"Sometimes the hero does not fall when he is defeated… but when he realizes that, despite his strength, he is still fragile enough to be stabbed from behind."
From Kain's thoughts
On the next morning, Kain woke up early as usual, and a light smile appeared on his face that he did not hide. He still remembered the details of his date with Alice, as if the morning had begun with a beautiful melody from yesterday's memories. But this serenity did not last long.
In a fleeting moment, Kain heard a faint sound slipping from the direction of Bella's room. The sound was familiar… as if it were broken breathing and faint whispers. Kain realized immediately that Edward was sneaking again to watch Bella, as he did in the original novel. He had stopped him twice before, but it seemed that was not enough this time.
"That's enough…", Kain muttered coldly, then opened his status screen immediately:
✦ Host Basic Status
Name: Kain Swan
Race: Human
Level: 13
[Strength]: 47
[Agility]: 57
[Intelligence]: 67
[Vitality]: 53
[Defense]: 45
[Stamina]: 59/59
Available FP points: 90
Available SP points: 10000
Current XP points: 40/130
He had only gathered thirty points in the past days. After the two consecutive days in which the system gave him thirty points for each daily quest, the difficulty increased significantly, and the rewards decreased. The challenges became harsher: sword training, and thunder breathing exercises for long hours.
But Kain did not waste time complaining. He immediately distributed twenty points in agility, and ten in strength. His limbs tore for a moment from pain, but he had gotten used to it now, so he did not hesitate.
He jumped from his window lightly, and activated the skill "Inner Thunder," and the energy surged in his body, raising his speed and strength by thirty percent.
Then he activated "Eternal Dragon Eye" — that skill which granted him a 360-degree field of vision, and accurately analyzed every movement in his surroundings, from the shaking of tree leaves to the change of wind direction, and even glimpsed some future movements, according to his high intelligence rate.
With thunder breathing — the combat style coming from another world, by which humans were able to face demons faster and stronger than them tens of times — his body roared with energy and explosion.
Then he held his sword, the "Devourer," without drawing it from its sheath. That sword whose power had increased after the last upgrade, until its strikes caused damage extending to what was around the target, not the target alone.
All those elements together, despite Kain's modest stats compared to Edward, were enough to make the confrontation disastrous for him… if it happened.
He did not intend to kill… but he would not be lenient either.
He shouted inside:
"Thunder Breathing — Flashing Lightning: Celestial!" ⚡️
In one moment, before he moved, someone appeared before him. Alice stood there, at the perfect timing, and placed her hand on his chest to stop him.
She said firmly and softly:
— "Enough… Edward has learned his lesson."
Edward read her thoughts, and saw the vision in her mind. Total destruction, his body destroyed even though Kain had not yet drawn his sword. He trembled inside. Perhaps he would not have survived.
Kain spoke with frightening coldness:
— "Tell him not to repeat this again. Next time… the sword will not be sheathed. And you will not be able to stop me."
Alice replied with a tired murmur:
— "Alright… alright."
Then she cast Edward a meaningful look, and they both continued on their way, leaving Kain behind, resuming his daily tasks.
A faint notification rang in his mind — that tone he now distinguished easily:
[Side Quest Completed: "Plant Fear in the Enemy's Heart"]
✦ Description: Terrify Edward enough that he retreats automatically without a fight.
✦ Reward: +10 FP points
✦ Status: Completed (triggered automatically upon Alice's vision activation)
Kain commented to himself, with a side smile:
"That was unexpected… but good."
After finishing the trainings, the system finally granted him a new quest, as the past days had been empty of anything except routine tasks.
[Ding!]
[New Quest Generated]
[Quest Details]
Kill two elite vampires.
Deadline: One week.
Reward: 250 XP and +15 to all stats.
[Note: In case of failure… the system will shut down.]
Kain's gaze froze for a moment. Killing elite vampires was not the problem. He already knew who the two targets were likely to be — the time of the baseball game was near.
But the system's warning terrified him. System shutdown? That was a true disaster. Nevertheless, he did not complain. He had a week ahead, and the reward was great.
