Chapter 6: To be Human

He was standing straight before the door while carrying that piece of paper. Someone was asking for his presence in the gym.

He has received confession letters countless times. This isn't something new to him.

'I'm just going to refuse her politely like I did before.' Rae sighed as he slowly tilted the doorknob.

But the whole room was dark, and the door suddenly shut on its self -- much to his surprise. He would be able to see if he wishes to. But doing so will show his crimson red eyes. He can't risk getting caught now that the huntress is just nearby.

Just then, he felt some strange sounds all around. It was like something is breaking.

'Tch! I have to know what's going on. This is now or never!' And that's when he decided to activate his vampire eyes and saw the terrifying sight before him.

***

"What!? You've been attacked!" His voice echoed inside the room soon as he heard the news.

"Calm down, young master. We've managed to take care of it and drove those evil vampires away!" Rin said but the lad's troubled expression didn't fade.

"The fact that they've managed to escape means they might attack the Meyers again anytime." Rae sighed in frustration, "Why are they doing this? If it's me they want, they should've attacked me instead." He clenched his fist.

Rin and Damien exchanged glances. How can they do something to lessen the lad's worries?

Sure, he's been busy with his duties as a human. At night, he serves as the guardian and save those fallen vampires. Right now, he's sure stressed out.

'If only we didn't let those bastards get away!' Damien bit his lower lip.

"No," Rae mumbled like he has read his mind, "There's no time for regrets. What's done is done. All we have to do is to avoid that incident to happen again. Do you guys have any lead about those vampires?"

"Leads?" Rin echoed as they started recalling.

"If I remember correctly," Damien held his chin, "They have a symbol of red skull on their bodies."

"Red skull?" Rae repeated.

"Now that you mentioned it, I do recall the same thing." Rin nodded.

Rae's eyes narrowed as he pondered, "That's some vital information. Thank you. I should investigate this further. For now, please keep a closer eye to the Meyers."

"Understood." Both of them said.

Truth be told, Damien was surprised at how fast he was able to pick up the phase. If it was his old self, Rae would usually panicked and be troubled. It would take him days to figure out how to solve a crisis. But right now, he's facing that same person but someone who has changed.

'You've matured, Rae. And I'm proud of you. Looks like I shouldn't hide things any longer and trust you as how I've chose you to be the next Vampire King.' He smirked and placed his hands in his pockets.

"Rae, I also recalled something about those vampires."

"What is it?"

"While I'm fighting one of them, he kept mentioning about killing the hybrids."

"The... hybrids..."

His face became serious as the conversation earlier flashed back his mind.

'I should find these vampires soon before they could harm others.' He heaved a sigh as he took his bicycle out of his house.

And soon as he did, he also heard the sound of the gate closing nearby. When he looked up ahead, he saw the huntress coming out of the apartment.

"Ah, Miss Grosvenor..."

"Good morning." She politely bowed her head with that usual stoic expression.

Seeing her face made him remember of what happened last night. How they fought those vampires together, how he drank her blood and the way she made him drink it.

Rae held his lips as his face turned red, 'W-why did I suddenly remember that kiss?! H-how am I supposed to face her properly if I kept recalling that?'

The lad shook his head and took a deep breath, 'Get a grip, Rae! You shouldn't think of that or she might suspect you!'

When he has finally made up his mind and turned around, the lass was nowhere to be found.

"Well, I guess avoiding her a bit is the best option after all." He sighed and ride on his bicycle.

On the way, he saw the lass walking on her own. Watching her back made him remember someone, who's also used walking alone like her. And like his body has a mind of its own, he drove his way beside her.

"Miss Grosvenor, good morning! I wasn't able to return your greeting earlier. You already left." He smiled.

"My bad." She briefly said and continued walking.

"Are you not going to take any ride on your way to school?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because walking is better."

"Ah, you mean it's an exercise. Yeah, that's true." He chuckled.

Then, he stopped from pedaling and offered his hand.

"Would you like me to drive you there? The school's a bit far away."

'I don't know why, I should be avoiding her as planned. I can't afford to let her know I'm a half-vampire or else I won't be able to achieve my goal. But looking at her right now reminds me of Yana and how she used to be back then. Why does Miss Grosvenor always seem like she's on her own?' He solemnly thought.

The lass glanced at him and blinked, "I'm sorry, I have to decline."

The lad flinched, this is the first time he has been rejected.

"A-ah, was I being hasty? I-I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Ms. Grosvenor. You're right, riding together in one bicycle could cause unnecessary insights." He laughed awkwardly.

'I was about to say that but it looks like he can catch up easily.' The lass thought.

"I don't mind, Mr. President." She said, "But I believe you should be more worried about your image."

She's referring about his popularity. Back then, he was completely unaware of how he has become famous among the ladies. And since he joined the soccer club, he also won the respect of the male students. Having a top-notch grade is also one of the reasons of his fame. That's why he was the chosen president of the SSG.

But all those things don't matter to him.

"I... don't mind too." He mumbled and suddenly got off his bicycle, and started walking with her.

The lass noticed that and glanced at him, "Are you sure?"

He nodded, "Yep. Besides, what's wrong walking with the Vice president? I don't see any suspicious in it." Rae smiled brightly.

Miss Grosvenor stared at him for a moment.

'He's really odd.' She thought.

For countless times, she has witnessed greedy humans who can't afford to lose their fame and popularity to the point of sacrificing others for the sake of achieving their goal. The vampires are of no exception.

She has killed multiple vampires who already had influence in the human world. And they're as greedy as the humans.

'But this man... He smiles like he has nothing to lose.' She said to herself.

