Dhampir Sister: Oldest Part 1
Kurenai, seventeen years old, stood in the city of Shinagawa with Ayame, investigating a potential lead in the illegal creation of bioweapons. Enhanced monstrous creatures possessing high resiliency and regeneration.
While Ayame wore a casual dress to blend in with the crowds, Kurenai had opted for a hoodie, long pants and even a glove, to conceal most of her skin from the sun. Being part vampire made her vulnerable to sunlight.
But the clue only led them to the city itself, not the specific location. At least, not until they met the informant who supposedly knew where the lab was hidden. The informant wanted to meet the Taimanin face to face to propose a deal. What that deal was, they didn't know.
"So this is where they are supposed to be? This café?" Kurenai asked, standing before an old but homely establishment. The warm glow of the windows and the scent of fresh coffee drifting from the door felt almost incongruous with the danger they were walking into.
"Yes, Kurenai-sama. This is where they wish to meet." Ayame glanced at Kurenai, her expression calm but her eyes betraying a flicker of worry. "Are you alright, Kurenai-sama?"
"I-I'm fine. Just… never done an important mission like this before." Kurenai let out a slow breath. "All I've done is kill demons. But investigating an illegal lab and making a deal… that's foreign to me."
"Don't worry, Kurenai-sama. I have some experience in this. I can guide you during the talks."
"It's a good thing I have a senior Taimanin as my best friend." Kurenai smiled, her shoulders relaxing as a sense of security settled over her.
Now both enter the café, and opening the door causes the bell to ring. Signaling their arrival. As expected, the interior matched the outside decor. Vintage, and homely. Wooden tables, faded wallpaper, and the quiet hum of conversation filled the space. They scanned the area, searching for anyone who might be the informant. But everyone looked… ordinary.
"What should we do, Ayame?" Kurenai's voice tightened with a flicker of panic.
"Hm." Ayame's gaze swept the room calmly. "We should wait. They should be here at any moment. Possibly already here, just waiting for us to take a seat." She gestured toward an empty table near the window.
There they sat and waited. A waiter arrived to take their order, Kurenai ordered a mocha with extra sugar, while Ayame ordered an espresso. Now they waited for both the drinks and the informant.
A bell rang from the open door, causing both Taimanin to look up. To Kurenai, it was a man in a black leather jacket that barely hid his muscular arms, his brown hair tied back in a ponytail. His eyes were intense. It made her question if he was part of a gang.
To Ayame, it was the worst scenario. Her eyes betrayed only worry, especially toward her beloved master.
The intimidating man slowly approached. Ayame leaned in and whispered, "Be careful, Kurenai-sama. This man is dangerous."
"Eh? Is he our informant?"
Before Ayame could answer, the man reached their table and sat down beside Kurenai. Too casual, as if he belonged there. "It was surprisingly easy to spot you," he said, his voice low and steady. "Especially you, Shinganji."
"How do you know my name?"
"Kurenai-sama." Ayame's voice was tight, barely above a whisper. "This man is a high-ranking member of NOMAD. The Chief Director of the Weapon Division Research, Miyatake Zhiyong."
Kurenai's expression shifted instantly. Her eyes narrowed, her body tensing as a wave of bloodlust radiated from her.
"Oh, so you know me." Zhiyong didn't flinch. His expression remained unreadable with a cold expression. "Good. Then we can skip the introductions." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a pendrive, placing it on the table between them. "This contains the exact location of the lab."
"I don't understand." Ayame's brow furrowed. "Why do you want us to attack the lab? Unless this is a trap?"
"If it were a trap, I wouldn't be here. I'd have just sent both of you to the location and let an ambush handle the rest." Zhiyong's tone continues to be flat. "The reason is simple. My research was stolen and I want it destroyed. I want this to keep it quiet."
"You couldn't send anyone else to destroy the lab?" Kurenai asked, her voice sharp with suspicion.
"What part of 'keeping quiet' do you not understand?" Zhiyong muttered under his breath, almost to himself. "I don't want Ingrid to nag at me again."
Before either of them could ask, the waiter arrived with their drinks. "Here you go. A mocha with extra sugar, and an espresso."
Zhiyong spoke up. "Can I have a black coffee?"
"Sure. I'll bring it right away." The waiter left.
