"No need. I won't be sleeping early tonight. You guys should get some good rest."
Chen Yao smiled and said to Hachiman.
Hachiman Hikigaya silently watched Chen Yao. How should he put it? He felt that Chen Yao gave off a very unconventional vibe. He stood alone by the window, leisurely enjoying the scenery, uncaring about the girls' opinions or his own solitude. Yet, he seemed to possess everything. Although their situations were similar, they were fundamentally two completely different types of people.
All the students returned to their rooms to rest. Chen Yao, wearing his school uniform, seemed slightly calmer. From this moment on, the contest between him, protecting the Service Club Classmates, and the Vampire had just begun.
He entered the dilapidated room, which was barely habitable, and felt that the Vampire probably wouldn't act so early. He decided to wash off the sweat first.
But when he turned on the faucet in the room, he discovered that it was also broken!
It was clear that Kagaribi no Kiriue truly disliked him, assigning him a room without even a hot shower. However, as he passed through the corridor, he actually saw a very clean public bathhouse around the corner of the stairs.
"You brought this upon yourself. You want me not to shower, but I'm going to take a shower right here in your Vampire Mansion."
Carrying his clothes, Chen Yao took advantage of the empty corridor and stealthily slipped into the furthest public bathroom. He turned the faucet, and a stream of moderately hot water immediately rushed out.
Just as Chen Yao took off his shirt and pants and was about to shower, he suddenly sensed something. He turned his head and saw the Vampire Kagaribi no Kiriue, who had just emerged from the ventilation chimney and was preparing to ambush the "girls" who were weakened by the sleeping drug... Chapter 008: The Vampire Princess and the ember's Blood.
In the public bathroom where hot water was still gushing, Kagaribi no Kiriue, who had originally planned to drink the girls' blood first and then the boys', was surprised to find someone showering. Since the location was near the girls' rooms, she assumed a girl was bathing. She transformed into mist and entered through the ventilation chimney, intending a dramatic Vampire entrance, but instead, she saw a boy who had just taken off his pants... "Ugh!"
Both Chen Yao and Kagaribi no Kiriue were startled.
It must be said that this was the first time Kagaribi no Kiriue had personally seen a man's body, and her mind went blank for a moment.
"Wait a minute, what are you doing, Classmate Kagami!?"
Startled, Chen Yao quickly put his clothes back on. He hadn't expected Kagaribi no Kiriue, who had transformed into mist, to enter through the chimney and stumble upon such an awkward scene. His body had never been seen by the opposite sex before.
"I should be asking you! Why are you showering here? You weren't my original target," Kagaribi no Kiriue replied, somewhat mortified and angered.
Of course Chen Yao was showering here, but when he looked closely at Kagaribi no Kiriue, he saw that her pupils had turned red, and a pair of delicate fangs protruded from her mouth. She floated in mid-air, like a Progenitor descending.
"Classmate Kagami, are you really a Vampire? Do you plan to drink the Classmates' blood tonight?"
Chen Yao immediately calmed down. It could even be said that his demeanor completely changed; he shed his sloppy appearance and became serious.
"...Heh heh, Classmate Chen Yao, don't you already know my identity? I can also sense that your blood has a strong metallic scent. Ultimately, you are not entirely human, are you?"
Kagaribi no Kiriue immediately showed an arrogant smile, floating in the air as she asked.
"..." Chen Yao fell silent. He did not deny it.
"Classmate Chen Yao, since you are not purely human, I don't want to make things difficult for you. You may leave here. I will have the butler send you back. As long as you stop interfering with my affairs, I can forgive your trespasses."
Kagaribi no Kiriue spread her hands wide to show magnanimity, speaking with a smile.
Chen Yao was silent for a moment, then responded with a somewhat forceful tone: "I also have a suggestion, Classmate Kagami. I can pretend this never happened, but you must not arbitrarily harm anyone else. I knew this was a Vampire Mansion from the start, and I entered specifically to ensure they could leave safely."
"Hehehe... Hahahaha!" Kagaribi no Kiriue looked down at him arrogantly, as if she had heard a hilarious joke. She said, "Who do you think you're negotiating with, Classmate Chen Yao? I am a True Ancestor-level Vampire! Suppressing you is like crushing an ant. Since you choose to refuse my goodwill, then I must act. I will make you remember the consequence of offending me."
Floating in the air, Kagaribi no Kiriue, who resembled a Vampire Princess, suddenly spread her cloak. A massive, black gale instantly swept through the entire bathroom, seemingly lifting everything and slamming it hard against the walls.
The entire mansion began to shake violently, but Yukinoshita Yukino and the others had already been drugged and showed no signs of waking up.
