I Got Reincarnated! - Kitsune Chronicles
~Chapter 21~ Dangerous Tasks
"Shion... why are you pulling out your sword?" Kayo asked, doing one of the most dangerous things in Tempest... letting Shion cook.
The Kijin woman smiling brightly as she held up her large sword with ease in one hand, dressed in a simple white apron over her yellow blouse, her purple blazer jacket hanging on a hook near the door way as a warning to anyone passing by the open assembly building's kitchen doors. A few brave souls peeking in curiously as it was just the two women inside the large kitchen.
"Hercules' Edge is perfect for any task. Those vegetables will be as good as minced! Huh?" Shion told her proudly as she raised her sword and brought her hands down, only... Shion didn't have her Japanese claymore in her hands anymore. "No. I don't think they will." Kayo told her deadly serious as Shion turned around and saw a rather pissed off kitsune holding her sword before it disappeared into her tails.
"L-lord Kayo!? What are you doing!?" the woman looked horrified as she was going about to beg the kitsune leader for her weapon back, but revived a serious glare instead.
"Do you want to improve or not? A combat sword does not belong in the kitchen. It's unsanitary! I'm not going to tolerate a sword that has cut threw enemies, and Lord Veldanava knows what else! It's a disgrace to the Dryads, the Goblins and the Great Jura Forest who have provided us with these ingredients, only to make something so... so..." Kayo was saying and trying to find the right word to describe Shion's cooking.
'Foul, Vile, Abominable, Offensive. Repugnant. Sicking. Rancid.' The demon helpfully provided before Kayo chose one.
"VILE!" Kayo shouted and Shion gasped in shock, falling to her knees and crying a little.
'She told her!' Their watchers thought in shock, Shion looked like she was about to cry harder before Kayo kneeled and put a comforting hand on the purple kijin's shoulder. The woman looked up and blushed, meeting the glowing golden eyes of the kitsune. "Do you want to see Rimuru's full unforced smile? To see his eyes sparkle with delight~? To have his pleasured moans and genuine praises spill from his lips~? For him to delightfully ask you for more~? Don't you want to know how that truly feels ~?" Kayo questioned, softly whispering low into the kijin's ear, making a dark blush spread across her cheeks, her heart raced as the kitsune's breath was warm against her ear and filled her head with delightful thoughts.
"Yes, Lord Kayo~. I want it~. I want it all~." Shion begged with a breathy sigh.
'What is she doing?' Rimuru questioned worriedly, golden eyes narrowed as the two women stood up, Shion looking very fluttered.
"First things first. Let's start with something simple, boiling water." Kayo told Shion who saluted her eagerly. "Yes, Lord Kayo! I won't let you down!" The woman smiled widely as Kayo let her do most of it herself.
~A Few Minutes Later~
"Well... I think you successfully made Holy Water, cus you certainly burned the hell out of it." Kayo sighed as she extinguished the massive fire Shion had started, within the time Kayo looked away, having heard something hiding in the ceiling space above the kitchen. the kijin herself was fine but covered in soot as she bowed to the kitsune who had saved her and most of the kitchen from fiery destruction.
Rimuru sniffled a laugh at the kitsune's joke, but also got the attention of Shion.
"L-LORD RIMURU!" She cried, looking horrified that the slime had watched her failure at such a simple task, her tantrum kicking up a fuss in the once pristine kitchen as their audience quickly disbursed, except for the slime who stood his ground in the door way.
"S-shion it's okay! Y-you tried!" He tried to assured the woman but was confused when he heard Shion give a strangled cry. When it was safe to look, the slime peeked to see Shion kneeling on the ground holding her horn and... panting? Kayo looming over her with an out stretched arm above the kneeling kijin, pulling it back to cross under her chest.
"Shion, don't let this set you back. Try again. Cooking is a skill not many can accomplish. What matters after you survive; is that you don't give up and learn from your mistakes." Kayo encouraged before looking at the kitchen with a frown, thinking for a bit before she looked at her brother. "Sorry about the damage Slime ball, I'll make sure it's fixed once we're done here." she assured the nervous slime and doing mental calculations on the repair cost.
"Hey. Shion, you don't have to keep doing-" Rimuru tried to assure his bodyguard who then got a determined look on her face. "Of course, I do Lord Rimuru! I want to get the same reactions as Lord Kayo's cooking does from you!" the kijin admitted earnestly... both reincarnations shared a worried look before Kayo pulled Shion's attention back to boiling water.
~Hours Later, Dinner Time~
"Is Kayo still trying to teach Shion how to boil water?" Shuna asked, looking worried for the kitsune as everyone had been avoiding going anywhere near the kitchen. There were some odd sounds and horror filled screams that didn't sound like Kayo nor Shion, no one dared to check what was causing them, not even Souei wanted to investigate it or had more pressing matters to check on.
"Lord Rimuru! My sister has gone missing!" Gabiru burst in and made straight for the humanoid slime who had a bad feeling about the unfamiliar screams in the kitchen. "H-how long has she been missing?" he asked the lizard man who was about to answer before Shion burst in with a proud grin and a seemingly harmless light blue mug with steam coming out of it.
