I

  was only six when my world was shattered. I still recall the night

  with the clarity of a half-remembered nightmare—the frantic dash

  through the forest, the choking stench of decay, and the horrifying

  sight of a man whose skin was gray and whose eyes were nothing but

  empty voids. He charged at me with a violent fury I'd never seen

  before, forcing me to scramble through a gnarled tree root, desperate

  to escape. All I could think of was my mother; her gentle presence,

  her loving embrace. I vowed then, with every trembling heartbeat,

  that I'd never again wander north—where the air reeked of rot and

  horrors lurked in the shadows.

  That

  night, everything I knew was torn apart. I had spent my early days

  scampering through the woods with my mother and my sisters, my heart

  full of playful mischief and innocent curiosity. My mother had always

  warned me, “Never

  wander north, little one,”

  her amber eyes piercing as she spoke. I didn't understand back then.

  But when the monsters came—ghastly beings with loose, gray skin and

  vacant eyes that mimicked the villagers—I learned the cost of

  disobedience. I raced to my mother as the creatures struck with

  brutal speed. I watched, frozen, as their claws tore mercilessly

  through her throat and my sisters fell one by one. I lay there, small

  paws trembling, whispering silently, “Why?

  What did we do?”

  And

  then, amidst the carnage, a voice, soft as rustling leaves yet as

  cold as winter frost, slithered into my mind: "Become

  my claws, little fox. Avenge them. Protect what remains."

  I didn’t understand it fully, but the coppery taste of blood and

  the overwhelming grief pushed me past fear. I bared my fangs and,

  with a broken whisper, answered,

  In

  that agonizing instant, something fierce and irreversible ignited

  within me. My whimper died in my throat as a burning heat surged

  through my paws. I felt my familiar russet fur erupt into a blinding

  white, as brilliant and cold as moonlight on fresh snow. I sensed a

  stirring at my back—a strange, new power—as nine dark, sinuous

  shadows replaced the single tail I once knew. When I tried to scream,

  fire burst from my mouth—a searing, unconscionable defiance. On

  that tragic night, the little fox who had been Autumn Sakilera was no

  more. In her place was reborn a Kitsune of vengeance, a creature with

  nine tails destined to exact retribution.

  Ten

  years have passed since that fateful night, and now at sixteen, I

  roam a very different world. The wild innocence of childhood has

  given way to a hardened purpose and a cunning edge honed by pain and

  survival.

  “You’ve

  got this, Saki. In and out,” I whispered, my breath fogging in the

  chill air. The alley ahead was all Drestor—dirt turned to mud in

  the rain, walls of weatherworn timber, and the distant hum of a

  watermill grinding flour for the town’s bakeries. Not a city, just

  an overgrown village playing dress-up with a few brass-edged

  guildhalls and clockwork streetlamps that never worked right. Still,

  it had what I needed: shadows, secrets, and men stupid enough to

  think they controlled both.

  The

  voice in my skull slithered, “Skip the theatrics. Crack his mind

  open and take what you need.”

  I

  clenched my fists. “Not how I work.”

  A

  man leaned against a sagging tavern door ahead, his bowler hat tipped

  low. His coat was cheap velvet, but the dagger at his belt

  gleamed—real steel. Perfect.

  "Heard

  you know people," I said, letting my charm skill bleed into the

  words like poison in wine. "The kind who don't mind… mischief.

  For the right cause." I gave a kitsune's wink—my tail twitched

  unseen behind my dress—but to him, it was just a smile, all teeth,

  and promise.

  He

  squinted, wary. “Mischief? you

  some guild spy?”

  Resisting.

  Damn.

  I sharpened the charm, feeling my eyes flare hotter. “Let’s say I

  need fighters. Loyal ones.”

  His

  cheek twitched. “Fighters? You mean thugs.”

  “Yes—I

  mean patriots,” I lied, layering the charm thicker. My temples

  throbbed.

  His

  pupils dilated into a puppet’s glassy stare.

  “Patriots…

  yeah,” he mumbled in a syrupy voice. “But gold up front, or—”

  I

  laughed, light as wind chimes. “Gold? Oh, a clever man like you

  knows some causes are priceless.” I spun, letting my dress swirl—no

  pockets, no hidden purses—and locked my emerald gaze on him. My

  vision blurred at the edges, a metallic tang rising in my throat. Too

  long. Hurry.

  He

  gripped his dagger, knuckles white. “Y-you’re not right…”

  I pushed harder, my tail lashing invisibly. “You’ll help me,” I

  murmured, the charm a vise. “Because you’re better than this

  place.”

  The

  dagger clattered to the dirt. “...Better,” he echoed.

  "Yes,

  better," I intoned as I sighed in relief. I felt my headache

  recede and my eyes stopped burning.

  The

  man seemed to think hard for a moment as I watched him. “I got some

  fellas for ya,” he said, looking down at her. The distance in his

  eyes vanished as a smile crossed his lips. It looked unnatural to me,

  but I didn’t care. He would give me what I wanted now.

