Demonic Kitsune

… The truth hurts, let it bleed out, if they hurt you, let 'em leave. My heart hurtin', let me bleed out, only way I'll find peace 

 I'm tryna get set free, but these chains on me. Choke me, I can't breathe, what's reality?

 Uh, detached from myself. Uh-huh, numb the pain with my insecurities and isolation.

Uh, a heart from constant bullies match the emptiness that voided my once-lively heart, uh. Swords around my waist, I barely be holdin’ my hearts from bleedin out.

But vengeance ain’t the answer. 

I'm just tryna reach some new highs of never feelin my heart bleed out.

 Mix this with that, bet it feels nice. Very Nice, uh-uh. Codeine, if only I could sip lean gether with six percs—

Look my Mom in her eyes, tell her I won't die. 

—I fell asleep too deep that one time. Woke up to your cry, Mom, I'm fine. 

 But I lied. Had a dream, I wasn't gon' wake up this time.

Death, just like space, is an immense, ever-shifting expanse. It's like a room plunged into absolute darkness, where boundaries are invisible. Every step feels like a descent into a vast, uncharted abyss. This was similar to the room assigned to the young Arrancars during the Seclusion Training.

It was easy to become lonely. Far too easy for the cupid of loneliness to strike anyone present. The overwhelming silence amplified the profound solitude, making every heartbeat and breath echo with a reminder of isolation amidst the damp, moist, and plain expanse.

In such blackness, one could only feel their breath, heartbeat, energy flow, and blood pulsing. They could not see past their fingers. Combined with silence in a confined space, even the most courageous humans could feel confusion and despair. Their wills could break, leading to insanity. It was highly likely that even some of the young Arrancars might go crazy during this time away from everyone else.

That was why this trial was part of the titled trials of "Valkyrie-Blitz." Could one survive in such extreme conditions? Utter, disgusting silence, impossible living conditions, and complete darkness?

That was their challenge.

Inside her room, Clare hummed a song to avoid going insane, as she always did in the void-like space that filled her with every death she experienced. Slowly, she closed her eyes.

…Gotta put the narcotics down and walk out the door, I can feel 'em fucking up my kidney. 

And punching my liver

If I let it kill me, my mama'll never forgive me nor will dad forgive emself.

Ain't numbing my feelings, if I let it kill 'em, my Mama will never forgive herself

This reminds me of hell, sometimes I wonder if that's where God really sent me…. 

And so, she started to circulate her bountiful yet thin Holy mana, focusing it around her retinas. By doing this, she could see the darkness in a spectrum of yellow. If she circulated Asura energy instead, two denser hues would mix in, causing "mind disorientation." It wasn't something she hated, but she didn't love it either. So, she chose Holy Mana, which allowed her to see just fine.

However, she knew she couldn’t do this all day. If she did, she would be exhausted and unable to properly train her body. Instead, she wanted to get more accustomed to the darkness.

Even in the dark, Clare’s senses picked up a rice ball folded in a well-formed leaf on a table in the corner. There was also a covered bucket of water on the other side of the white, plain bed, which was 76 cm wide and 190 cm long, a bit larger and wider than the one she was used to.

Her ears twitched, and her instincts arose as the yellowish range of her senses expanded beyond any previous ranges throughout the darkness. This was a testament to how much her senses and instincts, acquired from her foxy and demon sides, had grown over three years. Her fluffy tails curled up at the ends as she grasped her surroundings. She could hear the wind blowing and hitting the cold walls from outside.

Clare slowly opened her eyes. The extended sensations and comprehension of her surroundings passed to her brain, allowing her to memorize the dimensions of her room. This minimized the effort needed to circulate her Holy mana in her eyes, allowing her to rely solely on her foxy senses and demon instincts.

She wasn’t sure, but she was starting to naturally perceive her surroundings with both her foxy senses and demonic instincts. While activating both hypercognitive traits together, Clare named it "Seventh Mind."

It wasn’t clear, perhaps a bit blurry, but the "Seventh Mind" helped her easily grasp her surroundings. Clare opened her eyes and looked at the clean water in the wooden bucket. At the bottom of the bucket were small wooden gears, the size of a toddler's hand. On the other side of the bucket was a long, fist-sized bamboo pipe that connected through the wall.

‘Hmm.’

Clare deepened in thought as she inspected this oddly constructed bucket. It reminded her of machinery from her first world. The structure prevents water from being delivered from inside the room; the bamboo served as a pipe to direct water from outside if opened, while the small wooden gears allowed one to operate the machinery to gather water into the bucket for drinking.

