Chapter 81 — The World of a Thousand Moons (volume 3 acte 1)
Meanwhile….
A heart-wrenching scream tore through the interdimensional void like a blade.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Seth was falling. He fell endlessly through a chaotic tunnel of purple-pink-white lights, shooting stars, and fragments of shattered realities. The wind howled in his ears with deafening violence, his clothes whipping violently against his body, and his stomach rose into his throat with every uncontrolled spin. He flailed his arms desperately, searching for a hold that didn't exist.
"Fuck…!!! I need to grab onto something quick!!! Quick!!!! Quick!!!!!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
He exited the portal… and crashed heavily into an ocean of pink and white cherry blossoms. The impact knocked the breath out of him for a moment. He lay there for several long seconds, face buried in the thick, fragrant layer of petals, his body aching. A raw groan escaped him as he slowly rolled onto his back, one hand pressed against his still-spinning head.
"Goddamn it… What the hell was that? My head hurts… and where's Vaeris?"
He stayed lying down for a moment, catching his breath, before pushing himself up with difficulty. And then, the world that greeted him literally took his breath away.
It was night, yet the sky wasn't dark. It glowed with a soft, luminescent pink, as if an eternal dawn and the gentlest twilight had fused forever into one. Millennia-old cherry trees stretched as far as the eye could see across gentle hills, their heavy branches weighed down by thousands of pink and white flowers that fell slowly, like fragrant, endless snow. Crystal-clear lakes perfectly reflected this fairy-tale sky, creating a flawless illusion where the ground and the firmament merged into a single living painting.
But what truly left him speechless were the moons.
Hundreds. No… thousands. Of all sizes and colors silver, pale pink, bluish, golden, violet they floated at different altitudes in the sky. Some were enormous and so close you could almost make out their craters, others tiny and distant like stars. Their combined light bathed the entire landscape in a magical glow that was both hypnotically beautiful… and deeply unsettling.
Seth stood up fully, slowly turning on himself, eyes wide.
"But… what the hell is this place? This can't be real… Where exactly did I land…?"
Suddenly, a sharp whistle sliced through the air behind him.
SWIIIIIIIIIISH!
Seth reacted on pure combat instinct. He dove to the side, rolling among the petals as a luminescent-feathered arrow embedded itself deep into the trunk of a cherry tree right behind him, still vibrating from the impact.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!" he shouted, springing back to his feet, fists clenched and body in a fighting stance.
The flowering bushes parted gently. A young girl emerged, bow still drawn and a second arrow nocked and ready. She was both human and animal a slender, athletic figure with harmonious curves, slightly tanned skin that shimmered under the moonlight. She had long green-orange hair cascading down to her lower back like a waterfall of living vegetation, and magnificent fennec ears, large and soft, stood atop her head, twitching at the slightest sound.
She stared at him with golden eyes filled with wild mistrust.
"You are an intruder. Who are you…?" she declared in a clear, firm, and melodious voice. "You have crossed the sacred borders of Goddess Vaeris's world. How could a simple outsider like you reach this place?"
Seth blinked several times, still trying to gather his thoughts.
"Vaeris's world? Wait a second… This isn't our world anymore…? Am I dreaming or did she really throw me into another dimension?!"
The girl slightly lowered her bow, surprised by his sincere and confused reaction.
"Who are you, stranger? And how do you know our Goddess's name?"
Seth ran a hand through his messy hair, still dazed by the fall and the surreal beauty of the landscape.
"My name is Seth. And you?"
She hesitated for a moment, then answered with pride:
"Yorozu. I am the Jade Moon Dragon."
Seth paused for a long moment, then couldn't help letting out a nervous, incredulous little laugh.
"A Dragon? You? With your cute fox ears and your forest princess look? No offense, but you really don't look like the dragons I know. They're huge, covered in scales and all, with giant wings. You've got none of that."
Yorozu looked deeply shocked, almost offended. Her ears shot straight up.
"What do you mean I don't look like a dragon?! The Goddess said I am one, so who are you to contradict her…!!!"
A masculine voice, soft, amused, and slightly mocking, suddenly rang out from the shadow of the flowering cherry trees.
"This man is not wrong, Yorozu. At least… not completely."
