Kuzunoha had been confined in this chamber since the Seventh Celestial War.
In said war, she had poured almost everything she had into an attack spell, effectively ending the war entirely: erasing the enemies, and sealing away the ancient horrors that were among the enemies.
However, the cost for that was catastrophic. Her life force began to unravel, depleting into the void. She was going to die, as she couldn’t control the imnse flow of magical energy which, at that ti, ravaged her being.
But her co-wives—dline, Kumai, Tanuko, Asherah, Khanna—and the kingdom’s greatest mages intervened: they wove layer upon layer of enchantnts into this particular chamber, successfully saving her life.
The blue mist swirling around wasn’t just a fancy feature; it was basically a life-support system, manually regulating her magic so she wouldn’t simply fade away, or worse, blow up and take half the continent with it.
Anyway, even the price for that, her survival, was also expensive.
According to Sakura, Kuzunoha’s mind had regressed.
Her mother used to be this unshakeable queen with power and dignity. But she beca childlike and Innocent. And on occasions, unreasonable.
Over ti, it had begun to change, with her being more mature, but it was still far from her forr glory:
She was now paranoid, obsessed on one thing above all others: seeing her eldest daughter married before she faded completely... She wasn’t going to fade away, though.
And every visit ended the sa way: "Bring your husband already, Sakura-chan!" "Bring him, or don’t co back here again!"
A total pain in the ass.
Eventually, Kuzunoha refused Sakura was visiting altogether.
Sakura felt that this all stemd from her mother thinking she would be alone forever, and she had wanted to sohow show her that it wasn’t the case.
But no husband, no visit... well, until I showed up.
Wait, why didn’t she show her Ken, then? Well, Ken can be silly at tis, maybe she was worried he’d let the lie slip.
Anyway, the matter was that Sakura wasn’t alone anymore. And that soone had found and cherished her the way she deserved to be cherished.
So here we are: Sakura had brought a lie.
And now that lie was standing right here, holding her hand, while the most powerful fox spirit alive stared at him like he was the answer to thousands of years of worry.
[D-Don’t get the wrong idea!] Sakura’s ntal voice cracked. [It’s not like I want to marry you or anything! I just... wanted to show off my demigod mother to you!]
Sigh! Tsundere Sakura is so cute too.
[Hm? I more or less get it. Okay, if it’s Sakura-chan asking, I’ll do it~]
[P-Please don’t call Sakura-chan.]
Ah, she’s shy. I can feel it in my head.
I turned back to Kuzunoha with more confidence now. And she was practically vibrating with anticipation, her nine tails fanning behind her like a pink sunrise.
"Ahem," I cleared my throat. "Well... it all started about a year ago."
Kuzunoha leaned in so close I could feel her breath stirring my hair. Scary!
"I was traveling near the border of the human kingdom I lived in. I was looking for rare herbs, actually. But I got ambushed by monsters all of a sudden. A whole pack of them, I tell you. And I just thought that was it for ... I an, I’m sowhat strong now, thanks to Sakura’s trainings, but back then, I was still a weak farr figuring things out."
Sakura’s grip on my hand tightened in what I felt was silent encouragent.
"Then Sakura appeared."
I threw her a warm glance, and found her staring at the floor, her human ears scarlet.
She looked like she was pretending to be fascinated by so crack in a stone.
"She ca out of nowhere." I continued, "in one mont, I was about to be torn apart, but the next there’s this... pink whirlwind hocus-pocus thing. Though, it sure was grueso: limbs and guts were everywhere. And claws were flashing really fast. Sakura cut through them like they were wet paper, and she saved my life without even breaking a sweat."
"Ooohhh!" Kuzunoha’s eyes sparkled. "That’s my girl! And then, and then?"
Huh? We’re still going?
Okay, then the Chapter two of the story:
"I was... stunned!" I ab-libbed like my life depended on it, "I an, she was beautiful, and dangerous, and kind all at once. And I understood; she didn’t have to stop to help. She could’ve kept walking. But she stayed and even helped up the ground. ’Are you hurt, human?’ she asked kindly. And when I told her ’thank you’..." I swallowed, letting my voice soften. "She smiled this tiny, shy smile. It was as if she wasn’t used to people thanking her like that."
Huh? Sakura’s ears were flattened completely against her head, and she was still blushing.
The story is made up; I hope she knows that too.
"I couldn’t stop thinking about her after that," I continued, demonstrating with my hands. "I kept finding excuses to go back to that forest. And sohow... Sakura kept showing up too."
"Ah, it was fate!" Kuzunoha clasped her hands together.
Great. She’s so swallowing it all up!
"Definitely, without doubt." I laughed agreeably. "We started talking much, and taking walks together. Sharing stories and experiences. She eventually told about Shishi-no-su and its culture, about her father, and about how hard she worked to keep everything standing after he was gone. And I told her about... well, where I ca from. How lonely I used to be."
The giant fox’s expression softened visibly, looking down at with sympathy.
I think I have a talent for this.
"And you know what? One night, under an oak tree, she looked at my eyes and said, ’You don’t have to be alone anymore, Benjamin. Co with to my kingdom!’"
"Kyaaah!! So she was the one who shot first?!"
Heh. She sure was enjoying herself from my illusion.
I glanced at Sakura again, but for so reason she still wouldn’t et my eyes. I wonder why she was getting all shy now.
"That was it, Miss Kuzunoha." I raised my face to et the giantess, "that was how I knew she was the one."
Kuzunoha’s tails curled gently around us both, not touching us, but more like air hugging or sothing.
"And now... you both plan to marry soon?"
"Hm? Uh. Yeah. Sothing like that." The lie tasted strangely sweet on my tongue.
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