Exiled Prince and His Succubus Army-Chapter 33: The foxes

The three of them began walking toward the movement in the forest, their steps steady but alert. Dry leaves shifted under their boots, creating soft crunches that mixed with the quiet rustling ahead. The air carried the faint earthy smell of damp bark, and the branches overhead filtered the sunlight, breaking it into scattered patches of gold across the path.

Renji walked at the front, brushing aside low branches with the back of his hand. Aya followed a short distance behind him, her stride smooth and careful. Kaede stayed slightly to the side, her posture upright and confident, and she enhanced their strength with her powers as casually as someone stretching before a run. The effect didn’t alter their formation, but it gave an undeniable sharpness to the way the three of them moved.

Renji glanced over his shoulder.

"Alright, stay close, but not too close. I don’t want to turn around and accidentally elbow one of you in the face."

Kaede replied, her voice crisp. "You wish you could hit me accidentally."

Aya added softly, "We should focus on the movement first."

They moved forward, weaving between the trees. The rustling ahead grew clearer, sometimes stopping for a moment before starting again. Renji’s pace didn’t slow as they approached the cluster of bushes that hid the source of the noise.

When they reached the bush, he lifted his hand, signaling for them to hang back. "Stay a good distance behind me. I’ll check."

Aya stopped immediately, hands at her sides, watching him with quiet attention. Kaede halted as well, her expression unreadable but her posture firm. Renji stepped forward alone, leaning slightly to get a better angle as he pushed the branches apart with deliberate, steady movements. A few loose leaves fluttered downward, catching the light as they fell.

Through the gap he created, small shapes moved within the thick brush.

He leaned in a little more.

"Yep. Foxes. And not the cute petting zoo kind."

Inside, the group of foxes shifted rapidly, their bodies tense. Their eyes were sharp, reflecting the surroundings with unsettling clarity, and their claws pressed into the ground with short, tight movements. Every motion they made was quick, as if their muscles were always half-springing.

Renji didn’t pull back yet, only watching them for a moment.

The foxes spotted him instantly. There was no warning growl, no buildup. They launched themselves forward with sudden force.

"Yep, I knew that was coming," Renji muttered as he stepped back into a ready stance.

Aya and Kaede rushed forward from behind him, entering the fight without hesitation.

The first fox leapt straight at Renji. Its body shot through the air in a tight arc. He pivoted smoothly, letting the beast pass inches from him. The fox twisted mid-leap, adjusting unnaturally fast for a second attack. Renji ducked under it again, then brought his sword upward in a clean, precise slice. The blade cut through its middle, and the fox hit the ground with a short whine before falling still.

"That’s one," he said, rolling his shoulder.

Another fox lunged at him immediately. Renji shifted to the side, stepped through the motion, and brought his sword down in a controlled downward cut as it passed. The blade struck solidly, cracking through bone. The fox collapsed under the force.

A third fox charged, claws ripping into the dirt in a straight, frantic line. Renji moved aside once more, sidestepping the rush. Before he could reset, a fourth fox leapt from another angle, coming in fast.

"For real?" he muttered.

He didn’t have space to dodge both. He chose the path with less damage. Renji braced his stance, swung his sword at the fox in front of him, cutting it mid-leap, and allowed the second one to collide with him. Its jaws clamped onto his shoulder, teeth scraping through his shirt.

Kaede shouted, "Renji!"

"I’m good, I’m good," he said through clenched teeth.

The bite angle was too high, and the fox’s jaws didn’t sink in fully. It left a long scratch running from his shoulder down toward his back, more shallow than dramatic. Renji grabbed the fox, pulled it off, and killed it quickly.

The fourth body hit the ground.

He exhaled, flicking a bit of fur off his arm.

"Four. Not bad."

Kaede and Aya were already finished with their foxes. Several more bodies lay around them. Kaede had her sword resting against her shoulder, breathing steady. Aya stood near her, adjusting her stance calmly, her hands still lifted slightly from the fight.

Renji lifted his brows.

"Wow, you two really went for it. Good job. Really great. Amazing. Except for the part where you let one of them bite me. Isn’t your whole job protecting me?"

Aya stepped closer, her voice gentle. "Please sit, Renji."

"I am sitting," he said as he dropped down onto the ground.

They rushed to him. Aya knelt at his side, brushing aside the torn edge of his shirt to expose the scratch. Kaede leaned in from the other side, inspecting it with an intensely analytical expression. Their faces hovered close enough that Renji tilted his head back slightly.

Aya pointed to the long mark. "It did not pierce too deeply."

Kaede nodded. "Just a scratch. You’ll live, unfortunately."

Renji gave her a squint. "You say that like you’re disappointed."

Kaede didn’t deny it, which somehow made it funnier.

Aya pressed lightly around the injured area to verify the depth, her fingertips gentle. Renji flinched a little, not from pain but from the cold touch.

"I said I was fine," he told them.

"You always say that," Kaede replied.

"And I’m always right."

Aya pulled back her hand. "It will heal quickly. Just avoid stretching your shoulder too much."

"No promises," Renji said as he got back to his feet. He opened his system interface with a flick of his hand. "Let’s see... shop points... four hundred. Nice."

Kaede turned away from him with a small exhale, then walked toward the foxes. "We should gather the beast crystals before more creatures are drawn by the smell."

Aya nodded and followed. The two began packing the crystals with smooth, practiced movements. Kaede crouched beside each fox, retrieving the crystal and placing it neatly into storage. Aya worked alongside her, gathering the remaining ones with calm precision.

They continued gathering crystals while Renji stood nearby, rotating his sore shoulder slightly. The forest around them grew quiet again, returning to its natural stillness now that the danger was gone. Sunlight filtered through the trees, glinting off the scattered crystals before they were stored away.

When the last one was packed, Renji clapped his hands together.

"Alright, team. Great job. Next time though, less biting. Preferably none."

Aya nodded. "We will try."

Kaede glanced at him. "Try not to present your shoulder as a target next time."

Renji scoffed. "Please. My shoulders are too majestic to hide."

Kaede walked past him without acknowledging that, and Aya followed with a small smile.

Renji slung his sword over his back and stretched his arm.

"Onward, ladies. The forest awaits. Hopefully with fewer foxes."