I forgot that I'm cross writing this-

Content warning:

༻✦ Canon-typical violence

༻✦ Trauma/PTSD

༻✦ Implied physical/sexual abuse

༻✦ Profanity

༻✦ Sex jokes

This chapter is Mika's POV. 

Enjoy!

The artificial light cast from the projectors danced across the underground training base, stimulating the effect of an actual outdoor track. Blades clashed against one another, creating a melody of steel and hasty steps. The scent of sweat and iron accompanied this slow waltz. The training grounds were somewhat set up like a ballpark, with bleachers surrounding the field and busy servants running up and down the steps holding trays with refreshments for the few spectators who were viewing the match.

Two vampires stood in the centre of the sandy ground, their weapons pushed against each other in an attempt to send their opponent flying. One had orchid hair tied up in a topknot, a challenging smirk on his face as he barely pushed his lance forward. To him, this fight was a walk in the park. He could give the spear a single push and his opponent would lose his balance and hit the cold earth.

Said opponent stared back at the former with a cold, calculating expression. His simple, double-edged sword was no match for the weapon the other vampire held. One wrong move and he would make friends with the musty ground while everyone cheered for the winner.

Not that he cared about the glory anyways. He was only bothered about kicking the cocky ass of this bloodsucker.

"Better make a move, Mikaela," the violet-haired vampire sneered. "You don't want to keep the audience waiting, do you?"

Mika ignored Lacus's snide remark and brought his focus to the situation he was currently in. Pushing back would only get him so far and may cause him to lose more of his stamina. Clearly, that was what Lacus wanted him to do so he could knock the younger vampire off of his feet.

Patience was key when it came to these duels. You had to wait for the right moment to strike. Until then, Mika had to allow time to pass until his opponent slipped up.

"I'm getting bored," Lacus whined. "Can you just surrender already?" he asked, making puppy dog eyes.

Mika rolled his eyes. "If you really wanted to win that badly, you can just thrust forward and snag the victory you're so desperate to have." he snapped.

Lacus barely shrugged. "Yeah, but that's even more boring."

When Mika didn't respond, Lacus sighed and loosened his grip on his lance. "But since you insist that I should be the one to take action that bad..."

Before he flipped the spear to knock Mika back, the blond skidded backwards to evade blow and ducked under the lance. When Lacus whirled around to slice the air between them, Mika put his right leg forward, tripping the former in the process.

"My sword, drink my blood," he ordered.

Crimson vines shot out of the hilt of the blade and bit into the vampire's wrist, making the silver steel glow an eerie crimson. One single swing and the lance was no longer in Lacus's hands and had implanted itself in one of the benches, an inch where one of the servants had been standing. Gulping, the young woman stepped away from the weapon as if it would dislodge itself and behead her.

Lacus lay face down on the ground, muttering a series of curses Mika could barely hear. The crowd cheered half-heartedly as they had seen routines like this happen all the time. Public sparring sessions weren't new, but they kept the citizens of Sanguinem somewhat entertained.

Leaving the purple-haired man to drown in his failure, Mika sheathed his sword and ascended up the steps of the training grounds. He had better things to do than waste his time with overconfident assholes. Like doing something about his thirst.

Upon leaving the arena, the blond was greeted with the streets he had grown accustomed to over the past few years. The artificial lighting didn't exactly help rid the vampire city of it's gloomy atmosphere. Old, broken down houses lined the concrete roads as soldiers went about their day, checking the alleyways to ensure that no children were messing around or vampires weren't trying to drink directly from the Livestock.

Livestock.

The term used to describe the children kidnapped by the bloodsuckers still made his stomach churn. Mika still remembered life as one and could barely feel the tubes of the machines used to extract blood pinching at his throat. If the shacks the kids were confined to wasn't enough evidence, they were not treated well by their captors. Children were forced to sleep in the cold and were given rotten bread and vegetables to eat. Water quality wasn't exactly the best and the uniforms they were forced to wear were sewn from the cheapest material.

So what if the fangs claimed to "protect" them from the Honkai? Mika would have gladly taken to living in the apocalyptic world overrun by the monsters that doomed humanity over this hell. Being the naive, innocent child he once was, Mika tried to improve the living conditions of his family by sneaking out after curfew to do deeds that the other kids weren't aware of.

No, it wasn't drug dealing. Or was it? To the vampires, blood was their only guilty pleasure, their addiction, a treasured form of alcohol that was valued above everything else. And since feeding directly from Livestock was illegal...

