Chapter 88: The Slave Who Devours Her Master (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 88: The Slave Who Devours Her Master (1)
A crossroads lay before her.
One path was to continue a battle against an opponent she could not guarantee victory over. Her current condition was far from ideal, and she had no confidence she could win.
The other was to accept the Gumiho’s help. Though she had never seen its true power, she had a gut feeling the Gumiho could easily defeat the Fallen Monk. She could guarantee her life by surrendering control of her body for just a ‘moment.’
—Think about it. If the Fallen Monk catches you, it won't end with a simple death. You'll be sealed away, turned into a puppet that provides him with spiritual power for hundreds, even thousands of years.
“……”
—You’ll never see your precious master again. Is that what you want?
Rin flinched violently. More than anything else, the thought of being separated from Karami struck a nerve.
Still, she was hesitant to blindly accept the Gumiho’s offer. The idea of handing over control of her body was, to say the least, deeply unsettling.
The Gumiho had said it would only be for a moment, but Rin didn’t believe it for a second. She knew better than anyone what kind of being a Gumiho was.
“No.”
—Why? You trust your master, but you can’t trust me?
“That’s right. What reason do I have to trust you? Besides, if something happens to me, you’ll be in trouble too, won’t you? If you want to help, just tell me how to use my power. Stop with the pointless temptations.”
—Hmm~
A sharp battle of wits unfolded between the two foxes.
All the while, the Fallen Monk was preparing another spell.
It was the Gumiho who backed down first.
—I was only making the offer for your sake. Well, it can’t be helped. If there’s no trust, we’ll just have to build it.
Rin pushed herself to her feet and took a stance, calmly steadying her breath. Thanks to her healing fox fire, she had recovered at least a little, though she was far from her peak condition.
Having agreed to cooperate, the Gumiho offered another piece of advice.
—Did you know you can use the Solar Eye as a medium for your yokai magic?
This time, the sentence was short, but it was easier to understand than before.
Mana for magic.
Spiritual power for yokai magic.
Divine power for blessings.
The fox orb Rin had absorbed in the past not only strengthened her Solar Eye but also granted its wielder immense power in its own right.
A warm, sun-like energy dwelled within Rin’s fox orb. She drew it out, the method the same as manipulating her spiritual power.
Fwoosh.
A soft, golden flame, reminiscent of a spring sunbeam, bloomed in Rin’s palm. It was stronger than her usual fox fire, but it was still not enough to break through the Fallen Monk’s defenses.
Rin caressed the flame.
She molded it into a new shape.
An attack the Fallen Monk would have no choice but to dodge.
The flame soon took the form of a solar wheel, similar to the sun’s chariot.
Kiiiiiiiiiiing!
The disc, with its hollow center, spun at high speed with a sharp scream. As its rotation accelerated, the disc grew larger and larger.
The way it scattered sparks in every direction made it look just like a crimson inferno.
Thud!
Rin stomped her foot, putting her entire body into the throw. Planting her left leg as an anchor, she twisted at the waist and hurled the spinning disc from her palm with all her might.
The solar wheel shot diagonally into the sky.
Slice-slice-slice!
Its razor-sharp edges cleanly severed the Nirvana Beads. But that wasn’t all.
Like a sun, the solar wheel settled in the sky, brightly illuminating the barrier. It spun left and right, up and down, before suddenly plummeting toward the ground—straight for the Fallen Monk.
The Fallen Monk’s eyes widened. As if declaring he would never yield this spot, he thrust his staff forward.
“Rippling Wave of Clarity.”
Ting~
A clear bell chimed.
Like a droplet hitting the surface of water, a gentle ripple spread through the air. Concentric rings overlapped one after another, forming a defensive curtain.
Kaaaaang—!
The solar wheel crashed against the formless barrier. It spun violently, spewing forth roaring flames and intense heat.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
The Fallen Monk tapped his staff with a rhythm that betrayed his urgency. With each tap, another ripple was added to the curtain, and with each ripple, the solar wheel’s rotation slowed.
After he repeated this several times, the wheel’s speed decreased noticeably. The Fallen Monk let out a short breath. He never imagined she could wield solar energy.
It was as if she’d had a sudden awakening after muttering to herself. Could a fox spirit of old be with her? He would have to capture her to find out.
“Hm?”
The Fallen Monk blinked. Preoccupied with blocking the solar wheel, he was late to realize it. Rin, who had been at the edge of the barrier, was long gone.
And that same Rin…
“Get out of the way, you earth-bound spirit.”
…shot out from beneath the solar wheel.
Her right fist was wreathed in a golden blaze.
The distance between them was a mere arm’s length. While it might be restrictive for him to swing his long staff, it was no problem for Rin. Her fiery punch slammed into the Fallen Monk’s abdomen.
“Keuk!”
The Fallen Monk coughed up a spray of purple blood and was sent flying.
“Huu.”
Rin took a deep breath and exhaled.
She had finally secured the spot. The barrier was still draining her strength. She needed to destroy it, but she didn’t.
The Gumiho had told her that the Heaven and Earth Net not only trapped the target but also the caster. As long as she guarded this spot, the Fallen Monk couldn’t escape unless the talismans were removed.
So what if it drained her power?
She would endure that penalty. In return, he wouldn’t be leaving this place before he died.
