Chapter 89: Blood Drive (Part 1)

Disclaimer:

This would have been Day 4 of the 5-day update schedule but because of certain things listed in the last chapter, it's been uploaded much later.

Still, here it is!

There are references to events in past chapters to help with foreshadowing and whatnot. Here they are:

Chapter 73

With that said, I hope you enjoy!

The loud sounds of rattling chains echoed around the dark room that was dimly-lit, only because of the fragmented sunlight peeking from the small cracks in the ceiling.

The pained breathing of tied-up prisoners reverberated around the cold prison as the cool condensation spread around.

These two sounds mixed with each other to create a sense of panic for the ones that were trapped in such an area. The constant noise drowned out the different kinds of sounds that a specific man was making, his wrists hanging from the ceiling as they were bound tightly with the metal shackles.

However, there were a few seconds of silence as the other prisoners grew tired from their sounds and opted to slow down. Within this timeframe, the man's singing came across.

"Oh, why… Oh, why… Oh, why…?"

But, interrupting this man was another right opposite him and he was not in the mood to hear a song coming from a stranger.

"Oh, Oh… How about you be quiet and let me think for one goddamn second?!"

"Don't worry… About a thing… Cuz every little thing-",

"Is gonna be alright? Yeah I don't think so, dumbass".

This other man was not interested in hearing anything come from the singer's mouth. Instead, he was working to get out of his shackles that he found himself in. He moved from side-to-side and in any other direction that was possible but nothing was working.

"If only those freaks didn't take my grimoire. I would've broken free by now", he sighed, relaxing his body.

"Bro, they take everyone's grimoires and we can't even access them because of the blood they use to chain them up. I can tell you're a Magic Knight with the amount of mana you have… You should've never come to this village in the first place. It wasn't worth it".

"It was a mission from Julius and I still aim to see it through", Yami thought. Then, he paused for a second. "Huh, you're not singing anymore?"

"What can I say? You ruined the mood with your complaints".

"Well, whatever. I won't be here for too long since the guys I came with will break me out. They pack quite the punch".

"You mean the ones you were arguing with? Please, I heard how you insulted each other. Do you really think they'll come back for you?"

"Eh, now that you mention it, I wouldn't count on it. Well, hoping is free and what else can we do?" The man laughed. "I also have a habit of powering-up if the worst-case scenario happens".

"Right…", the singer rolled his eyes. "And what's your name? I'll dedicate my next song to you".

"Please don't", he pouted before shaking his head. "The name's Yami Sukehiro".

Then, Yami closed his eyes and sighed as he thought back through the events before his capture.

"I got captured. Well, there's a first time for everything but I hope this never happens again. The designated time for my shits has passed and that annoys me. Besides, I wasn't expecting such an occult-filled hellhole when Julius gave us this mission".

FLASHBACK - EARLY MORNING:

Yami folded the newspaper that he was reading and threw it on the chair next to him. He stood up from the sofa he was laying on and went to exit the room. Right before he did, he glanced to the side at the door that was left slightly open and saw Asta shuddering slowly outside as he stared into the sky.

"I… wasn't blessed with any magic and that always frustrated me. But I sure was blessed with amazing friends…".

The ashen-haired Black Bull's eyes teared up and he was beginning to tremble. Inside the base, Yami shook his head as he grew a slight smile on his face.

"Don't worry, kid, you'll get through this. Now… I guess I'll go see what Julius wants from me this time".

Yami, now in the Royal Capital and inside of the Wizard King's HQ, stood outside of his main office and went to open the wooden, double doors that towered high above him. He turned the handle and let himself in without even peeking beforehand.

The Dark Magic user walked with his hands in his pockets and a lit cigarette in his mouth. The smoke from the end was rising high and spreading across the air and the contorted faces of the two people he saw in the room all reacted in a less than positive way.

"Yo, I didn't realise Julius called for a party. How come you're here?" He said plainly as he brushed some of the cigarette ash onto the glossy, brown, tiled floor.

