Seven Hundred And Twenty-Five

It was a bit of a trial, dealing with Su Liena, as she was incredibly wary, especially of me, who she contemptuously called a ‘young master’. I had wanted to refute that, but it was a little rough, as to her, a young master was someone powerful, fawned on by women, taking whatever he wanted from those who he felt were his inferiors, living a life of privilege. It’s all wrong, but… I can see how at a casual inspection I can look like that if you squint. Especially with how Mae is acting…

Mae was an enigma. Obviously I could feel her through her zeroth tail, but even with access to her emotions, she was able to dissemble and guard herself, which made sense, considering just who she was, so I didn’t have the insight I’d have with say… Eri, or my sis. But I could tell she was genuinely relieved that Liena had risen from her deathly slumber at last, and that we’d at least temporarily forestalled any immediate risk of her killing herself. Apparently it had been a very close-run thing before I’d arrived.

And yet, supposedly her mother is far more volatile. I can indeed see why Tamamo-no-Mae is wary and wishes to keep her unconscious until there is some hope of recovery for her to cling to. Shaeula’s thoughts were sympathetic. As for Liena… I too once felt that death would be better than an ignobly lived life… up until the moment I faced it. I am glad I relented and surrendered to you in such a cowardly manner… yet for her, perhaps it is different. I lost but my pride and my freedom, for a short while, she has lost more and is severed from all she has known.

Yes. that’s why we need to be careful. But even if she seems a little scared of Mae… Indeed, Liena’s expressions were astonishingly open and easy to read, I had expected her to be more stoic like Daiyu, and when interacting with Mae she had a confusing mixture of wariness, relief and fear in her eyes. …she’s still a point of familiarity. The other is…

“I think you mistake Akio.” Daiyu was defending me to Liena, her Kunlun dialect still rather clumsy, but with her high Intellect, she was rapidly improving in real time. “He was not born into wealth and privilege, far from it. His family was poor, and he has worked for every scrap of power and wealth he has obtained, facing deadly foes. Even a Saint, false as he was.”

That piqued Liena’s interest. “A Saint? Who?”

“The same fool who crafted your Spirit Funnel Formation.” Mae snorted bitterly.

“Him? He was a master of the Noble Pursuits, but… only Golden Core Realm!” Liena’s eyes widened. “To reach Sainthood in a withering world… it would need immense fortune and extreme resources, hence my Spirit Funnel…”

“Oh, he had both. He stole my fortune, and my life was his resource. He burned me away, to nothing. Hence… I sympathise, even if you feel I do not understand the struggles of the weak, little Liena.” Mae snorted sourly. “He wrung me dry, agony even you and Caihong’er would be unable to imagine my constant companion. Everything stripped from me. Pride first, then dignity. Hope. Finally, strength. I was a husk, little Liena. A spiritless doll…”

As Liena listened in rapt and awful fascination, Mae continued her story, and I could see it resonating with her, as well it might have. “He was not a true Saint, for he cheated the Heavens. He was brilliant though.” Mae’s lips curled as she praised the man who destroyed her. “The Sessho-seki was able to shield him from the Karma he accrued. It would surely not have worked in Kunlun’s golden age, but with the Heavens distant, a Boundary around this world like a shell, preventing most ether from bathing this world… it succeeded.”

“Then how…” Liena asked, moistening her dry lips with cola Ileana handed her, though she was still wary of her too, and was careful not to allow her too close, which made me feel a little better about her earlier screaming tantrum of rage and fear. I shouldn’t have tried to touch her without explaining. That was on me. I’m just so used to extending Healing without hesitation, and I was only going to take her hand…

“The teeming masses of humanity have grown since our day, young Liena…” Mae began, and Ileana nodded too, having experienced the same culture shock, though once she was free of the fear of pursuit and persecution after reaching Japan, she was beginning to adapt rapidly, aided by the ability to easily grasp any language, and my blood seemed to have sparked a change in her.

“…and they have many snippets of wisdom. One I rather like is… fools rush in where Angels fear to tread.”

“How harsh, grandmother.” Hana snickered. “I may be foolish, but I am not a fool. I was doomed if I did not act, so why not die doing, rather than regretting?”

“Maybe you had reasons, but Akio here…?” Mae’s red-golden tails swung out, battering at my body and legs almost… playfully. I guess it makes sense she’s delighted. Liena lives and is speaking to her. If she can… then Su Caihong will too. If only we can find some morsel of hope to stave off her inevitable suicidal despair and anguish first…

“Little Liena, you will not believe me, thinking me changed, Tamed… indeed, I am. He rebuilt me, and while it is far from perfect, it suffices. It amuses me that Zixin tried endlessly to bind me with my name, yet it was Akio here who did. Even the wretched monk could not, or perhaps he simply saw no need to, as he bound me in other ways. No, he was a monk, after all. he probably saw me as unclean, so having a spiritual connection, a deeper one than that, to me was probably anathema to him, an act which would damage his Dao. But know this, Akio raced to my rescue, as did Daiyu here…”

Daiyu nodded, and Liena showed a little more interest in her now but remained silent.

“…Akio’s younger sister, and some few others. And they fought and defeated the false Saint, though in the end, it was his delayed Tribulation that killed him. One that engulfed us both as well.” Her tails coiled around me, pulling me close, and she wrapped an arm around me, her ample chest pressing against me, which, if I was being honest, was both uncomfortable and heavenly. Don’t think I can’t hear you snickering, Hana!

Valeska merely seemed resigned and irritated and subtly stepped between me and Ileana. I get it. You really see her as kin. Trust me. I won’t ever let Ileana down. And not just because she’s the Princess of Hell. She deserves happiness. As… as does Liena, I think. I know as a Cultivator in that era, her hands are probably not particularly clean, but… she doesn’t seem wicked to me, and like Mae, she’s definitely paid enough to deserve a second chance.

