StarWaves
patreon
The Fox Hole 76
🕑 Added 2025-03-28 21:42:52 +0000 UTCChapter 76:
– Haru –
It didn't take long for me to realize exactly who the new dragon I'd sensed was.
Erza stood confidently outside my restaurant, hands resting firmly on her hips, an incredibly proud smile plastered across her face. For a second, I couldn't help but stare. Seeing her like this caught me completely off guard.
I glanced quickly around the clearing, taking in the strange scene. It looked like a human military squad had foolishly decided to attack my restaurant. Several soldiers lay unconscious in the dirt, groaning quietly in pain, their weapons scattered around them. Others were sprawled out motionless, deep wounds carved clearly into their bodies by Erza's swords.
Blood dripped down the floating blades…
To be honest, I felt pretty shocked at the sight. Erza had always struck me as someone who wouldn't willingly take lives if she could avoid it. But seeing the look in her eyes—the fierce pride, the victorious gleam.
Suddenly, Erza noticed me standing there. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she sprinted across the clearing at surprising speed.
"Haru!" she cried happily, practically throwing herself into my arms.
I stumbled slightly backward, completely stunned as Erza hugged me tightly, squeezing herself against my chest with pure enthusiasm. Her body felt pleasantly warm, and I could sense a powerful dragon's aura radiating from her in waves—similar to Irene's, yet clearly unique.
"I protected your restaurant!" Erza said, her voice joyful and proud. "I kept it safe, just like a good girl and a strong dragon would!"
Whoa. Hearing Erza talk like this was beyond unexpected. Normally, she kept a calm, disciplined composure, hardly ever showing much outward emotion. This bubbly, openly affectionate Erza was a completely different person.
Not that I minded her hugging me like this, of course—but it still felt odd so suddenly. Recovering quickly, I wrapped my arms gently around her, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. "Thank you, Erza," I said softly. "I really appreciate what you've done here. Are you feeling alright, though? As much as I like this hug, you're usually way more stoic and reserved."
Erza froze in my arms, suddenly realizing how she was acting. She immediately released me and stumbled a step back, face flushing deep scarlet—almost the same shade as her long red hair.
"W-wait, I…!" Erza stammered, embarrassed and flustered. "I'm sorry, Haru! I don't know what came over me just now—I shouldn't have acted so forward. It was completely inappropriate. Please forgive me."
A familiar, playful laugh cut in sharply. "Hehehe! Don't be shy now, Erza! Embrace it! Be proud of your new dragon half!"
I sighed heavily, instantly recognizing Milim's cheerful voice. Sure enough, she strutted confidently toward us, grinning mischievously while effortlessly carrying a terrified-looking human woman tucked under her arm like a bundle of laundry. The poor woman struggled weakly in Milim's grip, eyes wide and panicked under her mask.
I shot Milim a tired look. "Let me guess—this all was your doing?"
Milim beamed brightly, clearly proud of herself. "Yep! I gave Erza a name. Now she's strong and fierce, a proper half–dragon sister for me to spoil!" She giggled, completely ignoring the frightened human squirming helplessly in her arms.
I glanced back at Erza, noticing her expression slowly returning to her normal, disciplined composure. She was clearly making a serious effort to regain control of her emotions, although her cheeks still burned red with embarrassment.
"I…apologize again," Erza said, her voice more calm and steady now. "Milim's 'naming' seems to have temporarily affected my emotional control. I assure you, I'll learn to manage it properly."
I smiled gently at her, reassuring her quietly. "It's okay, Erza. Honestly, it was kind of cute. Just let me know if you need any help adjusting, alright?"
She nodded gratefully, her expression softening. "Thank you, Haru. I'll be sure to remember that."
"And who exactly is your new friend there?" I asked Milim.
"My name is Trudy Chacon!" the terrified woman squeaked, squirming helplessly beneath Milim’s firm grasp. "Please don't kill me! I was just the pilot—I didn't want any part of this!"
