Prologue -Start-
"What does it mean to be human? I spent a long time searching for that answer, but I was asking myself the wrong question. What I should've been thinking about was how to live true to myself. After that day, I became fixated on the idea that I had to turn myself back to normal, afraid that I would become a monster. In the Sanctuary, when you were about to kill us all, I accepted that I was a vampire as an excuse to do something unforgivable. Yet I still wasn't strong enough and had to live with the fact that I became a true monster of my own will. During my journey, I found the answer I spent so long looking for. What I've become has nothing to do with how I decide to live my life. My soul is still the same. I will forever regret what I did. I wish I had the way of thinking I do now back when I truly needed it, but that wouldn't be possible. It was because of my grave mistake, that I was able to reflect and arrive at where I am now. If it was my fate to die by your hands back then, I would go back in time and fight true to myself till the bitter end. Even if we all got killed anyway. But I wasn't supposed to die during that war, and I'm grateful to have experienced everything I have since I became a vampire. There were countless hardships, but the fun we all had together far outweighed them. So yes, I'm even grateful to you. Now, let's finish this once and for all."
These were the words spoken by Chifuyu before he engaged in his final battle.
***
Year 2023. March 9th.
District 5.
The day had just started, yet somebody was already fighting for their life.
"Gaaahh..."
A teenage boy was currently facing his biggest challenge, if a threat level had to be given to this monster it would more than likely be S+ tier. Not even Saitama would be able to defeat it.
"It's 7 in the morning. Why is this happening to me?"
The young boy was loudly voicing his discontentment with his current situation.
"It's because you had Taco Central last night, Chifuyu."
"We warned you not to eat from that place unless you were ready for the consequences."
Chifuyu: "Heh. I shouldn't complain, this is a fair price to pay."
Chifuyu's father: "Uh, the tacos were $34, you had several which I paid for."
Chifuyu's mother: "You live, you learn. Isn't that right, honey?"
The current predicament was a battle of life or death, on the toilet that is. Chifuyu, who had consumed 10 tacos last night is facing the consequences of his actions. Outside the bathroom, not surprised by the situation were Chifuyu's parents.
The story just started and the protagonist: Chifuyu Kyotani, is already making a fool out of himself.
Chifuyu: "Oooooooooooora!"
He let out a battle cry for his final push, the job was almost done. There was one thing left to do.
His parents wait outside with tired faces. The toilet flushes and water from the faucet starts running down. Seconds later, Chifuyu comes out of the bathroom with a smug face, holding his right hand up in a fist. There could only be one meaning for that.
Chifuyu: "Victory."
His parents who looked unamused couldn't help but start chuckling at their son's goofiness.
Slapping Chifuyu on his back, his dad tells him: "Get your butt to school already."
Chifuyu: "Yeah, I am. After I get you back that is!"
The two start horsing around as Chifuyu's mom enjoys the sight.
Finally ready to go, Chifuyu slips his shoes on and opens the door: "I'm off!"
Chifuyu's mother: "Have a good day at school."
Chifuyu's father: "You're not gonna run with toast in your mouth?"
Chifuyu: "That's too cliché for the first chapter!"
Chifuyu leaves with a blast of energy as his mom waves him off while his dad is flicking him off for some reason. Don't worry, they have a great relationship.
Chifuyu Kyotani, 16 years old turning 17 in a few months. Energetic and can get along with just about anybody. 3rd year in high school, and already the star player on his basketball team. He greatly contributed to his team making it to the finals in his first year, earning them a promotion from 2nd to 1st division. This year he had a stellar performance becoming his team's lead scorer and winning them the championship in their league. His school is a 15 minute walk from his home so he walks there and back each day, usually meeting up with one of his friends partway through who's there today.
"Chifuyu!"
A girl the same age called out to him. With a smile, Chifuyu ran over to her with his hand in the air.
Chifuyu: "Morning Erika."
Erika: "Good morning to you too."
The two high-fived as they were greeting each other. The girl's name is Erika Tohska and she has known Chifuyu since the start of middle school. They decided to go to the same high school along with their other friend.
Chifuyu and Erika make small talk as they walk to their school as they usually do. But Erika brought up a rather big question out of nowhere.
Erika: "Um, Chifuyu."
Chifuyu: "Yeah what's up, is something wrong?"
Erika: "It's just... I had a dream last night that you were going somewhere far away. I tried reaching for you, and you were within my grasp. But you didn't extend your hand for me, like you didn't want my help."
Chifuyu listens to her, completely at a loss for words. As they were walking, Erika had just been looking down while saying this, but she looked up right at Chifuyu as she asked this question.
Erika: "I have no idea what that dream meant. It was probably just some nightmare. It seemed like you cut yourself off from me, and that you were bearing a whole bunch of burdens by yourself. I know you're not the type of person to not let others help you. But, please let me ask you this. If something ever happens when you feel like you can't handle it by yourself, will you reach out to me?"
