Night blanketed the Arima estate like a velvet shroud. The moon hung low, casting pale light on the ancient pines that whispered in the wind. Isshin Arima stood before a hidden chamber beneath the mansion, donning a cloak of black obsidian silk. In his hand, he held a ceremonial mask—smooth, expressionless, bone-white.
He placed it upon his face.
[System Skill Activated: Vampiric Concealment – Mask of the Nightborne]
[Stats Enhanced: Speed +40%, Sensory Range Extended, Presence Hidden]
The transformation began in silence. His veins pulsed with ancient blood; his body dissolved into vapor, reassembled in the darkness. No servant saw him leave—only a gust of wind passed through the iron gates as he vanished into the night.
Tonight, the predator hunted not out of hunger, but memory.
Far from the city, along the winding roads that led into the mountains of Nagano, a car moved steadily through the twilight. Inside were three souls unaware that death followed closely behind.
Kanae Arima, her face tired but serene, sat in the passenger seat. Her husband, Kobayashi Sato, drove with one hand while the other tapped the dashboard rhythmically. In the back, their son, Teppei, age sixteen, listened to music with one earbud in, staring out at the dark forest.
"It's nice to get away," Kanae said. "No noise, no Tokyo."
Sato nodded. "It'll be good for Teppei too."
But from the ridge above, another set of eyes watched—not Isshin's, but eyes far colder.
Four figures, dressed in matte-black suits and equipped with sound-suppressed firearms, crouched among the trees. Their movement was surgical, coordinated. The leader's tattoo, a crimson crescent moon on the neck, confirmed their identity.
Shinomiya clan. Enemies of the Arima bloodline for generations.
And they hadn't come for a warning.
High above, Isshin Arima stood upon a pine bough, perfectly still. His senses extended beyond the canopy—he could hear the whispers of blades, the scent of gunmetal, the breath of prey and predator alike.
[Alert: Hostile Presence Detected – Shinomiya Operatives Confirmed]
[Family Targets Located: Kanae Arima, Teppei Arima, Kobayashi Sato]
He did not move. He did not interfere.
Instead, he watched.
The first shot pierced the car's tire. The vehicle swerved violently, crashing into a barrier. Teppei screamed, Kanae hit her head, and Sato shouted in panic. Before they could recover, the assassins descended.
Three seconds. That's all it took for pain to flood the road.
Teppei was dragged out first, slammed against the hood. Kanae tried to shield him, but was knocked to the ground. Sato fought—briefly—before his shoulder was broken by a steel baton.
Blood painted the gravel.
Isshin remained above, eyes cold. He whispered, "Taste fear. Understand what helplessness means."
And when the Shinomiya leader drew a knife to finish Teppei, that was when Isshin moved.
They never saw him coming.
One moment, the leader's hand was raised.
The next, his head was separated from his body—cleanly, silently.
Blood spattered the others, who turned in horror.
"W-What the—?!"
But shadows swallowed them.
A blur. A slash. A heartbeat—and the second assassin collapsed, throat crushed.
The third fired a volley into the darkness, screaming. But the bullets struck nothing.
Then came the whisper behind him.
"Too slow."
The fourth assassin's scream was cut short as his spine was ripped from his body like a ribbon.
Only silence remained.
The road was littered with corpses.
Kanae, barely conscious, opened her eyes to see a tall figure approaching, mask glinting under moonlight. Teppei coughed blood, struggling to move. Sato tried to shield them again, even in his broken state.
"I-Isshin…?" Kanae croaked, recognizing the stance.
The masked man knelt before Teppei.
"So this is the boy who would inherit my blood," he murmured. "Your eyes… they are hers."
Teppei looked up, wide-eyed, trembling. "Who… are you…?"
Isshin did not answer.
Instead, he reached into Teppei's chest—not physically, but spiritually. The boy gasped as something intangible, some blood-tied thread, was severed.
[Bloodline Connection: Terminated]
[Regret Purification – 1 of 2 Complete]
Teppei collapsed, lifeless.
Kanae screamed. Or tried to. Her voice broke into a sobbing rasp.
"I raised you with care," Isshin said softly, approaching her now. "I forgave you for leaving. For marrying that… thing."
Sato growled. "Don't… touch her…"
Isshin's voice dropped.
"I loved your mother once. She betrayed me. And you? You became her reflection."
Kanae sobbed. "P-please… Father… don't…"
"You are the last chain on my soul," he whispered. "And I must break you."
His hand passed through her chest like smoke. Her eyes went wide as her heart stopped—clean, painless, supernatural.
She slumped.
[Regret Purification – Complete]
[Vampire Devil Fruit: Full Awakening Achieved]
[New Title Unlocked: Crimson Sovereign]
The last breath of Sato came not with a scream, but a curse.
Isshin turned away.
He vanished into the forest, leaving the scene untouched, unsalvaged.
No trace of footsteps. No echo of violence.
Just the hum of crickets returning, as though the earth itself had chosen to forget.
The Arima bloodline had ended.
And with it, so too ended Isshin's past.