And while Miss Grosvenor is pondering, the lad has his own thoughts too.

'Am I... digging my own grave? Why did I choose to stand close to her when I originally planned of staying away? Have I lost my mind?!'

"Mr. President..." She called and pointed at the shaded part of the first building soon as they entered the campus.

With his gaze, Rae followed the direction where she's pointing. There, they saw Gray and some other students. And by the looks of it, the students looked afraid and troubled.

"Hand it over..." Gray said in a chilly deep voice while offering his huge hand.

The students trembled but tried their best not to show it.

"W-what are you talking about?"

Gray's brow twitched as he gave them an icy glare.

"Don't take me for a fool. I clearly saw you two smoke."

"Y-you must be mistaken and saw things the wrong way!"

"Oh?" Gray snickered, "Then, can you say for sure that 'that smell' didn't come from both of you?"

The two students flinched.

"If we conduct a test, will you remain positive that there's not a single trace of cigarette smoke touched on your lips?" He smirked.

Upon realizing their loss, the two students surrendered the lighter and a box of cigarette.

"Do this again and you'll pay for the consequence. Got it?"

"Y-yes sir!"

And with that, the two students ran away.

Just then, Gray heard a repeated sound of clapping. When he turned around, he saw Rae applauding his hands.

"A job well done, Mr. Salem!" He beamed.

Gray frowned, "Y-you saw it all?"

Rae nodded, "Yep. And I'm proud of you!" He raised a thumbs up.

"I-I'm just doing the job entrusted to me." He looked away as he blushed in delight of being praised.

"Those cigarettes you've collected, we should surrender it to the Office of Student Affairs." Rae added as they walked in the hallway.

"Mr. President..." Gray called, "Even you think I'm good at this job, I'm still in doubt why you chose me..." He gazed at him with his sharp eyes.

"You haven't answered my question before."

With that, Rae stopped from his tracks and glanced at him. This time, he was serious. It's far different from the guy who smiles brightly as the sun. And with those sincere eyes, he can't fathom what he's thinking.

"Mr. Salem, I--"

"Rae, my boy!" A cheerful voice echoed on the hallway. When he turned around, he saw a familiar huge figure coming their way.

"Mr. Luna, good morning!" He bowed politely.

"Good day, boys! I'm here to tell you, your proposal for the upcoming school foundation has been approved!"

"Thank you very much, Mr. Luna!"

"Oh, and also..." The dean placed his arm on the lad's shoulder and whispered, "I have convinced my lovely niece to go and perform in the event! Isn't that amazing?"

Rae chuckled awkwardly, "T-that's wonderful! Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Luna!"

"Anything for our university, my boy!"

'More like, to showcase your niece, old man!' Gray thought as he watched them in boredom.

"Well then, Mr. Luna, we'll be waiting for the materials requested for the event."

"Ah yes, yes. It will arrive tomorrow morning. Do your best everyone!" The dean said before he bid goodbye.

Gray sighed, "Good thing he left already."

Rae chuckled, "Please don't say that. The dean is just helping us."

They walked straight to the locker rooms. Gray opened his locker and placed his bag inside. On the other hand, Rae opened the locker next to him and took some books.

"I admit, he's veeeery cheerful. But for me, it's better than someone who completely doesn't care. Don't you think so?" He smiled once again.

Just then, they heard the school bell rings and everyone else walked to their respective classes.

"That's the cue. I'll see you around, Mr. Salem." Rae waved his hand before he left.

Gray just nodded as he was unconsciously waving his hand as well.

"Ugh! What the hell am I doing?" He mumbled soon as he realized what he was doing.

'That man... I can tell he doesn't have any ill intentions but... I guess he just needs me because they have no other option.' He said to himself as he was on his way to class.

It's been few days since he met Rae and he could say he's really weird. Not that it's something to be worried about nor something worse. But for him, the president has done something far from what a normal human would do. His smile for instance. He usually does that like he's the type of person who never gets mad. But earlier, as he recalled, he saw his serious expression for the first time. He didn't know Rae was capable of having such face.

'It's not that I'm judging him or anything. Looks like she's indeed right when she said that you can never really judge someone on their looks alone.'

And now that he's pondering these things, he was reminded of another thing he noticed on the president.

'Ever since he approached me, he has this odd scent coming from him. By appearance alone, he's the perfect representation of human. But there's still something more about him, and it bothers me...'

And like a lightning strike, an idea came to him.

'Could it be... he's someone far from what others think of him? In that case, I won't let him fool me.'

'Gray... This place is not as cruel as it seems. But what makes this world cruel, is the humans...'

"Yes, that's how it should be." Gray clutched his chest as he remembered the voice that keeps reminding him.

And like a thick wall that's been rebuilt, a cold and unwelcoming aura surrounds him once more.

***

That very night, Rae roamed around the city once again as he watched over the people from above. He was standing on the top of a high building as he watched the city lights and the busy people below moving like those busy ants.

"Looks like finding those red skull vampires wouldn't be this easy." He heaved a sigh.

Just then, his senses tell him something is coming in a short span of time. And like a wind, Rae swiftly dodged a bullet which came out of nowhere. And judging by its golden color, he can easily tell where it came from. When he turned around, there stood the huntress, pointing one of her golden guns at his direction.

"Is that supposed to be a greeting? How cold of you!" He teased.

"Didn't I tell you? I will hunt you down the next time we meet." When she was about to shoot again, Rae quickly grabbed her arm and shoved it, making her let go of the weapon.

But seems like touching her made things worse as she frowned which he can tell even half of her face is covered in black cloth.

