A Fox's Family (50 page)

“It
shows.”

Several
tails wrapped around Kiara, gently lifting her off the ground and
cradling her body like a baby.

“Now
then, please allow me to heal you. After that, you and I can meet up
with Kevin-sama and Lilian-sama.”

“Oh?
Has the kid rescued her already?”

“Not
quite.”

Kiara
was tempted to ask Kotohime about the strange smile that had appeared
on her face, but decided she was too tired to even care.

She
looked over at the giant structure that stood a little over a mile
away.

I
wonder how you’ll do against your first yōkai opponent…
boya.

Chapter
12

A
Human’s Determination

The
moment Kevin had closed the distance between himself and
Jiāoào,
he knew that something was very,
very
wrong.

This
fact was confirmed seconds later when his fist passed right through
Jiāoào’s face as if it wasn’t even there.

Kevin
stumbled, his body also passing through Jiāoào, who
appeared to have become a ghost or some kind of hologram. The
two-tailed kitsune’s body flickered once, twice, and then
vanished.

“What
the―” Kevin’s eyes widened. “An
illusion―oof!”

Something
impossibly strong impacted Kevin’s back, sending him sprawling
to the ground. His face met the hard cobblestone pavement. He heard
as much as felt his nose being smashed between his head and the
ground. Blood gathered in his nostrils, seeping down his mouth and
chin. He didn’t think it was broken, but it definitely hurt.

He
pushed himself to his feet, eyes warily tracing the area. He couldn’t
see anyone, and that was the problem. Jiāoào had
disappeared.

“That’s
right, ape. This is all an illusion.
Kitsune
Art: Hidden Realities.
From
the very moment you entered this courtyard, you were trapped within
my illusory world. And now, I will show you the difference between
us. I will show you why we kitsune are superior to you hairless
monkeys in every way possible.”

“Guh!”

All
of the wind left Kevin’s lungs as something long and furry
struck him in the gut. He was lifted off his feet and launched into
the air. For a moment, everything seemed still, including time.
However, that moment came to an end when Kevin’s back had a
painful meeting with the earth, causing him to gasp as his mouth
uselessly tried to suck in oxygen that wouldn’t come.

Gritting
his teeth, Kevin pushed past the pain and rolled away from his
current location. He knew better than to stay in one place. Kiara had
taught him that.

It
was a good thing that he had taken his teacher’s words to
heart. Something invisible struck the ground mere seconds after he
had vacated his spot. The cobblestone shattered, tiny fragments
filling the air and pelting Kevin’s body.

Kevin
scrambled to his feet.

“Ho?
You dodged it.”

“You
can’t expect me to stay in one place, can you?” Even as
he asked this question, Kevin was already on the move. He didn’t
know where Jiāoào was, but he realized that the best way
to avoid getting caught by his opponent’s attacks was to
present the two-tails with a hard to hit target.

“No,
I suppose I can’t. Even an ape such as yourself must have some
kind of self-preservation instinct.”

“Again
with the ape thing. Your insults need to be more unique. They’re
completely lacking in originality.”

Kevin’s
body moved of its own accord, juking left and right, moving in
constant zigzags, and rolling along the ground at random. All around
him the earth was struck by something he couldn’t see but
instinctively knew were Jiāoào’s tails.

“My
apologies,” Jiāoào’s voice was full of
sarcasm. “Insults and comebacks have never really been
something that I strived to become competent with. When you’re
of a superior species such as myself, your actions tend to speak for
you.”

“Tch.”
Kevin rolled across the ground. The air above him
swished,
and
he knew that he’d just managed to avoid a tail. He could feel
the displaced air buffeting his hair. “I don’t see
someone who’s superior to me. All I see is an idiot who thinks
he’s some big-shot because he’s got supernatural powers.”

“I
would recommend shutting that mouth of yours,” the comment,
spoken in a tone of ice, echoed around the courtyard, “but it
won’t matter. You’ll be dead soon enough.
Kitsune
Art: Kitsune-Bi.
”

Kevin
would have snapped a retort, but in that moment a brilliant flame
exploded in his face. Kevin screamed in pain as his skin was burned.
He could feel the heat searing his flesh.

