Instinct. Desire. Hunger for blood—
Pinning Hoshino beneath her, Alexis's body trembled with heat as her mind drowned in an overwhelming flood of primal emotion. She couldn't think clearly anymore.
"H-Hey? What are you doing?"
"Senpai... I'm so hungry..."
Hoshino struggled, but even though her injuries from the Shadow Game hadn't fully healed, the strength Alexis exerted on her was shockingly powerful.
"C-Calm down, Alexis. If you're hungry, I can cook you something to eat—"
"No... what I want to eat... is you, Senpai~"
Alexis's breath was hot against her skin. To her clouded mind, the girl beneath her looked like a feast—something more delicious than any gourmet dish, or perhaps like a soft, adorable little animal waiting to be devoured.
"E-Eat me!?"
Realizing the dangerous direction this was going, Hoshino's mind froze in panic.
"N-No, Alexis, that's not right! You're very cute, but we're teacher and student—you can't just do something like that—"
N
O
"Senpai... you look so delicious~"
Alexis licked her lips, eyes glowing faintly red. When she opened her mouth, Hoshino saw them—two small, sharp fangs, just like Camula's.
"—A vampire!!"
It finally clicked. Based on her understanding of vampiric traits, Hoshino realized Alexis must have been infected during Camula's bite—her body had been partially transformed into that of a vampire.
That also explained her sudden, inhuman strength.
"In that case... this is definitely not the time to just sit here and do nothing!"
Taking a deep breath, Hoshino shouted with enough force to shake the walls of the dorm:
"Help meee!!"
A response came instantly. From under the bed, a tall, voluptuous figure emerged, her scabbard intercepting Alexis's lunging fangs before they could pierce Hoshino's neck.
"So you finally called for help, Master~" Raikou sighed in relief, smiling warmly. "Mother was so worried... afraid you might give in to such indecent temptations."
"R-Raikou?! You were under my bed this whole time!?" Hoshino twitched at the corner of her mouth. She was grateful for the rescue—but also deeply concerned for entirely different reasons.
"Mmmph!!"
Alexis, gagged by the scabbard wedged in her mouth, struggled violently, her strength wild and erratic.
Raikou frowned, feeling the pressure through her weapon. "This power... impossible. A girl like this shouldn't have this kind of strength. What sort of monster has possessed her?"
"Please, Raikou—try not to hurt her," Hoshino pleaded. "She's still Alexis."
"Well~ since it's Master's request, how could Mother possibly refuse?"
With a tender smile, Raikou brushed her cheek, then—still holding Alexis down—hooked a long, thin rope from beneath Hoshino's bed with her toes.
"┌(.Д.)┐Wait a second—why the hell is there a rope under my bed!? What do you people do under there!?"
Raikou tilted her head innocently. "Why, Mother keeps it there just in case of emergencies like this, of course~"
"o(ﾟДﾟ)っ!Emergency my ass! Who could've predicted this kind of emergency!? That rope's obviously meant for tying me up!!"
"Maa, maa, that's not important right now. The real issue is—"
In a swift, practiced motion, Raikou restrained Alexis completely. Despite the vampire's enhanced strength, she couldn't overcome the physical might of a Heroic Spirit.
With a few quick knots, Alexis's hands, feet, and body were secured tightly to a chair.
"Senpai... let me go... please..."
Alexis twisted and squirmed, but Raikou's bindings were frighteningly professional. Even with vampiric power, she couldn't break free.
Raikou sighed, looking troubled. "What should we do now? Mother's fought plenty of youkai, but vampires... aren't really my area of expertise~"
Hoshino frowned. "Then it's best we consult someone who is an expert."
.
..
...
"Mm. There's no doubt—she's been vampirized," Vlad III said after examining the bite on Alexis's neck.
"In my era, there were indeed legends that those bitten by pure-blood vampires would be turned into their kin. Humans who become servants of pure-bloods often lose their will and transform into bloodthirsty beasts."
"I've heard stories like that," Hoshino nodded grimly. "So that Camula woman... she really was a pure-blood vampire who's lived for centuries."
Clenching her fist, Hoshino grit her teeth. "To dare do something like this to one of my students... I'll never forgive you, vampire Camula!"
"Calm yourself, Master," Vlad said gently. "In truth, this transformation is reversible."
Seeing Hoshino's anger, he continued, "From what I know, those turned by pure-blood vampires mutate because of the pureblood's magical energy lingering in their bodies. It acts as a receiver, constantly influenced by the pureblood's own magic—like a signal being broadcast."
Raikou nodded thoughtfully. "So if we destroy the source of that signal—defeat the pure-blood vampire—we can stop the transformation?"
Vlad smiled faintly. "Exactly. In all my years searching for redemption, this was the only method that could return a turned human back to normal. After all, a vampire's servant is not truly the same as a vampire."
"Then... do you want Mother to go hunt down the vampire hiding on this island?" Raikou asked.
"Yes... please," Hoshino said quietly.
Looking at Alexis, still bound to the chair, Hoshino's eyes softened. "To think my student had to go through something like this... Tomorrow, I'm going straight to KaibaCorp myself. I'll demand answers—about the island, the Three Sacred Beasts... and these 'Shadow Riders' who are targeting them."