*
Crack.
Kaaang!
As always, the Heaven and Earth Net shattered anticlimactically. Since they were in the sewers, there was no flash of light.
Beneath the broken barrier, the Fallen Monk lay sprawled on the ground, a tattered mess. With the caster dead, the murky water turned clear once more.
Thanks to Rin’s circus-worthy disc-throwing skills, the Fallen Monk’s limbs had long since been severed.
He was such a pitiful sight that if you tied him up with a rope and took him begging, getting alms of rice would be no problem at all.
Of course, Rin had no such intention. If she had to choose, she preferred being the one led on a leash, rather than the one holding it. Only by her master, of course.
Besides, this was a chance to obtain a massive amount of essence…
—Absorb it. Stop with the useless hesitation.
The Gumiho, having sensed Rin’s reluctance with uncanny precision, pressed her.
“I don’t really want to…”
Rin glared at the Fallen Monk on the floor. He looked like a worm stuck to hot asphalt on a dry day.
He looked filthy, he probably wouldn’t taste good, and above all, the thought of his energy circulating inside her body filled her with disgust.
The Gumiho was dumbfounded by this un-yokai-like mindset. It was the first time it had ever seen a picky eater among yokai.
—You’ve gotten spoiled, haven’t you? Do you think the chance to absorb a yokai of this caliber comes easily? Others would kill for a meal they can’t have.
“I know that, but…”
—If you know, then eat. You can’t grow otherwise.
Rin mulled it over, but she had no choice. The power she had absorbed from the Ghost Bear had been substantial, and the Fallen Monk’s would surely be even greater. She could get close to becoming a seven-tailed fox in a single stroke.
Rin reached her hand toward the Fallen Monk. The essence flowing from him began to be absorbed through her hand.
“Spirit… Spirit Queen… I beg you, have mercy on this lowly monk…”
The Fallen Monk extended his severed arm toward Rin, begging for mercy, but she paid him no mind. She silently absorbed his essence until he moved no more.
As expected, the amount of essence she absorbed from him was immense. And if there was one thing she couldn’t deny, it was that, contrary to her expectations, he was incredibly delicious.
It was a savory flavor that was hard to describe with taste alone. One bite made you want another, and another. It was an addicting sensation.
—You know, the essence of a being with whom your fate is strongly intertwined is a true delicacy.
“A being with whom my fate is strongly intertwined?”
—That’s right. In my experience, it was more delicious than anything else. Probably dozens of times more delicious than the Fallen Monk you just ate.
Dozens of times more delicious than this?
Just how tasty could it be? Unable to contain her burgeoning curiosity, Rin asked without thinking. It was a question born of simple interest.
“What does it taste like?”
At that, the corners of the Gumiho’s mouth stretched into a wide grin before vanishing. Its spirit form moved freely, swaying gracefully in front of Rin. The Gumiho’s expression was awash with ecstasy.
—An electrifying pleasure envelops your entire body, your heart pounds as if it will burst, a shiver runs down your spine and spreads through your mind, like a rising flame…! Haaah…
The Gumiho blew a hot breath near Rin’s ear. Though it was just a voice, a being that couldn’t physically interfere with reality, Rin felt a phantom heat.
—More than anything, their essence flows within your body. Well? Doesn’t that sound absolutely wonderful?
“……”
Rin was lost in thought. The only person she could think of whose fate was most strongly intertwined with hers was Karami.
Karami’s essence… flowing through her body…?
At the thought, Rin swallowed hard without even realizing it.
*
“You’re saying you defeated the Fallen Monk?”
Rin had returned home.
She slowly nodded.
He’d wondered why she was taking longer than expected; it seemed she’d been busy dealing with the Fallen Monk. But the battle hadn’t been entirely easy, as there was a hole in the shoulder of her clothes.
“Are you hurt?”
“I let my guard down for a moment. But I healed it, so I’m fine now.”
“It’s a relief that you’re safe, but didn’t I tell you to just find him and come back?”
Just as with the Ghost Bear, he had planned to tell her how to defeat the Fallen Monk. The Gumiho might have grown suspicious about how he knew such things, but that was better than Rin getting hurt.
“Rin?”
“Huh? Oh.”
“What are you thinking about? Are you listening to me?”
He couldn’t tell if she was listening or not. Her reaction was quite slow, as if she were spacing out.
“Yeah. I’m listening. I’m sorry. For not listening to you.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for. You did something worthy of praise. I was just worried.”
He realized his words might have sounded disappointing from Rin’s perspective. She had gone through the trouble of defeating the Fallen Monk and saving the city, only to be scolded for not following orders.
Feeling apologetic, he gave her a pat on the head, his way of saying ‘good job.’ But Rin, who would normally wag her tail in delight, had a lukewarm reaction.
He couldn’t decipher the look in her eyes as she stared at him.
*
That night.
Even though she had grown more tails and matured into a proper young woman, Rin still slept soundly beside Karami.
She could no longer climb onto his stomach as she did when she was little, but she made up for it by pressing herself completely against him.
Because of this, bedtime was a constant trial for Karami. He seriously considered getting some kind of libido-suppressing magic cast on himself.
In the end, he hadn’t gone that far.
As Karami finally drifted off to sleep, Rin remained awake. She carefully sat up and began to gaze intently at Karami.