Two weeks have passed, and we are in the training hall running combat simulations when the klaxon goes off. An announcement comes over the PA system.

“Attention all students and staff. Demon portals opening. All combat-qualified students, report to your duty stations and prepare for incoming. All non-combatant personnel and civilians, report to evacuation shelters. This is not a drill.”

Since we already had our auras up, we leave the training hall and report to our assigned area. After we evacuate all of the non-combatant personnel to the shelters, we make sure there are no stragglers.

Now that the campus is clear, I start assigning positions to the girls. I have Jesi cast a protective barrier around us. I put Jeni in a sniping lane with her bow. Shizumi, Aaboli, Hanneke, and I form up around each other to ready ourselves for the oncoming onslaught.

Sure enough, demons start charging us from all sides. Shizumi's naginata, Aaboli's spear, Hanneke's axe, and my claws rip through the lower-class demon soldiers with ease. Blood raining in a torrential downpour.

“Stand your ground, girls!” I call out. “Show them no mercy!”

“Got it!” they respond.

As we're fighting, I feel a whoosh of air pass my head and hear a loud squeal. I turn to see an energy arrow sticking out of a demon's head.

“Nice headshot, Jeni.” I call out over the comms. “Thanks for saving my ass.”

“I love you, too.” Jeni says over the commlink.

Jesi casts a lightning spell, sending lightning crashing down to the ground. Demon bodies ignite in flame and go flying from the impact. She immediately follows up with an explosion spell, causing even further area damage.

“And boom goes the dynamite, bitches!” I yell out in excitement.

Jesi smiles at my little exclamation and blows me a kiss. She follows it up by tilting her head and winking.

The fighting wages across the campus. We take our share of bumps and bruises, but we push through the increasing piles of bodies and blood. It's at this point that I decide to call Jeni down from her sniping position to join us at our location.

Jeni fires off shots from her bow as she races toward us. Suddenly, she is struck in the gut from a demon's mace. Fortunately, her aura protected her, and she only gets the wind knocked out of her. I use my speed to jump over to her, slash the demon's throat with my claws, pick her up, and jump back to the group.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

Coughing, she manages to barely say, “Yeah, fine. Thanks.”

“Good.” I kiss her forehead and lay her on the ground. “Lie there and get some rest. When you're ready, join us.”

“Okay,” she wheezes.

Our group maintains formation around Jeni as we fend off wave after wave of demons. Demon body parts and blood raining down on the battlefield in a torrential downpour. As we continue to fend off the neverending horde, a hailstorm of arrows rain down from the sky. I turn around to see Jeni standing with her bow raised above her head in defiance and a look of determination in her eyes.

“Glad to have have you back in action.” I say.

Jeni nods at me in approval.

We hold our ground as the hordes of demons continue to overrun us. We then suddenly hear a thunderous voice call out. “Does nobody dare challenge the mighty Hezukael? Are you too cowardly to show yourselves?”

I step out from the group. “I'll challenge you, Hezukael. Fight me.”

Hezukael lets out a full belly laugh. “You? I know who you are, Christopher Johns. I know that you are a vampire. I can sense your power right now. You are not at full strength. Unseal yourself, then I will allow you to fight me.”

“Fine, then, you just fucked yourself. Jeni, Jesi, to me, now.” I call out. The twins run to my side and our tongues entangle in a passionate kiss. We finish the kiss and the twins back away as the ensuing shockwave from my aura amplifies with power. My fangs grow, and the chain on my sword unlocks. I unsheathe my sword and swing the blade behind me. I drop to a ready stance and charge at Hezukael with a loud warcry.

Laughing wholeheartedly, Hezukael raises his hand and fires off an energy blast, sending me several yards backwards. I stand back up and recompose myself. I hold my sword in a ready stance with both hands with a look of fierce defiance and bold determination on my face. I was too cocky to try to charge that asshole.

“What's the matter, vampire, not sure you can beat me? You seemed so sure of yourself a moment ago.” Hezukael cackled.

“I admit, I got a little cocky, but that's a mistake I won't make twice.” I call back.

“So, you are intelligent. But we're not just going to stand around and talk, right? We are going to fight?”

“Of course. Draw your weapon.”

Hezukael draws his giant falchion off of his back and points it at me. He then drops into a ready stance as well and then charges at me. With one giant swing, his blade comes crashing down towards me. I block his incoming blow with my katana while straining from his strength. I grit my teeth as I side-step from under him. His giant blade thuds to the ground next to me.

Hezukael's towering nine-foot frame overshadowed my five-feet, seven-inch body, so he clearly had a power advantage, but agility was on my side. I use shadow-step to gain a speed advantage so that I can try to find an opening to attack. This, however, does not fool him, and he swings his sword feverishly and predictably in my path. The multiple strikes land with heavy precision and feel like trillions of papercuts racing across my body. I fall to the ground groaning in pain, blood flowing from me like a fountain. I stand back up as the wounds slowly begin to heal themselves.

Hezukael smiles when he sees my resolve. “Good. I like to see a warrior who refuses to give in. Show me that the son of one the greatest vampires has what it takes to defeat me.”

“What do you mean by son of one the greatest vampires? What do you know of my past? Tell me. Am I like, descended from Dracula or some shit?”

“Dracula? Oh, no you're not that special, but your power is reminiscent of one of the other vampire clans. If you can defeat me, perhaps I'll tell you.”

Hezukael charges at me again, swinging his sword with blinding speed. I'm able to match his speed, blow for blow. Suddenly, from nowhere, he disarms me, sending my sword flying out of my hands. The blade sticks into the ground, and he knocks me to my knees. He shoves his blade through my chest and immediately pulls it out. He picks me up by my head and lets out a maniacal laugh. I feel his claws dig into my head as the blood pours out of my chest and head and into my eyes, blinding me.

Hezukael calls out to everyone on the battlefield. “Foolish mortals, look upon your champion, battered, bloodied, and beaten. He has put up a good fight. So for that, I shall show respect and withdraw my forces. For now. Strengthen your forces, for I shall return again to attack you. Make this vampire your champion because he is your only salvation.” He then throws my unconscious body like a ragdoll on the ground.

The girls gather around me as Hezukael and his forces disappear through the portals. They kneel on the ground and begin to cry. Their shear terror revealed to the world now that my secret was once again revealed. Our classmates began to circle them, some out of curiosity, some out of anger. All out concern for a fallen comrade.

Some of the angry students want answers. “Why is a demon hiding in our class?” They demand. “What's his agenda? What's he going to do with us?”

The other students tried to defend me. “Why didn't he reveal his true powers to us? We would've helped him. We would've stood by him!”

The girls stand up and form a blockade between me and the crowd. Jesi speaks up first. “Listen up! Chris just put his life on the line and you want to crucify him! Fuck you! We've been classmates for three years and this how you treat him! Fuck you! We all have different abilities. He just happens to be a vampire. He refuses to harm us humans. He won't feed on a human unless they give him permission.”

An angry classmate yells out from the crowd. “Then why hide his power from us? If he has such 'good intentions,' then what does he have to hide?”

Hanneke is next to speak up. “Because of fear mongers like you! He knows that if he reveals himself, people will spread fear and lies about him. And people will never stop hunting him down because of those lies and fears. No amount of truth will change your minds.”

Aaboli turns to the group and says lowly, “We should probably get Chris to the penthouse so we tend to his wounds. Plus, we need to get him and us away from this crowd.”

The rest of the girls nod in agreement. They then pick up my body and push through the crowd towards the penthouse for some much needed rest and to bandage my battered and bloodied body.