CHAPTER 107: A NEW, DEVASTATING CLASH LOOMS ON THE HORIZON

After that alarmed call from Rika, the group immediately agreed to meet up.

In an instant, Hakuto, Rika, Yuzu, Chantal, and Elisabeth gathered near Lucrezia’s house—the place from which they’d begin the search.

A pointless search for Hakuto, since he already knows exactly where Lucrezia is.

And more importantly, he knows why she disappeared.

But he decided not to share that information with them.

That’s because, fearing Tony’s threats weren’t just empty words and that he might really hurt Lucrezia, Hakuto intends to go alone to the agreed meeting place—the Old General Markets in the Ostiense district.

After all, it’s just a simple kidnapping by some young punk—it’s not like it’s anything that could really trouble someone used to facing far more powerful and terrifying beings.

It’s a situation he’s certain he can resolve on his own, and there’s no reason to take unnecessary risks by involving the girls.

He’d been racking his brain on how to slip away from them without raising suspicion, and Rika, unknowingly, came to his rescue by suggesting the group split up to speed up the search: each of them would scour a different area of the city, and Hakuto immediately volunteered for the Ostiense district.

That area isn’t particularly far from central Rome, and it only took Hakuto a few minutes to reach the Old General Markets—an immense commercial and industrial area that’s been out of use for years, filled with countless huge, abandoned warehouses.

Hakuto begins to thoroughly search the area, but he doesn’t come across anything suspicious—there are still thirty minutes left before the agreed time, so he assumes Tony simply hasn’t arrived yet.

But that thought vanishes instantly when he hears a faint, muffled groan coming from inside one of the nearby warehouses.

Without any hesitation or fear, Hakuto dashes into the abandoned facility, and finally sees her—Lucrezia, tied to one of the columns by massive chains locked around her ankles.

She’s also gagged.

And yet, there’s no sign of Tony or any of his lackeys—just Lucrezia, imprisoned in the center of the deserted hall that used to serve as a storage area.

~Could this be an ambush...? Seems obvious. No way they kidnapped her just to make me play treasure hunt. That bastard can send all his men at me, I don’t care. I’ll make him pay for what they did!~

He hesitates for a moment—glances quickly around, but sees nothing suspicious. Without thinking twice, he rushes straight toward Lucrezia.

She’s visibly shaken.

Her eyes are red from crying, her cheeks stained with deep tears.

She struggles as if trying desperately to tell him something, but the gag covering her mouth stops her.

What strikes Hakuto the most—what fuels even more rage and tension inside him—are the bruises and beating marks on her face.

A black eye and a deep cut on her cheek, like from a knife, still bleeding.

The first thing Hakuto does is remove the gag that was sealing her mouth, and the moment she’s freed, her first words leave him utterly shocked.

«Tony... no, it’s not Tony anymore! I know I must sound crazy, but he’s a monster! A real monster! Hakuto, run! Now!» Lucrezia screams in desperation.

~A monster... what the hell does that mean?~

But Hakuto doesn’t give much weight to her words—he clearly attributes them to the shock of being kidnapped and tortured by those thugs.

But the moment he tries to force open the lock holding the chain that binds Lucrezia...

«I didn’t think you’d actually come. And especially not alone... You must really care about that little slut if you chose to die along with her.»

Tony’s voice—filled with malice and cruelty like never before—echoes ominously behind Hakuto.

At that moment, Hakuto catches a glimpse of absolute terror in Lucrezia’s eyes—he assumes it’s fear caused by the presence of an entire execution squad standing behind him, ready to open fire.

He had no intention of revealing his powers to Lucrezia—a mere human with no ties to N’Raeth or HESPARC—but at this point, he has no choice if he wants to prevent her from getting hurt.

Clearly, diplomacy won’t be of any use here.

«Hurting innocent human beings goes against my principles, but people like you are worse than scum that—»

But Hakuto suddenly freezes after turning completely around toward Tony.

No execution squad.

No firearms aimed at him.

None of that.

There’s only Tony, standing alone in the doorway of the warehouse.

Hakuto stands frozen at the sight of him, and Lucrezia’s screams of terror grow sharper, more desperate.

«I told you, Hakuto. Tony is a monster! A monster in flesh and blood! Run while you still can, don’t think about me!»

~But how... how is this even possible...?~

Tony’s eyes are no longer the dark brown Hakuto remembered—they shine in the darkness of the night, red and glowing like two burning embers.

Eyes that Hakuto recognizes instantly—the eyes of a vampire.

