A Fox's Whisper

2: |几卂尺|

"You," I snarled at the man in front of me. He tilted his head in confusion. He was dressed as a samurai would be, his clothing themed after the red maple leaves that I've seen before in Inazuma. His eyes were the same color crimson, and a red streak ran through his white hair. He wasn't exactly how I'd pictured him, I'd never thought someone as horrid as he was would take after a samurai, but it had to be him.

"Me?" He asked quietly.

I couldn't willingly describe to you what I felt in that moment. All I knew was that the uncontrollable hatred I felt for the samurai in front of me was blinding. It made my blood boil, and I began to see red in the corners of my vision. Had I not been so angry, I might have taken into account that this man held a sword and undoubtedly knew how to wield it, but just then, I didn't care.

What happened next was a blur for me. One moment I was sitting on the ground, and the next I had rushed at the samurai, toppled him to the ground, and was on top of him, my fingers curling around his lily-white throat. From the way his eyes widened, I think what surprised him most was my strength.

He thrashed and flailed underneath me, but I refused to let up. He'd destroyed my life, so I would destroy him. The way his windpipe could crush so easily from my own strength almost made me sick. Almost.

My breathing was so ragged it could've been mistaken for hyperventilating. Then I felt his body go limp. At that, my grip loosened just a tad. Had I... actually killed him? I hadn't ever killed someone before. Thunder growled in the sky like a great beast, and I wondered if I would be struck by lightning to pay for my murderous sin.

Yet upon my loosening grip, the samurai suddenly twisted his body and flung me to the ground. Dirt filled my mouth and I jarred my elbow as I fell. My bare legs scraped harshly against the rocky ground. He'd tricked me! It was such a conniving trick that it would've made any kitsune proud. But not me. I was furious.

I pushed myself up and turned to lunge at him again, but I stopped when I saw that he had the point of his sword angled at my throat. I gulped. He was fast.

The samurai stared at me with something akin to confusion and surprise. But he smiled slightly, and I wanted nothing more than to smack it off his face. How dare he smile at me so? He had no right!

I contemplated using my kitsune-bi, foxfire, as a diversion. But the flames are illusionary, and I didn't know if the samurai would be fooled. After all, he'd been smart enough to make his body relax to fool me into thinking I'd strangled him unconscious. Besides, my illusions would be easier to see through without my star ball, and it wasn't a risk I wanted to take, given who I believed the samurai to be, who he must be.

"I mean you no harm," the samurai said. I think he meant to be kind, but it sounded as if he were mocking me.

My fox ears laid back on my head as I scowled at him. He wouldn't get me to speak, and I wouldn't talk to the likes of him. I would kill him. I just had to figure out how. With a sword against my throat, my options were very limited.

"What's your name?" He asked, as if he didn't know it already. Did he truly think it was that funny to mock me?? What confused me was that... we'd met before, hadn't we? He was my greatest enemy. He loathed me. I averted my gaze from his.

Then I was struck with an idea. I'd act defeated. I'd play along with his games, and then once he lowered the sword, I'd confuse him with some sort of kitsune illusion and then I'd kill him. I didn't quite get why he was acting like I was a stranger. After all, hadn't it been just a few moments ago that... I struggled to remember.

I sighed. "I'm Okami Inari." I tried to make my voice sound meek, but it was harder than I thought.

"Okami Inari," the samurai repeated. "That's a nice name."