BXBX NOVEL Chapter 135: Villain Simulator, Ch 134
Chapter 135: Villain Simulator, Ch 134
Wiping the tears from his eyes, he forced a smile. "Today will be the last time we meet. My wish is simple: to live in peace and grow old together with my wife."
As a boy, he was allowed to hold onto his dreams and secret affections.
But as a man, he had to shoulder responsibility.
Lucas\'s words left Kitsune Saiguu speechless. After a long silence, she finally managed to speak, her voice strained, "Ashan... could you perhaps... choose another wish?"
"Why?" Lucas suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. "Are you saying we won\'t be able to stay together? No, I love her, and she loves me too."
"No, please listen..." Kitsune Saiguu\'s expression dimmed. "I\'m afraid your fiancée might not survive the summer."
"What?" Lucas gasped. "But her health has improved! She even came with me to the festival!"
"That\'s just a brief recovery," Kitsune Saiguu sighed. "Every year, she falls ill during the Bon Festival because she has a rare condition known as the Yin-Imbalance Body. On this day, when Yin energy is at its peak, it accumulates within her. When I saw her just now, her lifespan was nearly exhausted..."
Just then, there was a loud gasp behind Lucas. He turned to see Kyoko, who had returned with the medicine, collapsing to the ground, eyes closed and blood trickling from her mouth.
---
Half an hour later.
When the doctor stepped out of the room, Lucas and Kyoko\'s family immediately rushed over to inquire about her condition.
"I\'m sorry," the doctor shook his head. "I\'ve never seen such a dire illness... you should prepare for the worst."
Kyoko\'s mother broke into sobs, while her father nearly stumbled, barely keeping his footing.
A thought struck Lucas, and he hurried to the back of the house, where Kitsune Saiguu waited. "Please... my wish is for Kyoko to live!"
Lucas\'s plea brought Kitsune Saiguu to silence.
"You can do it, can\'t you?" Lucas\'s voice quivered with desperation. "I know you can\'t bring someone back from the dead, but if she\'s still alive, surely there\'s a way."
Kitsune Saiguu gazed deeply into his eyes. After a long pause, she nodded. "I can save her. But the price is that you and I will never meet again in this lifetime. Even knowing this, do you still wish it?"
Lucas hesitated, but the sounds of Kyoko\'s parents\' weeping urged him to make up his mind. "I... I\'m willing."
After all, he had already resolved to live out his life as a human and sever ties with the yokai world and Kitsune Saiguu.
Kitsune Saiguu smiled faintly, handing him a silver pill. "I suppose this is fate... since it\'s your wish. Have her swallow this, and she will awaken in three days."
"Thank... thank you." Lucas accepted the pill carefully, but when he looked up, Kitsune Saiguu had vanished without a trace.
Was this really... goodbye?
He had no time to dwell on it and quickly returned to tell Kyoko\'s parents that he had previously obtained a remedy from the Grand Narukami Shrine. With no other options, they agreed, allowing him to give Kyoko the silver pill.
To everyone\'s astonishment, a miracle occurred.
Kyoko\'s pale face gradually turned rosy, and soon enough, her breathing became steady.
---
[Exiting immersive mode]
[Entering text mode]
---
[Three days later, Kyoko miraculously awakes, even healthier than before. However, her memory seems fragmented from the fever, leaving her unable to recall even her family clearly. Yet she still remembers you, calling out your name.]
[Though her memories aren\'t fully intact, her family and you are overjoyed. To celebrate, your families decide to hold the wedding right away. Kyoko, who still harbors feelings for you, agrees without hesitation.]
[It\'s a simple yet unique wedding. Half the attendees are villagers, while the other half are the yokai friends you\'ve made over the years. Yet, among them, Kitsune Saiguu\'s absence weighs on you. Despite your decision to never meet again, a subtle sense of loss lingers in your heart.]
[As the ceremony ends, a young shrine maiden arrives with a wedding gift. It\'s Hibiki, once a companion to Kitsune Saiguu. Casually, you ask if she knows where Kitsune Saiguu is.]
[She glances briefly at your bride, her expression blank. "Lady Saiguu says she doesn\'t wish to see you again. She hopes you\'ll live well with your wife and forget about her."]
[The wedding gift Hibiki presents is a delicate fox mask—the very one Kitsune Saiguu used to wear during the festival. It still carries a hint of her familiar scent.]
[Item Acquired: Summer Festival Mask (Set)]
[Effect (3/4): Enhances all defensive skills by 35%]
[Though the village wedding is simple, the revelry is heartfelt, and the celebrations last late into the night. You drink heavily and, intoxicated, are guided to the bridal chamber by Kyoko\'s father. Patiently, Kyoko tends to you as you drift in and out of consciousness, noting how her face bears a resemblance to Kitsune Saiguu. Of course, you refrain from speaking the name of the fox spirit; it would be too cruel to Kyoko.]
