The two myobu seem unphased. They raise their flaming swords above their heads and point the tip towards the lone nogitsune. The flames around their katanas flash brightly, then projects towards Jen. He places his hand inside the rings between the blades and twirls them around his wrist. Bringing them in front of him, he deflects the fire into the air.
Wasting no time, the two myobu rush forward and slash at him. The nogitsune grabs the extension close to the rings and blocks their attacks with the forward part of the blades. He retreats and gets a more controlled grip on the blades. With the left hand blades resting horizontally, he twirls the blades in his right hand.
Expecting an attack, the two myobu switch to a defensive posture, with their blade held diagonally towards the ground. Jen swings the right blade and unleashes the flames towards the ground. Instead of a single jet of fire, the flames break apart into multiple small projectiles, moving like standard thrown shruikens.
He smiles as he sees the flames bounce off the ground, go beneath the defending blade, and stab upward into the myobu’s robes.
“I knew you were going to use a spell to protect the rock path. I was counting on it, and you fell for it.”
The nogitsune smirks and watches as the myobu wave a hand, and the green fires growing on their robes are extinguished.
“You have no honor, do you nogitsune. You lack the strength to face us head on, so you use cowardly and deceitful attacks.”
Grinding his teeth, Jen takes a step forward.
“I have plenty of honor. I just won’t bog myself down by limiting what I can and can’t do. I’m my own being.”
The right hand myobu points to Yuki.
“Then why do you serve her? If you are your own being, you would not serve another.”
Growling, he rushes forward.
“I don’t have to answer to the likes of you!”
He focuses entirely on the speaking myobu, bringing both of his blades to bear against it. The myobu swings his katana, and easily deflects the two blades away. As Jen tries to correct himself, the myobu kicks him in the chest, knocking him back towards the other myobu.
This one throws aside his katana and grabs Jen’s shoulders, and throws him towards Yuki. After rolling on the ground, Jen gets up, dusty from the rocks, but no worse off. He takes a glance at Yuki, making sure she was still unharmed.
“Listen, Yuki, ignore what they say.”
She looks at him.
“But why? Don’t they serve a god, and so wouldn’t gain to lie? Besides, they’re guardians of this land, right? It wouldn’t make sense for them to deceive, unlike you.”
Turning his attention to her, he sighs.
“Yes, I have deceived you. However, I will not break my vow to you. I will protect you from harm.”
The two myobu walk towards them. The left hand myobu had retrieved his katana and together, the two myobu stalk forward.
“This lady is unknown to us. She smells of your stench, nogitsune. As such, she also will not pass.”
They raise their katanas above their heads.
“Be gone, nogitsune.”
They bring their swords down, and the katanas are blocked by a single shuriken blade.
“I won’t stop until she sees what she came here to see.”
Jen brings his other shuriken around and lets go of it, letting it spin in the air towards the myobu on his right. The two myobu disengage and leap backwards. The blade spins away and lands softly on the grass, not too far away from the building.
Jen grinds his teeth, running out of tricks to use with the blades. He holds it in a two handed grip, with each hand holding an extension.
“Don’t assume I’m useless with only one to use.”
The two myobu look at him. Wordlessly, they close the distance between them. The katanas come at him from different angles. The left katana slices downward, while the right slashes upward.
Without hesitation, the nogitsune swings the blade to intercept both, while pushing his body towards the myobu making the descending cut. His shoulder comes up and catches it in the chest, shoving the myobu back. The blades are disengaged with the katanas, and Jen rolls on the ground, staying in a crouch with the shuriken blades in front of him.
“You are a worthy opponent indeed. We shall fight you with our true forms.”
The myobu sheath the katanas, and the robes and sheath fall to the ground as the myobu leap out in their fox form. Their white fur glitters brilliantly in the sun, with their nine tails waving towards the nogitsune.
“This shouldn’t be a problem to you, correct?”
Jen grits his teeth.
“Of course not.”
He sets the shuriken blade down and his clothes fall to the ground as he takes on his fox form as well. His white fur looked far less bright, and lacked the luster that seemed to radiate from the myobu. His nine tails quiver slightly in anticipation, and a little bit of fear.
So far, it’s gone exactly as I’ve foreseen. I can’t let that to continue. I won’t let it continue.
Jen growls lowly at the two myobu, setting his paws into the ground. The myobu don’t react, instead, they simply gaze at him.
“You are no match for either of us, much less both of us. You will be defeated.”
Jen’s eyes flash in anger.
“The future can be rewritten if the will is strong enough. I will defeat you both.”
Yuki looks at the three kitsune, and unconsciously rubs the star ball.
I can’t let this continue. There’s no need for him to fight this.
“Jen! Stop it! Let’s just leave!”
He looks towards her.
“What?! This is what you wanted.”
She shakes her head.
“I didn’t want there to be a fight. I can always come by at a later date. Please, stop this.”
The myobu turn to regard her.
“Her scent is getting stronger. It’s smelling like a human now.”
They eye the star ball.
“So, that is why she smells like him. She has his star ball.”
Turning to the nogitsune, the right hand myobu speaks again.
“She has your star ball, does she not?”
The nogitsune nods.
“I see.”
The myobu turns to Yuki.
“Forfeit the star ball to us, or we shall destroy you.”
No, please, no.
Yuki takes a step back.
“What? Why?”
The myobu start walking towards her.
“That star ball contains his power. Without it, he will be weaker. There is a spiritual link between him and the star ball. If the ball is destroyed, the link will be severed, and he will grow even weaker. As such, he will not be a potential problem to the people here.”
No, I can’t let this happen.
Yuki steps back further, fear rising to her eyes.
“But, he’s not evil.”
No.
“He is not a myobu, so he can not be trusted.”
Don’t do it, please!
The myobu continue to get closer, and Yuki turns to run.
No, you fool!
The myobu jump at her. The two are slammed out of the way as Jen rushes and crashes into them in midair. The myobu quickly recover and attack the lone nogitsune. Overpowered, Jen is sent flying backwards towards the torii. Landing on the ground, he shakily gets up.
“I won’t allow you to harm her. I swore it.”
Blood trickles down his muzzle. His head comes up, and a fire returns to his eyes. His entire form is enveloped in a black fire and he grins wickedly at the myobu.
“I won’t be stopped!”