“You faced a Tribulation?” Liena asked, before her face fell. “No, it hardly matters to me now. My way forward is shattered…”

“Wrong. I may not be as… fragile… as your Cultivation, but still I can move forward again. Give us a chance and give us time, Liena, and we shall succeed. So yes, our knowledge of such a Tribulation is surely helpful for your future. Besides…” Mae, clinging to me playfully, lifted my arm, showing off the Bell around it. She flicked it with a fingernail, and it chimed softly, and I could almost feel a breeze, though that was surely my imagination. “…there are those of the Tiānyì who were interested enough in him that they would give him a trifle such as this, so that when his time comes…”

“Hold on. He has not faced a true Tribulation? I had thought him at least Nascent Spirit Realm…” Liena asked, and I liked the look on her face, there was light in her dark eyes, the blue more prominent, and curiosity suited her.

“Actually, I’m a humble Qi Refiner.” I chuckled, and at her look of scornful disbelief, another expression far better than the dead, dazed one she had been displaying, I shrugged. “There are many Paths to power. Cultivation is just one. I’m learning from my Dao Companion…” I nodded at Daiyu, who took my other side, competing with Mae’s fluffy tails. “…but I’ve been doing it for about a month, so we can’t expect miracles.”

“And you… Zhao Daiyu, you say? Zhao…” Liena paused. “I remember the family, but…”

A flicker of interest sparked in Daiyu’s onyx eyes. “I am the Matriarch of the Incorruptible Jade.”

“Oh. So young. I must have misrepresented your strength. I suppose my senses are dull and monochrome.” Liena sighed. “The Incorruptible Jade. I remember them. Obviously they could only gaze up at Ten Thousand Flower Throne with envy, but amidst the sea of trash, they were at least worthy of some note.”

Ouch. Damned with faint praise…

“So, there must be a tale as to why one so youthful as you is Matriarch now. What Realm have you reached?” Liena inquired, and Daiyu’s cheeks reddened ever so slightly, the only display of her embarrassment.

“You are not mistaken. I confess to being but a novice. I have entered my Accumulation recently. Though I have integrated two Foundation Techniques.”

“You are an Accumulator? I see.” Liena felt a surge of superiority, no doubt, before it drained away as quickly as it had come. “At your age, I suppose that is praiseworthy enough.”

“Especially now, Liena.” I defended Daiyu. “You needed your Spirit Funnel because the Heavenly Qi was departing and the Earthly Qi fading. Well, in fifteen hundred years they declined further, leaving next to nothing. But Daiyu here still managed to reach Foundation in an empty world. She’s a prodigy worthy of Kunlun. No, I daresay Kunlun isn’t worthy of her.”

As Daiyu tightened her grip on me, her skin hot from embarrassment and joy, Mae snickered, and Liena gazed at me warily.

“You speak fair words, but I hardly find it persuasive when you have them fawn on you so.”

“What’s wrong with that? Okay, Mae’s a bit…” I began, and she snorted.

“I am ‘a bit’ what?” Her tone was mild, but by the flashing of her emerald eyes I could tell I’d stepped on a landmine. I wasn’t an idiot, Mae (and Hana too, though that was a whole different set of problems) clearly was unguarded around me in a way she wasn’t with anyone else. I’d groomed her tails, and yes, while the act itself wasn’t sexual, it was certainly intimate. I’m not making the same mistake as I did by listening to Shaeula over the way Fae make love.

That was an honest mistake! And if you think about it, males and females who do not love each other still have sex! Matters are hardly black and white. It was easy for me to be mistaken… Shaeula protested in my thoughts.

I’m sure. I don’t blame you, I blame myself. But… I guess in that moment, I was won over by them. Oh well, no backpedalling now. That’s not who I am.

No, Mae had made plain she was more than willing to take me to bed for more than some petting, and if I was honest with myself, I wanted to. Not just because Mae was stunningly, impossibly beautiful, she was Tamamo-no-Mae, after all. But because, during our shared Tribulation, I’d seen that despite her cruelties and petty acts of wickedness and wanton spite, she was a terribly lonely creature, even before the Saint of Swallowed Sorrows broke her down to dust and despair. But to do so…

“I see.” It seemed Mae was better at reading me than I was at understanding her, as she snorted, lips curling into a bitter smile, showing her fangs. “You mistake him, Liena. And do him a disservice. He desires me, yes, but has never forced me, instead, catering to my whims. Even now, he wishes to rip off my kimono and devour me. And who would not?” She smirked proudly. “But he stays his hand, because… of you, little Liena, and of Caihong’er.”

“Us?” Liena asked, and Mae nodded.

“Akio saw, during our Tribulation, my dalliances with your mother, and my desperate struggle to save you both. He believes in our love… despite me never having plucked you, little Liena!”

At that, Liena scooted back, her body moving sluggishly, like a puppet with tangled strings, putting as much distance between Mae and her as she could, which wasn’t much with her feeble strength, admittedly.

“Nor will you!” she shot back, before glancing at her mother sleeping in the other bed, her expression softening. “Mother cursed you often, but… she was glad of your company. There were few she considered her equal. Fewer she could trust or stomach.”

“Yes. I cherished Caihong’er too. I still do. Which is why this tender fool will not claim me. For then poor Caihong’er would be all alone…” Mae licked her lips, a predatory gleam in her eyes. “…still clinging to foolish notions. You call him a young master, Liena? Like those idiotic, spoilt Cultivators? You are gravely mistaken. Compared to him, they have the charm of a Durian’s stench. If you do not believe me…” Her smile was wicked. “…ask Taṇhā, the Buddha may have walked on by her, but Akio did not, if you catch my meaning…”

Liena froze, and there was a long, painful silence, before she croaked out some dry words. “Impossible. You called her She Who Has Quenched Her Thirst…” As her head turned towards me slowly, and not just due to her feeble body, I found myself smiling with rueful embarrassment.

