It was a Tuesday. The kind of day that usually passed without consequence.
But when Machio opened his locker that morning, instead of socks or bento boxes, he found something else entirely.
A black envelope. Sealed with blood-red wax and an ornate insignia — a thorned rose cradled by fangs.
He stared at it.
"Yo, you gonna read your cursed mail or just marry it?" Kira asked, peeking over Machio's shoulder with a big bite of melon bread still hanging out of his mouth.
Machio slowly cracked the seal, and a faint red mist slithered out, disappearing into the air. The paper was thick, old, and smelled vaguely of iron and roses.
> To: Machio Araki, and Tachibana Natsume
You are hereby summoned to the Crimson Court.
Attendance is mandatory.
Location: Hall of Thorns, midnight.
Dress code: formal. Blood preferred.
— By decree of the Vampire High Council.
Machio blinked. "Uh. Did I just get jury duty for a vampire trial?"
Kira spat out his melon bread. "BRO."
---
By the time third period rolled around, news had already spread through school like wildfire. Half the school buzzed with excitement. The other half whispered behind lockers.
"He's cursed."
"No, he's chosen."
"Either way, he's hot."
Machio sat at his desk with his chin in his hands, sighing. Tachibana was beside him, uncharacteristically quiet, her crimson eyes staring ahead, unreadable.
"Do you know what this Crimson Court actually is?" he asked quietly.
"It's a test," she said finally. "Of power, of blood. And of loyalty. Fail, and…" she trailed off, fingers tightening on her desk.
"And what?" Machio asked.
"You don't come back."
He swallowed hard.
---
That evening, Machio sat across from his mom, Azumi Araki, at their modest kitchen table. She wore a tight black blouse and denim shorts that hugged her curves in all the wrong-right places, sipping casually from a glass of red wine.
"So," she said, licking a drop of wine from her lips. "You got summoned."
"You knew?" Machio asked, wide-eyed.
Azumi set the glass down and stood slowly, walking to the window. Her voice was soft. "I was hoping this day wouldn't come until you were older. Stronger."
He blinked. "Wait. What day?"
She turned, and in the low light, her pupils shimmered scarlet. Her fangs peeked just slightly past her lips.
Machio nearly choked. "M-Mom?!"
Azumi smirked. "Half-blood. From the Nightshade lineage. I left that world to raise you in peace."
"You're a vampire MILF?!" Kira burst in from the hallway, where he had clearly been eavesdropping. "Machio, you lucky bastard!"
Azumi raised an eyebrow. "Kira-kun, would you like to stay for dinner?"
"C-can I be the dinner?" he whispered, drooling.
Machio facepalmed.
Azumi walked over, gently cupping her son's cheek. Her voice dropped, tender but firm. "Listen, sweetheart. The Crimson Court will try to manipulate you. Twist you. They fear your power because it's unstable. But you're more than your blood. You're my son."
Machio swallowed back the emotions rising in his throat. "So what do I do?"
Azumi leaned in, her breath warm. "You do what Arakis do best. You survive. You charm. And you steal every damn heart in the room."
Kira wiped a tear. "I think I'm in love with your mom, bro."
"You and the rest of the world."
---
At precisely midnight, under a blood-moon sky, Machio and Tachibana arrived at the ancient Hall of Thorns. A crimson cathedral, twisted with obsidian vines and floating in a reality fold beneath the school's old theater.
They were dressed to kill. Literally.
Machio wore a custom-tailored black suit with blood-red trim, his markings faintly glowing through the fabric. Tachibana stunned in a gothic slit dress, her thigh-high boots clicking across the stone floor. Her cleavage was criminal.
"Stop staring," she muttered.
"I wasn't—! Okay, I was," Machio admitted.
Inside, the Council awaited — shadowy vampires in ornate robes, their eyes like flickering coals. At the head sat Eldric the Crimson, a towering figure with white hair and eyes like still blood.
"Machio Araki," Eldric boomed. "Step forward. You who bear the resonance."
Machio stepped forward, heart pounding. "Hi. I brought snacks. Not blood though. Sorry."
A few council members blinked.
"His aura is unstable," one hissed.
"He reeks of mortal lust," another muttered.
"He smells like melon bread," Eldric added thoughtfully.
Tachibana cleared her throat. "Let's get to the trial, shall we?"
Eldric rose. "Very well. Your test is simple. Survive our judge's challenge… and choose your loyalty. Blood… or bonds."
The floor split open, revealing a monstrous bat-creature with eight eyes, blades for wings, and an impressive six-pack.
"Oh COME ON," Machio yelled, dodging as it lunged.
---
The battle was chaos. Magic flared. Blood-mist warped reality. Machio unleashed a shockwave of crimson energy that cracked the floor. His markings blazed across his chest and neck.
For a moment, time slowed.
He felt it — the Judge's presence inside him, whispering madness.
Burn them all…
But then—Tachibana grabbed his hand.
"Don't listen," she said. "You're still you."
And just like that, the darkness pulled back.
With a roar, Machio summoned a crimson fist and uppercut the beast skyward. It exploded in a shower of blood confetti.
The chamber went silent.
Eldric slowly clapped. "Impressive. Reckless. But impressive."
Machio panted. "So… we passed?"
Eldric smiled. "Not quite."
---
Back at school the next day, things didn't exactly calm down.
Anzu-senpai, Mishima's resident seductive shrine maiden with thigh-highs and a lewd laugh, confronted Veronica — the vampire exchange student with massive… cultural assets.
"So, you're the Council's little pet?" Anzu said sweetly, poking Veronica's chest. "You smell like undead wet dog."
Veronica flicked her fangs. "You dress like you're allergic to fabric. Go bark at a shrine, puppy."
The two glared.
Then smirked.
Then started undressing.
In the middle of the hallway.
Machio walked in, saw everything, and immediately collapsed with a nosebleed.
"T-Too powerful," he wheezed.
Kira appeared. "What'd I miss—OH HOLY—NOSEBLEED OVERLOAD."
---
Later, in the courtyard, Kira sat with Azumi, drinking tea.
"You remind me of someone," she said gently.
"Was he sexy?" Kira asked.
She giggled. "No. But he was brave."
Kira blushed. "I… I'm not brave. I'm just horny and lucky."
Azumi leaned in, teasing. "Sometimes, those two things save lives."
His heart pounded. "Machio's mom is way too powerful…"
---
As dusk fell, Machio sat on the roof with Tachibana, watching the stars.
"Why do you stay?" he asked.
"With you?"
"Yeah. Even after all this."
She hesitated. "Because… you're an idiot. But you fight for people. Even when you're scared."
He chuckled. "Thanks. I think."
A soft smile touched her lips. "Don't die, okay?"
"I'll try not to."
They sat in silence, the wind carrying whispers of fate.
The Crimson Judge stirred again, deep within.
And the war had only just begun.
To be continued