Immediately, she swings her other arm to blow a punch on his face and Rae quickly blocked it. And when he did, the huntress swings her left foot next and kick his chin.

There's a small distance created between them as Rae groaned in pain while caressing his chin.

"That hurts! Were your boots made up of iron!?"

Instead of answering, the huntress rushed towards him and began attacking him with punching or kicking. And Rae dodged all those attacks or even blocked them as he was looking for an opening.

'Looks like fighting her head-on is a big mistake. I thought it would be her weakness since she's using a long-range weapon for attacking.' He thought and this time, he delivered some punches which she swiftly dodged. It feels like she's used in combat fighting like this.

'Seems like I underestimated her. In that case, there's just one thing to do to make her stop...'

When he finally got the chance, he grabbed her arm once again, turned her around as he wrapped his other arm around her neck. She struggled and tried to get away, but his strength stood no chance for her. After all, he's a half-vampire.

"Let... go!" She mumbled, pulling his arm away from her neck as hard as she can.

"Look, I know how much you dislike the fact of me, holding you. But really, I don't mean any harm to anyone."

"That's what they all said... those vampires who have taken many lives..."

Suddenly, she stomped her foot on his and the heel of her boots almost broke his bone. In such pain, he loosen up his grip on her wrist and neck.

As for the huntress, she grabbed his wrist this time. She took a small golden knife and stabbed his arm. She took another knife and was about to stab his chest next when his bat wings suddenly appeared and shoved her hardly on the side.

But it wasn't enough to take her down. She was about to attack again when she saw how he pulled the knife out of his skin as he groaned in pain. Then, he tossed the knife on the side like the wound was nothing.

"Tch!" The huntress flicked her tongue, "Artemis!*" She called, and the gun on the ground suddenly returned on her left hand.

"Apollo!*" Then, the golden ring on her right finger glowed and turned into another golden gun.

"No, you don't!"

Before she could fire those guns at him, Rae released blood from his wound and turned it into strings that were quickly wrapped around her body.

"If I were you, I wouldn't move that much, or I'll be shred to pieces." He warned as his crimson red eyes glowed in the night.

In those eyes, she can feel the dark aura lurking around him. But just then, it suddenly disappeared like a bubble as a playful grin slowly spread out of his lips.

"It's my win, Miss Huntress. We'll play more next time. See ya never!" He said before he flapped his wings and flew away.

'We have to chase after him!' Said a female voice.

'Yeah, but first, Miss Aria needs to get away from these strings.' Said a male voice.

The huntress glanced downwards, she noticed that her lower body wasn't wrapped in strings. With that, she swings her right leg, a portion of small knife appeared on the sole of her foot as she used it to cut the strings. Surprisingly, when one string was cut off, all the strings around her loosen up. And they're as fragile as the normal strings.

'C'mon, we need to hurry! We might catch up with that bastard!' Said the female voice.

'Calm down, sister. You don't need to get so worked up like that.' Said the male voice.

"No..." The huntress mumbled.

'What do you mean 'No', Miss Aria?'

'We can't let him get away and put us to shame like that!'

"I said no." The huntress firmly said, "I can feel we'll be able to see him again. Let's go back."

'B-but Aria--!'

The female voice didn't get to finish her words when they suddenly turned back into rings.

'Did he purposely left my lower body unwrapped in strings? I believe he's not that clumsy enough to forget about it.' She pondered and gazed at the red strings which slowly turned into liquid blood.

'Is he mocking me? Did he seriously think I wouldn't be able to get away from that? Or is it... No, that's impossible. Vampires are nothing but blood-sucking monsters. He might be just pretending to be kind. But I won't buy it.'

'Isn't he an strange one?' Said the male voice.

"You think so too, Apollo?" The huntress glanced at her right ring.

'Yep. He saved you at first and didn't even take advantage of drinking your blood. And earlier, he didn't even kill you. Isn't that something a Vampire King would do?'

'Hmph! Maybe he's just faking it!'

"I'm thinking the same, Artemis."

'But sister, think about this...' Apollo retorted, 'If he has ill intentions right from the start, he could've killed Miss Aria right then and now. After all, she's the strongest hunter among the Ministry.'

'Hmph. You may be right about that. But what if he's looking for Aria's weakness. We'd better be more careful than sorry.' Artemis said.

"Thank you, I'll keep in mind what both of you have said." The huntress said as she finally reached her apartment.

'But what's bothering me the most is...'

The Vampire King's crying face suddenly flashed inside her mind. It was the time when he killed the vampire who was chasing them before.

'If he's that heartless like what the rumors say, why would he feel sorry for killing a vampire who tried to kill him? I don't... understand...' Her brows furrowed as she remembered these things.

It was as if there's something inside her that's growing, making her confused on what's happening. And it all started when she encountered the so-called Vampire King.

***

The next morning, Gray went to school the way how he used to. And as always, terrified faces greet him along the way.

He scoffed, 'As if that's something new.' He thought and headed towards the SSG office.

Much to his surprise, there are a lot of boxes around the room. Inside, the officers are gathered as they fixed the decorations in each box.

"Mr. Salem, good morning. The materials for the event's decorations have arrived. We're now starting to fix them and asked help from other organizations." Rae explained as he greeted the lad with a smile.

Gray just nodded as he walked closer.

"Ms. Adriano will guide the students to decorate the gym and the AVR. While Mr. Zuñiga will accompany the students to decorate the entrance and parking area. And you, Mr. Salem, will help the students to decorate the open field and the main building. Ms. Grosvenor and I will decorate the other buildings and offices."

"Well then, we'll be on our way." Said Mr. Zuñiga.