Milim gave an annoyed grunt, abruptly dropping the frightened pilot onto the ground. Trudy landed hard with a gasp, staring up at Milim in fear as the normally cheerful demon lord glared down at her.
"Quiet," Milim ordered sharply, her playful nature momentarily replaced by a dangerous seriousness. "You'll speak when spoken to."
Trudy swallowed nervously, her eyes wide behind the breathing mask as she glanced desperately toward me. Clearly, she was hoping I'd offer some mercy.
I turned to Eywa instead, curious to see how the goddess would handle the situation.
Eywa stood quietly at my side, her golden eyes observing Milim cautiously. I noticed a subtle nervousness flicker across her face when she looked at the demon lord, as if she was trying to gauge exactly how dangerous Milim truly was. She quickly redirected her attention to Erza, a safer target for conversation, and offered a gentle smile.
"Welcome to Pandora, young dragon," Eywa greeted Erza politely. "I am Eywa, mother goddess of this world."
Erza blinked in surprise, momentarily distracted from her embarrassment. Quickly recovering, she bowed her head respectfully. "Oh, hello. I'm Erza Scarlet. It's an honor to meet you, Eywa."
Eywa inclined her head gracefully before turning back to the trembling pilot. Her expression hardened instantly, her eyes becoming cold and stern.
"Eywa?" Trudy whispered, voice trembling with disbelief. "But...you're supposed to be some Na'vi myth."
Eywa scoffed sharply, stepping closer to the frightened woman. "I assure you, human, I am very real. And now, what am I to do with you?" Her voice was calm yet filled with quiet fury. "I may have been asleep for many centuries, but even goddesses dream. I have seen everything your people have done since arriving on Pandora. You may not have directly killed any of my children, but you freely carried their murderers across our skies, did you not?"
Trudy's face paled behind her mask, eyes filling with tears as she stared helplessly up at the goddess towering above her. "I…I didn't know," she stammered weakly. "I swear—I was just following orders!"
Eywa's expression remained unmoved, clearly unmoved by the excuse.
While Eywa continued interrogating Trudy, I turned back to Milim. She was smiling again, puffing up proudly as she waited for my attention. I sighed softly, giving her a gentle smile.
"Are Enri and Kunou safe?" I asked quietly.
Milim gave me a cheerful salute, eyes sparkling proudly. "Yes! Don't worry, Haru—I did a great job! Everyone is perfectly safe inside!"
I chuckled warmly, reaching out to gently pat her head. Milim immediately leaned into my hand, letting out a contented giggle.
"Ehehe, see? Told you I'm reliable," she boasted happily.
At that moment, I noticed Erza standing just a bit too close, her expression shifting into an unmistakable pout. Instinctively, I reached out with my other hand and gently patted her head as well.
Almost instantly, her pout vanished, replaced by a warm, satisfied smile. Her eyes drifted closed as she leaned happily into my touch, humming softly under her breath.
Apparently, dragon girls really enjoyed head pats. Good to know.
After giving Milim and Erza one last reassuring pat, I stepped into the restaurant to make sure Kunou and Enri were safe. The interior of the Fox Hole felt oddly calm considering the violence that had just occurred outside.
I quickly noticed Kunou behind the kitchen counter, standing on a stool to reach the sink, sulking visibly as she washed a pile of dirty dishes. Her fluffy tails were drooping. She was really going for the maximum pity effect.
Enri was nearby, leaning casually against the counter. She brightened when she noticed me, offering a gentle smile of relief. "Haru," Enri greeted me warmly. "I'm glad you're back. Is everything okay now?"
I returned her smile, nodding reassuringly. "Yeah, it’s calm now. Nobody else is going to attack us today, hopefully. Are you alright?"
She blushed faintly and nodded. "I was pretty scared when those soldiers barged in…but I knew I’d be safe since Milim and Erza were here."