Anyways, long after everyone else was tucked in bed, Mika would be at one of the mansions taking whatever he needed in exchange for a few drops of his blood. At first, hanging around the lavish home of a vampire noble seemed like a good idea. The blond would get food, warm blankets, less itchy uniforms, books and other items of luxury. Only after the events of that day would he realise that he was being used and manipulated over and over again-

"Mika!"

Speak of the devil. Mika could've pretended that he hadn't heard the annoying chirp of the individual stalking him, but that would've led to the person throwing a fit on being ignored by his "beloved". Ew. So having no other option, he sighed and allowed the bastard to catch up to him.

"How does this sweet angel of mine fare on this fine morning God Himself has bestowed upon us common folk?" the silver-haired noble asked with a dainty twirl.

"Drop the Shakespeare talk, Ferid." Mika said bluntly. As much as he enjoyed reading the scripts of the famous poet, he could never make heads or tails of what Ferid was trying to say whenever he spoke in such a manner. Plus, he wanted to get Ferid off of his back as soon as possible.

The Seventh Progenitor giggled. "I was just asking how you're doing today. There's no need to have such an attitude," he mused.

"Like horseshit. Does that answer your question?" he snapped.

"Oh you poor thing," Ferid sighed, faking pity for the blond. "Would you like to tell me who was bullying you? I would gladly love to teach them a lesson or two."

"No one was bothering me. In fact, other than being exhausted, I was feeling okay until you decided to piss me off."

To Ferid Bathory, such insults did no work in swaying him. If anything, Mika's words were like compliments. Wearing the amused expression he always had on, the Progenitor flipped his ponytail back and smoothed out his waistcoat.

"Did I mention how stunning you look today?" he crowed.

Just play along. Eventually, he'll get bored and let you go.

"I do not know what you are talking about," Mika answered, trying to hide his anticipation for this conversation to end.

"Puberty has done wonders on you, you know," Ferid went on. The look Ferid gave him... it was one of a predator playing with its prey. "It would be a shame once you pass this stage of ageing. Although, I am sure you would still look your best even in late adulthood."

"What are you trying to say?"

Ferid lazily cracked his knuckles through his pristine, white gloves. "It has been over four years since you were turned, correct?" he mused. "This is the right physical age for you to obtain immortality."

Mika bit his lip in an attempt to cover the wrath that was forming from his bloodlust and irritation. "Thanks, but I'll pass," he muttered.

Ferid shook his head. "I don't think you understand, Mikaela. The longer you delay drinking human blood, the stronger your thirst gets. You do not want to snap and just attack someone, do you?"

"Why do you even care?"

The silver-haired vampire stroked Mika's cheek -when the hell did he get so close?-, taking in the teen in a dirty white and blue tracksuit. "I'm just worried for your well being, Mika. I do not want to see you in pain."

Mika swatted Ferid's hand away. "Don't touch me." he growled.

And what the hell did he mean that he didn't want to see him in pain? Was the older vampire so dense that he did not remember the pain he inflicted on him all those years ago?

A cruel grin crossed Ferid's face. "Oh, I get it. You want your first taste to be from Yuu-chan-"

Those were the words that pushed him over the edge. With a single kick, Ferid flew into the wall of the nearby blood bank, causing an explosion upon impact. Livestock and soldiers alike screamed and gasped at the scene as they ran away from the building to avoid getting hit by the flying debris. As the dust cleared, Ferid's body rested in the newly formed crack before slumping to the ground in an almost comical fashion.

No one moved or made a single sound as they waited to see what would happen next. Was he dead? Part of Mika hoped he was. But unsurprisingly, Ferid jumped up and dusted the dirt off from his fine garments as if the blow had been nothing. Which was true, as to a Progenitor a kick from a common vampire was nothing more than a playful nudge.

"Thank you for coming to the show, ladies and gentlemen! Don't try this at home!" he exclaimed, waving at the spectators.

Everyone either laughed at his comment or dismissed it and went on with their day. Frozen in place by his own actions, Mika couldn't do anything but watch as Ferid approached him whilst styling his undone hair with his fingers. A chill ran down his spine. The smile on Ferid's face was dangerous, a smile that would even make the bravest man drop to his knees. If he had been anyone else, Ferid would've destroyed Mika on the spot for his stunt. But since he was the property of a certain Progenitor of a higher rank, he knew he was safe.

"I always knew that the strength of the Queen's progenies was something to behold, but this?" Ferid threw his hands in the air as he monologued. "Your power really is remarkable!"

"What do you want with me, Ferid?" Mika forced out, balling his hands into fists.

"Mmm, I just love stirring up some chaos, you know? Anyways, the Queen wanted me to inform you that she requests your presence."

"The Queen...?"

Ferid nodded. "It seemed rather urgent. I suggest that you get on with it before she decides to yeet you off of the Grand Canyon as punishment for testing her patience."

