The Fox Hole

Chapter 11: An Overlord and a Succubus

We made it back to Carne Village just in time. I could hear the villagers screaming everywhere in panic and running for cover. I was expecting to run into some ruthless bandits or possibly even monsters. What I wasn't expecting to find was an entire band of silver and blue knights. They all wore plate armor, and their weapons were high quality steel. I couldn't imagine why knights would go around massacring innocent villages! Their reasons didn't matter though. Their lives were forfeit when they decided to attack my village!

My arrival didn't go unnoticed by the horde of knights. I was so large that my every step shook the very earth under my feet. Strangely, the murderous false Knights seemed to be more intimidated by the sight of the Warrior Captain on my back.

"It's Gazef Stronoff!" one of the knights cried out in alarm.

"Fuck! He wasn't supposed to catch up to us this early! What do we do!?"

"He's riding a giant monster!"

Both Rias and Gazeff quickly hopped off my back. 

"You monsters will pay for your crimes against the innocent!" Gazeff didn't waste a second once he hit the dirt. He was immediately moving again, surging forward into the ranks of knights. "Martial Art: Six Fold Flash of Light!" He swung his sword only a single time, but managed to cut down six knights at once. That was an impressive technique.

Gazef quickly became a storm of blades as he moved onto more and more opponents. There were so many of them, at least 200 people all together! The whole village didn't even have that many people!

Rias took to the sky, her devil wings flapping behind her. "You all are the worst of humanity! Die in oblivion!" she yelled and started throwing down orbs of destruction. I'm not sure if Rias has ever taken human life before this moment, but she wasn't hesitating at all to defend the villagers. The steel armor the soldiers wore didn't seem to be enchanted in any way, it all quickly disintegrated under her bloodline magic.

I knew I couldn't join the fight in my giant fox form, so I took a couple of seconds to shrink back down to my humanoid shape. It took a couple more seconds for me to properly adjust to only having two legs again. Transforming between my two forms was always very strange.

"The giant monster is just a normal beastman! Kill him!" one of the closest knights shouted as he charged at me, his sword raised high above his head. He couldn't have telegraphed his attack more if he tried…

As his blade came down, I casually caught it in my hand. The force of his strike wasn't even enough to break my skin. I saw his eyes widen in shock beneath his helmet just before I punched forward. My fist smashed into his chest, leaving a massive dent in his plate armor as he was launched out of the village, flying through the air. He probably didn't survive the impact.

The other knights froze, their charges halted as they processed what had just happened. I was still holding his steel sword in my left hand. I raised it in front of all their eyes before snapping the sturdy metal like a twig. 

"I didn't sign up for this!" one of them cried out in fear after my display.

"This was supposed to be an easy mission!" Another knight added. His steel boots clattering as he shook in terror.

"Mission?" Of course there was something more going on here. Something nefarious no doubt. I locked onto them with my slitted pupils, my voice cold as ice. "This is going to be your last mission," I growled. My nine tails bristled behind me, their fur standing on end with my fury. "You tried to kill the people of my territory!" 

Needless to say, the rest of the knights didn't live long, but they were just a small handful of the much larger total.

I swiftly dealt with even more knights as I moved through the village, my fists crashing through their armor with ease, my claws sundering their shields, and those who didn't fall to my strikes were incinerated by my foxfire, the blue flames engulfing them in seconds. It was all a blur of violence, but my mind was barely on the battle.

I needed to find Enri. It was kind of a shitty thing to admit to myself at the moment, but I cared more about her safety than the rest of the villagers. She was now a part of my restaurant and therefore a part of my slowly growing family!

I pounded on the door of her house, my fists slamming against the wood so hard I thought it might splinter. After a moment, her father answered, his face pale and filled with terror at everything that was happening. 

"Where's Enri?" I demanded, my voice might have come off a bit harsher than I intended.

He swallowed hard, his hands trembling. "She—she ran into the forest... after Nemu," he stammered. "Nemu got scared when the knights showed up and ran for it. Enri went after her."

I cursed under my breath. Of all the times for this to happen. The forest was huge, stretching for hundreds of kilometers, and with the battle still raging around us, there were too many scents in the air. Tracking them both down wouldn't be easy, especially with so many people moving around and the smell of blood thick in the air.