I glanced at Kunou again. My little sister let out a loud, dramatic sigh as she scrubbed furiously at a plate. When she noticed me looking, she immediately turned toward me with wide, pleading golden eyes.
"Onii-chan, please, can I stop washing dishes now?" Kunou begged, her voice taking on an extra-cute tone. "I've been doing it forever! And I want to go and play with Tanya!"
I tried to give her a stern look, but damn, it was impossible to resist her adorable puppy-dog eyes.
I sighed in defeat. "Fine, Kunou, you can go play," I said gently, conceding the punishment was probably enough by now. "But you’d better behave for the rest of the day."
Kunou instantly perked up, her tails fluffing out as she bounced happily off the stool. "Thank you, Onii-chan! You're the best!" she shouted, sprinting gleefully toward the front door.
I chuckled softly, shaking my head at her boundless energy, then turned back toward Enri. "You should probably head out too, Enri. After all this, I doubt we’ll see many customers today. No point in staying here alone."
Enri hesitated for a moment, clearly uncertain. Finally, she nodded slowly. "I suppose you're right…maybe I'll go hang out with Asia-chan for a while, then."
"Sounds perfect," I said encouragingly. "You’ve earned a break."
She smiled again, seeming to relax as she walked toward the exit.
Once alone, I glanced around the dining area more carefully, noticing a bunch of bullet casings scattered across the floor—but strangely, not a single bullet hole or mark marred the walls or furniture.
"Thanks for keeping Enri safe," I said aloud to the empty room.
Almost immediately, a piece of paper popped into existence and gently floated down into my open hand. I unfolded it, smiling knowingly as I read the familiar, elegant handwriting.
“You're welcome…”
Chuckling softly to myself, I tucked the note away. The Goddess was always watching…
Satisfied that everything inside was secure, I stepped back outside to regroup with Milim and Erza—but what I found instead was definitely not what I had expected.
A Na'vi man lay pinned face-down on the ground, Neytiri kneeling firmly on his back and holding his arms in place. She was clearly furious, ears flattened as she hissed angrily at the man beneath her. "You dare try to harm Eywa, Jake Sully!?" she snarled!
The pinned Na'vi male, apparently named Jake? That was a weird name for an alien. Struggled slightly beneath her grip, his face flushed in embarrassment. It took me only a moment to notice the unusual feature about him—he had five fingers on each hand instead of the typical four.
Well, that certainly was unusual.
Was there an Alabama on Pandora…?
Next to Jake, a large hunting knife lay abandoned in the dirt, explaining Neytiri's rage.
Eywa glanced down at Neytiri, offering her a gentle, approving smile. "Thank you, Neytiri."
Neytiri’s eyes widened in awe, and for a moment, I thought she was actually going to squeal out loud from sheer excitement. She quickly composed herself, though her ears continued twitching happily as she bowed her head respectfully. "It was my honor, Great Mother."
Eywa nodded calmly, shifting her gaze to the large hunting knife still lying on the ground beside the pinned Na'vi. "Though, to be clear, a simple blade like this could never harm me." Her voice was calm but powerful, clearly demonstrating that she wasn't merely boasting—this was an undeniable truth.
She wasn't the most powerful goddess I had ever met, but she certainly wasn't weak either.
Jake squirmed under Neytiri's grip, still desperately trying to lift his head to face the goddess. "You…you killed all these people!" he shouted angrily, panic edging his voice. "And you captured Trudy! I had to try and stop you!"
"Actually," Erza interrupted sharply, stepping forward with crossed arms and an irritated look on her face, "I’m the one who killed them."
Jake’s eyes widened in shock, confusion written plainly across his face. "But…why? These people are your own kind, aren’t they? Your fellow humans!? How could you do something like this?"
Erza rolled her eyes impatiently, clearly annoyed by his question. "These aren't my people. I don’t even know them. Besides, they attacked first—they pointed their weapons at two young girls without hesitation. They got exactly what they deserved."
