Lumino woke to a skull-splitting headache, the world blurring then sharpening to a scene of cracked earth, dirty water reeking of decay seeping from fissures. Then, the memory slammed into him,
Alisa, her death.
Grief and rage twisted inside him, but the searing question echoed—why? Why did she have to die? What cruel force had made her suffer like that?
His heart hammered, hot and heavy. Searching the area, his gaze met nothing. Her body was gone. Vanished while he was unconscious.
Alisa…
A rustle in the bushes snapped him to attention. In a blink, Lumino teleported ahead of the sound—appearing right in front of a trembling man.
"K–khiiekk!" The man collapsed backward, his eyes wide, drowning in a suffocating fear.
"What were you doing, hiding there?" Lumino's voice was low, sharp.
"I–I don't know… please, spare me! Spare my life!" the man stammered, nearly choking on his words.
"Did you see what happened?"
"N–no, nothing! I swear!" Tears mixed with rain streaked down the man's face.
"You really don't want to tell me what you saw?" Lumino's tone was deceptively calm, but laced with coiled anger.
"I only saw Miss Alisa… she was… she was taken—beaten by Yudo and the others. I tried to get help, but they chased me, so I ran. When I came back she was already dead and…"
the man's gaze flicked up to Lumino, "and I didn't see anything else, I swear!" His voice cracked into a sob.
But inside, he had seen it—every horrific detail. And he knew the thing before him wasn't just a man. Something that could kill an executive vampire like Ozrik so easily… if he spoke the truth, he'd be dead in an instant.
"Can you take me to him?"
"…Huh?"
"Take me to him," Lumino said, the words a cold command.
"O–okay…" The man's voice shook, but there was one thing he was certain of—Yudo was going to die.
"There—Yudo and the others." The man pointed.
"I won't thank you." Lumino's eyes were like ice.
"Uh… r–right." The man backed away as Lumino walked slowly, with heavy, faltering steps, towards Yudo.
"Are you the one?" Lumino's voice was low but charged.
Yudo smirked, glancing over his shoulder. "Who the hell's this guy?"
"I'll ask again…" A golden aura flared around Lumino, his eyes glowing with an unnatural blue light. "Did you attack Alisa?"
"Pft… hahaha. What's it to you? Her boyfriend or something?"
Lumino's fist clenched—one strike, and light erupted, slicing through Yudo's arm. The werewolf howled, eyes watering from the pain.
The air grew heavy. The aura pressed down like a predator's breath. Lumino dragged his feet forward slowly, deliberately. "I'll ask one last time. Did you do it? Did you kill Alisa?"
"Argh! What the hell's wrong with you?!" Yudo screamed—just before Lumino severed his other arm.
The nearby werewolves froze. Some fled outright. Three stayed, too afraid or too loyal to move.
"You crazy bastard! Stop!" One of them lunged—only to be met with a blinding beam of light from Lumino's palm, slicing through Yudo's leg.
"ARGHH!!!"
"What was she to you, huh? That bitch deserved to die!" Yudo roared through the pain, his body twisting into hybrid form. "She stood beside Rodeo like she belonged there, when she couldn't even shift! She was a failure! A useless reject!"
Before Lumino could finish his sentence, a vampire, moving with inhuman speed, slammed into him.
Though too late to fully defend, a crimson barrier bloomed around Lumino like a protective dome, absorbing the impact. His head turned slowly, his expression hardening with murderous intent.
"Don't… interrupt me," he growled. With a flick of his hand, a shockwave erupted, sending the vampire, Claudius, stumbling backward and coughing blood.
"Strong…" Claudius spat toward someone in the distance. "Bandi… what kind of monster are you hiding here?"
Lumino's gaze snapped to Bandi, who stood frozen, caught between disbelief and fear.
It made sense. From the outside, Lumino must've looked… wrong. Something no normal man should be capable of.
But Lumino didn't care. His rage had already consumed him. The only thing left was slaughter.
Yudo—now fully transformed—charged at him with regenerated limbs.
"Dimensional Form: Territorial!"
The ground under Yudo lit with a glowing circle—then spears of light rained upward, punching holes clean through his body. He dropped dead in seconds.
The other three tried to scatter.
"Time Slow: Territorial Lane!" White light froze them mid-stride, locking their bodies in place.
"Stop, Lumino!" Bandi's voice tore through the rain, raw and strained.
"Dimensional Form: Light Shock!"
The ground beneath them detonated in blinding light—when it cleared, nothing remained but scorched remains.
Bandi swallowed hard. How… how was this possible? Even Claudius had been thrown like a rag doll.
