The Battle Begins

“Where are you hiding the child?” Yukihiro, or rather Ginrei, asked Kasai. He spread his nine white tails and bent down, ready to pounce on his opponent.

“What are you talking about?” Kasai, the scarlet nine-tailed fox, laughed in his deep, sinister voice. He licked his crimson claws, his predatory eyes set on Yukihiro. “This is just between you and me, old man.”

“I’ve no time for your sick fancies!” Yukihiro growled, baring his fangs. “Where’s the human girl you stole? – Yumi Shinemori is her name.”

“Winners of the duel get to ask questions!” Kasai countered.

He shot scarlet flames at Yukihiro, which smelled of burning spider lilies, like all foxfire. But Yukihiro jumped aside in time. The heat and magical pressure of Kasai’s flames were so strong that the demon tenants in the vestibule squealed and grunted, getting singed. They began fleeing from the hotel. The receptionist, Shintarō, yowled and ducked behind the counter, hugging his brown tanuki tail. Even the proprietress, Kinnoko, who was an 800-year-old nine-tailed fox, winced from the hot wind blowing into her face.

Ugh, couldn’t they take this outside?! She glared at the two male foxes brawling in her hotel. Now I’ve lost my clientele!

Kazuya, Kasane, Inuko, and Kenzō stared at the duelists. Kasane was still frozen from the realisation that Yukihiro had been lying to her about his identity. Inuko had her fluffy white tail stuck between her legs, frightened by Kasai’s power.

Even Yukihiro’s_ err, Ginrei’s energy doesn’t match up to those flames! She thought. Only Grandpa Raijū could beat it, from what I can tell. But he’s not here… What are we going to do?

Kenzō swung his sword, putting up a water barrier to counter Kasai’s fire coming at them. He protected his friends just in the nick of time. Seeing Kenzō’s fluid water shield before his nose, Kazuya snapped out of his daze. He grabbed the pistol out of his pocket. He took some magical bullets, crafted from Dragon God Dairyū’s scales, out of his bag and loaded the gun. He aimed at Kasai, who was entangled in a tooth-and-claw battle with Yukihiro, both of them growling and screeching like enraged foxes. They blasted each other with scarlet and purple flames, shattering the windows, burning the floor and walls. Some demon tenants, who hadn’t evacuated, hid behind the sofas and armchairs or put up barriers to stay unharmed. The hall shook under the old foxes’ energy pressure.

I’ll think about the whole Yukihiro-and-Ginrei business later. Kazuya frowned. Our priority now is to liquidate Kasai and find Yumi!

He shut his one eye and activated his Absolute Sight Magic in the other. His pupil dilated, zooming in on his target through the iron sights of the pistol. Kasai seemed too occupied with Yukihiro to notice. Although he jumped around too much, a trained police officer like Kazuya wouldn’t miss.

However strong he may be, Dairyū’s scales can kill him. He thought. He’s a simple bakegitsune, not Inari’s guardian fox… unlike Yukihiro. I won’t fail again!

The memory from the Kagenashi club last night, when he failed to kill Yukihiro despite shooting him in the heart, angered Kazuya. He clutched his pistol so hard that his knuckles turned white. Although he no longer wanted to kill Yukihiro now that he knew he’d been protecting his sister, the humiliation from that night was insufferable. This time, he wouldn’t fail. He’d injure Kasai so hard that he’d no longer move, and then get Yumi’s whereabouts out of him.

He aimed at Kasai’s abdomen and pressed his finger on the trigger. Just a little more, and…

“Stop, you bastard!” Kinnoko shrieked from the counter.

She shot a light ball at Kazuya, which pierced through Kenzō’s water barrier, but got weakened in the process and only managed to hit Kazuya’s arm. However, that was enough for Kinnoko. Kazuya lost his aim and fired his shot upwards, missing Kasai. He winced in pain and clutched his bleeding hand. He snarled at Kinnoko, whose lips formed a triumphant smile.

“Did you think I’d allow you to harm my best client?!” she shouted. “I’ve already lost enough guests because of you. Now, you won’t interfere with Kasai’s duel! And, since he mentioned that you’re lowly humans, I’ll dispose of you all myself.”

She released light rays, making the friends screw their eyes. When they reopened them, their disguises were gone. Kazuya and Inuko were dressed in their police uniforms again. Kasane’s beautiful black dress had vanished, substituted by the initial attire she wore in the Kagurayama Estate.

“No, my dress!” she exclaimed, fully awakening from her initial shock now. She clenched her fists and glared at Kinnoko. “I’ll get you for this, you slut!”

“Choose your words, wench!” Kinnoko screeched, the fur on her golden tails bristling. “Ogres, kill these vermin!”

