Narasimha [Prologue]

[Takaki Saeko]

Prologue
"Emhyr var Emreis" from TW3 OST​

There were three places on the massive dais in the center of the throne room in the Red Palace of Raiden no Me, or Raiden’s Eye in the common tongue. Near the peak of this miniature mountain of granite streaked with platinum inclusions, the Shogun’s seat—fashioned from solid dimeritium to evoke a thunderbird flanked by twin guardian fu-dogs—occupied the highest position. After all, he was the one appointed by Raiden to rule the land according to divine mandate. Positioned at the level of the Shogun’s feet was the seat reserved for his consort, and this was formed from solid jade to promote fertility and femininity. And at the consort’s feet sat the chancellor.

The chancellor’s seat was not formed from magical ore or a priceless hunk of jade, but rather from simple iron. Centuries of humidity had given it a rusty patina, but had done nothing to make its scarred and pitted surface more bearable to sit on. Of all of the seats set into Raiden’s stone, the chancellor’s was by far the riskiest to occupy, which is exactly why it suited Tachibana Ami. Defying risk fostered respect, and respect fostered power. And it was power that she planned to wield today.

Once again, the Council of Nobles had slipped into sloth and decadence. They squabbled and fought pointless border skirmishes that trampled fields and ruined harvests, and weakened the nation in turn. Lightning Country, whose name once evoked terror worldwide, was now weak and divided again. But, Ami consoled herself, there was always a way to reverse these things. There was always an opportunity to prune away the weak and inefficient and promote the strong.

The shinobi woman who knelt in front of her was a curious specimen. On one hand, Ami despised her for being old enough to have great grandchildren but still insisting on looking the same age as those very grandspawn. Such artifice defied the rules of nature and further established that Kitsune was an outsider—someone to never allow into the utmost confidence. And yet it was because of that power and ensuing arrogance that Ami also held the shinobi woman in some esteem. In any case, she’s always been useful, even if she’s a complete fool.

The herald spoke. “Madam Chancellor, I announce…”

“Shinrya Uchiha Amaterasu-Omikami Kitsune of Kumogakure, Baroness of Raimei no Seika, Mistress of the Seven Natural Philosophies, and Sennin emeritus of the Youritsu,” Ami concluded without missing a beat. “You may rise.”

Voices quickly crescendoed from whispers to murmurs to even outright shouts from the courtiers who packed the room. Ami’s eyes flicked over the crowd to identify the usual suspects: the ones who despised that there was ever a sorceress on the council. The Marquess of Roenesia, the Regent of Goryeo, and the Daimyo of Seiryu’s Eye could always be counted on to slip in a snide remark and sow chaos at one of these meetings. Unfortunately, ordering their deaths was out of the question. At least for now.

“Baroness Kitsune,” Ami continued without raising her voice. What she planned to say next would quickly shut everyone up. “Sir Liancourt-Tsushima has passed without an heir and all otherwise-eligible relations have been exiled or killed. His lands require an owner lest they fall into chaos and we lose them to grasping Ursine hands. I should like to appoint you Duchess. Do I have your agreement?”

The room fell quiet for a moment.

“Madam Chancellor, you can’t be serious!” shouted Natsu, the Marquess of Roenesia. He was joined by a chorus of others soon after.

“No lands of mine will go to a damned mutant!” someone else shouted. "T'is an affront to the Allfather!"

Ami picked up her gavel and slammed it on one of the armrests of her iron throne. Even with the weakness left in her by a crippling stroke, she could still produce an ear-splitting crash if needed. “Silence! You haven’t answered yet, Baroness Kitsune.”

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune had been summoned to the capital by the right honorable Chancellor Tachibana Ami. She wasn’t told exactly what she was being summoned for, but Kitsune quickly figured out it was important, and as such, she dressed her best. It was a mixture of a high society dress with a dash of shinobi chic. Of course, her ensemble wouldn’t be complete without the sword she had received from the Shogun himself a bunch of years earlier, signifying her status as his vassal. Around her right thigh was the headband signifying her status as a Kumogakurean kunoichi, but no one could see that without actually getting under the dress.

Upon being allowed to rise, Kitsune got onto her feet and looked at the assembly in front of her. When she was asked if she was in agreement with becoming a Duchess, and obtaining the lands neighboring her own, she blinked twice. It wasn’t quite what she had expected. In fact, it came from so far out of the left field that she was momentarily speechless. A rare occurrence indeed. But the silence was broken by the other nobles, shouting up a storm, calling Kitsune a mutant and what not. Her right eye twitched almost unnoticeably, but Ami would most likely notice it.

After the Chancellors call for silence, Kitsune finally took to words. ”Before I answer, Chancellor, I’d like to say a few choice words to the rest of the noble assembly here. First off. Natsu-kun, you may be Marquess of Roenesia, but I know you’ve been involved with kunoichi before. Surely you know what we’re capable of by now. If not, I can easily arrange a demonstration…” she trailed off at the end while sending him a sly smirk before turning to the nobleman shouting about his lands going to a mutant. ”And you, good sir, are in luck. Because they’re not your lands. They’re all belonging to our benevolent overlord, his Highness the Shogun. And with that, Tachibana-sama~ I’ll render my answer unto you. You have my agreement.” Kitsune said as she turned to face the other woman.

”If so desired, I can take my leave for the lands immediately, and sort things out.” Kitsune suggested before portraying her practically supernatural ability to predict certain events - which clearly didnt include sudden nobility rankups or land additions - as she pointed at a nobleman about to protest this arrangement most vehemently. ”Do not start, Zarishi-dono. You do not want a cross kunoichi staring you down.” she said in a calm tone before turning her head to smile at the man, who quickly closed his gaping mouth and folded his arms across his chest.

It had been done, Kitsune had agreed to what Tachibana Ami had asked. What happened next would be entirely up to the scheming, but ingenious, chancellor.

 

[Takaki Saeko]

“Now, that was easy, wasn’t it?” Ami steepled her fingers and reclined back in the uncomfortable iron seat. “The court is dismissed to leisure. Duchess, join me in my chambers. We must discuss another matter.”

