My stepsisters are sexy demons, and I must protect them
Chapter 64: Corrupted Flame

Chapter 64: Corrupted Flame

A multitude of red rose petals falls from the sky—spiraling tightly, as if carried by a small, invisible whirlwind.

«W-What the hell is happening now...?» Hakuto mutters through clenched teeth. He’s in pain, and he has no idea what’s going on.

But Chantal knows. It’s not the first time she’s witnessed that strange rain of petals.

They signal the arrival of Akashi—the one who effortlessly knocked her out last time.

The petals begin to glow even more brightly.

They cluster together, concentrating into a single point.

A flash of crimson light.

~He’s even cooler than I remembered...~

Chantal thinks to herself as she sees Akashi appear on the battlefield.

And he’s not alone.

Itsu stands right beside him.

Hakuto smiles faintly when he sees him.

Obviously, he’s glad to see his friend—someone he hasn’t seen in months—looking well.

But something about him instantly catches Hakuto off guard.

His gaze. Cold. Serious.

So different from the cheerful, joking vampire he once knew back in Ashiya.

~Itsu... what the hell happened to you...? You don’t even look like yourself anymore... Those eyes... Yeah, must be because of what Chantal told me about his brother...~

Hakuto feels a strange sense of pity and compassion for him.

«Damn it! What the hell is Akashi doing here?! Did you call him or something?!» Velune snaps, turning to Zhurvak.

Zhurvak frantically shakes his head.

«So much for my plan to blackmail Cassian Thalukvar and get the second corpse early... I swear, if that bastard Akashi tries to steal my prey and take all the credit for my work... I’ll... GRRRR!»

«M-Miss Velune...» Zhurvak interrupts timidly.

«WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW?!»

«I-I think... I think Akashi isn’t here to steal your prey...»

Velune then turns her gaze to the battlefield.

Akashi isn’t targeting the hybrids or any of their allies—he’s aiming at Drakhul.

«W-What the hell does that bastard want from my beloved servant now?!»

All around them, the air turns heavy.

A vortex of Sanguis energy swirls violently around Akashi.

A dagger made of metallic blood forms in his hand.

Hakuto stares at him, frozen.

His eyes wide open.

~I can’t sense other people’s energy... and yet, his is overwhelming... I feel it crushing me, even from this far... What terrifying power...~

Hakuto’s shock deepens as Itsu also releases his Innatus Form.

His body is now completely covered in an orange bone-like armor, from head to toe.

The last time Hakuto saw it—during the training fight with Shin—the bone armor looked uneven and ethereal, solid yet fading like mist.

But not now.

Now it looks dense. Real.

Only his glowing red eyes remain visible behind the skull-shaped helmet.

«Itsu.»

Akashi calls out to him.

Itsu nods.

Drakhul’s attention shifts entirely to them.

A moment of silence—tense, like they’re sizing each other up.

Then...

—BOOOOM!

A massive explosion shakes the ground and sky.

An enormous crater swallows the steppe where they had stood moments ago.

It’s the collision of Drakhul’s strike against Akashi’s, backed by Itsu’s power.

Akashi’s dagger sinks into Drakhul’s neck.

He tries to slice through it, but the fuchsia energy around Drakhul blocks the blade.

It stops the wound from widening and traps the weapon inside.

Akashi leaps back, leaving the dagger embedded.

But Drakhul is already upon him.

A strike aimed at Akashi’s throat—It lands.

Instead of blood, a burst of red petals sprays out.

Drakhul goes in for another strike—

But a hit from behind throws him off balance.

Itsu.

He’s pierced Drakhul’s back with sharp bone spikes from his armor.

Drakhul swings his arm back—an elbow to Itsu’s chest sends him flying.

But Itsu manages to land on his feet.

His bone armor is cracked at the impact point, but it’s still holding.

The red petals swirl back toward Akashi’s neck, rebuilding it.

But before his regeneration finishes, more attacks rain down—Drakhul’s fists, wrapped in those fuchsia flames.

Akashi’s entire body scatters into glowing petals, reforming elsewhere.

Or at least, trying to.

His regeneration is almost instant.

But Drakhul moves even faster.

He hits Akashi before he can fully reform, forcing him to restart the energy-draining process again.

Chantal notices it.

She follows the swirling petals with her eyes, trying to guess where Akashi will reform, and where Drakhul will strike next.

She can’t see the undead.

She can only predict.

She focuses intensely, analyzing the pattern.

Then, when she thinks she’s found it...

«Blood Word lv.1: Burst!»

...a pink energy blast shoots from her palm toward the spot she believes Drakhul will appear.

Her mental effort pays off.

The blast hits Drakhul square in the back, buying Akashi the split-second he needs to reform.

«Blood Word lv.4: Deathorns!»

