I Got Reincarnated! - Kitsune Chronicles
~Chapter 14~ Parting is Sweet Sorrow
"Please don't leave us Lady Kayo!" Cried several young monsters as they clung to the legs of a surprised kitsune as she had been visiting the Japanese style school built to educate the village, with the adults in the late evenings and the young ones during the day. "H-hey. Don't cry. It's only for a little bit. Your teachers will take good care of you, and Geld has even agreed to watch over you as you play." she tried assuring the small children, petting their heads and rubbing their backs. Their teacher, a goblina named Rina, tried to corral the young ones back into the classroom.
"I'm so sorry about this Lord Kayo. I thought a visit would make them feel better." she apologized as she saw her whole class was crying and clinging to the kitsune. Kayo gave her an assuring smile before one of the young one's spoke up. "King Geld is nice but you play and teach us fun things too Lady Kayo." chimed in a healthy pudgy Orc child, tears in their eyes. "Hey now. I'm sure you will have your own fun and make up new games without me. Your very smart." Kayo assured the orcling and gently bopped his snout.
"Is your Papa nice?" a little goblina asked her as she clung to her leg, Kayo gave her a soft smile. "Yes, he is. He's not only a king but a hero too." she told them but that only seemed to scare the little ones more as they wailed even louder than before. "W-what?" Kayo asked confused and looked to the older goblina for answers. "Lord Kayo, Heroes are well known for striking down powerful monsters." she mentioned, and Kayo had to mental face palm herself for that screw up. "Hey hey now. It's okay. He's not gonna hurt me. He's, my papa. Even if he tried to hurt me, Rimuru-nee-san will save me if I can't get out by myself." Kayo assuredly them and it seemed to work.
"Say... when I get back. How about I treat the goodest students to something fun when I get back from my papa's kingdom?" Kayo offered and the little one's seemed to stop crying. "Y-you'll come back?" a little orcling asked, looking hopeful like his classmates. "Of course, Rimuru City in my home. My brother is here and so are my most trusted friends. It will be scarry being on my own, but I know I will be fine. I want to show my big brother I can be strong even when he's not with me." Kayo told them with a sad smile, holding back tears as she placed a hand over her heart.
The students hugged her gently and comforted her now.
"You can do it Lady Kayo! You're really pretty, strong and smart!" the students praised her as she calmed a little and finally got them to go back to class. Let out a deep sigh Kayo was going to leave the building but noticed someone was with her.
"Anything to report, Souei?" She asked, what seemed like thin air before the blue Kijin appeared, looking a bit worried. "Are you really going to be, okay?" he asked her, and Kayo didn't show him her frown. "It's gonna be a lot of work, but the rewards will be worth it for the good of the Jura Tempest Federation's future. Man, that's a mouthful, JTF for short maybe?" Kayo started muttering before Souei suddenly wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"May I come with you, Lord Kayo?" He asked, his lips close to hear round humanoid ears, as Kayo tried to keep up her Dwarven form for her mission, but that didn't stop her face form becoming bright red and her heart pounding hard in her chest. "N-no. Your needed here, the Nogitsune will be reporting to you in my absence. I trust your judgment to know what to report to my brother and what not to." she asked the ninja, trying to get out of his hold but he wasn't letting go.
"Hmm, of course. Only threats we can't handle ourselves or envoys from other countries are what Lord Rimuru needs to know... not about the slave traders and those who seek to profit from exploiting our home." he mentioned and nuzzled into her neck as he held her tighter.
"S-souei. Let go of me. I've still got to check the medics at the Hospital." She told him trying to pull away before he suddenly let her go and she nearly face planted before she caught herself. Breathing a sigh of relief as she was no longer being held by the handsome ninja. "Do you really have nothing to report?" she asked and face him but noticed his he had turned away from her and disappeared as suddenly as he came.
"You really deserve better, my friend." Kayo softly muttered and left. Not thinking he had heard her... but he had and was confused why she said it out loud.
~Later, Rimuru's Office~
'Do you want to talk?' The slime questioned as he saw Kayo's sad face enter into his office. It was just him and Shion, but Kayo didn't like to talk about certain things around others. "Hey Shion, can you give us a bit?" the slime asked his secretary who looked worried as Kayo came in quietly and was looking sad. "Of course, Lord Rimuru." she bowed and left the office, closing the door behind her and Kayo was sure to lock the door, and close the curtains as there already was a silence spell on the room for privacy.
"What's-Agh!?" The slime started to ask before Kayo hugged him and started to cry.
"I think two guys like me!" she cried to him, much to his confusion as she planted her face in his body and screamed into him. The slime was thankful for his resistance to sound attacks, but that didn't stop his body from weirdly vibrating. "What!? You're just realizing that now!?" he asked her, having noticed that a few males and females seemed to like Kayo, but he had a feeling of who those two brave souls where.
"What do you mean!? I'm not THAT dence! I knew Souei liked me, but not like THAT! And there then is Benimaru! Oh GOD! I popped my cherry with him!" she complained, but that just seemed to annoy the slime. "I don't need to know the details. It was pretty clear you slept with him." He told her and she only blushed a dark red. "Fuck! Why did my stupid brother have to open his big mouth!?" she asked, as she was still in the beginning of her freak out.
"It wasn't just your brother, you both had bite marks and almost everyone saw you princess carry Benimaru home." he pointed out as Kayo sniffled, her face red and tears coming from her eyes. "Anyway. What's the problem? You like them and you said you wanted a harem of handsome and capable guys so...?" he asked as he wanted for her to calm down to answer, but she looked away, looking very depressed.
"This isn't some Harem Iskai, Satoru. Even then, it's clear I'm probably just a side character that is expendable and bound to die again." she mentioned grimly, using Rimuru's old name made the slime shiver uncomfortably for more than one reason, but he knew that she was being very serious and showing her weakness to him again. "Hey... don't say that. You're not going to die on my watch, and your pretty strong yourself too." he told her and turned into his humanoind form to hug her, and she hugged him back. It hurt the slime to feel her emotions and see a rapid flash of memories.