"Lord Rimuru~! I made you something~! I know you're really going to enjoy this~!" Shion sang happily as she took careful steps while humming. Everyone in the room was quiet, watching Shion as she stood next to the slime and carefully placed the mug down in front of their Lord. Rimuru eyed it carefully as the liquid inside was a weird brown color and some melted white stuff was floating inside it. Looking up at Shion who was giving him a sparking smile, not blinking to witness his full reaction.
"Shion, where is Kayo? Wasn't she with you in the kitchen?" Shuna asked, distracting the woman for a bit to blink. "Oh! Lord Kayo is taking care of Souka, who volunteered to be my taste tester!" Shion told explained with a bright smile but... Gabiru was the first to rush out of the room, as the others looked at her in horror. The image of Kayo siting back in amusement while Shion was feeding her cooking to the foolish dragonewt girl that dared to have a crush on Souei, who was Kayo's mate.
"K-kayo!" Benimaru yelped in shock, blushing bright red as he suddenly had the kitsune herself in his lap, her head resting on his chest and nose pressed into his neck. Taking a slow inhale of his scent as her arms wrapped around him. "Kayo? Are you okay?" Rimuru asked, trying to put off drinking what Shion had made as long as he could.
"I'm fine. It's okay to drink it Slime ball." Kayo told him as she yawned into the kijin's neck, making him stiffen at the warm breath across his skin. "What? Why are you in Beni-?" he was asking before he heard her thoughts.
'I need cuddles from my master! Do you know how many pots Shion burned through with just water! 137! Let me have this!' the kitsune snapped in her thoughts, ironically without thinking, even if on the outside she was partly asleep in the flustered Benimaru's lap, he placed a hand on her head and gently stoked her ears making her sigh softly. Souei looking a bit envious but left to check up on Souka and Gabiru, unsurprised that the girl was traumatized by the Kijn woman's cooking.
Rimuru looked unsure as all eyes were on him, Shion still eagerly awaiting his reaction. 'Well... Kayo did say it was okay.' he thought and took a careful sip of the strange liquid, it was very hot of course but once it spilled a bit more over his humanoid tongue... he recognized the liquid and white stuff floating in it.
"N-no way! Is this... Hot chocolate!? And marshmallows!?" he asked, stunted to find the taste so pleasing, looking at the now sleeping fox before he heard her voice in his mind. 'Tell that to Shion. She made it. Or boiled the water for it at least.' She explained and the slime smiled at Shion who eagerly awaited his praises.
"Good job, Shion. I'm sure Kayo can teach you a lot more!" The slime told her and Shion looked like she was in heaven and giggled happily. "Of course, Lord Rimuru! I want to cook more for you, and Lord Kayo told me if I can boil water like this a 100 more times, she will give me a special gift!" She told the slime excitedly, but behind her Shuna looked stunned and a little hurt at Shion's reward for just boiling water.
The pink Kijin looked to the sleeping Kitsune in her brother's lap, smiling a little before she served up everyone's dinner, putting Kayo's away for later.
~Early Morning, Kayo~
"Hmm?" Kayo slowly woke up, confused to where she was for a moment, not sure where she was. The scent of a campfire and cinnamon all around her didn't help as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Strong warm arms draped over her hips, large rough hands touching the bare skin of her back made the kitsune smile as she looked at Benimaru, sleeping soundly next to her.
'So cute~.' Kayo mussed as she got a little closer and softly pecked the sleeping young man's lips. A warm feeling spreading threw her body before she slowly pulled away, only to be pulled flush against his body, his face nuzzled her neck, his breath making her blush as it fluttered across her bare skin.
'Wait a minute!' Kayo realized in shock that she was topless and in only her black panties, no bra either, while Benimaru was just in his boxers as they lay in bed together. "Pervert." Kayo mussed as she planted a kiss on one of the red Kijin's black horns. Even if they had no nerve endings, the kijin could still 'feel' sensations threw them. Benimaru let out a soft moan at the kiss to his horn, tangling his legs with Kayo's, just about trapping her in his bed.
'I wish I could just lay here with him, but... I still have some things to deal with.' Kayo though sadly as she ran a hand threw his soft red hair before turning into a shadow and slipping out of his arms easily, the kijin groaned at the sudden loss of her soft, warm body before his eyes opened.
"Kayo?" he called her name and slowly sat up, looking around but seeing only his dark messy room before golden eyes looked at him from the darkness. "Go back to sleep, Beni." Kayo told him softly as the red kijin reached for her only to grasp at nothing, which chilled him as he bolted from his bed, red eyes wide in shock before his hands touched her soft warm... fur?
"I'm still here. I've got some work to do at my village." Kayo told him, nuzzling the kijin even in her fox form. Benimaru frowned as he gently stroked her fur that felt heavenly but he could feel her tense as he touched her. "You don't want me to touch you?" he asked her and Kayo looked away in embarrassment.
