A Fox's Mission

by Brandon Varnell

  I’ll ask Lilian if she can heal me. Speaking of…

  “Beloved!”

  Kevin turned around to see an excited Lilian rushing toward him. The others trailed behind her, and he blinked upon realizing that there were more people than he remembered coming here with. He ignored them and opened his arms to hug his mate.

  She stopped several feet from him.

  Kevin lowered his arms.

  “Um, Lilian?”

  “I’m not hugging you until you’ve washed your hands,” Lilian told him.

  It took Kevin a second to realize what she meant. When he did, he blushed. “Ah, yeah, that. W-well, you know, I wouldn’t have done that if I didn’t need to piss him off to the point where he’d enter his yōkai form.”

  “If you say so.” Lilian shrugged. “Either way, you need to clean those.”

  “I don’t know,” Iris said. “I thought the way he shoved his fingers up some dude’s rectum was kind of hot. There’s nothing wrong with a little boys love every now and then.”

  “Yes, there is,” Kevin and Lilian said at the same time. Christine just wrinkled her nose at the vixen.

  “Ufufufu,” Kotohome giggled. “That was a most magnificent battle, Kevin-sama.”

  “That was an awesome fight,” Euryale agreed.

  “Indeed,” Thoe flipped her hair behind her shoulder and smiled at him, “it was truly a most auspicious bout. I am impressed.”

  “I can see why Phoebe wants to bang you so much.”

  “I’m going to ignore that last comment,” Kevin sighed, too tired to argue. Then he blinked when he felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked down and saw Christine staring up at him, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “Christine?”

  Shyly, almost hesitatingly, Christine reached out and clutched his arm. She didn’t touch his hand—that would’ve been gross—but she held his arm tightly in her grasp.

  “You… are you… okay?”

  “Um,” Kevin, unsure of Christine’s actions, nodded.

  “Really?” Christine looked up at him, her blue eyes wider than normal. “Really, really?”

  “Er, yeah, I’m okay. I mean, I feel sore, and there’s definitely something broken in here, but other than that, I’m good.”

  Christine nodded and, reluctantly, or so it seemed to him, let go of Kevin.

  “O-okay…” she looked away. Her cheeks were blue. “I’m glad… that you’re okay.”

  “Ah, um, yeah.” Kevin raised his hand to scratch his head—and then he remembered that he’d poked someone in the butt and lowered it.

  “Ufufufu, Kevin-sama, don’t you think you should take a bath?” Kotohime suggested. “You have become quite… filthy…”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  “Come on, Beloved. Let’s go.”

  “Right.”

  “Oh, I wanna go to the hot springs, too!” Euryale cheered.

  “I’d like to come alongas well,” Thoe said.

  Christine blushed, but she remained determined. “I-if everyone else is going, then I’m going, too!”

  “Heh, three trips to the hot spring in one day. Aren’t you lucky, Stud?”

  Kevin shrugged. “If you say so. I don’t feel very lucky right now.”

  “I’m sure I can make you change your tune—once you clean off those hands of yours.”

  “All right! I get it, I get it! Sheesh, make one mistake and everybody harps on you for it.”

  “What can we say, it was a dumb thing to do,” Lilian said.

  Kevin wished he could run a hand through his hair. “Whatever… Let’s just get to those hot springs.”

  As Kevin wandered off to the hot springs, again, and the large entourage of yōkai women followed, Kotohime hung back and waited until they were out of earshot. Then she looked up at the trees.

  “How long are you going to hide up there?” she asked.

  Leaves rustled far above her head, and a dark figure soon dropped to the ground. The old man with the monkey tail and ears, Orin, stood up from his crouched position and chuckled.

  “I hadn’t realized there was one among you who could sense my presence. I must be losing my touch.”

  Kotohime turned to fully face Orin. “You are the one they call Orin of the Western Gate, if I am not mistaken. Supposedly, you are the oldest among the Four Saints.”

  “And you are Tsukihime,” Orin stated. “The so-called Moon Blood Princess of the long destroyed Slina Clan.”

