What would one think when they thought of thralls? Well, the first that came to mind was the normal vampire traits, red eyes and sharp fangs, but if one knew better then one would think of their paler than usual skin, one that bordered white, and malnourished body that would never get its fill of blood, though that only happened to older thralls

That's why when this…..thing stood before the four thralls they couldn't help but shiver uncontrollably, taking a step back in fear of what they will eventually become

Whether it was the white flesh like skin, the spine jutting painfully out the back, or the ripped open bloodthirsty mouth housing teeth longer and scarier than the long nails extending from its hands, everything came as a grim reminder of the horrible fate awaiting all of them down the road of time, if they weren't turned to one right now that is

"Hmm, a failed evolution, I should have purified the blood first"

He spoke to himself, loud enough for everyone and their sensitive ears to hear however

"Lets try again, after a round of purification this time though"

"Yes Master"

Not at all fazed by the creepy sight Mia called for the next thrall to come forward

"...."

The thrall was clearly unwilling, begging with their eyes at the person between them and Mia to speak up for them, which did indeed seem to work as that person opened their mouth to ask for them to be spared from the fate of test bats, a request that never made it out however seeing how cold and uncaring Mia and her Master were

Greeted by silence from the supposed savoir the thrall could only resign to their fate with clenched hands, standing before the mysterious and ruthless man just as their blood kin once did, gulping down the vial just as quickly before looking at the approaching hand with despair

"Keep your mouth open"

The green light didn't rain down on them but s single drop of blood instead, rushing through their body and going silent…...for but a moment

"Ah? Mmm!"

The thrall's reaction to the purification process was dramatic, much unlike Ellis and Ianus who only felt numb around the body part getting purified

This was something YuJu had no idea about sa he was absorbed into the body, only when he came to his senses did he note the thrall panting hard on the ground, their body soaked in sweat, even blood smudges as they seemed to bleed out from he nails and mouth

"What happened?"

"? She seemed to enter a pained fit once you started your, purification?"

Mia tried to explain, realizing that he might have been too focused to even notice while asking if that was the purification at the same time

"Hmm, speaking of, why are the thralls….all women?"

Gazing at the people in the hall he couldn't help but notice the lack of any males, did Mia not like men or did she have a thing for women?

"Well…"

Not just Mia, even the composed woman kneeling close to them fidgeted

"You see Master, the process of embracing and enthralment are two very intimate actions, much like how you turned me into your own once"

"Oh...I see"

Recalling how sensational she reacted at the time he fully understood now why there were only woman here, not that it really mattered the gender of these disposable tools

Feeling that he steered off topic he shifted his eyes toward the woman laying by his feet

"How do you feel"

The woman took laboured breath, trying to answer but choking on her own blood every time

He just about thought she was dying when she lifted her head weakly to look at him with crazed red eyes, just a glance spoke volumes of how she really felt about this

'The purification process weirdly affects vampires, I might have to make a cross study about that when I get Ellis's input about how she felt'

For now he could only keep note of the changes with her while he fed another blood filled vial

'I thought there was only a single thrall remaining near Mia so I brought so few of these dire bat blood essence'

Switching his gaze toward the composed kneeling woman who he assumed was Ika he thought about the differences between her, who was much like Zero in the dignified air they carried, and the rest of these normal thralls

'Perhaps she chose them as retainers? Bad as it may be to do so hastfully I should ask for her thoughts on the matter before jumping to conclusions and repreminding her'

"Haaah…."

Hearing the light gasp he ended his thoughts there and focused for the umpenteanth time on this thrall who just barely got back on their knees

"My…..Lord I...am ready"

She spoke, begging was her tone, now more than ever the woman felt she could throw the shackles of fate behind and embrace a new her, one that wouldn't end up like an abomination of a human

Nodding he extended his black and green shrouded hand, once more taking everyone's breath away with a green curtain of light that embraced this exited servant who quickly fell to the ground once more, writhing and screaming in pain as blood boiled within, tearing her itching skin apart as well as all her clothes, ones that she needed not with the hard layer of blue skin covering her everything, mouth ripping open like her predecessor to provide enough space for the sharp teeth and back bulging, not with the spine, but with two bloody wings pooping out in a tattered fashion, one half finished while the other a merel skeletal housing no flesh

Now, more than ever the remaining three thralls were fearing for their very being, not their life, but their actual humanity, or what little remained for it at least

"Hmm, she was short on time to digest the new blood, I can tell she was heading in a good direction before the incomplete wings came out, the next subject needs more time, more blood, and perhaps another purification"

Mia already motioned for the next thrall who came with dragging steps, almost on the brink of tears had she not witnessed humans suffer just as gruesome fates

YuJu was about to to her to send the thrall away since he ran out of the dire bat blood essence, upon further thought however he decided to try a blood of different origin, one not necessarily relating to the vampire origin

Handing out a boar blood essence he proceeded with the purification process, receiving the same reaction of extreme satisfaction that washed over the woman from before, though with seemingly many more blood smudges

"Let her rest, bring her over when she looks to have healed to continue the evolution process"

He ordered, thinking that it was useless anyway, from the purification process he got the feeling that forcibly mixing an incompatible blood essence with that of a vampire's would spell disaster

'Well, at least now I know, the cost is a mere thrall anyway'

Perhaps it was the throne's effect but he was feeling very dismissive today, more so than his usual self

"Hmm"

He plunged into deep thoughts, all while the others remained kneeling and Mia stood still by his side, admiring the power held by her Master

'I never knew Master held such control over blood'

Being a blood slave she could tell, much like how vampires could, that this power shouldnt belong to their kind

'Then again Master isn't really a vampire is he?'

She wondered why it never stuck her that he was indeed unlike them, he who governed blood was in fact still human, for the most part

'Perhaps I shouldn't treat humans with such arrogance then….weak and fragile as they may be they are indeed the race I once was, the race Master still belongs to….'

It was quite the thought to entertain thus she herself found something to mull over while her Master remained silent and the thralls contemplated their potentially abhorred future

"....."

The woman, who YuJu guessed correctly to be Ika, was the only one who wasn't lost in her thought, instead she was staring at the two beasts whom she once called servants and the woman sprawled on the ground waiting for them to be dismissed to take care of her, these thralls who she took great pains to make, now turned into beasts of prey

'Taia, Mona….Amiyah'

Were the names of these woman, names that would be forgotten before long, she knew it herself, even if she use to share a bond with them they werent the people they once were, no, they couldn't even be called people anymore, just crazed animals on a leash

Thus, while mourning the loss of her treasured ones, Ika shed a tear, showing that even the cold blooded heartless vampires could feel