“Yes. Tan and I, we are like that. Look, I get it. You distrust and fear men. Having seen Zixin in Mae’s memories, I get it. Daiyu here as well…”

“Indeed. We female Cultivators have much that we lament. Men see us as tools for pleasure, breeding or sometimes worse. It baffles me.” Daiyu clutched me tighter, while Bintara, who’d moved to check on the sleeping Su Caihong a while ago, sneered sourly, tossing her head, clearly uninterested in our conversation. Sorry, I promise to make it up to you. You’ve come when we called, and I do still want your expertise. Nothing can go wrong with Su Caihong now.

“After all, yes, men are generally stronger and bigger than we women. But Cultivation rapidly eclipses such minor distinctions. Though I do suppose… men cannot birth new life themselves. And when pregnant, Cultivation Deviations are more a danger, or so the jade tags I read said.”

“It is true. The Qi of the developing child is accepted by the body and so clashes happen. It is best to pause Cultivation, as the reverse is also true.” Liena began to lecture us, seeming almost shocked she was. “Though there can be benefits, with the right Body or Constitution, for both mother and child. It is… a time of uncertainty.”

“Well I for one can’t beat Tan in a fight…” I agreed, finding it utterly insane than in a world of aether and Cultivation women would still be seen as worse.

“You keep saying that. Mae this, Mae that. Tan, Tan. Tan!” It almost sounded like she was throwing a tantrum, but I didn’t think it was that. “Do you have no respect for them, addressing them so... so familiarly? Tamamo-no-Mae is the greatest of Spirit Beasts…”

“No.” I interrupted, and she glowered at me. Giving in, I pulled Mae close, though I didn’t forget to hug Daiyu too.

“No? You insolent…” Liena growled, but once more I cut her off.

“No.” I repeated more firmly. “She’s not a Spirit Beast, she’s Mae. I know that’s just what you call Yōkai, but I agree with Shaeula. The term beast is… well, I’d say dehumanising, but that’s not right either. Denigrating, derogatory, perhaps. And no matter how strong she or Tan are, they’re still beings with thoughts, emotions, hopes and dreams. As are you, Su Liena. And Su Caihong too. I… want to make Mae’s dream a reality, I wanted you both to not just wake, but to reclaim what you lost, as best you can. Though it seems Mae wants more. Earth Immortal, huh?”

“You think they cannot do it?” Mae challenged me. “If so, how about a wager?”

“You’ve definitely been talking to Tan and Shaeula.” I chuckled. “I’ve… a bad history with wagers. I lose, and I end up with Shaeula, I win, I get Tan…”

“And you find that a burden?” Daiyu asked archly.

“No. Just that I may be slow, but I can learn. So I can surmise what Mae wishes to stake on it.”

“Indeed.” Mae chuckled. “Little Liena, men are wolves indeed, but women can be too, as you should know. A Sect of Flowers… it does not have to be a male bee to get a craving for nectar.” As Liena flushed, she nodded slowly. “But Akio here, while he is undoubtedly greedy, possessive, jealous, hypocritical…”

“Spare me.” I groaned, and her smirk grew broader.

“…lusty, lewd and amusingly spiteful, he is also loyal, kind, passionate and gentle with women. Or more importantly for you, he is not cruel, nor is he weak. And he does not look down on women, while he strives to protect, he knows we have our own strengths, and to grow, we must be left free, yet he watches over us all still. So, Liena, do not fear him. You may think my word worthless, and indeed, when it suited me it certainly was, but his is not. It binds. And Akio… you wish for Liena and Caihong’er to recover, be better, tall peak though that is for Caihong’er. If so… then why worry? Caihong’er and I, we were lovers, yes, but not betrothed, and I was hardly constant. I had others. Caihong’er knew and accepted that. She would hardly care if you were one to pleasure me.”

“Maybe not, but I’d care. Sorry, but it doesn’t sit right with me, no matter how much you insist neither of you would be stressed over it.”

“See? Greedy and possessive.” Mae chuckled. “But he is not merely jealous. Are you?” She turned to me then, and I had to sigh.

“No. Though I would be. Miyu and Michiru, that’s complicated, but… well, you get it.”

“I do. Then the wager…” Mae continued, and I shook my head.

“Nope, I’m swearing off gambling like that. Besides, you don’t need to trick me into helping them. Liena, bear with us for now. See this new world, live a little. And we’ll find a way to reignite and supercharge your Cultivation, or if not, a power that can exceed what you’ve lost. Your mother too. But Mae is your only link to your past. I can’t take that away from her…”

“Fool. If you will not wager, then you will perhaps regret it.” She winked playfully, before moving with a speed even I couldn’t keep up with. Her lips locked onto mine, tails holding me in place like manacles, and her tongue squirmed into my mouth. It was sudden, shocking, and I couldn’t help but reciprocate. Ignoring the voices of the women in my head chuckling at this assault they saw as inevitable, Mae and I tangled tongues, saliva scattering.

As our hot breaths rasped into each other’s mouths, the kiss continuing for quite some time, the feel of Mae’s soft body against mine intoxicating, her Charm so strong that only due to my sheer League was I able to keep my head, our eyes met, and I saw her resolve there. When we finally parted, she playfully bent down, and without preamble, sank her canines through my clothes and into the flesh of my shoulder. Biting down hard, she pierced both cloth and skin, drawing blood. As I grimaced, she withdrew, licking my blood off her teeth.