A young preincarnation Kayo liked a boy in her middle school class, of course he bullied her for several years before he disappeared one year, she wanted to confess her love to him. When Kayo was kept inside and left alone to play games and use the internet for whatever she wanted. As long as she was 'safe' inside her cage.
"They deserve better than me. I... I don't want them to break me, Satoru." she mentioned to the slime as she cried, having mentioned something like this to the slime back in Dwargon. "H-hey. Come on, even if they do, which I doubt, you will only be stronger and able to move on. Everyone has to experience heart break at least once in their life." he wisely told her before her felt her nails dig into him tightly.
"That's what I'm scared of... I... I may still be a sociopath." she admitted, and the slime was shocked as he was very still as he saw that she was talking about threw their sibling connection...
A depressed and crying Human Kayo being yelled at by a skeleton of a woman. The woman had badly dyed blond hair and beardly any proper clothes on, holding a familiar orange pill bottle with more of the same and little pills on the carpeted floor. The woman trashed the room filled with games, books, Gunpla, and posters of sexy Husbandos and Waifus. It was when the woman reached for a small wooden jewelry box did the human Kayo move... and slash open the woman's stomach with a replica Master Sword that had been on a shelf as a display, was now a murder weapon.
The hurt Kayo enjoying slicing the woman open.
Rimuru shivered as he tried to will that image away and looked at Kayo now, but she was still haunted by her past.
"Do you hate me now, Satoru?" she asked the slime who surprisingly didn't seem mad. "Hey. Your supposed to call me Nee-san. That's in your old life. I doubt whatever brought you here and gave you a second life believed you deserve to be happy. Even if that's not true, why not live your life like you want to? I'm sure Benimaru and Souei wouldn't mind sharing a pervert like you." he teased, and Kayo gently smashed her hand into his face as she blushed.
"Don't say that! They deserve to be loved by a person who will love them with all their heart! Not just see them as part of a Harem!" She scolded the slime who chuckled at her reaction. "So, which is it? Do you love them or see them as just part of your harem?" he asked her, and Kayo was quiet and muttered something quietly.
"I don't love... I trust them... a lot." She admitted, looking away with a sad embarrassed blush.
"Sure, ya do, fur ball. So why not show them how much you TRUST them? I think I know your type now~. You like the loyal, semi mature guys with brains, who can be cute and open with the one they trust. Having long Red Hair, tan skin, a muscular body and a firm ass are just a plus to you." He smirked as Kayo looked horrified at what he deduced.
"S-shut up!" She yelled at him in her embarrassment but felt better with trusting the slime regardless, and he also trusted her with his worries.
"Okay, Okay. But are you sure you can handle going to Dwargon? I mean I trust you could probably run circles around some snobby nobles but... will you be okay by yourself for that long?" He asked worriedly as he noticed Kayo pull out a letter and showed it to him. Confused, the slime carefully took it and started to read it out of curiosity.
"Oh!" He voiced, shocked as he looked at the embarrassed woman.
"You're going there... to get help too? For your other selves?" he asked her, and she nodded. "I didn't want to tell you or anyone, but there is someone who can help me with it so I'm not all... everywhere." she mentioned and spread her arms and fingers out and rubbed her head. "I know they're a part of me but sometimes... I don't want to be just a piece of a whole with missing fragments." She admitted.
"Wait... missing Fragments? There are more?" He asked, confused and concerned. "Yes, mostly because I don't use them or don't need them... and one... has woken up and it's a bit embarrassing." she admitted. "Huh? What's to be so embarrassed about? You're the one writing smut in your spare time." he asked, having seen her giggling and blushing as she was writing in one of those books. "Hey! No one but you and I can really read them! And you only decoded it because of Great Sage." she pointed out and the slime who looked a bit guilty.
"I can take a stab at what was on your hard drive. We lived around the same time, so it won't be hard to find ones we have in common." she pointed out as the slime was getting nervous.
"Anyway... there was something I wanted you to look at. I want to know if you can restore items." she asked the slime who looked confused. "I don't know, what kind of item?" he asked and saw her change back into her fox form, not hiding her tails as all 6 fanned out around them. So Rimuru took this chance and turned into his slime form, resting on her soft warm tails comfortably, he was the only one she ever allowed to completely lay on them, as only a few more were allowed to even touch or grab them.
"This. It's a bit burned and some of it is missing." she said as she pulled out a scroll and carefully unraveled it. It looked like it had been in a fire, the edges of the scroll seemed to be intact with red and gold threads but in the middle where the paper was... it was charred black and there were a few holes in it, but Rimuru could see a bit of writing that looked like old Japanese.
"I can give it a shot. Wonder what it used to be." he asked and let Kayo gently feed him the scroll, curious as to why the fox was nervous and blushing as he analyzed the item and slowly restored it. "Done!" he chimed proudly as he held the scroll out for his fox sibling to take as she brightened up and took it carefully to see what the scroll had been. The slime having already seen it while restoring it to its pervious state.
"I think Benimaru will like it~." he teased her as Kayo blushed.
"S-shuna too!" She hissed at the slime embarrassed and tucked it away. "What else did you find in the old oni village? Do you think they would be upset with you? Just taking things from there?" he asked her, and Kayo sighed. "None of them wanted to go... so I went with Souei who showed me where it used to be. He didn't seem to mind that I was going through some things. I've also left a memorial, like what we did for Shizu and prayed for their peaceful after life." she admitted as the slime was proud of her.
"You're a good person Kayo. Even as a Kitsune you still care for others even when you don't have to, or when it hurts you. Let your big brother take care of you more okay." he asked, and Kayo looked at him with tearful eyes and hugged him and the slime hugged her back, feeling that wonderful bond of sibling warmth.
~Dinner~
'Where is she? Is she gonna chicken out?' Rimuru questioned as he looked around the dining hall where most of the people responsible for the continued progress of their new nation sat together for a meal. Kayo's seat next to him empty but Shuna hadn't placed any food for the missing kitsune yet. Everyone was talking, drinking and eating like the kitsune wasn't missing... then again...
