“Kurai,” The duke of Asturdorm spoke calmly, his voice echoing through the gardens to the young fox demon left alone on one of the benches. He seemed defeated, slumped over and staring at the ground. His thoughts were rampant - knowing the truth of everything crumbling down on him. Knowing the truth tore him apart the most - knowing who the demon was and witnessing what he did to his Snow. Knowing he trusted the monster that had done this for a long time, it destroyed him. What hurt him the most was that he couldn’t reach her faster than what the demon had done. But, if he turned him in, he’d look like a crazy person. No one would trust him, and they would never be able to take him down. 

 

Kurai ignored the demon, flicking flames into the Snow and watching it melt. The power that Mundus’s demon form helped was astronomical and always has been. The demon form of his brother was corrupt, malicious, and so much worst than he could imagine. The more he thought about it, the stronger he could feel the flames within him grow. How could he?

 

“Kurai,” Astaroth repeated.

 

The nogitsune turned to glance at Astaroth but not wanting to reply. He had no interest in conversating with his brother’s steward. How did he not see what kind of demon Mundus was, though? With the many years they’ve spent together, did he not once get a glimpse of this powerful demon that resided in the Prince? It angered him how blind Astaroth was. But, if not even Astaroth knew, then Kurai was shocked that he even knew. He has been alive for 24 years, but Astaroth has been a demon for thousands of years. He should have seen it all - he should’ve seen it coming. Astaroth should’ve had the knowledge and power as the right-hand man of Mundus.

 

“We need to have a discussion, Kurai,” Astaroth’s voice flowed to him.

 

“About… What?” He bit his tongue, avoiding asking questions about Mundus and jabbing at the duke for not knowing who the Lord was. Was everyone blinded by the Demon King’s kindness that he showed to them? Kurai could, once again, feel his blood boiling at the stupidity of everyone. 

 

Then again, Kurai was blinded too. 

 

Kurai joined alongside Mundus as a child or a pup. Mundus took him in at a young age to raise and prepare him for his journey once he was old enough. Day and night, Kurai would study and watch his ‘older brother.’ He’d sit and learn as Mundus played games, trained, or relaxed. The nogitsune kid was right there beside him, watching his every move. Kurai felt welcomed by Mundus. He remembers the day his parents abandoned him - calling him a demon spirit. He was heartbroken and shattered. They told him once he could redeem himself by protecting his ward, which in this case was Snow, he could join the family and the Tribe - living in harmony with the kitsune. The burden that he felt the day he was cast out, knowing that he’d never be welcomed - considering they didn’t leave him with any information. He shared the story with Snow once, but it will always burn inside his memory of those few days. 

 

The day he got the message from his family’s Tribe, he had just earned his third tail - at 15. He found out that his Tribe was preparing for war, and the Tribe was asking for help. But being that the Tribe was about to be attacked, that’s when the bond between him and Snow became official. It’s strange because Kurai had little to no knowledge about the bond. He was told that if he could protect his ward, he would rejoin the Tribe. Sadly, Kurai never was given a chance to rejoin his Tribe after the demon utterly decimated it. The same monster murdered Snow’s family.  

 

He’ll never understand how the demon killed the world’s strongest sorcerer, and he feels it wasn’t done alone. There had to be a battle about it, but no one knew. The underworld likes to say they were murdered within the human world - where any magic done between either party would have caused significant disasters.  

 

Once the demon could rid Ren and Sayuri, he went after the Sayaka Tribe. The Tribe even knew beforehand and asked for allies from the Lord. They did their best to help with the war, sending a few extra demons to watch over the Fox gods. However, it wasn’t enough. The demon swooped in with his army and took them out - leaving Kurai to hear about the broken Tribe within a week. He was shattered to know that his own family was decimated, but he also could care less about them. They removed the nogitsune from their Tribe - for being the Curse of the Darkened One. That’s what they called him as a young cub when they released him… 

 

Their words echo in his head from the other kids and even some of the adults. It was heartbreaking. Even his mother turned her back on him. Weren’t mothers supposed to protect their children? His father, the leader of the Tribe, turned him away because it gave the family a bad name.’ Why would they allow a demon to live within a group of Gods?

