The Fox Hole (Multiversal Restaurant)

After over 400k words, the "goddess" makes her full appearance…

Chapter 104:

– Haru –

I woke up the next morning to warmth, softness, and the slow, steady rhythm of Naruko's breathing against my chest.

The sunlight filtered through the window, casting a golden glow over the room and gently illuminating the bare skin of the beautiful redhead curled up beside me. Her arms were draped over my torso, one leg possessively hooked around mine, and her full, naked breasts pressed warmly against my chest. Her red hair was a mess, strands tangled from sleep and the night before, but she was still breathtaking. Her tails, soft and lazily twitching, were wrapped with mine like they'd found their own way to cuddle us together.

Yeah, last night had gone from a romantic festival date to something way more intimate. One thing led to another—and I'd taken Naruko's virginity. Just like I'd taken Kushina's.

I didn't want to compare them. I really didn't. But in my head, it was impossible not to. They were both incredible women, each in their own way. Kushina had been passionate, confident, with this raw, sultry energy. But Naruko? Naruko was a wildfire once she let go. Innocent at first, sure—but once she got going, she'd clawed at me like she was starving. Her voice, her breathy moans, the way she'd held me—it was all still fresh in my mind.

I stared at her for a moment longer, taking her in—completely exposed under the light sheets, flushed from sleep, a faint smile still resting on her lips. Her cheek was tucked against my shoulder, lips slightly parted.

I leaned in and kissed her softly, just above her temple. She shifted but didn't wake.

Carefully, I began to untangle my golden tails from hers, doing my best not to disturb her. Her tails were warm and silky, the same soft red as her hair, and even unconscious, she seemed to grip mine tightly. I gave her another gentle kiss, this time on the cheek, and finally slipped out of bed.

I took a few seconds to admire her one last time from the foot of the bed.

After stretching myself out, I padded across the floor toward the bathroom and turned the shower on. The water sputtered to life, steaming quickly. As I stepped under the hot stream, I ran a hand through my hair and leaned against the wall, the memories of last night replaying in my mind.

It was still pretty fucking crazy when I thought about it—some twisted alternate version of France, where people over a certain age just up and died every year like clockwork, all thanks to that so-called "Paintress" lady. A city under the thumb of a countdown.

But something didn't sit right with me.

I couldn't shake the feeling that the death magic I'd blocked—no, obliterated—hadn't actually come from her. It had come from the continent, yeah, but the Paintress herself hadn't even flinched when I'd intercepted it. No reaction. She just slumped back down, placing her head in her arms.

If it had been her magic, wouldn't she have at least twitched? Something?

Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe she really was just some generic, stoic evil villainess type with zero emotional bandwidth. Or maybe... maybe this whole thing was way more complicated than I wanted it to be.

I sighed under the stream of hot water as I scrubbed vigorously at my fur, working the lather deep into my ten golden tails. I made damn sure to rinse out every trace of sex from last night. The scent clung stubbornly, but I was persistent. Plus Yasaka had gotten me some more effective soap because Kunou was getting older and her senses were getting better and neither of us wanted to answer whenever she asked, "why does nii-chan smell funny." 

Once I was satisfied, I stepped out and toweled myself off, running the thick cloth through my tails until they were fluffed back to their usual impressive state. Then I got dressed in a pair of black pants and a button up white shirt.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and smirked. I looked good...

– Ranni –

She figured after so long… 

After so long of watching and waiting—just aiding a bit here and there—it was time that she truly revealed herself in full. She was no longer satisfied being a side character in the story of her own husband.

Ranni wandered quietly through the morning streets of Lumiere, her footfalls silent against the weathered cobblestone paths. "Such a lovely little town this is," she murmured under her breath, her voice soft and elegant, as if speaking to the wind itself.

She strolled on her own, adorned in layered celestial robes of indigo and silver. Her guards had, as always, insisted on following her, but she had dismissed them. They were ceremonial—symbols of her rank, not necessities. There hadn't been a soul in almost a century now who could pose a real threat to her.

The people of Lumiere moved slowly this morning, but were no less still in celebration. The people had danced and partied through the night, some out of gratitude, others in disbelief.

And all of it was thanks to her beloved consort.

As she had known it would be.

That was why she had sent Haru and his fiery-haired kunoichi paramour to this world in the first place.

Their so-called "date."

She knew the term well enough—knew all about the peculiar idioms and slang of his modern world—but she simply refused to speak like that. She was still a princess, after all. Some dignity must remain.

She passed through the edge of the pier, the sea whispering beneath her feet, and paused to look out over the waters. The Paintress sat still, motionless as a statue of grief carved into the ocean's edge.