'Souei is gone to... Is she confessing to HIM!?' Rimuru questioned in shock before Shion leaned over to him.
"Is something wrong Lord Rimuru? You haven't touched your food." She asked and the slime looked at her in a bit of shock. "Kayo's not here yet." he told her with a sigh and the purple oni gave him a smile. "Oh no worries, Lord Rimuru. We have some special guests she is taking care of, and Lady Shuna has already sent Souei with her dinner." She told him proudly as the slime got more worried, glancing at Benimaru who was talking about something with his sister. He missed the smirk on the purple kijin's face.
"Did you bet that Lord Kayo would pick Souei, Lord Rimuru?" she asked with a smirk as the slime looked at her in confusion. "No, she mentioned wanting a harem and I thought she would pick them both." The slime mentioned but then everyone looked at him in shock. "Lord Rimuru? Do you not know that Kitsunes only ever take one mate for their entire lives?" Rigurd asked, confused why the slime would think Kayo would want a Harem.
"Huh? Kinda but Kayo is... a special case." he muttered before thinking back to his old world. 'Kitsunes were known to be devoted wives and lovers... I wonder if Kayo is struggling to pick one of them?' he thought as he looked at Benimaru who was suspicious of his drinks now but didn't seem worried Kayo might be with Souei right now.
~Kayo~
"I'm already late for dinner. Danm, the competeionest in me." Kayo complained as she dried her hair as she came out of the hot and steamy bathroom in a loose black robe she didn't wrap tightly as the front showed the tan skin between her breasts. Then again it was only herself and a few small fairies that had found their way to her secret place a while ago.
"Did you enjoy your bath, Lady Kayo?" one asked, a cute little thing with blond hair and golden eyes, wearing a light blue dress that the Kitsune provided for her and for the others.
"I did, are you all done? You should get home before it gets to dark." she suggested, carefully drying her fluffy ears, back in her kitsune from and plopping into a plush light blue armchair. As on the small side table the little Faires were having some late-night tea. The little winged creatures flew up to her. "We are gonna miss you and so are the plants and trees." another little fairy told her, before hugging the kitsune's warm cheek. Kayo smiled and gently cradled her in her hand to return the hug.
"It's not gonna be for long. Now get moving before the owls wake up." she gently shooed them out the small glass 'fairy door' as they left, leaving the kitsune alone with herself as she looked into a burning fireplace with a deep frown. "Rimuru probably thinks I chickened out by now, stupid filthy humans getting in my way." she growled as some 'merchants' had tried to move their 'products' under the cover of night in the Jura Forest... only Kayo wouldn't stand for innocent slaves in her forest, or the filthy blood that had gotten on her after dealing with them.
"Should I tell him about the elf girls? The harpies sure but will he take care of them or just be a perv?" Kayo asked out loud as she grabbed one of the wooden tablets they used for documents, carefully inscribing her dealings on it for later before the smell of food reached her nose and made her stomach protest to being empty.
"You should eat, Lady Kayo." Souei spoke up as he had been the one to set down the tray of food next to the fox who looked up from her work. The fox was stiff and tied to close her partly open robe without drawing much attention to it. "T-thanks Souei. Have you had a proper meal today?" She asked him causally, as she set her work down in favor of Shuna's cooking. "Yes, the others are worried about you. You should have at least stopped by. You could have given Lord Benimaru his gift." the Kijin nodded and looked at the scroll that she had Rimuru restore for her, a small note folded on top of it.
Kayo choaked on the food she had just about inhaled, her face going red.
"What!? I-it's not a gift, I'm just returning it! The slime ball was able to fix it and I asked Dord to clean up the box... do you have any idea what it might be inside?" She asked him to try to change the subject, but she was curious about the strange red and black box she had found under some rubble in the old Oni village.
"Why not just open it?" he asked her, as he watched her slowly start to eat again. "It's not mine to open. I think I will give it to Shuna, I have a feeling she will want whatever is inside it." Kayo mentioned as she ate, some food getting on her face in the process.
"Did you take anything? I know most of it is ash but surely you have memories of your old home." Kayo pointed out before she froze as Souei wiped the food from her face. Kayo blushed and stood still as he did so. 'Just ignore it.' she thought as she bit into her chopsticks. "Yes, but that is all in the past. I can't do anything to change it. I didn't have much, and my life has been devoted to the chief's family. Now, I serve you and Lord Rimuru." he explained and looked at Kayo who finished her main dishes... her golden eyes locked the dessert plate that had a beloved orange cake.
"Oh? Well, I have a weird question for you... If I was somehow at odds with my brother, Rimuru... like a serious difference in our ideology that we would try and destroy the other... who's side would you be on?" Kayo asked as she reached for the cake only to have it be snatched away by the Ninja.
"Hey! I was just curious! No need to get seri-" Kayo was whining, missing her favorite cake from her past life, but she was confused when a small piece appeared before her lips. Not even second guessing it, she eagerly gobbled it up and moaned at the taste of the cake Shuna made for her. Her tails clearly wagging from happiness. The usually stoic ninja gave a small smirk as he pulled away the empty fork and scooped up another piece of the orange cake he didn't recognize. "Is this from that book Master Hakuro gave you?" he asked her, watching her happily eat the cake he was feeding her without hesitation.
"Don't avoid my question. Would you side with the one who gave you your name. Or with me?" She asked him, not eating the cake he offered her, even if it was tempting and kind of hot to be fed cake by a handsome young man like Souei. The ninja looked at her for a moment and set the cake down, Kayo's face dropping as she picked up on what his answer was.
"Whatever side Lord Benimaru takes, for that is my duty to him and his late father." the ninja mentioned, Kayo reached out to him and gasped as she saw his memories...
A small blue oni was wondering all alone in the oni village. No one seemed to pay him any mind as he stole from some food. Being very sneaky, but sometimes the little one would be sloppy and get beaten as punishment.
One day after such a beating, his little stomach grumbling did a young red oni approach him and take him before a much older red oni that vaguely looked familiar. After that the blue oni was trained hard in the ways of the ninja, but he was always looking out for the red oni and a little pink one that toddled around him.
