Lilian was stunned. “Pet? Make sure she knows her place? She’s not an animal! She’s a person! A kitsune, just like us!”
“Lilian. my Lilian.” Lilian shuddered. Jiāoào’s smile frightened her for reasons she couldn’t even begin to fathom. “You are far too kind. Maddison is nothing more than a pet, an object for me to pleasure myself with. This… thing may indeed be a kitsune, but she’s a failure whose only purpose was to be your replacement until I had you within my grasp.”
By this point in time, Jiāoào had healed the bite wounds on his finger. He opened his mouth to say something more, but a knock at the door interrupted him. Jiāoào opened the door to reveal a woman with long purple hair in a ponytail and short-skirted kimono kneeling on the ground.
“My Lord,” the woman said, “it seems we have several unexpected guests.”
“Unexpected guests?” Jiāoào hummed. “How many?”
“Three. One of them is Kotohime. I’ve tentatively identified the other as Kiara F. Kuyo.”
Kotohime is here?!
Lilian felt a surge of hope. If Kotohime had come to rescue her, then surely everything would be alright. No one, not Jiāoào or this new three-tailed kitsune, could defeat a vixen of Kotohime’s caliber, especially if Kiara was with her.
“I see.” Jiāoào grimaced with repressed disdain. “So, the great Swordswoman of the defunct Slina clan is working with a dog, is she? That’s fine. I shall have them both dealt with. Who’s the last one?”
“A human male around fifteen years of age with blond hair and blue eyes. It’s the one that I told you about in my report.”
Kevin!
Lilian’s eyes widened. Kevin was coming to rescue her! Equal amounts of warmth and terror filled her chest. Coming here would put him in incredible peril.
I have to do something!
“I see.” Jiāoào’s body went through a series of shudders. “It seems that Lilian’s toy has come to rescue her. How amusing.” His cruel chuckle set Lilian’s teeth rattling. “I shall have to give this boy a warm reception, then.”
Lilian’s eyes widened. He couldn’t!
“Ling, I want you to deal with Kotohime. You don’t need to beat her, just stall her long enough for me to deal with the human.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
Ling left the room, and Jiāoào looked at the redhead by his feet. “Maddison, tell Shílì that I have found a worthy opponent for him. After that, you are to guard this door and let no one aside from myself enter. Fail to do so, and I will ensure that you experience so much pain and suffering that you’ll wish I had discarded you like the trash you are.”
“Yes… Master.”
The chain was taken off and Maddison was allowed back to her feet. The redhead sent one last withering glare at Lilian, then marched out of the room.
Jiāoào stared at Lilian for several silent seconds before making one last parting comment. “Enjoy the last few days of your freedom, my Lilian. Once we leave this Inari-forsaken country, I will take great pleasure in breaking you.” With that said, he vacated the room as well, the door behind him closing with a light click.
The moment she was alone, Lilian began to struggle against her bonds.
I have to break free and help Kevin!
***
Kevin felt his stomach leap into his throat as the car he was in hit a speed bump and became airborne. Sitting within the driver’s seat, Kiara laughed like a loon.
“Fear me road, for I AM YOUR DOOM! Hahahahahaha-BWAHAHAHAHAHA!”
They were traveling down a dirt road. Dust and rocks and the gods only knew what else were kicked up in their wake. Ever since they had hit this out-of-the-way desert road, Kiara’s driving had taken a turn for the insane.
“Now this is what I’m talking about! WHOOOO!”
“AAAEEEIIIII!”
Kevin could have sworn he saw his life flash before his eyes as the car sailed through the air. When they hit the ground again, he nearly bit the inside of his cheek.
“Kiara-san, must you drive so recklessly?” Kotohime asked, somehow managing to remain poised, the perfect picture of calm, despite Kiara’s driving.
Kiara sent her foxy friend a fierce grin. Her eyes twinkled with joy, though Kevin thought insanity was a better term to describe it. “Of course I do. We’re off road, Kotohime. Off road means no cops, and no cops means flooring it!”
