Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Fox and Cat
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[Ugh...]
Undine stuck her tongue out at the horrific sight of the succubus turned into a mangled mess from front to back.
That guy might get a pass on other stuff, but he's way too savage with his kills. Even Undine, who'd seen all kinds of horrors, found that one a bit much.
“Ugh...”
Lione looked about the same—her face had gone a little pale. The human guy? He'd fallen under the succubus's charm, bucked his hips against the ground a few times, crapped himself, and passed out ages ago.
‘Still, I didn't think he'd pull off Spirit Fusion that fast.’
Eri had given him the signal out of impatience, sure, but this was way quicker than expected. Normally, it took a bunch of trial and error before succeeding.
[Sigh, honestly.]
But that was all thanks to keeping a good spirit on hand. Hadn't Eri been the one signaling him nonstop?
Someone clueless might think, "So what?" but Spirit Fusion was an incredibly intimate act from a spirit's perspective.
Hey... I think I could do Spirit Fusion now...
Was pretty much the same as saying:
Hey... I'm feeling kinda horny today...
No real difference. Like a prim and proper lady grabbing a guy's sleeve and shaking it while blurting out she wants to play a round of leapfrog.
Not that the acts were identical, but it still felt off for the spirit to initiate.
[And he doesn't even appreciate it. Tsk, come on.]
“E-Enoch...?”
Unlike the grumbling Undine, Lione approached Enoch cautiously. He'd only realized she was there after he'd finished the deed, so now he just rolled his eyes awkwardly.
[Uh... Lione. It's like this...]
“Give me your hand.”
[...Okay.]
Enoch tossed aside the succubus's tail he was gripping. He shook off the filthy fluids and blood into the air, then offered his somewhat cleaner hand to Lione.
“How could you touch something like that? Gross, gross. What if you catch something?”
[...Huh?]
Enoch blinked in confusion at the unexpected response, but Lione took his hand, washed it repeatedly with magic, then clasped it tightly between both of hers as if to purge any lingering filth.
“Next time, just crush the head or the heart, okay?”
“Uh... yeah.”
Only after getting his firm agreement did Lione's expression soften. She smiled faintly and toyed with the fox ears sprouting from atop Enoch's head.
“Anyway, that's a pretty unique form for Spirit Fusion. Because Eri took on a fox shape?”
[......!]
“Hm? These ears are sensitive like a beastkin's, huh?”
As she fiddled with them, Enoch's body twitched. They were made of lightning, yet they felt just like real beastkin ears—and the whole form was fascinating in all sorts of ways.
“The tail too... oh.”
Crackle! The lightning dispersed, and Enoch reverted to normal. It wasn't that he'd released the fusion on purpose; the duration had just run out.
“Aw, I was so curious.”
A fluffy Enoch tail? Of course she couldn't resist. Lione pouted in disappointment.
Enoch stood up straight, rubbing down the goosebumps prickling his whole body from the strange sensation—nothing like when his human ears were touched.
“You can touch it later.”
“Really? You'll let me?”
“Yeah. Obviously.”
Eri flopped belly-down onto Enoch's head with a lazy air as he nodded. From the spirit's view, Lione came into sight. Poor elf.
[...Mom.]
“Hm? What's up, Eri?”
[Nothing...]
She couldn't bring herself to say it. When she'd merged with Dad and caught faint glimpses of his feelings, even the barest fragments had choked her up.
And the target of those feelings was Mom herself, so someday she'd realize it painfully too. Huh? W-Wait, this doesn't feel right...
[...Just keep at it.]
“Hm? Hehe, thanks. But can I even get more motivated than this?”
Lione laughed as she stretched Enoch's cheeks. Eri glanced sideways. Succubi and their remains were scattered everywhere.
[Uh...]
Not really? Mom didn't seem all that normal either, so maybe she'd take it surprisingly well. Was this what they called soulmates?
The young spirit's worries deepened.
*
After letting Lione knead him for a while, Enoch looked down at the floor. The human man lay passed out, hips twitching.
Enoch glared down at him in disgust, then met Lione's eyes.
“Lione, what do we do with this?”
“Hm... I heard this dungeon connects to Tetica too, so maybe we should take him there?”
Really? Can't he just find his own way back? Enoch pouted but nodded without protest.
“Let me see...”
Lione extended her senses. Hellhounds and succubi meant dimensions must be overlapping somehow, so connected spaces splitting off wouldn't be weird.
