The Legend of the Fox Yokai of Jirisan

I had come up the mountain worried that the female Martial Artist might kill the fox yokai.
But my worries were needless.
Judging from the kwang kwang sounds coming from above, it seems they are still fighting.

The sight I witnessed on my way up to Jirisan’s peak was gruesome, even from my perspective having seen all sorts of horrors in the inner realm.
First, the trees.
Withered by the demonic fox’s immense yogi, dead trees had humans hanging from them.
I’ll repeat that.
Not fruit, but humans were hanging from the trees.

“Ughh…”
“Kill…me…”
“Cough, cough, cough…”
“Almighty God, please forgive my sins and judge my enemies, this humble servant earnestly prays…”

Incredibly, the dozens of people casually dangling from the trees were all still alive and conscious.
Despite having their intestines spilling out in a ghastly state.

I’m not particularly curious about the ‘how’.
As a fox yokai, it’s only natural that demonic fox would know how to use [Fox Sorcery].
What I’m curious about is the ‘why’.
Why, I wonder.
Why didn’t it kill the humans?
From a fox yokai’s perspective, if there is one reason not to kill humans…

“…Livers.”
That’s right.
The ‘liver’ is the only human organ capable of regeneration.
By hanging the humans like this and treating them over an extended period, their livers will eventually regenerate.
In other words, that fox yokai
Has made a living liver storage.

‘Revolting.’
I feel nauseous.
It was a cruelty far beyond the human realm.
Though my yolyeok was running low, I began wringing out what little remained to save the people.
The reason I was willing to sacrifice even my remaining lifespan to save humans was simple:
What kind of ‘human’ could turn a blind eye to people dying before them?
I too am human.
Though my outward appearance is that of a yokai, my core is fully human.

However,
Saving these people with the fox sorcery of my mere three tails was impossible.
At minimum, I would need four tails… No, it seemed five tails would be required to save them.

“Sa…ve…me…”
Gulp.
Resolutely ignoring the humans begging to be saved, I pressed onwards.
I can’t.
If I manifest five tails here, I will have no means left to confront that fox yokai.

As I neared Jirisan’s peak,
The booming sounds from above finally began to subside.
Had the fight ended?

“…”
Tingle tingle.
My body trembles from the overflowing, formidable yogi.
As expected, that Martial Artist was no match for the fox yokai.
Did she die?
She must have died. With a fox yokai of such cruel nature, there would be no reason to spare her.
Did she die because of me?
A simple victim mentality, but I cannot deny my moral responsibility. That Martial Artist had expended considerable effort in an attempt to capture me, and I was the one who told her to deal with the demonic fox first.
Would anything have changed if I had joined the Martial Artist in subduing the fox yokai?
It’s a meaningless hypothetical.
The very notion of a human and yokai joining hands is an absurdity.

The closer I got to the peak, the more an oppressive force weighed down on me, making my legs tremble.
To be honest, I was tense and afraid, feeling like my heart might burst at any moment.
But it’s okay, I’ve endured worse.
Compared to the Lord of the Mountain,
This fox yokai doesn’t even amount to the dirt under the Lord’s nails.
I’m not speaking metaphorically, it’s a fact.

Soon, I arrived at the peak where all vegetation within a radius had been utterly incinerated.
As if a logger had deliberately flattened the area, every tree within 50 meters was smashed into pieces.
Fortunately, the Martial Artist was still clinging to life.
Yes, just barely clinging to life.
I’m not sure what kind of existence a ‘Martial Artist’ is, but I didn’t think she could recover from wounds that severe.
Her neck seemed to have been mauled, gushing dark red blood, yet instead of staunching the wound,
She must have sensed her demise, for
In her other hand was channeled an ominous power of massive scale, unlike anything I had seen before.

On the opposite side was the blue-furred demonic fox I had only heard tales of.
Of elephantine size, razor-sharp claws, emanating an oppressive yogi that made my flesh tingle.
Ironically adorned with a beautiful blue fur that could captivate any heart.
Beholding the demonic fox, I was convinced
That I would likely not make it back alive.

Yet,
Something happened that my mind could scarcely comprehend.
Upon confirming my appearance, the fox yokai began to recoil as if it had seen a ghost.
Why, I wondered.
Was it startled because I too was a fox yokai?

The blue-furred fox yokai’s body trembled like a willow tree as it opened its mouth:
[What exactly are you…!]
[Those three tails… The three tails destined to become a seonhoe (celestial fox) or akhoe (evil fox), what could they mean!]
[Could it be… Could you be Daji’s vessel!]
[According to the Taejasinggi, Daji has already vanished without a trace…]

[Why, why now of all times!]
[With a thousand livers within my grasp, in this era without Yuldo Nation’s king or the Duuksin (Head Suppressing Deity) to dare stand before me…!]

I watched the ranting fox yokai with bewilderment.
Why was it suddenly acting like this?
Though slightly perplexed, I still felt relieved it wasn’t mindlessly attacking me, so I opened my mouth:
“I am…”

[Kwaaaaaaaaahhhh!]

