Animal blood is naturally inferior to human blood, but if Vampires go too long without feeding, they will still starve.
What's more, some might even degenerate into monsters.
"Honestly, you're the one who wanted to come here, yet you're so listless. That won't do. You're at an age full of vitality."
Akane Natsume looked at Luke's dispirited state with concern.
He had been the one clamoring to come here, even resorting to whining, yet now he seemed to have no interest at all.
Come to think of it, this was the first time she'd seen Luke act so cute and whiny!
Luke said wearily, "I'm sorry, Mother. You can go wherever you like. I'll just follow along."
Hearing this, Akane Natsume looked up and surveyed their surroundings.
A light snow continued to fall, dusting the road with a thin layer of white. Pedestrians went about their business, moving with practiced ease toward their destinations, unlike the obvious outsiders that she and her son were.
Akane Natsume lowered her gaze back to Luke.
"This place doesn't look like a typical tourist spot at all. Why did you want to come here, Luke? Kyoto has so many other interesting places."
Luke felt a pang of guilt.
He couldn't very well say that tourism was just a pretext, and his real goal was to find Vampires.
Fortunately, he knew Akane Natsume quite well.
Her philosophy was to deal with problems only when they arose.
Initially, Luke had only said he wanted to go to Nagoya, without specifying a more precise location.
It wasn't until they were about to buy tickets that Akane Natsume asked for the exact destination.
Afraid his mother might want to go home early due to the lack of attractions, Luke quickly started to improvise.
"Because I want to buy something! They only sell it here. My classmate has one, and I want one too."
Akane Natsume found this a bit odd.
"If it's just to buy one thing, why did you say we'd be playing for several days?"
Luke felt mentally exhausted.
Good grief, why did her brain have to start working so well *now*?
It was true; one lie inevitably required a hundred more to cover it.
"Because... because I also want to build a snowman on the mountain."
Luke pointed toward the mountain path not far away.
Akane Natsume looked toward the mountain peak, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. She still felt something was off.
Such a desolate mountain... Did it really have to be *this* mountain for a snowman? She doubted there was anything magical about it.
But she didn't press the issue, choosing not to dismantle Luke's flimsy excuse. If he wanted to play on this mountain, so be it.
After all, since childhood, Luke had often gone out at odd hours. Whenever she asked why, his excuses were always easily refutable, yet she never probed deeply.
Over time, she grew accustomed to it. As long as Luke grew up safe, happy, and into a capable young man, that was enough for her.
Luke had also noticed his mother's inexplicable leniency.
He suspected Akane Natsume was a person fabricated to appear in the world of *seraph of the end* to provide him with a complete social background, existing solely to facilitate his activities.
But six years of living together had made Luke accustomed to having her as his mother.
Regardless of Akane Natsume's true nature, right now, she was simply his mother in this world.
At the very least, Akane Natsume had allowed Luke, abandoned by his father and left an orphan, to experience the warmth of a family.
It was Akane Natsume who held an umbrella for Luke, who had spent a lifetime standing in the rain.
That's why Luke was willing to take on the risk of encountering an elite monster in the starter zone for the quest.
Even though he would surely have no time to accompany Akane Natsume once the main story began, as long as she lived, she would remain his emotional anchor.
Next, the pair, one tall and one small, arrived at the city's largest shopping mall.
As soon as they entered, the two split up.
Having made the trip to Kyoto, Akane Natsume was determined to purchase a handbag she had seen in a magazine, which inevitably led to a battle of wits with the salesperson.
Even though it had started with a lie, the feeling of choosing things he genuinely liked put Luke in a good mood.
He planned to pick a few things for himself, plus one souvenir from Kyoto, and that would be that.
"Let's see... 'Ten Things You Didn't Know About the Emperor Demon'? This is perfect, I'll take it! And then..."
"Kawasaki Badminton Racket? I'll take it!"
"Muji eraser? I'll take it!"
"Buy-one-get-one-free on Thick Sketchbooks? I'll take it!"
"Ultra-thin... granules? I'll take—Pah! No, not that one..."
However, he was unaware that someone was approaching him from behind.
"What are you buying?"
A low, familiar voice sounded from behind Luke, startling him and making him flinch.
Turning his head, he saw a pale face. The black hair was impeccably styled, and dark crimson eyes were calmly observing Luke.
Saito wore a black suit, standing out starkly against the crowd dressed in down jackets and winter coats.
"S-Saito... Mr. Saito!"
"What a coincidence, you're here too."
Luke was shocked. What the hell are *you* doing here?
"It is quite a coincidence. I didn't expect to run into you here either. What, are you looking for your father's ring?"
Saito replied naturally, as if he had genuinely bumped into Luke by chance.
"Yeah, just buying some things. But Mr. Saito, why are *you* here?"
Luke evaded the question.
Shouldn't you be managing your Hyakuya Sect? What are you doing here? You wouldn't dare set up a base near Sanguinem, would you?
Aren't you afraid Ferid will smell you and come running?
Looking for Krul? That's impossible too. You should have already defected from the Vampires by now. As the Vampire Queen holding real power, Krul couldn't possibly have contact with you. Besides, the same issue applies:
If you're here, Ferid will smell you and come running.
Saito straightened up, casually putting his hands in his pockets. "I'm just passing through."
Luke inwardly scoffed. If I believe that, I'm a Siberian Husky.
Saito glanced around.
"Where are your mother and uncle? Are you alone?"
Luke's heart sank. This is bad.
If he finds out I don't have an uncle, he might obliterate me for lying to him.
"Ah, they... we got separated. But I know the way back to the hotel. They'll probably head back there to look for me."
Luke was now intensely curious about Saito's purpose here. Could it be that Krul already knew about the Seraph Experiments at this point and had come to talk to Saito?
"Oh, I see. Well then, you be careful..."
Saito was about to say something more to Luke, but he suddenly paused. His nose twitched slightly, and he frowned.
"...I have some business to attend to. I must be going."
"Alright, Mr. Sai..."
Just as Luke was bidding farewell, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his hand.
Looking down, he saw two small puncture wounds, with two drops of blood slowly welling up.
A Vampire's bite mark?
Luke looked around. Besides Saito, there were no other Vampires here.
And biting the back of the hand was such an odd spot.
Saito was already more than ten meters away, so it couldn't have been him.
Luke was filled with confusion.
Are there Vampires that small?
Ah! Wait, there actually is one!
The Vampire Queen Krul's peculiar pet, a one-eyed little bat—Alucard.
If Luke had looked up at that moment, he would have seen a small, winged blob sticking close to the ceiling, flying in the direction Saito had left.