The black SUV rolled through the western backstreets of S-City.

Rainwater reflected the crimson glow of neon signs across cracked asphalt while distant sirens echoed somewhere far beyond the slums. Unlike the polished financial districts or heavily fortified northern sectors, the western districts felt alive in a dangerous, predatory way.

A silver wolf insignia on most shops, and passing heavies.

Fenrir Tattoos.

These became a necessity after the previous attacks by the Silver and Nosferatu clans. The ink was created with a unique chemical that would react whenever it came into contact with the corrupted corpse poison the Nosferatu used to transform themselves.

Heavily tested to avoid accidental discharge, most of the bouncers and guards patrolling now happily accepted such badges of honour.

Maybe it was the 20% pay rise.

Nikolai didn’t know, and right now he couldn’t care less.

Nikolai rested one arm against the window while driving, his sharp eyes occasionally scanning the alleys and rooftops out of habit. Though they hadn’t encountered any direct danger since leaving the bunker, tension still lingered in the air.

Nosferatu scouts had become increasingly bold.

Especially after tonight.

Beside him, Nikita remained unusually quiet.

Wrapped in a dark coat over her casual clothes, she watched the streets pass by with her chin resting atop folded arms.

"...What?" Nikolai finally asked.

"I wanted to come on my bike!" She pouted, glancing back to the southern mountains where he forced her to leave the expensive superbike.

"Oh come on, I wanted to keep you safe..." He paused, watching her tail swish slightly, her eyes in the window shifting away from his. So he pushed a little further, letting his hand on the gearbox slip along her thigh. "Plus, if it’s there, we have an excuse to go back."

"Hmph...."

She snorted before sinking into the seat with a squeak of leather.

"What now?"

Her eyes watched him driving.

"...You’re so sexy when wearing a suit."

He almost laughed.

Instead, he reached over and flicked her forehead lightly.

"Oww!"

"Behave."

She quickly scurried over the seat, fleeing to the back row before pulling out her tongue.

"Bleeehhh!"

"Tsk!"

He turned back to the road, focused on getting home safely, rather than rushing, he chose the backstreets, passing the old restaurant where they once dated.

Memories of helping the old couple and being scolded by them resurfaced as they reached the border between the west and north districts.

The deeper north they travelled, the cleaner the streets became.

The western undercity slowly gave way to heavily guarded roads lined with black iron fencing and enormous estates hidden behind walls.

He noticed a big difference.

The Armed patrols that once remained hidden now moved across intersections while surveillance drones drifted overhead beneath the cloudy night sky. Eventually, the familiar maids marched in groups of four or five along the massive walls.

They arrived home.

At the Volkov Compound.

A colossal mansion stood embedded in the centre of a private elevated district overlooking northern S-City, illuminated by warm gold lighting against the rain-darkened stone.

It carried an ancient and yet elegant atmosphere.

Despite being as heavily fortified as a Military outpost.

Black-armoured guards immediately opened the gates upon recognising the vehicle.

These weren’t the front-facing combat units of the Maid Corps. But the true bread and butter of the Volkov’s hidden force. A special detachment that trained for ten hours a day for fifteen years before qualifying for basic training.

The SUV rolled through without pause, once past the heavily defended outer wall. Excited, Nikita practically unbuckled the moment they entered, her hand pulling the door as he barely slowed to a stop.

"My babies!!"

She leaned across the console, grabbed his face, and kissed him hard enough to leave him stunned for half a second before immediately throwing herself out the door.

"Nikita—"

It was too late, she’d flown into the darkness, almost on all fours.

"Nikita!"

The woman sprinted across the courtyard at full speed.

Several maids bowed calmly as she passed them like a hurricane.

"...Young Madam has returned safely," one maid noted politely.

Nikolai sighed deeply while stepping out of the vehicle.

"That woman..."

Still, a faint smile tugged at his lips.

The front doors opened before he even reached them.

A tall golden-haired maid stood fidgeting in the entrance hall, hands folded neatly before her apron. She wasn’t the usual head maid he saw often, because Leona had taken a leave of absence due to her pregnancy and her marriage to him...

But he did recognise this girl.

Brunhilde, a strange and talented Maid.

"Y-Young Master."

"Brunhilde, there’s no need to be nervous. I’ve said this before in Al’Qutar."

"Y-Yeash!"

She bit her tongue.

But maybe thanks to the pain, or the taste of her own blood, she recovered and inclined her head respectfully.

Then offered her hand.

"We are relieved by your safe return."

Nikolai removed his gloves slowly.

"How bad is it?"

"The city remains unstable, with several districts having collapsed into open conflict. In response, we deployed the majority of the available Maid Corps and the Wolverines. However..." Her eyes sharpened slightly. "The family suffered no losses tonight."

"Thank god..."

That alone eased part of the pressure weighing on his chest.

Brunhilde turned elegantly.

"Lord Ivan, Lady Elizabeth, and Lady Selene are waiting in your office."

His expression shifted immediately.

So they were already gathered.

Though he hoped it was just a family gathering with his parents, his wife, and maybe even his son, that was wishful thinking. It was likely due to the attack and to his making the final decision about which path to take.

The mansion halls remained silent as he walked.

Portraits of past Volkov heads lined the walls beneath dim chandelier light while the distant sound of rain tapped softly against the massive windows.

Before reaching the office doors, Nikolai paused briefly.

He took a moment to pour Obsidian blood into his ears, listening with empowered senses.

In the distance, he could hear Nikita’s playful voice as she laughed and toyed with their daughters, then... he noticed Leona, who was reading aloud... "And that’s how your father saved your mother’s life, little one."

’Is she reading our child stories... about me?’

