System Breaker: Surviving Apocalypse with Nine-Tailed Kitsune-Chapter 18: Phoenix Feather

Damon’s eyes widened at the notification, just as a new description window appeared before him.

[Relic]

[Name: Phoenix Feather]

[Grade: S]

[Unique Attribute: Restoration]

[Type: ???]

’S Grade?!’

Damon’s heart hammered against his ribs as he read the description. An S-Grade Relic, he could not even imagine what kind of monster would drop such an item. But what was more surprising was the unique attribute. His Nameless Tachi didn’t have such a section. He assumed it was something probably limited to higher-grade relics and focused on Restoration.

[Restoration: Phoenix’s feather can be used to restore anything to its original form. Single-use only. ]

Before Damon could take a moment to dwell on that description, he felt a soft touch against his hand, followed by a voice he knew very well.

"Thank you,"

Kitsune’s heels clicked across the floor as he reached for Damon’s hand from behind. Her feline gaze stared at the feather with an almost ravenous look.

Damon snapped his arm to the side, moving the feather away from her slender arms.

"You knew what it was?" he asked.

"Mhmm, of course," she said, stepping around him and resting both her arms around his neck. "Can I have it?"

"Will you use it to restore your core?"

Her crimson eyes stared at him for a few moments before answering.

"Not quite. Restoring the core is not so simple, even for a phoenix. But it will bring me one step closer."

She shifted her arms closer toward him, bending them around the back of his neck, her face just inches away from his.

Damon’s heart still hammered, though whether it was from the S Grade item or... his companion he couldn’t quite tell.

"Fine," he replied flatly, taking a step backwards and lifting the feather toward her. "I don’t have any use for it anyway."

Kitsune didn’t waste a second before taking the feather from him. In an instant, it turned into a thick mist of bright orange energy. It drifted in front of her for a second before she absorbed it.

For a moment, there was no change. Then, beside her single tail, another tail materialised, identical to the first one. Her lips curved into a dangerous grin as she stretched her arms in satisfaction.

"How did you know about the feather?" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Phoenixes are able to restore anything. I don’t know how it got here, though."

"Here? So, they’re from your world?"

"They are..."

CLICK.

She took a slow step toward him.

"Are Phoenixes also divine beasts?"

"Mhmm..."

CLICK.

"How many divine beasts are there?"

"Six..."

CLICK.

With each click of her heels, she’s gotten closer, removing the space between them.

"How-"

CLICK.

Damon didn’t get to finish his next question as Kitsune’s heels clicked one last time. His arms twitched up instinctively, as there was no space for the girl to move forward. Before he could realise what was happening, his hands landed on her waist, just as her own arms coiled around him like a pair of serpents.

Her giggle purred in his ear.

But at the very same moment, the sound of muffled footsteps echoed from the stairs leading down to the platform.

Kitsune pouted for a moment before turning back into the fox form just in time to hide from the prying eyes of the one who stumbled down.

"Damon?" Kade called from the bottom of the stairs, his breath ragged, his previously spotless armour was now bloodied.

"You’re back already?" Damon asked, trying to compose himself despite his racing heart.

"We just returned. I met... Victor? Was it? He said you were down here, so I came running. You know this place is dangerous, right?"

Damon shrugged. "Looks fine to me... But didn’t you say you had to find some hunting party?"

Kade lingered for a moment, calming his ragged breathing before turning toward a nearby bench and sitting down.

"We found them," he said, letting his head rest against the wall behind the bench, "Their bodies were completely burned, probably by Fire Hounds."

"Fire Hounds?"

"Yeah, terrifying creatures. They’re level 20 and always travel in groups. But... nevermind that. It’s really good to see you. I thought... with all this going on... I’m glad you’re here."

"Yeah... I didn’t expect to see you as a leader."

Kade let out a dry chuckle. "Yeah... Life moves fast, especially in the apocalypse, doesn’t it?"

Damon nodded. "It does."

"Damon, I was meaning to ask... why do you walk around with a fox?"

"She... It... It’s my companion."

Kade stared at the Kitsune in her fox form for a moment before scrambling to his feet.

"I should get cleaned up. I will tell Henry to find you a quiet space to settle in."

Kade turned to leave before suddenly coming to a halt. He turned back around and lifted a single rift shard toward Damon.

"It’s not much, but it should be of some help," he said.

But as Damon reached for the shard, his eyes locked with Kade’s, and for a moment, he could almost swear he saw light shift in his gaze.

"Just now..." Kitsune’s voice cut through Damon’s head, "He just tried to use some ability on you."