“There is no need to be so protective.” Delphine’s gentle smile looked disarming, but Kevin could sense some underlying danger lurking beneath it. “I simply wish to take but a moment of his time—and speaking of taking of time, I believe Daphne wished to take a moment of yours.”
“What?” Lilian blinked.
As if Delphine’s words held prophetic powers, a loud, rumbling roar caused the hallway they stood in to reverberate.
“LILIAN! GET OVER HERE, YOU BRAT! IT’S TIME FOR YOUR LESSON!”
“HIIII!”
It was almost amusing to watch Lilian. Her eyes widened, and her ears and tails stood on end, bristling in horror. Her entire body became stiffer than morning wood before a visible shiver ran from the toes of her feet up to the crown of her head.
Several seconds later, Lilian was running down the hall at near supersonic speed. Seconds after that, Daphne raced down from the other end of the hall, running straight past him and Delphine without a second glance.
“DON’T THINK I’LL LET YOU GET AWAY FROM ME THIS TIME, BRAT! IT’S TIME FOR YOUR LESSON!”
“NO! I DON’T WANNA LEARN FROM AN OLD HAG LIKE YOU!”
“THAT’S TOO BAD! YOU’RE GOING TO LEARN AND YOU’RE GOING TO LIKE IT! AND DON’T CALL ME AN OLD HAG!”
Soon enough, the two kitsune disappeared around a corner. Kevin stared at the place they had vanished from for a second before shaking his head.
“That was odd.” Despite saying this, Kevin didn’t feel the least bit surprised. It must have been because the last bit of his sanity had died last night during his conversation with Jasmine.
“Indeed.” Delphine’s grip on his arm tightened. “Now then, let us speak, you and I.”
Kevin gulped, but he allowed the woman to pull him along. It wasn’t like he could do anything else.
They ended up outside. A marble walkway led to a circular gazebo with a dome-shaped roof. She led him up the walkway and to the gazebo. They passed by two columns shaped like a pair of nine-tailed foxes sitting on their hind legs. A circular table with stone benches awaited them, and Delphine bade him to sit down on one side while she sat on the opposite side.
“Hayate.”
Kevin nearly jumped out of his seat when a man appeared before them. Unlike most of the kitsune he’d seen, the one Delphine called Hayate wore all-black clothing in traditional shinobi garb. It looked a little odd because he wore a full-facial mask and his triangle-shaped ears poked against the fabric as a result, but other than that, Kevin thought he actually looked kind of cool. He had three tails.
“Yes, My Lady?”
“Please have the servants create some tea for my guest and I.”
Kevin thought he saw irritation flash in the kitsune’s eyes, but it was gone quicker than it appeared. He wondered if he’d imagined it.
“At once.”
The man bowed. Kevin blinked. In the second that it had taken him to do so, the man disappeared.
“What the heck?”
“Hayate is one of my many sons,” Delphine explained to him. “I have over two dozen sons. Most go out into the world and handle the day-to-day operations of various Pnév̱ma Clan holdings and business investments in the human world. However, Hayate is currently serving as my bodyguard. I had him specifically trained in the shinobi arts so that he could become my shadow.”
“So he’s like Ayane, then?”
“Oh.” Delphine appeared mildly surprised. “I had not realized that you have already met Ayane.”
“I haven’t seen her, if that’s what you mean,” Kevin hedged. “But I’ve heard her talking.”
“That is to be expected. Most kunoichi do not allow themselves to be seen unless they are seducing you for information or assassination.”
“Um, right.”
Delphine studied him, and Kevin tried not to squirm. He felt like a frog on a dissection table. The look in the nine-tailed kitsune’s eyes bothered him greatly, though he couldn’t figure out why.
Suddenly, Delphine smiled, and it was both one of the most beautiful and terrifying things he’d ever seen.
“I make you uncomfortable, don’t I?” Kevin said nothing, causing the woman to nod several times. “That is understandable. Most cannot stand to be in my presence for very long—even my own daughters. I can only imagine how a human must feel around me.”