"Don't worry, Mr. Rae! I'll make sure the gym and AVR will be the most beautiful spot in the campus!" Ms. Adriano excitedly said.

"I'll be counting on both of you." Rae chuckled as he watched them leave.

"Then, I'll bring these boxes now." Said Gray as he carried three big boxes in one go.

"Err-Mr. Salem, you don't need to force yourself. Some students would be here to help you." Rae said.

Just then, they heard a knock coming from the door.

"Speaking of which... Come in."

A group of male athletes came and greeted them.

"Rae, I've brought them." Said Mr. Estrella, the new team captain of soccer team and Rae's old friend.

"Thank you. Mr. Salem is here to help you out." He pointed at the lad with a tall figure and intimidating expression.

All of them flinched when they saw his face as if they knew him. Looks like Gray has been famous at scaring people at first glance.

"Rae..." Mr. Estrella scooted closer and whispered, "Y-you don't have anything against us, right?"

"Hm? Of course not, Ethan. Whatever you've heard about Mr. Salem, I believe it's time to forget about it and come to know him starting today." He smiled brightly.

Ethan laughed awkwardly, "Seriously, are you an angel sent from heaven? Well, I'll believe you, regardless. I trust the previous captain of the soccer team." He patted Rae's back as they left with Gray.

Now it's just him and Ms. Grosvenor once again.

'Man! What could be more awkward than this?!' He gulped nervously.

Not to mention how he fought her last night.

She's strong, he must confess. She's a hunter who can't be easily swayed. What's worse, she doesn't show any emotion that would hinder her from working unlike the other hunters he have encountered so far.

If it isn't for his bloody strings, he wouldn't be able to escape. He doesn't want to use 'that' technique to anyone anymore especially to humans. That's one of the things he pledged to himself ever since he awakened his power.

Nevertheless, he has to find another ways to get away from her the next time they meet. He has this gut feeling that same tricks won't work on her for the second time around. Also, he has to do his best to act differently whenever he's a vampire at night. Because if he ever forgot, he might reveal his identity as Rae which will endanger his goal and mission to set balance between the two worlds.

'That is sure tough...' He heaved a sigh and unconsciously glanced at Ms. Grosvenor who's busy in making some banners.

As for the lass, she can't help but recall her fight with the Vampire King last night.

'It's unbelievable how he managed to pull out the knife pierced on his skin. Even that golden knife is one of the simplest weapon of the Ministry, it's still a Holy weapon. How come a monster was able to touch it without turning into ashes? Not to mention he's the vampire king, someone far from the feeble ones.' She solemnly thought.

'Whatever he is, we have to be extra careful with that monster.' Said Artemis.

'Sister's right. We should investigate him further.' Apollo added.

"Ms. Grosvenor?" Rae called, "We should put these banners now in their respective places."

The lass came to her senses and quickly helped him carry those decorations. With the help of the campus' cleaning staff, they were able to decorate the buildings faster and easier. Now the only area left is the auditorium near the main building.

These two went to the said place and decorated the stage.

"This would be the last one to decorate but we still have more things to take care of." Rae said as he carefully put on the banners and other designs using a step ladder.

"Mmhh." The lass nodded as she handed those decorations to the president.

And there was silence that came between them.

'As expected, she just responds briefly and it's really awkward! I should say something to break the ice!'

Rae cleared his throat, "Ms. Grosvenor, if you're having trouble on something, feel free to ask me."

The lass glanced at him with a stoic face, "But I don't have any trouble."

The lad blinked fast, "Eh? I-I mean, IF you have any--besides, everyone has a problem."

"Everyone?" She echoed, "Does that include you as well, Mr. President?"

"Well, of course. No one is an exception when it comes to problems. Like, I'm really nervous on the outcome of this event, or could be the upcoming exams." He chuckled.

Ms. Grosvenor held her chin, "If you have troubles too, then why... are you still smiling?"

Rae blinked and then laughed, "Sorry, I don't mean to be rude. For me, smiling and laughing at my problems are the best cure. Yes, they won't solve any of my troubles but I guess, it's better to feel that way than mope around and cry all day."

A gentle smile slowly drawn on his lips.

"Oh, I'm not saying we shouldn't cry. Crying also helps. It's just that I think, it would be better to be positive when there's something negative happened, right?"

"The law of magnetism.*" she mumbled.

"Yes, that's correct." He chuckled, "So don't hesitate to tell me if there's anything bothering you. They say that it's better to share your burden with others."

The lass can't help but state at him. It's the first time she encountered such person who always have a positive outlook in everything he sees.

'Such an odd person...' She thought. But what's stranger is that she had this warm feeling inside her whenever she sees his smile. That bright smile that made her comfortable around him.

"Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you..." She mumbled. Even it seems silly, for the first time she felt she could tell anything to this person.

"Hm? Sure, go ahead." Rae said as he placed the last floral decoration.

"Mr. President, do you believe in vampires?"

Upon hearing the last word, Rae flinched as he felt the cold sweat on his forehead. He was really planning to calm down, but his panic get over him and he went out of balance.

He knew he won't get any serious injury on this. He can also use this incident as an excuse to get away from her question. But the next thing that happened surprised him. At such speed, Ms. Grosvenor rushed towards him and caught him in her arms just in time. And at that moment, their eyes met.

Though her face seems expressionless, her eyes show a different thing.

She has long lashes that are perfectly curved. Her rounded golden pupils show strength and dominance. But looking closer to it, there's something lurking within. Something vast and empty, but he can never be so sure. All he knows is that her eyes show her strength, bravery, and power in one glance. Which also reminds him of that time when they kissed.

