I stayed by the fire, looking at the enormous beast that could eat up my daughter in a heartbeat if it wanted to. Even if I knew it was Koan with whom I travelled for days, it was still terrifying. Mika in front of me was frowning, not satisfied at all that her father unveiled his true nature to us.
« He won't hurt her. » she eventually said.
I realized I was staring and that was probably not the most polite thing to do, especially with allies. I turned my gaze away and looked at Mika, the fire dancing in her silver pupils.
« He's a fox... » I said.
It was dumb. Particularly dumb. But I still had trouble believing it. First oni, now foxes... What was the next step ?
« You're observant. » she said coldly.
I didn't answer. Her sarcasm was well deserved after such stupid words.
« You're a fox too, then. » I said.
She nodded and got her tail out of her white hakama, a single ginger tail.
« Tails are the only thing we can't hide. That's why we wear ample hakama. Well for Koan at least. His eight tails are harder to hide than my single one. »
So that's what she meant when she said the girl couldn't ignore Koan's true nature. I guess a naked man with eight tails was surely something to remember.
I reported my attention on the snoring silver fox. I'm not even sure a horse would be big enough to match its size.
« Can you please take your hand off your sword ? » said Mika, coldly.
« Sorry. » I apologized.
I hadn't realized I had my hand clenched on my katana. That wasn't really polite either.
« See ? » she sighed « that's why I didn't want Koan to show you... He warned you, trusted you and yet, you still want to hurt him. »
« I don't. Pardon my behavior, Yasha-san. »
To prove my good faith, I stood up, removed my swords and let them near our bags before sitting back with Mika. I saw her expression soften and she put a bit more wood in the fire.
« Humans always want to kill us. » she confessed. « Foxes are supposedly evil just because we like to have fun. Every time a wife gets pregnant and it is obvious that the husband isn't the father, it's a fox who played a trick on her. Every time someone did something crazy, it's a fox who took possession of him... I'm not saying we never play tricks, we do, but we aren't responsible for all the world's misery. »
I nodded. It was true that if I had a doubt that someone was a fox, I would have probably killed him to be sure he wouldn't play a trick on me or my loved ones.
« Koan is very old now. He still has his powers but he needs to rest a lot more than before and he heals very slowly. He also suffers from arthritis and his smell and eyesight are declining. » she continued with grief « he doesn't have much time left. He only misses one tail and the ninth is near. Everything will get easier when he'll get it. But he's so weak now that we can't know for sure that he'll reach that day. If people decide to go after him, even with his powers, he would be in grave danger. »
« So they... grow ? » I asked, eager to find out the difference between myths and reality.
« Koan, as a male, gets a tail every 111 years. He's approaching his ninth tail. When he'll get it, at 888 years old, his fur will get golden and he'll be a true spirit. He won't suffer from his arthritis, his tiredness, his half-healed wounds anymore. He will be omniscient and all powerful and live until 999 years old. Then his spirit will ascend to heaven to join Inari. »
« Females are different ? » I asked.
« A lot. » she smiled sadly « I will never reach that age and I would never join Inari. Maybe three hundred, if I get lucky. The other daughters of Koan didn't get that chance. And I would never get that big or get more tails. I will stay a common ginger fox that can take women's appearances and bewitch men for entertainment. But nothing more. No illusions, no possession, no long life, no fantastic beast, nothing really interesting. And only the void in death. »
Her words sent a shiver down my spine and my tone was excessively cold when I asked the question that was burning my lips.
« Did you use your powers on me, Yasha-san ? »
« Does it matter ? » she asked, visibly perplexed.
« Just answer the question. »
« I did. » she answered with a kind smile and my heart shattered into pieces.
« We spent the night together ? » I asked, just to be sure.
« Not the night. But we did have sex if that is your question. » she answered after a glimpse at my bag where my swords were.
That wasn't a dream then... It was Mika... I had sex with Mika...
« How dare you ? » I hissed in anger and I instantly regretted that my swords were so far away from me.
« Hey, it wasn't that bad, was it ? » she shrugged. « You seemed to enjoy it as much as I did. »
« Why ? » I asked, still having trouble realizing that it did happen.
« Because I wanted you. » she smiled genuinely.
