Chapter 27: Chapter 26: Household 7/10

They returned to SATS after that, Kon wasn’t wrong, the other did need to study. Lillim had given them a lot of time they wouldn’t have had otherwise and they made the must of it, but they were all top-tier students and took many subjects.

The first exams were “Xeno-Element Study” for Alysse, “Lycanthropic Evolution And Geno-Digression” for Gillian and “Starlight Build Mastery” For Klaire who had yet to confirm if they would even accept her examination since her build changed, so she needed to speak to her instructor rather than study for it.

Kon outlined his plans for Carl the next day, then they all called it a night.

The next day they flew back and then went their separate ways. Carl and Kon broke off to go visit Leanna.

“I would like to take Carl to a human settlement on earth.”

“So? Why ask me? He has a movement skill to get to Lugaria, so Earth shouldn’t be a problem.” Leanna said in full Madam Director mode, without even looking up from her work.

“I want to take him there, I need director approval for that.” Those words didn’t just make her look up, they completely shook her.

“Absolutely not. She won’t suffer disruption, not at this time. If you do she may kill you both.”

“I think Carl will interest her, it will appease the committee for some time to have her in good spirits and they won’t be able to interfere with Alisha if she wishes to keep her safe.”

“Why?”

“She wants to bring her kind back doesn’t she? Carl is her best bet and willing to try.”

“You want to bring back her species? You’re sure? They aren’t exactly a pleasant species, just because that one and her family helped us and lived long enough to regret i-”

“Her kind taught humans how to use mana, without them, we would have been wiped out… We betrayed her, when we were too busy prioritising ourselves to help them against the elder ones when they didn’t approve of the interference.”

“Yes and Kyubi in particular paid the price for their anger, at least wait… The spring wou-”

“How will going when she’s weakest, prove I want to make amends? Mum, believe it or not I have thought about this since Kon suggested it. I want to help her, imagine how lonely she must be, being the only one of her kind… At least Squidge and Levi have each other and us.”

With that Leanna gave up, not happy, but understanding and she contacted the committee for approval, which was given immediately. Kyubi had gone on several rampages over the centuries since her loss. She was the only Omina-class threat to have a permanent presence, keeping her pacified was one of their highest prorities.

Within three hours we had arrived, her sanctuary was on an archipelago where Kon’s family were her caretakers though the committee called them her jailers to give themselves a sense of achievement.

“Madam Director wasn’t exaggerating, she failed an experiment recently, she will be in a foul mood and will mos-likely attack on sight.”

Carl just shrugged as they made their way through the perpetual twilight of Kyubi’s domain. The full moon hanging indefinitely in the sky illuminating the strange trees in an ethereal glow, deep blue along the trunk and exposed branch sections and pink the same shade as the delicate petals that seemed to fall and regrow indefinitely.

They were walking along a bridge lit by paper lanterns, the trees flanking them on either side at regular intervals and through the spaces between them was water so clear and still it perfectly reflected the stars and full moon.

“All an illusion. She simply froze this land in her favourite style.” Kon explained as they continued to walk, then Carl felt a shiver run up his spine. “Not far now, I’ll wait here, I would be forced to do anything she commanded me to.”

Carl nodded again and continued on, finally coming to the mouth of a cave. “Lady Kyubi, I have come to right the wrong my kind committed.” The only reply was a strange sound that sounded like a mix between the howls of a wolf and a banshee, along with the whimpering a wounded animal.

Carl stepped in, navigating the light-deprived path into the bowls of Kyubi’s lair. It wasn’t long before ghostly purple fireballs started flying towards him. Carl made no attempts to move out of the way, the flames grazed him but didn’t damage his clothes or body.

[ SYSTEM ALERT! SOUL IS BEING ATTACKED ]

“Leave human! I have nothing left for your kind to take from me!”

“No. I came to make amends. Lady Kyubi, kill me and you kill the first human to get a plus, in doing so you will be robbing them of their future, but if it weren’t for you and your family we wouldn’t have had one to lose.”

“A plus? How!? Come!” The last word was not a request, the cave entrance stretched upward and Carl began to slide down the steep incline. A simple word had willed the earth itself into action and it had swallowed him whole.

As he neared the bottom, the exit was bathed in light where it opened into a larger chamber not so devoid of it. Carl thought the light would make him more comfortable, but when he emerged and saw the ancient celestial fox in all in her resplendent glory.

Carl covered his eyes immediately. “Do I not meet your taste human? Tell me what form you would prefer then.”

“No! I’m a married man!?”

“LIAR! You said you came to make amends!” The words were furious and filled with hurt, but Carl could understand how she came to that conclusion in some weird way.

“Lady Kyubi, I did, I have a skill that might be able to restore your kind… I absolutely can’t help you in that way though.”

“HA! The mewling virgin boy got a skill and believes himself a god!…” Her voice had changed, less human than before, then a split second later a familiar numbing sensation ran through him.

Carl couldn’t see but she had assumed her true celestial fox form coming to stand eight metres tall at the shoulder and about twenty metres from the tip of her nose to the tip of her primary tail.

