Fox Tale Of A Dungeon Boss 44 Chapter 44: Cruel Survival

Well... who's fault?

Do you blame the G.o.ddess Milaki for giving the Kitsune a sacred right that caused fear in the elven leaders, leaving us no retreat?

Should I say that humans are to blame, for killing what they don't understand even if it is innocent?

"...the ones who are at fault; the true murderers of the Kitsune..."

The lady looked at me, waiting on my answer.

"...are the Kitsune themselves."

Harsh and bitingly rough, she asked, "Why? Why do you believe that?" As she grit her teeth in anger.

"They were too kind."

Her eyes widened in shock, while Fenrir nodded his head, agreeing with me.

"It is true that living things live for their own benefit normally, and the law of survival is absolute when life is not guaranteed. But the Foxkin were kind."

Fenrir nodded again. As a wolf, he knew better than any here the law of survival, the truth of the food chains cruel representation of all life.

"When the elves were slaughtering each other in civil war, and fear ran rampant, the Kitsune sheltered the wood elves, and gained a divine right to choose the next elven emperor."

Luna spoke up here, "are you saying saving those people was a mistake?"

I shook my head. "No... the mistake was in how the Kitsune handled the aftermath. They declared they wouldn't use that right, and therefore created a metaphorical ax over the heads of every elven ruler. If they had simply chosen an elven emperor of the still-neutral wood elves, the elves civil war couldn't been finished."

The Fox lady was now angry once again. "Fool! Even if the G.o.ddess says so, you think the Drow would have allowed such a thing, or the bright elves?"

"Don't get me wrong!" I said quickly before she could continue.

"There would've been War. In fact, the extermination of the bright elves or Drow may have eventually been necessary, but the elves would've been united, and in having fulfilled the sacred task, the elves would have no reason to fear us."

"In fact, the imperial line would be indebted to us, and we could have been saved by their reinforcements."

"In other words, we were left alone out of our misplaced kindness and unwillingness to interfere."

"Perhaps our kindness with humans might have also contributed... but on that subject, I don't know much myself."

The Fox lady was agitated, pacing back and forth, mumbling to herself. She looked up at me.

"Will you... be different?"

Will I be different? Will I... be ANY different?

I was weak. I rescued Luna, perhaps out of interest, but because I "should".

I hesitated to kill because it "wasn't right".

I had come to the concept that my morality and this worlds differed, but that I will follow my own morals even if it makes me a monster to others.

I have the feeling my unique cla.s.s isn't actually made by the Dungeon in the strictest sense of why it is the way it is.

It is supposed to be the path that suits me, right?

A puppeteer to controls others to kill or attack themselves through music, one who uses an enemies own patterns and flows against them... yes it is music. Yes it is beautiful.

But at its heart... it is spiteful.

It's as if my job cla.s.s is gleeful to use an enemies own skills, own patters, own body and mind, against themselves.

In other words... a Demonic Tunist is one who uses everything of his own, in magic and skill, and everything of his enemies, even their bodies, to slaughter and survive. That's my job cla.s.s I've chosen.

And the reason... is because I know I need to become that. The Kitsune died from many circ.u.mstance, yes. But many of the factors likely were caused by their own empathy and kindness holding them back. I realized this somewhere deep down after hearing Luna's recounting of the tale.

I respect them, am proud to be one, and I think I'm beginning to love this race. But I cannot follow their footsteps.

At this point... no, the very second I decided to truly be a Dungeon Boss not just in name, and took on this cla.s.s subconsciously knowing what it meant, I decided to walk my own path.

I must survive. I already said, didn't I?

I'm a hypocrite, and I want to live and survive. Power is not what I seek, I don't want strength to be strong or for revenge.

I want to live, I want to survive.

And I want... to be able to save those close to me, and slaughter those in my way.

The face of the bank robber and my mother came to mind at these thoughts.

I am not the same as when I can here, for I remember my past life, and it has changed me to better understand the cruelty of death.

These are the choices I made already. I know them and have no regrets!

"No, I will not be the same. I am Kyoku the last Kitsune, and I am the Demonic Tunist. If one has done no wrong and falls on the side my morals defend, I shall hold all the kindness our race believed in... but if one is to cross my bottom line, I will use anything, even their own body, magic, soul, or family, to slaughter them."

The feather had no reaction, and the Fox lady paled as Luna looked at me in shock.

'Where did such a domineering mindset come from in him?'

"Huh... so the feather pulled out the truth in your heart finally."

I blinked. What?

"The Feather always finds the truth." The Fox lady gave a small, sad smile.

"I don't necessarily like it but... you're right. Our path of kindness indeed is what sealed our fate. We focused too much on the civilized part of ourselves... so become the beast."

"Survive, live, and consume whatever you must. As the last of us, your path will doubtlessly be forged in blood against those who know of you, and those who care for you."
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As the last Kitsune, my responsibility... is to uphold their legacy. But as a living being and Dungeon Boss, I must survive by any means necessary. Perhaps it is that contradiction that has led to these decisions of mine.

"You pa.s.s. You have shown that you are a Kitsune in truth, perhaps more than any of us."

"Perhaps we too feared our own demonic origins to act as we did... but you accept that darkness in a way few have. I have... high hopes for you."

She walked to the Phoenix feather bound in flame and ice, and picked it up, walking up to me, and held it out.

"This testing grounds will collapse soon, as my soul will pa.s.s on, my duty fulfilled once you have left. Take this, and perhaps you'll find something useful to you. It is the only gift I can give for failing your generation so dearly you must walk the path of blood."

Maybe it would be "right" to some to refuse such a treasure, but only an idiot would think that way!

It was given with sincerity, and could be valuable to me, even if I can't lie while it's nearby. I don't know yet.

So I wordlessly accepted the feather, and she turned away, storing it in my inventory I've somewhat forgotten about(hehe, whoops.)

I stared out of the now-once again crumbling walls, down to the collapsed city below, as we ran out.

We left, leaving her to her quiet dignity.

After awhile, the Kitsune woman smiled. "Our last young fox has decided to walk the path of twilight huh? After many years we as a race decided to focus on the light, lest we fall to darkness... I hope he makes it down that path, and shows what the Kitsune may have been if we had not hesitated to claim our power."

She looked up, and sighed, satisfied somehow by his choice. "Do I... approve? I guess I do. This world is truly cruel... so to survive, you must be even crueler!"

"But the companions beside you, and the way you still remember compa.s.sion for those undeserving of your rage shows that you are not a monster. You... despite your job cla.s.s being music-based, it's purpose and temperament are doubtlessly that of a bloodstained, yet honorable warrior."

The building fell, the second test done, and Kyoku climbed to the next, knowing that the tests would likely become difficult, and putting aside his respect and curiosity, the overriding reason he has come is to survive, and prevent his death.

Even in avoiding the truth, he still acted according to the path of a Dungeon Boss...?

But no, this path is neither that of Dungeon Boss or Kitsune, but his own as both and himself.

Shall we watch, with bated breath?

Watch the young fox, as he grows and evolves?

Know, despite it all, no matter how innocent or kind he was or still is, deep within is the killer instinct of the beast?

The Demonic Tunist, the Twilight Fox.

Such is a name after all.