Chapter 53

The Hound struggled onto his knees, grabbing his wrist gingerly as Kaede and Yurika crouched beside him. He brushed them off, his pain already subsiding as he stood up, his shroud engulfing his body once more. He glanced down at the bell in his hand in frustration before his gaze followed after Inari, bringing a hand up to shield his eyes from the blinding swirl of stars.

Kaede and Yurika stood on either side of him, doing the same as they heard more glass shatter before the mirror on the dais in the starscape fell forward, landing glass up on the stone floor. The half-glass glowed in a bright blue light before forming a beam of light that shot towards the stars in the dimension.

Another shattering of glass resonated across the room as Inari turned to face them, her left hand on her hip, her smirk aimed at the Hound. “I’m not even sure if the ‘shade of the moon’ himself can handle the two of us.”

The Hound growled, clenching his fist.

“What does she mean?” Kaede asked, leaning towards the Hound.

“There are two of her? That’s not good…” Yurika muttered, her blade pointed at the ground.

“No… she means another thief.” The Hound replied, his eyes on the beam of light as it dispersed, the glass on its face flying off in various directions before a silhouette floated limply up from its surface.

“Another thief…” Kaede said quietly. She had already accepted the island’s version of the folktale, but the realization was only just now setting in.

“Wait, dog-boy…” Yurika said quietly, looking up at the Hound. “This has bothered me since last night… but if you were bested by multiple thieves, why would you ever feel shame? Especially if this one is at the same level as Kitsuya and Inari!”

“Oh, he feels ashamed because it wasn’t that there were more of us.” Inari said, smugly, answering in the Hound’s stead. Her gaze focused on the trio as the silhouette floated to her side, landing next to her, still bathed in blue light. “Rather, it was how we tricked him and with whom.” Her mouth split open in a wide grin, exposing her fangs. “The lowly Hare was really the one to best the beast! Isn’t that right, Hound!?”

The Hound clenched his fist even tighter, his eyes focused on the silhouette. Kaede and Yurika looked at each other.

“The Hare…”

“Who is that?”

Inari’s laugh echoed through the chamber as the blue light dissipated, revealing the young man, his gaze empty as he slouched next to the fox.

“The Hare was the catalyst for our plan! For you see, he had knowledge that no one else besides the royal guard and the family had about the castle.” Inari wrapped her arm around the listless young man, his face pale and gaunt, his hair white. He couldn’t have been more than a few years older than Kaede and Yurika but his time in the mirror distorted any semblance of his actual age.

“His affection for the princess, or rather, his obsession, made him an easy mark to get us into her treasury.” Inari declared, as she looked at his dead eyes before turning to look at the Hound. “The abundance of riches hidden by that insufferable princess would’ve done wonders to all the people, especially the nomadic tribes, like this poor young man. Instead, he was forced into that seal and has endured innumerable years imprisoned by the princess’s magic! Isn’t that tragic!?”

“You just said you yourself used him!” Yurika yelled out at Inari. “Don’t cast the blame on Kagura-chan!”

“So she’s seduced you to her side as well…” Inari muttered, a look of pity turned towards the island girl. “She, nor the royal family, are the benevolent people you seem to think they are.” Her amber eyes fell onto the silenced Hound and she grinned.

“Oh… right. The Hound would embellish those details…” Inari glanced at the listless Hare before sliding her hand under his chin and across to his opposite cheek, caressing it gently. “Just look at this poor lad. He suffered at their hands too.”

Inari’s hand on his cheek glowed and the young man, still unresponsive, slowly regained his color and his physique. His hair remained white as his whole body glowed with whatever magic the fox was imbuing him with.

“Stop that! He looks like he’s already suffered enough!” Kaede cried out, stepping towards the boundary between the two rooms.

Inari’s gaze fell upon Kaede and her smirk returned. “Oh, you can sympathize with him, can you?”

“Kaede, don’t go any closer!” The Hound commanded as Kaede slowly stepped to the edge of the shinkan. Yurika rushed after her, grabbing the oiran and pulling her back.

“Yurika-chan! We have to help him! He’s as much a victim as the serpent and Kagura-chan!”

Yurika didn’t disagree with Kaede but her unease about Inari’s intentions stopped her from vocalizing her accord.

Inari’s wicked smirk widened as she leaned close to the Hare’s ear, whispering directly into it. “Good Hare, it is time to wake up. I know it has been several centuries but you must finish what we started.”

Inari’s amber eyes fell onto Kaede’s, her fangs fully bared as she continued.

“For, you see, those two girls helped the Hound kill your beloved princess!”