Demonic Kitsune

“I’ve brought your coffee, Ma.”

A gorgeous maid dressed in a black dress with white trim and a full skirt at or above knee length brought in fresh coffee. She had grey eyes, pointed ears, and a single horn just before her temple. Her long, grey silk hair was neatly styled. After pouring the coffee from a stunning jug into Mei Tai’s empty cup, her sharp ears twitched, awaiting the next order.

“You are free to leave.”

“Yes, Ma!” The maid bowed and gracefully exited the room.

Sipping her freshly delivered coffee, Mei Tai pondered her assistant’s earlier statement. It appeared that GIMEL, the half-breed, had changed after taking a swim in the Hundred Nickel Poison a year ago.

That rarely happens. No, occasionally. Following a life-or-death catastrophe, some people seize the chance to subconsciously change, consciously challenge the impossible, and push themselves beyond their perceived limits. Mei Tai realized that pulling that off wouldn’t be easy. Most people take advantage of the change and the determination that propelled them to grow, yet they eventually fizzle out.

However, this suggested that GIMEL had been improving at an unsustainable rate for over a year. Mei Tai gracefully smacked her lips. GIMEL wasn’t equivalent to the top three previously listed.

The BIG THREE, with the speed of sound between them, were still light years ahead of the rest of the Institute of Arrancar. However, the reality remained that GIMEL was expanding at an incredible rate and was closing the gap.

Considering this, Mei Tai directed her subordinate to pay closer attention to GIMEL. “There’s nothing wrong with keeping a closer eye on her.”

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to surprise the clan’s ‘Brain’ with the potential for GIMEL’s future. Finally, Mei Tai abandoned her thoughts about the half-breed. After simply dipping into the Hundred Nickel Poison and having only done basic physical training, just five hundred little Arrancars remained in the institute. Mei Tai’s lips soon broadened into a sneer, showing her white left fang. 

‘Guess it’s about time.’

Time for the ‘First Test’ to begin. An incomparable and unfathomable test compared to the standard training the children had been undergoing.

— — — — — 

CCRRACCKKLE! CCRRUUNNCH! 

It was an awkward sound that made Clare’s tails tense up as her ears flinched. Yet, no matter how disturbing it was, nothing could be done to stop it—it came from the depths of her body. Her body underwent a fundamental transformation as she began to twitch and tremble, followed by a terrible pain that seemed to tear her apart.

Her teeth clenched as blood seeped from the corner of her cherry-red lips. It felt like many needles were piercing and rending her internal structure, disassembling it. Soon, her tails curled up in alarm, and her ears stood on end. Her trembling and extreme pain stopped, replaced by the sensation of something wriggling in her solar plexus, reminiscent of a golden eel. This entity, or whatever it was, curled up inside her and raised its head.

Overall, it was a nasty and chilling sensation that made veins bulge over her body as goosebumps rose.

Almost immediately, her legs, which were in the lotus position, suddenly felt restless as if they had lost all sensation. What kind of ridiculous feeling is this? It was as if warmth enveloped her entire being. It felt like hot water being poured into a chilling, cracked vessel inside of her, with a vapor of frost leaking out through her nostrils, ears, and mouth.

Instantly, Clare knew what this meant and what to do next.

‘Let’s build the cracked vessel once more,’ she thought.

As her overall body sensation drowned out and became indefinite, she pushed her spiritual awareness deep into her sea of consciousness and began performing rhythmic movements according to the ancient holy text. Her muscles immediately began to stretch and contract. These actions reached her bones, which started to be reforged and remolded to become more durable.

Her veins and arteries also began to unclog, contract, and retract, speeding up blood and energy circulation to every nook and cranny. With her body slowly changing and her drifting mind clearing, her once-alerted tails relaxed.

Then, a saying came to mind: "Something good happens when one least expects it." Inside her sea of consciousness, a cluster of holy mana erupted, burning fiercely. Clare diffused it throughout her body using another technique—Mithril Physique Circulation.

With her heartbeat stable, breathing normal, and foxy senses serene and steady, Clare sensed an internal shift. In simpler terms, a success.

This might have been a long explanation, but this is how Clare practiced Mithril body and soul reinforcement diligently. Afterward, she circulated her holy mana throughout every nook and cranny of her body using Mithril Physique Circulation.

Normally, it wasn’t supposed to be like this. However, since the technique could only build her soul and physique into a perfect retainer of holy mana by growing yin and yang through hidden channels, it didn’t interfere with her circulation of already created holy mana.

Each had fundamentally two different functions: one to build her soul and physique, and the other to accumulate and circulate holy mana.

Slowly but gradually and meticulously, she was sculpting her body to become an unparalleled retainer for holding holy power. Steadily and subsequently, something more began to alter and stick in place. Eventually, with frost escaping her mouth, a sensation welled up in her heart.

‘Finally, that crack has been remodeled,’ she thought.