"M-Ms. Grosvenor..." He called, "Y-you're very strong! But you can put me down now." He smiled awkwardly with a red face as he referred to the fact that the lass was carrying him in bridal style.

"Ah, I see." She said and gently let him go, "Are you alright, Mr. President?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Thanks."

Just then, the sound of a phone ringtone suddenly came. Realizing it came from her, the lass answered the call.

"It's me." She said in her casual voice, "Yes. I see. I'll be there."

After that, the call ended.

"Mr. President, I know we have a lot of things to finish for the event. But forgive me, I need to leave early after class."

"Why? Is there something wrong?"

"My grandfather just came back from overseas. He wanted to see me."

Rae smiled, "I see. If it's about family, I'll gladly allow it. We should treasure our moments with them after all."

She blinked, "Thank you. I shall go back now."

"Alright. I'll just return this ladder to the storage. You go ahead."

The lass nodded and left.

'The president... he's weird but very kind.' She thought while walking in the hallway.

'Come to think of it, I just noticed earlier how lovely his eyes are.' She remembered the moment she caught him and their eyes met.

'It's blue, like the ocean.' Just by recalling it, she felt something warm and fuzzy inside her chest. She's not quite sure what is it but she wasn't feeling any pain. How she wished she knew this new feeling. Would she ever feel it again?

***

After the class ended, Rae immediately went to the office to finish some work left undone. He quickly settled things up before he grabs his things and left.

"Oh right, I left some books on my locker." He mumbled and immediately went to the locker room since it's getting late.

But soon as he opened his locker, he saw a small envelope inside. Seems like someone sent him a letter. Without further ado, he opened it.

'Meet me in the gym after class.'

"Could this be...?" He blinked, getting familiar with this type of word and letter.

Then, his feet brought him to the said place. He was standing straight before the door while carrying that piece of paper. After all, it would be rude not to make an appearance.

He has received confession letters countless times. This isn't something new to him. But then, he has to respond, to make things clear.

'I'm just going to refuse her politely as I did before.' Rae sighed as he slowly tilted the doorknob.

But the whole room was dark, and the door suddenly shut on its self -- much to his surprise. He would be able to see if he wishes to. But doing so will show his crimson red eyes. He can't risk getting caught now that the huntress is just nearby.

Just then, he felt some strange sounds all around. It was like something is breaking.

'Tch! I have to know what's going on. This is now or never!' And that's when he decided to activate his vampiric eyes and saw the terrifying sight before him.

There are huge slimy eggs spotted around the area. And these aren't just giant eggs, the shells are transparent, which he can clearly see what's inside. There are vampire monsters inside each egg. And if he's not mistaken, these monsters are wearing their school uniform.

'W-what the hell is this!?' He thought, 'How did these students turn to vampires? I didn't notice a dark presence lurking around the campus. How is it possible!?' He clenched his fist as he felt troubled.

Just then, he noticed that the cracking sounds came from those eggs, slowly hatching. From the slimy fluid inside, the vampire monsters came out one by one. But there's something different with them.

'They look different than the usual level-E vampires. They have... antennas? And their limbs, they're way too many! What happened to them!?'

When these monsters noticed his presence, they all gazed at him with their sharp red eyes. They drooled like a hungry beast as they all began to attack him altogether.

***

From the main building of the campus, a vampire in a black cloak stood at the rooftop, watching the students walk towards the gate. Classes have ended anyway, it's expected to see them going towards the exit.

"Heh! Looks like everything is going as planned." He grinned devilishly.

But then, this grin of his suddenly faded when he saw someone familiar walking down there.

"I-it can't be! How is this possible!?" He mumbled with gritted teeth.

He can't be mistaken. That tall and manly figure will make you doubt if he's a college student. But most importantly, the most obvious thing there is to him--that ash gray hair which comes naturally and not something hair-dyed.

Now that he's certain it's him, this vampire felt his blood boil and immediately appeared before that student.

"What a pain... I never thought you could get away with my pawns in a short span of time." The vampire scoffed.

Gray frowned at him, "It's you. As I thought, you're still alive. Cowards like you usually do those pathetic clone techniques."

"I'm no coward! I don't want to dirty my hands with blood from a hybrid like you! But I never thought those pawns would be so useless!"

"I don't know what the hell are you talking about but I didn't even see a single 'pawn' you're referring to."

"W-what?! How can this be?! I am certain I left that letter in your locker to lure you and be my pawns' prey!"

Upon hearing this, Gray quickly grabbed his neck in a blink of an eye.

"What did you just say?" His fierce golden pupils pierced right through him that could make anyone tremble just by looking at them.

"Whose locker did you place that stupid letter?"

The vampire flinched, "I-I don't know! I thought the third one belongs to you!"

'Third one?' Gray frowned and tried to recall the owner of the locker beside his.

Suddenly, Rae's face flashed inside his mind. He did remember, he placed some books on his locker earlier.

Then, he heard the vampire laughed, "It doesn't matter... That unlucky student must've been eaten by my pawns now." He snickered.

"I'll make sure to deal with you later." Gray glared before he threw the vampire aside and quickly left.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, sensing Rae's scent all over the campus.

'He's in the gym!' As fast as the wind, Gray rushed towards the said place and quickly destroyed the door.

What he saw wasn't the president, but someone with bloody red hair and crimson red eyes. He was being chased by those vampire monsters. He kept on dodging and not even inflicting a single injury on them.

Soon, their eyes met. Even the gym is in pitch black, they can see each other as clear as day. Not to mention their glowing red eyes.

"Mr. Salem--"

When the vampire monsters noticed Gray's presence, they quickly turned and attacked him. Rae was about to stop them when suddenly, one of these monsters flew and hit the wall that it almost got destroyed. And it all happened from Gray's single punch.