Clare smiled faintly, finding the strange yet familiar machinery interesting. Her attention shifted to another structure that caught her eye. There was an engraved array with the symbol of an eerily drawn skull with two horns protruding from the sides of its head, accompanied by talismans scattered near the platinum door she had entered.

The door was tightly locked by the Array Defensive system. Clare was unsure of the purpose of the inscriptions and engravings that could only be seen through energy. But, like all things in the Institute of Arrancars, their purpose would be revealed later, so she decided not to mess with them.

Her feet moved across the cold tiled floor to the other side of the bed. Clare twisted the gears at the bottom of the bucket to the right, which creaked oddly. She opened her palm at the outlet as water flowed slowly into her hand. She took a sip and savored the cool water.

Clare had to spend four and a half years here. She clenched her fist tightly and grabbed her scythe. 

She could do it. No, she must do it.

Clare immediately began her training. Her regimen was simple. At what seemed to be night, she practiced her "Mithril Body and Soul Reinforcement" and "Mithril Physique Circulation." At dawn, she focused on improving her Asura Energy reserves with "Superiorization of True Deviation."

During the day, she ventured into her mind library to access the "Ancient Text" and other techniques from the Demonic Treasure Vault and her past life. She also practiced the "Mastered Form of Chaotic Windfiery of Hellscythe," "The Power of Shockwaves," "The Power of Three Absolute Explosion Techniques," and "Dance of the Raging Winds: Explosive Blade Dance," which combined the last two techniques.

At noon, she practiced the "Absolute Reaper Compensation: The Six Binds of Grim." The "Mithril Body and Soul Reinforcement" allowed her to reduce her need for sleep, providing her with more training time.

Day by day, progress accumulated... 

Like drops of water falling into a pond, it built up little by little. Eventually, four and a half years had passed.

* * *

The ark room was filled with a swirling vortex of deep, rich purple hues tinged with yellow energy, creating an otherworldly glow and thickening the air. This was Asura energy, shifting and undulating like calm water disturbed by a strong wind.

Despite the disturbance, the energy moved with fluid grace, wrapping around the room in a serpentine dance reminiscent of a tornado’s twisting motion. Its dynamic flow added a sense of constant motion and power, filling the room with an intense yet mesmerizing presence.

Meanwhile, Clare breathed slowly. In and out, her heartbeat regulated, and blood flowed moderately.

The deep purple hue tinged with yellow contracted and expanded in sync with Clare's breath. The “Seventh Mind” had thoroughly assimilated into her body, regulating her habits. Her proficiency with the technique was now unparalleled.

How long has it been?

For the first time, Clare's rhythmic breathing changed.

Her lung function slowed down.

So did her breathing. Slowly, very slowly, and with depth, she shifted to the pattern required for a different technique. Her breath went deep into her lungs, triggering the energy circuit pores stationed there.

… and the Asura energy pulsing through the networks responded to her. It gathered around Clare, kneading itself into her hair follicles like elastic bands steadily. 

Clare’s ears shivered in alarm, and her tails tensed up. All veins around her body popped up. It was a painless yet tickling sensation. Something familiar yet ominous flowed through her energy circuit pores from outside, not the other way around. 

When Clare finally stopped breathing, the Asura energy scattered with a sizzling sound. Clare opened her eyes. At that moment, a purplish-dark hue with a golden tint flashed in her eyes. They were like the eyes of a cold-hearted nine-tailed fox.

After a while, Clare's eyes returned to their original form. The purplish-dark hue with a golden sheen in her irises dissipated. She slowly rose from her seat, circulating the deep reserves of Asura energy that had expanded within her heart.

“Is it today?” she thought aloud. As the practice of the “Seventh Mind” had grown, Clare had been able to expand her senses without the use of Asura energy. It felt strange as she looked back on the time she had spent in this room for the past four and a half years.

Yet everything was so clear when she closed her holy mana-imbued eyes. Through the “Seventh Mind,” she could sense the numerous markings she had made, scratching the wall with the number of days that had passed.

As if corresponding to Clare’s final thoughts, the mysterious engraved array with the symbol of an eerily drawn skull with two horns protruding from its head, accompanied by talismans scattered on the platinum door, brightened moderately. The pulsing light highlighted every nook and cranny of the inscriptions and talismans drawn on the platinum door—the only entrance to the room—that could only be seen with energy, was now visible to the naked eye.

Is this the end of the Valkyrie Blitz Trials, or will there be more? Clare wondered. Perhaps there was more since it had somewhat surpassed the full ten years. Clare gripped the scythe in her hand tightly.

She could feel the four iron bracers and the titanium scythe throughout her body with ease. Despite the weight being akin to adding another body to her own, Clare's movements remained completely smooth. Her "Seventh Mind" expanded beyond the darkness of the room, reaching toward the platinum door.