Lilian
had once told him that the Kitsune-Bi, or Fox Fire, wasn’t
powerful enough to cause damage unless a lot of youki was put into
it. However, that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. It did. A
lot. A hell of a lot.

Acting
on instinct and fearing for his retinas, Kevin closed his eyes so
that he would at least be able to keep from going blind.

This
proved to be a mistake.

Something
powerful smacked him in the chest. Kevin could almost hear his bones
snapping as he was knocked to the ground. Pain detonated behind
closed eyes. Acid dripped down his ribcage. He wanted to pass out,
but the pain kept him from being able to enter that blissful state of
unconsciousness.

With
his lips peeling back to reveal bloodstained teeth, Kevin willed his
body to move past the pain. Lilian was counting on him to rescue her.
He couldn’t afford to fail now!

He
moved swiftly, rolling across the ground. Several minor tremors
rocked the earth as what Kevin could only presume were Jiāoào’s
tails struck the cobblestone with force. Disregarding the agony in
his body, Kevin scrambled to his feet. However, the moment he did,
one of the two tails struck him in the stomach.

“Gggnnn!”

Putting
all of his strength into his actions, Kevin latched onto the
appendage before he could be sent flying. It was difficult—more
than difficult. His body screamed at him, begging him to let go, lie
down, and curl up into a ball around his battered torso.

He
ignored it.

Lilian
is counting on me!

“What
the―let go of my tail!”

The
tail moved. Kevin’s feet left the ground. The tail swung
through the air in violent jerking motions, obviously an attempt to
dislodge him. Kevin tenaciously hung on, refusing to let go.

“Get
off! I! Said! Get! Off!”

The
tail swung down, smashing into the ground with incredible force.
Kevin’s back cried out in agony as the cobblestone underneath
him cratered. Jagged shards of rock stabbed into his skin, piercing
him and causing more pain. His mind became unfocused, an attempt to
dull the screaming torment that rendered his body inert.

His
vision blurred, but he managed to make something out of the
blurriness. A figure. Jiāoào. The kitsune stood before
him, looking down at his beaten body, smirking with the sort of
superior haughtiness that rich people exuded when they were looking
at those less fortunate than themselves. Jiāoào’s
eyes glinted with malicious pleasure, like a sommelier tasting a fine
wine.

“You
see? I told you that I would show you how weak and powerless you
really are. Now look at you, lying on the ground, utterly defeated by
me.” Jiāoào’s tirade was halted, his superior
expression wilting into a frown. “What are you smiling about?”

Kevin’s
smile, which had appeared during Jiāoào’s diatribe,
was reminiscent of a cat that had eaten a canary. It was so wide that
it almost forced his eyes shut. “I can see you now.”

Jiāoào
only had a second to ponder those words before Kevin acted. He placed
his hands on the ground on either side of his head, palms pressed
firmly into the broken cobblestone. Kicking off the ground, he lifted
his legs, tucked them into his chest, and then thrust them forward.

Bang!
Kevin’s
powerful legs impacted against Jiāoào’s stomach,
firing off like a shotgun. The air left the kitsune’s lungs.
His eyes bulged. His body was lifted off the ground and into the air,
making an almost graceful arc as he soared. Kevin would freely admit
that it was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen.
Then again, that might have just been the euphoria from seeing the
smug smile getting wiped clean off his opponent’s face.

Kevin
climbed to his feet while Jiāoào landed on his back with
a harsh
thud!

He
could feel blood trailing down his back and the pain of several rocks
embedded into his flesh, but Kevin ignored that in favor of watching
his opponent wheezing on the ground. He chuckled—or he tried
to. He stopped when his chest flared up in agony. It was a sharp
pain, like a spear was being slowly pushed between his floating ribs.
Still, he could not help but be amused by the sight of the supposedly
powerful supernatural being writhing on the ground.

Kevin
straightened and took a deep breath. This was it. The moment he’d
been waiting for. This was his time to shine.

He
pointed at Jiāoào as the kitsune struggled to sit up…

…
and
began ranting.