 

 With that being so, he shrugged off the idea of his family being murdered. Then chose to continue fighting for his next few tails - taking extra classes and learning more from Mundus. Being with Mundus also opened him up to training options besides Lady Serelia and Lord Zonoth, learning more and gaining more experience to earn more tails. By turning 20, he had gained his fourth tail; 23 was his fifth tail… And recently, he gained his sixth tail at the age of 24. He’s worked hard to get to where he was, and now he had a human to protect. Just because the bond was shattered didn’t mean he didn’t want to keep Snow safe. She meant a lot to him.

 

Just because he wasn’t a God didn’t mean he wasn’t as good as one. He had his name now and his wishes to complete in life - rather than see a bunch of fox gods try to be perfect. Of course, he’d never forgive any of them for casting them out of the Tribe - never. Even if they somehow magically lived through the attack of Mundus’s demon. He only wished they could see how powerful he was now - without their help. A Master of Fire and closer to receiving nine tails blessed him, and he would continue working at it - starting with Snow. If he could help her, he’d likely receive his seventh tail. He could do it. 

 

“Kurai?!” Astaroth’s voice brought him back to reality.

 

“Oh,” Kurai murmured, blinking and raising his head to the duke. “You’re still here.” 

 

“Yes, I am. Would you like to join us for Snow’s awakening?” 

 

“Awakening?” He echoed, tilting his head and frowning. “... Astaroth, there’s nothing in this world I want more than to see her awake and doing well.” 

 

“I’m aware,” Astaroth sighed, dismissing his words. “We require discussing the options, pros and cons.”

 

Kurai nodded and stood up, a single tail trailing behind him as he walked with Astaroth. “I have a question, Astaroth… Are you able to replace Mu-my wards’ demon mark?” He quickly replaced his words, biting his tongue once more. He couldn’t release this information to Astaroth. The demon would not believe him, as he’s been by his side for a long time.

 

“Your wards?” He echoed curiously. “I can try and remove her mark, but we must remember that this demon is mighty - as we can tell by Snow’s lifeless body results.”

 

Kurai froze, clenching his fists as he stared lifelessly. It bothered him that they seemed to have little hope by calling her lifeless. Perhaps he could try, but he was unsure how well that would work.

 

“Kurai, you’ve never removed a demon’s mark from a Halfling, have you?” He asked.

 

The nogitsune shook his head, gazing at him quickly. 

 

“It’s not easy - and it can mean horrendous things for the demon who’s marked them,” He explained. “I was able to remove one mark from someone, and that’s because I was a lot more powerful and knew a lot more than the demon who had marked them…” He trailed off, looking rather saddened. 

 

“But…?”

 

“It can drive a demon to madness,” Astaroth murmured. “Granted, a demon can replace another’s mark and control their own inner demon, but sometimes… They cannot. Think of it like.. Like a curse.”

 

Kurai said nothing, just listened to the duke.

 

“A human - or halfling - who a demon has marked means they belong to that demon. It’s more than likely what happened to Enoxon. That demon has control over Enoxon due to the mark it more than likely placed on the sorcerer.”

 

The way Kurai heard the word ‘belong’ bothered the ever-living hell out of him. After knowing how Enoxon reacted to the mark, what would happen to Snow if they awakened her? Would he be able to turn her against them as they did with Enoxon? There’s no way he would let Mundus have her - in any way at all. 

 

“It’s not just a curse of death - the demon owns the one they mark. It’s similar to making a pact with a demon - but in this case, it’s similar to black magic and, of course, curses. Any demon can mark someone. In this case, Snow is a special halfling. She is the daughter of the Reaper - she is strong - which is probably one main reason she hasn’t joined the demon’s side. Most demons can only mark one human to belong to them - this causes an easy feed off the human’s emotions and pain,” He explained to Kurai.