After Akashi’s spell, the ground beneath Drakhul shatters—thick crimson spikes burst upward, skewering his limbs and torso, pinning him in place.

And in that moment, Chantal sees something.

Drakhul’s back shows no sign of damage from the Sacred Flame channeled into her Burst spell.

«H-How is that possible...? I hit him dead-on, I’m sure of it! As an undead, the Sacred Flame should’ve dealt serious damage... And yet, not even a burn...»

Chantal clenches her teeth in frustration.

Hakuto is equally stunned.

~First, he nullified my release of Sacred Flame... and now Chantal’s too... It’s like he’s immune... Could it be some strange ability granted by that eye of his?~

Akashi reaches out toward Drakhul’s face.

His fingers half-curled, as if trying to grasp something.

But the moment he gets close, an explosion of fuchsia flames erupts from Drakhul’s body.

The blood-colored spikes shatter.

Akashi is blown backward, crashing to the ground after flying several meters.

Yet he somehow manages to regain his balance right away.

Drakhul prepares to lunge at him, but Itsu’s fist crashes into his face.

It’s a fast, powerful punch.

But it only makes the undead flinch slightly.

He barely moves a few centimeters.

Drakhul’s furious eyes lock onto Itsu.

A terrifying growl freezes the blood in his veins.

Drakhul draws his arm back—getting ready to strike again.

But once again, attacks strike Drakhul from behind—a barrage of pink energy beams from Chantal,

Followed by Hakuto’s sword slashing through the air—his blade is soaked in a massive amount of Sacred Flame.

At the moment it hits Drakhul’s back, Hakuto notices something.

The fuchsia flames around Drakhul seem to nullify the white Sacred Flame.

Hakuto’s eyes widen, stunned.

~What the hell does this mean...? A demonic power capable of neutralizing the Sacred Flame...? That’s insane!~

Hakuto doesn’t even have time to finish his strike.

Drakhul twists completely and slams his knee into Hakuto’s stomach.

He’s launched through the air, right toward where Akashi is.

Akashi immediately leaps and catches him midair, landing safely.

«T-Thanks...» Hakuto mutters, though with a hint of distance and distrust.

Chantal had told him everything Itsu revealed that night—what Akashi had done.

But Akashi doesn’t say a word.

He immediately shifts his gaze back to Drakhul.

«Neither my attacks nor Chantal’s had any effect on him... But he’s undead—Sacred Flame should’ve hurt him... What kind of power does that monster have...?»

«There’s no time for details. Just know that his body carries the energy of a dark emissary—Corrupted Flame. It can nullify its holy counterpart on contact. And in his case, it’s the Corrupted Flame of the most powerful dark emissary to ever exist. Only an equally powerful Sacred Flame could harm him— Something beyond the reach of normal mortals. Only the strongest among the luminus emissaries possess it,» Akashi says, clearly exhausted.

«In other words... That overwhelmingly strong being, as an undead, feels no pain or fatigue... And yet, he’s not even vulnerable to one of the few weaknesses of undead?»

Hakuto’s voice trembles in disbelief.

Akashi nods.

«Then... what the hell are we supposed to do to defeat him?!»

Akashi throws him a quick glance.

«That armor... that sword... you’re a Crystalbearer, right? Just focus on using that power—wasting Sacred Flame on him would be pointless,» Akashi replies, taking his stance again.

A surge of Sanguis energy bursts from his body—he charges Drakhul once more.

Akashi’s dagger is still embedded in the undead’s neck, held in place by small thorns sprouting from the blade and spreading through the flesh like roots.

Inside Drakhul’s body, the Corrupted Flame acts like an immune system.

It detects the invading thorns and starts disintegrating them.

It’s a constant struggle.

The thorns try to spread as much as possible,

While the Corrupted Flame relentlessly rejects them.

Drakhul feels no pain.

This inner battle causes him no discomfort at all.

Itsu extends his arm toward the undead—a crimson sphere forms in his palm.

But Drakhul strikes first—a brutal punch smashes into Itsu.

Itsu’s bone armor cracks even deeper.

A moment later, Akashi rushes in.

He tries to land a hit too, but Drakhul’s reflexes and absurd speed catch him off guard.

Akashi barely manages to dematerialize in time, reforming beside Chantal.

Just like with Hakuto, he tells her about Drakhul’s resistance to the Sacred Flame.

«Yeah... I figured as much,» she mutters.

The aura swirling around her changes—from pink to a deep red, just like Akashi’s.

A cut opens on her palm.

Blood pours out, condensing into a massive two-handed sword.

She’s about to launch another assault on Drakhul... but suddenly freezes.

Her eyes lock onto the house’s front door.

It has swung open.

It’s Shin.

He’s armed with the white-flamed sword, and he’s ready to fight again.

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