I woke to a cold whisper beside my ear.
The voice was hollow, echoing as if from a great distance, yet close enough to make the hairs on my arms stand on end. One of my Vampire Ghosts hovered over my bed, its translucent form barely visible in the pale grey light filtering through the curtains. Its eyes were empty pits, but I felt its attention fixed on me, patient and reverent.
"Blood King." The whisper seemed to come from everywhere at once. "The one you marked, Okuto Kotsubo, was seen near the girls' dormitory at dawn. He watched the window of Room 106 for several minutes."
I sat up, instantly alert. The fog of sleep vanished, replaced by the cold clarity that came with danger. My hand went to my chest, there was nothing particular coming from my Vampire Familiars that I sent previously to shadow Mizore. No alarm from the familiars watching Mizore, but that did not mean she was safe.
"Did he do anything?" My voice was low, controlled.
"He muttered, 'After her last class. Today is the day I tame that icy brat.' Then he left. We have eyes on him still."
'Today.' The word settled in my chest like a stone. 'He is moving today.'
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my bare feet cold against the wooden floor. Outside, the sky was just beginning to lighten, the last traces of night retreating from the horizon. Most students were still asleep. Most teachers were still in their quarters. But somewhere on campus, a predator was already awake, already planning.
'He has no idea what is coming for him.'
"Continue watching him," I said, reaching for my training clothes. "Do not let him out of your sight. If he so much as looks at her again, you tell me immediately."
"As you command, Majesty." The ghost bowed, its form flickering, and then it faded into the shadows, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I dressed quickly, my movements efficient, practiced. The training clothes were enchanted, durable enough to withstand my vampire strength. I would need them today.
'I cannot afford any mistakes. Not with her life on the line.'
The training ground was empty at this hour, the only sounds the distant rush of the Blood River and the soft whisper of the wind through the trees. The sky was grey, overcast, as if the weather itself knew what was coming.
I stood in the center of the clearing and reached into my shadow.
The darkness rippled, and my summons began to emerge.
First, the Vampire Familiars. Five of them in total, small bats with crimson eyes and leathery wings, their bodies no larger than my fist. They chittered softly as they took flight, circling above my head before settling on the branches of nearby trees. Their loyalty pulsed through the bond, eager and obedient.
"Your task is simple," I said, addressing the additional bats I had called up from my shadow. They were not new creations, merely more of the same, drawn from the growing swarm that now lived within my darkness.
"Shadow the Yuki‑onna, Mizore Shirayuki. Stay hidden. If anyone approaches her with ill intent, you come to me immediately. Do not engage. Do not reveal yourselves. Just watch and report."
The bats squeaked in acknowledgment, their tiny forms vanishing into the shadows of the eaves.
Next, the Vampire Retainers. Five massive wolves, their silver‑and‑black fur bristling, their crimson eyes gleaming in the dim light. They padded out of my shadow in silence, their claws scraping against the stone, their breath fogging in the cold morning air. They sat in a semicircle before me, their heads bowed, their tails still.
"You know the location," I said. "The isolated path behind the old storage building. I want you there before her last class ends. Hide in the shadows. Do not let anyone see you. If the Kraken makes his move, you hold him until I arrive."
The largest Retainer, a beast with a scar across its muzzle, lifted its head and let out a low, rumbling growl. It was not a sound of aggression. It was a sound of understanding.
"Good." I turned to the next wave of summons.
The Vampire Sorcerers emerged from the darkness in a cluster, their robes dark as night, their hands crackling with crimson energy. There were five of them, a full squad of specialized spellcasters, each with their own distinct features and personalities.
The first was a tall, gaunt man with a long grey beard and eyes that glowed like embers. He carried a staff topped with a blood‑red crystal, and his voice was deep, resonant, like the tolling of a funeral bell. "We are yours to command, Blood King."
The second was a woman with sharp features and silver hair, her robes embroidered with arcane symbols. She moved with a predatory grace, her fingers tracing patterns in the air. "A barrier, Majesty? You wish to trap your prey?"
"I wish to ensure he does not escape," I said. "And that no one interferes."
The third Sorcerer, a stocky man with a shaved head and a perpetual scowl, cracked his knuckles. "Blood Barrier is simple enough. But it requires time to cast. We will need to be in position before the confrontation begins."
