Chapter 9

Humans and demons have a fundamental difference in physical strength.

Even with her demonic energy sealed by the cross on her chest, Moka Akashi, an S-class demon vampire, was far more physically capable than Yang Xi. Even though she started running a step behind, she quickly outpaced him.

She ran out of breath, leaning against a large tree to catch her breath, but Moka was already out of sight. This was despite her stopping to ask others about Yokino Aono's whereabouts along the way; otherwise, Yang Xi wouldn't have known she had left the school grounds.

It was quite embarrassing, a grown man being left behind by a young girl, which was a real blow to his pride.

"Where are you going, Moka?"

In the withered forest, Moka was intercepted by Kurogane Suizou.

"I'm in a hurry, don't get in my way!"

Moka, eager to find answers, was surprised by Suizou's sudden appearance but didn't take him seriously.

"Hehe, why are you alone? Are you feeling a bit lonely? I'll keep you company! I'm serious, your beauty far surpasses any human I've ever violated. I really want you, Moka Akashi! I'm so excited, I can't control myself. Hahaha, even though it's a bit against the school rules, I'm going to enjoy this!"

Kurogane Suizou, already in his true form, extended his disgusting tongue and, taking Moka by surprise, wrapped it around her ankle and pulled, causing her to lose balance and fall to the ground.

Seeing Moka's pained expression, Kurogane Suizou laughed maniacally, "Hahaha, where's that trash that always follows you? Why isn't he here? Is he hiding, too scared to leave the school? I knew someone like him could only talk big, he's no match for me, Kurogane Suizou!"

"You're lying! If Yang Xi were serious, he could take care of someone like you in no time..."

"Trash demon."

As a good student, Moka didn't like to use foul language, but Yang Xi, who had just arrived, finished her sentence for her.

"You came!"

Yang Xi's appearance made Moka's eyes light up, but she was also a bit worried, remembering his earlier statement about being human. In fact, Moka had long suspected the truth, but she didn't want to believe it.

Many people choose to avoid the reality they don't want to face.

"Of course I came, you silly girl."

Intimidated by the aura Akasha left on Yang Xi, Kurogane Suizou didn't dare to act rashly. He watched helplessly as Yang Xi walked to Moka's side and lovingly stroked her smooth hair.

"Hey, can you let go of that disgusting tongue?"

Without waiting for Suizou to react, Yang Xi grabbed a sharp rock and smashed it onto the tongue wrapped around Moka's ankle. Kurogane Suizou screamed in pain and quickly retracted his tongue.

"Run!"

After revealing his true form, Kurogane Suizou was nearly three meters tall. Yang Xi didn't think his small frame could compete with such a giant. However, he underestimated the damage his attack had inflicted on the demon, exposing his back to the enemy.

A whistling sound came from behind, and without hesitation, Yang Xi scooped up Moka, who was still on the ground, and took the full force of the blow with his body.

His mind buzzed, and Yang Xi was dazed by the immense force.

When he came to, he found himself rolling down the hill with Moka in his arms. Though he was covered in injuries and in excruciating pain, he was relieved to see that Moka was unharmed.

Blood quickly soaked through his school uniform, staining the ground red.

"Why... why did you protect me?!" The sight of Yang Xi's injuries made Moka feel guilty. She suddenly realized that whether he was human or not didn't matter; as long as he considered her a friend, his identity was irrelevant.

"Why? Haha, I don't know. By the time I realized it, my body had already acted. Maybe you're my long-lost daughter!" His consciousness was fading, and he seemed to see Akasha's figure. Yang Xi reached out, trying to touch her, wanting to ask if Moka was their daughter.

Unfortunately, Moka didn't take Yang Xi's words seriously, thinking he was delirious from blood loss.

Moka knew she was the third daughter of the current vampire clan leader, Ichitoga Akasha, a pure-blooded vampire. How could her father be a human of the same age as her?

"Hey, Moka, if I could, I'd protect you myself, but it looks like I can't. From now on, you'll have to protect me."

He reached out with his blood-stained hand and gently pulled the cross from Moka's chest.

Ding~

The sharp sound of metal was jarring. Moka, holding the cross and smiling, was shocked, "You took it off... the cross seal is off..."

A powerful and ominous demonic aura erupted from Moka's body, rising into the sky as a blood-red pillar, turning the sky a deep red.

The moment this shocking demonic aura was released, the entire Yanghai Academy faculty and students sensed it, speculating about its source. Some daring troublemakers even began to approach the source of the powerful aura.