Like I’m having a conversation with the Grim Reaper.
“Why is that?” he asked out loud.
“Are you asking why my presence causes discomfort?” Delphine asked for clarification.
“Um.” Kevin nodded.
“It is the result of gaining the ninth tail, I’m afraid. You see, all creatures have the ability to tell when something is a threat to their well-being, a threat detector, if you will. Even humans, who have done their best to dissociate themselves from nature have this ability to some degree.”
The woman paused as their tea arrived via a maid. A steaming cup of regal china was set in front of them. Kevin took a sniff, the scent of black tea with a hint of cinnamon wafting into his olfactory senses.
Delphine sighed in pleasure as she took a sip. “Kyūbi like myself are among some of the most powerful yōkai in existence. Our power is considered to be on par with those of the gods. The only reason we are not gods ourselves is because we cannot perceive the world beyond three dimensions. In other words, our ability to perceive what’s around us is still within the parameters of a mortal, whereas even the weakest of gods can perceive the world by at least six dimensions.”
Kevin had no clue what she was talking about. He’d watched many anime that spoke of multiple worlds and parallel universes, but even with all the anime and manga references locked inside of his head, her words were something that he simply couldn’t fathom.
Delphine either didn’t realize this or, more likely, she just didn’t care. “That being said, it does not change that our power is considered godlike. Humans and yōkai recognize this power. You can feel it, and it is that feeling you get when you are around me that causes you to feel such great unease. Even though I am consciously concealing my powers from you, it still leaks out, and your mind automatically categorizes that power as a threat to your well-being.”
“I-I… I see,” Kevin said. “So, your power is simply so overwhelming that my mind automatically assumes you’re a threat.”
“Oh, no. I most certainly am a threat.” Delphine smiled. Kevin felt a thrill run down his spine. “If I so desired, I could crush you before the thought even crossed your mind. I was simply educating you on why you feel so uncomfortable around me.”
Kevin tried to keep his breathing even and controlled. Delphine noticed this and presented him with a disarming smile that did nothing to disarm him.
“However, you need not worry about that. I might be a threat to your continued existence, but that doesn’t mean I will actually treat you with hostility.” Delphine took another sip of tea, her disposition calm and unharried, as if she hadn’t just told him that she could snuff out his existence quicker than he could say kitsune. “If anything, I wanted to thank you.”
Kevin’s rapid blinking was the only sign of his confusion. “Thank me? What for?”
“For taking care of my daughter and granddaughters, of course,” she answered as if it was obvious. “Especially my granddaughter. Lilian is a very unusual kitsune, as I am sure you’ve already realized. She is simply too pure and honest, which makes it very easy for people to take advantage of her. That is why I am grateful that you two met when you did.”
Kevin needed a moment to process her words and realize what they meant. “Were you the one who let me pass the barrier nine years ago?”
“I was not,” Delphine stated. “However, I will not deny that your meeting with her was most fortuitous. Had you not done so, I may have very well been forced to arrange a mating contract between her and a member of the Shénshèng Clan.”
“Are you saying that you did not want to… mate her off?” He fr
owned at the odd wording. It seemed he was still trying to apply human concepts to kitsune culture.
“That is, indeed, what I am saying.” Delphine hummed. “Do not get me wrong. An alliance with the Shénshèng Clan would be a boon, but it could also be taken as a threat by other yōkai.”
Kevin knew a little bit about this subject. Kotohime had lectured him on it, though they’d never been able to go into detail.
Delphine set her cup down and idly traced the lip with a perfectly manicured finger. “Our world’s power is precariously balanced. Any change within the balance of power between one race could adversely affect the yōkai world as a whole. While allying myself with the Shénshèng Clan might have proven beneficial in the short term, it could cause the already unstable power balance among yōkai to shift radically and restart hostilities between races.”
Kevin took in her words, and then frowned when he realized something. “You speak of how grateful you are to me because I prevented you from allying yourself with the Shénshèng Clan. However, not once in that little speech of yours did I hear anything about Lilian or her happiness.”
