Ize had enjoyed a few rare days of peace.
The clean-up efforts by the Betty family were remarkably efficient. Without their cadres to lead them, the lower-level vampires were nothing more than a disorganized mess. They were mostly wiped out within a few days.
As the smoke of battle gradually dissipated, a sense of order began to return to the territory.
In the afternoon, Ize was slowly simmering a pot of fragrant walnut milk in his temporary residence.
The sweet aroma drifted out the window, catching the nose of Dior, who had just finished clearing the outer city and was being pestered into a walk by his younger sister, Dini.
“Big Brother Dior, it smells so good in there…”
Dini tilted her head back, sniffing deeply as she stared longingly at the door.
Dior had no choice but to step forward and knock.
Ize opened the door and was somewhat surprised to see the siblings.
“Junior Ize, are you making that… drink again?” Dior asked, his voice carrying a hint of caution he hadn’t even noticed himself.
Ize nodded and stepped aside to let them in. “Yeah. Things have settled down for now, so I thought I’d make some for Senior Emma to help nourish her… spirit.”
He had almost let the words “brain supplement” slip out but managed to stop himself just in time.
“You two came at the right time. Want some?”
Upon hearing that, Dior’s body stiffened imperceptibly. Embarrassing memories of the last bowl of “spiked” walnut milk instantly flooded his mind, and he felt a phantom ache in his stomach.
“Just give a bowl to Dini. I’m fine,” he declined decisively.
Entering the room, Dior found that Emma and Swan were also there.
Emma was holding an empty bowl, looking at the pot with an expectant expression, while Swan sat quietly to the side, holding a small porcelain cup.
Dior’s gaze lingered on Swan for a moment, a flash of surprise crossing his mind.
Over the past few days, the relationship between Ize and Swan seemed much closer than he had anticipated.
In his memories of his past life, Swan had become increasingly withdrawn and cold after obtaining the power of dragonification due to the changes in her body. Aside from maintaining some old sentiment toward him as “Big Brother Dior,” she rarely interacted deeply with others, let alone appeared naturally in such a leisurely “afternoon tea” setting.
Dini took the steaming walnut milk Ize handed her and thanked him politely. “Thank you, Brother Ize!”
Ize smiled and ruffled her hair. “No rush. Drink slowly; it’s hot.”
Once everyone was seated, Dior looked around and asked, “Where is Sarah?”
Emma swallowed a mouthful of the sweet drink with a look of satisfaction and replied, “Senior Sarah went to train. She said she had some insights recently and wanted to consolidate the Tier 6 magic she just mastered!”
“Tier 6 magic?” Dior was stunned.
He vaguely remembered that in his past life, Sarah had indeed mastered a powerful light-attribute Tier 6 spell that was very effective against vampires during the mid-to-late stages of the conflict.
Had she already reached that level in this life?
The speed of her progress was significantly faster than before.
Although it was another deviation from his memory, it was undoubtedly a good thing.
“Senior Ize, I… I’d like another cup…”
At that moment, Swan gently pushed her empty cup toward Ize. Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of embarrassment.
Ize refilled it for her naturally. “Mm, drink more. This is good for you.”
In his eyes, Swan and Emma were similar—both were simple-minded juniors who needed looking after, especially since they might need a bit of a “supplement” in certain areas.
He had no idea that Swan was currently communicating with the dragon soul inside her.
‘Swan, get me another cup! This taste is really good,’ Igneel urged in her mind.
‘You’ve already had two cups!’ Swan replied helplessly.
‘I am lending you my power, and the consumption is immense! What’s wrong with a little supplement? Hurry!’
‘What a load of nonsense. How can this drink restore power…’
Swan had no choice but to speak up.
Seeing Ize refill the cup so readily, she nodded slightly, the tips of her ears turning red. “Thank you, Senior Ize.”
Seeing her blush so easily, Ize couldn’t help but say, “Swan, you really need to fix that blushing habit. You’re a man; you can’t be so thin-skinned.”
He was actually a bit puzzled. Swan had been coming to see him quite frequently lately.
After the events within the barrier created by Heart, he had realized that Swan was just a simple youth. He had started to view Swan as a younger brother, much like he did with Luke.
But the constant blushing was an issue. If Swan were a girl, it would be one thing…
Wait, strictly speaking, Swan would become a girl in the future. Describing her as a “manly man” seemed a bit inappropriate.
However, even if she became a girl later, or even if she changed back into that cool dragon-girl form, Ize felt it would still be a bit strange.
Emma chimed in from the side with a senior’s concern. “That’s right, Junior Swan. If you’re this shy, how are you going to pursue the girl you like in the future?”
At the mention of her body, Swan’s expression darkened slightly. She whispered, “I… I probably won’t be looking for a partner.”
Hearing this, Emma’s expression turned serious. “That won’t do! You’re the only heir left in the Raymond family. Carrying on the family bloodline is your responsibility!”
The bitterness in Swan’s heart grew.
Carrying on the bloodline?
Her gender was irreversibly changing; how could she talk about inheritance?
‘Why can’t you?’
Igneel’s voice rang out at that moment, sounding perfectly matter-of-fact.
‘Once my power completely remolds your body, having a bunch of little brats will be easy!’
Swan: “…”
She decided to ignore the increasingly unreliable ancient dragon soul in her head.