 

This piqued the fox demon’s curiosity. He’s never heard of the marks that way. Of course, with Mundus’s power, it only explains why he has two people marked. Maybe even more. These two people - one potent wizard and then a halfling. Has he been able to feed off Snow’s emotions and pleasures? That angered him and got his fire whirling again. 

 

Who the hell does he think he is?! Marking Snow to own her? What kind of bullshit is that?

 

“In this event, this demon is so strong that he has marked two targets. Possibly more,” Astaroth continued. “With that being so, he can feed off Enoxon’s anguish and Snow’s fear.” Astaroth’s head slowly drops in a mixture of anger and sadness. His eyes once filled with determination, now seem clouded with disappointment.

 

Kurai watched as the duke’s head dropped. He seemed to be just as concerned as he was with Snow. He hasn’t had much play in the relationship with her, but the demon did seem to be worried about her. If he was as close as he states to the previous Reaper, maybe keeping Snow safe was a priority? Perhaps he felt he failed the last Reaper and Snow, such as Kurai. 

 

“You knew all along who Snow was, didn’t you?” Kurai suddenly asked him quietly, his gaze avoiding the demons. “You didn’t think to tell us?” 

 

“I knew, yes. I knew the day she was born and turned over to Sayuri and Ren,” Astaroth’s voice lowers to a calm, almost ashamed tone as he speaks. His words are slow and deliberate as if he’s struggling to find the right ones to convey his feelings. Clearly, he’s burdened by something, and the weight of it all seems to be weighing heavily on his shoulders. Despite his attempts to hide it, his emotions seem to be bubbling beneath the surface. Astaroth knew everything regarding Snow. 

 

The nogitsune was speechless, just shoved past the duke. He doesn’t even look back, leaving Astaroth to pick up the pieces and try to reorient himself. Despite the rudeness of the encounter, Astaroth remains calm and composed. He knew the anger and remorse that Kurai felt - as he had felt the same way once. With this, he slowly tailed after Kurai back into Miserth Keep. He knew so much more than anyone else, except maybe Mati - but the risks he would face by releasing the information may turn deadly. 

 

 

Everyone inside the keep surrounded Snow’s body laid out in the crystal. Still looked as peaceful as ever, she did. Kurai had approached the body alongside Astaroth, who went on the other side of her to ensure he could speak to everyone. 

 

“Now that everyone understands our options, we must determine the pros and cons. 

 

Yushin, Jenieva, Kurai, Casielle, and Zarall are lined up on the other side. Mati was off to the side, near Snow’s head. Surprisingly, Yushin was the first to speak.

 

“Can Reapers be demons?” The Spirit Walker questioned. “I guess I’ve only ever worked beside the Lady in Red, so I apologize, as I’m not quite sure about the process.”

 

“Why is that your first question?!” Kurai’s face contorted with anger as he raised his voice, his words sharp and biting. His deep amber eyes were narrow as he directed his frustration towards the spirit walker, his voice carrying a forceful intensity.

 

Yushin ignored Kurai’s anger, as he was used to it now. “It was a simple question, Fox-Brain.”

 

“Fox Brain?!” Kurai snapped. Despite the heat of the moment, his words are calculated and deliberate, as he makes his displeasure known with a commanding presence. “Who the hell-”

 

“Kurai, please. We are exploring our options,” Casielle’s quiet voice peeped up. “Anything is possible, right?”

 

Listening to her voice, Kurai directed his anger away from the Spirit Walker - he could deal with him later, possibly ring out his neck again. 

 

“Yes, Reapers can be demons,” Astaroth answered.

 

Zarall was the next one to ask, “What happens when you transform a halfling into a full demon? I know you had mentioned the option earlier, but… If I recall correctly, you stated she could lose control?”