They maintained eye contact for a couple of seconds while walking before Chifuyu replied to her: "That sure came out of left field. You really surprised me there."
Erika: "I'm sorry, uh... On second thought just forget what I said."
Embarrassed by asking such a weird question, Erika's face was flushed red and she put her head down.
Chifuyu couldn't help but laugh but reassured her: "Don't worry Erika, we've known each other for how long now? Over 4 years! If I feel like I'm facing my biggest problem ever and I'm not sure what to do, you'll be the first person I ask for help."
Erika gently smiled and gave her gratitude: "Thanks Chifuyu."
Chifuyu: "Don't mention it."
As the two wrapped up their conversation, they arrived at school.
Chifuyu: "Alright Erika, I'll see you in 2nd period."
Erika: "Yeah, I'll see you then."
As they walked to their respective classes for homeroom, Chifuyu was greeted by several other students along the way. The same could be said for Erika. There were rumors that they were going out around the beginning of their second year, but once Chifuyu heard about that he immediately set everybody straight and cleared up that they aren't dating. He respects their relationship as friends and wants to keep it that way. More accurately, he cherishes what they have and doesn't want to confess his feelings. He's thought about if there's a chance Erika has feelings for him, but it was just a momentary thought. Chifuyu isn't one to worry about the future too much, or the consequences of eating 10 tacos at once. He also thought if Erika started dating someone, he'd support her 100%. That's the kind of guy Chifuyu is.
On his way to class, he hears footsteps darting in his direction. He knows what it is and prepares himself for a counterattack.
"Chifuyu... Gah!"
A boy with short brown hair was running towards Chifuyu, he yelled his voice monotonously and was answered with a chop to the neck. The boy is another one of Chifuyu's friends who he's known since they were 7. He goes by the name Dakota Smith. This comedic routine is something he does every morning when a big assignment is due. He runs up to Chifuyu and grabs him by the shoulders to beg for the answers. Today was one of those days.
Chifuyu: "Dakota, how many times are you going to ask for my answers? After high school, you're going to have to seriously study without relying on cheating from somebody else."
Dakota: "Hmph, bold of you to assume I'm going to a university."
Chifuyu: "Right, you're gonna go pro as a streamer."
Dakota is a self-proclaimed pro gamer. He spends most of his time playing fps games and single-player story mode games. He definitely has the skills to go pro as he just turned 17 and is already top 500 in one of the most popular fps games. On the other hand, he lacks social skills and without that, he won't be able to engage his audience.
Dakota: "That's the only way I'm gonna make it in this cruel world."
Chifuyu: "Streamers are also entertainers, so sitting on camera live and just gaming without saying anything won't benefit you in the least no matter how good you are. Posting gameplay clips would be a better idea."
Dakota: "But then I can't get live superchats."
Chifuyu ignores him: "The assignment due today was pretty big, you should've asked me yesterday if you knew you weren't going to do it."
Dakota: "I had actually planned to do it. At least I was going to try, but I got caught up reading this new series in jump. By the time I was done with that, it was already 3 a.m and I'd just decided to ask you in the morning. I guess I should've looked at how long the assignment was."
Chifuyu: "Get your priorities straight man. That new series is good though."
Dakota: "Isn't it? I was just going to check out the first few chapters but I got completely hooked."
Chifuyu: "I hear you on that. Jump series never disappoint."
Dakota: "People are already saying, 'Enough time has passed' and that's it's the next big thing."
Chifuyu: "Haha. I do see the potential."
Jump is a manga publisher that releases new chapters every Saturday. He and Chifuyu are both what you would call otakus. Chifuyu knows how to manage his time though and gets his school work and sports training done first before he indulges himself in entertainment. Though he does have a couple of series he reads and watches if they're out before he leaves for school. Back to the main question at hand.
Dakota: "So, can I see your answers for the assignment?"
Chifuyu: "You're lucky it's math, just make sure you remember the equations for the test so the teacher doesn't get suspicious."
Dakota: "You're a lifesaver."
Before making a beeline for the library, Dakota smacks Chifuyu in the butt to express his thanks. Nothing wrong with some brotherly love. Chifuyu pulled out his phone to check the time and saw he still had 9 minutes until homeroom started, so he decided to go to the gym to get some quick shots in.
***
Ring Ring Ring Ring
"Yo."
"Don't 'yo' me Shoyo, where is the target?"
Shoyo: "I lost him, my bad."
"God dammit you imbecile, do you understand how dire this situation is?"
Shoyo: "Relax, he was just craftier than I thought he'd be. All I have to do is patrol the area he's heading to. Besides, this is information that was supposed to be top secret for over 200 years. If she gets unsealed, isn't it the fault of you guys up there who had a rat this entire time?"
"Watch your mouth brat, she won't be unsealed as long as you do your job. Make sure to uphold your title as the strongest hunter."
