A Vampire’s Second Proposal

"Awoooo."

The dim glow of the full moon poured over him as he released a long howl that shattered the silence of the night.

A mournful symphony that revealed the deepest chambers of his heart. He continued to sing his lonely melody, yet no one could hear the sorrow carried within it.

"A beautiful song. So... whom are you calling to with that howl?"

He stopped. He turned and found a gothic loli vampire already standing behind him. Her arms were folded, and a wicked grin curled behind her crimson lips.

A wide grin stretched beneath the red lipstick painting her mouth. "It has been almost a year since we last met. It seems you have not changed much, little wolf."

Sirius stepped closer. "You as well, Lady Valeria. What brings you here on a night like this?"

Valeria paused for a moment. "Simply passing time. You know, being locked in a castle beneath the earth for decades without doing anything is unbearably dull. Sometimes I need fresh air."

The underworld? That reminded him that Valeria once mentioned the realm beneath, the place where demons lived. Sirius regretted not asking more then, and now a flicker of curiosity gnawed at him.

But before he could speak, Valeria continued.

"Hey, I heard that recently the three demons sent by that bitch into your territory never returned. I wonder what you did to them?"

Sirius tilted his head. "I am not sure if they are the ones you meant. But I did kill two of the three."

Valeria looked at him with a smile impossible to decipher.

"Are you angry, Lady?"

"Pffft..." Valeria burst into uncontrolled laughter, her fangs fully exposed. "Angry? Why would I? I am delighted to imagine the frustrated face of that pervert after losing her three trusted subordinates."

Her laughter echoed through the silent forest. No other sound dared to intrude, as if even nature refused to interrupt her amusement.

Gradually, her laughter faded with the gentle breeze drifting through the night. She exhaled heavily.

In the stillness, Sirius noticed her crimson eyes glowing enchantingly beneath the moonlight. She narrowed her gaze, observing him carefully as if she had discovered something within him.

"You... do you realize how precious your gift is?"

Sirius frowned. "Gift?"

"Ah, so you do not know what a gift is? Hm, understandable. You were born on the surface with no one to teach you."

Valeria cleared her throat. "A gift is a unique ability given to someone at birth. Consider it a stroke of fortune granted to a small number of living beings. Some claim it is karma from your past life or... from your life in the future."

"I have always felt I have a strange ability. Whenever I eat, I feel myself growing stronger and—"

"You can steal the abilities, the experiences, or even the knowledge of others if you are lucky, correct?"

Sirius widened his eyes at how exactly she cut into his words. "You know?"

"A little. My eyes told me. There is a red star inside your stomach."

"A red star?" Sirius repeated, confused.

Valeria laughed again and shrugged. She then rose and spun gracefully beneath the starry night sky. Her dress fluttered like a drifting shadow.

"You know, I also have a gift that allows me to see the hidden world that others should never see. Emotions, strength, weaknesses, fragility, and many other things."

Her golden irises widened. "Is that not remarkable, Lady?"

Valeria looked at him with calm, glowing red eyes. "Yes. The stronger the emotion, the brighter the colors appear to me."

"I can even peek a little into your soul." She brought her thumb and index finger together to form a circle and peered through it.

Sirius stepped back, wary. "Please, do not look further than this."

She waved her hand lightly. Her eyes no longer shone. "Calm yourself, sweet one. You are already fascinating. But I respect your privacy. It is more interesting to see where your story will flow on its own."

Sirius loosened his tense muscles.

"Well. Enough with the small talk, sweet wolf." Valeria closed her eyes and steadied her breath. "Let us move to the main point."

She cleared her throat. Her gaze sharpened, her voice turned cold. Her gentle expression twisted into something serious. "War will begin soon."

War, huh...

If he was honest, Sirius did not care at all. Or rather, he had never understood the war between demons and mortals.

He knew nothing about its history, its origin, its motives, its ideology, or anything that caused this conflict to start.

But where there is war, there will be demand for resources and soldiers. There will be internal conflict over who deserves more honor and spoils.

Such foolish traditions had existed long before mankind was created. They endured even in the modern era of the world he once lived in.

Naturally, the same must apply here. It was not hard to guess why Valeria wanted to recruit him.

"You want me to join you?"

Valeria nodded. "In the underworld, demons compete to dominate other demons. With war approaching, everyone is scrambling to control one group after another."

"You cannot keep fighting alone. Has the incident with those three demons sent by that pervert not made that clear to you?"

Sirius lifted his gaze toward the constellations above.

It was true. If those three were only from division seven as Valeria claimed, it meant countless other divisions were also targeting him. If they could be reasoned with, things might be easier, but if not...

Then all outcomes would end in wounds, trauma, or death.

On the other hand, with war coming closer, he would be cornered from both sides. Mortals still hunted him, and now demons would pursue him too? It sounded unbearable.

"So... sweet wolf. For the second time, let me offer you the same proposal." She extended her hand, her confident smile gleaming.

Sirius lowered his head and paused.

A gentle breeze swept past, brushing through his thick fur that was as dark as the night itself. His golden irises dimmed as he stared blankly at the earth below.

He bore no hatred toward the mortals who hunted him. Nor did he feel he belonged among the demons he might meet. What he sought was simply peace.

If possible, he still wanted to refuse. Yet something weighed heavily in his heart. Something far more precious than a war that promised only destruction.

"Can you take me out of this cursed forest? There is something in this world I must confirm with my life and soul."

"Heeeh~ I am a little curious about what you wish to confirm. But, well... never mind."

"Can you take me out of here?" he asked with a hopeful voice.

"Do you doubt me?" she asked playfully.

Sirius did not answer, only smiled with quiet satisfaction.

Silence fell. No sound disturbed the night. Only Valeria’s hands moved as she fixed her twintails that had become messy due to the relentless autumn breeze.

"Ah, right. Let me see how far you have grown." Drops of blood emerged from the magic circle beneath her, floating around her. They gathered into a long spear aimed straight at Sirius. "Are you ready, swee—ekhem, are you ready, Sirius?"

"Anytime."

"In that case, let us begin."

Valeria took the first step.

His claws dug into the earth as he braced in a defensive stance. Under the muted glow of the full moon, the two of them clashed. As their strikes echoed through the silent night, a faint, nearly imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his lips.