"Don't agree to it, Shinoa, I won't give up on my family! Luke, I'll give you my weapon, but my companions have to leave first!"
Yuichiro unfastened asuramaru from his waist and gripped the scabbard.
Shihō Kimizuki spoke with some dissatisfaction.
"Stupid Yu, what are you saying? We haven't even started fighting yet, and you're already preparing to surrender?"
Yuichiro simply looked at Shihō Kimizuki calmly and replied.
"Can you guarantee that everyone will win without casualties against a monster who defeated Lieutenant Colonel Guren plus the Queen of the Vampires?"
"The Queen of the Vampires?! That midget—"
A pebble suddenly flew over, interrupting Shihō Kimizuki's words and hitting him in the left calf.
"Ah! It hurts..."
Shihō Kimizuki crouched down in pain, cold sweat breaking out on his face. He looked up with difficulty toward the direction the pebble had come from.
He saw Krul tossing a few similar-sized pebbles in her right hand. After giving Shihō Kimizuki a cold glance, her gaze returned to Luke. It seemed his badmouthing had been overheard.
The other companions also felt more nervous, the pressure doubling. It was their first time seeing such a high-ranking Vampire.
Luke shrugged, looking speechless.
"Don't you guys need to hide your discussions from Vampires? I heard everything. Yuichiro, I can accept your proposal."
Yuichiro stepped forward. Mitsuba tried to stop him but failed.
"Are you a man of your word?"
Luke nodded, arms crossed over his chest.
"Of course. Your cursed gear in exchange for the safe evacuation of all your teammates."
"Fine! Once they leave, I'll give you the blade."
Luke clapped his hands.
"I support that; I'm a peace-loving Vampire. Lady Krul, you have no objections, right?"
Luke tilted his head and asked Krul.
Krul nodded casually, playing along with Luke. She wanted to see what he was up to.
"Alright, everyone, the adventure game is over. Hurry back to a safe place."
Luke spoke to the Shinoa Squad members in a tone used for coaxing children.
Mitsuba frowned and exchanged a glance with Shinoa Hiragi. Neither said anything. Facing such a monster, they couldn't afford to act on impulse.
Shihō Kimizuki seemed to have more to say, but he was cut off by Yuichiro's gaze.
Yoichi was a bit uneasy about Yuichiro staying behind, the worry on his face plain to see.
"Yu, if we leave, we leave together!"
In the end, Yoichi was still just a recruit new to the battlefield.
Yuichiro shook his head, not daring to take his eyes off Luke for a second. The memory of how fast Ferid was four years ago was still vivid in his mind.
"Don't worry about me, Yoichi. I have to stay to prevent this guy from going back on his word. Don't worry, I'll be fine! I still have to annihilate the Vampires!"
Yuichiro laughed unnaturally.
Luke felt "attacked" by the magic of friendship and found it a bit boring, so he walked over to Krul's side.
"A cliche plot."
Luke rested his hand on Krul's shoulder, leaning against her.
"Isn't it a bit too arrogant for Yuichiro to say such things right in front of me? You really are an idiot!"
Shinoa Hiragi spoke to everyone.
"Let's leave first. Let's trust Yu-kun!"
Mitsuba had been silent until now, but suddenly she said to Yuichiro.
"Hyakuya Yuichiro, give me your weapon. I'll be the one to stay behind..."
Shinoa Hiragi directly interrupted Mitsuba.
"Follow orders, Mitsuba. I'm the captain!"
Mitsuba worried about losing another companion, but she had to obey the captain's orders.
Helplessly, Yoichi supported Shihō Kimizuki as they walked at the front, Mitsuba followed behind, and Shinoa Hiragi walked at the rear.
Just as she was about to go up the stairs, Shinoa Hiragi suddenly turned and said.
"Little Snow Wolf, be a bit gentler with Yu~"
Yuichiro didn't quite understand those words, and Krul also looked suspiciously at Luke, who was leaning on her.
"You know them?"
"Mm-hmm, friends from my time as a human."
Krul gave a cold snort and stepped aside. Luke lost his support, but fortunately, his reactions were quick, and he immediately straightened up; otherwise, he would have stumbled several steps.
Luke was a bit confused. What did I do now?
After his companions left, Yuichiro breathed a sigh of relief. Holding asuramaru, he stepped forward; he had some things to ask Luke.
"Where is Mika?"
Luke snapped his fingers and pointed at Yuichiro, wearing an "I knew it" expression.
"As expected of you!"
"Answer me, what did you do to Mika? It was you who intentionally let me see those things that night, wasn't it? Sachiko's death has nothing to do with Guren at all! And Guren didn't perform human experiments on my family!"
Yuichiro spoke with conviction.
Luke frowned, feeling that Yuichiro's trust in Guren was a bit too brainless.
"I don't have as many schemes as humans. Except for a few freaks, Vampires are very straightforward. Furthermore, as I said that night, whether you follow or not is up to you. You saw part of the truth but still choose to believe that guy Guren. I can't help you there."
Luke suddenly facepalmed, sighed, and waved his hand at Yuichiro.
"Why am I saying so much to you? It seems I've been affected by an Intelligence-lowering Aura. Fine, hand over your weapon and get lost!"
Dissatisfied with Luke's attitude, Yuichiro drew asuramaru, and demon markings climbed onto his cheeks.
"You still haven't told me, what exactly happened to Mika?!"
Luke picked his ear impatiently.
"I don't have to respond to everything you say. What happens to Mika doesn't have much to do with you."
Yuichiro glared fiercely at Luke.
"Bastard!"
An idea suddenly popped into Luke's head, and he walked toward Yuichiro step by step with a smile.
"How about this: why don't you become a Vampire too? Bring everyone from the Hyakuya Orphanage back to Sanguinem. A Vampire's lifespan is nearly eternal, so you and your family can be together forever. The Mika you're so worried about would be happy too."
"In your dreams! asuramaru!"
Startled by Luke's absurd proposal, Yuichiro rushed forward with asuramaru in hand.
asuramaru within the blade didn't approve of Yuichiro's actions either, but could feel his even stronger desire to protect his family.
Luke met him head-on.
Yuichiro's attack had no technique to speak of. Seeing how full of openings Yuichiro was, Luke realized that the fact he could pass the exam to become a regular member was truly terrifying to think about.
With a knee strike, Luke interrupted Yuichiro's charge and followed up with a punch to his stomach.
"Pfft, ah!"
Yuichiro spat out a mouthful of blood and went into shock on the spot.
Luke clapped his hands and then kicked asuramaru into the air. After spinning a few times, the blade stabbed straight into the ground.
"The substitute never wins, huh, asuramaru? Why don't you come out and see an old friend? Oh, wait, I have to deal with this idiot first."
Luke picked Yuichiro up.
Krul walked over.
"How are you going to deal with him?"
Luke asked back.
"Doesn't Lady Krul want a Seraph? How about this one?"
"No need. Having Mika is about enough. After all, whether it can succeed is still an unknown."
Luke nodded and walked a few steps to the stairs.
In an abandoned house not far from Omotesando Station, the Shinoa Squad hadn't gone far but was waiting nearby for Yuichiro. They had already requested backup from headquarters.
"Why hasn't Yu come out yet?"
Yoichi's face was full of worry.
Suddenly, at the entrance of Omotesando Station, Yuichiro was heartlessly thrown out and slammed heavily onto the ground.
Shinoa Hiragi cried out to everyone.
"Ah, Yu was thrown out!"
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