The hour was late, the sun ready to rise at any moment. This is the time of day when a normal vampire would be getting ready for bed. But for one Vincent Valentine, this time of day has been allotted for a specific purpose.

  "Mmm, you're getting pretty good at this," Luminous moaned. She had a satisfied grin on her face as she enjoyed Vincent's delicate touch. His hands roamed across her soft and smooth flesh, kneading out knots that had been there for centuries.

  "That's because you guilt trip me into doing this for hours," Vincent quipped. Not that he particularly minded his new duty. Getting to rub oil on a very nearly naked goddess wasn't exactly a hardship, no matter how hard his ship got. But when she told him she had a skill to teach him, this isn't what he had in mind.

  "Would you like to stop? Before ever obtaining your prize?" she asked, wiggling her shapely rump at him. But that act only frustrated him more. Normally such an action would excite him on a primal level, stimulating his lizard brain, but Luminous, being the tease that she is, used her powers to create a chastity belt made out of blood. Only when he could remove it would he be allowed access.

  "You're evil. You know that, right?" Vincent commented, making her chuckle.

  "So you've told me, repeatedly. And yet, you continue," she said, turning her head to give him a knowing look. He just grumbled under his breath, complaining about sexy know it all teases. She could hear every world, of course, but there was no need to remind him of her advanced hearing at the moment. She would much rather lay there and enjoy his ministrations.

  "You have tomorrow off, I believe. Any plans?" she asked, sighing as he shifted his focus to a particularly tense muscle. That one had been bothering her for a while. You'd think having regeneration of her level would prevent her muscles from bunching up, but nope. If anything, it made it worse.

  "Not really. I don't really want to spend another day learning a Skill either. I'm afraid of what training Isaac will put me through if I do," he said with a shiver. That damn sadist was more than happy to help him train his skill with Magic Sense, which turned into a terrifying game of dodgeball.

  "Hmm, yes he can be a bit… enthusiastic," Luminous mentioned as Vincent poured a bit more oil onto her back. It was the kind that warmed up while it was rubbed in. Luminous had it specially delivered after their first session and it quickly became her favorite.

  "That's one way to put it. He didn't have to look so happy about me getting nailed in the balls though," Vincent griped, making Luminous chuckle again. He moved onto her legs, taking a moment to appreciate how toned they were before delving in.

  "I'm sure he meant nothing by it," she said, enjoying the new sensation of his hands on her thighs. While not nearly as taut as her back, it still felt good to have her muscles worked over. She was quite eager for him to reach her feet.

  "If by nothing you mean, thoroughly enjoying my pain then yes, I agree. Absolutely nothing," Vincent mumbled, reaching her calf.

  "Mmm, well if you don't have any plans, might I make a suggestion?" she asked.

  "Shoot," he replied, his hands finally reaching her feet, sending Luminous to nirvana. After her back, her feet were the arts of her that needed a good rub the most.

  "Gunther is heading into town tomorrow to oversee some projects that need doing in Night Garden. You may accompany him if you wish," she said, her words coming out as a breathy moan.

  "Hm, I don't know. Gunther's not exactly my biggest fan…" Vincent said, trying not to think about the sounds Luminous was making. He was already harder than a steel beam, no need to temper that metal any more.

  "Perhaps not, but I think getting out of the castle would be good for you. The city itself is relatively safe, save for some rabble rousers, so you shouldn't be in any real danger. And according to Isaac, your skills in combat have reached the level of a fully trained Blud Knight. He was grudgingly impressed by the feat," Luminous said. It wasn't a lie either, he was genuinely impressed by Vincent's progress. He accomplished in a month what took other's ten years or more to achieve.

  Luminous felt quite smug after that conversation, as she was the one who insisted he be trained.

  "I guess. I am pretty interested in the city you've built. Fine, but don't blame me if something goes horribly wrong," Vincent said, finishing up her second leg.

  "Wouldn't dream of it," she claimed, before turning over, giving him a sultry look. "Now for the front."

  Vincent stared at her, or more accurately, her chest. It too was covered by a protective layer of blood, preventing him from reaching them. Oh he could try, but he'd probably just break his hand again.

  "Have I told you lately that you're evil?" he asked.

  "I think I've heard you mention it once or twice."

