Chapter 68

The fox was searching.

The hateful human who killed the other half of itself must still be nearby.

A scent wafted through the air, a single thread of smell that seemed to beckon amidst the dust. If it followed this, it would surely reach its goal soon.

As it entered the forest, the target's scent grew fainter.

The smell of the weak was getting in the way. The fox gnashed its teeth. The human's scent was mixed in with the smell of the weak.

I have no intention of eating you now.

The partner is dead.

It has vanished into a dark world where it can no longer cry or eat.

That hateful human who took my partner to that dark world must be offered up.

Otherwise, I don't deserve to eat either.

This was a feeling of mourning that the fox should not have had.

As it followed the scent of the hateful human, it encountered the weak along the way.

The weak seemed to have some wisdom, as they gathered in numbers to face it.

I don't have time to deal with you.

With just a glare, the weak ones easily made way.

As the weak ones fell like they were begging for mercy, it didn't matter. What mattered was where the hateful human was.

Day and night, the march of the death-bringing fox continued until the next day.

As it ran, the fox didn't notice the changes happening to its body.

Its fur grew harder and longer, becoming armor to protect itself.

Its claws grew thick and sharp, capable of easily tearing through steel.

The fin on its back formed sharp spines, carrying a poison that inflicted pain on those it wounded.

These changes were due to the permeation of magic, a transformation that anyone with magic could undergo.

However, humans didn't know the details.

Only some mages used it unknowingly.

The fox, now even more powerful, continued to search for its prey.

By midday of the next day, it finally caught a decisive scent.

A fresh, new scent.

The scent trail was clear, distinguishable even when mixed with the smell of the weak.

It followed the trail.

The smell of burned wood and blood interfered, but it paid no mind.

Leaving clear claw marks on the ground, the fox raced forward.

It must be a human building.

The hateful stones were piled up.

The scent of the hateful human came from inside, but so did an unpleasant smell.

It had smelled this before in the forest, a place neither it nor its partner would approach.

An unpleasant smell. But the hateful scent was there.

What should it do?

It decided to enter from where the scent was fainter.

Just as it was looking around the building, it noticed an orange light.

Fire.

The fire that burned its partner, turning it into the same form as its food.

The fox's eyes were filled with hatred.

It no longer cared where the scent was coming from.

It climbed up the tree to the source of the fire.

Landing silently, it found the fire and several humans.

The scent of the hateful human was not on them.

But they were humans, the same as those who killed its partner.

For the fox, that was enough to make them targets for revenge.

Die. Die.

And atone.

Atonement for the sin of taking the other half of itself, with their lives.

The fox's eyes were clouded.

The sudden intruder increased Tetr's anxiety.

If it were just a beast, it would be fine. But this was likely a monster, a particularly vicious one.

She had heard of it, though only through hearsay.

A monster that doesn't flinch or retreat before a large army, a single roar can destroy a battalion.

It can break through an encirclement or block a force like a mountain range.

Its appearance inspires terror, and anyone who meets its gaze will go mad.

With a fin on its back, it resembled a white fox.

It was called the Full Seal, and that's what was said about it.

The fox opened its mouth. Seeing its fangs, the assassins moved.

The fear-inducing magic, as expected, was mitigated by the combat aura. Even the assassins closest to the fox were only on high alert.

Eliminate the obstacles immediately.

Even a legendary monster can be killed instantly. They thought so.

Until now.

Without a signal or a nod, the assassins perfectly synchronized their timing.

One aimed for the belly, the other for under the jaw. They struck at vital points that would kill any ordinary creature. Perfect coordination. From Tetr's perspective, the terrifying fox seemed to be hunted.

But it wasn't that simple.

The assassins' daggers bent and twisted, overpowered by the fox's natural body.

This proved that the assassins were capable of exerting such force, and that they were not incompetent.

"…!?"

The assassins, surprised, jumped back. One of them, the fox looked at with a bored expression.

Their gazes met.

That was all it took.

"~~~~~~~~!!"

The assassin's mask was soaked with vomit. His blood vessels constricted sharply.

He couldn't look away. In those few moments, the assassin's clothes were drenched with sweat.

Terror took over his mind. He scratched his head, foaming at the mouth.

The other, noticing the abnormality, realized something was wrong with his partner.

When something unusual happens, they immediately choose to flee. That was their way.

Jumping towards his partner, he carried him.

Checking the window and the fox's position.

Tetr didn't matter now. That was his judgment, and looking at the fox was his biggest mistake.

Their gazes met, and his instincts screamed danger.

He instinctively tightened his grip on his partner's torso. His partner only groaned, offering no resistance.

"Shuuuuuuu!!!!"

The fox let out a warning growl. It was meant to intimidate, but to the assassins, it was more than that.

They had to escape.

Their minds were filled with that thought.

They had to escape from this fox. Tetr didn't matter. Their safety was the priority. Where should they run? Outside, and then where?

They had to run. Somewhere far, where this fox wouldn't follow.

Where could they go where the fox wouldn't follow? Surely, the fox would pursue them anywhere. In their work, meals, sleep, and even in intimate moments, they would live in fear of this fox.

They didn't want that. They wanted a world where the fox wouldn't follow.

They saw their daggers.

Staring at the blue glow, a revelation hit them.

The world they sent their targets to, a world where no one would follow.

If they died, the fox wouldn't follow.

Seizing this sudden light, they clung to it.

Drawing their blades, they pointed them at their partner.

The partner couldn't move. The assassin carrying him made a decision.

Then, he would let his partner escape first. He would follow after.

It was a pure act of kindness.

The carried assassin came to the same conclusion.

The partner couldn't let go of him. He should let his partner escape. First, he would kill his partner, then himself.

The fear the fox emitted surpassed their fear of death, altering their priorities.

The blow, born from their kindness to each other, sent them to the world of death with no time difference.

Tetr had witnessed everything.

The assassins, who bravely faced the fox, chose to flee after a single clash and then committed suicide.

Why did they need to commit suicide? She didn't understand.

A powerful monster. She couldn't handle it.

Just being here made her legs shake. Being in the same room felt like her mind was being invaded.

It was over. She thought.

If it was hungry, would it be satisfied with the assassins' bodies? A faint wish rose in her heart. But the fox showed no signs of leaving.

It was over.

Clearly, the fox was here with some hostility.

Not hunger, but some malevolent intent.

The fox took a step.

Her fur stood on end. Her limbs stiffened.

Could she drive it away? She briefly considered it.

After all, she only knew the stories about this monster.

There was a possibility that they were just rumors.

She was slightly inferior to assassins in human combat but not in monster combat.

Believing this, she activated her Flame Hair. It was possible only because of her rock-solid mental strength.

She swung her Flame Hair to intimidate.

The fiery swings, if the fox hadn't changed, might have burned it.

But the fox stood there, ignoring it.

A lively prey. Thinking this, the fox took a step forward.

Just that was enough to make Tetr's resistance meaningless.

"…a…"

The strength left Tetr's body. She fell heavily onto the floor.

Her buttocks hurt, but it didn't matter now.

Overwhelming terror. The terror from the fox finally broke her mental strength.

The emotions she had been holding back overflowed.

"I, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,