Kōkatsu: [Mwahahaha! You can never defeat me, hero! For I am the great lord of evil!]

Shiro: [You are wrong, for I will prosper with my shining light of hope!]

Kōkatsu: [Very well! Let us commence in a sword battle!]

Shiro & Kōkatsu: [Yaaaaaaaaaaaah! Yah! Yah! Yah! Yah!]

Kōkatsu: [Psst, Shiro. Try to put a little bit more power in it so we don’t look like kids.]

Shiro: [Oh, right!]

Shiro & Kōkatsu: [Yah!]

Nero: [It seems like they’ve gotten rather distracted.]

Silvia: [Indeed.]

The party had finally made it to one of the many broken, empty villages. Due to nothing of interest being found within it, while Nero and Silvia started to document what they had seen, Kōkatsu had asked Shiro if she wanted to put on a play with her while they passed the time.

Nero: [I understand that we haven’t found very much within this village, but please try to take things seriously. Especially you, Kōkatsu. This is your task after all.]

Kōkatsu: [Ha? The hell am I supposed to do? There was some weird shit as we came here, but now that we’re here, ‘s just a wasteland. Plus, my handwritin’ is shit, so ’s better if ya handle it. Appreciate it, by the way.]

Shiro: [I don’t necessarily want to get distracted myself, but I kinda have to agree with Kō here. There’s really nothing here other than some messed up buildings and dead crops.]

While hearing their comments, Nero had been puzzled over the situation they were in.

Nero: [It’s odd. Much like Kōkatsu brought up earlier, something should have occurred shortly after the change in temperature that we had both felt. But after walking this far, everything has seemingly returned to normal.]

While walking to this abandoned village, the quartet had experienced the grass that they were walking on transform into sand, with a massive heatwave that took over the air and gradually became stronger as they had moved. After they had moved forward even further, the opposite had occurred, where the land changed into a snowy field, and the air became increasingly chilling.

Silvia: [Kōkatssssu, I believe you mentioned that we sssshould be ready for the worsssst, correct?]

Kōkatsu: [Yeah, I did. Trust me, this shit doesn’t add up for me either. At first it sounded like nothin’, but the village stuff sounded like it was headin’ somewhere when we had to deal with shit on the walk here. Now we’re here, and everythin’ is normal. None of it makes sense.]

Shiro: [Is there perhaps some sort of puzzle we need to solve?]

Nero: [What do you mean?]

Shiro: [Kō, you said this was from something that likely wasn’t normal, right?]

Kōkatsu: [Yeah, somethin’ like that.]

Shiro: [Think about it. If it had the ability to manipulate the weather and land around us, why would it stop there.]

Silvia: [I ssssee…]

Nero: [So what you’re saying is, if it was capable of changing such extreme conditions as that, then surely leading us astray would be simple, correct?]

Shiro: [Exactly. I think there’s a trick to this we haven’t found yet.]

Kōkatsu: [I hate to say it, but let’s head back. I don’t wanna deal with that fuckin’ cold shit again, but if it means we’re on the right track then I can at least bare with it.]

Nero: [I think for the sake of assisting ourselves, we can make a trail in the snow to know exactly where we’ve already headed.]

Silvia: [By now, our path that we onsssse had issss likely gone. If we make a trail, then we musssst enssssure that it will not fade.]

Kōkatsu: [If we use magic or matōki, it’ll probably stay there for a while.]

Shiro: [Then it’s settled, let’s head back!]

The quartet of adventurers had started to move towards the chilling arctic that awaited them once more.

What they were not prepared for however…

Was what had truly been occurring with this puzzle.

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Kōkatsu: [...How many times does that make it now?]

Nero: [I believe…five.]

Kōkatsu: [The fuck is goin’ on…]

Constantly, the group had tried to move back towards the arctic that waited before the broken down village, only to end up back in the same exact village once they had moved forwards.

They made new trails, took note of their steps, but there was always one singular problem.

All paths…led to the same destination.

Silvia: [There doessssn’t sssseem to be anything different here, nor issss there anything for ussss to document about.]

Nero: [There is certainly one thing we can write down, the phenomenon that is occurring while we try to reach our destination.]

They had all stood still, confused as to what was happening before them.

Shiro: [There’s something. There’s absolutely something to this, just hidden somewhere. Like a demon’s birthmark.]

Kōkatsu: [You mean those tats ya have?]

Shiro: [Oh, uh…well it’s kinda similar to that. They’re the same thing overall, but…]

Kōkatsu: [Nero, she’s hidin’ somethin’. For once I’ll ask ya this, explain.]

