Act 1 Next morning

  “The storm will be passing the Maple wood valley at the end of this week, please stay indoors and also in related news the landslide of the southern mountain pass of Maplewood is under clearing, but we do still advice drivers to avoid that route.”

  The local news continued as I and a few other guest where in the guest hall, the solid glass windows buffeted by rain and winds.

  “Sigh. . . well there goes my hope of reaching my daughter’s wedding.” The old man who was the first victim of the parasitic monsters spoke.

  “Don’t worry Ojiisan! do you really think they’ll do a wedding in this weather!” Derrick spoke his girlfriend on his side playing with a gamepad.

  Since I didn’t feel any threat anymore and I had a lot of vampire blood I can use as a sacrifice I summoned a few medicines and treated the victims, and altered the memory of every guest, thinking I was the innkeeper.

  Except Sharmina and the girls. . . I thought as I saw the father of the family look at me and then motion for me to talk to the side.

  “You wanted something sir?” I said as I walked away from the group on the sofa watching the news.

  “Hey sorry but I’m worried, is the food situation okay?” He asked I can feel nervousness and worry in his voice.

  “Don’t worry sir, we have enough food in the kitchen for a week and the storehouse in the back has enough emergency supply for a month. . .” I said but from the look he was giving me I understood he was sharper than he looks.

  “But?” He asked.

  “The fuel is an issue, if we keep using electricity as we are, the generators fuel wouldn’t last more than three days, which should be fine because it’s already friday.” I said placating the man.

  “Yeah, yeah, let’s hope the weather people did there job right for once.” He said calming down.

  “Thank you innkeeper, if you need help running the place while where stuck here just ask okay? I know your staff wasn’t able to come in cause of the storm and I might not look like it but I’m a three star chef from fancy hotel.” He said nodding at me before leaving.

  ‘Yeah he would have been useful in the early days.’ A voice spoke behind me as I turned around and saw the Apocalypse doctor, he was wearing a ruined lab coat over a blue turtle neck and jeans.

  He was Latino with light brown eyes covered with glasses and matted wavy black hair.

  “Yeah, we could have kept everyone happier for atleast a few more weeks.” I answered back to him as he smiled and dissipated.

  “You can see ghosts too mister innkeeper?” I turned back and saw the little girl looking at where my past self has faded into nothing, returning to the world I left lifetimes ago.

  “Yeah I can but only a clairvoyant like you, can see them clearly kid, so who do you usually speak to?” I asked as I tried confirming if she was a ghost type clairvoyant or something else.

  She might be a natural sorcerer, the first one I've met in this realm.

  “Grandpa! Mother’s dad visits from time to time!” She said then she run off as we both saw her mother.

  “Sorry about that mister Innkeeper, she’s just a little imaginative. . . and it’s only been a year since he moved on.” The mother said apologizing and giving a short bow before chasing her daughter.

  Act 2 The vampire

  I watched in the corner silently as a spirit appeared in front of Shiro and then disappeared when the girl ran towards them.

  Is he also a shaman? Those who asked the wisdom of the dead for the living.

  I left the corner that I hid in, moving through the vents in my swarm and then appearing in front of the vampire count.

  “Hello miss Rikka it’s a delight to see you.” The count said as he tried moving his hand but only budge the silvered chain holding it.

  A clear tub ending on a needle was draining his blood, one drip at a time, filling a rather large blood bag in a box filled of ice and salt.

  “It’s good to see you too, are you enjoying his treatment?” I asked lightly for even I know how cruel it is to starve and drain a vampire.

  “The sorcerer is much crueler than I expected, from what I've seen of how he treated you and the pawns I made, I would have expected him to just let me flee.”

  The lord said with genuine shock of the actions of what he assumed was small obstacle to his prey.

  “Well I did say to be careful.” I said sounding like a broken record as I opened a fridge and took out a cherry milk box.

  “Can I have some too?” He asked so I took another one, which was a strawberry milk one.

  Milk can’t replace blood, but it’s close enough that a pure blood can survive of it for at least a week before becoming weaken.

  As for a noble? They hate the human creation, but they can survive of it perpetually without becoming weaken.

  “Here.” I said as I placed the carton box near his head and in a quick motion he bit through the cartons side and took a deep sip.

  “Sigh. . . I don’t know why my fellow nobles don’t like milk, it is one of the few things humanity made that truly impresses us.” He said with his voice still arrogant while bonded like an animal.

  “Of course.” I said as I moved away and sat just across from him, a table was in between us and on top was a chess board.

