Animal blood naturally cannot compare to human blood, but if a Vampire goes without blood for too long, they will starve to death.
What's more, they might even turn into a demon.
"Honestly, you were the one who insisted on coming, and now you're all moping around. That won't do; you're still at the age to be full of energy."
Qiuyun Nayuki looked at Qiuyun Yuhe, who was feeling low, with a helpless sigh.
He had made such a fuss about coming here, even resorting to acting spoiled, yet now he had no enthusiasm whatsoever.
And speaking of which, that was the first time she had ever seen Hazuru act spoiled—it was so cute!
Qiuyun Yuhe said wearily, "Sorry, Mother. Wherever you want to go, just go. I'll just follow along."
Hearing this, Qiuyun Nayuki raised her head and looked around.
A light snow was still falling, leaving a thin layer on the road. Pedestrians on the street were busy with their own business, walking familiarly toward their destinations; outsiders like them were rare.
Qiuyun Nayuki lowered her head and looked at Qiuyun Yuhe.
"This place doesn't look like a vacation spot no matter how you look at it. Why did little Hazuru want to come here? Kyoto has plenty of other interesting places, after all."
Qiuyun Yuhe felt a twinge of guilt.
He certainly couldn't say that traveling was just an excuse, and the real purpose was to find Vampires.
Fortunately, he understood Qiuyun Nayuki quite well.
*Solve problems as they arise*—that was Qiuyun Nayuki's motto.
At first, Qiuyun Yuhe had only mentioned coming to Nagoya without specifying any particular location.
It wasn't until they were buying train tickets that Qiuyun Nayuki asked where their destination was so she could purchase the tickets.
Fearing that Qiuyun Nayuki would decide to go home early upon realizing there were no tourist attractions, Qiuyun Yuhe hurriedly started making things up.
"It's because I want to buy something! They only sell it here; one of my classmates has it, and I want it too."
Qiuyun Nayuki was a bit skeptical.
"You're just buying something, so why did you say you wanted to stay for several days?"
Qiuyun Yuhe felt mentally exhausted.
*Oh my god, why is your brain suddenly working so fast again?!*
As expected, a single lie requires countless more to cover it up.
"Because... because I also want to build a snowman on the mountain."
Qiuyun Yuhe pointed toward a mountain path not far away.
Qiuyun Nayuki looked toward the peak, her delicate brows knitting slightly. She still found it strange.
What was there to play with on such a desolate mountain? Did they really have to build a snowman on this mountain of all places? She refused to believe there was anything magical about it.
However, she chose not to expose Qiuyun Yuhe's clumsy excuse. If he wanted to play on this mountain, she would let him.
Anyway, ever since he was little, Qiuyun Yuhe often went out at times when he shouldn't, and whenever she asked why, he always gave flimsy excuses, which Qiuyun Nayuki never pressed too hard.
Over time, she simply got used to it. As long as Hazuru grew up safe, happy, and into a capable young man, she would be content.
Qiuyun Yuhe was also aware of his mother's uncharacteristic leniency.
He figured that Qiuyun Nayuki must have materialized out of thin air in the world of Seraph of the End just to flesh out his social background, and her existence was simply meant to facilitate his activities.
Yet six years of living together had already made Qiuyun Yuhe accustomed to his mother's care.
Regardless of Qiuyun Nayuki's true nature, right now she was simply Qiuyun Yuhe's mother in this world.
At the very least, Qiuyun Nayuki had truly given Shangguan Yuhe—who had been abandoned by his father and left an orphan—the warmth of a home.
It was Qiuyun Nayuki who held up an umbrella for Shangguan Yuhe, who had spent his whole life walking in the rain.
That was why Qiuyun Yuhe was willing to take on missions at the risk of running into elite monsters right in the starter village.
Even though Qiuyun Yuhe certainly wouldn't have time to accompany Qiuyun Nayuki once the main plot began, as long as she was alive, she would remain his spiritual anchor.
