A Fox's Vacation

by Brandon Varnell

  “Water Art: Kraken’s Fury.”

  Kotohime and Kiara were soon forced into a flurry of movement as the monstrously-sized tentacles descended upon them with the fury of a sea god. The tentacles crashed into the water’s surface. Great bulges generated by their splashdown created massive tidal waves that sent water everywhere. She and Kiara moved, trying to avoid getting swept up by the waves, which loomed over them like goliaths.

  The waves fell. Kotohime gnashed her teeth together in concentration as she skated across the water. She sheathed her blades, slid into an iaijutsu stance, then just as quickly unsheathed them.

  “Ikken Hissatsu. Hikisakimasu.”

  Split—a technique that cut everything before it in half. The wave was no exception. Kotohime swung her two blades upwards, cutting the wave before her in two.

  Several feet away, Kiara was launched into the air when one of the tentacles splashed down near her. The tidal wave that it created slammed into the convention center. At the apex of her jump, she brought her hand near her face and coated it in fiery-red youki. She fell back down. With a roar that sounded more animal than human, she launched her fist into the giant water tentacle.

  A ripple spread across the tentacle, which undulated and bulged. Kiara leapt off just as the entire thing exploded. Grinning, she landed back on the water.

  “That wasn’t so hard,” she said—only for the grin to fall away when the stump sprouted two more tentacles. “What the hell is this thing? A Hydra?!”

  The two tentacles shot toward her, faster than before, and Kiara was forced into a deadly dance. She swerved around them, trying to avoid the sharp-looking tips that kept attempting to impale her. Because she was so busy dodging the two tentacles in front of her, she didn’t see the one coming in from behind until it smacked her in the back, hard.

  Kiara’s world exploded with pain as she was sent skidding across the water’s surface. She hit the water face-first and tumbled across it like a broken doll, eventually crashing into the convention center with enough force to plow straight through the wall.

  Kotohime wove between three tentacles that tried to kill her, using her incredible speed to her advantage. These things were ponderously slow. Dodging them was easy. The only problem she had was the waves they made, which disrupted her ability to skate along the water.

  She had already discovered that the tentacles sprouted two more when severed, having already cut one with her sword. Now she was dealing with three tentacles, all of which seemed eager to either squash her like an insect, or impale her with their sharp tips.

  One of the thinner tentacles came at her from the left. Kotohime ducked and glided along the water, dodging the massive limb, which crashed into the kitsune-made lake. She then used the wave it produced to launch herself into the air, thereby avoiding another tentacle that tried to stab her.

  Her feet hit the water. A splash went up. Kotohime rotated her body so that she was moving backwards. The three tentacles were in front of her now—two trailing after her while one rose high into the air.

  Instincts warned her of impending danger. She bent her knees and, sending youki into her legs, she jumped into the air—just in time, too. Less than a second later, a fourth tentacle shot up from below and came at her. Gritting her teeth, Kotohime sheathed her swords and prepared to counterattack.

  “HYA!”

  It wasn’t needed. Like a rocket, Kiara barreled into the tentacle. Her fist hammered it with a blow that caused ripples to appear along its surface. It didn’t burst apart, however, showing that she’d learned her lesson, and instead it was forced back into the water where it landed with a massive splash.

  “Da… dammit,” Kiara swore, even as she sucked in a heaping gulp of air. “I don’t… don’t know how much longer I… can keep this up.”

  Kotohime, also breathing deeply, had to agree. Her friend looked like she’d taken quite the beating. Her face and body were beginning to bruise, and her business suit looked like it had been put through a paper shredder. It hung off her frame in tatters, barely covering her unmentionables.

  “Kraken’s Fury is a technique that creates tentacles by infusing a large body of water with youki and controlling it like an extension of oneself,” Kotohime explained. “If we can defeat this technique, Luna will have no choice but to reveal herself.”

  “So, what you’re saying is that we need to get rid of all this water somehow.”

