Tek turned to notice Basil approaching, alert.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Basil said calmly. “Fighting two against one, well, that’s just cowardly.”

“You? With that frizzy hair?” Tek shot back with a smirk.

Hemphia looked to her left and immediately recognized the man known as Basil. It appeared the Himura family was targeting what they perceived as the strongest members of the Lovecraft family first, intending to eliminate the weaker ones afterward. But they were gravely mistaken about Basil. His strange appearance and uncanny aura led them to underestimate him as a mere weakling.

“You should take better care of yourself, boy,” Hemphia sneered, her voice dripping with disdain.

Hemphia valued appearance, purity, and grace, and Basil’s presence utterly disgusted her. To demonstrate her confidence, she posed confidently, raising her left elbow, bending her arm, and resting her hand on her thigh. As the wind swept past Basil’s face, his eyes closed momentarily. Then he slowly raised his hand into the air, and with a vigorous flick, he pulled it back, as if preparing for an attack.

“Huh?” Tek’s brow furrowed in curiosity as he observed Basil’s hand movements. Usually, someone like him rarely paused during an assault.

From a measurable distance from his enemies, Basil launched a punch, yet this was no ordinary strike. The damage came not from his fist but from the wind, which seemed to lash out like a gust punching directly into their guts.

“When did he…” Hemphia gasped, collapsing to her knees as she was incapacitated by the full force of the air attack. She had absorbed the entire surge, while Tek only received a partial blow. Thanks to his incredible speed, Tek leapt back several paces, narrowly avoiding the attack’s full impact.

“This is going to be much tougher than I thought,” Tek muttered, stumbling to regain his balance.

Meanwhile, Sigmund was already braced for the fight, ready to defend himself against the two frontmen, Malcolm and Artemus. Due to underestimating his opponents, they currently scarcely matched his combat skills. But then a massive, dark figure, emerged from the shadows of the trees, the thundering footsteps echoing ominously. Nervous, Sigmund watched as the figure charged forward with an evil grin, the towering Ukaid.

“You're finished!” Ukaid roared, charging at Sigmund, who was already struggling against Malcolm and Artemus. Before unleashing a crushing blow, Marimbo suddenly appeared from nowhere, landing beneath Ukaid to use the charging giant’s momentum against him. With his unaffected right hand, Marimbo flipped Ukaid aside and hurled him into the frontmen, surprising everyone.

This was Marimbo’s unique ability, he could warp or teleport a short distance ahead of himself. Now, with Ukaid momentarily neutralised, Marimbo turned away from Basil to face the others, noticing Hemphia’s almost total downfall.

“Why are they attacking us? I didn’t think this place was so hostile,” Sigmund asked aloud, bewildered.

“Because they’re vamps!” Moriaty suddenly shouted, her eyes narrowing as she caught sight of Husa’s sharpened teeth just peeking over his lips.

“What?” Marimbo’s confusion deepened. Realising Moriaty’s life was in grave danger, he looked at Sigmund and bit his lip, a silent signal for his ally to hold the line and buy time.

He then spotted his next target with an ability he called “Shadow Stalk,” a skill of his unique design. He drew two daggers from his shoulder sheath, tossing one to the ground while gripping the other with a determined grunt and a wicked smile.

This did not stop Brock and Thorian’s brutal brawl. They only grew more aware of the urgency, knowing their comrades might need help at any moment.

Vellesca, battered and severely wounded, leaned against a tree trunk she had crashed into. Her eyes fixed on Brock before reaching for her blade, which lay a few feet away, half-obscured by the debris. Her expression hardened as she intended to use her telekinesis to hurl her sword at him when the opportunity arose, eager to turn the tide of the fight and get revenge.

Meanwhile, Husa realized he had been holding back his family’s strength, failing to eliminate his opponent when the chance arose. He charged at Moriaty, who could barely react in her trembling fear. Husa taunted her with an afterimage appearing right in front of her, causing her to flinch. She quickly evaluated the situation. Husa seemed motionless, yet it was a clever illusion meant to confuse her.

He repeated the tactic, this time preparing to strike for real. Moriaty, wary now, struck out with her left hand, attempting to swiftly cut her opponent’s neck. She missed. Sensing her hesitation, Husa appeared behind her, ready to strike. His first move was to eliminate her left hand completely, then his grip moved to her right—twisting both arms into a locked position behind her, with his knee pressing into her back, prepared to snap her in two, from her neck and below.