  Act 3 Replenishing magic

  “Hey Shiro?” It was the wolfic red headed girl that spoke her voice as causal as one can get.

  “Yeah?” I answer as I kept using powdered vampire blood mixed with silver, wood ash, white sugar and rock salt, to draw a hexagon of magic.

  “Do you really need to add sugar to that?” She asked as we saw a few ants already being attracted by the sweet substance mixed to my hexagon.

  “Well the one I’m summoning likes sweets, so it’s needed.” I said as I stood up dusting of my hands.

  I looked back and saw that Lizel wasn’t alone, Rikka and the princess was there too playing cards in a corner of the room waiting for me to start.

  “Do you guys really want to watch this? It’ll get boring if you keep watching it princess.” I said as I looked to the two poker playing girls.

  “Ha ha ha! I don’t think the way you get your spells would ever be boring.” The princess said while Rikka nodded agreeing with the princess.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  “And I’m curious, from what I know a sorcerer would replenish there magic by meditation.” She said amused at how unusual my practice was to what she knew of sorcerers.

  “Well mines different, I can only actually use summoning magic, everything else is considered magecraft.” I explained but the girls really didn’t understand it and it’s kinda hard to explain the difference without using magic jargon.

  “Wait didn’t you say you knew performative and battle magic?” The princess said as her neutral mask turned sharp.

  “Did I? Well I call it performance magic and battle magic but in truth I use my performance as a way to focus Arcana’s attention on me and with it able to use summoning magic. . . as for the thing I call battle magic, well it’s closer to magecraft than true war magic, which is the category of magic specifically meant for battles.”

  I finish explaining as I thought about the times I’ve actually seen war magic in more Mana rich worlds, that loli explosion maniac would never let me forget her.

  “That said the mana in this realm is too poor for someone to actually use war magic, alright that’s enough talk I’ll start my spell now.”

  I looked down and the ants had already made a line, they really are a very productive race.

  I took a deep breath and then started to sing deeply.

  “I was walking down the hill

  Head in the clouds, lost in my thoughts

  Then I saw you out of the mill

  And suddenly, I didn't know what to do. . .”

  I sang a song of how I used to act around her.

  “Oh no, I like you, now it's clear

  I didn't mean to

  But here you are, with me

  You smiled and made me weak

  And I froze like a dear

  Why does this happen every time your near?”

  And I continued to sing feeling each conduit of Arcana’s magic burning within my flesh as I glowed of soft amber flames dancing on my skin.

  as my eyes burned of fire, as they where closed, as I reached into the Immaterial sea for the girl I’m trying to summon.

  “Now I think about every word we’ve share,

  Did I mess it up? or was it all a mistake?

  I'll pretended I'm still okay. . .

  But I'll probably think about you,

  Until, the rest, of my day- - -”

  I ended my song. . . and waited. . . and waited.

  “Lucifer? Is that you? For the love of the blood mother, open your eyes!” I heard the familiar spunky, yet elegant voice of a friend.

  I did as she asked, my eyes opened as I felt the burning of fire in my eyes, my eyelids steaming as the flame of Komiko the princess I served healed each of my burnt out magic circuit.

  I saw her one of the few friends I made in my last life, she had long lovely pink hair tied into twin tails, her eyes where red and black, her vampiric fangs long serrated.

  She was small, her body still that of a human girl no older than 14 but if you say that to her she’ll probably rip you apart while saying she was older than Rome.

  “Hello Mistress Kitten, how have you been?” I said lightening the heavy mood as she raised an eye to my answer.

  She didn’t say anything and looked around unimpressed eventually seeing the girls in the room.

  “Are they your new love-servants Lucifer? I like the black haired girl, but didn’t know you like beasts and demons. Hehehe!” She said giggling at the end, as Lizel reacted the most.

  “What! Wha-what! I’m not his!. . you want to go! you blood sucking Sna. . .” Lizel almost exploded, so with a toss of my handkerchief, it flew towards her wrapping around her mouth silencing her as she struggled with it.

  “Please Komiko, Lizel, Rikka, don’t be offended, she’s just being mean.” I said to them as Lizel calmed down and stopped struggling with the piece of cloth as it fell from her mouth.

  “Hehehe! Alright I’ll stop, so why did you summon me love?” She said her mean amusement gone as she turn serious, yet friendly.

  “I need a few of your spells Kitten.” I said directly and she nodded.

  “Okay, I learned a few new ones since you died, but I guess you want some of my old ones?” She said as a scroll appear behind her unfurling with texts written in eternally leaking fresh blood.

  “A bloodborne!” I heard and ignored Rikka’s gasp.