"Don't speak to me as if you're a close friend, foreigner. You'll do well to not indulge me in your wayward sense of humour", the man replied with his eyes closed.

"Oh, come on, Braidy Bangs. I know you've got some humour in you with your hair being in such a funny style. Let's be friends!" Yami mocked, laughing with tears coming out of his eyes.

"My name is Nozel Silva. If you speak to me, you address me as what I tell you". The captain of the Silver Eagles replied. There were a few veins popping out from the side of his head and he was gritting his teeth.

Yami shrugged his shoulders after he realised Nozel wasn't going to give him the time of day. So, he turned to the other person that had stepped a few feet back as soon as he had walked in.

"What about you, Prickly Queen? Do you know why we've been called here?" He yawned and stretched as he turned to the captain of the Blue Rose Knights.

Charlotte Roselei was turning her head away as she furrowed her brow. "I don't know why we've been called either. Honestly, I thought it would just be me but I saw Captain Nozel here as well".

"Oh, I see…", Yami said as he slowly walked closer to the helmet-wearing captain. "By the way, is there any reason as to why you're trying your best to not look at me?"

"N-No reason at all", Charlotte quickly refuted. "I just didn't like the way you entered and started insulting us with your childish nicknames".

"Then why did you run away as I opened the door? You're standing near Julius's desk at this point. Some may think you're there to order us around?" Yami side-eyed.

The desk had a three-leaf clover on the front of it, representing the symbol of the Clover Kingdom. There were also large stacks of papers on top with the majority of them at risk of falling to the floor.

Charlotte was at a loss for words. Yami was just accusing her but that wasn't the reason she couldn't talk, it was because the Dark Magic user kept edging closer to her, squinting his eyes.

"Honestly, you should be a bit more open about your feelings, kinda like your rookie - Ribbon-Princess", Yami added, thinking back to last night.

"R-Ribbon Princess?" Charlotte repeated, confused as to who it could be. "W-Wait, you mean Daisy?"

"Yeah, that's what I said", Yami waved. "She and Lucas came round for dinner last night and she made friends straight away. Maybe there's a universe out there where you were like that and became friends with me?" He said, with his hand scratching his chin as he was in deep thought.

"Wh-Wh-What?! Why did Daisy decide to go over there with Yami? Hm, I mean I did give her a few days off and I heard about what happened at Kiten… So, I guess that already answered my question. H-Hang on… I should be a bit more like Daisy? She is friendly with everyone… Does that mean I'm not friendly enough? I do try my best to treat everyone nicely b-b-but maybe he means for me to be more open with others? Th-Though there is no need for me to be open with a guy like Yami in the first place!"

Since the Briar mage couldn't respond due to her excessive overthinking, Nozel took this opportunity to get more of his words in. He actually turned around to face the bickering duo and smirked.

"Maybe the reason she's not friendly towards you is because she just can't stand the sight of your face. It would make the two of us or… should I say it's much more than two since I'm pretty sure a large majority of the entire kingdom wouldn't want to look at you either".

Yami paused and slowly turned around. His dark-purple aura flared up but he wore a smile that juxtaposed the feeling the other two captains got from him.

"I mean… I guess that makes sense. Your stupid braid probably gets in the way of your eyes so you wouldn't be able to see me anyway. Still, I wonder if you'll even want to see what's happening after I quickly…", he paused before unsheathing his katana and pointing it right at the royal. "... stab you?"

Nozel returned the threat in his own way. He didn't smile but his mana was flaring up just like the cigarette-smoking mage's. "Perhaps you've forgotten or maybe it's just that it's so out of your realm but… I don't even need to open my eyes to beat you. My mana can do the work for me. I understand that yours is miniscule compared to mine, though…", he said as he started to form a few silver bullets made out of mercury in front of him.

Both the Captain of the Black Bulls and the Captain of the Silver Eagles were shaking the room just by demonstrating their power. Yami's and Nozel's aura were clashing against one another and created a mix of light-blue and dark-purple colours.

