A Demon's Tale

Within a luxurious inn was a room that had been rented for the night. This room had multiple different side rooms to it. Each provided a place for those who had come to rest to gain the sleep they had required. There were even custom quantities of beds provided to accommodate every member. In the main area of this room were five people of the now party of seven. Three of them continued to play card games with each other, as the other two had an interesting task at hand.

Kiyomi: [How about this one, Kaoru?]

Kaoru: [Hmmmmm. It’s not bad, but it’s a little short on the legs. Try the next set.]

Disheartened, the towering kitsune girl began to take off the kimono she had tried on. Among the tables near her were multiple different sets of kimonos. Each of various different colors, with pelts that reflected well onto these colors.

Kiyomi: [I don’t know, Kaoru. I don’t think there’s a single type of kimono that’ll fit me. I’m a little too tall, and a little too buff…]

Kaoru: [Nonsense! Lady Kōkatsu bought every kimono the shop had! Surely there will be one, we just have to find it! In the worst case scenario, we can ask Miss Yoro to make our family kimonos early!]

Kiyomi: [You’re really good at looking towards the positives in life. How do you do it?]

Kaoru began to look towards her feet. A depressing look began to take over, but she did not let it control her mood.

Kaoru: [...When Lady Kōkatsu had met me, I lost everyone I had known…]

Kiyomi: [Ah! Shit! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to say anything bad–]

Kaoru: [...But it’s thanks to Lady Kōkatsu that I was able to keep moving. Thus, I enjoy being in her presence, even when I am not near her!]

Kiyomi: [...Pffft–hahahaha!]

Kaoru: [Hey! Are you laughing?! It wasn’t a funny story or anything! Honestly, I thought you were really nice till now!]

Kiyomi looked down at Kaoru, and began to laugh. Kaoru puffed her cheeks out towards her and began to shout back. Kiyomi, in a fit of laughter, began to clear up the confusion.

Kiyomi: [Haha! No–I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just…should have figured I guess. It’s only been a little bit, but I’m getting pretty fond of Lady Kōkatsu myself.]

Kaoru smiled in response, before the two turned their attention to the kitsune who sat across the room. This kitsune was their new mother, and the woman they would serve from this point onward, Kōkatsu the Almighty.

Kaoru: [Lady Kōkatsu seems to have that effect on the hearts of many…]

Kiyomi: [Yeah…She sure does…Alright! Enough messing around! Time for more kimonos!]

Kaoru: [Right!]

As the two continued their quest to find the perfect fit, the three girls they were once looking towards looked back at them.

Shiro: [You sure are lucky, Kō. You got exactly what you wanted from one trip alone.]

Kōkatsu: [I sure did. I’d buy a bunch of celebratory booze right now if I didn’t already spend a hefty amount of cash.]

Shiro eyebrows began to wrinkle after hearing the response she was given.

Shiro: [Hefty amount of cash? What do you mean?]

Kōkatsu: [Nah. ‘S nothin’ really.]

Silvia: [Kōkatssssu sssspent a large amount of money for thissss inn, the cusssstom bedssss within our roomssss, and the kimonossss sssshe had bought for Kiyomi. It issss what you would call an adrenaline russssh sssshopping sssspree.]

Shiro: [Adrenaline rush shopping spree? Why’d she do that?]

Kōkatsu: [Hey! Don’t go sayin’ stuff, Sil–]

Silvia: [Sssshe wassss rather nervoussss about your wellbeing. Like I had mentioned before, sssshe cried for quite ssssome time, then in a panic, sssshe went sssshopping.]

Kōkatsu: [Oi! Shiro! Cover yer ears!]

Silvia: [I have already finisssshed desssscribing what occurred.]

Shiro’s eyes glistened as they moved from Silvia’s to Kōkatsu’s.

Shiro: [You did all of that because of me?]

Kōkatsu: [Kiyomi needed some kimonos, so I did that just because. We needed an inn to stay at, so I got this one. I got enough beds for all of us cause I felt like it. ‘S all there is to it.]

