The Mansion…

Sponsored Content

Harumi covered her mouth as she took in a mansion painted with blood . Limbs and heads were burning into purple flames . Walls of dark red, ceiling dripping, the thick smell of iron and gore made the young woman want to puke . The intense pressure in the air frightened her more than any of the destruction . It didn't take her long to spot him, sitting on the throne with a leg propped up on the arm of the chair . The tainted aura of black, red, and gold surrounded the young man . Harumi wanted to go to him . She…She pulled herself together . Everyone had a seal—thank goodness Alena didn't leave the pressure to just one person . But…her thoughts stopped as she heard Clyde whistle a strange tune . Maybe something from his homeworld?

Harumi stretched her hand out in front of Chika, who no doubt would run to him . Or try stealthing . Those eyes . They would see through everything .

Time and s.p.a.ce warped around Clyde like an extreme version of heat-s.h.i.+mmering . Seth took an involuntary step back, but inhaled and forced himself forward . Harumi wished she was that brave . It took everything in her to stay rooted in place .

She looked at Clyde again as they finally stepped into his view . Everything bone in her body trembled . Then his eyes widened .

"Sup guys," he said in his normal voice . Harumi nearly fell backward . His eyes widened farther until Harumi was sure they'd pop out of his head . He teleported to Chika and scooped her into a hug . "How?" A few tears…normal tears, fell from his eyes . "I f.u.c.ked up so much . . . charging my team in without a decent plan . I didn't know how I would ever face you . "

"Clyde…" Chika held onto him tightly . "I don't blame you for what happened . I was so scared when…" Tears fell from Chika's eyes .

"Wait, so no epic showdown against our leader?" Seth said . "And then we get beaten up to the point where Alice just barely puts on the seal to change you back . The taint and all—And then you spiral into emo-like depression—"

"Oh, the old cliché me succ.u.mbing to the taint?" Clyde chuckled . "Come on guys, I'm not that weak . " He hugged Chika again . "G.o.dd.a.m.n, life without you would be terrible for me . For all of us . " Chika melted into Clyde with a blush so deep, Harumi felt jealous . "You see, I've been waiting for that tiny spark of taint from the Omen's sphere to pop out . When it came, I used it to root the vampires in this h.e.l.l hole . Sorry about the mess by the way . At least I got most of them—I think the top two leaders are out of town and I don't know about you guys, but I'm too tired for that s.h.i.+t . Afterward…well it took a little effort and the old trope of fighting with myself in the inside to snuff it out . "

"Then why do you still look like that?" Toru said .

"Yeah Clyde, you're freaking me out dude," Yusuke said .

"That's my line," Seth said to Yusuke .

"And your scent is off," Ruri said .

"My scent?" Clyde said, giving them all a Toru-style blank stare . Except that it looked terrifying to Harumi .

"Are you really well, my heart?" Alice said . Clyde's eyes lit up to her voice .

"To be honest, no," Clyde said, letting go of Chika . "You never know you're capable of crying in life until a close friend die . And then an evil voice tries to get into your head . Anyway, I haven't turned off the transformation simply for the fact that I'm probably going to die . "

Tear leapt toward him, eyes frantic, grabbing a hold of the young man . Everyone looked at her in surprise . Melody looked as if she was about to take that step, but held back . Harumi noticed her foot was ahead too .

"Don't speak like that," Tear said, voice strong . "Don't . "

Sponsored Content

"It's the truth," Clyde said . "I pushed my luck too far this time . "

"How can you be so calm?" Natalia said .

Clyde shrugged .

"This form does things . Besides, Chika took all of my panic with her when…that happened . "

"So all of this…now what?" Melody said then sighed . "I need some of Yuki's brandy when we get home . "

"Home…" Chika said, eyes glistening just a bit .

"I mean if you guys want a fight against this, you could always find me some taint," he said . "Not that it would do any good . I think I may soon learn how to purify it like a machine . I just have to…"

Clyde fell to a knee . "Well, the transformation is wearing off . I'm f.u.c.ked . s.h.i.+t this strain's going to hurt . A G.o.dd.a.m.n painful death . "

"Let's stop standing here and try the seal," Chika said then pulled it out her of pocket . Harumi immediately noticed something strange about it . The silver-haired girl was too caught into happiness to notice .

"Wait, Chika don't—that seal has absorbed the taint from the air!" Harumi yelled too late .

When it touched Clyde's skin, he roared . Chika quickly backed away from him .

"No f.u.c.k! What the f.u.c.k?" Seth yelled . "Clyde, no, fight dude, fight it . "

"This place is full of taint," Harumi said . "We're unaffected due to Alena's spell . The self-protection Clyde had was shattered by the tainted talisman . "

"Wait, so does that mean all of our talismans—" Kitome said .

"Everybody back up," Harumi yelled, shutting away her fear . It was time . No more hiding it . She would heal Clyde, break a promise . "Go outside, out of this taint . Leave Clyde to me . "

"You can't possibly be sane," Toru said . "We're not leaving you to face him alone . "

"Seriously!" Ruri said . "I smell danger . It smells worse than that blood . "

Clyde roared louder, his eyes glowing red . He thrashed about, destroying furniture and pillars with single swipes . He…was in pain . And the taint took over .