It must be said that she lived up to the legend of the Vampire. Chen Yao also realized that Kagaribi no Kiriue was much harder to deal with than a Soul-Sucking Ghost. However, since returning to the peaceful world, he had never dealt with this kind of monster, and he wasn't sure if his dark soul could contend with the power of a Progenitor.
Kagaribi no Kiriue, floating in the air, originally thought Chen Yao would be blown away and knocked unconscious against the wall. But she was instantly stunned to find that her Vampire gale was resisted by the opponent, who stood firm as if his feet were rooted. Not only that, her wind carried Fear Magic, designed to induce terror in the opponent's heart. Yet, Chen Yao showed no sign of fear, appearing even calmer instead.
"Ugh... it didn't work..."
Kagaribi no Kiriue frowned tightly, looking at the young man with surprise, and a sense of anxiety arose in her heart.
As a result, within the dark-colored whirlwind, resisting the hurricane, small sparks began to appear on Chen Yao's body, as if flames were scorching him. That aura of unyielding courage immediately enveloped his whole body. This power perfectly resisted her magic, astounding her.
Kagaribi no Kiriue, floating in the center of the black whirlwind, frowned and asked, "Chen Yao, why are you on fire? What kind of power is this?"
"This is my unyielding will."
Chen Yao immediately planted his feet more firmly. Taking advantage of the moment, he leaped up and attacked Kagaribi no Kiriue with lightning speed!
But Kagaribi no Kiriue suddenly vanished with a whoosh. This seemed to be a type of Instant Transmission Magic, allowing a Progenitor to disappear and reappear elsewhere, just like Dracula in the games. Chen Yao was momentarily stunned, but this ability was not unfamiliar to him. He had dealt with this ability before when he captured the Prince to become the Kindling, and that opponent was much stronger.
Kagaribi no Kiriue originally thought this ability was enough to suppress Chen Yao. However, when she instantly transmitted again and reappeared, Chen Yao, who had rushed over, suddenly delivered a heavy kick to her chest, sending her flying backward to slam hard against the wall.
"Ugh... Y-you actually!!" Blood trickled from Kagaribi no Kiriue's mouth. She looked at him in disbelief; he actually possessed the brute strength to injure a Progenitor.
What terrifying power was this, and such skilled combat techniques? Was he really a student? Kagaribi no Kiriue began to feel dread.
However, this was nothing; she possessed an Immortal Body. Originally, she had only intended to drink human blood for sustenance and didn't plan to kill them, but she had truly underestimated Chen Yao, who had come with them.
"Chen Yao, answer me, what is the meaning of your actions? To fight a Vampire Progenitor like me just for a few Classmates? Listen, I won't hold back anymore. Although you are strong, I can sense that you are ultimately just a mortal body. I recall that your relationship with the Service Club Classmates wasn't that close, was it?"
Kagaribi no Kiriue's anger grew increasingly intense. The manor shook even more violently. Her bloodline was pure; if she got serious, she could flatten the entire building, yet she still couldn't understand Chen Yao's reason for taking such a risk.
"I don't think I have any special reason. They are my Classmates—students who, in my eyes, possess emotions, thoughts, and their own sense of justice. They go around helping others based on their beliefs. Perhaps others call them 'fools,' but I consider them precious. They even came to this Manor to help you, yet Classmate Kagami intends to repay kindness with malice. I truly cannot stand that kind of behavior."
Chen Yao even started criticizing Kagaribi no Kiriue's actions, which surprised her further. Was the reason really that simple? How naive and foolish was this person to believe such rhetoric? The essence of human social relations is mutual exploitation, established ultimately for the purpose of self-preservation. Apart from seeing some pure-souled humans bravely die for a great cause when she was young, she had seen enough human depravity to make her sick. She truly didn't believe that righteous individuals still existed in this era of advanced materialism and desire.
"That sounds very noble, Chen Yao, but I simply cannot believe you are such a righteous person. I've changed my mind. I want to take your blood and investigate what kind of person you truly are through it."
Kagaribi no Kiriue revealed a sinister yet uniquely seductive Vampire smile. This time, she got serious. She snapped her fingers, and suddenly, ten Western-style coffins emerged from the spinning black vortex. When the wooden coffins opened, ten more Kagaribi no Kiriue appeared.
"Can you withstand this Vampire Illusion, Chen Yao?" Eleven Kagaribi no Kiriue surrounded Chen Yao, rotating constantly. This was an ancient ability belonging to a certain Vampire lineage. If the Demon Hunter struck the wrong target, the Vampire would seize the opportunity to drink their blood.
"..." Chen Yao looked at this Illusion where Kagaribi no Kiriue was everywhere. He recalled a certain Mage he had killed in the Grand Archives who specialized in this kind of Illusory Magic. It really was difficult to deal with.