“Ah…” Ileana moaned softly, her eyes glowing copper and crimson, so I quickly isolated the scent with my wind element, and her eyes returned to their shimmering, blue and green hues. As Valeska tutted, Mae had the grace to be apologetic.

“I neglected your presence. I am sorry…” As she spoke, Liena’s eyes widened, as if she had never heard Mae apologise before.

“…I forgot your… disposition. I confess, his blood is rather delectable. I daresay other liquids are too.” Mae glanced at Daiyu, who glanced at Liena, before answering in Japanese, so she wouldn’t understand.

“Indeed. The taste is strange, but it grows on us the more we experience it. But I feel that is not appropriate talk in front of Su Liena. She is a sheltered, grieving, confused woman. With no experience of such.”

“And you have a great deal, little Daiyu?” Mae smirked, and Daiyu shrugged.

“I have more than enough to know.”

Mae was the one shrugging now, her chest rubbing against my body, and it now felt more arousing, lewder, Mae having marked me with her bite. I had wondered about her intentions, her attitude was haughty, but…

“Liena knows who I am.” Mae switched back to Kunlun dialect. “And even put back together again by you, I am still me. And I have no wish to change. I will have what I want, but…” Her gaze softened. “…I have made mistakes in the past. I will consider the desires of others. Rest assured, I have a solution. And if it does not work, I shall craft another.” She leaned her head on my shoulder, staring into my eyes. “Since you decline a wager, I suppose I shall simply give you a solution. In turn…” Her gaze fell on Liena, who shivered. “…Liena and Caihong’er will prosper. Everyone wins. I believe that is your favourite, a win-win, yes?”

Liena shivered. “I… can’t repay anything. I’m broken…”

“That’s not true.” I shook my head. “Though don’t mistake me. You don’t need to repay us. Mae doesn’t need to pay for your support either…” I knuckled her forehead gently, before reaching for her hair, and she playfully bit my finger, though hard enough to strike bone, this time remembering to shield the scent and sight of my blood from Ileana. “…because Mae and me, we are friends.” I paused, wincing, as the pressure of her bites nearly severed my fingers, Soullight Healing actually kicking in. Blood flowed into Mae’s mouth and down her chin, and Ileana, even though she couldn’t smell it, was twitching.

Yeah, I was afraid of that.

The sound of my hand striking flesh rang out, Guiding my palm through her tails to strike her bottom was a feat of agility, and Mae’s eyes widened, but she did let go of my fingers, playfully licking up the remaining blood. That was nothing compared to Liena’s astonishment though, as she gazed at the hand which had struck Mae’s bottom, not hard, just firmly enough to show my displeasure.

“Oh, why the wide eyes?” Mae chuckled, before flicking a bead of blood from her fingers through the air, to Ileana, who caught it. Valeska seemed troubled, and honestly, I didn’t like it, but Ileana, with supreme effort, resisted drinking it, and produced a small glass vial, popping it inside. On seeing my gaze, she grinned sheepishly.

“I understand. If I act like a helpless, addicted fool you will think bad of me, and yourself. I do need blood, much as I wish to deny it. It is my nature. But no matter how delightful yours is, how nourishing, how strengthening…” She was salivating, fangs lengthening, but she put away the vial. “…hah, it is hard to resist. And you promised I could drink it when I needed it.” I nodded, and she finished her point. “But if I am a slave to it, you shall feel I am a slave to you, and all have told me how much you would hate that, and thus yourself. I trust you, Akio.”

“See? You could at least try, my little light. No, I am fooling nobody. I quickly realised my dear granddaughter has no experience, so will naturally throw herself into the arms of the Lupul cel Rău, like a naïve young goat. Only to end up eaten.” Her gaze hardened, and I silently apologised.

“Alas, all I can do is pray the wolf is kind to my poor little light and does not use her up and abandon her. From what I’ve seen…” She smiled at Liena then. “…it is as your fox here says. Oh, my aching head…” Talking and listening to Kunlun dialect pained her brain, as she had no basis yet to understand it. “…I would most certainly not trust him to be faithful, or resist a pretty young thing like you…”

“Not so young anymore.” Liena murmured, forlorn all of a sudden, still unable to reconcile my playful yet firm swat on Mae’s ass to her lack of hostile reaction, most likely. “The sweetest spot for Cultivation is as the body develops. Even could I begin anew, my growth would be far, far slower. It is why young prodigies are prized.”

“…take the word of a woman who is truly old…” Valeska was indeed the image of a kindly grandmother now, even if her hair was thicker, and her face less wrinkled, than a woman of her age would have expected. “…this is a time for miracles. I was dead. Yet my heart beats. Slowly.” She chuckled at her own joke, which contained truth. “…don’t give up hope. I hardly know everything that he and the fox went through to save you and your mother, but I know they will not stop here. As for you… he won’t force you, I trust that. Though he will likely seduce you, so beware.”

Liena seemed disgusted, frowning, but it wasn’t disgust at me, I felt, just learned disdain for men, taught from her mother and her Sect, and the horrors of the Cultivation world women faced, no doubt.

Ileana’s pale skin flushed. “Valeska, I…”

“You can’t fool me, little light. I understand it. You are a woman craving safety and companionship. I cannot be enough for you. Though I will always be here for you.”

Liena’s expression changed as she listened to the two talk, as they were still both using Kunlun dialect. Seeming almost wistful, she glanced at Su Caihong, then at Mae, and finally at me. It was then Daiyu stepped up.

“There is no need to fret overmuch. I understand you, I believe. Nothing is for free in our world. I have since found myself a better one, but… you do have value. Your knowledge.” Daiyu released my arm, a trace reluctantly, I felt, moving closer to Liena, as she instinctively moved away, leaving Daiyu to pause by her bedside.

