The Kitsune glanced blankly to the side, ears flattening slightly.
Soft. Almost thoughtful.
But then—as expected—
A smirk.
That same smug, self-satisfied smirk that made the Tengu seriously consider throwing him off the mountain.
"Cute speech," the Kitsune mused, golden eyes flicking back to him, "but I'll need more than just words."
A pout appeared on the Kitsune's lips, his nine tails sweeping the leaves behind him, rustling gently with every lazy movement.
The Tengu's patience had never been tested this much in his entire life.
Not in a hundred years.
Not even when dealing with arrogant disciples or meddlesome elders—
This fox.
This absolute menace of a fox had singlehandedly brought him to the brink of insanity in the span of one night.
And it only got worse.
"As a Kitsune and master in the art of seduction~" the Kitsune sighed dramatically, placing a hand on his bare chest—
(Because, of course, his kimono was still falling off his damn shoulders.)
The Tengu felt his eye twitch.
"How would you—" The Kitsune suddenly pointed at him, tilting his head in feigned curiosity.
"Keep me satisfied?"
A pause.
Then—
"Sexually, of course."
---
Dead silence.
A single leaf fell from the trees above.
The wind stilled.
The world stopped turning.
The Tengu's soul ascended to another plane of existence.
And then—
"—ARE YOU INSANE?!"
The Kitsune burst into laughter.
Full, unrestrained, delighted laughter, his fox ears twitching as he leaned forward, clearly enjoying every second of the Tengu's suffering.
"Hehehe~ what's wrong, Tengu-sama~?" he teased, tail flicking mischievously. "It's a reasonable question, no?"
"NO. IT. IS. NOT."
"Aw~" The Kitsune pouted, eyes glinting devilishly. "But if you want me to be your woman, isn't this important?"
"THAT IS NOT—"
"And as a connoisseur of pleasure," the Kitsune continued, ignoring him completely, "I must be certain that my future husband is equipped for the task—"
The Tengu genuinely considered self-destruction.
"You," the Tengu said, voice strained with the weight of the gods. "Are the worst living creature I have ever encountered."
"Awww~" The Kitsune giggled, tails swaying behind him. "Flattery will get you nowhere, darling."
This fox.
This fox was an actual curse upon the earth.
---
The Tengu had two options.
1. Kill the Kitsune on the spot.
2. Regret every life decision that led him to this moment.
Sadly, option one was off the table.
Which meant—
The Tengu sighed deeply.
"Fine," he muttered.
The Kitsune perked up immediately.
"Oho? Are you going to answer seriously?"
The Tengu gave him a long, deadpan stare.
Then, with the grace and patience of a saint, he said:
"First, I would bind your hands to keep you from running away."
The Kitsune's fox ears twitched.
His tail stilled.
A flicker of something—**surprise? curiosity?—**crossed his face.
But it was gone in an instant.
"Oho~?" The Kitsune grinned, eyes gleaming. "A little possessive, are we?"
The Tengu continued like he hadn't spoken.
"Then, I would make sure you have no distractions. No teasing. No tricks. Nothing to take your attention from me."
The Kitsune's smirk faltered slightly.
Only slightly.
But the Tengu saw it.
"And then?" the Kitsune hummed, tilting his head, watching him carefully.
The Tengu took a single step forward.
The Kitsune didn't move.
But his ears twitched again.
Then, in a voice that was low, steady, and entirely too calm, the Tengu said—
"I would make sure you never have to ask that question again."
---
Silence.
The Kitsune just stared at him.
For the first time tonight, he had no immediate response.
His smirk was gone.
His tails had gone still.
And—
And for some reason, he suddenly felt warm.
Too warm.
…What.
What was this?
This wasn't how this was supposed to go.
This wasn't—
He wasn't—
"Ah."
The Kitsune's lips parted slightly.
He wasn't smirking anymore.
He wasn't playing anymore.
For the first time in a hundred years—
Someone had turned the game against him.
And somehow…
Somehow, it felt dangerous.
And that realization was the single most thrilling thing he had ever experienced.
---
End of Chapter 7
(Next time: Has the Kitsune finally met his match?! Will the Tengu regret unleashing this monster?? And most importantly—will the Kitsune's kimono ever stay on properly?! Find out in the next chapter!)