Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Bittersweet Ending

Kitsune’s fingers wrapped around Carter’s neck but they couldn’t even touch his skin. A faint white light created a barrier that burned Kitsine constantly. She couldn’t even squeeze even if she wanted to.

Kitsune let go of Carter. She had never seen this kind of power before.

"Why were you looking for me?" Kitsune said.

"So that I can show you a better path." Carter said.

"A better path to where?" Kitsune bit her lips.

She turned back to see Shirou. Her hear clenched. She wished that was her and not him.

"You are a Champion Yokai, Kitsune. But can you save him?" Carter said.

Kitsune clenched her fist. Her power reached for Shirou but stopped before touching him. Even with all her power, she couldn’t save who she loved. That was the fate of a Yokai.

"Yokai’s power is to destroy. Not to save. I can’t... I can’t save him."

Kitsune knelt again and hugged Shirou. She cried. An ugly cry that couldn’t be contained.

Shirou couldn’t see or hear. But he knew her smell. The fragrance that was true to her beauty. Even when she was the ugly Tofu lady. Shirou had always seen the beauty beneath her.

’Is that you, Kane?’ Shirou couldn’t speak. Only incomprehensible noises came out of his throat.

But Kitsune understood it.

"Yes... It’s me, Shirou." Shirou couldn’t hear her.

But he felt her warmth.

"I can save him. I can give him his life back." Carter said softly.

Kitsune’s heart skipped a beat. She turned toward the blind white-haired girl.

"I saw the future. I saw your Fate. That was why I was looking for you." Carter said.

"If you knew, why didn’t you save him?!" Kitsune growled.

"What do you think the consequences for changing Fate would be?"

Kitsune was silent. She knew it must be very heavy.

There wasn’t any consequence. But Carter had to make up some excuses. This was just the perfect one.

"What do you want?" Kitsune said. Tears rolled on her cheeks.

"A life for a life. I will give him back his life but in return, your life is mine. You will become a guardian of the Gods for eternity."

"Eternity..." Kitsune laughed.

She wasn’t being sarcastic. She just laughed at Fate.

"And what if I want to be with him?" Kitsune said.

"That’s the path you have put yourself into, Kitsune. The crossroads of two choices. Stay with him and let him suffer until his last breath. Or leave him and let him live a normal healthy life.

One is a selfish love. The other... is true love."

Kitsune’s body trembled. Her fingers grabbed onto Shirou. He was the weak one and she was the Champion Yokai. But even now, she wanted his warmth for comfort.

’Don’t be scared, Kane. I am here.’

Even in his most ugly state, Shirou thought for her.

Kitsune couldn’t leave him like this. She couldn’t. Because what she had for him was real. Sometimes, to love something so dearly you have to let it go.

Kitsune left Shirou.

"I accept. But you have to fulfill your promise first."

Carter sighed. He approached Kitsune and adjusted her messy hair.

"I am not here to fool anyone, Kitsune."

Her Transcension Aura gently grew more restless. The white energy wrapped around Shirou and slowly changed him.

Carter gave him back his limbs, his sight, his hearing, and his voice. But he took away his heart.

Shirou fainted from the power flooding into him.

Carter carried him away and put him under a tree in the forest.

"Murasaki... We might meet each other again, Shirou. You will be able to find your heart back. But there is a price for that."

Carter placed a Destiny Card on Shirou’s chest. It would be the first thing he saw when he woke up.

Kitsune had transformed back to her orignal form. A white fox with blue patterns on her face.

"What did you give him, Lady Mikoto?"

"A path, Kitsune. A path for you two to find each other."

"Is it dangerous?" Kitsune said.

"It is."

"You shouldn’t show him that."

"Would you take that choice away from him or would you want him to decide for himself?"

"But... I don’t want him to be hurt." The white fox lowered its head and whimpered gently.

"Whether or not he sees my path, he would find you, Kitsune. He is a very stubborn boy. I only gave him the best way to find you. So what if he will get hurt on this road?

This is Murasaki Shirou. The person that conquered your heart. Have faith in him."

Kitsune gave Shirou one last look before carrying Carter away on her back. She loved him. And she had to let him go.

As for whether Shirou could find his way back to her, she held a little bit of hope that he would.

Shirou woke up a while later. He sat up and was shock by his current state. His limbs returned and all of his injuries disappeared like it was never there.

There was a card on his chest. A glowing card in orange.

Shirou looked into it and he saw a glimpse of a future.

The card disintegrated immediately after. Shirou clenched his fist tightly.

"Thst was Kane. I know it was her. She did something to save me... Wait for me, Kane. I will find you. I will..."

The short story between the Yokai and the man ended. Carter didn’t even anticipate that he would encounter such tragic fairy tales. He had to insert himseld into the story and gave it a new ending.

It was still bittersweet. But he left a seed of hope in there.

[Synchronization +30.0%]

[Shrine Maiden’s Synchronization]: 10,024.0%

[Acquired x1 Shrine Maiden Doll]

Carter didn’t do nothing the last few days. He still practiced his Mirror Art regularly and gained 13 more Shrine Maiden Tokens and 1 more Champion Seed.

And as he expected, at 10,000% mark, he got a new type of item.

’What is this Doll?’ Carter wanted to check the new item so much but he refrained from doing it. ’Better check it out later when I’m alone.’

Carter and the new Fox Guardian returned to Giyaku Shrine.