The school day passed with deadly slowness. Boredom was choking him. He sat in class, staring at the ceiling, with only one question circling in his mind:
"What is the benefit? I have already studied all these matters before… and even taught them."
When the day ended, he returned home. Another day passed, until evening came, when Edward knocked at the door.
He carried with him an invitation for him and Bella to attend the baseball game, with his family participating. He said it while directing an apologetic look straight to Kain, expressing his regret for what happened days ago.
Kain nodded calmly, and accepted the apology.
On the way, Kain opened his status again:
✦ Host Basic Status
Name: Kain Swan
Race: Human
Level: 13
[Strength]: 57
[Agility]: 77
[Intelligence]: 67
[Vitality]: 53
[Defense]: 45
[Stamina]: 59/59
Available FP points: 70
Available SP points: 10000
Current XP points: 40/130
He distributed the points quickly: thirty in agility, ten in stamina, ten in strength, ten in intelligence, then five in defense, and five in vitality.
He opened the status again:
✦ Host Basic Status
Name: Kain Swan
Race: Human
Level: 13
[Strength]: 67
[Agility]: 107
[Intelligence]: 77
[Vitality]: 58
[Defense]: 50
[Stamina]: 69/69
Available FP points: 0
Available SP points: 10000
Current XP points: 40/130
He breathed deeply and said to himself:
"I hope this will be enough."
They finally arrived at a wide land surrounded by forests. The weather began to cloud, and the winds warned of a coming storm.
The baseball game was about to start. The thunder roared in the horizon, and the sound of lightning was like a soundtrack for a celestial battle.
Kain, despite his strength, did not participate. He sat aside, watching.
"I will save my stamina… for the real battles have not yet begun."
The sky shone with a gray color as if warning of what was to come, while cheers and shouts of applause rose from between the trees…
The game began as in the night that would not be forgotten, exactly as Kain had seen before in the movie…
The ball struck the bat, and Emmett dashed like a madman, his muscles tightening his shirt as he jumped onto first base.
A quick exchange between Rosalie and Jasper, throws like cannon shots, tearing the air like arrows.
Laughter and cries filled the forest, the sounds of shoes colliding with the ground, and the whistle of the air at the throw.
The sky was full of clouds, and the lightning flashed like a professional photographer's lens, capturing moments of glory whenever the ball rose into the sky.
Edward stood on the mound, holding the ball as if it were an extension of his hand, smiling confidently as he launched it with strength.
The ball exploded from his hand like lightning, to strike Emmett's bat again, and the echoes of the hit resounded in the surroundings like thunder.
Alice spun with a dancer's grace, catching the ball and throwing it back without looking, as if she read the future as she breathed.
And Eliana, with her flying black hair and sharp features, pounced on the ball with the flexibility of a tiger, turning in the air and blocking it with a graceful move,
laughing lightly as she threw mocking words toward Emmett, then sent the ball to Rosalie with a twisted throw resembling dancing knives in the air.
Kain watched them, his eyes shining with hidden admiration… what he saw was not just a game, but a display of legend…
And everything seemed normal, until…
"Stop!" Alice said sharply.
Edward read her thoughts at the same moment, and knew what she meant.
In a flash, everyone gathered in a tight defensive circle, except Kain…
He did not move.
He stood in his place steadily, choosing with his eyes a perfect position for a dash.
They appeared from behind the trees…
Laurent in the middle, and on his right "James," who looked like a thirsty predator, and on his left "Victoria" with her fiery hair and glassy eyes.
His eyes fixed on James.
(He is the real danger… he is the one who will cause harm to Bella).
In the blink of an eye, Kain activated the "Inner Thunder" skill — his body ignited with power, his speed and strength doubled by 30%.
Then he whispered inwardly:
"Dragon Eye… maximum activation!"
The vision was unveiled to him as if he stood above the field, seeing it completely, 360 degrees, with enchanting smoothness. Not only vision, but he predicted the near future… one or two seconds, and that was enough.
