Spiked gauntlet and pink fingernails tighten. Blue fingernails curl, and scritch the ears of a cat. "What did you [i]do[/i]?" called a voice, shaking against the chains of discipline. One of the coolest tricks that four-tailed foxes and above could do was support their body weight with their tails. It meant you could do amazing things like build a chair out of your own tails and slouch comfortably upon it in a way that looked awe inspiring, especially if you also had a black cat sitting in your lap at the time. Black fox tails gently wrapped around the remnants of Assassin, holding them firm against a black suit, slitted green eyes reflecting against blue-black mirrorshades. Actia brushed the blue streak of hair out of her face. Behind her that enormous number read 8,999,256,000. "I contributed," said Actia. "How did you have -" said Diaofei. "It was my price," sighed Actia. "To steal a Sunshard?" "For everything," sighed Actia. "Paid in full once I allowed my Servant to be slain without contest. A billion dollars - the largest number I could think of, and a sum guaranteed to -" A fifth tail unfolded magnificently behind her. It was an incredibly cool moment, if you were a foxgirl. "- earn my new rank." "You betrayed me for [i]money[/i]?" said Diaofei. "Not enough money, apparently," Actia smiled. "Would you prefer it had been for ideology?" "You are a monster after all." "Alas," sighed Actia. "I will -" "You will do nothing, monk," said Actia, eyes snapping up like ice. "There is nothing you can do. Because you are [i]broke[/i]. Whereas [i]we [/i]demons of the Underworld," black heels clicked to the ground as Actia stood, tails expanding around her in a subterranian sunburst, "will show the world the full extent of what we have stolen from the depths of Hell!" * 8,999,247,500 "..." "[i]What[/i]?" pouted Cyanis. "You didn't cut [i]me [/i]in on your bajillionty dollar master plan!" "Do you not have a technomantic account at all?" "Nope!" said Cyanis proudly. "Only this! Three hundred and seventy wallets!" "Cyanis, half of these are empty," said Actia, holding up a wallet with an embroidered sheep stitched into it. "A girl needs to eat, Actia!" said Cyanis with tears in her eyes. "I am a growing girl! It is a critical developmental phase for me! Do you know how hard it is to hit the cup size I am aiming for? Do you want to deny me my gender affirming care, Actia? Are you a bigot? Are you throwing in with this flat-chested dragongirl supremacy? Do you hate to see a busty woman thriving? How will I explain to all of my many future darling children that mommy doesn't have enough milkies!?" "..." "FINE, GAWD," said Cyanis. She shook her tail and another stack of wallets, cash, golden coins, buttons and tinsel crashed out of it. "BUT HEAVEN BETTER BE PUTTING SAVING THE WORLD ON MY PERMANENT RECORD." Actia's phone buzzed. She held it up to the Number, and the Number went down. It buzzed again - more Number. It buzzed again and - * All around the world, foxgirls were typing into their phones. Countess Keron's grand vizier checked her messages, nodded sagely, revealed her true form in all its eight tailed glory then stepped outside the front gate of the Sky Castle to put up a FOR LEASE sign. Number went down. The captain of a cruise ship spins the ships wheel until the massive liner is aimed directly at a deserted island, pours a pre-prepared bottle of gasoline across the ship controls, sets it alight, and heads down to her hidden speedboat escape. An intoxicated three-tailed fox pushes herself against a flustered young man and tells him that it's her birthday and she wants to book a special trip together [i]right now[/i] - Schemes small and large, spur of the moment and decades in the making, are abruptly cut short. Compromised bank accounts are emptied. Going out of business sales on Persian rugs get serious. Debts are called in. Girls have gags stuffed into their mouths and are shipped off to exotic harems. A global network of fox crime goes into liquidation all at once. Even a foxy mountain coughs up a ball of fried tofu and exotic gemstones in sacrifice. No fox holds out. Every fox knows a scam when they see one - in fact, fox-on-fox cons are a tragic and growing percentage of all fox crimes. But by the same token, there's an instinctive sense for when someone is being sincere. When Actia says she needs ten billion dollars, well - somebody out there needs the money. That's all there is to it. Nobody [i]needs [/i]to not be stranded on a desert island. Not like they [i]need [/i]to make sure a pure-hearted foxgirl asking honestly for help doesn't cry any more. Ancient savings accounts are cracked open and what economic value is left in this negative growth planet is harnessed, mortgaged, and directed down into the maw of the underworld... * "I'm going to liquidate my Order's holdings as well," said Opalis firmly as the number continued to freefall. As it did, the elevator began She took a deep breath - this wasn't something to be done lightly. Liquidating the combined hordes of dozens of dragongirls, as part of what [i]could [/i]be a fox scheme? It had to be done to save the world - but she wasn't a foxgirl, and she could not know that she wasn't getting Got harder than any dragongirl had ever been Got before. It wasn't just her own horde on the line, after all... She hesitated back and forth for a moment, and then decided that she was going to call her contact in the government first. A quick check. It wouldn't take a moment...