The Tale Of Kitsuna

Creak.

“Hmm,” humming waking up from weird sounds, I opened my eyes, slowly getting used to the light early in the morning.

“Yo, this is a sight I didn’t expect to see to happen.” An annoyed female voice said, getting closer to the bed.

“Hmm, oh, miss Anabald,” I said, looking at the tomato girl standing next to the bed looking down at us.

“So, mind explaining? I don’t really want my servants touching some fox juices.” The walking Tomato said, not hiding her disgusted expression.

“How rude of you, Tomato. We didn’t do anything and shut up. You are going to wake her up.” I said with a disapproved look.

“Well, I don’t care about that, seeing as the great Sage fell for- Boom!” Before she could finish, she went flying into the wall.

.....

“I understand you’re under a lot of stress but keep your mouth shut. You are making assumptions that will get you killed.” I said, glaring at her in my hands which I was pushing against the wall.

“Hah, so the fox does actually have a heart.” She said, sneering. The sneer didn’t last long as she felt an impact on her ribs.

CRACK

“Augh!!”

“wasn’t it you who said you won’t be looking to make trouble with me because you will lose? Then what is this?” I said, putting more effort into my grip around her throat-cutting of her airways.

“...” gasping for air, I could see the despair in her eyes before she passed out.

“Kitsuna, I think that’s enough,” Kayda mumbled, still lying on the bed.

“I just thought she needed to sleep some. That bags under eyes are even bigger than yesterday.” I said, gently picking up the demon girl into my arms.

“Yeah, but that was too the extreme. Sigh, whatever, it is what it is. Something must have happened last night for her to act like this.” Kayda said, sitting up in the bed.

“I agree we will have to ask the butler.”

Knock knock.

“Talk about the devil, and he will appear,” Kayda said, looking at the open door where the butler was standing with a small smile looking at the passed-out demon.

Although he is called a butler, he doesn’t look like one at all. Sandals on his feet. A flowery t-shirt with denim shorts. With sunglasses on his head. Oh, but he does have the grey hair and mustache of a butler.

“Sorry for the inconvenience. We couldn’t get her to sleep.” The butler said with a slight bow.

“As I thought you were hoping for this,” I said, looking at him.

“That makes me sound like a bad retainer, young miss.”

“Well, you are,” I said with an emotionless tone.

“...anyways, I will take the young miss to her bed.” The butler said, ignoring my insult.

“Nope, let’s walk and talk,” I said, gesturing for him to lead the way towards the little tomatoes room.

“... okay, follow me.”

“Kitsuna, shouldn’t we change first,” Kayda said a bit hesitantly.

“Hmm,” only when Kayda mentioned it, I realized I was still in my PJs, and she was still in bed hiding her body with the covers. A t-shirt and a pair of tiny pants that were my PJs. Looking up at the butler, I saw him looking at Kayda, then at me.

“I have seen more people naked than-” the butler started to say before being interrupted by a shout coming from behind me.

“Shut up! We don’t want to know that.” Kayda yelled, flustered.

“We will wait outside for you,” I said, sighing.

“Hmm, aren’t you going to...” the butler said, looking at me, making his voice die down.

“Yea, I got skills,” I said, now dressed in my everyday clothes. Even my scarf was wrapped around my neck again.

“I see.” The butler said, walking out with me following behind him.

“Give me 10 min,” Kayda said before I kicked the door closed behind us.

“So, mind explaining what is going on with the girl,” I said, holding the demoness in a princess carry.

“...”

“You might want to tell us. You never know what sort of connections we built upon our way here.” I said, looking at him.

“I don’t know if young miss wants to involve you two with the house of Anabald problems.” The butler declined politely.

“House of Anabald problem? Heh, do you really think something like the head of the house going missing is only your problem?” I said, shaking my head.

“Yes.” He answered curtly.

“Wrong. The Anabald are responsible for protecting the border. The kingdoms rely on them to do their job. But having a 14-year-old whose training isn’t even finished to take care of the entire territory. It’s madness, stupid uncalled for, and irresponsible.”

“So, you are saying to leave it to another 14-year-old.”

“Aah, yes, that doesn’t make sense, does it,” I said awkwardly.