I clenched my fists, trying to think. "Which direction?" I asked urgently.

He pointed shakily toward the edge of the village, where the forest began. "That way, I think. Please, you have to find them!"

I couldn't go after Enri just yet—not while the village was still under attack. There were about 150 knights left, and most of them had surrounded Gazef and Rias. I knew Rias was relatively safe, with her devil wings, she could take to the sky if things got too dangerous. But Gazef was different. He was strong, no doubt, but still just a man. 

I clenched my fists, feeling the weight of what I was about to do. I charged back into the fray, moving faster than the knights could react. Gazef was holding his own, but I could see he was starting to slow down. His constant use of martial arts was wearing him out, and Rias, though powerful, had already spent a lot of her demonic energy earlier during our zombie killing spree.

"I've got this!" I called up to Rias. Rias was hovering above, still firing blasts of destruction magic, but her attacks were fewer and weaker than before. She gave a quick nod.

Gazef, in the thick of things, sliced down two more knights but was breathing heavily. He noticed me coming up behind him and shot me a quick, grateful glance. "Glad you're back," he muttered while parrying another sword away from himself. "These guys are tough..."

They weren't really…not to me. But I couldn't go nuking them all with foxfire in the middle of the village. None of the villagers hiding in their houses would survive the intense flames. That meant I had to keep my attacks small.

I slammed my fist into one knight's chest, crumpling his armor like paper. "You take a breather, Gazef. I'll finish this."

He hesitated for a moment but he knew he was nearing his physical limits. "I'll back you up," he finally said, stepping behind me to catch his breath.

I stood in front of around 100 knights on my own now. 

"Don't give up, men!"

"They're all tired, kill them!"

Despite the heavy losses, these remaining knights were still coming at me furiously. As I fought them all, something gnawed at the back of my mind. I'd never had to take a human life before today. Now, I was about to take over a hundred. It felt strange. Not wrong—these knights were attacking innocent people, after all—but still…

One knight lunged at me, sword raised high, and I countered with a small concentrated blast of foxfire, the blue flames consuming him in an instant. I didn't even flinch as I moved on to the next enemy.

"How're you holding up, Rias?" I shouted as I slammed another knight to the ground, his armor crunching under the force of my blow.

"Running low on magic," she admitted, her voice a bit strained. "But I can keep going."

I admired her resolve. Rias wasn't one to back down, even when she was running on fumes. But I could see she was nearing her limit, just like Gazef who was occasionally still lashing out with his sword but was now mostly on the defensive.

And then, once there were only 50 knights left, something strange happened. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement coming from the direction of the forest. At first, I thought it might be another group of knights, but then I realized it was just one figure. 

A massive fucking zombie!

This wasn't like the other undead we'd fought earlier. This one was huge, easily towering over everyone else around it. It wore dark black armor that gleamed menacingly, and in its hands, it carried a towering shield and a massive black blade that looked like it could cleave through anything in its path.

It came charging toward the horde of knights, moving faster than anything that big should've been able to. Before anyone could react, the zombie knight slammed into their ranks, swinging its blade with brutal precision. Armor crumpled, and shields were torn apart. The sound of metal crunching and the cries of men filled the air.

"What... what is that thing?!" one of the knights screamed, backing away in fear. Others tried to rally, to form a defensive line, but it was hopeless. The zombie cut through them with no mercy, its sword carving a bloody path through their ranks.

I braced myself, expecting it to turn on me, Rias, or Gazef next. But to my surprise, it ignored us completely. It didn't even glance in our direction. Instead, it kept its focus on the knights, cutting them down one after another with relentless brutality.

Rias hovered nearby, watching the brutal scene unfold with wide eyes. "Why isn't it attacking us?" She was clearly just as confused as I was.

"I don't know," I kept my guard up just in case. "But I'm not complaining."

Even as the remaining knights broke ranks, fleeing in sheer terror, the undead knight showed no signs of stopping its attack. It chased them down, cutting them down even as they begged for mercy. 

Gazef, breathing heavily beside me, wiped the sweat from his brow. "I've never seen anything like it," he muttered. "That thing... it's a monster."

We watched in a strange mix of horror and fascination as the zombie continued its rampage, its dark armor shining with the blood of the knights it was cutting to pieces. 