They both drank their coffee, allowing themselves a moment to relax. Then Kurenai spoke up. "Um… how do you know my surname?"
Zhiyong answered. "I've met a Shinganji during my work in the NOMAD facility."
Kurenai's heart stopped. She shot to her feet, her hands pressing against the table. "D-Does she go by the name Shinganji Kaede?" Any information about her mother—anything at all—would be worth more than gold.
Zhiyong's expression remained stone-cold. "You guessed correctly. But whether she is alive or not… I won't answer. Not until you succeed in destroying the lab."
The waiter arrived with the black coffee. Zhiyong accepted it with a quiet thanks and took a long drink, savoring the bitterness.
"Then what makes you think we won't force it out of you?" Ayame's voice was sharp and threatening.
Zhiyong was about to answer, until Kurenai spoke up.
"Ayame, don't threaten him." Kurenai's voice was quiet, almost pleading. "I think he'll answer if we do as he says. I mean… he did help us find the lab."
"That's because he wants us to destroy it, to avoid punishment from NOMAD." Ayame countered, her eyes never leaving Zhiyong.
"B-but… Ayame…" Kurenai hesitated, her voice wavering. "I don't think he will go back on his promise."
Zhiyong quickly drained the rest of his black coffee and set the cup down with a soft clink. "I'll take my leave. I still have other business to attend to." He stood, adjusting his jacket. "Good luck on your endeavor."
Then he paused. "Oh, I almost forgot." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small bottle, holding it up like a trophy. "Tam-Tam-Taram! Super Sunscreen Lotion!"
Both Taimanin blinked in confusion.
He handed the sunscreen to Kurenai. "One of my inventions, a sunscreen so powerful it even protects vampires from the sun's deadly lasers."
With those words—and the bewildered silence of the two—he turned and walked out of the café without looking back, leaving the two Taimanin alone at the table.
Outside, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. It rang a few times before connecting.
"Hello, Kaede. I'm just calling to let you know, I've met your eldest daughter." A pause. "Hm. Hm. Oh, I don't have a picture of her yet, but I can tell she looks a lot like you. And her name… Kurenai. Hm… Fine, I’ll have a picture of her by the end of the day." Another pause, longer this time. "Yes, I lov— I mean, goodbye."
He hung up and pocketed the phone, letting out a quiet sigh. "That woman likes me too much."
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Kurenai and Ayame finished their coffee and left the café. Now they stood under the shade, preparing to test the sunscreen. Though the questions lingered, how did he know she was part vampire?
Despite the unanswered questions, Kurenai was far more excited about the lotion. "I'll start with an arm." She squeezed a drop onto her right arm and rubbed it in, the cool cream spreading across her skin. Once done, she hovered her arm into the sunlight. And felt nothing. No burning sensation. Just the warmth of the sun and the lingering chill of the lotion.
"I-it works!" Kurenai's voice jumped with excitement. Without hesitation, she tore off her hoodie and began applying the lotion everywhere she could reach. Before applying the lotion. Even though the sunlight doesn’t injure her, it still irritated her enough that she normally kept most of her skin covered.
"Kurenai-sama, this is too sudden. We should take this more—" Before Ayame could finish, Kurenai had already stepped outside.
"Wow…" Kurenai stood in the sunlight, her face tilted toward the sky, eyes wide with wonder. "So this is what it feels like to stand in the sunlight as a human?"
Ayame's concern melted into quiet happiness. Seeing her master bask in the sun—truly enjoy it, without pain—filled her with a warmth that had nothing to do with the weather. She knew how much Kurenai had hated her vampire side. How the weakness to sunlight had made her school life a misery. The other students had noticed quickly and they had shunned her for being part vampire.
Most of them had already known what she was and even tolerated it. But the day Kurenai killed members of the Fuuma clan—just to save Ayame—had sealed her reputation as an unstable hybrid.
But now, watching Kurenai laugh in the sunlight, Ayame couldn't help but smile. Still, despite the joy of the moment, they had a job to finish.
"Kurenai-sama, we have a mission to do. Once finished, we can have fun."
Kurenai stiffened like a board, her cheeks flushing bright red. "Y-you're right. I guess I got a little overexcited." She let out a meek laugh, rubbing the back of her neck.
