Eren and Kohaku cleaned up the docks of any dead bodies, clearing out the scene of carnage.
*Clamp*
Madame Jingfei was upgraded to iron now; held in an iron collar, chained to the ground. Her right hand missing from Kohaku's retribution. Her other arm held tight by the tight chains.
"You stay here. If she moves, or speaks. Kill her." Eren ordered, pointing at one of the orcs; the other remained standing to attention at the edge of the docks.
"Help me with this" Koharu asked as she pushed on the lid of a coffin like container. Lifting the lid revealed a pair of chained men; each bound at the legs and feet, muzzled with a metal clamp over the mouth.
"These must be the latest 'workers'."
"Yeah... Whoever, the dominus are. They wanted these two first." Koharu replied.
Eren used the whip; easily breaking the chains, freeing the pair of men from captivity.
"Thank you, stranger. Thank you." One spoke in a high-pitched voice. A slight hushness to his tone.
"Where were you being shipped off too?" Eren asked.
"We don't know... We were just taken from our abodes, chained up and thrown into this box." The man replied.
"Hmm... Alright, then. Do you two have somewhere you can go?"
"Not really... Not with those goblins and orcs lurking around. They won't leave us be."
"That sure is a predicament. I wonder if there are any safe havens that is offered to the unfortunate and vulnerable." Eren's tone laced with a sarcastic flair.
Aimed directly at Koharu, who puffed out her cheeks in frustration.
"You can ask senior sister yourself." She looked at the hill from where they previously sat. Three foxes now stood; one with violet eyes, another with green, and finally, the biggest of the trine had dark, ruby red eyes.
Eyes of cynicism and scorn cast upon Eren.
"Let me do the talking first... These are my elder sisters. I'm not sure what mood they will be in."
---
*Shing* *Shing* *Shing*
Blades drawn and pointed at the reaper. These three were ready for a fight never to come.
A weight was being held down on Eren. Like when he was in the bathhouse. Blocking his powers once more through unknow means.
"Koharu. You're okay..." The violet-eyed kitsune spoke first. Her voice filled with worry for her sister.
"Yes, and look who we caught." Pointing at the tied-up Madame Jingfei. "He helped capture her."
The two sisters weren't entirely convinced by what their eyes were showing them. A human male; the source of all evil and depravity. Now captured the most powerful woman in the gate?
Looking to senior sister, ruby eyes stared back at Koharu, then to Eren. Her long red hair blew in the wind, a stoic expression on her face.
"Male... Explain your purpose."
"Oh, for god's sake. I'm here to find missing workers; mainly Dae-Jung, but anything really." Exasperation showing through his words; repeated over and over like a broken cuckoo stuck on 12.
This was the umpteenth time he had answered this question. Yet still he was meet with derision and scorn. Although, the ruby eyed kitsune gave a reaction to the name drop.
"Stupid male, we know that you are most likely working with Jingfei-"
"If I'm working for her... Than why is she chained up and missing a hand? Do you even know any other words than stupid male? You keep throwing your insults around without even thinking of the situation." Eren snapped back. He didn't have any reason to be nice to this fox; stabbing him in thigh wasn't a good start.
"I-uhh... I don't-" The fox stuttered. She couldn't form words in the face of such a brazen man.
"Wait... sisters please. I said you could help him with his mission, Tamayo please." Koharu begged. She knew Tamayo; the leader was the most pragmatic of them all. Even if she wouldn't like it. She would do what was best for the girls.
"He's not like what we were taught... he risked his life to help people he didn't even know. Isn't that what we're supposed to do too?"
"Leave the Madame with us, and take your business elsewhere. We don't need your kind lingering here." Senior sister spoke, interrupting Kohaku's protest.
"But-"
"Kohaku..."
"Yes Tamayo..." She bowed her head and stepped away.
"No." Eren stepped in.
"You dare question senior sisters-" *Whack*
The Naginata was slapped out of Akari's hands, clattering onto the floor.
"Yes, I do dare. You reacted when I mentioned Dae-Jung... You know where he is, don't you?"
Tamayo narrowed her eyes.
"And if I do? You have no power's here. We're blocking it with our charm barrier."
"Only half of them."
*Swoosh* *Shing* *Crash*
Shadow soldiers appeared all around them, grappling their hands and legs together, pinning each to the ground with force.
"Eren wait." Koharu tried to step between the two. But was shoved out of the way.
"You see Kohaku. This is what men are like, all-"
"Shut up!" Eren snapped. Gagging her with a shadowed knight hand.
