The fox always tried her very best to be forgiving, but forgiveness was difficult. Naofumi truly wanted to believe that every being had a sense of good in them. Though, that thought was always just fiction. Humans tended to never see the error of their ways no matter what. Naofumi pondered for a second. Well, she'll give this woman a chance or two to admit her lies. Gods, she was going soft. Before she wouldn't hesitate to break a person's leg.
Naofumi felt the tip of one of the guard's spears grace her neck, but she didn't move an inch. Her face contained the same neutrality it always had. "Myne, I think this prank has gone on far enough. I'm giving you two chances to admit you are wrong. We both know I didn't assualt you. The faster you admit that, the faster we can move on with our lives." The fox let out a sweet smile.
Myne buried her face into Motoyasu's chainmail, letting out fake sobs. The spear hero securely wrapped an arm around the red haired woman, giving a disappointed look towards Naofumi.
"How can you say something like that? You're a disgusting person!" Motoyasu pointed at Naofumi, who should no emotion. She just simply raised her brow at the blonde. What a complete idiot. All it took was a weeping girl and he was wrapped around her finger. Wow, how pathetic.
"One last chance, Myne. I suggest you take it." Naofumi stated. "I would hate to punish you for your lies."
The whole room was seemingly shouting at the shield hero. Had she no shame? She out this poor girl through so much, and now she was pratically bullying the poor girl to take back her statement.
Naofumi hummed, "Well, I've been very considerate. I think it's time that all of you are punished." Naofumi attempted to stand up out of her seated position.
"Why you-! Guards, Cease the shield hero!" The king finally lost his temper and order the royal guards to attack Naofumi.
One of the guards from behind Naofumi, raised his spear and aimed for the woman's head. The tip got close until it was stopped. In a split second, the blade was held in between two of Naofumi's fingers. The soldier was shocked at the movement. It was so fast, nobody in the room could see it. The soldier was stunned for a moment, but made an attempt to wiggle his weapon out of Naofumi's grasp.
Naofumi let her gaze look back and let out a sigh. "I told you all I didn't do it. Perhaps, you need more proof of what I'm truly capable of, than we can compare the wounds on the soldiers to Myne."
Before anyone could stop her, Naofumi flipped the guard up into the air. The bystanders couldn't even react when the armored man came to a skidding halt on the floor. Everyone couldn't believe what they just had witnessed. Wasn't the shield hero suppose to be the weakest hero? But she had so easily stopped an attack and defeated a soldier with just one hand.
"Hopefully, this will be fun." Naofumi turned to the other soldiers in the room. "To follow just an idiotic king, I almost feel sorry for all of you." A smirk crept onto Naofumi's lips as her green eyes suddenly became a glowing yellow. "Sorry about this."
On top of Naofumi's head, two pointed ears popped out. The roots of her hair turning white, then progressing to the rest of her head. White fur started to sprout from her body, and a fox's muzzle started to form on her face. Her multiple tails sprang from her lower back and started to swirl around in a hypnotizing vortex. Red marking started to appear on her fur covered face. The fur on her hands were a crimson color which contrasted the rest of her body. The shield hero was starting to appear more like a beastman than human.
The court was stunned at this transformation. Some even trembled where they stood, gazing at the opposing figure of the beast. The king was about to bark out another order, but Naofumi was too quick. Before even a syllable was uttered, the fox appeared behind the group of guards and attacked each one. Naofumi gave one a swift kick in the middle of his back, and sent him flying a few feet foward into an unexpecting group. The shield hero then grabbed the collar of one and threw him against the wall.
A few guards snapped out of their shock and tried to rush the shield hero. Naofumi couldn't help but feel pity. Though, she gave them chances to right their wrong. No pity should be felt. As a spear was thrusted towards her midsection and a sword was about to swipe at her neck, Naofumi gracefully dodged both attacks. Naofumi had ducked away from another sword swipe and delivered a few blows to the stomach of the assailant. The soldier took a moment to regain his composure. In this second, Naofumi grabbed him by the hair and flung him to the floor.
Naofumi turned and in a split second, she kneed one soldier in the gut. He gasped for air. She then ducked from another swing of a sword from behind her. Naofumi then jumped a good 20 feet into the air and slammed her tails down in the soldiers thag were originally crowding her. Well dressed nobles and servants made a break for the door only to be stopped by blue flames trapping them.
"Now, it's rude to leave so suddenly." The fox scolded. In her paw was one guard lifted off the ground, before being tossed to the side like a bag of potatoes. "I would advise you all to sit still until I'm done. I would hate for more casualties than needed."
