A/N I have slightly revamped this story, I hope it will read much easier now, I want to give it more love than I did the first time around.
I'll add this at the beginning in case I forget later, but there are several TWs that apply to this story: Slavery, Sex Slavery, Implied Rape, Varies different forms of discussion of suicide including medically assisted, transphobia, homophobia. I'll try and put specific ones in chapters to be sure, since I know there are a lot of heavier topics that a lot of people prefer to avoid.
"You want to actually use our world item?" Numerous dumbfounded faces sat around a large table in an open air courtyard, all dressed in a variety of fanciful Armour's, outs, and a generous amount of races. All were staring at one of their members and her carefree waving tails, like she hadn't just suggested a decision that literally could reshape Yggdrasil depending on which World Item was used.
"I said I want to use it, yes. Hilda the game is ending anyway...It would be a shame to just let it waste away without ever being used since we got it... and we can get back at Providence for getting so arrogant with World Saviour... May as well take them out if we can. I want to use Longinus on their leader while he is being this stupid."
"That... is true, not much to save it for, not like they are anyway... But there is still a month left till the server shutdown, do you wanna miss out on all the end game events? I know you know what will happen if you use that." The guild leader looked depressed at the thought of the cheerful nine tails vanishing before them all first, it would make the depleted guild feel even emptier for the rest of the time they were there.
"I'm aware, but I won't be able to make it to the server shutdown anyway, too much going on, so may as well stomp on Providence's pride while I can. Did you hear their leader has gotten so wild with that overpowered club that he keeps bringing his guild item into raids and wars? If he wants to play King with that crown and club then I say we knock him off his throne. I do this and we can be the number one guild by the end of the game and prove once and for all that Natura was the top of Yggdrasil!"
"Akemi...You're right… if you want to do this, lay out your plan since I know you have one if you are suggesting this, but you better take care of yourself in real life, you still have our contact info right?" The leader told her dear friend carefully. She knew Akemi was in a difficult situation outside the game, but the girl was always threadbare on the details. During the offline meet-up she had noticed how worryingly thin Akemi was, how… frail she looked. Hilda knew a few other secrets that Akemi had confided in her with, and she truly felt for the girl's situation, even if there was nothing any of them could really do about it.
"Y-yeah, if I can I will, but I don't want you to worry okay? Its just a game after all. Take care of my Lilies till the end of the game?" The foxy player asked. The other players at the table sighed at that.
"You know they are NPC's right? you're such a dork Akemi, if we find a new game you can maybe remake them there, there are plenty besides this old game, this time maybe they might actually talk back and appreciate the clothes you put them in you mother hen. Alright lets hear the plan Akemi." Their leader Hilda stated, standing up to clap her hands to get everyone's attention.
"Fuck me...my head..." A pain filled grumble resounded through a small clearing among a mass of thin trees. Buried half way in overgrown grass, smothered by the forest floor ferns and bushes, was a small and fluffy figure.
"I was... where was I? Way too cold..." Akemi sat up and looked around the area as her head slowly emptied of static, letting her barely able to make out details with the few rays of light that reached the forest floor, If it was not for her perfect night vision due to racial traits. Sitting in the Akemi, with her pair of large twitching ears half buried in her fluffed up and messy black hair, listening for the barest hint of noise that seemed to not exist near her. Around her were nine black tails with white tips whipping around her that were betraying the panic inside of herself.
"Am I dreaming? Dead? I don't remember dying just yet. I'm too old for this..." She grumbled as she stood up, stretching out the kinks in her joints. Despite calling herself old, she barely looked sixteen with her minuscule height, doll-like face, and slim bust.
Looking down she spotted in the grass a familiar sight, a friend that had seen her through many battles, that she spent nearly every data crystal she could get her hands on in. "This is Ex Oblivion.. So this is Yggdrasil still right?" She asked herself as she picked up a long poled weapon from the grass, a black and gold Jewelled Naginata that looked more fit for a museum than the bloody battles she had used it in… if the game had blood anyway.
She checked on her storage, and was confused as no inventory box popped up. With a bit of thinking she somehow knew what was in her storage with perfect recall, and seemed to have no problem accessing it. She knew normally she lost things in her inventory with even a visual interface so often it was scary. "Maybe... Hilda knows then? [Message] ...No?" Those twitchy ears folded down as her message failed to connect, the tendrils of the spell grasping at nothing.