Strangely, the moment I spoke, the blue-furred fox yokai began viciously clawing at its own body with those razor-sharp talons.
Ppu-sseuk.
Pa-sseuk, ppu-sseuk, ppu-sseuk.
Its beautiful blue fur began staining crimson red.
Both the Martial Artist and I were taken aback by the fox’s sudden actions.
Though I didn’t fully understand what was happening,
One thing was clear – the situation was turning in my favor.
For at some point,
The demonic fox had begun bowing its head towards me.
It seemed an unconscious action.
Seizing the moment, I hurriedly spoke:
“I didn’t come here to fight. There’s something I want to ask you.”

[Kwaaaaaaaaahhhh!]
[A mere newborn three-tailed fox yokai dares command me!]

“Answer.”

[Kwaaaaaaaaahhhh!]
Pak-jjeuk.
Pak-jjeuk.
Pak-jjeuk-jjeuk-jjeuk-jjeuk.

At my command, the demonic fox’s yogi erupted in all directions.
Soon, it obediently bowed its head and opened its mouth:
[Sp, speak then…!]

“There are two main ways for a fox yokai to acquire yogi – devouring a human male’s liver or devouring his life force. Is that correct?”
[…Your words are true.]

“Then, is there a way to acquire yogi besides those two methods?”
[None… There is no other normal way…!]

“A normal way? So you’re saying there is an abnormal way?”
[Yes, there is…!]

Shudder.
I trembled at the fox yokai’s affirmative answer.
And I felt joy.
I can live.
Without resorting to ugly means, I can prolong my life…!

Prompted by my unspoken pressure for an answer, the blue-furred fox yokai groaned and continued:
[Grrrr… The first method, absorbing yogi from a yokai of the same species…!]

“By the same species, you mean another fox yokai.”
[Yes… But, this method is meaningless.]
“Why is that?”
[As far as I knew, I was the only remaining fox yokai in this world…!]

“…!”
[I will never, give you my yogi.]
[If only you didn’t exist, if only you didn’t exist!]

As the blue-furred demonic fox said, realizing the first method seemed somewhat unrealistic.
Perhaps I could kill this fox and take its yogi first.
The fortunate thing was, if there was a first method, there must be a second.
So I asked about the second method.

However, unlike before, no answer came.
At some point,
The head that had been bowed towards me was now defiantly raised towards
The brilliant blue full moon.

Kwung!
The demonic fox slammed the earth with its yogi-imbued claws.

[If you didn’t exist, I would have rightfully become a seonhoe. I was the last remaining fox yokai in this world! As the Taejasinggi states, even a yahoe like me could have ascended!]

Pak-jjeuk-jjeuk-jjeuk-jjeuk-jjeuk-jjeuk!
The blue-furred fox yokai released a yogi so intense it made my flesh crawl.

“…!”
[But I was merely ordinary, while the true fated fox yokai was you, not me.]
[Utterly.]
[An utterly displeasing fate.]

Kka-ddeureu-ddeureu-ddeuk!
The blue-furred fox yokai’s entire body began rippling, then contorting.
Its muscles contracted and expanded, growing larger and larger.

[Grrrrrrr… All fox yokai are fated to submit to Daji’s vessel.]
[But I, even if I must be reborn a hundred times, will defy this fate.]
[The one who will become a seonhoe is me, not you…!]
[No matter that you are Daji’s vessel, I will never bow my head.]

Pak-jeuk.
Pak-jeuk.
Pak-jjeuk-jjeuk-jjeuk-jjeuk-jjeuk.

The overwhelming yogi spreading in all directions caused the surrounding vegetation to wither and twist.
Before I knew it, the blue-furred demonic fox had grown to such a gigantic size that I had to crane my neck to look up at it.
Unlike before,
It was now looking down on me.
Our eyes met.
Grrrrrrrrrrr.
Finally, the demonic fox opened its mouth with a low growl.

[It was for the best, in the end.]
[I shall kill you here and twist my fate.]

Sseoh-eoh-eoh-eok.
The blue-furred demonic fox opened its maw as if to swallow the very moon itself.
Then,
Without giving me a chance to retaliate,
It unleashed a barrage of yogi blades upon me.
Naturally,
In my mere three-tailed state, I could not resist the demonic fox’s yogi
And could only receive the onslaught of yogi blades with my body.

Ppeok, ppeok, ppeok,
Ppeok-ppeok-ppeok-ppeok-ppeok-ppeok-ppeok.

The yogi blades pierced my body in various places.
Dark red blood gushed forth.
My neck was sliced about a quarter.
My side was ripped open.
My nerves went numb.
Unexpectedly,
I felt no pain.
It was the first time I realized that as death drew near, pain became imperceptible.

Tteng, tteng, tteng.
As I rolled helplessly across the ground, flung far away, the demonic fox began laughing maniacally while observing me.

[Ha… hahaha, hahahahahahahahaha!]
[Look, king of Yuldo Nation!]
[I have overcome even fate itself!]
[The difference in vessels is… so that…]
[Power is… everything……]
[……]

In that dizzying, fading state of consciousness,
The manifestation of my six tails
Was not my will, but an instinctual act.