"Who wants to go next?" He warned as his chilling red eyes glared at them.

The monsters trembled, they all panicked and screeched at once. Rae and Gray covered their ears as the ground shakes and the window glasses shattered to pieces. Then, they all flew away randomly and were heading towards the doorway.

"Mr. Salem! Don't let them get away!" Rae called out. It would be much trouble if these vampires would be able to go out and cause a ruckus outside.

Gray nodded and kicked away those who tried to come near him. He never lets them pass. And while he's doing that, Rae wounded himself and turned his blood into red chains. Quickly, he tied those vampires in chains as they were being knocked out by Gray.

After they were all chained down, the two lads settled down.

"Thank you, Mr. Salem." Rae said as he checked on the vampires.

"What are they? They don't look like the other vampires." Gray frowned.

"I cannot explain it too. All I know is that they are our school mates and they've been turned into something worse than a level-E." Rae flashed a troubled expression.

"So that's what he meant by 'pawns'." Gray mumbled.

"He?" Rae echoed and glanced at him, "Who is he?"

Gray was about to respond when suddenly, they felt a presence coming from the doorway.

"Oh my, what a pleasant surprise! I never thought I could spot on the Vampire King so easily." Said the vampire earlier.

"Vampire king?" Gray repeated and glanced at Rae in disbelief.

'Is it true? But I don't sense any dark aura on him. How come someone like him would be 'that' rumored king?!'

Rae stood and gazed at the vampire with a cold expression.

"Are you the one responsible for this?" He asked, referring to those students.

"Yours truly. I won't deny the success of my ability towards them. They're my work of art!"

"What did you do to them?" The lad clenched his fist.

The vampire scoffed, "I just simply injected my DNA on their blood. After all, I'm a parasitic vampire." He grinned devilishly.

"What the hell was that?" Gray frowned.

"It's a special kind of vampire." Rae explained, "They have the ability to turn others into one of them without piercing their fangs nor sucking their blood."

The vampire clapped his hands, "Splendid! Looks like the king is doing his homework. Unlike you..." He gazed teasingly at Gray.

"Tch! Whatever. As if I care for your clan."

"Please turn these humans back. It's me you're after, am I correct?" Rae requested.

The vampire snickered, "Oh, I would love to, Your Highness. But I hate spoiling the fun." His eyes turned red.

"I see." Rae closed his eyes for a bit, "Looks like you won't talk unless I make you." When he opened his eyes, his pupils glowed in crimson red.

That's when Gray felt a strong aura coming from him.

'So he's been hiding this power all along.' He thought.

The vampire giggled in excitement and then suddenly, he multiplied and surrounded them.

"This trick again!" Gray grumbled.

"I won't let you get away, Vampire King! After all, I'll be rewarded if I take your head with me!"

And then, his clones attacked all at once.

When they delivered some punches, the clones turned back into a swarm of bees, butterflies, moths, mosquitoes, and some are hornets. To get away, Rae removed his coat and used it to cast them away. But it's not that effective until he stood with Gray, guarding each other's backs.

"There's no point to this! We have to find the real one." He grumbled.

"Leave it to me..." Rae said and stretched his arms on both sides.

Suddenly, these insects turned into crystals. It was as if those crystals came out of their bodies which leads to their death.

Then, they heard a groan coming from above. Some crystals are also oozing out of that vampire as he was flying with those fringed wings.

"You dare--!" The vampire spreads his cloak out. And from there, another swarm of insects came out, rushing towards them.

"We mustn't let those pests come out of this gym." Rae said.

"It's my turn." Gray said and rushed towards the insects as well.

'That's dangerous! What is he planning to do?'

Soon, Gray was swallowed by a huge swarm of insects.

"Mr. Salem!"

"You shouldn't look away, Vampire King!" The parasite vampire appeared in front of him and used his claws.

Good thing, Rae caught his wrist, twist him around, and threw him as hard as he could. When the vampire gets up, his cloak is now tattered to pieces. And now Rae can clearly see his face.

There are two antennas on his head and his eyes are much bigger than a normal vampire. But they are also glowing in red. Half of his face and body was hairy like the tarantula and bee. His fangs are also different, they looked like the ones from ants. His body was thin, so are his limbs. But they are way longer like the legs of those insects. And what caught his attention the most is the red skull symbol on his back.

"Red skull... So you're one of them."

He snickered, "I am flattered that you already know us. How kind of you!"

In a blink of an eye, he appeared behind Rae and swung his arm. Swiftly, the lad dodged his attack and quickly move away.

"Not so fast!" Needles came out of his body and quickly threw them in his direction.

As fast as he could, he dodged it all.

'I can't use too much of my blood or I might end up destroying the whole place.' Rae said to himself.

"What's wrong, Vampire King? Tired already?" The parasitic vampire scoffed, "Let me remind you, those poor humans won't return if you can't beat me."

Rae narrowed his eyes as he clenched his fist. Then, he bit his thumb and turned them into sharp crystals.

"I won't lose." He mumbled seriously and like a flash of light, they charged towards each other.

Rae countered his needles with his bloody crystals as he continuously throws them at him.

"Such petty tricks, Vampire King! You're nothing like the rumors say! How pathetic!" The parasitic vampire laughed as he kept on throwing those poison needles.

Rae smirk, "I wouldn't stay complacent if I were you." He stretched his arm and closed his hand.

Suddenly, the crystals he dodged earlier glowed and explode near him. But it wasn't strong enough that could blow up the whole place. It wasn't the lad's intention after all.