  “I do not go by that name anymore,” Kotohime said.

  “Ah, that’s right.” Orin chuckled. “You go by the name Kotohime now, a much more peaceable name for a more peaceful time.”

  “You have been watching Kevin-sama for some time now,” Kotohime accused.

  Orin shrugged nonchalantly, but there was a grin on his face. “What can I say? The young man is interesting.”

  “Hm…”

  Kotohime studied Orin some more. She was not fooled by his seemingly innocuous facade. While he appeared to be nothing more than a simple monkey yōkai with a perverse nature, she knew better. The yōkai before her was not to be underestimated.

  She then looked over at Cien, who remained on the ground, whimpering. She had the impression that he was growing restless.

  “What should we do about him?” she asked.

  Orin looked at where she was looking. He shrugged. “Leave him. He’ll come to in a little while. I imagine he’ll be embarrassed once he realizes what happened.”

  “Ara.” Kotohime cast Orin an amused glance. “You are a very mischievous individual.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Orin said with a straight face.

  “Indeed.”

  Dinner that evening was lively.

  Perhaps it was simply due to the increased company, or maybe the duel that ended half an hour ago. It could have even been Kotohime’s cooking. Regardless of the reason, this particular dinner was an exuberant affair.

  Several tables were set out in front of the hut that Kevin and the others were being allowed to use. A smorgasbord of food was set against colorful table cloths. Everyone stood as they ate. Using their hands instead of forks, the group of mixed yōkai spoke animatedly to each other.

  “I still do not understand what Kevin Swift did,” Thoe confessed to Lilian as she daintily picked at a chicken leg. “How did he defeat that inu? It should not have been possible for a human to defeat someone like that when they are in such a state.”

  Unlike Thoe, Lilian tore into her food with gusto. “He used the inu’s own nature against him,” she explained after swallowing. “Inu might be powerful yōkai, but at their base level, an inu is still a dog. Dogs are domesticated creatures, so they recognize their owners. Beloved merely instilled the sense that he was Cien’s owner by presenting a powerful and commanding front.”

  “What about that cool maneuver at the end?” Euryale asked. “You know, the one where he jumped onto Cien’s back and grabbed his ears.”

  “That? All dogs have sensitive ears. Beloved was just using the inu’s most well-known weakness against him.”

  “That Kevin boy really is strong,” one of the other yama uba said. Lilian didn’t remember her name.

  “It is rare to see such power in a human,” another agreed.

  “Do you think Phoebe would let us also bear his children?”

  As the yama uba giggled like a group of schoolgirls, Lilian gave them all a stern frown. “Phoebe isn’t the one you need permission from. I am, and I’m not going to let any of you bear Kevin’s children.”

  “What?!” a whining complaint came from most of the yama uba present.

  “Don’t be so stingy,” Euryale said. “Surely, letting us have a child or two isn’t asking for too much.”

  “My decision is final,” Lilian determined with a glare and a pout. Everyone there, minus Polydora, complained.

  Several feet from Lilian, Christine and Iris stood together. While the yuki-onna stuck with a salad,
Iris, being a carnivore, munched on several pieces of fried chicken.

  “You know that if you’re going to be a part of this harem, you need to have a little more faith in the stud, right?” Iris said in a nonchalant manner.

  Christine spit out her salad. “W-what—who said I wanted to be a part of your…” The words died on her lips when she saw Iris’s kind smile. Her shoulders slumped. “You’ve been saying that since yesterday, but I’m not exactly sure what you even plan on doing.” Christine paused. “Wait. Did you just say harem?”

  “Like I said…” Iris wrapped an arm around Christine’s shoulder, “… don’t worry about that stuff right now. We’ll deal with the stud’s hang-ups later. For now, just relax and know that onee-san has your back.”

  “Onee-what?”

  “Uhuhuhu…”

  “Creep,” Christine muttered.

