"Well... Drinking directly from the source is a major taboo..." Rose began to explain, stealing shy glances at Gray every few moments. "If the victim isn't drained completely, a strong addiction forms. We'll keep craving more and more... Only spouses are allowed to drink each other's fresh blood."
"S-sorry... I... We didn't know it was like that," Gray apologized after realizing he had caused a serious misunderstanding. "Do you have a vial? I'll fill it for you..."
"Y-yes, t-thank you. Here, take it," Rose said, her face red as she held out a small glass bottle.
Watching their awkward interaction, which looked suspiciously like flirting, Grace suddenly felt her fists itch. It seemed to her that her brother was ignoring her and paying far too much attention to the vampire girl.
Little Grace felt the urge to compare her strength with Rose's. She was a person of action who rarely thought too deeply about her own emotions, so she had no intention of holding herself back.
"Sister Rose, what kind of powers are you developing?"
Rose didn't notice anything and answered honestly, "I inherited my parents' abilities: telekinesis and regeneration. Dad says that if I train hard enough, I'll be able to spread my wings and fly this year."
"Wow, that sounds so cool. But you don't have any real combat experience at all. Want to compare our strength? I've never fought a vampire before..." Grace предложила, not even trying to hide her enthusiasm.
"Would they allow that?" Rose asked uncertainly, though her eyes were already shining with anticipation.
"I'm sure Mom will support me. It'll be good for both of us. Ask your father to arrange a sparring match tomorrow."
"Here, done," Gray interrupted the argument before it could flare up. He had already filled the little bottle with blood. "Rose, try it. What does it taste like?" he asked with curiosity.
Rose carefully took the vial, her fingers trembling slightly. The scent of blood hit her nose, making her heart beat faster. She froze for a moment, struggling against the urge to drink it all immediately.
'Calm down. Don't get nervous. Don't rush. It's not like this is your first time drinking someone's blood,' Rose ordered herself mentally, but her body refused to listen.
Before she could even catch herself, she brought the vial to her lips and drained it in a single gulp.
The taste was unexpected, like an exquisite wine with notes of tartness and a faint bitterness. A wave of heat rushed through her body. Rose felt slightly dizzy and barely managed to hold back a satisfied sigh. She would never admit out loud that the boy's scent tempted her far more strongly than his sister's.
"It's... amazing," she whispered, trying to hide just how much she had liked it. "I've never tasted anything like it before."
Grace, intrigued by Rose's reaction, decisively snatched the bottle. With a quick motion, she cut her finger with her chakram and filled the vial with her own blood.
"So what about mine?" she asked impatiently.
Rose no longer tried to act polite. She quickly drank everything inside and widened her eyes in surprise.
Grace's blood was astonishingly refreshing. A bright sweetness mixed with a faint tang, leaving a feeling of purity and coolness in her mouth, like cold lemonade on a scorching day.
"It's completely different," she said, smacking her lips. "Gray's blood makes your head spin, while yours... refreshes you and even gives you energy."
"How interesting!" Grace exclaimed. "Can you compare it to real food?"
Rose shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. I can't eat ordinary food, so I don't know what it tastes like."
"Ah... Umu, I forgot," Grace said awkwardly. "It's probably because of our powers. My brother's body is filled with darkness and light, while I use magic of all elements."
Rose nodded, trying not to think about how badly she wanted another taste.
The flavor of their blood was still dancing on her tongue, stirring up a strange mix of euphoria and thirst at the same time.
The children talked a little longer before returning to the celebration. They couldn't stay away for too long, since the feast had been arranged in their honor, after all.
The rest of the banquet passed wonderfully, though with far less intensity.
========
The next morning, the two girls stood face to face five meters apart. Their gazes, filled with focus and determination, carefully studied one another.
A clap rang out.
Rose lunged at Grace like lightning, her elongated nail aiming straight for her opponent's neck.
Grace blocked the attack with her chakram, but the blow was so powerful that it sent her sliding back a full meter. From that single exchange, she understood that fighting a vampire in close combat was the same as serving herself up on a silver platter.
'If I want to match her speed, I'll have to keep using wind magic constantly. I'd like to create some distance, but will the vampire girl even allow that?' Grace thought as she hurriedly blocked Rose's next strike.
While they exchanged blows, Gray stood beside his mother, watching the duel intently.
Catherine kept her eyes on the girls, paying attention not only to her daughter, but to Rose as well. She had already heard about the little "mistake" her son had made yesterday. And now, she was quite interested in the identity of a possible "daughter-in-law."
"This looks so dangerous," Gray muttered, shrinking in anxiety.
His feelings were mixed. The boy worried about both opponents, longed to join them, yet understood that his body would never endure such a pace. Only now did Gray realize how much he had underestimated his sister, even though he had trained with her for many years.
"Don't worry, sweetheart," Catherine replied without taking her eyes off the battle. "There are many Sky-Dwellers watching them. We'll stop the fight before either of them ends up in danger."