Slowly, and unevenly, the nobles bent knee once again, and wasted no time filing out amidst a haze of mutters and whispers. Only one man remained within. A picture of regal power, Daimyo Amakusa Ryuu emanated restrained menace, coiled but ready to strike. An ermine cloak draped across powerful shoulders clad in brigandine interwoven with dark steel and filigreed in gold, and a masterwork Wind Country saber rested comfortably at his hip.

“You have my congratulations, Duchess Liancourt,” Ryuu said, and bowed deeply. “If you should ever find yourself in an unexpected…bind, know that twelve companies of riflemen stand across the border, ready to render aid at a moment’s notice. We are completely at your service.”

“Yes, yes, Amakusa, I’m sure the new Duchess appreciates the offer but she should be perfectly capable of tending to her own affairs, so we will pass you by,” Ami said, brushing past him.

“Of course, Milady Chancellor,” Ryuu said with another bow, and a sardonic smile. He turned and left to join up with Natsu and the Regent, who waited nearby with steely eyes fixed on the two women.

The chancellor’s chambers were close to the throne room, behind a wooden door secured with a dimeritium lock. As Kitsune passed it, the metal seemed the source of a deep, disconcerting chill.

“I won’t offer refreshments, because I don’t keep them here and would prefer to get straight to the point,” Ami said. “I didn’t grant you the Liancourt Rock because I hold any affection for you, or because you grant too many freedoms to your subjects already. I did it because I need you to do something very specific for me. If you’ve looked at a map, you’ll realize that the old Duke’s territory is uncomfortably close to the Serene Kingdom. In fact, the old hound once tried to sell his allegiance to the Haninozukas, before Takaki Masao went and killed the entire royal delegation.” Her eyes regarded Kitsune’s wrists. “I see you removed the tattoo they gave you in Naraka. I always wondered why you volunteered to go to that hellhole with him. Regardless, the Bears have always had their eye on the place. Keep it out of their hands, and report to me if they try to steal it.”

The chancellor paced, as if lost in thought.

“The Shogun will be pressured to sign a new edict soon. This edict will forbid nonhumans—in essence, all shinobi—from bearing a noble title, buying land outside of the bounds of your enclave, or even inheriting from human relatives. You will probably be spared, but I cannot say the same for your children or descendants. The Church, of course, backs this wholeheartedly. There is nothing I can do to prevent this from passing. Your kind are dying out and increasingly regarded with disdain. How many students survived the mutagen infusions this year? One? Two? I remember when that number was over a hundred.”

She sighed. “Perform your task well, Duchess. That is all I can say.”

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune smirked at the Daimyos “offer”. Though to her it mostly felt like a thinly veiled threat, that if she failed to handle the situation at hand, he’d step in and annex the lands. ”Oh, I think I’ll be quite alright, Amakusa-dono.” she said and winked at him as she followed the chancellor to her chambers. ”I had a feeling it would be something along those lines, Ami-chan.” she said with a simple smile. As always, Kitsune addressed Ami differently when they were in private. ”And yes. I got rid of it the minute I got the usage of my chakra back. As for why I volunteered, well… I had an inkling that if I didn’t, Takaki-sama would do something stupid. So I took it upon myself to make sure he had a chance to get out.”

She looked right at Ami as the other paced around the chamber. ”Well. I’ll make sure the area stays under Kaminarian rule.” she decided. Then, when Ami spoke about a new edict that’d have to be signed soon, Kitsune raised an eyebrow. ”And do they realize that he, himself, is a Shinobi? Or is that why they’ve made his throne from a chakra sapping material? To make him unable to use his birthright?” she questioned the chancellor. ”Ami-chan, you should know that we don’t do anything as mundane as infusing mutagenic compounds into children. Some people have the potential, some need a bit of coercion, and some just plain don’t have the talent for chakra manipulation. It’s that simple.”

Then, Kitsunes eyes caught a bunch of details regarding the chancellor. She’d suffered a stroke. There was no denying the effects on her body. She opted to remain silent on the matter for now, but would offer her medical advice or assistance at a later time. ”Well. You might not be able to, but I have an inkling that I might be able to sway some opinions. Including getting an amendment that’ll allow me to pass on my lands to my daughter.” she said in a solemn tone, already plotting on just how to do that. ”Or at the very least attempt it. It’s that, or I’ll be forced to stay alive for a very long time.”

With those words hanging in the air, Kitsune turned away from the chancellor and headed out of the room, past that disconcerting lock, and into the great hall she had been in moments before. There, she gave a light nod towards the dear Marquess, and Daimyo, as well as a wink, as she exited the room. Not ten minutes later, she’d find herself in a carriage headed for the province of Tsushima. It was an altogether uneventful trip, but she arrived in the provincial capital safely – albeit rather bored – and unharmed.

 

[Takaki Saeko]

The morning dew covered Tsushima township with a thick layer of heavy fog. The fog billowed down the avenues and roiled up against the foundations of the houses, which had once been thatch and daub, but now were increasingly brick and stone. It was an up-and-coming place, fueled by growing trade and ever thirstier for petrol. As a marker of its ascent, the township had recently been connected to the Red Star line of the federal rail system, and on a steam locomotive arrived its new Duchess.

That there was no welcoming gathering for her had not been unexpected. There had been no mention from the chancellor of any communication to the Duchy’s ealdormen, after all. Undaunted and always a light packer, Kitsune simply navigated her way to old estate in the center of town.

The streets were like those in any other advanced town in the world: awash with overflowing sewage. She passed through the bustling street markets with their stalls laden with spices, fruits, and grains. In the alleys glinted the furtive stares and plotting glares of thieves and urchins. Those who thought to target her, however, quickly decided their time was best spent elsewhere. All the while, the smog swirled around her ankles and parted briefly in her wake.

The old Duke’s mansion opened directly onto the main drag of the town, and did not have a separating wall or courtyard barring entry to the common onlooker. Its façade was pillared in the neoclassical style favored by the Shiranai administration, and its eaves and sills were speckled with a decade’s worth of pigeon shit, like every other noble edifice. But nailed to the wooden door was something else entirely.

No Gods! No Masters!

Fair people of Liancourt-Tsushima!

Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow?

“No!” says the man in Raiden no Me, “it belongs to the Nobles.”

