Chapter 1

Long ago, before the time when the gods descended from the heavens and onto the realms of mortalkind, a deal had been made between the forces of the high heavens, and the denizens of the lower realms.

Laying down their own lives to help keep the status quo, the denizens of the Underworld were willing to let the gods be jolly and party away in the lower world for a time. But, should they call upon it, there would be a time when the heroes crafted by the gods would be forced to take up the mantle of righteousness, and join those who sought peace above all else.

Those unwilling to do so would feel the repercussions of their actions, with the spilling of their blood.

It had started as another simple and monotonous day in Orario, a repeat of yesterday, and the day before that. Filling out paperwork and getting the necessary information needed to give adventurers, receiving missions and giving out rewards, the day-cycle in the Guild in the city of adventurers would rarely ever change.

So for the pink-haired Human receptionist at the front counter, Misha Flott, it was another day of no relaxation as she was forced to go into overdrive to make up for the lost manpower within the building and internally complaining about her superiors who seemed to love loafing around so that the lower sectioned employees could do their work for them, not realizing that they were just as busy as she. Her friend and fellow Guild employee, Eina Tulle, was busy speaking to experienced adventurers and procuring the proper materials for them to go on their thrilling escapades into the Dungeon, fearing that some of them may not ever come back.

However, the 'children' were in good health, and the city was bustling like always. In that Greco-Roman building, she and her fellow Guild members worked to their fullest. But, that did not mean that everything was a continuation of every other day.

Hanging upside down in the entrance of the Guild headquarters, a small furry black creature with glowing red eyes hid in the darkness to avoid the wandering eyes of the adventurers below. It watched every single detail within that building, taking notice of every single person to walk in and out of that entrance. More importantly, it kept watch of the hallway behind the counters, behind the desks, behind the offices of the Guild. The hallway, that lead to the true mastermind and leader of the Guild.

When it felt that it had done its duty, two giant black and leathery wings unfolded from around it, taking off from the place it had been hiding and took off into the growing twilight as the sun set in the distance.

In a soundproof room of a small cafe on East Main Street, two gods and their escorts sat gathered in it, discussing what information they had collected about an organization seeming to operate out of the Dungeon only known as 'Evilus'.

The first god, Hermes, had been listing his findings on his investigation, whilst leaving out some key details to have for himself. His own plans set in motion, he had wanted a major figure in his plans to be the one to get the killing blow for the Evilus organization and become a light for the overworld, a hero in the making.

The second god, Loki, sat quietly by as she listened to Hermes speak, taking note of every little bit of information he spewed out and mentally brought up it against hers. Evilus had taken precious familia members from her over the past year, and the pain of losing those members could still be felt within her to this day, some familia members cursing their own weakness for not managing to stop their deaths in time. The last remnants of Evilus would pay, and they would pay dearly.

Listening to Hermes gabber on, out of the corner of her eye, Loki got a glimpse of two little red orbs glaring at her and the other god from outside. Tucked away in a dark corner of a nearby building to hide its presence from the mortal children below, it silently watched the two, never making a sound. Had it been a monster tamed by somebody? What if it had been a monster tamed by Evilus? Thinking back on it, no creature that small could exist unless…

Lost deep in thought, she hadn't heard her name being called out by the dandy god, Loki turned to answer the annoying god as she kept the thought of the creature in the back of her head, keeping an eye on the bat to make sure it truly wasn't what she thought it was. For if so, then far more problems would end up rising, and far more problems to deal with it.

In the center tower called Babel, the 'lid' of the Dungeon, at the highest floor was a room reserved for one of the most fearsome familias in the entire city, and for the goddess that lived in it, away from her familia's home. A woman known for her beauty and charm, she had made hundreds of men and women alike fall to her heels in ecstasy with a simple glance. With a single word, she commanded the most powerful familia in the world, capable of bringing destruction to within the city's walls a thousand times over with very little backlash to meet her. She did not want such things, as she was an obsessive goddess, and the object of her desire continued to grow with each passing day, unwittingly guided by her hand.

Gazing upon the city down below out the giant window that showered light into her room, the goddess stood standing, arms wrapped around her chest with one hand holding a glass of peculiar wine. Like little bugs scurrying about with their day, most mortals bore her, and the colors that shone out of them that she could see were simply dull to look at. But something did catch her attention, as it was not on the ground below.

