Toasteful: Chapter 164, Part 4

[Part 4/4]

"Ugh!!?"

From behind, there was a mocking laugh. When Botan turned around, she was knocked away by eight tails. She jumped towards the tree-top palace of the Middle Counselor, crashing through the wall. It was a return to the surprise attack she had launched.

"Gaah!!?"

Botan shocked, and confused. In intense pain, and ignoring all of that, Botan gets up. She quickly start to strengthen herself with the pouch in her waist.

"Huh!? The pouch!!?"

The protective pouch Botan tried to grab slipped through her hand. All the charms wrapped around her body vanished like morning dew. She looked at the fox, finding crushed protective pouches in her hand. The fox smirked with a malicious smile. She had been tricked. Surely, from the start...!!

"This... Ggh!?"

When she realized it, a sword was already piercing into her sides. Surely, being skewered by a sword itself was an illusion. The extreme illusion was also a form of targeted attack. It could deceive even the world temporarily, let alone mask personal injuries or pain.

"Ugh, ugh...!"

Even though it wasn't a fatal wound, it felt overwhelmingly fatal. Nearly half of her internal organs were injured by the sword thrust. It was inevitable that she collapsed right there.

At the same time, she felt a presence closing in. Botan desperately tried to put strength into her legs. But she couldn't stand. No matter what, her muscles had been torn apart.

'You're quite foolish, aren't you? Thinking you can beat a fox in an illusion battle? You should really keep your arrogance in check.'

The fox's mockery towards Botan, who was trembling on the ground, trying to stand up but unable to. However, in a way, it was unfair and unjust.

'Fox Window'... This fox, who is more like a great youkai close to calamity youkai, possesses abilities that are straightforward and typical of a youkai fox.

That is to say, the power to nullify illusion-based curses and abilities. Her advantage lies in activating this ability as a top priority, disregarding differences in strength and even characteristics.

The balance of Botan and Kouka's battle was based on the premise of casting illusions against each other. Even with heightened senses, if Kouka could focus solely on her own illusions, ignoring Botan's, she could deceive her completely. Engaging in an illusion battle with Kouka meant certain defeat from the start. It was all a charade.

'Well, that worked out nicely, didn't it? Despite your illusions unraveling, your enhancements fading away, you still acted all confident with that silly grin on your face!! Ahahaha!! Well, I guess it wasn't a bad performance as entertainment, huh?'

As Botan tried to stand up, the fox kicked her and knocked her to the ground. The fox looked at Botan lying on the floor and started shouting loudly. The fox had a very rare beauty, but now it looked ugly because of her anger. This fox wasn't good at fighting, but she enjoyed hurting others. When she thought she could win, she didn't fight as hard, just to make her opponent hopeful before suddenly making them feel hopeless. That's why Yoshinaga-anesama didn't trust her enough to make her second-in-command. But the fox was unaware of this.

"Ouch... You won't... do this..."

'Oh, I won't let you~♪'

Before Botan could use her curses, the fox stabbed her sword into Botan's hand. She stabbed it all the way to the floor. Botan screamed and the fox laughed mockingly.

"Fox... you...!!"

'Just now, you did a good job of stabbing my heart, didn't you? Do you know? If you curse people, it comes back to you twice? Oh, but I'm a youkai!!'

The fox laughed loudly, clutching her stomach. She laughed over and over again, mocking Botan. Botan felt humiliated and clenched her teeth. For the fox, it was the best expression to see.

'Alrighty then! It's time to say goodbye forever♪'

With a mocking gesture, the eight tails of the golden fox pierced the chest of the lust demon...

'Well well well. Finally, the nuisance is gone, huh? Now, let's get to the real fun, shall we?'

Leaving Botan's remains behind, the fox leisurely stepped into the palace. It was now one of the top priorities for the fox. To achieve the goal, she needed a necessary prey, a head.

'That way, huh?'

Her sharp senses of the youkai immediately noticed it. She punched through a couple of walls. And found it. A monkey pouring tea carelessly. And a Tengu guarding him...