“No!” says the man in Tenouza, “it belongs to the Allfather.”

And “No!” says the freak in Kumo, “it belongs to the Nonhumans.”

We reject those answers. Instead, we the Chimeriad, choose something different. We choose the impossible. We choose Democracy: a way of life where the commoner would not fear the shogun in his castle, and where the citizen would not be constrained by the dangerous wiles of the shinobi! By the sweat of your brow, Democracy can be your life as well.

The door was entirely covered in these.

Kitsune heard the hammer draw back on a blunderbuss and looked up at the source, leaning out of the second floor window overlooking the entry.

“Halt right there!” shouted a maid in a frilly outfit and hefting the oversized scattergun. “If you think you’ll get away with putting another horrid flyer up on Milord’s door, I’ll—I’ll Judas Priest your ass! Who the hell are you?”

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

So far, Kitsune hadn’t exactly been impressed with the city. She valued clean air and the lack of smog in its entirety. Something this city most definitely did not share with her. Granted, as with all industrialized cities, some sacrifices needed to be made. Clean air was apparently one of them. Upon arriving at the mansion, she raised her eyebrow. No walls around it? How would you keep the plebs out? She’d definitely have to do something about this colossal oversight in town planning. Someone would also have to be put on pigeon crap removal duty. Heh… Duty. Either way. Work needed to be done, that was most definitely a fact.

She neared the front door of the mansion, and noticed the flyers on the door. She stopped and decided to read the most prominent one, and with each passing sentence, she got more and more annoyed at the sender. Where the hell did they get off calling Shinobi freaks? They were perfectly regular people, except with the ability to mold chakra, for Raiden’s sake! ”Well this sure bodes well.” she mumbled and looked around for a door bell of sorts, only to hear the blunderbuss. She looked up at the source of the noise and raised an eyebrow at the frilly maid that had the weapon pointed at her.

”Do I look like someone posting flyers?” she said sarcastically and ignited the flyers on the door into a swiftly vanishing inferno of black flames, leaving a door that was only dirtied from the burnt paper, but otherwise entirely unscathed. ”Also, from my knowledge, your lord has passed away without an heir. So the Shogun, and his Chancellor, saw fit to allocate these lands to another noble. Specifically the one from the neighboring province. In other words: you’re looking at your new boss.” she finished and placed her hands on her sides. ”So get that peashooter out of my face, and open the door, if you’d be so fantastically kind.”

 

[Takaki Saeko]

The maid let out a yelp as Kitsune turned the offending bills to ash with no more than a flick of her fingers. Hurriedly, she withdrew her weapon’s muzzle and disappeared from sight. For the next few minutes the door stood silent, with a fresh coating of ash, in Kitsune’s face. A few seconds before the new Duchess’s ire rose, however, the latch finally moved and the oaken portal opened to reveal the manor’s interior.

The maid gave a low curtsey and tried to hide the redness on her cheeks. Looking beyond her, it was easy to pinpoint the source of her embarrassment. The grand foyer, which should have been illuminated by hundreds of candles and gilded with the finest of Zerrikanian tapestries, was bare and dark. An odor of must seeped out of the place and pooled at Kitsune’s feet.

“Welcome home, Duchess Liancourt,” the maid said. To her credit, she had managed to comport herself admirably. “I am Airisuke, your chief maid. I am a tenth-level Maido-do* practitioner and can see to all of a lady’s needs. I am also your…well, only remaining servant. When the Duke passed and we stopped getting paid, the butlers, footmen, grooms, scullions, chamber girls, and gardeners took what they could and left. So…that’s why the place looks like a dump. Do you have baggage I can take in? I’ll ask you to please wait for a moment in the salon while I air out your bedchamber. I’ve prepared crumpets and tea in the meantime!”

For a moment, the woman looked as if she'd burst into tears, but quickly regained control and dabbed at her eyes with a kerchief. "Don't take this the wrong way, Duchess, but I'm so glad you've arrived! I know you'll restore order quickly, but...for now, please stay inside. It's dangerous for you to walk outside alone right now."

*Maido-do: an ancient martial art—really, a philosophy and way of life—dedicated to the cultivation of inner strength through being the best maid possible in all circumstances.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune almost imperceptibly recoiled from the stench of dankness and must. ”Wow. We really gotta get people on this. The smell alone could kill a bear.” she commented as she entered. If she had brought someone with her to the mansion, she’d have sent them off to contact a bunch of people to get the place shined up. But alas, she had no such opportunity just yet. ”Airisuke-chan, eh? Cute name. And tenth-level too? Impressive. I have a feeling you could teach my staff back in Kumogakure a thing or seven. Or more.” she said as she followed the maid inside and to the salon.

”What makes it so dangerous to be outside alone? I mean. Surely it’s just the usual ruffians and tough guys, right?” Kitsune questioned as she sat down in an old chair. She didn’t get an answer immediately due to the whole airing out business ”You saw what I did to the flyers on the door, Airisuke-chan. I’m capable of much more. There’s a reason I was chosen as the heir.” she commented, then pausing and looking at the maid. ”But what made you stay? You said everyone else took what they could and left. That makes me very curious, I must admit.”

[Sorry for the short post. Wasn't exactly a whole lot for me to do here. ]

 

[Takaki Saeko]

A brief interlude later, Airisuke returned bearing a polished silver platter upon which were crumpets and tea. The crumpets were set on a paper plate—albeit a nicer sort of paper than the usual picnicware—and the tea—finest Imperial Gyokuro—was served in a coffee mug with “World’s Best Bustiest Mom!” emblazoned on the side. As Kitsune’s fingers wrapped around the handle, Airisuke blushed with embarrassment and clutched the platter to her chest.

“Duchess, I apologize for the lack of…china around the place. The old Duke’s collection, a fine Gallian set, was the first thing to be plundered. The only thing I could save was this platter, which I dented over the balding pate of the head butler…” She gasped and slapped a hand over her own mouth. “Sorry, Milady! I’m rambling. I should answer your question.”

True to Airisuke’s words, now that Kitsune looked at what the maid held in her arms, there was a large dent on one of the corners, about the size of a human head.

