95 - The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed

The expression on Rin's face now could be compared to being caught using the computer late at night without her mother knowing. She had tried to press the power button on the extension cord with her toes but slipped by accident. I've always been the one getting caught. That's why I was curious. What does it feel like to catch someone in the act? Will the day ever come when I'm in my mom's shoes? Finally, that day came for me. I now know exactly how it feels. It can be explained in just four syllables. Wow... look at this kid? "Rin, I believe I'm asking what you are doing right now?" "Oh, um? This shouldn't be..." Rin stuttered without even thinking of answering my question, her expression flustered and panic-stricken. Her pupils dilated as if something had dawned on her, then she furrowed her brows deeply. "Old hag…!" The anger intertwined in Rin's voice struck my eardrums, making me sigh naturally. "Ha, let's stop there." A rarely used, absolute command as her master, transmitted along the chains emanating from me, touched the shackles bound to Rin's soul. Rin's movements abruptly ceased. "Come down here." Rin quietly climbed down from above me. "I will prohibit the use of any powers until I permit it again." I blocked everything to prevent Rin from causing trouble and assessed the situation. Rin doing suspicious things while I'm asleep. Me sleeping without sensing anything. The constant fatigue that wouldn't fade away for days. It was simple. "Rin, did you absorb my energy?" "M-Master! That is…!" Without saying much, I narrowed my eyes in a chilling gaze at Rin, and she confessed in her hurry to explain herself. "Yes…." There was no need to ask when this started. Ever since we caught the runaway monk, Rin's condition had been strange, and I increasingly felt weary. "Why did you do it?" "The nine-tale fox said that the energy of someone deeply intertwined with fate is delicious... I was curious and tried it once, and I couldn't stop…." So the nine-tale fox tempted her. It explained why I hadn't seen it recently. The nine-tale fox would never disappear, so it was doing something. It was inciting a desire within Rin. "Why did you hide it?" "I was afraid you'd hate me if you found out…." "You did it knowing that?" "……." I took out Yuhwa's bead that had been tucked away in my pocket. It was shattered, as if having fulfilled its role. Yuhwa had helped me. It was strange. Other people don't know about the situation, but Yuhwa could have simply told me. Yet, she chose such a cumbersome method. Why? The answer was obvious. "Rin, you threatened the Nine-tale fox, didn't you?" Rin would know that Yuhwa, with her omniscient sight, must have been threatened by some scheme. If not, there'd be no reason to give such a thing. Rin hung her head. Her silence answered as much. "Ha." A hollow laugh escaped me. An overwhelming sense of betrayal swept over me. It's like the tower I painstakingly built crumbled in an instant. I nurtured and cherished her, only to have her cast a spell on me, absorbing my energy while I was incapacitated. To top it off, she lied without a bat of an eyelash. 'This isn't the time to think about liberation, is it?' I was almost permanently enchanted just now. Can I proceed, trusting this? Who knows when she'll do something strange again. Of course, it's just talk; I have no intention of abandoning Rin, nor can I. But I can't just let this slide. To do that, I need to separate the nine-tale fox from Rin. If the fox tempts her again, she might sway. 'Anyway, the nine-tale fox needs to be sent to peace eventually...' Given the circumstances, now seems timely. Though I feel sorry for Rin, it's necessary. I sighed deeply. Rin, perhaps anxious about the impending future, flinched her shoulders. "I’ll be honest. I can't trust you anymore, Rin." "Master…." "A slave harming her master, it's beyond absurd. Let's just end this. I fail to see why I should be threatened by a slave." Understanding my words, Rin's face turned ashen, as if there wasn't a single drop of blood left. She seemed to forget to breathe. I delivered the final blow. "I will go to the Heavenly Pavilion and ask the Nine-tale fox to seal you back in White Cloud Valley." *** As I informed Karami of this, he climbed off the bed. In the middle of the night, he gathered his clothes and prepared to leave. His expression was devoid of any emotion. Even as Karami passed by, Rin remained dazed, her eyes wide. It was only a single sentence, yet it tore through her mind. Seal…? White Cloud Valley? In that dark gorge? To be sealed meant losing everything, like the nine-tale fox clinging to Rin's soul. It wasn't about living a life eating only potatoes for hundreds of years. The body. The mind. Until an immeasurable time passes and the seal breaks. Even if it breaks and the One-tailed Fox emerges again, there's no guarantee it would be Rin. To be sealed by the hands of the master she adores, of all people. To Rin, this was a despair far worse than death. The