"N-not in this form. I have to move quickly and I move faster, stealthier this way." she admitted to him, nervous that he found her 'beast' form unattractive, but he kept stroking her fur. "You look beautiful." he told her and made the kitsune's fur stand up as he said it. "Do..." Kayo wanted to ask, her fur masking her blush, but her white tipped tails wagged behind her. "I mean it, Kayo. You're a kitsune, this is just natural for you." Benimaru mentioned, but sounded sad as he realized something as he pressed his face into the plush white fur on her chest, feeling her neck and tails wrap around him in soft warmth.
"Go back to bed, Beni." she told him and the Kijin's eyes slowly closed, the scent of persimmons lightly coming off his kitsune mate's fur. "Will you come with me?" he asked her, giving her an amused smirk, almost surprised when she shifted into her nearly naked humanoid from, blushing and covering her breasts from his view. "I've already seen all of you. Why so shy?" He teased, kissing her head as he re wrapped his arms around her, hands resting on her hips. Their bodies pressed together as Kayo wrapped her arms around his neck and reached up as he bent down a little to close the distance for a soft kiss before pulling away, her golden eyes looking up at him, soft and loving.
"M-maybe... for just a bit longer." Kayo sighed, going back to his bed where they just lay under his sheets, soaking in each other's wonderful scent and warmth. Kayo listening to his heart beat, Benimaru gently petting her head and cute ears.
~Kayo Village, Council Room~
"Sis? Sis? Lord Kayo Tempest!" Anthony called his sister who blinked, having been spaced out during their council meeting.
"Huh? Ah... sorry, I was thinking of... something else." Kayo admitted, and tried not to blush about how Shuna had walked in on her with her brother. Not that they were doing anything naughty at the time but... laying almost naked on top of Benimaru while under the sheets together looked very suspicious to the innocent young kijin.
"We wanted to know if you really want to allow the Dryads to live among us." Oceana asked, looking worried for their Kitsune Lord, she was giving off an odd smell that wasn't normal for her, but also wasn't normal for a kitsune in her first heat. "I have nothing against having them live with us, as Treyni mentioned something about serving a Queen of Sprits when she returns. Apparently, she reincarnates as a fairy, so I don't think it will be for long." Kayo mentioned as she had Bell and a few other Faries come in on the meeting with them, the little winged creatures chattering in confusion.
"Bell? Copper for your thoughts?" The kitsune asked, curious what and where this Queen of Sprits was.
"Lord Kayo... The Queen of Sprits hasn't been seen for many centuries and a lot of Faires have been scattered all over. Some have looked for her but..." Bell looked ready to cry as the kitsune felt her little body trembling. "They didn't come back?" Kayo asked and the fairy nodded, rubbing her eyes of her small tears.
"Still, what kind of position or job can we give them in the village that isn't going to be vital to Tempest's protection and our village's wellbeing?" The void kitsune asked, looking at the leaders and her brother before Treyni and Trya appeared before the kitsune lord, both falling to their knees as the elder of the two forcing the younger to touch her head to the tatami mats.
"Lord Kayo! Please forgive the hurtful words of my little sister!" the dryad begged, the kitsune all looking at them in confusion. "Treyni, this isn't the time to talk about that." Kayo sighed, still unhappy with the young Dryad but she wouldn't take it out on her... yet. "Yes, it is! She was being very disrespectful to you as the Guardian of the Great Jura Forest and Co-Leader of the Jura Tempest Federation. Never mind that you're soon to be the ONLY Kitsune Lord!" The older sister looked up, at Kayo with her blueish green eyes full of stubbornness and mischief.
"Please punish my sister as you see fit. She is at your mercy." Treyni told the black kitsune who looked at a tearful Trya, who had been quiet the whole time and spotted the alter. It held the paintings and offerings to the fallen kitsune, their pearls sitting on top of pillows that strangely didn't match their fur color.
"W-why are those pillows the wrong colors?" Trya asked, confusing the kitsunes and her sister before Kayo glanced at the altar. "No. They're the right colors. Those are their favorite colors and Otto didn't care for sweets." the void kitsune explained, the water fox's space being the only one void of sweets like the others, instead there was some fired tofu and a cup of fresh coffee that Kayo had made not too long ago.
"Lord Kayo... please forgive me. I was so rude to you. I didn't think you deserved to replace Lord Veldora as Guardian. Y-you changed the forest so much but so has Lord Rimuru. You at least think of the Treants and small animals your actions effect. I'm even a big fan of those little fairy houses you have made for them." the dryad weakly laughed as she mentally compared the two leaders.
While the Slime, Rimuru was powerful, having taken care of the Orc Disaster and even named the surviving Orcs, it was Kayo who handled the disbursement of the Orcs, giving them jobs and food, they desperately needed. The lizardmen had been relucent to supply fish for their new allies but it was the Kitsune who helped to breed bigger and more plentiful fish. Then there was the goblins and Tempest wolves, who assisted her in preserving the wildlife and caring for sick and injured animals, even if they did not call the Great Jura Forest home. Having started up a seemingly useless hospital and several other ventures that seemed so superficial to the forest sprits. Yet they seemed to raise the sprits of its residences and visitors.
Even in Kayo Village, Trya could see how much more the young void kitsune was doing, even taking in orphaned humans that had been unwanted among their own. The cunning fox was trying to instill peace and unity into the young ones.