“Those handbills you burned were posted by ruffians who call themselves the Chimeriad. They’re a fringe group that got their start in Bear Country, but have gained a following in our nation now. I know not much about them, save for that they hate your kind, Milady. Both because of your peerage, and also because of…well, you being a sorceress. Since the Duke’s passage, they’ve grown especially powerful in these parts. And I could be strung up for saying this in public, but I think they’ve dripped their poison in the ears of the burghers and ealdormen, too! The townsfolk aren’t like to take kindly to a replacement for the old Duke, either. May his soul forgive me for saying so, but he was…a harsh sort of man. Beggars were flayed in the town square, and even thieves who’d only taken a copper or two were given the noose, or the stake. Many of us servants were glad to leave. I stayed because...”

The crunch of breaking glass from the foyer interrupted Airisuke’s next words. But it was the unmistakable snarling and cursing of a mob that chilled further conversation. The maid darted to her feet. “Milady! Quickly! We must flee!”

A dozen burly townsmen burst into the anteroom before Kitsune could reply. Some carried torches and pitchforks, and others had flails and chains. One lunged in Airisuke’s direction, only to be bowled across the room by a silver platter to the face. The maid swung again and downed another who tried to grapple her waist, evaded the sweep of a cudgel, and then slammed the edge of her platter into her attacker’s head. Blood spurted from the gash on his scalp. Before the carpet could suffer befoulment, Airisuke intercepted the droplets by snapping a washcloth at them like a whip.

“Halt!” shouted someone from the back of the mob. “You’re no match for them. And especially not the Duchess. I’ll handle her!”

The mob of angry men parted to let a new figure enter the forefront. Unlike the others, he was younger—perhaps his early twenties—with a shock of dyed-blond hair and with piercings in his ears and lips. He entered an attack stance, and the air seemed to slow its movement around his fists. Frost started to form around his feet, and thorns of ice erupted from the carpet near where his feet were planted.

“Didn’t expect to see you alive again, Sennin Shinrya Kitsune,” he said. “Well, I know not how that happened, but I’ll just have to undo whatever miracle the Allfather managed to pull off. Have at you!”

With that, he charged.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune raised an eyebrow at the text on the side of the mug, but didn’t comment it given that Airisuke had mentioned that basically everything was gone. Instead she drank from the cup, then paused, genuinely surprised at the tea. It wasn’t that it was bad. On the contrary. Despite the limited resources of the mansion, Airisuke had managed to produce a cup of tea that ranked at least in Kitsunes top 3. ”I have to admit. You’re definitely skilled at making tea. This isn’t just good, it’s fantastic.” Kitsune said enthusiastically to the maid.

Then, the explanation for the lack of proper china was given, and Kitsune nodded ”We’ll simply have to re-furnish the house. Despite the lateness of the hour, I’m fairly sure we could get people on it right away.” she decided, only to remember that she didn’t have her usual supply line established here just yet. She filed that to the top of her mental to do list, right above ‘Give Airisuke a bigass bonus for holding down the fort’ and ‘Bring Airisuke back to Kumo to train my staff plus replacements for this place’. Kitsune scratched her head as Airisuke explained about the Chimeriad.

”Chimeriad, huh?” she asked, raising an eyebrow ”Sounds like a gang of thugs with a hardon for discrimination. And I’m not a sorceress, I’m just a human being with the capability to manipulate chakra and elemental forces. There are countless books written about the scientific rules and laws governing these abilities. I’m not going to get into details about it, as then we’d be sitting here discussing that all month.” Kitsune paused and processed the bits about the Duke. ”Well if he was such a harsh man, wouldn’t they be glad to see him replaced? Surely if they’re shown how Raimei no Seika looks, and is run, they’ll agree with my side of things.”

Of course that was the time the townspeople picked to break and enter… They just couldn’t wait until the morning, could they? Damn ple—I mean… People. Right. People. Kitsune followed Airisuke and was more or less just left speechless from how well she conducted herself. It was amazing really. Somehow, Kitsune composed herself and cracked her knuckles as someone shouted that the townspeople would be no match for Airisuke and Kitsune. It was a youngling that Kitsune recognized as being one of Hoshigakures Four Supernovas.

”And what is a Hoshigakure shinobi doing on Lightning Country lands, hm?” she asked, nay, demanded, of the young punk. Only to be met with obvious hostility and fighting. Kitsune rolled her eyes and as the man charged, she opened her eyes wide, and unleashed a torrent of mental attacks on the man all without moving a finger. If they proved to be successful, he’d feel like he had caught fire and was burning alive. Of course, he wouldn’t be until Kitsune decided to unleash the power of her Amaterasu. For now, however, she stuck to using purely mental attacks, including her hypnotic abilities, trying to induce him into inaction, or at the very least to be unable to hit her.

[MFT; WC: 520]

 

[Takaki Saeko]

The Supernova pirouetted out of the way of Kitsune’s gaze and immediately drove an icicle right through his own forearm. Blood spurted over the razor-edged spike and the warmth of his body heat dissolved the rest. He spat with a look of disgust on his face and flicked his good wrist in the air, as if trying to shoo dust motes away. From his palm materialized a curving, glinting saber of ice so clear that its outline could only be captured from certain, fleeting angles. There was no way to determine its reach, which made it deadlier in a melee.

“Opening with an illusion, are we? Seonsengnim told me you were dangerous to ogle. But I wonder how much you can concentrate…with a blade buried in that bust of yours!”

Faster than a coiled serpent, he struck out. So fast, too, that his body seemed to form duplicates that thrust and slashed simultaneously in a ferocious onslaught Kitsune barely managed to parry with her plasma blade. Usually, the glowing rapier of pure energy would have effortlessly cut through stone, but against the Supernova’s ice saber, the impacts felt like a clash of steel. Every ringing hit sent painful shocks up her arm and made her head throb with tinnitus. Most infuriating, however, it seemed that the Supernova had quickly learned not to make eye contact with her, and there seemed to be no way to force him to do so.

The Duchess cautiously plodded in a circular retreat while avoiding the sweeps and cuts of her enemy’s invisible saber. She knew better than to back herself into a corner, and she knew better than to press the attack on her opponent’s terms. For someone like Masao, winning a duel like this would’ve been child’s play, but Kitsune was not a swordfighter like he, and had no desire to pantomime one when it came to matters of life and death.