Ayame pulled out the pendrive and plugged it into her phone's USB port. The map loaded, marking the lab's location somewhere on the outskirts of the city. With a shared nod, they headed toward their destination.
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Most of the day had been spent scouting and watching the area. They swept a hundred-meter radius around the building, searching for any anomalies. So far, nothing. So they simply stayed on the rooftop across from the abandoned building, watching for anything suspicious to rear its head.
Ayame decided to put away her sniper rifle and switch to a handgun and knives. The file on the pendrive had left a note detailing the enemy they were facing, only a handful of scientists worked on this project, and most of the security would be automated defense turrets and some monsters.
Now, as day turned to night, the Taimanin began their assault, a stealthy infiltration. The location of the hidden lab was somewhere inside the abandoned, unfinished apartment building. They crept through the ruined structure, footsteps silent against the concrete. They encountered no enemies, but Ayame did spot multiple hidden security cameras.
Considering the requirements of running a lab that created bioweapons, it would need a huge amount of space. If it were on the surface or above ground, it would be noticeable to civilians. So the only answer was below.
They searched and searched until they found a metal door with an ID card scanner beside it.
"Kurenai-sama," Ayame proposed, "we may have no choice but to brute force our way in."
"I understand, Ayame. Let's do it quickly, before they have time to organize and figure out what's going on."
And thus, both rushed in, Kurenai at the front, Ayame covering the rear. Kurenai channeled her wind art through her swords and sliced through the metal door like paper, the edges glowing red from the friction.
Kurenai entered with such speed, her wind art propelling her forward, that she left Ayame behind to watch the flanks. Ayame didn't possess strong wind art like Kurenai, so she couldn't hope to keep pace.
The turrets activated, but before they could even aim, Kurenai had already cut them to pieces. They carved their way through the facility and, surprisingly, faced no real challenge.
It made Ayame pause. ‘Why couldn't Zhiyong just hire mercenaries?’ He was a high-ranking member of NOMAD. He could afford the best. So why go through the trouble of meeting them personally, handing over a pendrive, and sending two Taimanin into a hidden lab?
Now that she thought about it… this felt like a setup.
Meanwhile, Kurenai slaughtered through the security with ease. She finally arrived at what appeared to be a lab. Rows of glass tubes lining the walls, each one filled with a demonic creature suspended in liquid. Their faces were disfigured, the only recognizable feature a gaping mouth. Their bodies were otherwise humanoid, but wrong. Elongated arms, swelling bellies while the rest is skinny, and grey skin.
Behind a bank of computers, multiple scientists panicked. All except one.
He pressed something on his keyboard. The liquid in one of the tubes drained away, and the glass slid open. "Taimanin," he said, his voice calm, almost curious. "I've heard about you. But this isn't how I wanted to meet."
The monsters slowly stirred awake. Kurenai moved instantly, cutting them down before they could fully rise. She sliced and diced through them with no problem. But then the flesh knitted itself back together. The monsters regenerated, rising again, and began their counterattack.
One launched a clawed strike at Kurenai, which she blocked. Another readied its own attack, but was stopped when Ayame opened fire, bullets tearing into its skull.
"I wanted to meet during the field test, where I could properly test the product. But since you arrived here, I've moved up the schedule." The scientist tilted his head, watching them with clinical curiosity. "Though how did you find this lab?"
None of them entertained him. They kept trying to kill the monsters.
Their numbers grew to ten. The Taimanin dealt lethal blow after lethal blow, but the creatures kept regenerating, even after their heads were severed. Kurenai and Ayame were slowly being overwhelmed.
There had to be a weakness.
Kurenai activated the God's Eye for only three seconds, searching for any distortion in the creatures' forms. Then she saw it, a strong concentration of energy, a small core the size of a ball, buried somewhere in each creature's chest. But it kept shifting, moving around the central mass, never staying in one place.
The hybrid took this chance and began sharpening her swords with a wind art. Then she slashed a monster with a wide cut, carving away a huge chunk of the creature's center mass.
The enemy dropped and didn't move. Its flesh didn't regenerate. It stayed still. It was dead.
Seeing this, Kurenai quickly shouted to Ayame. "Ayame! There's a core hidden inside the center mass, but it keeps moving around!"
"Understood, Kurenai-sama!"