At some point, of which she was not sure when, a small black and furry creature hung from just outside the window, looking inward with its bright red eyes, quietly observing her as though it had been it's sole mission in life. Not recognizing it as something that belonged to her familia, she chose to ignore it at first. As the day grew longer though, the tiny creature continued its mission to observe her, never leaving its spot, which left her wondering. How could such a tiny creature make it up so far?

A bat? An admirer, perhaps? She thought to herself. If it had been, it had been a strange new way that she had never experienced before. Or perhaps…

Wondering what god it was that had been a ruler of bats to perhaps figure out who had been behind it, the creature in question had finally moved for the first time the entire day, unfolding its two wings wrapped around its body and taking off into the twilight. Seeing it fly away, Freya had a moment of loss, curious what it had been after. Following it with her eyes, she saw that not just one, but many of the creature began to come together at a single point within the southeastern portion of the city, into the ruins of the former Entertainment district that she had been responsible for burning down nearly six months prior before due to a conflict with the former goddess in question.

With an alluring smirk, Freya could not help but wonder what the future held for the city of Orario, and the excitement that it would bring.

The following day, like a musical record spinning around by a magic stone player, Eina did her job just like any other day. Starting out with receiving the daily amount of missions that had been submitted and posting them on the bulletin board close to the entrance of the building, she readied her station for another day of giving delving adventurers valuable information that was sure to save their lives.

For the first hour, it had been what she had expected. Traffic was rather busy as dungeon-delvers from the larger and more experienced familias rushed for the best quests on the bulletin board, nearly running each over as lower-tiered familias scrambled and fought among themselves for the scraps. It appeared to be one of those more hectic days, with clerks frantically moving and stumbling over one another in attempts to pay adventurers their dues for returning from their journeys with magical stones, to Misha beginning to tear up from a massive pile of worksheets placed on her desk she had been given due to her recklessness from earlier in the week in handling said work.

She thought it would be just another day of the usual, but the clamoring of the adventurers and Guild workers within died down though as something unusual happened within that great hall.

The percussion of drums, and the plucking of strings. The whistling of flutes, and the ringing of bells. A cacophony of sounds all mixed together. It had been like a festival had somehow manifested itself out of nowhere right outside the Guild, and no one knew where or why it had come. Yet, that had not been what caught the attention of everyone inside the Guild headquarters.

The creators of the festival came forward through the Guild's entrance, capturing the attention of everyone inside. Almost immediately, everyone knew that the one in the very front, the one who had been leading the parade, was not of the mortal realm.

Representing the word beauty, a woman appeared in the clothes of the Far East as white as snow, and as crimson as blood. Though much of her person was covered, her hands and more noticeably her chest captured the male gaze easily, creating a valley that was barely concealed. But like the much more covered servants that seemed to tend behind her, she wore a white mask with red markings representing that of a fox, her blonde hair flowing freely behind her and down her back whilst two fox ears poked out from the top of her head. And if one more point were to announce that she was not of the mortal realm, it would have been the eight extra fluffy tails that she carried behind her. Eight more than any of her servants, totaling for a number of nine.

The mysterious woman walked carefully and with grace to the attendance desk where Eina stood petrified, captured by the allure of the goddess, of that she was certain, in front of her. When the goddess(?) reached her desk, it took a few seconds for Eina to finally realize where she was and what she was doing before managing to find her voice once more and greet the new stranger to Orario as she recited the Guild's introduction to new guests to the city.

"Y-Yes, hello there. Welcome to the Guild of Orario. Here we can help you with finding-"

"Lady Kunou is here to speak with your master Lord Ouranos, not to prattle, Elf."

With a hint of hostility, one of the servants appeared by the side of the curvaceous fox-woman and interrupted Eina, berating her in the process. An angry tick-mark appeared on the half-elf's otherwise flawless features and professionally managed to bite her tongue of a retort. That being said, thinking up one was different.

And who said it was okay to parade around as if you own the place, you stupid fox?!

Sensing the rising hostility from both parties, the surrounding adventurers pretended to go back to looking at the missions or speaking to the other clerks in order to avoid the brewing storm that was to come.

