The door to the training room creaked open, drawing Masaru's attention from where he sat cross-legged on the floor. His eyes flicked toward the entrance as Hinata and Akane stepped inside, their figures casting long shadows across the polished tiles. They stopped a few paces in, positioning themselves directly opposite him.
A tense silence briefly hung in the air before Akane finally spoke. Her voice was calm and measured, with a tone that attempted to cut through the thick awkwardness settling between them.
"Masaru, this is Hinata—the powerful witch I told you about. She's the one who'll be undoing the memory sealing spell placed on you. And Hinata, this is Masaru—the one whose memory has been altered," Akane introduced them, her words deliberate, as if hoping the formality would smooth things over.
Masaru offered a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head. His brows were knitted slightly in a frown. "It'd be nice if you could really help me get my real memories back," he said, his voice edged with a mix of hope and nervous uncertainty.
But rather than responding with comfort or reassurance, Hinata hit him with an unexpected question—one that made his eyes widen.
"Before that," she said, her gaze sharp and analyzing, "I'd like to know how you were able to walk unscathed under the sunlight… when you're still just a low-ranking vampire? Even high-ranking ones would at least feel pain, if not worse."
Masaru blinked in surprise. Her words sparked a memory—one he had almost brushed aside. He recalled walking through the open road of the Estate in broad daylight… and yet, not a single burn or ache had assaulted him. He had simply felt fine.
"I… honestly don't know," he replied, his expression shifting to one of confusion. "It's a first for me. After evolving to a low-ranking vampire, I used to feel insane pain from direct sunlight. But now, it's like… nothing. I feel great."
"Hmm… perhaps once I unseal your memories, we might get closer to the truth," Hinata said, stepping toward him. A gentle pink aura flared to life around her body, bathing the room in a soothing, otherworldly glow.
Her earlier coldness faded; now her expression held something gentler—something warm and inviting that made her eyes seem almost… beautiful. She knelt in front of Masaru and raised her hands, placing them lightly on his forehead.
"Remain calm," she murmured softly.
The moment her fingers touched his skin, her mana surged into him, flowing through his mind like a tranquil river. Unlike the intense, almost surgical invasion of Akane's blood energy, Hinata's magic was comforting. It was like being cradled in a soft breeze—warm, safe, and oddly satisfying. Masaru let his eyes close, his body relaxing under the sensation. It felt like a massage inside his brain, the tension melting from him.
But just as quickly as the calm came, it was shattered.
A violent shockwave burst outward with a deafening bang.
Both Masaru and Hinata were flung backwards, their bodies hurled into the walls with brutal force. If it were your normal everyday wall the walls would have cracked on impact sending chunks of stone crumbling as they hit.
"What happened?!" Akane exclaimed, eyes wide with panic as she dashed toward Masaru, whose body lay twitching violently on the ground. He was unconscious, his limbs convulsing as though being electrocuted, the remnants of foreign mana wreaking havoc inside him.
"I'm okay too, in case you care," Hinata muttered sarcastically as she staggered to her feet, brushing dust from her skirt. She moved over to Masaru and extended her hand, gently drawing the wild mana out of his body. Slowly, his shaking began to subside.
Akane knelt beside her, confusion etched deep into her features. "What the hell just happened?" she asked, voice low and shaken.
Hinata's brows were furrowed. She didn't answer immediately. Her eyes lingered on Masaru's unconscious face, something unreadable swimming in her gaze.
"There's… a more powerful force at play here," she finally said, her voice laced with unease. "It's definitely not a siren. Nor a witch's doing. If I had to guess… it's a vampire. A very powerful one. I'm afraid things aren't as simple as we thought. Maybe… just maybe, it's even connected to why sunlight doesn't affect him."
She gently brushed a few strands of hair from Masaru's face as she spoke.
"What are you doing?" Akane's voice cracked slightly, trembling as she stared at the scene in front of her.
Hinata didn't pull away. Instead, she smirked, clearly enjoying the reaction she was getting. "Oh? Are you jealous?" she teased. "You know I saw his memories during the process, right? And guess what I saw…"
Akane's heart skipped. Her eyes widened just a little—enough for Hinata to catch the flicker of emotion behind them.
"To think," Hinata said, chuckling, "my very own best friend—rumored to be as cold as ice and uninterested in love—was out here acting all sweet and tender with a lowly vampire… and almost had sex with him, too!"
She burst into uncontrollable laughter, doubling over and falling onto her back. Her voice echoed through the training room like a cackle of mischief.
Akane's face flushed bright red. "Hmph! That doesn't explain why you touched him, though!" she snapped, trying to change the subject. Her pride was hanging by a thread—any more teasing and she might just die of shame.
Hinata propped herself up on her elbows, a playful grin still tugging at her lips. "Maybe I felt bad for him," she said. "I saw enough of his past to know it wasn't easy. It's kind of incredible that he can still smile. Maybe it's because… he sees you as a new hope. And… someone special to him is still out there."
She paused, noting the subtle shift in Akane's eyes—a hint of something tender, something vulnerable.
"Oh!" Hinata suddenly added with a sly grin. "When I said 'someone special,' I wasn't talking about you. I meant his childhood best friend."
Akane's face morphed into pure horror. The emotional rollercoaster was driving her mad. Her aura flared with suppressed killing intent—so potent it could've sent the devil himself running.
"You mean the Sakura person?" she asked, feigning nonchalance but failing miserably. "What was she like?"
"I'm sure if you really wanted to know, you'd have looked through his memories yourself," Hinata replied, smirking. "Or are you scared you'll see the man you love finding happiness in another woman?"
Akane glared. "Who said anything about love? It's a simple master-servant relationship. Don't get the wrong idea."
"Sure, sure," Hinata said, her laughter trailing into a mischievous purr. "Well, if that's the case, I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I claimed him for myself. Wouldn't it be fun? Your best friend falling in love with your servant—it's poetic, really."
Akane's eyes narrowed. "It seems you've overstayed your welcome. You can leave now if you're done talking trash."
Without another word, her form disintegrated into a velvet storm of bats. They swirled like dark silk through the air, their wings silent as shadows. Within moments, they vanished completely—leaving behind only a faint shimmer in the air where she had once stood.
Hinata sighed, standing slowly.
"I suppose I'll owe you an apology later," she murmured, snapping her fingers. Masaru's unconscious body rose gently into the air, levitating beside her.
And just like that, both of them faded into thin air, leaving the training room eerily silent once more.