Chapter 72- Time for some Red

Chapter 72- Time for some Red

[Red POV]

It’s been a long time since my new family left the city. I had been busy culling the numbers of the two we brought to the crypts, though I left the ones whose leader managed to get out alone more than the others. The survivor was the head of the Salviento Family, not that he was in very good shape. He was basically dragged out of the entrance by some of his people maimed nearly beyond recognition and missing an arm. In the darkness, the forms of the spirits watched them with clear hostility.

I decided it was best for them to regroup a bit before I started really getting down to the business of getting rid of them. There were a lot of things that I needed to do as well, like figure out more of what I can do now, and plan out how to really take the Families down in a way that would make them too scared to start up again. At least, that was the plan in the beginning. A few days after they left and things were somewhat calming down, at least on the surface, the storm hit. It was the worst storm I’d ever experienced. It was so bad that a few buildings got destroyed by lightning and wind before the city’s barrier was put up. I escaped into the catacombs when it hit since it was safer than staying above ground.

After spending several days down there, I managed to learn some things about the Death spirits. For one thing, their forms were different than when big sis Keeno was here. They now looked like wolves made of black smoke with glowing red eyes. They sometimes returned to that human-like form when I was near, and they would always pat my head. What surprised me when they did that was that their touch was actually quite warm when I expected it to be cold. Aside from that, though, I had lost count of how long it was that I was down here when, one day, big sis Keeno talked to me again.

“Hey Red, how are you doing? Did you manage to stay out of the storm? Are you eating well? Has anyone tried to hurt you? Do you need us to come back and see you?” (Keeno)

“Big sis Keeno...calm down...Red......is fine. Managed to...get into the catacombs...out of the storm...Death spirits...very good at...pats. Food...not good...Red...can’t cook...well. Don’t......come back...trust in Red.” (Red)

“If that’s the ca-Ama? What are you tr-” (Keeno)

{Red, can you hear me?}

“Goddess...Amaterasu?” (Red)

{Yay, it worked! Anyway, listen to me real quick, Red. I want you to try something. Since you are an Apostle, you should be able to come and go from the Divine Domain. Technically, Keeno doesn’t have a place here, but I want to see if you can come to my place since technically it’s also Keeno’s home due to us being married and whatnot. So, I need you to imagine a doorway or something similar that you think fits best, then try to picture heading to that little flicker of a feeling you should have been getting in your soul when you became an Apostle. Can you do that?}

“Red...will try.” (Red)

I closed my eyes and pictured a doorway. After that, I tried concentrating on that small feeling that was indeed in my soul. It took a while, but eventually I managed to find it and when I ‘reached out’ for it, I felt a comforting heat come from the middle of my chest and exit my body, so to speak. When I opened my eyes, a shining door was in front of me.

{Good job, Red. It showed up on my end, so come on in.}

Seeing no reason to refuse, I walked forward through the doorway. When I came out the other side, I found myself standing in a strange place. The ground beneath my feet was made of some pitch-black grainy stuff and in front of me was more water than I’d ever seen before.

“Pretty.” (Red)

{Why thank you, Red.}

Someone spoke behind me, but before I could turn to look at them, they placed their hand on my head and started patting. It was pure bliss. Once the person removed their hand, I turned to look at them.

Standing behind me was a kitsune like big sis Keeno, only instead of white hair and tails, she had pure black. The ends of her ears and tail, of which there were nine, were a flaming orange. Her eyes were also a glowing orange and seemed to flicker like fire. On her cheeks were four red marks, her chest was big, bigger than any I’ve seen, and her thighs that could be seen in the gaps of her dress were just a bit smaller than big sis Keeno’s. She was as tall as big sis Keeno as well.

{Welcome, Red, to the Divine Domain. My name is Amaterasu, Keeno’s Fated One. It’s a pleasure meeting you in person.}

“...Pretty.” (Red)

“Yes, Red, Ama is very pretty. Admire my wife’s beauty, but don’t get funny thoughts. I may love you as family, Red, but she’s mine and mine alone.” (Keeno)

{Good point. Like I said earlier, they’ll be here in a few days, so why don’t you relax a little bit. That storm still has a few more days before it stops, so you won’t miss anything.}

I nodded my head. I then looked around at everything seeing as I now had even more free time and it was a new place. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the goddess cover her mouth as she chuckled silently. I turned to say something when one of her tails moved and my eyes were drawn to its fluffiness. This elicited another chuckle from the goddess.

{Feel free to try petting it, Red. I don’t mind and I’m sure Keeno doesn’t either.}

“Nope. I’m proud of how fluffy Ama’s tails are, so it would be a crime to not let someone she says can pat them pat them...but her ears are off limits.” (Keeno)

{That’s common sense, Keeno.}

“Ears...off limits?” (Red)

{...It seems we need to teach you some things, Red.}

I nodded at that and sat down again. The goddess moved one of her tails into my lap and when I moved my hands to pat it, they sunk into it.

“So...Fluffy.” (Red)

Like that, I spent time getting to know big sis Keeno’s Fated One as I waited to meet these other two goddesses.

Chaos Realm:

Red: Red...here again?

Luna: *Pats Red with all ten tails*

Red: Uheeeeee~

Luna...

Luna: I’m being careful. Keeno would never forgive me if I made her first Valkyrie into a Fluff obsessed zombie. She’s just feeling the essence of my Fluff though Space magic.

Good.

Red: ...Fluffy...

Luna: And that’s enough.

Red: *tries to put Luna’s tails back on her head*

Luna: No, no, little Red. Now, want to learn more on how to make your own tail fluffy? It’ll help keep you busy while those two aren’t there.

Red: ...*Nods*