“Oh?” Delphine’s eyes gleamed with a look that he couldn’t place. “I’m surprised you’re able to speak back to me like that. How interesting, huhuhu.”
Kevin tightly gripped his shorts. His hands were shaking.
Delphine pretended not to notice. “While it may not seem like it, I do care for Lilian’s happiness. She is a wonderful girl, and she doesn’t deserve to be treated as a tool.” Delphine’s smile gained a quality, a softness to it that he hadn’t seen yet. It put him at ease, if only slightly. “That being said, I am also the matriarch. It is my solemn duty to look after the clan as a whole. That is the burden of being the matriarch.”
Her words had a ring of truth to them, but Kevin still didn’t know if he could trust her. Although she sounded sincere, he knew that she could easily be masking malevolent intentions behind her charming smile. Even so, he couldn’t detect a lie, and so decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.
“Now then,” Delphine stood up, “I believe we have spoken long enough. Your mate has likely escaped from my daughter’s clutches by now and is looking for you. I know that I am asking for much, but please, look after my granddaughter for a little while longer.”
“That’s not something you need to be asking me,” Kevin said with quiet confidence. “Lilian is my mate. She means a lot to me. Even if you didn’t ask me to look after her, I would do just that anyway.”
“You do not know how pleased I am to hear that.” Delphine’s grateful smile was a wondrous sight to behold, and yet, for all its beauty, Kevin still could not find any solace in it.
***
The Shénshèng Clan library was not very large. As the long-lived supernal beings that they were, kitsune did not generally care to relate information through books. Why bother when they were going to live for so long that they could pass along everything someone needed to know verbally? That was the thought of most yōkai. It didn’t help that books were a human creation and therefore generally seen as beneath them.
Fan was beginning to regret the size of their library. She’d never really cared for reading before, but now that she was trying to find a way to heal her beloved younger brother, she wished they had placed more importance on the written word.
“There’s nothing in here,” Fan growled in anger. “Nothing at all! I don’t even know why I bothered coming down here in the first place!”
She glanced around their library, which probably couldn’t be considered a real library since there couldn’t have been more than maybe fifty books at most. What she called a library was actually just a small room with a single book shelf and some very select reading materials. Most of them were on psychology. Despite this, none of them told her what she wanted to know. If anything, everything within those books validated her father’s plan.
“I believe you came down here to try and discover a way to help Lord Jiāoào recover,” Li said from where he stood behind her, arms crossed over his chest and features bland. “I take it from your anger that you have not found anything worthwhile.”
“No,” Fan muttered bitterly. “I have not.”
“Hn.”
The doors to the room were suddenly opened, and Fan looked up as one of her brothers walked in.
Zhìlì was the second eldest of Father’s sons. He possessed seven golden tails that matched his long hair, which had been tied into a ponytail. Unlike her eldest brother, Chao, Zhìlì wore clothing reminiscent of warriors from the Three Kingdoms Era. His silver breastplate and shoulder pads gleamed as light reflected off their surface, allowing all to see the golden nine-tailed fox emblazoned upon it. His greaves, also silver with golden trim, clanked as he walked. Underneath his armor was a plain black unitard, which made the armor stand out all the more.
“Fan, Li,” he greeted with a grin that was boyish and so unlike her eldest brother. “Father has returned and called for a gathering.”
Fan wasn’t pleased by this. She would have liked a little more time, but time was no longer on her side, it seemed.
“Very well. Please lead the way, Honorable Brother.”
“Ma, ma.” Zhìlì waved her formal manner of speech off rather easily. “There is no need for you to be so formal, Sis. You know I dislike formality these days.”
“That is because you have been spending too much time around humans,” Fan scolded.
Zhìlì winced. “Ouch, so harsh.”
“Whatever. Just lead the way.”
“All right. Sa, sa, this way.”