“We have lost much knowledge, but… you probably remember much. Even a little could help us and thus aid you.” As Liena remained silent, Daiyu nodded. “Oh, I understand your reluctance. To share Sect secrets is not a deed done lightly. After all, a gain in wisdom is often more worthy than finding golden treasures. And the Incorruptible Jade is naught in your eyes, a pebble, not jade. Yet… this is a new world.” She glanced at Mae, who shrugged.

“I do not care for those who chastise me. But…” She wiggled her bottom and her tails. “…it was done with care. I have tried many things throughout my long life, Liena. Many roles, but… I feel it is time to try one final life. A life I believed lost. As you believed, surely. Rest assured, though…” Her smile was suddenly predatory. “…I shall remember that touch.” She then winked at me.

“Yes, the world is indeed not the one you knew. But there are things to enjoy. So, reach out your hand, and we shall reach back. At least, while I surely do not measure up to your wisdom, you will have someone to talk to who understands. At least a little. There should be comfort in that, no?”

Liena fell silent, and Daiyu’s expression went blank, perhaps anticipating a refusal, only for her eyes to widen, as Liena admitted to a weakness most Cultivators wouldn’t. “I… my mind is so… so feeble now.” Liena gnawed at her lip, tears misting her eyes. “Yes, I know much, but… many details I should remember, Formations, Techniques, they seem so distant to me. As an ordinary mortal, my mind simply can’t encompass all I was. It’ll be lost…”

“I see.” Daiyu turned to me, and I smiled reassuringly.

“We won’t let that happen. Besides, it’s all still in there, your stats have just dropped, most notably Intellect.” She seemed confused by that, and I shrugged. “We’ll explain all that later. But plenty of ways even outside Cultivation exist to boost it back up, and we have those skilled in reading minds and memories. If you’re prepared to accept our help, we’d be grateful if you’d share as well. That way… you don’t have to feel burdened or wonder just why we’re doing all this. Not that I need a reason to help those like you and your mother.”

“And of course…” Hana, who’d been quiet for a while, smirked. “…while Akio here denies it, dear grandmother is happy to pay whatever is required, with the only thing she possesses. Though payment seems wrong, as it seems she is being awfully honest with herself today. Oh, I shall be silent.” Hana shut her mouth playfully as Mae scowled at her.

“Just think about it.” I told Liena, whose mind was still in turmoil from the shock of her situation. “We’re in no rush, for now, take it easy.”

“Yes.” Bintara spoke up. “She should rest. Putting too much strain on a fragile mind which has been shocked beyond reason, and also weakened by sudden enervation of her essence, must be avoided. I wish to give her a thorough examination and then allow her to sleep naturally. It will do you no good to be here. She is, after all, a woman, so she would not have you gawking at her fragile state.”

“I shall stay a while as well. For familiar company.” Mae promised, and Hana agreed to remain too, as did Daiyu, thinking having a Cultivator there could help her feel at ease.

“Fine then. I’ll just say one last thing then.” I met Liena’s eyes, admiring their unusual appearance, black like Eri’s, yet with blue shades within. “I know you’ve got the strength to endure this and rebuild. I didn’t see you in Mae’s memories, but I saw your mother, and she treasured you, said you were the best of her. So prove her right. Fortunately…” I pointed at a TV on the wall, which wasn’t on, obviously, but now could be used. “…this world’s a hell of a lot more entertaining than you think. So for now, just focus on washing away the horror and despair, and when you feel brave enough to take a step… everyone will be here, okay?”

There was silence, before Liena managed a quiet whisper. “Fox, he is… unusual. Maybe it is my numb mind, but…”

“Oh, he is not lying, nor tricking you.” Mae agreed. “Though push him far enough with despair, and he will act. I was going to die, taking him with me out of spite, as I did not believe I wished to live. That was the one line he would not let me cross, hence why he seized my very self. But… like the Phoenix, through death comes rebirth.”

At the mention of a Phoenix, Liena’s expression changed, and Mae’s smile was now both somehow benevolent and very, very wicked. “Oh, have no fear. That vile centipede has been stolen. Perhaps death should have been fitting for it, and it was indeed the plan, yet Hyacinth has taken a liking to the creepy thing, and while I can hardly call it living, it continues and does indeed have some uses. As for the other pitiful creatures Zixin and his ilk have enslaved, and any Flowers they have plucked… we shall liberate them all, just before crushing Zixin into bloody paste. So endure for that day, little Liena. Endure, so that you and Caihong’er can stand beside Akio and me…”

Hana coughed, and Daiyu gazed at Mae, and she had the grace to look slightly mortified. “Yes, you all as well. How frustrating, do you expect me to list everyone who will be there, venting their fury on our behalf? I am trying to shield Akio from Liena’s ire, I would not wish her to have a worse impression of him than she already has formed.”

“That is fair, grandmother. Even so, while I have no grudge against these fools, I do think it is nice to be a family. I suppose standing up for my old, doddering…” As Mae growled, Hana snorted.

“Do not let grandmother’s behaviours with Akio fool you. She is still ill-tempered and quick to lash out. But no woman wishes to seem so in front of someone she desires, does she?”

“Hana…” Mae growled again, and Liena suddenly giggled. It was soft and weak, and so very exhausted, but it stunned us all, interrupting the banter.

