Back in Ninth Family Castle in the Vampire Settlement, Faye began to read the passage on the page.
A Blood Knight is an extremely rare Class-A Subclass that is nearly indistinguishable from a full Vampire. The only differations is the Blood Knight being unable to learn the Vampire Blood Skills more suited for long-range, such as the Blood Spray and the Blood Bullet. However, the Blood Knight makes up for this fact by possessing unique Blood Skills more suited for hand-to-hand combat.
At their base evolution, the basic Blood Knight, they possess four unique Blood Skills: The Blood Sword Slash, the Blood Blade, the Blood Armor, and the Blood Resistance.
The Blood Sword Slash is the Blood Knight's version of the Blood Swipe. Though, since the skill requires the use of a bladed weapon, the Skill tends to have more range and power.
The Blood Blade is a Skill where the Blood Knight can channel their Blood Aura through their bladed weapon, enveloping the blade in Blood Aura, and making every swing of their sword comparable to a Blood Swipe.
The Blood Armor is a form of internal armor. Similar to the Blood Hardening Skill, the Blood Knight's body will instinctively harden the blood inside their body in select locations to take on the hardness of metal, making the Blood Knight highly resistant to physical attacks.
The Blood Resistance makes the Blood Knight essentially immune to any form of illness or toxins, as their blood will physically purge the bacteria or toxins out of the body.
Much like with Vampires and other Subclasses, the Blood Knight is capable of evolution. The Blood Knight currently has two evolutions, each one corresponding in power with one of the base Vampire evolutions.
The Blood Knight equivalent of a Vampire Noble is the Greater Blood Knight, and the Blood Knight equivalent of a Vampire Lord is the Elder Blood Knight.
***
Back in the conference room in Military Base 2, Tsukuru glanced over at Shizuka.
"Shizuka?" he asked, not used to seeing her like this. "What's wrong?"
Shizuka remained silent for a moment. Then, she spoke.
"Faye…left with the Salvage Team to Pioletic earlier this morning," she replied. "They…They still haven't returned."
Hearing this, Tsukuru narrowed his eyes. He brought his wristwatch up to his chest and looked at it. In the upper-right corner, it read "17:02". Just a little after five o'clock in the afternoon.
'That's weird,' he thought. 'They should be back by now."
However, a dark, depressing thought then entered his head.
"They only went out because of the things that I left on the Red Portal Planet, right?" Tsukuru asked, causing Shizuka to turn to him. When she did, she saw that he had a melancholic expression on her face. "So, in other words, Faye's only missing because of me."
Shizuka grit her teeth and tightened her hands into fists.
"No," she growled. Instantly, Tsukuru snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Shizuka. "It's Duke's fault."
A look of deep anger appeared on Shizuka's face.
"If he hadn't orchestrated you being pushed into that Portal, Faye would still be here."
***
Back in the Ninth Family castle in the Vampire Settlement, Faye continued to stare at the image on the page.
"So, I'm one of these…'Blood Knights'?" she asked.
Muka nodded.
"Correct," she replied, as she took back the book. She walked over and placed it back on the bookcase.
"And in some ways, that makes you even stronger than a regular Vampire."
Muka then walked towards the door. Once she reached it, she turned back to Faye.
"Let's head back to the throne room," she replied. "It's just about time for you to depart."
***
Back in the conference room on Military Base 2, Starrk glanced over at Tsukuru.
"So you're my new boss, huh?" he asked.
Tsukuru put on a warm smile.
"Yeah," he replied, with a shrug of his shoulders. "I guess so."
Starrk stared at him for a moment longer, analyzing him.
He then let out a sigh.
"What a drag," he muttered.
He then looked down at his arms.
'My body…' he thought. 'It feels…different than before.'
He looked up at Tsukuru and saw him conversing with Shizuka. As he did, he couldn't help but compare it to how he used to interact with Lilynette. A warm smile crept across his face.
"You, boy," Starrk replied, getting the two's attention. "Tell me…why does my body feel so…weak?"
Tsukuru let out a nervous laugh, and he felt a slight chill run down his back.
***
Back in the Ninth Family castle's throne room, Muka sat on her throne with Faye kneeling in front of her. Around her left hip, the one opposite her sword, she had a moderately-sized pouch with multiple pockets. In the inside pocket, there was one of the black Portable Teleporters for the Vampire Settlement. Hidden in the front pouch, there was a large, glass flask filled with blood.
"Faye Dallum," Muka replied in an authoritative tone, her voice echoing through the room. "You are to return to the Human settlement, 'Military Base 2'. There, you are to investigate the strange disturbancesgoing on there. You are then to report your findings to me."
Faye nodded.
"Yes, my Leader," she replied.
Muka nodded in satisfaction and gestured to one of the Vampires to step forward. He carried a metal trap with a small device on it.
It looked like a thick arm band made out of black metal. In the center, there was a large, silver disc, roughly the size of a "silver dollar" from the old world. Embedded on the disc, there was a black bat with its wings spread. Above the bat's head, nestled behind its ears, was a sky-blue circular jewel, looking like a full moon behind the bat. Ornate carvings and engravings were covering the arm band.
"This is a personal communications device," Muka replied. "It will allow you to communicate directly with me. Simply press down on the jewel to establish a link."
Faye nodded and stood to her feet.
She walked over to the Vampire and picked the device off the tray. Faye slid it onto the hand opposite the one where her wristwatch was located. She twisted it a few times to make sure it was firmly in place.
A new Vampire then stepped forward. In his hand, he held one of the black personal teleporters. He placed it on the floor of the throne room and pressed the button.
Just like before, Faye watched as it transformed from a black rectangle into the metal ring of a Teleporter. A moment later, a vortex of purple energy could be seen.
"This portal will return you to the Red Portal Planet where I found you," Muka replied. "I expect that you can find your way back to your Base?" she asked.
Faye nodded.
"Yes, my Leader," she replied. "There's a portal inside the Shelter that we used the last time we had to go to the planet."
Muka nodded.
"Good," she replied. "Then, let you be off."
Muka and the other Vampires watched as Faye walked through the Portal and vanished through its Vortex.
Muka continued to stare at the Portal for a moment longer.
'I should have asked her why she was on the planet in the first place, but I needed to send her back as soon as possible,' Muka thought. 'Who knows what's going on in that 'Base' of hers? Things are hectic enough as it is right now with the Election rapidly approaching. The last thing we need is the Humans throwing a wrench in the works.'
***
Back in the conference room on Military Base 2, Tsukuru let out a long sigh.
"It seems that the Summoning Process has…reset your body, Starrk," Tsukuru said, glancing away. "Currently, your body has reverted to that of a Gillian."
Shizuka raised an eyebrow in confusion at this strange word, but it seemed that Starrk understood it perfectly.
He let out a long sigh, and his arms slumped under his head, spreading outwards.
"Lovely," he muttered, glancing away.
Tsukuru then turned back to Starrk.
"Additionally, it seems that you have been given a physical body," he replied.
At Tsukuru's words, Starrk unclasped his two hands and brought his right hand up to his face so he could look at it.
He had been so concerned with everything else up to this point that this information hadn't even registered with him, but it was true. If he were still in his true form, how were these Humans even seeing him, and how had he been able to touch the boy's hand earlier?