"Why isn't Dad back yet?"
"The curry is almost overcooked…"
On the cedar-covered mountaintop stood the home of the Vicious Fox family.
A thin trail of smoke curled from the chimney.
Inside the small wooden cabin nestled against the cedar tree, the daughter of the Vicious Fox drooled while watching the bubbling curry, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"Just wait a little longer." The Vicious Fox mother chuckled, swatting her daughter's wandering hands away. "Your father went down the mountain to investigate something."
"He'll be back soon."
"Aaah~ I'm hungry…" The daughter groaned, sprawling across the table in a dramatic pout.
Her older brother, who was adding firewood to the fire, looked at her with amusement.
"Mom, just let her eat first. She's full of energy—perfect for acting, right?"
"You! Don't let your father hear that," the mother scolded, giving her son a light smack on the head. "It's not acting, it's a task.
Our family can live here safely only because of this arrangement. Thanks to this task, we're under the protection of the Hunter Association."
"Otherwise…" She sighed. "It's not easy surviving in the human world when we're monsters."
The daughter pouted. "I haven't seen how scary humans really are~
They're just like those examinees we fooled earlier…"
"Don't talk nonsense… Eh?" The mother's nose twitched. "Your father's back!"
"It's not just him! There are several examinees with him!" the son warned as he quickly wrapped bandages around his body and hissed, "Mom, sis, stop talking and get ready to act!"
"Come, come~"
The mother immediately reverted to her fox form and grabbed her daughter by the collar, lifting her off the ground.
The daughter licked her fingers, dabbed some spit into the corners of her eyes, and pulled on a frightened expression.
She glanced sideways at her brother and whispered, "Hey, your acting's off. Your pants are half down—your butt's showing~"
The son blushed, quickly pulled up his pants, and flopped into a "defeated" pose near the doorway.
Squeak~
The wooden door creaked open.
The whole family tensed—ready to launch into their performance.
Even the Vicious Fox mother bared her teeth for maximum effect…
…but to their surprise, it was the father who stepped in first—transformed into a human, limping dramatically!
Everyone froze.
"Uh… Dad? Husband? What the heck—why is it you coming in first?!"
The whole family was stunned.
Shouldn't the examinees come in first while you hide?
Why are you barging in like this, breaking the script?
"Ahem… What's wrong with it being me?" the Vicious Fox father glared at his confused children and cleared his throat.
"What are you all waiting for?! Come greet your uncles!"
???!!!
The Vicious Fox Family:
"What uncle?! That kid in the front looks like he's barely ten years old…"
The daughter and son exchanged looks.
Then their gaze drifted to the "uncles" entering behind their father:
Roy, Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon stepped inside casually.
Their brains crashed.
"W-What do we do now?" the daughter whispered nervously, glancing between her father and brother. "I… I forgot my lines…"
The son narrowed his eyes, then suddenly leapt up and reverted to his original fox form.
"Damn it!" he growled, baring his fangs. "Can't you see?! There's a rope tied to Dad's ankle!"
"Huh?"
The mother and daughter immediately looked down—sure enough, a black rope wrapped tightly around the father's leg.
They snapped.
In unison, the entire family shifted into their fox forms and charged toward Roy and the others.
"It seems we're not welcome here~" Roy muttered deadpan, holding the father by the collar.
Kurapika and Leorio glanced at each other, both sighing at once.
Tying up someone's dad and expecting a warm welcome…
"Uncle, if someone tied up my dad, I wouldn't welcome them either~~~"
Backstab from Gon—innocent and lethal.
Leorio subtly pulled Gon aside, whispering, "Hey, kid, don't take the wrong side…"
Gon frowned. "Did I say something wrong?"
Leorio turned pale.
How the hell do I even answer that…
Roy slowly turned toward Gon, frowning. "Why do you think that?"
"Kid, don't talk nonsense," he said darkly, placing the flat of his staff-knife on the Vicious Fox father's shoulder.
"Be careful not to bite your tongue."
He leaned in slightly, voice soft and cold. "Tell them, did I kidnap you?"
The steel gently pressed against the father's neck.
Though it didn't cut, it was cold and sharp enough to make him sweat bullets.
The sweat beaded on his forehead.
With a stiff expression, the Vicious Fox father snapped at his wife and children:
"Nonsense! Who said I was kidnapped?!"
"This was all voluntary!"
"Now hurry up, return to human form and greet your uncles properly!"
The Vicious Fox Family:
…
Kurapika, Leorio:
"...What the actual…"
Gon:
"?"
A gust of cold wind blew in through the door.
For a moment, it felt like everyone's dignity evaporated with it.
Can you… even play like this anymore?
"Father, what are you so afraid of?" the son finally snapped, unable to bear it.
"We're all here! Are you still afraid they'll hurt you?"
"It's just—"
BOOM!