Time passed with the three Kitsune and their new promotions as they went about their duties, except for Toshino, who was left to her own devices as promised. Konjiro and Yukino spent the majority of their days together doing jobs as Shrine Priest(ess), with the latter urging the former to progress their current relationship whenever they had available free time. Apparently, their sexual relationship was just about as dry and prudent as it is today, with no luck on them bearing an heir. As it progressed, Konjiro looked displeased with the current situation, probably expecting more than what was coming to him as a Tenko and a Shrine Priest. Both of them harbored much envy towards Toshino, doing whatever she liked while pretending to be a Shrine Priestess like their corrupted Bishop promised her. Moreover, she was gaining a popular reputation in their village for her impressive [Holy Magic] that saved many in their clan, as well as her powerful and unique combat prowess subjugating Monsters, especially after her promotion. None of the villagers, other than the four who were in the church that day, realized the true motives for her 'benevolent' actions, to further her research in [Holy Magic]. What she was trying to look for in her research back then, no one knew.

It was mostly out of their envy and displeasure for their current standing in the village that Konjiro and Yukino registered as adventurers, as well. It really irked them when Toshino found out and proposed the three of them to form a party, since they couldn't really turn her down for anything after her stunt at the church. By that point, they were basically riding on her coattails to quickly rise the ranks, with Toshino urging the two of them to take the credit despite her doing most of the leg work.

When they asked her why they're taking the credit, she answered this, "I didn't want to stand out and be bothered while doing my research, so I used what I salvaged to earn money behind the scenes while 'slowly' going up the ranks up to now. With you two here now, I can go all out, you two handle the negotiating side of things, we make a lot of money, and go up the ranks quickly! Win-win-win-win! And you can just leave it to me if there are any 'annoyances' that try to harass us."

Apparently, Yukino and Konjiro hoped no such problems would occur more for the ‘annoyances’’ sake than Toshino’s.

From that point on, Konjiro's and Yukino's reputation rose quickly, gaining fame in their village and the neighboring adventurer's guild, just as Toshino predicted. Unfortunately, the two sane spouses' pride were shot, knowing they were really under a psychopath's control. Moreover, they couldn't stand the thought of their corrupted Head Bishop getting that position through such grotesque means, much less working underneath him, too. Konjiro, himself, couldn't stand to take pride as a Tenko like this, much less a Kitsune. It wasn't until one day that meeting a certain Vampire would serve as a turning point in their lives.

Konjiro and Yukino were invited to a private meeting at their local adventurer's guild. Toshino was too occupied with her research as usual to take part, and much to their dismay under these circumstances, negotiations had become more of their specialty as of late, so the pair went by themselves.

When meeting the client, the Vampire noble, Rowling, he used some magic tool that worked like the [Soundproof] spell that created a barrier in a fixed space for no sound to get in or out. Clearly, he didn’t wish for what they’re about to discuss to leak to unwanted listeners.

Some info on his first-time appearance, but his attire was about as snooty as a noble could get, with a fancy frilly necktie of some sort poofing out of his collar, a black tailcoat with matching slacks, shined black shoes, and leather gloves of the same color. From his exposed face, his skin tone is similar to Noire’s that it’s marble white, almost ghostly, with fangs poking out of his lips and pitch black eyes staring down at the Kitsune spouses with a condescending air. His shoulder-length hair was bluish-black that’s been waxed and combed back, revealing his forehead and pointed ears jotting out the sides. If I didn’t hear of his existence beforehand, I would have mistaken him for a butler with his ensemble.

After the artificial [Soundproof] barrier was erected, Rowling brought up how Yukino’s party has been quickly rising in the ranks as of late, and he’s apparently done his homework on them, too, for better or worse. It was likely that he used his influence as a noble to send spies to follow the three’s movements.

“The reason I called you both here is that I’m gathering allies for a great cause, and you two may just fit our group’s quota to achieving it,” Rowling explained, “If you wish for your clan to stand at the top, to show this kingdom what Kitsunes really are, and to serve as prime examples to your clan, then I can help you accomplish all that and more after you join us.”

“... And what exactly is your group’s ‘great cause’?” Konjiro asked, looking skeptical.

