As the pink orbs streaked through the air toward the two guards, one of them reacted instantly. With a sharp breath, he extended his arm and dragged a blade across his wrist, crimson droplets spilling into the cold air. His lips moved in a hushed incantation, the words barely audible over the howling wind.
A barrier of blood erupted in front of them, a shimmering crimson wall pulsing with raw energy. He smirked, confidence flickering in his eyes.
"These pathetic orbs won't even—"
Before he could finish, the orbs struck.
A deafening boom tore through the silence as the impact sent shockwaves rippling across the barrier. Cracks splintered through the blood-forged defense like shattered glass, and before the guards could react, the remaining orbs slammed into it with relentless force.
The barrier imploded in an instant, collapsing like brittle ice under a hammer. The guard staggered back, his eyes wide with disbelief as a sharp gust of wind carried the lingering embers of pink energy around them.
"...That's not supposed to happen." His voice was barely above a whisper, laced with unease.
The fox locked eyes with the guard for only a moment before unleashing another barrage of blinding pink spheres, each crackling with raw energy.
"You got any bright ideas for this one?" the second guard asked with a chuckle, gripping his weapon tighter.
"Of course, I do. It's called killing the damn thing." The first guard smirked before muttering another incantation under his breath. A barrier of blood enveloped his body. Without hesitation, he charged at the Sumi Fox.
With a sharp breath, he raised his katana of ice high and brought it down in a swift, merciless arc. The blade connected, slicing deep into the creature's side. A layer of frost instantly spread over the wound, crackling as it tried to freeze the fox's flesh.
The Sumi Fox let out a high-pitched whine before leaping into the air, its six tails whipping behind it. Its golden eyes flared with rage as another set of pink orbs formed, burning with intensity. With a single flick of its tails, the orbs shot forward like meteors, bypassing the guard's barrier without resistance.
Before he could react, the blasts struck him dead on.
A deafening shockwave rippled through the air as he was sent hurtling backward, his body crashing into a tree with a sickening crack. Blood splattered onto the snow as he gasped, struggling to push himself up. His breaths were ragged, his vision blurred.
"D-Damn fox…" he sputtered, blood dripping from his lips.
The other guard glanced back at his fallen comrade and shouted, "NICE PLAN!" while giving a sarcastic thumbs-up.
"Go to hell," the injured man groaned.
Chuckling, the second guard summoned a chain of ice, its crystalline links forming in the air before he whipped it forward, aiming to ensnare the fox.
But before it could make contact, the Sumi Fox let out a piercing howl, activating its passive ability.
[Fox Flame]
A surge of pink fire erupted around its body, instantly reducing the ice chain to nothing but ash. The snow beneath its paws evaporated in an instant. The air shimmered with heat.
Then, six blazing pink orbs ignited once more, each one radiating with searing intensity, distorting the air around them. In an instant, the fox launched them forward like meteors, streaking toward the guard.
Reacting quickly, he attempted to summon, and raised the partially made shield of ice, hoping to dampen the impact. But these orbs were faster. Stronger.
The man knew he couldn't block it as he gulped.
They slammed into him before his shield could fully form, sending him hurtling backward. His body crashed into the injured guard, the force knocking the wind from both of them.
Blood sprayed from their mouths as the first guard's vision blurred. Darkness crept into his senses before his body collapsed, unconscious.
The last remaining guard, who had been sitting on the caravan to ensure the slaves stayed quiet, let out a long sigh. Slowly, he stood, stretching as if this entire ordeal was nothing more than an inconvenience. He dropped down from the caravan, the snow crunching beneath his boots, and reached for his weapon.
With a deliberate motion, he unsheathed a tanto, its blade humming with an enchantment of water and lightning.
"Since those two pathetic, useless excuses for warriors couldn't even handle a single fox, I guess it's up to me to clean up their mess."
He dashed forward, his aura flaring deep red around his legs, propelling him with unnatural speed.
The Sumi Fox sprang into the air, its six tails swirling, coated in pink aura. Without hesitation, it whipped them forward in a coordinated strike.
The guard leaped to meet it, his tanto flashing in the moonlight. As his blade connected with the fox's tails, a violent reaction occurred—water lightning met burning pink flames.
A hissing explosion of steam filled the air, masking the battlefield in mist as the two combatants separated.
Then, the fox's golden eyes gleamed with cunning.
It opened its maw, a star-shaped formation of blazing pink flames appearing before it. The searing energy crackled, growing in intensity.
Then, two layers of glowing pink orbs formed from its tails, spiraling into the star, expanding its size until it was nearly double the fox's own body.
With a final, almost taunting flick of its tail, the fox slammed its aura-coated appendage into the flaming star, launching it forward like a comet.
The horses pulling the caravan whinnied in terror, their instincts screaming at them to flee. Hooves pounded against the snow as they took off, dragging the caravan and everyone within it with them.
For just a fraction of a second, the guard's attention wavered. His head snapped toward the fleeing caravan, his eyes widening in frustration.
That was the most fatal mistake he had made since joining the guard's group as a transport warrior.