Kevin clasped his hands together and started muttering under his breath. “Our father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. My Kingdom come. My will be done—”
“Are you praying?” Kiara asked.
“Yes! How can I not with the way you’re driving?”
Kiara merely laughed his words off and stomped on the gas. Kevin shrieked like a little girl as they bolted further along the road, hitting bumps and dips, catching air and slamming back down. The tang of blood filled his mouth as he accidentally bit his tongue. He clenched his eyes shut, praying to God, Izanagi, Izanami, Inari, Allah, Shiva, Ifrit, Thor, Odin, and every other god he could think of to make this crazy woman stop.
“Shit!”
A curse escaped Kiara’s mouth. Loud squealing reached Kevin’s ears as he was thrown forward, his face thunking against the front seat. He knew that was going to leave a rash come tomorrow morning. The car swerved several times, left and right, left and right. Kevin’s face turned green as he fought against the breakfast that threatened to spew from his mouth.
Then they stopped. Suddenly. Abruptly. And without warning.
Kevin quickly undid his seatbelt and was just about to bolt out of the car—
“Hold it, boya.”
—when Kiara stopped him.
“What? Why?”
“Because we have company,” Kotohime answered calmly as she undid her seatbelt.
Kevin looked out the front window to see that, yes, there was indeed someone impeding them from continuing. Her long purple hair, tied into a ponytail behind her head, flowed gently like streamers caught in a breeze. Her short-skirted kimono reminded him of Kotohime’s, except it was all black. He wondered why Kiara hadn’t just run her over, but then he noticed the three tails waving behind her and the fox ears that sat twitching on her head.
A kitsune. Great. This is just what we need.
“I shall handle this.”
Kevin felt a jolt of surprise. “Kotohime?”
The kimono-clad female offered Kevin a conciliatory smile before stepping out of the car. “You two should go on ahead. I will take care of this one and then catch up with you.”
Kiara shrugged and shifted out of neutral. “Alright. I don’t expect it will take you very long to beat her anyway.”
“Indeed.”
***
As she closed the passenger door and Kiara took off, the other kimono-wearing kitsune tried to stop them by shooting a large cylinder of fire from her tails. It was negated before it could travel ten feet by the equally large stream of water that Kotohime launched at it.
Loud hissing echoed across the desert landscape. Steam billowed outwards from where the two attacks met, covering the area in a thick, cloying cloud of evaporated moisture. Kiara used it as a smokescreen, driving right past the kitsune and bursting out of the cloud. Kotohime could hear Kevin’s shriek of fear along with Kiara’s laughter as the car took off down the road.
Ling made to attack them before they could get too far.
Kotohime did not let her.
Several spikes shot up from the ground almost too quickly for the naked eye to follow. Ling barely avoided the first spike, and only managed to keep from being impaled by the second by launching herself into the air. The third spike erupted from the earth right below her, but Ling’s tails burst into flames and she used them to shatter the ice crystal.
“Fire Art: Fire Tail Whip.”
Ling landed on the ground several feet away from Kotohime, who smiled congenially at the woman.
“Water Art: Glacial Crystals. It is a rather basic technique, I’ll adm
it, but it gets the job done.” Her eyes, sharper even than a hawk’s, observed the kunoichi-garbed woman before her. “I do not believe I’ll need anything more than basic techniques, not for this battle.”
Ling frowned and slid into a combat stance, knees bent, center of gravity lowered, and arms set in front of her in a basic martial arts stance.
“Do not think defeating me will be that easy just because I am a three tails,” Ling declared in an emotionless voice. “I assure you that if you underestimate me, it will be the last mistake you ever make.”
***
The house was getting closer. Kevin could make out the more intricate details as they drove. It was a massive construct, built to the size of a mansion. It looked like something out of the late Victorian era, with two spire-like towers standing about three stories high. Red tiled roofing and brick walls made for a stark contrast with the tan desert colors surrounding it.
Before they could go much further, the ground in front of them exploded. Black flames burst into existence and sought to devour the car. Kevin had never seen such flames before, and his eyes widened as the dark fire leapt forward to consume them.