"Huh? Oh, is it over? Well well, I didn't quite get it all, but it was quite a spectacular illusion battle, wasn't it? Absolutely marvelous, a sight to behold!"

The Middle Counselor's comment directed at the fox, brimming with hostility, rubbed Kouka the wrong way. She furrowed her brow.

"Alright, how about this? You've been quite active. Feeling thirsty, huh? How about a cup of tea?"

Then, a teacup is offered. It's hot matcha brewed from high-quality tea leaves. Kouka flicks it with her tail, sending it flying and shattering against the wall.

"Oops. That was close, huh?"

'Hmph. Quite agile for an old man, aren't you?'

The fox thought of grabbing him by the wrist, but... by smoothly retracting his arm, the Middle Counselor avoided losing his hand. Truly befitting a former military officer.

'However, in the end, you're just a mere human without any spiritual power. It's nothing impressive, you know. ...Don't take it personally, okay? It's just your position. Your position...'

If not for dealing with the Tengu emissaries, the Middle Counselor could have lived out his remaining days in peace. But now, this old man's life and death held a significance far beyond his own lifespan and existence. It was the key to completely breaking the relationship between the Tengu and Fusō-kuni. Hence, the fox aims to take his life.

"Umm. This is troublesome. You shouldn't make such a fierce face. Even though you have such beauty, it's a shame to spoil it. Shouldn't you smile with more grace?"

'Are you begging for your life? Unfortunately, I've heard enough of those compliments to be immune to them.'

The fox scoffed at the futile struggle and continued forward, her tail swaying. The Tengu in front parried, struck, and maneuvered through. Although the naginata, which should have been a suitable weapon, was broken, the Tengu discarded the handle and prepared themselves.

'You're quite determined, huh? Let's not be stubborn and get along as youkai, shall we? Whoops, that was close!'

Avoiding the released fire spell, the fox swung her tail, slamming the Tengu into the wall. The Tengu didn't die, but they were severely injured.

'Hmph. Just a bunch of mixed breeds after all.'

As the disdainful words came out, the first thing that came to mind was the image of a white younger sister by adoption. Tsking at the defiant family member who had once been the most favored by the oldest sister, Kouka confidently approached the old man. The old man didn't run away because he knew he'd be caught immediately if he did. Even though Kouka is low for a high-ranking youkai, her strong physical strength was incomparable to a human's.

'Do you have a preferred way of dying?'

The fox asks, with malice. Asking specifically, it's one of the fox's cruel traits to choose a different way to kill than the answer given. It's perfect when the opponent struggles, hesitates, and squeezes out an answer.

"Oh, right. ...I think their weakness was their tail, right, Dōgen?"

The Middle Counselor asked the hummingbird sitting on the nearby floor.

'That's correct. So then?'

"Yeah, that's it. Remember when Hibari-dono did it? Swift and clean. It was oddly satisfying to watch."

'Haha. Well then, as you wish.'

The elderly man and the hummingbird converse leisurely. The fox suddenly realizes the tone of their conversation.

The old man has never once spoken to her before.

'About that bird, what exactly...'

'That's the plan. As per the Middle Counselor's request, make it happen. Got it?'

Confused by the fox's words, the hummingbird arrogantly declared, ordering towards the back of the fox. Taking a sharp breath, the fox turned around.

"I caught you~♪"

Kouka witnessed it: the dream demon holding one of her beautiful tails. She had a twisted smile that seemed entranced, enhanced by the bright red blood around her mouth, leaving an impression of both terrifying and alluring charm on anyone who saw her.

It was full of malice. A bad feeling crept in.

"Lick... I read it in a book. This spot is weak, right?"

She held two of the chewed-up protective pouches on her tongue, rolling them provocatively. Matsushige Botan deliberately asked. It's a well-known story that a youkai fox's tail is an erogenous zone.

A really unsettling chill ran down her spine.

'Hey, what do you think you're doing? Stop it! Stop it now...!!!'

"I don't want to♪"

The granddaughter of a dream demon, feeling very proud and confident, grabbed the arm of a fox who had raised her voice in frustration, pulling on her tail while sweating nervously.

With a satisfying "thud" and the beast's roar echoing through the forest...

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