Whatever this thing was, it was obviously helping us. But the question remained—why? The undead in the Katze Plains seemed to hate all life in general and would attack anything and everything with a pulse. I didn't sense any real intelligence from the zombie knight, but it was clearly under someone's direction.

The answer of who came swiftly. "That's enough, Death Knight!" 

A large man wearing a strange mask appeared above us, floating in the sky. Next to him was a woman clad in full black armor, she was equipped with a massive axe. The moment he spoke, the death knight stopped its rampage, halting just before cutting down the last of the remaining knights. There were only a handful left after the carnage it had caused.

The knights who remained tried to flee the village, but I quickly moved, knocking each one unconscious before they could escape. I tied them up for good measure.

"Good thinking. Capturing a few of them, Sir Haru. We'll find out why they did this," Gazef said while wiping off the blood on his sword. 

I wasn't an expert in interrogation or torture, but I had no doubt that my mother, Yasaka, had people skilled enough to squeeze the answers out of these murderous knights.

The large, robed man floated down, landing in the center of the village near us. He eyed me and Rias curiously as she walked over to stand by my side. 

"Thanks for the help," I said, eyeing the death knight that had obliterated the enemy forces. "I take it that the big guy is yours?"

When the masked man spoke again, his voice was deep and powerful. "Indeed. The Death Knight was created by me and answers to all of my commands," he replied.

I nodded at him before asking, "you didn't happen to see a human girl named Enri out there, did you?" 

"I saved two human girls who were being chased by a pair of these false knights. The older one was severely injured, but I gave her a potion to heal," he said.

I immediately let out a sigh of relief, the tension leaving my body. "Thank you so much! The older girl is Enri, and she's the waitress at my restaurant, The Fox Hole."

"Restaurant, you say?" The man sounded intrigued, but before we could continue, Rias excitedly flew over to the woman in black armor.

"Your armor is so cool looking! How strong is it? Is it heavy? You must be really strong! What's your name?" Rias asked rapidly, her inner otaku temporarily taking back over. "Oh, I'm Rias Gremory, and that's Haru, my fiancé," she added.

The woman stared at Rias for a moment with her gaze specifically lingering on Rias's wings. "My name is Albedo," she said softly. "And yes, my armor is very heavy, but it makes me the perfect tank."

"A tank? That's so cool!" Rias exclaimed.

I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Rias's excitement was helping diffuse the tense situation. 

"If I may ask, what race are you and… Haru?" Albedo inquired after a moment.

Rias responded with a little smile. "Oh, I'm a pureblood Devil, and Haru is a Yokai Kitsune. The most powerful version—with nine tails," she added, clearly bragging on my behalf.

The armored woman nodded. "Ah, so neither of you are lower life forms, then..." She trailed off. 

I tilted my head in confusion. Lower life forms? What did she mean by that? 

Before I could inquire further, the masked man awkwardly cleared his throat and spoke to me again. "I'm surprised you have a restaurant in a tiny village like this," he said, steering the conversation back on track.

I shook my head. "The restaurant isn't actually located in this village—well, it is, but it's also not. It's hard to explain, but I'm actually from a place called Kyoto."

– Momonga –

"Kyoto…?" Momonga asked in genuine confusion. That… That was a city in Japan. A city that had been completely destroyed in nuclear hellfire in the year 2055, never being rebuilt afterwards. 

The Kitsune, Haru, nodded at him.

Momonga wasn't sure what to think, so he did what he'd done ever since arriving in this strange new world, where all his guild's NPCs had suddenly come to life—he simply nodded and went along with it. 

The Kitsune Yokai, who registered as VERY powerful to his subtle detection spells, ran a restaurant of all things? 

Sure, why not? 

The Kitsune was also engaged to a smoking hot pureblood Devil for some reason? 

Of course, why wouldn't he be?

Momonga rolled with all of it…

He even rolled with it when one of Haru's tails seemed to split off from himself and created an actual clone. 

"Woah! I didn't know you could make clones, Haru." Rias said. "How come you don't use them to fight?"

"Creating a clone splits off one of my tails, which actually severely weakens me," the kitsune said. 