"You--!" Half of the vampire's body got destroyed and was composed of millions of insects.

"I'll make sure to drain your blood!" He commanded the swarm of mosquitoes and charged towards him.

Rae gathered a small portion of his blood and form an orb.

"It's been a long time since I used this." He mumbled and threw the ball of energy towards the mosquitoes that blew them all away.

But right at that moment, the vampire rushed towards him and attacked him using a thick web that came out from his mouth. Rae was caught and wrapped around it.

'I-it's so thick! I can't cut it through in an instant!'

When he gazed forward, the parasite vampire crawled unto the web like a giant monstrous vampire spider.

"I'll make sure to dry you out!" He said in a grave voice.

Rae squirmed, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. My blood doesn't taste really good."

He scoffed, "I am no fool! That excuse won't work on me!" Just as when the vampire was about to eat the lad, suddenly, a flashing light came out from the swarm of insects earlier.

And out of it, a bolt of electrifying lightning spread out that burned those insects. In their midst, Gray stood up with his tattered clothes. But his eyes are glowing like electricity.

"Sorry to make you wait." He smirked.

"H-how--!?" Before he could finish his sentence, the vampire was sent flying when Gray punched him in a blink of an eye.

Rae whistled in amazement, "And there he told me not to look away when he just did."

"And you're a fool for getting yourself caught up in here." Gray scolded and slashed the thick web using his claws.

Rae noticed that they're way bigger than the actual vampires. Now that he thinks about it, he did notice earlier that Gray seems to know something about that vampire.

'It's just a hunch, maybe he's one of them...' He thought.

"Get ready, he's still up." Gray warned and glared at the other side.

"I'll settle this." Rae seriously said as he stretched his knuckles.

He walked towards the parasite vampire as he got up to deliver another attack. But Rae quickly grabbed his arm and pinned his face in the ground as he placed his arm behind his back.

"It's time for you to talk. Who are you? What is it you're after?"

He laughed, "It's like you said, we're the Red Skull. We desire nothing but to annihilate all vampire hybrids."

Rae frowned, "You... why would you go that far to hurt your own kind?"

He scoffed, "Are you seriously asking me that? I believe you have something more important to ask me than that."

Rae narrowed his eyes, "You're right. You're going to bring them back."

"Or what? You're going to kill me? I am not afraid of dying, kid! You're just wasting your breath!"

The lad's brows twitched, "You're right... I don't have anything I could offer to make you do what I say -- except for one thing..." His voice became cold as he gazed with those piercing red eyes, "I'll just make sure you'll fear death then."

"What nonsense are y--AHCK!!!" Suddenly, the parasite vampire groaned in pain when Rae removed his hands from him.

"What's happening?" Gray asked and was about to come closer when Rae stopped him from doing so.

The vampire drooled as he felt pain in his veins. It feels like his veins are being twisted forcibly and slowly, making it hard for him to move and breathe.

'W-what is this!? I've never felt this pain before!' The vampire slowly lifted his head and gazed at Rae with those terrifying crimson red eyes. The chills he felt and the pain inside made him suffocate.

"I... give up! P-please... make it stop..! Argh!"

After that, the pain suddenly vanished. The vampire gasped for air as he held his neck. He has never experienced anything like this before even he has encountered several battles. It's not something that his regenerating skills can fix.

'W-what kind of demon is he!?'

"Now, bring them back." He commanded with a stern voice.

The vampire's body trembled. He has never felt like this unless it's Vulpine. Is this one of his techniques as well?

"What's wrong?" Rae asked.

"I... can't..."

"What did you just say?"

He held his head, "I can't... bring them back... It's a poison from my genes, but I don't know how to turn them back! I'm---!" The vampire's face was brought back on the ground when Rae suddenly punched him hard.

Now, he's glaring at the parasite vampire with gritted teeth while his fist was trembling in anger.

"What a fool!" The vampire laughed weakly, "A vampire king who gets so emotional... How pathetic..."

"So what?" Rae mumbled, "I am a vampire AND a human, I have emotions just like the others!" He delivered a punch once again.

"I care for both sides unlike the likes of you! I don't want any of those clans to perish!" He threw another punch.

"I got mad, sad, and being misunderstood. But even so, I want to maintain peace and to show it's possible for both worlds to coexist because I AM ALSO A HUMAN!" Soon as he was about to blow another punch, thick needles came out on the vampire's skin and pierces right through his fist.

Rae groaned in pain and immediately pulled his hand out.

The parasite vampire laughed as he slowly got up, "What a speech! That's what you get for putting your emotions first. And through this blood I've got from you, it would be enough to regain my strength."

"No, don't drink it!"

The vampire didn't listen and sucked some blood that was left on his thick needles. Soon as he swallowed it, his heart suddenly beats fast and in a painful way. He can't breathe as well as his veins turned purple. Red foams came out of his mouth as he breathes his last before he turned to ashes.

"What... the hell was that?!" Gray mumbled in disbelief.

Everything he saw since the time he entered the gym was all hard to believe. Yes, he's one of those 'extraordinary' beings. He's not that surprised when he found out the president was a vampire, he can smell something different from him right from the start. But the goosebumps he's feeling began when that parasite vampire groaned in so much pain without any touch from Rae. It was as if he's literally killing him with a single gaze.

But it didn't happen. After finding out there's no cure for those poor human victims, the president got so emotional and got carried away. But what's more shocking is the vampire died after drinking the president's blood. Everything happened so fast. It's amazing he can still keep up to understand everything so far.

"Sorry about that," Rae said, "You see, my blood is something special. You saw it yourself, I can turn and do anything using my blood." He explained as he showed how his wounds healed through his blood.