"Ugh. Men…", Charlotte thought as she rolled her eyes. She had moved on from her awkwardness as the two men clashed which gave her some time to calm down and rest. Now she was just sitting on one of the chairs at the side of the room and watched the scene play out.

It looked like the two were going to fight but the double doors bursted open all of a sudden, revealing two familiar figures that reacted to what was happening in two very different ways.

"Am I really going to see you two fight?! Oh man, it's been such a long time coming and I can't wait to see how it's going to turn out!"

"What are you two doing?! Stop creating a mess in Master Julius's office!"

The two who showed up were none other than Julius, the Wizard King himself, and Marx, the advisor to the Wizard King.

Julius jumped further into the room after entering and he had stars in his eyes. His hands were in the form of a cat's as if he was itching to see more of the potential fight.

Marx was nothing like that and shared absolutely none of the awe that the Wizard King had. Instead, his eyes were scanning the entire room for any problems.

"Oh, no… On top of needing Master Julius to sort out his papers, there's cigarette ash on the floor, scuff marks from dirty boots, and… what?! There's cracks in the windows as well because of the two fighting!"

"I forgot how strong our mana was. Cracking the windows? Wow, go me", Yami priased himself.

The advisor was mumbling and sweating, face-palming and sighing, shrugging and pouting, all in a weird, consecutive sequence. Eventually, he just fell to the floor on his knees and stared down at the floor.

"At least… the pay is good", he gulped as he tried to think of one, happy aspect of his job.

Then, the Wizard King raised his voice which broke up all of the commotion, leaving only silence from the rest of the mages afterwards.

"Okay, okay, it looks like Marx is suffering so let's all calm down", Julius said as he raised his hand to which the two of Yami and Nozel reacted by letting their mana rest. Charlotte also stood up and joined the other captains.

Marx slowly lifted his head and looked at Julius who was by his desk. The morning sun was high up in the sky and its rays were shining down through the large window behind him which created a glistening glow on the glossy floor near him.

"I guess working alongside Master Julius is good despite the stress I accumulate…", he smiled before standing up. "Master Julius, please call for me when you're done. We still need to go through your papers", he said as he finally composed himself once again.

"Of course, Marx", Julius replied.

The man with the mushroom hair quickly walked outside of the office, shutting the doors behind him.

"Yeah, I'll be doing my exploring after this anyway, Marx… Sorry, haha", Julius mumbled to himself before finally focusing on Yami, Nozel, and Charlotte. "Good Morning to you three".

The three shuffled into place.

"Good Morning, Wizard King".

"Good Morning, Wizard King".

"What's up, Julius?"

Two sets of eyes glared at the one who had to be different. He was standing in the middle of the other two so he felt each eyeball pierce through him. Regardless, the Wizard King continued.

"You may be wondering why I've gathered three captains here. Well, this mission requires all three of your abilities and strategies", Julius said to them.

"Are we fighting more of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, Sir?" Nozel asked.

"It could be the Diamond Kingdom again", Charlotte added.

Julius shook his head. "No, I have some of the other squads on those matters. This mission is something that requires more of a… stronger, yet delicate approach which I believe you three can do".

Yami yawned. "Just spill the info already".

"Right. It's believed that just near the border to the Spade Kingdom, human trafficking is taking place".

The three captains widened their eyes as they heard what Julius said. He continued relaying the information he had.

"As you know, we send scouts across the borders to check and note down anything that has been going on. Everything was clear regarding the Heart Kingdom thanks to our ongoing agreement of peace, and the problems with the Diamond Kingdom are being seen to. However, there has been heavy movement near the Spade Kingdom's border, much different to normal".

Nozel raised his hand. "The only area that I recall that's near that area of the border is the ruined castle of Augustine".

"Augustine? What the hell kinda name is that?" Yami asked.