“You asked what I was doing on ‘your’ lands,” the Supernova said as he paced with his saber deceptively lowered. His footwork was loose, seemingly unmetered, and to the untrained, clumsy: an obvious goad to Kitsune to attack and get herself run-through. “I’ll tell you something. These aren’t your lands! Dokdo belongs to Bear! And if you have any pretensions of ruling our sovereign territory, then you’ve got another think coming!”

Seeing that he could not bait Kitsune to attack, the Supernova gathered his saber closely to his core and tightened his stance. Instead of the expected slashing onslaught, however, he stood still.

Kitsune tried to move, only to find her body numb and her limbs leaden: the temperature in the room had plummeted. The difference was not merely a dip from a sunny afternoon to a chilly evening, but rather the transition from deep-freezer to absolute zero, and it had happened in the blink of an eye. It was so cold that the frost that had previously covered the room had simply sublimated away into nothingness.

A glance at Airisuke—who’d been about to bring her platter down on the Supernova’s head from behind—confirmed Kitsune’s fears. The woman had managed, even with the extreme danger presented by the Bear shinobi, to sneak behind him for an attack. But now she stood, frozen like a statue in mid-strike. Kitsune realized it: in a matter of moments she’d share the same fate. Something had to be done. With her last bit of energy, Kitsune thrust out her plasma blade, flipped it around at the hilt, and then drove it straight into her midsection. The room filled with blinding light and heat.

A moment later, she fell to her knees and barely prevented herself from faceplanting ingloriously on the carpet. With bleary eyes, she cast her gaze around. The walls and furniture were covered with a thin layer of soot. The Supernova lay crumpled in the corner, burbling nonsense to himself in a state of half-consciousness. Airisuke wobbled around drunkenly, but seemed to have all of her limbs intact. Kitsune let out a sigh. Her gambit had been successful; absolute zero had to be countered with a tremendous amount of counter-energy. Thus, she’d made a sacrifice, and Susanoo had answered her blood payment with a blast straight from the surface of Sol itself.

Speaking of sacrifice… Kitsune pressed a palm to her belly, where she’d gutted herself with her own blade. She expected to dig around in her own entrails, but was surprised to see only the equivalent of a terrible sunburn. That meant the deity had taken something else. She glanced down and laughed. Perverts, those gods were. The blast had burned off nearly all her clothing, leaving only her patented asbestos-woven lingerie in place. And even the corset and thong clung on by mere threads.

She was about to ask after Airisuke, but Kitsune’s query died in her throat right as four other figures literally dropped in from the blasted ceiling and surrounded her. That they were also Hoshigakure shinobi was obvious: but who they were managed to elicit a gasp of surprise from the Duchess herself.

The Hoshikage of Star: Nanasaki Ai, leveled her ancestral blade at Kitsune’s chest, and tried not to blush. “Kitsune! W-why did it have to be you? And…and and put some c-clothes on!”

One of the three others with her, also Supernovas, leveled his rifle at the Duchess. “Milady Kage… Don’t forget we’re under strict orders. We must secure this place for the Regent! That means we must deal with the Noble.”

Ai clenched her jaw. “I know, Jae-Sik. I know.” She turned her gaze back to Kitsune. “Look. I don’t want to fight you, and I definitely don’t want to have to kill you, but you have to leave. I’ll explain everything later! Just leave and don’t ever come back here. I promise the Regent will take good care of your people. Go! Before I have to do something I’ll regret.”

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

This was unexpected to say the least. That Kitsunes lover, the Hoshikage of Star herself, were here and pointing a weapon at her. This day couldn’t get any weirder, Kitsune decided. She made no attempts to cover herself up, because, any distraction to the opponent in a fight is a good thing to have. ”I could say the same thing, Ai-chan. I had expected a splinter-cell of rogue Hoshigakure Shinobi, but you? No.” she said, sighing as she dissolved her plasma weaponry and folded her arms. ”Tell your minions to lower their weapons, or they’ll get to know what happened at night during your last visit to Kumogakure.” she threatened with a devious smirk.

When Ai then mentioned a regent of some kind, Kitsune raised an eyebrow. Bear didn’t have a regent, they had a Queen. And said queen was married to the Shogun of Lightning. The very same man that made Kitsune his vassal many years ago. ”Regent? To my knowledge Bear doesn’t have a Regent, but a Queen. Who happens to be married to the Shogun. Either you explain things right this instant, or I’ll be forced to take drastic action. And this time, I won’t go easy on your supple rear.”

Kitsune narrowed her eyes as she glared at Ai, expecting to be obeyed given her position as being in charge of these lands. Of course, if Ai wasn’t interested in paying attention to that fact, or just felt like being disobedient, Kitsune would just have to remind her who was in charge. Both now, and in the future. It wasn’t the first time she had faced the Hoshikage, and so far Kitsune was undefeated. Granted, the past times weren’t actual fights… They were mostly just establishing dominance over the other, and Kitsune still won out. Every time. Last time it had resulted in Ai wearing a collar, which Kitsune locked in place. It then struck Kitsune to actually check if the sneaky Hoshikage was still wearing it or not.

Regardless of whether or not it was there, Kitsune still demanded answers to her questions. ”You should be warned that I won’t hesitate to take all five of you down faster than you can imagine, if I have to. I demand an explanation from you, Ai-chan, and your lapdogs need to keep their pieholes shut while the adults are talking.” Kitsune said, lacing her words with syrupy sweetness, and thinly veiled killing intent.

[MFT; WC: 406]

 

[Takaki Saeko]

“Damn you, Kitsune. You’d be perfect if you weren’t so godrotting stubborn,” Ai said. “Do you really expect I’ll babble state secrets just because we’ve slept with each other? And no, you can’t really embarrass me in front of my Supernovas. There is no hiding with siblings. They know all about the kinky shit we get up to.”

She slipped a fingertip under the leather choker around her neck and tugged at it for emphasis. “Like this. Definitely top ten—no, top five—on the list as far as our nights went, by the way. But I love my country more than I love you, and I won’t hesitate to kill if you force it. So dispense with the threats and the posturing. You just spent all your reserves invoking Daystar. Either leave now, or be removed against your will. I’ll make it up to you later. I’ll even let you use the beads in my…you-know-where. But I have a job to do right now.”