“This… is not… I never expected to see the feared nine tailed fox, she who has killed many Cultivators over little more than poorly chosen words, so. Even mother, my Matriarch… would be stunned.” As her chuckles wound down, tears streaking her face, Mae’s tail swung, and a little wind gently tugged her tears away. As Liena jerked at the feathery touch, I decided it was time to slip out, and with silent nods, Ileana and Valeska followed me outside…

At least she can still laugh, even if it’s with tears too. That’s good. Pain may be awful, but… it also shows that we’re still alive. It’s being numb that leads to giving up on life. So Mae’s attempts to keep her emotional are wise indeed. As expected from a woman who has lived for millennia…

***

“Another pair out of time.” Valeska sighed as we stepped outside. “What is up with this world?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged, as the door shut behind us. “All I do know is that while it’s tragic… in a way they’re fortunate.” I glanced at Ileana. “It doesn’t make up for the family you’ve left behind, not at all, but… they’d be happy you survived rather than perish with them. Just as we’re happy, aren’t we, Valeska?”

“Stop that.” She punched my arm gently. “If you want to flirt with my little light, do it where I can’t see. It’s depressing.”

“We weren’t flirting…” Ileana protested, and Valeska gave her a flat look.

“Yes, you didn’t cling to him and kiss him like that fox, but you were eyeing him as if you envied her biting…”

“I…” She puffed out her cheeks, and her irritated face was cute, I couldn’t deny that. “…it wasn’t like she meant it. Oh, my apologies…” Her pale face flushed slightly. “…I should hardly be talking about you as if I only care about your blood. You have been good to me and my grandmother.”

“And I’ll continue to be so. Though, the blood…” I paused, unsure of how to say it, and she sighed.

“I’ve not been here long, but I’ve been cautious.”

“If you call throwing yourself into the wolf’s jaws caution…” Valeska groused, and Ileana’s blush deepened a little.

“I’m not doing that! But… you have to admit, grandmother, it seems inevitable. And once I looked at it in that way…” She produced the glass vial which contained the speck of blood Mae had tossed to her. She swallowed, throat working, but merely stared at the contents. “…I need the blood. Want the blood. It makes me feel full, and strong, and better. But…” Her eyes shimmered between blue, green and copper, even flecks of gold showing. “…I realised. It makes you feel guilty, doesn’t it?” Before I could answer, she glanced down, expression troubled.

“I asked some of the others, and they told me that it would make you feel as if you are coercing me. Somehow enslaving me with your blood. That is why… I will ration it carefully. I could do without it, but…”

“Yes, it does make me a bit stressed.” I admitted. “I have a similar problem with Liena, if I’m honest. If she does… no, when she regains her strength, the Spirit Water I have… well, technically it’s even better now, but Cultivators recognise Spirit Water as supreme… it’s going to be awfully enticing to her. And I don’t want her to feel compelled to have to pander to me for it. No more than you do for my blood. Although… your reactions…”

“I’m sorry.” Ileana genuinely seemed upset. “I know it’s unreasonable for me to tell you how to feel, but…”

“The way you speak has changed right now, my little light. You are far less formal than when we met.” Valeska saved her from her struggles to express herself, and I nodded, agreeing.

“I’ve noticed that too. You still sound like a well-bred young woman in terms of tone and diction, but your word choice is far more relaxed and… modern. It’s cute. You’re still a bit too frail, but… I guess, thanks to my blood, you’re filling out.”

“Yes. it is a good thing. I don’t believe you should ever feel bad for acts of kindness.” Ileana insisted, before giggling, hiding her mouth as she used to, though not to hide her fangs. After all, there was no need to here, not when we had Kitsune, Bakeneko, assorted Fae and more walking around freely, and Valeska and I were firm on her not denying who she was. That’s an adorable pose.

“Maybe so, but sometimes there are unintended consequences. But if anything, I’m glad you’re settling in here well. I don’t know if I can promise you’ll be safe from the Church, they’re our enemies as well, but…” I frowned, and Iliana paused.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. “You seem like you have something to say to me.”

“I…” Glancing at Valeska, the old woman put on a stern face.

“Spit it out, young man. Talking longer will only make us poorer. My little light is already caught in your jaws.”

“Will you stop that?” Ileana pouted. “You make it sound like I’m a young fool walking to my death…”

“Not to your death, but an innocent young woman like you who knows little of the world can’t resist such a playboy.”

“I’ll have you know I never even had a girlfriend until last August!” I pointed out sourly. “I’m not some experienced seducer of women.”

“Then you have endless natural talent…” Valeska bit back, and I narrowed my eyes.

“You think so? I think I try to draw the line…”

“Hah! Now I thought you hated lies, mister fairy?” She mispronounced it deliberately. “Surely you can’t believe that?”

“I do. It’s not like I’m dragging the women from Adamant to my bed, is it?”

“No, instead you charm them until they beg to go to it…”

Suddenly Ileana burst out into giggles. We both turned, and she continued to chortle for a while longer, until she finally regained her breath. “I am sorry, that was just too amusing. Valeska, my blood child, you’re right. I understand it too. It isn’t even the blood, though the blood… it moves my heart and spirit. I feel safe, like I am bathed in a gentle warmth. Not searing, like the sun, but cool, calm, like the moon. I… if it has happened four times, then surely a fifth is inevitable. And I don’t hate it at all.”

“Ileana, don’t be so hasty…” Valeska sighed. “There is ample time to see if feelings bloom, no need for you to rush.”

“You think not? I have eyes and ears, you know!” She seemed huffy all of a sudden, scowling suddenly. “There are limits. Tamamo-no-Mae made it plain…” Ileana then grabbed my wrist and brought it to her mouth. She bit down, fangs piercing my skin, and a cool numbness spread as she sucked at my blood. My Eyes glowed, and I knew I was right. Even so, it’s a burden I don’t think she’s ready for. But then…

As she sucked at my sanguine fluids, her eyes shone, and her body gradually yet perceptibly filled out. Her Chakra network was becoming more activated too, and there were other effects. “I thought you didn’t want to drink my blood, you were trying to hold off?” I asked, and she grinned, her expression impish.

