Chapter 80: Ghost Bear Subjugation (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 80: Ghost Bear Subjugation (2)
The decisive first strike, designed based on Karami's advice, dealt a significant blow to the Ghost Bear.
The Ghost Bear's colossal body struggled just to stand. Even so, Rin did not stop her assault.
Rin brought her hands together, index and middle fingers extended. With her gesture, blue fox fire soared into the sky.
The fox fires began to fall one by one, slicing through the air. Blue orbs wreathed in flames poured down as if racing across the sky.
The long tails of fire left by the falling fox fires resembled the trails of shooting stars hurtling toward the earth. It was a bombardment worthy of being called a meteor shower, raining down upon the Ghost Bear.
Boom!
Blue flames erupted in all directions like a crashing wave.
Rin could currently control seven fox fires at once. But by creating a new one as soon as another vanished, her supply was virtually infinite. The fox fires rained down relentlessly.
Black smoke billowed from the Ghost Bear under the concentrated barrage, filling the sky. Its screams were swallowed by the explosions echoing through the valley.
Just as it seemed the mountains and valleys might be flattened into plains, Rin halted her offensive.
Rin stared into the explosive smoke. As it slowly cleared, the unmoving form of the Ghost Bear lay on the ground. Rin didn't approach rashly, merely watching it intently.
Then, a new change began to occur in the Ghost Bear. Known as the guardian deity of White Cloud Valley, the Ghost Bear receives the blessings of the mountains and the earth.
Their essence flowed into the creature. The Ghost Bear's scorched-black fur regained its original color, and its charred wounds began to heal.
This, too, was part of the strategy Karami had taught her.
It was the so-called "second phase."
Having recovered in an instant, the Ghost Bear pushed its colossal body upright. Steam-like breath billowed from its mouth.
The Ghost Bear's second phase: Berserk.
Its aggression and agility increase dramatically, and its attack patterns change.
Clenching its fists, the Ghost Bear swung its arms as if tearing something apart. The ground ripped away and shot into the air. The sight of earth and rock obscuring the sky was a spectacle, as if the world had suddenly grown a roof.
The mass of earth rushed toward Rin as if drawn by gravity.
The Ghost Bear's Rock Seal, an attack that immobilizes four targets for three turns. The way to counter it was to place Rin in the back row of a 1-4 formation and keep the four in front alive until the end.
The Rock Seal prioritizes the front row, so Rin could negate the attack by setting up scarecrows.
But right now, it was just Rin.
She was in a situation where she had to take the full brunt of the attack alone.
And for that, Karami and Rin had devised a plan.
Rin used her magic.
Her five tails swayed.
A clone that looked exactly like her appeared.
‘If you don't have scarecrows, you just have to make new ones. There's an old saying about dumb bears for a reason. Do you really think it can tell the difference between the real one and a clone?’
His prediction was spot on.
Rin created four clones and placed them in front of her. Sure enough, the boulders descended upon the innocent clones. The rocks that had trapped the clones then fell to the ground.
This was the pattern Karami had warned she absolutely had to counter. From here on, there would only be minor attacks. So, all that was left to do was…
‘Beat the fuck out of it.’
A fucking beatdown.
Fwoosh.
Flames in the shape of foxes flared to life around Rin's fists. The fiery foxes gave a lazy yawn, then grinned playfully along with Rin, anticipating the fun to come.
Time to dance.
*
The rest was nothing special.
Rin's merciless 64-hit combo, disguised as a massage, exploded upon the Ghost Bear. It was much like the sighs of satisfaction old men let out when soaking in a hot bath; the Ghost Bear reacted similarly.
How could a fire-enchanted hot compress not feel refreshing? With a cry of "Kkweooooh," it flopped onto its back and showed no sign of getting up.
And just like that, it died.
Even a guardian deity of the earth doesn't have a fixed-term deposit of essence, so it couldn't receive an endless supply.
In the end, the Ghost Bear couldn't recover as before and became fertilizer for the earth. No, it was fated not to even become that.
"Hoo..."
Standing atop the Ghost Bear's chest, Rin let out a shallow breath, steadying her breathing. The Ghost Bear hadn't been an easy opponent, but Rin had been training diligently with the Celestial Fox, Yuhwa.
She had spiritual power to spare, and with Karami's perfect strategy, she couldn't have lost even if she'd wanted to. A mere regional guardian was no match for her.
Now it was time to exercise the victor's rights. In a battle between yokai, the winner has the right to take everything from the loser. Placing a hand on the Ghost Bear's chest, Rin began to absorb its essence.
A guardian deity that had protected White Cloud Valley since ancient times. Being so closely connected to the earth, the Ghost Bear's innate essence was exceptional. It was incomparable in both quality and quantity to any yokai she had absorbed before.
‘So... delicious?’
Above all, it was delicious.
Incredibly delicious.
So much so that she almost started drooling.
‘Should I start hunting yokai?’
If she hunted down named yokai, killed them, and absorbed their essence, she could convert it all into spiritual power. She could become a gumiho much faster.
