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The Fox Hole 95
🕑 Added 2025-05-20 00:45:09 +0000 UTCChapter 95:
– Haru –
Gilgamesh didn’t come back.
Not after a minute. Not after three. I waited just in case he decided to fly back over the horizon that Milim punched him over, but… nothing.
I exhaled and rolled my neck. “Guess even the self-proclaimed ‘King of Assholes’ knows when he’s outclassed,” I muttered to myself.
Most people who survived Milim didn’t stick around. Then again, “most” was a small number.
I heard the sound of soft boots against the rooftop, and a moment later Irene was at my side, striding with that confident, sensual walk of hers like she hadn’t just taken a cursed sword to the gut. I turned my head as she pressed close, her body warm against mine. Her arms slid around one of mine, and she leaned in, her breath brushing hot against my ear. “You know,” she whispered low enough that only I could hear, “Milim saved us back there.” Her lips brushed my ear as she grinned. “She probably deserves a reward, don’t you think?”
Did Milim save us? I wasn’t sure. That sword Gilgamesh pulled out at the end did feel very dangerous though…
I sighed. My ears flicked once with all my tails twitching. I knew exactly what Irene was doing—and what this was going to lead to. Giving Milim positive reinforcement was like throwing fuel on a bonfire. She’d cling to me for the rest of the day. Not that I really minded... it was just the chaos that usually followed.
Irene pulled back with a knowing smirk, stepping aside just a bit. Milim, already bouncing in place nearby like she was trying to contain excitement that physically couldn’t be contained, perked up the moment I walked toward her.
Her head tilted up, bright eyes wide. “Did I do good there, Haru?”
I smiled. “You did great, Milim.”
Then I reached down and scooped her up smoothly into a princess carry, pulling her snugly against my chest.
“E-EHHH!?” Milim squeaked, cheeks turning bright pink as she stared up at me, completely stunned. “Awa—wawah—whaaa?!”
Her little arms flailed once before grabbing onto my shirt, like she wasn’t sure what to do with herself. Her whole face lit up like a kettle on full boil. She stared up at me, completely flustered, her lips parting slightly in awe.
I smirked down at her. Most of the women in my life seemed to love being carried like this. Irene sure did a few moments ago. That was why she told me to use it as a reward for Milim.
Her mouth opened and closed like she had about fifty different things she wanted to say but couldn’t get any of them out. “Sh-Shameless! To pick up a proud Demon Lord like this!” she finally blurted out, face still red but her voice squeaking a little as she puffed up proudly. “B-But I approve!”
I chuckled. “Of course you do.”
I launched upward from the rooftop with her still in my arms, the wind whipping around us as we moved. She clung tighter, and I felt her heartbeat pounding against my chest. Irene followed right behind us.
“Where are we going?” Milim asked, her voice still breathy.
“We’re going to check in on Aela and Serana,” I explained, eyes scanning the city below as rooftops zipped by beneath us. “They’re fighting that worm bastard. Zouken.”
Milim blinked, her brows furrowing. “Ooooh right! That’s the guy! The wormy freak who hurt the sad girl! I almost forgot already!”
Didn’t she rush off to find him in the first place? Did she really already forget? Or maybe she never really cared much in the first place and just felt like playing…
“Yep. That one guy...” I told her.
“I’m gonna punch him too!” she declared. Although she wouldn’t get that chance in the end.
We arrived just in time.
There was a bounded field around Shirou’s house, but it was so weak it may as well have been tissue paper. We passed through it without even trying. The place was absolutely trashed. I’d seen ruins in Skyrim that looked better than what used to be Shirou’s home. The roof was half gone, the floor scorched and crawling with residual dark magic, and the air reeked of smoke and rot. This wasn’t the result of pure spite and malice made tangible.
And in the middle of the wreckage?
Matou Zouken.
Gross. That was what he looked like?
The thing facing off against Aela and Serana didn’t even resemble a human anymore. It was a writhing, twitching mound of worms loosely holding the shape of a person. Its voice was pure hatred, a constant stream of raspy, high-pitched shrieking that grated on my ears.
“You defilers! You bitches think you can deny me what is mine?! That little slut belongs to ME!”
