The Sword Saint’s Second Life As a Fox Girl

4-25 Street Clash I

The sun was only halfway set on the horizon when the taverns and bars were already overflowing with merry and filled to the brim with tired yet mirthful customers. The eatery district was already bursting with life by dusk and it would only become livelier as the night went on.

Across a certain double-storey tavern that was gloomier and less merrily than its peers in the eatery district, a human with short dark blue hair and a buxom Dryad with pale green hair stood in the shadows of an alley with their gazes fixed on the tavern.

“Ugh,” Lilian grunted. “You can smell the stench of those appalling alcohols from all the way over here. How uncouth of them. What’s so great about beer, rum, and such anyway?”

“Would it kill you to keep your mouth shut?” Lyra grumbled with a scowl without turning her gaze away from the tavern.

Lilian tittered. “I have been quiet for the past two hours. What’s the point of having a voice but not using it?”

If she didn’t need to be vigilant about the people going in and out of the tavern, Lyra would have rolled her eyes. Lilian was the kind of woman that Lyra had the most trouble with. Lilian had a gentle face, paired with meek eyes. However, her tongue was as sharp as a blade and her smile was as sly as a fox. Lyra never said it outright but Lilian terrified her. She could never know what the Dryad was thinking. She cursed Nivia in her heart for dumping Lilian into her care.

“Say, when was the last time you saw your boy lover?” Lilian asked with a smirk.

“Past lover,” Lyra corrected her. “It was months ago. Two, maybe? Why?”

“Two months may be a short time for the Fae but certainly not for humans. He could have changed a great deal.”

“He did indeed change a great deal.”

“I meant appearance-wise, Lyra.”

“Unless someone disfigured him or scarred his face terribly, no way I wouldn’t recognise someone I have known since childhood,” Lyra said with her fists clenched.

“Are you truly sure about that?”

“You doubt me?”

“Just speaking from experience, darling.”

Lyra grimaced. “I didn’t know we were lovers. Don’t call me darling.”

Lilian simpered. “Why not? You hate it?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Oh, my. Do you hate me?” Lilian asked.

Lyra gave her a brief glance, appraising the Dryad’s body from up to down, before turning her gaze back to the tavern. “Your personality disagrees with me,” she answered.

“Having too much sweetness would rot your teeth and spoil your blood.”

“I understood nothing of your words.”

Lilian feigned an exasperated sigh. “This is why I much prefer Erin’s company.”

“We’re not here for leisure, Lilian.”

“I know. I know. But there’s no harm in finding small leisure in business now, is there?”

“Not this business,” Lyra mumbled in response.

“Do you still love him?”

“Huh?” Lyra glared at Lilian with a frown. “What the fuck are you talking about right now?”

“Do you still love him? Do you still love Edmund?”

“Would I be hunting him down like the dog he is if I’m still in love with him? I find him absolutely hateful.”

“Humans did say love and hate are different sides of the same coin. You won’t hate him this much if you don’t love him.”

“Now you’re just spouting nonsense,” Lyra scoffed and veered her gaze back to the tavern. “Why are you so meddlesome with my love affairs? Is it any of your business?”

“It is, isn’t it? The bounty is your past lover. Should you have some sort of lingering affection for him, won’t it be logical to assume that you might compromise this hunt?”

“You’re unbelievable. Why would I—”

“I told myself the same thing too when I found out about my husband's infidelity. I told myself that I no longer have any love for him every night before I went to bed. However, when I met him again, my resolve of all those nights broke at the sight of him. I once again melted in his embrace, believing his sweetened lies knowingly because I still craved for his love. It took me a long time before I was finally able to rid myself of him. Even now, I could not say with absolute certainty that I have completely fallen out of love with him. So, are my doubts still unbelievable?”

“You left your partner for his infidelity. I left mine for his unsavoury and criminal disposition.”

“That’s where you’re mistaken, Lyra.”

“Mistaken?”

“I did not leave my husband because of his infidelity. I left him because he couldn’t help but be dishonest with me. He just kept having the need to lie to me even about the most minor things. Tell me, was Edmund ever dishonest with you?”

“...I don’t know,” Lyra answered after a brief silence.

Lilian raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“I don’t remember. I don’t want to remember my time with him.”

“Truly?”

“Truly,” Lyra replied firmly but her trembling fists spelt the contrary.

“I see… Well, let us hope we won’t be the one stumbling upon him.”

Lyra muttered an agreement with Lilian inwardly. Although she denied and refuted it, she didn’t know how she would react if she saw Edmund again. They were together since birth and they were inseparable. They knew everything about each other or so Lyra thought. She could never forget the day when Edmund just came up to her and asked if she was willing to make some coin at the expense of the innocents’ misery and anguish. She remembered vividly how disgusted and appalled she felt then. She remembered how nonchalant and indifferent Edmund was when he talked about profiting off of others' misfortune. She had wanted to nod her head but thankfully, she didn’t. If she had, she would never have been where she was now. She would never have been able to meet Erin. For that, she had no regret about leaving Edmund but as for lingering affection, she was still unsure about that.

“Lyra,” Lilian called out.

Lyra snapped out of her deep contemplation. “What?” she responded.

Lilian pointed across the street, at a man in shabby clothing with a cowl hiding his face, standing by the entrance of the bleak-looking tavern. Even from such a distance, the man could be seen fidgeting and glancing around restlessly.

“Suspicious fellow but… I can’t see his face,” Lyra said.