Then there was that night the Orcs attacked the village, Souei was trying to fight the powerful orc but the late Oni tribe chieftain stopped him and told him to leave. Souei did not and had to be pulled away by the familiar red oni as they had to flee from their home.
"S-souei?!" Kayo gasped as she came out of it, only when the blue oni hugged her middle, his head in her lap. Kayo could feel the tears in her eyes as she carefully pets the ninja's head. "You had no one in your life... and Benimaru gave you something to work for and kept you from being an Orc's snack. Is this true?" she asked him, and she felt him stiffen as she asked this, one eye looking up at her... and she could see the tears he was holding back.
"How do you?" he asked, holding her a bit tighter.
"It's a new ability that came with being King Dwargo's heir. I can see other's memories or at least the one's at the front of their minds." Kayo explained it to him as he looked at her in shock and then shame as he buried his face in her lap and she pet his head. "It's okay. At least I can understand you a bit better now." She reasoned softly, avoiding his horn as she ran her fingers threw his hair gently.
"You don't really like me, your just scared of being abandoned." Kayo voiced disappointingly before he grabbed her hand and his face got close to quickly for her to react, and he ended up kissing her on the lips. 'What!?' She questioned in shock, trapped in her chair by the sexy blue kijin, a new memory flooded to her.
There was a green female oni talking with Benimaru, Kayo couldn't hear it all, but she did catch the word Love ecape the female oni's lips... this oni was confessing her 'love' to Benimaru! And Souei had been listening in to the conversation... a few wildflowers in his hand looking utterly heartbroken as he crushed them in his hand.
"Was that?" Kayo asked as soon as the kijin pulled away, looking away in shame with a blush at his embarrassing memory that haunted him. "Did a girl you like confess to Benimaru?" She asked him and all the embarrassed ninja could do was nod.
Kayo sighed as she debated on what to do with him. "Do you really have feelings for me? Or do you just want to take something form Benimaru because he took something from you?" she asked him, and the ninja looked her in the eyes seriously. "Lady Kayo, my feelings for you are real and true. Please don't let there be any doubt in your heart about that." he asked her, looking a bit sad and worried as Kayo looked away... feeling a little guilty that she was doubting him.
She was quiet for a long while before she spoke again.
"Have you been with other women? Or men before?" she asked him suddenly, Lust took over and smirked at the ninja who stiffened, recognizing the strange shift. "N-no Lady Kayo." He admitted to her before letting out as gasp as he shivered from the sensation of her caressing his horn, his face becoming flush as his blue eyes looked at her smirking lips that slowly got moistened by her pink tongue.
"Hmm~ It's not good to lie to the one that you 'love'~ Sou-sou~. I will have to punish you~," she teased, and she set a weak current threw her fingers and into his horn that bloomed into his body, making the ninja shiver at the strange feeling, looking at Kayo in confusion for what she was doing. "Just for tonight~ you will serve me. Once I get back, we can talk about a possible tenure as my lover~." she purred, and the ninja looked at her with wide eyes and was unsure of how to take her words given who was possibly speaking to him.
"Aww~ don't be sad little kitty~. I won't abandon you. I take reasonability for my all my pets, even if I tire of you, I will make sure you get to a nice new owner. Kay~?" she told him with an earie smile and a tilt of her head. For some reason Souei felt hot all over and nodded.
"Yes, La-DE!" Souri was saying before something slapped his ass hard and he jolted striate up in shock mostly. "Bad kitty, call me mistress~." she ordered the ninja who gulped and looked away as he muttered it.
"Y-yes Mistress." he said softly as his heart was racing at what the kitsune was doing, then he saw her robe slip off her body and felt his own clothes being pulled off by her warm hands gliding across his skin.
~Late Morning~
"Hmm~?" Kayo groaned as she turned over in her bed, still half asleep trying to get away from the light that was shining in her eyes now. "Lady Kayo~? Wakey wakey~." came a small voice that the fox ignored in favor of her soft warm bed and sleep. "Hey! Hey, wake up!" came the voice again as Kayo felt something pulling on her ear. Twitching it got rid of whatever it was for a bit before something was poking her cheek, a familiar fluttering noise reached her ears.
"WAKE UP!" something shouted into Kayo's ear as she bolted up in pain from the shouting right in her ear.
"Oww~ I'm up, I'm up. What the hell?" Kayo asked as she rubbed her poor ear, heart pounding mostly from the shock as she rubbed her eyes to clear her vision and see the fairies from last light give her smug knowing looks.
"Good morning, Lady Kayo~ did you sleep well~?" asked one that got close to her, and Kayo was a little confused but that look. "It was fine. What are you guys doing back here?" she asked before she felt the cool breeze of the room around her, the fire the hearth having gone out a little after the little fairies had left so she was feeling the cooled air on her naked skin.
"Huh!?" Kayo paused and looked down at her very naked body. The sheets only covering her lap and legs at the moment, but she had a feeling she should look any way... and peeking under the sheets she saw evidence of some 'fun' last night with her new 'pet'.
"Oh Fuck." she groaned and covered herself again, only completely as she rolled around in her cloth cocoon as the Faries giggled.
"Seems like you had a naughty time~" one teased but got hit by a book being throw at it and squishing it into a wall... the fay was okay, but a little squished.
"Not a word of this to ANYONE! Not even Treyni." She hissed angerly at them as she went to get dressed, mentally counting the marks left on her thighs. 'Stupid Lust! I'm trying to avoid hurting them.' she cursed as she got out some pants to hide the marks and a normal blue shirt to go over her bound chest.
"Hmm I really should talk to Shuna about bras. At least I can go give her that-" she was saying before she noticed where she had left the box and scroll at… was empty.
"Did... did Souei take them?" she asked as the other Faries saw it was safe to come out.
"That blue Kijin? Yeah, we saw him holding those as he left your place before the sun rose. Was he your lover, Lady Kayo? He's really cute~." the fairy teased as Kayo blushed.