“This is different. I am competing with the fox. If she can mark you, so can I!”

“Uh…” Caught off-guard by her unexpected boldness, I exchanged a glance with Valeska, who crossed her arms, frustrated.

“Don’t look at me, young wolf. No, wait. I heard tell you are blessed by Tyr. Isn’t there a story where he sticks a hand in a big wolf’s mouth and has it bitten off? Maybe that wolf should have blessed you, for woman after woman is sticking their heads in your jaws eagerly.”

“That hurts my feelings a little, but… hey, I’m starting to feel light-headed…” I chided Ileana. I wasn’t, not really, but Soullight Healing had kicked in, she’d probably drained a pint from me. Ileana giggled, then after sucking a little more, as if to tease me, she withdrew, her skin and eyes sparkling with a healthy glow.

“Nonsense. You are inexhaustible… so I’ve heard.”

There was shocked silence, before Valeska gently cuffed the tittering Ileana around the ear. She yelped, more from surprise than pain, as she did it tenderly. “None of that crudity. You were a well-bred young woman. Changing your speech patterns to fit in is a wise thing, but… think of those who raised you and their disappointment.”

“I don’t understand.” Ileana protested. “I was simply talking about his ability to regenerate. Didn’t he get turned to dust just a while ago and restored himself? Therefore a glassful or two of blood should be nothing to him!”

“Hmm?” Valeska gave her a searching look, but Ileana held her ground.

“What, you want to cut me open and decant me? That sounds rather unpleasant.” I broke the tension with a quip, and indeed, Ileana giggled.

“Perhaps for a special occasion? Though drinking from the vein is… more customary.”

“Well it’s true I can replace my blood, but you don’t just drain that. So I don’t want you to become too dependent on it. It’s for your own good, okay?”

She nodded. “I understand. And I’ve made a bad effort at trying to show you your blood has no hold over me, and I am behaving willingly. But… is Daiyu with you merely because you donated her Spirit Water? Did you extort her?”

“No.” Even if I had doubts, I’d cast them aside. To do otherwise was to diminish Daiyu’s pride and integrity. Daiyu wasn’t that sort of woman. “She wanted it, but she doesn’t have to pay for it.”

“No more than I would your blood and what else I suck from you.” She earned another firm glower from Valeska but seemed so innocent that it was surely just an accidental innuendo again. “In truth… and you do love truthfulness, yes?” I nodded, and she asked her question. “Do you believe I will not fall in love with you?”

“It’s not whether I believe or not.” We’d stepped outside now, and while it was night in Britain, it was simply a dark evening here in Tokyo. The glow of the estate lights and the sparkle of the Tokyo skyline were beautiful, and overhead the waxing gibbous moon shone through the clouds. “Beautiful…”

Ileana flushed, and I glanced at her, raising one eyebrow, but she insisted I’d meant her.

“Eri told me that saying the moon is beautiful is a way to say you love the woman you are with.”

“Sorry, but I don’t know you that well. And I just found the night a beautiful one. After all… everyone survived our biggest trial as a genuine army, and Liena woke up. And the moon is beautiful. As are you, Ileana.” At my words Valeska chuckled, a rattling, knowing noise.

“Then…” Ileana began, and I gently patted her head.

“There is no need for haste. A lot of what you feel is a combination of my blood, Eri’s admittedly spot-on intuition so far, and the suspension bridge effect. And you’re right, I can’t love everyone, but… I won’t say you’ve reserved a spot, Ileana, that wouldn’t be fair, but… if your feelings don’t change, then in the future…”

“This is definitely what it is like to see a daughter be seduced by a no-good man…” Valeska grumbled.

“Hey, at least I’m not poor.” I chuckled, before going back to my earnest words. “But I don’t think it being destiny is a good enough reason. Ellie’s route to loving me was rough, and for Yukiko, it was gentler, but even so, it’s not because they are Princesses.”

“I know that. But I also know…” Ileana frowned. “…perhaps I am foolish, but the drinking of blood. I find it a very intimate matter. And I am not a shameless woman.” Her speech varied back to her original tone, perhaps the mask, the trying to fit in, coming loose. “Perhaps I am not to your taste, but I believe my charms are unique. Once I am fully healthy I believe you will look at me with fervour.” She then glanced at the moon, the blue in her eyes mirroring the silver above.  “The moon is indeed beautiful tonight. I am happy for Liena. I too know her sorrow. But… I do not merely wish to be a damsel, protected and sheltered. I wish to give, not merely take.”

“Damn, you’re confusing.” I chuckled. “Elegant, noble Ileana is cold and beautiful, whereas when you try and imitate modern speech you come across as super cute and adorable. The gap is unique. I’ll ask you seriously then, Ileana.”

“Here we go…” Valeska grumbled, though her gaze was tender.

“Yes?” Ileana clenched her fists.

“I mean it. There’s no rush. Live life a little before you even think of love. But… if you want power to defend yourself, defend others, truly be a part of the group, then I can give it to you. But you know what that means. And no, it doesn’t mean…”

“I get it. I am sheltered and lacking in worldly wisdom, not…” Ileana blinked, smiling, changing her speech pattern again, putting her affinity for languages to an unexpected use. I wonder who told her to do that.

There was silence in my head, and I knew the culprits were there. Maybe Shiro too, this has her fingerprints all over it.

“…a child who can’t understand a point you’ve reiterated again and again.” She pursed her lips, fangs showing. “I just have to dedicate myself to the team. Dedicating my heart is a matter of… personal choice, isn’t that right?”

“I guess so.” I chuckled. “All right then.” With a smile, I pulled Tsurugi from my waist. She was still snoring, digesting the shard of Skuld’s shears, “This might get messy.” I glanced at her. “Those jeans and that t-shirt are probably going to need to be thrown out.”

