The festival carried on as though nothing in the world could interrupt it.
Music echoed between the rows of booths while laughter drifted through the streets. The scent of grilled meat, sweets, and spices still lingered in the evening air as people wandered beneath strings of lanterns that stretched across every road. Although the hour had grown late, Hanabi Island felt just as alive as it had that afternoon.
Families and friends wandered together, taking in what little remained of the Golden Festival before it came to a close.
Not far from the waterfront, Kagura and Shinatsu strolled side by side through one of the busiest rows of food stalls.
Kagura: "Shinatsu, look at that parfait!"
It was enormous. Layers of fruit, whipped cream, cake, ice cream, chocolate, and syrup towered inside a glass nearly the size of Kagura's forearm.
Shinatsu: "I think I'm gonna vomit if I eat that, let alone anything else."
Kagura: "That's quitter talk."
Shinatsu folded her arms: "Not everyone has bottomless stomachs. I'm already dreading how long I'm gonna be on the toilet tomorrow."
Kagura: "Pff. Ladies shouldn't say stuff like that."
Shinatsu: "Men and women both poop the same."
Kagura: "Very true. So c'mon. One last dessert. I know you have a little room left."
Shinatsu: "The only thing I have room for right now is a good night's sleep."
Kagura got the over-the-top parfait and they continued walking through the crowd.
Then—
A faint metallic sound.
Shhk.
The unmistakable sound of a blade leaving its sheath.
Only slightly.
Barely an inch.
Kagura froze.
Her smile disappeared instantly.
Shinatsu continued walking without realizing Kagura had stopped.
A calm voice emerged from directly behind her.
Talaryuna: "Looks like your senses haven't dulled."
Kagura's eyes widened as she dropped the parfait.
Kagura's voice barely escaped her lips: "…It can't be. Is that you… Tala?"
Talaryuna: "Glad to see you're doing so well."
The surrounding area was silent except for the low hum of the lights. Every emotion had been stripped down until only one remained: a resentment, heavy and metallic, settling in Talaryuna's chest like rust. Loud enough to burn down not just this island, but all of Shioto.
Talaryuna: "Have you been enjoying life?"
Kagura lowered her eyes for only a moment.
Kagura: "I've been trying to live without regrets. That's all."
Silence settled between them. The sounds of the festival suddenly felt very far away.
Talaryuna: "Anything else to say for yourself?"
Kagura: "I have no excuses." Her voice remained steady. "I just wanted a life I could enjoy."
Talaryuna: "I hope you enjoyed playing house then." She slowly drew her blade. Steel reflected the lantern light. Within a split second, she activated her curse. "Because that comes to an end now."
BOOM!!
A violent explosion tore through the ground around them, engulfing the surrounding people in flames.
People screamed.
Heads turned toward the rising plume of smoke that appeared out of nowhere.
Panic spread through the festival almost instantly.
Shinatsu spun toward the explosion: "…What was—"
She stopped.
Kagura was gone.
Her eyes darted around the crowd.
Shinatsu: "Kagura?"
Vampires hiding amongst the crowd began to raise terror. Shinatsu had no idea what was going on, but she had to help the people around her.
Dozens of meters away Kagura had turned around and drawn her sword.
Kagura: "Talaryuna!!"
Steel answered steel.
Talaryuna calmly unsheathed her own blade and raised it: "Kagura…" Her cold gaze never wavered. "I will destroy everything you hold precious."
***
Hanabi Island descended into chaos.
One moment, the festival had been alive with laughter, music, and the glow of lanterns stretching across every street.
The next…
It became a battlefield.
Explosions from Talaryuna's fire ripped through rows of food stalls, reducing them to splintered wood and flames. Decorative lanterns crashed to the ground, scattering fire across walkways as smoke quickly swallowed the night sky.
Then came the screams.
Not the playful screams from carnival rides.
Real ones.
The kind that froze the blood of everyone who heard them.
Vampires poured into the festival from every direction.
They leapt across rooftops, burst through alleyways, crashed through storefront windows, and emerged from the surrounding forests like a tidal wave of darkness. Hundreds flooded the streets.
