Thirty minutes later, they left the mansion, already far too late by Erika's standards.
They walked along the tree-covered road leading to the school. Well, Erika walked. Fast. Purposeful.
Akira, on the other hand, tried to walk faster.
Sunlight filtered through the tall trees lining the path, scattering golden fragments across the ground as the academy gates slowly came into view. Above them, Raven and Rose flapped easily through the air, keeping pace without effort. Akira and Erika couldn't exactly leave them behind; letting them fly around and familiarize themselves with the surroundings was the safest option.
They had decided to conduct the familiar ceremony the day after tomorrow. It was the night of the full moon, and vampire familiar ceremonies could only be performed under a full moon, at night.
Unfortunately, that didn't stop Raven and Rose from providing live commentary.
"Caw! Running late, running late!"
"Caw! Akira looks dried! He looks very dried!"
That… absolutely did not help Erika's mood.
"I can't believe this," she muttered, arms crossing tightly against her chest. "First day back during the spring work period, and I'm already late."
Behind her, Akira trudged along, slumped unnaturally low.
He looked… terrible.
Dark circles clung stubbornly beneath his eyes. His skin was pale, almost bloodless. His shoulders sagged as if gravity itself had personally declared war on him.
Without slowing, he pulled a glowing blue jelly bar from his inventory and shoved it into his mouth.
Energy Bar α (Alpha).
Then another.
And another.
Erika glanced back at him.
"…Those aren't working, are they?"
Akira swallowed, staring straight ahead. His voice came out weak, but stubborn.
"They're working alright," he said. "They're just… losing the battle."
He paused for a moment, then added quietly,
"You drained me completely. My blood's still regenerating."
Just then, Raven and Rose continued their live commentary, as always.
"Caw! Bloodbag empty!"
"Caw! Critical condition!"
"You two, shut up!" Erika snapped, shooting them a sharp glare.
Selena's laughter echoed telepathically through Akira's mind.
"Hehe, you really did suck him dry, Erika-Chan. My poor little brother wouldn't have survived if he were a normal human."
Erika felt a flicker of guilt at that. She really had drunk far too much of his blood, so much that she'd been completely full and hadn't even eaten breakfast. Still, embarrassment from the morning hadn't faded, and irritation lingered alongside it.
So, she crossed her arms and said defensively,
"It's his fault for sneaking into my room."
Akira replied weakly,
"I was on an important mission."
Erika shot back instantly,
"Important mission. On my bed."
"You're the one who captured me and put me on your bed," Akira said.
"You could've easily escaped," she countered.
Akira turned his face away.
"Well… I had my reasons."
And it was true.
Akira could have escaped. There were plenty of reasons he hadn't; everything had happened too suddenly, his mind hadn't reacted fast enough, and he'd already been weakened from his moon walk. There were other reasons, too.
But he knew the most important one.
He hadn't really wanted to.
His heart had grown a little selfish.
That was something he would never admit out loud. Not to Erika. Not even to his sister, though he had the feeling she already knew.
Even so, he would never say it himself. No matter what.
Akira looked ahead at Erika as she walked in front of him.
She was wearing her school uniform.
A crisp white blouse, neatly pressed.
A black skirt, its hem marked by two thin white stripes.
A fitted red blazer, trimmed with elegant golden-yellow lines that caught the morning light as she moved.
Black knee-length socks and polished black shoes that clicked softly against the road.
At her collar was a red neck ribbon, tied just right. Her signature red ribbons rested neatly in her hair.
She looked exactly like her anime counterpart.
…Almost.
There was one clear difference.
On the chest of her uniform, where the school emblem rested, it wasn't the familiar crest from the anime. Instead, it depicted a golden sword planted before a golden tree, surrounded by faintly shining stars.
The symbol of the Starlight Family.
A quiet declaration that the school she attended belonged to their lineage.
Akira stared at it for a moment, then spoke telepathically.
"Sister," he asked Selena, "why does our family even have a school?"
Selena's voice echoed telepathically.
"Oh, that," she said. "It's to gather people with a powerful fate. Main characters, all in one place. A school is the perfect environment for that."
Akira paused mid-step.
"Why are we gathering main characters?" He asked. "Is it so we can recruit more Star Chasers?"
"Sometimes," Selena replied. "But that's not the main reason. The real reason we built it… is to gather Fate Energy."
Akira frowned slightly.
"What's Fate Energy?"
Selena hesitated for a moment, choosing her words.
"Well… how should I put it? Fate Energy is created at the moment when possibility collapses into decision."
"That doesn't help," Akira replied flatly. "What does that actually mean?"
