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"Akashiya Moka…"
Max froze for a second when he heard the name.
Something fuzzy in the back of his mind clicked into place.
He remembered now.
She was from the world of Rosario + Vampire.
The name alone basically told you what kind of place that was.
A world full of monsters.
And the girl standing in front of him? A vampire.
In that world, vampires weren't just any monster—they were the apex predators.
They could supercharge their bodies with demonic power and punch holes through mountains if they wanted.
One of the very few races worthy of the title "Great Yokai of Power."
And Moka Akashiya wasn't like the other vampires either.
She had the blood of a True Ancestor.
From what Max knew, her mother was one of only two True Ancestor vampires in that whole world.
The pink-haired, green-eyed girl in front of him right now wasn't even her real form.
Her true self had silver hair and crimson eyes.
And her personality wasn't this soft, cute, and gentle vibe either.
She was the cool, imperious type—cold on the outside, warm on the inside.
Realizing who she was, Max couldn't help but have a suspicion.
She hadn't been about to bite him just now, had she?
Yeah… it was pretty likely.
Apparently, his blood was a little too tempting for vampires.
His body and spirit had been transformed by the seven royal authorities' power, evolving into something beyond normal life.
Take his skin, for example.
It looked pale, smooth, and fragile, like a touch could bruise it.
But in reality, it was absurdly tough—regular weapons barely scratched him.
His blood was just as extraordinary.
Packed with spiritual energy, it was probably the vampiric equivalent of a high-grade tonic.
No wonder Moka had almost lost control.
His overflowing life force probably wasn't helping either.
Moka hadn't noticed anything off about him.
Right now, she was fighting to push down the strange urge welling up inside her.
Her head dipped, eyes fixed on the ground, face burning hot. She didn't dare look up at Max, afraid she might lose it.
The blood-red jewel in the center of her silver cross necklace seemed to glimmer faintly.
Seeing her like that, Max quietly reeled his life energy back to a normal level.
At the same time, Moka felt her urge fade a little—just enough to keep control.
She finally managed to lift her head and look at him.
Their eyes met. Max gave her a small smile and said,
"You're not an ordinary person, are you?"
He already knew, of course.
"Eh?!"
Moka stared at him, eyes wide, like her pupils had "How did you know?!" written across them.
Because right now she was sealed.
Unless she revealed it herself, she looked completely human.
Max pointed up at the moon with his left hand and smiled.
"It's so late, and you're wandering around a place like this alone. That's not exactly something normal people do."
"I… guess you're right…"
Moka blinked, then gave a shy little laugh.
Then her big green eyes sparkled with curiosity as she looked back at him.
"So you're not normal either. What are you?"
She could tell at a glance Max wasn't human.
Just now, passing by, she'd felt a strange energy pulsing from this spot—that's why she came to check.
And then the sudden thirst for blood on top of it…
Yeah. There was no way he was just a regular guy.
Max raised an eyebrow, teasing,
"Before you ask about other people's secrets, shouldn't you share one of your own first?"
"Is that how it works?"
Moka tilted her head, blinking.
Her first impression of him said he was trustworthy.
So after a brief hesitation, she said,
"Actually, I'm a monster."
"A vampire, to be exact…"
As soon as the words left her lips, she tensed up, fists clenching involuntarily as she watched him.
Their eyes locked.
She was scared she'd see disgust or fear flash across his face.
Because humans and monsters were different species.
Her time in the human world had taught her well—people feared real monsters.
To them, monsters meant evil and danger.
And even though she'd just met Max, she couldn't help worrying he'd hate her for what she was.
"Oh…"
Max nodded, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Eh???"
Moka blinked at him, stunned.
That reaction wasn't at all what she'd expected.
"Um, I'm a monster. A vampire."
She repeated it for emphasis.
"I know," Max said, blinking back at her. "So what?"
Moka: "…"
Maybe he just didn't understand what "vampire" meant?
But she let it go, and instead gave him a curious look.
"I've told you. Now it's your turn."
"Fair enough."
Max smiled and said,
"You could think of me as… a superpowered human."
The so-called "kings" were technically superpowered humans too. They just carried the special title of "king" because of their uniqueness.
"A superpowered human, huh. I see."
Moka nodded like that explained everything.
Not even a hint of suspicion.
Max raised his eyebrows slightly. She really was as simple—and as easy to fool—as he thought.
"Want to take a walk?"
He thought for a second, then extended the invitation.
"A… a walk?!"
Moka's eyes widened in surprise.
She clearly hadn't expected him to ask.
They held each other's gaze for a moment, then she nodded.
"Sure."
"Let's go, then."
Seeing she hadn't refused, Max's smile widened just a little more.
Yup—definitely easy to win over.
They didn't pick a direction, just slowed their pace and started down the road.
Walking side by side with him, Moka's nose twitched.
She seemed to smell something.
Her pale cheeks flushed even redder.
Her gaze kept drifting toward Max, fists clenching at her sides.
Standing this close, she realized in a panic that her craving for blood was only getting stronger.
She wanted it. Badly.
A faint red glow flickered deep in her clear green eyes.
She bit her lower lip, trembling slightly as she fought the urge to pounce on him and drink.
"???"
Max noticed the change in her and frowned.
Seriously? His blood was that attractive?
He hadn't even cut himself—just standing near her was enough to make her like this?
A dozen thoughts flashed through his mind.
Then he made a decision.
He stopped walking, turned to face her, and asked,
"Moka… do you want to drink my blood?"
"Eh?!"
Moka's eyes flew wide open.
"....."