Just before Husa could kill Moriaty for good, fate suddenly intervened. At this crucial moment, Marimbo appeared before a defenceless Vellesca, holding the same dagger that had previously struck him. Vellesca’s eyes widened in despair, caught off guard by his sudden appearance. In the air, not far in front of her, her companion, controlled by her telekinesis, as it was prepared to strike Brock, fell to the ground with a deafening thud.

“Stop this at once!” Marimbo shouted, his voice echoing through the chaos. Husa, stopped from executing the finishing blow but still clutching Moriaty tightly, shifted his gaze toward the Lovecraft head. Almost everyone paused their fighting, all of them suddenly aware of the grave situation that had unfolded. Husa held Moriaty’s life in his grasp, just as Marimbo held Vellesca’s. Ironically, it was the same knife that nearly ended the Lovecraft leader’s life now pierced deep into Vellesca’s neck, slowly sinking in as Marimbo pressed the blade inward to demonstrate how serious he was, that he would finish the act if they did not comply with his terms.

Thorian, stepping back slightly to create some distance from his adversary, muttered to himself, “Damn. I never expected they were this strong… what now?”

“Vell… wait,” Tek urgently shouted, desperation in his voice.

“Wait? You pulled the first attack,” Marimbo retorted sharply, eyes narrowing.

“Because you’re in our territory,” Thorian countered calmly, “and we had good reason to act.”

Hemphia quickly rose to her feet, brushing dirt and debris off her clothes. She added sharply, “You’ve been causing too much bloodshed in our land. We can’t allow that anymore.”

“Yeah, this zone’s ours,” Tek said smoothly, speedily closing the distance and aligning himself alongside Thorian. “We live among the humans, not against them. We won’t tolerate any rabid behaviour here.”

“We’re not rabid animals, you fools,” Sigmund shot back, voice steady despite the chaos.

“Yeah, we’re nothing like you freaks,” Brock added, a hardened edge in his tone.

Basil, ever the calm outsider, put his hands in his pockets and walked closer to the others, observing silently. “Well, this is turning out to be an odd endeavour, I must say,” he muttered with a smirk.

Now gathered around their threatened family members, the remaining members of both sides looked confused, but all were prepared for their next move. Husa, realising he’d been holding back, hesitated briefly, then tightened his grip on Moriaty again. He knew that any further loosening could allow her to escape, and he’d already deduced that they and their enemies weren’t what they seemed. Both he and Thorian had realized that these opponents, despite their strength, weren’t enemies to be outrightly destroyed.

Yet, Vellesca’s life remained in peril. As the second youngest in her family, she visibly feared death, tears of hopelessness evident in her eyes. Blood dripped from the wound on her neck, and she looked to Thorian with pleading eyes. Marimbo, with grim resolve, prepared to go deeper and disembowel her neck if the Himura family made any wrong move.

“I don’t get it,” Ukaid muttered, tilting his head slightly. “If they’re not skinwalkers or vampires… then what the hell are they?”

“You’re definitely not normal,” Husa whispered softly, almost to himself. Moriaty, nearby, looked back in surprise, startled to hear the predator speak.

Brock, proud and steady, finally spoke. “We’re rare blood types,” he declared. “You could say we’re as human as you get. Our blood is completely pure, and we come from a race of the original humans those who walked this plane at the dawn of time.”

Thorian’s eyes widened in understanding. “I see now. I should trust my senses more rather than just rely on rationality,” he said quietly. “Is that why you paused and changed our approach?” Hemphia asked, suspecting.

“Exactly,” Thorian responded. “Everyone, no more fighting.”

He gestured firmly. “Let her go, Himura.”

Husa hesitated for a moment, then immediately obeyed and released Moriaty. She stumbled slightly, but kept her balance. She placed her right hand on her left shoulder, her one eye closed tightly with pain. Thorian moved forward, openly, from a stance of non-hostility.

“Apologies,” Marimbo said sincerely, releasing Vellesca and bowing his head slightly.

