"Phoenix, how is the situation?"
"The coast is clear. I have detected the barrier laid around the secret temple. I think I can breach into it shortly by utilizing my Spirit Power."
"Great. The only problem would be the one who laid the barrier inside. If my guess is right, it must be a Spirit Fox with three or more tails. It will fetch a high price."
"That's correct."
The two suspicious individuals wearing dark clothes and black masks were crouching beside a Torii gate at the end of the hundred Torii path.
Darkness had arrived, and they blended in the shadow because of their clothing. Normal people couldn't see them as they were hidden behind a barrier they created with a concealment Talisman they activated beforehand.
Currently, the one with an androgynous voice with the codename Phoenix tried to breach the barrier around the area that concealed something they called a secret temple where Spirit Foxes lived.
Phoenix utilized her Spirit Power to analyze the barrier and tried to breach it using a Breach Talisman they bought in Black Market. Its function was to make a hole without breaking the whole barrier. It also hid their presence and prevented the barrier creator from detecting them.
There was one downside, though. It was expensive.
Still, the price was still lower than what they could get from selling one Spirit Fox. It was worth it.
After a minute of concentrating on analyzing the barrier using the Breach Talisman, which floated in front of Phoenix's body, a small ding sound was heard, and a happy voice followed next.
"It's open!"
A small opening in the barrier was what they needed. A bluish oval shape parted the space in front of them, changing the scenery from the previous normal bushes to stairs leading to an unknown top. It should be impossible as they stood at the highest peak of the hill already.
But it was a different space. Anything could happen, and anything could be hidden inside. The bluish oval shape in front of them was a tear in the barrier. The Talisman stayed in the middle of the tear, floating seamlessly without being held by any force.
"Alright." Oni nodded. "Let's enter. Proceed carefully."
Both looked at each other before stepping into the barrier. Once they were inside, the Talisman was slowly burned, and the opening closed slowly until it was no more.
***
The tea served by the three-tailed Spirit Fox, Rena, was marvelous.
Kai enjoyed every last bit of it, savoring the soft taste inside his mouth. The smell was also soothing. It calmed him.
Even though the atmosphere around the temple should've been worse, it was calmed down by the tea aroma. The small Spirit Foxes have all already evacuated underground the main temple, and Amber put a barrier at the entrance to protect them.
Even if he enjoyed the tea, it was bound to be over when the tea was depleted. He put the ceramic cup on the small table in front of him and said.
"Amber."
"Yes. Two rats entered the barrier." The Phoenix girl replied while squinting her eyes. "They might be as strong as Griffin, but still weaker than Ranga." She continued.
"I see." He nodded, opening his eyes and looking at Rena. The humanoid fox looked terrified. It was normal as an unknown force invaded her home. "Don't worry and stay here. I will take care of them with Amber."
Rena nodded. "Please be careful."
Kai smiled and stood up. He approached Amber and caressed her cheek.
"Amber. Are you ready?"
"Yes." She smiled sweetly and closed her eyes. It was what they had decided before coming here.
He was satisfied with testing his strength against Ranga. So he decided to just decimate the attacker instead of using them to test his strength.
It was unexpected but still better. This way, he wouldn't make the humanoid fox worry about his safety, and he wouldn't be in any kind of danger. Amber's idea for him to test his strength in a controlled environment unexpectedly brought good fruit in the end.
Kai should admit that the girl had more experience than himself and was by no means naïve. Besides, there should be no mercy for people who target others.
With a soft movement, he kissed Amber and felt strength filling his body. Rena was surprised when Kai kissed Amber, but her eyes widened more when she saw the Phoenix's body melt into a fire and enter his body.
"Wha?!" She exclaimed in surprise and jumped back. The fire from Amber's melted body was too hot even for her, who stood a bit away from them. Sweat poured from her forehead. It was just a second, but her instinct as a Spirit Fox told her the danger of being near them.
In just a second, the fire disappeared, and Kai opened his eyes again, turning to Rena with a wry smile.
"Sorry. Is it too hot?" He asked.
"N-No… I was just surprised." She replied. Honestly, she had a ton of questions. Like how did the Phoenix enter his body? And why was he fine while being near such a hot fire? But she didn't voice them as she respected their privacy.
"I see. Well, I will go now. It will not take too long." He said, turning around and walking out of the temple with confidence.
When he exited the temple, Amber's voice rang in his head.
[She's lying, Kai. She's surprised and… afraid. That little fox is afraid of my fire.]
"I know," Kai replied in a low voice. Of course, he knew about it. Rena's voice was shaking, and a ton of sweat dripped out from her forehead in just an instant. "But that's natural, no? You're the Mighty Phoenix, after all." He continued in a teasing tone.
The way Rena called them was unique. Traveler and Mighty. Both weren't a term often used in modern society. It made him question the age of that seemingly young fox.
[Oh, come on! Don't be like that, Traveler Kai!]
"That's still better than Mighty Phoenix. I am technically a tourist, so being called a Traveler isn't too strange."
[Ugh… That makes me sound so old.] Amber grumbled. [Anyway, they are here.]
"Yes. I can feel them now that I fused with you. The amount of Spirit Power in their bodies is a lot. Rena might be able to beat one of them, depending on how she fights. But both? She will be put down immediately."
[That's why we help her, no?] His contracted Mythical Beast still sounded playful even in this situation. He knew the reason why, as he also didn't feel afraid of facing the incoming danger.
"You know my answer." He said and stopped walking. He looked at the stairs leading down toward the hundred Torii path that was used as an entrance to enter this secret temple.
Two masked figures dressed in black appeared from it. Both of them held a revolver with runes on it. As soon as they saw Kai, they assumed a fighting position without any hesitation.
As for Kai, he grinned when he saw them and flared Phoenix fire around his body to threaten them. His hands were in his pocket, and he stood haughtily to show dominance over them.
"I will give you a warning." He spoke in a low tone, making him authoritative. "Turn around, or I will burn you into ashes. I won't repeat this, and I will give you only a second."
Obviously, such a threat wouldn't work against two people who dared to invade Spirit Foxes' secret temple while knowing the danger. The answer was obvious.
The bigger figure raised the revolver in his hand and pulled the trigger. A loud noise echoed in the area as a flaming bullet was shot from the barrel.
It was aimed at Kai's head, and it was faster than a normal bullet used by the attacker of his restaurant a few days ago. Still, it was made from iron. And iron could be melted.
The fire around his body moved and blocked the engulfed bullet with just a small command in his mind. The Phoenix fire was alive, and it moved according to his wish. The bullet that was engulfed disappeared and dripped to the ground as a liquid.
The two masked figures were surprised. Their bodies jolted in an instant, but they quickly recovered. They finally took Kai's threat seriously.
"Well, it seems both of you are tired of living," Kai said, narrowing his eyes. "At least I will spread your ashes as compost for the tea plants cultivated in this temple's backyard."
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