(Kitsuna POV)
"If it isn't the lady of the hour," Zagan drawled sarcastically from the mansion's entrance, his arms folded as he leaned against the doorframe.
His silver hair gleamed in the midday light, and his eyes held the same teasing glint they always did when he was trying to rile me up. Amari stood next to him, arms crossed and a smirk playing on her lips.
"Oh? Come to see me off with Amari?" I asked, my steps casual as I approached them, my travel bag slung lazily over one shoulder.
Zagan shrugged. "We aren't here only for that."
Amari flicked her long hair over her shoulder, turning slightly to look back at the front yard. Her voice carried an amused lilt. "We wanted to see what you were going to do about this."
I followed her gaze. The front yard, once a perfectly maintained estate garden with trimmed hedges and a pristine driveway, now looked like a war zone. I blinked slowly, taking in the devastation that was the aftermath of my fight with Mother.
"Hehe… yeah, I actually don't know what to do," I said with a stiff laugh, rubbing the back of my neck as I surveyed the damage.
The main gate had been twisted like a crushed soda can, with metal beams bent and jutting out at awkward angles. Cracks split the paved stone driveway like spiderwebs, and the once-beautiful flower beds were frozen solid, covered in a thick sheen of glistening ice. Several small craters dotted the landscape—obvious signs of where I had crash-landed each time Mother yeeted me across the yard. A few ornamental trees leaned at weird angles, some having snapped completely under the impact.
"I didn't even manage to send her flying once," I muttered, sighing. "She, on the other hand, did it to me, like, thirty times."
The worst of it was the driveway. Since it had been the flattest surface, it became the de facto battlefield. It was littered with shallow gouges, some still steaming faintly, and half a dozen frozen weapons stood embedded in the earth like oversized toothpicks.
I walked down the cracked steps toward the closest blade stuck in the ground. The shimmering blue ice hummed with residual mana.
"Wait…" I frowned, crouching beside the sword and resting my palm against its hilt. "How did I even make so many swords? I was fighting nonstop with Mom, using St. Stephen. I shouldn't have had enough mana for this."
Zagan joined me, glancing over the battlefield. "What do you mean? You used to make hundreds before you ran out."
"Yeah, but those weren't like these." I gestured toward the nearest weapons. "You remember that the more mana I pour in, the denser and stronger the blade becomes." These… these are different. They're made of layered ice. Like sheets stacked one over another."
Amari leaned in slightly, curious. "Like sword folding? The technique Zagan told you about?"
"Exactly. Not as good, of course. More of a makeshift version. However, each layer consumes a significant amount of mana while I was engaged in battle. I shouldn't have had the juice to make thirty of these." I stood up and extended my hand.
With a quick flick of my fingers, I conjured a new weapon—a scythe with a long, sweeping blade, nearly 12 meters long. The handle shimmered faintly, forming perfectly in my grasp.
"Let's see how much that took," I muttered, pulling up my status window.
[Status]
Name: Kitsuna Draig (Shiro Adachi)
Age: 14 (Immortal)
Race: Primordial 1-Tail Demon Fox
Bloodline: Primordial 9-Tail Fox
Level: 31
Class: Unknown (Wrath)
HP: 2800/2800
MP: 4549/4600
STR: 1200
VIT: 1400
DEF: 800
INT: 2300
END: 2250
AGI: 2600
"Only 51 mana used?" I blinked in disbelief. "That used to cost me around 150. Did I become secretly broken?"
Zagan let out a low whistle. "That's a giant improvement."
"Yup. I must've evolved again or subconsciously started using ice more efficiently. Huh…"
Before I could continue my thoughts, Kayda's sharp and commanding voice interrupted me from behind. "That's wonderful and all, but can you fix the front yard? We need to leave. You already delayed our departure by two days."
I turned to her with a sheepish smile. She was dressed for travel, her white cloak fluttering in the soft breeze, and her arms crossed in that 'I'm tolerating your bullshit' kind of way.
"Yes, ma'am," I said with a mock salute, dispelling the scythe and using flash steps to zip around the yard. In a few moments, I had gathered all the scattered weapons and returned to her side.
"You have a plan to fix all that?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Hmm… I could just melt it all, but then it'll flood…" I crouched and placed my palms on the ground. "Ah, got it."
The ground hummed with mana as I whispered an incantation, drawing the icy essence up from the destroyed terrain. Slowly, the chaotic craters, gouges, and shattered ice constructs were replaced with something new—sleek, controlled designs. Patterns of foxes—sitting, running, sleeping—formed in walls and pedestals, white bushes aligning neatly beside the walkway. At the end of the walkway, a fountain emerged, shaped like two intertwined dragons whose arched necks formed a heart.
Zagan blinked. Amari's jaw dropped.
"What the hell…?" she muttered. "You redesigned the whole thing."