"Okay... so what is it you really want Trya? Treyni?" Kayo asked them, remembering Orion's prediction about the two dryad's desires, they looked to each other and both bowed to the Kitsune Lord who was not prepared for their answer. "Please make us the God mothers of your kits." The older Dryad asked, a bright smile on her face as it took Kayo a while to process what she had asked, making her give a deep sigh. "I can't give you that, and I'm sure the Queen of sprits will appear long before it ever happens." The void kitsune reasoned but then all eyes turned to her and Trya spoke first.
"But... Lord Kayo, are you not already with child?" she asked, flinching as Kayo's golden eyes looked at her with deathly seriousness. "I'm very sure I'm not pregnant. I've been using protection and contraception spells. That and I haven't even had my first heat yet." She reasoned with the dryad and Kitsune leaders who looked worried before Orion spoke up.
"My Lord... sometimes children come... sooner than expected." he warned with a serious frown? Kayo paled before she looked at Oceana who nodded, the void kitsune lay down to let the water fox do a health scan on her body... or rather, her reproductive organs. Everyone was quiet and watched with confusion, having never seen this kind of magic before with their own eyes. "Lord Kayo is not with child but..." the water kitsune started and Kayo sat up, confused about what the elder had found. "What is it?" she asked, and the woman looked very worried and confused.
"My lord, you... your able to carry without the need for your first heat... but there is something in your system that is preventing you from going into heat." she told the void fox who was confused and then understanding of what the 'strange' intruder might have given her that night. "Okay. Anything else? Would it harm any kits I decide have later on?" she asked, and the woman looked unsure. "N-not that I can tell my lord... did your father... tell you anything about this? Or your mother?" she asked worriedly as Kayo shrugged and looked to Anthony who looked worried.
"Lady Oceana, when we were kits... our mother warned us not to help our sister after she was kicked out of our den. Why would she tell us that? Why would she just toss out her own kit?" Antony asked, just as confused as his sister. "Well, your father was well known for having many mates... and then leaving them when they did not have any kits that were also void foxes. Lord Kayo is the first as far as I know." Oceana told him before Treyni nodded sadly. "This is true, Zorro has been trying to breed more Void foxes for almost a millennium, you are the first one born since himself as far as the dryads know." the dryad informed her but the kitsune was still confused before she realized something.
"Treyni... how many kitsune are closely related to me or my father?" she asked, and it dawned on the leaders of the genetic doom the reckless void elder had caused, the dryad sighed sadly. "You and your Kijin mates have our blessing, as well as any future mates you desire. Also, I understand that gender nor age matter to you much." Treyni questioned with a smirk as Kayo felt uneasy about it... and for good reason.
~Veldora's Cave~
"So this is where Rimuru was born and Veldora was sealed?" Kayo questioned as she entered the cave that had once held Veldora. Having needed somthing to help take her mind off that meeting and the thought of bearing children, the kitsune wrapping her arms around her middle as she walked. A few dim lanterns lighting the way down before widening to an open aera, earthen platforms filled with glowing white flowers with a slow-moving stream between the path and the flowers.
"Is this all the security this place has?" Kayo questioned as she noticed a small wooden bridge that spanned over the widest part of the stream. No one seemed to be around as her golden eyes glowed in the dark, allowing her to see clearly, she came close to the strange white flowers that she almost recognized but smelled far more familiar to her.
"Father? What is going on? Why did you leave?" Kayo asked softly, but in the vast cave her voice echoed softly. Kneeling down she just looked at the white plants that smelled like her father... or rather her father smelled like them. Carefully she took out the letter she had received from Demon Lord Carrion, running her thumb under the wax seal but not breaking it just yet. Her golden eyes becoming unfocused as she was lost in her fading memory of the void fox, her mind oddly quiet as the sound of the cave was all that could be heard before a flapping of wings came closer to her.
"Halt! Who goes there!" came a voice suddenly as 4 dragonnewts landed behind the kitsune, thinking she was an intruder before they saw her many black, white tipped tails. "Lord Kayo? What are you doing here?" the leader asked as he approached the fox but was confused when she didn't respond to her name or when he waved his large scaly hand in front of her face. "Is Lord Kayo alright, Sir Gabiru?" one of Gabiru's followers asked, looking a bit concerned as the fox was deathly still. Even as the dragonewt put his face right in front of Her's and gave a hard glare, getting closer and closer until he could almost kiss her, only he pulled back and he rubbed his chin in concern.
"No reaction? She's either stunned by my brilliance or deep in thought." the usually dim dragonewt concluded as his followers all looked uncertain and were quiet, having remembered their last encounter with the kitsune.
~Kayo's Mind~
"Agape? Lust? Planning? Housekeeping? Jester?" Kayo called out into the void of her mind, but got no response or movement. "Sirus? Ares?" she tried one more time but still... everything around her was a still as a painting and just as quiet. "Where is everyone?" Kayo asked as she walked around the meeting table and to the glittering shear white drapes. There was no room behind it, just the stairs leading down into the white marble path that was lined with Sakura trees and colorful rose bushes.