  *Line Break*

  Vincent woke up the next evening feeling a cornucopia of emotions. He was excited for his excursion into the outside world, but that excitement was tempered by nerves. He had no idea what to expect, and while there was some level of thrill in that, the unknown was still an ever looming source of fear.

  But beyond that, he was also severely frustrated. Given the severity of teasing Luminous subjected him to on a daily basis, that shouldn't be too hard to imagine. Even after taking some extra time to wash his hair in the shower, he could still feel the pent up energy.

  But there was no time to dwell on that, mostly because if he did he would need to take another shower. He had to get ready to meet Gunther, who was a stickler for punctuality. If he was even a minute late, Vincent knew he would be in for a 40 minute lecture, bare minimum.

  He would like to avoid that fate.

  Looking at the time, he saw he had about an hour before they were supposed to meet. Plenty of time to grab a quick breakfast, brush his fangs, and pick out an outfit. Considering how big his damn closet was, that could take awhile. Even after a month of living there, he still hasn't gone through everything.

  Vincent flung his blanket off of him before leaping out of the bed. He stretched his arms above his head, groaning at the satisfying pop he felt in his vertebrae before racing towards the door.

  Swinging it open, he was met with the stern face of Leliana, making him stop in his tracks. "Oh, hey Lil's, what's up?" he asked. She raised a brow at him before her eyes traveled lower.

  "If I might make a suggestion, Master Vincent? Perhaps you would like to wear something more appropriate than your birthday suit," she suggested. Confused, Vincent looked down.

  "Ah, whoops…" he said, rubbing the back of his head. Ever since coming here he's been sleeping in the nude, which he kind of forgot about. He blamed Luminous, as she also had the habit of sleeping in the buff whenever she actually slept. He most likely got it from her when she named him. Or because his body was formed from her Magicules.

  Either way, her fault.

  "Yes, whoops indeed. As much as Lady Luminous might appreciate the sight, I can assure you, Lord Gunther does not share her opinion," she said.

  "What about you? Whose opinion do you share?" he asked, leaning on the door frame, giving her what he thought was a charming, suave and dare he say it, debonair smile.

  "I share the opinion that you need to get dressed. Lady Luminous is waiting to have breakfast with you before you leave, do not keep her waiting," she said, slamming the door in his face.

  Guess he wasn't nearly debonair enough.

  "Geez, she is so uptight. When's the last time she got any?" Vincent grumbled, making his way to the closet. Once there he picked out a simple pair of black pants as well as a nice white shirt. He says simple, but considering what the material felt like they would have probably cost hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars in his old world.

  Once that was settled, he swung his favorite cape over his shoulders. Wearing a cape in his previous world would have been met with ridicule and possibly an ass kicking, depending on the person, but here it was a viable fashion choice.

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  Taking note of himself in the mirror, he nodded in satisfaction before heading out of the door. Once there, Leliana gave him a once over before nodding in approval. Or something close enough to it at any rate. She then spun around and began walking down the hall with Vincent rushing to keep up.

  "Ah, you're here. Thank you Leliana, you may go," Luminous said with a smile. Leliana bowed before leaving, closing the door behind her.

  "Morning Lumi. Or is it, good evening?" he said, walking over to her. He still wasn't used to the shift in time. Vampires weren't typically awake during the day, but he was so used to saying good morning it just kind of slipped out.

  "I believe evening is more appropriate. Though I suppose that is morning for those of our kind. Something I haven't really thought about before," she said, smiling at him as he sat down.

  In front of him was a plate of waffles, eggs, and blood sausages. Next to the plate was a glass filled with a dark, red liquid. The smell of the food made his mouth water. Sure, vampires didn't need to eat food to survive, as it provided literally no nutritional benefit, but it still tasted good.

  "All this for little old me? You shouldn't have," he said, fluttering his eyes at her. She chuckled, knowing how much he actually appreciated eating human food. He still wasn't used to life as a vampire just yet, so it helped with the transition.

  "Of course. I did take you in. That means I'm required to feed you, clothe you, and take care of you," she said, a small smirk on her face.

  "I'm not a dog, Lumi," Vincent said with a deadpan, giving her a blank look.

  "Oh? And here I was, planning to give you a bath later," she said.

