The Academy grounds were stirring long before dawn, shadows stretching across the stone walls while a faint breeze carried the scent of distant sparring and restless anticipation. Valentin was walking across the eastern courtyard, his steps deliberate, his body still aching faintly from the intensity of the Sang-de-Fer mini-tournament. The atmosphere around him was shifting; he could feel it in every murmur, every shift of air, every glance cast in his direction. He was no longer the nameless reincarnate vampire who had staggered into this world with trembling hands and near-empty veins. Something inside him was changing—expanding, sharpening, strengthening.
He needed to test it.
Miia slithered behind him with lively impatience, her tail brushing the stones in rhythmic waves. "Valentin, you're walking so seriously… Are you sure you slept? Or did you stay awake thinking about someone?" She leaned forward, pressing against him with a teasing smile.
He inhaled sharply, the contact sending an instinctive warmth through his fangs. "Focus, Miia. We have our first full-class battle today."
Kurumu walked to his other side, her wings folding elegantly. "You say that, but your heartbeat just jumped. Are you nervous… or excited?" She tapped a finger against his chest, circling him slowly with a knowing grin. "Maybe both."
Papi swooped overhead, chaotic and cheerful, landing abruptly on his shoulders before leaning forward so her face hung upside down. "Valentin, Valentin! Are we fighting the big-class students today? The scary ones? The super-strong ones? The ones who might crush us into—"
Yukari appeared in a blink, tugging hard on Papi's wings. "Do not scare him, feather-brain. Besides, Valentin has me. I'll cover his blind spots. And obviously he's stronger when he has us around." She winked shamelessly.
Valentin exhaled quietly, forcing his pulse to steady. Their teasing fed directly into his arcane reservoir, and he could feel the blood inside him moving in restless patterns. Control the flow. Do not rush the surge. Let the harem's energy feed into the arcane without overwhelming the senses.
A soft whisper of air—Moka descended from above, her silver hair catching the first light of day. Her boots touched the ground in a graceful motion, wings retracting smoothly. She looked at Valentin with that blend of evaluation and encouragement he had grown to recognize.
"Valentin. The faculty is observing you closely. Full-class battles are… different. Stronger enemies. Higher stakes. More spectators." She paused before leaning in slightly. "Your blood arcane is unstable when fueled too quickly by desire. Today will test whether you can channel your harem's chaos without losing control." Her voice lowered. "Are you prepared?"
He met her gaze firmly. "I have to be."
She nodded once. "Then let me see your progress. Activate your Crimson Flow."
Valentin inhaled, grounding himself. He let the harem's proximity ripple through him—Miia's warmth, Kurumu's sultry aura, Papi's energetic flutters, Yukari's playful magic. Their combined presence stirred his blood like a rising tide. With a slow exhale, he activated it. Crimson lines spread under his skin, pulsing with focused intensity.
Moka's eyes widened slightly. "Good. Much more control than before."
Kurumu moved behind him, trailing a finger up his spine. "You might control it well—but can you control this?" she whispered.
A sharp pulse of power shot through him, but this time he held firm. "Yes," he said quietly.
Yukari's grin widened. "He's getting stronger. Maybe we should… test that limit later."
Miia coiled around his lower body in a half-hug. "Or now!"
Valentin nearly stumbled; Papi giggled uncontrollably. Moka sighed with exasperated affection. "Enough. The match begins in ten minutes. If you exhaust him with teasing, you sabotage him."
Kurumu pouted. "He fights better when we tease him."
Moka conceded with a reluctant sigh. "Unfortunately… yes."
The Academy bell rang, echoing across the campus.
Time to fight.
---
THE ARENA OF FULL-CLASS BATTLE
The class battle arena was massive—a wide, multi-tiered battleground surrounded by rising seats and protected by shimmering barrier walls. Students from every year had gathered, whispering excitedly. Many pointed at Valentin.
"That's the reincarnate vampire."
"He took down Rael's team yesterday."
"I heard his harem empowers his magic."
"He bites girls in battle—what a monster."
"Lucky bastard."
Valentin ignored the noise, forcing his senses to narrow on the battlefield. Opposite him stood Class Onyx, one of the Academy's most notorious groups—oni fighters, beastmen, upper-ranked harpies, a pair of elemental witches, and a hulking troll captain.
The troll captain roared across the arena. "Weakling vampire! Your little harem won't save you now!"
Yukari snorted. "He must have a brain the size of a pebble."
Miia shifted closer to Valentin. "Do you want me to squeeze him first?"
Kurumu cracked her knuckles. "I'll charm him until he cries."
Papi fluttered. "I wanna dropkick him!"
Valentin raised a hand, silencing them gently. "We use strategy today. No rushing."