The past illusions were probably just byproducts of space and dimensions warping.
No clue why they'd taken the shape of glass orbs, but overthinking that would just give her a headache. Best to chalk it up to magic weirdness. That was for theory-obsessed wizards to figure out.
“Over that way?”
“Yeah, seems like it.”
Enoch nodded too after confirming the path with his clairvoyance.
After that, nothing much happened. With Lione there, anything noteworthy would have been the real surprise.
So far, she'd just been supervising his training, but if she'd jumped in from the start, it'd have been over in no time.
“It's really Tetica?”
Exiting through an opening leaking bright light revealed an exotic vista. The cave mouth sat high on a hill, and below spread a scene straight out of a harbor city.
“Different vibe from Ravellion.”
Lione nodded at Enoch's comment.
“It's the coast, so that amps it up. Inland's got its own feel too.”
“Well, I'll swing by someday.”
Even if he had no reason to, living long years with Lione might lead to a trip or two. Enoch rolled the human down the hill, grabbing him by the scruff.
He tumbled down, kicking up dirt, and stopped far below. Enoch nodded in satisfaction, then turned back into the cave.
“Time to head home.”
*
They returned to the elven alliance forest a day after departure, the sun high at midday.
“Whew...! Guess monsters weren't much of an issue after all.”
Lione stretched grandly as she opened the front door and stepped inside. Enoch toddled in after and flopped onto the floor.
“...Tired.”
“Hehe, no wonder. Rest up for a few days, Enoch. You need time to sort through your insights too.”
“Yeah...”
As he sluggishly crawled toward bed, Lione grabbed him.
“Wash up first. Wanna bathe with big sis for old times' sake?”
She blushed faintly and mimed undressing.
“......”
No objection. Huh...? W-Wait, this is bad...? Lione peeked at Enoch in a panic.
His blank stare embarrassed her for no reason. She let go of the hem she'd been clutching for the act, and Enoch tilted his head.
“Bathe together?”
“Uh, y-yeah? For real...?”
...What? Are we actually gonna...? This has to be his signal that it's okay to fool around...!?
Lione gulped, eyes quivering. Enoch chuckled at her reaction.
“Kidding. I'll go wash up.”
Lione stared blankly at his retreating back toward the bathroom, then sighed softly.
“Ah... I was kinda hoping.”
[...You're hopeless. Sigh, some things you just don't say.]
Undine tsked and sprawled out on the table. Eri quietly swallowed, watching them.
What on earth happens when those two finally get together...?
[Gasp...!]
Eri shuddered at the brief mental image.
*
A few days later, one morning, Yonia knocked energetically as usual.
“What now.”
“What do you mean, 'what now'!”
Yonia grumbled at Enoch's deadpan response.
“I heard everything.”
“About what.”
“You're dueling other elves? The streets are buzzing about something fun for once.”
Word got around that fast? Enoch tightened the gloves on his hands and headed out.
“Yeah, pretty much.”
Dozens of Masters in this village, plenty of Grandmasters too. Insane power that defied human norms, but hey, elves.
“Take 'em down one by one, and Lione last.”
“Pfft, doubt you'll even reach Lione.”
Master-level elves had centuries under their belts at minimum. Combat skill alone put them leagues ahead, so even Enoch would struggle.
Enoch calmly lifted his left eyelid at Yonia's scoff. His mind-piercing eye flowed serene.
“Nah, I'll win.”
Skill gap? Steal it and done. He wasn't losing to any elf but Lione.
*
“Hmm... A duel with a human kid?”
“Lione's disciple, they say. The villagers are still prepping a festival over it.”
“Hmph, probably over quick and boring.”
“Aw, the others'll go easy if they're smart. He's not even twenty yet—don't wanna hurt the poor kid's feelings.”
The petite woman following the beaming elf puffed on her long pipe. Her tail swayed lazily with each dainty step.
“You're going to watch too, right, Tsukiyo?”
“Well, spectating wouldn't be bad. Lead on.”
“Yes~ Oh, right.”
The elf pulled something from her pouch. Tsukiyo's beastkin ears perked straight up.
“Want some candy?”
“W-Well, if you're offering, I'll take it.”
“Yay, really? Here, ahh~.”
“Hand it over! I wanna eat it myself!”
Tsukiyo snatched the candy and stuffed it in her mouth alongside the pipe, exhaling a puff of smoke.
“A purr and some viewing should keep things from getting dull.”