Kyuko

Kyuko (九狐) is a game original character that appeared in Mass for the Dead.

Appearance
Kyuko is a short young girl with emerald eyes, white eyebrows, short golden hair with a pair of fox ears and nine fox tails. She wears the attire of a miko, a short red hakama, a white kosode, and a pair of getas. Around her neck is a glass bauble necklace. Although she looks young, she seems to be a long-lived race by human standards, and has lived for quite a long time.

In her beast form, she appears as a massive golden furred nine tailed fox, exceeding Hamsuke in size. In this form, her accessories vanish save for her glass bauble which tied with a purple rope around her neck.

Kyuko has a more mature version of her humanoid form wearing samurai armor which is based on her memory of the time when the fallen warriors lived at her shrine. Though the form is similar to that of a human being, Kyuko is unable to disguise her tails and other animal traits.

Personality
Kyuko had a haughty personality when she first appeared. She even admits that she has a self-righteous personality. Though she attributes to it her years of traveling which also made her develop poor communication skills resulting in her short responses. However, beneath that is actually a very lonely girl that craves social interaction. When speaking she uses the honorifics for herself as (わらわ warawa) which is to show her modesty and her status as a child. After being inducted into Nazarick, Kyuko has since stopped referring herself in this tone and is more talkative. Now preferring to enjoy her time with her new friends and monsters in Nazarick, referring them as her 'pack', whose names she has learned by heart.

Background
Kyuko hails from a foreign country far from the Re-Estize Kingdom, possessing language and clothes that greatly differ from those of the cultural sphere around the site where the Great Tomb of Nazarick was transferred. In addition, Momonga speculated that there might have been a YGGDRASIL player in or around the country where she was born, as she knew the name and characteristics of a monster that existed in Nazarick.

According to Kyuko's testimony, she was just a normal fox living in a forest. Although it is unclear as to whether it was due to her being so long lived or if she had eaten a strange fruit, she became a being similar to a kitsune. Due to her new appearance, her forest friends were terrified of her, so she entered a human village near the forest. There she happily played with the human children and helped settle disputes. Over the course of time, she was seen as a guardian deity to the humans. Her shrine was visited by many including fallen samurai, one who even gifting their blade to her before passing on.

However, her happiness did not last for long for as time passed the humans succumbed to old age and died. Fewer people came to her shrine and soon, she was all alone in an abandoned village. Longing to find companionship, especially one who could walk alongside her and persist through time, Kyuko set off on a journey to find others like her. For many years and decades, the fox wandered the New World and although she encountered a number of long-lived races, she was never truly accepted due to her human appearance as many heteromorphic species mistook her for food.

Mass for the Dead Arc
Kyuko travels brought her to the Great Forest of Tob as the air nostalgically reminded her of home. While walking under its boughs at night, she came across Hamsuke. Seeing that the Wise King of the Forest was a unique creature similar to herself, she tried to approach the hamster. However as she was in her beast form, her massive appearance frightened the other monster away. The fox continued to haunt the area, disturbing the nearby goblins, ogres, and Death Knight with her presence. Eventually her actions brought the attention of Aura Bella Fiora who then began to lead a survey team to find out just what was going on. While observing the dark elf and her team, from the safety of [Perfect Unknowable] she took a dislike to Aura and Narberal Gamma as she viewed their condescending tones towards Hamsuke akin to bullying.

After the parties separated at the Great Lake, Kyuko continued to watch Hamsuke. When the Crack in the forest was releasing it periodic wave of Chaos Beasts, she attempted to approach Hamsuke again seeking to help it fight the monsters. However, it only caused the hamster to panic. Once Aura returned, having been told by a peryton that the entity, being Kyuko, had struck again. But once again the fox was nowhere to be seen, when Aura looked for it. When it looked like Aura was doubting Hamsuke's testimony, the fox created fog in the area that masked its form and attacked the dark elf. After being struck back by Aura, Hamsuke, and the Death Knight summon, Kyuko was forced to retreat.

