Chapter 62

The fox clenched her claws into fists, growling loudly as her eyes met the oiran’s.

Gakuto and Yurika were stunned in silence, while Kaede kept the flower held up between her and Inari.

“Am I wrong, Inari? I can only guess about the events, but you were saved by this other thief and they died tragically. In your mourning, you somehow blamed their death on the kingdom and specifically, Kagura-chan, before coming up with a plan to rob them. You must’ve thought there was something in the vault that could’ve saved your beloved.” Kaede’s eyes were full of empathy for the fox, pulling the flower back.

“You think you have me all figured out, don’t you, brat!?” Inari snarled, before roaring loudly, the aura of malevolence surrounding her once more. Yurika and Gakuto sprung forward, stepping between Kaede and Inari, their weapons raised.

“Kaede-chan, I think you only made things worse!”

Gakuto nodded slightly, both of their eyes locked on Inari.

“I was trying to calm her down!”

“It didn’t work!” Both of their voices said in unison. The Hound materialized in Kaede’s shadow, the four of them all focused on the fox, engulfed in a swirling vortex of their own hatred and anger.

“That was incredible work, Kaede.” The Hound stated, as his unseen eyes locked onto the fox. “Unfortunately, it seems to have only made her more enraged.”

“We already covered that!” Yurika and Gakuto snapped at the Hound and he was taken aback at how in-sync they were. The four of them slowly took a few steps back as the vortex around Inari grew wider before surging into the stars above.

The fox had changed once again, her kimono dress now pure black, with the silver flower still present. Her hair, in the back, reached to her ankles, the forelocks and sides hanging to her waist. Her ears were slightly longer and more pointed and her amber eyes were even more animal-like. Her fangs seemed to have become sharper as did her claws and her tails had multiplied further, each flailing about behind her, more reminiscent of tentacles than fox tails. Yurika’s blade was still buried in her chest.

“You’re right though, Kaede.” Despite her more dangerous form, Inari’s voice seemed more subdued. “There had to be something in that vault to stop the diseases that ravaged the nomadic tribes. Yet, those accursed royals kept everything locked up under the guise of safety. Now tell me, Kaede…”

Inari’s eyes peeked out from her bangs, locking onto the oiran. “What safety is there in not using something to prevent illnesses from spreading!? You really think the moon princess is so noble now!?”

“There’s no way they could’ve known! It’s not like anyone was testing the items in the treasury!”

“Kagura was!” Inari’s voice was barely above a whisper but Kaede and the others could feel the venom and hatred behind those words.

“She spent every day in that vault, ‘playing’ with the magical tools! She knew their power! You can’t tell me she didn’t know of one to stop illnesses!” Inari snarled, one of her tails extending out and thrusting right at Yurika. Gakuto slid over, Setsuna raised, but before he could even swing it, the tail slammed into him, knocking him to the left.

He bounced and then rolled, crying out in pain when he landed.

“Gakkun!” Yurika cried out, starting to rush to him when the Hound grabbed her wrist.

“It’s too dangerous, Yurika!”

“But Gakkun…!”

Kaede’s eyes widened in fear, and Inari smirked, her eyes focused on the oiran. “Yes, that right there!” She laughed sadistically, flailing and extending another tail out, targeting Kaede this time.

“Feel despair, Kaede! Just like I did! Knowing there’s nothing you can do to stop the inevitable!” The Hound cursed under his breath as Kaede was frozen in place, merging into her shadow and appearing in front of her, aiming to catch the fox’s tail.

“Miserable beast!” Inari snarled, extending three more of her tails towards him, using them like whips to hammer down the Hound before tossing him at the threshold behind them. The Hound’s shroud and mask were knocked off as he slammed into the stone hard, unmoving.

“Stop it!” Kaede said, her eyes wide, tears welling up in them. “You don’t have to go this far, Inari! What would they think of what you’ve become!?”
“Don’t you dare lecture me, you miserable, sheltered, little girl!? You don’t know what it's like to lose the only person you ever loved! I don’t need any of your sympathy or judgement!” Inari extended more of her tails out this time, hammering them along the ground before constricting one around Yurika’s ankle and flinging her to the left.

“YURIKA-CHAN!” Kaede cried out, moving to try and chase after her friend.

Yurika screamed in pain, landing hard on her side, her eyes glazed over as she looked back towards Kaede.

“K-Kaede-chan… r-run…” She muttered before going limp.

Kaede fell to her knees, her arm still outstretched towards Yurika. One of Inari’s tails wrapped around the oiran’s arm, before roughly dragging her along the ground to the fox.

It lifted Kaede in the air, suspending her in front of the fox, tears streaming down the girl’s face.