"N-no. Yes... maybe, I don't know!" she whined with a bright red face before glaring at the small, winged sprits. "Take care of the plants in here while I am gone okay. I'll make some more houses for you guys. Okay." she asked, and the Faires looked excited by her promise as the fox entered her dwarven form before leaving her little secret base.
~Rimuru City, Mess Hall Kitchen~
"Kayo, are you sure you don't need my help?" Shuna asked, looking confused at what Kayo was making in the kitchens, having seen her experiment with eggs a lot recently. "Yeah, I want to do this on my own. I can't magically get good at this after all." Kayo mussed as she was carefully pouring more egg into the odd rectangular pan. There was already some cooked egg on one side of the pan that Kayo had managed to roll up without breaking it.
"Okay... are you making that for Big brother?" she asked, curious as she saw that Kayo had chopped up some vegetables and was baking some bread in the oven.
"N-no. This is for my big brother, Rimuru. I wanted to make him lunch this time before I go away." Kayo admitted, then again, she was using the slime more as a test subject before she could make that special thing for the Kijin leader.
'Or Souei~.' Lust mussed teasingly.
Kayo tried to ignore her and concentrates on making the omelet, getting excited as it seemed to come out prefect once it was done. Then she moved on to the bread and cut up some apples and got them into look like cute little bunnies, she grabbed some rice and packed them around some grilled salmon, making it vaguely roundish. While concentrating on her cooking, she didn't notice that the kitchen was watching her as she made the special lunch, curious as to what the kitsune was making.
"Lady Shuna, is Lord Rimuru's lunch ready? I will take it to him today~!" Shion came in happily but then noticed that everyone was watching Kayo.
"Eh? Is Lord Kayo making lunch for Master Benimaru?" the purple kijin asked Shuna excitedly, but the pink princes shook her head. "No. That is meant for Lord Rimuru." Shuna told her and Shion gasped and joined them in watching the kitsune make the Slime's lunch, pouting as she saw it.
"Do you think she will let me serve it to him if I ask?" she asked Shuna, but Kayo did hear her.
"No offence, Shion, but this is something that will mean more than just a good meal." she told her but then set a plate of triangle sandwiches with some white stuff and sliced fruits nestled between them.
"Let me get your option on these Shuna. I've never made these before and I'm worried I didn't make them right." Kayo admitted as Shuna reached for one curiously and bit into it. Instantly enjoying the light fruity taste.
"Hmm, their delicious Kayo~. Very worthy of serving to Lord Rimuru." she gushed, and Shion quickly grabbed one to try and tasted what the young kijin was talking about. "Yes! I will get these to him right-" she was saying, reaching for the plate before Kayo stopped her... a dangerous Aura was around the disguised kitsune, even as she seemed to be smiling sweetly.
"Shion... Be a good girl and tell them lunch will be served now." she told the woman sternly. Shion pulled her arm away with a pout and left to report about lunch. Once she was gone the aura went away. "I hope he likes this." Kayo muttered worriedly and Shuna smiled sadly. "He will Kayo, but you make it very difficult for his future wife to measure up to your cooking." she joked, feeling like she was coming up short for the slime's affection when compared to Kayo.
"Hmm. I could always teach her, but it will be hard to measure up to big brother's lost love. Then again, she was more of a fighter then a cook." she told the pink princes who looked even more disappointed before Kayo pet her head, avoiding her horns. "There, there. You still have a lot of growing to do. Don't worry about getting Rimuru's attention, just be happy doing what you love and not be something other's want you to be." she told the young kijin, as Shuna felt the love and warmth coming from Kayo, she just had to hug her tightly. "T-thank you, big sister." she cried to Kayo who smiled softly at Shuna, letting her calm down a little before they went and serve the lunches.
Kayo a bit nervous as she walked up to Rimuru in his human form, looking at her in confusion not having seen the lunch yet. "Kayo? You're bringing me lunch? I hope your gonna eat yourself." He asked, amused and a little worried as he glanced at the two Kijin watching Kayo but trying not to be obvious. "Of course, slime ball but first I hope you enjoy the lunch I made special for you." she mussed and showed him what it was, and it made the slime pause as he saw it. "Is that?" he asked, his golden eyes sparkling at his lunch before Kayo took his chop sticks and picked up a piece of the beautiful looking omelet.
"Not much use in just looking at it. Give it a taste~." she mussed and placed it right before his lips and the slime happily took it into his mouth and started crying. "S-so good~!" he praised around the light and fluffy omelet in his mouth. Reminded of his childhood when his mother made his bentos, this looked a lot like the ones she used to make him.
"It's alright slime ball. I didn't mean to make you cry." Kayo voiced, a little worried as she gently wiped away his tears and the Slime nuzzled into her warm touch... reminded him so much of his mother as he mused. "You would make a great mom." he teased her as Kayo blushed and bonked him on the head suddenly for the comment. "Shut up and eat slime ball." she hissed at him, and he laughed, not having felt any pain from her blow... not like it was meant to really hurt him.
Kayo took the seat next to the slime, but it was also next to Benimaru, something the kitsune had a feeling was intentional by someone, just not sure by who. "What's in the onigiri?" He asked but instead took a bite out of it and tasted smoked fish. "Hmm~ right in the first bite." he praised as he happily ate it up and Kayo was eating her own lunch, amused by how much the slime was enjoying his simple lunch as she tried to ignore the glances both Benimaru and Souei were giving her.
'Are they mad at me?' she questioned internally, trying not to show her worry. 'I had sex with Souei last night... and just the night before I had Benimaru. I'm not dating them, so it should be okay right? It's not like I cheated.' Kayo questioned as she remained calm, but her transformation disappeared as she was distracted, and her tails abruptly wiggled and twitched as she was thinking and finishing her food at the same time.
"Kayo!" Shuna yelled as she was right in front of the woman who was startled by being called. "Huh? Oh? What's up Shuna?" she asked, clueless as to why the pink kijin was in front of her after she was deep in thought.