"Listen...I don't want this. All I want is Dae-Jung and if possible, any remaining workers that were contracted for Earth." Eren knelt in front of Tamayo, still unfazed by this sudden change in circumstance.
"What do you propose?" Finally, he was getting somewhere.
"Well... I have a head of a spider with me, and a gate that is in need of new leadership." A low, almost conspiratorial idea took hold in his mind.
"So, you will offer up the chance at overtaking this place for yourself, in exchange for a man named Dae-Jung?" The ruby eyed kitsune asked, still wary of the man.
Eren nodded. The shadows relented their grip on Tamayo. Helping her up.
"I have no intention in running this place, nor do I want to keep it in the hands of Jingfei." He spoke with sincerity. Over and over, he repeated himself, but finally his words were being heard.
"Kohaku, you have been watching him? What do you think?" The senior sister spoke. Looking down upon her younger sibling. Koharu looked from Eren to Tamayo; she didn't like being put on the spot. Not one as bright as this.
"He is different... He's a man but unlike any other we've met. He is still like what you've taught us, but he fights for others, not himself. A monster's soul, with a human heart." Praising someone she seldom knew was strange to Koharu. But somehow, she felt it was right.
"Monsters are all the same Koharu, the lesser of two evils is still evil. Whether they have blood on their hands or dripping from their maws, blood will not change how the world works." Tamayo spoke with wisdom beyond her age. Her voice calm but stern. Wisdom of a senior sister was not to be taken lightly.
"However, I will not reject the opportunity to rid us of Madame Jingfei... And your actions have spoken more than your words ever will."
The other shadow soldiers let their grips loose on the sisters, returning to the darkness of Eren.
"How do we want to do this?" Eren looked over at the still bound madame, still being guarded by his shadow orc.
"With her in our possession, currently the pleasure palace has no leader. Her orcs will tear the place apart until she turns up. Remove the orcs, and then you we will lead you too Dae-Jung."
"How about you take me to Dae-Jung first... Then we sort out this mess."
"You see... I told you he has his own- EUPH!" Akira once more was silenced by a shadowed hand.
"I'm sorry Eren. Until those orcs stop being a threat I cannot put my home in danger." The ruby eyed Tamayo replied.
"Fine. I'll just round them all up and kill-"
"NO!" Tamayo stepped up, placing a hand on Eren's chest to stop him.
"Why not?" Almost annoyed by the constant interruptions.
"There has been enough bloodshed spilt for the sake of this place, now is the time for change."
'These girls are giving me a headache.' Eren cursed internally. A hand through the white hair, sighing at the prospect.
"Fine. You want to get rid of a thousand bloodthirsty orcs without bloodshed. How?" He asked, arms outstretched, waiting for an answer to fall to him.
"Loyal to a fault those brutes. Koharu will impersonate her. Issue an edict that they will move off site. Once the last orc is removed from the premises. We will lead you to Dae-Jung." Tamayo explained with finality.
Eren looked back to Koharu; instead stood Madame Jingfei.
"Why do you keep looking at me, male?" A perfect impersonation stood before Eren. A hidden ability to shapeshift.
'This one is full of surprises.'
"Senior sister I must protest; we still do not know-"
"Akari. Enough, you are too quick to condemn and to slow to accept aid." Finally, she was put in her place by Tamayo.
"Who will take Madame Jingfei's place?" Eren questioned. He did not wish to see another tyrant overtake the place of the last. A never-ending cycle of suffering would only be replaced.
"Mother will... The wisest kitsune of them all." All the fox girls held a glint to their eye as their mother was mentioned.
"Let's get this over with then. I've had enough of all the scheming and-" Before Eren could finish his thought, two mischievous twins appeared out of the darkness, latching onto both arms.
"Master... We found you~"
"Why did you leave us naked and all alone on the floor~"
Both voices speaking simultaneously. Twin bodies pressing up against Eren's.
Any goodwill Eren may have had with the Kitsune was gone now. Looks of disgust and contempt were thrown at the man and the girls that clung to them. He was once more the man that they all thought he was.
"I'm not even going to bother... Let's go Koharu." He turned away; twins hung tight whilst Koharu toddled along behind. Her form shifting back into that of the fox.
"Tamayo, please. Everything we have built. We cannot trust them." The violet-eyed Akari spoke; still concerned about Eren's intentions. A lifetime of lessons about being wary of men had not changed with one good deed. Even now she would sooner trust Madame Jingfei over the reaper.
A fact that the tied-up Madame took notice of.