The Fallen Vampire

Chapter 182: The Birth of The Dai-Shi

Taira and Aveena weren't very much surprised by Tiche's desire to challenge them, which is why they hardly reacted to her prodding.

"Alright, well we don't mind or anything. But which of us are you challenging?" Aveena asked with her hands behind her back.

"Which of you is to become Sect leader?"

""Both of us.""

"Then I must test both of you."

"...At the same time?" Aveena clarified.

"Naturally."

Taira's eyes narrowed. "Be warned. You get but one opportunity to invoke this test of yours. Afterwards, I expect you to comply totally."

Tiche smirked pridefully.

"You have my word. Are you still man enough to accept my challenge?"

"...How eager you are to learn." Taira shook his head. "Our first lesson has begun already."

Taira snapped his fingers and a deep blue circle of flame surrounded the three of them.

The other inhabitants backed away to avoid any sudden cases of frostbite- save for the wives who barely felt anything at all.

Except pity.

Aveena shrugged off her outer covering while Taira summoned his weapon to his hand in the form of a very long sickle.

However, Taira was surprised to find that his soul weapon looked a bit different from normal.

The blade was just a few inches longer than before; possessing a more serrated edge with jagged points like the wing of a demon.

In addition, it's formerly golden blade had been replaced by a homogeneous mix of black and blue ice.

The previous ruby colored shaft was now made out of a much darker black metal, with etchings of silver symbols inscribed along the top and near the butt of the weapon.

Though graceful before, it now seemed much more menacing to the eye.

"Oh? How eye-catching." Aveena smiled as she re-wrapped her fists. "You ready, hon?"

"Mhm. Let's begin."

Tiche saw Aveena lunge at her first.

As always, her sized ballooned as vibrant red tattoos showed up along the course of her body.

Tiche had already seen Aveena's prized fist art before, so she prepared herself to get in closer and avoid any of it's signature long range surprises.

All the while, she kept her eye on Taira who had yet to make any dramatic moves.

Her own sword seemed to become super heated before the blade itself melted down.

Bright ruby colored gauntlets formed along Tiche's arms.

She met Aveena in striking range first; allowing her the privilege of dealing first blow.

Her fist sailed out and struck the oni full force in her muscular abdomen.

Tiche was no easy opponent, and was quite strong physically.

She could blow away most cultivators with one punch.

However, Aveena was an oni, and one who had specifically trained her body over the years to take large amounts of abuse.

So even though Tiche did strike first, her dream of ending this in one hit would remain unfulfilled.

Aveena's flesh was like a leather punching bag filled with diamond sand.

Her opponent couldn't even tell if she had succeeded in injuring her at all.

Aveena only smiled like a beautiful buxom berserker; earning her opponent's attention as well as her ire.

Finally, it was Aveena's time to strike back, but Tiche was left a little confused by her beginning motions.

'She supposedly uses fist arts, so then why does this look like...'

"Nine Yin Palm Art : Winter's Flow."

And for the asanbosam, one who openly breaks their word becomes an outcast.

"D-Damn it..."

"We need to hear you say it." Aveena goaded.

Tiche spat out a heap of blood onto the floor.

"...I... concede."

Taira removed his blade from Tiche's backside and watched her body fall to the ground.

Aveena's fierce demeanor disappeared almost instantly.

Instead, she smiled kindly and dropped to her knees in front of her.

Reaching inside of her ring, she pulled out one of Vermeil's own pills and fed her quickly.

"Circulate your internal energy if you don't want to freeze from the inside out. It seems my husband's new weapon comes with nasty new effects."

Tiche could physically feel her organs freezing up, so she didn't have time to complain about such baby-like treatment.

While she healed, Taira dismissed the wall of blue flames cordoning off the area.

Now, he was clearly able to see the stunned faces brought about by a crowd that was unable to even perceive his movements.

"Does anyone else have an objection?" Taira asked.

Unsurprisingly, no one else even considered stepping forward.

Atleast, not to challenge them anyway.

"I have a question."

Surprisingly, Vaal stepped forward with the first serious look on his face that was relatively unlike him.

"I must know for sure, cousin and kin-bride. Would you have us form a clan with the races of light?"

Taira and Aveena looked at each other for a fraction of a moment before inevitably turning their gaze back to Vaal.

"It isn't our specific goal, but it certainly will not be an impossibility." Aveena shrugged.

"After everything you've heard here today, don't tell us that you still are wary of interaction. I had thought you more courageous than that." Taira chuckled.

All five of his wives stared at their husband like he had just grown nine new tails.

'Did he just... joke with someone other than us..?'

'I can't believe it...'

'No fucking way...'

'Little Ina is never going to believe this shit.'

'Perhaps hell has also frozen over...'

Vaal himself chuckled in a mature tone.

"Quite the opposite... I had just wanted to be sure we were on a better path."

Vaal suddenly shuffled his feet awkwardly as if he were trying to remember exactly how to do something.

Eventually, he got down on one knee and raised his hands in a wushu gesture similar to the one Aveena exhibited earlier.

"First Discipline Vaal Naa'leth greets his new Youn Wou- No, how do you say it... Dai-Shi."

All around them, the rest of the hunting party were following Vaal's example and performing their own greetings.

Even Tiche did not seem to take an issue with it.

Nearby, Vermeil pinched Enyo on the butt to get her attention.

"Hey, cougar-pedia..?" She whispered.

"I told you that I don't know how I feel about that name... but what is the matter?" She rolled her eyes.

"What's Dai-Shi mean?" Vermeil ignored the first part of Enyo's sentence entirely.

"It was a very old, very cultural term for the great god of undead. It means 'The Great Death'. It's quite the compliment, no?"