The night wind howled over the Mishima High rooftop.
A red moon glowed above, bathing the concrete in a vampiric hue.
Kira stood there in his black trench coat, his silver earrings swaying. Across from him, floating midair with arms crossed and a high slit dress fluttering, was Veronica Vael, a high-ranking pureblood vampire of the Nocturne Faction.
"You always were the reckless one, Kira," she sneered. "Spilling secrets to humans? Protecting the Heir Anchor like he's your blood-son?"
Kira spat to the side. "Machio's more important than you know. And I don't take orders from the Council's corpse-lickers."
With a flick of her wrist, Veronica summoned a curved blade of shadow and light. Her eyes glowed with cold bloodlust. "Then bleed for your betrayal."
She shot forward.
Their blades clashed in an explosion of sparks, rooftop tiles flying like shrapnel. Kira blocked with a curved fang-dagger, dancing between strikes with beastly grace.
"You still using that old thing?" Veronica mocked.
"It's sentimental," he smirked, ducking under her slash and flipping to kick her midair. "Like my feelings for your sister!"
"You bastard—!"
Their battle was a blur of claws, blood spells, and leaping arcs. Every strike shook the rooftop, lightning crackling overhead.
But far away, chaos of a different kind brewed...
---
Meanwhile, in a quiet suburban neighborhood...
Tachibana nervously held a bag of pastries as she stood outside Machio's house.
She'd received a mysterious message from the system this morning:
> [New Quest: Win Over Mother-in-Law Candidate! Rewards: +3 Affection, Hidden Buff, Forbidden Kiss Unlocked.]
"What the hell is this game even…?"
The door opened.
And there stood Azumi Araki—Machio's mother.
A tall woman in a tight beige sweater that hugged her curves just right, her long chestnut hair tied in a messy bun, and a cigarette lazily resting between her lips. Her glasses sat slightly askew, giving her a hot, distracted professor vibe.
Tachibana blinked. "Are you… Azumi Araki?"
Azumi tilted her head and gave a warm, knowing smile. "You must be Tachibana. Come in, dear. Machio told me... nothing about you, actually. But you look like trouble."
Tachibana stammered. "U-Um… I brought cake?"
Azumi winked. "Hope you're sweet enough to match it."
As they sat inside the cozy yet strangely luxurious living room, Tachibana noticed photo frames—most with Machio doing embarrassing things. One of them showed a younger Azumi in a bikini holding baby Machio and a much younger man behind her… Kira?
Wait, was Kira the ex?
"So... you raised Machio alone?" Tachibana asked.
Azumi chuckled. "More or less. His father was... a complicated vampire."
Tachibana choked. "Excuse me!?"
Azumi crossed her legs. Her skirt barely covered anything. "Oh, I suppose you'd understand. You're a vampire too, right?"
Tachibana blushed. "H-Half!"
Azumi leaned in, placing a hand on Tachibana's knee. "You've got good skin. You moisturize?"
Tachibana's face turned crimson. "Y-Yes! I mean—I use rose serum—AH!"
A ding popped up in Tachibana's vision.
> [New Quest: Kiss Your Future Mother-in-Law. Reward: Evolutionary Buff + Sinner's Affection Unlocked.]
She nearly screamed. "What kind of degenerate quest is that!?"
Azumi raised a brow. "Hmm?"
Before she could think, the system forcibly guided her body with subtle nudges. Tachibana, flustered and dizzy, leaned forward and—
kissed Azumi on the lips.
Soft. Warm. A faint taste of wine and lipstick.
Azumi blinked. Then leaned back with a smirk. "...Well. Bold move."
"I-I didn't mean to—!"
Azumi placed a finger on her lips. "Relax. I'm flattered. And if you ever get tired of my son, I am single."
Just then—
The door BURST open.
Kira stood there, blood on his jacket, breathing hard from the rooftop battle. "AZUMI!"
He froze.
Tachibana was on the couch.
Azumi was wiping her lips.
Kira stared, horrified. "Did you just… kiss?!"
Azumi smirked. "What if we did?"
Kira looked at Tachibana. "YOU'RE TRYING TO STEAL HER TOO!?"
Tachibana panicked. "It was a QUEST! I SWEAR!"
Kira growled, fangs poking out. "No. Nope. Not happening. Not this timeline. I'm gonna KILL that system."
Azumi sighed, rising gracefully. "Relax, boys. It was just a little kiss."
"But WHY!?" Kira roared.
Azumi leaned close to Kira, brushing his cheek. "Are you... jealous?"
Kira turned bright red. "I–No–That's not–"
Tachibana's phone pinged again.
> [Bonus Quest: Trigger a Love Triangle. Status: COMPLETE.]
> [Incoming Trouble Detected – Vampire Congress Emergency Meeting.]
Tachibana and Kira both tensed.
Azumi, however, just stretched lazily. "Looks like your night's not over."
Kira growled, "Veronica escaped. But she's gathering support. They're planning something bigger. They're targeting the school… and the Heir Anchor."
Azumi's smile faded. "Then we better prepare."
Kira looked at her. "Will you… fight with us again?"
Azumi reached for her katana mounted over the fireplace, unsheathing it slightly with a metallic hiss.
"For my son?" she said, her voice deadly. "Always."
To be continued…