In an instant, the ground split open right in front of Minato, and a massive figure burst through the forest.
A three-headed wolf, each head twice the size of an adult male, landed hard enough to shake the dirt beneath its feet. Its claws dug right into the earth like a bulldozer, and thick black smoke flowed out from its nostrils. The creature's eyes burned bright yellow, locking onto Minato's movement.
He stumbled back, his heart pounding. "What the fuck am I seeing?!"
Amelia's hand was already glowing with dark red light. "Minato, it's a Cerberus… a low-tier Titan."
[DING]
[DEMONIC IDENTIFICATION: CERBERUS - CLASS D TITAN]
[Danger Level: Low]
[Recommendation: Engage only with Familiar Support.]
Minato gritted his teeth, instantly activating his Blood Control. "Amelia, how is this a low-tier Titan…"
Amelia smirked while stepping forward as red mist gathered around her hands. "Because, Minato… the higher ones don't bark."
In a microsecond, the Cerberus lunged forward, all three heads snapping in unison.
Before Minato could even react, Amelia raised her hand upward. The air warped around them, and a violent pulse of red blood energy exploded outward, slicing through the creature's necks like butter.
For a split second, the forest went completely silent. Then, with a heavy and loud thud, the Titan's massive body collapsed, its three heads rolling across the dirt and grass before dissolving into black ash.
Minato froze, his eyes wide. "You… killed it? Just like that?"
Amelia lowered her arm, the red blood energy fading from her hand as if it were nothing. "Of course," she responded flatly, brushing invisible leaves from her sleeve. "I told you, it's a low-tier Titan."
[DING]
[TITAN ELIMINATED]
[TARGET: CERBERUS — CLASS D DEMONIC TITAN]
[STATUS: CONFIRMED DEAD]
[PORTAL STABILITY: 54% — CORE STILL ACTIVE]
Minato glanced at the glowing system notifications and couldn't help but smile weirdly. "She's a total cheat," he thought.
He knew the truth... that Titan she'd just taken down would've been nearly impossible for him to handle alone...
[DING]
[SUBDUCTION]
[HOST CONTRIBUTION: 1%]
[FAMILIAR CONTRIBUTION: 99%]
Minato frowned, scratching the back of his head. "Figures… even the system thinks I'm useless."
From across the forest, a few feet from him, Amelia crossed her arms. "You said something, Asian?"
He quickly waved his hands. "N-no, nothing!"
"Hmm..."
Amelia then walked over without a word and took Minato's hand. Her grip was firm and cold. "Come on," she declared quietly. "Let's go."
Minato was shocked by her sudden move but he didn't think much of it.
They both walked for a while; the thick forest was gradually giving way to open landscape. The air felt softer and lighter, touched by the faint scent of grass and a golden sunset.
When they finally stepped out onto a wide, open field, Minato let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He glanced at Amelia beside him... her expression was calm, her steps confident.
That's when he noticed it... Her ears were bright red.
He blinked, tilting his head slightly. "...You okay?"
Amelia kept her gaze forward. "I'm fine," she said quickly, her voice a touch higher than her usual tone.
He squinted his eyes a little. "Amelia… is it the sun?"
She froze for half a second, her expression tightening. "What? No! Don't be ridiculous. I am a noble vampire... sunlight doesn't affect me."
Minato blinked. "Oh… right."
He'd read enough novels to assume all vampires burned or were affected in daylight, so it made sense to him now.
But what he didn't realize, though, was that her flushed ears had nothing to do with sunlight... and had everything to do with the fact that they were still holding hands.
Before he could say anything else, Amelia's expression suddenly shifted. Her eyes snapped upward. "Minato, move!"
She yanked him hard to the side just as a massive wyvern dove past them, its wings kicking up a violent gust of wind that tore through the grass. The air vibrated with its screech as it circled back above the open fields.
Minato stumbled back to his feet, gasping for air as dust, grass, and wind whipped across the open field.
But when he looked up... his breath was caught in his throat.
The entire sky was alive with movement.
Dozens... no, hundreds... of wyverns circled above them, their massive wings blocking out the sun.
The air around them shimmered with the heat from their fiery breaths, while the sound of their roars rumbled through the grassland like thunder.
[DING]
[WARNING: MULTIPLE ENTITY DETECTED]
[Race: Wyvern-Titan Blood]
[Quantity: 147]
[Rank Range: D–C]
[Status: Hostile]
[Area Saturation: 87% — Critical]
[Recommendation: Evacuate or engage strategically.]
[Estimated Survival Rate: 90%]
==========
"Amelia…" Minato whispered.
She responded as the wind caught her hair. "I see them," she explained quietly with a low and sharp tone. "A whole horde of wyvern."
Amelia's eyes glowed bright red again; her pure white fangs were glinting under the dim sunrays that were filtering through the wyverns' wings. A faint smirk was tugging at her lips.
"No matter how many flies gather," she exclaimed coldly, her red eyes glinting with disdain. "They're still just insects."
Minato clenched his fists, his blood energy faintly glowing around his arms as he took a defensive stance. "No kidding… did she just call a wyvern a fly?"
His eyes twitched slightly as the ground trembled from the beast's roar.
Without another word, Amelia jumped forward... her whole body vanished into a streak of red lightning.
The nearest wyvern barely had time to roar before her hand tore clean through its chest. Blood burst into the air like a storm of bloody rain.
Minato shielded his face with his hands, the metallic and raw scent flooding his senses. "She's… fast," he muttered under his breath, eyes wide.
The remaining wyverns roared in anger, diving at her all at once. Amelia twisted mid-air, landing on the back of one, snapping its neck with a single twist. Her dress fluttered, soaked in the creature's blood as she leapt from wyvern to wyvern... an elegant, terrifying blur.
Every strike she made was precise, merciless,and fluid. Wyvern heads fell down. Their wings were torn apart. The sky that was once covered with wyverns was now clearing up, as the sun shone down.
Minato stood there, frozen for a moment, watching her in awe. "This is a Grand vampire…" he thought to himself.
Then...