  “Correct. The water has been infused with her youki, which is why it hasn’t dispersed into the rest of the city. We need to break the technique and drain the water.”

  “How do we do that?”

  “I have no idea. Kraken’s Fury requires at least six-tails to use, so I’m not well-versed in its application beyond what I just told you.”

  “Gee, how helpful.”

  “Your sarcasm is unnecessary,” Kotohime muttered—seconds before all eight tentacles descended upon them.

  ***

  Kevin continued to watch as Kiara and Kotohime fought against the giant tentacles. He remembered mentioning tentacle monsters during their time at the beach. There was a twisted sort of irony at seeing them now. Unfortunately, any humor that he might have felt was nullified by the fact that these tentacles were trying to kill two people that he admired.

  He stood on the roof with Lilian and Iris, feeling the weight of his own powerlessness press down on him. For months now, he’d been training his butt off, working out every morning with Kiara and getting trained in hand-to-hand combat. He thought he’d been doing well, that he’d been getting stronger.

  His defeat at Ken’s hands had left a bad taste in his mouth, but he’d thought that if he just worked a bit harder, became a bit stronger, he could overcome his weaknesses.

  Now he knew better. Watching Kiara and Kotohime fight against a kitsune who could drown an entire area in water and create abominable tentacles to crush her foes, Kevin realized that he truly was powerless.

  So he stood there, trying to offer Lilian all the comfort he could, but on the inside, he was drowning in his own despair.

  For how could he hope to stand against a creature whose power was so far beyond the reach of a mere mortal like himself?

  ***

  Five tentacles tried to reach for Kotohime, coming in at different angles from different trajectories and at different times. She leapt over the first one. Landing on top of it, Kotohime slid along its slippery surface, using her own youki to propel herself forward. The second came in from the left. She noticed it out of the corner of her eyes and crouched low. Her hand touched the tentacle that she was on, acting as a dorsal fin and altering her path until she was upside down. The other tentacle missed. Still gliding along the first tentacle, she made a full rotation around its circumference.

  Three more tried attacking her at the same time. One grabbed at her ankle from behind, but it was avoided when Kotohime slid away. The other tried to impale her. She tilted her body at an almost humanly impossible angle and allowed it to soar past her, the tip ripping open the front of her kimono. The last came at her face. She used her own unique kitsune ability to stop it.

  “Kitsune Art: Transient Counterforce.”

  Transient Counterforce was a specialized technique that she had created decades ago to defeat techniques that were stronger than her own. It projected two thin layers of youki, and then rotated them in opposing clockwise and counterclockwise motions. The two rotating layers of youki acted like a shredder, forcefully cutting any technique apart.

  The tentacle reared back after unsuccessfully trying to stab her, its tip now gone. Because the limb had not been severed entirely, it could not sprout two new tentacles and had to be reformed by pumping more youki into it.

  Leaping into the air, Kotohime was given a moment of reprieve as the tentacles became tangled together. Because they were composed of water, they simply merged together and reformed, but it still took several seconds.

  Kiara was dealing with her own single tentacle. The woma
n avoided its monstrous crashes as she channeled tremendous amounts of youki through her body, producing the bright red aura that she was known for.

  This was the plan that they had come up with. Kotohime would draw most of the tentacles’ attention. Meanwhile, Kiara, who possessed more raw power, would charge as much youki as she could into an attack that would hopefully destroy Luna’s technique. She didn’t know if it would work, but it was their only option.

  The moment of rest came to an end when the tentacles reforged and rose into the air. Five began their swift descent, while one rose up and attempted to catch her by surprise. Kotohime sliced off the tip of the one that attacked from beneath her. She then moved back to dodge one of the smaller tentacles as it tried to spear her. Spinning to the left, she avoided the descent of another, but she was unable to avoid the wave that it created.

