The Tengu was experiencing a personal hell.
Not the battlefield.
Not war.
Not the endless, grueling training that came with being one of the most powerful yokai in the mountains.
No.
This. This was his true trial.
And it all started because he had made the mistake of liking a Kitsune.
His face burned hotter than the forge of a master swordsmith, his wings still unfurled in pure, unfiltered horror.
And that damn fox?
She just sat there.
Completely innocent-looking.
Hugging her tails.
Watching him with those damn mischievous eyes.
Like she didn't just ask the most vile, perverse, utterly unspeakable question of his entire immortal life.
He swallowed thickly, forcing himself to breathe.
There were two options here.
1. Fly off the mountain and never return.
2. Kill her.
Sadly, both options were out of the question.
So he did the only logical thing left.
He folded his arms, composed himself, and scowled down at her with all the fury of a divine warrior.
"I am not answering that."
She blinked. Once. Twice. Then tilted her head, feigning pure curiosity.
"Why not?"
He exhaled sharply through his nose.
"Because it is inappropriate!"
She pouted, fangs barely peeking from her lips. "So you are hiding something?"
His eye twitched.
"I AM HIDING NOTHING."
"Hmmmm." She narrowed her eyes, tails swishing. "Then does that mean you—"
"NO."
She burst into laughter.
He should have never given her the satisfaction of reacting.
She knew now.
She knew she had found a weak spot.
And that was a death sentence.
It didn't help that she didn't stop.
She continued laughing, nearly keeling over, shaking her head as if she had just heard the funniest joke of the century.
And then—to make things even worse—she suddenly shot up, lifted a hand, and—
"Wait—!"
The moment he heard that tone, he knew it was over.
She grinned, that sharp, devious Kitsune grin that meant nothing good was about to happen.
"If you don't have a manhood, then—how would you reproduce?"
He wanted to commit seppuku.
Right there. Right then.
Just unsheathe his katana and end it.
Was this divine punishment? Had he committed some great sin in a past life?
She leaned in, golden eyes shimmering with the most evil delight he had ever seen.
"Would your children hatch from eggs?" she teased, voice lilting in mock innocence.
His entire body seized up.
"That is NOT how it works!"
"Are you sure?"
"YES!"
She hummed, unconvinced.
"Well, I wouldn't know," she mused. "I've never met a Tengu with a wife before. Maybe that's why. You're all too ashamed to let anyone know the truth."
His hands clenched into fists.
"YOU—!"
Then.
Then she did something worse.
Something so much worse.
Right before his eyes, she suddenly shifted.
With a single elegant motion, her form blurred, her delicate kimono morphing, her curves flattening, her soft, teasing voice lowering into something deeper, smoother—
In the span of a breath, the Kitsune transformed.
Her body took the shape of a young man, tall and lean, dressed in a simple male kimono, sleeves still draped lazily over delicate wrists.
And then.
He grinned.
"Ahhh, so refreshing," the now-male Kitsune sighed, stretching his arms. "This form is a lot easier to move in."
The Tengu froze.
Stared.
Blinked.
His brain stopped working.
The Kitsune leaned in far too close, his sharp golden eyes glinting with pure, unfiltered mischief.
"What if I decided to be a man from now on?" he mused, his voice far too smooth for the Tengu's sanity. "Would you still like me then?"
The Tengu's wings twitched violently.
His entire body screamed "DANGER. DANGER. DANGER."
The Kitsune continued leaning in, hovering just at the edge of the Tengu's personal space, one slender hand lifting towards his face—
"Surely," he purred, "you're not into that~?"
A blade was at his throat.
Immediately.
The Kitsune froze.
The air crackled with sharp, electric tension.
The Tengu's expression had gone completely, utterly blank.
The only sign of his absolute rage was the way his fingers were curled tightly around his katana's hilt, the blade's edge gleaming dangerously against the Kitsune's skin.
"...You are a menace," the Tengu muttered.
The Kitsune grinned.
"So," he hummed, voice still dripping in amusement, "does that mean you're considering it?"
The Tengu nearly sliced his throat open on the spot.
---
End of Chapter 5
(Next time: Can the Tengu recover from this ultimate betrayal? Will the Kitsune ever stop being a menace? And most importantly—will the Tengu finally escape the most embarrassing night of his life? Stay tuned!)