There's nothing better than spending a Saturday night in downtown Ashiya to bring Hakuto, his stepsisters, and Chantal closer together—or at least, that's what the optimistic Shin and Kagura believe.
To Yuzu, it sounds like a golden opportunity.
«I'm sure our beloved Rika will loosen up after just one sip of Chūhai! She'll act like the most uninhibited girl in the world! We can't miss this chance!»
«First you used magic to knock her out, and now you wanna get her drunk? Seriously, you're the worst sister ever!»
«Maybe... but I'm definitely the best stepsister!»
For Hakuto, an evening alone with Rika, Yuzu, and Chantal can only mean one thing: inevitable disaster.
Yuzu's twisted mind, the absolutely terrible relationship between Chantal and the Kurotsuki sisters... the chances of this quiet evening staying quiet are close to zero.
And Hakuto is all too aware of that.
That's why, tonight, he decided to add to the group the one friend—if you can even call him that—he's managed to make since moving to Ashiya: Itsu Chihane.
Rika and Yuzu hate him—after all, he once tried to kidnap them and hand them over to Marquis Velshekar.
So they'd be too busy lashing out at him instead of picking fights with Chantal.
In other words, he invited him to act as a lightning rod.
But he still hasn't told them that Itsu will be joining; he decided to wait until the very last moment.
The four of them are now standing outside the massive gate of the villa.
Hakuto is wearing short brown velvet pants and a short-sleeved shirt—the most elegant outfit his poor wardrobe can offer.
Rika, as usual, went with something simple: leggings, a knee-length skirt, and a tight-fitting T-shirt.
Yuzu and Chantal... look like they competed to see who could dress the most provocatively.
Yuzu is wearing a miniskirt so short it barely covers her panties, and a top so tiny it looks more like a band—dangerously low-cut.
Chantal's wearing a blouse so see-through her white bra is perfectly visible, along with a pair of dizzyingly high stiletto heels.
«So, what are we waiting for? Let's go!» Yuzu asks impatiently.
At that point, Hakuto is forced to spill the beans.
«Well, actually... we're waiting for a friend of mine...»
«A friend of yours? Since when do you have friends?!» Rika interrupts—not exactly delicately.
Hakuto sighs.
«Not exactly a friend... I invited Itsu...»
Rika and Yuzu widen their eyes in disbelief.
«YOU'RE KIDDING, RIGHT?!» the sisters exclaim in unison.
Chantal, on the other hand, keeps her usual composure.
«You mean Itsu Chihane, the guy in our class?»
Hakuto just nods.
«Speaking of Itsu, there's something I should tell you...» he begins, hesitating as he tries to find the right words.
But a voice suddenly cuts him off.
«Yo, Hakotto!»
Itsu appears from the forest path leading to the villa, waving his arm with a big smile.
His outfit resembles Hakuto's, but with a noticeably more refined touch.
But at that moment...
...Chantal's body bursts into white flames.
She slips off her heels.
Then dashes toward Itsu with the speed and force of a jet.
The air cracks.
The trees around her bend from the sudden displacement.
Each step tears the ground beneath her.
She closes the distance in a blink.
«What the...?!» Itsu crosses his arms in front of his face, blocking Chantal's flying kick.
Itsu feels the bones in his forearm crack under the violent impact.
A side kick hits Itsu in the left shoulder, hurling him against a tree—the large trunk splits.
«What the hell are you doing?! Stop it!» Hakuto yells.
But Chantal continues her assault undeterred.
«This bastard is a vampire!» she shouts.
The flaming white sword forms in her hand.
She charges at Itsu again.
She gives him no respite, not even time to get up.
The flaming slash falls on him.
Itsu manages just in time to release a field of energy around himself, like a crimson bubble, neutralizing what would have been a fatal strike.
«I know he's a vampire too!» Hakuto shouts.
He wants to help Itsu, but his legs tremble.
They're frozen, planted to the ground.
The fear of having to fight Chantal again terrifies him—the memories of all the pain that girl inflicted on him when they were children still vivid in his mind.
Another blazing slash strikes Itsu.
Blood gushes from a wound that opened on his palm by itself.
The blood solidifies into a rapier, with which he barely blocks Chantal's blade in time.
Itsu is on his back on the ground, Chantal standing in front of him.
The shockwaves from their blows keep lifting her miniskirt—underneath, white lace panties.
Despite this, Chantal shows no sign of discomfort or embarrassment.
The flaming energy around her intensifies, as does the crimson one around Itsu.
Using his position, Itsu manages to unbalance her with a sudden kick to the ankle.
He gains that instant to strike her full on with a red energy beam that erupts from the palm of his wounded hand.
It's from their own blood that vampires generate their magic.
The attack throws Chantal backward, but it's too weak to even scratch her.
The halo of white flames around her worked like a real barrier, softening the blow.
Itsu quickly gets back on his feet, in a guard stance.
Chantal targets him, rushes forward.
–CLANG!
Hakuto's diamond sword intercepts Chantal's.
Armor covers his entire torso and arms.
An effort and energy drain far beyond Hakuto's limits, but it's the only way to stop her assault.
Rika squints, her cheeks flush.
Her body overheats.
Her leggings immediately get soaked on the inner thigh.
She covers herself with her hand, hoping the summer heat of the night will help with the sudden flood of fluids caused by seeing Hakuto—proud and manly.
~That feeling again...? I hate you, Hakuto...!~
«Get out of the way, idiot! That guy is a vampire!» Chantal snaps.
«I told you I know. He's on our side, at least I think... anyway, he's not our enemy!»
«He's a vampire. That's more than enough to make him our enemy!»
«You're wrong! Trust me!»
Hakuto pushes forward with all his strength.
With a horizontal slash, he forces Chantal into a backward leap.
Hakuto is exhausted—he barely supports himself using his sword.
He won't be able to block Chantal again.
But unexpectedly, she dissipates the weapon and the white flames swirling around her.
«You're weak, but you're not stupid. If you say he's not our enemy, I want to trust you.»
Chantal's deadly and threatening gaze falls on Itsu.
«Just try to move a single finger suspiciously and I swear not even the God of Light himself will stop me next time!»
Itsu gulps and lets out a sigh of relief.
«I was really lucky she wasn't there that night...» he mutters with a nervous smile.
The kind of smile someone makes when they realize they've just brushed against death.
Hakuto's diamond armor retracts until it vanishes.
So does his sword.
«If you morons are done hitting each other, can we go drink now? I wanna get drunk!» Yuzu exclaims, bouncing with impatience.
Hakuto sighs and rolls his eyes.
~I have a feeling the real trouble starts now...~