Shiro: [Kō…]

Kōkatsu: [...........Ya made me worried, ya punk. I told ya from the very beginning that both Kaoru and ya would go in there for safety. I thought ya broke yer promise after I saw ya pass out.]

Kōkatsu had only grown more sad as she described what had happened. Hearing her words, Shiro began to smile with water building up in her eyes. She began to move towards Kōkatsu for a hug, but was held back via a hand to her face delivered by the orange kitsune.

Shiro: [Come on, Kō! Let me give you a hug!]

Kōkatsu: [We got enough lovey dovey stuff in this place as is. Don’t need more of it.]

Shiro stopped her hug and moved back to her original seat as she noticed an oddity in what was spoken.

Shiro: [Lovey dovey stuff? Come to think of it…Nero and Yoro aren’t here.]

Kōkatsu and Silvia did not respond, they merely put their heads down in despair.

Shiro: [Huh? Hey! What happened with those two?!]

No words were uttered, their expressions only grew more depressed.

Shiro: [I just went to shower…Nothing happened, right?! There shouldn’t have been anything…Ah! Was it that one thing we kept seeing?! Did it reappear?!]

Nothing. Shiro grew more anxious by the second.

Shiro: [Seriously, what happened?! Are they okay?! I need to kno–]

Silvia: [....Pfff–]

Kōkatsu: [YAHAHAHAHA!]

Silvia: [HAHAHAHAHAHA!]

Her anxiety became confusion as the two in front of her erupted into fierce laughter. Hands slapped against knees and tails struck the floor as they rolled across the room.

Silvia: [HAHAHA! OH, I SSSSEE WHAT YOU MEAN NOW! IT ISSSS VERY FUNNY TO DO THISSSS.]

Kōkatsu: [SEE?! IT’S FUCKIN’ GREAT! YAHAHAHAHAHA!]

From anxiety to bewilderment, Shiro’s emotions took one final transformation. Anger. In a furious rage, she herself roared at the two violently.

Shiro: [ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I THOUGHT SOMETHING ACTUALLY HAPPENED! YOU TWO WERE JUST MESSING AROUND?!]

They paused their laughter briefly to look back up at Shiro–

Kōkatsu and Silvia: [...Yeah–HAHAHAHAHA!]

Only to once again break out into fit.

Shiro: [Alright already! Where are they?!]

Kōkatsu: [Haha…hah…Don’t worry. They’re in their room. Don’t go interruptin’ them, though. I got some spicy info from my new pal.]

Both Shiro’s and Silvia’s raised an eyebrow in curiosity as they heard this. Quickly moving over next to Kōkatsu, they tried to listen in on any whispered secrets she may provide.

Shiro: [Oh?]

Silvia: [Do tell.]

Kōkatsu: [Well, don’t let the others, or even them know, buuuuuut…]

Kōkatsu looked at her surroundings before putting a hand over her mouth.

Kōkatsu: [I heard it might be…y’know…]

Shiro: [No…]

Kōkatsu: [Yeah…]

Silvia: [Sssshould we go look…?]

Kōkatsu: [Silvia. What are ya sayin’?!...Of course we’re gonna! Just gotta wait for the exact moment though…]

Shiro: [How do we know when though…?]

Kōkatsu: [Silvia. How quietly can you observe it?]

Silvia: [The door can be assss thin assss possssible, but I will sssstill be able to ssssee insssside. The only matter issss how well can you two ssssneak over?]

Kōkatsu: [Shiro. Ya good on yer tippy toes?]

Shiro: [I ate snacks at my house around three o’clock in the night without my mom knowing.]

Kōkatsu: [Sick. We’re golden then. Our plan is a go!]

The chat among the girls concluded, and the three prepared themselves for a secret mission that Kaoru and Kiyomi were unaware of.

Their focus was directed towards one of the many bedrooms of the inn, where the remaining two individuals were now speaking.

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With the moon shining brightly in the purple toned night sky, two lovers stood side by side in their small open balcony. They gazed up at the beautiful sight without a word to each other, as if not only were their hearts connected, but their minds as well. They continued to look at the light’s wonderful beauty before finally breaking the respectful silence they had provided for it.

