Chapter 1 : Scarlet Moon

The scarlet moon shone brightly in the night sky without a single trace of a star in sight. Mist covered the entire area making the surrounding a bit bleary. A mysterious crowd stood motionless like puppets devoid of any emotion.

In front of them is a ravishing woman in a sophisticated black dress wearing an indifferent expression on her immaculate countenance. Her long raven locks swayed gently in the cold breeze of the gloomy night. No one dared to lift their head and meet the woman's cold gaze. A heavy atmosphere enveloped the room as the only sound that could be heard is the woman's long black nails tapping rhythmically on the wine glass being held in her dominant hand.

The deafening silence was broken when a portal suddenly appeared before the woman and there came out an obscure individual wearing a duplicate cloak as the rest of the crowd. He hastily approached the woman settled on the elegant seat and respectfully kneeled before her.

"My lady, I have ascertained the information about the Altius Pack allegedly attacking Azec City which is under the territory of the Atrum Vampir. They have taken advantage of the monsters wreaking havoc and now have taken total control of the area. The aforementioned pack is presently on their way to the next city."

The unknown individual spoke carefully, his eyes glued to the ground. The pressure in the air intensified and the crowd felt the woman's menacing aura. The individual who conveyed the news felt the most pressure as the undead heart inside his ribcage hammered violently feeling the woman's terrible temperament upon hearing his report despite her unchanging expression. He gulped hard but still managed to maintain his composure. After all, this man did survive for hundreds of years.

Silence filled the room for a few seconds before the woman spoke in a calm voice.

"What is the Great Elder's next move?" She looked down at the kneeling man, waiting for a response.

"The Great Elder has ordered Lady Aster of House Scarlet, the sole heiress of Krevan March, shall lead the mission of retaking Azec City."

"Very well."

The woman stood up from her seat and gracefully approached the crowd silently awaiting her command.

She looked up at the night sky and reached a hand up as if caressing the scarlet moon. She smiled a dazzling smile as her eyes which is now as red as blood glinted with mischief.

"The moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it? It is the perfect night to slaughter some filthy mutts."

Everything was in chaos. A blazing fire swallowed everything in its path leaving only ashes and remains. Buildings were destroyed and fallen debris was scattered on the floor. Screams of agony and wicked laughter could be heard echoing in the vicinity mixed with the unearthly growl of monsters. The whole city was filled with blood. Countless corpses of werewolves and vampires littered the ground. Dismembered body parts were dispersed along the road. Numerous vampires and werewolves were still fighting amidst the chaos.

An elite squad from Atrum Vampir was surrounded by numerous groups of werewolves. They were heavily outnumbered but the seven vampires were not losing. The werewolves charged mercilessly towards them but they skillfully dodged the attacks. In a second, the werewolves' eyes widened

when they fell to the ground with a hole in their chest, blood dripping to the ground. The remaining werewolves hesitated and stopped in their tracks.

"Bold of you to invade our territory on a scarlet moon. Are you not informed that it is the night when the vampires' abilities are extremely heightened? Or are you so arrogant that you think you can defeat us without the help of sun?"

The red-haired vampire who spoke with venom dripping in his tone smirked sadistically as he licked the splattered blood on his cheek. He grimaced after tasting the werewolf's blood.

"Your blood never changes. It's the same disgusting taste of a dog."

The leader gave him a warning look.

"We have no time for chitchat. Focus on the mission, redhead."

The red-haired vampire rolled his eyes and muttered some incoherent words which earned him a glare from the leader who understood it with his sharp hearing.

"And you still smell like rotten fish. Not even a dog would want to eat you."

The vampires glared at the werewolves. One vampire couldn't help but snicker at the comment which earned him a disapproving stare from his team. He quickly removed his amused reaction.

"...That was kinda funny though." 

Criminal offensive side-eye.

"I mean, go sniff your own butt you flea-bags!"

The werewolves let out a loud angry howl before charging aggressively. The seven vampires revealed their fangs and charged toward the werewolves with equal animosity. 

Whoosh. Bam. Thump. Smash.

Vicious attacks were exchanged between the two parties. Their swift movements were a blur to the eyes.

A vampire was busy fighting five werewolves at the same time. He dodged each incoming attack with great precision and landed great blows on his attackers. He was about to finish one of the werewolves when a huge wolf crept behind him and came charging with great speed that he had no time to dodge it. He was left off-guard and before he could react, the wolf bit a huge chunk off his shoulder. The vampire let out a loud groan of pain as he fell to the ground with a sickening thud.