---
[Age 18: Over the past year, Kyoko\'s health has greatly improved. Although her memories of her parents remain faint, she still treats them with utmost respect.]
[Her personality has also changed. Once gentle and reserved, she has grown lively and outgoing since her recovery, and you find you don\'t mind this new side of her.]
[That summer, you and Kyoko attend the festival again. You see many of your yokai friends, yet there is still no sign of Kitsune Saiguu. It seems strange, as she adored the festival and fireworks, and wouldn\'t miss it even to avoid you.]
[But you\'re learning to move on, for now, you have someone tangible to cherish.]
[It\'s your first time spending the entire festival with Kyoko. You play many games together, and though she\'s never played them before, she\'s surprisingly adept—often beating you. Her charm draws many admiring looks from those around.]
---
[Age 19: Kyoko has turned sixteen. Though you\'ve been married for two years, you\'ve refrained from consummating the marriage, feeling she was still too young. But Kyoko has grown increasingly restless, frequently teasing you with small gestures when you sleep.]
[The challenge of her teasing tests your resolve, and though you strive to hold firm, eventually, you let her have her way, choosing to turn a blind eye to her antics.]
---
[Age 20: Kyoko\'s playful gestures become bolder, so you immerse yourself in more work to avoid any "accidents." You can\'t help but wonder if her personality shift has something to do with the pill Kitsune Saiguu gave her.]
---
[Age 21: For Kyoko\'s eighteenth birthday, you commission a custom-made outfit from the village tailor, which she adores, pinning the Summer Festival Blossom proudly at the center.]
[Eighteen years old now, Kyoko is a vision of youthful beauty, though not on par with Kitsune Saiguu or Shogun, yet as radiant as a newly blossomed lotus. That night, her playful teasing grows bolder, and this time, you don\'t hold back.]
[The little fox finally pays the price for her playful tricks over the past three years, and she soon understands why you had prepared by reinforcing the bed and purchasing a pair of deer antlers soaked in wine.]
[You\'re not like the average villager who charges blindly forward. Even in your ferocity, there remains a touch of gentleness.]
[Soft moonlight spills through the window, illuminating the tears on Kyoko\'s cheeks. For some reason, you find traces of Kitsune Saiguu in her features. Ironically, this fleeting illusion doesn\'t slow you down; it only stirs a deeper, unnameable impulse within you.]
[The next morning, you wake up late, finding faint scratch marks on your skin that resemble fox claws, along with a surprisingly deep bite mark on your shoulder. Are Kyoko\'s canines really that sharp? You can\'t help but be a bit puzzled.]
[But does it really matter? After your first night together, your bond with Kyoko feels even deeper. Strangely, she already seems more mature than she did the day before, though she still blushes when she notices the dark red stain on the sheets.]
[Perhaps due to your immersion in the Hakushin Spring, your body is far stronger than that of a typical man. Despite last night\'s intensity, you\'re filled with energy in the morning.]
[Kyoko doesn\'t yet grasp the implications, assuming the fervor was simply the result of your long-held restraint. She remains unaware until, even before she\'s had a chance to wash up, you pull her back into bed.]
---
[Age 22: Despite her frailty in the past, Kyoko learned to spin and weave to help support her family. With more free time now, she\'s returned to weaving and, surprisingly, her textiles are of exceptional quality and sell out quickly at the market.]
[You joke that she\'s like the mythical crane who spins silk by plucking her own feathers in gratitude.]
["But didn\'t the crane leave in the end?" Kyoko sets down her spindle, nestling into your arms with a laugh. "I\'m not going anywhere."]
---
[Age 23: Your hard work together has brought prosperity to your household, and you begin considering having children.]
[People in your village often marry and have children young, and many of your old friends are now fathers. In the past, financial struggles held you back from such thoughts, but that\'s no longer a concern.]
[To reach this goal, you "redouble your efforts." Kyoko teases that you\'re like an ox, tirelessly plowing the fields without regard for the soil\'s limits.]
[Of course, you aren\'t reckless. Kyoko is, after all, only human. But, steeped in tradition, you feel that a child would make your family truly complete.]
---
[Age 24: Despite your diligent "farming," Kyoko\'s belly remains stubbornly unchanged. Even her parents feel embarrassed and suggest you take a concubine to ensure an heir, but you refuse outright.]
[One day, Kyoko brings home a small fox with soft, pink fur—a rarity and very adorable.]
["Let\'s think of it as our child for now," she suggests.]
[While you know a fox could never replace a child, you humor her, and the two of you care for it lovingly. Kyoko names the fox "Miko," hoping that the "divine will bless us with a child."]
[Of course, you don\'t believe in divine intervention; you believe only in your own efforts.]
Miko? A pink-haired fox?
Yae Miko?
Why would she show up as a pet?
---
[Age 25: The little fox is incredibly clever, often amusing you both with its antics. Oddly, it prefers to cling to you more than Kyoko, making her slightly jealous.]