moment she realized this. "Ma-Master, please wait!!" Rin dashed down from the bed as if she would collapse, kneeling in front of Karami and clutching desperately at his pant leg. Tears welled up in her eyes. "I-I'm sorry, Master! I'll never do it again!" "I'm afraid empty promises won't sway me anymore. It's obvious you'd try to cast me into a stupor again if not commanded otherwise." "I absolutely won't do it! Please, don't seal me away!" "Ha…." Karami harshly brushed Rin's hands aside as he spoke. "Trust once broken is impossible to mend." "Master…." To the despondent Rin, Karami added one more remark, as if talking to himself. "If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have brought you along in the first place. Just as I thought... a pink fox, huh?" "...What?" Rin's grip on Karami's pants loosened as she murmured in confusion. The hands that were holding onto his trousers weakly fell away. Karami was the only one who stood by Rin when the entire world labeled her a red fox and kept their distance. His casually thrown remark felt like a sharp dagger to Rin. Her mind not only went blank but became increasingly distant, as though her thoughts had vanished entirely. Karami's expression as he looked down upon Rin was chillingly cold—frightening enough that she couldn't meet his eyes. The fear of being abandoned by him swelled enormously within Rin. She trembled, clutching her arms tightly. "Why... why, why, why, why? I... I just liked you, but why...?" Rin murmured in a barely audible voice, her lips quivering. Within the shattered pieces of her inner self, a sugary voice, as if from magic, seeped in. - Run away. If you run away, you can escape this fear. Escape...? In the past, such sweet words from the nine-tale fox would have flowed in one ear and out the other. But to the current Rin, it was the only way out of this situation. - Take my hand. As the nine-tale fox extended its arm from the abyss, Rin reached out and grasped it. Snap! The nine-tale fox pulled on Rin's hand. Rin's consciousness plummeted into an abyss. As the consciousness of the nine-tale fox rose, intertwining with hers, Whoosh! Seven tails unfurled like the wings of a peacock, and "she" threw her head back to its limits. As if reaching a climactic peak of pleasure. Her body shivered. After displaying such a bizarre motion, her neck slowly returned to normal, settling into its natural position. Still dazed, she blinked her eyes and stretched out her limbs with a long yawn. "Mmm~ This is the feeling. It's nice to have a body." A spiritual form is free to move but lacks any sense of feeling. One cannot even perceive the minor relief of a stretch. Having reacquired the sensations of a physical body, she sat up and met Karami's eyes. A sly smile curved her lips. "Hello? What should I call you? Master? Ah, that's too cheesy." The face and voice were Rin's, but the atmosphere was unmistakably different. This was not Rin. It was the nine-tale fox, waiting for the chance to awaken within her. "You are the one who tempted Rin, aren't you?" "Tempted? I only gave a little information; all the choices were hers. Though I didn't expect her to threaten the Nine-tale fox. She's got potential." Nodding in satisfaction, the nine-tale fox expressed approval. "But you're not as surprised as I thought." "It's a common enough storyline." The nine-tale fox in Rin's body awaited a chance to seize control. When Rin's mental strength weakened, or she succumbed to her power, the fox's persona emerged. In short, the appearance of the nine-tale fox was evidence that Rin had reached her mental limit. 'Did I push too hard?' But it was necessary. To drive the nine-tale fox out of Rin, she had to be ‘liberated.’ To reveal the fox's persona, he needed to pressure Rin. Well, wrongdoing still needs confronting. Maybe once she reflects inside, I should do something Rin likes when she returns. As Karami mused over these thoughts, the nine-tale fox casually brushed herself off and stood up. Though Rin had been crying heavily, her eyes red, the fox now wore a smirking face—it was a curious sight. The nine-tale fox attempted to harness her mystical power. "Hmm, I can't use my power." "I've blocked it. I will only release it when necessary. Feel free to seek peace if you're dissatisfied." "No need. I've got a body now. It seems like it might be fun, so I'll play along for a while." The nine-tale fox waved a hand dismissively and tried to leave the room. "Where are you going?" "Next room. She sometimes sleeps there. Just want to check something alone." "What utter nonsense. You should sleep by my side." "Uh...?" The previously indifferent nine-tale fox blinked in confusion, as if to ask what he meant. Feigning ignorance, Karami tilted his head. "You need to cover my tail." "Why should I..." "I don't care if you're the great nine-tale fox or the king of spirits. You're my slave. You must do as I command. Come here; your master is cold." Karami flashed a hint of a teasing smile. Welcome, you cheeky fox. If you don’t like it, feel free to leave.