Hinata Ryudo had seen the same scene countless times.
In front of him, deep within the dungeon, was a cocoon radiating a faint glow. Ryudo trembled with overwhelming joy.
“So this is what they mean by ‘right under the lighthouse’… What’s gonna happen to me if I’ve found something like this…?!”
Ryudo, under the influence of a grotesque monster known as a “Blood Roper,” had lost all rational restraint.
“Hey, I know you can hear me, right? The master of Dungeon No. 2… Your monster’s been feeding me information. Even a creature like that can be useful… huh?”
Ryudo’s lips curled into a sinister grin. Blocking his path was Futaba.
“So, you got caught up in this too, huh? Haruka’s little sister, Futaba, wasn’t it? Or are you worried about me? Well, I did get roughed up pretty bad, after all.”
“You stole the life force of your comrades, didn’t you? Not because you were controlled by monsters, but by your own will.”
“And what of it? The creature seemed to think it was worth coexisting with me… Not that being favored by a monster is exactly pleasant, but having the ability to take what’s someone else’s ain’t so bad.”
Blood trickled from the corner of Ryudo’s mouth. The wounds left by the “Void Blast” were beginning to heal, but they weren’t fully mended yet.
“… I’m running low on blood. Maybe I’ll taste the blood of Mikuriya’s women.”
“How foolish…”
“The cocoon behind you, and everything that can be obtained in the depths of this dungeon, are mine, Futaba. And now that you’ve come this far…!”
Ryudo lunged at Futaba. But roots burst through the ground, stopping the blood-covered gauntlet on his arm.
“Wha…?!”
“You’ve already shed too much blood. Instead of getting greedy, you should have focused on healing.”
Futaba’s eyes glowed the same color as the cocoon. By the time Ryudo noticed, it was too late.
He watched in horror as his chest appeared to melt away. With no resistance, an arm slid smoothly through his back.
It was the arm of a masked monster—known as “Joker.” Ryudo had seen its form in videos before.
As the arm was withdrawn, Ryudo shuddered, feeling something being torn from within him.
“What… is this…?! This can’t be happening…”
“…Uninvited one. Leave my body at once.”
It wasn’t Futaba speaking—it was someone, or something, using her body. By the time Ryudo realized this, he had been flung outside the dungeon.
“Gah… Ugh…”
He heard someone’s voice. Ryudo reached out, trying to touch the glowing cocoon that was no longer there.
“…It’s mine… I won’t… give it to anyone…”
◆◇◆
“—Gah!”
Ryudo woke up, gasping for air, as if suffocating.
“Hah… hah… it’s mine… I found it…”
“…Brother.”
“…You… Kaito…”
“It’s Kurane now. You’re the one who told me to go by that name, aren’t you?”
Ryudo was in a hospital room, lying on a bed.
Standing by the bedside was Kurane, his face shadowed, which stirred anger within the just-awakened Ryudo.
“I was so close… I was doing so well until then. But Fujiwara… Fujiwara…!”
“We shouldn’t have messed with Fujiwara-kun in the first place.”
“How can that be?! He’s just a ‘Baggage Carrier’… He’s nothing like us, has nothing special at all…!”
“But… both you and I lost to him. Even you are no longer yourself.”
“…What…?”
Ryudo had sensed it too. Ever since waking up, something felt off—his voice didn’t sound like his own.
“Wait… no… this can’t be happening…!”
He tried to get out of bed, but lost his balance and fell to the floor. Crawling toward the window, he saw his reflection—a transformed version of himself.
“…Who is this…? I’m not some kid…! Hey, what about my card? My status…!”
Kurane took the card from the bedside table and handed it to Ryudo—his hand trembling slightly.
Name: Ryudo Hinata, 17 years old, Female
Student ID: 012931
Class: Vampire
“A… girl…? And this class… I was supposed to be a ‘Battle Knight’…!”
“…It seems you were hit by the masked monster’s attack too, just like me.”
“W-wait… I’m different! I was doing fine… I even gained the power of the monster…!”
“That’s when you got infected. If things continue like this, you’ll be seen as half-monster.”
“No… I’m not a monster…! I just used their power…!”
“I heard you harmed Iwakiri-san and her attendants. They’ve explained that you were being controlled, but…”
Ryudo could barely hear Kurane, his voice sounding distant.
Ryudo backed away from the window, where he had seen his reflection, and collapsed to the floor, bumping into the foot of the bed with a loud thud.
Realizing he had nowhere to escape, Ryudo gazed at the ceiling, his eyes empty and vacant.
“…Brother, you can no longer be exposed to strong light. And you’ll need to consume blood once a day. I’ve already arranged for synthetic blood.”
“Why… why is this happening to me…”
“Ouuma will be returning soon. Once he’s back, we’ll…”
“B-big brother… That’s right, big brother… If it’s him, then…”
The door to the hospital room was open.
Standing there was a male student, resembling both Kaito and Ryudo, though taller and more imposing, wearing glasses.
“B-big brother… You’re back… Listen to me! Our enemies—Hinata’s enemies—”
“If the existence of you two becomes public, it will tarnish the name of the Hinata family. Why, with the power of the Hinata bloodline, have you ended up in such a pathetic state?”
“Something’s wrong… ever since Tsukasa Fujiwara appeared, strange things have been happening in the dungeon… He must be behind it all…!”
“Anything can happen inside a dungeon. Fujiwara’s doing something… Are you sure of that? Tell me everything that happened. I’ll put an end to it.”
“No… Ouuma… Fujiwara-kun is… there’s nothing left to do…”
“I can’t just sit back and do nothing. My ranking has fallen… I need to set an example for the federation. The Hinata family holds key positions because we produce exceptional explorers.”
With a glance, Ouuma had already grasped the situation, realizing the irreversible changes his brothers had undergone and the hardships ahead.
“…Kaito—no, you’ve changed your name to Kurane. Regain as much of your strength as you can, and use your altered appearance to keep an eye on Fujiwara. Ryudo, if things continue as they are, you’ll be expelled from the academy… But perhaps this change will have its uses.”
“B-big brother… I…”
“A vampire, huh? Even if you have to suck blood, crawl your way back up. If you’re truly my brother.”
“D-damn it… Damn it all…!”
Unlike Kurane, Ryudo had undergone another transformation due to becoming a “Vampire”—his appearance had regressed to that of a child. His outburst now sounded like a mere tantrum.
As Ouuma left the hospital room, he pulled out his smartphone and glanced at the screen of S-Channel.
There, prominently displayed, was the name “Posted by: Tsukasa Fujiwara.” Seeing it, Ouuma clenched his teeth in silent rage.