Ranni already knew the truth of this realm. She would never send Haru to a world that posed him true danger. But she would never spoil the story for him. That was for him to find out if he so wished. Or maybe he'd prefer to simply cook and let the mystery come to him. Either way, it usually ended the same for her consort.

He had always been a creature of fire and curiosity. Cooking had followed him through lifetimes, rebirths, and worlds—but it was not the only thing that fed him.

Boredom, she knew, would devour him faster than time.

That was why she had linked his restaurant to so many strange and curious realms. To give him something new every day. Endless new experiences so she would never have to witness that fire leave his eyes that she so adored.

Her musing was interrupted.

She felt a pulse in the "chroma" behind her--the magic that powered this world. Her musings were interrupted when she sensed two interesting presences arriving in Lumiere upon this morning.

"Greetings," she called gently, her voice carrying across the air like a chime in the wind. "'Tis rude to sneak upon royalty unannounced."

The illusion spell around her dissolved with a shimmer, and only then did the young man and woman see her. Yes, she had been invisible whilst wandering the town. Otherwise she feared she would have stood out quite a bit with her unusual appearance. 

They both startled as she spoke up. The man bore a pale scar across his face and wild white hair. His companion, a young woman with half her face cruelly twisted by fire, instinctively reached for something at her belt.

But there was nothing to be done. "Worry not," Ranni said calmly. "I merely stumbled upon the two of you by chance. Would either of thou care to speakest with mine self for a while?"

– Maelle –

Gustave and Sophie had asked Maelle to wait.

After the night-long celebration—after the miracle, the impossible halting of the Gommage—every surviving member of Expedition Team 33 had been pulled into a high-priority emergency meeting. Plans had to change. Protocols had to be rewritten. The world, quite literally, was not the same anymore.

All of them were in that room.

Except for her.

Because Maelle had already made up her mind. That wasn't to say she had a plan. She was far too stubborn for that. Maelle did what she wanted—and damn the consequences.

And that was exactly why, while everyone else argued logistics and policy, she found herself standing alone on the pier a few hours after sunrise, in front of a building that hadn't existed yesterday.

The restaurant.

The place where the so-called demon who had saved Lumiere had laid his head the night before. The one who had shattered the Gommage like it was nothing.

It still felt absurd. Insane, even. A whole building, just poof—planted on the edge of the dock like it had always been there. The wood was polished, dark, and intricately carved. The windows glowed with faint golden light. The hanging wooden sign swung lazily in the ocean breeze.

"The Fox Hole."

She read the name aloud with a whisper, as if saying it louder might dispel the illusion. But it was real. 

The CLOSED sign from the night before was gone, flipped. Now, it read OPEN in a neat hand-painted script. The letters looked like they'd been brushed on with care. There were also some strange symbols next to them as well. Another language she didn't recognize?

Her heartbeat kicked up. She reached instinctively toward the hilt at her side—toward her chroma crystal, toward the rapier she always summoned first.

But then her hand froze.

No.

"Demon" or not, he'd saved them last night. He'd undone decades of helpless resignation. Of people accepting their deaths knowing they could do nothing. She would not greet "him" with a blade.

Taking a deep breath, Maelle stepped forward, placed her fingers on the handle of the door, and pulled it open. She stepped inside.

It was not what Maelle had expected.

She'd half-prepared herself for some kind of hellish interior—skulls on shelves, maybe furniture made of bones if the "demon" was really going for a theme. But instead?

It was... warm. Cozy.

Everything inside was crafted from rich wood

"Oh look, Amy! Another girl our age!" a cheerful voice rang out from above. Before Maelle could even locate the source, a blonde girl floated through the air and landed in front of her. A tiara rested on her head and she was dressed in an interesting costume as well. "Hell yeah, new friend!" the girl declared and pointed at Maelle.

Maelle blinked. "Uh... hi?"

Behind her came a second girl—red-haired, freckled, and clearly exasperated. She wore a clean white tunic marked with red crosses. "Vicky, can you not accost the guests the second they walk through the door?" the redhead muttered, rubbing her temple.

But the blonde girl, apparently Vicky, didn't seem to listen. "I'm Vicky Dallon! Welcome to The Fox Hole!" she said, beaming. "You been here before?" she asked.

Maelle shook her head, still a little stunned. "Uh... no. I'm Maelle."

"Nice to meet you, Maelle!" Vicky leaned in and grinned. "And oh my god, I totes love your accent." Then she turned and smirked at her companion. "Amy! This girl's French. I know you have a thing for French girls—I've seen your Netflix history."

Amy's face went beet red as she slapped both hands over her face. "Oh my god, Vicky. Why are you like this?"

Maelle laughed despite herself. The whole exchange was bizarre but... endearing. "Are you two sisters?" she asked.

"Yup!" Vicky chirped.

"Unfortunately..." Amy added as well.