"Yup!" I said, beaming. "Call it my final middle finger to Mother for chucking me through the yard like a ragdoll."
[Later—On the Road]
The early afternoon sun filtered through the forest canopy as Kayda and I walked the shaded path toward the southern gate. Our footsteps crunched over dry leaves, the forest alive with the quiet buzz of insects.
"So, what did you do this morning?" Kayda asked casually.
I whistled, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "Uhhh… had someone to interrogate. And someone to kill."
Kayda glanced at me sideways, unimpressed. "Furry? She's dead then?"
"Yup. Starving for two days broke them both. Should've told you earlier… sorry."
Kayda waved it off. "Nah, it's fine. I've seen more than enough people I dislike die."
Curious, I tilted my head. "How did you feel after?"
She paused for a moment, hands tucked behind her head. "Happy and empty, I guess. I mean, I was glad they were gone, but… It didn't change anything, really."
"Oh, thank god," I muttered, sighing with relief.
She raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"That's exactly how I felt after I killed that person. I was so ready for some catharsis. But… nothing really changed."
Before Kayda could reply, a voice called out from the path.
"Ladies," a knight in full Duke Boei uniform said stiffly, stepping aside. "Not to pry, but please don't speak of killing people so openly."
"Why not?" I asked innocently. "It might be our job, you know."
The knight's face twitched, clearly unamused.
Kayda sighed and palmed her face. "Nova, you're making it worse…"
"What's he going to do?" I said with a grin, gesturing to the sword strapped to my back. "Arrest me?"
The knight's face turned beet red. "Grrrrrrr…"
"Just shut up!" Kayda barked, dragging me by the hand. "You—Mister Knight—ignore the idiot fox. We're leaving the capital anyway."
"Bye-bye~!" I waved sweetly over my shoulder.
"Bitch!" the knight yelled, flipping me off.
I cackled.
[South Gate]
"Ooh, by the way—why are we heading south again?" I asked as we passed through the gates, sunlight now bathing the open fields beyond.
Kayda's expression turned thoughtful. "I want to inspect Anabald territory. They've been quiet lately, and their house head is conveniently 'missing.'"
"Missing? I thought she was out at sea," I replied, remembering what Mom told me.
Kayda snorted. "That's just the public excuse. I think something deeper is going on. And with your powers, you'll be a tremendous help."
"Because I'm a demon?"
"No. Because the church hates demons. If you cause some trouble in Anabald lands, the church might openly target you during the tournament. Which works in our favor."
I nodded slowly. "Huh… smart. But will we even have time to do all that and get back to our territory in six months?"
Kayda gave me a sly look and gestured to the woods nearby. "Only if we travel normally."
I narrowed my eyes. "Oh no… You want us to transform, don't you?"
"You, specifically," she said, pointing at me.
"What about you?"
Kayda crossed her arms, unbothered. "If I transform, I have to fly to avoid mass panic. But if you turn into your smallest fox form, you'll look like my contract beast."
"…You want me to act like your pet?" I stared at her, horrified.
"I even got you a collar," she said sweetly, pulling out a glittering white chain from her backpack.
"Hell no! Not happening!" I waved my arms furiously.
"It matches your fur so well," Kayda pouted.
"NO!"
"It even has little ice crystal charms…"
I hesitated. "Shit."
[Draig Mansion–Dan POV]
I arrived at the Draig estate, expecting a serious meeting with Stacy Draig. What I didn't expect was… this.
The newly rebuilt entrance was blindingly white. The gates were now pristine ivory, and the path was lined with ice fox statues every few meters—each one different. Some sitting, some crouched, some mid-run. Their detail was breathtaking. There were bushes too—artificial ones, made of ice but shaped to resemble delicate flora.
At the end stood a fountain featuring two dragons intertwined, their snouts meeting in the center to form a heart.
My mother practically squealed. "Oh my goodness! That is adorable! We need to know who made this!"
As we drove up, we saw Dean and Stacy walk out—Dean's jaw dropped. Stacy looked ready to strangle someone.
"She didn't…" Dean muttered.
"She did," Stacy confirmed, groaning. "I asked her not to fix it. I never said how. Cunning little fox…"
"Good afternoon," I greeted, stepping out. "We came as fast as we could."
"Yeah… give me a sec," Stacy muttered, massaging her temple as she stared at the army of frozen foxes lining her front yard.
Mother stepped up beside her. "Might I ask who made this? It's stunning."
"Kitsuna," Stacy deadpanned. "She made it out of ice. Probably with Kayda's help."
My mother looked lost for words. "I… I see…"
Dean growled. "I'm grounding her when she gets back."
"Too late for that," Stacy muttered. "She already won."
"Bwahahahahaha!" I couldn't help but burst out laughing.
So it wasn't just me suffering thanks to that fox.