The mist was beginning to settle.
Ash and lightning drifted like quiet snow, dimming beneath the pale lantern light.
The fox tilted its head, eyes half-lidded. A faint ripple ran through the pouch at its chest—soft at first, then stronger, as though something within was breathing again.
A flicker of black light seeped through the seams.
The fox's ear twitched.
"…Alright?" it murmured.
The pouch quivered once more, then snapped open with a muffled thunk.
A pulse of shadow spilled out, cold and silent.
The black spear slid free, hovering in the air before it—its surface dull, veiled in dim runes that pulsed faintly. Wisps of silver light still clung to the blade's edges, but the seals were weakening, their rhythm breaking apart one line at a time.
The fox raised a paw slightly, attempting to control it. The spear responded—turning once, slow and graceful—as the fox's will settled over it.
"About time," the fox said softly. "I was wondering when those seals would burn themselves out."
It circled the weapon once, turquoise eyes glinting. The faint hum of resonance filled the air; the spear vibrated gently, shaking off the last remnants of the suppressing light like dust.
"It works," it mused aloud. "I can control it. I thought it would take hours for the seal to fade, but I guess it's weaker than I thought. It only took a few minutes instead—"
A smile tugged faintly at the corners of its muzzle.
"—But it fades all at once. It's still there—barely—but still there. I can't fully control the spear if I don't deal with it."
The fox lifted its gaze, fur rippling with the faint stir of spiritual energy surging from its paw like wind. It lifted its paw again, and the weapon responded instantly—rising, spinning once, then settling to orbit lazily around it.
The runes flickered, then cracked.
A single sound—like glass breaking underwater—echoed through the courtyard as the binding shattered completely.
Spiritual energy flared outward.
The spear was free. The veins of silver symbols once running along its length were no more. The weapon spun once in midair, then steadied beside the fox, hovering obediently. The air around it warped faintly—cold and razor-sharp, like the whisper of a storm about to break.
"There we go," the fox said softly. "That's better."
Its paw still extended, the spear began to orbit lazily around it, humming with a low, restrained growl of energy.
"Still temperamental," it muttered, faint amusement in its tone. "Can't blame you. I'd be cranky too if someone tried to cage me."
The fox's tail flicked in satisfaction.
"Alright. You're free now. And just in time."
Its gaze lifted toward the distant lights where figures were beginning to stir, threads of qi flaring.
The fox turned. Turquoise eyes lingered on the two cultivators, still trapped in the illusion it had woven earlier.
Both slowly, gradually started moving—standing up, moving in unison, faces dull and lacking any sign of emotion.
"There's no use leaving the both of you alive anymore," it murmured, voice calm but edged with inevitability. "Would say I'm a bit reluctant to do this, since we just finished doing business. It pains me to kill one that just gave me their pouch."
A faint pulse of qi shivered through the black spear as it hovered before the fox. Slowly, deliberately, it lunged forward.
The spear pierced through both cultivators in a single, seamless motion.
A scream tore from their throats as blood sprayed in arcs, searing pain shattering the illusions around them. Their eyes snapped wide, pupils dilated in horror. The false world collapsed instantly; fragments of the illusion fell away like shattered glass.
They staggered back, hands clutched to their chests, coughing blood. Crimson seeped from their lips, trailing down their chins. Their breaths came ragged and uneven, each heartbeat slower than the last.
Their wide eyes fixed on the fox. Shock, disbelief, and fear mingled in their gaze. The fox watched silently, expression unreadable, tail swaying slowly behind it.
"I'm… sorry," it said, soft but steady. "Truly. But I can't let you linger. As a token of us doing business together, I'll be quick about it."
The two cultivators could barely form words, blood dribbling from their mouths, vision swimming. The spear hovered, quivering slightly, but remained poised—a silent reminder of their helplessness.
Their bodies trembled, knees weak, as the life slowly drained from them. The fox's turquoise eyes never wavered, never softened, as it let them feel the finality of the moment.
"Consider it… mercy," it said quietly.
The cultivators coughed again, blood foaming at their lips, their gazes locked on the fox in a mix of terror and disbelief, before the darkness began to claim them.
The spear circled obediently around the fox, its presence a quiet, lethal shadow as the remaining life bled from their bodies.
The fox exhaled slowly, tail swaying with deliberate calm. Straightening, it stood with a composed expression, as if it had merely completed a necessary task.
Its attention shifted again, to what lay ahead—and the black spear followed, obedient, hovering in its control.
"Now…" it murmured under its breath, voice soft but resolute. "I can continue with my business."
With a fluid motion, it extended a paw, and the black spear lifted from its pouch once more. The seals that had held it faded entirely, the weapon now free to follow its master's will. It hovered, circling the fox like a loyal sentinel, radiating latent power.
The fox's form blurred, the air around it shimmering with controlled qi. Within a heartbeat, it vanished from the spot entirely—leaving only the faint hum of residual energy and the scattered, blood-soaked ruins behind.
Where it went, no one could say. But the courtyard was left in silence, broken only by the slow drip of blood onto scorched stone, and the faint glimmer of a weapon awaiting its next command.
> Time to see how many more obstacles I can clear.
The fox's words lingered in the air like a shadow—cold and certain—as its presence slipped into the unknown.