A young man appeared gracefully between the trunks. He had the same traits as her elegant fennec ears and several magnificent tails with shifting boreal fur in deep blue, purple, and Nordic green that undulated behind him like living auroras. He wore a fluid, refined, almost princely outfit.
"Yachamaru…" Yorozu murmured, surprised but respectful. "Dragon of the Boreal Moonlight."
Yachamaru bowed slightly to Seth with a courteous yet calculating smile.
"Welcome, Seth… That is your name, correct? Well, know that you are the guest of Goddess Vaeris… She told me another creature would arrive soon. Unfortunately, you are a bit late because of Her Majesty's spatiotemporal distortion. It disrupts the flow of time and made your journey last longer than theirs. But the others have already arrived at the domain! You're the only one missing for the party to truly begin."
"A party? What party are you talking about?" Seth repeated, completely lost. Then he suddenly remembered he had entered the portal with Reynard.
"Shit, I almost forgot and Reynard? What did you do to him? You said he arrived before me…"
Yachamaru raised his hands in a calming gesture, his smile never leaving his lips.
"Nothing for now… I hope. Her Majesty was simply waiting for you to arrive. She didn't want to start without you."
Before Seth could ask more questions, a magnificent boreal light slowly descended from one of the nearest moons. A hypnotic, soft, and irresistible glow enveloped his entire body. He felt his eyelids grow incredibly heavy, his legs buckle, and a soothing warmth invade his mind.
"Hey… wait… this isn't… fair…"
He gently collapsed onto the carpet of petals, unconscious.
Yachamaru made an elegant gesture to Yorozu.
"Take him with care. Let's go. The Goddess is waiting."
A few minutes later or was it hours? Time felt strange here Seth woke with a start in an immense bed with luxurious black and red silk sheets.
He was clean, scented with rare oils, and dressed in an ancient Japanese outfit of rare elegance: a black haori embroidered with golden lunar patterns, worn open over his muscular chest, and fitted hakama that accentuated his silhouette.
Seth's eyes widened.
Around him, in the vast chamber dimly lit by muted red lanterns, stood about ten young women — half-human, half-fennec — of bewitching and almost hypnotic beauty. Soft, slightly glistening skin, generous and harmonious curves, and hair in various colors — pale pink, silver, turquoise, violet — cascading over their bare shoulders. Their delicate ears twitched, and their fluffy tails caressed the air and his skin with provocative slowness.
They were almost entirely naked, wearing only ultra-sheer transparent veils or strategically placed jewelry that highlighted their full breasts, hips, and the perfect curve of their asses.
One of them, with pale pink hair and golden eyes, pressed herself languidly against his chest, her firm, warm breasts squished against his muscles while her silky tail slowly caressed the inside of his thigh, sliding toward his crotch.
"Master Seth… you're finally awake," she purred in a low, sensual voice that sent a shiver down his spine.
Another, bolder one with black ears and slightly tanned skin, slid a slow, expert hand down his stomach, going dangerously lower. Her warm lips brushed against his earlobe.
"You're so tense… Let us relax you properly…"
Seth felt his face burn violently. His heart hammered in his chest. The combined heat of all these feminine bodies, their intoxicating scents of flowers and musk, the silky touch of their skin, soft fur, and curves pressed against him… it was almost too much.
"W-woah! Wait! Wait a second!" he cried, hastily backing up against the headboard, hands raised like a shield, face red to the ears.
"What the hell is this?! Who are all of you?! And why are you practically naked on me?!"
The girls giggled softly, amused and playful, pressing even closer. Their bodies rubbed languidly against his in a sensual tangle of warm curves, caressing tails, and hot breaths on his skin.
Suddenly, a loud, powerful, and laughing voice rang out from the back of the immense room. The red lanterns lit up one by one, gradually revealing the luxurious, gigantic space.
Seated on a low throne surrounded by silk cushions, an imposing man watched them with obvious amusement. White hair with flamboyant red and pink tips, nine majestic fennec tails undulating behind him in a halo of pure power. Tall, extremely muscular, shirtless under a loose, open haori that revealed his sculpted abs, he radiated a carefree yet overwhelming aura.
Several completely naked women were pressed against his powerful body, caressing his muscles without shame, their lips brushing his skin.
He burst into a powerful, frank, and mocking laugh.
"Hahahahaha! Look at this shy little virgin! Why are you blushing like a frightened maiden on her wedding night, human?! What, you don't like my women? I was even ready to share… Or maybe you prefer men? Go on, you can admit it!"
