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Chapter 12 - Her First Bite

"Listen to me," she responded quietly. "Like I've said before, I don't know what you saw that made you uneasy… but what I do know is that you started this, and only you can stop it."

Minato slowly lowered his head in guilt and frustration, as it showed across his face. "I'm… sorry."

She let out a soft sigh once and then stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him. His eyes widened at her unexpected gesture, though her body was quite cold.

"For the two days I've been with you," she murmured, tapping his head as she stroked his hair, "I can at least say that you're a good person. Not just that... you're brave. You stood up to a Rank D titan with only peasant-level vampiric abilities, which I don't even know how you got them… but somehow, you survived."

"You saved me at the end... It's not like I did it myself," Minato added quietly, his self-doubt beginning to grow.

"Shhh…" She reached up briefly, pinching his cheek lightly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I know. But that doesn't change the fact that you fought it. So chin up, Minato."

Her tone shifted in an instant from being cute and feminine, returning to its usual aristocratic and prideful tone. She stepped back slightly, putting her hands on her hips.

"And besides, Asian," she exclaimed with a smirk, "you have me."

Minato blinked twice, still caught off guard by everything that had happened, the hug, her words echoing in his head. Slowly, a small, genuine smile tugged at his lips.

"…Thank you, Amelia," he responded quickly. His voice carried none of his usual sarcasm or confusion... only sincerity. "If it wasn't for you… I'd be dead already. I owe you more than I can ever say."

Her red eyes widened for a fraction of a second, surprised by his earnestness, before she quickly looked away with a loud "Hmph!"

"You should be grateful, Asian," she replied, folding her arms. "After all, not everyone gets the honor of being protected by the Third Daughter of the Demon Lord of Damnation."

Minato chuckled under his breath, but his eyes lingered on her with quiet warmth. "Still… I mean it. Thank you."

Her cheeks became colored faintly, though she still refused to meet his eyes. "…Idiot Asian," she muttered.

[DING]

[FAMILIAR AFFECTION INCREASED: 5%]

Minato exhaled calmly, and then he stood upright, his fingers curling at the sides of his clothes.

"Amelia… there's something I want to tell you."

She tilted her head, red eyes narrowing in curiosity as she anticipated his next words. "Oh? And what is that?"

"I…" Minato hesitated for a second, licking his lips. "I see things. To be precise, I have a system that tells me..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a bright red line of text flashed across his face, blocking his vision.

[DING]

[WARNING: CRITICAL SYSTEM PROTOCOL]

[CONFIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE: THE ETERNITY SYSTEM MUST REMAIN UNDISCLOSED.]

[VIOLATION CONSEQUENCE: IMMEDIATE HOST ERASURE.]

[REMINDER: NO FAMILIAR, ALLY, OR OUTSIDER IS PERMITTED ACCESS TO FULL SYSTEM DATA.]

[PARTIAL VISIBILITY: MAY OCCUR ONLY UNDER HOST CONSENT AND SYSTEM DISCRETION.]

Minato froze mid-sentence, his breath catching in his throat as the words floated in front of his eyes, cold, systematic, and absolute.

Amelia's eyebrows knit slightly. "Minato?" she asked softly. "What's wrong?"

Minato blinked multiple times, forcing the glowing text from his vision. His throat tightened, but he quickly plastered on a fake smile.

"It's… nothing," he declared, waving his hand dismissively. "I just… had a vision just now, of someone telling me to enter the portals." (lied)

Amelia studied him for a long second, her red eyes lingering on his face like she could peel back the lie if she wanted to. But after a beat, she simply crossed her arms and let out a small "hmm."

"You're very strange, Minato," she murmured, half to herself, half to Minato. "Always acting suspicious, like you're hiding something."

He let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his neck. "Maybe I am. But trust me, it's nothing for you to worry about."

Her eyes narrowed for a little more second, but she didn't press it further.

Inside, Minato's thoughts were spinning rapidly.

(The system… it won't even let me tell her?) (Then just what the hell am I dealing with?)

She turned around and sat down on his small apartment couch, stretching out like she owned the place. "Minato, I am hungry."

He exhaled slowly, relieved that the earlier tension had passed. "Yeah… I'll cook something."

But before he could move toward the kitchen, Amelia rose up from the couch. She crossed the short distance in a few swift steps, placed her hands on his chest, and pushed him back onto the bed.

"E–ehm… Amelia, what are you doing?"

She didn't answer him. Instead, all he heard was a low hiss that slipped from between her lips. Her red eyes gleamed and glowed like a wild animal.

Minato's throat went completely dry. His pulse became louder than usual in his ears. And then it clicked... what she truly meant when she said she was hungry.

Swallowing hard, he turned his head to the side, completely exposing his neck.

"... It's okay... Do it."

Amelia leaned downward without hesitation. In less than a minute, her fangs pierced his neck, sinking deep into his skin. The sharp sting made him flinch a little, but it was quickly replaced by a strange, dizzy warmth as she began to drink his blood.

His fingers tightened against his bedsheets as the sound of her slowly, steadily sipping his blood filled his apartment.

Amelia's hands also gripped his shirt tightly as she drank his blood; her breath was warm against his neck. Every pull of blood made his pulse race faster, yet strangely, he liked it.

[DING]

[FAMILIAR AFFECTION INCREASED: +5%]

[VAMPIRIC RESONANCE DETECTED]

[Host Vitality: –10]

[New Trait Acquired: Minor Blood Bond]

Amelia finally pulled back, her lips stained with his blood. She then licked them off slowly, as though savoring the last drop.

Her glowing red eyes had softened, heavy-lidded, and for a brief moment, she looked less like a demon lord's daughter and more like a girl lost in quiet indulgence.

Minato, still panting, holding his neck, stared up at her. "You… could've just asked, you know."

She smiled slowly, brushing her thumb across the corner of her mouth. "Hmph… I suppose I should apologize for being so rough, Minato. But you should also feel honored... Not everyone gets the privilege of feeding me."

[DING]

[FAMILIAR AFFECTION INCREASED: 3%]

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