(Written by Liquid O, 0, and TheRealHistory)
The lands near Shimiyama castle were unusually quiet and devoid of both troops or villagers. Entire settlements were seemingly abandoned, Stephanie flew high into the air and used her advanced sensors to scan for enemies but she landed with nothing to report.
“This doesn’t make any sense. Ayasa’s forces are supposed to be here.” Abolith pondered.
“Maybe she somehow caught on to our plans? U-uh Ma’am.” Hailey said.
“No. Something else is going on here. I don’t like it. If I concentrate I can just manage to sense…something.” Abolith said.
“I guess I could not hide from you, Abolith-san.” A voice suddenly appeared.
Before anyone could react a raging ring of foxfire encircled the small force and Hinata herself appeared right beside Abolith, the vixen’s now infamous sword, Moonslayer, held less than an inch from the elf’s neck. It glowd with an ethereal white light, but it was different now, Abolith could sense Hinata’s own chi coursing through the blade. The dark elf showed no fear or surprise, she didn’t move an inch, she turned her menacing glare towards the kitsune. The others drew their swords and weapons and prepared to strike.
Abolith could see that Hinata had grown stronger in the 17 years since. She now sported eight white tipped tails and her eyes were focused and deadly. While she wore the trappings worthy of a celestial kitsune, she dressed much more humbly than Tatsu or Shizen. Her long hair was now white and flowed freely, a stark contrast to the more proper tied back hairstyles of her youth.
“Hinata Ayasa. Where is your army? Do you really think you can take all of us by yourself?” Abolith asked calmly.
Hinata smiled and twisted her blade, then in an instant over 30 of Abolith’s groups were dead. They crumpled to the floor with blood flying from wounds that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Hinata moved imperceptibly fast and appeared to not move from her spot threatening Abolith. The elf looked to her fallen troops and then back to the black vixen.
“You will pay for that.” Abolith stated.
“Will I now? I only killed them as an example to the others. Despite what you’ve been told, I do not like killing. Especially loyal soldiers, their only mistake was backing you and the Royal Family.” Hinata said with a cold expression.
“Y-you’re a monster!” Stephanie said shakily.
“Please tell your subordinate to remain silent while we speak.” Hinata asked.
“Be quiet, Stephanie.” Abolith said to the armored girl.
Stephanie could tell by the elf assassin’s face that she was deadly serious. She choked back a retort and bit her tongue.
“I am surprised that Fukushu-san decided to send his wife. I was certain someone like him would have had you ‘protecting the children’. And he let a human join you as well.” Hinata remarked, eyeing Mason and Fenrir as Fenrir bare his teeth towards Hinata.
“How dare you talk about Fukushu-sama like that!” Daichi called out.
“Your loyalty to Fukusu-san is admirable. Foolish but admirable.” Hinata said.
Eichi put his hand on his brother’s chest, keeping him from stepping forward.
“Men. You can’t stand to see a woman in power. Josei ga kenryoku o motsu koto o kami wa kinjite imasu. Watashitachi ga hon’nosukoshi no shihai-ken o eyou to shita to shite mo, anatagata wa watashitachi o uchinomesu nodesu.” Hinata said, her previously neutral becoming laced with venom.
“You’re wrong. And don’t you dare claim my beloved is anything like that.” Abolith replied.
“Men are all the same, I’m sure someday you will learn this.” Hinata glared.
“I’ve learned plenty, you insolent child,” Abolith growled. “Now make..your..move!”
In an instant Abolith and Hinata disappeared. Both Hinata and Abolith’s forces looked around in confusion. Their attention was drawn skyward as the kitsune and dark elf engaged in combat. The foxfire ring kept the others from interfering.
“We should probably help. Right?” Hailey asked, her grip tightening on her war hammer.
“Don’t worry, I came prepared!” Stephanie announced and unleashed a blast of water around them, extinguishing Hinata’s foxfire.
The second the fire was gone their forces engaged. Fenrir grew to the size of a house and pounced on the forces, scattering them.