"Mom, who do you think will win?"
"Hard to say," Catherine began. "They don't know each other's strengths. Everything could be decided in a single exchange. Remember this, son. A battle is not just a comparison of strength. Every little detail matters: speed, agility, reaction, terrain, and much more. The most important thing is being able to make the right decisions at the right moment. Unless there's an overwhelming gap in power, the outcome can never be predicted."
As he listened to his mother, Gray understood that it was physically impossible for him to keep up with her and his sister.
And yet, a new determination lit up in his eyes. He had already accepted his weakness, but he refused to remain a burden. He wanted to help them in his own way. His resolve to create a calculating device only grew stronger. He was already imagining how useful that invention would be for his mother and sister.
His thoughts were interrupted by Grace's sudden cry as she was sent flying once again. She didn't mind in the slightest.
She used the force of the blow to widen the distance between herself and Rose even further.
While airborne, the silver-haired girl kept pelting her opponent with fireballs, showing absolutely no concern for her safety. Grace understood that she had to go all out if she wanted even a chance at victory.
Meanwhile, Rose wasn't standing idle either.
She tried to make full use of her advantage in strength and speed, but Grace was incredibly nimble. She always dodged or blocked the heaviest blows, getting away with nothing worse than bruises and scrapes.
Suddenly, the vampire girl sensed danger.
She twisted her body sharply, but still took a deep cut across her waist. It was Grace's chakram, charged with lightning.
Rose's body shuddered from the current, and her movements became stiff and sluggish.
Seizing the moment, Grace closed in while continuing to attack with bursts of electricity.
Now the advantage was hers.
They kept fighting at close range, striking with kicks and weapons alike. Catching a brief moment of hesitation, Grace tried to deliver a decisive blow to the heart. She had expected someone to stop her, but the instant she felt the blade sink into flesh, she jerked her hand back in fright.
"Stop!" a voice rang out, and the girls were frozen in place by an invisible force.
Neither Rose nor Grace noticed when Constantine and Constance appeared beside them.
"Rose wins," Old Man Ma announced as he rose from the stands.
"What?! Why?!" Grace asked, completely bewildered.
She still couldn't move, but nothing stopped her from speaking.
"Look down, little one," Robert said sternly.
Grace lowered her head and saw a sharp claw hovering just a centimeter away from her stomach. Only then did she realize that the battle had been stopped because of her, not Rose.
"Rose used telekinesis to deflect your attack, then counterattacked," the old warlock explained.
"But I didn't want to seriously hurt her," Grace protested.
"Never forget, regeneration is the foundation of a vampire's strength. Especially for Rose, who has been developing it since childhood," Constance said with a smile as she released the girls. "Even if you had pierced her heart and torn it out, her body would have kept functioning. It's an unfair racial advantage, but there's nothing to be done about it."
Despite the pressure from the older vampire woman, Rose showed a bright, victorious smile. Their sparring match had turned out far more intense than she had expected. That was why Rose was genuinely happy that she had managed to win.
"Don't get too full of yourself either, young miss. If this had been a real battle, and Grace hadn't been concerned about your safety, you would have died while she would've only been seriously wounded," Constance added with a faint hint of mockery. "Even if you can keep fighting with a damaged heart, your body would weaken and your reactions would slow down drastically, which Grace could have taken advantage of."
"Constance is absolutely right," Catherine picked up at once, eager to explain every mistake to her daughter. "You were too greedy, sweetheart. In a real fight, you always have to consider the possible appearance of new enemies.
Let's say you could trade an injury for your opponent's life. What if someone found you while you were in a weakened state? Always account for your surroundings and stay cautious.
You should have pressed your advantage by bombarding Rose with lightning. And only once her body was completely immobilized should you have delivered a single fatal strike.
Strategy, sequence of actions, and risk calculation matter more than impulsive resolve. Always think several steps ahead. Every action must be tactically justified and must not put you at risk."
Grace couldn't help feeling upset that she had wasted her advantage, but she still decided to listen obediently to her mother.
"You did great anyway, sister! I'm proud of you. And you, Rose, you were amazing in this battle!" Gray said, his eyes shining with excitement.
"Thank you," the girls said in unison.
Catherine stepped closer, examining them both carefully.
"You both performed admirably. Now, let's take care of your injuries."
Rose nodded, the deep cut on her shoulder already beginning to close. Grace, on the other hand, was only now feeling the pain from the many bruises and scrapes.
"I think a good rest will do both of you well," Catherine said, applying ointment to Grace's wounds while Valentina tended to Rose. "Since we're done with battles for today, let's head into the city. You wanted to explore it, didn't you?"
"Umu," Grace nodded, agreeing with her mother's plan.
=============
Dear readers, please don't forget to write the reviews, support book with Power Stones, and express your opinion in the comments.
Your reactions not only inspire me, but also influence the algorithms that promote the work and allow it to find more readers.
Thank you so much for your support.