Rowling shook his head, “I’m afraid I cannot answer that until your joining our cause is guaranteed. If I were to tell you now and you refuse afterward, I’d be forced to kill you, you know? Can’t have potential traitors spilling our plans, you see.”

This made the spouses break into cold sweat. They knew Toshino’s the strongest Kitsune in their village, but they doubted even she could have a chance in taking out a powerful Vampire like Rowling.

“Despite my ‘safety measures’, I can’t help but want to put your capabilities to use,” Rowling continued, “If you have any conditions you want fulfilled now, then I’ll see about doing them for you.”

“... You’ll give us anything we want?” Konjiro asked.

“If it’s within my realm of power, then yes, as long as you join our cause immediately afterward,” Rowling answered.

“Konjiro, what are you doing?! I don’t think this is a good idea! We should leave! Now!” Yukino exclaimed in a whisper, but it seemed to have fallen onto deaf ears.

“Can you get rid of people, perhaps?” Konjiro asked.

“Depends on who those people are … and how you define ‘ridding’ them,” Rowling answered.

“Konjiro, you don’t seriously mean …” Yukino trailed off in disbelief.

“Come on, Yukino, you wanted this as much as I do, admit it,” Konjiro said, “There are people dragging our clan’s reputation through the mud, we loathe them for that and more. The honor that we originally prided ourselves in is pretty much lost in time now. Someone needs to step up and wipe the slate clean to start our clan anew. We can make that happen with Lord Rowling’s help, and it all starts with getting rid of the most problematic in our clan, Tenko or not. You know two of them quite well. Once they’re gone, setting an example for other delinquent Kitsunes, we can pave a new future for our clan, together.”

“... T-Together? As in, the two of us?” Yukino asked.

Konjiro took Yukino’s hand in his, looking into her with narrowed eyes, “What do you say, Yukino? Want to make history with me?”

Yukino’s vision blurred, showing that she was tearing up before nodding quickly. I can guess that she thought Konjiro finally acknowledged her as a female, as a loving wife, maybe his one-and-only, even. I didn’t see any hint of concern for her sister’s well-being anywhere, much less the sincerity in her husband’s eyes.

With that, Konjiro led the discussion by explaining his conditions, getting rid of Toshino and the corrupted old Bishop. It seems they’re gonna go about it by ‘bringing their sins to light’, so to speak, impeaching them for their crimes against the church and counts of murder, even if they have to forge evidence to make it possible. Remembering Opal’s fake letter, I’d imagine Rowling had some specialty in forgery to bring it up first since the Kitsune spouses weren’t willing to draw blood. It’s about what I expected of a corrupted noble, and it seems Konjiro and Yukino were willing to taint their Kitsune pride a bit to fulfill their goals.

After the conditions were laid out, agreements were made and the three of them shook hands on them after signing some contracts. Time passed with much activity going on between them, contact with Toshino and the corrupted Bishop grew sparse, until the day of reckoning approached.

~~

“Unhand me! What is the meaning of this?!”

“Big Sister! What’s going on?! Who are these people?! Why do I have this collar on me?!” the old Bishop and Toshino exclaimed respectively as they were struggling in the grasp of armored guards. They were detained by a metal collar and cuffs, getting dragged towards the village square against their will, where a crowd of Kitsunes was gathering around them. A carriage made of metal with barred windows was parked, with two armored Centaurs at the front, likely in charge of transporting it. Standing behind it were Rowling looking as ‘dignified’ as a noble could, with Konjiro and Yukino at his back.

“Cease your bickering!” Rowling ordered.

At his command, the collars and cuffs glowed red before lightning of the same color crackled from them. The sudden electrocution made the two detained Kitsunes scream in shock and pain before they were forced to kneel on the ground. 

The sight was enough for those of us watching the memory flinch. I decided to ask Sue what’s going on with those collars with my [Telepathy].

