He wasn't exactly sure what he was expecting from an underground vampire park, but the sight in front of him exceeded all expectations. It was beautiful in an almost eerie, otherworldly way.

  First was the grass, which came in a few different colors. The spots where people could walk on said grass was red. Blood red, if you couldn't guess. Some other parts, such as the garden area, had grass of pure white, like it was covered in snow.

  The bushes as well had purple leaves and black stems. Then there were the trees, which also came in a multitude of colors. Some had white bark, others had black, and some even had pink.

  Hell, a few even seemed to be made of crystal!

  And the leaves were all just as strangely colored. Coming from a world where bark is brown and leaves are green, it was a very strange sight indeed. Vincent took care to see as much of it as he could.

  The water was about the only thing that was normal, if you didn't count for how clear it was. He'd heard of waters described as crystal clear before, but this is the first time he's actually seen it.

  As he continued to marvel at the scenery, he eventually came to a peculiar sight. It seems like there was some kind of rally going on. Ok, perhaps it wasn't that strange, but given the lack of people he's seen so far, it took him by surprise.

  Or maybe that's why there wasn't anybody in the park. He couldn't imagine why it would be so empty otherwise. Perhaps, unlike him, they were simply used to the sight and didn't feel the need to fawn over every little thing.

  As he approached the rally, he could hear snippets of what they were saying. Strange, he should have been able to hear them from much further back. Were they muting the sound somehow? If so, that didn't really bode well for what it was about.

  "Why should we be forced to live underground while the human livestock flourish in the world above!?" shouted the speaker.

  Crap, looks like he was right.

  Vincent casually placed himself within the crowd, hoping to blend in. Luminous has told him that not everyone was on board with her rule, and it looks like he walked right into the middle of one of their gatherings.

  Wasn't he lucky?

  "For two thousand years we've been forced to hide, living off the scraps of blood given to us by the humans, as if we were their pets! But is that who we are? No, we are vampires! Noble and powerful creatures of the night! The moonlit world is our domain, and yet those beasts claim dominion over it! Well I say, no more!"

  Vincent was a bit nervous at seeing some of the crowd nodding along, a few with bloodthirsty, in more ways than one, grins on their faces. He'd give the man this, he was a good orator.

  Fuck, did he just bump into vampire Hitler?

  "Luminous, our so-called queen, cares more for her precious humans than she does her fellow vampires! They worship her as a god, and her ego has become inflamed and engorged by their adulation! She has grown fat and complacent appeasing the vermin, simply due to their numbers! But no matter how many cockroaches there are, they stand no chance against superior beings such as ourselves!"

  Fat? Has he ever even seen Luminous? As someone who has had the incredibly good fortune to feel her up on a daily basis, he can assure them that she is anything but fat.

  Sure, her ass may have fit the definition of junk in the trunk, but it was flawless! All round and firm with more bounce than a trampoline. The ultimate in spankability, it is a work of art! A jiggly national treasure! Perfection given form!

  …What was he doing again?

  "So we must rise, my brethren, and throw off the yoke of our oppressor! It is us, not the humans, who should have control of the world! We are the superior beings! Gifted with immense magic and eternal life, it baffles the mind why we are not the ones in control! I ask you, does it make sense that our food are the ones who may live as they please!?"

  Oh right, vampire Hitler…

  Vincent wasn't sure but they seemed almost hesitant to verbalize their agreement, a murmur of assent sweeping through the crowd but little else. But it seemed as if that wasn't good enough for the speaker.

  "Do not be afraid to shout the truth! Luminous is too limp wristed to enforce any true punishment, further proof of the failings of her decadent rule. So I ask you again, brothers and sisters of the night, does it make sense!?"

  "No…"

  "Louder! Let your voices be heard! Let not the truth linger in the shadows of falsity!"

  "No!"

  "You can do better! The livestock shout their joyous piety loud enough to shake the foundations of the earth, don't let those inferior creatures outdo you! One more time! Does it make sense that we live underground, afraid of the world we are owed, while those that provide no value beyond being our sustenance control the surface!? Answer me!"

  "No!"

  "That's right! Don't be afraid of the truth! The time of our dominion has come! Spread the word and increase the number of the faithful! Those who believe in the sovereignty of our own species! Let our time be now! Let this be the beginning of the era of the vampire!"

  The uproarious approval that reverberated throughout the park at those words filled Vincent with more than a little trepidation. Not everyone was cheering of course, but the amount that were was cause for concern.

  He vaguely recalled a statement he heard from his past life. Twenty percent of people are easily swayed, twenty percent can't be swayed at all, and the other sixty percent fall somewhere in between. Judging by the crowd, that statement was proving to be startlingly correct.

  Out of the close to 80 people in the crowd, about twenty of them were screaming with fervor, fist raised to the sky. The amount wasn't anything particularly worrisome by itself, but the near manic devotion that he could see shimmering in their eyes was.

  On the opposite end, only around 10 showed signs of disapproval, but they sure as hell weren't saying anything. Not that Vincent could blame them, given the crowd, but the amount that were in disagreement was what had him concerned.