Naofumi's fur retracted into her body, until she looked like she did before. She left the pair of black ears on top of her head and the nine, swishing white tails behind her. There was also a fox mask on her face with red markings.
Naofumi took off the mask from her face to reveal glowing yellow eyes, that reverted back to their normal green color. She placed the mask on her hip. It was like it was being held up by an invisible string. "Well, wasn't that a waste of time."
"You-You're a demihuman!" The king roared, pointing an accusatory finger at the shield hero. "How can a filthy demihuman have this much strength? You sly devil! You were meant to trick us all! We open our hospitality to you, and are most likely a spy from a neighboring country!"
His voice was starting to annoy the fox. Even though he was in the body of an adult, the king was a child who didn't know how to play with his toys yet. How sad.
"Demihuman?" Naofumi questioned. "I never heard that word before to describe me."
The kitsune began to approach the king's throne, and no one made an effort to stop her. All of the onlookers were glued to there spots, their feet unable to move.
Naofumi's tails swished around behind her. "My kind have many names. Some call us gods, spirits, or demons even. I like to think we're all of them combined. To be precise though, my species are called kitsune."
"Kitsune..." Ren mumbled. Naofumi drew her eyes towards the young man, who quickly averted them.
"Yes, I'm a kitsune. I didn't ask, but do my kind also exist in your world?" Naofumi asked the hero. "That goes for all three of you. Tell me and maybe I'll pity you."
Itsuki was the first to speak, "I have heard of them, but I thought they were just myth-"
"Myth? I assure you I'm very real." Naofumi smirked. "If I wasn't nobody would be groaning in pain."
"Heroes, I implore you what have you heard about this 'kitsune' from your mythology." The king said. He held down the urge to shoot the grinning fox a glare.
Itsuki looked nervous, "They're shape shifting foxes that are extremely powerful from mythology. From legends, serve a goddess named Inari."
"My, very good!" Naofumi praised him. "Itsuki, you know just the basics of my kind. Congratulations, I'm almost impressed. Judging by how stiff you've gotten Motoyasu, it seems that you've heard about my species as well?"
Naofumi looked over to the frozen man, who's face was filled with shock. Myne was still behind him. Naofumi directed a smirk at her, before turning away.
"I think I would like to have a seat. King, please get up from your throne, a boy who does not know how to play nicely, shouldn't be sitting there." Naofumi said.
The king sputtered, his face turning red in anger. "H-how dare you! I am the king of this country! How dare you speak to me that way! I am your superior!"
Naofumi's smile fell. "I assure you I'm centuries older than anyone in this room. I've killed more people than you can imagine in order to live this long. I am not asking you to move. I'm telling you. If you don't I'll break both of your arms, and I would hate to resort to violence again."
The king looked like he was about to explode. His hands filled with rings clutched the golden arms of his throne. The deadly calm fox could see veins popping out of his neck. One of the king's scared advisors whipsered into the angered monarch's ear. The king looked even more displeased as he got up slowly from his seat.
Naofumi smirked, "Good boy. Now go stand over there," Naofumi pointed to a place near the heroes. "And stay still."
The king let out a sneer. This acursed shield was treating him like a dog. His advisor whispered more words to him, and the king reluctantly moved over. Naofumi approached the throne and sat down. She placed an elbow on the throne's arm, and leaned her head into her hand as she gazed over the entire room. People were waiting to see her next move. Why wouldn't they be? She had displayed such power unheard of for the shield hero. Naofumi's ears twitched with ever hushed whisper. The fox let out a sigh.
"First of all, I would like my money back. Give me 6000 silver." Naofumi said.
"6000! I only gave you 800!" The king yelled, he was being restrained by his advisors.
Naofumi rolled her eyes, "You treat me unfairly, I treat you unfairly. Now, the money please."
One of the advisors ordered a servant to prepare the funds. The servant rushed out of the room and returned a good while later to plop the bag filled with coins into Naofumi's hands. When the fox looked over it, she placed the bag by her feet.
"You know," Naofumi began. "I wanted to have a civil conversation with you all, but you forced me to take such measures. Honestly, if you would have done this to any other kitsune, you would be dead instantly. Not many tolerate such foolishness like I do, but I suppose that's my own fault. I always did have a soft spot for humans. No matter who idiotic they act, your species have some charming qualities."
It didn't seem like Naofumi was talking to one person in particular when she spoke. She waa addressing the whole crowd that waa trapped within this lavished room.
Naofumi inspected her nails for any blood, "And because of that soft spot for humans, people assume I'm weak. You all thought so as well, didn't you? But that's all because of this shield that's so firmly attached to me, right?"
