After reaching the castle's indoor training ground, Cassiel and Thain both enter, heading to their spots as the countless other vampires that head up a flight of stairs, sitting in the stands inside the room.
"I hope you're prepared, imposter. I'm going to embarrass you in front of my subjects." Thain says in a snarky tone, quiet enough so only Cassiel can hear.
"You won't live long enough to show them your first move." Cassiel responds, both reaching their designated spots.
As they both reach their spot, they each stare at each other, giving themselves a second to prepare, before finally Thain dashes towards Cassiel, extending his fingers out to reveal claw like finger nails to which he uses to slash at Cassiel.
Cassiel, finding it almost absurd to be challenged by someone so weak, reaches his hand out to grab Thain's arm, before twisting and snapping it out of place.
Leaving his left arm out of commission, he quickly appears behind Thain, putting his hand on the back of his head and slamming him into the ground, cracking it.
Not yet satisfied, he grabs his other arm and pulls it off of his body, completely detaching it and leaving Thain to scream in agony as he processes what just happened.
"Do you believe me now?" Cassiel says as he grudgingly turns Thain around while slicing his own finger open.
"You're not worth eating. Drink my blood so you can heal." Cassiel says while putting his finger near Thain's mouth, letting him drink a couple of drops, which instantly slows the bleeding coming from him.
Turning around, Cassiel looks at all of his now subjects.
"I assume this qualifies me as the rightful heir of Rampiel, if anyone has anything to say in protest, tell me now and we can settle it in a duel."
All the vampires that were hiding up top the stands are left speechless.
One after another, however, they decide to come down in front of Cassiel, bowing to him and solidifying his position as the new king of Rampiel.
Cassiel responds by leaving the room, dragging the now unconscious Thain behind with him from his now recovered left arm.
.....
.....
Entering a dark room, Cassiel picks Thain up with one arm, throwing him onto a chair, which wakes him up immediately.
"You... I was gone 500 years, and I return to failure, absolute failure." Cassiel would begin.
"Whomever let you reign as king has failed our race. We were at the top, we were crushing the humans beneath our feet every day, every hour, every minute... but I return here after being locked away to see everything has changed for the worse, we were the pinnacle of our species during my father's tyranny whether any of us want to admit it or not."
The words make Thain wince, hearing he's a failure firsthand.
"You... you have failed us, you have failed our species, Thain Noir."
"I... I'm sorry... Please... Spare me..."
"I have no intention of killing you as long as you can answer my questions, boy." Cassiel says, glaring at Thain with a distasteful look.
"Only three questions."
"Y-Yes... sir." Thain responds.
"Number one, when did you become king, and how. If you're lying I will kill you without hesitation." Cassiel says, releasing a bit mana to once again show off the difference in their power.
"I... Became king forty years ago..." Thain trails off, as if trying to remember.
"After the disappearance of your brother, your father... he took the strongest from the noble families with him to invade Seraphim, only leaving a couple of us behind..."
"Go on, boy." Cassiel demands angrily.
"H-He left me in charge because I was the oldest of the nobles that was being left behind... he said I was to lead our species in case he didn't return." Thain says, keeping his head down in fear of meeting Cassiel's gaze.
"I see... so my father has disappeared, along with all the stronger vampires have as well... then, what about the nobles that were left behind with you? What happened to them." Cassiel questions, confused.
"I exiled them..." Thain says squeamishly
Cassiel, after hearing this, swings his sword, stopping inches from Thain's neck.
"The faster you answer my questions from now on, the less painful your death will be." Cassiel says, looking down at Thain in disgust.
"I... I understand." Thain closes his eyes in fear, now realizing how near his death is.
"My next question, why did that frail looking vampire say to me that my father has had only one child?"
"I... I lied to them, the vampires... they uncovered old texts dating back to when you were first imprisoned in Abdiel... they were going to release you... I lied to them so I could stay king."
Enraged, Cassiel slices Thain's head clean off, killing him instantly as his head hits the ground.
Cassiel leaves the room, slamming the door shut behind him, leaving the body to rot as he wanders off to his father's old room in search of clothes.