 

“That is correct, yes. A newly fledged demon will be hungry and will want to hunt. Since Snow is already a half-demon, I’m not sure how they will react to her. She is not known to eat.. Well, humans or human souls…” Astaroth trailed off. 

 

“Or the demon will consume her, and she will most likely be lost to the depths of the underworld, possibly Tartarus?” Zarall questioned.

 

“That or she will find her way outside the underworld, which will cause a rather harsh mess for the human world. Because she does not feed her inner demon, the demon will be on an extreme rampage and hunger hunt,” Astaroth replied. 

 

Zarall nodded, falling silent as he continued to think.

 

“And there is no way a Celestial’s Magic can fix this?” Casielle asked, pulling a strand of her pink hair to her shoulder. She was staring intently at the young woman’s body, saddened to see such a fragile human - well, demon, in this state. 

 

“More than likely, it would only be a temporary fix,” Astaroth explained to her, crossing his arms and putting his weight on one leg.

 

Yushin questioned, “There aren’t a single one of you demons here that can overpower this demon’s mark?”

 

Astaroth shook his head. “I am unable to mark another halfling. Especially one with this marking. This demon, whoever it may be, is strong and powerful.”

 

Kurai shifted awkwardly as he said that. Knowing who the demon was made him more angry towards his brother. However, he did catch the gaze of Mati, with a tiny smirk on his face. It seemed to be that no one else noticed the smirk because the conversation continued.

 

Jenieva was standing there, feeling completely out of place. She didn’t know Snow well, but she understood humans exceptionally well. Running a bar that has had humans in before, halflings, reapers, and sorcerers, it was incredible what kind of bond she had created with many of them. From her few interactions with Snow, she knew this woman was loyal and strong-witted. But she still was a human who had her own choices to make. Slowly, she could feel something twist inside her. This feeling was of anger but resentment toward the woman. All these people gathered to help her but could not ask her what she wanted. That’s what bothered her - everyone had their own choice to make. In this event, Snow didn’t. She was going to be forced into whatever the group decided on. 

 

This caused her to tear up a bit, “Snow didn’t ask for any of this!” Her voice rang through the corridors. “She’s what, 25? And she’s got an entire life ahead of her, full of love, laughter, and wonder. But you want to turn her into a demon? Demons are incapable of so much! Sure, we have the strength and magical ‘fairy’ powers,” she mocked the word fairy, “But we’re also immortal, damn near impossible to have our own families with, and… And… We’re forced to sometimes feed on innocent humans too!” She didn’t know what came over her, but her fists were clenched, and her face was angry and a bit wet from the tears that had formed from the anger. 

 

Her sudden outburst caused the crowd to fall silent. 

 

Yushin shuffled awkwardly next to the demon, and the best he could do was rest on her shoulder to try to calm her. “It’s not fair, Jenieva. But if it means we’re saving her life, the underworld could be free, and you could. I’m sure you miss the human world - all the friends you’ve made, yes?”

 

She froze a little, her deep red eyes shifting to the Spirit Walker. How did he know? “I..” She muttered, falling silent at the Spirit Walker’s words. “I’m sorry. I barely know Snow, but I know she wants to be happy. She can’t be happy sleeping there like a rock. She’s a happy person - and deserves it… If the return of the Reaper means releasing the underworld from the shackles cast on us,” The demon glared at the Celestials on the other side of her, knowing what Michael had done to them. “Do whatever - I don’t care.” The demon turned away from the group, feeling embarrassed and also ashamed. Knowing different stories of how unfair the Celestial World can be, bothers her. She tried to keep her composition with the Celestials but couldn’t. They were horrible beings. “I need to go back to the bar,” Jenieva sighed. “They need help.”

