chapter 65

Chapter 65: Moving On

– Haru –

It was time for a war...

A few Yokai scouts had rushed into my restaurant earlier, reporting that an army was approaching Carne Village.

By now, the village was completely evacuated. The locals had already used the large back doors of The Fox Hole to escape into Kyoto, where they'd stay for the next few days. Not that I thought the enemy would even get this far, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

I stood atop the wooden walls surrounding the village, watching the distant dust cloud on the horizon. The mages from Fairy Tail were stationed nearby. Floating next to me was a tiny blonde ghost—Mavis Vermillion, the first master of Fairy Tail.

"Don't worry, Haru!" she chirped, hands on her hips. "As Fairy Tail's best strategist, I've got this in the bag!"

I gave her a dry grin. "I hope so because I'm paying your guild a lot of money for this."

Mavis pouted at me for that one.

Before she could reply, Milim cut in. Yes, she was still here, I hadn't found out a way to get rid of her yet. Not that I didn't appreciate her presence, but she was a bit clingy.

"...So are you, like, dead dead? What's it like not having a body? Do you still have to poop?" Milim asked.

Mavis let out a long, suffering sigh. "Maybe, it's weird, and no." She answered each question like she'd been asked them a hundred times before.

I chuckled, shaking my head.

Down below, Erza was leading the guild members. Natsu's group looked excited except for the blonde cheerleader Lucy. The other mages, whose names I didn't know as well, were more similar to her in nervousness but none of them had run away.

A blonde man with an incredibly punchable face rode forward on horseback. A mage next to him raised a staff, casting a spell to amplify his voice.

"I am Barbro! Crown Prince of the Re-Estize Kingdom! We will not tolerate a deceptive monster living in our lands and lording over our noble people. Stand aside, fellow humans, so that we may slay the beast and reclaim this territory in my name as the future king!"

I rolled my eyes. Three guesses who the 'deceptive monster' was...

Erza stepped forward as the leader of the Fairy Tail mages. "We refuse," she declared, her voice steady and unwavering. "This land was fairly purchased by Haru, Prince of the Yokai, and he has hired our guild to defend it. If you choose to attack, we promise none of you will die, but you won't walk away unscathed!"

Barbro sneered. "Arrogant wench! You'll make a fine bed slave once my army is through with your pitiful defense!" He turned his horse around and rode back to his forces.

Erza's expression didn't change, but her magic flared. A set of metallic wings materialized behind her, and she lifted into the air, returning to the front lines where the Fairy Tail mages were preparing themselves.

The battle was about to kick off any second now.

"Oh! This just got way less boring!" Milim suddenly blurted out.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Mavis asked, tilting her head.

Milim just pointed upwards.

I followed her gaze. "That's... not good," I muttered.

Mavis, despite being a ghost, started trembling. Whatever she was seeing was triggering some really bad memories for her.

A black and red dragon flapped its massive wings directly above the Re-Estize army. Something about it was off—it looked sickly, its scales cracked and discolored, and its bloodshot eyes were filled with something unnatural.

And then it opened its jaws.

But instead of fire or ice, a thick, blood-red mist poured out, blanketing the army of 10,000 soldiers—including Barbro.

A second later, the screams began.

The soldiers didn't just die. They melted. Flesh sloughed off their bones, armor corroded within moments, and their weapons rusted away as if centuries had passed in an instant.

Barbro himself barely had time to scream before his face disintegrated, his body crumbling into a pool of liquefied gore along with the rest of his forces.

Silence followed.

Even the Fairy Tail mages, who had been prepared for battle, stood frozen in horror.

I grit my teeth. "What the hell kind of dragon breath was that…?"

"A vampire dragon!" Milim said cheerfully. "You don't see many of those very often!"

I clenched my fists.

Fuck. This had gone completely wrong.

Mavis turned to me, panic written all over her face. "Haru, you promised to protect my mages if something went wrong! They can't fight a monster like that! They'll all die!"

I gritted my teeth. She wasn't wrong. I'd been getting bad feelings about this whole situation all week, but I ignored them. I didn't want to abandon the contract with Fairy Tail after Mom and I had worked so hard to secure it. And now the entire army I'd wanted to avoid killing was dead anyway.

The vampire dragon let out a low, guttural growl before opening its massive jaws again. It inhaled deeply, and the blood and liquefied remains of the Re-Estize soldiers lifted into the air, swirling toward its mouth like some grotesque, flesh-and-blood slurry.

I had to fight the urge to throw up on the spot. That was easily one of the most disgusting things I'd ever seen.

"Eeeeeewww," Milim whined beside me, scrunching up her nose.

