[center][b][u][i]Kotaro Kuzunoha[/i][/u][/b]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMHetasNWZU&ab_channel=MegatenMusic[/youtube][/center]

It seems, yet again, Kotaro was caught in a whirlwind of events before he could manage to get an answer out of the Yuki-onna, with Kaiga springing back from her illusion, and her illusion itself breaking down - "Setsuka" included - as the environment revealed itself to be drastically different than he originally thought. The throne room was more worse for wear, there was now a giant tower of ice or some kind of crystal was just outside the castle. No, it's more like...the throne room detached from the castle and the castle itself [i]became[/i] the tower?

Anyways, most importantly, there were more people here now than just Setsuka and Kaiga, there was another man and a woman as well, and Setsuka herself seemed worse for wear... something he never thought he'd see, being as powerful as she was.

It was easy to see what happened, but harder to actually believe it. Whoever these other two were, they must have been fighting against Setsuka and actually winning against her. Kitsune, like Yuki-Onna, are illusionists by nature, and illusions require concentration to maintain properly. The stronger the illusion, the more focus and concentration one must have in sustaining it. If someone were to break that concentration, the illusion naturally falls apart like melted ice. Given what he's seeing, these two must have broken Setsuka's concentration, which led to the illusion Kotaro and Kaiga were in falling apart at the seams. No, not the two of them. One of them was front and center facing the Yokai down, the other stood far back from the action as it happens, spectating the situation as Setsuka seemingly summoned up tentacles to consume the children's remains, and empowered herself further.

Kotaro could feel a sudden tightening of his chest as he looked at everything transpiring. As he suspected, the kids who were imprisoned with him are already dead. This situation went far beyond what he could have imagined, and whatever fear he had before skyrocketed as he listened to Setsuka make her statement to the new guy who stood to face her.

[center][color=6ecff6]"My, oh my, how absurd, to think that there would be another Devil Slayer on par with Gray Fullbuster, Zagrebal will awaken soon, and for the first time in 400 years, I too, will awaken!"[/color][/center]

[i]"She's still on about that...?"[/i] Kotaro thought as the tightening started to loosen. In order for a devil to properly enter the world, they need a vessel to possess, usually a human. Even if she awakens Zagrebal, it should just be an intangible existence without a vessel to use. He thought that was why she brought those other kids to the castle, but she just killed all of them, apparently as sacrifices to resurrect it.

So...What's her endgame here?

[center]"[color=ed1c24]Hey kid...are these other kids really...fake.[/color]"[/center]

As if to snap the boy out of his thoughts, the fire guy asked him a question. To be honest, Kotaro almost forgot he was here.

"[b]Yeah, ...She was toying with us the whole time. Our entire interaction with her was a diversion to keep us from the real thing. Looks like somebody else took the wool off our eyes though; but it's too late... She... she got what she wanted out of them. The real kids...they're gone.[/b]" He responded to him, trying to hold back tears. He didn't know these other kids at all, he only managed to interact with them for, what, 10 minutes tops? Even then, it's unsure if the kids he was talking with were even real or just the illusions Setsuka conjured up. Even so, it's easy for him to forget that he's still a kid too; kids weren't supposed to see the horrors he's seen just now. Were it not for Tai's teachings and training, who knows what this kind of trauma would do to his mind; even then, seeing those kids' corpses be taken away still etched itself into his head. To a point where he wasn't paying attention at the grandiose nature of the battle going on in front of him between Setsuka and the Time Wizard Ifrit.

In the middle of talking to him, he put his hands to Kaiga's injuries, summoning up wind spiria around them to help heal Kaiga's wounds.

"[b]It's not much, but it should help you get by for now...[/b]"

[center][color=ed1c24]"I'm Kaiga Agniyastra of Fenix Tear, the rest of my guild should be outside now. If you have any information that could help, that would be greatly appreciated."[/color][/center]

[center][color=aba000]"You face an agent of the King of Bargrovyzaria! Chronicler of the Fenix Tear! And Master of the Lost Arts!"[/color][/center]

[center][i]Fenix...Tear?[/i][/center]

[center][color=yellow][b]"Go west, to the land of pendragons where the flaming bird cries, You will find what you need at the gathering of its tears."[/b][/color][/center]

As if given a cold splash of icy water to his face, his emotions were once again whiplashed. It was as if something clicked in his mind and connected all the dots.