  “Kevin-sama, how are you feeling?” Kotohime asked. She and Kevin were further away from the others. Kevin had wanted to be alone, and so Lilian had fielded all of the questions for him, which he was grateful for.

  “I’m fine, Kotohime.”

  He sat against the large trunk of a tree. The cool bark pressed against his back, perceivable even though the fabric of his shirt.

  “You are sure?” Kotohime insisted on asking. “I do not mean to question you, Kevin-sama, but I saw your fight. Before the end, you took quite the beating.”

  “Way to emasculate me, Kotohime.”

  “Ufufufu.” Giggling, Kotohime raised her hand to hide her smile. “I do not mean anything by it. Please forgive a humble maid for being worried about her master’s mate.”

  “Whatever,” Kevin groused, “I know you enjoy making fun of me.”

  Kotohime’s smile was so wide that her eyes were forced close. “I do not know what you mean by that, Kevin-sama.” Kevin snorted, and Kotohime’s expression softened. “In all seriousness, you are sure that you’re uninjured? You might feel well now, but lingering injuries could be a serious problem if they are not dealt with quickly.”

  Kevin gently pushed aside from the warm feeling her words suffused him with. “Thank you, but I really am all right.” He looked down at his hands. His palms pointed at the sky as he clenched and unclenched his fingers. “Oddly enough, I don’t feel even a trace of lingering injuries.”

  “Ara? Is that so? How interesting, ufufufu…”

  A small droplet of sweat coagulated on his face and trickled down. He turned his attention to the others. Lilian was still entertaining the yama uba for him, while Iris was whispering something to Christine. He didn’t know what they were talking about, but judging from how blue the yuki-onna’s face was, it must have been embarrassing. There was also…

  “Why are they watching us?” Kevin asked, gesturing toward the group of yōkai that hid from a distance. It was the residents of New Genbu. They’d been watching the group for some time now, not speaking, not coming up to them, simply content staring at them from a distance. It was beginning to bother him.

  “I suspect they are curious about us,” Kotohime theorized, “and you in particular.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Ufufufu, Kevin-sama’s ignorance is showing. Can you not guess?”

  Sighing, Kevin looked at the yōkai hiding behind the tree. He made eye contact with Nalen, the old bear yōkai that he’d beaten, who, upon noticing his stare, quickly hid behind the large tree with the others.

  “I can take a few guesses,” Kevin muttered before taking a chunk out of his drumstick. Those yōkai were obviously curious, though whether it was about him or the company he kept was up in the air.

  I guess it’s only natural. This is a small, close-knit community. Having so many new faces appear must be a shock to them.

  Conversation settled down before slowly ceasing altogether, but it took Kevin a moment to realize why. Cien, back in his hybrid form, was wandering toward him. He didn’t look injured, but he did look embarrassed. A blush stained his cheeks and he refused to look at anyone.

  It must be from how I overpowered his animal instincts and made him submit to me—and is it just me, or does that sound really wrong somehow?

  Cien stopped in front of Kevin. He shifted on his feet, not speaking, as if he wasn’t sure what to say. Kevin glanced at Lilian out of the corner of his eyes. She nodded and slowly moved until she was standing close enough to Cien that she could react if he tried something, though he doubted it would come to that.

  The others had also crowded around them. Iris and Christine hung close by, and the yama uba all looked ready to pounce. While Kotohime remained calm and unmoving, even she had placed a hand on her katana.

  “Kevin…”

  “Yes?”

  “I…” Cien scratched his neck. “I admit… that you beat me… back there. I was… wrong and… well, since you beat me, my honor demands that I provide further aid.”

  Kevin followed the words to their conclusion and deciphered what Cien meant. “You mean you’re going to help me rescue Phoebe and Heather?”

  “… Yes.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Kevin barely needed a second to respond. “We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

  “So, what, we’re letting this mutt join us?” Iris asked.

  “Who the hell are you calling a mutt, bitch?!” Cien snarled.

  Iris smirked. “Who do you think, dog breath?”