By the time he turned back, the massive star-shaped blast was already upon him.
His pupils shrank.
Then, flames engulfed him.
His armor melted instantly, his flesh searing away in agonizing waves, the smell of burning meat filling the frigid air. He collapsed, his screams lost to the raging inferno as he was consumed.
The Sumi Fox howled victoriously, then bolted after the caravan, its golden eyes locked onto the fleeing horses.
Renzo couldn't even process what had just happened. The icy chains binding him dissolved into nothing, their existence snuffed out the moment the guard's life ended.
His breath was unsteady as he scanned the chaotic aftermath. "What the hell just happened…?"
Zay took a deep breath, inhaling sharply before exhaling in a controlled manner. His violet aura flared around him, just as he was about to attempt to forcefully shatter his restraints, the chains around him abruptly unraveled and dissipated into the air. He let out a sigh, glancing over at Lily, whose bindings had also vanished.
His brows furrowed as he processed the events. 'This is definitely one of the strangest damn Sequences I've ever experienced...'
Then, his mind wandered to something even more bizarre. 'Although, nothing will ever top that flying frog.' His expression darkened slightly as he recalled the absurd memory.
'The bastard could talk, take chunks of land straight into almost space territory, summon volcanoes at will, and for some godforsaken reason, had a bunch of dancing monkeys and fishes balancing on a massive apple… shaped like a tree. And that wasn't even the worst of it.'
Zay rubbed his temples. 'Yeah… that shit was definitely weirder.'
Snow whipped violently through the air, the relentless wind howling like a chorus singing songs. The caravan creaked and groaned as it hurtled forward, the icy terrain beneath it making every bump and lurch more treacherous. Zay scanned the inside of the caravan, his sharp amethyst eyes flickering between Lily, Renzo, and a lone girl gripping the edge of a tattered seat.
His brows furrowed. Where was everyone else?
"Where is everyone else?" He asked, his voice steady but laced with unease as he turned to the girl.
She barely spared him a glance, instead peering out over the back of the caravan, her dark hair whipping in the frigid wind. "What do you mean? It's been just me."
Zay's expression darkened. 'Was I hallucinating? I swear there wa—'
A thunderous impact slammed into the back of the caravan, cutting his thoughts short. The entire structure groaned under the force, the back of it was forced opened, nearly knocking them all off balance. He grabbed onto the wooden floor for stability.
Turning his head, his eyes locked onto faint outlines behind them—the fox.
Its form weaving through the snow, the beast's six tails trailed behind it, each wreathed in glowing pink embers, illuminating the stormy night like spectral lanterns. Its golden eyes gleamed with hunger, locked onto them.
Zay's breath fogged in the freezing air. "...That's not a damn Sumi Fox."
Suddenly, as he was speaking, the sky above them darkened further, the storm growing more violent. Ice and hail lashed down in erratic bursts, the once-firm ground beneath the caravan turning into a slick battlefield of shifting snow and frozen mud.
Renzo, Lily, and the girl gripped the jagged edges of the caravan to stay upright. Renzo, still catching his breath, stole a glance at the pursuing monster. "Then what the hell is that?"
"It's an Astris Fox. Rare, powerful, and aggressive as hell. They don't discriminate. Dragons, serpents, humans, horses—it doesn't matter. They attack anything that moves. More importa—"
Before he could finish, the fox's six tails flared outward. A pink star-shaped inferno materialized before it, swirling with crackling pink flames. The beast twisted mid-stride, its tails coiling together before violently slamming into the fiery star.
It shot forward like a meteor.
"HOLD ON!" Zay shouted as the burning mass collided with the caravan.
The explosion ripped through the wooden frame, flames consuming everything in their path. The fire surged toward the front, creeping along the interior walls and racing toward the panicked horses pulling them forward. The air turned thick with heat, the once-frigid temperature inside the caravan now a suffocating inferno.
"JUMP!" Zay barked, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Without hesitation, he threw himself out of the caravan and into the merciless storm. The impact was brutal—his body crashed into the snow, rolling violently before skidding to a stop. His breath hitched as he pushed himself up, his arms trembling from the cold.
One by one, the others followed, hitting the snow-covered ground with grunts of pain. Lily recovered quickly, brushing frost from her clothes. Renzo groaned, shaking off the impact as he got to his feet. The other girl, however, hesitated—her eyes darting around as if looking for something.
A low growl rumbled through the storm.
Zay turned his head.
The Astris Fox stood atop a mound of snow, its golden eyes locked onto them with eerie intelligence. The flames along its body pulsed, the storm around it seeming to swirl in time with its breath.
Then—its body shimmered.
A deep, resonant hum filled the air as the fox howled, activating another passive.
[Fox Clone]
Two more foxes materialized from its form, identical in every way. Their flaming tails flickered against the stormy backdrop, casting eerie pink shadows across the snow. Slowly, they began circling the group, each step deliberate, predatory.
Glowing pink spheres flared into existence around their tails, the flames crackling.
Like predators awaiting the slightest mistake.