Mika had a lot of things to spit at the bastard for not telling this to him sooner. No one, not even Ferid, dared to screw with Her Majesty. That was the sole reason why he wouldn't try harming Mika. And rumour had it that those who do keep her waiting face a fate even worse than death. But spending another second messing around would lessen his chances of keeping his head.

To ensure that he doesn't waste anymore time, he kept his mouth shut, turned away from the noble and began to walk towards the palace at a quick pace. Besides, just by being around Ferid made the blond feel even sicker.

His throat hurt like hell at this point. Fighting with Lacus had used up quite a bit of his strength, not to mention dealing with Ferid. Usually, he would have fed by now, but the Seventh Progenitor had stalled him quite a bit.

Ferid wasn't exactly wrong about his health. He should've had his first sip of human blood when he was first turned so his transformation would be complete.

But no. Mika would rather die than become a full vampire. He treasured the little humanity he has left more than anything else. Well, almost. There was one thing, no, one person, he valued more than anything else, even his own life. That person was why he still hasn't given up yet.

If only he could see his innocent face and hear his tsundere-like voice one more time-

"Ayo, Mika! Over here!"

Mika looked up to see Lacus standing in front of the castle gates with a few other cloaked vampires. He gave the blond a carefree smile and tapped his friend's shoulder to get their attention. The blond didn't want to talk to Lacus now, especially because his throat was practically on fire. But because he didn't want to look like an entitled son of a bitch, he forced his way to the others.

"What." he said.

"Is that how you greet your superiors?" the violet-haired man asked. Mika opened his mouth to answer, only for Lacus to brush him off. "I'm just messing with ya. So, I heard you one-punched Lord Thigh High Boots into the wall."

Lord Thigh High Boots? Didn't they all wear thigh highs? "I did not punch him-"

"Yeah, whatever you did sounds dope," Lacus interrupted. "Also, I just wanted to say that your overall combat abilities have improved. So, nice work!" he praised.

One of the other vampires, Rene, scoffed. "I thought you were upset about the whole thing. You came up to me after the match and started crying-"

"WE NO TALK ABOUT THAT!" Lacus shrieked, causing his other friends to wince in pain and cover their pointed ears. "This man doesn't know what he's blabbering.'' he whispered to Mika, laughing nervously.

"Person. I am not a man," Rene corrected. "I have told you a thousand times that my pronouns are they/them."

Mika couldn't help but pity Rene for having to deal with Lacus's bullshit all the time. He wasn't acquainted with any of his fellow soldiers, but he did remember that Rene was non-binary. They must have a lot of tolerance to not snap Lacus for forgetting that simple piece of information.

"Ignoring Rene over here, I just wanted to ask if you wanted to come with us to grab some lunch?" Lacus offered.

When Lacus said 'lunch', it was clear that he wasn't talking about ramen or burgers. Him and his friends were going to sneak up to the surface and find some unsuspecting humans to drink from.

And likely suck those humans dry.

As much as Mika's fangs ached, he wouldn't go with them. One, he didn't want to get in trouble for breaking the rules about staying underground. Two, he didn't want to kill an innocent human or feed from one at all. And three, did he mention that he didn't want the Queen to go apeshit because of his tardiness?

Also, as much as he hated to admit it, he has hung out with Lacus's gang before, mainly because he was pressured into it. Asides from going to the surface, their other ideas of fun included streaming... adult anime, roasting each other at video games or pranking senior vampires who are trying to mind their own damn business. One of their pranks had been to hack the city's speakers and blast what had to be the worst parody of "Rasputin".

Thanks to those guys, Mika could not get that cursed song out of his head for weeks. If he heard someone playing an audio track of a certain red-haired anime boy from a certain open world JRPG singing "Tar-tar-taglia" one more time, he would ensure that Lacus wouldn't live to see another day.

Poor Rene would also get dragged along, and, like Mika, refused to take part in their activities. In fact, Mika was ninety-nine percent sure that Rene was there because they were the designated security guard.

"Sorry, I have work to do," Mika answered.

"Aw damn," Lacus pouted. "That sounds rough. Well, have fun I guess."

The rest of Lacus's gang muttered half-assed farewells before making a mad dash to whichever secret passage would take them to the surface. Rene gave Mika a sympathetic look before they trudged after the group. The moment he could no longer hear their hooting, Mika let out a sigh of relief.

The moment he entered the extravagant palace, silence took over. The only sound you could hear were steps across clean, white floor tiles.

To think that the very floor he stood on was once stained with his blood.

