Why do I have to change squads?"
I tilted my head, assessing her. "You must be Brenda."
She looked like Sirone's twin, just taller. Black hair, black eyes-humans through and through. Ordinary features-but her glare was sharp enough to cut steel.
"And who are you?" she demanded, her tone like a whip crack.
"Calm down, sis," Sirone muttered, trying to soothe her. His voice wavered, though, betraying unease.
I stepped forward, extending my hand. "You don't know me yet, huh? I'm Kitsuna Draig-the one who requested your transfer."
Her eyes flicked to my hand but didn't take it. The tension in the room sharpened like drawn steel. Even Dean leaned back in his chair, watching with a predator's patience.
I held my hand there longer than necessary, smiling just enough to be unsettling. Inside, a part of me burned with amusement-Brenda had fire; I'd give her that. But another part of me simmered with warning. If she can't respect me now, this transfer's going to be fun.
Updates might get fucked in the next couple of weeks. I am getting busy again and can't find a lot of time to write.
Though it's not that bad, I just need -+3 hours to write a chapter.
The reason for this warning is more that I am thinking about writing all the other chapters as well. I will try my best to keep it at every 2 days.