“How’d you do that? That was foxfire!?” Anjelica asked conjuring a shield to defend from an attack.
“It's special water distilled from Yggdrasil sap, really hard to get and I don’t have an unlimited supply so don’t get too comfortable!” Stephanie informed.
Meanwhile Hinata and Abolith had landed in a nearby recently vacated village. The eight tailed kitsune had made sure to evacuate the people to protect them from any collateral damage during the battle. She rushed the elf with a fury of slashes but the elf was able to dodge them and when Hinata brought her sword down to strike her Abolith quickly unsheathed two elven blades and crossed them in front of her, catching the kitsune’s sword.
“You’re better than I thought you’d be Abolith-san” the fox woman remarked.
Abolith didn’t respond she struggled as the two locked swords, her blades beginning to crack against the eight-tails’ strength. She just barely rolled out of the way when her blades shattered, a large slash carved across her torso. Hinata prepared to strike when the elf assassin released a smoke bomb. It didn’t buy her as much time as she had hoped, Hinata simply swung her sword and the smoke had dissipated. Abolith was running for the cover of a nearby building when it exploded into flames. Hinata appeared atop the burning building.
“Nice try assassin.” Hinata said.
Abolith flipped away from the flames and drew daggers from her boots. Hinata was smart, keeping Abolith in the open where the elf assassin would be less effective. Hinata had appeared right behind her, thinking she caught the elf before she could use her throwing knives. But Abolith had anticipated this and while she feigned for her daggers she cracked a poison bomb beneath her boot, coating the area in a poisonous cloud. She rolled away and drew her short sword.
“Elmlümafíst. Deadly to all but my people.” She explained.
Back in the large battle Fenrir kept Hinata’s troops scattered while Stephanie kept to the skies providing artillery fire. Kari led the kitsune troops and maintained a perimeter while Hailey kept Anjelica safe, the young witch was unprepared for the chaos of battle and was only able to cast short protection spells.
"Keep them back! We can't afford to let them go any further!" Kari shouted as she swung her sword at her foes.
"Anjelica, how are you holding up?" Haley asked as she saw the young witch girl casting a few protection spells around some of the soldiers as well herself, although the spells were only temporary and the spells only lasted for so long.
"I'm....I'm okay, I guess, it's....WATCH OUT!" Anjelica shouted as she looked behind her and Haley kicked away an enemy.
"This is definitely a lot crazier than I was expecting!" Anjelica said as she saw one of their soldier's getting slashed across the chest.
"I know, it's all very hard to take in, but believe me, I'm going to make sure you make it out of this in one piece, otherwise both your moms and Mason won't forgive me." Haley said as she punched a few foes away from them as Anjelica did as many protection spells as she could.
She just hoped that wherever Mason and Fenrir were, they were both safe and hopefully Abolith would see this through until the end and afterwards so she could see her children again.
When the elf heard Hinata begin to cough she knew the poison was taking effect and made her move and closed the distance. It would take a while for the poison to kill her enemy but Hinata’s reflexes would be slowed as the poison did its job. Abolith was now in the offensive, leaving the kitsune to just barely deflect the other woman’s strikes.
Then Hinata let out a growl and foxfire unleashed all around her, forcing Abolith back. Then Hinata began to glow, once the light faded she looked back at Abolith with renewed intensity.
“How? Nobody is able to remove poison that quickly!” Abolith cursed.
“Because Abolith-san. I am a celestial kitsune.” Hinata stated.
The kitsune rushed Abolith but before she could reach her a sword blocked her path with a thunderous sound.
“What?!” Hinata grunted.
“No.” Abolith added.
Standing in between the two women was Mason, his large nordic sword had cracked the ground where he planted it.
“I won’t let you hurt her!” Mason declared.
“Foolish boy!” Hinata growled and ran towards him.
Mason scrambled to pull his sword from the ground and when he did it ripped up the earth in front of him, sending it flying at Hinata. She jumped out of the way just in time but just barely.
“Mason what are you thinking?!” Abolith shouted.
“I-I’m helping you! I can help you!” He replied.
