«And that’s that,» concludes Chantal, after telling Hakuto and the others the reason for her early return.
The night they left Ashiya, she had told them it could take years before they would see each other again.
«Becoming the strongest Monster Reaper in the world is no longer an ambitious enough goal. I want to beco the most powerful vampire of all! And that might take years,» she had said.
And yet, not even four months later, there she was again.
She told them that it was due to the forced retrieval of Itsu by her older brother, and that staying there alone wouldn’t have made sense anymore—so she might as well join them and continue training together.
«Itsu has a brother...? I had no idea, he’s never ntioned him...» mutters Hakuto, visibly pensive.
«Yeah, I was pretty shocked too. But considering the history between them, it doesn’t surprise that Itsu decided to cut him out completely, to the point he doesn’t even consider him a brother anymore. Though I must admit, I’m dying to fight him again! He’s insanely strong... and also super hot!» comnts Chantal—almost drooling, her eyes sparkling.
«Not as much as you, of course, my beloved Hakuto. I get that a woman being gone for too long might lead her man to monts of weakness, so I won’t bla you for fooling around with Kagura. But I’m back now—and it’s ti I reclaim my rightful place among the won of this house!»
«Oh sure, Chantal, don’t worry!» Yuzu jumps in. «We’ve saved your spot in Hakuto’s harem hierarchy... right at the bottom!»
«Shut up, you little brat!» Chantal snaps back.
Then she turns to Hakuto, eyes narrowing.
«How many tis did you sleep with them in the last four months?!»
Hakuto flinches.
«W-What kind of question is that...? I-I don’t know... I didn’t really keep track...»
«If you lost count, it must be a lot!» Chantal growls. «Twenty? Thirty? ...Forty?!»
«Sixty-one!» Rika says out loud. «Sixty-one tis with ... eighteen with Mom, and fifty-nine with Yuzu.»
Hakuto just stares at her.
~She actually counted all of them?!~
Chantal freezes—her brain short-circuits.
«Wait just a minute!» Yuzu shouts, leaping to her feet. «Why did you do it with him two more tis than , if we always did it together?!»
«W-Well...» Rika lowers her eyes. «...a couple of tis, I woke up in the night with... urges... and Hakuto was right next to , sleeping... and, you know, boys tend to be... up at night, and Hakuto’s is even more than usual... so I thought: ’I’ll just touch it once and go back to sleep.’ But then once beca twice... then three tis... then licking... and eventually... well, Hakuto woke up, and it just happened...»
Chantal’s jaw drops when she hears Rika say all that.
«I liked you better when you were still a little saint! Damn the day I risked my life just so you could have sex with him...»
But Yuzu gets even more furious.
«Y-You an you didn’t even think about waking up too? You just decided to be selfish and hog big brother all for yourself?! I hate you, seriously. Even though...»
Her expression changes. It’s disturbed—too much, maybe.
«...the fact that you and big brother did it right next to and I didn’t notice a thing... crap, I’m losing my edge!»
«Girls, rember, it’s not about quantity—it’s about quality. Right, my boy?» Kagura says, sitting beside Hakuto and stroking his thigh.
Through all of this, the group is gathered around the living room table.
Shin lounges on the couch.
He stays silent.
He knows better than to get involved in a jealous catfight.
Fighting top-tier demons is safer.
He just watches Hakuto with a proud, fatherly look, nodding every now and then.
Sotis Hakuto glances his way, pleading silently with his eyes: Dad, please. Save . Say sothing.
But Shin doesn’t move.
His face says it all: You made your bed. Now lie in it.
Then Chantal suddenly stands up.
She slams her hands on the table.
«That’s it! I’ve had enough! I can tolerate your daughters pawing at my Hakuto now and then, but you—!»
Then she freezes.
Her ears twitch.
She hears sothing.
«What the hell is that noise...?» she asks, frowning.
«Noise...? What noise...?» Hakuto replies.
The only thing he hears are the complaints of the four won around the table.
«That man-stealing hussy is right... it sounds like buzzing? You seriously don’t hear it...?» Yuzu adds.
Rika and Kagura shake their heads. They don’t hear a thing.
Finally, after an unbearable silence, Shin speaks.
«Vampires have sharper hearing than humans. So it’s natural that only Chantal and Yuzu—whose vampiric side is stronger than her succubus side—can hear it. And yet—»
Shin walks toward the window.
«And yet I don’t see anything strange out there...»
