Page 53 of Foxes of Legend

Unlike the one we had faced before, these ones weren’t being awoken from a deep sleep at dusk. They were ready to fight and fool us.

It was the perfect attack for their kind, causing mass mayhem with minimal risk. They sucked powerful energy from chaos, making them stronger. The plight of screaming students thrummed magic straight into the beasts.

A teal kijo—a female—raised her tusks at me in challenge. “Your pack killed one of ours. He was trying to recover. It’s only fair to pay the same price.”

I pushed my legs into movement as we continued toward the academy, wrapping around the side of the demons.

An indigo hellfire ball launched past my face. The searing heat burnt my skin and my heart skipped a beat as it remembered the strength of powerful hellfire.

The three-eyed green oni’s hand was raised, sucking the chaotic energy from the air. A second blue hellfire orb budded in his palm, blossoming to full size before he lobbed it straight at Seven. The pack of demons gained on us.

“We have to fight,” I shouted, regretfully clutching the beautiful dagger from Kairos and drawing the blade. Screaming students scattered in every direction while others drew their weapons. Anyone could be oni, disguised by shapeshifting.

The demons stood between us and the stadium, where Enko was. Was he okay? Did he need us? Seven stalked forward like a general of death before disappearing within the shadows of midnight.

Kairos groaned and pulled out his mace. “Dove, stay behind us. Only use that if you absolutely need to.”

A giant figure appeared behind the demons, a blade of fire whipping through the pack. Enko swung his sword around. Two demons charged at him, and he stabbed one in the neck, kicking the other to the ground before slicing through its chest.

Kairos swung his mace, lightning crackling from the metal as it smashed into one of the oni. Kairos threw a demon off him, its teeth barely scraping his skin. Enko charged toward Kairos, helping to fend off the demons.

Cuts and stabs appeared from the invisible Seven, his black blade appearing through a stomach. The three worked together with some kind of extra senses, covering each other's backs. A bloodbath of the demon’s gore covered each of my Fated, the fabric disintegrating. There would be no clothes left if much more blood sprayed.

The three rejoined me and we sprinted back further into the courtyard, where the students were forming the front line to defend the academy.

“Prepare for battle! Officers, take command of your squadrons!” The voice of the Archfox boomed, shouting at the backs of the half-dressed students who had been awoken or half-drunk from celebrating the first tournament. Armor over pajamas, missing helmets and armguards. Archers begging for spare arrows.

The Archfox pushed his dark brown hair back, calculating some kind of strategy to finish off the demons with minimal losses. His eyes skimmed the crowd, an elite officer counting the numbers.

Rage and fear coated his face as he saw me, covering the distance in a matter of seconds. “What is she doing here?”

Before the guys could answer, the wave of demons hit us. Even more streamed from the forest, and the guys lurched gloriously into battle, full fighting mode.

“Get the hell out of here, Dove,” the Archfox demanded, stepping in front of me when I ignored him. “First-years aren’t ready for this kind of fight.”

My Fated fought fluidly, working together as a tight-knit unit. “I’m not leaving without them.”

“I just gave you an order.”

“And I just disobeyed. You can punish me later.”

I couldn’t leave my Fated. Not when demons had already taken everything from me once before. I stepped around the Archfox, rushing back onto the field of battle so I could keep an eye on Enko, Kairos, and Seven.

Sulfuric smoke suffocated the air. Something snatched me, dragged me against the crispy fall grass within the smoke.

Behind enemy lines, the demon forces encircled me. I screamed out and struggled, but a dirty hand smothered my sounds. None of the guys would be able to see me as I was being dragged away. I wrestled against their grip, managing to stab the dagger into one of their arms.

Hopping back onto my feet, I gripped my dagger before it deteriorated within the demon's forearm. The battle still waged, but the kitsune pushed the hordes of demons back.

The three-eyed green oni stood in front of me, the blue kijo at his side. “Tie her up. Careful, she’s worth more unharmed. I suppose they want to torture her first.” His three eyes stared as though piercing my soul.

Injured kitsune hobbled away from the battle, while I hid out of sight behind the last traces of demons.

“Pick her up. Hurry. We need to get out of here before any other disciples are alerted,” the female demanded.

A bright red oni stepped forward. He gasped, black blood leaking from his stomach. His hands reached for the invisible cause of the sudden wound as he toppled forward onto my legs. I scrambled backwards just as the other fell forward where I’d been.

Seven.

---