Releasing a breath to settle her frustration, Eina managed to smile once more as she tried to help them out as best as possible. "I'm sorry, but something like is not possible without properly making an appointment first I'm afraid."

"Now listen here Elf! When we tell you-!"

The servant stopped mid-sentence, the hand of her master stretched outward in front of her. Seeing the move to silence her, the servant immediately apologized and bowed to her master, not wishing to insult her any further, before moving back behind her master and quietly standing there for the rest of the conversation. When the servant stood back, a few seconds passed as the master focused it's gaze from behind the mask onto Eina before an angelic voice spoke, sending shivers down the half-elf's spine in both fear and interest.

"Forgive the actions of my daughter, dear child. It is rare that she gets to leave her home, and it appears that she is simply excited is all."

Eina wanted to retort that rudeness had nothing to do with excitement, but once again bit her tongue before she could speak. Taking another breath, she recomposed herself and accepted the master's apology. Unfortunately that still didn't resolve their current predicament.

"While we here at the Guild accept your apology, I'm afraid that it's still not possible to suddenly arrive and ask to speak to the god in charge. There are rules to follow, and to-" As Eina was prattling off the requirements to properly function in society, another Guild member came running from the back halls in the building and ran straight to her, whispering in her ear. Hearing the report from the other Guild worker, Eina's face blushed red as she became surprised.

"E-Eh?! Are you sure about that?!" Not entirely believing what she had heard, Eina asked the worker if the information was correct, to which the co-worker nodded. The half-elf could not help but sigh before turning back to the fox. With a twitching smile, she spoke. "I-It seems you and your… entourage may see Lord Ouranos. If you will follow me…"

"Thank you for your understanding nature." The fox named Kunou said, following the half-elf with four of the numerous servants following her. The other servants in question continued to stand until their master faded from sight, surprising the entire lobby of the Guild headquarters by dissipating into nothing more than smoke, bodies and all. Nothing of them left other than tiny pieces of paper shaped in the form of people. It and the fox herself would end up becoming the talk of the city for days to come.

Eina led the fox and her escort to the steps leading down to Ouranos' chamber. She internally thanked the gods that she would not be troubled with them any longer, feeling the hostility rising from the rude one the entire walk to the chamber.

For the fox, or rather Renart as they were named in this realm, proceeded to take her time down the stairwell, leaving the half-elf to go back to her work in peace after excusing herself from the escort. Reaching her work desk, things seemed to be rather calm now that the interruption had disappeared. Almost immediately she was greeted by an adventurer asking for more information on a mission he had accepted from the bulletin board, to which she gladly told them the information that they were looking for, including bits that were not normally told to increase their chances of survival inside the Dungeon.

"Eiiiinaaaa Tuuulllle!"

The following peace was almost instantly broken though as the half-elf's name was screamed by an overweight individual commonly and unlovingly known as the Guild's Pig by other members of his own race, the Elves.

Royman Mardeel was the Guild's leader directly underneath Ouranos, and now said pudgy head of the organization was screaming the half-elf's name in urgency as he ran as fast as his tiny legs could take him until he eventually reached her. Breathing hard from the trot he had been forced to take, Eina took that time to internally prepare herself to be berated by the man for something that was more than likely out of her control, just like always.

"Eina Tulle!" He finally managed to bark out, making the half-elf jump a bit.

"Y-Yes?!"

"I heard that a woman with numerous fox tails came in here to you asking to see Lord Ouranos! Is that correct?!"

"Yes!" She instantly answered, noticing that the man in question wasn't asking with lust in his eyes, but rather, what seemed to be urgency or fear.

"Where is she now?!"

"I led her down to Lord Ouranos' chamber!"

"You fool! Why in the world would you allow that to happen?! Why didn't you deny her request?!"

"B-Because it was what Lord Ouranos commanded, sir! He said he had been expecting her!" She answered to the best of her ability. Whether or not it would be enough to get the Guild leader off her back or not was another question altogether.

But it seemed to do the trick, as Royman began to ignore her and shake from what she could gather was either stress or fear, but for what reason she did not know.

"Why now?! Why of all times did that Devil-copulating she-witch decide to come to this city now?! Why did it have to be when I was in charge here?!"

