what if I'm an undead! then so what?-Chapter 34: Mr Isagi vs Masaru, Akane’s death

Akane stood at the balcony of her room, gazing at the night sky. The pale glow of the moon bathed her in a silvery light, making her silver hair shimmer like a curtain of starlight. Despite the heavy weight of her recent ordeal, she no longer looked as fragile as she had two weeks ago. Her face, once ashen, had regained some of its color, a testament to the healing process that had slowly begun. Losing a blood essence wasn’t something one could easily bounce back from—it was akin to losing a part of your very lineage, your connection to your own bloodline. But with enough training and rigorous Rituals, recovery was possible, though it would take at least a month to fully regain her strength.

"Where the hell is Masaru?" she muttered under her breath, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration. She couldn’t help but feel restless, a gnawing uncertainty lingering in the pit of her stomach. Her heart ached with the absence of him, as the cold night wrapped around her like a suffocating blanket.

As her thoughts spiraled, a familiar voice broke through the silence.

"Still thinking of Masaru?"

Akane turned to find Hinata stepping out of the shadows, a playful smile dancing on her lips. Hinata walked up behind her and hugged her tightly, her warmth contrasting the chill of the night air. "Focus on recovering first," she teased, her voice light but filled with concern. "Your little lover boy isn’t going to stay away forever. Perhaps he blames himself for what happened to you and went off somewhere to gain strength. It’s a typical trope in novels, if you ask me."

Akane allowed herself a small, bittersweet smile, though the tension in her chest remained. "I feel so confused," she admitted, her voice lower now, tinged with worry. "And there’s also the matter of the Viremonthe. They could try something against my family, and they’d have the upper hand."

Hinata’s expression shifted, turning serious. "Don’t worry," she said, her voice steady. "Are you forgetting that your father is one actually the most strongest vampire alive? He can take care of himself."

Akane exhaled slowly, her mind clouded with doubt. "I know, but the Viremonthe—they’re dangerous. They’re relentless. They won’t stop until they get what they want."

Hinata placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "If you really want Masaru to grow stronger, maybe it’s time he formed a pact with a familiar. He’s already a mid-rank vampire. He could form a bond with a familiar and a blood weapon. It would significantly enhance his power."

Akane frowned, her brows knitting together in frustration. "That was the original plan, but he’s nowhere to be found. It’s been two weeks... still no sign of him. I can’t even detect his crest, his blood energy... It’s almost as if his presence has disappeared completely." She halted, her eyes widening as something familiar tugged at her senses.

Akane’s heart skipped a beat. She could feel it—his blood energy. Faint, distant, but still there. It was a sliver of presence, like a whisper in the night.

Without thinking, she leaped from the balcony, landing gracefully on the ground below. But just as she was about to take off, Hinata’s hand shot out to stop her.

"Wait for a moment!" Hinata’s voice was firm, her grip unyielding.

"I can’t stop now!" Akane snapped, her breath quickening, but her determination was clear.

"I’m not stopping you," Hinata said, her tone softening. "I’m just trying to help. You’re still recovering. It’s better for you not to strain yourself."

Before Akane could protest, Mana particles swirled around them, and in an instant, they were no longer in the Mansion. The world blurred around them, the air thick with the scent of magic. In a blink of an eye, they appeared in front of an ordinary-looking house, though to both of them, it was anything but ordinary. The house was surrounded by enchantments—powerful wards that shimmered in the air like an invisible shield. Any supernatural being attempting to enter without permission would be met with resistance.

"What do we do now?" Hinata asked, her voice laced with uncertainty as she looked at the seemingly harmless structure. Her eyes flickered with a hint of caution. "The aura around this place—it feels like a hunter’s domain. A powerful one at that."

Akane’s thoughts raced, her senses heightened as she felt the pressure of the surrounding energy. "A hunter, for sure. And not just any hunter. The amount of Aether surrounding this house is... immense. Whoever lives here has been training with serious intent."

Meanwhile, inside the house, Masaru stood face-to-face with Mr. Isagi, a dangerous grin on the older man’s face. They stood motionless for a moment, sizing each other up. Then, with a flash of speed, Masaru disappeared from his position and reappeared behind Mr. Isagi, launching a powerful roundhouse kick aimed at his head. But Mr. Isagi was faster. With a swift motion, he raised his arm, blocking the kick and pushing Masaru back by two meters.