Yoro: [In just a short amount of time, there sure was a lot that happened, huh?]

Nero: [Certainly…]

The boy moved his eyes down to face the girl adorned in red and black across her figure before talking with her once more.

Nero: [Do you regret leaving your castle?]

Her glittering red eyes met with the dark gray eyes that had gazed at her with love.

Yoro: [You’re being silly now. Why would I ever regret leaving?]

She moved her eyes back to face the beautiful glowing circle in front of her. The distance between her and that wondrous presence had been incredibly far. Yet, in this very moment, it felt as if it had moved as close as it possibly could just for the girl. It illuminated both her and the boy to the highest degree, despite the room they resided in being dark.

Yoro: [...I’m happy here. I’ve had fun with everyone…and furthermore…I met you. I’m satisfied with everything that’s happened.]

Nero: [I see. That is good.]

Yoro: [What about you? Now that you have me, are you happy?]

The man could not help but smile as the girl’s own smile viciously attacked his heart.

Nero: [It’s odd. I’ve been happy before. With my sister, with my Mother, with the mother I often refer to as Moms…But…]

Yoro: [...But…?]

Nero: [...I haven’t ever felt as happy as I do right now.]

They did not speak to each other past this. They merely conveyed their words with their smiles alone. After several moments, Yoro looked down to her hands that fiddled with each other before speaking to her lover once again.

Yoro: [Considering our situation, I’ll have to temporarily leave for some time…I can’t exactly join all of you at your school, and besides, I need to make sure our new home is being guarded as promised…]

Nero: [I see. Well, I shall complete what I must as quickly as possible so I am able to see you once again!]

Yoro began to giggle at the delightful but funny response provided to her.

Yoro: [Hehe! Silly! You shouldn’t rush things just for me! Besides, we still have tonight together. It’ll be a nice, cozy time for the two of us.]

Nero: [Heh. I suppose you are correct there.]

Their chatting had stopped once more as they looked at one another. Yoro began to adjust her hand to hold her cheek as she admired the boy in front of her.

Yoro: [...Honestly, I’m a little too lucky to get someone like you…]

Nero: [I don’t believe it is luck. We’ve won each other over after all.]

Yoro: [I guess you’re right, but still. I feel like I might not be worthy of even standing in front of you. Yet, here I am, as the girl you’ve poured your heart into…although…]

Nero: [...Although…?]

Yoro: [...I guess you haven’t poured all of your heart into me just yet, have you?]

A devilish smile rose on Yoro’s face.

She began to close her eyes, and puckered her lips as she moved forward.

Nero began to feel clammy at the sight of her, unprepared for what would happen next.

He knew what he must do, but was nervous.

However, he loved this girl with every ounce of his heart.

If he were to prove that love to her…

If he were to show that he was willing to pour his entire love into her…

This was the moment to do so.

Swallowing the saliva in the back of his throat, Nero took a deep breath.

He closed his eyes, and puckered his lips just as she had done.

Moving towards her, he prepared for the sensation that would soon follow.

That sensation…

…was a finger against the tip of his nose.

He opened his eyes to see Yoro giggling.

Yoro: [Hah! Just kidding! Not yet, Nene!♥]

The feelings in his body washed away as he let out a sigh.

He did not want to think of it as a sigh of relief, but from a certain angle, it was something equivalent to that due to his own nervousness.

Nero: [I see…I suppose it wouldn’t be that easy…]

He gazed back at the moon in front of him, admiring its powerful glow.

Nero: [If I plan to reach that step, I must try harder than this…]

He did not receive a response.

It was odd.

Yoro often responded to his words, but this time, she did not.

Before he could even look towards her, he had heard a loud creak from beyond their door, followed by a quiet exclamation of “Shit!”.

As he turned to look, he was called by the girl beside him.

Yoro: [...Nene…]

He readjusted his view back to the girl behind him, turning a full one hundred and eighty degrees to face her once more.

There was something he had not noticed however.

There were two hands that had moved towards the collar of his jacket.

As he began to turn, the hands began to grip tightly against it.