“You’re disgusting,” Aela growled. Her massive werewolf form towered over him, muscles rippling as she moved like a blur, slashing a deep gouge through his side with one clawed swipe.
Zouken howled, parts of his body peeling off and reforming like wet meat trying to grow legs.
“You need to die already,” Serana said, floating above him with glowing red eyes and her bone-white wings fully spread. “You cling to life like a maggot in filth.”
So that was her Vampire Lord form? I'd never seen it before. It was pretty damn intimidating, but not very appealing to the eye if I was being honest.
Zouken screeched back at the two of them. “You dare face a master of magecraft with your filthy monster forms?!”
He was certainly one to talk. He looked more monstrous than either of them. Or maybe he really was so insane that he actually still believed himself to be a human?
“I’ve faced daedra worse than you,” Serana answered coldly. “And they died just the same.”
He screeched again and whipped a tendril of worms toward Shirou and Sakura, who were huddled behind a toppled wall. But Aela was faster—she tackled him before he could get close. "You don’t touch them!" she snarled, tearing another chunk from his body. “You lay another limb on her, and I’ll rip every worm out of your twisted hide!”
Serana landed just beside the wreckage and raised a hand calmly. “Hold still,” she said as hot blue lightning crackled between her fingers.
“You vermin think you’ve won—!” A blast of cursed lightning erupted from Serana's hand, burning away part of his body. His shriek turned into a garbled mess of rage as he tried to shake free from the electricity, stunning him and killing all his worms before they could regenerate fast enough as it wreathed across his form.
“You know,” Serana said, stepping closer. “For something that talks so much, you’re surprisingly fragile.”
“I AM IMMORTAL!”
“Then let’s test that,” Aela growled louder this time.
Zouken screamed louder than before as Aela’s next pounce tore into his center mass. Black ichor sprayed out. Serana followed up with a blast of ice magic this time. He writhed. He twitched. He bled. Worms sizzled and died, disintegrating or freezing into piles of useless flesh.
“You’ll regret this!” he wailed. “You’ll all—!”
“Oblivion can keep you,” Serana muttered—and with one last coordinated strike, she and Aela ended it.
His body collapsed entirely, disintegrating into a smoldering mess of dead worms and corrupted magic. His core—whatever was left of his twisted soul—crumbled.
And then… silence.
Aela shifted back into her human form, panting slightly, gore streaking her arms, chest and face. “It’s done.” But damn did she look like a true huntress.
Serana descended beside her, returning to her normal undead form.
Sakura was crying. Shirou held her close, helping her stand. She stared at the pile of what used to be her tormentor, her expression a mix of grief, disbelief, and overwhelming relief.
Aela walked over and placed a hand gently on Sakura’s head. “You’re free now, kid.”
“Thank you,” Sakura whispered.
Serana gave her a soft pat on the back. “Monster’s shouldn’t go after children. You’re safe…”
As the dust settled, I stepped forward with Irene and Milim beside me. Milim pouted when she realized she'd missed the action, but she was also happy just to stay curled up in my arms.
Aela gave Milim a curious look before shrugging. My werewolf viking girlfriend turned her attention back to me. “I need to use your shower, lover!” Aela declared. “I am covered in filth I wouldn’t wish upon even the Silver Hand!”
Yeah, I would never say it out loud to my first girlfriend, but she reeked. Really, really badly. Matou Zouken's blood now smelled vile and disgusting. Aela looked like she was struggling not to gag herself from being covered in it.
“I could use one as well…” Serana sniffed herself and groaned.
“Um… I'm pretty sure Sakura and I are both homeless now,” Shirou added…
Oh… Didn’t think about that when Milim first ran off.
The Fox Hole wasn’t packed when I got back, but there were a couple of customers waiting for some service—Asari and a few Companions, none I recognized by name. I gave them all a warm nod, and moved quickly to get their orders taken.
Despite the long-ass day I just had, I still enjoyed slipping behind the counter and into the kitchen. Cooking was my passion of course.
I fired up the grills, tied my apron on, and got to work. The familiar sizzle of oil hitting the pans helped ease the tension that had been riding me since the Gilgamesh fight. In hindsight, it had been a bit closer than I would have preferred it to be…
Milim, of course, was still glued to me.
