A Fox's Rescue

by Varnell, Brandon

  Chao’s baton slammed into Abercio… and then went straight through him. The figure that he’d clashed against burst into multiple wisps of white vapor, which soon gathered around Chao like unholy will-o-wisps. Without warning, the ghostly forms latched onto Chao, whose grunt of pain was followed by him struggling.

  He fell harshly to the ground, his body jarring from the impact. The vaporous wisps of what could only be ghostly energy began sinking into his skin, which only seemed to increase his pain and desire to break free. Jerks and muscles spasms soon rocked his body as he strained against the agonizing foreign energy coursing through him.

  “Spirit Art: Ghostly Vapors Dance in the Netherworld,” the intonation was spoken with a solemnity that was ruined by the amusement seeping out of the voice.

  Abercio walked out from his hiding place behind a decimated wall, stopping in front of Chao and grinning down at his fellow eight-tails in amusement.

  “I’m sure you’ve figured out what’s happening by now. Those muscle spasms you’re undergoing are from your body shutting down. Every wisp that touches you will pull you closer to the Underworld. I’d give it a few more minutes before you’re dead.”

  “You think so, huh?”

  “Celestial Art: Celestial Dispel.”

  Light erupted from Chao’s body, a sudden golden flash that nearly blinded Abercio. The light then spread out to form a giant sphere of energy that exploded, washing over him and everything else. Abercio had to quickly put up a barrier to keep himself from being struck by the massive wave of celestial youki.

  “Aegis!”

  A hemispherical dome sprang to existence in front of him. Similar to Camellia’s Aegis of the Soul, the barrier that protected Abercio from the debilitating effects of foreign youki was a silvery, ephemeral existence. Ghostly figures danced along its surface. Damned souls writhed within its reflective properties. It shielded his body from the burst of youki that swept through the battlefield like a flash flood.

  The youki soon blew past them. Abercio’s vision cleared to reveal Chao standing before him, his left arm extended, not quite touching the glowing white Dharma Wheel—the Wheel of Buddhist Law that symbolizes the endless cycle of death and rebirth—that hovered just beyond his fingertips.

  “That doesn’t look like it can mean anything good,” Abercio muttered.

  “Celestial Art: Endless Cycle Celestial Canon.”

  A pillar of golden celestial energy washed over Abercio, swallowing him and everything in its path in a deadly embrace of luminescence.

  ***

  “G-guh!”

  Kotohime, along with everyone else, fell to her knees as the deafening sonic impact of celestial energy struck the wall of the Temple of Meditation, abruptly displacing the air with a ferocity she had never seen.

  Her hands automatically went to her ears, covering them as the indescribable howl of what almost sounded like some kind of divine beast blasted into her without purpose. Warm liquid trickled between her fingers and ran down her face in a steady stream, the only sign of her ruptured eardrums.

  Being a River Kitsune, Kotohime was quick to channel her healing powers to her ears. The others weren’t so lucky. All of the humans present writhed on the ground, their hands covering bloody ears that drizzled carmine like a hose that hadn’t been fully turned off. Blood pooled underneath them, creating an ever-expanding puddle. Some of the humans had already gone still, having literally bled to death out of their ears, their corpses staring sightlessly at nothing.

  “D-dammit!” Zhìlì hissed in pain as he covered his ears with his tails. Even so, red fluid still leaked from them, creating a trail down his face before dripping off his chin. “What does that idiot think he’s doing?! Using a technique that powerful around a bunch of humans is insane!”

  I don’t think your brother is thinking.

  Kotohime’s legs trembled as she stood up. While her ears had mostly healed, her sense of balance was still being adversely affected. It would take a few minutes before her body healed entirely.

  “We need to stop them.” She pierced her opponent with a serious gaze. “We cannot allow their battle to continue any longer. If we do, more people are going to die.”

  Zhìlì stumbled forward as he tried to stand. Unlike her, he did not have River Kitsune blood. While his divine powers protected him adequately, he still suffered from having burst eardrums more readily than her. However, like a champ, he caught himself and stood to his full height.