"Not bad, kid," Mr. Isagi said, his voice laced with amusement, but his eyes glinted with menace. "But not good enou–."

Before Mr Isagi could even complete his words, he shot his palm forward, summoning his Aether energy in a massive blue blast. "Eishoken!" he yelled, his voice filled with resolve. The palm formed from Aether, thrice the size of a normal hand, hurtled toward Mr. Isagi at sound speed. It collided with the older man’s chest, sending him flying into the wall of the training room with a powerful explosion.

Masaru’s body started to release heat as steam began to rise from his form. His veins bulged, and his fist crackled with raw energy. He appeared in front of Mr Isagi almost instantly, landing a full-powered punch, boosted by an Aether technique that increased both speed and strength. The force of the blow caused Mr Isagi to sink deeper into the reinforced wall, blood dripping from his lips.

Masaru leaped back, putting distance between them as he raised his hands in front of him, preparing for his next move. His breathing was ragged, exhaustion starting to take hold. Mr. Isagi scowled, sensing his opponent’s fatigue.

"Trying to finish me off already?" Mr. Isagi taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Masaru’s hands glowed with bright blue light, and he unleashed his only rank 3 Aether attack. "Tensho Shometsu! Heaven-piercing Annihilation!" he shouted, releasing a beam of Aether energy that shot toward Mr. Isagi at light speed. The sheer force of the attack was overwhelming, as if a barrage of rocket launchers had been fired at him. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The entire room shook as the blast hit, sending debris flying in every direction. A thick cloud of dust filled the space, obscuring vision.

Then, from the smoke, a voice rang out, followed by a deep chuckle. "You’ve had your fun, kid. Now it’s my turn!" Mr. Isagi’s voice echoed ominously through the room.

The dust began to clear, revealing Mr. Isagi emerging from the wreckage, a slight smirk on his face. He was unscathed, and his aura had intensified, his body glowing with Aether energy. He moved like a blur, disappearing and reappearing behind Masaru. His powerful kick was aimed directly at Masaru’s head, but just as it was about to land, it collided with a green energy barrier that had appeared just in time.

The force of the blow sent shockwaves through the room, and everything around them was sent flying. But standing in front of Masaru was Hinata, her barrier shimmering with protective energy, her hands glowing with raw power. Flames flickered around her, ready to scorch Mr. Isagi if necessary. Behind them stood Akane, her crimson blade pressed to Mr. Isagi’s neck, the cold edge reflecting the dangerous tension in the room.

"Kids these days," Mr. Isagi muttered, his grin widening. "No respect."

With a snap of his fingers, violent Aether energy exploded around him, causing the entire building to shake. Masaru, exhausted and unable to defend himself, was thrown to the ground, his body weakened from overuse of Aether and blood energy. His current vampire form lacked the durability of necessarily to handle this kind of pressure, and he collapsed unconscious almost immediately.

Akane’s face tightened with concern, her eyes flicking between Masaru and Mr. Isagi. The pressure from the older vampire’s aura was suffocating, the sheer force of his power causing beads of sweat to form on her brow. She had recovered somewhat, but she knew she was still no match for him in her weakened state.

"Damn," Hinata muttered, appearing beside Akane. A golden aura enveloped her, and Akane felt a wave of energy course through her, alleviating some of her tension. Her body relaxed, the exhaustion momentarily lifted.

Mr. Isagi stood tall, his Aether energy radiating from him like an unstoppable force. "I’ll give you both two seconds to scram before I obliterate you," he threatened, his voice laced with menace.

Hinata smiled, unfazed. "With the amount of killing intent you’re radiating, I can tell it’s all just a bluff."

Mr. Isagi’s expression soured, and he blurred into motion, attempting a powerful kick aimed at Hinata. But before the blow could land, strings of Mana wrapped around him, halting him mid-air. With a single touch from Hinata his body was frozen solid in place like an ice sculptor in a matter of seconds.

"To think you’d end it so easily, I might actually loose to you! I just hope Masaru is okay" Akane said in a low voice as she turned her direction towards Masaru, just as she was about to touch him she felt a sickening presence as the ice suddenly disappeared, not melting, not breaking, and from it revealed Mr Isagi whose hands now monstrously transformed. His aura had grown darker, suffocating the room with its intensity.

And then, before Akane could react, he moved in a blur, appearing inches from her. His monstrous hands passed through her chest, the cold touch sending a shockwave of fear and panic through her body.