Charlotte shook her head. "Every captain should know about Augustine, Yami. It was home to a major noble family that had connections with the Clover Kingdom and Spade Kingdom in the past. They resided near the edge of our kingdom's borders but had safe passage to Spade and they acted as an intermediary between the two".

"That is correct. Augustine is where you'll be headed", Julius confirmed. "In the past, there was a rapport between the Kira family and the Grinberryall family which the Augustines helped with but that had stopped a long time ago for unknown reasons".

"The royals over there cut communication. On top of how mysterious their kingdom was, receiving only silence from them added to the growing unease the majority of the nobility over here felt for them", Nozel nodded.

"I was never told any of this", Yami shrugged. "How come these nobles lived all the way over there considering they were a major family?"

Nozel pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "We were all told about the major incidents of the Clover Kingdom once we became captains. Did you just… skip that whole month-long session?"

"He wasn't even there", Charlotte added, answering the Silva's question. "Well, I assume he wasn't?" She raised her eyebrow as she looked over to the Wizard King.

Julius and Yami both sighed whilst the former replied. "I told him to show up as well…".

"I told you I was busy finding a suitable base! It took quite a long time to find the perfect place!" Yami argued.

"You mean that jumbled-up building that's a complete eyesore?" Charlotte chuckled.

"Hey, not everyone can afford to live the high life. Some of us have to work for our money. You come from a noble family where your walls are lined with your riches", Yami replied quickly.

"Yes, it is true that we have money. You just choose to gamble everything you earn straight away", Nozel said under his breath but it was still easy to hear.

Seeing as another argument was about to break out, Julius raised his voice and was serious this time.

"Look, I trust you three to get the job done. I know you have your differences but you have to put those aside, okay?" He said, staring at each person deeply and they all nodded after exchanging quick looks with one another.

"The information I've just given you is the extent of what I have. It's unfortunate but that is another reason why I'm specifically entrusting this mission to you three. Human trafficking is no small matter and has to be taken seriously, no matter what. Work together and fight together. You can joke and argue all you like but when the time comes to ignore your differences, you do exactly that. Is that clear?"

The three captains raised their right arms and put them across their chests. They tucked their thumb and little finger towards their palms and looked straight into the Wizard King's eyes.

With a clover salute, they shouted; "Yes, Sir!"

The day started off with a warm breeze flowing through the air along with the bright, shining sun above but, with the three captains getting closer to their destination, the weather changed quite drastically.

"I've been near the border here a few times for missions but… I can never get used to how cold it gets". Yami shivered as he held herself with his hands.

"Just use Mana Skin, Yami. I used it as soon as the weather started changing. I do not work well with the cold", Charlotte said with a smile.

The Blue Rose captain was surrounded in a thick layer of light-blue mana that helped protect herself from the surroundings. Compared to Yami who was shivering, Charlotte was at ease.

"He probably doesn't even know how to use that technique, Charlotte", Nozel chuckled to himself. "People like him don't have the capacity to do so, especially someone who opted to stay in his thin, stinky white vest. It looks like he actually wanted to feel cold with that get-up". The royal was also within a layer of mana but his was silver-coloured.

"I mean, I've used it once or twice when I really needed to but it was quite far in the past. I usually just beat my enemies quickly without having to worry about taking damage. I guess Nozel here allows a few attacks to get by and that's why he uses Mana Skin", Yami smirked.

"Hmph. I could just turn this eagle to the side and you'd plummet to the floor with no way to get back up, considering you didn't bring your broomstick with you", Nozel said sternly.

The trio were currently in the air, flying on Nozel's eagle transport spell. The bird construct was soaring through the skies with a high speed which only made the cool air that was hitting Yami even worse.

Around the three, the sky started to turn thick with hundreds of layers of mist engulfing their eyesight. The view of the sun was skewered with white clouds trapping the burning star behind it. The vicious sound of the cold breeze was hurting the Black Bull's ears and he was now constantly sneezing.

The eldest Silva sibling simply ignored the man's continuous complaints and focused ahead where the view started to change quite drastically.

