The dense canopy covers the forest floor in shadow. I ran around in boxes the size of a horse-drawn carriage, trying to avoid the glare of the sun here and there. The sun protection wasn't perfect, and my skin was already covered in blisters. The brutal rays of light went straight through the clothes, as if they didn't exist.

"Ahh I screamed and hissed, and another gust of wind blew through the branches, and I was exposed to the cruel touch.

"You should give up; You're just procrastinating the inevitable. ”

I wanted to shut him up, but he stood in the light and laughed at me. In this picture, he has a thick brown beard, a noble demeanor, looks like a mortal, and is a real ancient king.

"Your companions reject you; Humanity rejects you. Even the sun wants you to leave this world. "

I dodge and dash, time is running out. The sun has set. The shadow has grown.

After all, sticking out the nail will be nailed. You're just prolonging your pain. ”

I need to keep going. I just need to get to the house. I'll be safe inside.

"Do you think your family will welcome you?" Idiot. You're not Ariana, although you've stolen her name. That night, she died alone and broken. You're just the last insult to her memory. ”

"You're lying! I am who I am!"

"How can you be so sure?" Have you seen yourself in the mirror?"

The sun is close to the horizon, but I will never survive dusk. The part of the forest exposed me. At the last moment, I jumped behind a tree and felt the lapping of its bark. The ferocious rays began to swirl around the trunk of the tree, and I yelled as they swam to the edge of my arm.

"You'll always be a pariah, imp, no matter how much you beg and how you grovel."

I started screaming. A few voices joined the chorus calling me an outsider, and then there was only fiery death.

I woke up and quickly repeated the familiar phrase. I've been here for two months now, and I've been playing the role of thug and errand for those two months. I've even built a bit of a reputation.

I wonder why I have so many nightmares if everyone else does the same. Unfortunately, I'd rather poke myself in the foot with a rusty meat skewer than share this detail with anyone here. Therefore, my question will not be answered for the time being.

The phantom pain all over my body ruined my meditation. I wish I could cry, but it's a function of the body and I find myself unable to force it. I only endured the scorched memory for a minute, and then it was replaced by a more powerful command.

I wonder if the older vampires treat Thirst as an old friend, or if they're driven crazy by it. Baudouin confirmed that the chicks eat more, especially the young. I can only hope that I can maintain healthy self-control and at least grow up enough to grow from "infancy".

Just like every night, I take the time to shower and get dressed. I do everything I can to restrain myself and take the time to take care of myself and my appearance. I even bought a comb.

I walked around the cage and came to Baudouin's office.

"Ah, Arian. Please come in, please come in. ”

"Good evening. I'm ready for the meeting. ”

"Ah, yes, unfortunately, you can't attend."

I immediately froze. While here, I took my role as a spy very seriously. I listed all their warehouses, banks, and business partners. Every important ally, every lie and every weakness, I religiously recorded.

An overheard sentence, a scattered confidential document, an unexpected visit, every event is an opportunity to discover something more. I made a report and I hid it well. If they fall into the hands of the Cádiz, they will be able to strike those who have fallen with lethal precision.

Hit where they hurt the most: their self-esteem, their wallets. Did Baudouin discover my scheme? I thought I was careful, and I even prepared an escape kit to hide under the ruined bell tower of an abandoned church.

I find this irony funny.

Baudouin looked at me nervously. He didn't know. He thought I was greatly offended.

"It's not a punishment, in fact, I have some kind of reward for you. Today, we have a situation. One of our prostitutes made the unfortunate decision when she laughed at the private parts of a customer. ”

"On Delors Street?"

"No, unfortunately, it's the Red Veil."

"Ahh

This is a high-end brothel in Lancaster, which means that the offended party is rich and powerful.

"The thing is, it's called Simon Henry

He

Ley's man took justice with his own hands and dismembered her. No way. He was now on his manor with six guards by his side. ”

"You want me to scare him?"

"No, Ariana, I want you to kill him. He made some very public statements demanding compensation. I can't sit idly by. ”

"What do you want to do?"

"Do what you want. I'll burn down the house when you're done. The militia knew to avoid this place tonight. ”

"Can you give me a gun this time?"

"No Ariana, my opinion hasn't changed, we don't use guns."

Neanderthal. I snorted and walked towards the exit.

"Then I'll go."

"Gotta have fun."

As I walked out of the office, my eyes were inevitably drawn to a figure walking down the stairs.

Mrs. Moore doesn't belong here. The land is young and frivolous. Its wealth was stolen from indigenous tribes, taken from the land by the labor of countless slaves, and brought here in floating coffins.

This is not the place for complex conspiracies and cryptic threats, at least not yet. Her appearance reflects this. Even her clothes were too warm for this suffocating weather.

She ignored me and quickly crossed the threshold, followed by the self-righteous Merusin and the eternally bored Lambert. They will meet with representatives of the Iken ethnic group to discuss some of the meat market issues.

I should have gone as a "thug". It will be an opportunity to meet them and maybe find out what the Cádiz are doing. There's always a next time.