"What is going on here? Demon?" Kayo called out wondering if the demon would respond to her, it did as a black pearl that was his prison, floated in front of her.
"You called for me?" it asked, oddly sounding happy.
"Why are you the only one here?" Kayo asked, looking at the demon's prison, closing her right eye as the feedback from the eye she took from the demon was annoying her senses.
"What do you mean?" it asked, sounding confused which worried Kayo.
"You know what I mean. Your smarter than that." She scolded the demon who sounded like he was... giggling? "Thank you for the praise, however it is just you and I here at the moment." it told her and the kitsune was already tired of dealing with him. "How did you like Friendship is Magic?" she asked, part curious and partly hoping to scare the demon whom had grown a fear of colorful ponies.
It was quiet of course.
"Whatever. Where are my other selves? I know Jester has been showing you season 9." Kayo reasoned as she walked through the rose garden that was around her central gazebo, frowning as she seemed to come to the statues of the fallen. Created out of white marble was the image of Shizue Izawa, her mask in her hand as to show off her softly smiling face. Not too far from her was Geld Sr. As he had been before he became the Orc disaster, his image preserved in black marble. Then there were her foxes, each of them sculpted with uncured reddish-brown clay, a dent right in the middle of their chest that would fit their pearls and keep them safe.
"Hey demon... why can I still see their souls when I'm not using your eye?" Kayo asked it and the demon was quiet, seeming not wanting to respond at first before a familiar male voice spoke to her.
Kayo Tempest has gained the Unique Skill: Soul Seer
~Waking World~
"WHAT!?" Kayo yelled in shock as she snapped out of her thoughts as she suddenly stood up after kneeling. Hearing a groan of pain and feeling like something had hit her head... or she had rammed her head into something.
"Lord Gabiru!" several voices shouted in shock as Kayo realized she was back in the cave and looking behind her where 3 dragonewts worrying over a semi familiar form. "What happened to him?" she asked bluntly, as the 3 looked at her in shock. "Ah! L-lord Kayo... Lord Gabiru was just seeing if you were alright!" one of the followers explained nervously, the kitsune's golden eyes shifting to the bucket of fertilizer that had fallen near Gabiru's hand.
"Uh huh. Well, sorry for spacing out here. I just wanted to see what the Hipokute herbs looked like. I've never seen them before." the kitsune lord admitted as she turned her gaze back to the strange flowers, before she realized she no longer had her father's letter and looked around on the ground for it. "Lord Kayo? Are you looking for something?" asked one of Gabiru's followers as he saw Kayo sigh sadly. "Yes, I had a letter from my father but I think I lost it. Agh, I can't even smell it with all the herbs here." she muttered and confused the dragonewts.
"Huh? Why is that? Surely you could sniff out the letter, right?" Another one asked, now curious about the kitsune since Gabiru was okay, just knocked out. "I could but my father smells like these herbs, so it's like finding a single brown grain of rice in a 50-kilogram bag of white rice." Kayo described to them, looking a bit upset before she shook her head. "Well, I'm sure it was nothing important. I plan to pay him a visit later anyway. Oh! and before I forget." Kayo was about to walk away before she pulled out 4 bento boxes, holding them out to the closest of the dragonewts who looked at her in confusion.
"I made you guys' lunch, as thanks for your all-hard work here. It couldn't have been easy." she lightly praised them as the confused dragonets curiously opened the boxes and drooled at the heavenly and familiar smell that arose from the still hot food inside. "I thought you guys might be a little home sick so I used the fish that's native to your home land. Can you guys point me to where Vesta's lab is? I have a lunch for him too." The kitsune asked as the dragonewts where still drooling over her food before one spoke up despite his drooling. "Yes! Just follow this path, there are more lanterns and you will find a door there." One of the supplied happily before they took a bite of the heavenly lunch.
"SO GOOD~!" They praised as the kitsune left them to enjoy their food, not knowing that her father's letter would be found before she could leave the cave as Gabiru groaned from the pain as he woke up to the smell of food.
~Vesta's Lab~
"Vesta? It's me, Kayo." Kayo called out after knocking on the wooden door at the end of the lit path. Waiting for a bit before entering anyway after hearing no answer. She poked her head in carefully and saw the man slumped over something on the table. Being very stealthy she approached to take a look at what he had been working on, only to grab the hunched over minster by the back of his collar before his face could be burned off by a sudden reaction.
"W-what the!?" Vesta strutted, more in shock then fear as he looked at his hero, blinking a bit to try and recognize the kitsune leader. "Ah! Lady Inari! I wasn't expecting to see you here. Oh! S-sorry for the mess I wasn't expecting you. Hold on one moment! Would you like some tea?" He asked her, looking pale and a little scared, confusing Kayo.
"No thanks, and Just call me Lord Kayo, since I'm in my kitsune form." She brushed it off but the minster still looked tense as he set a tea cup in front of her anyway. "Thank you. I actually came to give you your lunch and check up on you. You've been working hard on your research and I was curious since I run the hospital maybe we could exchange notes." Kayo suggested as the Vesta sat down across from her, looking shocked.