"Only top five? Now I'm disappointed, Ai-chan. That's not what you said." Kitsune smirked and fluttered her lashes. "You know I always have an ace up my sleeve, dear. Even if I don't currently have any sleeves..."

“This is not the time for bedroom talk,” Ai snarled.

"Silly Ai-chan, you know I'll get to use whatever I want on you regardless of you letting me or not. That's the whole advantage of being your Mistress. Now sit like a dog and beg for forgiveness."

“Enough! You’ve obviously chosen death, and all over some title that was never legitimate in the first place.” Ai spat. “So be it. Don’t haunt me or I’ll bribe the exorcist to send you to the Hungry Ghost World.” She cocked her head at the other Supernovas. “Leave us. I’ll do the job myself. Take Chung-Hee back to the village for healing. Tell our contacts here to continue activities as usual. You will see me back at Star once this is all done. I will need some time alone to mourn.”

“Milady,” one of the Supernovas cut in. “We can’t just abandon you! The Sennin’s still dangerous! Let us finish her off.”

“I gave you an order,” Ai said. A glint of something deadly flashed in her eyes.

The Supernova bowed with a chastened expression on his face, and backed away into the shadows before vanishing. The others followed suit.

From TW3 soundtrack: You’re Immortal?​

For a moment, Ai stood silent, as if trying to sense any lingering presences. She shook her head and then looked back at Kitsune. Then, she drew her sword again and straightened into a ready stance. A clap of thunder sounded in the distance, though not as a consequence of any channeler’s will. Rain started to pour through the holes in the blasted ceiling, and sprinkled around the shoulders of the three women in the room.

“Would you like to wait for the dribble to subside?” Ai asked. She wiped rain-slick from her eyes.

“Makes no difference to me,” Kitsune said.

“Then, stand your ground.” She took a step.

“Wait!” Airisuke shouted, and thrust herself in between the two opponents. “Milady Hoshikage, beg pardon, but it’s not fair for you to duel a woman who does not have a blade!”

“I’m aware of that, Maid-san,” Ai said. “Kitsune has many hidden compartments and many fine blades, though. She’ll come up with something. She always does.”

“You said she’s low on energy,” Airisuke countered. “So it would be a burden on her to draw from her bag of holding.”

“So what’s the alternative? We haven’t got all day for this, Maid-san.”

“Hold a second, I beg you!” Airisuke seemed to disappear in a flash. Rummaging echoed from somewhere deep within the house, and she reappeared at Kitsune’s side. In her hands was an ornately-decorated saber with a sweeping, deadly curve and a lion’s head forged on the pommel: a Kilij Arslan, the symbol of empire. “Please, Duchess, accept this. T’was the Old Duke’s blade. Her name is ‘Risu’ and she bears a power that I can’t name.”

Before Kitsune could even reach for the steel, it seemed to jump into her hand. Though it did not glow or emit flashy lights or burst into flames, or speak, the kilij was obviously no ordinary weapon. It felt warm to the touch, though it had probably been frozen moments before. And most surprisingly, when she gripped it, Kitsune was now suffused with confidence, as if the hundreds of years of bloodshed the blade had lived through had condensed into experience channeled straight into her muscle memory. She stood taller, more firmly, and knew, instinctively, what to do.

Must've been how Masao felt, Kitsune mused to herself. She smiled, bittersweet at the reminder.

“You’re ready now, then.” Ai said. “Thank you, Maid-san, for the assistance. Now, let’s fight, Kitsune!”

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Once the Supernovas had left, Kitsune cracked her neck. ”You’ll need time to mourn?” she said, in a tone that was dripping with venom and unbridled rage, ”You have a lot of nerve speaking to me like that, Nanasaki Ai.” she finished, using the Hoshikages full name to emphasize how displeased she was with the outcome of this meeting. Then, after Ai had taken up her combat stance, Kitsune sighed and shook her head. ”You never answered my question. Who is this so called regent?” she asked, trying to coax more information out of the woman before her, if she was to go down fighting, she’d at least want to know the reason.

After the short exchange of words, and Airisuke’s interruption, and subsequent vanishing. ”Well. I did not know that she could vanish at will. Huh…” Kitsune mumbled, blinking a few times, rather surprised that her maid possessed that capability, when so few others did. A few moments later and she was back with a saber. Ornately decorated, and so sharp that just looking at it could cut you. Figuratively, of course. ”Thank you.” she said to the maid and reached for the sword. The blade itself seemed eager to finally face a proper opponent again.

With the sword in hand, Kitsune took up a combat stance, ready to take on the world, or in this case, her lover turned slave turned enemy. It saddened Kitsune that she’d have to beat her own loved one into submission, but if she wouldn’t listen to reason, she’d have to listen to pain. Ordinarily, she’d have used her whip, but Ai had grown too fond of that particular instrument during their last few meetings… And there was the fact that Kitsune was basically naked, with her remaining clothing only hanging on by a few threads. Who knows if they’d even last through the fight? And who knows what effect sudden nudity from your opponent would have on the Hoshikage…

 

[Takaki Saeko]

Suffused as Kitsune was with newfound vigor and poise, Ai’s attack still threw the Duchess off her feet and punched her partway through the ancient wooden beams of the manor wall. Kitsune had never been struck by a fission-powered freightliner going full tilt, but now she could say she’d lived through a similar experience.

The hell? Kitsune wondered to herself while she pushed herself away from the wreckage. All Ai had done was make a basic strike. If Risu hadn’t blocked the cut, Kitsune mused, would her upper half have landed right back in Raiden’s Eye in the chancellor’s private reflecting pool? Her sword-arm tingled painfully, and the steel rung with a low, mournful tone. Yeah, yeah. I’m sorry I’m not some sword-saint worthy to handle you, she thought sardonically. I knew a man who you’d have been proud to be carried by. But he’s dead now. She shook her head. Now was not the time to banter with an inanimate object. Nanasaki Ai was Kage of Star for a reason, and it seemed as if she wasn’t holding back.