Beep Beep Beep
Shoyo: "What a disagreeable middle-aged man. Top secret information only a handful of people should know gets leaked to the enemy and now I have to clean up their mess. Though of course, I didn't actually lose him. I like pretending I'm a little incompetent sometimes. The vamp took to the sewers with impressive speed. My eyes were off him for no more than a second and he'd already opened the manhole, entered it and cleanly closed it without making any noise. That sewage has a few dozen other routes he could take. And I know exactly which one he'll come out of."
The man currently speaking was atop a rooftop, clad in a white uniform indicating the highest rank with a sheathed sword by his waist and a ring on his left hand, earning stares from the neighborhood citizens. His occupation is a Hunter run by the Hunter Agency. The job description entails hunting vampires and keeping the peace of Shioto. That's right, this is no normal world.
Shioto is the only continent in this world with some dozen islands scattered around. The world's population numbers at 701 million. The continent is divided into 37 districts, each having their own hunter branch. The hunters have been at battle with the vampires for over 200 years, but they've been dying down in numbers gradually, at least on the surface. The world has also been relatively peaceful over the last 8 years. Vampire incidents have been at an all-time low due to the presence of the current strongest hunter, Shoyo Kusakabe. He's 26 years old and is above average for male height, standing at 6 feet tall and 2 inches. Although you wouldn't be able to tell, he's very well-built with slicked back black hair and bright blue eyes.
Growl
Shoyo's stomach grumbles, he's been pursuing this vampire for 2 days and hasn't eaten anything: "Alright, where's the closest fast food place? I need to attend to more important matters."
Dismissing his current mission that could put the world at stake, Shoyo goes to grab some grub.
***
Students rush down the hallway after the bell rings for their final class of the day. Chifuyu waits outside his classroom for Erika who had texted him if she could ask him something after school.
Erika: "Thanks for waiting Chifuyu. Sorry, I know you should be getting ready for practice but I just wanted to ask you this in person."
Chifuyu: "No worries, I have time. So what's up?"
Erika: "Well, you probably forgot about this. But the Moon Festival is tonight, and I was wondering if you wanted to go there."
The Moon Festival is a yearly event that's always on the 9th of March, the day the Hero saved Shioto from the vampires 200 years ago and taught them how to fight vampires.
Chifuyu: "Oh wow, you're right. I totally forgot about it."
Erika: "Hehe, I thought so. I asked my little brother if he wanted to go but he said he's already going with a female friend of his."
Chifuyu: "Wait, how old is your little bro again?"
Erika: "He turns 11 next month."
Chifuyu: "Turning 11 and he's already making moves on girls? Ha! You have quite the playboy little brother, I've gotta meet him one day."
Erika: "Yeah, he's a bit of a rascal. Sometimes I wanna clobber him."
Chifuyu: "Wow. He even gets you riled up huh."
"Excuse me!"
As Chifuyu and Erika were chattering, a girl who's a year younger approached them. Chifuyu recognized her because he saw her just yesterday.
Chifuyu: "Oh, hey Sumire. How's it going?"
Erika: "Who's this?"
Before Chifuyu gets to answer, Sumire interjects, answering for him.
Sumire: "He saved me yesterday from some bullies, and I never got to thank him. So I just asked around to see what class you were in and rushed over here."
Chifuyu: "Ah come on, it's not that big of a deal."
Sumire: "That may be true. But still, I want to thank you." As she lowers her head to bow down, she expresses her gratitude and leaves. "Thank you very much!"
It was a short exchange, the girl simply wanted to let Chifuyu know how grateful she is.
Erika gleefully smiles: "Way to go, Chifuyu."
Chifuyu shyly scratched the back of his head: "Thanks."
Erika: "So, would you be able to go to the festival tonight or would you be too tired from practice?"
Chifuyu: "Oh yeah, you can definitely count me in!"
Erika sighed with relief, Chifuyu's straightforwardness always manages to put a smile on her face: "What about Dakota?"
Chifuyu: "I'll drag him there."
Erika: "I can't wait! I'll leave you so you can get to practice now. See you later!"
Chifuyu: "Yeah, see you later!"
As their conversation ends and Erika walks away, someone who had been listening comes from around the corner behind Chifuyu.
"Oi Chifuyu, it's time for practice. Let's go."
Chifuyu: "Oh, hey Mikey. You came to pick me up?"
Mike: "Don't call me that. I see you're as friendly as ever with Erika.
Chifuyu: "I guess so."
Mike: "Tch."
Mike clicks his tongue at Chifuyu's laid-back response. Mike is also on the basketball team. He has feelings for Erika and is jealous of Chifuyu's close relationship with her. Mike also detests Chifufyu because he came to this high school believing he'd be the best player, only to be far outshined by someone else. Although he's bitter about this, basketball is just a hobby of his. Mike has bigger plans. As they walk to the gymnasium, he brings up a certain topic.
Mike: "Chifuyu, we're juniors right now. At the rate I'm growing right now, I would absolutely steal the title of Star Player come next season. But, I'm afraid I'm quitting basketball after this semester."
