Much like the aftermath of what had happened back in the cavern, the next few moments were a blur. All I could do, all I felt able to do, was hold Kotone as she sobbed, her tears staining both her kimono and my shirt. I'd been worried sick. I felt guilty. And I'd been brutally honest as a result. Perhaps she'd be furious at me afterwards... But I didn't care. After all she'd shared to me, opening up her heart and her painful past... I couldn't abandon her. Not even if all the hypnosis she had poured into me suddenly faded away into oblivion. I didn't need that in me to care about her.
We stayed this way for some time, holding each other. Eventually, the kitsune rubbed her eyes dry, and I did the same. She didn't look at me as she rested on her knees.
Eventually... we made it back to the bed, still not speaking. She didn't take my hand this time, however. I couldn't blame her. Even if everything I'd said was true.
Surprisingly, it was still Kotone who broke the silence, in a quiet yet calm voice. Her honey-colored hair covered the side of her face, and she was looking forward, making me unable to witness her expression. But I couldn't hear any anger in her question. That was reassuring.
"The woman... What did she look like, exactly? If you have any details, tell me."
Thankfully, that was an easy question. She wasn't exactly the forgettable type... "... She was tall." And curvy. "She had short hair, brown. Dressed in a black Gi. It had, um, patterns on it... Spirals, I think. Red spirals. And her katana was in a black sheath, with golden stripes."
Once I finished, Kotone suddenly stood up... and I noticed she was clenching her fists. She stepped away from the bed, towards the center of the room, then stopped... and once she finally unclenched her hands, she turned back towards me, her regal blue kimono swaying to the side. And this time, I could see both a hint of anger... and of disappointment in her eyes. Though she was still looking at the floor, I wondered if they were aimed at me...?
When she spoke again, her voice was still calm... but more assured than it had been before. "... I know that woman. I blame myself. I should have been there with you... but how could I have guessed? Those old texts didn't make me think of that- Was the Temple even part of the seal, or... did I read it wrong? Or is it just too ruined? Aaaagh..."
It felt as if she was simply speaking to herself... but eventually, Kotone sighed, and finally looked at me again. Though I was not too comfortable... looking back into her eyes. But her voice remained calm.
"I've told you my story. Back when the Great Wars were still raging, the wars between humans and monsters... I fought on behalf of the monster girls, obviously, as you know. Along with Sofia, and... Feng, later on."
Kotone's voice slightly hitched at the wolf girl's name, but she took a breath and continued. I wished I could have held her hand for that... but I let her speak.
"About... 400 years ago? I was still wandering across the land. Many monster girls had no permanent home back then. We were warriors, travelers, traders... Going and wherever our fate led us. In those times, conflict could happen anywhere, at any time. Moments of peace were few and far between. In those times, many monster girls were feared by humanity..."
The beautiful kitsune paused at that, before talking in a softer tone. It almost sounded like she was telling a horror story.
"... But some humans were feared by our kind as well. Though you've likely never heard of any of them. The history of one's species doesn't usually shine on their errors."
That felt... a bit biased to me, but I couldn't interrupt. At this point, I was more than curious. What did stuff from 400 years ago have to do with that woman?
And the answer hit me like Jora's tail.
"The Dragonslayer was one of those humans. And... so was the woman you've met. The Red Blade."
Kotone paused again, and sighed. "A bit dramatic, but... she earned that nickname. She was a legendary warrior. Her blade was said to be always soaked in the blood of our kind. And her magic was fearful as well. I met her... only once..."
She let out a nervous laugh at that. "Let's just say I might only have five tails right now if our scuffle had dragged on for too long."
That shook me to my core. Even though I had never faced Kotone in actual battle, I could easily guess how strong she was. She'd lived for 700 years, after all, had fought alongside both Sofia and Feng, had survived all those wars... And that woman was supposed to be as strong as her? An adventurer like me, on that level?
Even if those wars were long gone... I felt a pit open in my stomach. As I suddenly fully realized how weak I was compared to her... and what exactly I had unleashed upon Lucidia. But Kotone kept speaking, even as my mind became a whirlwind.
"Of course, I thought she'd died centuries ago... Rumors were she'd been slain by a succubus party, I believe. I would have never have imagined that a human would have been sealed beneath this mountain..."
Of course not. Just a human. She was just a human. A human couldn't hurt anyone, right? That's what I'd thought. A human couldn't be evil, could they? What harm could there be in freeing a human?
Except if that human came from another age. From 400 years in the past. From a time of war and death, with a blade soaked in blood.
And who had set her loose upon this new world, supposed to be free from it all? Me.
As Kotone's voice began to tinge with worry as she adressed me... I collapsed back onto the bed, barely registering what she was asking me. And my vision darkened.