Her spiritual awareness inspected her cracked vessel. It was well-amended and brimming with sturdiness. Clare guessed that’s enough for now—she could work with this.

‘But how long has it been?’

The question suddenly raced through her mind. Her bones finally ceased creaking, and the holy power pulsing through her veins stopped moving. Sensations returned to her legs, and restlessness vanished. Not only was it amended and more sturdy, but the quality of her cracked vessel had also slightly increased.

The reason for the changes was obvious. It had been a while since she performed the Mithril body and soul reinforcement, and out of ten cracks in the vessel, only three had been plastered. Of course, the effect of the technique was indirectly proportional to its flaw, so the progress was rather slow. Still, Clare deemed it would eventually take a bit more time to amend and remodel the rest.

Despite the slow progress, Clare felt quite pleased. After a calm breath, she opened her eyes, feeling refreshed. Though not very noticeable, her eyes were slightly different compared to yesterday. Not only that, her body had grown taller. Could it be the flaw hadn’t fully integrated with her body yet? Or could it be something else?

Whichever the case, the changes were so minor that nobody would notice unless they thoroughly examined or dissected her. Despite being troubled by her height increase of 5.0 cm, Clare was clearly aware of her own changes.

Gripping and ungripping her jade-like hands, her nine tails wriggled calmly. She tried to get adjusted to her new changes by stretching her upper torso and neck to the left, right, back, and front.

WHUMP!

The magical fluorescent bead lamp from the previous night fizzled out, casting the room into gentle darkness, signaling it was already a few hours before dawn.

Today was a brand-new training day.

It was the ideal opportunity for Clare to test her improved physique. A contented grin curled her lips as she nodded. Jumping off the bed gracefully, she opened the stiff window that hadn’t been opened for a long time. The window creaked as she gazed at the brilliant quarter moon. Silence filled the atmosphere, but not for long, as the chilly wind rushed in.

Clare shivered as the chill ran through her ears, and her tails shot up. It was darn cold. But the cold didn’t last long as she began to radiate her holy mana throughout her body. Warmth soon overcame her, and frost exuded from her lips.

In the chill and profound silence, the only sounds in the starry night were the wind, the hooting of demonic night owls, and the pulsing of demonic insects. As she studied the darkness and the position of the quarter moon, Clare made an educated guess as to the time. She then closed the window with a slam.

‘Is it almost five?’ she wondered.

In the holy academy, now was the time when sleep had just started to get interesting, as everyone gripped their pillows or puffy comforters tightly. But on the edge of the Salamander Continent, it was probably close to dawn and the end of the rest period for the little Arrancars.

It was time for the children who were sleeping in their rooms to start waking up. Some were unable to wake up because of their injuries. If the children broke the ‘Five Texts,’ they would be devoured by a demonic beast or thrown into nickel poison by the instructors. Because of this, some of the little Arrancars preferred to die in their sleep rather than be devoured by demonic beasts.

That was how cruel the institute was when one broke the ‘Five Texts.’ Of course, Clare had never been in any of those situations since she did her best not only to survive but also to grow here. Out of nowhere, Clare’s ears twitched, and her tails curled at the familiar feeling. She swallowed dryly in anticipation.

DING! DONG!

Contrary to her premonition, a loud bell resounded through the silent night and into every room, followed by a loud, fierce voice imbued with demonic energy.

“You little Arrancars, gather around in ten minutes—unless you want to be devoured by a demonic beast!”

‘Finally,’ Clare thought.

At that strict yet violent shout that trembled every Arrancar’s eardrums, Clare put on her dark-hued robe with white flower embellishments, opened the door of her assigned room, and went outside immediately.

Thanks to practicing Mithril Soul and Body Reinforcement and Mithril Physique Circulation at night, Clare didn’t need to rest, and all of her bodily and mental fatigue had vanished.

All of the children at the Institute of Arrancars had spent the previous year learning how to defend themselves and enhance their bodies through endurance and strength training. However, they had many more ordeals and other types of training to endure.

The training program lasted ten years. That was the appropriate time for the children to grow their bodies while undergoing any subsequent tests.

Clare mused as she scanned around. There were always a few horned children in different garbs and skin colors who had developed early and had a better start than others by learning some Demonic Accumulation Techniques—or, more accurately, Body Reinforcement Techniques—through their family backgrounds.

They might not have practiced during their sleeping hours, but they must have practiced and developed themselves before coming here. Of course, the original owner of GIMEL was a lost Nin breed during a mysterious disaster, trekking through thick and thin to end up at the edge of the Salamander Continent. She never had any opportunities to learn any techniques. In other words, the “demonic energy” of her demon side or the “reishi” used by her foxy side was non-existent, and her body was incredibly weak when Clare first inherited them.

The amount of holy energy Clare could collect was minimal since her body wasn’t very talented yet. But she was able to hide her holy mana due to a special technique.