She shot Jake a final glare, her disdain obvious, before turning to face me, her expression softening again. Her cheeks flushed a bit as she hesitated awkwardly for a moment. "Um, Haru…I should probably head back now. I live at Fairy Tail’s dorms, and if I’m gone too long, the other girls will definitely notice I snuck out. But it really was nice seeing you again."
I smiled warmly at her. Before she could step away, I gently took her hand in mine, raising it to my lips and placing a soft kiss on the back of it. Erza’s cheeks instantly turned scarlet, and she stared at me wide-eyed.
"It was great seeing you again too, Erza," I said, enjoying her reaction. "Come visit my restaurant anytime you like. Oh, and maybe bring your mom along next time."
Erza immediately pouted at me, recognizing the teasing reference from last time. Then, her pout turned into a soft, amused smile, and she rolled her eyes playfully. Without another word, she turned gracefully, walking back toward the Fox Hole. Her floating swords silently drifted along behind her.
Milim sighed dramatically beside me, shaking her head as if genuinely saddened. "Ahh, my little sis is already leaving… They grow up way too fast."
I chuckled softly, giving Milim’s shoulder a gentle pat. "Don’t worry. I'm sure she'll be back."
Milim brightened at that, grinning up at me. "Yeah, you’re right!"
I turned my attention back toward Eywa, nodding respectfully. "So, Eywa, what should we do from here?"
Eywa's expression became serious again as she pointed calmly down at Jake Sully, who was still pinned beneath Neytiri. "I will personally handle the punishment of this Dreamwalker for his insolence," she said firmly. Then she glanced toward Trudy, the frightened human pilot, who was nervously watching everything unfold from nearby. "However, I must ask you to handle the pilot. Without intervention, she'll run out of air and suffocate within a few hours. As for the other humans, leave them here to suffocate…"
Damn, that was a cold decision but I wasn’t going to argue it. Fuck these guys.
Trudy glanced anxiously at me and Milim, eyes wide with uncertainty behind her breathing mask. She clearly wanted to plead her case, but the intimidating glare Milim was sending her made it obvious she didn’t dare speak up.
I shrugged slightly, deciding it wouldn’t hurt to handle one frightened pilot. "Sure, I guess I can take her off your hands."
Eywa nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Haru. Also, there's no need for you to worry about Councilor Tevos—I will ensure she remains safe and rejoins you shortly."
“You can keep her a bit longer,” I said with a shrug. “Personally I think she spends too much time on her space station, and she looked really happy to be on a natural planet again just talking with people. I'm sure she’s not missing much either...”
– Commander Jane Shepard –
…Commander Shepard sprinted through the Citadel, gunfire echoing loudly around her. Geth troopers were everywhere, firing relentlessly into the crowds. She grimaced, feeling a surge of anger and nausea each time she spotted another civilian or C-Sec officer lying dead or dying. This was a massacre, and she was damn well determined to stop it!
Beside her, Wrex charged forward, roaring ferociously as he slammed into a massive Geth Destroyer, lifting the synthetic soldier and effortlessly suplexing it into the floor. Garrus moved with precision, firing accurate bursts from his sniper rifle, dropping targets as quickly as they appeared.
Shepard took cover behind a crumbling wall, firing off controlled bursts from her assault rifle as rounds flashed across her shields. When several Geth units moved to flank, she unleashed her biotics, hurling them violently back against a wall.
In the brief lull, her comms crackled to life. "Commander! Joker here! What's your status?"
"What’s the word from the fleet, Joker?" Shepard shouted into her radio, watching as Wrex continued his rampage, crushing another Geth trooper’s head beneath his heavy boot.
"We're getting hammered pretty badly up here, Shepard! But I think we've got a shot now—the Alliance fleet just arrived!" Joker's voice was tight with adrenaline, but Shepard heard a hopeful tone.
