Black Solstice-Chapter 8: Vampire Girl Won’t Leave Me Alone [1]

It must have been a luscious sight to anyone watching. A grown male being hoisted into the air by another who looked like a giant in comparison. Worst of all, he was doing it with one hand.

What kind of monstrous strength was this? More importantly,

"Sorry, who are you again?"

The delinquent-like demon looked genuinely puzzled, almost offended.

"What a cruel question. You don’t recognize your own classmate, or is my name too insignificant for you to remember?"

"But I don’t know your name though."

"My name is Dagon. Nice to make your acquaintance."

"Ah. I see."

Despite finally introducing himself, he showed absolutely no intention of putting me down.

"Um... hello?"

"It’s Dagon. Call me Dagon."

"Yes, Dagon. You have a nice name."

"Why, thank you."

"Do you mind letting me down? Isn’t this a bit embarrassing?"

"No."

"No? Why?"

"Because I don’t wanna."

I blinked.

Was that... a legitimate answer?

Before I could question him further, Dagan tilted his head, studying me like some curious animal he had scooped off the ground. His grip on my shirt didn’t loosen in the slightest.

"You’re lighter than I expected. Are you really a demon?"

"Last I checked, yes," I replied, trying not to sound as offended as I felt. "Can you please put me down now?"

"Hmm." Dagon rubbed his chin with his free hand, as though deeply contemplating the fate of my dignity. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because I’m not done looking at you."

"What does that even mean?"

Before he could answer, Seraphis suddenly shouted. I must have looked like a caught fish in her eyes.

"Oi! What do you think you’re doing?"

Dagon turned toward her with a perfectly round "O" expression, then his smile brightened even further.

"You’re that beautiful lad from earlier. You see, I did not have the opportunity to approach and introduce myself since everyone was so eager. So I decided to find you myself."

He then shifted his gaze back to me.

"By the way, what is your relationship with this person? He does not look like a devil no matter how I look at him and it is even harder to call him a lesser. Could he be a special type of demon? I wonder how many of those types even exist."

...Not good. He was beginning to grow suspicious!

Seraphis frowned. "My relationship with him is none of your business. Now put him down."

"Fine. If you say so."

Dagon finally released me, letting me drop to the floor with a loud thud.

’This bastard. Can’t you drop me more gently!?’

The surrounding spectators began to murmur, talking among themselves.

"Isn’t that Dagon... the Deep Sea Severance?"

"Wasn’t he supposed to be in the Human Domain? Why is he here?"

"Don’t you know? He’s one of those rogue devils who thrives on causing trouble. They say he has a particularly nasty habit of harassing young women. I heard he was forced to return to the Mist Domain after a run-in with a group of Priests."

"He’s survived encounters with Hunters before. Truly a Great Devil... not one to underestimate."

Dagon, it seemed, carried quite the fearsome reputation. The other demons’ expressions were a mix of caution and outright wariness.

The bastard himself, however, paid no mind to their murmers. His gaze was completely locked on Seraphis, looking at her with palpable lust.

Licking his lips slowly, he said:

"Wouldn’t someone like me be far more interesting than that gloomy guy? Why don’t we go somewhere, just the two of us, and have a little fun?"

He leaned even closer, his voice dropping to a low, teasing whisper.

"Well, won’t you consider the offer of this Great Devil?"

Seraphis’ eyes narrowed, and a vein of pure ire seemed to pulse visibly in her temple. Her body stiffened, radiating a barely contained aura of danger.

Genuinely, from my point of view, it seemed like she was on the verge of exploding.

I didn’t know her exact strength, but she was the self-proclaimed vampire who had drawn my blood on the very first day we met. If memory served, vampires were notoriously selfish yet powerful creatures, often capable of easily contending with or outright dominating werewolves, depending on the storyline.

In a situation where she was provoked and looked down upon so carelessly, would she unleash the full power of a vampire?

To be honest, I was curious. I’d always been fascinated by vampires from a young age.

Apart from the mysterious Angels, they were my favorite mythical creatures.

They were far too interesting.

With that in mind, what better way was there to gauge their strength than a simple skirmish?

Dagon, or whatever his name was, would make the perfect test subject!

How perfect!

My eyes gleamed with dark anticipation.

’Hehehe! You really messed up now. Vampires are prideful, so there’s no way she’s going to overlook what you just did. Although our meeting was brief, you might want to start saying your prayers!’

And just on cue.

Seraphis’ eyes flashed dangerously, and the air around her thickened, charged with an unnatural tension. Every muscle in her body coiled like a spring, and the faintest sound of her breathing carried a predatory edge.

Then, she darted forward with incredible speed.

However—

"Sorrryyy! There’s somewhere I really have to be right now!!♪"

Before I could even react, she grabbed my hand and dragged me into a tremendous retreat.