“We’re gonna die!!”
Kiara swerved the vehicle, turning hard. They avoided the flames, which reversed course and continued to follow them until they seemed to move out of their range.
The car then skidded to a halt.
A figure had appeared in front of them.
“Looks like this is where we start hoofing it. Outta the car, boya.”
Kevin scrambled out of the car at the same time as Kiara. They walked towards the person standing before them, wary of potential traps. None were forthcoming though, and they reached the man soon enough.
Dark hair descended from his crown to frame an effeminately beautiful face marred by dark rings surrounding the man’s eyes. His eyes, which were black enough to make the night jealous, stared at them politely, but Kevin could practically sense the insanity rolling off them in waves. He wore a very unusual outfit, black slacks and a black penguin jacket with a white undershirt. Equally white gloves covered his hands. He had four tails swaying behind him, making him the same age as Camellia.
“Is that a butler’s outfit?” Kevin asked in surprise. It was, indeed, a butler’s outfit.
“You must be the one known as Kiara F. Kuyo.” The kitsune gave a graceful bow at the waist. Kevin felt a drop of sweat trail down his face. This man definitely acted like a butler. “My name is Shílì, however, you may call me the Black Butler.”
“Ugh.” Kevin felt like vomiting. “That was so lame…”
Shílì’s eyes widened. “W-what do you mean it’s lame? I’ll have you know that I spent a lot of time coming up with that nickname. Hours even.”
“Oh, please. We both know you stole that name from Black Butler,” Kevin shot back. “Now stop butchering one of the anime I like and think up your own dang nickname!”
“Your words are harsh, young one, but I can see your point. It wouldn’t be a very good idea for me to so blatantly use the name of an anime for my nickname. Copyright issues and all that.” He placed a hand on his chin. “So, then, what should I call myself…” After mumbling to himself a little more, the black-haired kitsune nodded. “My new nickname shall be Sebastian Michaelis!”
“That’s even worse!”
“Ciel Phantomhive?”
“Not on your life!”
“… Tanaka?”
“Absolutely not!”
“Then what should I call myself?”
“How about you just call yourself by your own name?” asked an annoyed Kevin. “You know, that series of letters you were given upon your birth?”
“Hmm… yes, yes, I guess I see your point. It would not do to rip off of another person’s fame. That is, indeed, in very poor taste. And as my master’s butler, I must keep myself to the highest standards possible. Very well, then.” Another formal bow. “You may call me Shílì. I am Master Jiāoào’s butler and servant, his sword and his shield, and I have come to challenge you, Kiara F. Kuyo!”
Seeing that it was finally her turn to play a part, Kiara looked at the man pointing a finger at her with amusement. “Oh? You wanna fight me, huh? I’ll admit, I’m pretty curious to see what sort of tricks a four-tails has up his sleeve.” She sniffed the air. “Especially one with the powers of darkness.”
“Noticed that, did you?” Shílì pouted, as if she’d just ruined his big surprise. “I do not know why I was born with this accursed power, though I shall be the first to admit that it has come in handy.”
“I’m just surprised someone like you is willing to serve a brat from the Great Celestial Clan.”
“A series of mitigating circumstances led to my fortuitous role as Master Jiāoào’s bodyguard and butler. I will admit, it was very difficult at first, but I have since come to terms with and learned to enjoy my work.” A strange gleam entered the butler’s eyes. “I especially enjoy when it leads me to strong opponents like you.”
“Heh.” Kiara chuckled and shook her head ruefully. “You really want to fight me?” A smile grew upon her lips and her eyes gleamed dangerously in the light. Kevin could feel the air around him become thick with something frightening. Bile rose up in his throat.
“Indeed I do.” The kitsune’s smile matched Kiara’s. It spoke of danger and insanity, of a bloodlust that could only be sated through brutal combat. “There are few things more enjoyable than fighting and killing a strong opponent.”