"A hospital? Here? Of all places?" he asked, and stoked his chin in surprise as Kayo sighed in annoyance. "May I see your notes, Lord Kayo?" he asked and Kayo was a bit surprised before she took out his lunch. "Eat first, and then we can talk about posable medicines that are not made from the Hipokute Herb or have other uses for it other than potions." she reasoned and the minster was a bit taken aback to be given a lunch.
"Thank you, Lord Kayo." He said and opened the box only to see a cute bear made of rice inside. "It's... adorable." he told her, amused as he started eating finding himself a bit starved for the well-made food that put Dwargon's elite chefs to shame.
Kayo took a sip of the tea to be polite, and just watched as Vesta ate while crying over the food. "I'm not that good of a cook, am I?" she asked, confused as to why her cooking tasted so different, the orcs knew her cooking well and could tell when she was the one who made their meals or she had left the task to Shuna and the goblins.
"Hmm~ you are. Not only do you think of the one you're feeding but it seems you take into account their health and personal tastes as well." Vesta mussed as he noticed the orange slices. "I suppose I should get more sun. Would it be a bother to check out the research you have at your hospital?" He asked with a soft smile and Kayo nodded. "Sure. Just ask one of the nurses, I'll let them know to let you into my office where I keep most of my research." she told the man and made sure he finished it all, not that the dwarf would let such good food go to waste anyway.
There was another knock on the door but they didn't wait for a response before Gabiru opened the door rather forcefully. "You! Kitsune!" he yelled as he spotted Kayo who was confused and a bit annoyed as he rushed up to her and gave a deep bow.
"I didn't get to properly thank you, for saving our lives before. Thank you!" Gabiru respectfully said to the tempest leader who glanced at Vesta who gave her a soft smile before she sighed. "You're welcome, did you finish your-" she was asking before the dragonewt stood back up, towering over the short kitsune, holding out her father's letter and... a potted Hipokute herb.
"What's this? Oh! You found my father's letter, thanks." Kayo smiled at the dragonewt who smiled back at her, proud of himself and trying not to blush as his men cheered him on from the door way, Kayo able to hear them but ignored it. "Your very welcome. It was easy to find for the Great Gabiru. I will even gift you this Hipokute herb for saving my men's lives. I grew it myself." Gabiru boasted proudly. Vesta and Kayo unsure if he was allowed to just give her such a valuable product away. None the less, the kitsune took it and stored it in her tails for later research.
~Rimuru City, Training Grounds, Souei~
"You're all dead." the Blue Kijin said as he and his body doubles looked down at the defeated dragonewts in disappointment, keeping an eye on Souka who was still scared from being Shion's taste tester. "Master Souei, can't you go a little easier on us?" Souka asked as she tried to get up, feeling extra weak as she didn't eat dinner nor breakfast despite it being prepared by Shuna and not Shion. "No." was all the kijin said before he yelped in shock suddenly. His back side having received an open fist to it. His body doubles diapering before he looked back at the attacker with a glare, a kuni in his right hand, ready to attack only to relax as soon as he saw who it was.
"Lunch time~!" Kayo playfully chimed, giggling mischievously as she had been the one to slap Souei's ass, amused by his reaction to her sneaking up on him... again. It amused the Void Kitsune that she seems to be the only one able to surprise the ninja thanks to her kitsune father's teachings.
"Lunch?!" The other Dragonewts parroted in surprise at seeing the Void kitsune suddenly appear and catch their master so off guard, then they looked to Souka, her eyes on the kitsune and ninja kijin who seemed happy to see the Tempest leader, having noticed a small blush on his barely hidden cheeks "Yes, I thought I should bring lunch for all of you. I've noticed you guys don't eat a lot of the flavorful stuff unlike the others working in the cave. So, I thought I could whip up some special mints too." Kayo chimed excitedly as she pulled out a small tin box and rattled it.
"It will get rid of strong breath, so you don't have to worry about your covers being blown again because of your breath." she smirked at Souei who crossed his arms and nodded. The dragonewts curious as they received their bento's and saw the familiar fish inside, cooked to perfection with rice, vegetables and some soft round buns.
"Thank you for the meal!" They all gave their thank and eagerly started eating, not weary of the food like Souka, as she stared at the bento, and feeling the kitsune's golden eyes on her. "Don't worry, it's not poisoned~." Kayo hissed, suppressing a bit of her annoyance as the dragonewt tensed at the mention of poison, and set down the bento carefully.
Kayo looked concerned, her ears twitching as she could hear the female's stomach demand to be filled.
"Are you okay?" she questioned and the captain of the dragonewt ninjas shook her head. "I'm just not hungry." she told the kitsune but her belly chose to contradict her by demanding the tasty meal. She blushed and looked away, only to be surprised as she ended up facing the kitsune who was looking at her intently.
"H-how do you do that?" Souka asked, and glanced back at Souei who was eating his own bento, her heart hurting as she saw how relaxed he was.
"Do what?" Kayo asked, tilting her head but another spoke up.
