The Fallen Vampire

Taira knew that Fenris was not the kind of man to engage in needless threats like this, so for him to place such importance on entering the secret realm meant there was indeed a great treasure inside.

And that the heroes absolutely should not be allowed to have it.

Fully intrigued, Taira sat up and changed back into his usual appearance before he walked towards Fenris.

"Just what could be stored away inside of this secret realm that it's made you give me such a sincere warning?"

"Hmph! You make it seem as though I have not been a charitable benefactor thus far?" Fenris said gruffly as he folded his arms.

"…You gave me your name, asked me to work with you, beat me up with the goal of training, and then disappeared for fifty years. You're closer to a deadbeat than a benefactor."

"I had no idea that you so desperately needed me to hold your hand." Fenris said disdainfully.

"Do not be silly. Just tell me what the item is and do not waste my time along with yours."

Fenris looked like he had a number of unkind words for Taira at the last moment, but decided to swallow them in favor of getting out of here quicker.

"Primeval Spirit Pill."

The fluffy ears atop Taira's head twitched furiously as he heard the name of a term he had never forgotten about.

When Ayame gave him her most precious technique all of those years ago, he spent the better part of thirty years trying to unravel it and learn it's secrets.

It drove him into such an unhealthy obsession that he eventually had to stop out of mounting concern from his wives, and he was in no closer place to either understanding what a primeval spirit was, or how to cultivate one.

It was a pursuit he had thought he'd have to move on from, at least until he was able to ask Ayame herself for instruction.

But now, he had someone else that he could ask about it.

"What... is a primeval spirit?"

Fenris could not help but notice that Taira's way of speaking had become drastically more respectful in an instant, and he finally felt like he'd gotten this arrogant former prince to submit to him.

"Ha! Should I tell you? Are you worthy to hear it?? I think if you get down and grovel then I just might-"

"Nevermind, I'll just go ask Ayame. Get out of my mind now."

"Wait, wait, Ayame!?! That little runt?!"

"Don't speak about her like that. She's a good woman and a part of my family."

"Fuck that noise, why would you go and ask her when I am right in front of you!? Anything she could tell you would pale in comparison to what I could!"

"True, but she could give me a general idea and she would piss me off less. I value those things more."

"Argh, fine! You don't have to grovel!"

"I was never going to."

"All you have to do is call me 'Divine Patriarch' one time and then I will tell-"

"No."

Fenris growled and ran his hands through his hair so roughly that he nearly pulled it out.

"You are... egregiously unlikeable."

A smirk formed on Taira's face as he looked over his shoulder at the beautiful girls within the room.

"My loves, is what he said true?"

"""""No~!"""""

'Gods I hate the sun and moon art!' Fenris thought inwardly.

"Fine, listen closely brat because I will only say this once..."

Taira said nothing and simply folded his arms with a patient look.

Sighing, Fenris began his explanation in a much less jovial mood than before.

"Acquiring a primordial spirit is one of the most important must-do's in order to survive the ascendance to the nine heavens.

Down here you will only be able to see but a fraction of it's true potential, but once you elevate your soul into a primeval one, you will be able to see qi flow through your own eyes.

Not only that, your body and soul will become one, making you drastically more difficult to kill, since as long as your soul is intact, your body will regrow around it."

Though Taira was usually a robotic sort of man who did not show his emotions easily, it was not difficult to tell that he was interested in the premise behind acquiring a primeval spirit.

"You said that there are other things that I will be able to do once I reach the upper realm… I wish to know what those are."

Fenris finally seemed to have seen something in his protege that he really liked, as a faint animalistic smile formed on his face.

"Patience, Taira. Let's see if you actually live to make it there first, alright?"

The hybrid only growled in response, making the old kitsune chuckle.

"So this Primeval Spirit pill will give whoever takes it a Primeval Spirit right away?" Aveena suddenly asked.

"Ha! It is hardly that simple, oni girl. The pill will only put you into a state that makes the formation of a Primeval Soul much more simple. However, the process will still be time consuming and require intense levels of concentration with incredible danger of failing."

Fenris proceeded to tell the group all about the upcoming portal to the secret realm.

He gave them time, date, location, and even a bit of information on how to avoid the hidden arrays and traps that would be waiting inside.

As well as thoroughly admonishing them against letting the disgraced heroes get to it first.

The areas one spawned in would be random, but the first one to get inside of the realm would be the closest to the pill.

"Now, if you have no further questions then-"

"Ah, I-I do..!"

Fenris narrowed his eyes as Taira's only human wife floated towards him with clear nervousness on her face.

"This… doesn't have anything to do with the secret realm, but I was wondering… is there anything that you can tell me about Astel..?

Since I've been in this world, I have not heard from him even once and I have no idea why he brought me here or even if I'm living as he would have intended…"

Fenris snorted and folded his arms. "You were summoned by that talking testicle? Ironic. I can assure you of one thing little girl, the fact that you have anchored yourself and gotten married means that you are certainly not living as he would have wanted."

It was clear that not only Vermeil's, but everyone else's brains had just done a hard reset.

"I'm sorry… could you repeat that?"

- Original content from M-VL-em|p,yr

Several hours later, night had already fallen and Taira and the rest of his wives were in their bedroom and fast asleep.

The hybrid in question was just on the verge of dozing off when his eyes slowly opened back up fully and he stared at the door patiently.

A moment later the door creaked open, and their houseguest Inadu stepped inside.

She was completely naked, and her slender frame yet sizable bust made her look even more attractive than normal.

She clenched her fists several times as she walked towards their bed and crawled on top of the covers.