The Fallen Vampire

"Who is that?"

"A human…"

"Not her, the one next to him."

"Oh, right… He's more unsettling than the rumors made him out to be."

"…He's not as handsome either."

"Be fucking for real."

"Okay, okay…"

Standing at attention on a very impressive sailboat were exactly 150 fallen men and women.

Each of them were high level cultivators and ranked among the very best from the armies of Ja'Zaki, Ayame, and Aja.

And all of them without exception were staring discreetly at the latest group that had only just arrived.

For they who had spent their whole lives training to assess and deal with potential threats, Taira and his wives were quite the eye openers for them.

They were all so regal, and to make matters even more unfair they seemed to be just as beautiful as they were powerful.

Taira was attracting a not so small amount of attention himself.

Tales had already spread throughout fallen society that the last son of the vampire king had miraculously appeared from the dead with a new identity, a new body, and the ability to cultivate.

What was just as shocking was the fact that he had married the defector of the heroes.

Even now, he could be seen walking hand in hand with her, and it was still a difficult pill to swallow for more than a few.

For everyone but the undead faction that is.

As soon as Taira and his wives stepped on board the boat, they were immediately swarmed by the fifty members of Aja's group.

Each of them were able to meet with them previously during their stay at Aja's castle, and they were more than a little thrilled to see them again, even though it hadn't been all that long.

"G-Greetings, Lord Taira."

"Lady Vermeil, I am elated you are still in good health!"

"Lady Lucia is still a dragon… marvelous..!"

As the undead were the only ones intimately familiar with Taira and his family, the undead of course had the warmest response toward their arrival.

But the beastkin and dark elf factions were not like them.

When they saw Taira arrive with a human on his arm, their reactions were a little less than welcoming.

Several pairs of eyes narrowed in an instant once they landed on Vermeil.

"Bringing a human here is really…"

"Even if he is the last vampire, there should be limits to what he can pull…"

"How could one of the so called 'Supreme Fallen' have drifted so low…"

In that moment, a uniquely terrible and suffocating pressure descended onto nearly every passenger onboard the vessel.

The source of this phenomena was of course Taira who had heard every unkind word or phrase that was slung at either he or Vermeil.

In an instant, Ja'Zaki appeared right in front of the irate vampire and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"There, there, friend. Just try to relax, alright? They were wrong, but I need you to remember who our real enemy is at this mo-"

"Ja'Zaki."

Taira's voice and demeanor were so cold, more frigid than the dark elf had ever seen before.

It made him seem so unnaturally dangerous and unrecognizable that the dark elf had almost drawn his weapons without thinking.

"I think you'll find that I am in a… less than pleasant mood these days. So for the duration of this journey, I suggest you instruct your men carefully. Lest they start waking up in the morning with their heads in their laps."

Ja'Zaki's jaw clenched tightly as his normally flamboyant and unserious personality cracked for just a moment.

"While I'm curious as to what could have gotten under your skin and infected your brooding and depressive personality, I would remind you that I do not like having my people threatened."

"I will remind you that I do not make threats. Have we reached an understanding?"

The tense air between the two great forces had only become more tumultuous as the seconds ticked by.

It would have normally been a much more serious moment provided that a long, slender finger did not poke Taira in the cheek randomly.

"Aja.."

"Why is my besto friendo in a bad mood?"

"Get your finger out of my face please… and why do you know that silly phrase?"

Vermeil turned her head to the side and started whistling inconspicuously.

"Nevermind…"

Aja didn't seem to have any interest in removing her finger as Taira requested, or at least not until she had gotten an answer about what was wrong with him.

"Let's go somewhere we can talk, hm?"

"…Fine."

Aja led Taira and the girls to her own private cabin onboard so that she could force a separation between the dark elf leader and her only friend.

The pressure on the dock was finally alleviated once the fox-kin was out of sight of the affected occupants, and they immediately let out a unanimous relieved sigh.

Ja'Zaki looked over his shoulder and found Ayame standing behind him drinking from a coconut and judging him.

"I don't suppose you had something that you wanted to say?"

"…Nope. Nothing at all."

-

Taira sat opposite a highly curious and inquisitive Aja, who seemed like she had practice playing the expert role of a therapist.

The rest of the girls were a bit too tired to stay and observe, so they left the two friends to their own devices.

However, they should have just come with just to make things easier.

"So, will you tell me what is bothering you?"

"Nothing."

"I know that is not true."

"I am just in a bad mood. There exists no particular reason or cause."

"Be honest with me. There is no need to hide your irritability from your besto fr-"

"Please stop saying that."

"Don't tell me what to do."

*sigh*

Taira surveyed the cabin they were sitting in and he felt his irritability worsening.

They really were simple lodgings, with only the rooms for the four heads being slightly bigger, but still a far cry from luxurious.

Basic black carpets, dark grey walls, and a single window the size of a tire looking out into the blue sea.

"I'm just upset that I have to stay in such shoddy lodgings." He lied.

"That's not true. You aren't that spoiled of an individual. You don't have the luxury."

"Excuse me?"

"It takes a unique kind of person to be an assassin. Your mind cannot be bogged down by things like comfort or ideals whenever you are in the field. You're all trained to sleep lightly anywhere, everywhere, and without complaint."

"…"

"…"

"…I'm not changing my answer."

"Fine." Aja shrugged. "If you don't want to talk about it, then maybe we'll talk about…puppies."

Taira's ear immediately twitched and he stared at Aja in a calculating light.

"Or maybe even… puppy dreams if-"

'GIRLS!!!'

-

In Taira's cabin, all of the girls flinched before diving under the covers of their bed like pack rats hiding from predators.

"J-Just pretend to be asleep..!"

"He won't spank us if he thinks we're already unconscious..!"

"…"

Discreetly, Aveena poked her butt out just a bit so that it was exposed beneath the comforter.