My Three Beautiful Vampire Wives can hear my Inner Thoughts-Chapter 31: Scylencer and Poisotate

Scylencer woke first with a sharp breath that scraped his throat like dry leaves, his eyes snapping open to a sky that felt wrong, too close, too tilted, the world swaying as if it were hanging from invisible threads.

His body felt light and heavy at the same time, muscles numb, limbs refusing to answer him when instinct screamed for movement.

For a moment he thought he was still dreaming, trapped in one of those half-awake states where thoughts drift without order, but then the cold air brushed his cheek and he heard it.

Flap.

Not loud, not violent, just a steady, slow sound, like thick cloth being unfolded again and again above him.

Flap.

His eyes shifted, vision clearing enough to notice that he was not lying down, not standing either, but suspended, the ground far below him, shadows sliding across stone and broken earth.

Panic crawled up his spine as memory rushed back in uneven pieces, blood-red wings tearing through the dark, a man hovering like a nightmare given shape, pale skin and eyes that burned too brightly.

"Poisotate," Scylencer hissed, his voice hoarse, "wake up."

Poisotate groaned beside him, his head lolling before snapping upright, long dark hair falling across his face as his eyes widened in shock. "What the hell," he muttered, then louder, "what the hell is this."

Flap.

They both went still.

The sound came again, closer now, and with it a faint pressure in the air that made their skin prickle, a presence that felt heavy without being loud. Poisotate twisted his neck as much as he could, eyes darting, then froze when he saw it.

Blood-colored wings stretched wide above them, translucent at the edges, veins glowing softly as if lit from within. And between those wings, upside down, as if gravity had simply decided to give up on him, was a man smiling.

"Ohhh," Cain said lazily, his voice smooth and amused, his long wavy hair hanging down like a curtain of ink, swaying just inches from their faces, "insects. You’re all awake."

Scylencer’s breath hitched. "You," he said, disbelief thick in his voice. "You’re the one from before."

Poisotate’s eyes narrowed as he struggled to piece things together. "The vampire," he growled. "The one with wings."

Cain blinked slowly, still upside down, his smile widening just a little. "Ah, so you do remember something. That’s good. I was worried I overdid it."

"What did you do to us," Scylencer demanded, anger cutting through the fear, "why can’t we move."

Cain’s hair brushed against Scylencer’s cheek as he tilted his head, pretending to think, then he chuckled softly. "Nothing special. Really. I just know by instinct that insects like you two are scared of birds, so I paralyzed you and carried you along."

Poisotate snarled, teeth grinding as he strained against the invisible lock on his body. "You think we’re scared of you."

Cain said nothing. He simply smiled.

Scylencer’s eyes flickered, mana sense spreading despite the paralysis, probing, measuring, and his brow furrowed in confusion that quickly turned to disbelief. "Wait," he muttered, then sharper, "his mana."

Poisotate felt it too a second later, his expression shifting from confusion to pure fury. "Blood Infusion realm," he spat. "That’s it. That’s all he is."

Their gazes snapped to each other, shock turning into rage in the space of a heartbeat. They had faced Blood Condensation monsters, hunted beings that could crush cities if left unchecked, and this vampire dared to toy with them while barely stepping into true mastery.

"You son of a bitch," Poisotate roared.

Cain’s lips twitched.

Boom.

The air screamed as infestation mana erupted from both of them at once, thick, buzzing, alive, a wave of invisible pressure that warped the space around their bodies. The ground below cracked as if struck by an unseen hammer, dust and debris shooting outward in a violent ring.

And Cain didn’t let go.

Scylencer’s eyes went wide as the shockwave passed through Cain’s body without resistance, the vampire’s grip steady, wings beating calmly as if nothing had happened. "Impossible," he whispered. "He should be torn apart."

Poisotate’s voice shook with disbelief. "We’re mid-stage Infestation Condensation. That’s equivalent to Blood Condensation. He’s nothing compared to us."

Cain laughed, a deep, genuine sound that echoed too pleasantly for the situation, his wings flexing as he righted himself in the air, now upright, looking down at them with glowing eyes. "You really are insects," he said, amusement dripping from every word. "As long as someone has wings, you’re already suppressed."

The two snarled in unison.