  Rather than let herself get swept up, she rode the wave. It proved difficult; the salt kept interfering with her control. At the wave’s apex, she leapt off, just in time to dodge the fourth tentacle as it smashed into where she’d been standing. Skating along the water, she outpaced the second wave that the fourth tentacle created, while the fifth and sixth tentacles came at her in horizontal sweeps—one high and the other low.

  Flitting sideways, Kotohime leapt into the air and twisted her body, allowing the two tentacles to pass above and below her. At the same time, she sliced into them both with her katana and wakizashi. It was not enough to sever them. That was not her goal. The extra damage meant that it would take time for the tentacles to reform. Landing on the ground as the two tentacles reared back, she stood up—

  —and her eyes widened as a seventh tentacle filled her vision.

  Acting out of desperation, Kotohime crossed her katana and wakizashi defensively in front of her. The tentacle smacked her. Hard. Pain erupted in her arms as her bones were shaken. She felt herself being launched into the air. Her mind overridden by pain, she was unable to reorient herself before plowing into the water.

  Several meters away, Kiara finished charging as much yōkai into her fist as she could. She leapt onto the tentacle as it came at her and used it as a springboard to launch herself into the air. When she had ascended high above even the convention building, Kiara oriented her body, twisting around, until she was pointed face-down at the water.

  Then she extended her fist.

  Then she began to fall.

  Unleashing a ferocious battle cry, Kiara plummeted to the watery paradise. As if they had minds of their own, all of the tentacles turned on her, attempting to swiftly strike her down. The moment they touched Kiara, their amorphous bodies disintegrated. The overwhelming heat of her youki caused the water composing their bodies to evaporate on contact.

  Kiara struck the large body of water seconds later to devastating effect. Water sprayed into the air like an erupting geyser. A large hole appeared where she had fallen, all the way to the ground, which her extended fist struck without mercy.

  An explosion of youki blasted the ground apart, tearing through the cement like it was made of paper. Debris flew everywhere. The ground was upheaved, cracks spreading across it before the ground caved in. All that remained was a massive hole.

  Kiara leapt away as all of the water was sucked into the hole. Her youki-infused attack hadn’t just created a large hole, but created a large hole that led into the sewer system underneath the city. The once watery battleground soon vanished.

  Kiara landed several yards from the hole. Kotohime appeared next to her, looking a little worse for wear. Her kimono was soaked while the obi had come undone, leaving much of it open and also showing off ample portions of her voluptuous chest, which Kiara noticed was bruised.

  “Your boobs are black.”

  Kotohime twitched. “Now is not the time for jokes. We may have defeated Luna-san’s technique, but we still haven’t beaten her.”

  “Indeed, you have not,” Luna’s voice bounced across the now waterless clearing. “Nor will you. You may have defeated my Watery Paradise, however, that was merely a distraction designed to drain you of your youki—and to amuse myself. You’ve both already lost and just don’t realize it yet.”

  “What was that?!” Kiara growled as she took a step forward. “Listen here—don’t think we’ve been beaten just because you’ve managed to weaken us a little. I’ve still got plenty left in the tank, and I’m sure Kotohime does too. I’m more than ready to take you on if you’d just show your face!”

  “You think that because you’ve beaten a single technique, you’ve got me on the ropes. How cute.” Something ominous drifted in on the wind: a feeling of oppression and danger. “Allow me to rectify your misguided beliefs.”

  It happened before either of them could even move. Several dozen spears of water shot up and pierced their bodies. The ground became stained with blood.

  ***

  “Kotohime!”

  Lilian tore herself out of Kevin’s grasp and ran back into the convention center.

  “Lady Lilian, where are you going?! Come back!”

  “L-Lilian, wait!”

  “Hawa!”

  Kevin made to take off after her, but he paused when his feet kicked something. He looked down and saw the gun that he’d used to shoot Ken with. He must have dropped it. Scooping it up, he ran after Lilian, the others following close behind him.

  Please, Kevin begged whoever was listening. Please don’t let anything bad happen to Lilian.

