The Tale Of Kitsuna

Chapter 88:

“Yeah, but do understand any normal person will run away from the truth most of the time, and well, you are you, so we just assume the worse will happen. That’s why we hid it from you for now.” Mom explains with a stiff expression.

“For someone who is so good at lying about things to other people. you suck at lying to your family.” I said, smiling.

“Ugh.”

“You would have never told me about it. You knew I would find out by myself, and letting myself find it out will be better than being told about it. Human beings hate to be called out on their shortcomings, and that’s the same for me, sadly. I was pissed when Rachel told me. And even if I tried to run, you would have beaten me up and bring me back.” I said, taking a deep breath.

“...”

“I wasn’t mad about you guys holding the truth from me. Well, not that mad. I was madder that I didn’t notice it faster. Like I knew I could have evil laughter and evil smirks but never thought about the situations they came out. Thinking about it again, it was always when I think about killing. Aah, fuck, I feel so dumb now.” I exclaim, whining in depression, crouching down, rubbing my head furiously.

“Ha-ha, you seem to handle it better than I thought you would.” Mom said with a bright smile.

“Hmm, well, I have an idea what is wrong with me mentally, but I am not sure how to fix it. It’s between going on a self-appraisal trip, or I can go sit under a waterfall and meditate, but that will take years or months too.” I said, standing up again before putting my hand on my chin.

.....

“Well, how about you do a self-appraisal trip toward the border city and back for the next 6 months just before the tournament starts.” Mom said, smiling at her great idea.

“I am fine with it, but with who and why toward the border?” I asked, tilting my head.

“You lost your Chakrams on the mansion raid right and haven’t gotten replacements yet, so take this time to get yourself new ones from Steve. The reason Kayda is going is that you are a trouble magnet, and she already gave the next 12 months training schedule to Amari, so she is open.” Mom said, grinning.

“Not a bad idea. I do miss my lovely chakrams,” I said before continuing in thought. ‘This was probably planned out beforehand. They are just using my mental problem as an excuse for it instead of what they had planned beforehand. Whatever, it’s not like mom will send me into a dangerous location without warning.’

“That’s why Kayda is getting things ready. You guys will leave tomorrow on foot towards the border. It will take about 2 months to get there and back if you just keep on traveling, but you have 6 months before you need to be back here, so take your time.”

“Huh, but can’t you guys fly there like in a couple of hours?”

“Yes, but that is if we use our planes. They are way faster than you think, dummy.”

“But they can’t be faster than you can they,” I said, ignoring what she called me.

“Of course not. I can run to the border and back before the plane makes one trip.” Mom said, pushing out her non-existent chest.

“If that’s so, why didn’t you make trips back when the 2 of us stayed at the border.”

“I never...”

“Sorry, I forgot you are old. You would have broken your back if you did it,” I said, looking at the gate again.

“What did you just say?” Mom said, looking at me dangerously.

“Huh, didn’t you hear me, or was I too far up for you?” I said, bending down to her level, I added. “Can you hear me now?”

“You ungrateful daughter!” Mom yelled, uppercut me in the chin sending me back.

“Says the flat-chested cat,” I said, standing up with a smirk on my face. Flash stepping toward mom, we met midway, clashing hands against each other like we are trying to wrestling. When our hands hit reached other, the ground under us made a small crater.

“Seems your as fat as ever. I told you to eat less,” Mom said, referring to the crater.

“Ha-ha, your hands are as small as a child’s. Are they even useful in fights,” I said, moving my hand so it encases Mom’s entire hand?

“You want to find out.” Mom said before kicking me in the stomach sending me back a couple of meters.

“We haven’t fought in sometimes. Base stats only?” I said, making 2 ice daggers in my hand.

“No, that won’t be fair for you.” Mom said in a provoking tone while putting on restrains.

“Tch, old hag,” I said, taking a fighting stance.

“I am 36 years old!” Mom said, running at me with a speed I could see and easily react to.