  “Hm, I like that one even more.” Kitten said happily, as I gave a tired breath, and pulled out a black bone amulet, with a carving of the words eternity on it’s front.

  “Please cast your ‘blood touch’ spell.” I said to her as she looked at me boredly.

  “Really? that one? Even in this world your gonna keep hunting vampires?” She asked very curiously as I smiled at her and spoke.

  “Only one question Kitten.” I said to her making her pout.

  “Alright, alright, How about. . .are you still a virgin in this life?” “Ha!” I gave a chuckle to her words and then nodded.

  “Yes I still am in this one, as you can see I’m a bit too young for that Kitten.” I said with a smile as she gave a bit of a blush as she looked me up and down.

  “Alright don’t be a perv and cast the spell already.” She gave me huff before she started using her blood magic.

  “Night, Blood, and Age, vampires beware, for a hunter has my touch!” She casted as spears of blood came out of her bloodborne, stopping at the edge of the hexagon as a translucent barrier appeared.

  It became red darkening with every second but then it quickly cleared, as I pressed my amulet on the barrier as the carvings of the amulet started glowing forming into a shape of a rune that meant eternity.

  “Any other requests Lucifer? Maybe I can pop that new cherry of yours~” She said teasingly, as she lowered herself showing her small cleavage underneath her double layered gothic dress.

  “Maybe in a couple years.” I said trying to flirt back but I had people watching me so I needed to not follow Lucifer’s instincts.

  “Crimson tax, I might need it.” I said as she looked at me carefully.

  “Your planning to hunt someone really strong aren’t you?” She said lightly.

  “Tell me Lucy, do you have a master in this life?” She asked her smile a little more fake than earlier.

  “I do.” My word echoed through the silent room.

  She nodded.

  “Your still a fool then.” She said as she started casting her spell, a much, much bigger one than the first simple one, as the entire room was bathed in blood.

  Act 4 Dealmaker

  Two walked the corridor of the inn, it was a short corridor only having five rooms facing the widows to a storming outside.

  One was a boy of marble hair, and the other was a tall girl of raven hair.

  “I. . . I didn’t know you knew an Elder.” I said my. . . world shaken when I saw this strange sorcerer summoning an Elder of my race, the only vampires above the royals, the only vampires that doesn’t fear any other monster.

  “You mean Kitten? She’s not an Elder, she’s probably an Ancestor now, based on how much her Hemomancy have developed.” An Ancestor vampire? Never heard of vampires like that before, maybe its another name for Elders?

  “I. . . can you ask her to be my progenitor? I know, Elders mostly don’t leave our origin realm but. . .” My head was running through my thoughts, thinking of anything I can offer.

  If I can just become one of her descendants, I’ll become Royalty! I can finally be truly free.

  The last thought passed my head, as I realized Shiro stopped walking next to me, making me stop as well.

  “You want her to adopt you Rikka? I don’t think your the same kind of vampire.” He said the hesitation was clear in voice.

  Oh right, his a scholar. . . but also a man.

  With that thought I moved with vampiric speed and with my strength above an athlete twice my size I pressed Shiro onto the wall his reddening face squishing upon my soft chest.

  “If she makes me part of her family. . . you can ask me anything and I will do it, for as long as I live I will do anything you want.” My voice felt unfamiliar, it’s been decades since I was this serious.

  “Sigh. . . Get a grip Rikka, do you really want to sell yourself to me?” He said his face losing his gentle smile, his eyes sharpening, as he lightly pushed me away.

  I was surprise, I knew he desired me, I knew he liked me. . . why? How?

  “Look Rikka, what do you really want? If you only want to become a stronger. . . I can help you with that, you want to become a noble? It’ll take time but I can do it.” He spoke I heard his voice, his beating heart.

  He was honest, I can even in his amber eyes, his trying, really trying to understand why.

  I kneeled down, as bloody tears dripped down my eyes, the things I hid in my allure slightly free.

  “I just want to be free Shiro. . . I just want to be free.” Is the only thing I can say, I looked up and saw his black amulet glowing red.

  I finally realized what I was doing and stood up quickly in fright.

  “That’s. . . no that’s not what I. . .” I stumbled my words as I finally felt myself again, trying to erase the compulsion I was under.

  “Deal.” He said, as his gentle smile returned.

  “Huh? What deal!?” I was confused what deal!?

  “I’ll make sure your free, As long as you keep being a true friend.” He said as he walked off, leaving me behind, utterly confused.

  “HA!” I let out a wheezing laugh as madness grip me, as I realized what the ‘Blood touch’ spell did. . . it makes us vulnerable.