Chifuyu: "Why's that?"
Mike: "Heh, I'll be taking the transfer exam for the Hunter Training Academy in July. And when I pass it, I'll be accepted as a student there. So naturally there will be no need for me to continue playing this sport. It was a mere pastime anyway."
Chifuyu: "So you're chasing a greater dream, I'm happy for you."
Chifuyu replies so genuinely that it pisses off Mike even more. His intent was to gloat, but he should've known that would have no effect on Chifuyu.
Mike: "Do you ever feel envious?"
Chifuyu: "Who doesn't? This one time, there was a prize I really wanted from a raffle. So when I didn't win it, naturally I was jealous of who did."
Mike: "Forget it, I shouldn't have asked."
***
Chifuyu: "Ah, nothing better than basking in the glorious sunset of 5:30 pm."
Chifuyu leaves the school campus after finishing practice. The sunset at 5:30 is a joke he and Dakota make. In lots of anime, it's not rare for a dramatic scene to occur at sunset. Chifuyu and Dakota noticed this and made it an inside joke between them.
Dakota: "Yo."
Chifuyu: "Dakota, what're you still doing here?"
Dakota: "Erika told me you guys are going to the Moon Festival tonight and invited me as well. She said if I had said no, you would've dragged me there."
Chifuyu: "So you waited 2 hours for me to finish practice? You could've just gone home first."
Dakota: "Nah, actually I went to tutoring."
Chifuyu: "Tutoring?! You did?"
Dakota headlocks Chifuyu and playfully gives him a noogie: "Ha, you don't have to act that surprised. You pickin a fight with me you little..."
Chifuyu: "I mean, you never go to tutoring! Isn't it natural that I'd be surprised?"
Dakota sticks his chest out proudly: "Hmph, you won't believe it. My mom called after school and told me she's gonna start giving me an allowance if I can keep up with my grades."
Chifuyu slightly laughing at how simply he gets motivated: "Why am I even surprised, I should've known there was something in it for you."
Dakota slyly shrugs his shoulders: "Heh, what can I say?" As soon as he finishes gloating over nothing, he looks over Chifuyu's shoulder and notices some people who clearly look up to no good approaching. "Uh, hey Chifuyu."
Chifuyu: "What is it?"
Dakota: "Those wouldn't happen to be your friends would they?"
A group of upperclassmen approach the two of them, they're the spitting image of what you'd call cliche high school delinquents.
Chifuyu: "Oh, it's you guys."
Dakota: So you do know them, that's a relief."
Chifuyu: "We're acquainted I guess."
"Acquainted my ass, you think you're some kind of hero? Huh, Chifuyu?"
The group leader of the delinquents strolls right up to Chifuyu with his hands burrowed in his pockets and head stuck upright, casting his eyes down on who he believes is below him. An old-fashioned way of trying to intimidate someone. But Chifuyu is unfazed, Dakota on the other hand is already making preparations to hightail it out of there.
Chifuyu: "Hero? I'm not anything of the sort nor do I want to be. I just wanna enjoy living my normal everyday life."
"Is that so. You say that but you must think you're some knight in shining armor sticking up for that girl yesterday."
Yes, these are the same punks who were bullying Sumire.
Chifuyu picks his nose and flicks the booger towards them: "I don't understand what's got your panties in a bunch, isn't it right to stick up for someone who's getting bullied?" Chifuyu was starting to enjoy the situation, so he thought he'd provoke them a little. "Mommy and daddy aren't gonna be proud of you if they hear about this. Bullying doesn't make you popular you know."
"What was that wise ass!?"
The stereotypical delinquent grabs Chifuyu by his collar, giving him a nasty glare.
Chifuyu decides to pour more fuel on the fire: "Wow, one little sentence is all it takes to offend you. This is why I hate punks like you, all brawn and no brain."
"Why you..."
Chifuyu knew his simple provocations would get them enraged, this whole situation had become a comedy skit to him.
The delinquent throws a punch that is easily evaded. Chifuyu then squares up to show he's ready to throw down.
"No going back now, I'm pummeling you!"
The delinquent leader charges in with no strategy in mind, he just plans to swing his heavy fists. Chifuyu smirks, dodging the predictable right swing. Then, his ultimate counterattack begins.
"Huh?"
In mere seconds, the delinquent is gazing at the sky. After easily moving around the right swing's trajectory, Chifuyu pantsed him and swiped his foot under delinquent 1's legs causing him to fall on his ass.
"You little.."
The other delinquents finally charge in after witnessing their leader get an embarrassing taste of defeat.
Chifuyu: "Let's go Dakota!"
Dakota: "Yeah!"
Being on the same wavelength, Chifuyu and Dakota dash out of there while laughing hysterically.
"Oi, you're running away without fighting?!"
"What a bunch of pussies."
Dakota: "What a bunch of meat heads, we could've easily beat them if we wanted to."
Chifuyu: "Right… we."