Her fur was the same silver as the moonlight that bathed the area outside, with marking of red, violet and pale blue running across her body and at the end of each tail rested a fireball, three with red that burned a hot and glowed crimson, three that seemed to drain the energy from anything close by and three of the same purple ones that had been damaging his soul.

[ SYSTEM ALERT! SOUL IS BEING ATTACKED ]

The thought that he could have been the same and living without a family was one that followed him through life.

The thought of having to endure that as long as she had was unimaginable.

Carl knelt and put his head to the floor, his body growing number as the system alerts kept popping up. “I’m truly sorry for what the humans did, but my family are half-breeds, please tell them I’m sorry. I heard you don’t mind them as much. Tell my wife I love her, Banshees are quite emotional.” His voice was dry and half-choked, as though he hadn’t drank in a week.

[ SYSTEM ALERT! SOUL CONDITION CRITICAL! ]

“One of Faylorna’s ankle-biters?” The system alerts stopped. “Human. Look at me.”

Carl tried to raise his head, but merely slumped further as his body was almost completely numb and growing number still. “Apol… Ca… Move…”

Lady Kyubi clicked her tongue with frustration.

[ SYSTEM NOTICE : SOUL IS BEING REGENERATED ]

“If you are lying human, I will send them the shredded remains you leave behind.” Carl sensed a realm gate open, though the regeneration was slower than the damage and he still couldn’t move.

He felt the gate close then reappear a moment later. “What are you still doing on the ground Carl? Faylorna has confirmed y-… You are as stupid as she said, stop resisting the treatment.”

“What… Do… You… Mean?…”

Lady Kyubi laughed, not one of true amusement more like the laugh somebody give an animal or child when they do something cute. “You’re so prepared to accept the punishment you’re subconsciously resisting the treatment and slowing it down.”

“Don’t kn-know how t-to stop.” Carl wheezed desperately trying to get his subconscious under control.

Carl suddenly felt two things, first was the warmth of loving embrace and the second was his still deadened extremities being wrapped in something so soft and comforting he nearly fell asleep after being weakened so much.

Kyubi was glad he was still so weak, seeing someone so willing to take responsibility for that ancient betrayal, even to the point of their own sacrifice, made her shed tears. At the same time, the idea of crying for a human, especially where they might see, filled her with utter revulsion.

The cognitive dissonance she was experiencing was torturous. ’Who is this human? How did he reduce me to this? Curse you Faylorna, I wish you had told me he was lying. I can’t let him see me cry.’

Without warning, that indescribable softness enveloped him and he drifted off. ’Such a silly boy. Married a banshee with the heart of a baby.’ Her body jarred with stunted laughter. ’To think someone yet to see his twentieth year would be the one to end such a lingering hatred.’ She wrapped herself around him as though he were a cub in need of guarding.

When he finally awoke, he was absolutely mortified he had fallen asleep, then he realised that he was swaddled in a massive silvery fox and the pieces clicked. “Lady Kyubi, I’m so sor-”

“Do not apologise child, I am sorry for my own actions, why don’t we start anew?” Kyubi said as she resumed her human form, fully dressed this time in what looked like a robe tied at the waist with a think sash of some kind.

Now that he saw her, he gulped. She was undeniably beautiful and whilst he still had no desire to accept her previous offer, the thought he had fallen asleep on her filled him with embarrassment.

Her pitch black hair tied back into bun that still left a long pony-tail draped over her right shoulder, her robe was patterned to almost resemble Klaire’s new armour, but a full moon occupied the left shoulder area.

Despite her change, she decided to keep the nine tails, though she had shrunk them considerably to be more suitable to her current size.

“I am Kyubi, you may address me without the honorific, as respectable as it is. Now you said you wished to make amends, for some reason I find your presence comforting human, so you may make your offer.”

“Thank you, Kyubi. I am Carl, as I said before I am the first human with a plus, but I also have a unique build.”

“A unique build? Oh you must mean that system thing He put into place when he started all this. How can it restore my family?”

“Apologies it can’t restore what is lost, I simply hope it can help you repopulate if used correctly.”

Carl went on to explain the details of his skills, after asking Lillim for permission as required by the contract, then he laid out the plan he had formulated over the course of his sleepless night.

“Hmm? So not only are you connected to Faylorna, but also the right-hand of Samael… You are truly a marvel young man, fine. I will accompany you and sign one of these contracts, but note I will reserve the right to leave your little household if it endangers me. If I die, so do the celestial fox, I can’t risk that.

“Of course, but I will need to stipulate that leaving will cost all your memories after this point.”

“Deal, we each have family to think of after all, but truth be told I had decided whilst you slept, so you may erase up to then so that your secrets are all protected and not have to risk my being confused and lashing out.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Don’t thank me yet, you’re spiritual defences are non-existent and you’re now too important to leave so vulnerable, which means I have to rectify that.”

Carl suddenly felt a twang of impending doom…

“Oh, I should probably teach the others that need it as well, wouldn’t want their loss to distract you.”

Carl suddenly felt a twang of guilt, then sighed as he sent a message via neo administra:

“Heading home Grandma, Lady Kyubi’s on board.”

“I saw. Should I tell your wife about her initial plan to receive your amends?”

“No, I’d rather that was never mentioned again, but I will tell her.”

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