The little fox...was dead? A sudden rage exploded within me. The Copper Coin Sword in my hand made a sharp snapping sound as I gritted my teeth at the cat wraith standing atop the high wall.
I...must slaughter it! Must!
But just then, the little fox's falling body suddenly stopped mid-air, as if gravity had ceased and time stood still. Everything became eerily quiet, the air seeming to drain away - an extremely bizarre phenomenon.
Not just me - everyone was stunned. Even the cat wraith stood dumbfounded, staring at the suspended little fox with complete bewilderment.
After a few seconds, a layer of white light suddenly emanated from the little fox's body, enveloping her like a protective barrier. Then came a surge of power that kept growing.
Energy coursed through the little fox's body as it began expanding outward - fur, paws, tail, everything.
"A blessing in disguise! A blessing in disguise! The little fox is advancing!" Stein clapped his hands and smiled.
Advancing? Advancing how? I understood the situation but didn't know what this blessing entailed.
The white light made the little fox's body slightly larger. Her wounds mostly healed, and to my astonishment - she grew a second tail! She was now a two-tailed fox!
I understood now. Through this vicious battle, the little fox had achieved promotion at the last possible moment, advancing to become a two-tailed Fox Demon. Her strength should have doubled.
Beyond this, her physical form had matured considerably. Previously appearing no older than ten, she now looked about fourteen - very sweet-looking, though her body remained slightly... And like many Fox Demons, her appearance carried a hint of coquettish charm, different from her previous childish look.
Who would have expected her to evolve into a two-tailed Fox Demon at this critical moment? As Stein said - a blessing in disguise!
When the transformation completed, the little fox opened her eyes - fully healed and alert. She...turned her gaze toward the cat wraith.
Clearly, the little fox took this fight extremely seriously. Whatever happened tonight, one outcome was certain - either she would die, or the cat wraith would! She was determined to prove herself against this opponent.
Now, as a two-tailed fox, could she defeat the cat wraith?
"I'll scratch you to death, you stinking little cat!" The little fox's first act upon awakening was to pounce at the cat wraith. Though she'd grown somewhat, her way of speaking remained adorably childish - her mentality hadn't matured at all.
Extending her razor-sharp claws, the little fox launched herself at the cat wraith. Her claws now resembled steel blades - terrifyingly sharp, glinting coldly in the night's darkness - completely different from before.
The little fox swiped her paw at the cat wraith, but the creature remained as fast as ever, agile enough to dodge and counterattack.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Their claws met, sparking small fires and generating harsh winds. Now the little fox could almost match the cat wraith's speed, and their strength was equal - no, the little fox was stronger. Her claws raked left and right across the cat wraith until, after several exchanges, the cat's claws couldn't take it anymore - they trembled violently and became badly worn down.
The cat wraith no longer dared to engage directly, instead relying on its speed to win. It darted about with blinding quickness before suddenly appearing behind the fox for a sneak attack.
"Hmph! Still trying this old trick? Let me show you my family's secret fox technique!" the little fox snorted.
She suddenly plucked a tuft of fox fur, placed it in her mouth, and began chanting - the first time I'd ever seen a demon recite a spell.
After a few seconds, the little fox puffed her cheeks and expelled a massive four-sided flame in one breath.
"Four Fury Foxfire!"
The flames formed a square that trapped the cat wraith with no escape, gradually closing in and burning it directly.
"Meow...!" The cat wraith howled in pain. This time, the little fox's foxfire could finally burn it properly, surrounding it with no way out!
The flames raged over the cat wraith until it evaporated completely, disappearing without a trace.
Another one dead. Just as Stein said - it couldn't even be reincarnated as an animal, reduced to smoke with no chance of rebirth.
"Yay! I won, Master!" The little fox leapt down and hugged me. She felt different now - fourteen wasn't exactly big, but not small either.
"Hug me! Hug me too, little fox! Stein wants hugs!" Stein shamelessly rushed over.
"Fuck off!" I kicked him away, and he slunk off, always so opportunistic.
But then I noticed - Zabaleta had disappeared, and the house door had closed at some point.
Stein said he'd seen Zabaleta sneaking away without a backward glance.
This bastard - called us here while hiding most of the facts, lied to us, nearly got us killed, and now escaped back inside, slamming the door on us? Did he really think I'd let that slide?
I gave Stein a look. The guy used to be a locksmith who could open anything. He once claimed that given a pack of instant noodles, he could break into every house in the neighborhood.
I told him to stop bragging and hurry up with opening the door - he could resume his boasting later so as not to delay our business.
Stein immediately pulled out a piece of wire, and within moments, the door clicked open! The guy actually had skills - no empty boasts here. He'd picked the lock faster than someone could smoke a cigarette.
Once inside, we began searching but couldn't find Zabaleta anywhere. Finally, in a corner of the attic, we discovered a well-hidden dark switch - we only found it because the little fox caught the scent Zabaleta had left behind when he passed through earlier.
After twisting the switch, we soon heard a loud boom as one of the attic walls swung open like a door, revealing a secret passage beneath. Upon entering, we overheard two people whispering - one voice clearly belonging to Zabaleta.
"Wife, those people...they're demons! Even scarier than those wraiths!"
"Demons? Impossible! Since when do demons run tattoo shops? They didn't seem like demons to me!"
"I don't know, but that little girl was terrifying - just like a Fox Demon. I just left them outside and locked the door."
"You fool! Without the Gods and Ghosts Tattoos, what will we do if those wraiths come after us again? Do you want to die?"
"So...what should we do? Go back out to them?"
"Obviously! Make up some excuse and smooth things over later. There should still be time to fix this. Didn't you say they killed both wraiths? They must be capable enough. Human or demon, it doesn't matter as long as they help us."
"Alright...is everything taken care of then?"
"It's been handled long ago. The animal carcasses were moved here, and all the blood's been wiped up."
"What about the ritual markings?"
"The spellwork's on the rooftop - they won't see it, don't worry! Only faint traces remain. They'll never find it."