Ai paced meanwhile, cutting the air with her blade. The air around her crackled with energy. “For the last time, Kitsune, I’m begging you to leave. You can’t beat me on these terms, no matter what sort of enchantment’s on that blade of yours.”

Kitsune stared at the Kage and metered her ragged breaths. She raised the kilij to en garde. “Not until you answer me!”

Ai shook her head and attacked again.

Kitsune held her breath and prepared for the worst, but was surprised to find that she’d successfully dodged out of the way of a sweeping lunge. The wake trailing Ai’s blade exploded outwards into empty air and blew a hole through the opposite wall. Airisuke cringed as the house shook. But for Kitsune, this was a glimmer of hope.

Ai’s next strikes were faster and still pummeled Kitsune’s senses like a jackhammer straight to the brain, but instead of crumbling, the Duchess held firm while she parried and riposted. Her arm was on fire and her vision blurred and bloody, but she was still alive. Guided by pure instinct, she lashed out and clipped Ai on the shoulder. The blade edge raked across an array of dimeritium scales, but then found the gap and snuck in to cut at the skin over her chest.

Ai hopped back and looked at the wound in surprise. To Kitsune’s surprise, the woman lowered her blade and stepped back, rather than pressing the offense. “Wait!” Ai said. “Just wait! God dammit, my darling. That’s no mere enchanted blade. It’s some sort of eldritch relic from another world. It grants you skill, but sucks your life force away when you use it. I don’t know how you’re still standing. If you don’t believe me, feel the wound on your throat!”

Kitsune did so, noticing that her hand was shaking uncontrollably. Under her choker it felt weirdly warm and wet. She withdrew her hand and saw the crimson streak.

The Hoshikage sucked her teeth. “If you want to live, drop the cursed thing right now. I’ll call off the fight. We need to get you to a doctor. Other than yourself.”

Kitsune shook her head. “Answer my question, dammit. Who’s making you do this? I can tell…you’re not happy about any of this!” Her voice was raspy, raw. She sank down to one knee.

“I…I can’t!” Ai shouted. A tear streaked down her face.

“Then…” Kitsune gasped. “Come at me, sis!”

Ai raised her sword, and Kitsune raised her blade. The last thing the Duchess heard was the clang of steel on steel, and then nothingness.

***​

When Kitsune awoke later, the first thing through her head was relief that she wasn’t in yet another grave. Waking up buried alive once had been enough. Rather, she lay on a down mattress in a small, but cozy room. Far as she could tell, it was dark outside. She lifted her head with some difficulty, and found herself naked save for bandages. There were a lot of them, too.

Someone lay next to her, though by the scent she could tell who it was.

Ai’s lids opened as Kitsune tried to roll. She let out a yelp. “K-kitsune! Oh God…I’m so sorry. I thought I’d lost you! I’m so sorry! I…” She sat up and gathered up part of the sheet to cover herself. “Your maid and I brought you here. It’s a safehouse that only I use. The Supernovae don’t know I’m here. The girl…Airisuke was her name, right? She’s standing watch outside. We can…we can talk now if you wish. I’ll tell you everything. And…I’d ask for punishment, but I know I kinda don’t deserve it right now. Besides, you might reopen your wounds, and I don’t have a lot of time. I totally understand…” She gave a wistful sigh.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Upon the rather anticlimactic ending of their fight Kitsune was out cold, and Airisuke and Ai carried her to a safe place. Sadly for them, it appeared that there was no life left in Kitsunes body, yet they still treated her wounds and bandaged her where needed. Unknown to Ai, Kitsune wasn’t fully gone, instead her consciousness was in a form of limbo. The same place it had been last time she had died. It was pure darkness, but there was… something in the darkness. Something evil. Something… hungry… She hoped the time spent there wouldn’t be quite as long as last time. And fortunately for Kitsune, she was right this time.

She awoke lying on something soft, felt like a mattress, but it might as well have been a coffin. Again. She opened her eyes and looked around. Not a coffin. Score. When she tried to roll over, she found that her entire body was screaming in pain from the fight. Okay… Note to self: Get better at sword fights. she decided, only to hear a yelp from whomever was lying next to her. Just then, her brain registered the scent as belonging to Ai. ”You didn’t lose me. I’m fairly hard to get rid of, actually. It’s not the first time I’ve been dead.”

Kitsune sighed ”Provide me some of your chakra and you’ll see sparks, Ai.” she said, still pissed at what had happened. After obtaining the chakra she needed, Kitsune would use it to initiate a body-wide restoration protocol, resulting in steam rising from the pores in her skin, and after a minute or so of it happening, Kitsune would be fit to fight another day, her skin as smooth and un-marred as any noble 21 year old womans, and she removed the bandages one by one, leaving herself entirely naked, rather than bandaged.

”I want an explanation, and I want it right now.” she said, no longer asking, instead demanding the explanation. In typical Kitsune fashion she withdrew an item from nothingness; this time it was a riding crop, and Kitsune entirely intended to give Ai the spanking of her life with it during said explanation. Screw the fact that Ai was actually the leader of an entire shinobi village, she was Kitsunes property, and she had been insubordinate. ”And make it good. The amount of punishment you’ll receive entirely depends on how satisfied I am with it. Is that understood?”

 

[Takaki Saeko]

Ai shivered as the supple tip of the riding crop passed slowly over her contours and left gooseflesh in its wake. She arched her back and swayed her hips. “Oh Kitsune, I’m glad you’re okay. Though I didn’t think you’d be in the mood…not after that fight.”

A sharp crack buffeted her ears when the crop smacked against skin and she buried her face in the nearby goosedown to hide the crimson flush that overcame her features. The luxuriously soft down also made for a good means by which to muffle her cries. Kitsune’s onslaught was relentless, and she yelped with every strike, even the ones that landed deliberately against the nearby pillows instead of her thighs—those were done more for the pleasure of the sound they created and not to add to the buzzing headiness of stinging flesh.

