Chapter 232: A Foxian Tale of the Haunted 『 Part Seven 』
「 Huohuo discovered through several questions regarding herself and Tail that these versions of Lady Xueyi in the mirrors either clamored about preparing to eat Tail, knew absolutely nothing about her own sister Hanya, or even went to great lengths to humiliate Huohuo for her cowardice.
But Huohuo knew that Xueyi had always understood her timidity and had never once reprimanded her for it.
"Tch, the Ten-Lords Commission doesn't care at all; you're the only one who cares so much." Tail looked away and huffed, "As long as you don't drag me down, you can be as cowardly as you want. I don't care either."
"Ta~il—" Huohuo smiled so widely she looked like she was about to melt.
Stelle saw right through the essence of Tail's tsundere stubbornness: "Actually, you two get along quite well…"
Tail jumped up on the spot to retort: "You don't know shit! Sigh… why are we talking about this! What should we do now?"
Huohuo deduced that there must be other mirrors here. After looking around, the two of them actually spotted a mirror on a floating island not far away, though it was a bit distant…
Huohuo stepped onto the semi-transparent bridge. She glanced down at her feet and was instantly scared out of her wits. Her legs went soft and shook like a sieve, and she couldn't even speak clearly: "Waaah~ I-I-I, can I crawl across…"
"Y-you… I…" Tail spoke with a tone of hating iron for not becoming steel, "Tch, pull yourself together!" 」
「 ..... 」
〜Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid World〜
Tohru sat cross-legged on the sofa, the tip of her tail unconsciously tapping lightly against the cushion. Her golden vertical pupils stared intently at the trembling Huohuo on the screen.
"Hmm…"
Tohru tilted her head, her dragon horns rubbing against Kobayashi's shoulder.
"Kobayashi, Kobayashi, this child is clearly very timid. Why would the Ten-Lords Commission still hire her as a judge?"
Although Tohru didn't agree with the remarks Cirrus had made earlier, attacking Huohuo, this question was equally rooted in her mind.
Kobayashi took a sip of beer:
"Tohru, I don't even understand the thoughts of the leaders in my company, so how would I know the thoughts of the Ten Lords? I think it's not purely because of Tail, right?"
"Just like in our company, there are people responsible for programming, people responsible for reception, and people responsible for sales… Anyway, different personalities are suitable for different positions. There must be plenty of powerful and bold people in the Ten-Lords Commission, right? Maybe they are just lacking someone of Huohuo's type?"
"Besides… she has a tail that can breathe fire!"
The alcohol kicked in for Kobayashi. With a flushed, drunken face, she suddenly hugged Tohru's thick dragon tail.
"Tohru, when will you be able to have that kind of tail?"
"If Kobayashi likes it, I can change it anytime But before that…"
Tohru blinked and picked up a chunk of meat from the dishes on the table.
"Kobayashi, open wide, ah~"
Smelling that familiar meat aroma, Kobayashi's brain, which had been occupied by alcohol, instantly sobered up. She rubbed her eyes and finally saw the indescribable muscle texture on the meat clearly.
"Tohru, what kind of meat is this?"
"This is special treatment for Kobayashi. The raw material is naturally Kobayashi's favorite: my tail."
Tohru opened her mouth and breathed a stream of dragon breath, not too intense, onto the tail meat, giving it a faint charred aroma.
"Look, flame tail meat~ Didn't Kobayashi always want it?"
Tohru covered her mouth with a dinner plate, twisting her waist shyly.
"I prepared this meticulously, you know. It's about time you accepted it just once, right?"
—
「 Passing through the mirror and returning to reality, Xueyi was waiting for them in front of the mirror.
Xueyi instantly locked her gaze onto Stelle, her expression stern: "Did you encounter any trouble on the way?"
Cirrus marveled at Xueyi's keenness and simply revealed herself openly. After everyone explained the sequence of events, Xueyi slowly shook her head: "Now is not the time to worry about Cirrus. The Fyxestroll Garden has been dragged into an illusion by a certain more powerful heliobus, and the wraith wardens sent to suppress it have all lost contact."
"Huohuo, if Hanya and I go into battle and are still unable to subdue that monster, the burden of dealing with it will fall on you."
Upon hearing this, Huohuo shook even more violently, her head shaking like a rattling drum. But Xueyi just smiled, indicating that she and Stelle possessed unique advantages—that is, they both had a heliobus inside their bodies.
A heliobus cannot seize a physical body already inhabited by another heliobus. In this regard, no judge in the Ten-Lords Commission is stronger than her.
"Huohuo, do not belittle yourself. Having served the Ten Lords for thirty-eight years, you are already a qualified judge. You should be more confident."
Facing the current predicament, Xueyi hoped to cause Ignamar to split into countless fragments, then defeat them one by one and suppress them in turn. Cirrus actually agreed with Xueyi's plan and expressed willingness to contribute a strategy. 」
「 ..... 」
〜Bleach World〜
"Is this Cirrus trying to deceive people again?"
Toshiro Hitsugaya crossed his arms in disdain, glanced scornfully at the heliobus, and snorted coldly:
"Insidious and cunning… one can see she has ulterior motives without even thinking deeply. This matter should be reported to the Seat of Divine Foresight and the General… Rashly cooperating with such a despicable fellow will likely lead to harm instead."
"Oh my, my~"
Shunsui Kyoraku gently lifted his straw hat and leaned lazily against a pillar.
"That may be true, but sometimes 'insidious and cunning' people are easier to control than 'upright and honest' enemies, you know? After all… their goals are very clear."
"With a common enemy present, a heliobus with petty schemes like Cirrus is a very good partner for the current stage."
"It's like asking a tiger for its skin,"
Toshiro spoke in a deep voice, his gaze sharp.
"If it can betray its own kind so easily, how could it genuinely cooperate with Stelle and the others? Who knows if the plan she mentioned is actually a trap to harm them?"
"Hehe, I understand your concerns, Toshiro."
Shunsui Kyoraku said faintly,
"But think about it carefully. Back when we faced Yhwach together, didn't Aizen also contribute to the victory of that great war?"
"…I know that."
Toshiro frowned slightly and interrupted Shunsui's speech indignantly. Although he knew that man had contributed significantly to the final victory, the mere mention of his name made Toshiro feel a bit of displeasure in his heart.
Looking at the boy's slightly conflicted expression, Shunsui smiled helplessly:
"What I wanted to say is… as long as the goals align, even former opponents can be temporarily cooperated with and utilized. Moreover, much of what Cirrus says can be treated as intelligence, and intelligence itself has considerable value."
—
「 "Everyone knows the story of the great heliobus Ignamar fighting the General. It was the result of many heliobi fusing into one entity."
"However, the emotions and desires we heliobi acquire from possessing our respective hosts make us despise each other. No one wants to be fused with anyone else—it's like having multiple personalities in one head, fighting from time to time."
"But this kind of fusion collapses very easily upon encountering external stimulation. This is also the reason why Ignamar split into us after the great battle with the General." 」
「 ..... 」