  "Yeah, I'm not falling for that. With all the teasing you do, I need those showers for me time," he said, starting into his breakfast.

  "Me time, huh? And what exactly does that entail?"

  "You know damn well what that entails."

  "But I would love to hear it coming from your own mouth."

  "Well too bad. I'll just leave it up to your imagination."

  "Are you sure that's wise? I have a very vivid imagination, you know."

  "Good. Maybe you'll need some me time of your own."

  "If I do, would you like me to tell you all about it?"

  "...No?"

  "You don't sound so sure."

  "Well I am!"

  "Hm, if you say so."

  "I do! Now can we just eat?"

  "Very well. You know, I have a certain way I like to eat blood sausages. Would you like to see?" Luminous asked, stabbing a fork into her own sausage. Against his better judgement, Vincent watched as she brought it up to her mouth before slowly sliding it in. Inch after inch of the long, thick sausage disappeared past her full, pouty lips, her eyes never leaving his own.

  He watched, mesmerized as her throat bulged from the piece of meat lodged inside. He felt himself gulp as she held it there for a few seconds, making him realize she had absolutely no gag reflex whatsoever. Then, she gently bit it, moaning as it slid down into her stomach.

  "Mm, tasty," she claimed, licking her lips. Vincent wasn't sure what to do. He sat there, rigid, his perfect memory replaying the event over and over again in his mind. He thought having such a good memory would be a blessing, but right now, it was proving to be a curse.

  "Something wrong, Vincent?" she asked, fake concern in her voice.

  "N-no, ahem. No, not at all," he said, cursing himself when his voice cracked.

  "Oh, that's good. Perhaps then, you would be interested in seeing my favorite way to eat a banana next?" she asked, her tone as innocent as could be. But her eyes told a different story. They were filled with mischief.

  "No, I think I'm good. Thank you for the meal, but I think I hear Gunther calling me. Don't want to be late. See you!" he yelled, chugging down his glass before darting away. Luminous chuckled as she watched him sprint, grabbing her own glass and leaning back into her chair, feeling immensely proud of herself.

  *Line Break*

  Vincent followed behind Gunther as they traveled down the corridors to the transport room. According to the ancient butler, they used a teleport circle to travel to certain predesignated areas, such as the mayor's office in Night Garden.

  "Now, I'm certain I don't need to tell you to behave, do I? You now represent Lady Luminous and I will not have your actions reflect badly upon her. Do I make myself clear?" he asked in his usual gruff, slightly condescending tone, turning to give his ward for the day a glare of warning.

  "Aye, aye, sir!" Vincent chirped back, giving him a salute. He sighed with irritation before deciding to let it go. It wasn't like Vincent planned to cause a scene in the first place. If you asked him, Gunther was way too uptight. He idly wondered if that was where Leliana got it from.

  "Could they be related," he thought to himself, the image of the two side by side causing him to shiver. It made way too much sense for him to be comfortable with.

  It didn't take them long to arrive at their destination. The doors leading into the room were quite large, much like the ones leading to the training room were. But instead of showing Luminous triumphing over a dragon, this one depicted a beautiful castle with a full moon shining overhead.

  "Woah," he murmured, staring at the double doors.

  "Indeed. That was made to look like the Lady's previous home. It was destroyed by that cur, Veldora," Gunther explained before opening the doors. It was almost comical, given the size of the things compared to Gunther's relatively small frame. Vincent knew he was packing some serious power in it, but he still looked like a frail old man.

  But if anime has taught him anything, it's that seemingly frail old men were the most dangerous of all.

  The blonde haired vampire followed the butler into the room, marveling at it. There was a large, intricately designed magic circle carved into the floor. Several torches lined the rounded walls, all shining different colors. Vincent didn't know if they were necessary for the spell to work, or if it was just showmanship. Either way it looked cool.

  "Come, stand in the center of the circle," Gunther said, with Vincent jumping to follow. Last thing he needed was to be left behind or get sent somewhere else by not being in the appropriate spot.

  Once he was in position, Gunther raised his arm, using one of his claws to cut open his thumb, allowing a drop to fall directly onto the circle. Once that happened, it immediately started glowing an ominous red. The whole thing made Vincent feel like he was taking part in some cultish ritual to summon a demon. Which was terrifying, because he knew demons actually existed in this world.

