Ejiro’s body ached as blood gushed out of his wound, and his muscles were at their limit. Laying flat, he could only look at Theodoric with dilated pupils, fearing his inescapable demise.

As the sword approached him, Ejiro wanted to scream, but he fell silent. He closed his eyes, thinking he was in a vast concrete desert, void of anything or anyone.

He thought of his late comrades, DA mages who died in the war during his time in Hellish City. He should have been with them, burning to ashes alongside them.

If he hadn’t met Arthea Rivampe and, blinded by love, gone AWOL with her, if she hadn’t bitten him, maybe he could have spent more time with his friends instead of slaying countless vampires who called him a cannibal.

He felt alone and attempted to become recognized as a master-rank magician, but he was too rash. He glanced at his master. He seemed tired, and Ejiro knew Seth didn’t have time to save him.

Theodoric’s sword tore into his skin, and then-

*WOOSH*

A fierce wind arrived, and Theodoric had gotten pushed back five metres. He roared as he attempted to walk up to Ejiro with all his might. He didn’t pay any attention to where it originated as he took a step. And then another, and another.

At this moment, he wanted the young vampire dead more than anything. It wasn’t because of the red magic. It was his own personal grudge. At last, despite the torrent, he had arrived back on top of Ejiro.

He screamed, “That’s not enough to save you, die!”

From the same way the wind came, a woman with brown hair and golden eyes extended her arms. The golden aura around her, forming an angel, crashed its fist into Theodoric.

The old vampire failed to eliminate him again and found himself in the air, propelled far away from him.

…

Luo parked the vehicle. He and Isaac got out and met up with Jenna and Aaron, who had rushed to the battle. With wind magic, Aaron brought Ejiro over to him. The vampire was struggling to stay conscious and had no apparent reaction.

Isaac clenched his fist as Ejiro, who had kidnapped Gabriella, was to his feet. “…We’ll deal with you later.”

And so the fighting restarted.

‘I don’t know who these two are, but they saved us.’ Seth looked around. No one was paying attention to him. The most flashy fight was between Jenna Angel and Theodoric Rivampe. The man flew as he exchanged blows with her soul manifestation.

Luo Ren was fighting the two other vampires with his blue fire but was clearly at a disadvantage against Jason’s firearm.

Theodoric pointed his sword forward as he dived into the translucent golden fist. “Gabriella, we’re outnumbered! Fight these two boys!”

His daughter stared at Aaron and Isaac on the other side of the battle. She was the Vampiric Queen and couldn’t let her ancestors and family down.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered with a soft breath as she flew toward them with her claws.

Aaron and Isaac didn’t move. They stood still, perplexed and saddened by her decision as she closed in. After what had happened in virtual reality, they no longer feared physical pain. Isaac didn’t even activate his red magic. He felt that it would cloud his mind. He wanted to take her back without force, without abducting her.

Aaron and his wind magic threatened her the most, so she dived toward him. Or perhaps it was because she just preferred hurting Aaron over hurting Isaac. The breeze brushed against her red hair as her dark, wet eyes fixated on his.

Against Isaac and Aaron’s wishes, she closed her eyes and cut his flesh with the intent to kill.

“Ej- Ejiro?”

Aaron didn’t feel any pain. When he looked down at his chest, he found Ejiro kneeling in front of him.

With the strength in him he thought he’d lost, Ejiro Sani had gotten up and engraved Gabriella’s claw cuts into his torso. His body was almost destroyed and drenched in a puddle of blood.

Aaron knelt next to him and created a whirlwind to protect them. “Heal him, Isaac!”

But Isaac didn’t even look at Aaron. He looked at Gabriella’s figure outside the whirlwind.

“Gabriella! Why are you attacking us? We came here to save you!”

Her expression was hideous, she thought. But Isaac couldn’t see it clearly through the wind.

“This-” she looked at her dad, that was fighting intensely. “This is my home!”

…

Jenna was quickly running out of energy. She absorbed Theodoric’s attacks but couldn’t land any decisive hits. Vampires were too quick.

Luo had experienced the same problem, but then Seth appeared behind the medium-rank vampire. The vampire tried to fight back, but the master grabbed his arm and suffocated him as a shadow overtook his body.

“Are you Seth Rayn?!” the general was shocked. He recognized his face, which still seemed youthful. Luo was fighting alongside an important figure from his youth, one of his idols.

“I don’t know who you are, but let’s talk later! Your friend won’t be able to fight against this man for too long!”

…

Unattended by Isaac’s healing capabilities, Ejiro finally collapsed and lost consciousness.

“Isaac, dammit!” Aaron shouted when Isaac ran into the whirlwind, forcing him to dispel his magic.

Isaac was speechless as Gabriella dashed by him, grabbed Aaron, and took the wind magician up in the sky.

Aaron was now face-to-face with Gabriella. He made direct eye contact, and that unsettled her. “Why did you come here?”

“Because we’re your friends.” He smiled.

Isaac, down below, still hadn’t used his red magic. Attacking was useless anyway. “Gabriella’s too fast. I can’t chase after her!”

-cough!

The young mage turned his head toward the noise. It was Ejiro, struggling to get up. He glimpsed at him for a moment, but-

‘No, what am I thinking? He kidnapped Gab. I have to let him die!’ However, he looked at the sky again, and anxiety overtook his face.

Despite feeling regretful, angry and empty, Gabriella had made her decision. “Since you came after me, I need to kill you.”

But what Aaron Amon told her next shook her. “Are these your thoughts or his, your father’s?”

Her wet, dark eyes translated into oceans as her soft, white face turned slightly pink. In the silence, the young teenage vampire hesitated.

Isaac looked above as a ray of yellow light magic brushed past Gabriella. Healed by red magic, Ejiro had flown up and knocked her out.

Aaron and the vampire made eye contact without speaking as they descended to the ground.