"Many of the things we all take for granted in the Settlement were actually created with this very Ability," Muka continued. "The Light Rings we wear when we need to go to the Human World, as well as the Blood Flasks we use to ensure that we always have access to a fresh source of blood…both of these things would not exist if it wasn't for the 10th Family."
Sergeant Faye looked at Muka in pure and utter shock.
She had never heard of such a powerful Ability.
Her face then hardened.
'No,' she thought, as the image of a certain boy with short, blonde hair and cerulean-blue eyes, surrounded by nine Humanoid Beasts flashed in her mind. 'That's not exactly true…'
A moment later, Muka continued.
"Besides, it's not like we do not have…precedant...for such an event occuring," she replied.
The other Vampires all turned to her with a look of confusion.
"Long ago, during the infancy of the Vampire Settlement, the 10th Family…created something," she replied. "Something that has been passed down from one Vampire King to the next. The Absolute Blood Control Ability Book. I believe that the Leader of the 10th Family who fled the Settlement may have done something similar, to transfer his powers to another as a contingency plan in the event that he was not able to find a worthy successor before he…expired."
The faces of the Vampires changed from confusion, to wide-eyed shock.
The Absolute Blood Control Ability Book was one of the two Great Treasures of the Vampire Settlement, alongside the legendary set of Blood Armor.
Both of these things were surrendered by a previous Vampire King at the end of their life, and remained in a vault, locked so it could only be opened using the blood of all 13 Vampire Families, until a new King was elected.
In the case of the Absolute Blood Control Ability Book, it was more of a storage container than the typical Ability Book that the Humans were familiar with.
Rather than a person being able to read the book to learn the Ability, the Ability was quite literally stored in the book, and merely absorbed into the new King
As a matter of fact, it shared a significant amount of similarities to the strange book that Quinn had obtained his "System" from.
Sergeant Faye tilted her head in confusion.
''Vampire King'?' she thought. 'And the 'Absolute Blood Control Ability Book'?'
There were both terms that she had never heard before.
But she could assume that this "Vampire King" was the Settlement's equivalent of the Military's Supreme Commander.
But…just what was the "Absolute Blood Control Ability Book"? Was it some kind of extremely rare, exceedingly powerful Ability that let one control blood?
Sergeant Faye narrowed her eyes.
Her discipline as a soldier told her that there was a time and a place for these questions.
And that time was not now.
She cleared her throat, regaining the attention of the other Vampires, who all turned to her.
"I also had…additional collaborating evidence to support this claim that the Talen boy was turned while on the base," she replied. "You remember how I told you we have received multiple reports of students possessing injuries that match that of a Vampire bite? Those reports didn't start appearing until after the event I just described happened. With the first reported incident taking place the very next morning."
Muka leaned back in her chair and clasped her hands together in front of her chest, appearing to be deep in thought.
"Yes," she replied. "That does seem to match the actions of a freshly-turned Vampire. Especially one without any…proper guidance."
She turned her attention to Faye, the girl feeling her heart jump.
"I wish to speak to this…'Shizuka' girl before I make my final decision," Muka replied. "But, seeing as how you said this event took place weeks ago, and the other Humans seem unaware, it leads me to believe that she never reported it, despite her high rank in their organization implying that she should have. Therefore, I am inclined to believe that she can be trusted."
Sergeant Faye let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, my Leader," she said, taking a bow.
***
A short while later in a different room, Shizuka could be seen laying down on a bed in another room within the Ninth Family Castle.
The room was pretty bare-bones, containing only a large, queen-size bed pushed against the wall.
Standing directly in front of the bed, looking like an angry sentinel, his arms crossed and his face scrunched up in irritation, was the Vampire Muka had assigned to watch over Shizuka.
He was deeply annoyed that he was stuck watching some Human girl until she woke up.
A Human girl who, as far as he was concerned, shouldn't even be here in the first place.
'I can't believe she willingly brought some Human into our castle!' the man thought in irritation. 'Does she even care about our laws?!'
The Settlement's rule involving Humans had always been crystal clear.
Any Humans that finds out about the existence of Vampires has three choices: Either they are turned, have the memories involving Vampires removed, or they are executed.
The idea of not just letting a Human know about the existence of the Settlement, but let alone bring them here went against the strictest of their laws.
"If a newly-turned Vampire fledgling from another family would have pulled a stunt like this, the consequences would be severe!" he muttered bitterly.
It was then that Shizuka's eyes snapped wide open, and she let out a gasp.
Immediately, her entire upper body snapped upwards, as the memories of what had happened just prior to her falling unconscious flashed through her mind.
She remembered it all, Sergeant Faye pulling her forward with surprising strength, and biting into Shizuka's neck with elongated canines that a Human simply should not possess.
In addition to the memories, that tingling feeling that she had felt when Faye had sucked out her blood began to fill every inch of her body, and her face began to flush red.
'What is this feeling?' Shizuka thought in confusion. 'It almost feels like an…addictive high, the kind one gets from drugs. But I've never so much as touched a narcotic in my life! Oscar would have yelled my ear off when he found out!'
Shizuka's thoughts were interrupted, as she heard an unfamiliar voice speak up from directly in front of her.
"Oh, thank god!" a masculine voice replied in annoyance. "You're finally awake! Having to watch you sleep was more boring that watching paint dry!"
Shizuka turned her head towards the source of the voice, and she saw the male Vampire with his arms crossed.
Seeing that not only was she in an unfamiliar room, but she also had a complete unknown directly in front of her, her "fight-or-flight" response, in combination with the instincts from her six years of being in the military screamed to life.
She thrust her right hand out in front of her.
The Vampire raised an eyebrow.
"Just what are you-"
The next second, a wall of thick earth erupted out of the floor of the room at a diagonal slant, pinning the poor man to the back wall.
The force of the impact was so great, that it caused the nearby rooms to shake, and a loud "bam" was heard.
***
Back in the throne room of the castle, the Vampires all turned towards the source of the noise, which was directly above them.
"Looks like Shizuka's awake," Sergeant Faye replied, looking up at the ceiling.
***
Back in the above room, the male Vampire found himself currently being smushed between the back wall of the room, and the Earth Wall, pinning him to the wall up to his sternum.
However, while most would be in an intense state of fear from such a situation, the Vampire only felt anger.
Anger…and embarrassment.
"Overpowered by a mere Human," he muttered under his breath. "Of all of the-"
His words were cut off mid-sentence, as he felt a sharp steel blade pressed against his neck, Shizuka had reorientated herself into a sitting position on the bed, before lunging at the Vampire.
"Where am I?!" she yelled, her Emperor-Tier Beast Rapier pressed horizontally against the Vampire's neck. "And where is Faye?!"
The male Vampire gritted his teeth in anger.
Despite his super-human strength as a Vampire Noble, the rank directly above what Quinn currently was in the Vampire's evolutionary line, Shizuka had him pressed so tightly against the wall, that the man couldn't get any leverage.
He couldn't move so much as a pinky, let alone an entire arm.
"My Leader…wishes to speak with you," he muttered through gritted teeth. "I was ordered to…watch over you until you regained consciousness."