"Please trust me," Harumi said . "Please, everyone . I can fix him, but you must go . And don't come nor look in here until I say it's okay"

Sponsored Content

"Fine, but don't get yourself killed," Alice said then took off behind everyone else .

Harumi looked at the man she one day hoped to marry, with icy determination in her eyes .

[Harumi has foolishly challenged the Stone, G.o.d of Life and Eternity to a fight!]

[Harumi has entered a MAXED death sentence!]

[LIFE AND DEATH! Save Clyde!]

The G.o.d walked toward her, lucidity not present in his eyes, enormous red and black and gold aura pouring from him . Harumi took a deep breath then exhaled .

[Harumi has invoked Kitsune form!]

Fiery pink aura surrounded Harumi as she took on the form she hid from her friends . She grew fox ears, a fox tail, and even foxlike pupils . The aura swirled around her, happy to be released . Electricity joined that aura .

"Come on, boy," Harumi said in a confidence, maybe overconfident voice, then grinned . "Let's dance . "

She aimed a hand at the G.o.d and unleashed a literal ton of lightning . It stopped in front of him and turned to dust . "Tsk . It wouldn't be so fun if it was so easy . "

Harumi decided to let go her sense of self, but kept the reminder of healing in the back of her head . She blurred toward the young man, engaging him . He blocked all of her attacks with just a single finger . Then with that same finger—just a touch—rocketed her backward to crash into a table . Harumi laughed, trembling with joy . A true challenge!

"I suppose I should stop having fun," she said .

Sponsored Content

"Is this your idea of a joke, fox?" a voice that was definitely not Clyde's said . "You take me lightly…Let me show you one thousand years of pain . "

Time and s.p.a.ce warped in all places, surrounding the kitsune, but instead of screaming in pain, Harumi laughed . The gold and red magic surrounded her like fire and yet, she just couldn't stop enjoying herself .

[Clyde used Unknown Tier Skill: Eternal Shock . ]

[Harumi's HP has dropped from 1000% to 1 . 2%]

The G.o.d stepped toward her, eyes glowing, the taint swirling around in like a whirlwind . The real taint, not just the aura . He was intimidating, driving the kitsune's s.e.x drive up the wall .

Harumi forced herself through the pain and the wanting to stand . Her grin didn't fade .

[Harumi activated G.o.dDESS Tier Skill: Breath of the Last Kitsune . ]

With one hand aimed at Clyde, she unleashed a ma.s.sive amount of magic in the shape of a glowing pink fox .

…The G.o.d smacked it away with a single hand . Tsk…no effect on him whatsoever . Magic that could obliterate an entire city with ease .

"Well, that could've gone better," Harumi said . "I suppose even I should be wary of challenging the great and mighty G.o.d of eternity . " She laughed .

[Harumi has activated Fox Flash Heal!]

[Harumi is unable to heal due to Clyde's unstoppable pressure . ]

She chuckled .

"Well now . Uhm Clyde, mercy?" she winked .

The G.o.d roared, which sounded like a dragon . His deep and dark voice made her quiver with excitement .

"Insolent mortal, you continue to mock me . Perhaps a thousand years isn't enough for you . "

"G.o.ds and their bravado," Harumi said . "Oh wait, my sensitive self wants to heal you . Whoops, forgot about that . I'm definitely going to pa.s.s out of nervousness when I go back to normal . " She stuck her tongue out then winked . "Let's go, boy . "

The G.o.d teleported next to Harumi, but the kitsune dodged his light-speed punches, kicks, and various martial arts that definitely didn't belong to her Clyde . "Ha, I can see your attacks one second before they come, you know . You'll never hit me . Except with your super-cheap undodgeable magic . "

Harumi bounded to Clyde's side, then leapt onto his back . She licked his cheek then nibbled his ear .

"Mmm, a fox's gotta try sometime," she said . "Now let's heal . "

[Harumi has activated KITSUNE G.o.dDESS TIER SKILL: Kitsune's RE: Purify!]

Her healing magic funneled into Clyde's mouth like a giant tornado . Whirling and whirling until it vanished into his psyche, cleansing him .

Clyde gasped as he collapsed to his knees s.h.i.+mmering . His transformation flickered rapidly then vanished . The kitsune took out her purified seal and placed it on his skin, still smirking .

"Our beautiful man," Harumi said . "Make sure you take care of me…" She kissed Clyde, activating a second layer to the seal . His eyes widened then he fainted . "Ha, proof that I'm the best a man could have . "

Harumi took a deep breath and then reluctantly let go of the transformation . Her face reddened as her normal senses returned . She wanted to die—embarra.s.sing herself like that . She wasn't sure why she acted that way, a persona that others just couldn't see .

It wasn't until recently that she broke her inner limits to unlock the true part of herself . A part of her entire family, before they died to enemies . Enemies of the Kitsune . This was a secret sworn to keep between two sisters . She broke that promise twice now . The first, accidental while training alone . And now…for Clyde .

The seal of his powers wouldn't hold forever and in fact, his rage may still invoke the half-deity state that he used to take out Nezerath . To think… that was less than half of his power—Clyde stood as a man worthy of her .

She shook off the kitsune's thoughts . Clyde is Clyde, she thought . Alena appeared next to her, eyes glowing, knowing, and set on her . Harumi stared her down, coldly .

Sponsored Content