"Your disguise is gone, and I want to ask if you would try on some new designs Lord Rimuru suggested." Shuna told her as Kayo looked over to the slime who was finished eating. "That was great Kayo! You should try on those clothes Shuna made. I'm sure you'll like them." He told her, giving her a wide trusting smile, but something seemed... off.
"Sounds fun. Oh! And I need to tell you about some guests we got last-" she was saying before the doors to the room burst open and 3 bandaged elven young women one looking pissed as the other two followed her, looking scared. All three where in light green shirt and pants but on the leader the clothes seemed rather tight.
"You! Fox! I demand you let us go at once!" She yelled and pointed at Kayo who sighed and everyone else in the room was shocked and confused. "Please forgive us Powerful Guardian. She wished to have an audience with you, and we couldn't stop her." the two elves with her pleaded and bowed low as Rimuru was looking at them and then back at an annoyed Kayo. "It's fine. You free to leave anytime you want. I'm not keeping you here." Kayo sighed in annoyance, as if she talked with them about this before as they didn't move to leave. "Not without previsions! We at least need proper clothes and food! That is your job to provide Gurdian of the Great Jura Forest!" the lead elf declared with a smirk as Kayo looked at her with disinterest.
"No." was all she said, and the elves and the others look horrified at one of their kindest leader's cold responses.
"No!? But it is your duty! You must provide us with items we need to-" she was saying before Kayo raised her hand and glared at her. "Do you have a destination in mind?" she asked the elf who looked nervous. "Y-Yes! A village that is not too far from here where my people will be safe!" she shot back but kayo was ready.
"Oh!? And how far is this 'Village'? Is it inside or outside the protection of the Jura Forest?" she asked, and the elf bit her lip. "i-I'm not telling you! Just give us the previsions and we will leave!" the elf yelled at her, but Kayo was unmoved.
'Kayo? What's going on?' Rimuru asked as he listened to them, confused why Kayo didn't seem to want to help these beautiful elven girls. "And what where those 'provisions' you are asking for again?" Kayo asked coolly and the elf huffed and glared at the dwarves who were glaring back at this elf heatedly.
"Clothing items not made by filthy dwarven hands. 4 white horses to drive a large carriage, and an escort to the village of no less then 15 strong young men." the elf asked, and the room got quiet as Kayo had showed them what she had been dealing with. "Um... is there something wrong with the things Kaijin and the others are making?" Rimuru asked, confused as he felt the tension in the air thicken. "Of course! Dwarves can never make anything suitable for a beautiful high elf to wear let alone even step on." the lead elf scoffed as she turned her nose up at the 4 dwarves that were sitting not too far away, looking insulted.
"Lord Kayo, where did you find this spoiled little elf? Didn't think there were any elves who would be this high and mighty after their village's defenses were broken a hundred years ago." Kaijin asked threw gritted teeth. The elves looked hurt by his comment but at least the slime knew a bit about what was going on.
"Hey, just calm down. I'm sorry ladies but we can't give you what you're asking for. We don't have horses, we are a village of mostly goblins, and they ride tempest wolves like Ranga here." The slime tried to reason, and not get distracted by the giggling breasts of the spoiled elf as the tempest wolf slipped out of Rimuru's shadow, the elves all flinching and backing away from the large horned animal.
Ranga looked confused but was content as Kayo started to pet him as a stress reliver and to show the elves that Ranga wouldn't hurt them.
"Goblins and vicious wolves!? No! This... this can't be the village we heard about!" the lead elf looked horrified as Kayo gave a loud heavy sigh. "Our village is called Rimuru City, after our Leader and Chancellor of the Jura Forest Federation, a city of monsters from all across the Great Jura Forest to co-exist in peace and harmony." she told the elf and implored her to look around the room at all the other races that were eating together.
She chose death.
"Ah! Lord Rimuru! Please help us. We have traveled far and faced so many hardships. Please protect me from this awful demon!" the spoiled elf cried and clung to Benimaur's arm... thinking he was Rimuru, the room turned frigid as the slime didn't even get a chance to reach out and stop her before Kayo grabbed the elf... and mangled the girl's arm.
"AGH!" She screamed at the blindingly sudden pain before being thrown into the wall across the room. "MY LADY!" the two elves called to her worriedly, but where shaking to badly to go to her as Kayo was giving off massive amounts of killing intent.
"Don't you dare, lay your fitly hands on him." Kayo hissed as her eyes glowed, and the whites of her eyes turned back. No one was able to move besides Rimuru and Benimaru who slowly reached out to try and stop Kayo but... he let her loom over the elf that had made a very bad mistake in the kitsune's book. "HE is Benimaru, the Samurai General of the Tempest forces, and he is MINE!" Kayo hissed as the air was almost surfcasting with killing intent. "I will not allow anyone one to think they can take what is mine and you will make a fine example of that~." Kayo grinned menacingly as she slowly came closer to the foolish elf who tried to get up and run but screamed in more pain as the back of her heals where cut, preventing her from walking on her feet.
"K-kayo, stop!" the slime commanded but he saw the fox was too pissed to listen to him as he grabbed her around the middle and tried to stop her approach. "I'm sorry but I cannot allow this one to get away with this. I promise not to kill her... survivors are usually smarter than just a rotting corpse." Kayo told him as she did stop as he held her middle tightly as her hands sparked with black lighting in her right and a black fire ball formed in her left hand.
"I... I didn't know... please... spare me..." the elf asked, looking very scared of the kitsune and her many tails, looking ready to harm the elf like she had never experienced before.
"Kayo! Stop! Benimaru! Souei! Do something! Make her stop!" Rimuru asked as he didn't want to hurt his sister because she was possessive over a guy she liked, and who liked her back. The red Kijin looked unsure and looked to Souei who nodded, straining under the kitsunes malice still. They approached the pissed kitsune slowly... and kissed her cheeks, making the malice killing intent instantly disappear.
"H-huh?" Kayo blinked, confused as she had felt two warm lips on her cheeks, eyes going back to 'normal'. She looked on either side of her and saw a smirking Benimaru and an amused Souei as everyone sighed in relief at being able to breath and move easily. "What... just happened?" she asked and looked down at Rimuru who sighed and relief she stopped. "You got pissed at this elf for just touching what was yours." the slime recapped and let her go slowly as Kayo recalled the recent memory and blushed.