Fan sighed as she followed Zhìlì through several elegant halls. While Chao was always too harsh and snide for her tastes, Zhìlì wasn’t much better. He was simply too relaxed and easygoing, never taking anything seriously, always foisting work off on others. Unreliable. That was what Zhìlì was.
Why can’t I have a brother who’s somewhere in the middle? Ah, if only my beloved younger brother were awake. Everything would be so much better.
“You’re drooling, Lady Fan.”
“Geh!”
Their father was already seated when they reached the throne room. Chao was also present. As they stepped before the raised dais, all of them knelt before their father and the most powerful Celestial Kitsune on the planet, their heads bowed.
“You may raise your heads,” Father said. “I have summoned you three because I have a task that requires your aid.”
“Permission to speak, Father,” Fan said.
“Permission granted.”
“This task that you speak of, is it the one you mentioned before?”
“Indeed it is,” her father answered. “I have spoken with my contacts, and they have agreed to my proposal. You, Zhìlì, and Li shall travel to the Pnév̱ma Clan’s ancestral home and ensure that the mission is carried out successfully.”
Her father stared at them, and Fan felt a thrill travel through her at the look in his eyes. He rarely ever displayed emotion, so seeing it caused her to feel a combination of excitement and fear. She almost pitied the Pnév̱ma Clan.
“My allies should be making contact with the Pnév̱ma Clan later today. In two days’ time, Lilian Pnév̱ma shall find herself within our grasp.”
CHAPTER 9
STRANGE HAPPENSTANCES
I’m dining with an entire family of kitsune.
Kevin had grown used to finding himself in odd, unusual, and downright zany situations. After ten months of knowing Lilian, strange happenstances were pretty much par for the course. Despite this simple fact, he could still find himself surprised. He had never once imagined that he would be having breakfast with an entire clan of kitsune.
His eyes swept across the large group of fox-women around him. Aster and Azalea, who’d only been briefly introduced to him that morning, sat together, feeding each other. Kevin was, well, he wanted to say that he was surprised to find a pair of lesbian twins, but he couldn’t. Iris had destroyed the idea that
kitsune understood what a normal relationship was supposed to be like. Lilian sat on his left, and on her left was Camellia. Meanwhile, immediately across from him sat Violet and Jasmine. Violet was annoying her sister, while Jasmine tried to ignore her in favor of staring impassively at him.
“Ne, ne, Jasmine, why are you staring at the brat so much? Do you want his weinerschnitzel?”
“Yes.”
Violet must not have been expecting that answer because she sprayed food all over the table—and Ivy, who sat on her other side.
“Was that really necessary?” Ivy asked, wiping her glasses and face. Kevin didn’t like the way those glasses gleamed as she readjusted them. It was just so ominous.
The Villain with Glasses has nothing on this chick.
“Of course it was necessary,” Violet spat. “Didn’t you hear what she just said?”
“I did.” Ivy nodded, looking at Jasmine from across Violet. “Jasmine, when you and the human have raunchy, passionate sex, would you mind if Mother and I observed?” She adjusted her glasses again. They flashed… again. Kevin shuddered. “It’s for science.”
“I see no problem with that,” Jasmine said. “Provided Master does not mind us partaking in exhibitionism.”
“I do mind,” Kevin informed her dryly. “I so mind.” He paused. “And we are not having sex!”
“Beloved.” Lilian frowned at him. “Did something happen between you and Jasmine that you wish to tell me about?”
Kevin sighed and rubbed his face. “Your youngest aunt kidnapped me last night and said some really weird crap that I would rather erase from my memory.”
Standing behind him and Lilian, Kotohime chuckled. “Ufufufu, if you’d like, I can help you with that, Kevin-sama.”
“Quiet, you!”
“What sort of things did she talk about?” Lilian pressed. “And why is she calling you ‘Master’?”
Before Kevin could tell her to just forget about it, Jasmine spoke up in her bland, emotionless voice. “I have decided that Kevin Swift is my master, and I, his most devoted slave.”
“Gu!”
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