Mavis yanked at my sleeve, her translucent fingers passing right through the fabric. "Haru!" she snapped, her voice sharp with urgency.

Right. I needed to kill this thing.

I was about to make my move when a loud roar erupted from below.

"You bastard!" Natsu's entire body ignited in flames, his magic exploding outward in a violent surge of power. His scarf fluttered from the heat as his eyes locked onto the dragon with pure rage.

Natsu, Erza, Gray, Elfman, and Lucy all launched their attacks at the dragon at the same time, hoping to catch it off guard while it was still preoccupied with its grotesque meal.

Natsu roared as he hurled himself at the beast, flames bursting from his fists. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" He drove his attack straight into the dragon's side.

Gray followed immediately after. "Ice-Make: Lance!" A barrage of ice spears shot toward the dragon's head.

Erza, already mid-air, reequipped into her strongest armor. "Heaven's Wheel!" Swords rained down like a storm, targeting every weak point she could aim for.

Elfman charged and leapt high as his body morphed into a gorilla creature. "Beast Soul: Full-Body Takeover!" He punched the dragon's leg with all his might.

Lucy summoned a spirit of some kind. "Go, Loke!"

But none of it worked.

The dragon barely reacted as all the hits landed.

Natsu's flaming punch connected and was snuffed out on the scales. Gray's ice shattered upon contact. Erza's swords bounced off harmlessly. The gorilla-man barely budged the dragon's leg and Lucy's spirit didn't even attack. Instead he scooped Lucy up and immediately started bolting in the other direction!

The dragon finally acknowledged the rest of them with a slow, lazy turn of its head before casually swatting at Natsu with one of its massive claws. Natsu didn't even have time to react. The blow hit him directly, sending him flying across the battlefield. He slammed into the ground hard, rolling several times before coming to a stop. 

…He wasn't getting back up anytime soon.

"Shit!" Gray ran toward Natsu. "Natsu! You okay?! Say something, idiot!"

Erza cursed under her breath, gripping her sword tighter. "Damn it… We're not doing anything to it."

The other Fairy Tail mages were shouting now, realization setting in fast.

"We can't win this! We need to retreat!"

"We need to fall back!"

I landed hard between the dragon and the retreating Fairy Tail mages, my claws digging deep into the earth, my tails swaying behind me. My body felt heavier, stronger—my transformation had definitely changed.

I wasn't just a nine-tailed fox anymore. I was something more. Fifty feet tall, covered in golden fur, my ten tails swaying behind me as I bared my fangs at the monstrosity hovering in the sky above me.

The vampire dragon finally took notice, its massive head tilting slightly, its bloodshot eyes locking onto mine. Unlike with the mages, there was no indifference in its gaze. No, this thing was wary of me.

Its voice was raspy, guttural, filled with malice. "I am the Vampiric Dragon Lord… and I am here to kill you, Player."

I narrowed my slitted eyes. Player.

That was the word Evileye had used before—what she called people from other worlds, those who didn't originally belong here. And she also mentioned how dragons in this world hated Players. 

So that was it, huh? This thing wasn't here for conquest, or because it had some grand plan. It was here because it instinctively wanted me dead.

The dragon's massive wings flared open, its sharp claws flexing as it bared its own fangs at me. It was preparing for a fight.

Alright then...

I was about to give it one!

"Milim Punch!"

And just like that, Milim appeared in front of the Vampiric Dragon Lord and threw a single punch.

The entire world seemed to shatter around us. The ground split apart, a shockwave erupted through the battlefield, and a massive trench—miles long—was carved into the earth in the direction of her attack.

And the Vampiric Dragon Lord?

Just… gone.

No body. No remains. Not even a single damn scale left behind. It had been erased from existence.

My tails slumped behind me as I just stood there on four legs.

There went my epic moment…

I had been seconds away from going all out, testing the full extent of my power, proving to myself and everyone else just how much stronger I'd become after evolving. But noooo, Milim had to just show up out of nowhere and one-shot the thing before I could even lift a paw.

"…Seriously?" I muttered, my voice flat.

Milim turned back to me, grinning ear to ear, looking way too pleased with herself. "Did you see that, Haru?! I totally wrecked that overgrown lizard!"

I sighed, closing my eyes. "Yeah, Milim. I saw..."

Milim landed back in front of me playfully before tilting her head. "Huh? What's wrong, Haru? You looked like you were struggling, so I helped!"

"I wasn't struggling, Milim. I didn't even get to fight it yet!"

She blinked at me. "Ohhh… so you wanted to fight it?"

"It was my fight!"

She pouted. "But it was ugly and smelly, and I got bored waiting, so I punched it."