"It's handy. But it's poison for vampires. That's why he died." He added and gazed at the ashes.

Looking at him, Gray was certain that earlier, the president was angry. But right now, he was looking at those ashes with pity and regret.

"What are you planning to do now?" He asked Rae.

The lad stood and walked towards those humans who turned into vampire insects.

"For now, my blood has the ability to stabilize their transformations. But we can't keep it that way." He said and wounded his hand, letting those vampires drink some portion of his blood. Soon, these vampires came back to their human forms.

"So what's your plan?"

"For now, I'm going to investigate. I can remove the poison but I'm not certain if I'll succeed. One wrong move or I might kill them." He flashed a troubled expression.

Then, he took his phone and dialed someone, "Damien, it's me. Can you come over here to school, please? I really need help to fix this mess. Alright. Thank you." After that, he hung up.

"Who's that?"

"A friend of mine. He can help us in fixing the gym like it was before." Rae said and glanced around them.

The whole area is damaged and it would be bad to leave it like that.

"Mr. President," Gray called, "What you said earlier, is that what you believed in about being a human?" His face became serious.

Rae nodded, "To be human, means to have genuine emotions. To sympathize, care, to have compassion -- even they have done you wrong. Also, humans are no exception to making mistakes. Everyone does. For me, no matter what you look like, as long as you have these sincere feelings, then you are a human at heart." He smiled.

Gray looked away, "Is that how you view me as well?"

The lad chuckled, "Yes. The fact that you rushed here to save me means that you cared. And I am happy about that."

"But I am--"

"A hybrid, I know." Rae continued, "I can feel it. But I'm not so sure."

Gray took a deep breath, "I'm a half-vampire, half-wolf. The power I released earlier, came from my parents. But I never get the chance to meet them." He said gloomily.

Rae patted his shoulder, "It's alright, Mr. Salem. You did great earlier!" He beamed.

Gray blushed lightly and cleared his throat, "I am honored, Vampire King."

Rae smiled awkwardly, "Technically, I'm no king yet. Not until I defeated 'him'."

"What? But that vampire called you like that earlier."

"Every vampire does. Because I told them I'll be the next king five years ago." He smirked.

Looking at him, Gray was speechless. He can't seem to fathom what this strangely odd vampire hybrid is thinking. But, whatever that is, his instincts tell him he would be someone great with no ill intentions.

'And I can't wait to watch him lead both worlds someday.' He smiled unconsciously.

***

An hour earlier, soon as the classes ended, Ms. Grosvenor immediately left her class and walked out of the building. On her way to the gate, she saw a black car with her family's crest on it, waiting for her outside.

"The grandmaster has arrived earlier, Miss." The butler said as she was escorted inside the car.

She nodded and waited for the whole ride until they've reached the Grosvenor household.

Upon her arrival, the servants quickly line up at both sides and bowed their heads soon as she entered the gate.

"Welcome back, young master!" They all greeted in unison.

As usual, she marched forward with her stoic face and quickly went to the grand master's office.

"Grandmaster, the young miss has arrived!"

"Let her in." Said an old man in his mid-60s.

"Lolo*, I'm back." She said.

Soon as the door was closed, the intimidating old man quickly jumped and hugged his granddaughter.

"Ariaaaaa! I missed you so much, my granddaughter!"

"Lolo, you're squeezing me." She mumbled.

"My apologies." The old man moved away and led her to the sofa as they sit together.

"How are you, my dear? It's been five years since I last saw you! Did you miss Lolo?" He smiled sweetly.

With a stoic face, Ms. Grosvenor replied, "I am fine. And I do miss you at times, Lolo."

The old man sulked, "As cold as ever, I see." He sighed.

"But never mind that. I want to know how was your stay in this city?"

"It was good. I came to the university as you told me. And I became the Supreme Student Government's Vice-president. Also, the president and my neighbor, he's treating me kindly."

The old man nodded, "I see. That's good to hear. I've heard you've encountered the Vampire King several times."

Upon mentioning the name, she slowly clenched her fists.

"This has never happened before, Aria. No vampire has ever escaped from you, and yet--"

"My deepest apologies, Lolo. It's a failure on my part. I swear it won't happen again."

"No-no! Please don't take it like that, my dear. What I mean is, I want to know the reason why these things happen several times. Is he that strong and hard to handle? I can call for Gaius if you--"

"No." She shook her head, "It's not just about his strength. The Vampire King... he's peculiar in some ways..."

"What do you mean?"

Ms. Grosvenor took a deep breath and told her grandfather about the strange things she noticed that's so unusual for a vampire and a king at that. The old man listened carefully as she talks.

"Thank you for telling me, Aria. You should go to your room now and rest. We'll talk about more of this tomorrow."

The lass nodded, "Alright. I shall take my leave." She bowed politely before leaving.

After a minute, the old man's face becomes serious.

"Did you hear that, Isaac?" He asked.

A secret door from the bookshelf suddenly opened. And there, a man called Isaac appeared.

"Yes, loud and clear, grandmaster." He smiled.

"You know what to do. I want you to investigate that young king and confirm what my granddaughter has said. I want to know what's so special about him that made my Aria doubt like that."

Isaac bowed his head, "As you wish, grandmaster."

"Don't forget to bring one more with you. We're after the king after all."

The man smirked, "Don't worry, sir. I've got someone perfect for the job with me."

***

Author's Note:

*Apollo and Artemis - In Greek mythology, they are the twin children born from Zeus and Leto.

*Law of Magnetism - basically states that 'Opposites attract'

*Lolo - a Filipino term for "grandfather"