~...that bastard was human when we clashed last time, I’m sure of it! And Chantal... she can sense the scent of vampires—she would’ve noticed if there was anything off about him... Shit, what the hell is going on?!~

«Surprised, Hakuto Tendo?» Tony sneers, his voice sharp and wicked. «You’re strong, I’ll admit it—you managed to take down my friends alone in a flash. Guys I train with in kickboxing—not some random nobodies who can’t defend themselves. But now... you can’t even begin to imagine what I’ve become and what I’m capable of. A strength, a power that a pathetic little human like you couldn’t possibly comprehend!»

Of course, Tony has no way of knowing it, but Hakuto knows exactly what this is.

That’s why he’s more shocked than scared.

«Tony... tell me who turned you into a vampire! Tell me right now!» Hakuto snaps, clenching his fists and grinding his teeth.

Tony tilts his head—his gaze amused.

«And here I thought I’d surprise you, but I guess it takes more than that to stun you, huh? I’d already imagined the scene in my head—you, terrified, on your knees, begging me not to kill you,» Tony mutters, shrugging. «Too bad. I’ve already lost the element of surprise—God knows how you even learned about the existence of vampires—but as for seeing you kneeling, begging for your life... well, I’d say there’s still time for that!»

In that instant, a faint swirl of red energy rises around Tony, spiraling gently around his body.

Tony clenches his fists, bends slightly at the knees—aims straight at Hakuto.

«Hakuto Tendo... That time, I promised you’d pay dearly for the humiliation you made me go through in front of my city, and unfortunately for you, I’m a man of my word! Get ready to die!»

♡♡♡

«Who would’ve thought Salvatore Caspada’s grandson would survive the mutation. Talk about luck...» Velshekar sighs—now the charming vampire woman with long silver hair—soaking in the warm waters of the Vilaflor Lagoon, in Tenerife, Spain—the site of her next meeting with the most important Hispanic crime boss.

«Luck...?!» Clarissa snaps, also soaking in the hot spring—both of them naked. «That insolent little brat should’ve died in agony after what he said to me! But at least now, it’ll be much easier to persuade the big shots of global organized crime to join our cause. The news of that brat’s transformation into a vampire will spread instantly, from mouth to mouth, until it reaches the ears of our targets. And I wouldn’t be surprised if those few who rejected us came crawling back after discovering the mutation—far as they know—is totally effective.»

«Yeah...» Velshekar murmurs—a satisfied, relaxed smile on her face. «Everything is going even better than I hoped. Soon, I’ll have the strength to crush both HESPARC and the Cult of the Primordial Shadow. And once I’ve taken possession of the bodies of the two hybrids, I’ll be ready for my triumphant return to N’Raeth—I’ll subjugate both worlds to my dominion!»

Clarissa shoots her a glare.

«Yeah, but no need to say it out loud. I know what our goal is too! This isn’t some movie where the villain talks to herself just to let the audience know what’s going on!»

Velshekar sighs and lets out a heavy huff.

«I know, but it’s something I’ve always dreamed of saying...»

♡♡♡

«Ah, Rome... the Eternal City... what a truly evocative name—a name that radiates splendor and magnificence. The perfect city for me,» Raelos muses, lifting his gaze to the monuments and the starry sky.

He and Ana—now in a state of complete submission to him—have just landed along one of the city’s minor coasts, one of those touristy spots with no border control, deserted at this hour of the winter night.

They’ve traveled from the Greek island of Kinaros to the Italian coast aboard a small, particularly fast boat owned by Raelos.

In his hands, Raelos holds a glass vial containing a few drops of Ana’s blood.

But the blood doesn’t remain still—it presses against a specific point on the inner wall of the vial, all concentrated in that same direction, like a compass needle.

And it obviously isn’t pointing north, but toward their target—Hakuto.

«Are you happy, my beloved daughter? Soon, you’ll see your Soulmate again... for the last time,» Raelos grins sadistically, gently caressing her face, still marked by the countless tortures he inflicted on her over the past weeks.

But not just her face—her entire body, from head to toe, is a canvas of wounds, bruises, and scars.

Ana merely nods, her expression blank and emotionless—whatever willpower she had left has been completely crushed by her father’s.

Then, hidden by the thick clouds and the faint mist of that night—Raelos, followed by Ana, takes flight.

Propelled by his large violet wings, they dart through the sky in the direction pointed by the blood.

And the further they go, the more restless and agitated the blood becomes—a sign that they’re getting closer.

After just over ten minutes of flying, the blood no longer points forward, but downward.

Lowering his gaze toward the spot indicated, they see it—beneath them stretches a vast, deserted expanse of abandoned buildings.