Devil-copulating she-witch…? That's certainly a new one. Eina thought to herself bemusedly as she watched her boss squirm. "Sir, if I may ask, why is it so bad that woman be here?"

"No you may not ask," Royman almost immediately quipped, seemingly annoyed by the question. "That is information that is not privy to that of the lower branches. Just know that by deciding to show her the way to Lord Ouranos, your actions here today may have just altered the power-balance in this city!"

"... HUH?!"

Down the dark and winding staircase did the fox goddess descend, her four escorts following closely until all five reached the bottom, staying silent the entire time. Stepping into a large and empty room, nothing more than four torches lit up the depressing room, with a massive stone chair that had been occupied in the center.

As if to send a message, every torch in that room flickered, almost as if hissing at the intruder who dared to show their presence in the mortal realm. Ignoring the flames, the moment the fox goddess took the center, she bowed to the mighty god on the chair and showed her respect, with her servants following suit.

"Lord Ouranos. It has been too long." The fox goddess said as she raised her head.

The giant on the stone seat sat in silence, observing his 'guest'. He knew her kind was, though honorable at times, cunning as well. That, and that they were in a tight alliance with a group many of the gods and goddesses currently in Orario had a negative reception to. There were sure to be bad omens soon over the horizon.

"... Lady Kunou of the Inari Clan. For what reason have you come here today?"

Instead of answering him, the Lady held out her left arm stretched out to the side. Wordlessly, two of the servants behind her used magic of their own realm to summon a red torii gate connected to their home. Like a true portal, the servants ran through the gate, their forms completely disappearing from the dark room. Moments later, the same servants came running out of the gate once again, but this time both of them carried a large ornate chest between the two of them and set it down before the Lady before opening it to show off the contents inside.

Dazzling like jewels in the light, hundreds upon hundreds of solid gold coins lined the chest to the brim. Any god or goddess would be sure to give in to their greed and accept whatever offer the fox goddess was asking for if it meant keeping that gold.

Ouranos remained stoic.

"What is this?" He asked. Surely he would not fall for this fox and her grandeur.

"Our payment. For the southeastern wing of the city."

"And what makes you think I would allow such a thing to happen?"

Though Ouranos was playing strong, now that he knew what the money was for, he took a hard hit. Not too long ago, nearly the entire southeastern portion of the city had burned down due to a heated battle between two goddesses and their familias. As a result, the city ended up hurting financially. Even with the massive fine given to the offending goddess and her familia, it still wasn't enough to make up for the loss of taxes that Orario was hitting from the brothels, as well as the casinos and theatres that were owned by other cities and organizations that had been caught in the crossfire as the blaze from the fire raged outside the Pleasure Quarters' walls.

However, those businesses decided to leave the city the moment the brothel district burned down as it meant a large portion of their partners in crime had gone down with the district as well. Their slave trafficking and money laundering schemes had been exposed following an investigation by the Guild, thus earning a large fine from the protectors of the city. Customers began to dwindle, repairs and fines had become expensive, and business deals with the brothels had become void, thus giving very little reason to stay.

Not only this, but there were rumors that the Guild had been denying ownership of the district to various merchants. However, with how all rumors began, there was a kernel of truth within them. What the public did not know was that it was done because the Guild saw these particular merchants as more than just unscrupulous capitalists ready to exploit the people and the system for their favor. They denied them the business deals, if only to ensure that the organization known as Evilus would not get a second chance within the city after being mostly wiped out by the Loki and Hermes familias some months ago.

"Twenty thousand gold coins, or the equivalent of twenty billion valis if I recall the name of this world's currency." The fox continued, unfazed by Ouranos' dismissal. "While the magic stone production and the dungeon-delving in this city rakes in a lot of money, I know the Guild has been taking large hits financially as your friends in that section scurried off to somewhere else before anyone else could buy the area. So therefore, I am here, as a friend, to alleviate the pain caused by the destruction of that district and reopen it for something more wholesome."

"And what, dear friend, may I expect from you and your kind should I allow you to take that spot? How do I know you will not bring sorrow to my fair city?"

