LightReader

Chapter 7 - "The Blood Oath of Friendship"

-----

-----

"Do you… want to drink my blood?"

Max's words landed softly, but Moka Akashiya's eyes widened in shock.

Her face betrayed what she was feeling inside.

Even though his offer startled her, a part of her couldn't help but stir at the thought.Her thirst grew stronger.

She was still fighting hard to rein in her instincts.It made her feel almost sick.

"Why?"

Moka looked at Max, confusion written all over her face.

Letting a vampire drink your blood—From everything she knew about humans, this was impossible to understand.

"The reason's simple. I want to be your friend."

Max smiled sincerely as he explained,

"We haven't known each other long, but I already feel like I can trust you."

"And right now, you look like you're in pain."

"If drinking a little blood makes you feel better, then I honestly don't mind."

He paused for a beat, then added with a teasing grin, "As long as you don't drain me dry."

"Friend…"

Moka stared at him blankly, her emerald eyes trembling just a little.

I want to be your friend.

The words echoed over and over in her head.

For three years, she had hidden her true identity while attending a human middle school.

And in all that time, she hadn't made a single real human friend.

She'd always been alone.

She hated it. She'd even started to resent humans deep down.

She'd already planned to return to a school run by monsters.

There were only two reasons she hadn't pushed Max away.

First, he didn't seem to hate monsters.

Second, her own craving for his blood was pulling her closer.

The only reason she'd agreed to go for this walk with him was because she'd wanted to spend a little more time near him.

But she'd never expected Max to actually want to be friends.

That thought sent a strange, indescribable warmth through her chest.

Warm enough to temporarily push down her hunger for his blood.

Right now, her feelings were a tangled mess.Like a ball of yarn, all knotted together.

She didn't even know how to react.

She just stared at him, her eyes seeming to glow.

The corners of her mouth tilted up without her noticing, a smile blooming on her face like a flower.

Max caught the subtle change in her expression, and his smile grew even brighter.

Their eyes met.

A strange, fragile atmosphere spread quietly between them.

"Go on. I don't mind."

Max tilted his head slightly to the right and patted his exposed neck twice with his left hand.

"Max…"

Hearing his words snapped Moka out of her daze. Her bright green eyes began to tint with wine-red.

Her whole aura shifted.

It was like she'd become someone else entirely.

She didn't waste words.In one swift movement, she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Max lowered his head slightly.

Moka's lips parted, revealing two sharp fangs slowly extending. Without a hint of hesitation, she sank them into his neck.

Shhhhp—

Max's eyes closed halfway.

All he felt was a faint itch on his neck—no pain at all.

He could clearly sense his blood, rich with spiritual energy, being drawn out fast.

At the same time, he noticed something else—Moka's pink hair streaking silver as if she'd had highlights done.

"What the…"

He narrowed his eyes a little.

Was Moka in some kind of strange state where her outer and inner selves coexisted at once?

It didn't quite add up.

About ten seconds later, Moka blinked.

Her red-tinted green eyes returned to normal. The silver in her hair flickered and vanished, turning back to soft pink.

"Ah!"

She gasped, quickly pulling away, her face flushed. She stepped back twice, flustered.

Her gaze darted around, sneaking back to Max again and again.

Every time their eyes met, her heart thudded wildly, like a little deer was running circles inside her chest.

Max chuckled softly, touching the spot where her fangs had pierced him.

Not even a mark.

She'd probably taken about half a liter of his blood, yet he didn't feel the slightest bit faint.

Even another half liter wouldn't bother him.

The only real difference was that his spiritual energy had dropped by about one percent.

It would recover soon enough.

Pushing aside his thoughts, Max smiled at her and said,

"Moka, we're friends now, right? After all, you've already drunk my blood."

"You're serious?"

Moka blinked at him, surprise flickering across her face.

Her heart leapt, but it also trembled with nerves.

"Of course I'm serious."

Max nodded.

Then, with a playful grin, he added, "But if you don't want to be friends, we can just pretend I never said that."

"No—I do!"

As if afraid he'd misunderstand, Moka quickly explained,

"I was just… worried you'd mind what I am."

"I've been at a human school for three years, and nobody even believes monsters are real."

"They won't even talk about them without rolling their eyes."

"I see."

Max's expression softened with understanding.

He smiled and said, "Don't worry. I'm not like other people. I don't care that you're a monster."

"If I did, I wouldn't have offered you my blood in the first place."

"So, my very first monster friend—please take care of me."

He extended his right hand, smiling at her.

"Please take care of me…"

Joy welled up in Moka's eyes as her own smile bloomed like a flower. She reached out her soft right hand and clasped his.

She finally had a friend.

And not just any friend—a human one.

Their hands stayed joined, their eyes meeting again.

Looking at Max, Moka felt something beyond simple happiness quietly stirring inside her chest.

Meanwhile, Max felt the subtle pulse of his "All-Creatures Compendium" ability activating.

It only lit up when he formed a bond with someone—friendly or hostile.

A friendly bond could be anything: friend, lover, family.The simplest was friendship, but both sides had to mean it.

If successful, the compendium would automatically register them.

Hostile bonds worked differently—It triggered as soon as someone bore him malice.

Then there were two ways to light up that entry:either turn hostility into friendship, or eliminate the target.

So far, his connections with Satania and Moka had been easy—both were friends, and both lit up the compendium without a hitch.

He didn't rush to check the new entry.

Instead, he glanced at their still-linked hands, then at Moka, and smiled a little.

"Moka, I don't mind, but… were you planning to just keep holding my hand forever?"

He could feel the gentle pressure of her grip, like she didn't really want to let go.

"....."

More Chapters