Prologue: Artemis, the Virgin Huntress of Naragama City
Naragama City:
A famous city in Japan and the rest of the world, known for being the first city to ever be destroyed by nuclear weapons. It is also the home of the highest concentration of Legendary Shifters known to mankind.
Legendary Shifters are humans whose secondary animal forms are those whose origins were explained in what we consider today to be mythology, the most notable among them the Nine Tailed Fox.
Nine Tailed Foxes are creatures whose appearances resemble that of the fox and whose various exploits are common in Asian folklore. Nine Tailed Foxes tend to take the forms of young Japanese women and girls, and are known for their seductive nature and spiritual powers.
There are many different types of foxes, each having powers reminiscent of a different element, for example: Earth, Wind, Thunder, Fire, Darkness, and Time. There are also different rankings of foxes, the highest being the Celestial Fox. And like mortal men and women, foxes can be both good and evil. "Good foxes" (traditionally referred to as zenko), are benevolent in nature, and are often associated with the god Inari. Evil fox spirits, or yako, are contenders of foul play and do not have any real morals at all. They can be ruthless, deceptive and manipulative, and won't shed a single tear over a lost life.
Many Nine-Tailed foxes may start out as normal foxes, and in order for a fox finally gains all nine of its tails, it must either live nine lifetimes, or live for hundreds of years, which in this mortal world, is impossible. These foxes have adapted to their impossible situation, and can now generate a new tail after each lifetime. Tails normally appear after experiencing a new "death memory," a memory that, to an ordinary human, would be the traumatic experience of death in their final moment of life. But for a fox spirit, who does not have the same morals and perspectives as humans, these "death memories" generate an insanely powerful amount of magical energy within them and cause them to be reincarnated again, this time with an extra tail.
Many ordinary Shifters are envious of these Legendary Shifters because, as their title suggests, these Legendary Shifters possess extraordinary powers. A cult of them exists in Naragama City today, and is comprised mostly of Defects (people who don't have a secondary animal form) and extremists, who believe that Mythological Shifters are unnatural and must be eradicated in whatever way possible. Some even think that having a secondary animal form is unnatural unto itself, and try to set an example by finding a way to undo the curse of having an animal form.
Members of this cult are referred to as Hunters, for they are trying to do what ordinary huntsmen have been doing for centuries: killing innocent animals for their own greedy purposes.
The Hunters are ruled by the Virgin Huntress of Naragama City, nicknamed Artemis for the title's roots in Ancient Greek mythology. Despite her title and what she stands for, she has the power to transform into a beautiful and agile silver wolf.
Although her cult-like extremist group is feared by many, what ordinary people don't know is that she is actually just a teenager, and a young woman herself.
She is queen of the huntsmen, and anyone who crosses her will face serious consequences.
She is Artemis the Virgin Huntress, cult leader and extremist head.
She is the One and Only.
***
Artemis sat at one of the only occupied tables in Nailah's Cafe, sipping a cup of warm coffee. She was getting tired of waiting—he should be here by now.
"Any reasonable person would think to show up on time for a meeting with me. But not this bastard," the Huntress grumbled, setting her cup of coffee aggressively down on the table in frustration, the brown liquid splashing against the rim of the cup.
She wore simple, long red robes that were reminiscent of Red Riding Hood's cloak in the famous Grimm fairy tale. Her fine silver hair was tied up into twintails, the type that sprouted from buns near the top of the head. It was a style that complimented her serene manners and childish temper.
Underneath her robes she wore her school uniform, which consisted of a short, pleated plaid skirt and a tan blazer. Her school crest gleaned in the light as she adjusted her position, restlessly leaning back into her seat while watching the open window vigilantly.
Suddenly the welcoming bell rang and in came the exact person she was looking for: Kanetsugu Iwasaki, a senior at Yoikatachi High School, and the only boy in his class not to transform.
"Welcome, sir," the host, a portly man sitting at the bar counter, greeted him. He nodded in brief acknowledgment before heading over to her table, the door swinging shut behind him.
"Finally! Geesh. Could it kill you not to show up on time? I mean, look at the sky! It's dark out, for God's sake." Artemis' eyes flashed in irritation as she gestured to the window.
"Sorry for the delay. I just had a few things to take care of; I tried to get here as soon as possible. Honest," Iwasaki explained, taking the seat across from her.
"Would you like anything to drink, sir?" The portly man from the counter asked. Artemis assumed he was the only one still working here—otherwise, they would have had some cute girl serve him, not this overweight boss baby.
"No, thank you," Iwasaki replied, and the man immediately took his leave, probably not wanting to interact with Artemis any more than he already had. He could probably sense that Artemis was a powerful Shifter, and most likely, he had no intentions with getting mixed up in any sort of fight while he was still manning the cafe.
Thank goodness for that, Artemis thought sardonically. If he hadn't been smart enough to leave us alone, I probably would have ripped him to shreds.
"So, any more intel on new unusual Shifters in the freshman class?" Artemis asked impatiently, and began passing her coffee cup between both hands, bored and restless. She was like a cat just waiting to pounce, and anyone who ticked her off would become her prey.
"Well, there's one," Iwasaki told her uncertainty.
"Go on," Artemis pressed, stopping the coffee. She stared at him intently, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. The handsome high school senior was obviously nervous. If Artemis had been in a better mood, she probably would have laughed. What kind of world is this where a little girl can intimidate a man? She thought.
One thing any sensible person should know about Artemis is that she exaggerated almost everything, a cause for humor in her own mind. Most people didn't appreciate her jokes, though; so she kept them to herself and played the loner. Although she did have plenty of lackeys in her extremist group and her school who would willingly do her bidding.
"Her name is Hayami Sugimoto, and if I'm correct, she transformed into a Nine Tailed Fox not all that long ago."
"Sugimoto, eh? Well, I'll have to look into that. If she's been to the doctor recently, it should be registered in her files. If not, well, we'll just have to wait a bit longer and see what happens."
Iwasaki sighed, as though releasing tension. He looked like a deflated balloon, sagging and weak.
"Want me to be your spy?" Iwasaki offered suddenly, startling Artemis out of her sadistic contemplation.
"Huh?"
"I mean, I kind of already am your spy. But, like, do you want me to try and get you more information? It would be easier than having you transfer to our school…" his voice trailed off. He really did look tired—tired and old. Artemis hoped she would never turn out like that, old and exhausted and lame.
"Go ahead. Sure. I've never met a Nine Tailed Fox before; it would be interesting to come face to face with one," Artemis affirmed.
"Okay. I'll make sure to keep an eye on her for you. And how soon should we meet up again?"
"Two weeks, maybe three, if nothing interesting happens before then. I'll let you know using this." The Huntress held up a disposable flip phone, flashing him the illuminated screen.
"That's fine with me. You have my number, right?" Artemis nodded. "I'll try to get here sooner next time."
Both of them stood up at the exact same time. Artemis blushed angrily at the awkwardness of her departure, her hands splayed flat on the table.
"Sorry," Iwasaki blurted, his face turning red as well. "I don't know what I did but I'm sorry."
"Just leave. Now," the Huntress ordered. And with that, Iwasaki did as she said, without a backward glance in her direction.
Once he was gone, Artemis hurriedly drank the rest of her coffee and slammed it back down on the table. Her face was still red, but it wasn't as bad as before.
"That idiot!" She shouted. "Stupid, stupid idiot!"
Some might think that was immature of her, but in reality, she was only a freshman in high school, and female Japanese first years are some of the most naive people out there, so there was really nothing for people to judge her for.
At least he hadn't left her with his bill. That was one thing she could be grateful for.