"Damn… watching that makes my blood rush," Claudius muttered darkly, licking his lips as something in him shifted.
"Phase two."
His hair bleached white, eyes like spilled blood. A suffocating, acrid stench of pure malice radiated from him. Lumino glanced, impassive, like a collector observing a specimen.
Then Claudius attacked. The earth shuddered, cracking and crumbling under each earth-shaking step as he lunged. Each leap boomed like thunder. Too fast to track, his fists blurred, whooshing through the air with each deafening impact.
At first, a crimson barrier shimmered around Lumino, absorbing the blows—but with a resounding CRACK, the barrier shattered, fragments of red energy scattering like burning glass. Claudius's smirk widened. His strength was enough to break it. Without hesitation, he drove a lightning-infused strike toward Lumino's side, the crackle of electricity stinging the air.
The blow landed before Lumino could react to the breach in his defense—sparks ripping across his body as Claudius's claws grazed his cheek. A sharp line of blood bloomed across Lumino's face before Claudius's uppercut smashed into his chin, lifting him off his feet. Lumino's head snapped back, a spray of crimson arcing through the air as he spat blood.
But even before Lumino's body hit the ground, the wound on his cheek dissolved into nothing—fading like smoke on the wind. His skin was flawless again, unmarred.
Claudius's red eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second in surprise, but he didn't let it break his momentum. He surged forward in a relentless blur, raining blow after blow. The man's form flickered, as if glimpsed through heat. A sudden stumble broke the stillness, the scrape of his boot against an unseen stone the only sound. His stance was loose, vulnerable. But then… the tide shifted.
Lumino caught a single strike. Claudius's wrist froze mid-motion in Lumino's grip. That was all it took for the vampire to realize—Lumino had adapted to his speed.
Claudius instinctively kicked back, leaping away to gain distance. Before his feet could meet the earth, a blur of motion—
whoosh…
Lumino vanished.
A crushing force slammed into Claudius's spine, the sound like a tree trunk snapping in half. His breath left him in a ragged gasp as he hit the ground hard. He rolled to his feet instantly, turning to face Lumino—but again, nothing.
He spun, scanning every angle. Nothing but the rush of wind.
Then—light.
A blazing column of golden radiance ignited above him. Claudius barely managed to twist away, the searing beam cleaving a jagged trench into the ground where he had stood. His heart pounded. His lips curled into a feral grin.
How long had it been since he felt this? This rush?
Not stronger than him—but equal. A rival worth baring his fangs for.
"You're fast… damn you," Claudius muttered, exhilaration dripping from every word.
Before he could savor it, the earth beneath him erupted in a violent blast, hurling him sideways. Dust and shards of stone ripped at his skin, and when he hit the ground, he tasted blood. He pushed himself up—slowly this time. His body was torn, burned, and battered, yet the fire in his eyes only burned brighter.
From Bandi's perspective, the scene was horrifying. Claudius lay on the ground, coughing blood, his once-pristine form charred and torn. But still… he breathed. Still, he smiled.
Lumino descended from the air, boots crunching onto the earth. His hand lifted, palm aimed at Claudius's chest—a final blow gathering light in his grasp.
But before the strike could land, a figure flashed between them.
Derelia. The aristocratic vampire's voice was smooth and sharp as a dagger. "My lord… I must insist you do not take this any further. You will kill Claudius."
She was no ordinary vampire—old, nearly as ancient as Rosaria and Rosalina, once aligned with Clementine. Her reasons for following Ozrik had never been clear. Her gift was intangibility, and judging by her timing, she had been watching from the shadows, only now revealing herself to prevent Claudius's death.
"I beg your mercy," she said, bowing deeply before Lumino.
"What the hell are you doing, Derelia?!" Bandi's voice cracked with rage.
"Bandi…" She turned to him, winking slyly. "I'm done with you."
'What?' Bandi's mind reeled.
"Ozrik is dead," she said casually, her tone laced with satisfaction. "And I have no reason to stay. So I've decided to return to Clementine… with Claudius. Yeay~"
'Damn woman,' Bandi thought bitterly. She had no loyalty—never had.
"What do you mean, Ozrik is dead?" he demanded.
Derelia's gaze shifted back to Lumino, her lips curling into a smile. "I saw it with my own eyes… the power of a god."
Her cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling with something between awe and infatuation as she lifted a hand toward Lumino, almost reverently.
Lumino couldn't comprehend what the woman before him meant, but from the look in her eyes, she was anything but sane.
"My lord, do you have a specific purpose? I doubt you truly wish to kill Claudius like this." The woman, apparently named Derelia—rose to her feet.