Then hundreds more.
They vastly outnumbered the Hunters gathered in this area on the island.
Panic spread faster than the attack itself.
Parents grabbed their children.
Children cried for parents they could no longer find.
Some people froze where they stood.
Others ran without knowing where they were running.
The festival that had brought thousands together had suddenly become a trap.
Hunters reacted almost immediately.
Blades flashed from their sheaths as experienced veterans threw themselves between civilians and the advancing vampires. Orders echoed through the streets, but they were drowned out by collapsing buildings, roaring flames, and the deafening sounds of battle.
Even then…
It wasn't enough.
Only minutes had passed.
Already…
Dozens had fallen.
A little girl stood trembling in the middle of the street.
Only moments earlier, she'd been smiling as she walked hand in hand with her mother.
Now…
She was still holding her detached mother's hand.
A Hunter scooped her into his arms just as another vampire crashed into the pavement behind her.
Elsewhere, a father desperately shielded his son beneath his own body while Hunters battled overhead. Couples who had been laughing together only moments before searched frantically through crowds, screaming each other's names. Friends became separated in the stampede as smoke and fire swallowed entire streets.
The Golden Festival had become a nightmare.
The Hunters of Odd Jobs reacted almost instantly.
Shoyo's voice cut through the chaos, directing civilians toward evacuation routes while Jeremiah immediately rushed his wife and children behind a line of Hunters pushing back the first wave of vampires. Chifuyu's parents, Iris's father and younger sister, Erika's mother, Marlon's mother, and Esmarie's parents were quickly gathered together as everyone worked to keep the families in one place.
No one had time to think about where the others were. Except Ariel. After Chifuyu's parents were brought to safety, she darted away to the direction of her partner.
Diego and Marlon threw themselves into the streets, cutting down vampires that threatened fleeing civilians. Beatrice, Erika, and Sylvie worked together, one shielding civilians while the others cleared escape routes. Yuji carved through vampires blocking an alleyway without slowing his pace once, allowing dozens of people to flee past him.
Noah's crow burst into the sky, scanning every direction, its cries echoing overhead as they searched for missing people and tracked the movements of the invading vampires.
Soru, Dallas, Boten, and Emelio each split off toward different sections of the festival, immediately reinforcing overwhelmed Hunters already locked in battle. Even the off-duty Hunters who had come simply to enjoy the Golden Festival drew their weapons without a second thought.
***
Amidst all the chaos, everybody got separated. The carefully organized festival had dissolved into countless isolated skirmishes. Every street had become its own battlefield. Hunters escorted terrified civilians through smoke-filled roads while others dug survivors from beneath collapsed booths and shattered storefronts.
The battle wasn't just in the area where Odd Jobs was. It was happening everywhere all throughout Hanabi Island.
The nearest evacuation center had already reached its limit, forcing Hunters to redirect frightened crowds toward shelters farther along the coast and deeper into the island. Every route became a race against time as vampires continued pouring into the streets.
Erika, Sylvie, Esmarie, and Jeremiah took charge of one of the larger civilian groups. Erika stayed at the front, cutting down vampires that blocked their path. Jeremiah held strong in the middle, refusing to let anything reach the people between them. Sylvie protected the rear while Esmarie constantly checked that nobody had been left behind. The evacuation line continued moving toward the ocean. No one slowed down.
Ariel raced across rooftops: "Chifuyu."
She vaulted from one building to another before dropping into a narrow street.
Then—
The ground erupted.
A massive wall of earth exploded upward directly in front of her, stretching several stories into the air and sealing off the entire street.
Ariel didn't hesitate.
She drove straight through it.
Stone shattered around her as she burst through the other side in a cloud of dust.
Waiting there was someone. A towering woman stood calmly in the middle of the ruined street. Her skin was dark. Her wild, spiked mane of hair flowed behind her. She stood nearly seven feet tall. Power radiated from her without effort.
Ariel's expression hardened: "Get out of my way."
The woman didn't move.
Jouna: "I know exactly where you're heading. I won't let you."
Steel sang.
