Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

After Mei calmed down, the Demonic Foxes returned. It was as if they knew that Mei was calm, and it was safe to return.

”You rascals.” Mei chuckled at them sinisterly. It would not be Mei to not flip out the moment she saw them.

”W-we have our reasons!” The Demonic Foxes immediately hid behind Aiko, using her as a protective meat shield.

”Why am I getting dragged into this...” Moon Aiko lamented, but she didn’t move a single bit. Well, she was too lazy...

”You think this will protect you?” Mei chuckled, as if she already planned their fate.

”We can explain!” One Demonic Fox hiccuped since Mei was too scary.

”If it’s not a good explanation, you will see hell and never come back.” Mei chuckled with a demon-like face.

That brave Demonic Fox stepped close to Mei and whispered something.

Mei grimaced. She was clearly unhappy about letting them off the hook, which puzzled Aiko.

”What are you so hush-hush about?” Moon Aiko narrowed her eyes.

”N-nothing!” The Demonic Fox jumped, trying to run away.

”They improved your ’romantic spot’.” Mei nudged teasingly.

”Hey!” The Demonic Foxes yelped, since that was supposed to be a secret. Then they suddenly paused.

”... Huh? Vicious Jade Fox’s spot...?” The Demonic Foxes looked incredulously with that newfound information, since they didn’t know about that part.

”What ’my’ spot?” Moon Aiko was confused.

”The one that got ruined?” Mei didn’t know if Aiko was just fooling around or if she was truly unaware.

”Oh... Oooooh!” Moon Aiko nodded her head before her body paused. ”But why did you do that?” She never asked them to do something like that.

”Because you don’t smell like Jade Fox.” The Demonic Foxes giggled before a chilling frost crept up on them.

”That’s it!” Mei pulled up her sleeve before attempting the grand chase.

”Eeeeek!” The Demonic Foxes immediately scattered and ran for their dear lives.

Moon Aiko giggled, looking at Mei with affection.

”What is it?” Mei was taken aback, since it was rare for Aiko to have such obvious emotions.

”You are a lot more lively than your stuck-up old self.” Moon Aiko genuinely smiled at Mei.

”You know you could’ve left the latter part, and it would sound much better, right?” Mei’s lips twitched. She didn’t know if Aiko was that ’simple’ or if she was just trying to rage bait her.

”But it’s the truth, instead of your head you had one big arse.” Moon Aiko gestured and mimicked Mei’s demeanour. ”I’m the great Queen, you will serve me well in the future, little one!”

”Stoooop!” Mei was really embarrassed about that, so she didn’t want Aiko re-enacting it.

”What is it~?” Moon Aiko was amused by Mei’s reaction, and she was also happy that she had a special button that she could press to get unique reactions from Mei.

”I will pin you, you little rascal, but not before teaching you about romantic spots!” Mei declared.

”Right, I will let you guide me, since you are ’older’ and with more ’experience’.” Moon Aiko stabbed where it hurt as she was enjoying her newfound abilities.

Thanks to the slowed world around her, everything took a while to finish.

Thanks to that, she was able to think more and come up with wittier lines, of course at the expense of the now ’bleeding’ Mei.

”Seriously...” Mei coughed awkwardly, since when was Aiko so good at stabb- ’No, she was always like this...’ She was quite happy she didn’t tease Aiko too much, or it would’ve ended up a lot worse.

”What?” Moon Aiko pouted at her.

”Nothing, would you like to visit ’that’ place?” Mei smiled with a beating heart. She wondered what those mischievous Demonic Foxes could do.

”I’m curious, yes.” Moon Aiko nodded her head. ”But it does feel like my ego will suffer.”

”Well, you picked that place because it was a precious resource, and you had to work with limited resources, it’s only natural that you wouldn’t do as well as those rascals.” Mei shrugged before helping Aiko stand up.

”That somehow feels infuriating, you know?” Moon Aiko’s lips twitched. It felt like they were play-fighting each other.

”I understand. After all, a certain ’someone’ already stabbed me a few times.” Mei nudged Aiko.

”Hey! You wanted me to become better at talking, so you should praise me!” Moon Aiko clicked her tongue. She became a lot more shameless than before.

”Praise you that you keep stabbing me?!” Mei was flabbergasted.

”Hehe~” Moon Aiko hummed, healing a bit more. You could never have enough heals!

Mei rolled her eyes, but still guided Aiko towards the supposed ’romantic’ spot.

...

”What the h-”

”Fuck.”

Moon Aiko nodded her head as she gazed at her speechless partner.

”Nonononono, this does not make any sense!” Mei cried out. When did this Fox Village have Cherry Blossom in full bloom? What about that lake and other attractions?!

”I did not notice something happening right under my nose...” Mei almost collapsed when she realised she was outwitted by a bunch of berserkers.

”There, there.” Moon Aiko patted Mei’s back.

