Aoba's pov :

I woke up being near Ren, he's still not waking up. My eyelids feels so heavy, maybe because I cried a lot last night. I sit myself up when someone enters the room.

-

Aoba : .........

Mink : ........ come outside. We need to discuss.

-

I nodded and just follow Mink outside the room. I'm still worried about Ren but we have something important to do as well.

I sat on the sofa in the living room with Mink, Koujaku, Clear and Noiz. We all silence and wait for what Mink's going to discuss.

-

Mink : About that abnormally vampire combines. You said you ate it already right?

Aoba : Y...yeah.....

Mink : ...... how come you didn't turn into that form?

Aoba : I think it's because I consume it not combines with it. Well I can't actually explain it though.......

Koujaku : Does it like..... boost you or something?

Aoba : It makes me a little more stronger. I think it's because they're still vampires so their lost energy didn't convert into mine.

Koujaku : Ah.......

Noiz : Almost like eating air.

Mink : Today, we'll attack the tower. I have everything in hand now. *point at Koujaku and Noiz* you two go take care of the vampires in the underground jail.

Koujaku : Wha- why me and him??

Mink : That maniac will hack you in and you'll take care of the vampire and protecting him.

Noiz : Yikes....... but I mean...... do I have any choice?

Mink : *Point to Clear* You

Clear : Yes?

Mink : Protect this place, we don't know if they'll come here to kill Aoba's brother or not. It's also for you to cured up your injured eye.

Clear : Got it!

Mink : *point at Aoba* and you. You'll go with me on fighting Toue and take care of the real vampire.

Aoba : Ah

-

I nodded my head in agreement. We have quick breakfast and separated into our room to prepare ourselves.

After a while, we all finished preparing. The rest of Mink's men are as well separate in three groups. Some go with Koujaku and Noiz, some will guard this place with Clear, the others will go with me and Mink.

Our group arrived at the back of the Oval tower. There are few guards guarding at the back. Well....... let's say they are no match for us anymore, so I'll skip to where we split up.

-

Mink : Hold *Take his hand off to stop the group* someone is coming.

Aoba : ........

-

I close my eyes and focus on hearing, they're some group of people walking towards here. Oh........ I guess they are guards. My job is to detect if they are human or not......

-

Man1 : Are you sure you located unidentified signals here?

Man2 : Of course! Why would I lie?

Man3 : Oi...... there's somethings over there.

Man4 : Hey! Hands up!

-

Mink and his men walk out from the hiding spot.

-

Man4 : I said hands up!!!!

Mink : ........You know we didn't all listen to you? *snap his finger*

Man4 : Ah?

-

After the snap, I dash out from the hiding spot and hit all of them. This time I made sure that it's only enough for them to can't fight back, not killing them.

The chaos went for a while before ends up with several men laying on the floor. Our group run out from the scenes and head for the upstairs. I ran as I detected the unfamiliar and warns.

-

Aoba : Hold on! 2 gene edits.... they're from above! Heading toward us!

Mink : You take care one, we'll take care the other.

Aoba : Okay!

-

I speed up the stairs and grab one of the gene edit on a fight. I hope they can handle the other...... I fight with the one I grab non-stop and after a while, they gave up. I tried listening to how the rest handle, huh....... they seems to already taken care. Right now the stairs is clear so I continuously run up.

When I reach the top or what I'll say the furthest the stairs could take me, I take some break. Geez....... it's tiring. But I have to continue, it has to be over as soon as it can. I open the door and found a white hallways with rooms. I tried sneak up to see where I am. Apparently I was at some place they called "lab" because of how in and out people always wearing white gown with some documents in their hands.

It might be just me but this hallway feels dangerous...... like if I step closer I'll melt or die.......

-

Mink : Need any assistance?

Aoba : Ah- *cover his mouth* sheee....... make some noises. Well I do need help, this floor seems dangerous for me.

Mink : It is, they use uv light here. What we destroy earlier is just the bottom floor ones.

Aoba : Oh........ now that make sense. So uh....... what do we do?