She grinned fiercely, ducking as gunfire pinged off her cover. "Good. Fuck Sovereign! And fuck Saren, too. We're finishing this today!"
"Commander, there's another issue," Joker continued urgently. "The Destiny Ascension is taking heavy fire. The Council is confirmed aboard. We can intervene, but it'll cost the fleet heavily. What's your call?"
Shepard’s grin instantly faded. Shit. Why did every decision she made have to carry so much weight? She didn't particularly care for most of the Council, especially the stubborn turian or the constantly nervous salarian—but she hesitated when she thought about Tevos. Shepard genuinely liked Tevos. The asari councilor had always treated her fairly and with respect.
And Haru… she knew how fond he was of Tevos, too. Shepard couldn't just let Tevos die.
She took a deep breath, prepared to issue a difficult command. "We have to save Tevos—no matter what," Shepard finally ordered firmly. "Do whatever it takes, Joker!"
There was a brief pause from the other side of the comm. "Uh, Commander…we've just received updated intel. Turns out Councilor Tevos isn't even aboard. Last confirmed sighting was inside Haru's restaurant, actually."
Shepard blinked in confusion. "Oh…seriously?"
"That's affirmative, Commander," Joker confirmed.
Relief instantly flooded through her chest. Shepard almost laughed aloud, suddenly freed from that terrible choice. "Well, in that case—fuck the rest of the Council! Let’s put everything we've got into taking down Sovereign and Saren. I never liked Spartacus or whatever the hell that salarian councilor’s name was, anyway."
Nearby, Garrus sputtered in disbelief, ducking beneath another wave of incoming fire. "Commander! You're a Spectre and you seriously only know two councilors' names?"
Shepard just shrugged casually at Garrus, quickly firing another precise burst into an approaching geth trooper. "Not like they ever bothered learning my name before I became a Spectre either."
Garrus shook his head, letting out a resigned chuckle as he leaned from cover to drop another enemy sniper with a perfect headshot. "Fair enough, Commander."
Nearby, Wrex roared again triumphantly, seizing one of the remaining geth by its head and effortlessly wrenching it free from its synthetic body with a sickening metallic crunch. The krogan warrior carelessly tossed the shattered remains aside, stepping forward with battle-lust blazing in his eyes. "Are we finished chatting yet, Shepard? I'm getting bored," he growled impatiently.
Shepard flashed him a fierce, battle-ready grin as she swiftly replaced the heat sink on her assault rifle. "Almost, big guy. Joker just confirmed Tevos is safe, so the Council’s no longer our priority. That means we can concentrate completely on Saren and Sovereign."
Wrex grunted in approval, satisfied. "About damn time we started making the smart choice."
Before they could fully regroup, another wave of geth soldiers charged forward from deeper within the Presidium corridors. Bullets flew relentlessly, forcing Shepard and Garrus to quickly duck behind cover as rounds zipped dangerously close. The wall protecting them was rapidly chipped away under the intense gunfire.
"Shepard!" Joker’s voice urgently crackled through her comms again. "The fleet’s committed to taking down Sovereign, but we’re almost out of time here! You need to eliminate Saren—right now!"
Shepard shouted back, adrenaline surging through her veins. "Understood, Joker! Keep those skies clear—we’ll handle Saren!"
"You got it, Commander! Normandy out."
Taking a steadying breath, Shepard felt the gravity of the situation once more. If they failed here, millions of lives—maybe billions—would be lost forever. She turned to Garrus and Wrex with renewed determination etched into her features. "You heard Joker—we end this now. It’s time to finish off Saren once and for all! After that, we’re all gonna get drunk as shit at Haru’s restaurant!"
Wrex laughed deeply, his voice filled with a savage eagerness. "That’s what I love to hear!"
– Haru –
I walked Trudy slowly through the bustling streets of Kyoto's yokai district, headed directly toward Yasaka's palace. It wasn't like I had a dungeon beneath the Fox Hole or anything, so taking her to Yasaka was the most practical solution.