“The Spirits really don’t like this one in particular. They are avoiding him like a plague.”

Only one thing sprang to Lyra’s mind. “He’s a Demoid?” She drew her bow and clutched it tightly in her grip.

“I don’t sense any Demonic energy from him but I can’t be sure. Question is, why is he not in the tavern but simply loitering about at the entrance? Is he waiting for someone?”

“Can’t he wait inside the tavern?”

Lilian giggled. “Not if you are waiting for your mark.”

“A mark… Who could it be?”

“I think we both already know.”

“Edmund…” Lyra muttered grimly. “But why?”

“The bounty states; wanted dead or alive. Alive is worth more. If he’s brought in alive, who knows what kind of things he will reveal just to get a lighter sentence.”

“So we’re bringing him in alive?”

“If the Covenant is our goal, bringing him in alive would certainly be the best choice.”

Lyra groaned. “This is going to end so badly. He acts dignified and willful but he’s actually quite opportunistic and shameless. He won’t hesitate to roll on his back and show his belly if it meant his survival.”

“That’s a good thing for us, no?”

“For the mission, yes. For our sights and peace of mind, we might need to cleanse our souls later after associating ourselves with him.”

Lilian. tittered. “Sounds like an interesting person.”

Lyra recoiled with a frown. “Don’t even joke about that.”

“Alright, alright.”

Lyra’s frown was upturned when he saw a man walking down the street. The man was approached by the fidgeting person slowly. The man was well-dressed but not too ostentatiously, just enough to let others know he was well-off. The man had a clean-shaven face with neatly combed black hair, accompanied by a smirk that looked like he was born with it.

“Edmund…” Lyra gasped under her breath. “What are the odds…”

“That person is Edmund?” Lilian asked. “He doesn't look like the poster.”

“As you have said, appearance can change. It would seem that his appearance did change but not enough to fool me.”

“For a wanted man, he seemed too… insouciant and at ease.”

“Typical of him,” Lyra said and drew her bow as she took aim.

Edmund noticed the fidgeting man’s approach and he looked startled by the man. His face paled and he began stepping away from the man. When the man picked up his pace, Edmund turned around to run. The man tossed away his cowl and broke into a sprint with a starting leap.

Lyra released her fingers on the string, letting loose an arrow towards the man that was lunging at her former lover. The arrow struck the assailant in the shoulder and he went tumbling to the ground, but still managed to take a swipe at Edmund’s feet. He tripped and fell face-first to the ground.

“Oh, wow… that was neat,” Lilian remarked.

Lyra snickered. “I feel calmer already. Well, we found our mark. Inform the others.”

Lilian nodded and took out a small piece of blue paper from her valley. She tore the paper in half and a small burst of glitter erupted for a split second. “That takes care of that.”

Edmund scrambled to his feet, whipping his head around to see where the arrow was shot from. Friend or foe, that question could be seen on his face, looping in his head.

The fidgeting man became the shuddering man as he began to shudder while getting up on his feet. Dark red mist oozed out of the pores of his skin and his body gradually morphed into something inhumane.

“K-Kelso… please… We can t-talk this through. W-why are you trying to kill me?” Edmund asked, stammering.

“Nothing personal,” the Demoid, Kelso, replied with a harrowing voice. “Orders… from above…”

“Bollocks! W-what have ever I d-done to warrant my death?”

“Don’t know… Don’t care…” Kelso answered dryly and pounced. His body was already outside the boundaries of what one would consider human. He was now a quadruped beast like that of a bear but with long limbs, and he was now twice the size of a man. Due to this district being the unofficial hideout of outlaws, the streets were awfully quiet and empty at night to not give the officials a hard time hiding the fact that outlaws were being left intentionally to their own devices. Even if there was some commotion, no one would bother showing their face to sate their curiosity.

Edmund screamed as he dodged Kelso’s slash of a gigantic paw. “Kelso, wait! Let me speak to—”

“Silence…” Kelso uttered and swung down both of his paws.

Edmund dove out of the way but the shockwave hit him and sent him sprawling across the ground.

Before Kelso could deliver the finishing blow, two more arrows came flying at him. He swatted the one aiming for his eyes but let the other one hit its mark which was the spot under his armpit. Kelso did not groan or moan. He simply plucked the arrow out of his body and turned his attention to the approaching pair. “A Fae and a human… Funny…”

“Very much so,” Lyra responded and fired two more arrows at him.

This time, Kelso hopped aside, or at least that was his plan but the earth erupted around him and trapped his movements. The arrows sunk deep into his torso but he did not make any sound that signified his pain.

“Fucking Demons… That’s not fair,” Lyra complained but she had already nocked her next round of arrows.

“L-Lyra?” Edmund gasped. He couldn’t believe his eyes. “I-is it truly you?”

Lyra did not give him a glance. Her gaze and arrow were trained on the Demoid in front of her.

“Answer me!” Edmund screamed. He was immediately hit by something in the cheek and he tumbled backwards.

“Silence, fool,” Lilian admonished him. “And keep your silence if you wish to live.”

Edmund growled and gritted his teeth but he did not utter a single word. Though a Fae, she was one of the most terrifying people he had the displeasure of encountering. A mere glare from her was enough to make him want to whimper.

“Who…” the Demoid asked as he pulled out the arrows.

Lyra snorted. “The lover of your death.”

As Kelso canted his head in confusion, a shadow descended from the rooftops and loomed over him.