The riddle his master left him before he was taken away, the riddle that started Kotaro on his journey away from his home of Hizuru and traveling to Avalon in the first place... At first, he couldn't figure it out; he just assumed that he'd find the answer when he made it to Pergrande Kingdom, and that this kidnapping just was a prolonged hinderance to that. But the whole time he's been here, it's been staring him in the face!

[center][i]"Fenix Tear...Master Tai was telling me to join Fenix Tear!"[/i][/center]

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmandi2nKi4&ab_channel=FalcomMusicChannel[/youtube][/center]

Virtually on instinct - like a furnace coming to life - the boy went into his kitsune like form. His three tails alit with his overwhelming intermingling emotions of anger and hope, until it bursts out of the three and they coalesced together, as if becoming a cocoon, and from out of it burst forth a 4th tail.

Kotaro didn't seem to notice the new tail on his back, his eyes staring at the woman who was supposed to be dead by whatever the laughing Time wizard threw at her while he wasn't looking...No, it's possible that that was just another illusion the Yuki-onna made against him as well.

[center][color=skyblue]"Zagrebal is close to awakening, it seems that it needs a vessel."[/color][/center]

So he was right, she [i]does[/i] still need a vessel to contain whatever she's summoning. But she killed off all the kids that were gathered as an offering to bring it here in the first place. In that case, she must be planning on this devil possessing someone currently present in this room. Either two Fenix Tear members present, the regal lady standing in the back of the throne room, or Kotaro himself. As far as he remembers from studying, Devils aren't too picky over who they choose to possess, so having the most likely one leave isn't going to help matters much. 

"[b]Aside from what you already know about her, there's only two things I'm certain about. ...First is that that guy's not gonna be able to beat her alone, and secondly, that lacrima should probably take priority. Those kids got sacrificed to summon a devil, and by the looks of it, it's coming out of that crystal egg up there. She's a Yuki-Onna, so fire should be effective against her as well.[/b]" Kotaro said. The problem is that this particular Yuki-Onna is strong enough to be on par with his Master; even fighting her together with these other wizards here would be incredibly tough at best. She's strong enough that any fire magic that's not strong enough might not actually faze her, natural weakness or not - Assuming at this point that she's even still a yuki-onna or still [i]have[/i] that weakness at all.

The path to the egg may as well be blocked by a wall of thick diamond. Speaking of which, there's also no guarantee that the Lacrima is gonna be easy to break either, assuming that destroying it won't just release the devil inside that much faster.

To be frank, this seemed practically suicidal. But time is running out, and Setsuka's definitely going to kill these people if nothing is done. As much as he values his own life, he can't let her destroy the only leads he's got to his goal either.

"[b]Your majesty, ...I truly appreciate the offer you gave me to come out of this alive, but I can't walk away, not anymore. My journey ends here![/b]" Kotaro said, taking out his water jug. Sticking his fiery hand in the jug made it erupt a thick steam covering most of the throne room area. Thicker than it usually is, actually, much to Kotaro's own surprise.

[center][color=orange][i]"Kitsune Magic: Hollow Forest Mist"[/i][/color][/center]

Kotaro wasn't going to lie to himself: this was probably a stupid idea. Never mind the fact that he basically made himself a target so blatantly, but this particular Yuki-Onna fought against Master Tai, which meant she probably knew all of his magics. Even if she didn't, he's nowhere near his mentor level as far as those magics are concerned.

In a battle of illusion versus illusion, well, it was a child fighting against an adult. She has hundred of years worth of experience with her illusion magic, and Kotaro just barely made it to double-digit age! It's unlikely that any illusions he makes from the fog is going to stick. The fact that whatever illusions are made are also shaped by Setsuka's own mind makes it more likely she'll figure out what's going on.

...But that's not the only benefit Hollow Forest Mist has. Illusion or no, It's still a thick fog that hinders sight, a smoke screen that's good for distractions. Illusions require concentration and it's hard to concentrate when the enemy could attack from anywhere and had the element of surprise.

Of course, the door swings both ways. It's not like Kotaro can make others able to see in it either. But considering Setsuka's and the crystal's positioning - combined with Ifrit's odd shiny eyes and Kaiga's brutish nature - it seems likely the fog won't be as much a hinderance to them as it (hopefully) might be for Setsuka.

Even so, there are plenty of ways this could end badly for him, and everyone else in the room. Truth be told, the chance of this working like Kotaro wants is slim to none.

[center]But he had to try. For his master's sake, for his own sake, he [i]had[/i] to try![/center]

[center][i]"There's only one reason to ever fight a losing battle..."[/i][/center]