Black Knights of India

At this very moment, Slacovich and Ara took the earliest flight to India, fearing that Volton's evil doings might corrupt the children's minds. Moreover, if he can freely deploy his men in different countries, it will be a big trouble to track them down. The plan of going to Japan has been canceled, yet Ericka decided to visit her grandfather alone, but Carl insisted on coming with her. The lack of training and combat knowledge puts the hunters in a very tight situation. If Volton figures out how open and defenseless they are, he will surely attack immediately.

As for Sofie, upon hearing the news of Slacovich and Ara's departure, her heart felt a bit uneasy. She had a feeling that something was going to happen. She took precautionary measures and deployed some shadow guards to follow Slacovich and Ara at all times. The Black Knight Society hasn't been officially announced as Demonfire's new ally. In this situation, they are widely open to sudden attacks. The vampire hunters are very much ready to fight back at the stake of their lives, but for the Demonfire, every life is valuable.

Sofie arrived at the airport three hours after Slacovich's departure, hoping to make it on time before he left, but unfortunately, she didn't. Diego and Li picked her up and were very happy to see her and Harry again. Seeing each other again made them happy and eased a bit of the worries they had. Harry handed the two of them a special present he made and also gave one to Sofie.

"What is this?" Li asked while trying to search for an opening.

"Woah, relax Li. You can open it up with the rest. As for Slacovich and Ara, they can have it when they get back." He stopped Li from opening the box.

"Whatever's in there might be something special. But you never mentioned anything about this at the palace." Sofie raised an eyebrow while smirking.

"Well, it's something I want you guys to see at the same time."

"Then why not open it when the two come back?" Diego tossed his box to Harry.

"Well, it's better that way, but it's very useful." Harry tossed it back to Diego.

"If it's that useful, then I should ask the shadow guard to deliver it to them."

"Sounds great." Harry reached for the two boxes for Slacovich and Ara inside his bag as Sofie looked around, making sure no one was watching them. In such a crowd, one shadow wouldn't make a difference. Harry gave her the boxes, and a shadow appeared below her, syncing with her own. She tossed them there without a word, and the boxes disappeared. Li looked amazed, and so did Diego.

"Sofie, so is that it? We didn't hear you say a single word to it." Li crossed her arms. Sofie just smiled and pointed to her forehead. Li seemed to pick it up, but Diego didn't.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Diego looked at Li, Sofie, and Harry as they exchanged glances and laughed.

"Oh Diego, it's all in the head." Sofie turned around and started walking toward the exit where their car was waiting for them. They safely arrived at the Demonfire mansion and decided to take some rest before going to the company.

Meanwhile, after traveling for 18 hours by plane, Slacovich and Ara arrived at the airport. A few men with the Black Knight's emblem approached them. Both of them recognized the emblem and followed the men's lead. The four members of the Black Knight Society wore suits and ties. They acted like bodyguards—two in front leading the way and two behind. They stopped at a car parked not far from the landing area. It seemed like the Black Knight Society had people assigned in India. One of the men opened the car door for them and waited until they were inside before sitting next to the driver. The driver then started the engine and drove them to their headquarters, following a car in front and one behind them.

While on the way, Slacovich broke the silence.

"Thanks for picking us up. But may I know why?"

"It's the least we can do for the Queen," the man beside the driver answered.

"Least you can do? Are you doing this out of her request?"

"No, Queen Sofie doesn't know anything about our actions."

"I thought the Black Knights would only act as ordered."

"Yes, the Queen's order is absolute and undeniable. But we are treated as comrades and friends, not servants, by the Queen. To show our gratitude for her kindness, protecting those she values most makes us feel honored and worthy to serve her."

"That really sounds like her." Ara almost whispered.

"If that's the case, then I'll be looking forward to your help."

"Rest assured, we will." They reached their destination and were guided toward the main office where the head of the branch was waiting for them. Stepping inside the office gave them an eerie feeling, as if someone was watching their every move. Ara, who's easily startled, jumped on Slacovich's back as a shadow popped up out of the blue. The people inside the office couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction. Ara felt embarrassed and slowly stepped down.

"I'm sorry, I get easily startled." She blushed like a tomato as Slacovich messed with her hair.

"We're sorry about that. Ara's the youngest of us and she's quite sensitive when it comes to getting startled." Slacovich grinned while looking at her. She felt even more embarrassed.

"You're not making it any better." She pouted while fixing her hair. The shadow guard handed them the boxes Harry prepared. There was a little note on the box that said, "Open it up together."

"The handwriting looks like Harry's. This means they might be at the mansion already." Ara kept the box inside her bag, and so did Slacovich.

"Yes, the Queen safely returned to the Demonfire mansion and is currently resting, according to the shadow guards." A lady stepped inside, holding some documents in her hand. She gave them to Slacovich and sat on a chair. She was the Black Knight branch head in India.

"These are the children we're looking for." Ara burst out in excitement.

"What's their status?"

"Before I tell you anything, let me introduce myself. I'm Vera Ashlik, head of the India branch of the Black Knight Society and the owner of Gunslinger Manufacturing. We make direct transactions with the government here in India by selling them the best weapons for their soldiers."

"I bet you already know us both, so let's cut to the chase and get straight to the matter." Slacovich and Ara sat in the chairs opposite Vera.

"As expected from the President of Demonfire Group of Companies. Being straightforward is one of your traits."

"Excuse me, may I know what happened to those kids?" Ara worried. After almost three years with no word about their whereabouts, she began to fear they hated her.

"From our gathered information, General Buhadden sheltered them the moment you left. They were cared for until news of General Buhadden's disappearance broke out. They were then taken back to their old home and neglected. They lived on the streets until last month."

"What happened last month?"

"A man named Blu took them in. Reports state that children have gone missing since his arrival here in India. For some reason, we believe this man is a vampire and the children's blood satisfies him."

"No!! This can't be true." Ara slammed the table, breaking its right leg with her sudden outburst. The Black Knights weren't surprised—they already knew what they were dealing with.

"Relax, we have men monitoring him. A shadow guard confirmed their survival. As of now, they're doing well, but I bet he already heard news of your arrival. The kids will serve as bait for the two of you."

"We need to save them!"

"I know you're concerned about their safety, but we can't act recklessly. Blu is not someone who'll show mercy. If you attack without a plan, he would kill those children without hesitation in front of you." Slacovich's eyes dimmed, remembering how cruel his old friend could be.

"Then what should we do? I need to save them. They've lived awfully because of my disappearance. I promised them a good life, but I didn't keep it." Ara's tears fell down her cheeks.

"That's what Blu is looking for. Your soft spot for those kids will be your downfall." Vera walked closer and patted her shoulder.

"I know Blu too well. He's cruel, but he's impatient. When he gets impatient, he won't think straight. Now that he's a vampire, the serum will only add to his agitation. We don't want those kids getting hurt, right? I'll handle Blu myself while you help those kids escape. For that to happen, we must have a solid plan of action." Ara nodded and calmed down. Slacovich and Vera talked about their plan while letting Ara get some fresh air to relax.

What they didn't know was that Volton's true plan wasn't related to Blu at all.