 

“Can’t you stay a bit longer?” Casielle asked, knowing that this demon wasn’t fond of her kind. However, with the heart of gold that Casielle had, she wanted to befriend her. She’s always worked it out with others - especially demons - for whatever reason. Maybe it was her charm, or perhaps it was her personality, but Casielle wanted to ensure the demons were happy in their living situations. Every ounce of her told her that she shouldn’t care so much, but Casielle had to. 

 

Jenieva glared at her, knowing that she was trying. But her body told her to turn away from their friendship. She may have human friends, but Jenieva did not want to befriend the horrible celestials. 

 

“... I’ll go with her,” Yushin stated, turning away from the group. He glanced over his shoulder at Kurai, “Make the best choice, will ya? I need my Reaper,” He gave the fox-demon a wink and smirk before joining Jenieva. “Good luck; call us back if you need anything.” With that, he waved to the remaining beings, and they teleported out of the keep.

 

Casielle sighed softly, “Will she befriend the Celestials?”

 

Astaroth shrugged, dismissing her, “You can tend to her feelings later, Casielle.” He cleared his throat and stood up tall. “The magic that I

have access to can turn her full demon,” He explained to the rest of them. “I will have to release her from the prison she sits in, but this comes with great risks.”

 

Mati glanced at Astaroth and sighed, “Why not you try to replace her mark before turning her?” His gaze fell over to the Fox demon. 

 

“Kurai will not be strong enough,” Astaroth commented. 

 

“How do we know?” He asked, “Have you attempted to remove and replace her mark with your own?”

 

Kurai contemplated it, staring down at Snow’s lifeless body, just wanting to do what he could to help her. He couldn’t believe he would be strong enough to remove the mark himself - not against Mundus’s ultimate power. “I have only six tails, Mati. I’ve also never marked anyone before.”

 

“Good, means your mark will be strong to Snow - especially since the whole ‘pact thing,’” Mati commented, running his hands over the crystal that the woman slept in. “Even if you are not strong enough to remove the entire mark, you may be able to split it.” His gaze narrowed to the Nogitsune as if he knew something. “Your blood has already been mixed with hers during the pact. Granted, the Blade has been destroyed, but you still have the strongest bond with her since - well, practically birth,” Mati explained, his eyes burning into Kurai’s amber ones. 

 

How does Mati know so much? Kurai questioned his antics. How did Mati know so much? Yushin brought Snow to Mati to help her discover her reaper history. Kurai only had a little bit of interaction with Mati since Mundus had knocked out Snow’s body. Surprisingly, he didn’t even know ‘dream walkers’ were a thing - so what else was Mati hiding? Mati knew who Snow was, where she was from, and the Lady in Red’s history… 

 

Astaroth raised an eyebrow and sighed, “Well, we can try. I can prepare the removal of the stasis. Everyone would need to wait outside, as we don’t need someone accidentally marking her. . . But Kurai, do you realize what has to be done?”

 

Kurai’s gaze slowly transferred from Mati to Astaroth. “What?”

 

Mati shook his head, groaning a bit. “Astaroth, he won’t do it.”

 

“He will - or I will be turning her into a complete full-fledged demon,” Astaroth commented. “Which could potentially be ten times worst for her.”

 

Casielle gasped, “I’ve heard this before!” 

 

Zarall nodded, “I’ve heard for a demon to mark a human as their own. They have to poison the human, basically.”

 

“Correct, Zarall,” Astaroth paused, his soft purple gaze landing on the fox demon. “A halfling is different.”

 

“Poison?” Kurai echoed, worry rolling inside him again. 

 

Casielle once said, “For a Demon to mark a Halfling, they have to fight past both the original demon’s blood and the halflings demon’s blood - overtaking both of them with his or her own!” She seemed incredibly proud of herself, knowing the breakdown of demons.

 

“What does that mean?” Kurai questioned, skimming back and forth between the demons.

 

“You will have to practically have to kill her again in order to save her,” Mati’s low voice reverberated.