  “You’re right.” He nodded at her. “We can’t let this go on. I’m not too keen on letting a bunch of innocent people die because they got caught up in a battle they should have never been present for in the first place.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  Allies of circumstance, Kotohime and Zhìlì rushed toward the sight of the battle taking place between Abercio and Chao.

  ***

  It was a scene of utter destruction, like something out a post-apocalyptic video game, where mankind destroyed the planet’s surface with nuclear warheads and only ruins remained.

  Abercio was in the center of this destruction. The large crater that he lay in was a lot like a meteor crater, only not quite as large. Strewn around the crater’s interior was debris and rubble, some of which covered him. Above him, the almost cheerful-looking blue sky presented a startling contrast to his current predicament.

  “Ow…” He sat up, rubble and dust falling from his body. He shook his head several times, more dust flaking from his hair. “Ugh, that was some technique. I can’t believe he actually used something like that on me. Even I’m not crazy enough to do that in a place like this.”

  He stood up and began dusting himself off, after which, he glanced around at the crater that he was in. It wasn’t quite what he would call massive. He judged its diameter to be maybe ten or so meters, and its depth to be around five.

  Still, massive or not, the destruction wrought by Chao’s cannon technique was impressive. Outside of the crater was a desolate wasteland. Walls had crumbled to the ground. Buildings that once stood tall were now piles of rubble. The very earth itself had chasms running through it. And where the cannon had been shot was a trench that was easily fifteen meters across.

  Abercio whistled. “Whew! That is some major destruction. It kinda of reminds me of my own Heptagram Spirit Cannon—only not quite as cool.”

  “Abercio-san!!”

  A delightful sound reached his ears, a lyrical voice that sounded like tinkling wind chimes.

  He spun around, his face lit with what he hoped was a suave smile.

  She came toward him. Long raven locks of hair trailed behind her head, shiny, lustrous. Her porcelain face and delicate features inflamed his soul, and her bust, which shuddered as she leapt down to his level, sent his libido into overdrive. He saw all this as she descended into the crater—

  —and then he saw the person she was with.

  His smile dropped.

  “Why is that man with you?” he asked in a dead tone. Kotohime, to her credit, did not seem bothered by the surprising harshness in his voice.

  “We have decided to temporarily team up in order to protect the innocent humans that became caught up in yours and Chao-san’s battle, Abercio-san,” Kotohime answered in a placid, if reproachful manner.

  “Temporarily teamed up? With this useless fox?”

  ”Oi!”

  “Weren’t you going to pay him back for hurting you? For kidnapping your charge? I thought that was the whole reason you wanted to battle him in the first place.”

  “It was, but the safety of innocent people takes precedence over my petty revenge.”

  Abercio clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed. “You are far too kind, Kotohime.”

  Kotohime’s half-smile told Abercio that she thought of his words as a compliment, rather than the mild chastisement they were intended to be.

  “Perhaps.”

  “Where’s Chao?” Zhìlì asked, having finally had enough of being ignored.


  “Hell if I know,” Abercio grunted, obstinately refusing to look at Zhìlì. The only reason he didn’t attack the other kitsune was because of Kotohime. “I just got blasted to the Netherworld by that cannon attack of his.”

  “Endless Cycle Celestial Cannon.” Zhìlì eyed the destruction surrounding them. “It’s one of Chao’s most powerful techniques. It also requires at least eight tails to use. Him and Father are the only two kitsune in the entire world who can use it.”

  Abercio scoffed. “This is that idiot’s most powerful attack? How pathetic. My most powerful attack does at least six times more damage than his did.”

  Zhìlì rolled his eyes. His slouched posture really pissed Abercio off.

  “My brother toned down his attack. It usually has enough punch to destroy entire mountains.”

  A glimmer of malicious mischief appeared in Abercio’s eyes. “So your brother’s a weakling who can’t fight at full power while in a crowded area, huh?” He chuckled. “Good to know.”

