Chapter 94: Nulissa!

The gates of Nightengale City opened without haste, stone and obsidian sliding aside as if acknowledging an equal.

Moonlight spilled across the threshold, pale silver mingling with crimson glow from the inner wards. Mist rolled outward in slow, deliberate waves, carrying with it the unmistakable presence of ancient mana.

Jax stood calmly at the edge of it, hands at his sides, posture loose but unguarded. Hydra transformed to her Human form, her magnificent body revealed as she stood behind Jax, awaiting what to happen next.

They saw Nulissa walking through the gates by herself to greet them.

She was taller than most of her kin, standing a full head above the vampiric honor guard flanking her. Her blood-red hair flowed down her back like liquid silk, catching the moonlight with a subtle sheen. Crimson eyes glowed softly, alert with a depth that spoke of centuries of thought rather than violence.

She wore no armor.

Only a high-collared black coat traced with fine silver filigree, the sigil of the Vampire Clan embroidered over her heart. A rapier rested at her hip, not drawn, but very much present and emitting a bloody presence.

When she reached the edge of the gate, she stopped. Then, with deliberate grace, she bowed in a very respectful manner.

“Demon King Jax,” she said, voice smooth and low, carrying easily through the night air. “It is… genuinely good to see you again.”

Jax inclined his head in return. “Likewise, Nulissa.”

Her lips curved faintly. “It’s strange,” she continued, lifting her gaze to meet his. “You’ve reshaped half the Demon Kingdom since we last spoke… and yet this is the first time we’ve truly talked since your arrival.”

“Things escalated quickly,” Jax replied evenly, “I didn’t want our first real conversation to be rushed, or shadowed by other Clans watching over our shoulders.”

That earned her a quiet, approving nod.

“I appreciate that consideration.”

She glanced briefly at Hydra, then back to him. “And I appreciate you coming personally.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard what I’ve been doing, so its time for me to introduce myself to your people officially,” Jax said with a nod, and Nulissa smiled at that.

With a subtle motion of her hand, Nulissa turned and began walking inward, “Then come, let’s not waste any more time,” she said, “Let me show you our city, properly this time.”

Jax followed with Hydra right behind them, and the gates sealed behind them, soundless as a held breath.

Inside Nightengale City, the atmosphere changed, as it was a more contained space. Mana flowed everywhere, but it was layered, refined, regulated through blood-bound ley lines etched beneath every street and spire.

The city breathed, the iron scent of blood practically everywhere Jax could sense. Blood fountains were also everywhere as they walked.

Buildings rose tall and narrow, gothic arches and spires leaning inward rather than outward, as if the city protected its own heart. Bridges connected towers at varying heights, allowing foot traffic, winged movement, and shadow-walking routes all at once.

Lanterns glowed with alchemical light, not fire, but condensed mana tuned to wavelengths comfortable for vampiric vision. Streets were clean, quiet, and orderly.

Citizens watched Jax pass.

Some paused openly as they saw the Demon King, respectfully bowing while others pretended not to look, too nervous to look at Jax directly, but everyone certainly sensed his presence alongside their Clan Leader.

Nulissa spoke as they walked, her tone measured and thoughtful.

“Nightengale exists where it does for a reason,” she said. “This territory sits atop an special fold that rejects solar influence. The eternal night is not an illusion, it is a structural condition of reality here.”

Jax nodded. “I can feel it. The sun doesn’t just fail to reach this place, it’s actively denied by the laws of this specific region,”

“Exactly,” she said. “For us, it is nearly perfect. No constant drain on our powers or reliance on protective enchantments. No fear that a miscalculation or sabotage will expose our people.”

She paused briefly on a bridge overlooking a lower district where rivers of silver light flowed beneath transparent stone.

“For centuries,” she continued, “we have built ourselves around scarcity. Around caution. Around never having more than what we could defend.”

Her gaze shifted sideways to him. “That is… changing now.”

Jax met her eyes. “It will continue to change. Carefully.”

They resumed walking.

“As for the Capital,” Nulissa said, “I was informed that accommodations are being prepared for vampiric residents.”

“They are,” Jax replied. “The Witches are already replicating controlled nocturne zones. Artificial night cycles stabilized. No sunlight exposure unless voluntarily overridden.”

She stopped and turned to him fully.

“You’ve already accounted for this,” she said quietly.

“Yes.”

A pause stretched between them, heavy with unspoken calculations.

“…Thank you,” Nulissa said at last. “Most rulers would have treated it as an inconvenience.”

Jax shrugged lightly. “You’re not an inconvenience. You’re a pillar. Pillars don’t get compromised.”

Her eyes softened, just a fraction as they continued deeper into the city, passing academies where young vampires trained in controlled blood arts, observation towers staffed with silent sentinels, and vast subterranean reservoirs pulsing with stored mana.

Eventually, Nulissa spoke again—but this time, her tone changed.

More cautious.

“Jax,” she said, using his name without title for the first time, “there is… another matter we must discuss.”

He inclined his head. “I expected that.”

She exhaled slowly, “Blood.”

“Our population will increase,” she continued. “Whether through integration, military cooperation, or migration to the Capital. And while we are disciplined, restrained, and bound by law, ”

She met his gaze directly.

“We still require blood to survive.”

Jax did not flinch.

“Of course,” he said calmly. “And I will not ask you to starve.”

Her brow furrowed slightly. “Then how do you intend to provide for us, safely?”

“Consent,” Jax said immediately.

Nulissa blinked.

“Voluntary donors,” he continued, “Contracts. Compensation. Medical oversight. Regeneration magic. Synthetic blood substitutes where possible. And long-term, alchemical and arcane replication.”

Her expression sharpened. “You’ve thought about this.”

“I don’t build empires on exploitation,” Jax replied evenly. “And I don’t tolerate uncontrolled feeding. Ever.”

Silence followed.

Then Nulissa bowed her head as a leader safeguarding her people.

“That… answers more than you realize,” she said softly.

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