When he had arrived at the throne room, Mika found that a zombie was blocking the doorway. Zombies weren't an unusual sight in Sanguinem. According to the Queen, zombies made much better servants than vampires because they actually listened to any order you gave them.

"Excuse me," Mika said politely, hoping the zombie would get the message and move out of the way.

The zombie did not budge and stared at him with her empty, amber eyes.

"Please, I need to go in," he tried again.

The zombie continued to stare at him before reaching into her skirt pocket and pulling out a gold envelope with a hot pink insignia. She held the envelope out to Mika and gave him a nod. At least, he assumed it was a nod.

Taking the envelope from the zombie, Mika ripped it open and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. He unfolded it and read the words written in neat cursive:

Dear, Mikaela,

Sorry for the short notice. I am aware of your run in with Ferid and completely understand why you may be late. I am not upset in the slightest, however you need to learn to control your anger around him. Do not take whatever Ferid says to heart as he is the type of person to agitate people for his own amusement.

Knowing your habits, you likely haven't fed in the last forty-eight hours. Get changed and drink your fill, then come to my chambers. From there, you know what to do. I have not written the instructions explicitly as a precautionary measure. Discussing such matters in the throne room is not very safe as I do not want anyone to know of my plans.

Please destroy this letter and meet me as soon as possible.

Krul Tepes

Mika glanced around the hallway to ensure no one had been watching him before shoving the letter into his pocket, not minding if it had gotten crumpled. It was to be destroyed after all.

"Thank you," he whispered to the zombie.

The zombie grunted in response. Mika hurried up the steps to his own private chambers,struggled with the lock, let himself into the room, and slammed the door before slumping to the ground.

Here, in his own personal space, he could let the mask he had worked so hard to perfect over the years fall. He sat on the floor for a couple moments to process his thoughts.

His new personality was just for show. In reality, Mika still felt like the same, terrified child he was four years ago. Why can't he say more to Ferid Bathory than empty insults and threats? Why did he feel so helpless around him? Attacking him hadn't done anything than make him feel like a child throwing a tantrum.

It was all his fault. He was the one who fucked his family over. His own stupidity made him lose his humanity and his-

No. Not that one. Don't think about your one weakness and break down again.

He needed to speak to the Queen soon. It was a relief she wasn't pissed about him being late, but Mika didn't know how long her "good" mood would last.

Forcing himself to stand up, Mika tossed the letter in the fireplace. The moment the piece of parchment touched the hungry flames, it was no more. Then he opened his minifridge and pulled out a glass vial filled with a crimson fluid.

It was merely vampire blood and yet it still called out to him. He hadn't popped the cork off and could already feel his mouth water. Without hesitating, he removed the cork, threw his head back and drowned the blood in one gulp.

It still tasted cold and bitter, yet it immediately soothed the pain in his throat and caused the pounding headache to subside. Mika closed the vial and peeked inside his fridge to see how much of his stock was remaining.

Alright, eight vials. He had over a week's worth of blood left. Closing the door of the fridge, Mika quickly changed out of his tracksuit into the pristine vampire uniform. Pulling his hood over his head, the blond left his room and began to make his way to the Queen's room.

When he had first started living here, the size of the palace had overwhelmed him. He would get lost for hours when searching for the library. Now, Mika swore he could navigate his way around with his eyes closed.

Before he could turn around the next corner, a blur of movement caught his eye. Was he being followed? Keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword, ocean eyes scanned the hallway for anything out of place. Vampire instincts kicked in, looking for the smallest detail- from a breath or heartbeat to another flash of movement.

Nothing.

"You're just imagining things," Mika reassured himself.

Finally, he made his way to the Queen's room. This room had the most security out of all rooms. Which made sense, considering that this was where Her Majesty herself resided.

First, the keycard. Mika gently tapped the spare card on the scanner. The machine beeped, turned green and slid its top open to reveal a keypad.

The pin was quite easy to remember. Part of him wanted to ask the Queen to change it in case someone figured it out.

1-2-2-4-1-2.

Or, December 24th, 2012. The day of the third Honkai eruption.

The machine beeped again and a frame on the centre of the door opened to reveal a screen that was the size of a movie ticket.

The final part of the Queen's security system was the iris scan. This mechanism only recognized the iris of him, the Queen and a handful of her servants. Mika pushed his hood back and stared up at the screen -despite his height, he still had to stand on the tips of his toes as it was quite high- until it blinked green.

Finally, the door automatically slid open. The door had a ten second countdown before it closed, so Mika hurried in before it crushed him. Unlike the throne room, everything in the bedroom was either hot pink or black. The walls looked like someone covered them in bubble gum and the floor was covered in a carpet that looked- and even felt like- cotton candy. A black four poster bed with a pink canopy and sheets sat in one corner, while a pink and black vanity and wardrobe sat in another. A black bookshelf stuffed with all kinds of books covered an entire wall. Mika walked up to it and looked for the single thing that hid the bookshelves secret.