Ayame didn't possess the God's Eye, nor did she have powerful wind arts like Kurenai. So she had to shift tactics. Combining The Eye with Wind Reading, she tried to read the creature's body language. She fired a bullet at its chest and watched carefully. There, she noticed the muscles and flesh shifting directly beneath the creature's stomach.
Ayame fired three precise shots, then quickly reloaded as the creature fell. She moved on to another, but kept an eye on the first creature's movements. It didn't move. Confirmed dead.
After figuring out the creature's weakness, they quickly slaughtered the rest, causing the scientist to panic. "Damn it! How could they figure out its weakness so quickly? I need to leave. To complete my work, I need to live and survive."
The scientist pulled something from his coat, a grenade they thought. He pulled the pin and threw it. The Taimanin quickly put distance between themselves and the device. When it exploded, everything in the room was stunned, except for him. He took the opportunity to escape.
As he neared the exit, the door swung open, and a hand clamped around his throat. The effects of the flashbang slowly faded. Now they could finally see.
It was Zhiyong.
"A bit sloppy," he said, his voice cold. "You should've prioritized tying up the scientists. While a rat is harmless, it can still fight back." He let go—then stomped down on the scientist's leg with brutal force. A sharp crack echoed through the room.
"Aaahh!" The scientist screamed, tears streaming down his face as his hands instinctively clutched the broken limb.
"Oi, focus." Zhiyong called out to the Taimanin. "Just because you're stunned doesn't mean you can take a break. Move!"
Hearing the order, the Taimanin snapped back into action. Through quick thinking, they managed to avoid the creatures' attacks—and even caused friendly fire, the beasts slashing and ravaging each other in the chaos.
"I was expecting this to be quick." Zhiyong's voice cut through the noise, cold and dismissive. "Is this all you can do? Is this as far as your ambitions go? The desire to find your mother, is it this weak?"
Something stung inside Kurenai. She had never met her mother, only seen pictures when her grandfather showed them. She had no attachment to the woman. But her grandfather, who had raised her, who had shown her care and love… Kurenai wanted to give back for that love.
She summoned her wind art and activated the God's Eye, pushing past the three-second limit. In the blink of an eye, a massive gust of wind erupted outward, forcing Ayame back—but Zhiyong caught her before she could fall.
Ayame immediately shoved him away, recoiling from his touch. Even with his help, she would rather risk injury than accept a man's hand. The disgust was instinctive.
Everything was slashed and cut. The monsters were reduced to mincemeat. Most of the room was destroyed.
When it was over, Kurenai collapsed to her knees, her breath ragged.
Ayame's worry surged. She instinctively pushed Zhiyong away. "Don't touch me!" Then she rushed to Kurenai's side. "Kurenai-sama, are you alright?"
"I-I'm f-fine…" Kurenai reassured her, though her voice was barely above a whisper.
But Zhiyong didn't hold back. "If you could do this, then why haven't you done it before?"
"Shut up!" Ayame spat back, her voice cracking with fury. "Kurenai-sama is hurt, and you continue to berate her! You NOMAD scum! I'm going to—"
Just as Ayame pulled her handgun on Zhiyong, Kurenai quickly reached out and stopped her.
"Ayame, please." Kurenai forced herself to her feet.
"Kurenai-sama, you don't have to—"
Despite Ayame's protest. Kurenai slowly walked toward Zhiyong and bowed her head. "Thank you, Miyatake-san. For helping me."
"Don't call me Miyatake, please." A saddened tone escaped him.
"O-oh… Then what should I call you?"
"Definitely not dad or daddy!" Zhiyong snapped, then quickly reined himself in. "I'm sorry. Your sisters keep calling me that. It's giving me a headache."
"Sisters? I have sisters?!" Kurenai's eyes widened in shock.
"Yes. After someone took you away from the NOMAD facility, Edward made another kid." He paused, then added dryly, "And called me Zhiyong, by the way." He shifted his focus to a computer.
Quickly, both of them moved to follow him.
"Made another…" Kurenai felt a wave of disgust wash over her. "Is my mom fine?"
"I don't reward my apprentices when they don't give satisfying results. But I will relent this time. I’ll answer when we’re alone." Zhiyong pointed toward the scientists. "Have you called someone to apprehend them?"
"Not yet. Let me call HQ." Ayame began dialing on her phone, leaving Kurenai to make small talk.