There were a lot of uneven, spiky mountainous ranges along the border that had thick layers of snow and ice covering the majority of it. There were a few paths around the sloping sides and the rounded ridges that would be used to travel on but they were now either broken beyond repair, or home to hostile magical creatures.

Soon, there was an area near the base of the mountains that looked a lot different to everything else. It was a large, open stretch of land that sat slightly submerged in the ground. The grass around was all frosted with white snow dust but not completely frozen like the rest of the surrounding area.

"That place", Yami pointed and the two others looked over. "I'm guessing that's where we're going?"

"You would be correct", Nozel nodded before increasing the speed on his eagle spell.

After half an hour, the three captains landed just outside of Augustine or, at least, what was left of it. The eagle spell dispersed quickly and the three made a temporary stop by the entrance gates.

"Woah, this place really is ruined", Yami said as he looked around.

"It was quite the spectacle back in its day", Nozel added.

In front of them, past the broken metal bars of the entrance, was the ruined castle of Augustine. Grazing the floor, was fallen cobblestone that had made varying sizes of craters on the frosted, grassy floor underneath. In different places, different parts of the castle had fallen and this sight stretched as far as the eye could see with the backdrop of the frozen mountains just about visible in the distance.

"Was there some kind of earthquake?" Yami asked as he bent down to look at one of the fallen towers they were walking towards. He put his two right fingers on the surface with a large amount of dust still on top of the cobblestone.

"No, not an earthquake but it was believed that the family fell apart because of their own differences", Charlotte explained.

"They were powerful but, because of their own pride, they decided to set up over here and away from the 'weak, self-indulgent nobles' back at the Royal Capital", Nozel said as he used his two fingers on each hand to signal quotation marks. "They fell apart because they got too big for their boots", he shrugged.

"Maybe they met the Silvas and just had enough", Yami said plainly.

"Anyway, we're here for a mission, not to rehash the mistakes of the Augustines". Nozel quickly replied, brushing off the clear insult by the tall mage.

Yami stood up and that was when the three heard a few sounds from deeper in Augustine. The two quickly scurried over to the side and hid behind a broken, cobblestone wall that was just about tall enough to hide their heads.

The three captains also hid their mana presence and slowly peeked to the side to see what was going on but, just as they did, their eyes widened and shook with what they saw.

There were queues of thin, weak peasants in metal chains as they walked in line. Nearby, there were also small tents with holes that were just about pinned down by bricks, stones, and slabs to prevent them from flying away due to the wind. Within them, there were small, stone cushions with thin rags used as blankets.

"Of course, human trafficking meant that there were people here but, to think that they were living here anyway… in this weather", Charlotte shook her head.

"Where else could people like that go?" Yami whispered. "There's never room for commoners or peasants in and around the capital, and the Forsaken Realm has its own problems with how the economy is. If they thought this place was good enough for the time being, then it was a forced mistake", Yami explained.

"Hmph. A forced mistake?" Nozel closed his eyes. "There's plenty of opportunity for the lower class to live. This is just plain stupidity", he argued.

"I'm not even trying to argue, right now, but the rich will never understand what it's like to be the poor. It's pointless trying to explain since you won't hear it", Yami said.

Charlotte looked at the two sternly as another argument was about to break out but she paused as soon as she looked at the Black Bull's grey eyes and didn't see the usual humour and life that was in them when he argued with Nozel. Instead, they were dull as he looked at the prisoners in front of him.

"What do you mean that I wouldn't understand? It's simple - they couldn't realise their opportunities and fled here where it's impossible to live. I'm sure there's people in the right positions to hear them out in the capital but they themselves chose to live near the border", Nozel thought to himself.

Breaking the three captains' trains of thought, a fierce sound of a slashing whip came from where the queues of peasants were and subsequent screaming emerged not even a second after.

The walking had stopped at one of the queues as a tall, but skinny man got in their way. He wore a large, black overcoat that stretched down just below the knees and his skin-tight trousers were also black. The collars of the man's coat were raised up high and covered the entirety of their necks except for a small opening at the front which showed his protruding Adam's apple.