“Bear has changed since Enishi’s threat was dealt with,” Ai breathlessly exclaimed. “Queen Ekaterina sits on the throne, but she’s only ruler in name. The Hwarang—the sacred bonesmen—kowtow to her in court yet ignore her commands in favor of..of…”She grit her teeth, but another lash of the crop seemed to loosen her tongue. “…of an usurper! I’ll just come out and say it! Oh Kitsune, it’s horrible what’s happened lately. There’s a woman who arrived a year back or so. She claimed to be the Queen’s long-lost older sister and styles herself the Lady Mishil. Normally, we’d have thrown a pretender out on her arse, but somehow, she convinced the guards to get her an audience with the hwarang, and before we could understand what was going on or stop the farce, they’d named her Regent! This is a position with the power equivalent to that of a King, for Raiden’s sake. Meanwhile, the legitimate Queen of Bear has no more authority than as if she was a child. The most irritating thing is that I know almost nothing about Lady Mishil herself. I have no idea where she came from, how she convinced the bonesmen, or what she really wants. She doesn't even really seem interested in just taking the title of Queen for herself! Hell, I don't even know if she's really human!"

Ai’s expression darkened and threatened to break the mood.

“It was on the Regent’s orders that I was forced to make a move on Dokdo, or as your people call it, Liancourt-Tsushima. We were to go in, drive out whatever noble the Lightning chancellor had sent, and then show the Chimeriad rabble who was really in charge. I just didn’t realize you’d be the one to arrive. And, I have to admit, I’m conflicted. Lightning stole Dokdo from us during the Waterfall Wars and it’s been a sore point between our nations ever since, even with talk of unification. But if you’re the one named as its owner, then I’m not sure what to think. There’s also the issue of what I’m going to tell the Regent when I return. I can’t simply ignore her wishes. She’s been recognized by the sacred bonesmen, after all. I’m merely their servant. Help me, Kitsune…”

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune nodded as Ai explained her issues, and what was going on in Bear right now. ”Y’know. We have a mineral here in Lightning. It blocks chakra from working.” she said, running the riding crop over Ai’s soft cheek as she pulled the other woman close. ”Perhaps, if you get your hands on some of that, you could prevent that usurper from taking further action to harm your country. And if all else fails, you could always come live with me.” Kitsune suggested, trying to sound both helpful and teasing. Then again. It would probably be for the best if Ai remained in Hoshigakure, she’d have an easier time providing intel that way.

Regardless, Kitsune still listened to Ai’s story of what had happened, and what she was here to do. ”Well. To be fair, the spoils of war are just that. I was appointed this province, and I’ll do my damned best to keep it in Lightning hands. Besides, if the usurper is stopped, then we’ll have one big empire, rather than two countries, and then it won’t particularly matter, will it?” Kitsune asked, dropping the riding crop and wrapping her arms around the Hoshikage. ”Besides. I’ll be the one protecting it. You know how hard it is to get rid of me.” she whispered into Ai’s ear before nipping playfully on it.

”I’ll have to inform the Chancellor about the usurper so the proper actions can be taken. I’m sure we’ve got a covert strike force capable of handling it or something along those lines.” Kitsune said unconvincingly. She really didn’t have any idea of what the Chancellor would do with the information, but she did have to know about it. ”So Ai-chan. What’re you going to do now? Stay with me for a while, right?” Kitsune asked, shifting a bit on the mattress so Ai more or less was sitting in her lap. ”I mean, you sent your minions back already, I’m sure they don’t expect you back just yet…”

[MFT; WC: 333]

 

[Takaki Saeko]

Ai shifted her weight and pressed herself closer to Kitsune. The kaminari woman was always ostentatious with her chakra usage and spared no expense on a perfect outward appearance, save for the scar over her throat that refused to go away. Perhaps Kitsune kept it as a memento, but it seemed unlike her to cling to a reminder of her mortality. Underneath the otherwise pristine appearance, though, Ai could sense the continued ache and slow burn of a body exhausted and driven to extremes. Crossing steel with her lover hadn’t been pleasant in the least, for many reasons.

“Foxy-chan,” Ai said, using the playful nickname. “You think I haven’t had agents test her with magic-sapping ore? Dimeritium might as well be lead for all the good it does against Lady Mishil. I’m convinced she’s not actually like us. She’s not human, but there’s something other than prana in her veins.”

She kissed Kitsune on the neck. “It’s okay. I don’t expect you to swoop in and save us. This is something our country will have to deal with. Perhaps we sinned in the past and now it’s time for us to make amends. I’m just glad that you were here to listen to me. That helps me more than any deus ex machina, as your people might say.”
She rose and dressed. “I would love more than anything to just run away with you for a time, but I don’t want to arouse Lady Mishil’s suspicions. The less she knows about you, the better for both of us. But I’ll make sure she finds something more important to worry about than Dokdo. And if your Chancellor tries to plot something, I’ll trust you to keep her from going too crazy.”

She knocked on the door and Airisuke opened it a second later.

“Milady Hoshikage, the coast is clear,” the maid said.

“Thank you, Maid-san.” She looked back at Kitsune and blew a kiss before vanishing. “I’ll see you,” floated a voice in the wind.

Airisuke stepped in and bowed to Kitsune. “Milady, I’m at your service. What now?”

[Mission complete!]

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune ran a hand over Ai’s bare side. Her skin was softer than one would expect from a seasoned warrior, but Kitsune suspected that to be thanks to a regiment of crèmes and oils. ”It was just a suggestion, love.” Kitsune said with a small smile as Ai planted a soft kiss on her neck. ”I’m not sure what else I can do right now, Ai-chan. But knowing you, you’ve got an ace or two up your sleeve. Meanwhile, I’ll inform the Chancellor and clean up this province. At the very least, I’ll make sure the citizens are taken better care of, even if they aren’t fond of me being here.”

After Ai had left, Kitsune just sat on the bed, pondering her next move, as Airisuke stepped in. ”Well. We need a lot of construction going on. There’s infrastructure that needs improvements, we need to restock the manor with furniture and staff. And we need to provide the people better conditions than they’ve been used to. Meaning we gotta create jobs for them, we gotta provide various luxuries in the form of entertainment and goods to buy. Basically, we have to kickstart the economy back into action. Otherwise this province won’t ever get out of the slump it’s currently in.” she said, as she got off the bed and begun getting dressed. It’d be quite the endeavor but entirely worth it in the end. Both for the citizens of the province, and the country as a whole. Everyone wins, right?

[MFT; WC: 251]