‘Don’t just daze off, drink! It won’t taste good once it’s cold!’ Igneel continued to urge.
***
In the afternoon, everyone was invited to the Betty family’s meeting hall.
Dior’s father, the current head of the Betty family, looked exhausted but carried a look of sincere gratitude. “Everyone, the threats surrounding our territory have been mostly cleared, thanks to your great assistance. I cannot delay your studies at the academy any longer. Why don’t you let Dior accompany you back to the academy first?”
The subtext was that he wanted Ize and the other reinforcements to leave first to avoid potential risks.
This was Dior’s idea. He knew well that the four cadres were just the appetizer. The real nightmare—Horn—had yet to appear.
He couldn’t let these fellow disciples who cared for him stay in danger.
“Father is right,” Dior took over, looking at Sarah and the others. “Senior Sarah, Ize, Emma, Swan, you’ve worked hard during this time. I can handle the remaining mopping-up work myself. You should head back to the academy. Once I finish family business, I’ll return and rejoin you shortly.”
Sarah’s brow furrowed, and she refused flatly. “Dior, what are you saying? That vampire cadre named Spade escaped, meaning the threat hasn’t been rooted out. We came together, so we go back together. We won’t leave before the problem is fully resolved.”
The image of the vampire Bart, who had shattered her multiple layers of defensive magic with just a few kicks, flashed through her mind. His strength was far greater than the cadres under Heart…
Emma also nodded vigorously, saying firmly, “That’s right, Senior Dior. We came here to help you solve your problems. How can we leave you alone to face the danger?”
Ize sighed silently to himself.
Internally, he certainly hoped to return to the relatively peaceful life of the academy as soon as possible. But with both seniors taking such a firm stance, he couldn’t suggest leaving on his own. He had to bury his small hope deep inside.
As expected, once one was caught up in the main plot, living a quiet life became harder and harder.
Swan’s tone was equally resolute. “I’m staying too.”
She had yet to find the male vampire who had destroyed the Raymond family for revenge, and she still needed to help Igneel search for clues regarding the dragon remains. She couldn’t leave now.
‘Hmph, at least you have some conscience. It wasn’t a waste for me to lend you my power,’ Igneel snorted in her mind, offering a rare bit of approval.
Dior looked at his determined companions. A wave of warmth washed over him, but it was accompanied by a heavy sense of worry.
***
Meanwhile, in a hidden underground base on the outskirts of the Betty territory.
Spade knelt on one knee, her posture respectful but laced with a hint of unnoticeable fear.
Before her, on a previously vacant throne, a mass of shadows had condensed. It was so thick it seemed capable of swallowing light itself.
A suffocating pressure filled the room. This was absolute power far exceeding a Level 3 cadre—it belonged to one of the “Ten Pillars,” a Level 4.
The shadows moved slowly, gradually outlining a tall, blurry human silhouette. A deep voice echoed through the space, carrying the laziness of someone newly awakened and an unquestionable authority.
“Spade… during my slumber, it seems many things have happened.”
Spade took a deep breath and briefly reported the joint attack on the Betty family with Heart, Diamond, and Club, as well as their crushing defeat.
She emphasized that the original intention was to capture the eldest daughter, Rose, and the younger sister, Dini, whom she had scouted before Horn’s awakening, intending to present them as gifts to him.
“However… your subordinate was incompetent.” Spade lowered her head. “The Betty family brought in powerful reinforcements. One man named Dior was exceptionally strong. Diamond and Club… were killed by him. I only barely managed to escape.”
“Dior…” Horn repeated the name. The shadow-formed silhouette seemed to flicker. “To kill Diamond and Club, he indeed has some skill. So, what about Heart?”
Spade felt the pressure intensify. “Heart… she should also be dead.”
“Oh?”
Horn’s voice revealed no emotion, but the surrounding air grew colder. “The cause of her death seems different from Diamond and Club.”
As her direct superior, he could vaguely sense the state of a subordinate vampire’s demise.
Diamond and Club had died in pure combat, but Heart’s death had triggered a taboo planted deep within the bloodline.
In other words, Heart had harbored thoughts she shouldn’t have or said things she wasn’t allowed to say.
Spade’s heart tightened, and she quickly said, “I don’t know the specific details. At the time, Heart used Blood Mist Cage to trap a black-haired youth named Ize and another boy named Swan inside. The barrier cut off everything from the outside, so I couldn’t see the battle. By the time the barrier vanished, I could no longer sense Heart’s aura.”
“Ize… Swan…” Horn muttered the names.
To force a Level 3 cadre to use their final trump card inside a barrier—and possibly even trigger a bloodline restriction leading to “self-destruction”—was not something an ordinary person could do.
Dior was certainly a powerful enemy on the surface, but these two who had caused Heart’s death in such a manner likely hid even greater secrets—or perhaps, threats.
A power that could force a vampire to violate a bloodline restriction?
Who were these two to possess such capability?
This was enough to shake the upper echelons of the vampires.
Horn was silent for a moment, and a red light seemed to flash through his eyes briefly.
“I see.”
He finally spoke, his voice returning to a flat tone, yet filled with a crushing weight. “Prepare yourselves. It is time for me to personally… visit the Betty family. I am very interested in ‘meeting’ this Dior, as well as the Ize and Swan you mentioned.”
Spade’s heart raced, and she bowed respectfully. “Yes, Lord Horn!”
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