"How you can appear and reappear. We don't even sense you moving." they asked and Kayo hmmed as she thought of telling them. "Well, that's simple, my aura is over most of the Jura Forest so... I kinda just... blend in." She told them as they looked at her with wide eyes.
"No way your aura is that big." another one voiced, shocked and confused but still eating the yummy food the kitsune had prepared for them.
"Of course not, I spread it around like thick butter on toast. Just enough that it seems like I appear everywhere und nowhere." Kayo explained, adopting a bit of a German accent, of course none of the dragonewts nor Souei recognized the accent.
"What's butter?" A dragonewt asked, confused as Kayo remembered how different monsters and humans where. "Oh, it's a solid fat made from the cream part of milk that comes from a mammal. Like cows, goats, bison, yaks, and even sheep. It's heavily whipped up until it has a firm texture." she told them and spilled a hand into her tails and pulled out a small block of butter that was wrapped, but even then, they looked horrified.
"T-that comes from... a mammal's milk!?" Souka asked, looking disturbed with the rest of her team.
"Yes, it's used in cooking and baking a lot. Such as to make it tasty and or flaky depending on how you use it. Oh! I have some puff pasties made with fruit jam if you want to try them." Kayo eagerly offered and pulled out a warm tray of the said pantries... they looked at her dumb founded, and drooled at the smell of the delicious treats. Each taking one to just try it, except for Souka who looked at the offering unsurely, even if Souei did take two for himself as start eating one with a small smile on his face.
"How do you? Store food there?" Souka asked as she noticed Souei stick his hand in her tails, curious and unafraid of any curse. "Oh! Void space, it's a skill unique to void foxes that allows me to store a lot of things inside but I'm not sure just how much space I can use. Time also doesn't pass the same so I can keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold." Kayo explained as Souei pulled his hand out of the fluffy mass in confusion. "It's not always active, so things can't just sneak in there. Not that I've tried putting living things inside before." Kayo admitted and tilted her head in curiosity as one tail cured around the kijin who didn't seem to mind it, his eyes glanced at it quickly, blushing lightly as the tip rested in his lap, wigging a little.
Souka's jaw dropping as she noticed her crush's reaction to the kitsune and stood up suddenly.
"T-that's enough! I challenge you, for Master Souei's heart!" she yelled and pointed a finger at Kayo who was confused before she pushed the other female's hand out of her face... getting a glance of their 'fateful' meeting, when the captain 'fell in love' with the ninja.
"Oh, you poor girl. You think your worthy of my Sou-sou~?" Kayo purred, a sinister smirk on her lips as she stood up and got really close to Souka who took a step back but then stood firm against the kitsune who was about her height, her green eyes glaring at the kitsune's annoyed golden eyes. "Challenging me for his heart just shows how delusional you are, sweetie~." Kayo hissed at her as she puffed out her chest and bumped the flatter chested girl who grit her teeth but held her ground.
"I am not the delusional one. Master Souei doesn't need to be your second choice when you already have Benimaru-sama. You selfish... whore!" Souka yelled but flinched, covering her mouth as the last word slipped out, and malice came over her from the kitsune for a moment.
"What are 3 things you hate about Souei?" Kayo asked seriously as the dragonewts looked surprised. "3 things I... hate, about Master Souei?" Souka questioned, confused before she glared at the kitsune, stealing a glance at Souei who was watching Kayo's tails twitch in annoyance.
"Yes, because I'm sure you will easily come up with things you like about him. His calm deminer, he saved your life and your fathers, he's capable, strong, and handsome. Am I wrong?" Kayo asked as she raised 5 fingers, Souka looking at her with wide eyes and a blush, the woman wasn't wrong about any of those points, despite no one telling her about what had happened before she joined the battle field. Souka glanced at Souei but she saw his eyes were firmly on the kitsune. "Well? Can you come up with things you hate about him? If not, then your emotions for him are just shallow infatuation if you can't see his flaws as well as his virtues. I will not allow anyone to think they can just take either of my boys from me with such shallow and superficial reasons. Never mind disregarding Souei's feelings on such matters." Kayo hissed before another dragonewt spoke up.
"W-wait! What about you Lord Kayo, what do you-"
"He doesn't like receiving public displays of affection. He has a dry sense of humor. He snores when he's deep asleep, and tends to take naps in weird places." Kayo rattled off, much to the dragonewts shock and Souei looked a bit hurt that she didn't hesitate with her list. "Wait... how do you know he snores!? You're lying!" Souka accused, trembling as she drew a kuni on the kitsune who was unbothered by the sharp weapon.
"Don't try and mess with me hatchling, you're too naïve to try and take me on." Kayo warned her but the dragonewt trembled before she ran at Kayo, only to find herself slammed hard against the ground on her back. "Oww." Souka whined but got up to face the kitsune again, the woman looking a Souei who nodded and stepped back to allow the two females to fight more freely. Souka's subordinates of course joined the fight eventually, but it seemed Kayo's foxes did as well.
~Hours Later~
"You really should have eaten. You would have had a better chance of surviving that onslaught." Kayo scolded Souka, as she and her team had tried to fight the Tempest leader... with no success as they all lay in craters on the ground from fighting her, or rather the 3 dark robbed figures that loomed over the defeated dragonewts.