Once he was near the same direction, the hands then forced the jacket to come to their owner.

Nero was thrust forward along with his jacket, and was met with Yoro.

He met Yoro in her entirety, but more importantly…

His lips met Yoro’s.

Following her quick pull against his jacket, Yoro ferociously attacked Nero’s lips with her own.

As her lips delivered powerful strikes, her hands began to roughly caress both his hair and mighty back muscles.

It was a sensation he was not prepared for.

Perhaps she had already known, though.

She could have seen how nervous he was, and did not want that to ruin it for him.

As he felt this sensation, it occurred.

There were many feelings that Nero had never felt before, along with many urges.

But at this very moment, he felt it within himself.

He did not let it control his entire body, but he allowed it to take the actions needed.

Closing his eyes, Nero began to perform the same actions that Yoro had.

Ferociously attacking her lips, caressing her soft hair and body.

In comparison with her small body, and lack of muscle, it was a display of a beast conquering a much smaller creature that attempted to counterattack.

Their chains were not broken, but were ever so slightly released.

They did not push past their limits, but rather enjoyed the limits that they were given.

The two had become wild animals with one another.

They consumed each other.

Mercilessly attacking each other’s mouths, their tongues exchanged fluids with each other.

Their veins began to show as they suppressed the greater beasts that laid within.

There were urges from both of them to go much further.

There were desires that clawed at them now that they had made it to this step.

But together, they were strong.

Thus, together, they conquered the thoughts their brains had created for them.

It had saddened them to a degree, but that sadness faded with every second of love that was spread.

Both of them began to gasp for air, but they did not care for such a thing.

There was something far more important than that.

Themselves.

Shiro and Kōkatsu had an interesting description of consuming, but what these two had begun to perform was the same action in a completely fresh method.

They consumed each other’s minds, hearts, and feelings.

They learned every bit of info they had needed regarding each other with just this action alone.

There was no longer a single person in history who knew Yoro better than Nero had.

There was no longer a single person in history who knew Nero better than Yoro had.

In their entirety, they were consumed.

After nearly ten minutes of fierce attacks from the wild beasts, they slowly moved their mouths away from each other. Saliva stretched from both of their mouths as they did so.

They began to passionately smile at each other as both of their faces turned red in satisfaction.

After ten long minutes of their words being expressed through their mouths, they finally allowed some words to pass through.

Nero: [...Was that what you were hoping for?]

Yoro: [...An extra fifty minutes would be nice.♥]

Nero: [I’m sure if we did that…]

Yoro: [Yeah…We probably wouldn’t be able to hold back anymore, and the others wouldn’t be able to sleep.♥]

Nero: [You look as though you have something you want to say regarding that.]

Hesitating to speak once more, but still keeping the loving passion that resided on her face, Yoro opened her mouth once again.

Yoro: [Varius.♥]

Nero: [Hm?]

Yoro: [Varius. How do you feel about naming our first child Varius?♥]

Nero smiled as he heard the wonderful suggestion she had given.

Nero: [It’s a beautiful name. Either for a boy or a girl, I believe it is perfect as a whole.]

Yoro: [Hehehe! I made a whole book of names just in case, but not a single one clicked for me. That one was given to me by Kōkatsu though, and I absolutely loved it! Varius Virtuoso. They’ll have the most perfect name in the world!♥]

Nero: [Through and through, Kōkatsu continues to prove how much a genius she is. I’ll have to give her my thanks when I can.]

As he said this, a quiet whisper of the words “Yer damn right ya will.” moved its way into the room. As Nero and Yoro turned to find the source, they saw a set of three different colored eyes, which was then lost following the shutting of the door. After this had happened, they had heard yelling from the room, lashing out at the orange colored kitsune in question. The lovers began to laugh as they acknowledged everything that had happened.

Nero: [I suppose they were watching us.]

Yoro: [I bet they were jealous that we were getting it on!♥]

Smiles radiated their faces as they gazed at each other’s love-filled eyes.

Yoro: [Would you like to get ready for bed together? It’ll be a few days before we get to do this on the daily.♥]

Nero: [Certainly. Let us go.]