Kiara slid into a stance that Kevin didn’t recognize. He could see that it bore a slight resemblance to Muay Thai, but Kiara remained too light on her feet for it to be that.
“I’m surprised to hear a kitsune say that.”
“Not all kitsune go out of their way to avoid a good battle. Some of us actually enjoy pushing our physical capabilities to the limit.” Shílì began bouncing on the balls of his feet, his hands dangling loosely at his sides. “For me, there is no greater joy than finding the limits of my strength and overcoming those limits. Pushing my abilities as far as they can go is my greatest joy and happiness.”
The air grew thick, and Kevin found it difficult to breathe.
“However, I’ve not had an opponent who can push me to my utmost limits in nearly a century.” Shílì lamented, his arms reaching up to the heavens. He brought them back down and smiled at Kiara. “I hope very much that you succeed in giving me the challenge I so crave.”
“I think you’ve got things backwards,” Kiara said, giving him a fanged smirk. “You’re the one who I’m hoping will give me a challenge.” She looked over at the silent Kevin. “Boya, get going. I’ll take care of things from here.”
Kevin took a deep breath to steady himself. Slowly, he nodded. “Alright. Thanks.”
Shílì didn’t stop Kevin as the young man ran past him. He didn’t even look the boy’s way.
“Not going to stop him?” asked Kiara, an eyebrow raised.
“No. Master Jiāoào has something special planned for him. It is best to just let my master have his way with the young man.”
… A moment of silence. Several crows cawed in the distance. Kiara watched a tumbleweed slowly roll between her and her soon-to-be opponent.
Finally…
“…That sounded so wrong in so many ways.”
***
When Kevin stepped into the courtyard, someone was already waiting for him.
The person standing before him looked even younger than Kevin, though the two tails jutting from his tailbone said otherwise. Long blond hair tied into a topknot at the back kept his hair out of his face, all except for two bangs which fell down his front, stopping just below his chest. His outfit consisted of a traditional Han Fu robe—a gown of pure white with long, voluminous sleeves and a multi-layered skirt of light purple was visible underneath the robes. A belt with intricate embroideries of a nine-tailed fox held it all together.
A chill ran down Kevin’s spine, causing him to stop. An unknow
n feeling of anxiety passed through him. He felt unnerved by this kitsune’s presence. The young-looking yōkai did not speak. He just stood there, staring.
Kevin gathered his courage.
“You must be Jiāoào.”
“And you must be Kevin Swift.”
“That’s right. What of it?”
Jiāoào looked him over, then scoffed. “I cannot fathom the reason as to why my Lilian has pledged herself to you. You’re nothing but a filthy, disgusting, lowly human.”
The fear vanished at the petulant kitsune’s arrogant words.
“And you’re nothing but a jerk who goes around kidnapping the girl you want because you know it’s the only way you can have her,” Kevin snapped back. “At least I gained Lilian’s love naturally, unlike you, so spare me your ‘lowly human’ crap!”
“Tch. You’re also incredibly crass, it seems. I wonder, have you always been like this, or is that bluntness something you picked up from my Lilian?”
“Who cares? Look, are we going to get this started or not?”
Jiāoào raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going to tell me to, ‘hand over Lilian or you’ll regret it,’ or something of that nature? Isn’t that how you protagonist types normally operate?”
Kevin shrugged. “Why bother? We both know that you’re not
going to hand Lilian over to me.”
“True enough.”
“Besides, I don’t think we have enough word count for that.”
“That is very―wait.” Blink. “You can break the fourth wall?”
Now it was Kevin’s turn to blink. “The fourth what now?”
“Never mind.” Jiāoào shook his head. He must have been hearing things. “Let us, as you humans say, get this over with.”
A cruel smile lit Jiāoào’s face as he stared Kevin down, his two tails writhing behind him like the abominable tentacles from an amorphous eldritch horror.
“Allow me to show you why we kitsune are superior to you apes.”
Chapter 11
Lessons in Badassery
“Fire Art: Fiery Prism, Thirteen Pentagrams.”
A Fox's Family (American Kitsune Book 4) Page 34