"Um, why are you here, Zhiyong-san?" Kurenai asked.
Zhiyong replied without looking up, still typing away at the computer. "Just curious how far they've gone with my research."
"I thought you were here for me."
"That is also a reason." After a few seconds, his eyes narrowed at the screen. "Ah, there it is, the data. And…" He leaned back, unimpressed. "I'm not impressed. Do whatever you want with it, Shinganji-san. Destroy it, or take it back to HQ. It's your choice."
He turned and walked away from the computer, but was quickly stopped by the scientist, despite his broken leg.
"Not impressed? NOT IMPRESSED?!" The scientist's voice cracked with disbelief. "This is my life's work, and you're not impressed?!"
"Your life's work?" Zhiyong's voice was neutral, almost relaxed. "This is part of my life's work. The one you stole. And these creatures you made, even amateur mages could take them out. Their combat capabilities are mediocre, their durability is shit, and they're not even intelligent. They're only useful for target practice."
"I-I… Then why did you research this?!"
"You idiot." Zhiyong's tone didn't change, but the words landed like hammer blows. "That was part of my research. I only made it to test how far regeneration goes on live creatures, that's it. It was never supposed to be the final product. You had my stolen data, and this is what you produce?"
He gestured at the creature's remains with a look of disgust. "You should have scaled down the claws, reduced them to normal length, and given more muscles to the legs so they could move faster. And that pot belly, what is that? Did you model it on an otaku? Reduce it, and maybe the remaining biomass could go to the brain to increase processing speed. That way, they could at least compete. If you only give it regeneration, how the hell are they supposed to be useful in a fight?"
The scientist couldn't complain anymore. He slowly realized how much of his life he had wasted.
"Guess I shouldn't be surprised. I gave it to an amateur, after all."
"Gave it?" Ayame's eyes narrowed. "Did you say you gave it away, not that it was stolen?"
"Oops! Looks like I'm caught." Zhiyong raised his hands in a joking manner. "I'll tell you the truth once we're somewhere more... isolated."
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Once the agents arrived, they began setting up the crime scene with tape and took the scientists into custody. Zhiyong had already left the building, waiting for the Taimanin to finish their affairs with the agents.
They met him at a random building far from the hidden lab. There he stood, gazing up at the night sky, his silhouette sharp against the dim glow of the city lights.
"Um, Zhiyong-san?" Kurenai called out.
"Shinganji?" Zhiyong turned to them. "Everything settled?"
"You can call me Kurenai Zhiyong-san and yes it is settled. So… about my mom?"
"Right. Here, your mother is alive, hidden away to avoid being found by NOMAD." Zhiyong handed Kurenai an envelope. "There's a picture and a letter inside. Make sure you give it to your grandfather."
Kurenai opened the envelope and saw a photograph. Her mother, and beside her, a pink-haired little girl. "Zhiyong-san, who is this pink-haired girl?"
"That would be Fumika, your youngest sister. And there's another, Felicia."
"Oh. Why isn't Felicia in this picture?"
Zhiyong let out a slow sigh. "Felicia couldn't escape. Now she's under Edward's watchful eye. He and I are conducting training and experiments on her. What he's trying to achieve, I don't know." His voice grew quieter. "She doesn't even know about her mother."
"How about her location? Where is she?"
"For the sake of her safety, and Fumika's, I won't tell you where." His tone was firm, but not unkind. "I had to fake their deaths to make sure they weren't hunted down. I hope you understand why you can't meet her. And when you mention this to your grandfather, make sure you're both alone. I don't want all my work to go down the drain."
Kurenai wouldn't question further. She bowed her head. "Thank you, Zhiyong. For helping us, for the sunscreen, everything. Even though you're a NOMAD member… you're a good person."
"Just because I did a few nice things doesn't mean I'm nice. If that's all, I'm leaving."
"Wait." It was Ayame. "All of this, did you orchestrate it?"
"Haaah…" He let out a tired sigh. "You already know the answer. Why bother asking?"
That bored, dismissive look made a vein pop on Ayame's forehead. "Did you do this for Kurenai? Why did you want to meet her?"
Zhiyong contemplated for a moment. "I wasn't planning to, at first. Figured other priorities took precedence. But your mother pushed for it. She still has the maternal instinct to care and protect you."