"You will be," I said. "I will signal you when the moment is right."
The fourth and fifth Sorcerers were twins, a man and a woman with the same pale skin and dark hair. They moved in perfect synchronization, their hands weaving identical patterns. "We have practiced this spell many times, Majesty. It will hold against anything short of an S‑tier assault."
"Good." I turned to the last of my summons.
The lead Sorcerer, the gaunt man with the staff, my original Vampire Sorcerer stepped forward. "You mentioned a Silencing Barrier as well, Majesty. A dome of blood energy that blocks sound and sight. That is a more advanced working. It will drain our reserves significantly."
"Can you do it?"
He inclined his head. "We can. But we will be unable to assist in combat afterward. Our mana will be depleted."
"That is acceptable." I met his glowing eyes. "Your only job is to contain him. I will handle the rest."
The Sorcerers exchanged glances, then bowed as one. "As you command, Blood King. We will not fail you."
I watched as they melted back into my shadow, their presence still there, waiting. The Retainers followed, vanishing into the darkness. The Familiars lingered for a moment longer, then scattered, their tiny forms disappearing into the grey sky.
I stood alone in the clearing, the weight of the coming confrontation pressing against my chest.
'Five Familiars. Five Retainers. Five Sorcerers. Enough to keep even an A‑tier target pinned down.'
'And me.'
I flexed my fingers, feeling the Yoki and Mana flowing through my veins, something that the previous me would have pathetically struggled even to touch on the surface. Now, it had become as easy as breathing.
However, while I did my planning and set my pieces in motion, I still had other commitments this early morning.
My morning routine with Inner Moka was sacred. On her days, we would meet by the Blood River before sunrise, jog along its icy banks, and then move to the training ground for a spar that usually left me bruised and breathless.
After that came the part she would never admit to enjoying, even if you held a gun to her head: all the cuddling she soaked up like a kitten starved of affection, then the teasing, followed by kisses that lingered longer than they should.
Today was her day.
I found her waiting by the river, her silver hair catching the pale grey light, cascading over her shoulders like molten moonlight. She wore her training clothes, a simple black sports bra that left her shoulders bare and hugged the generous curves of her chest.
The fabric clung to every contour, emphasizing the fullness of her breasts and the toned lines of her torso. Her tight fitting shorts rode low on her hips, accentuating the dramatic swell of her backside and the length of her legs. A thin line of pale skin showed between the hem of her shorts and the waistband of her sports bra, revealing the taut muscles of her stomach.
She stretched her arms above her head as she saw me approaching, and I could not help but watch the way her body moved. No, I was lying, I was drawn in by her sexy armpits as if they had their own attraction to gravity.
The curve of her waist, the flare of her hips, the way her silver hair swayed with each deliberate motion. I could barely contain my hands at my sides.
I think she was doing it on purpose because previously, when we had just started becoming a couple, she would wear more modest athletic clothes. But as the weeks passed, she became bolder in her choices.
Not that I was complaining. Looking at Moka in her training outfit brightened my day.
She was aware of my gaze, I knew, because the corner of her lips twitched upward.
She was, without question, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. And lucky me, she was mine to admire and love.
'Alright, focus, Tsukune. I need to remember not to sink too deep into simping for her.'
"You are late, again," she said, her crimson eyes fixed on me. There was no accusation in her voice, just a statement of fact. But I knew her well enough to hear the faint edge beneath the words.
"Had to prepare some things," I said, falling into step beside her.
She raised an eyebrow. "Things?"
I did not answer. Instead, I turned and started jogging. After a moment, she fell in beside me.
The Blood River flowed to our left, dark and silent, its surface reflecting the overcast sky. The air was cold, sharp, carrying the scent of damp earth and iron. Inner matched my pace easily, her breathing even, her expression unreadable. But I caught myself glancing at her profile, at the sharp line of her jaw, the pale column of her throat, the way her ponytail bounced with each stride.
The run was a meditation, a way to clear the mind and focus the body. But today, my thoughts were elsewhere, tangled by the prospects of what would happen today. Yet, Inner noticed that I was not quite present with her.
Of course she noticed when I would act a bit strange.
After the jog, we moved to the training ground. The grass was damp with dew, the sky still grey, and the only light came from the faint glow of the artificial sun beginning to creep over the horizon.