  And the rest were about as you could expect. Muttering and murmuring to themselves about the state of their species. Most of them, however, seemed convinced that something needed to be done. They didn't necessarily agree with the speaker, but they wanted change nonetheless.

  Hopefully they could be convinced of more peaceful methods, rather than the extreme violence of the speaker. It was pretty clear that if he got his way, the streets would run red. Millions would perish.

  He did have one major point going in his favor, one that was more likely to convince the others of his grand plan to appoint vampires as rulers of all. That was the religion centered around Luminous herself, one she allowed to hate monsters and hunt them down.

  Vampires, if you didn't know, were absolutely considered monsters. Majin, specifically. Monsters with intelligence. But why wouldn't the humans consider them to be monsters, considering they preyed on them? Their blood was sustenance to most and a pleasurable beverage to the rest.

  If there was any point to hammer home about the inequity of her rule, that would be it. But it seems like he didn't touch on that point very much, focusing more on their own superiority over the human species. It didn't make much sense.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Was he playing more into their ego as opposed to using logic? Vincent would think they would be pretty upset by her allowing her human subjects to hunt them, but apparently that wasn't a hot button issue.

  Or was it because of that belief in their superiority that the speaker believed it didn't matter. After all, if you were the apex predator, why would you fear your own prey? So even if she did allow it, it wasn't much cause for concern, because as a vampire, the humans wouldn't be able to do much anyway.

  It made some sense, if that's how they viewed it. A lion isn't concerned about the gazelle killing it after all.

  Vincent stayed listening to the drivel until it was time to depart. He would have loved to leave earlier, but he didn't want to get noticed. Last thing he needed was vampire Hitler there calling him out for leaving early. But he was able to get some good information, and with his memory, he would be able to point out everyone there should it be needed.

  But with that little side quest finished, it was time he continued with the main one, namely, finding a gift for Lumi. It was much harder than it looked, considering she was already extremely wealthy and could afford anything she wanted.

  His first thought was jewelry, because if those commercials from his old life were to be believed, a diamond is a girl's best friend. But then he remembered that she didn't wear much jewelry to begin with.

  He also doubted he would be able to procure anything of significant quality with the funds she allocated for his use. So that was out. But as he continued to frequent the various shops around the city, one in particular caught his eye.

  It looked like one of those Asian stores you'd find in a mall. You know, when people still went to the mall. Those little shops were always interesting, even if what they sold were cheap knockoffs built with the tears of children laboring in a sweatshop.

  Hopefully that wouldn't be the case here.

  As he entered the shop, the smell of incense immediately assaulted his senses. Normally this wouldn't have been a problem, but a vampire's nose was quite the sensitive organ, so it felt like getting punched right in the face.

  Holding onto his nose, he casually looked around the store, seeing the multitude of curious items for sale. None of them looked like they belonged with a vampire, but perhaps that was the appeal. Different strokes for different folks, or something like that.

  Here's hoping the smell didn't give him a stroke.

  There were sculptures made out of numerous materials, like marble, granite, quartz and various other stones, and most were shaped in the form of an animal. There were paintings of various creatures hanging from the wall, such as dragons, mermaids, unicorns, ect… There didn't seem to be any cohesion between them, likely put there simply because the shop owner thought they would sell.

  Or because they looked cool.

  Speaking of the owner, he wondered where they were. So far, he hasn't seen anybody. Weird that they would just leave their shop unattended like that. Maybe they were in the back?

  "Hello there. How may I help you?"

  Speaking of back, Vincent jumped about a foot in the air from the sudden voice coming from behind him. Turning around, he searched for whoever spoke to him, only to see nothing but empty air.

  There was nobody there…

  "Crap, don't tell me this place is haunted. Last thing I want to deal with is a ghost," Vincent said aloud as a small, nervous bead of sweat traveled down his face.

  "Hoo-hoo, I may be old but I'm not a ghost just yet. Try looking down, sonny," suggested the same voice. Doing as it said, he was rewarded for his efforts with the sight of a little old lady, emphasis on the little.

  She was about two feet tall with hair as white as snow. She wore a black dress over her hunched form, with a cane in one hand. Her deep red eyes stared up at him with amusement and dare he say it, mischief. The look almost reminded him of Luminous. If he didn't know any better, he'd think this lady was her grandmother.

  But seeing as Luminous was the oldest of the vampires, that wouldn't make much sense at all.

  "Oh, sorry. I didn't see you there," Vincent said.

  "Obviously. Now, what can I do for strapping young lad like yourself, hm?" she asked, eyeing him up and down like he was a piece of meat. The way her eyes glowed made him want to cover himself, like she was looking through his clothes at his most intimate areas.

  But he didn't. He weathered the perverse storm with the grace and dignity of a ship captain.

  "Well, I've been looking for a gift for someone," he said, getting the old lady's attention, causing her to stop staring at his junk and look him in the eye.

  "Oh ho, a gift you say. For someone special, yes? A lady friend perhaps?" she asked, staring into his eyes with a fierce intensity. He couldn't help but back up a bit from the look.