"Oh, crud. I'm so sorry Rimuru-nee-san." Kayo apologized and looked more embarrassed than sorry. "At least now we know how possessive you can be, Lady Kayo." Souei pointed out as Benimaru pulled the blushing fox close and into his arms. "So, I'm yours? Kayo?" he asked into her ear, making her blush as red as his hair. "S-sorry. You're not an object... or mine." She softly whined and slipped out of his arms easily before Souei got to hug her. "Would you react the same way if a girl touches me?" the asked and Kayo answered a little too quickly.
"N-no!" she blurted out and covered her mouth as she looked away ashamed as Souei looked like a kicked puppy, making Kayo feel guilty as she pulled away from him, and Souei let her go. "Can we not talk about this right now? We have other issues at hand." She mentioned and tried to get away from the awkward subject of her feelings for the two kijin.
Rimuru having taking pity on the elf healed her and helped her up, much to the relief of the two elves that came with her, still trembling from the display of malice done by the Guardian of the Jura Forest they had just witnessed.
"Rimuru these three where prisoners of slavers who came into the forest at night to sell them, and capture some of our own." Kayo hissed lowly, but there was no killing intent. "It was just these 3, 2 young harpy girls and another elf who was heavily pregnant, sire unknown." Kayo explained, giving the slime a hint that the last elf may have been 'sampled' as the slime felt a cold chill run over his body as she implied it.
"D-don't pretend you didn't leave her to die! S-she and her child were killed by your hands!" The uppity elf accused, and Kayo rubbed the bridge of her nose at her accusation. "I really don't think my sister would do that Miss." the slime reasoned as he looked at Kayo and she gave him the true story.
~Rimuru's Office~
"That princess was a real piece of work." Kayo groaned as she sunk into the couch, still petting Ranga who was happy to take away Kayo's stress. "You said it, but I'm glad to help them regardless of how you looked to them. Why did you start that training hospital? I can just heal everyone." the slime asked, having visited the place and seen how the goblins where learning about herbs, different Moster bodies in greater detail then the school, animals, and even surgery which really impressed the slime.
"Not all things require your healing potions, and it may have a limit to what it can and cannot cure. Or even be mistaken as something it's not. I've honestly avoided using the potions you give me but... I did have to use one on the mother elf, she wouldn't have been able to see her child grow up." Kayo pointed out, as she looked at a nearly asleep Ranga who was drooling from her comforting pets. "Not to mention, if your away, and there are no more potions, what will happen? And that's not taking into account that other countries might attack us if they even think we have some Super Cure. It's one of the reasons why King Dwargo wants to ally with us. To get that resource and stay on your good side." she finished with slight amusement as the slime took her words in carefully.
"But why would he-?"
"Insurance, I'm mostly an undercover political hostage, should you decided to attack Dwargon, I would be their first choice in meat shields. Everyone you've named would take your side and attack if you wished it. Regardless of my safety." Kayo added sadly, thinking of Souei and Benimaru mostly.
"No. They would care too much and try to save you. If you haven't gotten out yourself, your too smart to get-" the slime mussed but realized something. "Trapped?" he finished as he thought of Valdora inside his infinite imprisonment. "Kayo... I need your help with something." he asked, and Kayo looked at him upside down, curious what he was talking about. "Okay? What is it slime ball?" she asked, and the slime rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, you know about the Storm Dragon Veldora?" he asked, and she nodded and sat up as she looked at him Ranga happily asleep on her lap. "Yeah. What about em?" she asked and became shocked at what he told her. "Um well I kinda ate him... but don't worry he's not digested like the orc lord! He's trapped inside a prison I've been trying to get him out of. You think you could... help?" he asked her with a worried smile as she got up and came over to him, her eyes glowing but not in malice but excitement as her tails happily wagged.
"Does that mean, I get to meet Lord Valdora!?" she asked, excited to meet the one her father had talked about when she was still a kit at least in her mind.
"Y-yeah. but don't get your hopes up, he's been trapped for a long time and has been a bit lonely. Don't freak out okay." Rimuru told her as he devolved into his cute slime form and Kayo pulled him into her lap. "Instead of you eating me, let me try something. It should be less gross." she told him as she didn't like him 'eating' her and spiting her out.
The slime agreed and felt tingly as her hands where gently placed on his body and something flowed inside him steadily.
~Rimuru's Stomach~
Kayo looked around, seeing nothing but black space all around her, the sound of silence freaking her out a little, so she called out. "Rimuru? Are you there?" she asked and tested the 'ground' her feet where on before carefully moving to see how long it would be before she found something... freezing as she looked up and saw a pair of glowing golden eyes... high above her head, and slowly she was able to see a massive dark blue dragon in front of her.
"The Storm Dragon...Veldora?" she questioned as her eyes widen upon looking at the dragon who gave off a fierce roar that nearly blasted the fox back, but she stood her ground and focused on the dragon in admiration and confusion.
"Tremble before the mightily Storm Dragon, little fox! Fear my overwhelming might! Be honored to-" the dragon was saying with grand bravado as he loomed over the kitsune who reached out and touched his nose with her whole hand suddenly. "Boop." she said out loud as her black and white tips tails wiggled excitedly behind her, the dragon looking at her in confusion as no one had ever booped his nose before as he pulled back from her, covering his nose.
"W-what was that strange sorcery!?" he asked looking a bit panicked as he had felt some strange warmth blossom on his nose form the 'boop'.
A familiar voice couldn't help but chuckle at the mighty dragon being so confused by a nose boop. "I see you met Veldora Tempest." the little slime mussed as he hopped over to the kitsune. "So Veldora this is my sister Kayo Tempest. I asked her to help us with undoing your prison. So, be nice to her, okay?" The slime said carefully as the dragon looked at Kayo seriously, getting a closer look at her but not too close, just out of arms reach.