He bent slightly, his hand touching the hilt of his black sword, the Devourer…
He murmured:
"Thunder Breathing — Flashing Lightning: Celestial!" ⚡️
He appeared behind James.
The latter glimpsed a fleeting flash, tried to turn, to respond… but his body did not catch up.
James's head fell to the ground…
Silence.
Everyone froze.
Their pupils widened, their shock indescribable.
How could a head be severed without anyone feeling his presence behind him?
Even the wind did not perceive his passage!
Kain did not give them time to comprehend.
He turned, and swung his sword toward "Laurent," who was the closest, his blade rising, but Laurent blocked the strike in a moment. They exchanged extremely fast blows, seen only as scattered lightning between the trees.
Victoria watched the situation with hunter's eyes…
(If Laurent falls… it will be my moment).
Kain murmured:
"Thunder Breathing – Thunder and Flash!" ⚡️
And he vanished.
He appeared behind Laurent.
Laurent's head… fell.
But Kain's eyes caught a dark flash.
Victoria…!
She was attacking from behind him, her hand piercing the air with deadly precision…
But he did not move.
His body… did not respond!
He had drained all his energy in the "Celestial Flash," the inner thunder, and the dragon eye!
The attack pierced his chest.
Victoria's hand passed inside him, and crushed his heart…
She retreated quickly, knowing she would not last another second against the rest.
In the distance, the Cullens were watching everything from afar…
When James fell to the ground, beheaded in one strike? They felt astonishment… but astonishment soon turned to certainty: Kain would settle the matter easily.
And when he faced Laurent after that? They did not intervene… they thought he would cut him down as he did the first.
Even Carlisle, the wisest among them, could not find words to express the situation… he watched silently, his eyes hiding something of disturbance.
But Victoria? She was not in their calculations.
They did not expect her last strike.
They did not expect Kain's fall.
Alice was the first to move.
She ran to him, her eyes shining with something like tears… but it was not real crying, for vampires do not shed tears.
Nevertheless, the pain in her face was sincere, as if her soul were screaming.
She did not care for the fleeing Victoria, but knelt beside him, whispered his name, shook his body… no response.
She bent more, approached his ear, and whispered with a broken voice:
"Don't do this to me, Kain… not after I began to see you."
Her hands trembled, and she thought in despair.
"What if I bit him?… maybe the venom would cause a miracle…"
She did it.
But nothing…
Then…
A terrifying aura exploded around Kain's body.
The world slowed down.
The light burned.
Kain's perspective:
Ah… my heart… there is a hole in it…
Will I die again?… No, I don't want… I want to stay with them…
Please… anything…
(System? Can my body withstand "The Soul of the Fallen Dragon" now?)
[System: Yes. But only enough to regenerate the body. One of the three emergency uses must be consumed.]
Do it. Now!
His body exploded with transformation.
Dark blue scales grew on his left side, heavy as armor, soft as wind.
From his head came out two black horns, twisting as if carved on ancient rock.
And from his back… two giant wings unfolded, like the wings of a mythical creature, from them sparks of blue lightning loomed, striking the air around him.
The air exploded.
The ground cracked.
The space around him… distorted.
Alice looked at him, she no longer saw him as a human… but as a celestial, supernatural entity.
The hole in his chest closed, flesh and bone and pulse renewed.
The being who was supposed to be Kain stood…
He looked forward and said in a non-human voice:
"I must pursue her… she will cause much chaos…"
But the system's voice cut his thought:
[The host's body will not withstand more than this. The transformation must be stopped immediately!]
The aura disappeared.
Everything disappeared.
And Kain returned to his human body, exhausted, powerless…
He fainted.
Alice hurried and caught his body before it touched the ground, hugged him with her trembling arms, held him tightly, as if trying to return his soul to reality… to keep him awake even though his wounds had healed… but his mind could not withstand what happened, and he fell into silent unconsciousness.
At that moment, Alice was not a vampire… but a human trying to cling to a love she did not want to lose.
🌀End of Chapter Twelve.
✦Next Chapter: "A Flash Between Blood and Lightning"
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