Twilight.

No vampire would be caught dead reading a novel that mocked their history and existence. Apparently, a noble in the United States was so insulted by the book that he ordered his servants to kidnap and execute the author. Mika wasn't sure if it was true or not, but he had felt no pity for her after he read the first few chapters. Because which vampire sparkles?

The moment he pushed the book further into its slot, it clicked into place, causing the shelf to slide to the left and reveal a secret staircase. Slowly, Mika descended down the steps until his feet touched the floor. He wandered down the single hallway until he came across another door. This one had a button with a speaker. The blond pressed the button until he heard a voice.

"Password?"

"Lest Karr is Todoroki's great grandfather." he whispered.

"Enter."

Mika heard the lock click before he pushed the door open. A vampire handed him a white lab coat, mask and goggles in exchange for his cloak. Accepting them, Mika travelled down the white halls of the lab, taking in the scientists messing with test tubes, taking notes and observing giant capsules filled with liquids.

He did not want to know the contents of those capsules.

Eventually, he arrived at the Queen's office. Before Mika could even knock, the door swung open to reveal a petite woman with pink hair tied up in a bun.

"You are aware that I can sense your presence, correct?" Krul asked.

"Apologises," Mika said as he stepped into the office.

The office was more serious than Krul's bedroom. It was all white and pristine- white desk, white shelves, white blood and water filters. Mika sat down on the plush white sofa across the Queen's white loveseat.

"So, do you know why I called you here?" Krul asked, removing her own lab coat.

"I am assuming it is for my vital check?" Mika answered as he lowered his face mask.

"That, and there is some news I wish to share with you." she said. "How are you feeling?"

Mika frowned. "I am doing well after having my fill."

Picking up a pink stylus and sleek, holographic tablet off the glass coffee table in front of her, Krul jotted something down. "Aside from that?"

The blond shook his head. "I'm okay."

"Have you been hearing any voices? Black out and wake up without any clue what happened? Felt any tightness in your chest?"

"None of the above."

The Queen scribbled more stuff down before placing the tablet and stylus back on the table and standing up. "Alright, now for the physical stuff."

Mika pulled his mask back up and followed her out the office to a familiar room where a man was washing his hands. The vampire looked up and cleared his throat.

"Good afternoon, you two," he greeted as he slapped rubber gloves on his hands.

"Afternoon to you too," Krul nodded.

The vampire turned to Mika. "Have a seat, young man."

Mika did as ordered and the vampire began to drill him with questions similar to the one's Krul asked earlier- changes in hearing, vision, breath, tension and more. Mika answered no to all of them. Then the doctor checked his heartbeat, weight and blood pressure.

"Everything seems the same as last time," the vampire finally reported.

Krul groaned and stared at the ceiling. "Alright, let's get the final test over with."

The final test was a simple blood test. The doctor pulled up Mika's sleeve, pushed the needle into his arm, and withdrew a sample of blood. Then he placed the sample into a machine connected to a computer, asked them to wait ten minutes and printed out a paper with the results.

"Thirty-five Honkai Watts per millilitre," he read off the sheet.

Krul's eyes widened. "It went down?" she gaped.

"Yes, a miracle-"

"YOU CALL THIS A GODDAMN MIRACLE?!" Krul snapped.

Oh boy. Krul was clearly not happy with the results. The Queen paced around the room in a rapid pace as she ranted about how the measurement could drop, causing the doctor to step back with fear. Well, it wasn't really his fault. He didn't do anything to affect the results. Finally, Krul took a breath and threw the door open.

"Let's go," she said quietly.

Gulping, Mika quietly followed the Queen back to her office without a word so he wouldn't agitate her any further. Krul locked the door behind them, snatched a goblet from her desk, filled it with blood from the filter and took a sip, only to scrunch up her face in disgust. She threw the glass across the room, smashing it to pieces. Mika grimaced at the bloody mess she had made on the wall. Cursing under her breath, the Queen slumped down on the loveseat with her legs crossed.

"Sit." she ordered, tapping the cushion next to her.

Mika did as he was ordered and sat as far from her as possible so she wouldn't scream at him for invading her personal space. The Queen picked at her manicured nails, then craned her small neck up at the ceiling fan that lazily span above the two vampires. Letting out a strained sigh, Krul turned to face her favourite servant.

"I suppose you wish to hear the news I promised, correct?" she asked.

