Not long after, the black mist behind him dispersed, leaving only a pile of ashes drifting in the air.
Dio Brando—the terrifying being, wielder of The World, and self-proclaimed savior of villains—vanished into the night wind, erased from existence.
Yet the culprit behind his end didn't take it to heart at all. He stretched lazily, his body finally relaxing.
The hidden threat was temporarily resolved.
It all sounded simple—he was pierced by an Arrow and awakened his Stand.
The condensation of a Stand required spiritual power, and under normal circumstances, that power should've come from within him. But at that time, his soul space was chaotic, filled with fragments of things that didn't belong entirely to him. So, the power drawn by the Stand fused with Grindelwald's Black Magic and Prophetic energy still lingering in his body.
The energy of the Arrow was peculiar. Though seemingly weak, it could forcibly shatter boundaries and merge different powers together.
As for the Stand's true ability?
To be honest, Kai Adler didn't fully know yet.
Based on the recent fight with The World, he knew only that his Stand possessed immense destructive power and speed, could act independently at a distance, and could wield the Obscurus. Considering it was forged from Grindelwald's Black Magic and Prophecy Power, it was possible the White Dragon could also cast Black Magic or even manipulate foresight.
But those were abilities he already possessed. The new ability awakened by the Stand remained a mystery.
It wasn't important. His goal was achieved. For him, the Stand was merely a tool—another outlet for spiritual force.
He was a magician; his true foundation was Black Magic.
With a thought, White Dragon vanished into the air. He sensed the calm Prophetic energy within himself and the still-faintly restless Obscurus. He sighed inwardly.
He'd tried to let the Obscurus be swept into the vortex of his soul space—to let it merge with the Stand and end this problem once and for all. But the Obscurus merely coiled around the vortex's edges, unable to integrate.
Kai could guess why.
The Stand was born of his spirit. The Prophecy energy and Grindelwald's Black Magic, though powerful, were pure and devoid of fragmented consciousness—his spirit accepted them naturally.
The Obscurus, however, was different. It contained the residual soul of this body's original owner—a soul incompatible with his own.
It seemed the problem had returned to the beginning.
He still needed to unravel his origins and help "Kai Adler's" remaining soul resolve its obsession before the Obscurus could be fully dealt with.
And so the trail led back to the Werewolf who tried to take him back to Berlin. Coincidentally, the Vampire faction was active there as well.
It was worth considering why two ancient enemies—the Werewolves and Vampires—had surfaced in Berlin simultaneously.
He looked up, locking eyes with Selene's icy blue gaze.
What surprised him was that Selene stared at him with a strangely familiar expression—that quiet, patient look of I'll just watch you perform.
He was all too familiar with that look—Hermione always watched him the same way.
Kai blinked, and then understanding dawned.
Given everything he'd done since entering the mansion, Selene's expression made perfect sense.
It was no wonder she looked at him like that—disappearing, fighting solo, "deserting" the battlefield.
"I did have another reason for confronting Dio," Kai began.
But Selene shook her head, cutting him off. "No, actually… as a Vampire, I should be thanking you. Dio's existence risked exposing us to the mortal world. And truth be told…"
She gave a rare, self-deprecating smile. "Our faction stood no chance against Dio. You eliminated him—a volatile, dangerous factor. For that, I sincerely thank you… Mr. Oka."
Kai's expression twitched slightly. The way she emphasized "Mr. Oka" was laced with sarcasm, impossible to miss.
And that look she kept giving him—it made sense now.
But it didn't matter. He was Oka now. How Selene looked at Oka had nothing to do with Kai Adler.
"I have a question for you, Miss Selene."
Selene raised an eyebrow. The scene reminded her of a dark Berlin alley, where a young wizard with unusually sharp eyes once spoke to her in exactly that same tone.
"Ask."
Kai smiled, his hand instinctively reaching for the tea set tucked in his robes—but remembering his current identity, he pulled back reluctantly.
"I overheard your earlier conversation. You mentioned your last mission was in Berlin?"
Selene's eyes sharpened. Why was he asking about that?
Images of Berlin's hidden corners—the back alleys and rooftops—flashed through her mind.
Suddenly, she felt it: a brief chill, as though something invisible brushed through her consciousness before vanishing.
Her eyes widened.
Kai's expression turned oddly amused.
He understood now why she had been looking at him like that—she'd seen through his disguise long ago.
And the reason…
Selene's lips curved into a subtle smile. Her cold beauty gained an unexpected, alluring warmth as she approached Kai, swaying her slender waist gracefully.
From her robes, she produced a brooch.
"I picked this up off the floor. Consider it a gift—keep it safe~"
The brooch was shaped like a jet-black Datura flower, its edges wrapped in blue crystals that perfectly complemented Selene's icy eyes.
Kai smiled helplessly. He'd tucked the brooch in his chest pocket earlier and promptly forgotten about it. Dio's barrage had likely knocked it loose.
"Alright."
His gaze drifted to Erica, still unconscious nearby, confirming she was unharmed.
His figure shrank, shifting back into the sharp-featured, handsome young man beneath the Oka disguise.
He accepted the brooch.
"I never properly thanked you for your gift. It feels a bit too generous for mere acquaintances."
Selene's eyes glimmered faintly.
"It's nothing. For a Vampire, that's just a trinket."
"Good to know."
Kai's polite smile carried its usual subtle distance.
"Oh, and I owe you thanks as well."
"For what this time?"
"In Berlin…"
He brushed the surface of her mind, recalling the memory: outside his door, Selene deduced from the Werewolf's ashes that he was responsible—but she never exposed him to her companions.
She also didn't know why the Werewolf was after him.
"Thank me?" Selene chuckled dryly. "Even if I told them, you probably wouldn't care, right?"
"True, but your actions still earned my gratitude."
That was Kai Adler's principle.
"Also, I need a favor."
"What kind of favor?"
"I doubt you'd help me contact the Werewolf, but I want to meet Klein."
Selene's pupils contracted. If they met, conflict was inevitable. No matter who survived, she'd lose her standing among the Vampires.
Seeing her hesitation, Kai shook his head calmly.
"Don't worry. I won't provoke your… superior."
"He's not my superior," Selene snapped coldly.
"Alright, alright," Kai raised his hands in mock surrender, shifting back into Oka's persona.
"Don't forget, I'm his only surviving Wizard ally—and I deeply hate the other me."
Selene frowned. She understood the first half, but…
Kai shrugged casually. "The Eber family—remember?"
Her eyes widened.
"That was you?!"
Kai shrugged again, unfazed.
Selene could only sigh. How small The World truly was.
After a pause, she looked at Kai with faint curiosity.
"At your age, how many things have you already done to anger Heaven and Earth? Why do so many people have it out for you?"
Kai blinked, genuinely thoughtful.
He wondered that himself.