Before the elf could argue back Hinata had already returned and locked blades with her. Abolith was surprised by his strength, even she couldn’t hold back Hinata. Mason pushed back and sent a shockwave that blasted the kitsune across the fields. Before she could recover he swung his sword and an arc of raw magic shot out. Hinata deflected the attack and cut it in two. The two magic arcs continued flying forward and cut right through the village, destroying several buildings and cutting into the nearby hill.
“Does Fukushu know you can do that?!” Abolith said in disbelief.
“I didn’t know I could do that!” Mason replied.
“You are powerful, child, but raw strength is only half of swordsmanship.” Hinata stated.
She had appeared right in front of him and used her foxfire to push him back, once he was she engaged him in combat. Her sword skills were evident as she delivered precise blows and cuts. Mason was barely able to block her attacks, large slashes and wounds began appearing across his body. Their clash was paused when Abolith made her move. Hinata blocked Mason with her katana and caught the elf’s blade with her free hand. Her eyes turned to the assassin and her hand erupted into magical flames that blasted Abolith and sent her flying back.
“Abolith!” Mason screamed.
Using this to break Mason’s concentration Hinata crouched low and swept the teen’s feet from under him with her tails. Once he was mid air she struck him with the tips of her two fingers and kicked him through the wall of a nearby barn. Inside the barn Mason tried to get up but found he couldn’t move.
Abolith ignored her burns as she crawled out of the crater she landed in. The elf reached into one of her pouches and pulled out vibrant blue berries. She popped them into her mouth and collapsed as she caught her breath, the berries would ease her burns.
'Beloved....Raiden....Stella....I swear you will....see me....as victorious today.' Abolith thought to herself
When Hinata didn’t appear to finish her, she knew she was going after Mason, despite her wounds she drew two more hidden daggers and made her way to the barn Mason had been thrown into.
Fenrir had heard Mason moaning from his wounds and made his way over to the barn where he found Mason inside as he made himself average dog sized and nuzzled his face for comfort.
“Fenrir? Is that you? Ouch, I had no idea Hinata would be this strong.” Mason said taking deep breaths.
“Indeed, I never expected a fight like this in all my life. But I wish to see this fight through to the end, and I wish to see you make it out with me. My years of imprisonment might have weakened me, but my determination is strong.” Fenrir said as Mason nodded and held his face close to Fenrir.
“You’ve got the strength Fenrir, and I’ve got the fighting skills, I wish we could combine both of them together, we’d be the ultimate team.” Mason said aloud.
As Fenrir nodded, Mason’s sword Gram suddenly began to glow as the glow of the sword engulfed them both.
Meanwhile outside, as Hinata approached the barn she heard a crash and a booming howl. Then the barn exploded outward and a black mass rushed at the kitsune. Hinata blocked the advance and found herself face to face with an anthro wolf man. His eyes betrayed his nature. One was the boy with the sword and the other belonged to the wolf Fenrir. This amalgamation wielded the boy’s Nordic great sword with renewed vigor and a beastly ferocity.
“You are full of surprises, aren’t you?” The black and white vixen commented before breaking their lock and flipping backwards.
“You’ve yet to see anything.” The amalgamated wolf boy said as he struck his sword with Hinata’s own sword.
Not far away, Abolith slowly got up and was surprised to see a wolf boy attacking Abolith, when she knew that neither side had someone that looked like that.
“Aunt Abolith look out!” The hybrid wolf boy shouted as Hinata shot foxfire orbs towards Abolith only for the wolf boy to rush over quickly and block the attack with his sword, a sword which Abolith recognized.
“That’s my nephew’s sword, how did you get it?” Abolith asked the wolf.
“What? Abolith it’s me, it’s Mason.” The wolf boy said as Abolith looked closer and determined that the wolf boy did indeed sound like Mason, but he looked more like a dog now. Abolith looked behind Mason to see Hinata rushing towards Mason with her sword, Abolith pushed Mason out of the way and blocked Hinata’s attack.
“Go! Help your sisters and friends, I’ll deal with this one.” Abolith ordered as Mason nodded and went off to fight alongside his friends.