<Those enchanted collars and cuffs that come as sets serve as a means of temporary enslavement,> she explained, <Convicted criminals and those burdened by debt wear them until a Slave Merchant comes and officially brands them with the [Enslave] skill. The magic that’s in those collars and cuffs isn’t as complex as how [Enslave] brands a target, as it merely sends a shock to the wearer at a cue. I imagine the head leading those guards holds the registration to activate that cue.>

How brutal …

Once the detained Kitsunes were brought to silence, Rowling introduced himself and explained the situation with dignity and poise, as if he was the one in charge of the village. Some items were even brought out to the public to serve as evidence for their crimes and other immoral activities to rub salt into the wounds. Some questionable specimens from Toshino’s personal lab, including cadavers of recently departed Kitsunes, as well as the decaying bodies of the Bishop’s victims of murder that have gone missing were among his line of evidence to pin the crime on them. As this tale was told with truths and lies woven in them, the other Kitsune villagers grew enraged, hurt as if they were betrayed. The corrupted Bishop was turning white as a sheet as his life was quickly crumbling away before his very eyes. Toshino, however, had no hint of fear or anxiety. She only stared at Yukino directly, practically unblinking with no signs of light seen in her eyes. That stare shook Yukino down to her very core before she hugged Konjiro’s arm while hiding behind Rowling for the sake of security.

Soon enough, the village’s Kitsune elder stepped forward to confirm what was going on. After that, he only looked down at his detained clan members with disappointment before giving Rowling permission to do as he wished with them. The parents of the twins and Konjiro in the audience couldn’t bear to look at their daughter (in law) any longer.

With Toshino’s and the Bishop’s enslavement announced, they were given a chance to say some parting words before being taken away. The corrupted Bishop couldn’t say anything as the shock of it all left him fainted while sitting up. The guards that were there merely took his body in a vegetative state and practically tossed him into the prisoner carriage. That only left Toshino, who was hanging her head at some point in Rowling’s speech.

“Well, Toshino? Anything you have to say?” Rowling asked.

After a brief moment, Toshino’s shoulders shook before a snicker was heard, “Kukuku … kikikiki. KIKIKIHAHAHAHAHAAAA!”

The sudden outburst of laughter startled the audience, even Rowling.

“Oh, truly, what a joke this all has been!” Toshino exclaimed loud enough for all to hear, “After everything I did for this village, what I’ve contributed to the advancement of [Holy Magic], putting aside my more tainted and selfish mishaps, all it took was a stranger’s words and some objects posing as ‘evidence’ to have all of that overlooked to paint me the bad guy! Interesting! Very well, then, let’s set some things straight!

“Yes, I’m not actually a Shrine Maiden, but a Templar, a supposed ‘assassin of the church’! Yes, I’ve known gramps’ murders for quite some time and blackmailed him for them, but I only wanted to do my damn research in peace while being a Templar in exchange for my silence! I didn’t want to do any of the boring crap that came with being a Shrine Maiden, especially after knowing how much of a joke working for this village’s church would be, since it’s being looked after by a serial killer! But do you know what the punch line in all this is? Even though I’m a Templar, the only murders I’ve ever committed were out of self-defense because some stupid adventurers wouldn’t know decency, even if it slitted their throats, and that was when I was still training as a Cleric, a supposed weak class that would make the Brawler more competent in a fight! Getting killed by a Cleric, how much of a joke would that be, huh?!” she exclaimed before getting into a giggle fit.

“... Are you quite done?” Rowling asked with a furrowed brow.

“H-Hold, hold on, I still have something hilarious to say!” she exclaimed between giggles before turning to Yukino with a smile, of which that made the older twin tremble, “Yukino, my dear, serious, loving, yet stupid big sister. I know we had our differences and sisterly squabbles, I may have been born as a Tenko, but I used to look up to you, you know? I know more than anyone in this village, especially Konjiro, how hard you worked to get where you are today without the powers of a Tenko. Your persistence to push yourself to your limit and get a little better at something everyday was quite admirable, it made me want to be more passionate about my research and use what I could to support you. I wanted to give you something that would make all your hard work have meaning, to make you realize your life was worth something, even if none of the other stupid Kitsunes could see it. That’s why I tried to pass off your crush to you when he proposed to me first.”

“O-Ow, you’re gripping me rather tight there, Yukino,” Konjiro strained in a whisper, but it seemed Yukino was too blinded by rage to register it.

