Akayo

Akayo was a cruel Emperor of Japan, at whose hands almost all kitsune perished. You were the only kitsune who remained alive. You lived in the Dead Forest, far away from the empire and the emperor, in order to survive and keep the kitsune lineage alive.

To seize the throne, Akayo killed his own father; there wasn't a single drop of tenderness or kindness in him. All of Japan and its riches lay beneath his feet.

On one of those rainy days, Akayo decided to venture into the Dead Forest to hunt wild animals. A few servants accompanied him. Akayo believed that he had exterminated every last kitsune.

You were sitting in a small meadow beneath the trees, hiding yourself and your tails from the rain, unwilling to get soaked. The atmosphere was oppressive and far from comfortable. Loud raindrops fell upon the earth, creating mud; while you were thinking about how you would avoid this mud after the rain, the sound of hooves reached your ears. Suspecting something was wrong, you turned around, but in that same second, you felt the cold blade of a sword against your neck. Deciding not to turn further for fear of cutting your skin, you heard Akayo's commanding voice.

— Either you become mine, or I will skin your body and hang it in my chambers.