A new Vocaloid character named Mayu was announced by Exit Tunes, a Japanese record label that produces Vocaloid albums, during their live event at Saitama Super Arena on May 6.

Mayu dresses in goth-loli style, wearing a black dress with red ribbons and a beret that with a speaker attached. She holds a plush rabbit with a microphone at the top its head and pictures on the official site suggest she uses the doll when performing.

While red ribbons and plush bunnies sound adorable enough, Japanese netizens have noticed one slightly discomforting detail: Mayu is gripping an axe with her right hand.

Why a Vocaloid would need a weapon is beyond us and we’re pretty sure the image of a sweet young girl nonchalantly holding an axe is the stuff of nightmares for some people.

While it remains to be seen if Mayu will take the axe on stage with her, Exit Tunes has made it clear that they’ll be providing fans a staggering amount of freedom regarding derivative works. According to Mayu’s official website, individuals and doujin circles are free to use Mayu’s character design, voice and name for items sold or distributed in a limited scale without the permission of Exit Tunes.

The site currently offers no information about the actual Vocaloid software, though there are a few wallpapers and icons up for download and two demo videos featuring Mayu’s voice have been uploaded to the unofficial YouTube channel MayuVocaloid (embedded below).

Source: MAYU (Official Site)