Meanwhile, Tony can only run for his life, knowing that staying here would do nothing but put him in mortal danger.

As far as he's concerned, they could all kill each other—actually, it would be better if both the vampire holding him hostage and Hakuto died fighting each other.

«Son. Make me proud and kick his ass,» Shin says as he slips a cigarette into his mouth and lights it.

Hakuto smiles.

«I will, Father. That bastard will pay for everything he's done!»

The storm of violet lightning swirling around Hakuto's quartz-colored armor grows wilder, restless.

«Y-You're bluffing!» Velshekar snaps, her body wrapped in a blood-red aura. «I… I am the mighty Marquis Velshekar! There's no way a brat like you could ever defeat me!»

The scarlet storm around her rages even stronger, and now emerald flames whirl around her too, like a swarm of green fire serpents.

«Hakuto, pay close attention to those flames—they're far more dangerous than her vampire abilities. They move with a will of their own. That's her true body, so don't lower your guard, not even when you think you've caught her off guard,» Shin warns, though he doesn't look too worried.

Hakuto just nods, his eyes locked on Velshekar. Then, he bends his knees slightly and...

—ZAP!

Hakuto shoots forward, skimming the ground like a bolt of violet lightning—moving as fast as a real thunderbolt striking down. A speed imperceptible to any human and to most creatures of N'Raeth. Velshekar notices only when Hakuto is already a hand's breadth away.

—SLASH!

A piercing scream of pain tears from Velshekar's lips as Hakuto's diamond blade slashes through her, sinking into her collarbone.

A fatal strike aimed at her neck, but she managed to dodge at the last second.

But Hakuto's assault is far from over.

—SBAM!

His electrified kick smashes into Velshekar's side—she feels her ribs crack and snap as she's hurled against the living room wall, breaking through it and several more beyond.

An enormous gap opens in the mansion walls, leading straight into the countryside outside.

There, Velshekar lies in a pool of blood, writhing in agony.

«N-No, boss! I'm coming!» Lurek cries, battered from the hopeless fight he and Clarissa are struggling through against Chantal.

Despite their numbers, all they've done is endure Chantal's relentless, crushing attacks, leaving them in pitiful condition.

Lurek rushes to his master's aid, but Chantal blocks his way.

«Where do you think you're going, you walking pile of shit?»

But Lurek doesn't even have time to react before Chantal's blade crashes down on him again—the final blow against his already damaged black rock exoskeleton.

The crack widens so much that what Chantal assumes to be his inner organs—dark green gelatinous masses—are now exposed.

«And now…»

Chantal stretches her arm toward Lurek, crimson Sanguis energy gathering around her hand.

«…Blood—»

«Elemental Invocation • Earth: Rock Column!»

At Clarissa's spell, a massive stone pillar bursts from the ground right in front of Chantal, slamming into her.

The pillar rises higher and higher until it smashes into one of the few intact walls, pinning Chantal between the wall and its pointed tip.

«You did great, Clarissa! We killed her!» Lurek cheers, tearing off fragments of armor from other parts of his body to plug the deep wound left by Chantal's strike.

But he celebrates too soon.

«…-Word Lv. 1: Burst!»

A colossal beam of scarlet energy erupts from where Chantal lies buried under tons of rubble.

The crimson ray shatters the pillar that pinned her and blasts straight into Lurek before he can repair his exoskeleton.

«No, Lurek!» Clarissa cries in despair as she watches the molgrûn pierced clean through by Chantal's Blood Word.

A pool of acidic green spreads beneath his collapsed body, eating away at the floor.

Clarissa's furious gaze snaps back to Chantal.

A gaping hole mars Chantal's blood-soaked shirt at her navel—the exact spot the sharp pillar struck her.

And yet, her skin is flawless, not even a scratch.

«But how… how can such a serious wound already be healed?!» Clarissa whispers, eyes wide with terror.

Chantal's cold, murderous gaze locks onto her. She grins wickedly.

«Now it's your turn to die.»

With great effort, Velshekar forces herself back to her feet.

Blood pours down her body, a red cascade spilling from her mouth and nose.

Thanks to the regenerative powers of Levreshka Dulcar's body, the rib fracture from Hakuto's lightning-fast kick has nearly healed—though the pain is still unbearable.

But the same can't be said for her collarbone wound, inflicted by a blade infused with both Ana's demonic energy and Sacred Flame.

There, regeneration crawls almost uselessly. Not only blood spurts from the deep gash, but emerald sparks too.

«Impossible… this makes no sense!» Velshekar snaps, her face twisted in rage. «This body… this incredible body once belonged to one of the commanders of the Scarlet Army almost twenty years ago!» The Scarlet Army, defenders of the kingdom of Mildelar—the mightiest vampire realm of N'Raeth. «I hoped this body would finally let me kill Cassian Thalukvar before he could claim the two hybrids, and yet… and yet some worthless brat is overwhelming me?! Unthinkable!»

From all around Velshekar, a horde of countless shapeless, colorless, semi-transparent figures begin to crawl up from the ground.

Once fully emerged, their forms shift.

They solidify, turn pale white, each one taking a distinct shape—some humanoid, others like creatures Hakuto has never seen before.

«They're spirits drawn from the Realm of Forgotten Souls—in other words, specters,» Shin explains, catching the confusion in his son's eyes. «It seems her Innatus lets her summon them to fight at her side. Unfortunately, even though she said this body once belonged to a commander of the Scarlet Army of Mildelar, I never had the chance to face that vampire, so I have no idea what these spirits are capable of.»

«Don't worry, Father. In the end, they're still just spirits—they shouldn't have any kind of magical energy. They shouldn't be much of a problem,» Hakuto replies, a bit too confidently.

«Oh, young Monster Reaper… you can't even imagine what they're capable of!» Velshekar snarls.

The violet storm crackles more fiercely around Hakuto's body.

Velshekar is about to send the spirits charging at him.

But both freeze before making a move.

Not far away, an imposing figure stands, cloaked head to toe in a long brown trench coat, his face hidden under a hat.

Hakuto recognizes him instantly—the man Tony had almost attacked days earlier, the one clearly unhinged.

But neither Velshekar nor Hakuto have time to question who he is or what he's doing here—the man beats them to it.

He removes his hat, then the coat, and...

«Z-Zhurvak…? What the fuck are you doing here?!» Velshekar demands, stunned at the sight of the bandaged blue amphibian creature covered in countless yellow eyes.

A being Hakuto has seen once before—during Velune's assault in Estonia.

He knows almost nothing about him, except for one crucial fact: he is a member of the Cult of the Primordial Shadow.

«Oh, Velshekar, it's been a while. I see you've found yourself a very interesting new body,» Zhurvak giggles childishly. «And yet, my heart breaks to hear you say that with this incredible new body you planned to harm the great Cassian. I'm sure he won't be pleased.»

Velshekar grits her teeth, cold sweat running down her forehead.

Those few, simple words are enough to tear her attention from Hakuto completely.

«You filthy abomination, you dare threaten me?! If you warn Cassian, I swear—»

«Oh no, don't worry, I won't warn him,» Zhurvak interrupts.

But at that moment… a veil of shadow falls over the countryside.

The temperature plummets, wheat stalks and trees wither instantly as they touch the black shroud.

A sinister grin spreads across Zhurvak's amphibious face.

«Don't worry, Velshekar. I won't warn him… because he's already here!»