"A Fox," Kayda said, trying to hold in her laugh, her lips twitching with amusement as she looked at me with a glint of mischief in her crimson eyes.
I gave her a flat, unimpressed stare, arms crossed and one brow raised in disapproval. "Seriously, why did you say it like that?" I huffed, looking away with an annoyed flick of my tail.
Kayda chuckled, leaning back lazily in her seat with one leg crossed over the other. "Haha, what were you expecting? Me confessing or something?" she teased, her voice laced with humor.
"No," I muttered, shifting my gaze to the window, watching the passing buildings blur by. "I was expecting you to at least tell me the good parts about myself. If there are any."
Kayda smiled, her laughter fading into a gentler expression. She leaned forward slightly, her tone softer. "But I did. You are a fox. Foxes are playful. They can also be profoundly serious when needed. And above all, they are loyal to their partners."
I scoffed, turning my head back toward her. "That's a lie. Female foxes will go and look for new mates if their partners die."
Kayda's smile dimmed, and her eyes dropped for a moment. She looked… deflated.
"So, what do you mean that when I die, you'll go look for a new mate?" she said, her voice tinged with frustration, though she tried to mask it with sarcasm.
"Probably not," I admitted, shrugging casually but not meeting her gaze. "I'm a demon fox, not a normal one. I'm… personally very loyal to my partner."
Kayda exhaled, a small sigh slipping out. "Good to know," she muttered. Then she smirked. "Anyway, foxes are evil."
"Wow," I deadpanned. "Couldn't you say that in a nicer way?"
"No," she said plainly, shooting me a sideways glance. "They're cunning and love playing tricks on people."
She gave me a pointed look that said exactly what she meant.
"Tch," I clicked my tongue and looked away again, my tail flicking in annoyance. "There's nothing wrong with playing with people's feelings."
"Like you did with Mil?" Kayda asked sharply, tilting her head. "Playing with her heart, knowing she doesn't like demons. You know that might kill her heart, right?"
I turned back to her, my expression serious. "I don't really care. That's her problem. Don't get me wrong—she's adorable, and if I knew her longer, maybe I'd give a shit. But she's a stranger. Weak and frail. Falling in love with someone you've just met is plain dumb."
Kayda raised an eyebrow. "What will you do if someone plays with your feelings then?"
"Haha," I grinned, brushing my bangs aside. "Like you said—I'm a fox. Knowing how to play the game means I know how to tell the difference between a lie and the truth."
"Now you accept being called a fox?" Kayda asked with a sigh.
"I never rejected it, though," I said with a raised eyebrow.
Kayda leaned her head back against the carriage wall, closing her eyes for a moment before asking quietly, "What will you do if I reject our soulmate bond?"
"Nothing," I said simply, stretching my arms behind my head. "I haven't fallen in love with you yet. So, it doesn't really matter if you do."
But in truth… 'I'll be pretty sad, though,' I thought to myself, keeping my face neutral.
Kayda looked at me for a long moment, her eyes softening. "That kind of stung, you know. But… at least you said 'yet.'"
I gave a small smile, tilting my head. "That's why I might actually fall for you. You don't easily get hurt by my words, and you see the deeper meaning behind them."
I reached out slowly and placed my hand gently on her cheek, brushing my thumb across her warm skin.
'Might? That's another lie, I thought. 'The last month, I've been jealous knowing you have a soulmate. And I don't even have a chance to get you… or so I thought.'
"Ooh, is the adorable little foxy falling for me already?" Kayda teased, grabbing my hand and holding it tightly.
Before I could reply—
Bam!
The carriage door slammed open.
"We have arrived, Lady…ies," Warlurd said, stepping in and immediately freezing, his eyes locking on me sitting in Kayda's lap, her hand still cupping mine. His face went red as whispers erupted outside the carriage.
I blinked in horror as several soldiers nearby stopped to look inside, their expressions ranging from amused to stunned.
"Ahem," Warlurd coughed, averting his gaze. "We apologize for interrupting you two, but we have arrived at the city safely."
"Don't look away like that!" I shouted, leaping up from Kayda's lap, a bright red blush spreading across my face. "Don't you know how to knock before opening doors?!"
"Woah, miss, calm down!" "Warlord," she said defensively, backing away.
"No! I was doing so well holding my embarrassment back, but noooo—you just had to ruin it!" I shouted, cheeks burning even more as I saw the smirks on the watching soldiers.
"You really are embarrassed," Kayda said, blinking in surprise.
"Who wouldn't be, you damn lizard!" I snapped, summoning a fireball into one palm and lightning into the other, the energy crackling wildly around my hands.
Kayda's eyes widened. "You can't be serious—EVERYONE, HIT THE GROUND!"
Bang!!