  Cien growled, but before anything could break out, Christine stepped in, freezing them both with her ice powers. Iris yelped as frost crawled up her tails and quickly solidified. The inu didn’t yelp, but he did whimper as ice crawled up his legs, torso, arms, and shoulders.

  “W-what the hell, Christine?!” Iris shrieked.

  “I think you both need to cool down,” Christine told them. Iris opened her mouth to say something else, but Lilian shoved a ball gag into her mouth. As the raven-haired vixen released muffled screams, Christine turned to Lilian. “Where did you get the ball gag?”

  “Extra Dimensional Storage Space,” Kevin and Lilian said at the same time.

  Christine grimaced. “I hate it when you two do that.”

  “Sorry.” Kevin sent her an apologetic smile. “And thank you.”

  “Ah!” Christine released a cute gasp and looked away. “Y-you’re welcome.”

  Kevin turned to face Cien, who’d remained silent, his teeth chattering. Lilian walked up to Kevin’s side and took his hand. He gripped her hand tightly as he remained focused on the silver-haired inu.

  “Can I count on you to have my back when the time comes?” Cien, who was frozen from the neck down, nodded. “Can I count on you to help my companions should they need it?” Cien looked at Iris. “Yes, even Iris.” He hesitated, but then, eventually, he nodded again. “I’ll be holding you to your word. Christine, could you please release them?”

  Christine nodded. Her cat ears and tail popped out and, with a small application of her fire powers, she melted the ice.

  “It really is impressive to see you do that,” Lilian commented. Christine blushed red this time and looked down at her frilly dress.

  I see. Kevin observed the now red blush. When she is using her bakeneko powers, she blushes red. I guess her purple blush happens when both halves combine as one.

  “Brr.” Iris shivered as her now wet body was hit by the chilly night air. She wrapped her arms around herself and glared at Christine. “That was a really cruel thing to do after I promised to help you.”

  “You promised to help Christine?” Lilian asked. “With what?”

  “Uhuhu, with—”

  “Nothing!” Christine shouted. “She didn’t promise to help me with anything!”

  Kevin and Lilian stared at Christine, then at Iris, who shrugged and zipped her lips. They looked at each other, then back at Christine and Iris.

  “Well,” Kevin started, “I guess we won’t push you for it.”

  “Though secrets don’t make friends,” Lilian added.

  “Still,
a secret between friends is okay,” Kevin said.

  “Though we still wish you would tell us,” Lilian finished.

  Silence ensued for all of one second before, with deliberate slowness, Christine leaned over to Iris and whispered, “That is the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Iris snorted. “Trust me, you haven’t seen anything yet. Wait until those two really get going.”

  Standing several feet from the group, Euryale scratched her head, her face a mess of confusion. “What just happened?”

  “I believe we have just gained an ally in our coming rescue,” Thoe said.

  “This is good, isn’t it?” asked Oïstrophe, whose long brown hair swished behind her. “Inu are powerful warriors. With him at our side, rescuing Phoebe should be easier.”

  “I guess, but can we really trust him?” asked Menippe.

  As the yama uba debated on Cien’s trustworthiness, Kevin and Lilian decided to call it a day.

  “Let’s get some rest,” Lilian said, tugging Kevin’s hand. He allowed her to pull him, but before they could walk off, Lilian turned back to Iris. “You coming?”

  Iris grinned as she bounded up to them. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  “You too, Kotohime, Christine,” Kevin said.

  “Of course, Kevin-sama.” Kotohime bowed before following the trio with long, elegant strides.

  “W-wait. You want me to come as well?” Christine pointed at herself.

  “Were you not gonna come with us?” Kevin and Lilian looked at each other, then back at Christine. “We thought it would be nice if we had something of a sleepover, but if you don’t want to…”

  “Ah, n-no! I mean, yes! I’m coming!”

  As Christine hurried to catch up with Kevin, Lilian, Iris, and Kotohime, the group of yama uba watched their retreating backs.

  “So…” Euryale began, speaking to no one in particular, “where do we sleep?”

  No one had an answer for her.