"What is there for you to fear? The Ishtar familia and all its brothels have fallen; the casinos from outside cities now closed, and rumors spread of monsters roaming the streets terrorizing citizens. The city hungers for entertainment, and yet you refuse to let it be done. I am willing to take it off your hands. Consider it an honor, for all I shall bring glory and more to this city when I am done with that district." The fox's tone changed, almost threatening the god and never breaking eye contact with Ouranos as the two gods battled it out mentally. After several moments, Ouranos was the one who broke off the fierce mental battle by closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. It seemed as though he had lost this one in the end.

"They are behind this after all, then?" He asked, but got no answer from the fox. He did not need a verbal answer though, as her silence was all he needed to know what the future held in store for himself and for the city. With another sigh, he spoke. "So the time for debts to be repaid has finally come… Very well, Kunou of Inari. You and your familia shall be allowed to make room in the southeast portion of the city. Just know, should you or they do anything to bring chaos to this city, there will be consequences."

The fox goddess and her servants bowed to the Guild leader and proceeded to leave through the same torii gate that had been left up when the chest had been brought through. Soon after the last of them were gone, the torii gate disappeared into thin air, leaving Ouranos alone in that dark place with no one but the gold now left behind.

Several minutes ticked by, and a shadowy figure manifested from the darkness behind Ouranos' chair. Dyed in all black, the creature's features were incapable of being seen, and looked more phantom-like than mortal. When it was certain that it was just the two of them left in that room, the figure spoke.

"Is this really wise, Lord Ouranos?" The figure asked, unsure of his master's plan.

Not knowing how to answer his faithful follower, Ouranos simply stared at the gold in front of him, truly wondering if he had just done the right thing.

In the human country of Japan, a perfect replica of the ancient city of Kyoto and of perpetual night had been created in the youkai realm, Kunou arrived home with her servants, all of whom were intact. Putting on an air of superiority back in the Guild hall, the moment the portal shut closed behind her, Kunou could not help but collapse. Her legs became jelly as the stress and the fear of failing caused her to use up nearly all her energy. Not only that, but despite the calm manner she had emitted back in Ouranos' chamber was nothing but a ruse. The idea of facing off against such a god easily frightened her, and had it not been for the mask that hid her face away, she would have easily fainted from fear and failed in her mission.

Immediately the servants surrounded her and made sure she was alright, but there was no need. She was simply exhausted. That said, she gladly accepted the tea she had been given by one of the servants who had gone and fetched it almost immediately. Taking off the white mask that had been covering her face the entire time, her beautiful features were finally revealed to the world. A woman no older than her mid-twenties, and golden eyes to match perfectly with her hair, together with her body she was a bombshell of a woman. To the others surrounding her beloved though, she merely considered herself 'average'.

"Did everything go according to plan?"

In her relaxation, Kunou had failed to notice the presence that had entered the old Japanese-style meeting room she had been resting in. Not only that, but even her servants had failed to pick up on the intruder, and immediately went into a hostile stance, ready to strike at any given moment. They stood down though as Kunou raised her hand, letting them know that there was no need for violence.

In the far corner stood a man emanating an aura of intelligence and expertise into the unknown. He had been an old friend, one of many that Kunou knew through her husband, and knew that the man in front of her was far more dangerous than he seemed. Fixed in a dark robe, the blonde-haired figure with his burning bright red eyes seemed to pierce the atmosphere wherever he went.

"Lord Gasper, it is good to see you too. I must say, your intelligence gathering may end up making things easier in the following days." She said lazily, resting her head on the table that was in the middle of the room and closing her eyes, obviously wanting to sleep the day away now that she was home.

Though she could act dignified at times, since she was still the youngest of her husband's wives, as well as the only child to the previous Inari. More often than not Kunou had become spoiled by the very people meant to teach her the way to become a proper adult. Thus, whenever she could, she would always laze around, not wanting to do anything at all until something had to be done.

Next to her, one of the servants gave out an exasperated sigh as she too had taken off the mask she had been wearing the entire time. Same blonde golden hair tied back in a ponytail down to her neck with a fluffy golden tail to match, the girl who had talked out of line back at the Guild office looked no more than eighteen of age, and the eldest of Kunou's children. With brown eyes resembling her father and a red dragon pin in her hair that had been hidden behind the mask to keep her hair out of her eyes, this feisty and far more serious kitsune scolded her mother for her laziness.