  ***

  Kotohime’s mind was overcome with pain. Her entire body hurt. She could feel the holes in her flesh, feel the blood leaking from her wounds. She’d stopped most of the bleeding by controlling her blood flow with youki, but that didn’t stop it from hurting.

  Lying next to her, Kiara wasn’t as well off. Blood poured from the many puncture wounds in her body, gushing forth and creating a large puddle underneath her. She was still alive. Kotohime could see her chest rise and fall, but she wouldn’t last long without medical attention.

  Kotohime was confident that she could heal Kiara’s wounds, if given the chance. Unfortunately, judging by the sound of approaching footsteps, she would not be getting that chance.

  Luna’s amused visage appeared in Kotohime’s vision: eyes half-lidded, lips curved in delight, as if the agony that she felt was the six-tail’s greatest pleasure.

  “Look at you, Tsuki-chan, lying on the ground, utterly defeated by me.” The woman sighed in rapture. “This… this is how it should be, how it should have always been: you lying at my feet. It really is too bad it had to happen in such a manner. This moment would have been much more pleasurable for us both had you prostrated yourself willingly.”

  Kotohime bared her bloodstained teeth. “I would never… submit myself… to you…” Her body shook as she went into a fit of coughing. Blood welled up in her lungs and trickled down her mouth.

  Luna’s smile widened. “And that, my dear, is why your life is going to end here.”

  Kotohime tried to move, tried to get up, tried to do something, anything. But her body refused to obey her commands. All she could do was lie there.

  “Ha…” Kiara wheezed. “I always knew I would die in battle… but I used to think it would be against my old man… not some chick who’d been holding a century-long grudge…”

  “I’m sorry you got involved in this,” Kotohime apologized.

  “Heh.” Kiara smirked at her. “Why are you apologizing? None of this is… your fault… everything that has happened up to this point… has been my choice.”

  Despite the situation, Kotohime smiled. “That sounds like something you would say.”

  “Are you two done having your disgustingly touching moment?” Luna asked, her lips contorting into a sneer. “Because I think it’s about time you both met your end.”

  Several spears of water appeared in the air, each one poised over Kotohime and Kiara. Kotohime sighed, resignation entering her soul. She couldn’t move, her life was bleeding out, her youki was nearly depleted
, and she was at the tender mercy of a woman whose love she’d spurned a century and a half ago. There was nothing left that she could do.

  She was going to die here.

  Images flashed before her eyes: memories of her most recent past. She recalled the day that she’d met Delphine Pnév̱ma-denka; the day when the Great Ghost Clan matriarch had offered her and her sister sanctuary in exchange for their loyalty.

  She remembered being introduced to Camellia, whose mind had barely started degrading back then. She also remembered becoming the bodyguard to a recently-turned two-tailed Lilian. Watching the redhead struggle to find her place in the Pnév̱ma Clan; watching her suffer as dozens of male kitsune were presented to her a decade after she’d gained her second tail; and watching her after her first meeting with an, at the time, six-year-old Kevin, and the subsequent strength that she’d gained from that encounter.

  Of the more recent past, she remembered her first time meeting Kevin. She recalled the boy’s struggle to accept his feelings toward a creature that was beyond his understanding, knowing that doing so would be an irreversible choice. The relief that she had felt at seeing him make a decision was something that she’d planned on cherishing forever.

  Would those two be alright without her? She still had so much left to teach them. Kevin especially needed to know more about kitsune culture—and yōkai as a whole. Would Kirihime be up to the task of fulfilling that role?

  Probably not. She loved her sister dearly, but Kirihime was too insane to properly teach anyone.

  “Well,” Luna said, and Kotohime’s mind returned to the here and now. Only a few seconds had passed. “I think I’ve given you enough time to lament your misfortune. Be sure to greet Lord Shinigami for me.”

  Kotohime did not close her eyes. She met the originator of her end head-on with a glare. She would not allow this woman to defeat her, even in death.

  To think I would die like this. There’s still so much I wanted to do.

  “KOTOHIME!”

  Her eyes widened.