Scarlet

Tar never answers my question, not even after the Raiden mother-daughter pair both create clouds filled with mostly orange and red lightning and have us get on them. In fact, he just falls asleep on my shoulder to avoid answering.

Stupid tanuki.

The cute thing has to do with me being short… wait a second, now that I think about it, am I really that short? Compared to a lot of the demons here, to Leonidas, my grandfather, and to the Raidens, yes. But I’m pretty sure five foot eight inches tall is actually above the average height on Earth for women by a few inches.

I think.

“Doesn’t change the fact that most of the demons are taller than humans, and you’re not a human yourself,” Tar comments, making my head jerk around to find him with an eye cracked open, the damned tanuki apparently having been awake after all. “So as a blood lycan, you kind of are rather short.”

Damnit, stupid tanuki.

But that has to be the reason.

He doesn’t say anything again.

My eyes narrow, only for me to be distracted by the sight of a large cave in one of the Ashen Mountains we’re flying to. A cave surrounded by a small fortress with kitsune manning the walls. Kitsune who are all above level one thousand six hundred.

After examining the fortress for a few seconds, I hear Raiden Junior call out from the front of the large storm cloud she and I are on, leaving her mother to a storm cloud of her own, “This cave is one of the Class II and III training grounds we have. It doesn’t have any Class IV or above demons in it, nor does it have any intelligent demons in it beyond base instincts akin to a more intelligent animal.”

Sounds a lot like the hunting grounds in the Bloody Duchy.

“You’re probably comparing it to your family’s hunting grounds, and while there are similarities, this hunting ground has demons that are more at home in the desert, caves, and the Ashen Mountains in general,” the woman says, somehow knowing just what I’m thinking without even turning around to look at me. Which is honestly kind of frightening. “And don’t worry about my mother, Your Highness. She will behave and will not go too far in her actions.”

That’s nice to know but doesn’t exactly comfort me much when she’s already picked me up and spun me around like a child before smothering me. An incredibly unpleasant experience.

I don’t say this out loud, of course. Because the devil of a woman is within earshot.

And I don’t want a round two.

We continue floating towards the fortress until we make it directly above it, following which the storm clouds begin to slowly drift down to the ground before dispersing. Then I immediately find myself being the center of attention for all of the kitsune here, likely due to my crest being on display.

A single look from Raiden Junior, followed by another one from Raiden Senior makes them begin shivering slightly in fear before they each bow towards me, saying in unison, “We greet Her Highness, First Princess Scarlet Art Asger de Archeron, and welcome her to the First Ashen Hunting Grounds.”

I look at Raiden Senior in surprise for a moment, only to nod my head towards the kitsune who are all bowing towards me.

Guess Raiden Senior does at least care about her subordinates showing me respect. Just that she doesn’t care about herself respecting my boundaries.

“All of the kits are out of the training grounds as you requested, Clan Leader,” a male kitsune wearing a full set of red and orange armor that I swear still looks Japanese, just like all of the other armor around here.

Why is it that all of the kitsune’s style clothing, armor, and buildings all look Japanese?

“From what I’ve heard, they actually had this style before coming to Earth,” Tar says, sounding slightly curious himself. “In fact, the kitsune were rather surprised to find Japan when they took it over as Demon Isle, since it looked quite a bit similar to their own culture in some ways. Although still very different in others.”

It is rather bizarre that there are so many similarities despite the two coming from entirely different planets. But then again, I don’t really care right now.

The Clan Leader turns to look at me with that creepy smile on her face as she says, “You may use our hunting grounds as you see fit, but please do see that you don’t drain it dry of demons. Leave at least half a dozen of each type of demon in it before you move onto the next hunting ground, since they don’t just reappear from nothing.”

I nod at her with a brief, “Thank you, Clan Leader.”

Her smile widens, growing even creepier when she answers, “Of course, my dear Princess. Please come visit me when you find the time.”

Then she begins flying away, making me let out a sigh of relief once she’s far enough.

“Please forgive her, Your Highness,” Raiden Junior says with a light bow. “I know she can be a bit much sometimes.”

My eye twitches at just how hypocritical she is being. Since she isn’t all that much better than her mother. Just a lot more restrained.

I let out a sigh before answering, “Sure.” Just to pacify her for now. Then I swiftly change the subject, “I’ll be heading into the training grounds now.”

She bows again with a quick, “Of course, Your Highness. And once more, congratulations on your etched skill slots.”

I blink at that before nodding. Then I begin to walk into the cave, soon finding some sort of scorpion demon. A Class III one that’s several levels above me.

Without any hesitation, I grin while entering my Beast Form and rushing forwards, using all of my skills, and testing out Crimson Overdrive in the process. The very same Crimson Overdrive that I just got this dusk, when I woke up, and leveled to level ten on the flight over here using up all of my saved Skill Points.

And all of this ends up surprising the level 301 ashen scorpion so much that it barely even puts up any sort of defense, letting me kill it incredibly quickly.

After finishing it off, I can’t help but let my grin grow even wider as I feel just how much power Crimson Overdrive gives me. How much stronger it actually is than Blood Sacrifice at the same level and for the same price in blood.

Absolutely worth being called a legendary skill.

I clench my fist before looking at the scorpion’s corpse, then at the entrance to find the head maid standing at the entrance looking out at the fortress as if watching the other kitsune and acting as a barrier to block them from entering. So I turn to look deeper into the caves again.

Alright. I think I’ve decided.

“What did you decide?” Tar asks.

I glance at him, finding him flowing in the air above me, no longer lying on my shoulder due to not wanting to get in my way mid-battle.

On what my plan is.

I look deeper into the tunnel again.

First, I’ll fight my way to Class IV here and in their other training grounds, hopefully getting the mythic Title-Bearing Skill along the way.

And then?

Then I’ll take The Reaper up on his offer and head home.

“Sounds like a plan,” Tar says, sounding genuinely excited.

And I can’t blame him. Because I feel the same.

I sprint forwards, deeper into the mine as the black, red, and blue electricity arcing along my armor and skin illuminates the cave around me with a faint glow.

“Time to get to work,” I mutter, my grin still ever present on my face.