"Mom, I don't think you know what 'yandere' actually means," I said with a raised eyebrow, wiping the last bit of dried laughter from the corner of my eye.
"You just shut up," Mom said, jabbing a finger at me with the stern authority only a mother could wield. Despite her tone, her lips twitched at the corners, betraying amusement.
Then she turned to Chinada, who stood beside me like a loyal statue with twitching ears and curious eyes. "Well, you understand what's happening now, don't you?"
Chinada gave a small nod, her tail flicking once behind her as she took a step forward. "Yes, so you guys were planning this from the start."
"Exactly," I said, snapping my fingers with a cocky grin.
Her posture relaxed slightly, her ears lowering respectfully. "Then my worries were for naught. Sorry for doubting you, my queen."
"Don't worry about it." I waved a hand dismissively, though the title still made me twitch. "But about this queen thing... Can you stop? Just call me Kitsuna."
Chinada's eyes widened. "I cannot call my queen by her name," she said, shaking her head vigorously, her silver hair swishing like a fan.
I groaned. "Call me Nova then. I don't want you calling me "Queen" like I'm some stuffy old matriarch sitting on a throne of bones."
"If you order it, then I will do so," she said softly, lowering her head.
"Fine," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I order you to call me by my name."
"As you wish, Nova," she said, nodding politely. The tone in which she said it made me feel as if she had just sworn a lifelong vow. It made my skin itch.
"I swear I'll never get used to this," I muttered under my breath, exhaling sharply. My ears flicked at the sudden silence, then I turned to Mom. "Oh, Mom—did he figure it out?" I asked my mother if the Duke had figured it out, lowering my voice to a conspiratorial tone.
She didn't say anything at first—her cheeks puffed up as she held in laughter. That look made my eyebrow twitch. Annoyed, I lifted my leg and gave her a sharp, but harmless, kick to the side of her thigh.
"If he did, it doesn't matter," she said, sidestepping the kick effortlessly with a laugh. "Hugo already signed the blood contract."
"Great." I clapped my hands. "Give it to me so I can sign."
"Here." She passed me the thick parchment. "And if you're done with that, go find Kayda. She'll be the main witness to the duel."
I pricked my finger with my canine and pressed the drop of blood onto the seal, the parchment glowing faintly as the contract sealed itself.
"Why do I need to look for Kayda?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because you are the one who pissed her off."
"No, that was you!" I pointed at her accusingly.
"Kitsune." Her voice dropped a pitch.
"See you guys at the arena!" I quickly said this and bolted away like the wind before her tone could drop any lower.
"Thought so," she said behind me, amused.
[Stacy POV]
As my daughter disappeared into the corridor, I turned to Chinada, who still looked like she was sorting through everything in her head.
"Now that she's gone... you're Chinada, right?" I asked, stepping closer and folding my arms.
"Yes, Lady Draig," she said respectfully, standing at attention like a soldier in front of a general.
"Why exactly did you call her Queen earlier?" I asked, narrowing my eyes, pulling her a little closer by the elbow so the conversation stayed private.
She hesitated, her brows furrowing. "It is because she is a... Wait. I don't think I can tell you."
I lowered my voice. "If it's because of her bloodline, we already know."
Her shoulders relaxed. "Oh. Yes, it's because she's a Primordial Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that I call her that."
"So you guys can feel it?" I asked, curious.
"Yes," she nodded. "When we are in close proximity, any Demon Fox will know our queen is near."
"That's a bit... problematic," I murmured. "Is it only your race, or can other demi-humans feel it too?"
"No, it's only us. It's not a widely known fact, but our race is quite family-oriented."
"Family-oriented?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.
She smiled, a little wistful. "No matter how far our bloodline spreads, we're always connected spiritually. Especially when it comes to Nova. Her being our primordial makes her deeply connected to every one of us."
I stared at her for a second, trying to sense any deceit. Nothing. Just honesty and instinctive reverence.
"Well, at least only other Demon Foxes can tell. That's something I didn't know. Thanks."
"That explains a lot, doesn't it?" Dean stepped forward and handed me the signed contract once more.
"Yeah," I nodded. "I'll go get the King to sign his part too." I turned, heading toward the drinking area.
[Kitsuna POV]
'Where the hell did she run off to?' I grumbled internally, my boots tapping briskly against the stone floors as I prowled the halls of the castle.
Just then, I heard voices echoing from around a corner.
"Hey, sexy, where are you walking off to?" a slurred male voice said,.
"Hey! Let go!" A sharp female voice snapped back.