"So you took her request," Kurenai said.
"Not at first. Not until she stopped making food and doing my laundry. Kaede started a protest, and I gave in to her demands."
Ayame didn't know what to think about this man anymore. At first, she'd figured he was a dangerous man possessing a brilliant mind. But he was weird, eccentric, and apparently, he could be defeated by a simple protest.
"Then I started planning how to handle you." Zhiyong's tone shifted, growing more serious. "And the more I thought about it, the more I realized how important a person you are, Kurenai."
"Eh?" Kurenai blinked, confused.
"Kurenai, you're the daughter of Edward Black. You don't just have the blood of a vampire. You have the blood of an ancestor vampire. The firstborn, and the most pure. You possess a tremendous amount of power compared to ordinary vampires." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "And one day, you're going to face your father."
"M-Me?"
"Yes. Whether you want to or not." His gaze was steady, unrelenting. "You have to. And worst comes to worst… you may have to face your sister, Felicia."
"I-I don't know, I—"
While Kurenai faltered, Ayame stepped in. "What are you saying? That she's in danger? That Edward will come after her in the future?"
"Correct. I don't know why he doesn't just take you away. Maybe he wanted you raised by the Taimanin, while your sister Felicia is raised by him. Like an experiment. But that's just a hypothesis. I don't know how the mind of an ancient demon works."
Kurenai didn't know what to think anymore. The pressure was too much. Her chest tightened, and for a moment, the world seemed to spin.
Zhiyong noticed her confusion. "I understand the pressure. But don't think about it too hard. Just focus on getting stronger." He paused, then added, "And as a way to motivate you, I'll give Kaede to you if you fulfill one condition."
That snapped Kurenai back into focus. "You will? What do I have to do?"
"Once you graduate from the academy, you have to beat me in combat."
"That's simple?" Ayame couldn't help but ask.
"If you can't beat me, how do you plan to fight back against Edward to protect your family and friends?"
"I-I will do it!" Kurenai said it with conviction, for the sake of her grandfather Gen-an's happiness, and for the Shinganji clan.
"Good." Zhiyong nodded. Then his expression shifted. "Oh, I forgot to take pictures of you." He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. The flash went off.
"Eeep!" Kurenai flinched, caught off guard by the sudden light.
Zhiyong looked at the picture, and nearly lost it. "Pfft… Ahem! Khm!" He coughed, barely holding back laughter.
"Huh!" Kurenai's face flushed bright red. "Don't tell me you plan to send that picture to my mom!" She lunged for the phone, but Zhiyong gracefully sidestepped, holding it just out of reach.
"Don't you want to make your mother smile?" Zhiyong smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "Now, how about you get close to Ayame? I want to show Kaede a picture of you and your friend."
They did as he told and huddled together. He snapped the picture. "That's good enough. Make sure you tell your grandfather to prepare an envelope with pictures and a letter. And that letter better be long, because I'm only doing this once."
Ayame still pushed to question him. "One more thing. How did you manage to put Kurenai on this mission? The chances of her being assigned were low, considering she's still a student."
"Hm." Zhiyong shrugged. "Simple. I have agents who infiltrated your organization to do it." Agents like Furst, and Zhiyong had to send him sexy pictures of himself to convince him. Though it was worth it, seeing how much easier it made his job. The benefits of joining an evil organization. "I'm starting to understand the joy. And how easy it is to become a villain."
"There's a traitor inside Gosha Village!" Ayame's eyes went wide.
"Yes. And I'd prefer you keep it hush-hush." Zhiyong's tone was casual. "Though even if you tell anyone, I doubt you could find them." He turned to leave. "If that's all, I have to go."
"I'm satisfied." Ayame let out a tired sigh. "What about you, Kurenai-sama?"
"I don't have any questions." Kurenai bowed her head. "Thank you again, Zhiyong."
"Good grief. How did you become this nice of a girl, compared to Felicia?" Zhiyong sighed, then pulled a small slip of paper from his pocket. "Here, my phone number. Just call me if you have any questions."
He began walking toward the edge of the building, his silhouette sharp against the night sky. "Kurenai. I don’t know why you hold back your vampire side but…" He paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "Felicia has surpassed you in strength. If you want a chance to beat her, you need to embrace your vampire side."
With that final line, he left.
