"Kitsuna, calm down right now!" Kayda's voice pierced the haze like cold water.
I blinked. My vision cleared. My arms were wrapped in writhing black fire and lightning, crawling up my skin like living veins. The bow pulsed with the same unstable energy, dangerous and hungry.
"Fuck. I knew I shouldn't have used those elements," I hissed, clamping down, forcing the power to die out. Slowly the flames guttered and faded, leaving only the stink of scorched cloth.
Shaking my head, I turned. My eyes widened. "Holy fuck, what happened? Are you okay?" I ran to Kayda, her robes torn and soaked red. Blood clung to her skin in streaks.
"I should be the one saying that to you," Kayda said, her brows furrowed in confusion as she studied me.
"What do you mean by that? You are full of blood," I shot back, already pulling her arms up to check her wounds.
"You are also full of blood," Kayda countered calmly, tilting her head, her eyes steady despite her state.
"Yeah, but it's usually a thing, isn't it?" I muttered, inspecting the cuts on her arms.
"Hey, stop doing that. This isn't my blood anyways," Kayda said, pulling away and sighing.
"It isn't?" I asked, head tilting.
"No. With this much, I would have passed out," Kayda explained, her voice steady despite her exhaustion. She exhaled slowly, then pointed behind me. "Anyways, aren't you forgetting something?"
"Huh? Oh-oops." I turned and saw what she meant.
One of the remaining cultists was crawling backward on his hands, eyes wide, face pale. "M-Mo-Monster," he stammered, staring at me as if I weren't human at all.
"Sheesh, that's so mean," I whined, though the pride in my grin betrayed me.
"They seem less strong-willed than the last group," Kayda observed, her tone thoughtful.
"I am not in the mood," I muttered, rubbing my head. My eyes flicked to the right, spotting familiar silhouettes. A smile broke across my face. "Luckily, my apprentice is here for that."
"Apprentice? What do you mean?" Kayda asked, her brow furrowed.
"I mean the dumbasses have finally shown themselves," I said, just as multiple figures leapt onto the surrounding rooftops, their cloaks snapping in the night wind.
"Huff... I finally made it," Sammy said as she landed with a thud in front of me.
"Oh, it took you long enough," I teased, reaching out my hand to rub her head.
"Hmph, like I would let you," Sammy snapped, swatting my hand away and stepping back.
"Ugh, so mean," I said, clutching my chest with exaggerated hurt.
"Sammy, stop being mean to her," Wendie scolded, walking forward with her usual measured steps.
"Yo, Wendie. "It's been a long time since I last saw you," I said with a grin.
"Hello, Nova." I can't honestly say that I'm thrilled to see you," she said dryly.
"What!? But you just-? You guys are so mean," I sputtered, looking between the two of them.
"Says the one who plants bombs into people," Wendie replied flatly.
"So, I have trust issues. Stop being so sensitive," I muttered, shrugging. Everyone gave me the same look: part exasperation, part disbelief.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Wendie said, waving me off dismissively.
"Don't just wave me off," I growled, narrowing my eyes.
"So, what should we do with them?" Wendie asked Kayda a question, completely ignoring me.
"You have a base?" Kayda asked, glancing at the sixteen cultists who had been bound and gagged.
"Of course," Wendie answered.
"Then let's go there."
"Wait," I cut in, pulling a massive demon rock from my storage and setting it down with a heavy thud. "Leave four of them tied to this."
"Why?" Kayda asked, brow furrowed.
"That bishop won't stop looking for me. This will distract him and let me slip away," I explained, patting the stone.
"That sounds like your problem," Sammy said sharply, arms crossed.
"You are with me, so it's our problem now," I countered, locking eyes with her.
"She does have a point," one of the crimson bandits muttered.
"Tim, shut the fuck up," Sammy snapped, her voice like a whip.
"Sigh. Hey, Kayda, can you carry me?" I asked suddenly.
"Are you tired?" she asked, raising a brow.
"Yeah, the backlash is getting worse," I admitted, my voice quieter now.
"So, it did activate," Kayda said, walking closer.
"Just for a minute or two, luckily," I muttered. My chest ached with every breath.
"What are you guys talking about?" Sammy demanded, stepping between us, her eyes sharp.
"Nothing for your ears, Sammy," I said, giving her a gentle push aside.
Yo, long time no see. I am back but not back.
I will upload once a week or if I have an extra chapter or something.
Reason being... it's personal sorry.