Momoga did notice that Haru suddenly felt a lot weaker. His clone quickly sprinted out of the village and headed into the forest, presumably to find Haru's missing human waitress that Momonga had saved earlier.

The now eight tailed Haru invited Momonga and Albedo over to a building that stood out sharply from the others. While the surrounding structures looked like they were made of sticks and rough wood, this place looked like an actual well constructed building. 

"This is The Fox Hole, my restaurant that connects to other dimensions," Haru said casually, opening the door and gesturing for them to enter.

If Momonga still had eyebrows, he was sure they would have shot up at that comment. Other dimensions? Was such a thing possible? Then again, he was a literal Isekai character now, so of course it was possible.

As they stepped inside, Momonga couldn't help but marvel at the interior. It was a cozy family restaurant, the kind he had only seen in old photographs. On his Earth, pollution made it so that most restaurants simply couldn't operate, except in the bubbled-off districts for the wealthy elite. Places he was never allowed to go as a member of the lower caste workers.

This was all a very novel experience for him.

Haru motioned for them to sit wherever they liked. Momonga eyed one of the booths but realized his new body was far too large for it, so he settled for sitting across from Albedo at a sturdy wooden table. In a sudden flash of light, Albedo unequipped her armor, revealing her flushed face and a wide, gleeful smile.

"I'm sitting in a restaurant with my beloved Momonga-sama! Is this a date?!" she squealed, her voice filled with delight.

Momonga internally cringed but kept his calm exterior. "It's just a meal, Albedo," he said.

Haru chuckled, placing two glasses of water in front of them, followed by menus. "Take your time in deciding. Everything here is made fresh," he said with a smile.

Momonga glanced down at the menu, and if he had a stomach, it would've rumbled with anticipation. The pictures on the menu were of real, actual food—dishes with ingredients he had only dreamed of in his past life! Back then, the world's food supply had mostly been reduced to synthetic paste, mass-produced for survival rather than pleasure. But here... here was real meat, real vegetables, real flavors!

Albedo was already eagerly browsing the menu, her eyes sparkling as she scanned the selections. "Momonga-sama, what shall we have? Anything you desire, I'll have too!" she said, almost bouncing in her seat.

"Wow, Albedo! I didn't think you'd be so pretty outside of your armor. I love your wings and horns!" Rias called out from where she sat at the bar, next to a human man they'd been fighting with earlier. Her tone was light and friendly, a playful smile on her face.

A small pink blush crept across Albedo's cheeks at the compliment. 

Momonga watched, once again feeling his undead trait forcefully suppress his emotions. Seeing Albedo's flustered reaction would have stirred something in him if not for his trait. It annoyed him every time. Why had he thought it was a good idea to role-play as an undead in the first place? He should have picked a dragon, like Touch Me...

Haru spoke up again, breaking Momonga's silent frustration. "If I might make a recommendation, I've got some dragon meat left over from yesterday. It's perfectly preserved, and I can make some amazing steaks from it."

"Dragon meat!?" Albedo's excitement was immediate. "Oooo, I want that!" she declared, instantly making her decision.

Momonga turned towards Haru. "What does dragon steak taste like exactly?" He had never imagined eating something like that. After years of subsisting on synthetic chicken paste, it was hard to imagine anything else.

Haru scratched his chin thoughtfully. "It's hard to describe... but I'd say it's kind of like a wagyu steak mixed with alligator meat. Except it's even more tender and juicy."

Momonga blinked—well, he would have, if he could. He didn't understand a word of that comparison, but Haru sounded confident, so that was enough for him. "We'll have that then," he said, ordering it for both himself and Albedo. Just because he didn't have a stomach didn't mean he couldn't eat. He had consumed healing items and elixirs in the game without issue, so why not food? 

Albedo was still glowing from Rias's compliment and the anticipation of trying dragon steak. Momonga could feel the weight of her adoring gaze, and it made him feel very awkward all of a sudden. 

…Shit, was this considered a date now?

Judging by the look Albedo was giving him, the answer in her mind was yes.

Haru smiled and moved back toward the kitchen. "I'll get that started right away. You two are in for a real treat." 

Momonga leaned back in his chair, glancing at Albedo. Seeing her so happy was... nice, in a way.

