My Vampire Harem Will Dominate Everything

The neon lights of Decapolis blurred into streaks of color as Itachi Yaiba drove the sports hover car through the streets.

He hadn't intended to keep the modified car of the two Warmongers that had met their ends chasing Ezra Matten but he had to admit that he had taken a liking to it. It was like a beast he had to tame. A beast ready to pounce at the slightest touch of the accelerator. It was… thrilling.

While Decapolis, the ten cities merged into one, was always a beautiful sight, his attention was on how he'd present his report. Well, he'd just speak his mind as he'd always done.

He turned a corner, taking the road leading away from the Ark. It wasn't his destination anyways. While most elders could be found at the seat of the council and the center of the Vampire Society's power, the person he was going to meet could be found anywhere but there.

A few minutes later, he pulled into a parking spot outside of an arcade. Sitting above the door was a giant neon sign that told even the blind that the place was indeed an arcade.

He stepped out of the car, already able to hear the sounds of the games from outside. The world as a whole had gone into a period of hyper modernization and after the hacks and artificial intelligences going out of control, had reverted to a state of moderate modernization.

That was one of the reasons why arcades were now popular. They were retro and archaic at the same time.

Itachi walked forward and pushed open the door, the bell above the door jingling to announce his arrival.

His gaze roved over the rows of gaming machines but he didn't find who he was looking for. That means she had to be at the back corner of the room.

He walked deeper inside and sure enough, he found her dressed as usual in black leather pants and jacket, sitting at a pinball machine.

Elder Fortuna didn't look up as Itachi approached, her fingers deftly working the machine's buttons.

"Itachi." She said exuberantly. "So good to see my favorite city lord."

Itachi stopped a few steps behind her, bowing slightly. "Elder Fortuna." He greeted.

"Any news?" She asked, her eyes still fixed on the flashing pinball machine.

He straightened. "I've confirmed that Ezra Matten was not the vampire responsible for the deaths of James Harlow or Michelangelo. The evidence aligns with his account."

"James killed Michelangelo, and Ezra dealt with James afterward. But he did not deliver the fatal blow to James."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

That was enough to make Fortuna finally glance up in curiosity. "Interesting. James killed my little Angel."

"From what I could find, yes."

Fortuna was silent for a moment before she turned back to the game she was playing.

"At this point, that doesn't matter. The other elders want Ezra as the culprit for everything and so it shall be."

"They need a perfectly legal justification for their actions. Exonerating Ezra Matten wouldn't stop them but keeping him as the culprit will surely make their work easier. That means there's no changing Ezra's status."

"Either way, he's a fugitive." She finally finished her game and turned fully to look at Itachi. "Enough about that. What of the situation with the Monarchy?"

"Ezra has crossed over to their side." Itachi said. "He's aligned himself with them completely. Given the Monarchy's structure and their current stance, there's no chance of us extracting him unless they themselves release him to us."

Fortuna's lips pressed into a thin line as she leaned against the machine, her arms folding across her chest.

"This time, I also agree with the other elders. Ezra is too valuable to let go." She said. "He's the first vampire in recorded history to get another vampire pregnant. Do you understand what that means?"

"I do." Itachi replied evenly. "But with all due respect, my lady, what can we do about it?"

"He's already under the Monarchy's protection and even if we wanted to act, it would be a declaration of war. And we both know the Council is not ready for that. At least not yet."

"So, you think we should just let him go?" Fortuna asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

Itachi hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Yes. For now."

"The Monarchy values him, but they're not fools. If he becomes more trouble than he's worth, they may reconsider their stance and hand him over to us. Until then, we'd only alienate ourselves further by pursuing him aggressively."

Fortuna narrowed her eyes, studying Itachi as if searching for any sign of doubt. "Your reasoning is sound," she admitted reluctantly, "but that doesn't mean I'm happy about it." Continue your adventure with empire

"I wouldn't expect you to be." Itachi said, a faint hint of amusement flickering across his face.

"This leaves me with only one option." Fortuna grinned. "Negotiating directly with the Monarchy."

"My lady?" Itachi's brows rose.

"This isn't out of the ordinary, after all, we already broker deals with the courts. If we present our case properly, who knows what coils happen.

She pushed herself away from the pinball machine, standing straight. "A negotiation of this caliber means showing that the Society is serious about its offers. This means I'll be going to the Crossroads myself."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, surprised by her decision. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"This situation is unprecedented." Fortuna replied. "If Ezra truly represents a shift in our understanding of vampires, then he's worth the risk. Besides," she added with a sly smile, "it's been too long since I've stretched my legs."

Itachi chuckled and inclined his head in agreement. "Then I'll make the necessary preparations."

"Do that." Fortuna said, turning back to the pinball machine. "And don't forget to keep an eye on the Monarchy's movements. If they stumble, even for a moment, I want to know."

Itachi nodded. "Understood."

"Perfect" Fortuna grinned. "And if Ezra Matten proves to be more trouble than he's worth… we'll find a way to eliminate the problem. Monarchy or not."