Seth glared at him, still red to the ears and completely destabilized.
"Who the hell are you?!"
The man smiled widely, running a possessive hand through the hair of one of the naked women clinging to him.
"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Seshomarû, the Dragon of the Embraced Phoenix Moon."
Seth's mind raced, trying to understand the completely insane situation he was in.
"Where exactly am I? And what am I doing here? They all say they're dragons?"
Seshomarû leaned forward slightly, his gaze shining with both amusement and condescension.
"You are in the World of a Thousand Moons, the personal divine domain of our mother. And I am one of the sons of Goddess Vaeris."
Seth's eyes widened in shock.
"One of the Goddess's sons?! So Vaeris is a goddess here?!"
Seshomarû nodded slowly.
"Indeed. In this world, she is our supreme deity, the one who created everything. Long ago, she told us about another world she came from… a world full of humans and other, more… classical dragons, shall we say. You are those creatures. We, her children, evolved in completely different systems that explains the differences. We are unique fruits born from her blood. She is the one who gave birth to our special forms."
One of the women pressed against Seshomarû tenderly called him "my love," then another did the same while purring. Seth was shocked, embarrassed, and completely overwhelmed.
It was then that a voice resonated all around them soft, authoritative, warm, and familiar. A voice that seemed to come from the air itself, from the walls, from the moons, from everywhere at once.
"Welcome among us, Human."
Vaeris.
"You are now in my world. A parallel dimension where I reign as the absolute Goddess. I hope you've rested well because… the party is finally about to begin."
Seth swallowed hard, surrounded by sensual feline beauties, facing one of Vaeris's sons, while thousands of moons shone above this dreamlike and dangerous realm.
He understood then that he was very, very far from home.
Vaeris's voice echoed throughout the entire hall. It sounded gentle on the surface, but was laced with a nonchalant cruelty that froze the atmosphere.
"…You know, human… you ask far too many questions. I really wanted to wait for you, but you were taking too long to wake up, so I had to entertain myself with your little boyfriend. By now, there's a good chance he's… already dead."
Time seemed to freeze.
Seth remained motionless for a fraction of a second, as if the words hadn't yet reached his brain. Then his eyes widened, his pupils contracted, and a wave of pure, burning rage exploded inside him like a supernova.
"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?!"
His voice cracked between fury and despair. He lifted his head toward the ceiling, veins bulging in his neck, fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
"What did you do to Reynard, Vaeris?! Answer me! You manipulative bitch! Who the hell do you think you are, hurting people like that?! I swear on everything I hold dear—if you've laid even a finger on him, I'll burn you alive until there's nothing left of you!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Seshomarû, still seated casually on his throne, slightly furrowed his brows. His aura shifted violently. The air grew heavier and more oppressive, and gravity itself intensified around him. His nine fennec tails swayed slowly, sending out scarlet sparks.
"Human… You'd better not dare raise your voice to our mother… So lower your tone."
Seth turned toward him like a rabid animal, eyes bloodshot.
"Shut the hell up! I didn't ask you anything!"
He continued shouting at the ceiling, his voice hoarse, torn between anger and worry:
"Vaeris! What did you do to Reynard?! Answer me, damn it! If he's dead because of you, I'll destroy this shitty world! I'll hunt you across dimensions if I have to, just to skin you alive!"
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO SHOUT!!!!!!"
Seshomarû's voice cracked like divine thunder, making the pillars vibrate and the lanterns tremble. The air compressed violently.
Before Seth could even blink, Seshomarû vanished from his throne in a blur, almost invisible.
CRAAAAAAAAACK!
A monstrous punch, loaded with terrifying power, sank into Seth's stomach with remarkable precision. The impact was so violent that the air was forced out of his lungs with a sharp sound. His body folded in half like a sheet of paper and was hurled across the room at phenomenal speed. He smashed through several walls in successive explosions of lacquered wood, rice paper, and gold leaf, leaving a trail of destruction behind him. He finally crashed heavily into another enormous room, sliding several meters across the polished marble floor before slamming into a pillar.
Seth lay there for a moment, coughing up blood. He pressed a trembling hand to his abdomen, breathless, eyes watering from the pain.