Nero: [Any demon who is a descendant of either a succubi or incubi will receive a demon birthmark to themselves. The type of tattoos that Shiro has is strictly for succubi, but any race of demon will have a birthmark should they be born with the conditions previously mentioned. My sister and I are oni, but due to members of our family who are much higher in our tree being of those races, we now have the birthmark associated with it. These marks can range from either just one, or two that are formed into a single hybrid design, depending on if both parents have one or not. My sister and I only have one due to the birthmark being from our mother’s side. It also should be noted that anyone with only one birthmark will receive the last name of the parent they received said birthmark from, with the exceptions to this being if the other parent is that of royalty or any other sort of higher status.]

Kōkatsu: [Alright ya went on for too long, but wait, so ’s like that shit I’ve seen with the cool designs? Lemme see!]

Nero: [Sadly, mine is in between my collarbones, so it would require the removal of a large quantity of clothes.]

Kōkatsu: [Hm. I see. Fair enough, we do hafta go back after all. Oh wait, I bet I know where Shiro’s is!]

Kōkatsu then gripped the waistband of Shiro’s pants firmly.

Shiro: [Wait, Kō…what are you…GAH!]

Kōkatsu moved her pants forward, along with every other piece of clothing that had been in the same area, and leaned her head forward to check the inside.

Shiro’s face had turned into a burning red color. But with the action that had occurred, the same would likely happen to anyone else in a scenario like this.

Kōkatsu: [Haha! I knew it! There it is! That's a cool design there! The two waves goin' both up and down, the somewhat diamond shape in the middle, the cartoony demon tails on the side, I like it!]

Shiro: [Kō-Kō-Kō-Kō….p-p-p-please…don’t!...This is re-re-really embarrassing!...]

Kōkatsu: [Huh? Hey, no one else can see. Just me. But I’m glad I had the right idea! I knew a girl like ya would have it here! I bet it lights up if ya get all pregged up!]

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Shiro: [Kō!]

Nero: [Pregged up?]

Silvia: [Oooh. I think I undersssstand.]

Shiro: [N-N-N-NOW THEY KNOW!]

Kōkatsu: [As if I didn’t already make it clear as day on where it was.]

Shiro: [That’s the problem! We can’t be focused on this anyways, I had an idea! Please!]

Kōkatsu: [Can I see it in action when the color happens?]

Shiro: [KŌ!]

Kōkatsu: [Alright, alright, I’ll stop.]

Kōkatsu let loose of the grip she had on both Shiro’s pants, and the other article of clothing that had also been gripped. Shiro quickly adjusted herself before continuing with her statement.

Shiro: [O-okay! So there’s something I noticed that I’ve now considered. When we went from the hot area to the cold one, it gradually turned lower and lower in temperature shortly after Nero used his ice magic…]

Kōkatsu: [I see. So magic is the trick here?]

Shiro: [At first, I considered that. But whatever is causing this is likely something that has some sort of awareness. Whether it’s truly intelligent or not is uncertain, but it could probably tell when something changes.]

Silvia: [Meaning the change came from that unknown ssssomething itsssself, and not due to our own methodssss.]

Shiro: [Exactly. But there’s one more part to this. Kō, you mentioned when you took a step to the left the first time we went through there that you felt an increase on how sharp the weather was?]

Kōkatsu: [Yeah. It got way colder, and it felt like a knife was glidin’ over my face. It lasted only for that small time that I took the step, but it was definitely there…Wait…]

Shiro: [I think you’re also beginning to understand it as well. The path we’ve been walking is a trap to a certain degree. It leads nowhere, except the place where we are isn’t some looped maze or anything of the sort, it’s real. But what we need to find is the other village that’s real, the one we’ve been trying to head towards. The one that most likely we’ll get to, should we head left.]

Kōkatsu: [So if we head in that brutal direction, we can make it there.]

Silvia: [And if we choosssse to ignore it…]

Nero: [Then we will fail the entire fourth trial.]

They stood in silence, pondering ideas for how they could go about performing such an action.

Heading in a different direction wouldn’t normally be a difficult task. But in a situation such as this, a situation where the bitter cold was already enough to kill, there was quite the large risk of heading towards the other village.

There was a chance that one or many of them would fall ill shortly after.

There was also a chance that one or many of them could die while trying.

Was a risk such as this truly worth taking?

Especially when they had three more tasks to complete?

Kōkatsu: [Alright, here’s the plan.]

Shiro: [Huh?]

Kōkatsu: [I’m gonna carry all of ya to the village. I’ll keep my tails as close as possible, and move as best as I can. Goin’ too quick might be dangerous, but goin’ too slow is risky, so I’ll have to try to balance my speed while also workin’ with some big weights.]

Shiro: [But Kō-]

Kōkatsu: [No buts. Trust me. I can do it. Sides, I got a good gut feelin’ ‘bout all this for some reason.]

Nero: [You’re certain this is alright?]

