O_o still dropping meteors like mad and seems like brand is still paralyzed... ...wheres a friggin paralyze heal when we need one

Can you recommend any literature or online sources to learn more about kitsune? Or more importantly, how to make sure you stay on the good side of an 8 tails?

The wikipedia article on kitsune is a pretty good. Otherwise, I've been teaching a short course on the things since this arc started.

In short, there are two kinds of kitsune: The zenko-kitsune, or Noble Foxes, and the nogitsune, the evil kitsune. There's some clue that Suzocon may once have been a zenko but along the way became corrupt and evil. Zenko are guardian spirits; staying on their good side just means "pay them their due respect and don't attack what they are guarding." But an eight-tailed nogitsune? Unless you're a demigod, in such situations, I recommend a good pair of running shoes. That Lord Suzocon is a very special kind of monster makes that course of action even more urgent.

What he's hitting Prince Taran with now is an 8th dan (8th level) Black Materia attack using all his tails. He's throwing giant balls of kitsunebi (foxfire) at the water. Leaving it all on the field, so to speak.

Thank you! I did not know about Zenko and Nogi! You are quite the good teacher! (please don't be a Nogi)

If I were a kitsune I'd definitely be a zenko. Also keep in mind  virmir also puts his own spin on the 'sune. Lord Suzocon, for example (or Suzokon-kyō, スゾコン キオー), is an arcane artificer, a mad inventor of sorts. Earlier in the arc he showed he had auspices at being H.P. Lovecraft's Re-Animator, built a charging station for Vetra's Eyestone, and built a shrine defense shield (which Taran eventually broke). And as he's proven, arcane artificers are bastards to fight.

There are cases in the folklore of nogitsune reforming and becoming zenko-kitsune, but it supposedly takes 1000 years of good deeds to be accepted by the goddess of foxes, Ō-Inari.

A fantastic example of a nogitsune that eventually became a zenko-kitsune can be found in Mystery Ben's Mystery Skulls animated shorts.

cool

You know, if quetz!Brand could break out of the paralysis field he has one absolutely clear shot right up Suzokon-kyō's Yao no o shiri. Wouldn't that just be a fine piece of irony if the shot that finally took that inu out was done by Brand of all creatures.

It would be pure irony if Brand were able to, but there's no way of knowing, and he still looks pretty spry. If I were there, after seeing this display for what is essentially the past 30 minutes, I wouldn't even shoot him a dirty look.

Suzocon doesn't look the slightest bit damaged. There's nothing anything Brand can do against him. Besides, he owes Taran no favors.

More just for distraction purposes. He certainly wouldn't be doing it for Taran. He'd be doing it in the hopes Taran would attack Suzocon when HE was distracted, or that Suzocon's in a depowered enough state to get knocked over.

But I think you're right. Brand gets free, it's time to fly like hell away from this place.

"What?! 9999!?"

9999 level

9999 is the max damage a strike can do in Final Fantasy. And if this isn't a Black Materia attack I don't know what is.

Sephiroth got nothing on this kitsune

"There's no way that can be right!"

Damn. This evil motherfucker.

Just a funny thought, but if Suzocon had a more serious expression, rather then the insane one he has now, I feel you wouldn't have thought this.

If she knows what just happened it gonna be another distraction again

Wow he really pissed Suzocon off.

Fire a meteor!
Fire another!
FIRE THEM ALL!

I’m sure sunglasses is fiiine

It's definitely an all out assault. Suzocon isn't wasting any time on wasting Taran.

Except he has no idea where Taran actually IS - only where he went in. This is just a combination of spite and hubris. Lot of folks speculating that Taran swam away before the first Kitsunebi meteor hit and he's just pounding the crap out of a hole in the water. 9999 damage to... the sea. If that's true, Katy Bar the Door when Taran reappears.

I'll bet money every shot is missing because Taran is circling around underwater

Suzocon’s only hitting the 9999 damage cap which means there’s a superboss out there somewhere that’s more dangerous than this kitsune

Man, you don't really notice until now, but that sune doesn't have a neck. That boi has a NECC.

Also I swear he somehow looks a bit bigger in size with every page they are shown.

I can imagine he is still alive. "...You just cracked my shades...."

I think this is what the people call overkill.
Also that evil face is like.Yes i'm nice but i'm very evil

https://youtu.be/ML6OV8fG74w?si=5Y3b0A7ONONLB-U2

Why yo keep tickling me, you stupid rat??

All jokes aside, foxfire is NOT real fire, it's a spiritual thing, water won't put it out. Kinda a catch 22, all purpose substance. Can be used to protect or attack.

But if Teran doesn't report back soon, chances are Vetra's coming down, and if she spots Brand.... she's gonna rip the soul out of him, and not necessarily CARE if Said can't be put back in it...

I don't think Taran's down for the count yet, but I suspect that Suzocon now has his undivided attention. He won't be able to afford Brand!Saida any attention while Suzocon still draws breath.

Though I do wonder how far Suzocon's thought this though? Like you said, if Suzocon kills Taran, then Vetra's going to be coming very soon afterwards. He's realistically not going to have time to use the fake eyestone to make any meaningful progress to "earn his final tail" before that happens. Can he even leave the island? Or has his short-sighted ego actually doomed him in the long run?

If Vetra-jou shows up shit truly gets real. She's a full blooded deity, unlike her son and unlike Suzokon. And his shrine defenses are broken. The kaibutsu kitsune that killed her son? There would be no quarter given.

I doubt Taran's dead yet, it feels like Virmir invested a little more into him than the minion jobbers who were pretty much executed.

Brand beter flee soon... Because in about 23 picoseconds, Suzocon is possibly going to notice him. "Oh, you're still here?" VORP!

Bruh be casting Armageddon

Is he trying to murder the ocean?

Over nine thousand?!