bioinnovel Chapter 177: Decision Made
Chapter 177: Decision Made
"You and your clan ensure protection for the Kitsune Clan while I’m away."
A beat of silence passed before Damon continued.
"This isn’t charity," he said evenly. "If I’m going to move under your arrangement, I’m not leaving the clan exposed to any threats."
Yoru studied him for a moment, the smile on her lips not fading, just changing shape.
The amusement was replaced by assessment.
"You’re negotiating," she said softly.
"I’m setting terms," Damon corrected.
That earned a faint exhale from her, almost like approval.
"Interesting," Yoru murmured. "You accept being taken... but only if you control what you leave behind."
Her gaze drifted briefly past him, toward the Kitsune territory below.
Then her eyes returned to him.
"Very well," she said. "The clan will not be touched." A moment of pause passed between her words. "But don’t misunderstand something."
Her smile returned, though slightly thinner now. "This doesn’t make you mine any less."
Damon finally moved his blade away from her throat.
Not because he trusted her.
But because the agreement was already made.
And for now, that was enough.
"Damon..." Ayame suddenly spoke, for the first time in a short while.
Damon turned toward her, seeing the worried expression on her face.
"Give us a moment," he said toward Yoru.
She let out a long exhale before walking down the path. "Don’t make me come back to get you.’
Damon waited until she was far enough before turning his back completely toward her.
"I don’t like this," Ayame said. "I don’t like any of it."
"I know," Damon replied. "But if we can use this opportunity to kill the other leaders, then we have to take it."
"And then what?" Raiden cut in, frustration growing on his face. "We should’ve just attacked her from the start, take her by surprise and killed her while we had a chance."
Damon’s expression darkened. "We never had a chance. She’s too strong. Ayame is still recovering, and I’m not ready yet to face her."
"So what? You’re gonna go be her pet?"
"Raiden." Ayame cut in, giving her brother a look that said she had this handled.
Raiden lingered for a moment before giving Damon and Ayame some privacy.
"It’s dangerous... too dangerous," Ayame said, her voice suddenly dropping to a whisper as she took a step toward him.
"I can handle it. Just make sure you recover and keep your clan safe."
Ayame nodded, though her worried expression never left.
Damon reached, moving strands of silver-white hair away from her face. "I will be back soon."
Her gaze lifted, and the moment it met his, she took a final step toward him and pressed her lips against his. Her hand found the front of his armour and held it, not pulling him closer, just holding, as if making sure he wouldn’t pull back before she wanted him to.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Not the kind that followed tension, but the kind that came after a decision could no longer be taken back.
Ayame pulled away first, just slightly, as if realising what she had done in the middle of everything that still needed to be said.
Her eyes didn’t meet his immediately, they trailed slowly across the ground.
"...I’m not stopping you," she said quietly.
Damon didn’t respond right away.
Not because he didn’t understand.
But because he did.
"I know," he said at last.
A faint pause followed.
His thumb brushed once against her cheek, then fell away as he stepped back into himself again.
"I’ll be back," he repeated, more firmly this time.
This time, it wasn’t reassurance.
It was intent, and Ayame caught the difference.
"I know you will," she replied.
They shared a long look before Ayame suddenly caught the path stretching behind Damon, and more importantly, its emptiness.
"I think you should get going..."
Damon turned to see that Yoru was already gone. Her earlier threat echoed in his head.
At the same time, Raiden moved beside them. "Not to ruin a moment or anything, but I would really prefer not to see that vile woman again."
Damon nodded.
Keeping the Dragon Clan Leader waiting wasn’t a wise choice.
He shared one last look with Ayame before turning around and following after Yoru.
Damon moved down the path, silent and deliberate. The forest seemed quieter after Yoru’s presence, but the weight of it lingered in every shadow.
He didn’t rush.
There was no need.
Yoru had gone ahead, leaving only the faintest trace of her aura to follow. That was enough.
As he walked, he began running through calculations. Debating which Divine Beast they should hunt first, and how to ensure that she wouldn’t catch on to his plan.
Every step brought him closer to the unknown, but closer to power as well.
Yoru’s presence wasn’t just a threat. It was an opportunity.
And Damon intended to use it.
Somewhere ahead, a glimmer of movement caught his eye, a hint of her figure slipping between the trees. Not fast, not threatening, but reminding him that she was still one step ahead.
He smiled faintly.
Seeing someone stronger than him wasn’t an obstacle he would avoid. It was merely an invitation for him to get stronger, which he would happily accept.
He took another glance forward, judging the distance before coming to a short halt.
Yoru paused.
She had been sensing his movements this entire time, and now, feeling that he had stopped walking, caught her off guard.
The second she stopped, however, his presence suddenly vanished, and when it appeared again, Damon was already standing beside her, drenched in shadows which slowly dissolved.
Her lips curved into a smile. ’Mmm, not bad,’ she mused to herself, ’Not bad at all.’
A moment of silence settled between them.
Neither of them spoke as Damon simply fell into step beside her as if he didn’t just keep a divine beast waiting and didn’t just bridge a gap of several meters with a single step.