I transformed back into my humanoid form and pinched the bridge of my nose. 

I turned back around to check on the Fairy Tail mages.

And they were gone.

Not just scattered or regrouping—completely gone, as if they'd never been here in the first place. I let out a slow breath, trying to process it.

Mavis floated toward me, her expression filled with something between disappointment and resignation. Her gaze shifted between me and the aftermath of the battle, lingering for a few moments before she finally spoke. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice soft but firm. "But I don't think your life and the guild I founded are compatible at this time, Haru. I would like you to not visit Fairy Tail anymore or involve yourself with my mages. In fact, I'd prefer if your restaurant left Magnolia altogether."

I stared at her, stunned. "You want me to leave?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around her words.

Mavis nodded, looking genuinely regretful. "Fairy Tail isn't meant to handle conflicts on this scale," she said. "Not anymore at least..."

I wanted to argue, to tell her that I didn't ask for this fight, that I wasn't the one who brought a vampiric dragon lord into the picture. But deep down, I knew she wasn't wrong...

After a long pause, I let out a heavy sigh and lowered my head. "I'm sorry about the mess and the violence," I told her honestly. "That wasn't what I wanted."

Mavis studied me for a few more moments before she finally turned away. "Goodbye, Haru," she murmured before floating off and passing through the doors of the Fox Hole.

I stood there for a while, just staring at the spot where she disappeared.

"…Ah. Sorry you lost some friends," Milim said after a moment. She sounded uncharacteristically serious for once.

I shook my head, forcing a small smile. "Death and destruction aren't uncommon in the worlds we come from, but for Fairy Tail… it's different."

Even as I said it, my mind drifted to Irene. The dragon mommy hadn't been around since she was recalled to her continent. I wondered how she'd react to all this when she found out.

With nothing else left to do here, Milim and I turned back toward the restaurant.

As we approached the outskirts of Enri's village, my stomach twisted. Now that I was looking at it up close, I grimaced at the extent of the damage. The shockwave from Milim's punch had done more than just shake the battlefield—it had torn through most of the village's wooden houses and buildings. Only the Fox Hole was really untouched at this point. 

The entire village was going to need to be torn down and rebuilt.

I ran a hand through my blond hair and sighed. "Damn it," I muttered. "Good thing we evacuated, but still… this is a mess."

Milim scratched the back of her head. "Ah… yeah. My bad," she said, looking more sheepish than I'd ever seen her. "Didn't think my punch would… you know, do all that."

I gave her a look. "You obliterated a dragon lord with one hit," I pointed out. "What did you think was gonna happen?"

She shrugged. "I dunno, maybe he'd put up more of a fight? He was really weak for someone claiming to be a Dragon Lord...talk about lame!"

I snorted despite myself and shook my head. 

Enri was standing behind the counter when we walked back inside. She looked nervous, glancing between me and Milim, clearly unsure of what to say.

She hesitated before finally speaking. "All the Fairy Tail mages stormed in earlier… they used the door and left in a hurry. Did… everything go okay?"

I sighed and rubbed my temples. "Kind of," I muttered before explaining everything. I didn't leave out the part about the crown prince of Re-Estize being dead, the vampiric dragon lord getting one-shot by Milim, or how Enri's village was basically wrecked in the crossfire.

Enri blinked. "Oh…" she said, her voice small, clearly struggling to process it all.

I nudged Milim with my elbow. She let out a small huff but begrudgingly turned to Enri. "Uh… sorry for, you know, accidentally breaking your house," she mumbled, rubbing the back of her head.

"That's okay," Enri said, her expression softening. "Honestly… I kind of prefer spending more time in the Fox Hole anyway. It's a lot nicer. And maybe, when Lord Haru rebuilds everything, we can all have modern houses." She smiled at me.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "I'll make sure of it," I promised before dropping onto a barstool on the customer side. I stretched, feeling the exhaustion from the day finally setting in.

Then I shot Enri a grin. "Why don't you go ahead and make us some celebratory victory food?" My tails happily swayed behind me as I spoke.

I wasn't going to let myself be bummed out over losing a few sort-of friendships. Maybe it would be only temporary or maybe they'd never want anything to do with me again but that didn't mean there weren't plenty of other people in my life.

Enri's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands together. "Of course! One special meal coming up! I've been practicing!"

Milim and I happily dug into the bacon macaroni and cheese that Enri had prepared for us. The flavors were perfectly blended, with five different cheeses melting together into something rich and creamy. The fresh, crispy bacon added the perfect crunch, giving it that extra kick of flavor.

"This is really good!" Milim beamed between bites. "If you were a monster, I'd name you for this!"

