The Vampire King's Pet-Chapter 298: A Trap

Without hesitating, the lords headed off to fight the Zygon that looked impossible to defeat.

The four of them did not hesitate for even a second, going all out from the very beginning, fully aware that Zyren’s gaze was on them. Every strike carried lethal intent, every movementa executed with deadly precision. They fought as though there would be no second chance, as though holding back even a fraction would mean certain death.

But it was at that very moment that the Zygon suddenly went ballistic.

It roared with a thunderous voice that split the air itself, the sound vibrating violently through the battlefield. Its body swelled with raw fury as it attacked fiercer and harder than before, abandoning any semblance of restraint. It was vicious—feral—its movements no longer calculated but devastatingly overwhelming.

The vampires could barely contain it, even with the flames they shot from their mouths, fire roaring in waves that scorched the ground beneath the creature’s feet. If previously there had been some form of calm—some sense of balance—at that moment there was nothing but chaos. Smoke, screams, and fire blurred together as the battlefield dissolved into carnage.

"Are you just going to watch?" Aira asked.

She stood behind him, her voice edged with strain, only to be surprised when Zyren responded with a faint smile and a brief glance over his shoulder. The expression was unreadable—too calm, too composed for the hell unfolding before them. Then he turned back, focusing his entire attention on the battle ahead as though nothing else existed.

Aira looked calm on the outside, but she wasn’t.

If Jared was truly dead, then it meant the plan they had built together—piece by careful piece—might as well be over. Everything hinged on that truth, and the uncertainty gnawed at her chest with relentless force.

The fight continued, and this time it was unmistakably clear.

Whoever the Zygon was, it was far more powerful than any they had ever encountered before. Worse than that, it was cruel. It ripped off limbs with deliberate slowness, sometimes pausing just long enough to make it clear that it was toying with them. It enjoyed their suffering.

Yet amidst all the chaos, its gaze remained fixed on Zyren.

It was subtle but unmistakable—the way its black eyes kept flicking back toward him, ensuring that Zyren had not moved from where he stood. The monster considered him a threat, perhaps the only one worth acknowledging.

It wasn’t until Lord Virelle—whose bloodline ability granted him inhuman speed—had his hand sliced clean off that a deep frown settled on Zyren’s face. It was the kind of expression that appeared when something long overlooked finally revealed itself.

The situation only worsened.

One by one, each of the lords began to sustain grievous wounds—deep gashes, shattered bones, torn flesh—while the Zygon continued to heal at a horrifying rate. Injuries closed almost as quickly as they appeared, regeneration occurring in the blink of an eye.

It was hard to watch.

Even harder to experience.

Aira clenched her teeth together, understanding at last how such a beast could have killed the Werewolf King. The realization sat heavily in her chest, suffocating and cold.

Rymora, her maid, had moved to stand right beside her. Her expression was just as dark as she watched the brutal spectacle unfold before them. It was clear to both of them that the fight was not turning in their favor. Not even slightly.

Finally, when neither of them expected it, they heard Zyren speak.

"Check," he said sharply. "Make sure that everyone here is not a Zygon."

His tone left no room for argument.

Aira instantly nodded, showing that she understood. The last thing she wanted was for Zyren to leave her side only for another Zygon—one as powerful as the one they were facing—to arrive unnoticed. If that happened, she would die, and there would be no one left who could help her.

Slowly, deliberately, she allowed her power to spread outward in every direction.

She used more force than she normally would, refusing to leave even the smallest gap where a Zygon might slip through undetected. The energy hummed through the air, invisible yet heavy, brushing against every living presence around her.

"I’m done," she said at last, the moment she was certain.

None of the people close to her reacted negatively to her abilities—not the way a Zygon would have. That confirmation alone sent a thin wave of relief through her chest.

King Zyren nodded once.

Suddenly, it was as if he vanished from where he had been standing.

One instant he was beside her—the next he reappeared in the center of the battle, his presence slamming into the chaos like a force of nature. But Aira’s gaze had barely focused on him when the wind violently picked up.

Her eyes widened in shock.

Something—no, someone—was launched directly toward her.

A split second later, a closer look revealed the horrifying truth.

It was a Zygon.

The creature had hurled itself straight at her with no hesitation whatsoever. Its body was black and grotesque, twisted in a way that defied nature, and from its sheer size alone it was clear that it was just as powerful as the one Zyren had gone to fight—if not more.

In that instant, everything became terrifyingly clear.

The goal was her.

Killing her was the objective, and drawing Zyren away from the battlefield was the key. It was all happening at once—too fast, too sudden for logic to catch up.

One look was enough for Aira to know there was no way she was going to survive if she tried to face it head-on.

Even if she dodged, the Zygon was too fast. Zyren had only just left. Help was too far away.

She heard Rymora scream beside her, but it might as well have come from a million miles away.

Still, instinct took over.

Aira didn’t want to die.

She wanted to live.

She dove as fast as she could out of the way, her body reacting before her mind fully understood the danger. But it wasn’t enough. The Zygon crashed down from the sky, claws slicing through the air—and through her.

Her arm might as well have been butter.

The creature’s claws tore straight through it and continued into her side.

Blood sprayed violently as Aira screamed at the top of her lungs, the pain so sharp it stole the breath from her chest. Her body burned, agony radiating outward in relentless waves. But the worst part hadn’t even begun.

The Zygon straightened.

It opened its mouth wider than any living thing should be able to. Its jaw stretched and tore grotesquely apart, making its intention horrifyingly clear.

It was going to swallow her whole.

Rymora drew a short sword from her hand and hurled it with everything she had. The blade struck the monster—but it might as well have been a child’s toy.

Suddenly, flames erupted around them in violent waves.

People screamed.

The air filled with panic as more Zygons emerged, attacking in droves. It was unmistakable now.

It was a trap.

One they had all unknowingly walked into.

Aira lay there, staring up at death as it stared back down at her with soulless black eyes. Her side burned unbearably, every breath a struggle. She wanted to scream—but nothing mattered more than the monster looming over her.

It bent down, its long, vicious, warped tongue flicking out as it prepared to finish her—ensuring she would not survive.

But then—

Just as Aira thought it was over—

The monster froze.

Confusion crossed its face, twisted and unnatural, as though it were trying to comprehend something binding it against its will—something it had not approved of, and could not escape.