"…Fuck… I barely saw the punch coming. This guy… hits like a truck. My whole body is numb…"
The new room was both grand and oppressive in its beauty. Massive red and blue pillars rose toward a vaulted ceiling decorated with intricate frescoes depicting moons, intertwined fox tails, and unknown constellations. Floating lanterns cast a muted red and blue light that danced across the walls, creating shadows that seemed almost alive. The air was thick with the heavy scent of cherry blossoms and incense.
Vaeris's voice returned, calm and almost playful, as if she were savoring every second of her little show. A large crystalline Lacrima suddenly appeared in the center of the room, floating in mid-air. The image gradually formed: it showed Seth.
Vaeris let out a soft, cruel laugh.
"Listen well, human. Since your friend is dead… you'll do just fine. You will be the protagonist of my little game to liven up tonight's party. You must cross the domains of my three sons, fight your way through, and reach me. If you survive… I might let you return to your miserable world… Who knows? Hahahahaha." She let out a sadistic laugh, paused, then added with an audible smile in her voice:
"I find you quite cute, you know. I'd love to see how a boy as handsome as you gets slowly and painfully killed. Especially after daring to touch my precious kimono with your dirty, unworthy hands… So for now, entertain me well, little human."
Seth slowly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. He raised his head, his gaze cold but burning with fierce determination. A slight smile even appeared on his bloodied lips.
"…Alright. I'm feeling it."
Seshomarû, who had just appeared at the entrance of the room in a slow, deliberate movement, stared at him coldly, brows furrowed in contempt, radiating an overwhelming aura.
Seth murmured, loud enough to be heard:
"Reynard isn't dead. I can feel it. Yes… that's definitely his energy. I can still sense it, even if it's faint. He's far from here… but I know he's alive. I don't know what he did, but he's not dead," he said with a slight smile.
Seshomarû narrowed his eyes, his expression growing even colder.
"You really intend to defy our mother? Do you have any idea who you're attacking…? You can't even begin to imagine our mother's power."
Seth stood up fully, wiping the remaining blood from his chin. His voice was low but vibrating with contained rage:
"Vaeris can wait nicely on her throne… Because I fully intend to force her to send me back to my world. With Reynard. No matter the cost."
At that exact moment, far away, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the corridors. Dozens of half-man, half-fennec guards burst into the room, armed with spears and bows. They wore magnificent golden armor adorned with intricate lunar embroidery, intertwined fox tail motifs, and shining crystals.
Reynard then appeared among them, dressed in an elegant traditional golden outfit similar to Seth's — haori open over his chest, fitted hakama, and fine jewelry. He swept through the guards at blinding speed and fixed them with an arrogant, provocative smile.
"If you call yourselves dragons… honestly, it's pathetic. The real dragons from the world I come from are far stronger, far more ferocious, far more imposing, and far wilder than you lot. You're just little foxes playing dress-up as dragons. Pathetic."
A few minutes earlier Domain of the Golden Moon Ray
Reynard stood motionless in a luxurious room. He had quickly detected the surveillance magic floating in the air — a subtle, almost invisible spell.
With a discreet, calculating smile, he channeled his inner lightning. Using his advanced knowledge of electrical magic, he generated a very precise electromagnetic field around his body. He then manipulated the surrounding photons and created a controlled interference with the ambient light, projecting a realistic and stable hologram of himself: a motionless version lying in a pool of fake blood, appearing dead. The decoy was nearly perfect, undetectable by basic surveillance spells.
"Good… They think I'm dead. Perfect… That gives me time to find a way out of here."
He had silently risen, adjusted his clothes, and murmured to himself:
"I need to find Seth as quickly as possible. He's probably doing something stupid right now."
He dashed through the domain's corridors, fast and silent as lightning, avoiding patrols with incredible precision.
At the top of a tall tower overlooking the entire domain, an elegant silhouette stood motionless. A fine black and gold silk fan hid the lower half of her face, revealing only violet eyes sparkling with sadistic amusement.
Vaeris.
She slowly closed her fan with a sharp snap, a carnivorous smile stretching her lips.
"How amusing… These little humans from another world have quite the nerve. The Moon Festival is beginning… and it just so happens to fall on today in our world."
A cherry blossom-scented wind blew around her, making her hair dance as thousands of moons shone even brighter in the sky.
"Let the real party begin."
It was the beginning of the Moon Festival.
To be continued…