"T-that's not true-" A noble woman spoke up frantically, a nervous smile was on her face. "We know better than to call a hero such things!"
"Right, I heard your voice yesterday. You called me the 'shield devil', did you not?" Naofumi didn't bother to look at the woman, but her voice was like a winter tundra. The woman visibly tensed. Naofumi sighed, "It's best for the people in this room to speak when spoken too. Stay quiet, unless you want to ruin my mood further."
The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Naofumi turned her head to the grand windows that were pouring light into the room.
"Honestly, this trial was a joke. You all were going to convict me of a supposed crime without any real evidence. I'm more so disappointed in my fellow heroes. To think you talked so much about not being tamed yesterday, only to be on a leash today." Naofumi looked over at the three heroes and crossed her legs. "Do you mind telling me why you believed Myne instead of me? The curiosity is killing me."
Motoyasu was the first to speak up, "Well, you see Myne was in such a panic, I wanted to protect her. I was just so angry at the idea of her being forced against her will into prostitution that I was blindsided."
"You have to understand," Itsuki spoke. "If a person came to you in a state of despair, wouldn't you try to help them in anyway you could? You're a messenger of the gods, Naofumi. There are stories of kitsunes helping people that have nothing to live for. The kitsune helps them through their ordeal and gives the person a will to live again. In way, isn't that what we did with Myne?"
Naofumi closed her eyes and leaned in her hand. She stayed silent for a few moments. "Ren, what's your excuse?"
The youngest hero had a look of guilt on his face, "I don't have an excuse."
Naofumi peaked through her eyelashes at the shameful sword hero. My, how small he looked now. "Please, enlighten my 'coward' self. Isn't that what you called me? A coward."
Ren averted his eyes to the floor, "I don't have an excuse for my actions..."
"I see," Naofumi said. "Well, do you want to know what I think of your previous actions? You three were trying to play the role of hero, but you failed miserably. You're just upset that you got caught. You simply want to play around in this world like one of your 'videogames' without consequence. If I was a human, my name would be dragged through the mud. This sorry excuse for a trial, could have destroyed my life. All of you in this room are guilty of having no sense of your own conscious. Therefore, all of you will suffer the consequences."
Again, the room was in an uproar. A few nobles broke from the crowds and collapsed at Naofumi's feet.
"Please Shield Hero, we were only listening to our king!" A man pleaded with her, his head pressed against the floor.
A woman wearing a golden dress looked up at the fox, "Yes, that's right! Please do not make us suffer!"
"Enough!" Naofumi was more than annoyed . "Every single one of you had the chance to speak up during that pathetic trial. All of you sat back like an obediant puppy. If the master is going to be punished then the animals he keeps close will have the same fate."
The courtroom gasped at Naofumi words. Motoyasu decided to reason with the angered fox, "Hey Naofumi-chan, don't you think that's a little harsh? Myne was still assualted, right? We'll work extra hard to find the person who actually did it, so-!"
"Enough." Naofumi interupted him. Motoyasu looked taken a back. "I gave her two chances to admit that it wasn't me, and she didn't take them. I believe my punishment is very reasonable. If it was another kitsune she wronged, Myne would be tortured until her death or used as a plaything."
"P-papa!" Myne looked at her father. "Do something! I was assaulted! I promise!" Myne hid behind Motoyasu's back. Did she really think that was going to stop Naofumi?
The king was that girl's father? Oh, that makes sense. They both had the same level of idiocy.
"You can't give Myne such a harsh punishment!" The spear hero pleaded. "She was still assaulted!"
Naofumi looked like she was thinking for a moment. "Yes, you're right. She was assaulted. I'll give her a much lighter punishment than. Motoyasu, I have a question for you?"
Motoyasu jumped a bit, "Yes?"
Naofumi gave him a smile, "Have you ever seen the back of an eyeball?"
"N-no, I haven't." Motoyasu managed to say. The fox's gaze was heavy, it felt like it could crush him despite her smiling lips.
Naofumi clapped her hand together happily, "Well then good news for you! Myne will volunteer her one eye and everyone in this courtroom can see one fully!" Naofumi pointed on clawed finger to her own forest green eye.
"Y-you can't do that!" Myne sneered, dropping her act. She glared at the seated fox. "You're nothing but a filthy demihuman! Where do you get off feeling you have so much power! I'm the princess of this country and future queen!"
"My, are you finally showing you're true colors. Look how ugly you are." Naofumi chuckled. "If this is how the monarchy is going, this country will fall soon."
