The Nine-Tailed Fox Yokai, Lord Beast (Complete)

Lord Beast

Began interfering with the story

By addressing the unseen barrier.

It was not a monologue – Lord Beast was undoubtedly conveying her words to me, the narrator of this tale.

While I could not communicate back, Lord Beast could transmit her words in this one-sided exchange.

Yet Lord Beast had not even manifested nine tails before intervening in the story like this.

…Just a moment.

If Lord Beast did manifest nine tails, how would this story ultimately conclude?

…

…

…

The Ri goblin of the Four Perverse Beings was no ordinary goblin, but Duergsini’s messenger.

Lord Beast had torn apart Duergsini’s messenger.

Yet goblins were not her primary concern – she smiled even while intimately entangled with humans, proof she felt ‘amusement’.

She smiled while harvesting human livers too, proof of ‘amusement’.

However, when she took the goblin’s liver, Lord Beast did not smile – proof she felt no ‘amusement’.

After the Ri goblin’s death, no other goblins sent messengers to Lord Beast.

Duergsini too must have realized sending more would be futile slaughter.

With goblin interference gone, Lord Beast’s tyranny persisted.

The ruler grew increasingly frail, the nation greatly declining.

While border skirmishes with barbarian tribes never ceased, no yokai appeared – likely due to Lord Beast’s overwhelming yoki suppressing them.

Five years later, an incident occurred – the loyal Shang minister Jizi, who had escaped the palace in disguise, returned leading a rebel army to attack the dynasty.

---

Jizi’s army was formidable. Their might could scarcely be called human anymore:

Firing arrows crumbled entire sections of wall.

Hurling spears skewered over a dozen men.

Swinging swords cleanly severed armor, bone, and flesh as if slicing tofu.

“Ahahahahahaha!”

Lord Beast laughed – the loudest laughter in this entire tale.

Baring her bosom to the ruler, she sat upon the throne calmly awaiting Jizi’s army.

Bang!

Jizi’s army stormed the palace.

Stomp stomp stomp stomp.

Someone unsheathed a sword and approached Lord Beast.

“Your Majesty, your loyal minister Jizi has returned.”

It was Jizi, pointing his blade at Lord Beast.

Observing this tale, I was quite startled – first, because Jizi’s imposing presence felt strangely familiar, like I had witnessed it before.

Second, because Jizi’s aura seemed powerful enough to overwhelm even the eight-tailed Lord Beast herself.

Lord Beast smiled.

Jizi spoke:

“You vile woman Lord Beast! For the past five years, I have wandered the realm training. I learned you were a yokai…”

“Hoho, how intriguing, Jizi.”

Lord Beast was still smiling.

“I also awakened to a sword art that can counter yoki…”

“How amusing!”

Lord Beast kept smiling.

“Finally,”

Jizi continued:

“I learned you are the multi-tailed fox yokai that distorts this world into a false realm.”

“…”

Lord Beast’s expression rapidly turned cold.

Snap snap.

Lord Beast snapped her fingers.

The ruler, who had been eagerly pleasuring her, looked up and said:

“Ehihihihi… why, my concubine Lord Beast…”

“I’ve lost interest.”

Splat.

Those were the ruler’s last words before his head flew off before my eyes.

“You vile woman, Lord Beast!!!!”

Jizi raged, his thunderous roar shaking the entire palace like a tiger’s.

He unleashed his sword energy at Lord Beast, yet as before, she casually deflected it with just a finger flick…

…No, she cut it.

Lord Beast’s finger was severed.

Yet she neither panicked nor smiled.

Why not?

Was this not the amusing situation she had so desired?

“I shall kill you and turn the cycle of arising and passing away!”

Jizi’s words far transcended human knowledge.

Soon after, a spiral-shaped veil draped over Jizi’s face.

Yes, the spiral cycles.

With an expressionless face, Lord Beast opened her mouth:

“I had hoped”

“Jizi, that you would approach me solely with human power.”

“But what is this,”

“Neither human,”

“Nor yokai,”

“Nor goblin -“

“Just what is that ugly form?”

“Even if it means selling my soul, I can kill you.”

“You did not sell your soul.”

