The wind outside the Kazomaki mansion was quiet… too quiet for the storm still roaring inside Kyoren's head.
He stood by the tall window, silver-blue moonlight slicing across his face, cutting shadows that tangled with the bandages wrapped tightly around his injured arm.
His glove was gone — burned away in the fight.
His fingers twitched slightly, curling near the fabric, but it wasn't pain that made them tremble. Nor weakness.
It was confusion.
Why the hell did I catch him?
He had fought cursed beasts, yokai, even soul-swallowers… but nothing had ever left this kind of glitch burning in his chest.
Across the glass, dark hills rolled in the distance — somewhere out there, the red spider lilies danced again, calling their devil back.
Flashback begins…
Kirihito's mouth was still stained with blood as he spoke, licking it clean like a wolf savoring his prey.
His voice was cold, casual, slicing through the air like a blade—his mood sharp, already slipping back into revenge after the ceremony had nearly swallowed him whole.
"This throne… it's mine now. I'm too old for childish heirlooms. Don't you think it's time someone younger ruled it?"
Kyoren's temples pulsed, not just from insult, but from the calm arrogance threading each word. He stepped forward sharply.
"You destroyed everything I prepared! Those humans…"
"They were already rotting." Kirihito cut him off, drifting like mist around the older fox.
"You just didn't smell it yet."
Behind them, Yurei inhaled sharply, his breath a quiet question tangled with worry and something else, something deeper. Footsteps echoed as he approached, but Kirihito raised a finger without turning.
"No. Stay where you are. This is a king's fight."
"You…"
Kyoren clenched his jaw, voice rising slightly.
"Don't talk to him like that! He's more than just a guard."
Yurei swallowed, impressed despite himself by Kyoren's fierce defense. It stirred a faint memory deep inside him.
Kirihito's lips curled into a small smile, fangs just visible.
"Great… I can sense something deeper between you two."
Then Kirihito stepped too close, invading Kyoren's space with the ease of a predator. Kyoren pressed his lips tight, a thin line of discomfort. The closeness burned at his pride.
Yurei huffed quietly, frustrated and unsettled, but knowing better than to interrupt Kyoren. His gray eyes fixed on the two, watching silently.
Kirihito teased, voice soft but sharp:
"But playing with you… might become my new favorite pastime. Angry furballs are even more fun to play with."
Kyoren's reply was tight, clipped:
"Move away! You're acting weird!"
Kirihito feigned innocence, lips parting like a child who knew exactly what he was doing. Kyoren's blush deepened as he struggled to keep control.
"What kind of weird, furball king?" Kirihito taunted playfully.
"Don't make me spell something unholy… and don't call me 'furball'!" Kyoren snapped back, stepping away.
But Kirihito grinned wider, purring and hissing softly, enjoying every moment of torment.
"How will I understand if you don't tell me?"
Kyoren took a deep breath, golden eyes flickering with anger and embarrassment, a rare vulnerability bleeding through his royal facade.
"I… meant… are you… homosexual?"
The words slipped out awkwardly, like a curse he was reluctant to speak aloud. His cheeks flushed a sharp red. Yurei gasped softly, biting his lower lip, eyes flickering nervously to the necklace clenched in his hand.
Kirihito's expression shifted to confused—he didn't understand the word. Kyoren caught the look, his mind spinning.
That yokai looks centuries old… but doesn't know that word?
Kirihito crossed his arms, tilting his head mockingly. Pride wouldn't let him admit ignorance, so he denied with a confident smirk.
"Of course I know that word, old fox king. And I'm not what you're saying. You hear me?"
Kyoren mirrored the crossed arms, smirking in return, studying Kirihito's half-exposed chest and thigh beneath the loose yukata, feeling both embarrassed and frustrated.
"Well, then, since you're such a 'new adult yokai'… tell me what you know about it."
Kirihito cleared his throat, cheeks flushing lightly, biting his lip.