...Eh? We’re running away?

I blinked, completely thrown off.

Seraphis’ grip was iron-strong, yet somehow gentle enough that it didn’t hurt. My legs scrambled to keep up as she practically flew down the hallway, dodging groups of students and weaving around pillars like it was nothing.

"W-what the hell is happening?!" I shouted, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my own heart.

She didn’t answer, only kept pulling me forward with relentless speed. The wind whipped past my face, and my stomach lurched at each turn.

’She’s... ridiculously fast. I mean, vampires are supposed to be faster than humans, but this is insane!’

We shot past the main atrium. Glancing back, I noticed that Dagon had since disappeared from view.

Which meant he had decided not to follow us. Even so, Seraphis still increased her pace.

Basically, I was dragged through the campus like a ragdoll.

’This is either the most exhilarating thing in my life or the absolute worst.’

Finally, she skidded to a stop in a quiet corner of the academy. It was a small garden terrace hidden from plain sight. My knees nearly buckled, gasping for breath as I struggled to process everything.

Seraphis finally released my hand and took a moment to catch her breath.

"Phew... that was a close one. I got a little scared and suddenly ran off. Are you okay, Cassius?"

I just dragged around by a vampire like a toy. What do you think!?

"Um... I’m... fine, I guess... I think I need a moment," I dropped to the ground and wheezed.

"That’s a relief, I’m glad," she replied with a small smile.

"What was that guy’s deal anyway? Do you know him?"

Seraphis shook her head, frowning her brows.

"I’ve never seen him before. But it’s not strange for demons to be drawn to girls who catch their eye. Demons are creatures that are true and act on their desires. The important thing is strength. As long as you’re strong enough, you can avoid being taken advantage of."

"When you say ’taken advantage of,’ do you mean..."

"Yes. That’s exactly what I mean. Most female demons are unfortunate in that regard, but it can’t be helped."

"I see..."

That sounds scary.

Luckily, I was born male instead of female, or else the risk of being ravished in a place like this would have been alarmingly high.

’Wait.’

A sudden thought struck me, and I couldn’t hold back a question.

"Then why are you sticking around someone like me? There’s a good chance some of those demons might get envious and try to take you by force. And being the worthless, mediocre guy that I am, I can’t even be able to protect myself, let alone you."

Her frown deepened noticeably.

"What exactly do you mean by ’worthless, mediocre guy’? Are you trying to sell yourself short?"

I scratched the back of my head.

"But it’s the truth, isn’t it? Besides, you should probably stay away from me. Nothing good can come from getting involved with me."

Regardless of my feelings, it was an undeniable truth.

She was demon, and I was human.

If coexistence were truly possible, one side wouldn’t have to hide in the shadows while the majority of the other side remained completely unaware of their existence.

This relationship felt like a tragedy waiting to occur.

Yet...

’Why is she making that pitiful face? Is she really going to cry?’

Before I could even speak, Seraphis uttered:

"How could you say those hurtful words to me? Especially when... when you’re my first!"

"Please don’t say things that could lead to misunderstandings!"

She tilted her head. "I’m talking about in the matter of sucking blood. What do you thinking I was talking about?"

"Eh?"

"Oh," was her mischievous response. "I didn’t think you were a pervert. What a naughty boy."

Despite saying that, Seraphis looked slightly flustered. She scratched at her reddened cheeks, clearly embarrassed.

"Well, actually... to be honest, the majority of vampires don’t suck human blood. This is because of the Treaty law, which prevents the two races from harming each other unless provoked. Plus, taking blood from humans is unpleasant for them. Sometimes, vampires lose control while feeding, and end up taking more blood than intended, which can even result in the human’s death. Because of that, we now use alternative sources instead like synthetic blood or donations from willing donors. Honestly, it’s much less... messy."

She paused, glancing at me with a faint, sheepish smile.

"Of course, there’s another alternative method. Some vampires resort to cannibalism by sucking the blood of other demons. A few have tried it, but it’s honestly disgusting. They say it tastes like sucking on a rag used to thoroughly scrub off shit and vomit. Just imagining it makes me want to puke."

Her eyes softened, turning strangely bewitched.

"But you’re completely different, Cassius♪ Your blood is nothing like the stuff in blood transfusion packs. It’s like a Class S forbidden delight. It’s full of nutrients, and the sweetness and mineral balance are otherworldly♪"

What am I, food?! I had absolutely zero interest in becoming your personal supper!

I was just about to spit those words out when she added, with a sly tone:

"That’s why you’re my first time. You’re the first person whose blood I’ve ever drunk directly from, Cassius. This feeling... I’ll never forget it♥"

"..."

Just like that, I froze in place and my brain did a happy dance.