"Mother!" She nearly screamed, annoyed at the habits of her lazy mother. "You can't go to sleep the moment you come home! Lord Gasper is here!"

"Must you yell so loudly, Aiko?"

The one to pipe up was the second oldest of Kunou's children, Ichirou, a fitting yet ironic name. Sharing the same brown colored hair as his father, this kitsune had his hair slicked back with his tail matted down, showing off much of his forehead in his attempt to look more handsome. Unlike his sister, he looked more around the age that his mother looked, and was more appealing to the female eye than his sister wanted to give him credit for. "Loosen up some, would ya? It might end up doing you some good. Besides, Lord Gasper doesn't mind, do you? While you're at it, maybe loosen up with the clothes as well, maybe then you could finally find a good man to be filthy with."

Aiko became red in the face, both in anger and embarrassment as her brother teased her about her loneliness. Unlike her brother, who seemed to take it far more easily than her, had been with numerous girls, having caught him more than once in the act on accident. Referring to her clothes as well, she, unlike her mother, dressed far more conservatively as she was uncomfortable with showing off her breasts to the masses, regardless if they were big or small.

The other two servants, as it were, were not Kunou's children at all, but servants of her household. They had grown accustomed to the bickering of the siblings, and did their service diligently to remain neutral in their arguments.

"M-M-M-Mother!" Aiko finally managed to stammer. It seemed that she had completely forgotten that the man who had intruded mere moments ago was still standing only a few feet away from them, watching everything unfold.

"Enough you two!"

Though she could be lazy, Kunou still knew how to be a mother. Stopping the children from fighting before going any further, she forcibly made them sit down at her sides. When they complied, she gave a small bow to Gasper, apologizing for the disturbance. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Lord Gasper. As you can see, these children love to behave as if they are young again."

"We are young." Ichirou declared, only to have a glare from his mother forced him to be quiet once more. The man in the corner smiled though, knowing full-well what the family before him was like, and was not offended at all.

Both Aiko and Ichirou flinched when they saw the man smile, as with it, two longer-than-usual canines poked forward from his mouth, revealing his true status as one who held the blood of the ancient being known as Vampire.

"Everything thankfully went according to plan." Kunou reported. "We now have full control of the southeastern section of the city of Orario… Is this really the right thing to do though?"

Knowing the concern where Kunou was coming from, the man known as Gasper closed his eyes, thinking of a way to put it delicately. In the end, the truth was the only thing that mattered though. "... Over a thousand years ago now, is that right? We've lost so many loved ones. It is only right to reclaim what we've lost, and to hold them up to their side of the deal.

"It's a bit of a selfish wish, I know. But, perhaps because we are devils, it is only natural for us to be so selfish." He finished with a self-deprecating smile, knowing that some in the room had no choice in the manner.

The room fell silent as it took in the words of Gasper. In another realm, one disconnected from their reality, old friends were trapped in an everlasting battle against a great power of pure evil, a being whose sole purpose was to bring destruction and chaos to the mortal realm. The creature of malice could not be allowed to live. Even Kunou knew of this pain as her own mother, Yasaka, was now on the battlefield fighting for her life with everything she had after promising to go the moment Kunou became of age.

"... Of everyone, who is going?" Kunou asked, wondering who it would be that would stay in the new world with her.

The vampiric friend listed off a range of people to accompany the fox, each name giving a different reaction. With each name listed, the lady's face shifted with either delight or uncomfortableness.

The gloomy mood that Kunou had just moments ago when she knew she would have to leave her home for a very long time, if not forever, cheered up a bit as she heard that her old friends would be coming along for the ride.

"I see. I suppose we should get ready then. Aiko? Ichirou?"

"Yes, mother?"

"Yeah?"

"Gather your things, it's time to move."

Well... That's a start.

I honestly didn't think I'd start another fanfic, or writing at all. I have more in the works, and more that are finished, but depending on the reception this gets, I'll try to continue it in a faster matter than Oppai Dragon. Also, if you think you can do better with grammar or editing, don't be afraid to reach out to me. I'm in need of someone who will look at the chapters beforehand and offer advice on how to make it better.

With that, until next time, Poodicus out.