Naofumi thought for a moment, blocking out Myne's excessive blabbering. Right, the heroes deserved something too. Naofumi smiled and directed her gaze at the three young men. They had the audacity to act like they owned the place. "My brave heroes, don't think your not getting punished. I think I'll rip each of your finger nails off. It's a fairly tedious process, but they say pain is the best motivator."
"Wait! How do you expect us to save this world if you punish us, Iwatani-san?" Itsuki spoke up. "If you did that, it will hinder us greatly."
"If you truly are the heroes you act to be, you would work through the pain. Think of it as a testament to your loyalty to this country." Naofumi told him. "Come Myne, I promise to do it quickly."
Myne was glued to her spot as she kept yelling at the shield hero. The king was no better, he was barking orders at scared guards, who knew better than to stop the fox now. The heroes also attempted to reconcile with Naofumi in a feeble attempt to make her pity them. All of this noise was giving her a headache. Naofumi let out a room shaking growl, which effectively silenced them all.
"Quiet," Naofumi voice rang out over the crowd of pleading humans. "My goddess Inari once told me that the world is filled with ugly men and to fill it with ones that have unparalleled beauty. A man that is hideous may have the heart of pure gems. A man that is made of beauty on the outside may be made of rot and decay. If a man doesn't live up to the beauty he has been blessed with, it is our duty to take that away and that's what I'm planning to do. I shall make you so unslightly, a mirror will break at the sight."
"W-wait!" A voice rang out, grabbing Naofumi's attention. "Lady Shield Hero, you can't do this!"
The fox turned to see a boy as he trembled where he stood. He was wearing amour but lacked any confidence to actually appear threatening. His had a tuff of brown hair peaking out if his chainmail. Naofumi perked her eyebrows. He had a brown satchel strapped to his torso. What a meek little rabbit. Naofumi was almost amused that he had the guts to interrupt her. There was a familiar scent on him. A scent Naofumi knew all to well. It couldn't be-
"I know y-you're upset, but it's not right to punish all these people-" He tried to sound assertive, but was failing miserably. The guards behind him did nothing to stop the boy from confronting the fox. Naofumi listened as the young soldier stuttered through his sentence.
"Boy," Naofumi called out to him. The soldier stopped his ramble and looked at the predator. Naofumi pointed to the empty spot in front of her, "Come here."
The boy jumped. His knees were knees were weak and had legs made of jelly. He had to summon all the confidence in the world to even take a step forward. The fox let her tails swish behind her. When the boy had gotten at least five feet away from the fox, she curled her finger, urging him to come even closer. The boy approached the predator and kneeled down in front of her, only for his face to be grabbed a brought mere inches from the kitsune who was sniffing him. The young soldier blushed, but stayed deathly still.
"I knew it," Naofumi said, confusing the trembling soldier. She backed away and had a certain glow in her eyes. "You smell exactly like fried tofu!"
The soldier was truly dumbstruck now. "Eh?"
Naofumi backed away, but kept a firm grip on his cheeks. "You smell like a food called fried tofu from my world. Do you have any with you? If you give me some, I'll grant you a blessing."
The soldier couldn't help but blush at the sound of the fox's voice. It was like a sweet melody, that ended as a faint whisper. Even though her eyes were green, there were specks of gold flickering within them. Long eyelashes framed her cat like pupils like drapery. He even felt a strand of her hair tickle his cheek. He was truly entranced by such a beauty.
Naofumi moved her thumb to the soldier's bottom lip and drew a line across. "Won't you share with me? Please? It smells like it's coming from that bag of yours."
The soldier snapped out of his trance, "O-of course!" He began to dig through his leather satchel. The soldier was called here in such a rush, he had no time to put down his bag. His grandmother had given him a snack from her country, so he could have breakfast on the go. Luckily, he had yet to eat it. He dug out a piece of food, that appeared to be fried. It had an oval like shape to it. Half of the it was covered with a cleaned, red rag. "Here you go!"
He held it out to the fox, who instead grabbed the soldier's wrist that held the treat. Naofumi brought it close to her mouth and took a bite. She was silent as she chewed and so was the whole throne room. Suddenly, her multiple tails began to swish rapidly like a dog wagging it's tail. The fox consumed the rest of the almost meal, before backing away and licking her lips.
"I was worried," Naofumi spoke. "I thought this world didn't have any fried tofu in it. Looks like I was wrong. Thank you for your offering."
The boy once again bowed his head, "You're w-welcome, Lady Shield Hero!"
Naofumi gained a cat like grin on her face, "What's your name?"