  “Okay,

  where can I meet them?” I asked, my tone no longer sweet or

  inviting—just neutral, with barely hidden frustration. I knew the

  charm had settled; I didn’t need to push anymore.

  The

  man stared at me. After a long moment, I snapped my fingers in front

  of his face. “Wake up, big and dumb—where do I meet them!” He

  continued to stare for another moment, and I was about to facepalm

  when he finally spoke. “Outside the gates, near the southern

  forest, around midday.”

  I

  nodded before responding, "Good, then go fetch them." I

  paused, looking at him for a moment. "And fix that trashy

  haircut!" He nodded sadly, and I turned without care and walked

  away. The

  voice inside whispered, “You should have just erased him—erased

  it all.”

  I

  scowled and ignored the voice, Its lies and deceit made me angry. I

  made my way to the adventurers guild and entered through the double

  doors. The place was packed with adventurers of all kinds. Some of

  them are actually helpful.

  I

  ignored the men as they looked at me, and the women who gave me

  jealous glances. Pathetic, all of them. Instead, I made my way to the

  clerk at the desk, a young woman with brown eyes, like dirt. Some

  would say like honey or bark. But I wasn't feeling very generous. At

  least, internally I wasn't.

  “Hello,

  How are you? I love your eyes!” I said with a charismatic smile. I

  left the charm off for now, If I needed it I would use it, but for

  now most people were stupid and easily swayed without it and I didn’t

  want a headache. I also didn’t want to be attacked by every

  adventurer here if I was caught.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  The

  lady looked up at me with a bored expression and I could already tell

  she was going to be a pain. "What do you want? If you need a

  job, there are postings on the board, if you are an adventurer you

  can just check your badge. Unless you are here to turn in a bounty or

  pay the adventuring license fee, I'm going to have to ask you to

  leave."

  Inwardly

  I resisted the urge to scream at the women. Vaporize

  her, it would be so easy. Vaporize them all.

  My

  smile widened a notch instead as I leaned closer and said, “Ah,

  yes, about the Adventurer badge. I er.. lost mine.”

  The

  bored and annoyed-looking woman sighed and stated simply "Adventuring

  badges are soul-bound if you have lost your badge simply will it

  return and it will appear in your hand" Her monotonous bored

  tone made me want to strangle her.

  “Yes,

  well, the thing is, I kind of.. lost my soul?” I said hopefully.

  The lady looked at me for a long second before sighing. “You have

  30 seconds to vacate the premises before I put a bounty on your

  head.” She said in the same bored tone as earlier.

  I

  considered for a moment actually vaporizing this woman. Then the

  caravan came back and instead, I turned and walked out of the

  building. I weaved an illusion around myself to make myself far more

  calm than I was. The illusion was layered over me and made it look

  like I was casually walking with a smile on my face out the door.

  While my real expression was thunderous and enraged.

  That

  witch would pay dearly for this! As soon as I was strong enough I

  would..

  Erase

  them all!

  NO!

  I screamed internally at the voice. I hated it so much, It was a

  reminder of my childishness. Of what my innocence and naivety had

  cost me. It flowed through me, manipulated me. At one point, it had

  even controlled me. Never again, I would sooner die than ever let it

  out.

  I

  made my way to the outskirts of town to the south. I made myself

  invisible by masking myself with an illusion of my surroundings. It

  was not as difficult as it sounded, I just made it look like There

  was nothing where I was.

  At

  first, I thought this would look suspicious, but I learned that

  people simply think it's their imagination and ignore it. Was it

  foolish naivety or just willful ignorance? It didn't really matter to

  me. So long as they didn't get in my way.

  I

  made my way to a farmstead and passed the house going towards the

  barn, climbing up the side carefully, I jumped in through the window

  to the second story. Crawling over to a haystack, I collapsed on it

  and closed my eyes. My illusion faded as my form began to shift.

  After

  a few moments, I lay in the hay as a mini version of my true form. A

  small albino fox with nine tails. I actively suppressed the nine

  tails down to one before closing my eyes and resting. Tomorrow was

  going to be a busy day after all.

  The

  next day I met up with the men my.. er.. contact had hired for me.

  The men looked strong and capable. As expected of thugs the first

  thing they noticed was my body. But I had them right where I wanted

  them.

  Until

  that

  girl showed

  up playing hero. I tried to stop her, but by the time I had recovered

  enough to say something she had already killed three of the six men

  and I was too utterly stunned to speak. She took them out in quick

  order, treating the entire affair as if it were a casual day!

  Then

  she actually dared

  to

  come up and introduce herself as if she hadn’t just shattered my

  plans into tiny fragments.

  I

  looked down at the cat girl’s hand in stunned silence. I was at a

  loss for words—all that effort wasted! Who even was this girl?

  Where had she come from? Why was she so strong? She was barely taller

  than me at around 5’2”, with waist-long, silky-smooth royal

  purple hair and piercing blue eyes. Her skin was fair—clearly from

  one of the water tribes. But what stood out most was her insane skill

  and strange way of speaking.

