Hongjoong is now concerned because his teammates are late "they are late" Jongho said sitting on the edge of the third floor and looking at the red moon "do you think they are in trouble?" Wooyoung asked standing in the second floor and looking at Hongjoong, who is at the middle of the ground floor standing firmly.
Hongjoong hid his concerned face behind his mask "don't worry" he said "even if they were in one, they'll find a way out" he said trying to calm his crew and himself, but Wooyoung knew that he was more worried than them, he sighed and looked upward, hoping they are fine.
Yeosang was waiting for Valerie to come back with San, but she's late.
Byul tightened her arms around Yeosang's neck "what's wrong?" He asked trying to look at her 'he found her' she told him 'we should help her' she said looking at him, and he understood what she is saying "do you know where she is?" He asked and she nodded "then lead the way and hold on tightly" he told her, moving her to his left shoulder and he jumped off the tree, running in the direction Byul told him to.
Valerie stood in her place, looking up her head.
The Kitsune was standing in front of her, staring at her with killing instinct, and for a wierd reason, she felt the same way towards him, he gritted his teeth in anger showing them "fairy" he said in anger shocking her, and before she could think, he moved his claw, trying to smash her, she dodged it by retreating a few steps from it.
The Kitsune growled and jumped on her, she jumped climbing the building on her right, but he moved his claw in her way, making her fall, she grabbed a rope before hitting the ground and swung away from his claw, landing on her legs.
The Kitsune then stood in front of her glaring "what are you doing here?" He asked her "you shouldn't be here!" He shouted lifting his claw and trying to smash her again, but dodged it by running to her right "why can't I be here!!?" She shouted at him furiously "because this is my territory, and your kind. is forbidden from entering it!" He shouted the last part trying to hit her again and she dodged it "did we do something wrong to you?" She wanted to slap herself for the stupid question "your presence alone is wrong" he said "you interfere my powers and make them weak" he growled at her "interfere?" She questioned.
The Kitsune stopped for a moment "when you landed in this island, have you gone through wierd phenomenon?" He asked and she widened her eyes in realisation.
The old nightmare that reappeared in her dreams since she landed on this island, was because of her presence interfering the Kitsune's powers, just like what the fortune teller told her.
Valerie was distracted in her thoughts that she didn't notice the Kitsune's big claw throwing her to the building on her left, making her back crash on it.
She gasped for air from the shock and fell flat on her stomach.
The Kitsune tried to attack again but she rolled barely avoiding his claw, she lied on her stomach catching her breath and lifting her head up to look at him "you want this?" He asked pointing at the gem on his forehead, he noticed her eyes widen and put a smirk on his face "unfortunately," he said making smoke surround him "I'm not that nice to give it to you, after all" he stopped talking disappearing behind the smoke "it helped me multiple times on this island" he said.
A tall man appeared before the smoke, he was wearing a white hakama above it a blue navy nagagi and a light blue haori on it, on his forehead shone a yellow gem and around his black eyes were red straps, his skin was white and he had a long straight black hair.
He walked towards Valerie, his sandals clicking on the ground as he walked, the noise was getting louder with every step he took.
Valerie tried to stand up, but the damage was much more than she could handle, her healing was much slower than usual.
He squatted next to her, grabbing her hair and holding her head up making her gasp in pain, he looked at her, then he held his hand next to her face showing his claws "since you are not healing fast, do you think you might die from blood loss?" He asked smirking at her, then he moved his hand aiming for her throat.
A shotgun was heard, and the Kitsune let go of Valerie's hair jumping backwards, he put a hand on his cheek, it was bleeding.
He was shocked that it hit him, he looked at Valerie and there was a man helping her standing up and he didn't have a weapon in his hand, he looked up, and there was three men, one on each building.
"Shit" the one on the building ahead of him said "I missed it" he said "language" the one on the right building said "we are not kids to scold us" the one on the left building said, the one on the right glared at him shutting him up "sorry" he muttered, the Kitsune looked at the man and the fairy in front of him, they were about to leave, he couldn't let that be, he tried attacking them when another bullet came his way "don't move if you don't want a bullet in your head" the one on the front building said, the Kitsune couldn't see his face, but he was sure that this man was smiling at him.
Mingi held Valerie from the waist and let her put her arm on his shoulder to lean on "thank you" she managed to say that "no problem" Mingi told her smiling and they went to the building Seonghwa was on.
Yunho saw Mingi and Valerie enter the building, he looked to his left at San who is putting his black leather gloves on which meant he was ready to fight, he fixed his rifle pointing it at the man in front of him.
Seonghwa came down to meet with Valerie and Mingi on the stairs "can you stand?" Seonghwa asked Valerie concerned, she nodded "just give me five minutes" she told him and Mingi let her sit leaning her back on the wall "who is that guy anyway?" Mingi asked standing next to Seonghwa "the Kitsune" Valerie answered him "he changed his form into a human one" Mingi and Seonghwa looked at each other and they rushed to the rooftop.