  The light on the floor continued to grow brighter and brighter, with the flames along the walls doing the same. Once they apparently reached a crescendo, Vincent shut his eyes, unable to tolerate the blinding light.

  After a few seconds, when it appeared that the light died down, he slowly opened them, blinking away the spots. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, they were the same color as the flames from the chamber they were in.

  Once the spots were gone, he looked around to see where he ended up, relieved it wasn't some kind of freaky sex dungeon. The room itself was rather opulent, looking like it came straight out of the Victorian era. Instead of large, burning torches there were small, flickering candles, each one a different color.

  "So, did we make it?" he asked, turning towards Gunther. Just because they were somewhere new, did not mean they were in the right place. Better to ask to make sure.

  "Indeed. Follow me," he said, walking ahead of the much younger vampire. Vincent quickly followed, the two of them leaving the room. The double doors here were made out of wood, rather than stone, and they didn't have anything in particular carved into them. But they still looked like they cost more than he made in a single year.

  Gunther led them towards his office, a young looking male vampire waiting by the door. He wore a suit similar to Gunther's, only a bit more modern, with expertly coiffed dark blonde hair, along with an Imperial style mustache and beard.

  "Welcome back, sir," he said, giving a bow.

  "Thank you, Reginald. Please have some alcohol brought to my office. I have a strange suspicion I'm going to be needing it," he said, giving a not so subtle glance in Vincent's direction, who tried to look as innocent as possible, whistling a tune while not meeting the older man's eyes.

  "Of course, sir. Right away," Regional said, giving Vincent a dirty stare before he left. The newbie vampire was starting to think people didn't like him.

  "Before I let you loose upon the village, come inside. Lady Luminous has set aside some funding for you," he said, walking into his office. Vincent shrugged, following him inside. He honestly hadn't even thought about that, figuring he was just there to sightsee, but he wouldn't turn down money. He'd have to get her something as thanks.

  Gunther's office was just as extravagant as the rest of the manor, perhaps even more so. It practically screamed, "I'm better than you!" While Vincent could appreciate some tasteful decor, this was going a bit overboard. But who was he to judge? Especially when the rich people were going to give him money.

  Gunther sat down behind his desk, reaching into one of the drawers and pulled out a sack before throwing it on the table in front of Vincent. It hit it with a dull thud, the coins clanging together inside.

  "There, that should be more than sufficient for your foray into town. Now remember what I said, don't cause any trouble, do you hear me?" he said. Vincent rolled his eyes before snatching up the pouch.

  "Yeah, yeah, you don't have to keep reminding me. Learn to lighten up a bit, would ya? All that frowning can't be good for your health," Vincent said, getting a huff from the older man.

  "As long as you understand. Now leave, I have work to do," he said, shooing Vincent away.

  "Alright, see ya later pops," Vicent said, giving him a backhanded wave as he left. Gunther sighed as he watched him leave.

  "I hope your next charity project isn't so frustrating, My Lady," he said to himself. But with that irritation out of the way, it was time to get to work. He had to look over several proposals, most of which were sent by petty nobles looking to expand their influence. Those he could ignore, but the ones that were for the genuine well being of the city, those would need special attention.

  Stepping out of the manor, but not before giving Reginald a jaunty wave, Vincent was surprised by what he found. "Woah…" he mumbled, staring straight up. He wondered, when he learned about the underground city, how they were able to see. Sure vampires had excellent night vision, but they still needed some light to see.

  Well, now he had his answer.

  Crystals, great big crystals of every color imaginable hung from the ceiling, looking like jeweled stalactites. The shone with a dull brilliance, illuminated the spectral world below. Vincent assumed there would be magic involved, just not like this. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen, right behind a naked Luminous.

  With a grin, he made his way towards the front gate, eager to explore the city. It was guarded by two Blud Knights, each decked out in full regalia. Once he approached, they used their magic to open the gate, not saying a word.

  Guess they knew he was coming. He didn't recognize them, so they weren't any of the members that tortured him while calling it training. Maybe that's why they looked so pissy?

  As Vincent made his way into the bustling city, he was unaware what fate had in store for him. His life, and the life of another, was about to change forever.