Without even telling each other, they moved in for one last, slightly less fearsome kiss, and held each other’s hands as they moved into the washroom.

The loving bond between Nero and Yoro had been built into a much stronger link.

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After a long carriage ride back to the Babylon District, the party was once again near the home they had once stayed at before the fourth trial even began. Marching along the grass, they made small talk with each other as they headed towards the shrine-like house ahead.

Kōkatsu: [Hm? Come to think of it…Kaoru!]

Kaoru: [Yes, Lady Kōkatsu? What is it that you require of me?]

Kōkatsu: [So, today’s the twentieth of November, right? I promised ya somethin’ alongside yer gift.]

Kaoru: [Ah, yes! I remember you mentioning something about that!]

Kōkatsu: [Hmm…birthdays…huh…]

In a rather odd way, Kōkatsu had fallen silent. Though she was still smiling, it was as if a dose of sadness had washed over her. Nervous as to what had happened, Kaoru quickly ran to her aid.

Kaoru: [Lady Kōkatsu! Are you alright?]

Kōkatsu: [Huh? Yeah…Just…thinkin’ ‘bout birthdays…is all…Anyways, yer birthday! Well, I did promise a treat, and we’re almost there!]

Kaoru: [Another treat alongside the treat I was given and the treat I have not been shown yet! How exciting!]

As the two kitsunes spoke with each other, Shiro, who guided them to her house, had taken notice of Nero’s sad look. She slowed down her pace to match the speed at which he was moving.

Shiro: [You all good, Nero?]

Nero: [I’m alright. It’s just an odd feeling.]

Shiro: [Ah. I see what you mean. It’s your first time away from her, isn’t it?]

Nero: [Yes. I know I’ll see her again soon, but it is a rather odd feeling.]

Before they had left their inn, Yoro had given one final kiss to Nero before going her separate ways. She had said farewell to the party and moved to her own carriage, in order to return to the castle that awaited her. Before leaving, she provided Nero with the location she was given via an odd type of matōki, which acted as a long distance signal. She then used this to mark the location down on a map for him so he was aware of where she would be once he had finished the trials. Luckily, the location wasn’t very far off from the Onigashima District, which was the closest place to the cabin he had lived in. After the two separate parties moved into their carriages, they took off to their next destinations, and Yoro was no longer in the group.

Nero: [I’m not entirely sure how I feel without her. I’ll have to embrace her as much as she requested once I am able to see her again.]

Kaoru: [I wanna see her again too! She gave me something covered in food wrapping, so I didn’t know what it was! She made the apple pie just like she promised! I need to give her a bunch of thank yous!]

Kōkatsu: [She also told ya to share some, my greedy little rascal! Ya ate the whole thing on the way here!]

Kaoru: [...I’m sorry, Lady Kōkatsu. It was far too good for just two slices…]

Kōkatsu: [Nah. ‘S fine. ‘Sides, ‘s yer birthday after all.]

Yoro had once told Kaoru that she would bake the greatest apple pie that Kaoru would ever have. On the very same day as Kaoru’s birthday, a delectable pie was created in celebration of the group’s achievements, but more importantly, Kaoru herself. The pie had been so good that on their way to Shiro’s home, Kaoru continued to stuff her face with its contents. Mouthfuls of pie were eaten as she continued to sob in joy.

Shiro: [I can’t wait to see her again myself. I think she and I got along pretty damn well. Oh hey, we’re here.]

Kaoru: [So this must be Miss Shiro’s house…I wonder what the surprise–]

???: [So you’re back, and with even more friends than before. Although, the two new ones seem rather young from their presences alone.]

A door had swung open as a young voice followed behind it. The owner of this voice however was not young, nor were they even close to that range in age. However, with their voice and stature alone, one might make the wrong assumption regarding them. To those who had known this woman though, there wasn’t a single mistake or ill-mannered comment that they could make. That is simply due to who she was. The legendary woman herself–

Kaoru: [AI-AI-AI-AI-AI-AI–]

Kōkatsu: [Heh. ‘S ‘bout the reaction I expected.]