"If it can wait, I do not-"

"No, I might as well get this over with." The Queen cleared her throat before tossing Mika a toothy grin. "We have located Yuichiro Hyakuya."

The moment those words left her mouth, Mika's body tensed up. His family was alive? A series of jumbled emotions phased through him; shock, concern, guilt, relief, happiness and some others he couldn't name in that moment. Blinking, he kept his face neutral.

"Where is he?" he asked in what he hoped was a steady voice.

Krul reached up and pulled a few bobby pins out of her hair, causing it to fall around her in lazy waves. "Where else? He's under the custody of the Japanese Imperial Angel Army."

Mika's blood went cold. Yuu-chan was with the people who fucked the world over? The ones who tortured and conducted inhuman experiments on the rest of his family? Those assholes are the ones who kidnapped him?

"To top it all off, those shitheads have gone and made him a Valkyrie." Krul yawned.

Valkyrie. Mika couldn't think of a worse situation Yuu-chan could be in. Not only are Valkyries constantly exposed to the Honkai, but they have a stigma implemented in these bodies that make them into superhuman warriors. The stigma prevents them from turning into zombies when fighting Honkai Beasts and enhances their overall combat abilities. Combining all that with the deadly Gem of Freedom and the experiments they are likely conducting on his childhood best friend...

"I have to get him out of there," Mika said firmly as he pulled himself up from the sofa. Before he could take another step forward, Krul grabbed him by the back of his coat and pulled him back down.

"Who said you can stand?" she sassed. "And are you out of your mind? You wish to charge straight into the headquarters of the strongest Valkyries on the planet?"

"But if I leave him there any longer-"

"Calm yourself," Krul said. "The JIVA has top-notch security. If you even take a step into their territory, you'll be gunned down on the spot." She took Mika's palm in her's and traced circles on it in an attempt to calm him down. "I understand that you're desperate to rescue him, because I would be too if it were someone dear to me. But you've got to think rationally, okay?"

Mika stared at her before exhaling. Despite her royal status and power, Krul had always treated him like how a mother would take care of her foolish, teenage son. Well, a mother who also happens to have the split personality of a drill sergeant. And one of a hardcore otaku.

"Okay."

"Good," Krul said with a smile. "As for saving your princess, I have a few ideas in mind. Mikaela, what do you think about a war?"

Mika blinked. "A war?" he repeated. He knew that the humans were at war against the Honkai that seemed to go on forever, but he also read about wars in the past, like the two World Wars and the Cold War. But he had never witnessed one himself.

"I have been thinking about it for a while," Krul continued. She picked up the tablet again, swiped through a few tabs using her stylus before opening an application and selecting a document. "You see, the human race has gotten significantly stronger. They may be cowardly, but they're not complete fools."

"They are strong in both physical and technological strength. From creating mechas that are capable of destroying entire cities, to establishing organisations that run the world, they could cause our race to go extinct if they really wished. In fact, we have received reports from our allies that many human factions have slayed hundreds of our armies."

Her gaze hardened. "They are causing our population to decline, Mikaela. We initially thought the Honkai could wipe them out, but now the humans are able to fight them too. If this keeps up, they'll be at the top of the food chain. We can't afford for them to grow any larger."

Mika thought over what the Queen had told him. It is true that humans are more powerful than they had initially assumed. But what does this have to do with him? He voiced his thoughts to Krul.

"Imagine this," The Queen created a new document and began to sketch what appeared to be a battleground. "The humans are rallying against us." She drew a couple of black and white stick figures with swords. "Yuichiro is among them, just going along with their plans." Krul added another black stick figure, but put more detail into it, with messy black hair and bright green eyes. "While they are distracted, you swoop in and rescue him!" She drew a smaller sketch in the bottom hand corner of a yellow stick figure holding a black stick figure bridal style.

That... sounded like an elaborate plan. "But wouldn't the humans invade our home in order to rescue him?" Mika pointed out.

"Indeed, but that's intentional." Krul replied. "Once we take over the city where we'll execute our attack, they'll understand that we mean business. They'll keep making impulsive moves to end us, but eventually surrender when the humans realise that they are no match for us. Plus, more walking, talking blood bags for us!"

When Mika gave her a perplexed look, Krul pouted. "I'm still figuring out the details, but the key takeaway is that we strengthen our forces, you rescue your princess, we kill the humans and come out victorious."

Mika slowly nodded. Honestly, the only thing the blond truly cared about was saving Yuu-chan, the other humans and vampires could do whatever the hell they want.

"When are we executing the operation?" he asked.

"I still need to propose my idea to the Progenitor Council, so it may take a while. After all, we still need to make more preparations. But, I am hoping a week from now." The Queen answered. "Anyways, you're free to go. Thank you for your time today."