"Come on, don't be like that..."
'Ugh, nobles getting drunk? 'Great,' I thought, sniffing the air and catching the stench of cheap wine. The next sentence made me stop cold.
"I've never slept with a Dragonoid before. Why don't we use one of these guest rooms for some fun?"
A loud slap echoed.
Turning the corner, I saw a young Dragonoid girl, no older than sixteen, standing tall with a hand raised and fury burning in her eyes. Her other hand was hidden behind her back. The man in front of her, some overconfident noble brat, was scowling.
"You bitch! I'm the first son of Viscount Jaman! How dare you slap me!" He shouted—and retaliated with his slap across her cheek.
My ears twitched.
"Oh, shit," I muttered, seeing golden scales flicker over the Dragonoid's wing. She was pissed. And then I saw the object in her hand.
'Nope.'
In an instant, I flash-stepped between them, grabbing the noble by the throat with one hand and her wrist with the other.
"Princess, that's not very smart," I said calmly, holding up the hand that gripped the gun.
"Ugh—let go!" The noble choked, scratching at my wrist.
"If you say so," I muttered before casually tossing him into the wall. He hit it with a thud and crumpled into a heap, unconscious.
"Who are you?" the girl asked, her grip loosening.
"Kitsuna Draig. Nice to meet you, Princess. What's your name?" I released her wrist and stepped back.
Her eyes widened. "Wait—you're the one fighting Hugo?"
"That's me. Anyway, have you seen Kayda the Sage around?"
"No, but she should be at the arena already," she replied, watching curiously as I bound the unconscious noble in ice chains.
"Tch, damn it. What were you doing here alone, Princess?"
"Bathroom." She folded her arms. "I was heading to the arena when that creep cornered me."
"Well, lead the way then," I said, gesturing forward while gripping the ice chain.
"What are you going to do with him?" she asked, walking beside me.
"Oh, I'm turning him into paperwork for your brother. Hehe."
She smirked. "Not a terrible idea."
"You still didn't tell me your name."
"Shino Doragon. Why do you want to know that?"
"Because I'm not calling you Princess every time we meet, Shino."
"But I am a princess! Shouldn't you show some respect?"
"Nope."
"What, but—"
"Oh, we're here." I smirked at the door. Voices echoed from inside.
Grabbing Shino around the waist, I flash-stepped again—this time appearing in front of the King mid-conversation.
He blinked at me. "Oh gods. It's already started."
The queen gasped. "Shino, dear, are you alright?"
"She's fine," I said, dropping the chain and stepping away. "You should really teach your nobles how to recognize royalty."
And then, without missing a beat, I flash-stepped to the middle of the arena.
[Arena—Duel Begins]
The arena was massive, packed with curious noble spectators. Compared to the one I sparred in with Dean, this was a colosseum.
"Finally, you've arrived," Hugo said, standing confidently in full armor. "I thought you backed out."
"To fight a dumb furry like you? I'd never let that kind of opportunity slip away," I said, grinning despite myself. His armor looked absurd.
The armor consisted of chest and stomach plates, armored legs and arms, and even a bizarre helmet with two horns jutting from the forehead. All polished and bulky.
Kayda stood to the side, glaring.
"What took you so long?" she asked.
"I was looking for you!" I shouted, pointing at her.
"Oh. My bad." She rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed.
I turned back to Hugo. "What are the rules?"
Hugo cleared his throat dramatically and pulled out a tiny paper. "Kitsuna Draig is only allowed to use magic and Hugo's main weapon—which is a war hammer."
My eyes twitched. They knew I trained with Stacy in weapons. This restriction was intentional.'
"And for yourself?" I asked.
"Nothing. I can use what I want."
"How fair," I said, tone flat. "So you can only win if you rig the rules."
He grinned. "Even with those rules, you can't beat me. You don't even have a class."
"Oh, is that so?" I said, hiding my amusement. "True. I don't. But Stacy—the Weapon Queen—trained me. So doubt that matters."
He scoffed. "You can only use magic and war hammers."
'Plural,' I thought with a flicker of glee.
"You're so confident but scared to even give me a single condition?" I said, tilting my head.
"Scared!? As if!"
"Then let me make one rule for you. Regarding your skills."
"Fine."
"You're not allowed to use race skills."
"Don't—!" Duke Boei shouted, realizing too late.
"Deal!" Hugo said confidently.
I grinned.
"Kayda, you can start now," I said, my outfit changing into cargo pants, boots, and a sports bra as I stepped forward to meet him in the center of the arena.
The match was on.