Next to him, were a pile of grimoires stacked on top of each other. They were all shut and chained tightly with a glowing, red string.

He held a red whip that looked to be dripping in blood with his right hand that was covered in a tight, white glove and proceeded to hit the elderly man next to him. The man fell to the floor and screamed in pain with the mark of the whip tattooed across his back.

"Logan, please… What happened to you?" The elderly man said slowly as he reached out towards the man.

Completely ignoring him, he pointed to the man and told him to get up. "Now, get up and offer yourself", he ordered with a strong, raspy voice as he looked down with menacing, red eyes.

The old man quickly calmed down as he realised he'd be whipped again. He proceeded to take a few steps forward and rested his head on the top of a large, metal bucket with his neck balancing on the edge.

"Good", Logan smiled before raising his gloved hands.

In a quick flash, a small cut formed on the old man's neck and blood started pouring out. The bucket was now being filled with liquid crimson but, just before the man's face became too pale, the man in the coat closed his palms which removed the small hole on the man's neck.

The sun was shining down on the man and he hid his eyes from the bright rays by covering them. However, that was the extent of Logan's unease as he continued. "Now, to the back of the line to rest!" He was going to whip him again.

Meanwhile, during the time that the old man was bending down to the bucket, the three captains were just about to make their move to stop the crime that was going on.

"What the hell are we waiting for?" Yami said as he took a step to the side.

"Yeah, I'm with Yami on this one. Nozel, what are you thinking right now?" Charlotte said, agitated with how long they'd have to wait to move.

Nozel rubbed his eyes. "There are too many unknown variables right now. We can't justify all of us making a move".

"Are you saying we…!" Yami paused as he saw the blood start coming out of the man's neck. "Screw this, that old man's going to die and I'm going to help!"

"Shut up for one second, idiot! I'm saying that all three of us cannot make a move right now but one of us can!" Nozel whispered but it was very close to turning into a shout. "You go and confront that guard whilst Charlotte and I go around the sides to ambush him".

The other two captains calmed down slightly.

"You should've just said that", Yami deadpanned.

"Actually, that is a good idea. Besides, looking at the man with the whip gives me the creeps and it's not just the fact he's trafficking them", Charlotte added.

"Good, you noticed it as well. There's something… off about him. Well, whatever, we don't have the time to properly analyse the situation so we'll do what I said. Yami, go!" Nozel ordered.

"I hate the fact that you're giving me instructions so I'll tell myself that it's my own judgement. See ya!"

Just as the guard was about to whip the old man again, a voice came from the end of the queue.

"Dark Binding Magic: Dark Restraints".

The skinny man's hand was wrapped in black and purple tendrils that coiled around and up to his arm. He didn't look shocked though as he slowly lifted his head and focused on the source of the spell.

"Yeah, that's enough of all that, you weird, skinny guy", Yami said as he walked forwards. His eyes were angered as they flared up but his voice was calm. He even put another cigarette in his mouth and started smoking it.

"A Magic Knight? There hasn't been one around these parts for years", Logan said, smiling and licking his lips. Effortlessly, he broke free from the binding magic and put his arms to the side.

Yami stared at Logan's hands, furrowing his brow. "Can you blame us? It's way too cold here and I'm still shivering", Yami replied. "Anyway, let's get back to the topic. Why are you collecting their blood - Are you a doctor or something?"

"Nope, not a doctor but I do work with blood, I guess you could say. Like you said, let's cut to the chase. Shall I show you just why we need blood?" Logan cracked his neck from one side to the other. He slowly bent down and dipped his finger in the bucket of blood, but not before making sure that the ring on his other finger didn't meet with the liquid.

"Yeah, that's good with me. I can warm up a bit by kicking your ass", Yami responded. "I need to be careful. If he's using something like Blood Magic, I have to beat him quickly", he thought as his mind went back to his fight against the Witch Queen.