Even after I set her down, she refused to let go. Her arms wrapped tight around mine like a needy kitten, even as I moved around the kitchen. She just clung to me—head tucked against my shoulder or my side while I cooked. It was a little inconvenient, but I didn’t have the heart to tell her off.
Not when she gave me that pout of hers.
Aela and Serana had slipped into the back to clean up. Aela stopped by to give me a quick kiss on the cheek before they both left, saying something about needing to check back in at Whiterun. If they didn’t bother telling me what that something was then it meant either they, or Agnar, could handle it without me.
Shirou and Sakura were still in one of the booths. Neither of them had said much since the battle where Shirou literally became homeless. They looked exhausted. Sakura especially. Her head rested on Shirou’s shoulder, and the kid kept glancing toward the door like he wasn’t sure what to do next.
Eventually, their teacher showed up…
“Hello, Taiga,” I greeted, nodding toward her as she stepped cautiously inside my restaurant for the first time.
She froze like a deer in headlights. Her eyes immediately scanned the room, flicked toward the other customers and the decorations, then settled on me. I noticed the cross necklace she wore and how she was gripping it tightly. It was obviously a new addition to her wardrobe.
Was that supposed to do something for her? She did know I was a Yokai right, and not a Devil. Not that she even knew those existed…yet.
She gave me a tight nod, probably trying to act brave while clearly freaking out internally. “I’m here to pick up my students…” she said quietly, almost more to herself than to me.
“Yeah, they’re over there,” I gestured toward the booth. “They’re fine. Just tired.”
Her expression softened when she saw them. She walked over, mumbled a few reassuring things, then helped them gather their stuff. I overheard a mention of staying at her compound for a while. Apparently her family had Yakuza ties or something?
Good. Not my problem. Or more specifically—Yasaka would be thrilled it wasn’t my problem. The palace already had its hands full with two other recent guests. Cersei Lannister and her daughter Myrcella. One of them was a sweet, well-mannered girl trying to figure out a new world, and the other was an angry bitch. It was not hard to guess who was which...
As the night dragged on, I started thinking about closing up. Most of the customers had filtered out. The remaining few were nursing their drinks or enjoying the last bites of their meals.
Milim was still attached to me like a barnacle.
I finally sighed and turned to her. “Alright. I’m thinking of heading back to the palace tonight.”
Milim blinked up at me, her cheeks puffing slightly. “What? Already?”
“It’s late,” I said simply. “And no one else is around.”
She didn’t argue. But she also didn’t let go right away. Instead, she threw herself into one final dramatic glomp, wrapping her arms tightly around my waist and pressing her cheek into my chest. “Today was fun,” she mumbled. “Even if I didn’t get to punch the worm guy…”
“You did launch that golden asshole into the clouds,” I reminded her.
Milim giggled. “Yeah! That was awesome! I’ll come back and play with you later, okay?”
I ruffled her pink hair gently. “Looking forward to it.”
She stepped back, finally letting go, though her pout lingered. “I’ve gotta go take care of my territory again,” she added, sounding more annoyed than anything. “It’s dumb. But I’m the Demon Lord, so I guess I have to…”
“You don’t sound thrilled about that.”
“I’m not!” she huffed. “But I’m not giving it up either. It’s mine!”
I chuckled. “Alright, alright. Go take care of your stuff. You know where to find me, Milim.”
—
I was the last one left inside the Fox Hole for the night. The soft hum of the refrigerator was the only sound nearby as I wiped down the counters and prepared to lock up. With a satisfied sigh, I flipped the little sign on the door to 'closed' and turned the key in the lock.
That's exactly when the door pushed open.
I blinked in surprise as Naruko strolled inside casually, looking a bit worse for wear. Her ninja outfit was unusually disheveled, some fresh blood spattered across her sleeves—blood that clearly wasn't hers. Her beautiful nine red fox tails, normally so silky and fluffy, now looked a bit scruffy and tangled. Even her ears had a faintly ruffled look to them. Still, she carried herself with her usual confidence, even if something about her mood seemed slightly...off.