Later Aura with the help of her brother Mare, the Pleiades, Slimeko, and the protagonist, they hosted a Harvest Festival in Carne Village. The group had originally believed that Kyuko was some sort of enraged demonic beast. After doing some research they learned that hopefully the festival would appeased it long enough to for Aura to capture it. Kyuko was indeed lured to the festival, though she originally believed it to be some sort of dark ritual, due to the large number of undead that were inadvertently attracted to the undead summoned helpers from Nazarick. Thinking them to be vile beings she infiltrated the village, however, Lupusregina Beta caught her as she could innately see through her [Perfect Unknowable].

Dispelling her concealment, the fox demanded them to leave, producing fog and attacked the party-goers with her great physical form. Kyuko gave the combined Nazarick forces difficulty and proved to be a formidable foe. However she fell into a coordinated trap and Kyuko was eventually forced into her humanoid form by CZ2128 Delta who attacked her long-range via her weapon. Though now smaller the fox girl was able to use her magic to bombard her ambushers with fireballs. She eventually came face to face with Aura and in a personal duel in which resulted in her being defeated and captured. Though defeated, the fox still made a plea to release Hamsuke. However, when Kyuko saw the camaraderie Hamsuke displayed with Aura, she was utterly confused as she thought Aura was her tormentor. The misunderstanding between Kyuko and Aura's team was cleared up once they explained themselves to each other. Hamsuke upon learning about Kyuko's lonely past even pleaded to Aura not to punish her, though it was unnecessary as the rest of the team felt pity for the fox girl.

It was there that Kyuko was offered a place as Aura's subordinate which the fox tentatively accepted if it meant she could play with Hamsuke. Kyuko was the welcomed into Nazarick and the Harvest Festival resumed to celebrate her initiation. While she danced with her newfound friends, Kyuko was given another surprise when Yuri Alpha informed her that there was a similar monster to her that lived in Nazarick, named Uka-no-Mitama.

Kyuko eventually had the opportunity to meet another of her species, and came to live with Hamsuke in the Great Forest of Tob, helping to train her and the goblins. Over a century of wandering, Kyuko finally felt happy and accepted. Furthermore, rumors of her appearance began to spread in the area, associating her as a Guardian Deity of the land around Carne Village.

Much later, Aura and Yuri would seek out Kyuko's help in making chocolate for diplomatic gifts. After Kyuko and Hamsuke were given a sample of YGGDRASIL chocolate, the taste of the candy was enough to convince the fox to help her superior. Upon listening to the two other women, that they were seeking an ingredient from the New World to supplement the sweet, Kyuko immediately directed them to the Longevity Nut, which she detected in the forest. Eager to try the sweet and her 'pack,' the fox guided Yuri, Aura, Hamsuke and the Death Knight to a tree in the eastern part of the forest. There, she showed them the fruit and the party had an encounter with a massive slime. Kyuko using her [Fire Bullet] eliminated the creature. After which, she and Hamsuke proceeded to compete with each other to collect the fruit from the forest floor. Once they collected enough, both Aura and Yuri prepared to return back to Nazarick, though with Kyuko as well as she wished to participate in the taste party hosted at the dungeon.

Kyuko was among the female members of Nazarick, including the Pleiades and Homunculus Maids to try the chocolate dishes prepared by maids, Albedo, Shalltear Bloodfallen and Aura. Ultimately Aura's dish, Natural Forest Chocolate, was the winner as it used a common yet familiar item that the New World inhabitants could accept and enjoy. Aura was declared the victor, though the elf directed most of the credit to her brother Mare for getting the taste party started, Yuri for teaching her to cook, and Kyuko for providing the key ingredient. Kyuko was happy to see her superior win and for her contribution was awarded a sample of the chosen chocolate treat.

At the time of an adventurer tournament in E-Rantel, prompted by Nazarick due to their experiments with idols, Kyuko was selected by her superior Aura to act as her replacement in infiltrating the city and participating in the event. Kyuko happily accepted the mission eager to see E-Rantel as it became more accepting to demi-human and heteromorphics. Since she had no prior ties to the protagonist's adventurer identity she was the perfect choice, that combined she was able to take on a more mature form and create a new identity. The fox was paired with Shalltear who under the alias of "Shall" would have a cover story as being a princess of a fallen nation that was destroyed by Chaos Beasts and suffered a curse that prevented her from doing magic. While Kyuko would be "Ku" another princess of a tribe of heteromorphs who also suffered the same tragedy before coming under Shall's service. The two women would maintain the story that they were old acquaintances of Solution Epsilon's adventurer identity "Soi" and once in the city gain reputations as adventurers. Under alias of Ku, the fox acted as Shall's bodyguard.