“I admit it was partially out of pity, but I really didn’t want to put up with his narcissistic ass as my mate, nor have a mate at all,” Toshino continued, “I made sure to make myself as gross and creepy as possible with my research so he could spend more time with you, instead. I didn’t expect a thanks out of you for any of that, of course, but wow, I did not think you hated me so much to go to such lengths to get rid of me. I admit, as your little sister, I am quite hurt, but I must thank you for throwing me this party for my departure.”

“And what on Raiza could you possibly thank me for?” Yukino growled.

“Why, to give me a reason to put my Templar class to its full potential, of course!” Toshino exclaimed, “Just think of the dirty work they’ll have me do as a slave, and I could get more proactive in my research while on the job! I can dissect anyone while they’re still alive and see their insides function before my very eyes! Who wouldn’t want to take up such an opportunity to further their research?! I can finally work without worrying about ethics and my reputation as a false Shrine Maiden! By exposing my ‘sins’, you’ve set me free to be more myself than I ever was before! Truly, this is a blessing from the Immortals themselves! A sign showing me the way to a greater purpose in life! And it’s all thanks to you, dear sis—”

A loud smack rang through the village square, silencing Toshino’s speech. In a blink of an eye, Yukino moved to her sister’s side, leaving a red handprint on her cheek that was turned to the side.

“Why?” Yukino asked with a shaky breath, “Even after I put you at rock bottom, taken away everything you held dear, why are you still smiling? You should be despairing, begging to be freed, become helpless over the changes you can’t control, everything that you put me through for being under your fucking shadow. Why can’t you suffer like I have after all these years?!”

“... Oh, Big Sister, it seems being under my ‘shadow’ has blinded you,” Toshino said calmly before facing her, “I was suffering, Big Sister. Suffering to balance my research and fulfill expectations as a Tenko and Shrine Maiden, duties that I never asked to be a part of. Suffering to witness your own suffering as you cried yourself to sleep in some nights, asking the Immortals why you weren’t born a Tenko like myself. I suffered witnessing many people praising and looking up to murderers as ‘heroes’, having no idea how many lives they’ve truly taken, whether those victims have sinned or not. I’ve suffered from the lack of comprehension of this world’s existence, why the Immortals allowed ‘evil’ to run rampant, and why I’m not finding answers to the most burning questions, no matter how much I researched [Holy Magic], amongst others.

“From the look of surprise on your face, it seems neither of us ever realized how much the other was going through. As of today, I’ve come to learn that it’s impossible to truly understand another person’s suffering, but I do know I have one thing I have that helped me get through the worst moments of my life, including now, and that’s my optimistic nature,” Toshino declared before smiling, “These moments of ‘suffering’, I see them as moments to improve myself, just as you have with your persistent training. I see them as challenges to how I can perceive what’s ‘bad’ or ‘evil’ into something that benefits me. I see the numbers people have killed as exciting stories of growth that make me want to unravel and learn from their example. Some of those stories may be boring or pitiful, like gramps’ murders, but those who have killed many are likely to have many interesting stories to tell, too, and with this industry, I just might find the right master I can serve who won’t make my new slave life as dreadful as some make it out to be. I’ll be praying to the Immortals until the moment of that meeting comes.

“And when I do meet that very master, I’ll come find you and Konjiro again, Big Sister, I’ll tell you everything that I’ve learned in my journey by example. I’ll show you how much I appreciate you existing with me in this world, slowly and surely, as you’ll come to understand what it really means to be in the darkness of my shadow after living under a ‘false light’ without me around from today onwards. It’s the least I can do to thank you for giving me this opportunity, as well as leaving me this parting gift on my cheek, dear sister,” Toshino finished as she stared straight into Yukino’s eyes with cold malice, and a smile of twisted happiness, probably from the thoughts of what she'll do to her in their reunion.

As Yukino trembled in place, Toshino moved up to her older twin’s ear to whisper, “Allow me to give you a theory I came up with from all the years of research I’ve done up to now as my parting gift to you, something to linger in your thoughts as a way to remember me by. My original question, ‘what is the purpose of this world’s existence’? My theory? This world, Raiza, is not the first world, the ‘world of beginnings’, but in fact one of the two final destinations. What we know as Heaven and Hell? They actually exist, and we … are in the latter, the world ruled by sin. 

“Raiza … is the embodiment of Hell, itself.” 

Orange_Rain

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