The sheer thought was a little strange, but Leona was a strange and lovely woman.

Amphitrite seemed to have gone to protect both Rika and Kumiko, while many other maids attended the mansion. Zara seemed asleep, snoring, and the last girls were playing together and watching movies.

Clara and Anya were close in age after all.

"Let’s do this."

’I have to protect all those voices, and small sounds.’

He focused himself and felt a strange warmth settle in his chest.

The office doors opened.

The atmosphere inside was heavy.

Ivan Volkov stood near the massive windows overlooking northern S-City, one hand resting behind his back. Even in silence, the enormous werewolf radiated a different kind of feeling from his usual self.

A sort of oppressive authority.

Meanwhile, his elegant mother, with raven-black hair, sat upon one of the leather couches, crossing her legs as she slowly sipped crimson wine from a crystal glass.

Beautiful and calm, but deadly.

’This is bad...’

He couldn’t feel his parents’ aura in the room. It felt different, as if they were here as Ivan and Elizabeth Volkov, members of the Volkov clan.

Opposite them, Selene sat behind Nikolai’s desk, her long blonde hair cascading over one shoulder, while her crimson eyes observed him. Unlike Nikita’s explosive affection, Selene’s presence felt cold and moonlit.

But once you reached the centre, it became warm, squishy and endless.

"...You’re quite late, darling," Selene said softly, before dropping the pen in her hand.

Nikolai shut the door behind him, taking a moment to adjust his mood and figure out how to deal with the current atmosphere.

"Well, I was busy surviving."

Ivan grunted faintly, crossing his arms.

"Please, take your seat. Patriarch."

His tone and reaction set the mood and increased the weight of the room.

Nikita forced a smile; no one wanted to be their father’s superior like this. He slowly walked to the desk before dropping into the chair beside Selene.

Elizabeth swirled her wine with a lazy swill.

"The Nosferatu became bold sooner than expected."

"They nearly cornered us in the south," Nikolai answered. "If we hadn’t prepared those bunkers decades ago, tonight would’ve ended differently."

Ivan’s expression didn’t change much, but Nikolai peeked a faint flicker of pride in his eyes, but with his mother’s snort, he soon returned to his fierce mode.

Selene folded her hands atop the desk.

"The important question now is simple."

Her crimson gaze locked onto his.

"How do we strike Alucard while the Nosferatu are exposed... Or do we prepare for a longer war?"

Nikolai stood at the head of the desk, breathing heavily, rage still burning through his chest after everything that had happened in the south.

The thought of his children and wives in danger replayed in his mind.

"No! That question is far too soft, far too lenient. Those zombie bastards dared to bare their fangs, and we are just going to discuss? Hah! No chance. The only question is WHEN do we strike!"

"Ivan Volkov, I am giving you an order: gather all capable people and prepare them for the assault on Alucard’s floating island!"

His voice reverberated through the office walls.

Then he turned toward Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth Báthory. I order you to prepare the defences and ensure enough forces remain to protect the future of our clan. No matter what, your taste is most important, and anything you need is available. I permit it all."

The office became deathly quiet.

For a moment, Nikola’s back muscles tightened, dripping cold sweat.

Even the rain outside seemed to soften.

Until Elizabeth slowly lowered her wine glass, and stood.

Selene’s crimson eyes widened, watching him.

And Ivan... he stared at his son with a grin.

The pressure inside the room thickened instantly because his words broke the barrier between parent and child.

Yet neither of them looked upset.

"...Pfft."

Elizabeth covered her lips delicately.

Her shoulders trembled.

A second later, she began laughing on the spot, her eyes filled with warmth.

"My, my..."

The Ancestor vampire looked genuinely delighted.

"Look, Honey~ Our son finally sounds like a real Volkov."

Ivan didn’t join in her playful words; instead, he stepped forward, standing on the other side of the desk before eyeing his son. Thick scars crossed his exposed hands while silver threaded through his white hair.

"You gave orders incorrectly."

The words landed heavily.

Nikolai’s brows furrowed.

Ivan continued.

"When a leader gives commands after anger overtakes him, he risks killing his own people for pride."

The pressure in the room intensified further.

Yet Nikolai didn’t back down.

"...You disagree with attacking?"

"No."

His tone was cold and absolute.

This was a lesson Nikolai wanted.

For his father to teach him when he failed.

"The Nosferatu crossed the line."

A dangerous growl rumbled faintly, growing louder as it left his lips.

"They attacked my son."

Killing intent filled the room for the first time since Nikolai entered, and even Selene glanced at Ivan briefly before calming herself.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth sat on the edge of the sofa with her glass of wine.

The enormous werewolf slowly approached the desk until standing directly before Nikolai.

He placed one massive hand on his son’s shoulder.

"But if we strike Alucard..."

His silver eyes sharpened.

"...Then we do not attack expecting survival."

Ivan’s voice became more focused, losing volume for depth.

"We attack to exterminate them completely, down to the last drop of their foul bloodline."

A chill travelled down Nikolai’s spine. This was the father he remembered! A man who, whenever someone tried to bully or insult them for being poor, faced the other person’s parents.

Ivan never backed down.

Even when they were rich, strong or important.

"Then, you must fight side by side with me, Father."

Nikolai offered his father a hand.

Ivan glanced at Nikolai’s broad palm, even bigger than his own.

Then held it with an iron grip.

As the corners of his mouth curled upward, his tone became softer before he began crushing Nikolai’s bones tightly and scolded him.

"Tsk, get out of here, you cheeky little fool! Of course I will. How can I let you fight alone!"

Behind them, Elizabeth winked at Selene while holding up her wineglass as if to say, "I told you so."