“To that vile existence,”

“The goblins,”

“You sold”

“Your past, present, and future – the very concept of time.”

“It matters not!”

Swish.

Jizi swung his sword, severing Lord Beast’s left arm.

Still expressionless, Lord Beast gazed at her severed arm and spoke:

“My interest”

“Has grown stale.”

Jizi continued mutilating Lord Beast’s body, yet despite being torn apart, she calmly continued:

“The most important value in this world is amusement itself.”

“Harvesting the livers of humans and yokai is certainly enjoyable.”

“Livers are so delicious they make the mind reel,”

“With increased yoki as a bonus.”

Swish!

Lord Beast’s left eye was cut.

“Likewise, seizing the life force of humans or yokai is certainly enjoyable.”

“How could one say indulging in carnal desires lacks amusement?”

“Of course, harvesting the liver after such indulgence doubles the enjoyment.”

“I have already”

“Tasted Jizi’s carnal desires,”

“And intended to end this revelry by taking your liver.”

“But,”

“Insects have intervened, ruining my fun.”

“Now I am”

“Angrier than I have ever been!”

“None in this world are angrier than me! Die, fox yokai wench!”

The multi-tailed fox yokai Lord Beast was the bane of goblins – goblins could not kill her.

However, a human empowered by goblin might could slay Lord Beast.

Lord Beast was not intentionally letting Jizi hit her – resisting was meaningless.

Her power had no effect on this human Jizi.

As a fellow multi-tailed fox, I too could discern this truth.

…It seemed Duergsini had lent all his might to Jizi to kill Lord Beast.

Lord Beast continued speaking:

“Furthermore,”

“In a way,”

“I pity you.”

“Suppressing the most amusing acts in this world -“

“Harvesting livers,”

“And indulging in carnal desires.”

“You are”

“Truly”

“Pitiable.”

“Is that not so,”

“Miho.”

“…What?”

What?

Wait a moment.

Lord Beast was not addressing Jizi now, but…

Speaking to me.

Upon the name ‘Miho’, Jizi became agitated:

“Answer me truthfully. Where is Miho now?”

“In the future.”

“What insolence! You think I don’t know you’ve hidden Miho away!”

“Return Miho to her original state!”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

“It was not I”

“But you, Jizi, who sold time to the goblins.”

“Did I not just say so?”

While Lord Beast’s words exceeded human comprehension, the time-traded Jizi could grasp her exact meaning, his body trembling:

“Y, your words mean…”

“That is…”

“Aaah.”

Swish.

Lord Beast changed form into Miho – Jizi’s servant whom he had truly loved.

“M, Miho…”

“Aaah…”

“Aaaaah…”

“Aaaaaaaah!!!”

“Since I cannot withstand your power,”

“I shall send this vessel to the future.”

Splat!

Lord Beast tore out her own heart with her remaining arm.

Then, she precisely flung her heart

Towards me observing this tale.

“Unlike you, I greedily harvested human and yokai livers indiscriminately,”

“Indulging in carnal desires with males several times daily.”

“I am a far mightier existence than you, who neither harvests livers nor life force.”

“Yet,”

“In the end, I have erred,”

“So my ways may have been mistaken.”

“…”

“Thus, the cycle does not turn.”

“Jizi,”

“What will you do?”

“My body will likely crumble soon.”

“I, I must…”

“Miho…”

“I must recover Miho…”

…

…

…

The story had concluded.

The legend of Lord Beast as the nine-tailed fox yokai was inaccurate – she died in eight-tailed form.

However, her vessel survived intact, obstructing the cycle.

That vessel of Lord Beast’s was

Me.

…Damn it.

I understood now.

Lord Beast was Miho, and Miho was Lord Beast.

…No, to be more precise,

I was another persona of Lord Beast’s – the reincarnation of Jizi’s servant ‘Miho’.

This was the meaning behind sharing Lord Beast’s ‘vessel’.

I also realized why Duergsini could not turn the cycle after Lord Beast’s demise – not that he didn’t, but because Lord Beast’s vessel still remained, he could not.

One question lingered:

Was Jizi

Alive or dead?

If alive,

Then who was Jizi?