Their mana surged again, stronger this time, thicker, buzzing louder, the infestation energy crawling over itself like a living swarm. The air grew heavy, oppressive, the sound of countless unseen wings filling the space around them as they pushed harder, drawing deeper, forcing more power out despite the strain.

Cain didn’t even flinch.

"Oh," he said, tilting his head, "that tickles."

Scylencer screamed in frustration and pushed again, veins standing out on his neck as his mana spiked, the pressure enough to pulverize stone, to crush lesser beings into pulp. He felt it reach Cain, slam into him, wrap around him, and then slide off like water hitting glass.

Poisotate joined him, their powers overlapping, feeding into each other, infestation mana thickening until the space around Cain distorted, colors bending, the sound of their own hearts pounding in their ears.

Cain yawned.

"Come on," he said, eyes half-lidded, "is that really the best you can do."

They pushed harder.

Again.

And again.

Each time their mana grew, sharper, denser, more violent, each release stronger than the last as they dug into reserves meant for killing kings and devouring armies. Sweat beaded on their brows, breaths coming ragged, the effort burning their cores.

Cain hummed, bobbing slightly in the air as if rocking to an unheard tune.

Scylencer’s vision blurred with rage. "Why," he screamed, "why isn’t this working."

"Because," Cain replied lightly, "you’re still thinking like insects."

Another surge, desperate now, reckless, their infestation mana screaming as it burst forth in a final violent wave that shattered what little remained of the ground below.

Cain’s laughter cut off.

He stilled mid-air, eyes shifting past them, wings slowing as his expression changed, the amusement draining into something colder, sharper. "Ah," he murmured, "here they are."

Scylencer followed his gaze and felt his stomach drop.

Below, amid broken stone and dust, lay Cornelia’s body, twisted, blood staining the ground beneath her, her breathing shallow, almost nonexistent.

"Come the two of you," Cain said quietly, beckoning his hand, "We’re here."

That was when Poisotate acted.

Instead of releasing more mana, he condensed it, shaping it into a focused infestation spell, sharp and piercing, a writhing lance of energy that shot straight toward Cain’s chest.

The impact forced Cain’s hands to open.

Scylencer and Poisotate fell.

They hit the ground hard, the paralysis breaking on impact as pain exploded through their bodies. Dust rose around them, coughing, scrambling, they rolled apart and leapt to their feet, mana flaring instinctively.

Cain descended without a sound, wings folding neatly behind him as his boots touched the ground, dust settling around him as if afraid to linger.

He laughed.

"Heh," he said, brushing imaginary dirt from his sleeve. "You both wasted your mana. You could have attacked me head-on. But who would expect two insects to have anything other than insect brains."

His laughter grew, sharp and eerie, echoing like something from a crypt.

Poisotate shook with rage. "You blood-sucking leech," he snarled. "You dare insult us."

Scylencer raised his hands, infestation mana swirling, his voice cold and focused. "We’ll erase you."

They attacked together.

Poisotate unleashed Venomous Brood Devourer, a storm of corrosive infestation energy shaped like a swarm of spectral insects that screamed as they rushed forward.

Scylencer followed with Silent Mantle Guillotine, thin crescent blades of compressed mana slicing through the air with lethal precision.

They hit.

Thud.

The sound was dull, anticlimactic.

Cain didn’t move.

The attacks crashed against his body and vanished, dispersing like mist, leaving not even a scratch on his clothes. He stood there, smiling, eyes glowing brighter, arms spread slightly as if welcoming them.

"Ah," he said happily, "that one felt nice." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Horror crawled up Scylencer’s spine. "How," he whispered.

Poisotate stared, his face pale. "How is he unscathed!?"

They looked at each other, fear passing between them, then nodded.

Again.

They attacked again and again, screaming the names of their techniques, burning through their remaining mana, infestation energy roaring as they pushed beyond limits, each strike stronger, more desperate, more furious than the last.

Each time, Cain stood there.

Smiling.

Waiting.

Receiving it all as if it were nothing more than a breeze.

Their breaths grew ragged, bodies shaking, disbelief crushing down harder than any blow as realization finally began to sink in.

Cain tilted his head, eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.

"...Is that all you two got?"