Night fell, and the manor was drowned in shadows.
Knock, knock.
Inside the main building of the manor, Selene knocked twice on the door, then instinctively took two steps back.
It wasn't that she didn't want to go in, but the faint black mist of Dark Magic seeping from under the door radiated danger. The kind of danger even a Vampire learned not to ignore.
Creak—
The heavy, ornate door groaned on its hinges, opening slowly. Though the manor was already cloaked in darkness, what spilled from the doorway was something far deeper—something unnatural.
Selene's ice-blue eyes trembled as the suffocating blackness poured from the room. She had always embraced the dark; it was home to her. But this darkness? It made her instincts scream to flee, like prey sensing the predator lurking nearby.
A figure emerged.
Selene's crimson lips parted slightly, her eyes narrowing in surprise.
"Mr. Oka, it's time."
Had she just seen him… shrink?
Kai Adler—disguised as Oka—nodded without speaking. He pulled his hood over his head, the black mist curling tighter around his body like smoke coiling from a dying fire.
The chaotic energy still overflowed from him. Though his life wasn't immediately at risk, he could hardly function properly like this.
And… he hadn't seen Hermione for an entire day.
Fingers brushing the cool silver pendant around his neck—the Soul Oath he had taken from her—Kai's eyes darkened.
If this mission failed, he'd destroy the Soul Oath to sever any connection, ensuring no threat would touch the girl.
But what he wanted far more… was to finish this, return safely, and sit beside her with a book in hand.
He met Selene's gaze, his voice low. "Let's go."
The manor gates opened with a creaking moan, and two sleek, black cars sped off into the night.
The convoy weaved through the city streets, finally pulling up in front of a towering, sinister mansion.
"This is Dio's lair." Selene's voice was flat as Kai stepped out and looked up at the darkened estate. Like the Vampire manor, the windows were sealed tight. Not a single light glowed within, the entire structure radiating menace.
Selene stood beside him, armed and poised, checking the ammunition on her twin pistols. The other Vampires gathered, similarly equipped—Danial even hefting a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher, practically salivating for revenge.
Suddenly—
SCREEEEE!
A sharp, piercing eagle's cry shattered the tense quiet. A falcon swooped low, wings spread wide as it glided over the mansion, landing gracefully atop the iron gate.
The bird looked almost regal: a small iron helmet perched on its head, a single upright feather fixed to it, and a crimson scarf tied jauntily around its neck.
It surveyed the group with a disdainful, human-like arrogance.
Kai noticed immediately—the moment the falcon appeared, the Vampires tensed, their eyes wary.
Selene had mentioned it before: they had clashed with Dio's forces, and this falcon was no ordinary bird—it had been part of that defeat.
Kai's curiosity sharpened. His magic reached out, a thin wisp of Black Magic probing the creature.
His eyes narrowed.
A Stand User…?
So they weren't limited to humans, then.
"Be careful, Mr. Oka," Selene warned, her voice taut. "That bird's stronger than it looks—"
"It's just a bird," Kai interrupted, amusement lacing his voice.
Almost as if understanding the insult, the falcon's eyes flared with intelligence—and fury.
With a shriek, its wings spread wide.
Crack—!
The temperature plummeted. Moisture in the air condensed at an unnatural speed, forming jagged shards of ice that sparkled like deadly glass.
Before Selene could issue an order, the Vampires unleashed a barrage of gunfire.
The sharp staccato of bullets rang out, echoing across the rooftops, disturbing the stillness of the Cairo night.
Law enforcement? The Vampires didn't care.
Let the mortal police come. They wouldn't last seconds. As for the Ministry's Aurors? Let them watch. Vampires, Stand Users—this wasn't their jurisdiction. They'd clean up the scene afterward, obliviate some civilians, and pretend none of it happened.
Kai knew even his presence—a supposed heir of the Eber Family—wouldn't raise a Ministry eyebrow here.
The falcon, for its part, didn't flinch.
A sneer—almost human—crossed its beak as it flapped its wings, conjuring a wall of ice to shield itself. The bullets embedded harmlessly into the frozen barrier.
"Damn bird!" Danial growled, hefting the RPG onto his shoulder and firing.
The rocket soared, detonating with a thunderous BOOM, flames and smoke billowing into the night sky.
Selene snatched the smoking launcher from Danial's hands, her glare sharp enough to cut glass. "Do you want to drag the whole damn city here?"
They were here to take down Dio quietly—minimize exposure, pass it off as a gang clash. Bringing the police, the Ministry, the whole world into this? Stupid.
Danial looked unbothered, patting the RPG. "Guns don't work. This will."
Kai's voice cut through the bickering, flat and unimpressed. "That won't work either."
Danial turned. "What?"
"Be careful."
Even as Kai spoke, shards of ice shot from the thick smoke, deadly streaks of silver in the moonlight.
The Vampires scattered, returning fire, ducking and weaving through the attack.
Selene reached for Kai, ready to drag him back—Wizards were powerful, but fragile compared to Vampires.
Kai stepped forward, head tilting slightly to the right. Three ice shards sliced past him, embedding themselves in the ground.
Selene's eyes widened. Kai smiled faintly, his mismatched pupils glinting in the darkness.
"Don't stare at me. I'm not your enemy."
Above them, the smoke twisted and stretched unnaturally. The falcon burst from the clouds, wings outstretched, ice shards raining down like bombs from beneath its feathers.
Tracking projectiles—homing attacks, relentless as funnel missiles.
The Vampires scrambled, dodging with practiced speed, but frustration grew. Shooting at a fast-moving target, high in the air, with traditional firearms? Pointless.
Selene's gaze flicked to Kai, silently pleading.
Kai dodged another ice shard, stepping lightly aside, "You couldn't even get past the front gate last time, could you?"
Selene gave a strained smile. "Don't underestimate that bird. Among Dio's subordinates, it's ranked third strongest—behind the one you killed and another."
"We couldn't beat it. But it couldn't finish us off either. Eventually, it wore itself out, but then Dio's other lieutenants arrived. We killed the one with the gun, the one with the cards, then Dio appeared… you know how that ended."
Kai raised an eyebrow, amused. "You didn't even get past the gate last time."
Selene nodded, exasperated.
Kai's eyes narrowed, tracking the falcon's every movement.
This won't do.
His true target—the source of his solution—was inside that mansion. If this group of expendable allies couldn't even breach the front door, how was he supposed to manipulate things from within Dio's shadow?
A cold smile curled his lips as his fingers brushed the silver pendant at his throat.
This bird wouldn't be an obstacle for long.