“We believed you to be a threat, but that was my mistake. Recently, there had been mysterious killings at our mines and on the Hanford plains. It was sabotaging our business and drawing unwanted attention to the federation. That’s why we initially thought you were responsible. We have never seen your kind around before.” Thorian summarised.

Hemphia crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. “I don’t mean to be rude, but you shouldn’t all be wandering around like this at night. What exactly did you expect from us?” Marimbo nodded calmly. “I didn’t expect anything. It’s kind of… our tradition,” he explained, gently letting go of Vellesca.

Relieved, Vellesca quickly wiped the blood from her neck, not wanting to lose face, and her wounds began the process of healing automatically. She stepped slightly back from Marimbo, who continued explaining their reasons for wandering so late.

“The reason we’re out so late,” Marimbo said softly, “is to scan our territory and make preparations. When we settle in a new place, we need to know its boundaries and possible threats especially in case humans discover our family secret. We tend to settle for eight years at most before moving on to another land. It’s a way for us to avoid drawing attention to ourselves.”

He paused, then added with a hint of nostalgia, “It’s been a very long time since I’ve met vampires, many years indeed.”

“I am the head of the Lovecraft family,” Marimbo concluded. “My name is Marimbo.”

“So, you’re new in town?” Ukaid asked, curiosity evident.

“Yes, we’ve just moved in,” Moriaty responded cheerfully. “We haven’t come here to cause trouble. In fact, this is the first time I’ve ever been to the new world. It’s quite exciting.”

Ukaid’s eyes widened in astonishment at her beauty, rendering him speechless. Husa, observing silently, smirked. This was the first time he’d seen his sparring partner so utterly flustered. It made him realise he, too, upon gazing at her, had momentarily lost himself. That feeling of her pure innocence was contagious, and suddenly, Husa no longer felt ashamed of his weaker performance in battle.

What surprised him most was how naturally Moriaty shifted from her initial cautiousness into a friendlier, more relaxed demeanour. She continued to smile as Marimbo explained their culture.

“Our family has a habit of scouting new territories,” Marimbo explained. “For our protection and to prepare for future challenges. Since we only moved in today, this is why we’re lurking around at this hour. We plan to conduct more assessments here over the next few weeks.”

Thorian nodded thoughtfully. “If you’re going to live here, we’ll need to discuss territorial boundaries,” he said.

“I agree,” replied Marimbo patiently.

“You’ll also need to be cautious,” Thorian warned. “There are dark forces lurking around, an enemy unseen.”

The two families exchanged information, sharing details about their lifestyles, their businesses, investments, and influence in the region. With some subtle intimidation from both sides, they also discussed regions in California to avoid and eventually agreed on a tentative pact.

Thorian and Marimbo shook hands, their families standing close, marking a fragile alliance. But Brock, observing quietly, remained visibly disgusted by the presence of the vampires. Husa noticed this, sensing his hostility. Brock’s dark stare pierced back at him like a predatory reptile. This wasn’t the first threatening look Husa had seen from someone like him. It reminded Husa of a distant, traumatic event from his childhood. That memory ignited a flicker of anger and insecurity within him, causing a twitch in his lip and a flicker in his right eye.

Deep down, Husa sensed that tension between the families was inevitable, that Brock’s animosity would resurface. But he couldn’t predict how things might unfold. After exchanging final words, the Himura family slipped away into the shadows of the forest, melting into the darkness.

Before parting entirely, Husa’s gaze lingered on Moriaty Lovecraft. Her beauty haunted him still. The entire Himura group felt a strange, almost magnetic attraction toward the Lovecrafts, fascinated by them. Growing more relaxed, they made their way back to their estate, though they remained vigilant. They understood that an unseen enemy still lurked nearby, a threat capable of causing serious trouble or exposing their secret. For now, bloodshed had been narrowly avoided, but they all knew it wouldn’t last long. The shadows still concealed many dangers, and the darkness harboured secrets yet to be revealed.


“My dear, how’s your arm?” Marimbo asked gently as he approached.

“It’s fine, father,” Moriaty replied, grimacing slightly. “I thought he was going to break it; he was so aggressive.”

“Anyway, you’re more injured than me,” Moriaty replied, concern in her voice. “We need to get you treated soon.”

“It’s okay,” Marimbo reassured her. “It’s not deep enough to keep me down, and by tomorrow, it’ll have healed.”