Mika stood up without another word and was about to leave the room when he turned back to steal one more glance of the Queen. She lay down on the loveseat with her tablet practically in her face.

"We should start doubling the amount of serum we inject into him..." she mumbled.

Shaking his head, Mika left the office and navigated his way back to the entrance of the lab, where he returned his Personal Protection Equipment to the guard in exchange for his cloak. He made his way back to his room, where he pulled off his cloak and dropped into his bed face down. He lay there in silence for a few minutes.

Only after he changed positions did he realise that something was poking at his chest. Frowning, Mika reached into his jacket, assuming one of his coat buttons had gotten caught, only for his hand to close around a piece of plastic.

Oh. This thing.

He pulled out a small, plastic phone charm in the shape of a mecha-like character. The charm had a tiny green crystal inside which rattled around when he shook the charm. It was covered in scratches and the piece of ribbon it was tied to had become worn. The charm was looped through a gold chain, which had it's clasp open.

"It must have come loose during my fight against Lacus." Mika muttered. Despite having a phone, he had this irrational fear of losing it if he had decided to fasten it in the socket. Besides, he didn't want someone like Lacus -the guy had an annoying habit of going through Mika's stuff without his permission- to see it and make fun of it. So, Mika chose to wear it as a pendant instead.

"Yuu-chan..." he breathed.

He could still remember every second of his last moments with the other boy. Hell, he could recall the metallic scent of blood and agonising screams of him and his other family members.

Akane, Chihiro, Fumi, Kouta, Ako and Taichi's lifeless bodies lay at his feet on the marble floor. The scent of blood was so overwhelming that the child couldn't even process what was happening. The silver haired noble stood in the centre of it all, wiping the blood clean from his fingers.

It was all his fault. He did this. By trusting a goddamn bloodsucker, he doomed his entire family.

Everyone was dead, except for him and Yuu.

The raven-haired boy stood next to him frozen in place. Shock, fear, anger and other emotions Mika couldn't place rippled across his best friend's face.

He was still alive.

And Mika ensured to keep him alive in exchange for his own life.

"The two of us will always be family," he said with a sad smile.

stared at him, his mouth agape. "What are you-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Mika snatched the gun from Yuu and darted towards the noble. But before he could fire, Ferid slashed his right arm off from it's joint. Mika didn't even have time to register the pain before he felt another blow ricochet through his abdomen. He looked down to see the Seventh Progenitor's arm impaled through his torso before he pulled it out clean. The moment he did, he fell to the ground. The blond barely felt the impact as the pain from the previous two blows rushed through his body.

"NO!" Yuu screamed.

What happened next was unbelievable. Which was strange, considering the fact that they lived in a world overrun by Honkai and bloodsucking monsters.

"Leave my family alone!"

Yuu's eyes were no longer the green Mika had grown to love over the years. Instead, they had been replaced by golden orbs. A gold and black blade materialised next to him and flew towards Ferid. Before he could react, the sword sliced through the vampire's chest, similar to how Ferid stabbed Mika.

As Ferid dropped to the ground, the sword vanished in thin air.

Yuu's eyes returned to their original colour. He blinked as if he didn't know where he was, only for his eyes to take in the scene and rush to Mika's side.

"Mika, we have to go!" he cried. The raven-haired boy tried to drag the blond to the exit, only to trip in the ever-growing pool of his blood.

"I'll be okay, Yuu-chan," Mika reassured. "Get out of here while you can. I'm pretty sure that the guards are on their way now."

"I'm not leaving you, dumbass!" Yuu snapped. He tried to pick Mika up again, only for his hands to come away bloody.

"I said I'm fine," the other boy gasped. "Just go, you idiot!" he exclaimed, pushing Yuu away from him.

Yuu suppressed a sob before running out the exit. The moment he was out of sight, Mika let out a sigh of relief.

Good. Yuu-chan was safe. He could die in peace now.

Minutes hadn't passed when three guards hurried up to the mess Ferid had created.

"What happened here?"

"Did these kids do this to Lord Ferid?"

"Is he dead?"

The other two guards turned to the third. "What?" he asked.

"My my, what have we here?" a childish voice cooed.

Krul walked up to the guards, her posture emitting an aura of grace, before she examined the corpses surrounding her. Finally, her gaze fell on Mikaela.

"Y-Your Majesty, Lord Ferid was murd-"

Krul rolled her sanguine eyes. "Oh for crying out loud, he isn't dead." she sassed. She turned her back to the blond and stepped towards Ferid before kicking him between the legs.