"No… that's also part of the king's fight. You go first. Let's see if you're worthy of the throne."
Kyoren chuckled, raising an eyebrow.
"See? You can't answer either."
Kirihito hissed softly, annoyance flickering in his voice.
"Then you tell me, half-old king. What does it mean? Don't be shy."
Kyoren shifted uncomfortably, embarrassed to say the word aloud again, but determined to win this battle of words.
"Homosexual… means when a male falls for another male, and does what should only be done between male and female. Not… both male, or both female. Is that detailed enough for you?"
Kirihito nodded slowly, then said unexpectedly:
"Oh, now I understand… but I'm not male. I'm a high-ranked genderless yokai. I look male, but I'm physically both. Male parts, female parts… but my kind hates women. I can make babies and also be—"
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You're shameless!" Kyoren shouted, grabbing Kirihito's mouth to muffle his words.
"Mmph!" Kirihito squeaked, annoyed but amused.
Yurei sighed in frustration, unable to stand the teasing dance between them.
"What are you two doing? Why aren't you fighting? Kyoren-sama, control yourself! And you, shameless snake, stop twisting words like that!"
Kyoren jumped back, golden ribbon and black pearls rippling with his motion. Kirihito moved as well, poised and ready, one thigh boldly exposed by his yukata.
Kirihito nearly stumbled but caught himself gracefully. Kyoren unleashed golden fox-fire, the flames roaring to life in the clearing.
Kirihito didn't dodge — he danced.
His body wove between the flames like wind slipping through silk.
"You get red so easily, hehe~"
Kirihito teased while fighting only with his body — no spiritual powers, just deadly dance manipulation.
"Shut up! I hate how your chest and legs are always showing! Like you're wearing nothing!" Kyoren growled.
Kirihito laughed.
"I'm too hot and sweaty. I need less clothes! You're so wrapped up it's like you can't even move!"
Kyoren's mind raced with unholy thoughts he didn't want to entertain.
"Shut up! What do you mean by 'hot and sweaty'?"
"Stop saying shut up! You sound like an old fox!"
Their battle was both physical and verbal — a sharp, beautiful dance of claws and words, pride and mockery.
Kyoren lunged again, but suddenly Kirihito's glowing form spun through smoke and landed behind him, catching him by the hips.
Kyoren froze, surprised by the unexpected closeness.
Soft. Cold. Safe?
Their eyes met. Kyoren saw Kirihito's covered eyes. Kirihito caught the gleam of Kyoren's golden ones beneath the silk.
Something shifted.
A strange heat crawled through Kirihito's lower stomach — not pain, but tension. A faint echo stirred in his mind, but it faded before forming.
"Get off… you're too close. And for the love of God, cover yourself."
Kyoren muttered, stiff and flushed. He pulled away abruptly. Kirihito yelped softly, hair falling over his face.
"Ouch! Why hold me if you're just going to drop me? You're crueler than me! At least I don't hold what I can't keep!"
Kirihito's mood flipped like a switch. He stood and fixed his hair, brushing the moment aside.
Kyoren stared at his own hands, red-cheeked and silent. Kirihito's words echoed in his mind.
That yokai… too strange to handle. Like a child in an adult's body… but he knows exactly how to manipulate, dance, sing, and fight — even after tripping.
Behind them, Yurei clenched his fists but said nothing, shadows whispering like jealous ghosts.
Return to present
Kyoren opened his eyes again. The moon hadn't moved.
His hand dropped from the window. The weight in his chest hadn't eased — if anything, it had grown heavier.
He whispered, almost to himself:
"Before he becomes something else…"
His fingers reached for the chain around his neck, feeling the small charm seal that lay there.
He couldn't let the Eye awaken. Not yet..
Not for himself.
Not for the mysterious creature who moved like tides of sea, weaving guqin and bamboo flute music into the night.
Or maybe something else which only he knows..