Afterward, the two of them, one tall and one short, arrived at the city's largest shopping mall.
As soon as they entered the mall, the two of them split up.
Since she had finally made it to Kyoto, Qiuyun Nayuki decided to get her hands on a handbag she had seen in a magazine, which would inevitably involve a battle of wits with the salesperson.
Although it was just a lie, the feeling of shopping for things he liked genuinely put Qiuyun Yuhe in a good mood.
He decided to pick out a few things he liked, plus a Kyoto specialty, and that would be enough.
"Let's see... *Ten Things You Must Know About the Imperial Demon Army*? This is good, I'll take it! And then..."
"Kawasaki badminton racket? Take it!"
"Muji eraser? Take it!"
"Thickened sketchpad buy-one-get-one-free? Take it!"
"Ultra-thin dotted? Take... wait, no, not that one..."
However, he still had no idea that someone was approaching from behind.
"What are you buying?"
A low and familiar voice sounded behind Qiuyun Yuhe, giving him such a fright that he shuddered.
Turning his head, he saw a pale face, black hair meticulously groomed, and black-and-red eyes gazing quietly at Qiuyun Yuhe.
Saito was dressed in a black suit, looking completely out of place among the people around them wearing padded winter coats and down jackets.
"S... Mr. Saito?!"
"What a coincidence to find you here too."
Qiuyun Yuhe was astonished. *What the heck are you doing here?!*
"What a coincidence indeed. I didn't expect to run into you here either. Well, are you here looking for your father's ring?"
Saito replied naturally, as if he really had run into Qiuyun Yuhe by chance.
"Yeah, just buying some random stuff. But why is Mr. Saito here?"
Qiuyun Yuhe glossed over it evasively.
*Aren't you supposed to be managing your Byakuya Sect? What are you doing here? Does your Byakuya Sect even dare to set up a stronghold near Sanguinem?*
*Aren't you afraid Ferid will catch your scent and come running?*
*Visiting Krul for old times' sake? That's impossible either; you should have already betrayed the Vampires by now. Krul, as a Vampire Queen with actual power, couldn't possibly have any ties to you. Besides, like I said before:*
*The moment you're here, Ferid catches your scent and shows up.*
Saito straightened up, shoved his hands into his pockets, and said casually, "I'm just passing through."
Qiuyun Yuhe sneered inwardly. *If I believe you, I'm a Siberian husky.*
Saito looked around.
"Where are your mother and uncle? Why are you all by yourself?"
Qiuyun Yuhe thought to himself: *This is bad.*
If this guy finds out I don't have an uncle, won't he skin me alive for lying to him?
"Ah, them? They... they got separated from me, but it's fine, I know the way back to the hotel. They'll probably go back to the hotel to look for me anyway."
Qiuyun Yuhe was actually quite curious about Saito's purpose in coming here. Could it be that Krul already knew about the Seraph experiment at this point and wanted to talk with Saito?
"Oh, I see. Well..."
Saito looked as though he wanted to say something more to Qiuyun Yuhe, but he suddenly paused, his nose twitching slightly. He frowned, then continued:
"Well then, be careful. I have matters to attend to, so I'll be going."
"Right, Sai—"
Qiuyun Yuhe was about to say goodbye when he suddenly felt a sharp pain on the back of his hand.
Lifting his hand to look, he saw two small puncture wounds on the back of it, with two drops of blood slowly welling up.
*A Vampire's bite mark?*
Qiuyun Yuhe looked around; there were no other Vampires besides Saito.
And biting something as low down as the back of the hand?
Saito had already walked over ten meters away, so it couldn't have been him.
Qiuyun Yuhe was filled with doubt.
*Are there Vampires that tiny?*
*Ah! It feels like there really is one!*
Vampire Queen Krul's peculiar pet—a one-eyed little bat named Arukanu.
If Qiuyun Yuhe had looked up just then, he would have noticed a small black ball with wings clinging to the ceiling and flying off in the direction Saito had left.