The two then walked away from the rows of prisoners and into an open area. The ruins of the old castle were around and the two stood at opposite ends with cobblestone walls right behind them.

"Since you challenged me by coming here, I can go first, right?" Logan asked, putting his thumb up.

"Go for it". Yami unsheathed his sword but, just as he did, the man disappeared after a flock of crows emerged and flew around him. "What?!"

Then, they appeared right next to the Dark mage and he couldn't even turn his head properly before being slammed into the ground by the emerging Logan with his right arm.

"Dark Magic: Dark Cloaked Lightless Slash!" Yami shouted, jumping back. He tightened his grip around the sword handle and slashed downwards, creating a line of sharp darkness which headed for Logan.

Logan held the index finger of his right hand up and created a red sphere that was spinning in place. This object ended up sucking the dark slash up until it wasn't a threat anymore.

"I bet you don't know how Dark Magic feels when it hits you so… I'll give you a demonstration", Logan smiled before making the red sphere spin in the opposite direction. He then threw it right at Yami which made the sucked-up darkness come out and hit its originator.

Yami's eyes widened as he felt his own magic hit him. He put his arms up in an 'X' shape which helped block the main parts of his body from being hurt too badly. "That's a bit like the brat's Anti-Magic but still different. I definitely felt this guy's own mana mixed up in that reversal attack".

"Dark Magic: Veil of Darkness!" Yami slashed his sword in between himself and the enemy, creating a large, black wall which separated him for the time being. "I can't get a read on this guy…!"

"Coming here was a mistake. Now, I'll be using your blood as part of the… process", Logan chuckled. He then showed his bloodied finger to Yami after breaking through the defensive spell.

Again, the Black Bull jumped back and he had enough time to do so by throwing a Dark Cloaked Lightless Slash at the enemy.

Yami, now consecutively throwing his Dark Magic to keep Logan at distance, had his mind filled with unease. "Yep, I was right. There's no reading on this guy through Ki… It's as if there's no life force for some reason. I can still get a read through mana but even that's obscure for some reason".

Whilst Yami was using his dark slashes, the enemy was effortlessly dodging and weaving in and out of the attack's path. He then disappeared by using the same trick before reappearing right next to him not even a second later.

Yami, now getting used to the sudden and quick teleportation-like ability, expected the move. "Dark Magic: Black Hole!"

"What?!" Logan shouted, surprised. As soon as he reappeared, he was being sucked into the darkness. "You just guessed where I'd show up?!"

"Obviously. You have no Ki signature so I had to do something. Fortunately, you were quite predictable. Anyway, I know that spell isn't enough to take you out so have a taste of Dark Magic: Dark Cloaked Black Blade!" Yami covered his katana in darkness and slashed through Black Hole where Logan was partially stuck in.

"Oh, that's not happening!" Logan's hands started to glow a bright red and he punched the spell he was trapped within in every possible direction. He managed to make a tiny hole and, again, used the flock of crows to escape.

But that wasn't before Yami got a good hit in with his katana, slashing a part of his upper arm and chest. There was a horizontal cut that Logan couldn't escape from, but he did well to not get other parts of his body cut up by Yami.

"So, you aren't invincible", Yami smirked. "Those crows of his - It seems like he needs a clear view to be able to escape. I'll remember that".

"You clearly have no chance in beating me so I'll just get this over with", Logan said as he licked the blood from his finger.

He closed his eyes and stumbled ever so slightly. The veins in his face, especially near and around his mouth and eyes started to flare up and protrude out of his skin. He then opened them and they were now completely different. The pupil was a glowing red whilst the white part around it turned black.

His wounds also started to heal with a steam-like after effect. The slash from Yami's katana on his upper arm and chest seemingly disappeared.

Yami was shocked, he had never seen anything so weird. "He licked the blood and now… he's different? I can't tell with Ki but his mana has started to increase! Not to mention that he's all healed up now".