She proceeded to try every contact she could think of as her friend's or guild list wouldn't pop up either, yet... there was nothing and no one. "Why Am I here anyway? This avatar... shouldn't it be wiped?" Her memories trickled back in as she remembered her suicidal assassination attempt using Longinus, which should have also erased her from Yggdrasil along with that arrogant ass Bachus from Providence. As she finally recalled her last memories she snorted in amusement. "Glad I got one over on him one more time, I bet him and Providence are raging!".
"Now... where is my map..." Akemi grumbled as she began to flick through the air... and looked frustrated. "...Where is my Map? Where the hell is my Menu? Fuck me..." The vulgar fox glared at nothing as she began to stomp in a random direction, stopping at the tree line when it became too dense to walk through. "[Widen Magic: Dominate Nature]" The fox woman spoke as she held her hand out- with the trees bending and growing rapidly, forming a pathway through the area. "So that still works at least... so this has to be Yggdrasil... But why does everything smell so fresh here? The smell of trees, leaves...When was the last time I got to even smell that?" She pondered as she remembered seeing trees when she was a young child, the vibrant green a stark contrast to the grey, black, and red outside of the Bio dome she was visiting just one time, not that she could remember that far back with any amount of detail.
The game couldn't replicate those smells, or any smells at all. The newer generations of VR games had started to be able to, even if the corporations put seemingly non-sensible restrictions on it. The feeling of a fresh breeze on her face, the feeling of wood beneath her sandals. It was far too much for an older game like Yggdrasil "Maybe it is a dream after all... I want to not wake up then if that is it..." Her own reality brought her low, the state of her real life, or what was left of it. This was… too much for her to hope for, the fear of it being pulled away suddenly filled her with fear before she took a few careful breathes, letting herself relish the feeling of fresh non-bottled air filling her healthy lungs. Her musing was interrupted as she breathed in and coughed on something soft that had hit her face. She glared at the offending tail that she had nearly inhaled. "So I guess these are moving parts now. Fluffy." Even nearly getting choked by tail floof felt like a blessing.
She opened her eyes and smiled bright like the sun. "Okay! Enough talking to myself! The game or a dream couldn't be this real! Time to explore!" She shouted again.. to herself as she began to dash through the trees after changing her clothes to something a bit less unique than her battle robes. She was being careful not to crash on a branch as she tested her abilities, giggling on occasion as the joy of the moment sparked a childish joy in her.
It felt so liberating the feeling of being able to just run, to not be tired from a simple walk across the room! The fresh air filling her lungs as the wide open plains spread out before her as she emerged from the forest. Knowing this couldn't be her dream or a game, her mind vaguely thought on the previous world, and how she had no desire what so ever to go back to that hell.
"So nice..." She sighed happily, before looking down the road she had landed on, her step barely kicking up dust as she landed. It was but a simple dirt road, well packed from so many wagons, horses, and feet that have passed over it. After collecting herself for a moment, Akemi began to wander down the road that went unknowingly towards E-Rantel.
It didn't take long for Akemi to get bored of just walking, and began to test out just how fast she could run! What she didn't account for was just over a small hill was a covered wagon just cresting. She found her new body's reflexes impressive as she was able to stop just inches away from the corner of the wagon after nearly ramming it full speed, leaping over the top to land behind it. Her own shock seemed second to the squeak that came up from the drivers seat of the wagon.
One nervous woman, maybe in her twenties, sat by an older man who Akemi assumed was her husband, and she could sense two more smaller presences poking their head out of the covered wagon.
Both sides seemed frozen, examining each other. "..Yo?" Akemi quietly called out, giving a tiny wave, an ear twitching along with it. Perhaps it was the mass of tails behind her waving without her will but even with her appearance it seemed to just make the humans more frightened, and spring them to motion. The man seemed to bolt off the wagon with pull out a shabby spear from inside the hidden part of the vehicle, while the woman darted back into the covered area to protect what Akemi guessed were children.
The Kitsune didn't look very upset as a spear was jabbed at her, and didn't even move as it stopped centimeters from her chest. It was almost just a rock on a stick with how dull she could see the tip of the spear being.
"Um.. Please stop that, it is pretty rude..." She looked more emotionally hurt than anything else. "Anyway.. can you understand me?" Akemi would ask as she tried to stay as non threatening in her more casual robes as possible, though she knew these peasants couldn't be a threat.
"M-monster! Did the patrols miss one?! Get out of these lands Demi-human!" The man shouted as he kept thrusting the spear at her, the tip pressing against her chest and not even pressing the skin... Until Akemi grabbed it by the end, throughly tired of that game.