Mason ran to find his friends and found that his speed had indeed increased as Mason now rushed over to Anjelica’s rescue as another kitsune nearly hit her shoulder.
"Don't worry, I've got you, or...we've got you!" A voice suddenly said to Anjelica.
“Hey! Who....what are you?” Anjelica asked the wolf boy as he held her in his arms.
“Anjelica, it’s me, Mason, and....Fenrir too, I guess. I think my sword somehow fused us together.” The Mason/Fenrir hybrid explained as Anjelica looked all over the anthro wolf man to see his well developed muscular form, hairy body of black hair with yellow mixed in with it. She also could see that the anthro boy’s eyes were different colors, one was Mason’s, while the other was Fenrir’s eye color. They wore a red warrior viking coat as well for their clothing. Their voice also sounded like both Mason and Fenrir's voices together.
“Anjelica, are you okay? Can you still fight?” The Mason anthro hybrid asked.
“I...I...I want to have your...puppies.” Anjelica replied almost dreamily in a whisper.
“What?” Mason asked blushing.
“What?” Anjelica answered back as Mason helped set her down.
“Anjelica, are you....uh....hi there?” Kari said as she, Anjelica, and Hailey regrouped together to check on Anjelica.
“Guys, this is Mason and Fenrir, they fused!” Anjelica said with astonishment.
“Whoa, awesome! Now we got a wolf brother in the family! Right, Fenson? Menson? Masir?” Kari suggested name combinations.
“Menson sounds pretty good, it's the best of both of our names.” The Mason/Fenrir hybrid or Menson said to his siblings and friends.
“Okay cool, that’ll be a lot easier on us all. Come on, Mason, I mean Menson, now let’s finish this fight together!” Haley said as she, Kari, Stephanie, Anjelica, and Mason all prepared themselves to fight Hinata’s remaining forces and confront Hinata with Abolith directly.
"To victory!" Menson shouted pumping his air. "TO VICTORY!" Kari, Haley, Anjelica, and Stephanie all shouted together.
Once Mason was gone Abolith’s bravado dropped and she rolled out of the way as her blades once again shattered. She knew no normal blade could hold up against the kitsune.
“Sending that boy away was a mistake.” Hinata said.
Abolith bit her lip and spat on the ground as Hinata noticed a little blood on the ground.
"Who do you think you're dealing with? Do you think I'm an elf who plays music? An elf only interested in painting and the arts? See these daggers? These are my instruments, and I'll paint your blood with them!" Abolith shouted as she rushed towards Hinata who blocked her attack but struggled from slight exhaustion.
"Do you really expect to win? Even with the wolf boy now, you won't see your victory, and your precious Tatsu and Shizen will fall and there will be brighter days ahead after their deaths!" Hinata said as she pushed her weapon against Abolith's and now the two were struggling to push each other back down but neither would yield to the other.
The elf now wielded her dual daggers, they were enchanted with the waters of her homeland so she knew they would fare better than her other blades.
"It's a fools game, you must realize that," Abolith said through her teeth. "Tatsu and Shizen have kept as much peace as they could, and with the other lords who you've slaughtered. But now you've upset the balance, and like you, someone will come along to take you out of power, it will just be a never ending cycle." Abolith said.
Abolith noticed that the small wounds she had inflicted on Hinata were already healed.
"My nieces and nephews and their friends may not be the greatest warriors in all the realms, but I can say that I believe in my beloved's family of the house Harris!" Abolith shouted.
"Harris? I....I know that name...." Hinata said as Abolith caught her off guard and managed to knock her back. Around Abolith, Menson, Hailey, and Kari were coming by to see if Abolith needed help.
"Abolith, Hinata's forces are dwindling, some of them have even surrendered!" Kari shouted as they all came to Abolith's side.
"No, those cowards!" Hinata growled through her teeth.
"You should surrender to us now Hinata, you're outmatched, you're losing men by the minute, you're losing, surrender, now!" Abolith shouted to her as Abolith looked towards anthro animals behind her.