Kaoru: [AIRI! THE AIRI, IS MISS SHIRO’S MOTHER?!]

Kiyomi: [EEEEEEEEEEHHHHHH!....Who’s that?]

Kaoru: [ARE YOU NOT AWARE OF THE LEGENDARY WOMAN HERSELF, AIRI THE HERO?!]

Kiyomi: [Airi the…–-WAIT, THAT’S HER?! THE PERSON ALL OF THOSE GUARDS TALKED ABOUT?! THE FRIEND OF AIZAWA THE REVOLUTIONARY?!]

Kaoru: [THE VERY SAME!]

The two of them sporadically looked at each other, before turning their focus back to Airi. This process repeated several times before eventually they had both kneeled in perfect synchronization. As they did this, Airi smiled as she turned her head in a direction close to that of Kōkatsu.

Airi: [Kōkatsu, you should teach these children to be more like their mother.]

Kōkatsu: [Damn, ya could tell who they were already?]

Airi: [A mother will always know a fellow mother. Please, come in.]

Giving a smile to each other, Kōkatsu began to walk inside the house with her children. Nero and Silvia followed close behind, bowing as they entered. Finally, Shiro stepped towards the doorway and looked down at her mother.

Shiro: [I guess you don’t need me to tell you what happened.]

Airi: [I don’t need to guess. My mind already knows. I’m very proud of you, Shiro. I would not say that you have matured, but there’s certainly something better about you now.]

A warm smile rose on Airi’s face as she responded. Seeing such a face on her mother had only caused Shiro to return a smile of her own.

Shiro: [Thank you, Mom.]

Shiro stepped into the house that she had been familiar with her entire life. Standing behind her, Airi closed the door to the house as she joined her daughter inside.

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The sleeping arrangement had been the same as before. Due to the additional two members however, the situation had become much trickier. However, though it had been a tough problem to solve, the mighty genius known as Kōkatsu had found the perfect plan. In Shiro’s room were two beds, one had been occupied by Shiro herself. The other however, was occupied by Kōkatsu, who had two sound asleep kitsunes sleeping right on top of her. Though their mother had often loudly snored, the two of them slept without a single noise produced.

As they all laid in bed, Kōkatsu and Shiro began to whisper across the room.

Kōkatsu: [These two..They’re completely sound asleep now. They had so much fun earlier, and yet now they’re out like a light. They’re not even bothered by my whisperin’.]

Shiro: [Hehe. Guess they take after their mom, even if they aren’t related.]

Kōkatsu: [Heh. Yeah.]

The room had gone silent, the only noise that could be heard was the light breathing of the children resting on Kōkatsu’s body.

Kōkatsu: [Shiro…]

Shiro: [Yeah?]

Kōkatsu: [No matter what happens, I’m gonna make sure ya succeed.]

Shiro: [Don’t you want to succeed as well?]

Kōkatsu: [I do. I even found a proper reason thanks to Kiyomi’s help. But…maybe I’m being a little selfish here…I’m kinda happy as is.]

Shiro: [You’re satisfied with the family you have?]

Kōkatsu: [I’d like more, and if I can, I’ll get more. But if I end up failin’, I don’t think I’ll mind too much. I’m just happy to have ‘em.]

Shiro: [Hmmm. I see. I guess that’s kinda fair.]

Kōkatsu: [Ya sure ‘s alright with yer mom if they stay here while we’re gone?]

Shiro: [Don’t worry. She hasn’t taken care of children in a while. I guess she’s taken care of me, but I don’t know if she considered me a normal child.]

Kōkatsu: [Heh. I don’t know if any mom considers their children normal. Maybe ‘s a good thing, though.]

Shiro: [Yeah…Well, we’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Let’s try and get some sleep.]

Kōkatsu: [Alright. Night, Shiro!]

Shiro: [Night, Kō!]

Shiro turned over as she prepared herself to sleep. Kōkatsu firmly hugged the two children clinging onto her as she moved her head into a comfortable position.

The group would soon face the only remaining obstacle that stood in their path.

The fifth and final trial was about to begin.

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