The crew looked at Hongjoong surprised "but how?" Seonghwa asked beside him. Hongjoong pulled a knife from his belt and cut his palm which made his crew to gasp "draw him with blood" he said smiling "isn't there a safer way to attract him?" Mingi asked concerned "it's the best way for now" he said handing the knife to Seonghwa which he also cut his hand and so did the others "or you can use tofu as well" he said smiling "you could've said it sooner!!!" Everyone shouted in unison.
After they discussed their plan and positions, they split up into three teams and went to their locations. Hongjoong's team with Wooyoung and Jongho was located at the East side of the city, Seonghwa with Mingi and Yunho was at the West and Yeosang with Valerie, San and Byul was at the North.
Yeosang's team was running on rooftops of buildings so they won't attract the soldiers attention, they went to the storage house first, it was a big one with huge doors and two soldiers guarding it, there wasn't much houses surrounding it which made them snuck behind it, Yeosang signalled them to be quite and follow him, they found three gallons of gasoline at the back which Yeosang took one and so did the other two.
They poured the gasoline all over the storage house, and when they finished, Yeosang told them to go wait on one of the buildings rooftops. After they left, Yeosang lit up a match and threw it at the ground which made a fire line moving towards the storage house and put it on fire.
The fire drew the soldiers attention and made them gather around it trying to put down.
Valerie and San helped Yeosang climbing to the roof "it really worked" San commented, fascinated with there work "let's get out of here, it might explode any moment now" Yeosang told them and they nodded to him.
After a few moments, they heard an explosion, they stopped to look behind them, San took his spyglass and looked towards the sound "wow, it really exploded into shatters" he said "let me see" Valerie said taking the spyglass from his hands, her mouth fell agape at the scene she is witnessing, soldiers injured at the ground, people freaking out and others trying to put it down "they will be busy for some time, now" Yeosang said and looked at his pocket watch "we have an hour before it appears, let's go" he said and they followed him.
After moments, another explosion was heard from the west "I hope they are okay" Valerie said concerned "don't worry, they are tougher than they look" San assured her with a smile and she nodded to him, that's when Yeosang got an idea "Byul" he said "can you communicate with the others?" He asked the cat on San's shoulder 'I'll see what I can do' she told him and closed her eyes 'can you hear me?' She asked trying to reach one of the two teams.
Hongjoong cleared the area with Wooyoung and Jongho making sure neither citizens nor soldiers were around 'can you hear me?' The three of them heard her voice "it's Byul" Wooyoung told them "yes, we can" Hongjoong responded with his right hand on his ear 'we just finished with the North storage house and we are heading towards our position' she told them "good job, and be careful from soldiers" he told her 'aye captain' she said and cut connection with them "seems like everything is going smoothly" Jongho sighed in relief.
Seonghwa's team arrived at their position at the big clock tower rooftop after they were done with the storage house 'can you hear me?' They heard Byul "yes, this is Seonghwa" Seonghwa responded 'we just finished with the storage house and we heard an explosion from your side, is everyone ok?' She asked him "everyone is fine, we just finished with this one and we are at the top of the clock tower now" he told her 'great, we are about to arrive at the park' she told them "be careful" he told her 'don't worry about us, we'll be fine' she assured him and cut the connection, he sighed and said "I hope so".
"Everything seems to be going smoothly for now" Yeosang said after he spotted a spacious park "it's there" he said getting down from the building with the other two behind. They entered the park, mesmerised by its beauty, the park had a stone path with benches on each side, big trees filling the park and a small lake in the middle of it "it's like a small forest" San commented looking at the huge tree in front of him "because it is" Yeosang told him "its name is 小さな森 (chīsana mori), it means small forest in japanese and it was made immediately after the first appearance of the Kitsune, giving hope to the citizens for a new beautiful day" Yeosang told them and they went to the centre of the park towards the biggest and oldest tree there.
The tree was half size of the Tropic Shadow trees but still bigger and taller than any other tree in this park, Valerie reached the tree's trunk to find japanese characters written all over it "it's the names of the victims from the massacre" Yeosang told them "this tree goes back before the king was even born and it was the only thing standing after that day, people saw hope in it and by writing the names of their loved ones, hoping they would find hope too like they did" he told them and they started climbing the tree.
"You know a lot about this park" San told him climbing behind him "well, unlike some people, I gathered information in these past days" he said teasing him "if you weren't cute, I would've killed you" he said passing through him "you won't kill him because he's cute?" Valerie asked confused "of course" san said sitting on a branch "and don't forget smart and handsome" he added "do you have a crush on him?" She asked him reaching for a branch on the other side "no, I see him as my younger brother" he said wiggling his legs "I'm older by the way" Yeosang said standing on a branch above San's "but you act like you are younger than me" he said smiling making him sigh.
Valerie sat on a branch at the other side opposite to them "how much time is left?" She asked "10 minutes" Yeosang answered after checking his pocket watch.
The tree's crown was capable enough of hiding them from passersby.
They sat in silence observing their surroundings, until, they heard a loud thud coming from the beach "what's that?" San asked standing up "it's probably the Kitsune" Yeosang answered looking behind him at the port "be ready, it might come here in any minute" he warned them making Valerie put her hand on her sword and San put Byul on his shoulder securing her after checking on his dagger in his boots.
Seonghwa was sitting on the edge of the tower when he saw something fall from the sky on the beach.