Kurenai stood there, his words echoing in her mind. Embrace your vampire side. She refused. Even a fraction of that power was too much, too… disgusting.
But then something else surfaced. Something far more pressing. "Zhiyong still has that picture of me." Kurenai's cheeks flushed as she remembered. She had completely forgotten to ask him to delete it.
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They arrived at the Shinganji estate. Ayame went to her room to spend the remaining night writing her report. Kurenai went straight to Gen-an to deliver the envelope.
Tears streamed down the old clan head's face as he finally learned that his daughter was alive. Hidden somewhere, but alive.
"Kurenai… do you know where she is?" Gen-an asked, his voice trembling.
"I'm sorry, Grandfather. For the sake of her safety, and Fumika's, Zhiyong didn't mention where."
"Why? Is he afraid that Kaede would be taken away again? That was before Gosha Village was formed. Now, with the village, she would be better protected."
"Maybe he's afraid there would be a self-investigation within NOMAD. Zhiyong mentioned he had to fake their deaths to make sure they aren't hunted down after their escape."
Gen-an looked at the picture again. His daughter, smiling, with her child beside her. "If a man can make my daughter smile like that… then I'll trust his judgment." He paused, his brow furrowing. "Though I'm curious what their relationship is."
Kurenai took a moment to think. "Zhiyong mentioned she cooks and does laundry for him. And he mentioned Fumika calls him dad."
"Hm…" Gen-an took a moment to absorb the information.
Then his eyes bulged out. "HM! My daughter is married?!" He clutched his chest, looking like he was having a heart attack.
"Grandfather, calm down!" Kurenai panicked, quickly trying to steady him. "I didn't see any ring on him. And he didn't mention marriage."
Gen-an managed to calm down, his breathing slowly evening out. "Forgive me, Kurenai. I'm just… surprised, that's all. I need some rest. This much news is too much for an old man."
"Let me walk you to your room, Grandfather." Kurenai lent him her hand and walked beside him. "I'll call Zhiyong to confirm it."
"No, don't bother." Gen-an waved a dismissive hand. "He made my daughter safe and happy. And she is willing to do those chores for him." He paused, a small, tired smile crossing his face. "If they are in a relationship… I accept."
Kurenai didn't fully understand why Gen-an was so quick to accept Zhiyong, a man he had never met. But it confirmed something she had begun to believe, that Zhiyong was truly a good person. She didn't understand why he would work with NOMAD. But maybe, one day, he would tell her.
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A week had passed, and Kurenai had settled back into her usual daily routine.
At school, Kurenai was still ignored and feared. But thanks to the sunscreen, she no longer had to wear a hoodie to class. No more sticking out like a sore thumb. No more sitting out of PE when the class went to the field. She could finally blend in and act like a normal human girl.
And just like any normal teenage girl, she had homework. And she was stuck.
Usually, Ayame would help her, but she was currently on a mission. Kurenai could ask Gen-an, but she didn't want to burden him. She could ask any of the clan members, but she didn't want to burden them either.
So she sat alone at her desk, completely stumped, staring at the same problem for minutes. The boredom slowly crept in as she lost interest in her homework.
Kurenai wished she could talk to someone. Anyone. Then she picked up her phone, scrolling aimlessly, and realized who she could talk to. Zhiyong. Most of the scientists she encountered at Gosha HQ just stared at computers all day. So maybe he could spare some time for her.
The hybrid dialed his number and made it a video call. It had been a while since she saw his face.
The call was picked up, revealing Zhiyong with glasses perched on his nose. [Hello?]
"Hello, Zhiyong-san. How's work?"
[It's okay. Though why did you call me?]
“I, uh… just want to talk?"
[You're alone in the house?]
“Well, not alone exactly. They're busy, so I thought I would talk to you."
[And you think I'm not busy?]
"I-I'm s-sorry…"
[No, it's okay.] His tone softened. [What were you doing before you called me?]
"Um, doing my homework."
[Want me to help?]
"Y-you don't have to. I don't want to burden you."
[Kurenai.] His tone was flat, almost offended. [I'm a scientist with multiple PhDs. If I can't handle your high school homework, it would be insulting to me.]
"B-but—"
[It's okay.] He adjusted his glasses, already turning back to his computer. [I'm great at multitasking.]