Kōkatsu: [Relax, Mr. Muscle, I’ll be fine. We’re gettin’ these trials done no matter what. There’s no backin’ down now. I want my dream accomplished, so if any of ya wanna chicken out now, feel free to do so and the rest of us will just get the extra tasks done.]

Shiro: [I have no reason to back down either.]

Nero: [Me neither.]

Silvia: [The ssssame goessss for me.]

Kōkatsu: [Heh. Good. In that case, let’s get our asses in gear and get this plan goin’!]

After letting out a thunderous roar, the party had once again moved back into the arctic.

Only this time they had a brand new, much more dangerous way of maneuvering through it.

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The sound of snow being crunched under a pair of geta was being drowned out by the sound of a fierce wind blowing.

This wind was deafening in sound, and in touch, it had felt as though it was ready to cut through whatever it had crossed paths with.

If one were to feel such a horrifying breeze, they would likely assume their guts would spill out from their body in a mere instant, or perhaps the contents of their body would instead freeze upon touching the wind, providing them a slow and chilling death.

Regardless of how powerful this wind had been, one brave warrior continued to push forward despite pain that was dealt upon them.

They continued to move across the snow, all the while holding three other people as they moved. One in each arm, and a third within their own clothes, tightly wrapped around them. The nine tails that existed on the back of this person had curled around these people, forming what could only be described as a fur igloo.

Despite the situation at hand, they continued to move.

Kōkatsu: [Like hell…I’m gonna give up now…]

She continued to move, despite all the pain that persisted along her body.

In her head, a voice of a little girl that she was familiar with rang out like a bell.

I will not eat! I will not drink! I will not rest!

Hearing those words ring out from within, she had then prepared herself to finish the sentence before the little girl could.

Kōkatsu: [...not until…my performance…IS OVER!]

She walked, and walked, and continued to walk forward through the snow.

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After a long march…

They had finally arrived at the village they sought out.

Kōkatsu: [See…guys…we made…made….it….]

Kōkatsu released the two she had been holding, before falling directly onto her back.

Shiro: [Kō! Shit! Guys, get up quick! Don’t remove me though! She needs to stay warm!]

Shiro had screamed out to the other two while remaining within Kōkatsu’s clothes.

It was something she had never noticed before, but she had been a few inchs shorter than Kōkatsu, making her just short enough for this plan to work.

At this current moment however, that did not matter. Her friend was in danger, and that was what deserved the most attention.

Nero: [Kōkatsu! Stay with us! Silvia, quickly! Give her your coat!]

Silvia: [Right!]

Silvia quickly removed her coat, leaving the only clothing piece left on her body being the bra around her chest. She placed the coat on top of Kōkatsu in the same spot Shiro had been.

Shiro: [Kō! Please be okay!]

Kōkatsu: [I’m….fine….just a little…..tuckered out is all….that’s all…it is…]

Nero: [She is absurdly cold in temperature. It’s safe to say she is also being affected by frostbite given her sweating and pale color.]

Silvia: [Kōkatssssu…]

Kōkatsu: [Oi….Shiro…]

Shiro: [Please don’t speak! You might hurt yourself more!]

Kōkatsu: [One….I get to name one….okay….?]

Shiro: [Kō….]

Kōkatsu: [I don’t like tryin’...to pull some sort of debt on people….But at least for this….that’s all I want…]

Shiro looked back up at her with tears streaming down her face. Despite the fact that she was crying, Shiro had still managed to put on a smile.

Shiro: [As long as you don’t choose anything silly…especially if I only have one…]

Kōkatsu: [Hehe…..don’t worry….I won’t….]

Kōkatsu then turned her gaze from Shiro to the area around her.

Kōkatsu: [By the way…looks like I was right….]

Nero: [What do you mea-....What…What is all of this…]

Silvia: [Thissss issss…..]

Shiro: [Guys, I can’t see. What does it looks like?]

Nero and Silvia hesitated to answer Shiro’s question, but the words left Nero’s mouth not long after.

Nero: [This village…is all kinds of wrong…There are ancient tablets broken up and scattered across…The houses look like they were destroyed by something…rather than just natural causes….But that something…I think I know what caused all this damage…]

Shiro: [What? What is it?]

Silvia: [The tressss…and the rootssss that are apart of them….aren’t normal….It lookssss…like flessssh……No….to call it flessssh….would imply that thissss issss anything normal….]

Indeed, what Nero and Silvia had described was true. Ancient tablets with old text written upon them were scattered to pieces, and thrown around the area. The houses were destroyed, not by the weather, but the odd trees that had been in the area. Those very trees had a disgusting look to them. They appeared almost like flesh, but a mix of different colors, with eyes occasionally along them. The sclera of the eyes were red, with the iris being yellow, and the pupil being orange.

Nero: [Silvia…]

Silvia: [Yessss…..]