“There it is!” Inari growled, with sadistic mirth. “The moment when the princess’ avatar breaks! When she gives up hope and my plan can finally be completed!” Inari’s malicious laughter echoed across the starscape.

“Are you watching, Kagura-hime!? From your self-induced prison!?” Inari’s voice was full of loathing as she yelled out into her domain. “Your pathetic pet Hound and your sheltered little avatar have failed!” The fox cackled viciously, as Kaede eyes, devoid of life, stared at the fox.

Inari growled, swiping her claws across Kaede’s left cheek, leaving three painful cuts, her amber eyes glaring at the oiran. “I’m getting sick of your eyes, brat!” She gnashed her fangs together, before her mouth turned into a cruel grin.

“Perhaps, I should gouge them out?”

Gakuto coughed and sputtered, crawling across the stone towards the fox, glaring at her. “Don’t you dare touch her…”

Inari growled again, slamming one of her tails into the young guard, causing him to yelp in pain. “I give the commands here, boy!”

There was a shuffling of feet near the boundary as the Hound bent down and picked up his discarded mask, before affixing it to his face, staring at Inari.

“You want more pain, mutt!?” Inari yelled, extending multiple tails back and aiming them towards the defenseless Hound.

“Kagura-same, forgive me. I promised you I would keep Kaede safe…” He held his hand up, revealing the bronze bells before flicking his wrist three times in rapid succession, their resonance stopping the tails in their tracks, much to Inari’s chagrin. “...and I will do that, no matter the cost…”

The Hound fell forward onto his knees, the bell still raised, his unseen gaze locked on Inari.

“Accursed beast…” Inari spat, her tails paralyzed. “I don’t know what trickery you’re aiming for but…”

“No tricks.” The Hound whispered, flicking his wrist four more times, in the shape of a cross, directing the sound at Kaede. “Just using the gifts Kagura-sama gave me.” The Hound fell forward, unconscious.

Kaede shook her head slightly, the life returning to her eyes as the sound of the bell brought her back to her senses. The fox was gnashing her fangs in frustration, unsure what the Hound had intended to do with those chimes, but her tails remained anchored in place.

“Inari…” Kaede’s voice was quiet as she stared down at the fox.

Inari glared up at Kaede, the oiran’s eyes enraging her once more. “I really despise your eyes, girl!”

Kaede wiggled her bound arm free and fell to her knees, before struggling to stand, staring the fox down. “That’s okay, Inari. I’m not a fan of yours either. There’s so much anger in them…”

Inari gnashed her fangs angrily, feeling the weight of the Hound’s bells on her suspended tails. “They made me like this. They should’ve admitted to their greed!”

Kaede took a deep breath before reaching up and removing her hairpin, her ponytail collapsing into her hair. She slowly took a step towards the fox, closing the gap. “You didn’t have to make it so personal, you didn’t have to sever the reins.”

“That was Kitsuya! I merely hunted the Hound!” Inari spat out, trying to step back from the approaching oiran, fear starting to overtake her. She could feel whatever spell the Hound cast starting to wane, her mind rapidly working on a plan to buy herself more time.

“It doesn’t matter. You went along with it.” Kaede stopped in her tracks, her voice surprisingly calm as she extended her free hand out, caressing Inari’s cheek gently. “You removed the Serpent’s purpose. You trapped the Hare. The Serpent, who loved Kagura, just like you loved the thief.”

Kaede’s eyes were filled with anger, yet they were full of tears as she stared down the fox. Blood trickled down her cut cheek, as she spoke. “You, of all people, should know what kind of torment that is. Losing the person who gave you purpose from another similar to you. I just can’t find it in me to forgive you.”

“I don’t care, your insufferable wench!” Inari snarled, her tails starting to move, the bind from the Hound lifting. “I don’t need your forgiveness, nor do I want it!”

Kaede took a deep breath, stepping even closer to Inari, the hairpin in her hand raising slowly. “Yet, at the same time, I pity you, Inari.”

“I don’t want that either!” The fox snarled, her tails fanning out as she started to turn them inwards towards Kaede.

“I didn’t say you did, but I still do…” Kaede leaned forward, wrapping one arm around Inari’s shoulder as the fox started to flail.

But that didn’t matter, as Kaede had brought her other hand up, the one with the hairpin to Inari’s necklace, sliding the tip of it between the cloth and fox’s neck. With a single, swift motion, the oiran severed the necklace, yanking it from Inari’s neck, before stepping back.

The fox, stunned by Kaede’s action, stared at the oiran for a few moments before the aura appeared once more, this time pulling into the fox as she howled in pain, her many tails disappearing in an instant before giving one last glare at the young maiden.

Inari, the former fox, fell forward before disappearing into nothingness.