The delinquents fail to understand that Chifuyu could've easily beaten them. It's ironic that in the future, there will be countless times when Chifuyu would rather run than fight. But his soul will not let him. Chifuyu will face countless hardships, but he will never back down.
***
The evening of the Moon Festival has begun. Deep in a city within District stood a tall luxury hotel going up to 120 floors. Its highest floors overlooked the endless spread of illuminated buildings, highways, and streets. Cars and people looked like dots from up here. Like ants. The world looked peaceful. This hotel had just lost whatever peace it had.
Several smears of blood stretched across the polished marble floor, some ending abruptly beneath overturned furniture while others disappeared around corners leading toward the rooms. A shattered drinking glass remained beside one of the sofas, its contents long since mixed with the red stains nearby. A tv mounted behind the bar continued cycling through muted advertisements. Somewhere deeper in the floor, a phone rang several times before stopping on its own. If there was a lone human in here, he would feel the eerieness people feel in zombie movies. Except, it isn't zombies that caused this. Whatever was left of the bodies from the people who were just alive are scattered all around. Only the soft hum of the building remained.
A female vampire with silver hair in a gothic dress sat sideways atop a luggage cart near the center of the lobby. One leg hung lazily over its edge while the other pushed against the floor every few seconds, causing the cart to drift several inches before rolling back. She began humming an ominous tune. Her eccentric clothing looked strangely appropriate beneath the dim chandelier light. She held a hotel keycard between two fingers, turning it around over and over as she stared through the enormous windows.
Several meters away, a male vampire with short black hair stood with his hands in his pockets. He too was gazing at the vast city outside. This vampire's name is Hanako, and he's the leader of the vampires in Shioto.
Hanako: "At long last, Ariel is getting unsealed."
The luggage cart stopped moving.
The girl's head turned toward him: "Finally."
Hanako glanced toward her: "How do you feel, Lily?"
Lily hopped down from the cart: "I've been waiting forever for this."
Hanako: "I'm sure for you, it actually felt like forever."
Lily: "It certainly did."
Lily held the keycard against her chest and looked back toward the city: "Ariel Ryuji. The Dragon Empress. My idol!"
Hanako: "What if after all these preparations, she ends up getting killed as soon as she's unsealed."
Lily pouted: "Don't be cruel."
Hanako: "I wasn't aware you were capable of recognizing cruelty."
Lily's lips curled upward: "Only when it's directed at me."
The smile disappeared from Hanako's face almost as quickly as it had appeared. His attention returned to the city, his eyes settling somewhere far beyond where he could see.
Hanako: "There's some irony to tonight."
Lily tilted her head: "Hm?"
Hanako: "The Moon Festival."
Hanako: "For 200 years, humanity has celebrated this night as the anniversary of the day the Hero saved Shioto from complete destruction, the day Ariel Ryuji was sealed. And on that very same night, she will finally walk free again."
Lily: "What a fun coincidence… As if, you planned for it to happen this night."
Hanako didn't reply, he simply smiled.
The lobby fell silent. The silence was then followed by a noise coming from the elevator. Someone was on their way up. They looked at the digital display that showed it rising through the floors.
Lily: "Hunters?"
Hanako's gaze became sharp, staring at the elevator to see who it would reveal.
The elevator continued climbing.
There was something strangely unsettling about watching the numbers rise through an otherwise dead building. Each quiet mechanical hum brought whoever was inside one floor closer.
Lily began tapping her foot in tune with the elevator reaching another floor. Her eyes remained fixed on the display now. There was no concern in either vampire's posture.
Ding.
It reached the top floor.
The elevators doors slid apart and revealed 3 vampires. The one in the front was a tall female with long dark blue hair. To her sides a step behind her where 2 males. On her left was a blonde vampire who had an air of royalty to him. They came out of the elevator first. Then the third vampire walked out. He wore an excitable grin.
Their names are Ame, Iakovos, and Akutenshi.
There will come a time when merely hearing the name of one of these vampires would be enough to change the atmosphere of a battlefield.
Akutenshi stretched both arms above his head as he stepped into the lobby, glancing around with mild disappointment: "Looks like I missed the fun."
Lily: "You sure did."
Hanako: "You would have been bored."
Akutenshi: "Good thing I came late then."
Ame ignored the exchange: "Hanako, Kenzo has everything in place."
Hanako: "That's great to hear."
Akutenshi: "So will there be strong ones there?"
There was an almost childish eagerness behind his grin, though nothing about the man himself felt harmless. He wasn't particularly interested in Ariel's return. All he wanted was a fight.
Hanako: "The strongest one of them all will be there."
Akutenshi: "Oh?"
Hanako: "Shoyo Kusakabe."
Akutenshi's grin sharpened.
Iakovos: "Don't underestimate him. If you do, you'll die."
Hanako: "Iakovos is right."
Akutenshi chuckled: "I won't, don't worry."
Lily: "You can have your Hunter."