As we moved through the lively streets, Trudy’s head constantly swiveled from side to side. Her eyes widened with shock and disbelief as she stared at everything—the colorful shops lining the street, the yokai citizens casually strolling about in their everyday forms, and even the simple fact that the sky above us was clear and blue.
"Wait…are those real trees?" she asked me suddenly, stopping in her tracks and pointing at the lush greenery lining the sidewalks. "Like, actual Earth trees? And birds? Real, honest-to-God birds flying around?"
I raised an eyebrow curiously at her. "Yeah, of course they are. Why wouldn't they be?"
She looked at me as if I'd lost my mind, slowly shaking her head. "That's impossible," she muttered, her voice wavering slightly. "Earth is a dying planet. The sky is always gray and polluted, the trees were wiped out decades ago, and birds have been extinct since before I was even born. There's no way we’re actually on Earth right now."
Hearing her describe Earth as a dead, lifeless wasteland genuinely caught me off guard. I hadn't really considered the possibility that the humans who invaded Pandora came from such a hopeless, bleak future. It sounded like they’d thoroughly destroyed their home, leaving behind nothing but devastation. "Wow," I finally said, feeling a little disturbed by her words. "That's honestly depressing as hell. Your version of Earth sounds completely awful.”
“...What do you mean MY EARTH?”
– Dr Grace –
Grace scowled as the vehicle jolted roughly over another large tree root, bouncing her in the passenger seat and nearly causing her head to hit the ceiling of the rover. She glanced irritably at Norm, who was gripping the wheel tightly, his avatar form clearly uncomfortable as he navigated the uneven forest terrain.
"I still can’t believe Trudy vanished right when we needed her," Grace muttered sourly, shaking her head. "Of all the damn times to go AWOL."
Norm glanced at her nervously. "Maybe something happened at Hell's Gate? Colonel Quaritch has been more aggressive lately—maybe he found out we've been planning on sneaking out to investigate on our own? Maybe he tried to stop us by assigning her to another post."
Grace grimaced at the thought. Trudy was the only pilot she fully trusted not to report their secret trips to Home Tree to the colonel. Without Trudy, they'd had no choice but to take the slow, noisy, and awkward ground rover through the dense Pandoran jungle. It cost them precious time, and Grace couldn’t shake the anxious feeling in her gut that something had already gone terribly wrong.
Grace’s eyes scanned the trees anxiously as they approached the familiar area around Home Tree. As they cleared the final stretch of jungle, Grace’s eyes widened sharply, and a chill ran down her spine. "Norm, stop!" she shouted urgently.
He slammed on the brakes, bringing the vehicle skidding to a halt. Both of them stared in stunned horror at the scene ahead.
A Samson helicopter lay smoldering in the dirt, its twisted metal frame crumpled and scorched, clearly downed by some kind of explosion. Around it, scattered chaotically on the ground, were bodies—human marines, sprawled out lifelessly. Some were clearly dead from deep, bloody wounds, others lay motionless in unnatural positions. Weapons and empty shell casings littered the clearing around them.
"Oh, shit…" Grace cursed under her breath, her voice tight with dread. She quickly glanced at Norm, who was visibly pale beneath his blue avatar skin, his mouth hanging open in shock. She knew exactly what he was thinking, because she was thinking it too.
"This…this is really, really bad," Norm whispered, finally regaining his voice. "What the hell happened here?"
Grace shook her head slowly, jaw clenching with tension. "I don't know—but whatever it is, we’ve just lost control of this situation completely."
XXX
Comments
cameron stewart
Nahhh #freejake he deserves better then this!!
WhatAFungi
I just wanna say, thanks you for the DAILY, QUALITY content! It’s always a highlight. I recently finished most of the stories I have saved up and I’m being reminded how hard it is to find more quality content. Your pace astounds me. Thanks for the chapter!
