Blood and Claw Beneath the Moonlight

A sweep of magic shot toward him in a horizontal arc. Sirius leaped aside, dodging the attack and preparing to lunge at Valeria with his claws. But the moment he struck her, Valeria dissolved into thick blood splattering across the earth.

"Where is she?"

The metallic scent of blood overwhelmed his nose and robbed him of the ability to sense anything nearby. His eyes darted through the area, searching for the real Valeria. As confusion clouded him, his instincts took over.

Above.

Sirius looked up. Valeria was already descending with a vertical slash.

Slash.

A gaping hole split the ground where she struck. Sirius narrowly escaped by leaping several meters back in time.

Valeria landed gracefully and surged forward. Her blood spear whipped through the air and clashed against his fangs and claws.

Clang. Clang.

The ringing of their weapons echoed throughout the forest, a harsh symphony that pierced the quiet of the night.

Step by step, Valeria moved with almost no sound. Her dress swayed with the rhythm of her motion, as if she were dancing and the clashing of their blades was her music.

Every movement of her spear was fluid and threatening. She spun lightly, her skirt and hair fluttering. Each sweep and thrust of her spear sought the openings on Sirius’s body.

Sirius countered with his claws. His body flowed with the tempo of her attacks, as if he was dragged into Valeria’s dance of blood. Without realizing it, he was slowly pushed backward by the relentless rhythm of her strikes.

"You have grown fast. Very interesting."

Sirius formed a faint smile.

"Thank you for the compliment."

Realizing he was being pushed back, Sirius shifted sideways. He swung his claws toward Valeria’s left flank, but she had already intercepted him with her blood spear.

They clashed with strength for a moment. Valeria grinned sharply.

[Blood Javelin.]

In an instant, countless blood spears materialized above Sirius and rained down with a speed his eyes struggled to follow.

Slash. Slash.

Sirius jumped back, weaving through the barrage in swift zigzags. In contrast, Valeria ran straight through the storm of spears without hindrance. Her spears melted before touching her, allowing her to move freely in the downpour of blood.

Cornered at the base of a massive tree, Sirius watched Valeria close in and unleash a horizontal slash. He dodged with a high leap.

"Do not underestimate me."

Valeria spun and delivered another sweeping strike, but this one was blocked by Sirius’s claws. Even so, the force hurled the wolf far back and dragged him across the ground.

"Ugh..."

He rose immediately when Valeria charged again.

Their weapons collided once more. Their feet danced across the damp earth. Instead of a battle, it looked like a dance beneath the pale glow of the moon in a silent night.

Tap.

Valeria planted her right foot firmly and swung her spear upward in a vertical arc.

Sirius leaped aside and roared.

"[Roaaar!]"

"That will not work a second time." Valeria extended her hand. "[Rho Aias]"

A magic circle shaped like seven layered petals bloomed before her. It rotated swiftly and deflected Sirius’s sound wave.

She then swung her hand. Her grin widened, revealing sharp fangs. "Preparation is complete."

Sirius looked up. Dozens of magic circles surrounded them.

This is bad.

"[Multiple Magic Strom]" Valeria shouted.

A storm of magic surged toward Sirius. Explosions erupted one after another. Elements collided. Blood attacks and curses flooded the air in waves.

Overwhelmed, Sirius retreated into the thick shadows beneath the forest canopy.

But Valeria did not stop. The barrage of explosions tore apart half the forest within seconds.

"It is pointless," she said coldly with a hint of arrogance. "You cannot hide from my magic, Boy. That shadow technique has a fatal weakness."

She was right. Running would achieve nothing. Her magic would follow him anywhere. His only option was to take a risk in one decisive strike.

Valeria raised her hand. A glowing orb floated upward and illuminated the entire forest, erasing every shadow that concealed him.

As she scanned the forest with her red eyes, she failed to notice the one detail she had overlooked.

Sirius was already behind her blind spot. He slipped out from the bushes with a grin, then lunged to tear at the little vampire.

Valeria turned, eyes wide, jaw clenched tight. But as Sirius closed the distance, her expression shifted into a long sinister grin.