It was pretty obvious now that neither of them were demons. Just humans, like her. But that left the real question: If these two weren't the owners... then where was the so-called golden-haired fox man named Haru? And what kind of restaurant was this, anyway?

Maelle glanced between the two of them, still trying to recalibrate everything in her head. Eventually, curiosity pushed through the confusion.

"So… what kind of restaurant is this, anyway?" she asked cautiously. "Why is it here? Why did the demon… Haru—why did he save Lumiere?"

Vicky's expression faltered for the first time, just slightly. "Okay, first of all, calling Haru a 'demon' is kinda racist," she said, placing her hands on her hips with mock indignation.

Amy sighed in the background. "The proper term is 'yokai,'" she added.

Maelle blinked, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Ah—sorry. I didn't mean—" she paused. Not really how to continue without sounding bad.

Internally, though, she cursed Gustave for making her sound like some provincial idiot. He was the one who said 'demon' in the first place!

"Don't worry about it," Vicky said quickly, her smile returning like sunlight. "You're not the first person to make that mistake. Haru doesn't really give a shit what people call him unless they say it with malice. But, seriously—he's not some evil underworld monster or whatever. He's a total softie."

Amy snorted. "You say that like he didn't literally feed us an Endbringer."

Vicky smirked "Not the tastiest thing he ever cooked up for us all, but it is still my favorite meal ever!"

Maelle tried to wrap her head around it all. Endbringer? What was that supposed to be? "So... The Fox Hole? What is it?"

Vicky's eyes sparkled. "It's only the greatest place in the multiverse!"

Maelle tilted her head. "The... what?"

"The multiverse," Amy answered more gently, stepping closer. "It's... a collection of different worlds. Different realities. This restaurant's connected to all of them."

Maelle stared at them, completely baffled. That was... a lot to take in. Maelle stared at the wooden floors beneath her boots for a second, grounding herself. So this place didn't just come from another kingdom or continent...

Amy nodded, clearly picking up on Maelle's stunned silence. "The Fox Hole is a restaurant, yeah, but it's also kind of a hub. People come here from everywhere. Not just other countries—other timelines, entire universes, pocket realms... you name it. They come here for one reason—Haru's cooking."

"'Good' doesn't cut it," Vicky added. "His food is like... orgasm-on-a-plate levels of divine. It's freaky."

Amy gave her sister a look but didn't correct her.

She turned back to Maelle, her tone gentler. "Haru and this place have helped a lot of people. Saved entire worlds, even. Maybe yours included."

Vicky looked back at Maelle. "Wait—you said earlier that Haru saved your town, right? What happened?"

Maelle hesitated, then slowly nodded. "He stopped the Gommage."

Vicky opened her mouth and asked, "what's that?" But before Maelle could explain, the door opened behind her.

— Verso —

Verso and Alicia stood frozen, the wind tugging lightly at their coats as the strange blue woman vanished from view.

She had four arms, skin the color of twilight, and the kind of voice that didn't just echo—it settled. Into your bones. Into your nerves. A whisper made of authority. She hadn't yelled. She hadn't made a show of power. And yet, everything about her screamed that she had it. A lot of it.

More than any of—THEM.

He still wasn't sure what she was. A goddess? A higher-dimensional being? Something else entirely? She'd never introduced herself properly other than her name Ranni the Witch, but her presence... it commanded belief.

Even if his brain refused to process it, his instincts—honed after decades of war and bloodshed across the continent—told him everything she said had been true.

She had told them the world was now under the protection of the Moon.

Her "consort," she claimed, had been the one to stop the Gommage. But she would ensure there would be no more. No more countdowns. No more mass deaths. The cycle was broken. From now on, the world would be safe—under her Moon.

Verso hadn't wanted to believe it.

And yet… something inside him did.

She had told them that if they wanted further proof, they should seek out the one called Haru. The owner of a place called "The Fox Hole."

A restaurant on the pier in Lumiere.

He and Alicia had already been planning to visit Lumiere, of course. But Verso was sure—absolutely sure—there had never been a building like that on the pier.

And yet... It stood there now.

The Fox Hole.

He blinked. Turned to Alicia. She said nothing, as always—but her visible eye gave him all the answer he needed. They stepped inside. 

Verso stepped over the threshold into The Fox Hole—and froze. His breath caught in his throat. His feet stopped moving. His mind didn't know whether to race or stall out entirely.

Because standing just ahead, chatting with two unfamiliar girls, was a young woman who looked exactly like Alicia.

Not Alicia now—with the burn scars etched across her face like angry brushstrokes, with the solemn silence she had clung to for years. No. This girl had Alicia's face before the fire. Before everything went wrong.

It couldn't be. And yet it was. Down to the shade of her eyes, the way she held her posture, the curve of her jaw.