Ferid screamed in pain and jumped at least eight feet in the air. He ran around the hall with his hands over his private part, making noises that reminded the boy of a monkey. Accompanied with the gaping hole in his chest, Mika would have found the whole thing hilarious if he hadn't been bleeding out.

"My Queen, do you really hate me that much?" he whimpered.

"Walk it off, you're fine," Krul droned. She waved her right hand at the guards. "You're dismissed."

The guards left the two Progenitors to their own devices, snickering among themselves about the performance Ferid just put on.

"Did I not tell you to leave my Herrschers alone, Bathory?" Krul asked.

Herrschers?

The silver-haired man cocked his head to the side. "I do not know what you are talking about." he answered innocently.

"You definitely do. You could have simply sent them back home with a warning, but instead you proceeded to kill all eight of-" The Queen paused, her eyes widening with horror. She turned back to the bodies sprawled across the ground and pointed at each one, silently counting.

The Queen then blurred at Ferid and lifted him up in a chokehold.

"You let one of them escape?!" she yelled.

Ferid was unphased. "The kid tried to kill me. He stabbed me in the chest with his magic sword." he said nonchalantly.

Krul blinked in surprise at his words. "Magic sword?" she repeated. Ferid fell from her grasp, who was quick to stand up and scurry back against a pillar. She tapped her chin, muttering something Mika couldn't hear before returning her gaze to the lesser noble.

"Get out of my sight before I smite you where you stand." Krul ordered.

"Yes, my Queen." Ferid nodded before blurring out of the hall.

Krul sighed and cursed under her breath before turning her attention back to Mika. "Hey, kid," she addressed. "I can see that you are still breathing. However, you do not seem to have much time left."

Mika watched in silence as the Queen crotched down next to him. "If you want to live, I can grant you life. Eternal life."

It didn't take a fool to understand the true meaning behind her words. If Mika would shake his head, he would have. "I don't want it," he whispered.

Krul's expression didn't change. "I see," she said. "Unfortunately, I can't let you die here, like it or not."

With that, she bit her lip and leaned over Mika. "The moment you drink my blood, your body will be transformed." she muttered. Krul pressed her lips against the young boy's. Mika didn't know what was happening until the bitter liquid travelled down his throat.

In an instant, every cell in his body was screaming. Mika cried out and covered his mouth with the hand that was attached to his body in an attempt to silence his screams.

That was the last thing he remembered before darkness had taken over.

Krul's plan was a good one. But he wasn't going to follow through with it. Mika's main objective was to rescue Yuu-chan, not to bring him back to Sanguinem where Krul will continue the inhumane experiments that the bastards at the JIVA forced him through.

He was done with the vampires. Once he saved his family, they could live the life they dreamed of as kids without any human, vampire or Honkai interference.

Krul said the operation will take place in a week, correct? Then he needed to start his own preparations.

"Hang in there, Yuu-chan, I'm coming to your rescue soon." Mika promised as he squeezed the charm tightly in his grasp.

»--•--«

The scientist's head rested on the desk he had been working on moments ago. A syringe stuck out of his back, leaking of the very tranquillizer he himself had invented in his lab.

Ferid plucked the syringe out of the other man's back before discarding it in the wastebasket under the desk. When the scientist woke up, he wouldn't recall when and how he had fallen asleep. But the poor guy was going to be out for a while.

The noble pushed the scientist off from his chair and propped himself down on it. It wasn't comfortable, but that didn't matter to him. Ferid began to scroll through the page the scientist had been looking at on the computer he had been using in the hopes of finding something interesting.

Nope, nothing caught his eye. Ferid closed the tab and opened up another file to see if there was anything worth knowing. However, after searching through multiple applications, he couldn't find any valuable information.

Until he found a hidden folder labelled "Proj. Herr.".

Curious, he opened the folder and selected a random file. The moment he had started reading, he knew he had hit the jackpot.

"Oh Krulie, you really have outdone yourself this time," he laughed.

Ferid pulled out his phone from his pocket, connected it to a usb sticking out of the computer, and began to download a copy of all the documents in the folder. When he was done, Ferid disconnected his phone, turned off the computer, and quietly left the office he had broken into. Humming a tune, he skipped his way out of the lab, ignoring the unconscious body of the security guard as he left Krul's private chambers. Even her room had been easy for the Seventh Progenitor to break into.

Oh, the Queen had thought she was so smart, hadn't she? She spent years gathering information and keeping her project confidential, and yet Ferid was able to unravel her secrets. If the council knew of her involvement in this forbidden operation, they would execute her on the spot.

Now then, what should he do with the files he downloaded? Show them to the Progenitor Council? Or keep them to himself and use them for his own gain?

"Things are going to get interesting very soon," he mused as he entered his own mansion.