I went back to my room to change my clothes, put on a provocative outfit, and covered my shoulders with a shawl. Now I look like a prostitute. If Daddy Sees Me......

No! I had to wear it as armor. My appearance is both a weapon and a decoy. Simon Henry wanted to be compensated from the brothel, and that's what he would see, a suitable messenger. I will uphold my dignity according to my own rules, and clothes are no longer an issue.

I left the house with bracers and a heavy bag and kept walking the brightly lit streets.

I have enough money to run for a while with what I picked up when I ran errands, the problem is that even without bracers, I will be hunted down and eliminated. I need a clean escape.

Because we were going to an expensive place in town, and a woman alone would attract unwanted attention, we prepared a carriage. As we continued to drive, I was grateful for my cold body. Without it, the enclosed space would be suffocating.

After about a quarter of an hour we stopped in front of a manor house and the carriage departed. This Victorian house doesn't have much frills, but the garden is impeccably maintained.

Dad always said that low-key wealth was a sign of good upbringing, and it was difficult for me to reconcile a tasteful home with the image of a man who would be disfigured by a prostitute laughing at his masculinity.

Maybe it was built and maintained by his father?

I walked through the empty entrance to a pair of wooden doors. At this time of night, there should be lights and servants around, but the place is surprisingly quiet.

I found myself getting more and more vigilant.

I knocked on the door, and it opened immediately. A rude man with an angry face looked at me silently. I curtsy. They seemed to be waiting for me.

The man snorted and invited me in.

Here it is. I could have started killing right away, but something was holding me back. The guards had only a baton and no other obvious weapons. He was no danger to me. There is something else.

Like a vampire with a cold aura, I felt something bright and colorful, and it came from the depths of the house.

I'm curious. What could it be?

I followed the guards into a normal ballroom with a plush carpet. The wall opposite the entrance was adorned with several large windows, and there was only one door, the one from which I came. To my left, a few seats were full, and the four tough guys stopped their cards and looked at the newcomers.

To my right, next to a well-made piano, stood the head of the family. He sat on a leather throne, which was brought for the occasion.

With a bottle of spirits on the small coffee table next to him and a bodyguard standing next to him, he immediately attracted me.

He was tall, muscular, with a well-groomed beard and enough weapons to take over a small town. At first glance, I found at least two pistols and seven daggers. He even wears a helmet indoors, like a rough savage.

The colorful aura comes from him.

Our eyes met, and he gave me a strangest smile.

"Why don't you sit down?" Simon Henry asked, pointing to an inconspicuous chair in front of him. He wore an expensive shirt and jacket that could not hide his guts in the slightest. His pale skin was as white as worm flesh and damp with sweat as someone who didn't go out during the day. His gray eyes didn't meet mine. He was terrified.

Everything was wrong.

Thugs should be flattering or indifferent, not vigilant.

Henry should be smug and arrogant, not afraid.

The last person does not belong here.

My intuition and intellect agree that this is a trap. To make matters worse, the bodyguard probably knew who I was and he believed he could beat me. I remember that Gabriel's followers attacked the castle. They also have an overabundance of weapons and training to use it. They don't have an aura.

This man is a mage.

If I sit in this seat, I'll die again. This is not going to happen.

I walked over to it and kicked it into my shoe. The mage dodged easily, but Henry received a punch in the face, let out a low scream, and collapsed to the ground. I'm going to step back, not too soon.

"Seal!"

A beam of white light shot out from the chair and almost hit me with a hair. There was chaos in the room, and people were yelling.

The mage pulled out a gun and shot at me. I ended my action by falling to the floor. The bullet didn't hit me.

I ended up falling at the feet of a stunned guard. I stood up and grabbed him by the throat. The fountain of blood distracted the other three.

His blood stinks, there must be something wrong. I shushed and grabbed another guard with a shield. After a while, something bit my body.

What's wrong?

I stared down in disbelief. I have a big hole in my waist. The skirt was torn open, revealing shredded flesh that oozed dark red blood. The man I used as a shield screamed and was dying.

The mage shot his allies!

Something was thumping on the floor, and I instinctively watched it, just as it exploded. A thunderous explosion, a white light blinded me and deafed me. I let go of the man and grabbed my crippled eyes.

Injured and needs to escape. Can not see.

Take cover behind me. I moved backwards and grabbed the edge of the poker table. I snorted, flipped it over, and jumped to the back. Something was growling, and I moved to the side. Someone hit me and fell. I found a shoulder, a throat. I cut it open. Blood tastes wrong again.

The bottle of wine on the table didn't smell right either. What did they drink?

I can hear more clearly now, but my eyes still hurt. There are windows. Run away. I grabbed a corpse and blindly rushed towards the wall. can be found. It is possible to break through.

"Don't do that!" Seals!"

Something hit me. It didn't hurt, but it pushed me away with incredible force. I slammed into the table, which shattered under me. A splinter stabbed me in the back. It hurts my heart. So thirsty. Can't stay here.

I crawled away from the mage. Waist injury. Harm. Haemorrhage. Blood is needed, but it doesn't taste good.

Ah, I can see it again at last.