  "Um, yeah, you could say that. I, uh… don't suppose you have any ideas?" he threw out there. As much as he wanted to flee for his chastity, he hasn't found any shop so far that gave him the slightest idea of what to give her. Might as well take the chance with the creepy old lady, right?

  He really hoped he wouldn't regret this…

  "Of course I do, my dear boy, but first, tell me about this special lady of yours. What's she like?" the old lady asked with a suspicious glint in her eyes. Vincent got the impression she knew more than she was letting on but quickly shook his head of that notion. How could she possibly know about him and Lumi? He was just being paranoid.

  Vincent gained a thoughtful look on his face as he thought about the woman in question, with the old lady waiting patiently.

  "Let's see, for starters, she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and the margin isn't even close. Her body is the literal definition of perfection and the memory of her naked body haunts my dreams and my showers," Vincent started to say, his eyes taking on a glassy hue as he did so, words spewing from his mouth almost without conscious thought.

  Otherwise, he never would have mentioned the shower. But for some reason, he just felt like he could tell the old lady anything. No, it was more like he should tell her everything. So that's what he did.

  "Her eyes captivate me every time I see them and I never know which one to focus on. One is like sapphire and the other like a ruby. I'm convinced her hair is made of pure moonlight as there's no way it could possibly be that silky otherwise," he continued.

  "She sounds like quite the woman. What else, sonny? Anything besides her body? Tell me what she's like," asked the old woman, gently coaxing him to say more.

  "She's kind, and patient; always willing to make time for me, no matter how busy she is. She gave me a place to stay when I was a complete stranger and never asked for anything in return. She has a mischievous side to her, enjoying pranking and teasing me. Perhaps a bit too much…" he mumbled the last part, getting a cackling laugh from the woman.

  "Teasing huh? Are you pent up sonny? Want granny to help you with that?" she asked, giving a crooked smile, revealing a toothless mouth save for a single fang.

  "Um, no that's alright," Vincent said, backing up, some of the brain fog dissipating from his mind.

  She gave a shrug at that. "Your loss. Tell me, what do the two of you like to do together?"

  "Um, we mostly just talk, I guess. She's helped me learn some new Skills as well. And lately, well… I've been giving her massages. She seems to really enjoy that," he told her, mind wandering to their Skill learning sessions, as Luminous liked to call them.

  He once more cursed that foul chastity belt. Something as cruel and evil as that should be outlawed.

  The old lady gained a thoughtful look at that, unaware of Vincent's internal turmoil, rubbing an ancient, wrinkled chin in thought.

  "Massages eh? I might have just the thing for you kiddo. One moment," she said, hobbling towards the back of the store. With nothing better to do, Vincent settled in to wait. He watched as the old woman began tossing items this way and that, seemingly uncaring about what happened to them.

  "No not here… That's not it… Nope… Hmm, I could have sworn…. Aha! Found you, you little bugger!" the old woman cheered. Curious, Vincent made his way towards the old woman, who now had an ornate purple bottle in her hands.

  "So, whatcha got granny?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest and giving her a dubious look. The bottle looked like it came out of a sleazy sex shop, with the shape of the glass resembling a buxom woman.

  "Massage oil, kiddo. The kind that drives the ladies wild. This little beauty will increase her sensitivity by 300%, guaranteed," she claimed, wiggling the bottle in her hand. Vincent was obviously skeptical of such a claim, crossing his hands in front of his chest with a raised brow.

  "Uh huh…"

  "I can see the doubt in your eyes boy, but you can trust granny. With this, she'll be the one left with blue balls, ehehehehe," she called again. Now that did interest him. The chance to one up her in the teasing game was almost too good to pass up.

  "Right. Well it's not like I have any better ideas. Guess I'll take it. How much?"

  After paying the old woman who was giving him that knowing grin, he quickly made his way out of the store, speed walking out of there. Not that the old lady was bothered, giving him that near toothless smile as he fled.

  Leaving, Vincent couldn't help but shiver. He sincerely hoped he would never run into that old lady again.

  What he didn't know was that as he turned the corner to get the hell out of dodge, the shop itself shimmered and warped, until it disappeared entirely, leaving nothing but an empty lot behind. The only proof of its existence lay in Vincent's hands.

  "That takes care of that. Now I just have one more stop to make before going home," he said, picking up the pace. He wanted to check in on that little girl and make sure she was doing alright. Hopefully she enjoyed that Blood Pop.

  However, as he approached the area he had seen her last, he noticed some peculiar behavior coming from the people around him, especially the stall owners.

  They refused to look at him.

  Every time they so much as glanced in his direction, they would quickly look away. It was hard to tell, but they almost appeared… ashamed. Like they had done something wrong. But they were also afraid.

  The looks, coupled with who he was going to see, formed a pit in his stomach. Feeling restless, he quickened his pace even more, his speed, little more than a fast walk to a vampires, would have put Olympic athletes to shame in his past life.

  Unfortunately, it wouldn't be fast enough. When he arrived, she was nowhere to be found. All that remained was a bowl and a shattered Blood Pop.