Ariel drew her blade.
Ethereal white flames slowly gathered along its edge, bathing the street in pale light as they wrapped around her like flowing ribbons.
Jouna's eyes narrowed: "Come." She rolled one shoulder. "Dragon Empress."
The street exploded as the two collided.
Elsewhere…
Emelio calmly cut down another vampire before stepping between two exhausted Hunters.
His movements remained efficient despite the chaos surrounding them.
No wasted motion.
No unnecessary force.
Every swing protected someone.
Every step created another opening for civilians to escape.
Then…
A bolt of lightning obliterated a small building to his right.
Stone, wood, and glass erupted into the street.
The two Hunters instinctively raised their blades.
A figure slowly emerged from the cloud of debris.
Twin pigtails shaped like jagged bolts of lightning crackled with blue sparks.
Electricity danced across her shoulders.
She smiled.
A bolt fired from her fingertip.
CRACK!
It streaked past Emelio's face.
Close enough to slice his cheek.
A thin line of blood appeared.
He hadn't moved.
It had missed intentionally.
Emelio glanced at the cut before looking back at her: "You two. Get out of here."
Hunter: "Got it!"
Hunter: "I wish you luck!"
He didn't need to tell them twice.
The vampire watched them leave without concern.
Her attention remained fixed on Emelio.
Nami tilted her head: "You don't look too strong. But the nice blade you're holding says otherwise."
Emelio smiled gently: "You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, young lady. Didn't your parents ever teach you that?"
Nami: "Wouldn't know, you humans killed them."
Emelio studied the electricity dancing around her body: 'Lightning…' A wry smile escaped him. 'So I'm up against my natural enemy.' He slowly raised his sword. "You'll be a worthy opponent."
Shinatsu fought off 2 vampires, it didn't take long to recognize how strong they were. Nonetheless, she cut them down. She had gotten further and further away from where she just was. She wanted to go find Kagura. She had never felt panic like this before. Every passing second tightened something inside her chest.
A familiar voice drifted through the smoke.
Shiori: "Hey, sis." She stepped into view with her usual carefree smile. "Whatcha looking for?"
Shinatsu's expression darkened: "…Shiori."
Shiori: "That face full of despair suits us, wouldn't you say?"
To her surprise…
Shinatsu laughed.
A bitter one.
Shinatsu: "What're you here for? To make my life a living hell?"
Shiori placed both hands behind her back: "Nothing personal. I love you with all of my heart. More than anybody else in the world."
Shinatsu: "You're crazy. I can't believe a single thing you say."
Shiori pouted dramatically: "How mean." She shrugged. "Anyways…You'll have to make do with me for now. Your precious friend is a little busy with a long-awaited reunion."
Shinatsu: "Are you talking about Kagura?"
Shiori: "Yeah! She's finally catching up with a dear friend she hasn't seen in a long time."
Shinatsu took one step forward: "What the hell are you talking about?"
Shiori: "A friend from the Alter World. After all, Kagura's not human."
A beat.
Shiori: "She's a vampire."
Everything stopped.
The sounds of battle.
Shinatsu: "…Shiori. This better not be some joke."
Shiori: "I do have some funny jokes. But I would never lie to you."
Shinatsu's thoughts spiraled:
'Kagura…
A vampire?
How?
Does Ina know?
If it's true…
Why didn't she tell me?
Chifuyu's a half-vampire.
Ariel's a Vampire Lord.
Why would Kagura hide it…?'
Lost in thought…
She never noticed Shiori walking toward her. Until their faces were inches apart.
Shiori whispered: "Wondering why she hid it from you?"
Shinatsu's eyes widened. She shoved Shiori backward: "Get out of my face!" Her voice shook.
Shiori regained her balance without losing her smile: "I don't think you'll be seeing her anytime soon, so let's play a little."
Shinatsu pointed her blade directly at her sister: "Shiori…" Her eyes had never looked colder. "Try to stop me from seeing her…And I'll kill you."
Shiori: "I won't hold you too long." She opened her arms wide, "Come here. Let your little sister give you a big ol' hug."