Finally, he cleared his throat, more out of habit than necessity. "Albedo, how have things been in Nazarick since we arrived in this new world? I assume managing everything must be... challenging?" Managing the guild when it had been a mere video game had been difficult for him, he couldn't imagine properly running the place with all the NPCs being alive.

Albedo's smile softened. "Oh, Momonga-sama, managing Nazarick is my greatest honor. Every day, I ensure that all the floors are in perfect order and that the guardians are fulfilling their duties. It's busy, yes, but also incredibly rewarding. I get to serve you and ensure the Great Tomb of Nazarick thrives in this new world."

Momonga nodded, though his mind wandered. He had always viewed the NPCs in Nazarick as part of the game, nothing more than scripted characters with limited responses. But here, seeing Albedo speak so passionately, he realized she wasn't just spouting pre-programmed lines anymore. She really was alive.

"And what else do you do during the day?" Momonga asked curiously.

Albedo's golden eyes gleamed at him. "Well, there's always something to oversee. Shalltear is a bit...stupid, so I often need to remind her about how to properly perform her duties. Demiurge, on the other hand, is always plotting something intricate, and I help him ensure his plans align with your grand vision. And then, I make sure that the maids and staff are performing their tasks to perfection." She paused, smiling warmly. "But my favorite part is reporting to you, Momonga-sama. Knowing that I'm supporting your rule makes everything worthwhile."

SHE DOES ALL THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY? 

"...Y–You've done well, Albedo," he said after a hesitant pause. "I... appreciate everything you've done for Nazarick." he said dryly, realizing that without her he would genuinely be screwed.

Her cheeks flushed again, and she lowered her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "Your praise is all I desire, Momonga-sama!"

Haru approached the table, carrying two steaming plates of perfectly cooked dragon steaks. The rich, savory aroma filled the air, causing even Albedo to lean forward with eager anticipation. Haru set the plates down in front of them, grinning as he placed the final touches on the presentation. "Enjoy," he said.

Momonga hesitated for a moment. Slowly, he reached up and removed his mask, revealing his bare skull and glowing red eyes. He glanced first at Haru, expecting some form of reaction—fear, perhaps, or at least surprise.

But Haru didn't even blink. He gave Momonga a friendly nod, as if seeing an undead lich was just another part of his day. Momonga blinked in surprise—well, metaphorically, of course. He wasn't expecting such a nonchalant reaction to his appearance. Before he could dwell on it, though, he heard a small squeak from the bar area.

"Your glowing red eyes are so cool!" Rias practically squealed from where she sat next to Gazeff. She looked like she might bolt over any second to take a closer look.

Gazeff, on the other hand, shifted nervously in his seat, clearly uneasy with Momonga's undead nature, but trying to maintain composure. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, though he made no overt move to draw it. 

Albedo, of course, was practically glowing with pride as she smugly glanced over at the red headed Devil. "Of course, Momonga-sama is the most powerful and magnificent being in existence!" 

Rias just giggled back in response. 

Momonga turned his attention back to the steak in front of him. The rich, juicy meat looked more appetizing than anything he had ever seen before. With careful precision, he cut into the steak and took a bite with his bony mouth. Momonga paused for a moment, savoring the sensation of real food. "It's excellent," he said simply. 

THAT WAS AN UNDERSTATEMENT! THIS WAS THE SINGLE GREATEST THING HE'D EVER TASTED! REAL FOOD WAS AMAZING! 

Albedo was practically swooning over her own steak, cutting bite after bite with a look of sheer delight on her face. "It's amazing, Momonga-sama!" she said between bites. "And these mashed potatoes are also fantastic!"

Haru walked back into the kitchen as Momonga and Albedo continued their date–er–meal in peace.

– Haru –

After they finished their meal, Momonga approached me, gesturing for a more private conversation. I led him into the back, far enough from the others that no one could overhear us.

"That meal was delicious," Momonga said. He thanked me for the experience.

I waved it off with a grin. "I should be the one thanking you. After all, you helped save the village I own." 

His glowing red eyes focused on me. "I wanted to ask more about that. This seems to be a human village. How did you come to own it?" he asked. "And what is the deal with this strange restaurant of yours…?"