"Gotcha!" Valeria extended her hand and clenched her fingers. "[Broken Heart]"

"Aaaargh!"

Midair, Sirius felt a searing pain in his left chest. Only then did he realize that chains of magic had pierced into his heart.

He lost balance and crashed to the ground, sliding to a stop right beside Valeria who crouched next to him.

A mischievous smile curved on her beautiful face. "Next time, make sure you do not touch your enemy’s magic medium. Yes. That is enough of a lesson. You will not lose so easily if you keep fighting people at your level or those above you."

Valeria snapped her fingers.

The magic chains binding Sirius’s heart vanished. He rose with ragged breaths. With weakened eyes, he glanced at Valeria crouching by his side.

"Kh... I lost. After so long. I learned much from you, Lady."

"Hum, it is fine. Do not worry about it. You are my comrade now. I must guide you from this point onward," she said with a bright grin.

She exhaled and looked around as the forest regenerated rapidly. "I will cut your bond with this forest so it no longer drags you in as its dungeon king. You will be free to go anywhere. Are you ready?"

"Thank you, Lady."

"Hey, I have not even done anything. Relax, little brother."

"Let us begin. Close your eyes for a moment." She stood and gently touched Sirius’s forehead. Her lips whispered softly. "[Release.]"

A magic circle appeared beneath Sirius. It scanned his entire body. After several minutes, Valeria withdrew her hand from his forehead.

"It is done. You may open your eyes."

He opened them and felt nothing. He looked around in confusion.

"Just like that, Lady?"

"What did you expect? A ritual full of conditions and sacrifices?" she teased, smiling with that playful look.

Sirius turned his face away, flustered.

"Yes. I am joking. Actually, there is one more requirement before you are free."

Sirius grimaced. He had expected that removing such a bond would not be simple. This vampire truly enjoyed teasing him.

Valeria explained the requirement. A great sacrifice was needed. At least a thousand lives must be offered at once to sever the anchor binding him as the dungeon king.

"But... where would we even find that?"

"Huh? Do you truly not know or are you pretending?"

Sirius tried to process her words. His teeth clenched. He did not want to admit it, but he could feel it clearly now. A wave of mortals was approaching.

He had heard their footsteps long before they entered the forest. The sound grew louder when he began to howl.

His instincts also screamed in warning. His sense of danger had never been wrong. That ominous roar he had been feeling did not come from Valeria.

It came from the approaching forces hunting him.

Valeria grinned as she watched Sirius’s anxiety. "Are you afraid? I will gladly help if you need assistance."

Sirius shook his head gently.

He felt he must hunt them with his own fangs and claws. Not for revenge, but to prove his resolve.

By joining the demons, one day he would be forced to choose whether to kill the innocent. Not only to survive but also to protect his own happiness.

For a beast like him, taking the happiness of others to preserve his own should have been natural.

A lamb will always live in peace as long as it never meets a wolf. A wolf will never live in peace until it devours a lamb. The more lambs he can devour, the more his heart blooms.

Sirius drew a deep breath. His eyes burned with determination.

Valeria sighed impatiently. "Looks like you have made up your mind. Do not misunderstand. As we agreed, I will only watch you from afar. I will not interfere. Understood?"

"That is enough."

Sirius bent his legs and prepared to charge. But he stopped when thick smoke suddenly enveloped Valeria.

"Lady?"

"No problem. All is well."

Sirius flicked his tail to clear the smoke. Then he saw a small bat fluttering and landing atop his head.

"Now then, little Sirius. Let us go."

Sirius frowned as the tiny bat shouted with Valeria’s exact voice.

"Lady? Is that you?"

"Yes. For your information, every vampire can turn into a small bat whenever we like. This form uses far less energy on the surface. Now stop asking stupid questions and let us gooo!"

Valeria tapped his forehead with her tiny winged hand.

Sirius, unsure how to respond, dashed forward. His large body cut through the forest like a swift wind. His form wove between towering trees like a shadow in motion.

Soon... I will leave this forest. Please... wait for me. We will meet very soon.