"[Break lesser Item]" She intoned quietly as the spear, from the shaft to the head, broke into thousands of bits and pieces. "Not a monster, I'm a Kitsune. In fact, I'd argue you are the monster in this case, stabbing at a cute thing like me? How uncivilized..." Not much modesty this one. "Now, could you just tell me the way to a city or something? Oh and If you got any thing to eat? I'll pay for it." She switched back to her carefree mood as she pulled out a gold coin from Yggdrasil.
Those humans didn't seem to have much of a clue how to respond to that. "So.. you aren't going to kill us? B-but... you're a demi human..." These peasants seemed utterly confused, especially being told that demi humans are evil. "Gold? I've never even seen that kind of coin..." The husband cautiously took a look at the coin. Just what was the state of this land?
While the humans sated some curiosity over the coin, Akemi looked over them and wondered just how different this place was from Yggdrasil. Casting a silent [Sense Statistics] on the husband, she brought up his information in her mind. "Only level 6? Is that average? Low level area?" She thought for a moment before noticing the villagers waiting, holding out a small bag of fruits and jerky.
"Oh thank you, sorry to stop you, I guess I'll be going. Please don't send like guards after me..." Akemi said like that would be just troublesome, and not actually a threat. "...I should really not underestimate people... Going to get me killed I bet...Oh sorry! Didn't mean to ramble. Have safe travels!" Akemi was glad to meet someone even if they were rather rude at first, but she supposed thye were just scared.
"Thank you! Be careful of the city guards though, Demi-humans are usually not welcome in towns without a master..." The woman told Akemi as her husband and her climbed back into the wagon. Akemi would grin and wave them off, making a few faces at the children peeking out from the back that sent them giggling, it warmed her heart.
With the villagers soothed and moving on their way Akemi sat on a log off the road, and began to nibble at the jerky. "..Eh... could be better, least it is food... I wanna sleep in a bed tonight." The fox whined to herself before heading off, she wanted to get to town before dark! Masters? Did slavery exist in this world? That thought threw a bucket of water on her mood as she really really hoped that was not the case.
It was a few hours of jogging later that the sun began to dip down into the tree line, and the smell of civilization hit Akemi's sensitive nose " Ah that is bad, is hygiene not a thing? Now, disguises… maybe I can...Ah- [Illusionary Cloak]." She cast quietly as the light around her warped, hiding her vulpine bits from view, now making her look like an above average looking young woman. pulling on a hooded cloak Akemi headed to the town gate.
"Halt, reason for entering Miss..?" The plain faced town guard looked Akemi over as she shifted in place, acting like she was getting chilly in the dusk air..
"Akemi. I'm travelling... for religious reasons." She stated calmly, her smile looking both a bit embarrassed and tired, the lie coming easily to her lips.
"Well then, I wouldn't advise you to travel alone in these parts, we've been having a bandit problem lately, though we always seem to have them to a degree... Just be careful, don't want a pretty lady like you getting in trouble." The guard stated as he wrote on a primative clipboard. "You can enter, welcome to E-Rantel.
"Thank you sir~ Do you have any Inn recommendations?" She asked as she stepped closer to get a better look under the guard's helmet.
Surprisingly the guard got a bit flustered with her getting closer, taking a step back. "Nightingale Inn Ma'am...Please... I'm on the job..." The guard said in almost a whine. Did he think she was flirting? Oh well... she let him keep his misunderstanding as she nodded at him, pushing down the urge to tease him for some reason.
As she wandered into the dusk lit town she pondered "Maybe I'm thinking like a Kitsune now? I mean they are tricksters. I should be more careful I guess and keep this spell on." She thought as she wandered down the street, keeping an eye out on the signs- "I can't read this...No Japanese? I thought all Isekai start with a universal translator skill…" With a whine she peered around for someone who looked like they knew where to go.
Peering into the dusk on the street Akemi jolted as her night vision inadvertently activated, getting her a few strange looks at the jumpy looking young woman. Wandering through the streets while peering into displays, she caught a look at a worn out wooden sign with a bird on it. "Nightingale? Worth a shot." She thought as she pushed open the door, wincing at the change in temperature. "Hello? Is this- Yeah it is sorry..." She and nervously poked inside of the obvious Inn. The smell of stew cooking, and the roaring fireplace seemed to set her at ease as she got into line at the counter
"Need a room miss?" Akemi was asked as she stepped up to the counter. The Innkeeper was a heavy set woman that wouldn't look out of place in a Viking setting if you gave her an axe, but not unfriendly looking.