Clare guessed it wasn’t bad. In fact, she thought it was time to leave the room.

— — — — — 

Over the course of four years, Clare had completely transformed into an adult of twenty. Her curves had gotten more refined, and her chest had grown even more. She finally sighed in relief as her chest settled at a C-cup, better than the semi-D-cup she had in the past, freeing her from agonizing back pain.

Clare had grown more beautiful, with her hair now reaching down her back, swaying gracefully with every step. Her skin had become as white as snow and smoother than glass, while her tails had grown bushier and fluffier, more comforting and relaxing to caress. Her ears had grown with age, and her nose had become more pointed. Despite slow growth, her height had increased by over twenty centimeters from her previous height.

Her bone and muscle density had also significantly increased, making her taller and stronger. Clare's body had evolved from that of the old GIMEL, a half-breed, into a well-defined and sturdy form, blossoming with balanced muscles. Despite her well-defined muscles, she did not appear swollen or bulky. She was sleek, compact, and fit, with muscles as fine as cotton.

It was the most suitable body for any female Arrancar and her former status as the Heavenly Saintess. It was perfectly adjusted to the nature of the Scythe technique, which emphasized flow, harmony, and flexibility. Her body was now strong enough to resist internal and external injuries, crucial for executing the "Absolute Reaper Compensation: The Six Binds of Grim" or the extreme form of "Crescent of the Starless Night Sky," a hint of both techniques.

Thanks to the "Pseudo-Enlightenment" Clare achieved from delving into the "Ancient Text," past life techniques, and other techniques she read from the Demonic Treasure Vault in her mind library, her body was in pristine condition. However, she was disappointed that she failed to combine the "Absolute Reaper Compensation: The Six Binds of Grim" and "Crescent of the Starless Night Sky" into one. 

After four and a half years of effort, Clare realized how short-sighted she was in thinking combining these two unique techniques would be as easy as combining the "Demonic Energy Manifestation Technique" and "The Unification and Amplification of Holy Mana," which had different origins and rare fundamentals.

Clare understood that unique techniques with different fundamentals are tenfold more difficult to combine than rare techniques with otherworldly foundations. 

The First Scythe Knight, who developed the "Absolute Reaper Compensation: The Six Binds of Grim," took his entire lifetime to perfect just that technique. Similarly, "Crescent of the Starless Night Sky" was a technique created by combining an Ancient Text of Nature with the movements of the moon’s Holy Goddess and the Central Holy Church's "light and harmonious" technique. Perfecting this technique took considerable effort.

As the saying goes, “Creation takes time, destruction overrides time while analysis of both creation and technical testing of destruction monopolize both times.” Clare couldn't recall who made this quote but shrugged her shoulders and sighed. 

She knew it might take as long as ever to combine the two techniques into one. However, it wasn't completely uneventful. She had mastered both techniques individually and found a thread, albeit as small as a needle, that could tie the two together if fully analyzed.

Clare smiled faintly at this contemplation. Her tails stretched out, relaxing in anticipation of her next action as her titanium scythe cut her hair at the lower level of her back. It was a swift and clean cut, creating a thin, straight, well-styled hairline. Clare hadn't cared for her hair in four and a half years, and it had grown significantly beyond her waist.

She began to organize her green hair, ensuring it was accurately styled. After cutting the hair between her ears and bangs that had grown beyond her chin with the curved blade, she dried it by arousing her Asura energy rapidly. After bathing in a simple cleaning system, arranging the used robes on standby, and drinking some water, she dressed in a platinum robe with devil embellishments and dark linings, which fitted her well.

Clare equipped both scythes, wrapping and hanging them on her back. Soon, the mysterious engraved array with the symbol of an eerily drawn skull with two horns on the platinum door brightened brilliantly, blinding the room. Clare shaded her eyes against the bright light. 

The light highlighted every nook and cranny of the inscriptions and talismans drawn on the platinum door—the only entrance to the room—making them visible to the naked eye. 

The array pulsed vigorously.

As soon as the blinding light dimmed, vibrations from the "Array Defensive System" began, as the mechanism of clock gears resounded simultaneously. 

At the end of it, Clare's ears twitched, and her tail curled in anticipation of the familiar tremble in the air.

Contrary to her instinct, the familiar creak of the platinum door opening gradually filled the room.

‘Perfect,’ she thought briefly. 

The door to meet with the other teens was finally opening.

For Clare, who had been isolated for four and a half years, it was a thrill to finally put an end to the Seclusion Trial of Valkyrie-Blitz.