I will try and make it every Saturday for an upload.
Thanks for the support given even in my disappearance.
Comment if you want to ask more questions. I will answer if they arent too personal.
TheRealSkolliecreators' thoughts
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Chapter 117:
"Is she going to sleep like that the entire time?" Grandenzil said this as she entered her office, her boots clicking against the wooden floor more sharply than usual. Her tone was already filled with irritation, although she felt no surprise at the situation.
Kayda and I were seated together on one of the couches, her lap serving as my pillow, while Wendie and Sammy sat across from us on the other couch. They both had food on the table in front of them-bread, jerky, a few fruits-and their eyes kept shifting back to me. I was sprawled out comfortably, ears twitching faintly, pretending to doze while casually swiping bits of their food every time they got distracted.
Something like that might have happened once or twice already, but I was confident they hadn't noticed. Or maybe they noticed and were too polite-or too intimidated-to say anything. Either way, the bread in my hand was proof I was winning.
"What do you mean, Grandenzil?" Kayda asked, tilting her head just enough to acknowledge her. Her fingers continued stroking through my hair as if I were some spoiled pet fox, though the look in her eyes was far too calm to match the situation.
"The damn fox on your lap," Grandenzil snapped, her arms crossing as she glared at me. "Isn't she going to participate in the conversation?"
"I'm listening," I said without moving, my voice muffled by the folds of Kayda's robe. "So you can go on."
"She didn't even open her eyes," Sammy muttered, amusement slipping into her voice. She gave a small chuckle, shaking her head at my audacity.
"Sigh, whatever," Grandenzil muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Can someone at least just tell me everything that happened tonight?"
"I guess I will start," Kayda said, her tone unhurried, as though she were explaining something trivial rather than recounting an ambush. "Now, you probably already know that Nova can destroy these demon rock pillars with her magic."
"Yes, she used lightning magic," Wendie said with a slight nod, her eyes narrowing with thought.
"Well, we decided to destroy all of them," Kayda continued, the casual tone making everyone else stiffen slightly in surprise.
"Why?" Grandenzil asked quickly, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "If I recall correctly, you, Kayda, don't actually like the church. So why are you helping them?" Her stare sharpened, skeptical.
Kayda gave her a level look. "Personal reasons. Anyway, we headed to the church only to see them still on high alert because of this. I am fairly certain you can guess what happened afterward."
"Yeah," Grandenzil said, leaning against the desk with folded arms. "You distracted them so the fox could sneak to the pillar. After she destroyed it, she ran into those damn devil cultists. You tried to help but were also stopped by them. Actually, it was more like you were the main target, seeing the number of people who attacked you."
At that, my ears twitched reflexively.
"Yeah, the fuckers tried to suicide bomb me," Kayda said flatly, her tone laced with a growl.
"...hmm, so they even tried to kamikaze you?" I suddenly spoke up, finally breaking my long silence. The detached tone I used made the room go cold for a second, everyone shuddering slightly except for Kayda, who simply kept petting my head as if nothing was amiss.
"Hmm, yeah. That's how I got all that blood on me," Kayda said, shrugging lightly. Her fingers still stroked through my hair in the same rhythm, as if my sharp comment hadn't fazed her.
"Sammy," I said suddenly, eyes still shut, "I hope you are in for more torture training?" My words were casual, but my tail flicked once, betraying the edge in them.
"Hmm, I see no problem," Sammy answered evenly, her eyes narrowing. "However... are you going to join in?" Her head inclined, voice half-challenging.
"No. I'll only tell you how, and that's all. I think I've seen enough blood for the week," I said calmly. The admission seemed to throw the room off-balance; everyone turned to look at me, surprised at the hint of restraint.
"I see. "That means more fun for me, then," Sammy said with a grin, although her smile appeared sharper than usual.
"Are you okay?" Kayda whispered softly, leaning down so her voice brushed only against my ear.
"I'm thinking," I murmured back. With that, I sat up at last, stretching briefly before glancing at Grandenzil. "Hey, Grandenzil, is there anywhere I can get some shut-eye?"
"Down the hall, go left, then right; the third door on your left is a guest room," Grandenzil said with a dismissive wave, not sparing much attention.
"Thanks. And here, Sammy," I said, taking out a small leather-bound book from my storage and dropping it on the table with a solid thump.
Sammy picked it up immediately. "What is this?" she asked, flipping it open.
