99 - The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed
Chapter 99: "The Obsessed Freed Slaves" - Deep into the Night In the deep and tranquil night, faint moonlight breaks through thin clouds, casting a delicate silver glow onto the earth. At the White Cloud Valley's temple, ethereal white foxfire drifts in the air. Blinded by a black bandage, Huibi calmly clasps her hands as she strolls through the fox shrine. A dark-hued fox orb, brimming with the cool energy of the moon, delivers her a message. The Heavenly Fox has finally turned its back. And now she's even collaborating with the Nine-tale Fox. It was a tale she had somewhat anticipated since the spirits who visited Bestia had shared their insights. It seemed the Heavenly Fox had aligned with the Nine-tale Fox. The intention behind it remains unfathomable. It's a perplexing caprice, as if fueled by mere curiosity, as others might wonder at the punishment of the heavens. The situation has escalated to a point where it can no longer be ignored. There is an urgent need to address the Nine-tale Fox before she brings ruin to the world. Fortunately, it seems there won't be a need to seek her out directly. "Both the Heavenly Fox and you, it seems everyone is enjoying themselves, excluding me from all the good places." An uninvited guest enters the shrine. Eight swaying tails brush the air. In the dim reflection of the moonlight, they are a pale pink. The Nine-tale Fox has come to the White Cloud Valley to fulfill her deepest desire. Her appearance is decidedly different from Rin's. She hasn't tied her hair to appear cute for her master. Nor does she wear the flowing dress meant to please her master. Instead, she's clad in eastern-style martial attire favored by the Hoyo clan. She dresses as if to draw a stark line between her and the one she once was. "You do live in a gloomy place. No wonder they call you the dark one." The Nine-tale Fox arrives at the White Cloud Valley alone. Karami is not by her side. She had claimed he'd be a hindrance were he to come along. Karami agreed, though his expression suggested reluctant consent, as if concealing some ulterior scheme. 'Who knows what strange thoughts he's concocting.' Even the Nine-tale Fox finds him unpredictable. Yet she pays it no mind. In her mind, there's no way he could reach the White Cloud Valley, swarmed by spirits, with nothing but his meager body. It’s doubtful he even knows its location or existence. Capturing the cipher and absorbing its power to evolve into a true Nine-tale Fox would be her destiny. She would erase the shackles binding her soul once and for all. Thus, addressing the traitor takes precedence. "Have you been well? You must have enjoyed offering me up." "Such a notion is impossible. The heart of a girl who lost her friend is hardly at ease." "Is that so? Then, would you return the power you stole from me?" "Regrettably, that would be difficult as it was a gift from the heavens." The Nine-tale Fox chuckles soundlessly at Huibi's play on words. That smile was as cold as a winter night, no one would call it genuine. "To call it a blessing after stealing someone else's power... it's shameless. I suppose I'll have to reclaim it by force." The Nine-tale Fox releases a fox orb. Filled with the power absorbed from the Heavenly Fox, it shines like the clear sky. Huibi, too, does not back down. Her tone calm and unruffled. "I bear you no grudge, but are you sure you’re up for this? You only have eight tails, after all." "This is just a handicap." Both spirits summon their foxfire, facing each other off. A confrontation between spirits, especially those skilled in sorcery, unfolds similarly to a wizard’s duel. Whose sorcery reigns supreme? Which side has honed their skills more precisely? The exchange is like a card game, with each move countered instantaneously. A misstep is immediately seized upon, stealing a significant advantage. The Nine-tale Fox makes the first move. With a blazing whoosh! The basic but lethal foxfire, sharpened to its utmost potential. A concentrated magic of the spirit's essence. Twenty orange-hued foxfire orbs bloom around the Nine-tale Fox, much like the size they had when Rin captured Wungui. "Falling Fire." The foxfire illuminated the shrine, banishing the night as they descended like rain, consuming the silence. Huibi's eyes soften with sorrow as she watches the blazing orbs converge on her. "You've grown so weak. My heart aches for you." Just as the bombardment was about to explode, a massive black fox appeared from nowhere, tearing into the foxfire. Crunch! The flames dispersed like embers under its bites. The black fox shielded Huibi, pacing defensively, growling at the Nine-tale Fox it now perceived as an adversary. An entity born of Huibi's magical power—a type of magic, not a living creature. As the black fox charged, the Nine-tale Fox continued her sorcery unperturbed. A sun hovered above her head. Intense Heat. A sorcery of unavoidable reach, incinerating all within its solar radius, both animate and inanimate. In an unguarded moment, the shrine erupted into flames, ashes dissipating into the air. Even the ground buckled into a gentle