Beyond, With a Yokai

Chapter 7: A Spark in a Blink

|Tomoya|

Love. Attachment. I once knew those feelings. They warmed me, wrapped me in a soft light, made the world feel brighter. And then—they shattered me. Tore me to pieces, leaving only an empty void.

My mother was a myoubu, a devoted servant of the goddess Inari for centuries. And my father... he abandoned us the moment he found out my mother was a kitsune. She loved him madly, believed that if his feelings were real, he would accept her as she was. But their love wasn't the kind you read about in books or see in movies.

It all happened before I was born, so I never felt the loss. I never knew him, never needed him. I had my mother, and her love was enough for the both of us. If he did one thing right, it was staying away—he kept us safe and preserved our secret.

But as I grew older, so did my curiosity. Who was he? What was he like?

My mother tried to explain why I shouldn't seek him out. But I couldn't understand one thing: if he rejected her, did he really never once want to see me? Just to glimpse his own son? Or was his hatred for foxes so deep that even his own blood made him sick?

We lived happily among humans, needing nothing. I still remember that sunny day, filled with the scent of spring. Back then, I was just learning the art of transformation. But being half-human made it easier to maintain my form throughout the day. I hated my fox nature. I dreamed of shedding my skin forever—of never walking on four paws again.

Now I understand: that hatred came from my father's abandonment. Centuries later, it's faded. But I haven't taken fox form in over five hundred years.

Our home stood near an Inari shrine. Every day, we brought offerings and prayed to the goddess. My mother always said she would protect us.

But that arrogant goddess never cared about us.

That day, I was in my room, focusing my energy and trying not to lose control. Then I heard shouting from the kitchen—glass shattering.

"He's not home!" my mother's voice was firm, but there was tension in it.

The air thickened, tightening around my throat like a noose. What the hell was going on?

I stepped into the hallway—and dropped to my knees. The space was thick with her energy. She was defending herself. But from whom?

A man's voice—harsh, impatient. A flash of power.

I held my breath and crawled forward.

My mother stumbled into the hallway. Blood stained her clothes.

"M—Mom..." I reached for her, but she clamped her hand over my mouth.

Heavy footsteps. Someone was coming.

"I love you, my son..." she whispered.

And then—a dull thud.

The frax pierced her heart.

I felt her body go limp. Her warmth faded. I couldn't scream. I couldn't move. Her energy wrapped around me, cloaking me, hiding me from view.

She was so powerful, she protected me even in death. I never saw the killer's face—but I remembered his energy. He left, planning to return—for me.

My mother wasn't naïve. She wouldn't have let someone suspicious into our home. She always protected me. That meant she knew him. She trusted him. That could only mean one thing—he was a myoubu. His powerful energy confirmed it.

That day, my world collapsed. They took the only thing I had. And accept it? Never. I swore I'd find that monster and rip out his rotten heart with my bare hands.