Akutenshi: "How generous."
Lily: "I only care about one person tonight."
Ame: "We know."
Lily smiled dreamily: "200 years sealed, and she finally gets freed tonight."
Hanako: "You really are over the moon right now. Akutenshi, have your other Fangs ready."
Akutenshi: "They're already ready."
Hanako: "Good. Let's get moving, shall we?"
The vampires followed Hanako, ready for a night of destruction.
***
The night of the Moon Festival is bustling with tens of thousands of people. Countless musicians playing a plethora of songs combined with stages of professional dancers giving the audience an abundance of energy. Energetic cheers could be heard all throughout the festival grounds. The pathways were lined with floating lanterns painting the night sky bright blue, purple, and white. Countless booths provided food, drinks, and games. There were people of all ages. You could find babies probably no older than 2 being cradled by their mothers, kids running around having the time of their life, teenagers enjoying their youth with friends, adults drinking and appreciating this beautiful event, along with seniors just enjoying themselves.
On a normal day, kids and teenagers wouldn't be able to be out and about as they are right now during this festival. That's because unaccompanied minors aren't allowed to be out past 9 pm, 7 pm if you're not even in high school. In other words, everybody under 18 has been given a curfew. This law was put in place to prevent cases of unsuspecting minors being easy victims for vampires.
Vampires aren't affected by the sunlight like they are in fictional stories, they just move around at night because it's more convenient for them. At least, in this world. By giving minors a curfew, their mortality rate dropped significantly when vampires first showed up. They're only allowed to roam freely at night during big events. Naturally, there's still security at such big events. Along with hunters blending in with the crowd and others patrolling the perimeter.
Countless people are celebrating the Moon Festival tonight all throughout Shioto, there will definitely be vampires trying to snatch some easy prey.
Chifuyu and Dakota arrive at the festival and meet up with Erika. She's wearing a pink yukata plastered with bright red lilacs, with the left side of her bangs that are usually showing swept behind her ear showcasing a marigold orange crescent moon earring. The 2 boys are just dressed in casual clothes.
Chifuyu: "Wow, look who dressed up for the occasion."
Erika: "Hehe, do I look okay?"
Chifuyu: "It suits you well."
Chifuyu compliments Erika who lets out an innocent giggle after receiving his modest praise.
Erika: "You guys should wear yukatas next year, it helps you get more immersed in the festival spirit."
Dakota: "No way, it wouldn't good look on me." His lack of self-confidence shows itself. "Anyway, the night's still young. Chifuyu, Erika, let's enjoy ourselves to the fullest tonight!"
"Yeah!"
Chifuyu and Erika chant in unison before they take off to the glorious Moon Festival.
***
Shoyo: "It sure is noisy over there. For better or worse, I have to make sure I keep it that way. I won't allow their peace to be shattered. I'll kill this Vampire Lord myself, tonight."
Next to the Moon Festival is a vast forest. Shoyo is currently in it waiting for the vampires to show up. Unbeknownst to all of the people of Shioto, one of the strongest vampires is sealed there. Ariel Ryuji, a Vampire Lord from 200 years ago who couldn't even be killed. The location of where she is sealed was somehow leaked to the vampires. Meaning there's a traitor in the Hunter Agency. Even as the Moon Festival is going on right now, each and every member of the HA is being interrogated. The Vampire Lord is sealed in a hidden tomb underneath this forest. Shoyo would have no problem preventing the vampires from entering the tomb, but he has other plans.
Shoyo: "I'm surrounded, and it's a lot of them. Most likely no less than a few dozen."
Shoyo has been encircled by several vampires. It's nothing he can't handle. In fact, he allowed them to surround him. The reason being he has no intention of stopping them from unsealing Ariel. He plans to wipe them all out. Yes, every single one of them in the forest. Vampire Lord included, Shoyo isn't one to discriminate. He'll kill all vampires equally.
The trio of friends experienced the Moon Festival to its full extent and had an absolute blast. They all agreed that this had been one of the best night of their lives. Surprisingly, this had been the first time all 3 of them went together. They'd gone to a few other small festivals together, but the scale of the Moon Festival was much larger. As the festival reaches its end, they laugh at the hilarious pictures they took at the photo booth.
Dakota: "Man, I wish times like these would last forever."
Youth at its finest. Dakota speaks his mind while the 3 of them are laying on a small grassy hill just outside the festival.
Chifuyu: "They will last forever. We still have endless amounts of fun times to look forward to. But don't think you'll be able to goof off for the rest of your life without having any responsibilities."
Dakota: "Tch."
Erika: "Hehehe."
Chifuyu tells Dakota the sad truth which he clicks his tongue in response to, Erika giggles on the side. Then, the final attraction had begun. The night sky was illuminated with vibrant fireworks, people who weren't even at the festival were able to see this magnificent display.
Erika: "How beautiful."
After the final attraction ends, they all doze off for a bit. No more than 10 minutes. But by the time they woke up, Chifuyu had gone missing.