I chuckled and started explaining how my restaurant randomly started connecting to other dimensions a couple of weeks ago. Since then, I've had some pretty interesting customers. Many of them have become close friends, and, well... a few became something even more. I couldn't help but smirk a bit at that.

Momonga lightly punched my shoulder when I casually mentioned that I had two fiancées—Rias and Aela the werewolf. "You lucky bastard!" 

I tapped him right back with a grin of my own. "You're one to talk with a gorgeous succubus like Albedo literally throwing herself at you. You can't pass up something like that!"

Momonga hesitated a bit when I pointed that out. "I would like to...be with her. But I can't exactly be in a relationship as a literal skeleton," he muttered, sounding self-conscious for a moment.

I tilted my head at him. "Then why not learn some transformation magic? You could just assume a humanoid form and your problems would be solved." 

Momonga's red eyes glowed brighter, clearly surprised by my statement. "Transformation magic!? Is such a thing possible?" he asked.

I couldn't help but laugh a little, pointing at myself. "Dude, my yokai form is a 30-foot-tall, nine-tailed fox. Of course, it's possible."

"You are?" he asked in surprise.

"Oh, right. You got here after I transformed back into my humanoid form." I shrugged, then added, "Yeah, yokai are pretty much the masters of transformation magic. Especially kitsune like me."

Momonga stood there, processing the information. 

"If you want," I offered, "I can ask one of my cousins to teach you. It wouldn't be hard to arrange. Trust me, a human form could change a lot of things for you. Especially in the bedroom." I said while wiggling my eyebrows.

"Oh? Do you have a lot of experience there, 'Mr. I have two fiances?'" Momonga asked me.

"...No," I admitted and he chuckled at me.

There was a moment of silence before Momonga nodded. "I... appreciate that offer, Haru. It's something for me to consider." 

"Well, if you make a decision, you know where to find my restaurant. Feel free to stop by anytime you want. I have a feeling we could be pretty good friends. And just wait until you meet my other buddy Agnar!" I added. 

After that, our conversation naturally turned back towards the attack we fought off. "I honestly have no idea why these knights were massacring villages, but I'm sure my mother will squeeze the answers out of them. I'll also ask her to station a few Yokai guards in the village from now on." There were a couple of Yokai in this world, but they were all out exploring the surrounding forest for resources.

Momonga wasn't aware that this was the third village to be attacked. "This is no coincidence and those knights were not poor bandits. All of their equipment was shiny and new. I sense some kind of conspiracy is behind these attacks." he pointed out and I nodded in agreement. 

The two of us walked back into the main area of my restaurant where we spotted Rias happily chatting with Albedo. With my enhanced hearing, I could hear that they were both talking about how amazing their boyfriends were with each other…

Yep, I wasn't getting involved in that conversation. Momonga and I both steered ourselves to the bar, where Gazef was sitting by himself. He apologized to Momonga for initially being distrustful of his undead nature, but Momonga waved him off. "Even if this village is no longer part of the Re-Estize Kingdom, I still thank you for saving its former citizens!" Gazef bowed to Momonga deeply. 

"O–Of course," the skeleton replied awkwardly.

It was at that moment that the doors to my restaurant were thrown open. Enri ran inside with tears in her eyes. She was accompanied by my clone which quickly faded away and returned my missing power to me. 

"I was so scared!" Enri hugged me tightly as I patted her back comfortingly. 

"It's alright, everything is fine now," I said. At least, I thought it was until the doors banged open again. Enri's father stormed inside, with a look of panic. 

"Lord Haru! More of those blue knights have surrounded our village!" he exclaimed fearfully.

Momonga, Gazef and I all exchanged glances with each other. More of them are showing up after we wiped out almost 200 of them?

"Fucking really…?" I grumbled. 

Momonga chuckled darkly and pat me on the shoulder. "You don't have to worry, Haru. Let me and Albedo handle all of these foes for you." Albedo perked up upon hearing Momonga mention her name and immediately made her way over to us. "Come along Albedo, we have some enemies to deal with!"

"Thank you for the wonderful meal, Lord Haru," Albedo gave me a slight bow. "Til next time! I can't wait to come back here with Lord Momonga!"

I watched the two of them leave and shrugged. They were both very strong, easily Ultimate-Class. I'm sure they will be fine.

XXX