Upon reaching the city, the two women where met by Soi who convinced the guard at the checkpoint that they were credible people. The three then met with other agents in the city Narberal and Pandora's Actor at a hotel suite where Kyuko took a break to release her form. After being introduced to the treasurer, Kyuko listened to her superior's plans on infiltrating the city. To stay in character, Kyuko returned to her Ku form and allowed Soi to guide her and Shall into the new section of the city. There they met with Saint Clementine who they fooled with their convincing background.

During the tournament she with Shalltear fought against the Swords of Darkness, defeating them in the second match. The duo continued to impress the crowds in other matches like against Gagaran, Evileye and Brain Unglaus. Though they lost against those three challenges, their battles astound those around them. They even win the respect of the human supremacists of the Sunlight Scripture, earning draw in their duel. After fighting matches between Blue Roses and even the Dark Warrior before Ku and Shall are given an adventurer plate they both decline as they wish to continue traveling to find a way to remove Shall's curse. Despite turning down the offer to be adventurers in E-Rantel, their performance wins them the people's hearts who promise to welcome them two back if they ever chose to change their minds.

Some time later, Kyuko was approached by Aura and Mare to participate in the formal Halloween Festival at Nazarick. The fox was willing to join even after hearing it was also doubling as a defense training for Shalltear to help regain her confidence after the Guardian was mind controlled in an incident. As Ku, as her guise, the fox and her friend from the Tob Forest invaded Nazarick to confront Shalltear as part of the training scenario. She and Shalltear battled each other, with the fix giving her depressed colleague a motivation speech of how vital she was to the security to the dungeon, livening Shalltear up. After the battle which ended in Ku's defeat, both parted ways for Shalltear to confront Albedo and Narberal who were the main bosses. Kyuko was later seen at the Halloween banquet eating the new prototype chocolates.

Kyuko would act as part of Nazarick’s monitoring team when Darkness escorted Evileye and Nfirea Bareare to the Tob Forests to retrieve Longevity Nuts to make a cure for an illness spreading among the orphans in E-Rantel. She alongside Aura and Yuri hid in the dense forest and sent various summons to give the appearance to Nfirea that the forest was a dangerous place for humans. Despite their efforts the team underestimated the strength of Nfirea who was not dissuaded and pressed forward. Though the mission was a failure the monitor group decided to allow the protagonist to deal with Nfirea as usual. Kyuko bade farewell to Yuri and Aura who left to hunt some ingredients before returning to Nazarick for a party.

Kyuko was mentioned again by Hamsuke to be assisting in guarding the Crack in the Tob Forest, when the protagonist came to check the area before setting out to the Dwarf Kingdom.

For the upcoming Sorcerer Kingdom's National Foundation Ceremony Day, Aura extended an invitation to Kyuko and Hamsuke to celebrate the nation's founding. Kyuko was eager to participate as she was not required to utilize a disguise.

Abilities and Powers
Although Kyuko looks young, she possesses a great deal of power, which is rare for denizens of the New World. And although it was necessary to adjust in order to catch her alive, it was a little disorienting to the people of Nazarick.

In addition to that, Kyuko uses magic similar to mental magic and can create fireballs and use them in attacks. They can be used to generate supportive effects like flying fireballs similar to "talismans." Furthermore, it is possible to change her form. Her humanoid appearance allows her to directly to cast magic, whereas in her Beast Form, she will use her high physical ability and skill to engage in battle. But even still she is able to use a passive skill to cast a magical shield around her to ward off attacks. The protection is strong enough to allow her to resist a 7th tier spell like [Chain Dragon Lightning] with no injuries.

In her adventurer identity, she maintains herself as a swordsman though her the sword technique does not seem to be so excellent. On top of that, in order to disguise herself as a warrior and a swordsman, she also uses fire-type magic when slashing. In addition, although it is unknown whether the person would think the actual sword wound would feel "hot", so the pain of slashing and the pain of fire attribute are confusing whether it is due to a wound or magic.