He stood up immediately turning towards Yunho and Mingi "it's here" he told them and they ran to his side "is it moving yet?" Mingi asked Yunho whom is now holding a spyglass and looking through it "not yet, it is observing its surroundings" he told them amazed by its look.
Yunho saw an enormous white fox with nine tails, each tail has a red colour on its end, his legs were white with red feet and it's face was white with red straps around its eyes, cheeks and the yellow gem on his forehead.
The Kitsune looked to his left then to his right, then he started moving, heading towards where Seonghwa's team is.
"It's heading towards us" Yunho told them, putting his spyglass back in his bag "we don't have to encounter him, we just need to draw him towards Hongjoong, understood?" Seonghwa told the other two and they nodded to him "good, get ready" he said and they stood behind him, putting their cloak on their heads.
"What's happening now?" San asked Valerie who is now at the top of the tree, looking through her spyglass at the beach "it's the Kitsune and it's heading towards Seonghwa's location" she told them getting down next to Yeosang "we have to count on them bringing the Kitsune here, then go to Hongjoong" Yeosang told them "don't do anything recklessly, understood?" He said "ok" Valerie answered "San?" He asked looking at San "fine, I'll try" he said leaning his back on the tree trunk.
The Kitsune is roaming around the city slowly, he is almost taller than two story building, but he can still walk lightly without anyone noticing his presence.
He smelled something from the clock tower making his head turn in its direction "blood" he said and started walking towards it licking his lips in anticipation.
Byul got shivers on her back, clutching her claws in San's shoulder "ouch!!" He shouted in pain getting Yeosang's and Valerie's attention "what's wrong?" Valerie asked "Byul has her claws in my shoulder and it's hurting me" San said making them confused, Valerie came next to San checking his shoulder, it was bleeding, Valerie had her eyes wide from the blood on his shoulder "he's bleeding" she told them holding Byul and trying to take her away from San so she can check his wound, but Byul won't move an inch "Byul, let go of him" Valerie told the cat but it won't move, until San put his hand on her head patting her, she loosened up letting go of him.
Yeosang took Byul from Valerie and she hugged his neck without getting her claws out, Valerie started treating San's wound, he unbuttoned his shirt showing his left shoulder that is injured, it wasn't deep, it just needed a bandage and it'll be okay "what happened to you anyway?" Yeosang asked the trembling cat that is hugging him 'danger' she said 'danger is approaching us, and it's close to the West, we should run' she said with a trembling voice making the three of them to look at eachother "West? You mean where Seonghwa and the others are?" San asked putting his right hand on his wounded left shoulder, Byul nodded shocking them.
San buttoned his shirt up and put his cloak on trying to get off of the tree, but Valerie stopped him by grabbing his right arm "where do you think you're going?" She asked glaring at him "west" he said trying to get her hand off him, but she won't let him go "you are going nowhere" Yeosang said while trying to soothe the scared cat "do not tell me what to do" he said glaring at Yeosang, he then moved his right leg upwards making Valerie let go of his arm and he jumped off the tree "follow him" he told Valerie and she jumped after him.
San was running so fast which Valerie couldn't co-op with, he left the park going between alleys trying to get rid of her which he succeeded.
Valerie stood in the middle of an abandoned alley, there was no sign of a human living in it, she sighed knowing she missed San. She ran her fingers in between her hair, her braid has fallen apart from all the running.
When she turned around to get back to the park, she stopped in her place.
San arrived at the clock tower surprising his three mates "San?" Yunho questioned helping him up the tower "what are you doing here? And what happened to your shoulder?" Yunho asked checking his shoulder "it's fine, Valerie treated me, but first" he assured them standing up "you need to get off the tower and go to the ship" they were surprised by what he said "what? Why?" Mingi asked him "it's dangerous up here, if the Kitsune got to you, you'll be in danger" he told them worried about them "we know it's dangerous, that's why we split into three teams" Seonghwa told him "you know Byul is from the beast tribe, right?" He said "yeah, but what does it have to do with this?" Seonghwa answered him "it does!!" He shouted "one of their skills is sensing danger when you can't handle it, and Byul now is trembling from fear" what he said surprised them "we need to inform Hongjoong and head to the ship right now" he told them "but how do you know this?" Mingi asked him "I was curious about her powers, so I asked her, and she told me about it" he answered him "now, hurry before it arrives" he said looking at Seonghwa "now you mentioned it" he said concerned.
"you came while this is bleeding, right?" he said pointing at San's shoulder "yeah, what about it?" San asked confused "then why isn't he here yet?" He questioned looking at the quite city, soldiers have already put down the fire in both storage houses.
San looked at him confused, then widened his eyes putting his hand on his mouth "oh no!!" He shouted dropping on his knees "what's wrong?" Yunho asked as concerned as the other two "on my way here, Valerie was following me" he said "I thought she gave up on following me since I stopped noticing her, but what if" he stopped talking, but they already knew what he's talking about "no, it can't be!" Yunho shouted "her wounds heal so fast and I checked her hand before we split, she didn't cut it, there's no way it would follow her" he told them "but she might have some of my blood on her" San told them already panicking "San, look at me" Seonghwa said holding him by the shoulders, forcing him into eye contact "do you remember where you left her?" He asked in a calm tone "yeah" he answered "then lead us there" Mingi said and he nodded standing up "follow me" San said leading the way.