Now came the moment we would spar after the light jog.
We faced each other across the clearing. Inner's stance was relaxed, almost lazy, but I knew better that if danger appeared she would be ready to fight, always observant. She rolled her shoulders, and the movement drew my eyes to the curve of her neck, the way her collarbones caught the pale light.
She attacked first.
Her leg swept toward my ribs, fast and precise. I blocked, but the impact still sent a shockwave through my arm. She followed with a palm strike to my chest, then a knee, then a spinning kick that I barely avoided. The way she moved was hypnotic, all fluid grace.
I was distracted. If previously my mind was thinking about Mizore and the Kraken asshole, now it was Moka with her body filling that space. She could see it in my eyes, in the slight hesitation before each block, in the way my counters were slower than usual.
She landed a sharp kick to the back of my knee, and my leg buckled. I stumbled, barely keeping my feet, and she pressed her advantage. A quick jab to my shoulder sent me spinning, and before I could recover, her leg swept my feet out from under me.
I hit the ground hard, the air rushing from my lungs.
Inner stood over me, her silver hair catching the light, her crimson eyes glowing with what I would describe as annoyance and concern. She extended a hand, and I took it, letting her pull me to my feet.
"Something is distracting you from our alone time."
I rubbed my shoulder, wincing. "It is nothing."
"Liar."
I sighed. There was no point in hiding it. She knew me too well.
"Well, since you are too curious, Shizuka‑sensei pushed one of her jobs onto my lap," I admitted. "A student who has been hiding in the dorms since the semester started and is at risk of being expelled. She asked me to help since she ran out of options."
Inner's eyes narrowed. "And?"
"And it just so happens that I met her yesterday at the library."
"So it is a she." Inner's voice was flat, dripping with sarcasm. "Great."
I met her gaze and knew she wanted me to continue speaking. "She is a Yuki‑onna, Mizore Shirayuki. Based on what Shizuka‑sensei told me, she is supposed to be in the same class as us. I thought it would be a tough case to crack, but she is not a problem, Moka."
"I even extended an invitation to the Newspaper Club to her since she has talent in writing. Overall, my assessment of this girl is that she is a loner. No friends, socially isolated, awkward, scared. It reminds me of Outer when I first met her, not her personality but the struggle of making friends."
Inner was silent for a moment. Then she moved.
Her leg swept toward mine, and I hit the ground again before I could react. She did not offer me her hand this time. Instead, she crouched down, her knees pressing into the grass on either side of my hips, her face inches from mine. Her silver hair fell around us like a curtain, blocking out the grey sky.
The position brought her body close to mine, and I could feel the warmth radiating from her skin despite the morning chill.
"I understand the gist of things. But you forget again. Your problems are mine," she said, her voice low and intense. "And mine are yours. That is what it means to be together. You are my boyfriend. It is only right that I should know what troubles you."
"What if you are going to put yourself in danger? Then at least run it down with me."
I stared up at her, and in her crimson eyes I saw not anger but fierce protectiveness. She was not jealous, at least not yet, only worried. The way she looked down at me, with that possessiveness and concern, made my heart beat faster.
This made me feel a bit guilty, and my eyes softened. Before I could apologize to her, she reached down and knocked me on the head, hard enough to sting but not enough to bruise.
"Baka."
I blinked. "Hey! What was that for?"
It rid me of that pitiful state I was in, and I became playful all of a sudden.
"For making me worry. For not telling me sooner." She leaned closer, her lips brushing my ear. "Explain."
I told her everything. About Mizore's isolation, about the situation with how the PE teacher Okuto Kotsubo showed a dark type of interest in her, that he even started watching her outside of the Academy grounds. Since I had placed surveillance around Mizore as a target of priority, I had gathered more information about this Kotsubo.
Inner knew most of my secrets. The few she did not, I trusted her with anyway.
When I finished, she was quiet for a long moment. Her hand had found mine, her fingers interlaced with my own.
"Do you want me to be there?" she asked. "When you confront this piece of trash."
"I can handle it alone." I squeezed her hand. "But I do not mind if you spectate a good fight."
Her crimson eyes stared into mine, searching for something. Then, slowly, a smile curved her lips. It was not a wide smile, not a warm one, but it was genuine.
"Do not get yourself killed over there," she said.
"Noted."