"Yukinoshita, Hikitani... could you two take fewer dangerous Classmate requests in the future?" Chen Yao thought helplessly.
As a result, eleven Kagaribi no Kiriue rushed forward simultaneously. Chen Yao immediately used both hands to shield his vitals. Kagaribi no Kiriue felt a chill at Chen Yao's reaction; the wretched Chen Yao was truly battle-hardened. Her move ultimately yielded some results, allowing her to seize the opportunity to claw Chen Yao's shoulder and then lick the blood off her fingers, intending to understand Chen Yao's identity so she could better deal with him.
But suddenly, upon tasting that single drop of blood, Kagaribi no Kiriue's mind was immediately flooded with a bitter, lonely, and dark flavor... Using the blood as a medium, she vaguely found herself in a pitch-black cavern, filled with corpses and wandering monsters, reeking of decay. The sky offered no light, and soulless people wandered everywhere.
Yet, in this dark and despairing world, the silhouette of a knight was steadily advancing. The knight continuously slew enemies, but upon reaching the cages and seeing the pitiful individuals imprisoned due to various unfortunate fates, the knight still bent down and extended a hand to those who had lost all hope.
Trivial acts of salvation could not change the dark world, and the knight knew this. But he continued to adventure and save, gathering behind him a group of people who had existed and then vanished again. Salvation was not meaningless; they, too, brought warmth to this world. By the time the knight finally reached the site of the final battle, the persistence and faith in light surrounding him made the dark world seem less dark in the end. Regardless of the final outcome, the knight never abandoned the conviction to fight despair to the very end... [Whoosh!]
Suddenly, a fist sparking with starlight stopped right in front of Kagaribi no Kiriue. She snapped back from that sad yet luminous emotion, feeling the heat of the fist on her cheek.
...
Kagaribi no Kiriue was stunned, watching Chen Yao, who had held back, retract his fist.
"Why didn't you strike?" Kagaribi no Kiriue asked, confused. The memory theft only created a momentary time gap, and Chen Yao had successfully exploited her lapse to gain an advantage, yet he chose not to strike this time.
"...You also held back just now. I expected to be more seriously injured. Let's call it a draw, Classmate Kagami."
Chen Yao was certainly not the type to show mercy lightly, but judging by the fact that Kagaribi no Kiriue hadn't gone for the killing blow from behind, he was able to determine that she might not be completely evil, and so he ultimately chose not to severely wound her.
...
Kagaribi no Kiriue fell silent again. She had initially thought Chen Yao was some kind of cynical weirdo, but from his blood, she learned that this person was not as happy as she imagined, yet he relentlessly pursued the light.
"I give up on drinking the blood of Classmate Yukinoshita and the others, and erasing their memories."
Kagaribi no Kiriue sighed and spoke.
Chen Yao was taken aback. He had expected to have to stall Kagaribi no Kiriue until morning, but he never anticipated her sudden surrender.
"Are you serious, Classmate Kagami?" Chen Yao asked, surprised.
Kagaribi no Kiriue dispelled the black mist and replied, "I lost. I never thought that in this world... there truly existed a [Righteous Man]."
That night, Kagaribi no Kiriue, who had inherited the power of the Progenitor, suddenly ceased her predatory activities and even arranged a clean room for Chen Yao as compensation.
Chen Yao barely slept until the next morning, but Kagaribi no Kiriue truly kept her promise and did not launch any further attacks on Yukinoshita and the others.
Early in the morning, the Service Club members were all well-rested and looked refreshed, but Yukino and the others curiously noticed that both Chen Yao and Kagaribi no Kiriue looked listless, as if neither of them had rested well.
"Classmate Kagami, I formally present the Service Club's proposed solution." Yukinoshita Yukino seemed to have carefully considered the matter, explaining the assistance plan to Kagaribi no Kiriue: "If things go smoothly, the conflict you have with the Class B girls, which was the basis of the request, can be resolved today. My proposal is to have a teacher transfer you to Class A, while the Classmates who bullied you will face school discipline. Furthermore, if Classmate Kagami cooperates more with her Classmates and gets along better in the future, I believe such serious class issues will not recur."
"Alright, I agree. Thank you, Classmate Yukinoshita." Kagaribi no Kiriue accepted. Although she seemed unaccustomed to thanking humans, she appeared somewhat subdued after being scolded for repaying kindness with enmity the previous night.
As the group headed toward the car, preparing for school, Kagaribi no Kiriue, bathed in the morning light, was preoccupied with the events of the previous night. She seemed to have found something she cared about. Finally, she looked at Chen Yao and whispered, "I will uphold the promise I made last night, and you must not tell anyone that I am a Vampire. But I must ask you... you went to such great lengths for one simple request. What will you do if the next request is even more troublesome? You aren't even a club member, and it doesn't concern you, yet will you still go through fire and water for your companions?"