"I attacked him because he was in my way. I don't think I have a reason to kill him," Lumino lowered his hand, stopping himself.
"I believe my suggestion is not without merit. I simply want to understand your goal, my lord." Her gaze was one of pure adoration.
Lumino, however, could not understand his own feelings. He had initially set out to kill the werewolf responsible for Alisa's death, but after he had done so, his heart felt empty.
First—Alisa would never return.
Second—he could not purge the fury that flooded his chest.
His eyes shifted toward Bandi.
It all began with jealousy.
Lumino was certain of it. The other werewolves simply disliked Alisa because of that. That was why everyone wanted war. That was why they couldn't make peace.
Bandi… whatever your reasons for starting this war, I will never accept them.
His thoughts darkened. Now, he despised the werewolves. He despised Rodeo for leading them. He despised that man for never realizing Alisa's feelings, for never seeing her condition—or the suffering of the werewolves under his command. But most of all, he despised Bandi for letting it happen.
"Well…" Lumino stepped toward Bandi, until only a meter separated them. "For now… my goal is to wipe out the werewolf race."
Derelia's eyes sparked, reflecting the flickering torchlight as she darted back into Lumino's view. Bandi raised his chin, his jaw set, and met Lumino's gaze, unwavering.
"How fortunate—we share the same enemy. Join the Clementine faction, my lord!" Derelia's smile was bright. Lumino paused, the scent of damp earth and wood smoke filling his nostrils.
Clementine… He remembered the abrupt departure, the stolen elder Ronovan, who was important. Also, Clementine had provided him with food, and he had promised to assist her. The logical path? Besides… there were questions he needed answered.
"Lumino! What do you mean, you want to annihilate the werewolves?" Bandi seized Lumino's hand, his grip trembling with determination. Fear lingered in his eyes, but he still demanded an answer.
"What happened? How could a human change like this… Bro Lumino?" Bandi's voice wavered, on the verge of breaking.
I don't hate you. I just don't want you to win. If war was inevitable, Lumino would never fight on the same side as oppressors like Yudo and his pack.
"You still have the urge to ask? Didn't you see this?!" Derelia's sharp clap echoed, a sound that cut through the tense air. When he appeared, Oscar cradled Alisa in his arms, his dark form a silhouette against the dim light.
"My lord is only angry because of this woman's death!" Derelia's voice, laced with urgency, hung in the air. Lumino's face visibly relaxed, a wave of relief washing over him as he saw Alisa, her form whole. "You saved her? Thank you," he murmured, a gentle smile gracing his lips.
"Kya… You're welcome, my lord!" Derelia kicked her feet in delight as Oscar set Alisa's body on the ground.
It was like being struck by lightning in broad daylight—Bandi froze in shock at the sight, tears beginning to well in his eyes.
"Alisa…" Bandi knelt beside her still form.
Lumino watched without feeling a single thing. Even after seeing her lifeless face, sadness did not touch him. He didn't know why.
"For your sake… I have stripped away the grief you would have felt for that girl…" Lady Seraphine's whisper echoing to his mind.
Whatever her reasons, it seemed Lady Seraphine was suppressing his emotions, replacing grief with a consuming rage.
Steady, Lumino… Don't let her control you. Master your emotions.
"Bandi, why did you start this war?" Lumino asked.
Bandi froze, unable to answer. The truth was, he simply wanted to avenge the injustice he'd felt for so long. "I was prepared… but now… I don't even know anymore," he admitted.
"Is war just a toy to you?"
Lumino exhaled slowly. His mind was empty—nothing left but revenge.
"We should go…" He turned away. Derelia followed with light steps, instructing Oscar to carry the battered Claudius.
When they had gone some distance, Lumino glanced back at Bandi. "Oh… I almost forgot. If Kael or Alira ask, just tell them we've parted ways from here. Right?" With a sigh of frustration, he ruffled his hair and then shielded his face with his hands.
"Make sure you explain… every detail," he added, before looking ahead again.
"Take my hand," Lumino told Derelia. She looked thrilled. "Yes, my lord!!!"
Once Derelia grasped his hand and Oscar took the other, Lumino teleported—vanishing from Bandi's sight.
Bandi felt an unbearable weight crush him. His eyes lingered on Alisa's peaceful face.
Am I too naïve?I'm pathetic.
As a leader… I couldn't do anything.
I was betrayed.
My subordinate is dead.
Lumino is gone...
Bandi screamed with all his strength, pouring everything out. In the distance, Terwy watched with sorrow in his eyes.
He cast a brief glance at Rodeo's unconscious body… and then mourned the loss of his friend, Alisa.