Seeing this, I activated Sword Domain and made the temperature 4 meters around me drop to -10 Celsius.

“Not bad, but it’s not enough.” Mom said, moving like the cold didn’t affect her, catching me a bit of guard. When she was a meter out, she drew her fist back, aiming for my midsection. Bringing my daggers up to block it, I used my chains I the ground as well to hold my ground just in time before she hit me.

“Ugh?” Grunting in pain at the hit. I felt my forearms break at multiple sections. Even the chains hold me down broke. My eyes widen for a second before I was sent flying into the front gate.

‘Shit, did her base stats improve so much in the past months! That was at least 2000 in strength. even my ribs are fractured.’ I thought while healing all my injuries as fast as possible.

“You blocked that better than I thought. I commend you.” Mom said, looking at me on the ground against the gate that didn’t break.

“To think your base stats will improve better than mine over the month. How pathetic of me losing in growth against an old hag.” I said, standing smirking again.

“Oh, still have some confidence in defeating me?” Mom said, smirking back with a glint of proudness in her eyes.

“Of course, what will I be if not a failure if I can’t kick my own mothers’ ass one day,” I said, Flash stepping above her bring two war hammers down at her.

“Your speed at creating weapons has improved a lot, but they are as weak as ever.” Mom said, catching the hammers with ease before gripping them harder, making them chatters.

‘Tch, remember your ice is almost like a metal. What makes weapons strong. Think about the methods you were told about in the past.’ I thought while flash stepping out of the way from a dagger mom pulled out.

“It seems my speed is a bit lacking against your flash step.” Mom’s comments bring another dagger towards my gut.

‘Folding weapon method? Isn’t it basically layers of metal against each other? Didn’t I make the dungeon-like that with my ice!’ I thought wanting to kick myself in the ass for not think about it until now.

“You know, mother, I haven’t felt this dumb in forever,” I said, jumping back, making an odachi in my hand while the blade was made with multiple layers of ice stack on each other.

“Oh, that blade looks nice. Wonder if it as strong as it looks fancy.” Mom said, running at me with two short swords.

Putting the blade in drawing position on my waist, I crouched down slightly while looking straight at Mom. Just when she was 2 meters away, I swing the blade sideways.

“Thing about that stance, your opponent already knows how the blade will move.” Mom said, jumping up just enough to dodge the blade.

“I know that’s why I did it,” I said, smirking, looking up at her making 4 chains underground shoot out towards mom in mid-air.

“Shit!” Mom yelled, trying to dodge the chains that she successfully did, but it gave me enough time to bring the blade upwards towards her.

“Got you,” I said, cutting off her left leg and arm.

“Agh!”

Seeing her on the ground groaning in pain with a small pool of blood-forming, I instantly thought back at my birth mother hanging body. Dropping the sword, I moved my chain to pick up the dismembered limbs while picking mom up from the ground. Just when I was about to run towards Sirone, I felt something moving towards me from behind.

Jumping sideways, I narrowly dodge a dagger that was through by my mother.

“What?” I muttered in confusion before feeling mom in my arms getting lighter. Looking down, I saw my mother’s body turn to water.

“Fucken illusion,” I said with anger, looking at where the dagger came from to one meet eyes with a mom who looked to be completely fine except for the bit of blood dropping from her left leg.

“That was good of you. you almost had me.” Mom said, smiling before her eyes widen at me, lunging at her fist drawn.

“You know I hate it when you use illusions on me,” I said when my fist hit the ground, creating another crater where mother stood.

“Hehe, sorry I went to faaaa!” Mom said before panicking, dogging a flying odachi.

“now that I have a new mother of creating my weapons, let’s see if you can break them so easily,” I said, taking the odachi out of the air with my right hand while creating another one in my left hand.

“Duel wielding odachi’s?” Mom said a surprise.

“Who do you think is my master, mother?” I said, flash stepping towards her again.

“Of course, my disciple.” Mom said, smirking seeing me appear in front of her while bringing both swords downwards but the one was aimed for her left leg that had been injured.