Ileana clasped her fingers, her boldness vanishing. “Uh… are you saying I should remove them? I could, yet… if so, I would need assurances that your feelings for me…”

“No, just that we’ll need to burn them afterwards. You can change in the main mansion.” I chuckled. Tsurugi’s blade fell, and my arm was sheared off. It didn’t even hurt for a moment, Tsurugi was sharp. Blood gouted, even as Valeska let out a muffled groan. Ileana was drenched with it, her rose-gold hair turning a dark crimson, her pale skin stained red. She opened her mouth, licking her lips, a little confused.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” Valeska asked nonchalantly, and I chuckled.

“It does now. But it’s easy enough to shut it off.” I continued to drown Ileana in blood. Adherence surged and wrapped around her, and while the Favour I held, Seaxnēat’s Blood And Iron, was a dual-aspected Favour, it seemed that the traitor who had it used only half of it most of the time, whereas for Ileana, it could well be the other way around. Besides, it’s a bit encroached, so after my repair work, that side was strengthened significantly. And now it doesn’t matter if it’s whole…

“Sorry, but… do you mind if I cut you a little?” I asked Ileana. “Don’t worry, it won’t leave a scar, I’ll Heal it up straight after.”

“If you do scar her…” Valeska warned.

“I know. I’d definitely take responsibility. And before you say anything…” I told the smiling Ileana. “…I’m only saying that because you’re a polite, well-mannered young lady who won’t take advantage. If it was some others, they’d be a little troublesome, you know?”

“I suppose I must live up to your ideal of me then.” The gory, blood-soaked Ileana curtsied charmingly. “I must say, this reminds me of a scene from one of the films your sister showed me.”

“Oh? Ah.” I understood. “I’d need a black leather trenchcoat though.”

“I feel you are dashing enough without it.” Ileana chuckled, as my blood spurted without end, raining down over her like the sprinklers in that nightclub scene. “For someone who fears your blood might corrupt me, you are being awfully reckless. Are you perhaps tsundere?”

“You’re using that wrong, and as Shiro says, nobody likes a male tsundere. I’m taking precautions.” Indeed, I was restricting what essence of me she was taking from the blood. Not cutting it off, that would be pointless, but… if I consider each droplet a tiny connection between me and her, it’s doable. Especially if I’m going to do this.

Tsurugi cut what wasn’t physical, slicing apart the strands of Truesoul within the Favour, and then my swing carried on. A slice opened along Ileana’s side, baring her open, the bloody t-shirt flapping, though fortunately not enough to reveal anything it shouldn’t. Like me, Ileana felt no pain from the initial cut, so as blood sprang from the wound, mingling with mine, she stood, dumbfounded, until the pain kicked in, and she groaned. Her blood didn’t flow fast, likely due to her glacial heartbeat, but flow it did, and as our fluids mixed, my soullight surged.

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I know it’s limited, but it does slowly renew. And the Gods clearly still use it. I’ll be careful but still use it when I need to. Oh, I sound like Ileana now with my blood. Amusing…

… … …

… …

…

The Skill, Iron-Souled Bloody Mistress, has been created by combining Seaxnēat’s Blood And Iron, along with potent, Soullight-filled blood, each droplet interlaced with carefully woven Connections, with the blood of a Solar Dhampir, her blood likewise Connected drop by drop. This work is painstaking and has been accelerated by a significant usage of pure Adherence, flavoured by the… Bondweaver… Path.

Though in this case, the Loom That Weaves Bonds is your shared blood.

Iron-Souled Bloody Mistress is not a Favour, the extraneous elements destroyed and filtered out as unwanted. It allows…

I felt a chiding sense of warning in the amber dots which scrolled across my vision, before the usual description started. Ileana didn’t need a Favour, what she needed was something different, to awaken something I saw stirring in her as she drank more and more of my blood. And if I could do that, and strengthen her, as well as… trying something new, which would ameliorate the lack of the biggest benefit of a Favour… all the better.

“This is…” Ileana’s eyes burned, and I reached out, patting her head.

“Yes. it is. Do you know what to do?”

“I am Ileana Roșuluminel. And to me, the moon does indeed appear red.” Blood was even in her eyes, yet the glow of her orbs shone through it. “Of course I know.” Her smile was then incredibly charming. “And you are indeed a fool. You deny it so hard and yet make it true. Now then…”

She raised a hand, and as I sealed my cut limb, a new arm sprouting, which was a wonderfully uncomfortable experience, even if not strictly painful, the blood covering her and soaking the floor swirled up into two streams. One was sucked into the wound in her side, the other, a much smaller one, into her open mouth. Even the ground and the shirt and jeans were denuded of blood, though strange stains were still left behind. As the last of the blood vanished my severed arm disintegrated, and I reached out, Healing Ileana’s wound, leaving smooth skin behind.

“Oh, how wonderful.” Ileana declared, smiling, her fangs clearly prominent.

“Yeah, it is… rather.” I swallowed. Ileana’s charm had basically quadrupled, if not more.  Her Eyes shone with mystical light, and her body had changed, grown out fully and healthily. Very… fully.

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“My little light…” Valeska was stunned by her sudden change. “…are you… well?”

“Never better.” She then threw her arms around me, and it was hard to stay calm, especially as the slit in the side of her t-shirt was now much more dangerous than I’d planned it being. “My heart, it beats fast. This sensation…”

My Eyes reacted, and the first thing I noticed were several changes in her Status. I’d expected some, but…

Ileana Roșuluminel [Blood And Iron, Solar And Lunar Vampire Princess] [Blood And Iron Bride] [Bonded Kin]

…Okay. One of those is not like the others…