"Alicia?" he said aloud, voice cracking slightly, eyes locked on the girl. His sister, standing beside him, tensed visibly.

The girl blinked, startled. Her head tilted slightly. But it was the other girl—the blonde one—who answered first.

"You must have the wrong person," she chirped, pointing to the girl beside her. "Because this is my new friend Maelle! The French girl I'm hoping to set up my sister with," she added and laughed.

"Vicky!" the third girl groaned!

Maelle just nodded politely. "Hello," she said, glancing between Verso and the woman next to him. "Forgive my new... friend. I'm learning she is quite eccentric. I'm afraid you do have the wrong person though. My name is Maelle," she confirmed.

Alicia shifted beside him. She too stared, eyes wide, mirroring his confusion.

But Verso narrowed his gaze. No... He could sense it. Something about Maelle felt familiar. He was sure that this was-

Then the blonde one gasped, loudly and without hesitation. "Oh my god, Amy! Look at this poor girl's face!"

Alicia visibly recoiled, turning slightly away, her scarred face flushing with discomfort and shame.

Verso's jaw tensed. He was just about to tell the girl to shut the fuck up when she spun dramatically and pointed at Alicia.

"Fix her!" she ordered the redhead. "C'mon, you need to heal her! She looks like she's in so much pain! She can't even talk."

Verso's brain actually stopped for a second. "...What?" he said flatly.

Alicia didn't move. Her body had gone completely stiff.

Amy—if that was her name—stepped forward, visibly uncomfortable now with the other girl's antics. "I—uh—sorry about her. Do I... do I have permission to heal you?" she asked gently, meeting Alicia's eye.

Alicia hesitated, her single visible eye wide with astonishment, uncertainty, and perhaps the smallest flicker of desperate hope. Slowly, almost mechanically, she nodded, unable to summon words for a response.

That was all it took. 

And Verso, still standing near the doorway, suddenly realized he had no fucking idea what kind of place he'd just walked into.

But he was starting to find out as the other girl touched his sister, and her skin began to shift. It began to grow and heal over the scars. Her eye and damaged throat regenerating right in front of everyone. Until she was complete healed in only a matter of seconds. Was this some kind of miracle!? what was this place!?

"Holy crap, Maelle!" Vicky suddenly spoke up and stared at Alicia's healed face. "Do you have a twin sister?"

– Haru –

I was just finishing up my early morning grocery shopping, having realized earlier that my food supplies at the restaurant were running dangerously low. My yokai cousin, another cheerful two-tailed fox woman named Ayumi, smiled warmly as she carefully filled my canvas bags with an assortment of fresh fruits and vibrant vegetables. Her twin tails swayed gently behind her as she worked.

"The farms we started in those other worlds really paid off," I remarked gratefully, watching as Ayumi selected the ripest produce.

She chuckled lightly. "Honestly, we can't thank you enough. There's so much more food available now for all yokai, thanks to you."

"Ah, it's nothing," I said. Once all the bags were filled, I hefted them up. "Thanks again, Ayumi," I said warmly, turning to leave.

"Anytime, cousin," she replied cheerily. "Come by more often. We miss you!"

I laughed softly, nodding as I made my way back toward the restaurant. Today, my earliest customers were the Dallon sisters, and most likely Naruko, whenever she decided to wake up. When I'd told the sisters earlier that I'd temporarily run out of breakfast ingredients and needed to restock, they'd both waved me off casually, telling me they were perfectly happy waiting a little longer.

"Take your time, Haru! We're not going anywhere. Amy desperately needs caffeine before she can be trusted around people."

Amy had rolled her eyes but nodded in resigned agreement. "She's right. I'll wait as long as necessary if it means good coffee."

As I headed through the bustling yokai district of Kyoto, the world around me abruptly shifted.

My next step didn't land on familiar cobblestone streets—instead, my foot sank slightly into loose, dusty gray soil. The sudden change in terrain made me stagger slightly, and my eyes widened in shock as I scanned my new surroundings.

Gone were the busy morning streets of Kyoto. Instead, I stood upon a vast, barren expanse of gray stone, surrounded by a horizon dotted with craters and jagged rock formations. The sky above was utterly black, speckled with countless glittering stars, and there in the distance, looming majestically, was the Earth itself. 

"Holy shit, I'm on the fucking moon!" I blurted out loudly, unable to suppress my astonishment.

An almost ethereal, melodious voice drifted softly from behind me, tinged with amusement and gentle reproach. "Now, now, my dearest consort eternal, there truly is no need for such foul language."

A chill ran down my spine—not of fear, but recognition. That voice... I'd heard it countless times, whispering to me in dreams. Slowly, I turned around, my breath hitching slightly in my throat at what I saw…

XXX