« I didn't. » I replied coldly.
« I know. That's why I bewitched you. » she explained as if it was obvious and it was enough of an explanation. « And it was a fantastic opportunity. I mean, a futon is a lot more comfortable than a forest floor, Koan was busy and with Haruhi that ill, she couldn't notice a thing. It was perfect. Plus, I was incredibly bored... »
I stayed silent, my blood boiling. How did she dare do this to me ? What about Chizuru ? Less than a year of marriage, no. Less than 4 months of marriage and I was already sleeping with other women...
« You do realize we are traveling to get my wife back ? » I asked, furious even if my voice was toneless.
« I do. » she nodded seriously.
« I love her. I married her. I was supposed to stay faithful... »
« She doesn't have to know. » she shrugged again as if there wasn't any problem « it's not as if you were a woman, there can't be any proof. It's not as significant. No one has to know if you choose not to tell them. »
« I would know. » I hissed.
« I guess. » she smiled « but it was a delightful moment, wasn't it ? »
I stayed silent again. I couldn't deny that I enjoyed it but I thought it was Chizuru. Now that I knew it was Mika... I hated her for doing this and I hated myself for taking pleasure in it... That was despicable. I cheated on my wife as soon as she was away and I did it in front of my daughter, nonetheless. Perfect. Really perfect. Totally worthy of a samurai, getting bewitched by the first fox that crossed my path...
« Koan is the most powerful fox I have ever met. Do you know why ? » she asked and I shook my head, my eyes throwing daggers « because his father was an Oni of the Yase clan. Unlike other foxes, Koan values family links and that's why he stayed loyal to the Yase. But now, the Yase clan has lost its former glory. You never answered me about what you were, Saito-san, but I don't meet a lot of yokai like you. I got curious. »
« Curious ? » I repeated, gritting my teeth.
« Koan will be dead in 146 years, at most. And I will stay old and alone, a common ginger fox that everyone wants to kill and with no survival abilities. I need a powerful son to protect me and he won't be able to use his powers before the age of 111 years old and his second tail so I do not have much time to find a powerful mate if I don't want to be vulnerable. I could choose a human but I want my son to be even more powerful than Koan. I need an Oni or something at least as strong. You seemed a suitable choice. »
« I will not let you do it again. » I told her coldly with steel in my voice.
« I don't think you'd be able to resist me if you wanted to » she chuckled « but I see how much you are upset and I promise you I won't do it again. It was just a little trick, nothing of importance. To be fair, I don't understand why you are taking it that seriously. I wanted you, it was great, no proof, end of story. You really shouldn't be that angry... If I offended you, I apologize. Just, do not take revenge on my father, please, and I'll leave you alone. »
I took some time to think about it. I wanted to kill her but her smell was the only thing that could guide me to Kazama and therefore, to Chizuru. I would not take revenge but I would keep my guard up and I would not stay alone with her. It was unsettling how it seemed she couldn't even understand the concept of marriage or faithfulness. To her, acting like this with me was just in her nature, it wasn't wrong. The guilt was only mine to bear.
I nodded and she let out a sigh of relief before smiling again.
« Just so you know... » she added playfully « if you feel lonely, I won't push you away and I can even look like this if you want me to. Would that make it easier ? »
Chizuru was on the other side of the fire, only her eyes were silver, showing her true nature, and I felt my heart pounding in my chest and my anger become even bigger, knowing that Mika was enjoying herself, torturing me with the face of my wife. Wife that I had betrayed with a damn animal. Mika didn't seem to have any instinct of conservation to keep playing with me like this. I turned around and laid near my swords, a cover over me. I would not give her the satisfaction to see how she troubled me with her little trick. I missed Chizuru so much... and she was using her face to mock me. Damn fox ! I closed my eyes and tried to sleep but there were too many obstacles to do so. My Rasetsu nature, Koan's snores and now, the guilt. That was the worst. What was I going to say to Chizuru ? And what if Mika gets a fox from me ? Could I really get a child with a stranger before getting one with my own wife ? I knew there was something odd with Mika, I should have kept my guard up instead of being curious. That's where it led me, to unfaithfulness, to dishonor...
What will I tell Chizuru ?