But the monster didn’t say a word.

She just stood there, her glowing white eyes avoiding Dracula’s gaze entirely.

Her hooded head lowered slightly, the spider legs at her back shifting nervously on the forest floor, crunching leaves and twigs as she tried to make herself smaller.

She knew Dracula was a terrifying being — one of the most feared legends in the monster realm, an ancient vampire lord whose name alone could make even high-ranking monsters tremble.

The stories of his power, his cruelty, and his centuries of dominance were enough to make her heart race with fear. She was scared to even look him directly in the eyes, her glowing white orbs staying fixed on the ground or Rin instead, her body language screaming submission and caution.

The spider legs clicked restlessly, the female form under the hoodie tense and rigid, as if any sudden movement could provoke the vampire lord into action.

Then Rin said to Dracula, his voice calm and casual, "Let’s go."

He turned slightly, his black hoodie shifting with the movement, his deep blue eyes glancing at the vampire lord with easy familiarity.

Then the monster asked Rin, her raspy female voice hesitant but curious,

"You were able to open a portal to get us here?"

Then Rin replied, waving his hand lightly as he shook his head,

"Oh, that wasn’t me..." He pointed at Dracula with a casual thumb over his shoulder.

"He opened the portal.... I’m not used to opening portals."

He explained it simply, noting that some beings could both teleport short distances and open full portals to other locations.

This monster could only teleport short distances within a limited range, but beings like Dracula, Muganda, and Yuri could teleport and also open stable portals to distant places.

Rin himself wasn’t particularly skilled at opening portals —

he relied more on his incredible speed to run to locations when needed, covering vast distances in moments rather than tearing open gateways.

His explanation was relaxed, his posture easy as he stood in the forest clearing, the moonlight highlighting the subtle deep blue highlights of his hair, his black hoodie and elastic pants making him look like an ordinary young man despite the power he held.

Then Dracula opened a portal which led him and Rin back to the school.

With a casual wave of his hand, the vampire lord summoned a shimmering, dark rift in the air, the edges swirling with crimson energy as it stabilized into a doorway.

Rin and Dracula stepped through without hesitation, the portal closing behind them with a soft snap, leaving the hooded monster alone in the forest clearing.

Reaching inside the school building, they saw that the rest were all panicking.

The group was scattered in the hallway, flashlights sweeping wildly, voices raised in worry as they called out names.

Hanako paced back and forth, her high ponytail swinging, her revealing outfit looking out of place in the serious moment.

Akane gripped her phone tightly, her plunging top rising and falling with rapid breaths as she scanned the corridors.

Nagumo stood with clenched fists, his muscular frame tense, while Hinata used her vision to scan through walls, her voice urgent through the earbuds.

The team looked lost and anxious, the earlier fight’s adrenaline now replaced by fear for the missing members.

Then Rin was like

"Hey, what’s up?"

He stepped into view casually, hands in his pockets, his black hoodie and elastic pants making him look completely relaxed.

Immediately Akane and Hanako ran toward him and hugged him tightly.

Akane pressed her body against his right side, her exposed breasts pushing warmly against his arm as she clung to him, her red ponytail brushing his shoulder. Hanako wrapped her arms around his left side, her own chest pressing firmly against him as she buried her face in his hoodie.

Both girls held him close, their bodies trembling slightly with relief, their revealing outfits shifting as they squeezed him.

Akane said, her voice shaky with worry,

"What happened!! Where did you go?"

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes glistening as she looked up at him, her hands gripping his hoodie tightly.

Also Hanako spoke, her voice soft and relieved,

"We were so worried about you..." S

he hugged him even tighter, her high ponytail swaying as she pressed her face against his chest, her body warm and soft against his.

Then Rin was like "Sorry to get y’all so worried...

I wandered in the middle of the commotion and got lost, then I saw Dracula on my way back here."

He lied smoothly, his voice casual and reassuring, his hands patting their backs gently as he spoke.

The story was prepared to fool the others and get them out of the school —

a simple explanation that avoided revealing his true power or the real events with the monster.

Then Naoya asked, his voice filled with confusion,

"Did you see the monster on your way here?"

Then Rin was like "Well, not really... but on my way at the backyard I saw a dead monster that Dracula just killed."

He delivered the lie with a casual shrug, his expression relaxed as he pointed vaguely toward the back of the school.

The story was designed to convince the group the threat was handled, allowing them to end the operation and leave without further risk.

Then Hanako looked at Dracula and was like "Really??" Her eyes widened, her high ponytail swaying as she turned toward the vampire lord, her revealing outfit shifting with the movement.

Then Dracula replied, his rich, aristocratic voice casual but carrying the weight of centuries,

"Yeah, it was really fast.

I caught it running out the building at the back, then I killed it."

He said it with a faint, elegant smile, his long black coat billowing slightly as he stood there, his silver-streaked hair catching the moonlight.

The lie was delivered smoothly, his posture relaxed as he played along with Rin’s story.

The group stood in the dark hallway, the tension slowly easing as they accepted the explanation, the night operation coming to an unexpected but seemingly resolved end.