“Yes.”

“Well, leave it to Kayda then. She isn’t as young as me.” I said before feeling an impact on my head.

Smack.

“don’t say it like I am old,” Kayda said, hitting me over the head again.

“you’re done? I thought you were going to take 10 mins.” I said, ignoring her glare.

“Again, a thing I learned from you,” Kayda said, intensifying the glare at me.

“What?” I said, tilting my head in confusion.

“Well, mister butler leads the way,” Kayda said, ignoring me.

“As you will.” He said, turning around waking.

“Now then, while we are walking, tell us what happened last night?” Kayda asked after a few seconds of walking.

“Sigh, I see you will not give up.” The butler said, sighing defeated.

“Well, obviously not. This is the purpose of my visit.” Kayda said, a bit aggressive.

“We have been looking into the disappearance of milady for months now, and a few weeks ago, we notice something strange happening in the slums.”

“Few weeks? When did the churches get destroyed?” I ask, interrupting him.

“Our intel told us it was connected to the church, so we start searching deeper into it and found weird experiments the church was doing to the slum inhabitants.”

“I can already tell where this is going,” I said, looking at Kayda that nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, I think so too.”

“Hmm, well, after we confirmed something was going on, we started making plans to raid them. Last night was the night we chose to do so.”

“Let me guess it was a trap.”

“Yes, we sent out 60 high-ranking military men and women. Only three came back. They abandoned their duties. They even left the bodies of all 57 people behind.” The butler said with disdain.

“Abandoned their duties? What do you mean by that.”?

“They ran away like cowards.”

“I see. Let me guess. You killed them,” Kayda said in a judgemental tone.

“Yes, on the spot.” the butler said, nodding.

“Sigh, did you guys at least ask some questions?” Kayda said, sighing in disappointment.

“... they were traitors. They deserved it.”

“that’s not what I asked?” Kayda said, confused.

“We are close.”

‘These guys are as dumb as it comes.’ I thought, narrowing my eyes at the butler.

“He isn’t telling us everything,” Kayda whispered.

“You don’t say, haha,” I said, laughing.

“Anyways, what are your plans now that your raid failed,” Kayda asked the butler.

“We sent an investigation team this morning. They should be back in an hour or two with a report.” The butler said, coming to a stop in front of a door. Looking back at us, he added. “This is the young misses sleeping courters.”

“Great, then open up so I can put her on the bed,” I said, clicking my tongue at him.

.....

“Uh.” Nodding, he opened the door and made way for us to get in.

“Hmm, jip a teenager’s room,” Kayda said, seeing the interior of the room.

The wall was pink with 3 big body-size mirrors in one corner. There were also about 13 teddies on her neon purple bed sheets. You could also see the giant walk-in closet next to the 3 mirrors.

“Now, this is how a 14-year-old bedroom must look like,” I commented, walking to the bed.

Opening up the covers, I put her down gently underneath before tucking her in.

“Hmm, she should be out for a day at least,” I said, turning around to two people looking at me weirdly.

“What?”

“You can be that gentle.” The butler said, baffled.

“You know how to treat someone younger than you nicely,” Kayda said with a grin.

“Ugh, whatever,” I said, annoyed.

“Hehe, we just playing.”

“Anyways, mister butler are you certain that the church kidnapped the head of the house,” I said, looking down at him.

“...I did not say anything like that.”

“don’t play dumb. Being from a demon house, the obvious first suspect will be the ones that are against demons.” I said, annoyed.

“In the beginning, we thought for certain it was them because they started to expand towards our territory, but.” He said, trailing off.

“But now that the churches are being attacked by someone unknown, you already figured out that it wasn’t them,” Kayda said, finishing his sentence.

“Yes.” He nodded.

“Well, lucky for you, you won’t have to start from scratch,” I said smugly.

“And what might you simply by that.”

“Simple, we already know who kidnapped her or suspected who did it, but we don’t know their goal by doing so,” Kayda said, smiling.

“Well, we might have our suspicions but nothing concrete,” I added that Kayda nodded.

“I see. Might I be briefed about this, please?”

“Nope, I do not trust you at all,” I said before Kayda could say anything.