Nero: [The trees that destroyed those houses….they have blood on top of them…and it doesn’t look as though it has hardened…]

Silvia: [...]

Shiro: [Wait…are you trying to say that whatever is on there…]

Silvia: [.....issss fressssh…..]

The trees that had sprouted through the bottom of the houses had what looked like blood across the top of them. Due to the color of it, along with the fact that the dripping of the fluid had still remained, it had been safe to say that the blood was still fresh.

Whatever may have been killed here…

Was likely killed not long before they had arrived.

Kōkatsu: [When we were at that other village…]

Shiro: [Huh?]

Kōkatsu: [I saw….some damage to the houses…Sure….it just seemed like some bad weather for the most part….but there was some damage that couldn’t be explained….]

Nero: [Wait…are you implying…]

Silvia: [It’ssss moving….?!]

Shiro: [What….what the hell is…]

Before Shiro could finish her statement, a rustling in the bushes nearby was heard.

Upon hearing this, Nero and Silvia immediately armed themselves with their weapons out of fear.

Nero: [I do not wish to fight without reason, so please come out from there peacefully and I can promise you no harm will be done!]

Silvia did not make a response, but instead, her pupils had sharpened into a much more narrow form, her tail began to rattle in front of her, and a hiss could be heard from her mouth.

A few moments of silence passed, and without any change from the noise in the bush, Silvia immediately charged forward.

Nero: [NO!]

Shiro: [SILVIA!]

She slithered across the ground at high speed, and prepared her sword in her left hand.

She had moved to the bush, and moved her left arm in order to penetrate what awaited her in the bush.

That very thing was…

A little kitsune girl, with orange hair styled into a ponytail, adorned in an orange and dark brown kimono.

Silvia had stopped her blade inches away from the girl’s chest.

???: [...]

Silvia: [Are you the one who caussssed thissss?]

???: [My family….My family…are they….]

Silvia’s eyes widened, before turning back to look at the trees in the village.

???: [Oh! That woman is hurt!]

Silvia: [Huh? Wait!]

The girl ran across the field to where Kōkatsu was.

She knelt down, and a yellow-orange matōki aura slowly built up around her as a circle of faint light came from her hands, which had now faced Kōkatsu.

Kōkatsu: [Girly…the hell are…]

???: [My healing…allows me to also provide heat for those who need it…]

Shiro: [You’re able to do that?]

Kōkatsu: [The hell…this heat is real nice…I’m startin’ to feel way less cold already…]

???: [Ma’am….surely you will know….My family….where are….]

Kōkatsu looked at the girl. She could see a trembling and worried expression laying on her face.

Kōkatsu: [Do you live here….kid…?]

???: [Y-yes!...This is my….home….]

Kōkatsu’s own face had fallen into a much more sad state.

Kōkatsu: [Ya can see the trees then….right?....]

Nero: [Kōkatsu! This child shouldn’t have to-]

Nero had cut himself off after seeing the look the little girl was now giving. She did not look up to see the blood soaked trees, but rather down, fighting the urge to cry.

Silvia: [Sssshe hassss already sssseen them….]

Kōkatsu: [Oi, Shiro.]

Shiro: [Huh?]

Kōkatsu: [I’m feelin’ better. Mind steppin’ out of my clothes?]

Shiro: [Oh, right.]

Kōkatsu undid her kimono, and allowed Shiro to remove herself from Kōkatsu’s body. Only her sarashi, an orange pair of briefs, and the geta that rested on her feet remained.

Despite being this exposed, Kōkatsu had not a single ounce of care towards her own image.

She moved from off the ground into a kneeling position, directly in front of the girl.

Kōkatsu: [You had to witness all of that…and even now you’re still trying to pull yourself together…]

In the back of her mind, the girl’s face had reminded Kōkatsu of a face that she had been familiar with for so many years. While this thought had appeared, her accent had vanished.

Kōkatsu: [You’re a strong girl. What’s your name?]

???: [K-Kaoru….Kaoru….Teppen…]

Kōkatsu: [I see. That’s a good name, Kaoru. It isn’t safe to be here anymore, and you presumably have nowhere else to go, so I’m going to make a demand of you.]

Kaoru: [...]

Kōkatsu: [....Become my daughter.]

Kōkatsu had uttered this demand, with her arms spread out towards the girl, as if trying to help her stand.

The girl did not say any words, she merely began to cry while her body fell onto Kōkatsu’s chest. Kōkatsu answered this action by wrapping her arms around her, and caressing the top of the girl’s head.

Kōkatsu: [It’s alright to cry. I’m quite happy with the idea of my children being able to do so.]

The two of them sat there. Both had been sad over what had occurred, but to both of the two kitsunes who had sat there…

There was an odd sense of peace within them.

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