Mink : Want to shift in?

Aoba : But....... still......... how are we going to get pass them? I don't want to hurt them.

Mink : *turn his head to his men* Oi did you bring that thing?

Man : Yes sir! *Give Mink a garnet*

Aoba : W-wait! Are you actually going to kill them?!

Mink : *pull the latch* Maybe? *Throw the garnet*

-

The garnet Mink has thrown started to have smoke comes out. Mink pull me and try shove me in the bag as a sign that he want me to shift into it. I shift into the bag and let Mink takes me. The garnet he thrown was a black smoke bomb, so it only lower the vision of us. I try sense the surrounding danger while in shifted phase.

After I detected no harm, it seems that we all pass that hallway. But Mink still doesn't let me out.

-

Mink : They are still uv light around here. Do you still have blood bag? Knocked once as yes, twice as no.

Aoba : *Knocked once*

Mink : Then listen up. If you come out facing this way *Tap the bag* on your right is the elevator. There are no uv inside as well as the top floor. I'm sure the original vampire is above. We'll take care around here so try run for the elevator as fast as you can got it?

Aoba : .........

-

I knocked the bag once as understood. I prepared myself as Mink count down.

-

Mink : 3..... 2........ 1

-

The second Mink open the bag for me, I quickly shift out into myself and run as fast as I can. It's only a few seconds before I reach the elevator. I got some burn but that can be healed after I sip some blood.

The elevator went to its top floor. As the door open, I can feel a blow of attack coming towards me. It's the gene edits again. However, they seems stronger than the one I used to fight with. I can hear fighting from below as well...... ugh....... I can't focus at all!

As I try my best to fight the gene edits, I can see how they always avoid getting near that large door. Was there something to do with them? Or is it just their manner?

-

Aoba : What's wrong? If you come closer here you can easily caught me.

G.E : .......... there's nothing to do with you.

-

The gene edits takes out the remote and press it. The high pitched noise come out from my surrounding! I falls down on my knees trying to cover my ears. The noises stop as the gene edits come closer to me. Now! I kicked the gene edits as hard as I could to the closed door.

The gene edit hits the door and started to crawl out with fear. However, it's too late. Something from inside the door pulls in the gene edits by the door gap. What was left is a trail of blood being drag inside.

-

Aoba : What the.......

-

I'm completely shocked. I can feel some pressure coming from that door, it full with hunger........ but after a while, they are no more pressure feeling. I breath in to calm myself and try open the door.

The door is completely sealed shut and there's a slight silver on it. Huh........ it's not pure silver so it does only a scratch on me. I focus all my strength to my leg and kick the door. After that, I sip some blood and went inside.

The inside, it's a large bedroom like space. There are bunch of papers lying on the floor and bunch of scratches on the wall. There's newly blood trail on the floor. When I roll my eyes following the trail, I met a figure as tall as me. They looked at me with blood covering their mouth. So........ they are the original vampire. If what Toue said is true, the real vampire has a calm gesture and keep themselves far from violent. My mouth freeze as I try to talk. What exactly should I said? What are their wisdom?

-

Vampire : ....... who...... are you?

Aoba : !?

-

I snapped back to reality by a soft voice of the vampire. A..... man? He looks so skinny and his skin is so pale almost like it's transparent. His eyes is gentle like he is just a regular human man.

-

Aoba : ..... just to be sure. Are you...... the REAL vampire? And not the one that being injected?

Vampire : ...... it's odd to hear that but yes. I am the real one. If I'm the injected one, I could destroy that door and ran away decades ago. I'm allergic even only a slight compound of silver.

Aoba : I see........

Vampire : Are you...... the one who's been looking through my eyes back there?

Aoba : !! Yes! That was me.

Vampire : ....... human like you have such a hard time to even come to me. And you're the only one who does.

-

The vampire give me eyes that fills with sadness. I don't know why but he seems....... nice? But even so, I shouldn't fully trust him. It might be a trap after all.