Enri blinked, looking mildly confused. "Uh… thank you?" she said, clearly unsure how to respond to what was probably meant as high praise.

We finished our meal pretty quickly, and as soon as we did, Milim stood up and fidgeted slightly, looking like she wasn't sure what to say. Her usual confident energy was still there, but there was a little hesitation behind it.

Then, without warning, she rushed over and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.

"I had a lot of fun, bestie!" she said excitedly. "But now I have to go back to my territory and do boring work! I'll come and play again another day, so don't go having too much fun without me!"

I chuckled and patted her on the back. "Looking forward to it," I told her. Although I was hoping she'd give me at least a week before storming back into my life. 

Milim was… A lot. 

After we finished eating, I helped Enri clean up the kitchen, wiping down counters while she handled the dishes. 

Once we were done, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led us towards the door. "Why don't we take the rest of the night off?" I suggested. "I kinda want to go spend some time with my family."

Enri stiffened slightly at first, her cheeks dusting pink from how close we were. But after a second, she nodded, smiling softly. "That sounds like a good idea," she said. Her people were safe in Kyoto's yokai territory, but I had no doubt they'd want to hear about what happened. 

…

I sat alone in my restaurant, the dim lighting casting long shadows across the empty tables. The past couple of days had been a complete whirlwind, and despite spending the evening with my family, I still had too much on my mind to sleep. So I went for a walk around town and ended up here of course.

Evolved into a nascent demon lord? Check. Mom halfway to becoming an actual goddess? Sure, why not. Milim casually one-shotting a dragon more powerful than anything we'd ever seen in Skyrim?

Just another day in the life of a yokai chef, apparently.

The front door creaked open, I glanced up, surprised that anyone would be here at this hour.

Erza Scarlet stood at the entrance looking hesitant until she spotted me.

"Oh… I'm glad you're still here even though it's so late," she said. 

I gave her a small smile. "Yeah, kinda hard to sleep after a day like that."

She sat across from me. Her eyes darted around the near-empty restaurant before landing back on me. "I'm sorry about everything that happened today," she said, her voice steady but laced with frustration. "It all went down so fast I could barely react. I… I wasn't expecting a random evil dragon to show up and start slaughtering people. And then I was too weak to do anything to that monster..."

I was surprised... She was apologizing to me!? 

I was about to start apologizing to her. "I hired you guys to take down an army of peasants forced to fight, not a dragon..." I reminded her.

"I know, but Fairy Tail missions never really go according to plan anyway. You should hear some of the wacky stories my guild mates have gotten up to over the years," she said with a half smile.

"Just from seeing those crazy bar fights I can imagine."

Erza leaned back in her seat with a frustrated look on her face. "Makarov and the First are overreacting. They banned any Fairy Tail mages from coming near your restaurant or even associating with you."

I sighed. "Yeah, I figured."

"But I think that's bullshit," she said flatly.

I choked on my own breath at how blunt she was.

"I've seen way worse things in my life, especially before I joined Fairy Tail," she continued. "And I don't think you deserve this kind of treatment. So I've decided that I'll keep coming around… if you'll have me. I'll have to sneak in, though." She sighed, clearly annoyed at the idea. "This place reconnected me with my family, after all… even if my mom is a crazy dragon for some reason."

I gave her a small smile. "Of course you can keep coming around. Why wouldn't I want a beautiful girl like you gracing my restaurant?"

Erza immediately turned red before I felt an armored boot slam into my shin under the table. "Hmph! Flatterer," she scoffed, standing up with a huff.

I rubbed my shin and chuckled. Damn, she'd used magic to enhance that kick! 

"Hey, I'm just being honest," I said playfully. 

She rolled her eyes but still smiled slightly. "Thanks for being so understanding, Haru."

I leaned back and grinned. "Anytime, Erza. Just try not to kick me so hard next time."

She smirked before heading for the door. "No promises. And I'll still stop by whenever I can..."

"You should bring your mom with you too next time!" 

…I don't know why I said that, but it just kinda popped out...

Erza's face turned as red as her last name. I had to duck as she picked up a chair and threw it at me before storming out! 

"Hmph! Pervert!"

She'd be back…

XXX

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Here is the list of Current Advanced Chapters:

The Fallen Gamer ch 324-328

The Fox Hole 71

Thunder and Black Wings 16

The Fox Hole 70

The Blood Queen 40

Thunder and Black Wings 15

The Fox Hole 69

The Blood Queen 39

The Fox Hole 68

The Titan 30

The Fox Hole 67

Thunder and Black Wings 14

The Fox Hole 66

The Blood Queen 38