The Fallen Vampire-Chapter 156: Death Comes…

On the outskirts of the fairy king's forest, a small military force can be seen riding on horseback.

The races of light numbered around 2,500 with cultivators and arcane mages alike among their ranks.

At the head of the group were the eight remaining heroes who were all adorned in their individual resplendent armor; somehow inspiring just as much awe from their soldiers like before.

Fate is a cruel thing.

In the span of a single week, the humans went from hunting the heroes, to being hunted by them.

Then, it was surprisingly easy for the heroes to turn the tide of public opinion with their strength and remenants of reputation.

All that they had to do was use a few 'Hollywood' learned acting skills.

After cutting down the soldiers who tried to chase them, they shed a few fake tears and put on constipated faces.

'Why are you making me do this?!' They cried.

'Have we not given our lives in service to you?! How could you turn on us at the first rumor to occur?!'

The result of their plea for innocence was an almost complete upheaval of beliefs and customs.

'Did they really do it..?'

'This story isn't sitting right with me all of a sudden.'

'The heroes have been risking their lives for us... surely they deserve some sort of benefit of the doubt."

In an instant, the tables were turned.

The army went to hunt them lowered their weapons and listened to the heroes' heartfelt pleas.

After convincing the majority of the races of light that the two deceased heroes were the main conspirators in the plan to procure devil arts.

They should have turned them in immediately and tried to dissuade them, but really what choice did they have?!

They were foreigners in an entirely different world with nothing around them to remind them of home but each other.

It was obvious that they would be attached to each other and face difficulties in turning each other in.

But now they just seemed so sorry!

After putting on a performance the likes of which Tayar had absolutely never seen, the entire panic surrounding the Heroes was thrown out like Grandpa's playboy.

Except for the elves, who were more suspicious of those who weren't like them to begin with, the races of light saw the other worlders as heroes once again.

Which was how they ended up here, at the very own domain of the fairy king; leading the very army that had once tried to lop off their heads.

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After reaching the outskirts of the forest and being moments away from entering, the heroes halted their approach when they felt a very strong presence fill every open space in the air.

"Something's coming..!"

"Keep your guards up!"

As the trees on the outskirts of the great fairy king's forest, numerous colorful, sparkling fairies took to the skies above the army.

Most people here had never seen fairies before, and those who had have certainly never seen so many of them at once.

Daraxerxes appeared at the head of the army, and despite his flamboyant look, he seemed to be quite the fearsome leader.

He didn't appear to be at all happy with their being there.

Perhaps because of that, the heroes didn't think it was fortuitous to waste any time exchanging niceties.

"The fairy king I presume? My friends and I bring gifts in the hopes that you will welcome us into your domain with open arms!"

Each of the heroes pulled out a burlap sack tied to the back of their horses and opened it.

Inside was a large amount of children's candy that looked to have been purchased from several different children's shops.

"We hope that these gifts are to your lik-"

"Kill them."

"W-What..?"

Daraxerxes' slightly androgynous face was twisted up into a hated scowl at the sight of the trinkets in the bag.

"KILL THEM!!!"

-

Taira felt like his body was floating in an endless black pool.

His limbs were stuck in what felt like tar, and it made it difficult for him to sit up properly.

He could see a figure emerging from out of the darkness.

A familiar black dress paired with skin just a few shades darker than his own forced him to sit up.

The sound of her heels clicking off a hard surface was like hearing an old song that you hated for the first time in eons.

He knew who this person was before he even saw them.

Finally, the face of his mother stepped into full view and the couldn't help but feel that something was wrong.

Her head was shaved just like when he was younger, and she walked differently from how he remembered.

His mother Dhalia always walked with an unwavering arrogance and lethality that made everyone around her feel small and insignificant, but now she seemed more focused and ominous.

But the strangest thing were her eyes.

They were still purple, but now the irises were encircled by black sclera.

The closer she got, the more certain he became.

This wasn't his mother at all.

'Dhalia' continued to walk towards him, ignoring all of his questions about exactly who and what this was.

When she finally reached him, she plunged her hand inside of his chest and ripped something out.

-

Taira gasped as his head finally emerged from underneath the crystal blue water of his home.

Coughing, he swam towards the riverbank and didn't stop until he was safely on top of it, and allowed his body to be wracked with shivers.

His head was pounding, and he felt like he was only seconds away from losing consciousness.

"T-Taira!"

Inadu came running up to the fox spirit with clear worry on her face and a thick fluffy towel in her arms.

She kneeled at his side and started trying to dry him off to the best of her ability; while simultaneously trying to keep herself from hyperventilating.

"A-Are you okay?! You were down here too long, weren't you?! I knew I should have gotten you out last night!"

Against Inadu's expectations, Taira smiled without revealing his sharp teeth.

"If I couldn't sense you, I believe I might doubt your identity. I've never heard you sound quite so loud before."

Inadu blushed out of embarrassment and lowered her head before speaking in a lower voice. "S-Sorry…"

Taira placed his hand on her cheek stared at her with a complicated light in his eyes.

"You should know by now, Ina, I'm only teasing you. It's good to see you being a bit more expressive."

Inadu nodded absentmindedly as she continued to wipe down only Taira's chest like she was trying to avoid touching certain inflammatory areas.

She wouldn't even let her gaze drop below his collarbone.

"So… can you tell me what happened? Are you better?"

Taira finally removed his hand from Inadu's face and placed it over his head that was still throbbing.

"I think… I had a vision."