Kurenai relented and let Zhiyong help her. She showed him pages of homework, and he delivered how to answer each problem. It was surprisingly easy to follow. She wondered if Zhiyong had been a teacher in the past.
An hour passed before Zhiyong spoke again. [You sure work hard. I guess you have to be, since you're next in line for succession, especially with your mother can’t be physically there.]
"I… I'm not." Kurenai's voice dropped, tinged with sadness. "I'm not the heir. I was disinherited."
Zhiyong's eyebrows rose. Just a fraction, but unmistakable. [How?] he asked, his voice careful. [Is it because of your vampire side?]
"Almost." Kurenai's gaze dropped. "I lost control and killed some members of the Fuuma clan."
[What did they do?]
"Eh? Uh, Zhiyong-san, I said I lost—"
[I don't believe it.] His voice was unexpectedly sharp. [A girl like you wouldn't suddenly lose control. What did they do?]
Kurenai went silent. The memories flooded back, the horrible things they had done to Ayame. The screams. The blood. The way her vision had turned red, her body moving on its own, her mind drowning in rage.
"They did horrible things to Ayame." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I… I can't describe it."
Zhiyong was quiet for a long moment. [I understand. I think I get the idea of it.]
"If only I did differently." Kurenai's hands clenched in her lap. "If only I could control myself. Maybe—just maybe—I wouldn't be such a burden to my grandfather and the clan."
Zhiyong studied her through the screen, his expression unreadable.
[Kurenai.] His voice was steady, measured. [There is a saying. 'Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster.']
She went still, his words cutting through the fog of her guilt.
[And how does one avoid it? By creating a strong pillar, something to chain yourself to. A principle.] He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. [Kurenai… just because you wanted to be human and suppressed your demonic side doesn't mean you can avoid becoming one. A human can just as easily become a monster—or worse—than any demon.]
Kurenai remained silent, her eyes fixed on the screen.
[Even a Taimanin can fall into the evil of the world. There is darkness in all of us, and we must control it.] His voice was quiet, but his words carried weight. [So I ask you, Kurenai. Why do you want to become a Taimanin? When you graduate and become one, you will see the most horrible things man can do. Things that will corrupt your soul.]
He let the question hang in the air.
“Because… It's for the clan. For my grandfather.” Kurenai took a moment, gathering her thoughts. "It was lonely growing up. No one wanted to be my friend. The only one who would play with me was Grandfather. He taught me everything, swords, Ninja Arts, and how to be a good person. I felt that if I became a Taimanin, a strong heir, I could repay him back."
She paused, her voice softening. "But I threw away the latter to save Ayame…"
[Did you regret it?]
Kurenai thought for a moment. Then, slowly, a smile spread across her face. Small, but genuine. Free.
"If I had a choice—if I didn't succumb to my demon side—I would still fight and kill to save Ayame. Because that's what a Taimanin would do."
[There you go. There's your answer. Your principle.] Zhiyong nodded, a rare hint of approval in his voice. [I assure you, Kurenai, if you continue to hold those principles in your heart, you will never become a monster. Even if you embrace your vampiric side.]
"Zhiyong…" Kurenai hesitated. "B-but is it the right way to do it? Is there any other way to avoid killing them?"
[I don't know. Maybe you could talk to them. But there's a chance they'd attack. Maybe you could beat them without killing, but what's stopping them from going after Ayame again?] He paused. [These what-ifs and maybes are pointless.]
Kurenai listened, silent.
[But if you really want an answer, I believe you did right. Ayame is loyal to you. And your grandfather didn't kick you out.]
"Yeah, you're right. Thank you, Zhiyong. I feel better."
[That's what dad does—] Zhiyong froze, his face contorting in immediate regret. [Fu— Forget what I said. God damnit!] He pinched the bridge of his nose. Those vampire kids kept calling him dad and daddy, and now he had developed some kind of fatherly instinct for Kaede's children.
[Zhiyong!] A woman's voice cut through the phone, sharp and commanding. [Are you slacking off?]
[No, I just did something cringe, Ingrid. And I want to be alone right now.]
As the two began arguing, Kurenai took the opportunity to think.
She was a bit confused when Zhiyong called himself dad, but if this was what having a father felt like… she didn't mind it. She wondered, quietly, if maybe one day they could all be a family.