arc. However, the spot where Huibi stood remained untouched. She stood unfazed, unchanged from before. Only the black fox at her feet had melted, its size diminished. "You've damaged my abode. If that's how you'll proceed, I must respond in kind." Huibi rested her hand on the black fox's head. Instantly restored to its full stature by absorbing magical power, it surged forth at the Nine-tale Fox. "Were you just raising pets all this time?" With a wry smile, the Nine-tale Fox wrapped flame around her hand, prepared to strike, only to sense a presence behind her. Crunch! In an instant, the black fox clamped onto her left arm. The other who had first lunged, caught her right. The two foxes, like reflections in a mirror, identical in every way. Seeing her arms caught, poised to crush her in their jaws, the Nine-tale Fox let slip a derisive hum. "Hm~ So this is what you're up to? Tricky, aren't you?" With a swift motion, the Nine-tale Fox flicks her arms, crushing the fox head in front of her and ripping apart the jaws of the one at her back with a fierce upward motion. She stomps down on the fox's head struggling to rise from the floor, grinding it underfoot like extinguishing embers, causing the energy that formed it to scatter. Flames engulf the Nine-tale Fox's arms. As if declaring the end of mere probing, she strengthens her body with energy, propelling herself forward with a speed beyond comprehension, closing the distance to Huibi in an instant. With a fist enveloped in crimson flame, the Nine-tale Fox punches, and Huibi, her hand coated with dark energy, opens her palm to deflect the blow. The Nine-tale Fox continues to press her attack, pounding the ground aggressively, while Huibi steps lightly, retreating with grace, maintaining a defensive stance. Kiiing. The Nine-tale Fox's eye gleams. The sun illuminates Huibi's fate. Numerous shards of destiny appear in the Nine-tale Fox's vision. The fates of the two spirits intertwined, seemingly endless, none with a distinct hue. At most, they are fragments of a destiny a mere second into the future. She is formidable enough that twisting her fate is a challenge. Yet, within that torrent, the Nine-tale Fox seizes a faint possibility. She plunges her gaze into the fragments, peering into fate. Her pupils dart around ceaselessly at all angles. The Nine-tale Fox searches for the fate that her imaginary self stirs. The most favorable future. An action that can land a decisive blow on her opponent. She finds that fate. Boom! As the Nine-tale Fox relentlessly drives Huibi back, she suddenly stomps her foot at a diagonal. Unable to avoid it, Huibi quickly retracts her foot backward. Tap. "What?" Huibi is taken aback. Her heel catches on a protruding rock in the uneven ground that the earlier intense heat had warped. Of all moments. Of all places to step back, it had to be there. From Huibi's perspective, it could only be seen as an unlucky twist. But it was a purposely twisted destiny, an intentional misfortune crafted by the Nine-tale Fox. She had foreseen that destiny when she kicked her foot, envisioning Huibi tripping over the rock. A feat akin to foresight. Not missing the moment of Huibi's imbalance, the Nine-tale Fox launches a punch, delivering an uppercut to Huibi's abdomen. Thwack! Huibi, crossing her arms in an instinctive block, fails to completely absorb the shock, sending her body flying upward. To maintain her advantageous position, the Nine-tale Fox leaps after her. Shwaaa. The Nine-tale Fox's recent attack reshaped Huibi's destiny, creating countless new fragments of fate. "Your reaction is sluggish. Have you forgotten the cipher after all this time?" "..." Huibi ponders while gauging the surging Nine-tale Fox. 'No doubt, this is the Nine-tale Fox.' It's peculiar. Surely, sealing her in White Cloud Valley should have erased this personality as well. Yet here she stands, as vividly alive as the fox from Huibi's old memories. Though she has only eight tails, her power is unexpected. Even considering she's absorbed the Heavenly Fox's power, the numbers don't add up. There must be an auxiliary factor bolstering her strength, but try as she might, Huibi can't identify it. She dislikes anomalies. It would be wise to subdue the Nine-tale Fox before other variables arise. Shff shff. Huibi unties the bandage wrapped around her eyes. Her soft, slumbered gaze gives a languid impression. The silver gleam in her eyes shines like a polished mirror as she peels open her eyelids. Silver Eyes. The eyes that can reverse fate. The Nine-tale Fox's form is captured within the silver retinas. Just before the Nine-tale Fox's attack lands on Huibi. Swoosh! Like magic, Their positions suddenly switch. A reversal in an instant. Huibi launches a palm strike, her energy concentrated. "Urgh!" The Nine-tale Fox's body flies backward as she takes the hit. A faint curve forms in Huibi's eyes. "Your reactions are slow, Nine-tale Fox. It seems you've forgotten my ability after all this time." By her fellow kind, the cipher Huibi is often described as reserved and introverted. One must not forget, however, that she is also one of the most cunning foxes in the world.