He doesn’t even finish the sentence.
Suddenly, blue light floods the room from outside.
Through the windows, a massive wall of blue flas rises into the sky.
♡♡♡
«Ugh... those vandals who used to live here even destroyed the antenna... there’s nothing on TV!» Velune grumbles, sprawled across the couch in the Ashiya villa’s living room.
Behind her stands Drakhul, her hulking bodyguard wrapped in a long, ragged brown cloak.
He stays perfectly still, always on alert.
«M-Miss Velune... your trip was quite short. Is the human world really that boring?» Zhurvak asks in a timid voice, like he’s scared to make her mad.
«Even so...» he continues «...I’m kind of glad you only stayed out for one night... Drakhul isn’t exactly... how to say... pleasant company...» he adds, shooting a nervous glance at the brute.
«You’re the one who’s awful to be around! My Drakhul is super talkative, he knows all sorts of things—he’s over 5000 years old and has learned a ton! Right, Draky?»
Drakhul nods silently.
Not exactly the most convincing way to confirm Velune’s words.
«It’s so fascinating to hear him talk about the history of N’Raeth,» Velune continues.
«But of course, a moron like you wouldn’t care about any of that. No wonder you two have nothing to talk about!»
«W-Why do you always have to be so an to ...?!» Zhurvak whines, collapsing to the floor, all his eyes crying like fountains.
«Don’t be such a crybaby. You’re so annoying when you act like that!» Velune grumbles again.
«I still can’t believe soone like you is part of the most powerful and feared organization in existence...»
«No offense, Miss Velune...» Zhurvak replies timidly,
«...but you don’t really seem like soone who’s all that interested in awakening Nyratalir either...»
Velune shoots him a dark glare.
«Nobody but Cassian Thalukvar actually gives a damn about awakening that crusty old demon. Let’s be real—we all have other goals. And with the power the Cult of the Primordial Shadow is gaining, Nyratalir’s return is inevitable. I’d rather be on the winning side when it happens.»
«Is that it...? That’s the only reason you’re in the cult...?»
«Of course not. I am, without a hint of modesty, the greatest necromancer alive. That’s why Cassian begged to join.
He offered two corpses of ridiculously powerful beings to resurrect as my servants. The first—Drakhul—he gave upfront. The second, I’ll get once Nyratalir is freed.»
«Oh, really...? And whose corpse is it...?»
Velune shrugs.
«No idea. He didn’t tell . Said it’d be a surprise. But it’s soone way stronger than Drakhul. I can’t wait to have soone that powerful under my command—I’m so excited!»
Velune bounces in place, grinning.
Zhurvak is about to speak, but stops after just one syllable.
«M-Miss Velune...»
«What now?!» she snaps.
«It looks like... the beast you sent out scouting has found the person who lost the blood in the garden...» Zhurvak says.
Velune jumps to her feet.
«Y-You’re serious?! Where are they?! What do you see?! Tell !»
«A small house, in the middle of a desolate steppe. Through the window, I can see soone... they look human, but they could be demons in disguise... there are six of them. Two n. Four won...»
Zhurvak pauses for a second.
«One of them is walking to the window... I know him! I know him! It looks like Shin Tendo! He even has the severed right arm Velshekar ntioned! There’s no doubt, it’s him!»
«Then what are you waiting for?! Take us there! Now!»
«Miss Velune, shouldn’t we tell Cassian and the other cult mbers about the hybrids first...?»
«Absolutely not! I won’t let anyone else take my prize! Besides, I’ve got a plan! I’ll take the hearts of the two hybrids and make Cassian give the second corpse!»
«Y-You seriously want to blackmail Cassian...? That’s suicide...»
«You’re not the brains here! Do as I say! That’s an order!»
«Y-Yes, Miss Velune, I’m sorry...»
Velune pulls a yellow eyeball out of her handbag.
It glows.
Just like Zhurvak’s right eye.
Then Velune, Drakhul, and Zhurvak dissolve into yellow smoke.
They reappear a hundred ters from the house the scouting beast spotted.
The eye in Velune’s hand vanishes.
Zhurvak’s right eye disappears too—imdiately replaced by a new one that crawls up his forearm and settles into place.
Velune stretches her arms forward.
From her palms, hundreds of pale blue will-o’-the-wisps burst out.
They swarm into the air and circle around the house and they form a glowing periter, over fifty ters wide.
A wide, wicked grin spreads across Velune’s face.
«Let the massacre begin!»
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