The carriage exploded in a blast of fire and lightning, the shockwave sending startled soldiers scrambling.
I leaped out from the smoke, flipping in midair before landing atop a nearby building. I crouched low, cloak flapping around me as I stared down at the chaos I'd caused. Then I stood and began sprinting across the rooftops, using my momentum to hop from one to the next with practiced ease.
"Shit," I muttered to myself, wind rushing past my ears. "Guess I'm not getting that 100 gold coin reward anymore. Tch. No matter. I'll find Kayda later."
My feet thudded softly against the tiled roofs as I moved toward the heart of the city, my thoughts wandering.
To actually think I'd be her soulmate... it kind of makes me happy. But... why does it feel like we're forced together? Like we didn't get to choose this.'
I came to a stop at the edge of a roof overlooking a large street near the market. The city buzzed with life below—vendors shouting, kids running between stalls, and smells of spices and cooked meats floating up to me.
"Mil said the church in Armillian was destroyed a couple of days ago. Maybe I can check out that black pillar she mentioned," I muttered.
With a quick hop, I dropped into a narrow alley, landing gracefully between two barrels.
"You there!" a gruff voice barked.
I turned slowly, finding five rough-looking men standing ahead of me, blocking the exit of the alley. Their stances screamed hostility, hands near weapons, and one of them—clearly the leader—had a dark, odd-looking knife in hand.
'Huh? I didn't even notice them…'
"Hey, don't ignore me!" The leader barked again. "Who are you, and what do you want with us?"
I sighed, brushing dust off my coat. "Wasn't interested in you guys at all, actually. But that knife you're holding…" I pointed at the black blade. "Where did you get it?"
"This?" he asked, glancing at the blade with a grin. "Bought it off the black market. Only three gold coins. They said it's indestructible. We even tested the coin with Jimmy's magic, and it didn't leave a scratch. "Oh, by the way, Jimmy is our mage, in case you were wondering."
He gestured to the thin, nervous-looking guy beside him.
"I already know what you guys are," I said, eyes narrowing. "Don't need a class breakdown. What I do need is the material that knife's made from—and directions to the black market."
"Oh, that's straightforward. It's in the west-side slums," the leader said helpfully, pointing west.
"Jeff! Shut up!" Jimmy snapped. "We don't know her! Giving info like that could get us killed!"
Jeff glared and punched him. "Shut it, Jimmy! Who's the leader here?!"
"Boss, calm down," one of the others said, trying to defuse the situation.
Jeff turned back to me. "Anyway, sorry. We can't say more."
"Then how about a trade?" I pulled a pouch from my pocket and tossed it toward them. It hit the ground with a clink.
Jeff bent down and opened it. "Twenty gold coins? This works."
"Great," I said. "Include that knife of yours, too."
Jeff grinned—and threw the knife at me.
"Wrong move," I muttered.
I caught the blade between two fingers, and in the next breath, ice spikes erupted from the cobblestones, impaling all five of them through the legs and torsos, pinning them in place.
"Ugh… when did you—" Jimmy gasped, blood bubbling in his throat.
I stepped forward, snatching my coin pouch back. "Before you even pulled the knife."
They writhed, immobilized but alive.
"Now," I said calmly, "where's the church that was destroyed recently?"
"Like I'll tell my killer anything," Jeff spat, glaring.
"Killer?" I echoed with a laugh. "You threw a knife at me first, dumbass."
"Bitch," he snarled.
I rolled my eyes—and slowly began expanding the ice spike inside his chest.
"AGHH! STOP!"
"Where's the church?" I asked again.
"It's across from the guild in the main market!" Jimmy cried. "Please, don't kill me! I have a family!"
"Thanks," I said, releasing the ice.
They collapsed, gasping.
I patted Jimmy on the head. "Sorry, but you saw my face."
BOOM! SPLAT!
Half their bodies exploded in a violent burst of gore and frost.
Blood spattered the alley walls. Steam hissed from melting ice.
I looked down, heart racing—not from fear, but a dark thrill that pulsed through me.
"So… that's what happens when I detonate the soul bombs I placed earlier," I muttered. "Gruesome. Even for me."
I inhaled deeply, centering myself.
"Sigh. Now that I know my personality's been shifting… I can feel every change. Every inch of it."
I turned, stepping out of the alley and into the sunlight again.
As I walked down the road, I pulled out the knife Jeff had thrown at me and began inspecting it closely.
"It really is odd," I murmured. "Not long. Not elegant. But definitely not normal."
The black metal was cool to the touch. Twelve centimeters, roughly. The blade looked simple—but the killing intent it emitted… Even wild goblins would flee from this thing.
"Knives aren't supposed to have auras like this."
My smile widened slightly.
"And yet… here we are."