"My name is Ake Vanala!" Ake had said. His nervousness wasn't going to fade anytime soon.
"Ake," Naofumi said, as if she was tasting the word. "Hey Ake, since you've given me something, I'll give you a blessing back. What would you like?"
Ake raised his head. "W-what do you mean?"
Naofumi hummed, "When my kind are given gifts or offerings we grant blessings to the individual. Blessings grant the individual whatever they want, but there is a limit to how much I can give you. I should tell you my specialities are medicine, craftsmanship, and war. Ake, what would you like? There is no limit to what I can grant you." Naofumu lightly grazed her index finger along Ake's soft jaw line. She cupped the boy's cheek to further inspect him. Ake seemed like such a good boy. Too bad, Naofumi will have to use him just this once.
"I can ask for anything..." Ake seemed to mumble to himself. "Then I want you to not punish anyone. That's what I want!"
Naofumi stopped her 'affectionate' actions. The fox raised her eyebrows, looking at the soldier's determined gaze. "Hmm, I have the ability to grant you anything, but you wanto to save a room full of people who most likely don't even know you exist. Why?" Naofumi was not pleased by Ake's words at all. She was still inwardly furious at so called 'trial'. The fox was going to rip the boy's throat out. Couldn't humans be selfish when she wanted them to be.
"B-because no one deserves that..." Ake averted his eyes to the floor.
"Boy, look me in the eyes." The fox commanded. Ake listened to her orders. Naofumi spoke, "I'm still angry about what happened. Will you take the punishment instead? A punishment that will torture you for decades to save a room full of people you don't even know. Will you do it?" The fox cupped the boy's cheeks. It was hard for Ake not to notice her claws sinking into his skin.
Ake gulped, "Yes. I will take their punishment as my own."
The two were locked in a staring contest. Unexpectedly, the fox let out a laugh. She let go of Ake's face and bursted out into a fit of giggles, clutching her stomach. "My what an amusing answer! You truly are idiotic, Ake!"
The soldier's face began to become flushed, the heat from his body being drawn to his cheeks. The fox continued to laugh, as the rest of the people watched the fox's strange burst of laughter. The fox wiped tears away from her eyes.
"Fine," Naofumi waved her hand. "No one shall suffer any punishment today. You're lucky Ake, you avoid punishment as well."
The soldier brightened and lowered his head again, "Thank you, Shield Hero!"
Naofumi stood up from the throne and kneeled down to Ake's height. Naofumi brushed back the tuff of brown locks that peaked through Ake's chainmail. The kitsune delivered a kiss to the soldier's forehead. Ake began to flush, but he realized how much lighter his body felt and stronger too. There was a dim blue light that encompassed him before fading away.
Naofumi backed away, "There, I gave you a blessing. It's a small one, but it ensures that your body remains healthy."
Ake blinked. He was confused to say the least. "Why?"
"Why? Because it's rare to find a person so self sacrificing for people he didn't even know. You truly have a kind heart, so I rewarded you." Naofumi leaned into Ake's ear and whispered, "You should be careful. You're a rabbit in a den of wolves, who will devour you when they see fit."
Naofumi stood up to full height and looked down at the bowing soldier. "Just a piece of advice from me to you." The picked up the pouch of money and went over to the king. He was still standing by the heroes and his liar daughter. The king gritted his teeth as the fox approached him. She was smiling as if she didn't had want to kill them all just mere seconds a go.
When she was close enough, Naofumi stopped in front of the king. "I hope you take this as a lesson to conduct a proper and fair trial next time, boy. You can't simply rely on one person's word, but I have a feeling you really wanted me to be exiled. Funny, isn't it? How I have more power than you?
Naofumi could see the king clench his hands into to fists. He wanted so badly to bark his orders and have her restrained. How pitiful. He was really letting all this power go to his head. It was obvious to Naofumi that this country's government was corrupt, but she really couldn't care less. You see one corrupt government, you've seen them all at this point. This could work for her, if she played her cards right. Yes, that's right. It wouldn't be too bad to have people worship her and see fools fall into the mud. Yes, that sounds quite fun.
Naofumi sent a smile to Myne, "Myne, you should really think out your schemes more. It's better to play the waiting game than to rush into things. You were so sure of yourself too. I can't imagine the failure you must be feeling."
Myne glared at the hero, "Why you-!"
"Honestly," Naofumi began, "I can't wait to watch you to fall into ruin. Bye. Oh, and to my fellow heroes, be stop acting like you actually care. You're just making yourselves look like complete idiots."
Naofumi left the gaping crowd in the throne room. Now what to do with her money now.