  Finally growing irritated with the arrogant kitsune, Zhìlì’s lips peeled back to reveal sharp canines.

  “Chao could care less about humans. I suspect the only reason he didn’t use his full power on you is because doing so would mean all of his men, the elite guards of our clan, would have been caught within the attack and subsequently annihilated.” Blue eyes sharpened to a razor’s point as they stared into Abercio’s own. “While I do not like my brother’s attitude toward human life, he is still my brother, and I won’t have you insult him like that.”

  “Heh…” Abercio’s mocking laughter made Zhìlì twitch. “You won’t have me insult your brother? What can you do? Fight me? Beat me to a pulp?” A scoff. “Please, you’re just a seven-tails.”

  “The amount of tails one has doesn’t always equate to their talent at fighting.” Zhìlì glanced at Kotohime, who was busy frowning as she stared at the sky. “I’ve learned that lesson quite recently.”

  Abercio saw where he was looking and growled in a possessive manner. “Stop looking at her, celestial brat!”

  Zhìlì returned Abercio’s glare with one of his own. “What’ll you do if I don’t?”

  “I’ll shove my foot off in your ass! That’s what I’ll do!”

  Sparks started flying between the two. Hard looks turned into vicious glares. The very air itself became super-charged with tension so thick it could probably suffocate a normal person.

  Thwak! Thwak!

  “Owch!”

  “Fuck!”

  Two sets of eyes were directed toward Kotohime, who had stopped staring at the sky and was now looking at them. Hands on her hips, lips curled downward into a frown of stern disapproval, she looked between the two with the expression an exasperated mother might give her child after discovering he got into a fight.

  “Now is not the time for this,” she said, and the tone in her voice made it clear that this was not up for discussion. “We have a problem.”

  Zhìlì rubbed the large bump that had risen out of his hair where Kotohime smacked him with the sheath of her katana.

  “What kind of problem?”

  “The barrier that we set up is gone,” Kotohime stated simply.

  It took the two other kitsune a second to understand the implications. When they finally managed to comprehend what that meant, two sets of eyes widened.

  “Oh, crap! Chao is heading back to the Citadel of Light!”

  “That was my thought exactly.” Staring at Abercio, Kotohime silently tried to communicate her intent. Fortunately for her, Abercio, arrogant though he was, was not lacking in intelligence. He understood what she was trying to say.

  “We need to get up there,” he agreed.

  “The Shrine Gate has likely been destroyed.” Zhìlì observed his surroundings once more, then grimaced. “No, it has definitely been destroyed. Unless either of you can fly, getting up there is going to be problematic.” A sigh. “Which is why I’m going to help you get up there myself.”

  “Why?” Kotohime’s honest inquiry made Zhìlì shrug.

  “Because Chao has been a, well, he’s been causing some problems recently, ever since that Pnév̱ma girl showed up, in fact.”

  Kotohime’s narrowed eyes became more pointed than her katana. “You mean Lilian-sama?”

  Zhìlì nodded. “Yeah, her. Anyway, Chao wants her dead because father thinks she can heal my younger brother. I think Chao’s belief is that if Lilian dies and Jiāoào never recovers, Lord Inari will have no choice but to name him the next Bodhisattva.”

  “So your older brother is a spoiled brat who got upset because someone took away what he believes is his rightful title?” Abercio tiredly rubbed his face. “That’s just great.”

  ***

  Kevin understood the difference in power between kitsune; how a kitsune with four tails was obscenely stronger than a kitsune with three, or how a kitsune with six tails could take on four or five four-tailed kitsune with little problem. It was the way of yōkai powers. The powers levels they displayed were almost shōnen-esque in just how ludicrous they could become. He had this fact drilled into his head by Kotohime in preparation for moments like now.

  Hearing about it and actually having those power levels being used to fight against him were two completely different things.

  The first thing that Kevin had learned about Li’s new power was that the five-tails had become faster. Way faster. Kevin was no longer able to keep up with him. Even his ability to control where Li would attack next didn’t help. Li was simply too fast, and only Lilian and Iris’s constant use of illusions to fool their foe’s senses had allowed him and the others to avoid certain death.

