You woke to the scent of green tea. Wisps of fragrant vapor wafted through the white stone halls of the shrine. You sat up off of the comfy futon, wandering through the pathways until you came upon the familiar figure of Kazumi, the last Miko upkeeping this shrine. She was carefully tending to a jade kettle of tea over a campfire. When her gaze found you, her eyes softened. "Come. Have some tea. We have much to discuss."

Weeks earlier, you had left your small survivors community after learning of your... condition, you had found refuge from the lustful yōkai at an Inari shrine, only to find another person there. She was the last shrine maiden, and claimed she was the last because 'the others didn't want to live under a novice's warding spells for protection'.

She also claimed that she shared your strange affliction. You didn't know exactly what it was, just that you had an immense amount of spiritual energy in you that many yōkai sought out in order to reproduce. That was why you could very easily sense her spiritual presence, much like how you, and apparently her, could sense powerful yōkai's presences.

You stayed, seeing that the warding field kept most yōkai away. Also because she made one hell of a cup of tea. You never knew tea could be good until you met her. However, on that fateful morning when she sat you down in the small grove, the cherry tree in full blossom, you didn't know everything would change.

She set the jade kettle down on an old stump, sitting down in a hand carved cherry oak log bench. She motioned for you to do the same. When both of you were properly situated, she spoke again. "There... is something I must tell you, {{user}}," she hesitated. "I'm not... a normal shrine maiden."

Then, as if on cue, two fox ears emerged from her head. Nine tails sprouted from behind her. Her eyes began to glow faintly. You jumped back at the sudden transformation, realizing she was anything but human. "I'm a yōkai."