CH 72

Terror

“A hero saving a beauty is praiseworthy and dandy, but you don’t seem to have what it takes to pull it off.”

The youngster’s legs dangled. His face was scrunched up due to pain and an oxygen shortage. He tightly gripped the arm of the tough man strangling his neck. The man in front of him was a full two metres tall and as tough as a bear. He lifted the youngster up in a ridiculing manner since the youngster was light to him. He said, “Those people were quite a challenge, but we can kill you whenever we want. Since you’ve chosen to stay behind, we’ll kill you to vent.”

The big man thoughtlessly threw the youngster into the crowd. Several long spears were thrust toward his back. The youngster snickered then shut his eyes. Believing he was finished, the youngster began to engage in self-talk: “I won’t feel anything after this painful sensation, will I? Whatever. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve succeeded. I’ve already succeeded. I never thought this would be how I die. I was ready to die from the day I became a bodyguard, but I wanted to give up everything I had to protect Queen Vera at the time. Since when did I stop worrying about her? Why do I feel I don’t regret dying for Liu Yue? Since when did that fire-red flame begin to burn in my heart?

“This is fine. I am reluctant to part, though. I didn’t properly confess in time. I didn’t get to tell her that I like her. I haven’t told her how much I like her. I wasn’t going to get to see her again. I was inevitably going to have to part with her, but I still liked her. Fate and God are so mean. They brought the beautiful girl to me. She helped, tolerated and accompanied me, yet they took her away from me. I’ll still like her.

“I’ve done so many things I shouldn’t have done to her. I’ve finally done something for her for a change. I’ve always been afraid of her. I never had a chance to repay her. I guess this is my repayment.”

The young man listened to the sound of rattling metal from behind. The youngster didn’t move an inch.

The entire land began to quake before the finishing blow could be delivered. All of the soldiers flinched. They looked around. They had no idea what happened. They all wore looks of terror. The large and tall man’s body suddenly froze in place. By the next instant, he had thrown his battle hammer away. He turned to the rear and fled. None of the soldiers knew what happened, which meant it was too late for them.

The huge fire-red fox flattened the buildings. She resembled an intense flame in the wild, charging toward them. Humans instinctively feared wild beasts. Anybody would be afraid of a wild beast oozing with murderous intent charging toward them. Unfortunately for them, it was too late. The fox already closed the gap. She splattered a soldier underfoot then chomped half of a soldier’s body and spat it aside. The smell of blood of stimulated the fox even further. She was a fox, but her ferocity didn’t pale in comparison to a dragon’s.

The soldiers screamed as they fled for their lives. The fox ripped apart the soldiers with her sharp and pointy teeth. Structures the humans erected and their barriers were laughable stones to her. The crossbows and harpoons were ineffective this time. They pierced her flesh. Thanks to the adrenaline, however, she couldn’t feel the pain. Instead, she destroyed the crossbows.

The youngster fell to the ground. He blankly watched the fox coming over toward him with harpoons and ropes on her. The blood of humans dripped from her teeth. Her red eyes still contained an overwhelming murderous intent. Perhaps she looked frightening after killing.

“Is that Liu Yue…? It must be her…. She’s probably the only one who could turn into a huge fox of this size…” thought the youngster.

Despite knowing Liu Yue, despite knowing she was the girl he loved, seeing her blood-stained teeth and claws, as well as her huge body, he subconsciously curled up. Liu Yue went up to him and slowly lowered her head. She tapped on him with her bloody and rough breath.

“Aaahh!”

The youngster knew that she was the girl he liked, but his instinctive fear for wild beasts a human was deeply etched in him. Liu Yue froze stiff. She looked imposing a moment ago but looked defeated after seeing his reaction. Downtrodden, she slowly straightened back up. She glanced at the quivering youngster one last time then looked toward the imperial palace. Lastly, she left him with her gratitude: “Thank you for taking care of me during this time.”

“So you can’t accept me in spite of liking me…? You like me, yet are so afraid of me? You’re curled up, afraid and screaming, which is the exact same way those soldiers reacted. You’re the same as any other ordinary person,” thought Liu Yue. She whipped her head and looked back to him, but there was a hint of bitterness in her eyes. She told herself, “True, I’m not an ordinary human. I’m a Moon Fox. I have a furry tail and pointy ears. I can look cute and pretty in my human form, but my fox form is a part of me. I’m not a monster. I don’t want others to be afraid of me, either. I hope the man who likes me can like accept everything about me, but as soon as I reveal my true nature, nobody can accept me. They’ll tremble just as a stranger is afraid of me. Even my former friends will be scared and leave in tears. But this is me.

“This huge body is part of me! This is my shape when my mana levels are increased. I’ll maintain this form when I’m pregnant, as well. Why? Why do people say they like me, yet can’t accept who I am? Why can’t they accept everything about me?”

“Dad…” whimpered Liu Yue. She continued thinking to herself, “Only Dad doesn’t show any fear when he sees me in this form.  He won’t be scared or stop. He’ll come to me even when I’m aggressive. He’ll touch the fur on my leg and show me such a tender smile. Only Dad… can accept everything about me… Dad and my sisters are the only ones who’ve always accepted me for who I am…”