I Was Nearly Killed by My Fellow A-Rank Party, but Now I Fed a Nine-Tailed Fox Deep in the Dungeon. ~ “My Master, I Shall Never Leave Your Side for All Eternity,” the Legendary Monsters Said While Doting on Me. Before I Knew It, I Had Become the World’s Strongest Lord of the Demon Realm~ - Chapter 28 & 29

The Fate of the Exiled One (3)

“Liliana or whatever, saintess or not, she’s just this chick with crazy high pride, y’know. When she was dyin’, she tried draggin’ me down with her? Like, go die already, bitch.”

“Eww lol, that’s brutal lol.”

Overhearin’ Zex’s words from behind, Liliana stayed frozen stiff, her eyes wide open on her face.

Tamamo saw that and cracked up.

“Ahahaha! Knew it! That punk’s so-called love was reekin’ of sleaze right through! Real love? It’s throwin’ your own body on the line to protect the one you care about! Take a page from Kuon, why don’t ya.”

She said that, then we kept watchin’ the rest.

“Lies… no, not lies… ‘Cause that fox ain’t even here anymore…”

Liliana gripped her staff with shaky hands.

But that wasn’t fear–it was straight hate.

“I won’t forgive you… no way…! I’ll kill you… kill you–!”

She slowly walked toward Zex, who was just grinnin’ all dumb, grippin’ her staff tight.

“This ain’t good.”

Tamamo said that, then started talkin’ like she was chattin’ right to Liliana on the screen.

“Listen up, girl. You go after him now, you’ll just get wrecked yourself.”

“–!? That voice–the fox’s…!”

“No need to freak. We’re back in Looseworth right now, can’t touch ya. But we can see you clear as day.”

Tamamo said that, and Liliana let out this relieved sigh, her shoulders droppin’ a bit.

“Hey, girl. Looks like to that guy, you were just some handy tool.”

“…………”

Liliana kept shakin’ as she clutched the hem of her skirt super tight in her fists.

Seein’ that, Tamamo laughed again.

“Wanna me to help with that revenge?”

“–!!”

Liliana’s eyes went wide.

She prob’ly knew it deep down.

That with her power alone, she couldn’t touch Zex, so revenge was off the table…

To get back at the Zex who ditched her–

“Please. Make that bastard see hell.”

“Pfft! Ahahaha! Nice! That’s the spirit! But hold up, you hurt Kuon. That payback ain’t done yet, y’know?”

Tamamo said that, and Liliana dropped right into a full bow on the spot.

“Kuon-sama, I’m so sorry! I’ll do anything–just drag that guy to hell!”

“Ahahaha! You said it! ‘Anything’! So you’re in for a taste of hell too, then?”

“If it means droppin’ that guy into hell, I don’t care…!”

Tamamo laughed while lettin’ out a sigh.

“Humans are really such idiots, huh.”

The Fate of the Exiled One (4)

“I’ll do anything.”

Tamamo flashed this twisted grin at Liliana after she said that.

“Yeah… alright then, first off, let’s smash that useless ‘saintess’ pride of yours.”

Liliana’s face went all pale with fear at every single one of Tamamo’s words.

“You gotta really get it deep down that you’re the bottom of the world, the kinda thing even slaves look down on.”

“…Yes.”

“Wonder if you’ll end up thankful for that suicide-stop contract I slapped on ya, or if you’ll curse me for it–that’s gonna be a show, huh.”

I was thinkin’ back to Tamamo’s revenge on Leadas.

That cold night, frozen solid in ice, then her feet roasted over fire, and forced to pull an ice sleigh for miles on those burned feet.

And now, somethin’ even worse for Liliana…?

I couldn’t help but blurt it out.

“Tamamo, you really gonna do somethin’ that brutal…?”

I said that, and Tamamo paused to think for a sec.

My voice must’ve reached Liliana too, ’cause her face softened up a bit, like she felt safer.

Then Tamamo opened her mouth, like she was sayin’ “fine, whatever.”

“…145 times.”

“–Huh?”

“That’s how many times Fokko got bullied by this chick. I’m fused with Fokko, y’know, so I got the count pretty damn accurate. Kicked around, used as target practice for attack spells, fur set on fire for no reason and writhin’ in agony–and she just laughed her ass off watchin’ it all with those two guys.”

–I felt the blood drain right outta my whole body, slow and cold.

“Kuon, don’t go blamin’ yourself. Fokko kept that from you. Didn’t wanna worry ya… sweet kid, huh.”

Liliana raised her voice like she was tryin’ to defend herself.

“I-it wasn’t just me! Zex and Laon did it too!”

Mike clenched her fists hard after hearin’ all that.

“That’s way too messed up… She’s trash, straight-up… Someone like that? Deserves whatever hell she gets. Can’t forgive it…”

I could see Yukime bitin’ her lip too.

After hearin’ that story, any pity I had for her just vanished from my head.

Zex, Laon–no way in hell I’m lettin’ ’em off.

Anyone who touched Fokko? Gonna make ’em regret it from the bottom of their rotten hearts and drag ’em to hell.

“Kuon big bro…”

I pulled Suzu into a hug.

“Tamamo, I’m headin’ to bed first. Suzu, come with.”

“Yeah… Kuon big bro…”

Liliana must’ve misunderstood my words or somethin’, ’cause she looked all relieved on her own.

“Tamamo… do whatever it takes to feel better, till Fokko’s soul in there can rest easy–”

I grabbed Suzu’s hand and headed to the bedroom.

“–show her hell.”

“Got it. Liliana, if you don’t follow my orders, I ain’t helpin’ with your revenge. I’ll treat ya like our enemy again, so keep that in mind. First order–”

Without me and Suzu around, Tamamo could go all out and torture Liliana without holdin’ back.

At first I was freaked by Tamamo’s payback, but now? I was even grateful for it.

Turns out, trash in human skin… yeah, that exists.

“Ugh…!”

On the bed, I cried over how useless I felt.

Then Suzu, sleepin’ next to me, pulled me close and gently stroked my head.

“It’s okay, Kuon big bro. Don’t beat yourself up. Fokko’s lucky, y’know–havin’ someone cry this hard over her. It’s alright… it’s okay…”

I gotta reunite with Fokko, no matter what.

Wanna apologize proper, love her even more.

Till every wound those bastards left on her heart heals up.

–So yeah, I’m definitely takin’ Tamamo’s soul back from Ryomen Sukuna and makin’ that reunion happen.