"Naruko," I smiled warmly, stepping toward her. "Rough mission? You were going after some puppet controlling criminal right?"
She shifted awkwardly in place, her pretty purple eyes glancing away nervously for a brief moment. "Um…well, rough might not exactly be the right word for it," she murmured hesitantly. “He’s been taken care of, but–”
That definitely caught my attention. Naruko was hardly ever nervous—especially after missions. I tilted my head, a little concerned, and raised an eyebrow at her. "You alright?" I asked gently.
Naruko glanced around the empty restaurant as if checking for eavesdroppers. Then, in a softer voice, she asked, "Haru...can you come with me back to my apartment? There's... something I need you to see."
I smirked playfully, trying to lighten the mood. "Oh? Did you miss me that much? Are you asking me to spend the night?"
Her pale cheeks immediately flushed bright pink, her eyes widening adorably as she stammered, "W-what? N-no, Haru! That's not what this is about!"
Seeing her so genuinely flustered instantly told me this wasn't the time for jokes. My smirk faded into a more serious expression as I reached out, placing my hand gently on her shoulder.
"Alright," I said sincerely, voice softening. "Sorry—I didn't mean to tease. What's going on?"
She took a slow breath, visibly calming herself. "It's complicated. I'd rather show you than try to explain it here."
I nodded, understanding immediately. "Of course. Let me lock up properly, then we'll go."
As soon as I'd finished securing the Fox Hole for the night, I followed Naruko out. The streets of Konoha were quiet. It was late here too, and the village was mostly asleep. Only the occasional ninja leaped quietly across rooftops, patrolling in the dark.
We walked side-by-side in comfortable silence at first. I noticed she kept nervously glancing at me, obviously worried about whatever awaited us at her apartment.
"I've never actually been to your apartment," I mentioned casually, trying to ease the tension. "Weren't you living with your brother?"
Naruko blushed slightly, her ears flattening a little as she responded softly. "Ah, well… yeah. We recently got separate places. Y'know... since you and I started dating." Her voice trailed off shyly, purple eyes darting to mine then back to the street ahead.
I chuckled gently, nudging her shoulder playfully. "Well, aren't I lucky."
She relaxed slightly at that, a small smile breaking through her nerves. Finally, we arrived at a modest apartment building. Naruko paused at the door to her apartment, looking at me nervously once more.
"Haru," she murmured quietly, almost pleading. "Please… just promise me you won't judge me for what I did."
I immediately softened at her worry, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close to me. "Hey, come on," I assured her warmly, my voice sincere and gentle. "I'd never judge you for anything. Ever."
She exhaled a shaky breath and looked up at me gratefully, her cheeks pink again. Her tails swished slowly behind her, clearly pleased with my reassurance.
"Thanks…" she whispered softly.
"Anytime," I smiled back, gently squeezing her shoulder. "Now let's see what's got you so worried."
Naruko hesitated one more heartbeat before finally opening the door. We stepped inside quietly.
Immediately, I froze.
There was already someone inside—another woman, standing uncertainly in the middle of Naruko's small living room. Her hair was strikingly familiar—long, vibrant red waves cascading gently down her back. She was around Naruko's height, and looked only slightly older than Naruko herself, maybe by just a couple of years. Her figure was just as full and curvy, with the same beautiful purple eyes that blinked curiously at us as we entered.
My confusion was immediate, my mind briefly blanking at the uncanny resemblance between the two.
"Naruko?" The red-haired woman spoke up hesitantly, eyes shifting from Naruko to me. "Is this the…friend you mentioned?"
"Uh…" Naruko coughed awkwardly, clearing her throat and stepping forward. Her voice sounded oddly shy and uncertain, completely unlike her usual bold confidence. "Haru… this is my mother, Kushina."
Silence settled heavily into the room.
I blinked at her dumbly, my mouth hanging open slightly in utter disbelief. "…Huh?"
Naruko’s cheeks turned even brighter, clearly mortified at having to repeat it. "I—I said… this is my mom. Kushina Uzumaki."
“…Huh?”
XXX
Naruko broke the timeline… But that’s ok…
Comments
Corey Dagenais
Another red head and bonus a 2nd mother daughter combo
cameron stewart
Kushina x yasaka