“Just
who the hell do you think I am, furball?! I don’t care if you
are a supernatural creature of incredible power! Kitsune, inu,
yuki-onna, whatever! Don’t underestimate me just because I’m
a human! I have no intention of letting myself being defeated by the
likes of you! So, come at me with your tails! I’ll just rip
them clean off! Come at me with your illusions! They won’t make
a difference! Come at me with those vaunted Celestial powers! I’ll
prove to you that just because you’ve got abilities that I
don’t, it doesn’t mean you’re stronger than me!”

Jiāoào’s
face scrunched up in a mask of anger. Outrage poured off his frame
like water from a broken valve. He got up, wincing and glaring at
Kevin, who returned the fierce look with a grin that bared his teeth.

“You…”
An ugly snarl crossed Jiāoào’s face. In that
moment, the two-tails had never looked more inhuman. “I’m
going to kill you! Brutally! Painfully! You’re going to regret
ever being born!”

“Did
you just say porn?”

“I
said born!”

“No,
no, no. I’m pretty sure you said porn.”

“Y-y-y-you―grrr!
That’s it! You’re dead!”

That’s
it.

Kevin
concealed the smile that threatened to pop onto his face at the sight
of Jiāoào rushing towards him like an idiot.

He’s
so angry he’s not even thinking straight anymore.

Kiara
was a good teacher. Cruel. Sadistic. Merciless. But, still, a damn
good teacher. She had taught him more than just how to throw a punch,
more than just how to kick. She’d taught him how to fight, how
to struggle, and how to take down opponents that he had no right
beating.

“
Listen
to me, boya.”

“
Do
you have to call me boya?”

“
Yes.
Now shut up and pay attention. As a human, you lack the many powers
and abilities that we yōkai have. However, that doesn’t
mean you are without weapons. What do you suppose is your greatest
weapon?”

“
Um…
my mind?”

“
Heh,
good guess. That’s correct. Your mind is the greatest weapon
you have. So, use that mind to come up with better ways to beat your
opponents. If you ever find yourself overwhelmed and outmatched, if
you’re ever in a fight where no opening presents itself, then
all you need to do is create your own opening by using that devious
little mind of yours. Got it?”

“
Um,
yes, I think so.”

“
Good,
cuz I hate having to repeat myself.”

Kevin
had learned. He had listened and done as instructed, and he had
learned to create his own openings. That was what the banter was for,
to learn more about his opponent. Jiāoào believed this
battle to already be won, never once thinking that he could be
defeated by a mere human. He was sadistic, arrogant, and prideful.

In
his sadism, Jiāoào had toyed with Kevin and given him
time to plan his attack.

In
his arrogance, Jiāoào had let himself grow complacent and
open to retaliation.

And
in his pride, Jiāoào had given Kevin the means to create
his own openings.

Now
it was time to show this arrogant kitsune what a human could do when
given the proper motivation to fight.

***

Lilian
was at her wits’ end. Nothing was working. Every attempt she
had made at getting out of the stupid bindings had failed!

Lying
on the ground, she panted and puffed. Sweat coursed down her skin,
soaking her body and the bindings that kept her from moving freely.
The rough material, now slick with her sweat, grated against her
skin, rubbing it in all the wrong ways and making her feel like she’d
gotten a severe case of rug burn.

She
looked up at the ceiling, her chest heaving. It hurt. The stupid
bindings were wrapped tightly around her chest, too.

“Ugyu…”
A strange noise escaped her throat. “Why is this so difficult?
Dang it! I have to get out of here! Kevin needs me!”

She
knew that Kevin was strong. She’d spent the last two weeks
watching him spar against Kiara’s disciples and then Heather.
Each time he fought, Kevin grew just a little stronger, became just a
little better. The dog-woman had mentioned something about the
boundless potential of humanity shining in Kevin. Lilian didn’t
know anything about that, but she knew that Kevin was becoming
stronger every day.

But,
he still wasn’t ready to face off against a yōkai. He just
wasn’t. As painful as it was to admit this about her mate, she
knew that he lacked the strength needed to defeat even a two-tails
like herself. It had nothing to do with skills or physical prowess,
and everything to do with the supernatural powers yōkai
possessed. One month of training could not defeat the abilities and
techniques that yōkai were born with naturally.