With the seal broken, Moka's appearance changed to the distinctive features of a vampire—silver hair and red eyes. Her body also matured, transforming her from a pure girl into a seductive and alluring woman.

However, Kurogane Suizou, who witnessed Moka's transformation, couldn't think of anything else. The oppressive demonic aura was so strong that he couldn't even lift his hand.

Overwhelmed by fear, no matter how arrogant he usually was, he had no chance against a true powerhouse.

Without wasting time on trash, Moka kicked Kurogane Suizou, knocking him out, and then quickly helped Yang Xi to his feet, sinking her teeth into his neck.

Don't misunderstand; she wasn't drinking his blood but rather infusing him with her own.

Vampires, with their immortal bodies, have saliva and blood that possess powerful healing properties. Their blood is so potent that it can be called a miraculous elixir. However, accepting vampire blood can have side effects. If the vampire blood within one's body goes berserk, one might lose their sanity and become a ghoul, a creature that feeds on human flesh, attacks children, or steals corpses from graves.

If one can maintain their sanity despite the vampire blood's influence, they will fully transform into a true vampire.

However, this is extremely rare, almost an accident.

To save the fool who claimed to be her "long-lost father," Moka didn't care about the side effects. Moreover, after her vampire powers awakened, she sensed something special about Yang Xi and had some questions she wanted to ask him.

"Hmm..."

Thanks to the vampire blood, Yang Xi finally regained consciousness. He patted Moka, who was lying on him, on the shoulder, signaling that he was fine.

When she released his neck, he looked at the transformed Moka lying on the ground, unafraid and casually playing with her silver hair, "Moka, this is your true form, right?"

"Scared?"

Moka, with her silver hair, looked at Yang Xi with a haughty expression, but he just chuckled.

"What are you laughing at? Am I that funny?!"

Crossing her arms, Moka looked displeased.

"No... just that your attempt to look fierce is cute! Indeed, Moka is Moka."

"What do you mean? I'm not the Moka you know." Frowning, silver-haired Moka seemed to misunderstand Yang Xi's words, but he didn't plan to explain. Some things are better left unsaid, and if he had to, it wouldn't be now.

Seeing his mysterious smile, silver-haired Moka felt a surge of anger, "Hmph, fine, I won't ask!"

She forcefully took the cross back from Yang Xi, resealing her vampire powers. Her hair turned back to pink, and she fainted in his arms due to the sudden change.

Holding Moka, Yang Xi inhaled her intoxicating scent and murmured, "Not scary at all. Moka, in her vampire form, is very beautiful, very beautiful."

Unnoticed by anyone, the red gem in the center of the cross on Moka's chest began to flash and then went completely dark.

With the problem solved, there was no need to stay, so Yang Xi carried the unconscious Moka back to the school. However, given his blood-soaked appearance, he decided to change clothes in his dorm first.

As he left, he avoided the other troublemakers, saving himself a lot of trouble.

When Yang Xi returned to his dorm and changed clothes, Moka woke up.

"This is his dorm? And it's just the two of us..."

Being alone with a man was dangerous, especially since the opening ceremony was about to start, and most students were either in the auditorium or the teaching buildings. There was no one around, and even if they made a lot of noise, no one would notice.

Seeing the blushing and flustered Moka, Yang Xi playfully flicked her forehead, "Come on, the opening ceremony is about to start. We'll be late if we don't hurry!"

"Ouch, ouch~~"

Rubbing her forehead, Moka pouted, tears welling in her eyes, looking pitifully at Yang Xi, but he ignored her.

"Pretending to be cute and pitiful is cheating. Hurry up, I won't wait for you!"

"Ahh, wait for me!"

Seeing that he really wasn't waiting, Moka stomped her foot in anger and ran out, making sure to close the door behind her. As she left, she quietly removed the key from the lock.

"Hmph, without the key, I'll see how you get into your dorm tonight!"

As a punishment for Yang Xi's lack of chivalry, Moka decided to give him a small lesson.

PS: The cross is a protective amulet made by Moka's mother, combining a rosary and a necklace. When the cross is removed, Moka "awakens" into a different personality, becoming a calm and fierce immortal vampire with silver hair and red eyes. It's worth noting that silver-haired Moka is her true personality, while pink-haired Moka is a virtual personality created by her mother, Akasha, based on her appearance and character to protect Moka's sealed vampire powers. Despite the seal, she can still unleash a certain amount of power.