A swarm of ogres emerged from the shadows, armed with iron clubs and spears – Kinnoko’s private army. They breathed poisonous miasma and spread their draining black energy around. Inuko snarled and covered her nose and mouth with her hand, the rotting miasma affecting her sensitive lungs. Kenzō felt drained, for the ogres’ negative aura affected his divine nature, and he couldn’t defend himself since his kami powers were restricted in the Demon Realm. Nevertheless, he stood firmly on his feet, resisting the pressure. The ogres surrounded the group, their yellow eyes glimmering with killing intent. And Yukihiro was too busy fighting Kasai to protect them.

The friends generated their magical powers. Kazuya moved his pistol in his other hand, for his right arm was bleeding.

“Inuko, you and I can take the ogres,” he told his girlfriend. He smiled at Kasane behind him, who was facing Kinnoko. “I reckon Big Sis wants to deal with that fox?”

“You can leave her to me, alright!” Kasane sneered. Thorny lianas emerged from her palms, writhing like sentient whips.

“She’s 800 years old, so she might be too much for you,” Kenzō chimed in, raising his sword. The ogres’ aura still pressed on him, but he refused to give in. He generated Water Magic around his crystal blade. “I’ll back you up.”

“You useless tanuki, get up and help me!” Kinnoko growled and kicked Shintarō, who was crouching under the counter.

“Ouch!” Shintarō squeaked and scrambled up on his feet. “Y-Yes, Ma’am!” he stammered, readying his claws.

Kasane swung her thorny whips at Kinnoko, but the fox’s claws tore through them. However, before Kinnoko could reach Kasane, a gush of water hit her, pushing her away – it was Kenzō’s slash.

“Thanks!” Kasane smiled.

“No problem!” Kenzō replied, sweating profusely from the draining demonic aura.

“You bastard, that was my mistress!” Shintarō squeaked and jumped at him.

Kinnoko charged at Kasane again. The latter hit the floor with her palms and summoned thorny black lianas, which could absorb light. They entangled Kinnoko and drained some of her energy. Kinnoko struggled against them, slicing them with her claws, but more of them kept coming.

Meanwhile, Kenzō was cutting up Shintarō, who screeched in pain, helpless against his rapid strikes from all directions. Kenzō cackled gleefully, his voice tinkling like a thousand pearls. Kasane and Kazuya knew about his bloodlust, but Inuko had never seen it. So, she couldn’t help staring at him, even though she was occupied with the ogres. She zapped them with her Lightning Magic and observed Kenzō slashing up the tanuki in tiny cuts. Doubtless, he wanted him to bleed to death.

Mom said Dairyū was the most heartless of all dragons. Inuko thought. But when I saw him having fun with his family, I couldn’t believe it. Now, seeing his son torturing his opponent… I suppose Mom was right. She gulped. I’m glad these dragons are on our side!

Kazuya didn’t bother looking at his friends’ battlefields. He was sure they’d handle themselves. He concentrated on the ogres, shooting them with his pistol and backing Inuko up. His Absolute Sight allowed him never to miss a hit. His bullets, crafted from Dairyū’s scales, burned the ogres, turning them to dust.

As the number of the ogres diminished, their aura weakened. Kenzō, free from their demonic pressure, regained most of his energy. His tanuki opponent, covered in the tiniest cuts, gurgled and slumped on the floor, bleeding out. Kenzō laughed at his misery.

“What a useless fatso!” he cried, a dragon’s growl mixed in his tinkling voice. “His meat would be all the better, though… I love fried fat.”

Meanwhile, Kinnoko kept slashing through Kasane’s plants, but her body was going numb. She had a hard time keeping up her regeneration. Kasane’s thorny lianas had injected some venom into her system.

“Ugh, you lowly human, I’ll blow you up in a single strike!” She screeched.

She generated a giant golden ball into her palms. Kasane, already quite battered, put up a wall of light-absorbing plants to deflect the impending hit. The strands of her hair were hanging down her face, and her hands were shaking. She breathed heavily, but refused to relent.

800-year-old foxes are stronger than I expected. She thought. But, if Yukihiro is Ginrei, how did I drug him years ago? She glanced at Yukihiro, who was battling Kasai, engulfed in flames. Was that a lie as well? Kasane’s heart stung. Did he pretend to be drugged? – But why?

Distracted by her thoughts, she didn’t see Kinnoko’s incoming light ball. She gasped in fright, realising that her plants wouldn’t resist it. She instinctively covered her face with her arms.

But the hit never landed. A powerful water barrier absorbed the ball and blew up in a gust of vapour, blinding both Kinnoko and Kasane. When it evaporated, they saw Kenzō standing between them, his sword raised at Kinnoko. His oppressive dragon aura sent shivers down her spine.

“You dare touch my sister from another mother?” Kenzō snarled. His rainbow eyes blazed, and his lips formed a bloodthirsty grin. “I’ll make mince-meat out of you!”