"Uh..."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yao got a headache. Although he had indeed stepped forward to protect the Service Club members, he also detested trouble. He could only hope that the Service Club would take on slightly more normal requests in the future... However, due to the conflict caused by this request, the Vampire Miss who had originally planned to leave Chiba Prefecture after this predation ultimately postponed her transfer plan indefinitely after noticing Chen Yao's unique qualities... Chapter 009: Sakayanagi Arisu
The Tokyo Metropolitan Area and Chiba Prefecture are separated administrative regions, but their economies and transportation links are closely intertwined, allowing mutual travel via an hour-long train ride. Chiba Prefecture is located east of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, surrounded by sea on three sides, offering mild winters and cool summers. Many Tokyo tourists visit Chiba Prefecture for short vacations, and Tokyo Bay is actually within Chiba Prefecture's boundaries.
In the Service Club room at Chiba Prefecture Sobu High School, a letter of request was formally handed to Yukinoshita Yukino.
"What is this?"
Yukinoshita Yukino looked puzzled and asked the advisor, Shizuka Hiratsuka.
"It's an invitation letter sent by another school, hoping to collaborate with Sobu High School on a joint stage play in a week. It's meant to be a school exchange activity."
A beautiful female teacher wearing a white lab coat replied with a smile.
"Shouldn't this kind of thing be handled by the Student Council? What does this have to do with the Service Club?" Hachiman Hikigaya asked, even more confused.
"Ah, yes, normally this kind of thing should indeed be handled by the Student Council, but the problem is that this joint event is very difficult."
Shizuka Hiratsuka looked troubled, piquing the curiosity of the three students.
"So what exactly is the situation? Can you elaborate?"
Yukinoshita Yukino asked, frowning.
"The inviting school is Japan's number one high school, the Tokyo Metropolitan Koudo Ikusei High School, and the invitation was proposed by Class A, their most talented and well-rounded class."
Shizuka Hiratsuka revealed a crucial school name, causing both Yukinoshita Yukino and Hachiman Hikigaya's expressions to change.
"Eh, what's wrong? Is there something special about that school?" Yui Yuigahama, who was usually oblivious, asked curiously, noticing that even Yukino's expression had turned serious.
"...Tokyo Metropolitan Koudo Ikusei High School. It's the school with the highest deviation score in Japan. I hear they specialize in cultivating Japan's future elite leaders, and many children of the Peerage attend that school. It's a prestigious high school that at least you and I couldn't get into."
Hachiman Hikigaya briefly explained the school. In terms of strength comparison, it was the difference between Chiba Prefecture's best and Japan's best—a vast disparity.
Yui Yuigahama looked a little embarrassed and said, "Geez, Kō-chan, you don't have to put it like that..."
"So, why would Japan's number one feudal school suddenly collaborate with our school on a stage play?"
Yukinoshita Yukino, rather impolitely, referred to the opposing school as a feudal school, and asked Teacher Hiratsuka.
"Who knows? Maybe they are simply interested in the nearest prestigious high school, or perhaps they are highly interested in... some of the outstanding students at our school?"
Shizuka Hiratsuka smiled, looking at them, and offered a teasing guess.
...
Yukinoshita Yukino remained silent, her expression seemingly carrying a hint of disgust.
"Phew, so the Student Council has submitted a request for assistance to you. They can't handle the aggressive Koudo Ikusei High School alone. So, will you accept it, or not?"
Shizuka Hiratsuka then showed a cheerful smile, finally asking for the Service Club's opinion.
~·~·~·~
Meanwhile, in the late afternoon, on the sports field of Chiba Prefecture Sobu High School.
Baseball club training was proceeding intensely and orderly, and the soccer club was holding special three-a-side soccer match training. It was a scene of prosperity.
However, at this moment, several high school students wearing red uniforms walked in. Their unique demeanor quickly captured the attention of the Sobu High School students.
"What do you guys think?"
A leading bald boy watched for a while and asked the other Classmates.
"It's just a very ordinary school. The baseball level is mediocre, and while the soccer is better, it's not good enough to advance to the national level. Overall, it feels like it's stuck in the middle tier of first-class high schools nationwide."
The long-haired boy next to him seemed highly skilled in school sports and reached a conclusion after a brief look.
"But the information seems incorrect... I heard Sobu High School's baseball team almost made it to Koshien Stadium last year, and they supposedly have an ace pitcher. Why didn't I see any impressive pitchers during practice?"
These students, who clearly came from an elite high school, began evaluating Sobu High School as soon as they entered, giving off an air of superiority that drew glances from some of the Sobu High School students.