[It even seems capable of feeling embarrassment. One day, curiosity gets the best of you, and you try to determine its gender, only for it to cover its face with its fluffy tail for hours, sulking until Kyoko brings its favorite treat—fried tofu.]
---
[Age 26: Over the years, you see fewer yokai friends, and reports of yokai attacks on villagers become increasingly common—something unheard of before.]
[Nearby villages suffer strange occurrences, yet yours remains unscathed. Perhaps due to your strong spiritual energy, malevolent yokai avoid approaching.]
[Kyoko often seems troubled, and you assume it\'s due to her difficulty conceiving. You frequently try to console her.]
---
[Age 27: You hear of a nearby shrine known for its powerful blessings and decide to take Kyoko there to pray. On the way, you\'re suddenly ambushed by a horde of frenzied yokai.]
[Though Kitsune Saiguu taught you some spells, and your body is resilient, these hostile creatures overwhelm you.]
[Desperately shielding Kyoko, you urge her to escape, but unexpectedly, a barrage of light arrows appears, vanquishing the yokai in an instant.]
[Stunned, you recognize the spell as one only Kitsune Saiguu could cast, which she once shamelessly used to cheat during a festival game.]
[Turning to look, your eyes widen in shock. Kyoko\'s hair has turned silver, and fox ears and a tail have appeared on her body.]
[Her garments flow around her just as they did ten years ago, when she looked exactly like this.]
[In that moment, understanding dawns. Why Kyoko was resurrected, why she lost her memory, and why her personality had changed.]
["I\'m sorry," Kitsune Saiguu sighs, "I couldn\'t save the real Kyoko, so I did the only thing I could—I took her form, allowing her to \'live on\' through me."]
[The true Kyoko passed away ten years ago. It\'s been Kitsune Saiguu by your side all along.]
["Human lives are so brief," Kitsune Saiguu says quietly. "I thought I could carry on this lie until your end, but now... I must leave."]
["Don\'t go!" you plead. "Keep lying to me if you must. Just don\'t leave me."]
[Even if it was a lie, it was a beautiful one, and the feelings you shared over the past decade were genuine.]
[But Kitsune Saiguu shakes her head. "I would love nothing more than to stay with you. These past ten years have been the happiest of my life. But now, Inazuma faces a dire calamity, and I can\'t ignore its suffering for our happiness. Once I\'m gone, Miko will stay with you in my place."]
[From the start, Miko was never meant as a substitute for a child but for Kitsune Saiguu herself.]
[With that, Kitsune Saiguu disappears, leaving only a delicately crafted wooden dart—the same one she used during the festival.]
[Item Acquired: Summer Festival\'s End (Set)]
[Effect (2/4): Enhances all defensive skills by 35%; (4/4): While under shield protection or defense boosts, gain an additional 40% attack damage bonus.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Reverse Shooting Star]
---
[When you return home, the house, once filled with laughter, now feels empty. Little Miko seems to sense Kitsune Saiguu\'s absence and rubs her nose gently against your hand.]
[Kitsune Saiguu had said that Miko would replace her. But really, what could possibly replace Kitsune Saiguu?]
["From now on, it\'ll just be the two of us... or rather, one man and one fox." You laugh wryly, only for Miko to open her mouth and speak, "What do I look like to you?"]
[Startled, you realize this little fox, raised by Kitsune Saiguu, must be a yokai herself. Though her powers are limited, she\'s learned to speak.]
[Yokai like foxes and tanuki often encounter a bottleneck in their power. To surpass it, they seek a human\'s recognition and ask, "What do I look like to you?"]
[Saying they look "human" allows them to break through, while calling them a "spirit" can elevate their power even further. But any other answer can lead to disastrous consequences.]
[However, Miko is inexperienced. Barely possessing any powers, she\'s rushed into taking human form without disguise, directly asking you this important question. Your response is...]
[1. "You look like a ten-kilometer space battleship."]
[2. "You look like a 148-centimeter pink-haired fox-eared girl with... ample bosom!."]
[3. "You look like a Tibetan fox who loves nunchucks and researching mythical water creatures."]
As a man, Lucas is curious about what an actual space battleship would look like, but saying that would probably make Miko cry.
As for the third option?
The image of Miko with a Tibetan fox face brings a smile to his lips.
You look like a 148-centimeter pink-haired fox-eared girl with... ample bosom.
[No sooner do the words leave your mouth than Miko sneezes, and with a poof, the fluffy pink fox transforms into a pink-haired young girl.]
[Entering immersive mode.]
The girl appears to be around sixteen or seventeen, her beauty almost on par with Kitsune Saiguu\'s. Due to your "command," she\'s petite in stature yet with... surprisingly exaggerated proportions.
Her vibrant violet eyes gaze at you with a lively sparkle, studying you intently.
"It seems Lady Saiguu has left," she murmurs, glancing over herself with a smile. "From now on, I\'ll be here to serve you in her place."
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Author\'s Note: Poor Kyoko... anyways