I turned, and a throwing knife whizzed over my shoulder and into the carpet. Finally a decent weapon. I took out the pieces of wood from my back. It doesn't go deep.

The mage threw more daggers, and I used my body and table again to dodge and parry. I grabbed a knife in one hand and threw a third at him. It slammed into his armor.

The man was still laughing, and he drew a saber and a short knife and rushed towards me. I managed to stand up and meet him in the middle of the room.

I quickly realized that this was a mistake. I may be faster than the mage, but in other respects, he has an advantage. His hands reach farther and his skills are more skilled. He blocked my attacks with precise and conservative movements.

I was completely defeated.

Soon, there was another long cut in my wrist, and I dropped a knife. My manual can't work! I wasn't healed at all, and I was thirsty. I can't get out!

The pain became too great. I still have one last quick move, but after that, there's nothing I can do, I have to make it work, and-

What is that scent?

Blood.

It's from Henry! I need to-

"Fire whip."

A red snake wrapped around my useless hand. My flesh immediately began to smolder. I screamed in pain and swung it out with the last knife in my hand. Luckily, something that made his blade so painful also broke the spell.

I fell to the ground screaming.

I can't stay there, I'm moving, but......

It hurts so much.

"Ah, this backlash is annoying. You cunning! But I have to say, I'm disappointed. Everyone says vampires are the apex predators of a hundred years, and I'm really looking forward to a big fight. But here you are, a brute who lives on speed rather than technology. Sloppy, pitiful. ”

Predator said. Yes, feasible plans. Implement.

"Well, it looks like I'm going to have to find a knight next. I've been told that piercing your heart will incapacitate you. At least I can put this theory into practice. ”

Yes, prey, get closer......

"I dare say, killing that werewolf is more—ah!"

My move. I crouched down, picked up a knife, and buried it behind my knee. Weakness. Now jump on his back and grab him with my claws.

"Pulse!"

Something pushed me backwards, and I crashed into the coffee table and Henry's inanimate body.

"Ah, you this!" Ah, the cure! Heal! Damn it. ”

So delicious.

"You're going to pay for it!" I wanted to hurry, but now I want to burn you alive. Yes. Shit! Wait and see!"

I suck blood from Henry, and when something happens, I turn my back on the mage. I could feel all my fangs being pulled out. I draw tenfold, a hundred times the strength. There was no happiness this time. This time, there was only life, and the strength I needed to survive. I won't eat it this time.

I devour.

In less than four seconds, Henry was dead. As the last of his life force was torn from his body, I felt a brief burst of power. The pain is still there, and so is the thirst. It's not so important anymore.

So this man is a hunter? Does he think I'm a game?

I am not a beast. I'm a vampire.

I crawled up and found the mage bandaging his injured leg. As soon as he saw my face, his suspicion turned to fear. The blood is still dripping. I gave a terrible smile.

Then I threw the body at him.

I stuck my ass in and my body flew up. The mage cursed and dodged.

I jumped forward and flew with my claws. I hit him and threw him on his back.

I scratched and punched and tried to reach his face. His armor was in the way, but I managed to score points in an unprotected place.

“Shie--!”

None of these are any. I pushed his arms toward me with one hand and poked a finger into his cheek. I stroked his face. Blood flow. It still doesn't smell right.

I'm getting weaker.

I could feel him struggling for something. I can't hold it anymore. My strength is starting to weaken.

He pulled something that would roar. I felt a chill in my stomach.

I ignored the armed hand and shifted the other. I put a thumb on his eye and pushed. With a terrible crunch, his eyes cracked, and I stuck my fingers tightly into his skull. Liquid splashed in my face. The blood inside...

It smells terrible, but there's a lot of energy in it.

It's fading fast.

I took a deep bite and swallowed it. Blood is powerful, but there's also something eating away at my throat. The scales are hardly biased in favor of blood.

I hit him in the face, once, twice, three times. The pain hit my heart, and I collapsed on the bloody corpse. All harm. I haven't felt so bad since I died.

Then, all feelings are gone.

I think it's weird.

Pain is a distant thing, and so is longing. I thought I was going to turn into a greedy beast, but now I was satisfied. Hurt, but safe.

I can only draw strength from the red nectar as soon as possible.

My vision is getting darker, I remember. This is what it feels like when death first happens. The feeling of slipping, the feeling of letting go.

“Nom de Dieu, c 'est u

cauchema

!”

Yes.

I remembered that we had only killed three of the four guards, the mage and me.

“M… Mo

st

e !demon!"

The last one must be hiding in a corner somewhere. I don't blame him. However, he is now growing a backbone. He took a knife. He's getting closer.

I couldn't move at all. I... It's cold.

Sleepiness is calling to me. I can close my eyes and... Forget, however, death is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

For me it was twice.

I don't want to miss it.

Now there is a knock on the door of the ballroom. The guards screamed and jumped like a scalded maid. Ha.

A black woman walked in. A vampire. She wears leather pants and a tight white shirt. What an unladylike, though to be fair, she doesn't have an open belly like I do.

"Well, I'm impressed," she said with a fanged smile.