From the queues, the elderly man that was getting beaten by Logan a few minutes ago shouted at the Dark mage. He was still on the floor and he was spitting as he tried to forcefully get his words across.

"Get away from there, Magic Knight!"

Yami looked at the man and then back at the changed Logan. Then, he closed his eyes as he picked up two Ki signatures. "Right. I can't just leave since this guy's faster than me so… I think it's about time, no?"

Logan was about to take a step forwards but two other presences emerged from either side of him. Rushing ahead, two very different types of magic headed right for the enemy and it looked like they were going to hit.

"Mercury Magic: Silver Blades".

"Briar Magic: Vine Abyss".

Whilst a plethora of large, silver swords came from the right and rotated in a circle, a large number of briars tried to catch the enemy in its grasp.

"I'll add to the intensity", Nozel said to himself as he summoned one more sword.

"I'll hold him in place with this", Charlotte nodded.

The two sets of magic were going to hit Logan but, as he noticed them, the change in his face disappeared and he held his arms out wide, making the lower part of his overcoat spread outwards near the bottom.

"Of course, there were others so I guess it's time for my comrades to show yourselves as well!" Logan shouted before disappearing in his familiar flock of crows, only to reappear nearer to Yami.

Nozel and Charlotte stopped as their magic spells missed their mark but something else appeared right in front of each of them. A shadow was cast and, from within, another two people emerged with both looking very similar to Logan.

"You called?" The one near Nozel yawned, closing his red eyes. He wiped and smeared the blood around his lips on his cheek and hand. He had long, red hair with a parting that went through the middle, giving him a curtain hairstyle.

"I was just about to complete it!" The other one that was near Charlotte moaned. She dropped her head and cried, stars in her red eyes. She had short, blue hair that was slightly raised at the back and went into a small pigtail.

Logan blew air out of his mouth. "While you two were busy having your fill, I ran into these three humans. Now, I can take care of one but all of them together will prove a problem considering I haven't gone through the transition yet".

"We get it, you're not that strong. You don't have to keep reminding us". The woman by Charlotte groaned.

"We'll help you out but only if you keep draining those peasants' blood". The man near Nozel chuckled.

Logan face-palmed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you two say. Now, can you do as you're told?"

After that, the two new arrivals stood straight and spun around in a circle, raising the ends of their overcoats to create a spiral effect. Soon, more crows appeared around each of the two and then surrounded Nozel and Charlotte.

"It's the teleportation thing, you idiots, move out of the way!" Yami shouted and tried to use Black Hole on Logan but he quickly evaded it.

"I think…",

"It's too late…".

The Silver Eagle and the Blue Rose had started to talk but were whisked away elsewhere by the flock of black crows, leaving only Yami to face off against Logan once more.

"That is a really neat trick you have there", Yami shook his head, frustrated.

"Thanks. You pick it up when you're like us", Logan replied.

"What does that even mean - What are you?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Logan asked before blitzing forwards and putting his hand on Yami's head, causing him to close his eyes and fall unconscious. He opened his mouth and smiled whilst licking his lips. His tongue went in and around the four, long fang-like canines.

"We're vampires".

FLASHBACK - END

NOTES:

The fic returns, and it's been a few weeks since the last upload!

I chose to delay this chapter because it introduces some very new and exciting things that I felt that I had to get right. I guess having all those annoying things happen that stopped the full 5-day update schedule had a little silver lining…

I'm also in the middle of rearranging an arc that I have planned in terms of where I'll place it in the normal continuity which is another reason for the delays. I believe I have it figured out but this also makes me change a few things in the future chapters for it to make sense.

Anyway, enough about that. What did you think of the introduction of vampires? It was hinted previously in Chapter 82 in one of Daisy's flashbacks. I'm introducing them differently than I did with the Druids and I hope it works - You'll see what I mean eventually.

You may wonder why they're out in the sun and not burning up? Well, just wait.

This will obviously continue in the next chapter but I'm not sure when it'll be uploaded.