"You... coward... why didn't... you... fight... yourself?" Souka asked as she tried to get up but her whole body hurt as she breathed, unlike when they trained with Souei, the robbed figures where easily out classing them in the 'ninja arts' as Rimuru had called it. "I didn't need to, plus you're not mentally strong or experienced enough to face me. You're also the heir of the dragonewts so seriously injuring you would be detrimental to Tempest's future." Kayo explained and crouched over Souka's crater.
"You really should consider the suitors your father has for you. Your still young and can afford to play around a little before you settle." Kayo advised Souka who looked about ready to cry, mostly in frustration at being so weak.
"Now get up, your food's gone cold. You can have the mints after you finish." The kitsune told the dragonewt before splashing her with a healing potion, along with the others who were grateful for the small mercy. Souka sat up just in time to see Souei wrap his arms around Kayo and whisper in her ear as he rested his chin on her head. The kitsune blushed and hissed something at him before the robed figures disappeared like an illusion... something the dragonewts where not capable of, but kitsune's were.
~Kayo's Office, Rimuru City~
Kayo stared at the letter from her father unsurely as it lay on her desk, still unopened and even after she lost it seemed to be in perfect shape, no water damage nor a trace of dirt on it. "Are you ever going to read it?" Souei asked her as he had come with her to her office, trying to help her with the work she took the time to go over before it got anywhere near Rimuru.
"I don't know. It's killing me not to know what he wrote but at the same time... I don't think it's worth my time. He's been absent from my life for so long already, he's a stranger." She admitted sitting back in her plush chair, arms raised up to help loosen her muscles before Souei rested his hands on her shoulders and pressed his thumbs hard into her back. "Nyan~!" Kayo let out an odd moan, her face turning a dark red as she covered her mouth. Souei giving an ambushed chuckle. "Don't do that." She hissed at him, as he gently pressed into her back making the kitsune relax slowly.
"It's cute that you make cat noises." the ninja teased as he messaged her gently before he asked what had been on his mind. "Do I really snore?" he asked her and Kayo smirked with a small huff. "Yes, if you don't believe me, you can ask Benimaru. Then again, it's only when you're deep asleep. When you take naps, it's not as noticeable unless you have good hearing or really close." she informed him, relaxing into his firm hands as they worked her back loose.
"What are the things you hate about me?" Kayo asked the ninja, becoming a bit unsure as he had stopped massaging her after she had asked. "You are glutton that doesn't eat proper meals and you eat to many sweets. You keep to many large secrets, even from me. You push away your true emotions too much for the sake of Tempest or Lord Rimuru." Souei listed off, feeling the kitsune stiffen again.
"That's all?" Kayo asked, giving a small laugh. "Not that I'm weak, or a crazy bitch? Hell, you didn't even mention my distaste for humans or how much I enjoy gore and phycological horror." the kitsune asked before she felt his arms around her, now realizing she was shaking. "You're selfless, kind and loyal. Your stronger in other ways and support those you love." he told her as her golden eyes met his deep blue, the kitsune blushing and hiding her face with her hands. "I-I'm not like that. I'm selfish as fuck. Of course, I'm loyal but only to those loyal to me. Kind? I'm not-" she started before Souei pulled her hands away from her face and gave her lips a deep kiss she happily returned.
"Ah... am I interrupting something?" Rimuru asked as he had slipped in thew the little flap in the wall that connected his office with Kayo's. The two pulling away and looking like they had not been doing anything else.
"N-no. What do you need slime ball?" Kayo asked as the slime hoped onto her desk and spit out several wooden tablets with numbers on them. "Explain to me why are we getting so much money from Dwargon for no reason." he asked and the kitsune looked confused. "Oh, I requested a portion of my accounts to be given to Tempest to help our economy." she told him simply.
"A portion? How much is that? I hope you're not ripping off King Gazel too." he questioned, getting worried about just how much was coming into Tempest but Kayo only giggled. "Oh, no worries. He only supplies my room and board, well... and the training that is required of an Heir of Dwargon. Other than that, I don't take a copper out of him. The nobles however~… you would not believe how many just love to gamble with their family honor on the line." the kitsune mussed and produced 5 images of very nice estates appeared above her desk.
"Which reminds me. Wanna pic one to be our embassy in Dwargon? Of course, we would have to renovate a little, but each of them is a few hundred years old and a bit gaudy anyway." the kitsune asked and the slime just glanced at the large mansion like estates, before sighing. "I'm so glad you're on our side." he muttered and Kayo let out a slightly manic giggle.
"I've just scratched the surface. Vesta was just a lightly bruised apple compared to the rest of those rotten apples." Kayo told him and gave a sinister grin that sent chills threw the slime and Souei couldn't help but smile along with his mate's glee.
~Extra!~
A.N.: Guest: My question is this with no specifics. Will Kayo have more mates in the future other than Benimaru and Souei? Just a yes or no is fine if it does not count as a spoiler and you can answer it without it causing issues.
Answer: Yes, Kayo will gain more mates but who they are is still undecided.