”Aren’t you upset that they were able to create something like this?” Mei wondered if Aiko was affected, but then she noticed her face.

”I certainly will need to have a word with them.” Moon Aiko nodded her head with a sinister expression, startling even Mei.

It was as if she was plotting something, something very bad for the Demonic Foxes.

”It seems like the main attraction is after crossing the lake?” Moon Aiko observed her surroundings.

There was a Cherry Blossom forest around them, with a very obviously fake lake and obviously enlarged Cherry Blossom.

Suddenly the world darkened, even when it was still daytime.

Mei’s lips twitched when she realised this place was covered with Arrays that could control the daylight, but what she was concerned most about were the questionably named Arrays.

”There is a boat.” Moon Aiko pointed towards a well-made boat.

”They really did everything...” Mei sort of gave up thinking about it. It was not enough that they built this whole ass place while she was not watching, but it was even covered in Arrays?!

”Let’s go.” Moon Aiko stumbled, since she was still not used to the slow world.

”Careful.” Mei shook her head as she supported Aiko again.

”It’s not that bad.” Moon Aiko pursed her lips, unwilling to acknowledge that she would be eating dirt right now without Mei’s help.

”Would you prefer princess carry?” Mei tilted her head teasingly.

”I’m fine, let’s go.” Moon Aiko immediately started walking in a way that Mei would have trouble sweeping her like before.

”But I don’t see any paddles...” Moon Aiko turned around the boat when she noticed a piece of paper.

”This is a specially done boat with a steering stick. You use this stick to move the boat around.” Even Mei was not sure what this was, as it was her first time getting close to something like this.

”Should we use Divine Sense to push the boat?” Moon Aiko suddenly suggested.

”Good idea.” Mei nodded her head. Neither of them knew how to use it, so they just wouldn’t use it!

”It might be draining though...” Moon Aiko sighed.

”And it doesn’t appear that they want us to cross it directly.” Mei added that part of information, since they were still being tailed by those curious Demonic Foxes.

”Did you hear something?” Moon Aiko suddenly asked Mei. She was trying to alert the Demonic Foxes so that they would give them some room.

”It must’ve been the wind!” One Demonic Fox suddenly used Whispering Technique, making her voice be carried by the wind.

Both Mei’s and Aiko’s eyebrows twitched. They couldn’t believe how shameless they were.

”Maybe some training is in order.” Mei turned into a demon-like person, scaring the Demonic Foxes shitless.

”Eeek!” Once again, the Demonic Foxes dispersed and they were now left alone.

”Wasn’t that a bit excessive?” Moon Aiko was slightly puzzled about Mei’s reaction.

”I don’t want anyone watching me fall into the lake.” Mei snorted unhappily. It was enough that she would show her inexperienced side to Aiko, but it was unacceptable that they would have spectators.

”Fall? Lake? What? Why?” Moon Aiko had so many questions that her mind overloaded for a brief moment.

”Obviously, we will use the stick since they prepared it.” Mei pointed at the very obvious stick.

”You know how to use it?” Moon Aiko looked at Mei in admiration.

”...” Mei pursed her lips as she smiled foolishly. Aiko had too many expectations, making it difficult for her to say no.

Mei coughed lightly. ”We will use Divine Sense on the stick and see how it will work.”

”Oh, that’s a good idea.” Moon Aiko patted Mei’s shoulder.

”You are leaving everything to me, huh?” Mei realised what Aiko was planning and called her out immediately.

”Are you sure I should be using Divine Sense when I’m not completely stable with my perception?” Moon Aiko smiled mischievously. She will be pampered today!

”Ugh...” Mei didn’t have comeback for that, since she was aware that Moon Aiko was not doing too well.

”I will be in your hands.” Moon Aiko bowed lightly to Mei, before stepping onto the ship.

Seeing Aiko paused, Mei was concerned. ”Are you alright?”

”Those little shits made this into Treasure...” Moon Aiko really wanted to drag them here and make them confess everything, but Mei scared them away.

”...” Mei had a blank expression. She was worried what she would find on the other side of this place.

”Are you not getting in?” Moon Aiko tilted her head.

”I’m not sure if I want to...” Mei didn’t want to sustain even more mental damage today.

”Then we can wait on the shore until you are ready.” Moon Aiko smiled gently. She would wait for Mei however long it would take.

”Why were you not considerate before?” Mei sighed at her.

”...” Aiko wanted to say. ’Why didn’t you teach me properly before?’ But since Mei was not doing too well, she held herself back.

”It feels like you are thinking about something rude.” Mei immediately sharpened her senses to figure out what Aiko was up to.

”You are imagining things.” Moon Aiko just smiled. It was very easy to control her emotions in this form, so she would make sure that Mei wouldn’t be able to figure anything out!

With this staring contest under the way, which one of them would win...?