If an outcast without any history or prior teaching—other than being a half-breed—had somehow accumulated the holy mana of the holy church in the Institute of Arrancar, anyone would be suspicious and start to investigate her. If things got exposed, she might get killed by any demonic means, which would be a setback for someone like Clare who sought vengeance.

For that reason, it was almost a holy miracle that Clare had been able to secretly cultivate about half a pseudo-chain worth of holy power in only a year. It was all due to the knowledge and experience of her previous life. Although Wenceslas was the mastermind behind all that happened to her and ordered her death, she developed a mysterious technique called the ‘Shield of Petrification.’

This technique allowed her to mask her true levels and hide the amount of holy energy she had accumulated. Thanks to this, none of the instructors in the Institute of Arrancar were able to detect any holy power from Clare.

Otherwise, she would have been dead meat for the hungry demons. Sighing, Clare was thankful inwardly for this technique. With that, she had also slowly grown her body and soul.

Many children were eliminated in the early training of the Institute of Arrancers because they couldn't surpass the physical limits. However, some children endured it. Most of them, like the previous GIMEL, had no knowledge of demonic energy or the “reishi” of her foxy side. Clare, who had seen and fought against demonic energy and a demon general during her time as a Heavenly Saintess, still didn’t understand how demonic energy worked.

‘What a bummer!’

All this brutal training was endured by children. Clare knew she couldn’t use her previous techniques to accelerate her body's development, even if she got bruised or broken bones. It was hard enough not to die, but she couldn't die early. Despite this, she felt proud of her progress. Her fluffy tails swerved slightly without anyone noticing. While practicing this grueling training, it was hard to enjoy life at the institute.

But when Clare thought of the long road ahead and her progress, she felt empowered. As she strolled along the grand corridor adorned with paintings and sculptures of past great demon warriors who had graduated from the institute, other children came out of their rooms and walked to the gathering place one by one.

The frigid breeze grew stronger. Some talented children used their techniques to circulate their demonic energy, while others remained unaffected due to their strong physique. Many shivered and trembled, their teeth chattering uncontrollably.

Soon, Clare arrived at the “Yulin Platform,” a tiled platform constructed of hard bricks. This platform was where the children at the Arrancer’s Institute were constantly gathered when summoned. It could hold 200 children, and another platform nearby could hold the same number. Up until now, around 130 children on each platform have survived. It was terrible, and after another year of harsh training, half the children would either be eaten alive or die. More would die the following year.

Clare felt compassion for them. These children were never allowed to live a regular life. She clasped her hands, hoping they might go to “Vinland” and live a normal life there. However, she needed to keep her priorities straight and focus on her goal. She had no time or sentiments for the other demon children, who would perish since she needed to survive and get her revenge at all costs.

‘If this was my first incarnation with no obligation or goal but survival, I wouldn’t hesitate to help these brats survive. But after two incarnations, I understand that no matter how hard you try, even if you’re the strongest and most intelligent, you cannot save everyone.’

Her ears inwardly veered downward, hoping these little ones entered “Vinland.” She sighed, having no intention of repeating her previous blunder. All she could do was wish them a normal life in another peaceful world. Yet, she had no intention of walking the path of a real demon or asura. She had to walk the bloody and lonely road of vengeance.

For that purpose, she had to take advantage of every opportunity she could. Clare opened her eyes for a moment, thinking about it. Her long emerald hair fluttered in the cool breeze. Her brief look of pity or compassion vanished, replaced by determination.

Then, elegant yet rough footsteps filled the silent platform as the instructors who ordered the assembly appeared.

It looked like the morning training was about to begin. Morning training in the Institute of Arrancers was called the “Cradle of Hell.” It was complicated yet very simple, but that didn’t mean it was easy.

The institute was located on the highest peak beyond the skies, close to a huge volcano. This “hot magma” created a big tunnel, in which the Arrancers created steps, calling it the “Gate to Hell” for generations. The nickname was fitting because the peaks and bottoms of these mountains were raging with hot magma, heating up the atmosphere and everything around them. This made descending and ascending through the massive magma tunnel steps incredibly difficult for any nine-year-old child.

But the demon children from the Institute of Arrancers descended and ascended this deep red abyss every day. That wasn’t all. Originally, no matter how hard it was to climb such a tunnel, if one kept climbing, one would find little areas or caves to rest in, or places colder and easier to climb.

To prevent that, the instructors changed the order of the tunnel every thirty-one days. Additionally, if one paused when ascending the hot, narrow steps, the child behind could accidentally hit the other, resulting in instant death. Falling from a high place into boiling magma would leave no trace of one's melted corpse.

Thanks to this, even simple tasks like descending and ascending a tunnel became complicated. Just thinking about it made Clare’s ears twitch and her bushy tails shiver, reminding her of the accidents that often occurred.

Today was the scheduled day for the children to ascend the somewhat lower and deeper abyss than the previous one, which the small Arrancers typically ascended…