Active

 * Fire Bullet: Deals magic damage to a single enemy with the "Fire" element.
 * Attack Strengthening (Medium): Increases own attack power.
 * Fire Fox: Inflicts physical damage on all enemies with a "Fire" element.
 * Beast Change: Inflicts physical damage with a "Fire" element on a single enemy.
 * Perfect Unknowable: A 9th tier spell that makes the user invisible to the naked eye, erasing all traces and sounds.
 * Spiritual Unity: Increases attack power and accuracy.
 * Flame: Inflicts physical damage on a single enemy with the "Fire" element and causes a certain probability of being burned.
 * Burning Blade: Inflicts physical damage on a single enemy with a "Fire" element, and attacks other single enemies when defeating them. Increases damage when the target is burned.

Passive

 * Attack UP/Magic Attack UP: Increases physical and magical attack power.
 * Blonde Blue-Eyes: Increases attack power and quickness with the "Fire" element.
 * Maihime: Evasion rate increases and the mystery gauge is charged a certain amount at the start of battle skill Lv Up to 50% gauge accumulates.
 * Burning: Causes physical damage to all enemies with the "Fire" element and causes them to burn with a certain probability.

Main Equipment

 * Odachi: A keepsake from a samurai that had died. The fox uses this sword as part of her Ku alias. According to her it is possible to change the shape of the blade for a long time with higher accuracy than normal. She mostly uses the blade as a front for her "Burning Blade" technique.

Hamsuke
Kyuko sees Hamsuke as a kindred spirit as both are creatures of their own kind that are alone in the world.

Aura Bella Fiora
From her initial encounter of the dark elf, Kyuko saw her as a bully due to her treatment of Hamsuke during her faults. Due to this misconception, Kyuko attacked Aura to "free" Hamsuke. Eventually when she saw more of Hamsuke's interaction with Aura she saw how wrong she was. Later she became Aura's subordinate after she joined Nazarick, and became eternally grateful for the dark elf in welcoming her despite her error in judgment.

CZ2128 Delta
Shizu apparently has taken a liking to Kyuko almost immediately when she saw her beast form and even her girl form due to her cuteness. The automaton had to struggle to restrain herself from going crazy over her bushy tails. To signify her as one of the things she likes the maid placed a sticker on the fox's back, though decided to place another fearing her tails would be in the way.

Uka-no-Mitama
The name Uka-no-Mitama in Kyuko's home country holds cultural significance, as this type of monster's description was passed down through tradition. Kyuko was eager to meet another fox monster like herself. The senior fox monster is referred to as a big sister by the fox girl. It is inferred that Uta-no-Mitama is likewise fond of Kyuko as she was comfortable enough to give her own trademark mask to Kyuko who treats it as a treasured heirloom.

Shalltear Bloodfallen
Kyuko gets along with Shalltear as they both worked together as "adventurers" under their assumed aliases, Shall and Ku. The fox girl was disheartened about what happened to her colleague, and how she was brainwashed. The idea of someone attacking her friend and making her turn against Nazarick infuriated her. Not only that since Shalltear's appearance may have been compromised, Kyuko's alias as Ku could also be as well hence preventing the two from openly traveling outside their respective area. Kyuko wanted to assist Shalltear hence why she chose to act as an invader for the Halloween Festival to spark Shalltear's motivation and confidence.

Trivia

 * According to Kyuko, it seems that all foxes are seen as gods in her country.
 * Kyuko bares many similarities to a youko or kitsune from Chinese and Japanese mythology.
 * Though Kyuko's name in Japanese is written as (Kyukitsune 九狐) her name is actually pronounced in On'yomi (きゅう こ).

Quotes

 * (To her attackers): "Kuuu... Who the hell are you! It seems that my form has been exposed...! As soon as you saw it, I will not allow you to exist!"
 * (To Aura): "That's right! I got it from Uta-no-Mitama-san! It's already a family heirloom! I will cherish it for the rest of my life! Warawa how about it? After all, do I look good with this mask?"