"Notes," I said simply. "Now, if you'll excuse me." Without waiting for a reply, I walked out of the room.
My body ached with every step, fire licking through my veins. 'My body feels like it's on fire. Is this really the negative effect of Wrath? I understand now why Mom said never to use it, but why did it activate?' I thought, jaw tightening as I followed Grandenzil's directions.
"Maybe it was emotions," I muttered under my breath as I turned down the hallway. "I know I got angry for being described as a dog, but was that enough?"
Blood didn't bother me. Killing intent didn't push me over the edge. Even killing itself-I'd already tasted that madness once with the Federation soldiers. 'No, it wasn't that. Emotions... it must have been emotions. The first time I experienced strong emotions was when Mom was almost dying. But today? Who was it for? Was it irritation or real anger?'
I found the door and pushed it open. The room was simple-a bed, a desk, and a candle on the nightstand. Nothing flashy, just enough for a guest to rest.
"Sigh, this is so irritating," I muttered, throwing myself onto the bed with an exaggerated flop.
The ceiling above was plain wood, but staring at it made my thoughts pour out. "I know I have a personality problem," I said aloud, letting my voice echo softly. "Well, obviously. I've got multiple ones. But is that really a problem? One is fun, another serious, and then there's the crazy one that loves torture and blood. What's wrong with having them? Oh, right... then there's the full Wrath personality. That almost came out today." My lips curled into a faint, grim smile. "Sigh. Good luck to anyone who witnesses it in the future."
I exhaled long, then said, "Anyway, let's move on to something more interesting." With a focused thought, I cast the analysis spell on myself.
The floating words filled my vision like a screen.
Name: Kitsuna Draig (Shiro Adachi)
Age: 14 (Immortal)
Race: Primordial 1-Tail Demon Fox
Bloodline: Primordial 9-Tail Fox
Gender: Female
Level: 40
Class: Unknown (Wrath)
HP: 2800/2800
MP: 10,000/10,000
Str: 1500
Vit: 1400
Def: 1000
Int: 5000
End: 2800
Agt: 3200
Skills: Dimension storage, Demon Fire, Demon Lightning, Fox Ice, Analysis, Super Regen, short-distance teleport, Sword domain, and Mana sense. Fox Golden Lightning, Fox Golden Fire, Healing
Passive: Heightened senses, eyes of intimidation, human form, night vision
Tail Abilities: LOCKED
"...What!?" I shouted, bolting upright. My ears flattened, tail puffed with shock. "Illusions! "There must be someone using an illusion on me."
I scanned the room, releasing all my killing intent in a wave. The air thickened, the candle flame bent sideways, and the wood creaked under the oppressive weight. No hidden presence stirred.
"...Guess not," I muttered finally, sighing as I dragged my hands through my hair.
"This really doesn't make sense. How did my stats go up so much all of a sudden?" I lay back down, staring at my hands as I flexed them. My claws gleamed faintly in the low light.
"Hmm, shouldn't they be lower, considering the state my body's in? Or... are they already lowered, and these aren't even my true stats?" My thoughts tangled into knots.
Mom had once told me-and I'd read the same in old manuals-that when your body was damaged, your stats should reflect that, dropping until recovery. So why was I so much stronger? Could the pain be something else entirely? A backlash? A hidden trigger?
Before I could untangle it, my nose caught a familiar scent-perfume, faint but distinct. Footsteps drew near.
Knock, knock.
"Grandenzil, I am busy. What do you want?" I called, sitting up.
"I guess I can come in," Grandenzil said, ignoring me while she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"...," I stared at her blankly.
"What? It's not really like you're doing anything," she said with a shrug, closing the door behind her. "You're just lying on the bed."
"Grandenzil, what are you here for?" I asked, voice sharpening.
"I want to know why."
"Elaborate, please," I said, brow arched.
She folded her arms. "Why are you trying to help us?"
"Help?" I chuckled darkly, a smirk tugging my lips. "Ha-ha, I think you misunderstand something. I am not helping you. I am making you into something useful."
Her eyes narrowed. "Even if you say it like that, a bandit group is already very useful."
"No, they are not," I shot back immediately. My tone hardened. "A bandit group is just a mosh pit of outcasts who only want to take instead of working for anything."
"That's a lie," Grandenzil argued, her jaw tightening. "They are working their asses off."
"Yeah, sure. "They are engaged in robbing people," I said sarcastically, my tail flicking.
"And they need to work to make that happen," she countered stubbornly.