"Think of it like this," Selena said. "When people with strong fate make a decision, it alters fate itself, not just theirs, but many others' as well. Like how a single choice made by a main character can affect far more people than they ever realize."
She continued, "When those kinds of decisions happen, Fate Energy is produced. This place, this school, was built by our ancestors as a Fate Energy reservoir. People with strong fate gather here, and their everyday choices continuously generate it."
"I see," Akira said slowly. "So are all anime characters in this world gathered here?"
"Not all of them," Selena replied. "People with magic or other powerful abilities can resist the gathering force if they want to. Because of that, characters from slice-of-life or romance stories tend to gather here more often. You'll probably run into quite a few of them."
Akira let out a quiet sigh.
"And what exactly is Fate Energy used for?"
"You already use it all the time," Selena said casually. "The Nexus Castle, the power to send you to other worlds, even my ability to stop time. All of it runs on Fate Energy."
She added, "Whenever you complete a mission given by the Star Soul System, Fate Energy is generated. Part of it is converted directly into your rewards. That's why it's so valuable."
Akira blinked. "I never knew we used that kind of energy."
He thought for a moment, then said, "So basically… this school is a Fate Energy farm."
"No," Selena corrected immediately. "That sounds crude and inelegant. "Fate Energy reservoir" is much more accurate."
"Alright then," Akira said. "So that means there are going to be a lot of main characters at this school."
"Yes," Selena replied simply.
Akira sighed softly as his gaze drifted back to Erika walking ahead of him, deep in thought about something.
Erika suddenly turned around.
"Why are you so quiet?" she asked. "And why are you looking at me like that?"
Akira answered honestly, without thinking too hard about it.
"Well… you look really good in that uniform. It really suits you. I just… wanted to look at you more."
Erika blinked.
Then her cheeks flushed faintly.
"Huh… o-oh. I see…"
After that, she went quiet and continued walking ahead. The rest of the way passed in silence.
Neither of them spoke again.
Before long, they reached the iron gates of the school.
It was an old English–style academy, surrounded by forest and built along the slope of a hill. The campus was massive, its stone structures and spires giving off a majestic presence even from outside.
Yet it felt strangely empty.
Probably because of spring break.
Erika slowed her steps.
"Well," she said, "we're here. And I guess it's okay for me to officially tell you now."
She turned toward Akira and reached out her hand.
"Welcome to Shuchikan Academy."
Akira didn't respond right away. He just stood there, looking at her in silence.
He couldn't help it.
She looked beautiful.
Erika tilted her head slightly.
"…Why are you looking at me like that again?"
Akira answered honestly.
"Well… with that background, your pose, and the overall aesthetics, you look even more beautiful. I couldn't help but stare."
Since Selena had told him to be honest with his feelings for a few days, Akira said exactly what he felt, without filtering it.
Erika's face turned bright red.
"Idiot! Don't say stupid things!" she snapped, then quickly turned away and started walking, almost running.
"Hey, Erika, wait for me!" Akira called after her. "I'm telling the truth!"
He hurried after her.
They didn't stop anywhere else and instead rushed straight toward the Student Council building.
Akira wanted to look around the campus, but Erika told him she would show him everything after her work was done. So, Student Council first.
As they walked, Akira couldn't help but ask,
"Why does it feel like there are no students around?"
Erika, having mostly recovered her composure, replied,
"Of course, there aren't. It's spring break. Most students went home, and the rest are probably in their dorms or elsewhere on campus."
"I see," Akira said. "So… is this a boarding school?"
"Think of it as a hybrid school," Erika answered. "We have dorms. Some students attend from home, others stay here."
Akira hesitated, then asked,
"If that's the case, why aren't you staying at your house? It's closer to the school, right?"
Erika let out a quiet sigh.
"I had a falling out with my mother, so I'm staying in the dorms."
"…Can you tell me about it?" Akira asked gently.
"It's the same old thing," she replied. "My mother wants me to act more like a vampire. She wants me to take dependents. I don't want to, but she wouldn't listen."
She sighed again.
"So… I'm staying in the dorms."
Akira opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
But before he could, they reached the Student Council room.
"Anyway," Erika said, "we're here. This is the Directing Students Building. Or you can just call it the Student Council building."
Akira looked up at it.
It was an old English–style stone structure, standing slightly apart from the main school buildings.
"Looks cool," Akira said.
"Well, some students call it the Devil's Lair," Erika replied.
"That fits the aesthetics," Akira nodded. "But why isn't it called the Vampire Lair?"
"Oh, shut up," Erika said immediately. "Hurry. We need to get there fast. I have work to do."
Still staring at the building, Akira followed after her.
"Wait for me," he called after and followed her inside.