Then we got into a situation where we stared at each other. It gave you that vibe. Yeah, I am referring to how it would happen between Outer and Tsukune in the show…
Yet, it did not end with just a neck bite.
She leaned down and kissed me. It was quick, possessive, and when she pulled back, her eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Good. Now stop being distracted. You still owe me a proper spar."
She stood and offered me her hand. I took it, and she pulled me to my feet with a strength that still surprised me.
We spent the next hour trading blows, her strikes sharp and precise, mine growing sharper as I pushed the distraction from my mind. She did not go easy on me. Like she ever did. My poor ribs would have been shattered if I were not almost a Vampire; I would have been taken out on a stretcher.
Since she was in the mood, I also did a partial Vampire transformation, and she felt herself pushed as well. We kept it strictly physical, without using our Shinso Abilities or other Skills to deal damage. It did not serve the purpose of this sparring.
I landed some good blows on Moka, but she still got the better of me when it came to the melee category.
She grudgingly admitted that my form was improving faster than she expected.
When we finished, she collapsed onto the grass beside me. She was breathing hard, her silver hair spread across the grass. I watched her chest rise and fall, the way her sports bra strained against her breasts with each breath.
A thin sheen of sweat glistened on her stomach, and I had to force myself to look away while swallowing hard.
'Stop it! I can't lick it like it is some delicious blood sample.'
I lay next to her, staring at the grey sky, our shoulders touching.
"That girl," she said after a long silence. "The Yuki‑onna. You are sure she is not having any ulterior motives? From what I remember, Yuki‑onnas have strange personalities."
"I am sure."
"Then I will trust you." She turned her head to look at me. "But if she hurts you, I will make sure to turn her into an ice statue."
I laughed. "Noted. What will I do without my Knight in shinning armor."
She reached over and pulled me closer, her head resting on my chest, her arm draped across my stomach. Her fingers traced lazy patterns on my shirt, and I felt the tension drain from her body. The soft weight of her against me, the warmth of her breath on my neck, the subtle scent of roses and something uniquely her, it was intoxicating.
We stayed like that for a while, tangled together, the silence comfortable. The sun crept higher, painting the clouds in shades of gold and pink, and somewhere in the distance, a bird called out.
"Tsukune," she murmured.
"Mm?"
"If you are going to confront this teacher, be careful. Those teachers are outright monsters, and even if they are not on a higher class than Gin, they have their own dirty tricks. He will not hesitate to kill you if he thinks he can get away with it."
"I know." I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "But I am not the same person I was when I fought Gin. I have grown."
She was silent for a moment. Then she lifted her head and kissed me, slow and deep, her lips warm against mine.
When she pulled back, her eyes were soft. "I know. How could I not notice how hard you are working daily? Just do not die. I do not know what I will do without you."
I pulled her into a tight embrace, resting my chin on the top of her head. "I will be fine. I have you to come back to."
She did not answer, but her arms tightened around me.
After a long moment, she shifted, pressing a single, soft kiss to my jaw. "You are mine," she whispered. "Do not forget that."
"Never."
We lay in comfortable silence, watching the clouds drift across the sky. The urgency had faded, replaced by a quiet warmth that needed no words.
When we finally parted, it was almost time for class. She stood, brushing off her clothes, and I took a moment to appreciate the view. The curve of her spine, the swell of her hips, the way her silver hair fell across her shoulders.
"Stop staring," she said, not looking back.
"Not a chance." I stepped up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her close. I pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "One day, I am going to take my time with you and eat those cakes of yours."
She shivered, then relaxed against me. "You talk too much."
"I am just getting started."
She snorted, but there was a soft blush on her cheeks.
We went back to the dorm to wash and change our clothes, though as a vampire I did not strictly need to, since I had my magicks at hand, but the routine was comforting, especially the cold shower that felt like medicine to the heart.
We walked back toward the Academy together, our shoulders brushing, our hands intertwined. The morning light was brighter now, the clouds thinner, and I could almost pretend that the day ahead was ordinary.
But it was not.
Somewhere on campus, a predator was waiting. And somewhere in the girls' dormitory, a lonely ice girl was preparing for a day that would change her life forever.
I squeezed Inner's hand, and she squeezed back.
Whatever came next, I was ready. But I was not prepared for the gloomy ice girl to actually show up at the Newspaper Club.