Under The Fox's Tail ⁷

The Hate Of a God

The wind picked up its pace as the two stood the one right before the other, Hoseok soon bringing himself to his level, floating above the ground.

His nine tails seemed to have enlarged themself behind him, growing in size visibly while still in their flammable state and his kimono waved around his body along with his hair that despite their constant movement not once seemed to take Hoseok's attention away from the rival he had before his eyes.

"Y/N, this is not good. We have to get away from this. They seem that they are about to collide." You heard Yukio speak softly near you right before you felt her hands getting wrapped around your arm in a protective manner.

" We can't go anywhere. You are stuck here, remember? And I am not leaving you." You reminded her as you looked at her for a brief second then back at the two at were at a distance before you.

"Do you perhaps happen to know who that guy dressed in black maybe? Hoseok seems serious about him." You questioned her in wonder if she potentially had any more knowledge than you do or could make any guesses.

"I thought that he could have been a spirit like Hoseok but...his energy is a bit too strong. Don't you think?" She replied and you had nothing to say but be left observing the two that seemed ready to have a fight with each other.

"You aren't happy to see me, old friend. I was expecting as much." The unknown to-you guy spoke before he proceeded to take off the black veil that was covering his face only to reveal some short orange hair and a pair of sharp green eyes one of each resembled the eye of a snake.

His skin was glowing under the light of the moon that you had not taken notice of that was in the sky yet till that moment.

"Why are you here? A snake should stay in its hole." Hoseok's voice echoed in a heavier tone than you were used to hearing him and somehow it made chills run all over your body for a minute.

"A snake? I am a God now. Have you forgotten?" 

"You are nothing but a traitor that turned his back on the spirits only to wear a golden leash." Hoseok chuckled a bit as he replied, his aura growing to a familiar attitude yet strangely it didn't feel like something that anyone should take lightly.

"You are still holding a grudge about that? It wasn't your trade to be petty." The man laughed lightly and the air grew stronger suddenly, blowing against that unknown guy with force, a thing that made him halt his laughter and glare towards Hoseok.

"Indeed being petty is not my thing, and I definitely would care less who you betray to become a servant of a God, however, since you straight out voted pro for my punishment without a spilt hesitation, after the years that I considered you my friend allow me to have some resentment for your pathetic existence." Hoseok's words were followed by some minutes of silence and a staring contest between the two, which was disturbed by a sudden thunder that hit Hoseok so suddenly that made you gasp as you looked at them with eyes wide and a heartbeat that had stopped abruptly for a second.

"Good to know that you dislike me because I certainly dislike you too. You arrogant fox who always acts as if you are greater than anyone and anything." The orange hair guy smirked as his eyes portrayed his feelings towards Hoseok who emerged from the light of the thunder that had attacked him, untouched as his tails had managed to protect him from it and had withstood the burn in his place.

"Arrogant? Oh dear, don't you know? It's called arrogance only when someone can't back up their claims and I certainly can live up to every single one of them." You could see the face of that unknown guy grow serious after Hoseok's statement then his gaze fell on you for a split second, making you gulp down your saliva in fear.

"Is she the one you are sealed with?" He asked and Hoseok looked past his shoulder towards you, briefly making eye contact with you before he looked ahead again.

"And what if she is? What is it to you?" 

"You asked why I was here earlier. Let me put your curiosity at ease by letting you know that I am here to kill her." His words made your eyes grow wide as a breath got caught in your throat and Yukio just moved her body a bit, in an attempt to shield you somehow from his sight.

On the contrary to your momentary fear, however, you heard Hoseok laugh a bit at his statement, sounded as if to him his statement was nothing more but a wish of his that was going to be left only that.

"Let me guess. The thought that I might be able to return to the spirited world intimidates you and you fear that I could take your place." Hoseok uttered and the face of that orange hair guy only grew darker as he gave Hoseok a deadly glare.

"Taking her life and destroying my seal with her won't help. I won't stop existing anyways. Why? It's simple really. It's because the God you serve is quite fond of me." Hoseok seemed as if he was growing rather comfortable with the situation, taking satisfaction from teasing the nerves and patience of his opponent which he was well aware that he was powerful and that was the reason why he was not underestimating him and had himself in a perfect and ready state for collision.

"If it was so, you would have never been cursed."

"The divine rules are for no one to become an exception. I accepted my rightful punishment for my mistake."

"If that's so why are you trying to escape from it? Admit it, you don't trust them as much as you don't trust me." The guy raised an eyebrow suggestively as he suddenly floated a bit closer towards Hoseok.

"Escape?" Hoseok snickered as he left his hand to reach to his hair and trail down the side of his hair lightly. "Your assumpts are far from reality but I am not surprised by that. You are far too little to ever come close to guessing my intentions."

By the end of his sentence, Hoseok found his opponent's hand wrapped around his neck tightly as he had appeared before him way too quickly and had gotten a hold of him.  They looked at each other's eyes as the snake spirit tightened his hold around his neck but that action of his brought only a wider smile on Hoseok's lips and the red light that was evident in his eyes, to grow further.

"You will never make it back to the spirited world. I will make sure of your failure now and forever." The man growled rather darkly, his words echoing around the atmosphere as if they had come from the sky itself, filling you and Yukio with a feeling of alertness and fear.

"I would like to see you try" Hoseok's voice beamed creepily through the darkness right before his tails grew and the two flew up in the sky, having taken some distance from one another. A sky that was calm and dark for a moment then got filled with flames and the light of white thunders that collided with each other viciously, leaving you and Yukio who were the only ones witnessing it, at a loss for words.

---To be continued...

{It's about time we see how spirits fight. It's showdown time~} XD