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 3 & 4

Making a Contract with the Nine-Tailed Fox

(Kyuu… nine tails…? )

I’d heard of it before.

A long time ago, there was a race called 『youkai』.

They lost the power struggle against monsters and adventurers, so they got sealed away in different places, or they’re still quietly living somewhere out there even now.

Among them were the four great youkai said to be the strongest.

『Nurarihyon』, 『Shuten-douji』, 『Great Tengu』, and—『Nine-Tailed Fox』.

(No way… is this really…? That Nine-Tailed Fox…? Sealed right here…?)

While I was thinking that, a voice suddenly echoed inside my head.

〈Hmm… a human child and a demon fox, huh. Quite the unusual pair. But the human child is on the verge of death… Well, no helping it. I suppose I’ll talk to the demon fox instead.〉

Right after that, another voice rang in my head.

〈Kuon! Don’t die! Wake up! Please! Please!〉

Somehow I just knew.

That was Fokko’s voice.

(Sorry, Fokko… I’m done for. Even if you’re alone… live strong…)

The owner of the other voice heard Fokko and spoke up, sounding kinda interested.

〈Little demon fox, do you want to save that man?〉

〈Please, save him! He’s the most important person in the whole world to me!〉

〈Very well. I shall save him. But in exchange, I will take your 『soul』 as payment.〉

〈Take it! Take all of it! Hurry! Save Kuon!〉

〈Heh heh heh, contract sealed.〉

Listening to their conversation, I panicked.

(No, Fokko…! Don’t give your soul! Forget about me…! Just go live happily somewhere…!)

But my body was wrecked, covered in wounds—I couldn’t even make a sound.

Still, it felt like Fokko understood exactly how I felt, because she sent me her words.

〈Kuon… thank you. For always protecting me. For never abandoning useless little me, for staying by my side… Even though that’s why you got kicked out too…〉

(No, Fokko—you’re the best partner ever! You’re not useless at all! Stop! Don’t trade your soul for someone like me!)

I couldn’t speak, so I gathered every last bit of strength I had left, moved, and pulled Fokko into a tight hug.

〈I love you so much. I love you… It’s not goodbye, okay? Don’t worry. From now on, I wanna be the one protecting you…〉

After those words, Fokko turned into tiny specks of light that slipped right through my arms.

Then those specks gathered together, and right in front of me a huge shape started forming.

When the glow finally faded… standing there was a fox with golden fur and nine tails.

—

Getting Liked by the Nine-Tailed Fox

“Heh heh heh, it’s part of the contract, y’know. I’ll heal your wounds for ya.”

The nine-tailed fox said that and then held out one front paw toward my collapsed body.

Right away, my whole body got wrapped up in flames.

“It’s not hot, right? This is healing fire. It’s fixing up your body.”

While I was surrounded by that nice warm flame, I passed out…

“—Hah!”

How much time had passed, I wonder?

I came to and pushed myself up into a sitting position.

“The wounds… they’re gone. Wait—Fokko! Where’s Fokko!?”

“Oh, perfect timing. I just finished treating you.”

Right in front of me was some woman I’d never seen before, wearing a kimono.

“You’re…”

“Yeah, I’m the nine-tailed fox. I’m not quite as good at it as a tanuki, but I can do youkai shapeshifting. So? How’s this beauty? How many powerful people over the years do you think I’ve seduced looking like this—?”

I lunged at the woman who called herself the nine-tailed fox and grabbed her.

“You! Give Fokko back!”

“Ahahaha! You might be the first guy who isn’t swayed by my charm. ‘Give back that little fox,’ huh?”

Seeing me clinging desperately, the nine-tailed woman smirked down at me mockingly.

“Nope, not happening. Thanks to that fox’s soul, I finally got to manifest like this after forever. No way I’m giving it back.”

“You…!”

“Don’t push yourself. You lost way too much blood—you still can’t put any strength in, right? Also, I don’t like being called ‘you’ like that. Tell ya what—call me ‘Tamamo’ from my human name, ‘Tamamo-no-Mae.’”

As soon as she said that, Tamamo easily flipped my grabbing hand away like it was nothing.

“I am the great youkai, the nine-tailed fox. A mere human child isn’t someone who gets to touch me so casually. Fear me! Tremble!”

While she said that, Tamamo lightly lifted my limp body and let me slump across her lap.

“The contract with that little fox was just ‘heal you.’ The contract’s already done. Now whether I roast you and eat ya or stew ya and eat ya, that’s totally up to me. So? How’s it feel knowing you’re about to get killed?”

“—F-feel…?”

I looked up at Tamamo’s face from below, totally confused.

While she talked, Tamamo was giving me a lap pillow and gently stroking my head.

Then, like she suddenly realized what she was doing, her face twisted in shock.

“Wh-what the heck is this!? When did—!? What did you do!?”

“You’re the one who started doing it yourself, aren’t you!?”

“Ugh, why!? My body’s moving on its own…! I can’t stop wanting to pet you…!”

While she kept giving me the lap pillow and stroking my head, Tamamo suddenly jolted again.

“I get it! It’s because I took in that little fox’s soul! Damn it, that little fox! She likes you way too much! Every time I stroke your head, this body feels so happy—I can’t stop it!”

“Fokko! Is Fokko inside you right now!?”

When I shouted that with hope in my voice, Tamamo laughed with an evil grin again.

“Hmph, she’s already merged with my soul. You’ll never see that little fox again! Too bad for you! Ahahaha!”

“N-no way…”

When my face fell into total despair, Tamamo panicked and waved her hands.

“W-wait! It’s a lie, it’s a lie! Don’t look so sad—there’s a way! If we beat the ones who stole my original soul, the little fox’s soul and body can go back to normal too!”

“R-really!?”

“—Huh!? Why am I blabbing all this!? Ugh, seeing your sad face makes me so restless I can’t stand it… The little fox’s influence is way too strong… Was taking in that spirit fox a mistake…!?”

“Spirit fox?”

“That’s this little fox here. She’s supposed to have lived for at least three hundred years already, but her head’s completely full of you—just those few years you were together. So now I’m getting hit with it too… It sucks to admit, but you’re so freaking adorable to me I can’t stand it!”

Tamamo looked all conflicted, but her body kept rubbing against me anyway, and her eyes always seemed worried about me.

“Here, you’re cold, right? Warm up with my super-fluffy tails.”

And then she went and pulled out her own tails, starting to cover me while I lay on her lap.

The second those nine fluffy tails touched me, I could definitely feel Fokko’s fur and her scent.

“It’s Fokko… She’s really in there. Inside you…!”

I hugged the tail tight, and it felt like Fokko inside the nine-tailed fox was happy about it too.

“I’m definitely gonna take it back! Fokko’s soul…!”

Tamamo let out a big sigh.

“…Haa, fine, whatever. Anyway, I’ve gotta fight those monsters to get my own soul back too. Same goal—so this strongest great youkai’s gonna lend you her strength.”

And that’s how my journey to take back the soul started, together with the nine-tailed fox ‘Tamamo.’