[Kitsuna – The Next Day]
"What the hell was life like a thousand years ago?" I asked, floating lazily in the green goo. The mana-rich slime clung to my skin, but I didn't have the strength to care.
Fran, Granny Fran barely looked up from where she sat cross-legged, sipping tea like she didn't just throw me through three walls.
"If you want to know that, read a history book. They're surprisingly accurate for once."
"Huh. Figures." I winced as a bubble of the goo popped near my cheek. "So... what's first on the torture schedule?"
Fran set her cup down, smiled faintly, and said, "Simple. Attack me."
Naturally, I did.
[Thirty Minutes Later]
"You're not bad," Fran admitted, casually stretching while I floated half-naked in the goo pit, trying not to drown in exhaustion.
"Even without my clones siphoning my mana," I muttered, "I still wouldn't stand a chance."
"Probably not," she said, smirking. "But let's talk while you recover."
"Sure. What's the lecture this time?"
"You've been trying to split your elements again, haven't you?"
I hesitated. "…Some of them, yeah."
"Have they shown up in your status screen?"
"…No."
"Exactly. That's because you're not forming new elements; you're diluting the one you already have. You're weakening your affinity instead of splitting it properly."
I looked away, scowling. "And you're going to help?"
"Oh, definitely. Kayda could help too, but, well, you know how she is. Terrible teacher."
"…We agreed not to bring up our wives."
Fran nodded once, eyes closing. "Right. My bad."
"So how do we start?"
"Like before. But with better guidance this time."
"And this goo pit?" I asked, flicking a finger through the glowing green sludge.
"It's a soul-restoration fluid. Designed specifically for users of Wrath. Helps you recover from spiritual backlash. It was made by a former Wrath bearer, one who created this dungeon."
'Probably her wife,' I thought silently, checking my mana reserves. Still only around 10,000.
"I'd have more if my clones weren't draining me back in the capital," I muttered.
That made Fran blink. "You what?"
"I left clones behind for the tournament. Can't just vanish and let everyone think I chickened out."
Fran groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "Ugh. Okay, explain everything."
[Ten Minutes Later]
"…And that's the situation," I finished.
"To think that child is involved," Fran muttered.
"Child?"
"You call him the God of Light. But when I met him, a few hundred years ago, he was just a snot-nosed brat."
I tilted my head. "Why are you surprised he's back?"
"He approached me a few months ago and asked me to join his side. I declined, but I see now… it's more personal than I thought."
"How so?"
"He still holds a grudge. Against your mother's family."
"The Draigs?"
"No. Her birth parents."
"…I see."
"And before you ask, I don't know why. That family's always been weird."
I nodded. "Fair."
"Anyway," Fran said, shifting topics, "you came here to level up, right? But you're going up against one of his strongest soul fragments. He'll definitely send the Light clone. And probably two others."
"Wait… clones like mine?"
"No. Very different. His clones aren't copies of himself; they're splinters of his soul."
"What the hell?"
Fran leaned forward, her tone serious. "He breaks down his soul into fragments and implants them into newborns. Sometimes they even send them through the mothers. As they grow, those fragments develop powers and personalities like his."
"So he's a parasite."
She gave me a sharp glare. "Yes. But don't be flippant. It's dangerous magic. Especially because his clones grow stronger over time."
"And half-breeds destroy the fragments?"
"Correct. His soul fragments don't seem to survive well in mixed-blood hosts. It's a flaw."
"Interesting. And how many can he make?"
"No idea. Probably unlimited; he's a god. But with your fox lineage, you might be able to replicate a version of that magic. Eventually."
"…You want to train me harder, don't you?"
Fran grinned. "Of course. You're going to fight him, after all."
[Later—Theory Session]
"Alright," Fran said, placing a glowing stone on the ground, "let's start with theory."
I groaned. "Ugh, no."
"Too bad. You need it. Let's talk about elemental purity."
After two hours of ranting, scribbling symbols, and comparing mana flows, something clicked.
"Wait, my ice magic is the purest because it's fully developed, right?"
"Correct. If you break it down, you'll get high-purity wind and water affinities."
"And my dimension and lightning affinities?"
"Low purity. But I can teach you how to wield them more effectively."
I smirked. "You haven't even seen my lightning."
"Who's the teacher here?"
I summoned a plasma blade in response. Lightning surged across the cave, crackling against the walls with feral energy.
Fran's eyes widened. "You… made a plasma sword?"