  After

  a moment an idea began to form in my head. After all, this girl was

  clearly stronger than those men—they wouldn't have survived the

  trip, and been even worse as bodyguards. I also couldn't be sure they

  wouldn't have tried something once we were alone in the forest. A lot

  of people assumed charm was mind control, It was not! Charm just made

  the person far more.. amenable to your suggestions. If it was mind

  control I would not have to dress in such a provocative manner, nor

  would I be required to be pleasant with such.. thugs.

  No,

  This was a blessing in disguise and quite possibly a free meal

  ticket.

  I

  looked gratefully at the nekojin and put on my most innocent face,

  activating my kitsune charm as I began to speak. "Hello, Tama,

  was it? I am ever so grateful for your timely rescue. I'm not sure

  what those…" I paused to feign a shiver before continuing,

  "Thugs would have done to me!"

  It

  wasn’t entirely false either, I couldn’t guarantee they wouldn’t

  have attempted to use me like they suggested earlier. What I left out

  was how easy it would have been to kill them. I usually had backup

  plans. Sadly, my collars were useless now.

  I

  stared at her, waiting for the charm to take effect. However, Tama

  seemed utterly unaffected by my skill. Inwardly

  frowning,

  I pushed the charm to its limits, feeling my headache begin to grow

  and my stamina begin to drop like a rock.

  After

  a moment, Tama looked at me, puzzled. “Are you constipated? Tama

  thinks you look constipated. When Tama feels constipated, her sensei

  would always tell her to have some special juice from the forest

  berries!”

  I

  had no words. My charm had failed entirely, and this girl continued

  prattling on as if we’d been friends our whole life. Slowly, I

  shifted my plan. Clearly, this girl was insane—but she could still

  maybe be of use.

  Yes.

  A new idea formed, and I held up a hand to stop Tama’s continuous

  prattling—something about a boar breaking into a chicken coop?

  “Yes, this is all very fascinating, I’m certain!” I said,

  trying to feign interest in what I could only describe as pure idiocy

  to my ears. Like, why would you wrestle a boar into a cage?!

  “I

  was wondering if you could help me with a dangerous quest. You are

  certainly a capable adventurer, right?”

  Tama

  stared at me for a long moment before asking in a curious tone,

  “What’s an adventurer?”

  I

  felt my brain cells dying. Today was not my day.

  I

  gave up my charm. I had put it all into one good push, and all that

  had come of it was a painful headache, burning eyes, and quite

  possibly the worst insult I had ever received. I looked

  constipated—just… what?!

  I

  felt the heat in my eyes begin to recede; however, the headache still

  lingered. It was not from the charm, though. "And that's why

  Tama is here to deliver this very important package to her sensei's

  best friend. Who is not Jiggle!" Tama chirped in a singsong

  voice, as though she were in a choir.

  A

  bright, cheery smile never left her lips, and she bounced up and down

  on the heels of her feet as if she couldn’t sit still.

  I

  sighed as I considered my course of action. Attacking was a last

  resort normally, and for this girl, it was a death wish incarnate. My

  head would be rolling on the floor before I had time to say, "It

  was an accident!"

  Clearly,

  the charm had zero effect—no surprise there. Sometimes people are

  just immune or extremely resistant. Though usually those people were

  very smart or clever, She didn’t appear overly intelligent.

  She

  was extremely perceptive, however, deceptively so. Her childish act

  hid a terrifying level of power and skill. She seemed to have no

  problems with outright murder, and she had spotted what was happening

  from far away.

  Overall,

  I felt like I was being tricked somehow. Nobody was both this stupid

  and this powerfully skilled.

  Finally,

  a new plan was formed. Clearly, this Tama girl had a few screws

  loose, but she seemed harmless enough—as long as I didn't attack

  her.

  All

  I had to do was get her an adventurer's badge and then sign her up

  for my quest. I might even be able to get her to do it for free. If

  not… I looked around at the corpses I would be looting in a second.

  It wasn't as if I didn't have money anymore.

  I

  smiled at Tama with an almost too-wide grin, carefully flicking my

  tail in a metronome pattern to match her catlike one. I also perked

  my ears up to appear more interested and forced my eyes to dilate

  slightly.

  “Say,

  Tama, I was wondering if you would want to go on an adventure with

  me—a super top-secret quest!” I said in an excited little girl

  voice.

  "Are

  you making fun of me?" Tama snapped instantly, glaring. For a

  split second, I felt my life flash before my eyes as if her gaze

  alone could finish me like it had those men. After a moment, I

  recovered and changed tactics.

  “No!

  Of course not! I was just excited, is all,” I said quickly,

  dropping the voice and reverting to a neutral tone with a touch of

  innocence.

  Tama

  narrowed her eyes for a moment before her tail—previously

  still—began to swish back and forth again, and a smile reappeared

  on her face. “Ah, that’s okay then; Tama is not a child!”

  Inwardly,

  I sighed in relief.

  This was going to be difficult.