"This little thing is going to help us... and you gave her the name Tempest?" he asked, observing the fox and her many tails. "She does seem strong, but I don't think she could be of much use with unraveling this intricate of a spell." Veldora mentioned as he crossed his arms. "Never know until you try. Plus, it could go by faster with a fresh mind to help you guys. 3 heads are better than one." Kayo added as she studied Veldora with great interest.
"Oh~ What's your wingspan? How long are you from nose to tail? Oh! Your scales are soft! Are those scars on your eyes or markings? Oh! Can you breathe fire? If so, how hot and for how long? If you're a storm dragon, can you effect the weather?" Kayo asked excitedly as she was all over the dragon, petting him and inspecting his body with great interest. The dragon himself was shocked at how... fearless the kitsune was and just went and started touching him!
"D-did I give you permission to touch me, little fox!?" he yelled as he felt her on top of his head, petting him and his ears before he felt her hand touch a strange spot, he didn't even know about, that turned him into jelly as he lay flat on the ground within seconds.
"Ah~ what did you just... do?" Valdora asked in confusion as his tail slowly wagged as the fox kept gently stroking that strange spot on his left ear, the large dragon starting to purr like a happy house cat that felt warm and safe. "Aww~ I read about dragons and how they had a little soft spot behind their left ear. I didn't think that was true till now." Kayo informed him and pulled her hand away. "Did it hurt?" Kayo asked as she appeared before one of the dragon's eyes, looking concerned.
"No." he responded with a blush as the slime smiled at the two. "Glad you two are getting along now. Oh no." the slime gulped as Kayo had frozen when she caught site of the familiar fire sprit.
"YOU!" Kayo roared before going at the fire sprit with malice, only to be stopped by the dragon himself. Holding her back in his massive claws. "You didn't tell her about Ifrit did you." Veldora asked as he could feel the kitsune raging in his claws as the slime looked a little nervous. "I kind of forgot." the slime admitted, hoping the fox would calm down soon but... Kayo cared about Shizu too.
~Later~
"I'm okay now." Kayo grumbled as she was sitting in Veldora's claws in a meditative pose and her arms crossed as she glared at the fire sprit who bowed low to her. "Please forgive me for my pervious actions, Lady Kayo." the fire sprit asked as Kayo glared at him still. "Talk is cheap. Prove to me with your actions that your sorry. Then maybe I will think about forgiving what you did to Shizu." the kitsune hissed as the dragon set her down on the 'ground.'
"Yes, Lady Kayo. I will do my best to aid you, Lord Rimuru and Lord Veldora in your endeavors." he said as he was still bowing low, Kayo was tempted to kick him but let it go. "Okay, first off slime ball, can you make this space less... voidy? It makes things seem pretty hopeless and if we are working on this might as well have a nice space to try and figure this thing out." Kayo pointed out and waved to the dark space around him and the slime looked unsure.
"Eh? I don't think I can change it so easily Kayo." he told her as Kayo looked at him confused. "It shouldn't be that hard... just think of a place that made you happy, like a park, a classroom, a gym, or even your old room." she suggested, and the slime thought for a moment but couldn't seem to change anything. "Keep trying, have you ever seen cherry blossoms? Try thinking of a place from one of your favorite anime, manga or even video games." Kayo suggested and the slime tired again... this time a few small pink petals floated around them.
"That's it. Focus on that memory, the smell, the feel, the sites, the sounds all around you." Kayo encouraged and placed her hand on the slime to see his memory and help him bring it around them and cast away the dark void.
"This... what is this?" Veldora asked as he looked around at all the pink Sakura trees, pink petals floating all around them as they sat on a well-worn blue and white checkered blanket, resting on top of emerald, green grass. Ifrit was also looking around, amazed to see this beautiful scenery suddenly appear in the once dark void, holding out his hand he had a few of the soft pink and white petals drift into his palm.
"It's beautiful." he voiced as the Slime voiced his excitement and joy. "It's like the Hanami from when I was a kid! Even the rip in the blanket is the same!" he voiced as he looked down and recognized his parents old Hanami blanket, made by his human great grandmother many years ago.
"See~ this is your space so you can change it as you wish. I would say this is much better than that dreary dark void." Kayo giggled as she could also feel the soft petals of the Sakura tress and smell their unmistakable scent with the feel of the well-loved blanket and the soft lush grass. Kayo couldn't help but feel at peace in the moment.
~Shuna & Benimaru~
"B-brother?" Shuna called him as she stared at the familiar looking scroll her brother and just unrolled on their table. Having found it along with a familiar box waiting for them in their home. "This can't be... it was destroyed in the attack." the red kijin marveled as his hand grazed over the painting inside the scroll, not believing his eyes.
It was the last portrait of the late Oni Chieftains family... The oni himself standing tall and proud with his hand resting on the shoulder of a beautiful White Oni woman who smiled softly in the painting as she gently held a little pink oni in her arms and then between the two adults... was a familiar little red oni.
"Big brother... that's Father... Mother... you and I." Shuna voiced as she feels to her knees in tears as she was both relived and happy to have something of her parents back, and then there was the box, a golden cord neatly wrapped around it keeping it closed.
"The rope was replaced." Shuna pointed out as she gave it a light tug and it came undone.
"Who could have done this? Souei?" Benimaru questioned, confused why the blue kijin would give them these... as Shuna opened the box and gasped... a small, folded piece of paper was set on top of some familiar looking white robes and their sliver accessories adorned with many colorful jewels. The pink kijin pulled out the letter, curious and confused as she read it... quickly learning it was not form her long pasted mother... but from someone who was like a big sister to her.
"It's from Kayo... she retrieved them for us." Shuna told Benimaru who was holding back his tears and chuckled as he recognized what was inside the box.
"I hope she's not on planning marrying you to Lord Rimuru so soon. You wouldn't fit into mother's wedding kimono." he mused as Shuna gasped, not having noticed what the white cloth was. Making her smile through her tears. "Or maybe she wants me to keep them safe for when you propose to her." the little pink sister teased, giggling as her brother turned red from embarrassment at the idea but a small smile bloomed on his lips at the thought.