My Horny Stepmom Turns Me into Her Vampire Slave-Chapter 25: United by a common enemy

"That’s all you’ve got, Alexander? Come on — hit me harder!" Rudeor roars.

"Fine. Your funeral! Elemental Invocation ● Earth: Wrecking Ball!"

Fragments of rock and earth detach from the ground all around the area where they are training — a desolate zone just outside New York.

The fragments gather and compress, forming a stone sphere about two meters in diameter. Then it launches toward Rudeor with the speed and force of a cannonball.

A spell capable of leveling a house — stopped by a simple punch.

Rudeor shatters it effortlessly with his bare hands, without even using his magical abilities.

"This is your strongest spell? You’re a real disappointment, Alexander. How do you plan to avenge your sister if you’re this weak? Even though Elisabeth was younger than you, she was already a far more skilled elemental mage — and she was killed in an instant. What chance do you think you have against those vampires? I’ll tell you — none. You are the shame of House Azuralis."

"T-That’s why I asked you to train me, Rudeor. I know I’m the weak link... but I swear on my honor that one day I will become the most powerful elemental mage of all, and I will kill the Platinum Death!"

"Then stop talking and hit me with a spell worthy of the name!"

"O-Okay... Elemental Invocation ● Earth—"

Alexander collapses to his knees before he can even finish chanting the spell, completely exhausted.

Rudeor stares at him with a look full of anger and disgust.

"Don’t tell me you’ve already hit your limit after barely an hour. The first two hours are just the warm-up, you incompetent! You’re weak — just like my uncles. They raised you the same way, and you’ll end up just like them!"

Alexander struggles to get back to his feet, his fists clenched in anger.

"D-Don’t you dare talk about my parents like that again, Rudeor!"

"Then grow some balls and act like a man! When you face those creatures, you won’t be able to tell them, ’Sorry, I ran out of mana. Can we continue the fight in a few hours?’ This is all my father’s fault. Instead of training you properly, he coddled and pampered you like a baby just because his brother, before dying, asked him to take care of you and Elisabeth. By doing that, he turned you into a spineless coward — just like he is now..."

Rudeor lets out a long, resigned sigh.

"Why am I even telling you this? Training someone like you is a complete waste of time. I could kill the Platinum Death and the two brats she drags around with her all by myself."

"R-Rudeor... what are you saying? What are you planning to do?"

"Isn’t it obvious? I’ll do what my cowardly father doesn’t have the courage to do. I’ll kill both the Platinum Death and the vampire princess."

"Do you really intend to disobey the head of the family?"

"You know, Alexander, you’re not the only one who wants to kill those vampires to avenge someone. You do it to bring justice for Elisabeth’s death. I do it to restore the honor of our house. Once I admired my father. He was strong, brave, unyielding. He feared nothing and no one, and I trained day and night for as long as I can remember to become like him. But now..."

Rudeor stomps the ground so violently that it opens a small crater. The earth trembles beneath Alexander’s feet and he almost loses his balance.

"...now only a distant memory remains of the man I admired so much. And it’s all because of those damned creatures. The Julius I remember would never have bowed his head to anyone — not even the infamous Platinum Death. Once that woman is dead, maybe he will become the man he once was again. Or maybe he will realize he is no longer fit to lead this house... and that the title should belong to me. Considering I surpassed him in strength long ago, the second option is probably the most appropriate."

"Rudeor, don’t do anything stupid. You’re strong, I admit that — even stronger than Julius. But you haven’t seen that woman in action, and you don’t know what she’s capable of. Believe me, it may be better to do what your father says..."

"I expected nothing less from someone as weak as you. You spent years pretending to be friends with Princess Mia’s brother, so you should know where he lives. Tell me now."

"Y-You can’t mean that... you’re going to attack them directly?! You know it’s madness to start a fight in a populated area! You’d end up fighting not only the Platinum Death, but also the Monster Slayers!"

"Then I’ll kill them too. I’ll ask you one last time — tell me where those vampires live."

"I know it’s a large building in the Bronx, but I don’t know which apartment. Sometimes I waited for him downstairs until he came out, but I never went up to his place. Unfortunately that’s all I know..."

"It doesn’t matter. I’ll break down the doors one by one until I find them."

"I don’t think that will be necessary," a female voice echoes nearby.

A girl with long wavy red hair steps out from behind a tree, a pink lock falling over one eye.

Alexander recognizes her instantly. They are classmates at Ordrienne High. It’s Zaira Narkhalis.

"Rudeor, that’s Mia Valakis’s best friend! We have to kill her immediately!"

Zaira raises her hands in surrender.

"I’m not here to ruin your plans, don’t worry. I was just passing by. With all the noise you were making, I couldn’t help overhearing that you intend to kill Isabelle and Mia."

Rudeor stares at her suspiciously.

"You heard right. But unfortunately for you, they’ll be the last thing you hear."

Rudeor is about to attack her, but stops when Zaira speaks again.

"I want them dead too, don’t worry. Especially that hateful Chris Valakis. Ever since he entered Mia’s life, I started to matter less and less to her. I loved her. I wanted her with all my heart. But she rejected me. And if Mia cannot be mine, then she will belong to no one. Let me help you — unlike that boy, I know their house very well."

"We don’t need the help of a foolish human."

"Foolish human, you say? What if I told you I’ve been friends with Princess Mia since we lived on Elyndra?"

"Are you a vampire too by any chance?!" Rudeor snarls.

Zaira shakes her head.

"Please, don’t mistake me for that kind of scum. I belong to a race far more noble and powerful."

Then Zaira unfurls a pair of imposing purple wings from her back, under Rudeor’s pleased gaze.

"Oh, a succubus then. Very interesting. Since I’m not someone who likes wasting time, we will attack them tonight. They would never expect an assault in the middle of the night directly at their home, and we will use the element of surprise to kill them."

Then he turns his gaze toward Alexander.

"Are you with us, or do you prefer to keep crying over Elisabeth’s death without lifting a finger to avenge her?"

Alexander grits his teeth and takes a deep breath. Then he raises his gaze, firm and determined, toward Rudeor.

"I’m with you."