The Kitsune shifted his gaze from Yunho to San and sighed "are you with the fairy?" He asked them "and what if we were?" San asked back "then, I have to get rid of you too" he told them and San jumped from the top of the building landing on his legs, then attacked the man by trying to punch him but he dodged him showing his claws and aiming at his stomach, San went right avoiding his claw, moving his leg upward and trying to land it at his head but he backed from him making his leg crash the ground, forming a crack where it landed.
The Kitsune whistled in amusement and before he could think, Yunho shot from his rifle aiming at his head, he avoided it, but San already tried to place a punch on him again.
The Kitsune kept avoiding Yunho's bullets and San's kicks and punches, until, Seonghwa appeared on the rooftop with Mingi behind him "stop!! Both of you!!" He shouted making Yunho stop firing and San to backup from the man "why?!" San shouted "he tried to kill Valerie!" He continued "it's the Kitsune!" Mingi shouted "you don't need to fight him! Just steal the gem!" He shouted "and what if he was the Kitsune! He still tried to harm one of us!" Yunho shouted.
The Kitsune started laughing confusing them "what's so funny?!" San yelled at him "you consider her one of you?" He asked sarcastically laughing "you are really a funny guy" he continued laughing making them angry.
"Mingi," Seonghwa said in a hushed tone "go take Valerie and bring Hongjoong, we'll handle this" he ordered him "okay" he responded and went down to Valerie.
When he arrived, he saw her standing up and heading to the rooftop "are you okay?" He asked her "I'm fine" she told him "great, we have to bring Hongjoong here as fast as possible" he told her and without further questions, she nodded and followed him down the stairs.
The Kitsune now stopped laughing and straightened himself "you know, you really shouldn't trust a stranger on your ship" he said "she could betray you any moment without you even noticing it" he told them "and what does that have to do with you?" San asked furiously "I just wanted to warn you, you know, because of what these people talk about me, the saviour of their island" he said the last part sarcastically "what do you mean?" Yunho asked confused "you all know, I killed the crazy king and brought peace to the land, but what do they know? That I was the one who killed their families and loved ones" he told them smiling widely.
The three of them were shocked by the sudden confession "you mean to say, that you were the one who killed all these innocent people?" San asked in shock and he nodded "then what about the king? Why did you kill him?!? Seonghwa asked him.
The Kitsune was amused by their reaction "I originally made a contract with the previous king, that he will provide me with souls and I'll keep his land safe, so he'll continue to rule them" he said "but, one night, he couldn't bring enough souls to satisfy me, so I ate his soul and killed a few others, and as a result, the people of this island gave me the hero title" he said proudly and started walking towards the building San was on "and why did you come back?" Seonghwa asked "to eat, of course" he said looking at the building he is facing now "you mean to kill" San corrected him, frowning his eyebrows "you can say that too" he said putting a hand on the building "why? Weren't you satisfied with the people you already killed?" San asked angrily getting ready to attack "are you satisfied with one meal a week? No, I don't think so, that's why I came here today" he said looking at San amused by his anger.
San had enough with the man's speech, he ran towards him trying to place a punch on his face which the Kitsune avoided, he then grabbed San from the neck and pulled him up in the air "San!!" Seonghwa and Yunho yelled in unison, Yunho adjusted his rifle aiming at the Kitsune, but he held San between him and the rifle "if you shot your rifle," he said "your friend dies" he said pointing at San with his other hand.
The Kitsune's hand was tight around San's neck making it hard for him to breath, Seonghwa signaled to Yunho to put the rifle down and he did "good boy" he told Yunho "what do you want?" Seonghwa asked him nervous and worried about San "I only wanted to kill that fairy, but now that you infuriated me, I'm thinking of killing you all with her" he said smiling tightening his grip around San's neck.
Yunho didn't wait a second and started heading down from the building and so did Seonghwa.
The Kitsune looked at San, he had his hands around his arm, struggling to break free from him, he smiled at his futile struggles and brought his face close to him "you drank the blood of the beast tribe, didn't you?" His question made San's eyes widen and that gave him the answer, he then slammed San's body into the wall making him gasp in pain "you know, it's weird" he said "how can a mere human like you drink their blood without dying? is that why your kicks and punches are so strong?" He asked him but San couldn't answer because he was struggling for air "having a second thought, why don't you come with me, to '**i*'?" San couldn't understand the last word "wh--at?" He managed to say "the beast tribe's original land is in the holy land *r**, and you drank their blood" he said "so, as a close friend with them, I have to take you their, so they can know if you stole their blood and why you didn't die when you drank it" he told him "what do you say?" He asked smiling and loosened his grip a little so he can talk, but San only spat on his face, smirked and said "to hell, with you and your friends".
The Kitsune sighed while wiping the spit off his face and tightened his grip again. San closed his eyes from the pain while he struggled to breathe "well, you left me no choice" he said punching him in the stomach, forcing him to pass out falling into the ground.
The Kitsune leaned to grab him and before he could get his hand on him, an arrow hit him in his right shoulder.
The Kitsune moved his hand to pull it out, but it was gone.
Another arrow came his way, he tried to avoid it, but instead, it followed him until it hit him in his left one.
He tried to know from where the arrows are coming, but he couldn't.
He gritted his teeth in anger and shouted "show yourself!! you cowered mage!!".