Thank a lot for the 650 power stones! Here's the bonus chapter
At 150 Power Stones, I'll drop another bonus chapter.
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For a few seconds, Touka feels her brain stop, leaving her unable to process what she sees.
"A...Arata...?"
Whether because she used all her strength, or because of seeing who her attack hurt, the kagune disappears from her back, making her descend from the air and fall sitting on the ground.
On the other hand, Rize goes into shock. Her elongated tentacles remain embedded in Arata's chest. When she realizes this fact, she retracts them so fast she almost falls backward.
"No... I..."
Blood drips from Arata's wounds and falls to the ground. There are holes in his chest, in his stomach, and in his shoulders while the crystalline blades protrude from his back.
Touka lowers her head and bites her lip while feeling her heart tighten.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to!"
Though it wasn't because she wanted to, that doesn't remove the fact that it was her who hurt Arata.
"Arata!"
Rize runs toward him with panic on her face.
"Your body...! Drink my blood!"
From what he told her, a vampire's strength originates from the blood they consume. So if he consumes her blood, he can regenerate better.
But then Arata does something neither of them expected.
"Pfft... hahaha..."
"Huh?"
Both look at him without understanding anything while question marks appear above their heads.
"Wh-What are you laughing at? Your wound..."
Rize looks at him worried while asking that.
"Yeah, I know. It hurts quite a bit, actually."
Despite saying that, Arata keeps smiling. The sharp blades in his back start coming out of his body, at the same time the wounds are beginning to close.
"But I'm glad to see you both have so much energy."
"How can you say that?! I... I almost killed you!"
Touka screams with desperation on her face. Her eyes fix on the flesh slowly closing on his back, and her own heart feels like it's being stabbed.
"Umu. That's the point, isn't it? Almost, but you didn't."
Arata walks toward Touka, who's still kneeling on the ground. He crouches in front of her and raising his right hand, puts it on her head.
"Hey. Look at me."
"I-I can't... I... I hurt you... again you got hurt... Not just because of me, but by my own hand..."
"Touka."
His voice sounds soft, but pronounces her name firmly, making Touka lift her head.
"I'm fine. See? I'm already healed. I'm a vampire. Wounds of this magnitude can't kill me."
"B-But that's not the point..."
"Shhh."
Arata smiles at her while continuing to stroke her hair. Touka tries to resist at first, because she feels like she's being treated like a small child, but in the end lets herself be stroked by him while staying silent, staring at him with somewhat dim eyes.
Then he turns his head toward Rize, who's standing a few steps away. She has an expression that's hard to describe. For him, who can sense and see her emotions through frequencies and aura, he can sense she feels guilty, while at the same time seeing a huge wave of jealousy escape from her.
"Come here."
"...Huh?"
"Come here."
Rize hesitates at first, though the next instant she walks toward him. When she's close enough, Arata raises his left hand and puts it on her head too.
"Don't make that face."
"What face? I'm not making any face..."
"Yes you are. You look like an abandoned puppy."
"Fufu~ I see... I guess so..."
She accepts that fact. Seems that she, who has despised feelings, has now found someone she cares about. For her, however, this sensation isn't bad.
Besides wanting to eat him to become one with him, there's also the desire to possess him, and have him for herself.
While those thoughts pass through her head, Rize leans slightly toward Arata's hand, and with closed eyes, gives off the feeling that she wants more petting.
"..."
Kiriko, who is a spectator, narrows her eyes at Arata. After a moment, a small smile displays on her face.
'That boy... really knows how to handle troublemakers.'
Honestly, she feels a bit impressed. A minute ago those two were about to kill each other, however, now they're in front of him like tame little kittens letting themselves be petted.
Wait...
The next second, her smile transforms into a cold smile.
'My daughter is in trouble.'
She has the feeling this boy is dangerous. All the girls around him have gone crazy.
She remembers Saya, that smug brat. Somehow, after meeting him, she became obsessed with him.
Though she doesn't know the old Touka, she's sure she didn't have a possessive and obsessed personality before, but she also went crazy when she met him.
And Rize... well, she seems crazy by nature. Though he might've influenced her a bit too.
Her daughter spends a lot of time with him. Could it be she's already been corrupted too and she, her mother, hasn't even noticed?
'This boy... how does he do it?'
Has he given them drugs to make them obsessed with him?
"Well."
After a while, Arata starts speaking.
"Can you explain to me what was happening?"
Touka and Rize exchange a glance. It's the first time they've looked at each other without hostility since they met.
"She started it."
Touka is the one who murmurs those words.
"I couldn't stand seeing her."
And this time it's Rize.
"Oi, oi. What are you, five-year-olds?"
Both lower their heads embarrassed.
Arata sighs and continues stroking their heads.
"Listen. I know the cause of the problem you have between you. It's me. But I'm not going to choose either of you."
"...Huh?"
Both look at him with panic while their eyes start becoming dangerous. Seems in their heads they're plotting something strange and dangerous.
He feels he's in danger of being tied up and dragged into a basement, where he'll be locked up with these crazy girls.
So young, but so crazy...
"Touka is important to me. And so is Rize. I'm not abandoning either, so you're going to have to learn to get along."
The dark aura escaping from them dims greatly.
"But this bitch..."
"No buts."
Arata silences Rize by putting his finger on her lips.
"Understood?"
Touka presses her lips but finally nods.
Rize pouts but also nods.
"Good. Now shake hands."
"...What?"
"...Hah?"
"Shake hands. Come on."
Both look at each other with expressions that say "I'd rather die." But under Arata's gaze, they have no choice.
Slowly, they extend their hands and shake them.
Both squeeze their hands with more force than a handshake needs.
"Nice. That wasn't so hard, was it?"
"It was horrible."
Touka withdraws her hand while making a disgusted face.
"I'd rather eat glass."
Rize narrows her gaze at Touka.
There's still hostility between them. But that's normal. After all, it can't be resolved with just some words and some petting. Especially when the main culprit for reaching this extreme is him.
"Well, you're both pretty honest."
Arata laughs while withdrawing his hands from their heads.
—Clap!
The sound of palm hitting palm rings out. Everyone's eyes turn toward Kiriko, who approaches the group.
"Well, since everyone's here, I guess we can start the real training."
Touka frowns.
"Real training? What we did before wasn't training?"
"Heh, consider it a warm-up. Because now..."
Her eyes become dangerous and her face shows a toothy smile.
"You're going to hunt vampires."