"Yeah. I've got pseudo-god blacksmithing."
"You what?!"
"I can forge demigod weapons."
I summoned a few more and dropped them at her feet.
Fran stared. "…You're a monster. That's a compliment."
"I'll take it as one."
[Dimensional Magic Training]
"So," Fran said, holding up a worn shoe for some reason, "for dimension control: close your eyes. Toss an item from one hand into storage and pull it into the other. Feel the distortions in the mana around you."
I raised a brow. "…Did you just give me a shoe?"
Fran didn't even blink. "The item doesn't matter. The principle does."
"Okay, weird cat lady." I took the shoe, closed my eyes, and focused. "Toss it in, then yank it out with the other hand. Got it."
I tossed.
Nothing came out.
I opened my eyes and looked at my empty hands.
Fran blinked. "Did you just lose the shoe?"
"…Maybe."
"It was my favorite napping shoe."
"…You nap on your shoes?"
"You nap with tails. We all have our weird things. Now focus!"
I tried again. This time with a metal spoon.
I tossed it in, yanked, CLANG!
It smacked me in the forehead.
Fran winced. "Maybe you shouldn't yank so hard."
"It's not my fault spatial magic doesn't come with safety settings!"
"Try it again. This time, don't summon the spoon like it owes you money."
"Rude. But fair."
I exhaled slowly. I closed my eyes. Focused.
ZAP.
"Why does the air smell like burnt fox?" Fran asked, sniffing the air as I sat smoking slightly from my tail.
"I—I might've accidentally used lightning storage."
"You stored it… while it was still active?"
"…Shut up."
After a long string of failures, including one where I summoned an entire weapon rack onto my foot, I finally got it.
I tossed a small coin into my storage.
Held out my other hand.
Fwoosh. The coin blinked out, then reappeared perfectly in my palm.
I opened my eyes slowly. The mana had flowed like a ripple in space. A shimmer of controlled magic.
Fran, now lounging in her cat form atop a folded towel, cracked open one eye.
"You finally did it."
"I know." I dropped onto my back, arms spread wide. "I deserve a parade."
"You deserve a nap and a tail comb."
"…Not happening."
Fran yawned. "Still. You did great."
"Yeah yeah," I muttered, sitting up and brushing off my burnt sleeves. "Anyway, I've got to go. One of my clones is fighting Amari at full power. Can't let her overdo it."
Fran rolled onto her side. "Sure. What do you want for dinner?"
"Anything that wasn't murdered by your cooking."
Her ear twitched. "Oi."
"Not commenting." I stepped forward, opened a stable blue portal, and disappeared into it.
Behind me, Fran muttered, "It was one burnt fish. One time…"
[Five Hours Later—Return to Camp]
"Understand barriers now?" Fran asked as I emerged.
"Kind of. I'm no expert, but I could break most with time."
"Good. And the finals?"
I paused. "Wait, just got the update from my clone. Finals are tomorrow. Guess today's the quarterfinals."
"Then tonight you rest, recover, and resync your stats. Pull your clones in."
"Right."
I dispelled all my clones, watching as waves of mana surged back into me.
[Status Update]
Name: Kitsuna Draig (Shiro Adachi)
Age: 15 (Immortal)
Race: Primordial 3-Tail Demon Fox
Bloodline: Primordial 9-Tail Fox
Class: Weapon Sage (Wrath Lord)
Level: 163
HP: 8884 / 8884
MP: 53,536 / 76,536
STR: 4644
VIT: 4442
DEF: 3963
INT: 38,268
END: 5849
AGT: 6471
Skills:
Dimension Storage
Devil Fire / Devil Lightning
Fox Ice
Fox Golden Fire/Golden Lightning
Saint Healing
Sword Domain
Mana Sense
Master Flash Step
Novice Dimension Teleport
Novice Dimension Creation
Analysis
Pseudo-God Blacksmith
Passives:
Heightened Senses
Soul Regeneration
Eyes of Intimidation
Human Form
Night Vision
Mana Tails
Mana Eyes
Soul Sensitivity
Tail Abilities:
Clone
Spiritual Magic
Fox Illusionist
[LOCKED]
"Just one thing," Fran said, looking me dead in the eyes. "Do not take the Wrath skill lightly. I know we've been training it to extend the safe time, but anything can break that control."
"I understand. You know how good I am at concentrating."
She scoffed. "Keep telling yourself that, fox. It might come true someday."