She'd have to mention it to Karami when she got back.
How much time had passed? It took a long while of sucking before she could absorb all the essence. She scraped it clean, down to the very last drop.
The once-colossal Ghost Bear was left as nothing but skin and bones, as if it had its life force drained completely. As the Ghost Bear vanished, the fog also began to dissipate.
Rin licked her lips in satisfaction.
‘Soon...’
She had a feeling that her sixth tail, which had shown no signs of appearing, was about to grow. Karami would be pleased to hear it.
Sniff, sniff. Rin habitually smelled herself. Because of the intense battle, Karami's scent on her had faded considerably.
I have to get back quickly.
With light yet swift steps, Rin hurried back to the fox den. When she arrived, the atmosphere was strangely off.
Like a thief caught in the act, a fox who was about to leave the village with a bundle on its back jumped in surprise upon seeing Rin.
"Oh, y-you're back? You're back so early! Don't tell me you actually beat the Ghost Bear?"
"Where are you going?"
"Ah, the fog cleared. So I thought I'd leave the village."
These were the same folk who were too scared to even gather herbs unless Rin lured the dangers away, and now they were leaving the village on their own two feet.
The moment the Ghost Bear fell and the fog cleared, they had seized the opportunity to flee. How cunning, just like foxes.
Rin didn't pay it much mind. It didn't matter to her where they went. Leaving the fleeing fox behind her, she entered the village and looked around.
The fox den was deserted. It seemed everyone, like the fox from a moment ago, had hastily departed. That didn't matter either, but the one who should have been there to welcome her, her master, was also nowhere to be seen.
He was playful, childish, and at times unreliable, but he wasn't the type to joke about something like this.
"..."
Rin spun around.
"I have to catch up to the group, quickly...!"
The Fox Clan member glanced back furtively while fleeing, his back to Rin and the den. He had only dawdled for a moment, but no one had waited for him; they had all left.
He should have left before the gumiho returned, but he had to run into her of all people. He had the worst luck.
Before the gumiho notices and gives chase, I have to regroup with the others...!
Whoosh!
A wind blew through the valley. But a far sharper, blade-like gust swept past. The Fox Clan member felt something strange and turned around.
Crack!
Rin's form shot forward like a lightning bolt. She snatched the fox by the neck and slammed him mercilessly into the ground.
"Yelp!"
The impact was so violent that the fox's body bounced off the ground. Rin gripped his neck as if to crush it.
"Where did you take my master?"
"W-What are you talking..."
Squeeze.
"Tell me the truth. Where did you take him?"
"Th-The elder took him. I don't know where. They didn't leave any traces...."
It wasn't a lie.
A group that large should have left tracks, but even Rin couldn't detect any significant traces.
It was surely the effect of some magic.
"I-I told you, so can you let me go now?"
The fox said with a sly grin, tapping her arm. Rin, looking down with an icy gaze, tightened her grip. Snap. The fox's neck broke limply.
"Gak."
Having easily snuffed out the fox's life, Rin didn't spare him a single glance. She didn't even absorb his essence. The thought of their essence mixing with hers was repulsive.
Rin's gaze turned to a place not too far from there. If they were family, it would be hard to find him after being separated, but their bond was closer than that: master and servant.
No matter how far apart they were, she would know.
Rin leaped into the air, heading in the direction of her gaze.
*
"Hmph."
With my wrists bound by plant vines, I was being led through a rugged mountain path. The Fox Clan members guarded me vigilantly from front and back.
I had been watching Rin's fight with great interest when the Fox Clan suddenly ambushed me. For a moment, I wondered if these foxes were after my liver, but they just dragged me out of the village.
"Where are you taking me?"
"Anywhere. We intend to take you far away from the gumiho."
"Why? The Ghost Bear is defeated. Shouldn't you be able to live as you please without worrying about the gumiho?"
"We do not know what you intend to do with the gumiho, but we know that whatever it is, it will not be good for us. The consequences will surely fall upon our Fox Clan."
In other words, they didn't have the power to stop Rin, so they were taking me away instead. Since I was the one proactively raising her to be a gumiho, they figured that if I were gone, it would serve as a minimal precaution.
The reason they weren't killing me was likely as an insurance policy, just in case Rin came after them.
Meanwhile, they occasionally stuck talismans with incomprehensible drawings on the trees. I couldn't decipher them, of course, but I guessed they were meant to interfere with tracking.
They were even maintaining a mobile barrier that blocked sound and traces, which meant they knew exactly what would happen if Rin caught them.
‘Fucking thorough.’
At this rate, it seemed even Rin wouldn't be able to find me. What happens then?
"Huh? What's that?"
As soon as I had that thought, one of the Fox Clan pointed to the sky. Against the now-clear sky, a single pink fox was silhouetted against the moon, her five tails spread out like wings.
There was no emotion in the eyes that looked down upon us.
I didn't know about anything else, but I knew this one thing for sure.
You guys are so fucked.