-

Vampire : ....... Toue he did a lot to people around here didn't he? You seems to untrust me. Was it because I am under his captive?

Aoba : ! Well mainly yes. I still can't trust you. Even if he was the one capture you, experiment on you and such. You might still work with him.

Vampire : It's sad to hear that honestly but it's a clever move when you met something unfamiliar. *sit on the floor* I have already lived here for so long, a few conversations won't hurt before leaving or destroyed this place or whatever you all planned on.

Aoba : .......

-

I sit opposite to him and wait if he want to talk about something. Our side is pretty rush, but I can't do anything if the original doesn't want to cooperate anyway.

-

Aoba : So..... uh

Vampire : Called me "Sei" at least that's how they all called me.

Aoba : Sei...... I'm Aoba. So......... is there anything on your mind?

Sei : ...... not really. I was captured here more than 40 years now. Toue always said that he wanted me to feels like home inside here, even so...... I never ask for. I thought he was a kind man who just wanted to help. Who'll knows that his plan is actually........ the opposite.

Aoba : What did you know about his plan? It's unclear when he talked with me.

Sei : He actually wanted to spread the vampires everywhere on the world and make himself the largest vampires hunter organization. It sounds stupid but he nearly made it. If he can makes this entire island citizen vampires, he will succeed his plan.

Aoba : Why would he create such a thing and become the largest anti of it?

Sei : A mindset of what human called "heroes" I suppose. He never fed me, just locked me up. I can endure my hunger since I'm nearly immortal anyway, but if I smells any blood by the door, eating is the end result. That's why most of those fighters afraid to be near this door.

-

Sei try to wiped his covered mouth, but the blood is dry and stick on it. I take a water bottle out from my bag and pour some on my sleeve. I wiped his mouth with my wet sleeve and all the blood come off from his face.

-

Sei : .... Thank you. You don't need to.

Aoba : I might be a vampire but I'm also a human. I'm still scare of blood after these years.

Sei : Haha....... you're funny...... but I guess human really are fragile anyway.

-

Sei pinched my cheek a little like he's playing with a small animal. It...... warm actually when he does that. So he really meant no harm. Suddenly, Sei seems to be aware of something. I close my eyes and try focusing on my sense. I can feel that they're large group of people coming here. Shit.......

-

Aoba : What do we do? They might have weapons that can kill us for good.

Sei : ........ All these years I never wanted to be harmful to anyone. But...... this is my last chance to be free. Aoba, if you help me I'm sure we can defeated them.

Aoba : Really?

Sei : Mmm I trust you.

-

Hearing him saying that makes me a bit more energized. I nodded my head to Sei and prepare ourselves to fight.

When the group of guards arrived, I destroy as much weapon as I can while Sei makes them unconscious. During our fight, I can see a huge difference between me and Sei. He is a lot faster and his shifting ability is far more flexible than me. However, silver is like a poison to him. If he want to touch those guards, I would need to destroy their armor as well. It's still hurt me but it doesn't last long.

After......... a few minutes I supposed? We manage to take down all the guards and find a safe space to hide and take some break.

-

Aoba : Ha.......... we did it.......... how are you?

Sei : Doing well...... It feels weird, maybe because I haven't fought for some times now.

Aoba : Ah....... I get it.

-

When we finally get some break, a loud alert started. The floor also seems to shaken as well.

-

Alarm : [ATTENTION : CURRENTLY THERE'S AN ABNORMAL SITUATION HAPPENING. PLEASE KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM THE TOWER IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS NOT A TEST]

Aoba : Abnormal situation?

Sei : While we were running, I heard a bomb from below. Is that your team plan?

Aoba : Ah! I didn't know that!

Sei : Well..... those bomb can only affect the outside of the tower. Follow me Aoba, we'll destroy this tower's core.

Aoba : E...eh? Okay......

-

Sei grab me by the hand and started running. We take an emergency stairs and enter the beneath floor. He taken me to one room. Sei turn his head and look at me.

-

Sei : Inside, there's the core that control everything in this tower. The door was changed to slightly silver though......