The barrier walls brightened.
The announcer shouted: "FULL-CLASS BATTLE — BEGIN!"
The battlefield exploded instantly.
---
CRIMSON EVOLUTION IN ACTION
The troll charged first, shaking the ground. Two oni flanked him, followed by a trio of harpies preparing aerial harassment. Elemental spells crackled in the distance.
Valentin moved.
His body shifted into fluid motion, gliding past the troll's swing, letting instinct and arcane flow merge. He slashed upward with Crimson Fangs, the arcs of blood slicing across the troll's forearm. It roared, stumbling back.
Miia wrapped an oni in her coils. "Got you!"
Kurumu unleashed a wave of charm magic, catching the harpies mid-flight; they spiraled in confusion, narrowly avoiding impact.
Yukari conjured explosive sigils under the witch duo, forcing them apart.
Valentin felt the harem's energy surging into him—heat, desire, proximity. His veins burned with crimson intensity. But this time, control didn't slip.
He shaped the energy precisely.
"Crimson Chains."
Blood surged from his hands, forming molten-red bindings that shot forward, wrapping around the legs of three incoming beastmen. Their movements halted instantly as the chains tightened.
The crowd gasped.
"That magic—"
"Is that blood forging?"
"He's advancing too fast!"
The troll lunged again. Valentin braced, letting the harem's presence amplify his senses. Kurumu's aura boosted his focus; Miia's wrapped body pressure heightened his awareness; Papi's chaotic motion kept him adaptable; Yukari's mana flow synchronized with his arcane.
He felt everything.
He mastered everything.
With a grounded stance, Valentin unleashed a Crimson Burst, a shockwave of compressed blood energy that blasted the troll off its feet.
The crowd roared in disbelief.
Kurumu appeared at his side. "You're glowing," she teased.
Yukari giggled. "And overheating."
Miia nuzzled his cheek. "Good overheating."
Valentin forced his breath to slow. Do not lose yourself. Channel. Do not drown in their energy.
But he needed more.
He stepped forward, baring his fangs.
"Cover me."
The harem moved instantly—Miia blocking the oni, Papi distracting airborne enemies, Yukari launching spells, Kurumu suppressing hostile intent with charm. The path opened.
Valentin flashed forward.
He bit the troll.
Not fully. Not greedily. Just enough.
Crimson energy flooded into him—raw, powerful, intoxicating.
The troll collapsed.
Valentin straightened, wiping his mouth. His eyes glowed faintly red.
The crowd erupted.
"That bite—did you see that?"
"He drained the troll's strength!"
"This guy is terrifying!"
"…and kind of hot."
Valentin ignored the last comment.
He extended his hand.
A new weapon formed.
A blade of solidified blood—sleek, sharp, born entirely from Crimson Forging.
Kurumu whispered behind him, "That… is new."
Moka appeared at the edge of the arena, watching with measured approval. "Good. He's finally reached the level required for this stage."
Valentin stepped forward, blade humming.
The enemy team faltered.
Then broke.
They charged in desperation, but it was too late. Valentin moved with lethal precision, slicing through their formation while the harem executed synchronized support maneuvers.
Kurumu immobilized foes with charm.
Miia crushed two at once with her tail.
Yukari detonated glyph traps with perfect timing.
Papi dive-bombed opponents with chaotic precision.
The last enemy—the oni captain—rushed Valentin in a final attempt.
Valentin exhaled slowly.
Then struck with a single, decisive, crimson blade arc.
The oni fell.
Silence.
Then the arena erupted into thunderous applause.
---
AFTERMATH — A NEW PHASE BEGINS
Valentin collapsed to one knee, breath heaving. Miia darted to him instantly, cradling him from behind.
"Valentin! Are you hurt?"
He shook his head, swallowing air. "No… just… drained."
Kurumu crouched, touching his cheek. "You handled it well… even with us teasing you earlier."
Yukari flicked his forehead. "You're finally growing into your fangs."
Papi hugged him from behind, wings wrapped tightly. "You were super cool!"
Moka approached last, arms folded.
"You surpassed expectations," she said quietly. "Your control, your synergy with your harem, your forging… all progressing rapidly. But do not relax. The academy's full war-division battles begin tomorrow. Stronger enemies. More complex strategies. And higher expectations."
Valentin nodded, fatigue mixing with pride. "I'll be ready."
Moka leaned slightly closer. "You had better be. Because the next battles will determine your rise… or your downfall."
Her wings spread.
"Rest, Valentin. Tomorrow, your ascension truly begins."
Valentin closed his eyes, surrounded by warmth, energy, teasing, affection—and the heavy weight of coming war.
He was no longer a low-ranking vampire.
He was becoming something else.
Something dangerous.
Something… crimson.