The next day at the academy
Akira lay unconscious on a medical bed, his body wrapped in bandages, wires, and glowing runes that monitored his vitals. The faint hum of the equipment filled the sterile room. In the corner sat Mr. Simon — legs crossed, head bowed, silent.
The door creaked open. Mr. Oliver stepped in quietly.
"How is he?" he asked.
Simon didn't answer.
Oliver sighed and walked over, taking a seat beside him. For a moment, neither spoke.
"Must these children keep going on missions?" Simon muttered at last, his voice low and bitter. "Can't they have a normal childhood?"
"You know that's beyond my control," Oliver replied quietly.
Simon's eyes remained fixed on the floor. "It was Dracula's blood," he said.
Oliver frowned. "What?"
"It was his blood stopping my healing," Simon continued.
Oliver straightened. "How?! That shouldn't even be possible."
"I don't know," Simon admitted. "I didn't have time to study it, but I managed to purge it from their systems. Still… they were all in terrible shape."
Oliver's tone hardened. "How bad?"
"For one," Simon said, his voice heavy, "Kane's lost a hand. I couldn't reattach it."
Oliver clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Every one of them suffered broken bones, internal bleeding, fractures… and because of Dracula's blood, their scars can't be healed."
Oliver stood, running a hand over his face. "My God…"
"Edward and Mikage still have toxins lingering," Simon went on. "Mikage can burn it out when he wakes, but Edward'll need medication. As for Akira…" He paused, looking at the boy on the bed. "His muscles are torn to shreds. Somehow, he forced his mana far beyond what his body could handle."
The room fell into a heavy silence. Only the soft rhythm of the monitors broke the stillness.
"What about Trixie?" Oliver finally asked.
Simon sighed. "She didn't join the main fight, thankfully. But her condition flared up again. She endured it long enough to protect the others. She's stable now and out of the pod."
Oliver placed a comforting hand on Simon's shoulder.
"The one thing I swore I'd do," Simon muttered, "and I'm failing miserably."
After a moment, he looked up. "Where's Val Hellsing?"
"In my office," Oliver answered.
"Isn't he returning soon?"
"He will," Oliver said softly. "But he wants to speak with the kids first."
Simon narrowed his eyes. "You mean interrogate them?"
Oliver glanced at him, then turned toward Akira's still form. "I won't let him."
Simon exhaled, tired and defeated. "God, I hate feeling depressed… I'm going to grab a smoke." He pushed himself to his feet and started for the door.
"That stuff will kill your lungs," Oliver said.
Simon paused, smirking faintly. "And I can heal them."
Oliver couldn't help but chuckle under his breath.
Mr. Oliver sat motionless, staring blankly into space as the steady hum of medical equipment filled the room.
"That's where you were," a voice broke through the silence.
Oliver blinked, snapping out of his trance. "Val… I'm so sorry," he said quickly.
Val smirked faintly. "It seems old habits die hard." He walked closer and sat beside him.
"How are the kids?" Val asked.
Oliver gave a nervous chuckle, lowering his gaze. "It could've been worse," he muttered.
Val looked away, guilt clouding his face. "If only I'd arrived sooner…" he murmured.
Silence lingered for a while before Oliver finally spoke again. "How's Mrs. Tachibana?"
Val's eyes widened. "Oh—her? She's fine, I think. Honestly, I still don't understand how that woman thinks."
Oliver burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?!" Val snapped.
"After all these years, and you still don't understand her," Oliver replied between laughs.
"You didn't understand her either!" Val shot back.
"I was still a boy back then—and I had my issues," Oliver said.
"And I didn't?" Val countered.
"Your case was… different," Oliver admitted.
Val exhaled softly. "Those were good times."
"Let's all have a reunion someday," Oliver said with a small smile.
Val chuckled bitterly. "That's highly unlikely. Ever since we became Divine Visionaries, we barely see each other… we can't even hold proper conversations anymore."
"Don't worry," Oliver said. "Destiny has a way of reuniting us."
"I hope so," Val muttered.
"At least now, you can finally kill Dracula," Oliver said after a pause.
Val's expression darkened. "I can't kill him."
Oliver frowned. "What do you mean? Your weapons are holy—they should burn through any demon."
Val shook his head. "He's not a demon. He carries mana like one, but it's… different. I was told that Dracula isn't a creature of hell or curse—he's an Archon."
"An Archon?" Oliver asked, confused.
"I don't know. The one who told me didn't know more than the name," Val replied quietly.
The room fell silent again.
"I tried everything," Val continued. "I searched for ways to kill an immortal and found the coffin. I gathered every sorcerer on Earth to weaken him enough so I could seal him away. They all gave their lives for that cause. And now he's free again… all their sacrifices wasted. I can feel their anger. People blame Dracula for nearly wiping out sorcery—but I played a part in it too. My pride, my obsession…" His body began to tremble.
Oliver reached over, placing a hand on Val's shoulder.
Before either could speak, a weak voice interrupted them.
"I might be dead… but something's looking at me," Akira said faintly.
Both men froze.
They turned toward Akira, who was now sitting up in bed, pointing shakily at the wall.
Oliver rushed to his side. "You shouldn't be awake! Lie back down—you're supposed to be under anesthesia!"
Val's eyes followed Akira's finger. There, against the wall, a dark silhouette with golden eyes stood silently, its gaze shifting toward Val.
Val's expression hardened. He turned back to Akira, suspicion gleaming in his eyes.
Val stood outside Akira's room, fingers tapping a steady rhythm against the wall as he stared blankly at the ceiling. His gaze slowly lowered to the shadowy silhouette with golden eyes standing across from him.
"So… he can see you too?" Val muttered under his breath.
That shouldn't be possible. Only high A-tier sorcerers or stronger could perceive spiritual beings. Unless… he practices soul-based sorcery, Val thought. That would explain a lot.
The door opened with a soft hiss. Mr. Oliver stepped out, rubbing his temples.
"He wouldn't go back to sleep, so I had to up the anesthesia," he said tiredly.
Val raised an eyebrow. "Are you even allowed to do that?"
"I may not look it, but I graduated from med school," Oliver replied, forcing a half-smile. "I still remember a thing or two."
"If you say so," Val murmured.
For a while, they stood in silence, the sound of students talking and footsteps echoing faintly through the hallway.
"Oliver," Val finally said.
"Hm?"
"I'll be renting a hotel nearby. Call me when they're doing better." He turned to leave.
"Wait!" Oliver called out, making Val pause mid-step. "We have a guest house. You can stay there."
"But I won't be able to smoke," Val replied flatly.
"What is it with people and smoking?!" Oliver groaned.
"It calms the nerves," Val said without a trace of irony.
Oliver sighed, long and deep. "Fine. Go find Simon. He's probably on a smoke break somewhere no student can reach."
Val gave a faint grin and started walking away. "Thanks. You're a lifesaver."
Oliver muttered under his breath, "Better than being a drunk deadbeat… Can't wait for this school year to end."