Aoba : Take a step back. I'll crush it.

-

Sei take a step away from me. I focus all my strength to one leg and kick the door. Inside the room is filled with monitors and control panel. So this is the core of the tower. Sei look around throughout panels and screens. When he touch one of those, his finger started to melt.

-

Sei : Just as I thought....... they do anything to prevent me on breaking out. I'm sorry if I ask too much but can you destroy them for me? If you don't mind actually.

Aoba : Of course I'll do it! It's my mission after all.

Sei : ...... thank you

-

Sei reply me with soft smile. I break everything as much as I can before silver started to take effect on me.

After I wiped out everything in the room, I sat down and take some break. The tower is still corrupting but as long as I'm in this form, I can easily survived.

-

Sei : Hey

Aoba : Hm?

Sei : Are you injured? Do you have any wound?

Aoba : No. I'm completely fine.

Sei : Is that so?

-

Sei give out a relived sign. He open my bag and take something out. That's....... antidotes. Sei open the syringe and injected me by my arm. I was shook of what he did but if I take my arm out, I might get hurt.

-

Sei : There...... now you'll become human in no time.

Aoba : Ugh........

Sei : Aoba? What's wrong?

Aoba : The antidotes....... has side effect. Sleepiness to be exact.

Sei : Ah...... well it's a good time to pay back actually.

Aoba : ??

-

The tower started to shake again. Sei bend down his body to me. Did he....... want to carry me? I slowly let my body on Sei's back. When I'm on his back, Sei destroy the outer wall with his leg. The wall fall apart and shows the view of the entire platinum jail. Wait....... he can't be serious right?

-

Aoba : Sei....... don't tell me you're going to jump down this way

Sei : Sadly Yes, it's way faster than taking ladders or elevator.

Aoba : But this tower is very tall!! I might be on your back but I might broke my bone as well!

Sei : Trust me, there's more than one way to jump off somewhere high.

-

After Sei finish his words, he grab me tight and jump off. He slowly land one each side pillar one by one to decrease the impact. It's only a few seconds before we actually on ground. Sei run out for some more distances before gently put me down.

-

Sei : I think we should be safe now. How are you?

Aoba : I'm good.... still a bit shocked from your jump.

Sei : Haha sorry about that.

-

Sei laugh softly with smile. We finally made it out. I can see the tower corrupt from top to bottom. It's over........

-

Sei : Whenever I see the sky of this place, it's always night. Is it coincidence?

Aoba : Well....... we're actually in a giant dome. Those are fake sky to make it feel night all the time.

Sei : Oh...... human really come far with what they called "technology". I remember my oldest memories being human riding on horses.

Aoba : Woah....... didn't know you've been lived THAT long.

Sei : Yeah....... I also I didn't noticed.

-

While we were talking, I can see the tower falling apart. However, this time the sky started to expose the sun from a real sky. Shit........

-

Aoba : Sei! Go hide in a building!

Sei : Why?

Aoba : It's still sunny. You'll burn!

Sei : Sunny......

-

Sei just look at the sky. Sunlight slowly shine towards us. I can see his skin started to burning.

-

Aoba : Sei! Go hide! Quick!

Sei : .......

-

Sei grab my hand and shake his head. What are you thinking? You're gonna die! Sei looks at me and give more smile.

-

Sei : It's okay. I want to see it for the first time of my life. *look at the sky* as well as the last time of my life.

Aoba : Sei.........

Sei : If I lived any longer, I'll still ended up being captured or being experiment like this. It's safer if I go extinct myself quietly.

Aoba : Aren't there........ any ways else? I can keep my eyes on you! Take care of you and such!

Sei : ...... that's the kindness thing I've ever heard someone talked to me. I'm really happy to met someone like you. Thank you.......... but I really want it to end.

Aoba : .......

-

I tried my best to keep my tears out. I know if I talked I will started crying. I decided to hug Sei while the sun ray started to shower us. Sei seems to be surprised by my action, but he didn't resist at all. Sei pat on