***
Shoyo: "She's been awakened."
Shoyo stands tall, prepared to use all of his strength to quickly wipe out the 30-something vampires around him and the Vampire Lord currently on her way. The vampires realize he's letting them unseal Ariel, so they leave him alone for the meantime. The hidden tomb leads to hundreds of stairs underground, Shoyo could tell Ariel was taking her sweet time walk all the way up. So he could feel it. With each step she took, followed the weight of countless souls of the lives she's taken. As if they're trying to drag her back down to hell. But Ariel's steps do not waver. After 200 long years, she's finally free. All the vampires and the strongest hunter are expecting her to come out ready to start a massacre.
No immediate backup will be coming, and Shoyo is aware of this. Receiving backup or not was a trivial matter to Shoyo. As a matter of fact, he prefers no assistance, especially for this mission. As he's anticipating the Vampire Lord to rise out of the tomb, another vampire shows up with a human in tow.
Shoyo: "Oi Oi, you've gotta be kidding me. What the hell are the other hunters doing, they let a kid get kidnapped?"
"That should be the least of your worries human."
Shoyo: "She's here."
Shoyo's main priority is the safety of innocent civilians, but he can't afford to be distracted here. She was mere seconds from rearing her head into the outside world. Even the strongest Hunter was sweating a little, but his confidence was still at 100%. He's carrying the pride and burden of being the strongest on his back. No matter what, he will not lose.
"Alright, you lot! Gather and prostrate yourselves before the Vampire Lord, Ariel Ryuji!"
A vampire commands the rest of them to fall in line, and they do so without wasting another moment.
There she was, accompanied by the vampire Shoyo had been chasing earlier who immediately prostrated himself upon reaching the surface.
Every vampire has red eyes, but Ariel's in particular were more frightening. Her bloodshot red eyes gaze at those around her with an uninterested look. She was different from Shoyo's expectations. He assumed the Vampire Lord to be tall in stature and have an intense bloodlust, though she wasn't any less intimidating. She had a petite body, probably just about 5 feet tall with long silver hair. She notices Shoyo observing them on top of a tree but doesn't spend more than 2 seconds looking at him.
Shoyo: "That's a Vampire Lord alright."
Shoyo smiles wryly as he unsheathes his blade, preparing to strike at a moment's notice. He still hasn't given up on saving the boy. Calling nearby hunters to help would only get them killed. There's also a chance more vampires will be on their way soon, but he doesn't need to worry about that right now. All his enemies are within his reach, he won't let a single one escape.
It's been 10 seconds since the Vampire Lord has seen the light of night, her motives are unclear. But, she is still giving off an intimidating aura. So intense, that the young boy who was kidnapped wakes up and instantly vomits from the nauseating pressure.
"Wh-where the hell am I?"
The young boy is Chifuyu. For what reasons was he alone captured?
"Silence you pig, you're in the presence of a Vampire Lord."
Snap
Just like a twig, the vampire breaks his right arm in a fraction of a second. Chifuyu couldn't even process what just happened before he yells in agony from the pain of having one of his limbs broken.
Chifuyu: "AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Shoyo: "Damn it."
Shoyo wants to make his move already, but he's cautious of the Vampire Lord who hasn't even spoken a word yet.
"It's been over 200 years Lord Ariel, we humbly welcome your long-awaited return."
Chifuyu: 'What's happening? Are these real vampires? I feel sick to my stomach. There's something about that shrimp, just being near her is making me feel lightheaded.'
Just as Chifuyu is thinking this to himself, his head is slammed into the ground, blood drips down all over his face.
"This isn't much, but we've brought a gift to offer you. Think of it as a small appetizer before the main course."
Shoyo drops down, curious about what the vampire is implying: "And what exactly is the main course?"
"The main course, isn't it obvious? Lord Ariel will devour every single human at that festival!"
Shoyo: "Sounds amusing. So now that one of your precious lords has been unsealed, you think you vampires have a chance of overtaking this world?"
"What an idiotic question, isn't it obvious? WE VAMPIRES WILL UNLEASH HELL ON THIS WORLD AND SLAUGHTER EVERY HUMAN THAT RESIDES HERE!"
His words spoken in a menacing tone resounded throughout the entire forest, Chifuyu whose head was still being planted in the ground started trembling with fear.
So this is a vampire.
Is what he thought, for a second he gave up hope. But he had no intention of going down without a fight, no matter how futile.
"Now Lord Ariel, feast upon this boy!"
Shoyo gets in his stance, ready to charge in at any time. Then…
Ariel finally said something: "I have no intention of harming that boy. Let him go."
Her words took everyone aback, she spoke with a calm voice. She was composed that entire time just scrutinizing the situation she had been awoken to.
"Forgive me Lord Ariel, I don't think I caught what you said."
Ariel: "I spoke very clearly. I do not wish to repeat myself."