  Having avoided a most gruesome end or not, they still had a problem. They had managed to escape from Li’s sight thanks to Lilian’s illusions and Iris’s void fire, which affected Li even more now, but that wouldn’t last forever. Eventually, he would find them, unless they managed to escape from the Citadel of Light before then.

  Unfortunately, they were lost. Having run without purpose, without direction, they no longer knew where they were, or where the exit was, for that matter.

  “Ha… ha… ha… do you think we lost him?” Iris asked, huffing and puffing. Out of all the people there, she was in the worst shape. Not even reinforcement could help her lack of stamina.

  “I think we’re all right for now,” Lilian determined, anxiety written all over her face. “We should be, at least. I don’t think Li followed us. If he had, we would have already been under attack. It’ll probably take him a few minutes, maybe even as much as fifteen, before he’ll find us again.”

  Kevin tried not to let the worry lacing her tone bother him. He turned to Phoebe, who had an unconscious and bleeding Polydora slung over her shoulder.

  “How is she?”

  “She’s alive,” Phoebe grunted, “which is something I am thankful for.”

  After escaping from Li and running like a, well, like a five-tailed kitsune was out to cause them grievous bodily harm, the group had secreted themselves away in one of the many rooms inside the palace. The office they found themselves in held a lounge-like appearance, with couches and several glass tables of opulent design arrayed around the room. A desk sat all the way in the back.

  “Lay her down on that couch over there,” Kevin directed before turning his head to look at the girl next to him. “Lilian—”

  “Way ahead of you, Beloved.”

  “Heh.” Kevin grinned. “That’s my mate.”

  Phoebe let Polydora rest on the leather sofa, and Lilian quickly got to work. Her tails glowed brightly, the red fur becoming invisible as golden energy encased them. She brought them over Polydora’s unconscious figure, specifically her chest, and used her celestial powers to begin healing the young woman.

  Kevin watched for a moment as Polydora’s wounds, insidious burns that reminded him of boils (hideous, bubbling protrusions that marred her skin), healed before his eyes. It was a slow-going process, but little by lit
tle, the ugly burns disappeared.

  “We won’t be able to stay here for much longer.” Kevin turned from the sight of his mate healing Polydora to address everyone else. “It’s only a matter of time before Li finds us. We need to come up with a plan to deal with him before then.”

  “Do you think we can truly beat him?” Euryale asked, her face tight and her eyes trembling with fear. Beside her, Menippe and Thoe looked every bit as uncertain. “You saw what happened back there. Polydora’s attack didn’t do anything. It just went straight through him, and he moved so fast we couldn’t even see him!”

  “That doesn’t mean he can’t be beaten,” Kevin insisted. “Everybody has a weakness. Every technique can be defeated if you can just figure out how it works. I won’t deny this guy’s strong, but that doesn’t mean we can’t beat him.”

  “I take it you’ve got a plan?” Iris inquired.

  Kevin’s smile was surprisingly feral. “I do. I’ve already discovered several weaknesses in his technique.” He held up his hand and started listing weaknesses off on his fingers. “We’ve already seen that he’s susceptible to illusions for some reason. Several times he would have killed one of us were it not for Lilian placing him in an illusion. I think it has something to do with their shared affinity, but that’s not important. What is important is that his ability to detect and break out of illusions has been substantially hampered by that strange technique he’s using.”

  “Okay.” Iris crossed her arms under her bust. “So he’s more susceptible to illusions now, but that still won’t help us if we can’t even hurt him.”

  “But we can hurt him.” Kevin’s grin revealed his pearly whites. “Or rather, you can hurt him.” When Iris just blinked, he decided to elaborate. “You saw what happened when you hit him with void fire, right?”

  “Uh, no,” Iris stated. “I didn’t. I was too busy running to care about what happened to that guy.”

  Kevin almost smacked himself in the face. “So you didn’t see how your attack disrupted his technique?”

  “I already said I didn’t.”