"Yes but-" Without her Vulpine features, Akemi looked even smaller as she seemed to curl into herself.
"Look... If you don't have money for a room, I can't really help you... I have a business to run to keep this place going." The Innkeeper folded her arms as she narrowed her eyes at Akemi.
Squirming under that look and knowing if she didn't hurry she was a few moments away from being kicked out, Akemi would pull out a few Yggdrasil coins nervously "I have money but- I... I don't know if it can be converted here...I'm from really far away..." She said nervously, swallowing as she starred up at the woman. Would she swallow that bullshit? If nothing else she knew she could make a home out in the woods, but she wanted a bed after such a long day.
By the woman's narrowing eyes she didn't quite believe it "Well... Pretty sure you're lying...But this feels like actual gold. If it is you can stay for a few weeks on it, but if I get it checked out and it wasn't I would have to send the law after you miss..."
Akemi breathed a sigh of relief as the woman pulled a key off the rack behind her "Dinner will be ready shortly, room is upstairs, first door on the left. Gave you the room farthest from the adventurers. What is your name Missy?" The Innkeeper eventually smiled at Akemi, which she nervously returned.
"Thank you Ma'am...My names Akemi. You are..?" With a head tilt Akemi questioned up at the giant of a woman.
"Malina, used to be an Adventurer back in the day, made it up to gold class even." Malina stated proudly as she moved down the counter to some mugs after making sure no one else was coming to check in. "May as well pull up a chair if you want." She said as she brought two large mugs of what smelled like ale to an empty table.
Not expecting so much hospitality Akemi was a little cowed, sitting down in her chair before sniffing at the mug that was passed to her. She took a sip and found it to be sweet with a good hint of sourness, but in a refreshing way. Akemi took a hefty few gulps. "Pwaah! That is pretty good! Thanks Ma'am! So... I'm new around here. Is there...you know, anything I should be aware of? I noticed the guards were a bit tense at the gate.." She noted as she started to hear a commotion outside, though it sounded pretty distant.
Malina seemed to note the sound also "Oh just a round up, the King recently declared slavery illegal. Some say it isn't applicable for non-humans, so it has become a controversy, not that the King has stepped in to clarify. Private merchants have been doing slave buy-ups of demi-humans, I guess figured they may as well sell them in other countries where it is legal like the Empire."
A spike of rage followed Akemi's confusion as everything registered, her face taking a snarl "What a... barbaric practice. Slavery is abomination." Akemi hissed a bit, taking a few gulps to calm herself down, she almost saw red for a moment. "Sorry just... where I'm from slavery being illegal is a basic thing for any civilized country..." She took a deep sigh and let the drink settle. "Not that that stopped companies basically doing the exact same thing, just with a different name… Who am I kidding, slavery was the norm there…" Once she was sure she had calmed down a touch did she dare open her mouth again "So... you mentioned adventurers? Is that an official thing?" The fox asked, peering over her mug.
"Oh yes, it is a rather popular occupation, especially if you have talents. Too unstable to be a good income source long term though, assuming you live long enough to spend your earnings, but they are necessary and a point of pride for countries to have their own home grown heroes." Malina said with a nod. "Thinking about becoming one? You don't look the combat type really." She noted.
"Oh you would be surprised I'm sure, but yeah I think I might check it out, could be fun, and I do need to earn some local gold." Akemi said and set her finished mug down, before shakily getting to her feet. "Oh...so that is what... getting buzzed feels like...I'm going to go sleep some Ma'am, thank you for the room and the drink." The fox girl said and got her balance back, giggling at the feeling filling her as the alcohol hit her inexperienced body.
"Have a good night dear, lock your door okay? Maybe I gave her something too strong?" It was a slow night anyway for her Inn.
Laying in the fluffy Inn bed and dispelling her illusions she hugged her tails close to finally enjoy the fluff that the game always taunted her with, while not giving her any sensation of fur. As she enjoyed that Akemi pondered on her day. "Will I just soon wake up? Or is this really my life now? Would it be... bad to just enjoy this? Treat it like another game?" Eventually the Kitsune succumbed to slumber, her head filled with dreams of past raids with her friends. Everything was a bit overwhelming, and the shock stilled hadn't worn off the poor girl.
A/N: Revamped and cleaned as of 8/3/2022. I hope you all enjoy this story and what ever other shenanigans Akemi gets up to!