Her words still carried the same tone, but her gaze was a different story. She looked coldly down upon the vampire who still had Chifuyu face-planted into the ground. The moment he let go and eased his arm up, Shoyo dashed in and decapitated him while grabbing Chifuyu to get him somewhere safe. Blood gushed out from the dead vampire's neck like water from a fountain. A few others tried to chase after Shoyo but were cut down effortlessly.
Shoyo was getting ready to use a technique to quickly get Chifuyu to safety, but another vampire who had been waiting in the cut lands a surprise attack and sends Shoyo flying a bit. He catches himself on a tree, but notices the new vampire had snatched Chifuyu.
By the time he finds where they're at, the vampire had already bitten into Chifuyu's stomach and ripped it open. In a flash, Shoyo appears in front of him and goes for the kill. The vampire barely dodges it in time and gets his neck grazed.
"Ho, so this is the world's greatest hunter."
Shoyo sees that the boy is still barely alive. But with a hole in his stomach, he'll bleed out in a few minutes. Someone was going to die on his watch, and there was nothing he could do about it. Shoyo swore to himself to save every life he could, to never again let innocent people or friends die on his watch.
In this world, if you get a fatal wound from a vampire incident, no one will be able to heal that. Not a human at least. Shoyo had the first casualty in a long time on his hands. Nothing changed for him though. He was already determined to kill every vampire here.
Ariel: "Hey, brat. Explain to me why you did that when I myself said I was not going to harm that boy."
"No, no Miss Vampire Lord. I think you're the one who needs to do some explaining. I noticed it as soon as you emerged from that tomb. You're not the same as before."
Shoyo was intrigued by what this vampire was saying, so he continued to listen to his words.
"The Ariel from before you were sealed would have come out craving blood, eager to take the lives of every human nearby."
Ariel: "That's because I no longer seek blood."
"Huh? Come on Lord Ariel, tell us all exactly the meaning behind your words right now?"
The vampires all looked upon Ariel, not having a clue what she was about to say.
Ariel: "I will not fight against the humans anymore. It's about time for this several hundred-year battle to come to an end."
The vampires question Ariel in an uproar.
"I can't believe what I'm hearing. Our Vampire Lord once known as the Dragon Empress who has claimed over 100,000 human lives, the one who swore absolute vengeance on their race is now throwing in the towel?"
Ariel: "Only a fool would hold a grudge for over several centuries."
"Those 200 years of solitude must've made you insane. The vampires here in this world have been making preparations, patiently waiting to free you. To have all our efforts spit back in our faces. So, if you will no longer fight against the humans, what do you plan to do?"
Ariel: "I will join their side."
Shoyo is baffled by this unpredictable turn of events. He lets out a huge laugh as all the tension he just had dissipated. The vampires pay him no heed as they continue conversing.
"I see."
Ariel: "I will kill you all in less than a minute and then save that boy you put on the brink of death. State your name."
"I am Kenzo."
Ariel: "Kenzo huh, that's a good name."
Kenzo: "I'm honored."
Gathering all he could muster for this final line, he roars an order at all the other vampires.
Kenzo: "IN THE NAME OF THE SLAYERS, KILL THIS TRAITOR!"
"RAAAAAAH!"
Approximately 31 vampires converged on the Vampire Lord. Shoyo blinks and 14 vampires have already been torn apart, their dismembered bodies falling to the ground with blood painting the nearby trees red. She shows no mercy as she slaughters her own kind. This had also been the first time she seriously fought against her race with the intention to kill. Ariel said she'd kill them in less than a minute, but it hadn't even been 20 seconds before they all turned into corpses. Wasting no time, she goes over to Shoyo and the dying Chifuyu.
Shoyo: "That was impressive, but I would've been able to kill them all including you in less than half your time."
Ariel: "8 seconds huh, is that how long you last in bed?"
Shoyo: "Ouch, I'll have you know I'm still a pure maiden."
Ariel: "Wow, I'm kinda surprised."
The strongest hunter and a Vampire Lord were cracking jokes with one another while a young boy was at death's doorstep. Truly a rare occurrence.
Shoyo: "So, you said you're gonna save him. But unless you have some magical healing power..."
Ariel: "I don't, we both know what the only way to save his life is."
Chifuyu had no more than a minute before he would die from blood loss. He couldn't muster any energy to talk, that would be impossible in his condition. But he was still conscious, he wouldn't allow himself to look away from the current situation.
Ariel: "Can you hear me kid?"
Ariel posed a question, Chifuyu was using all he had to control his breathing to the best of his abilities. His diaphragm was contracting abnormally due to breathing heavily, he felt like his life would end the moment he lost concentration. He turned his eyes to the Vampire Lord, meaning he heard her question.
Ariel: "Do you want to live?"
It was the easiest question Chifuyu could've been asked. He stared at Ariel with unyielding intent. He was on the verge of dying, his body was unable to move, but his eyes started brimming with life. He didn't need to speak, even if he could, his answer was as clear as day.
A new journey begins.