"Ugh..."

"Cassian!"

He cried in pain as the wound in his shoulder began to slowly regenerate. Some of his teammates who eliminated their opponents immediately provided assistance to the injured vampire.

The leader quickly came to the rescue and landed a powerful blow to the werewolf which sent him flying in the opposite direction far from his previous location. Before he could stand up, the vampire reappeared before him in a blink of an eye and his sharp claws dug into his chest. The beast screamed in agony when the leader mercilessly pulled his heart out. He had a dark look on his face as he dropped the beating organ to the ground without a care.

He was about to speak but immediately froze upon feeling an immense killing intent directed towards him. The temperature dropped several degrees as an oppressive aura covered his entire being making him feel suffocated. The other vampires who were eliminating their opponents with little difficulty also froze and felt their skin crawl from the inexplicable danger that was slowly approaching them.

Every sense of their body was heightened to its maximum potential as they tried to locate the source of the menacing energy which they never felt before.

"W-What is this?..."

The vampires' eyes widened as they saw a man slowly approaching them. Time seemed to slow down as every step he took exuded absolute confidence and dominance as if he was a predator and they were his natural prey.

What is this?

This is despair.

Cold glacier-blue eyes directly gazed at them and it felt as if the grim reaper himself was mocking these immortal vampires who cheated death. One thing crossed their minds upon seeing those mesmerizing orbs.

The Azure Alpha...

A terrifying man which they have only heard about through rumors and stories of their fellow vampires. It was said that he single-handedly killed the Royal Fangs' three original members. He was so powerful that he did not need to transform into his werewolf form when fighting high-ranking vampires. Rumor has it that his wolf was only seen twice in the past and both times were when he fought the third member of the Royal Fangs, Lady Aster Scarlet.

They never believed those rumors before, only treating it as a children's story. However, with the man himself standing before them with all his glory, looking like a fine art meticulously sculpted by the gods themselves, the vampires struggled to remain standing on their feet.

'Why is that monster here? I heard he was aloof and only shows up on extremely important matters. This is just a random city under the territory of the Marquess of Krevan, Lord Ashmond Scarlet.'

Their legs shook tremendously as for the first time in their immortal life, they felt what fear truly is.

One thing crossed their mind.

'It's a mistake to fight this guy.'

The survival instinct began kicking in and their feet wanted nothing more than to run from this dangerous place and flee where this man will never reach them. However, their pride as a vampire would never let them do that. They refuse to succumb to this man's power, for submitting to the enemy is more humiliating than death itself.

'Is this the reason why those werewolves were so arrogant and attacked the city during a scarlet moon? They knew that the mere presence of this alpha could bring them victory.'

Only one werewolf from their previous battle remained alive. He was lying on the ground on his back. His neck was being stepped on by the red-haired vampire, making it difficult to breathe. Even still, he managed to let out a weak mocking laugh.

"Ha! It's your end disgusting blood-suckers!"

The redhead put more pressure on his neck making the werewolf immediately stop. He grabbed him by his neck and forced him on his feet. He glared at the werewolf who was looking at him smugly like their position was reversed. The werewolf's demeanor made him lose his temper. He revealed his sharp claws and prepared to end his life.

The leader felt a bead of sweat trailing down his forehead as he was looking alternately between his friends and the intimidating man in front. A short-haired brunette slowly reached towards her bag, reaching for something. Every second that passed felt like hours as the air was filled with tension. The other members swallowed hard and readied their claws out, on guard and prepared to fight back, their eyes pinned on the man and his every move.

"Stop."

Instinctively, everyone halted.

His cold voice oozed with dominance and they felt the power an Alpha holds through his voice that demanded submission. For a moment, the vampires couldn't defy the order of a being that was above them. Shame quickly washed over the seven as they were hit by the reality that they obeyed a being they deemed lower than their kind. It was just one word but the influence and control this man held was frightening.

The elite squad looked at each

other with resolve in their eyes. They released their full potential and maximized their abilities. There's no turning back now. Even if they flee, this beast will catch up to them within seconds.

Simultaneously, the vampires charged toward the man and launched their most powerful attacks. Everything happened in a blur. One second, they were throwing punches and kicks at the man hoping to find a blind spot, and the next second the man disappeared in their sight and they found themselves planted on the ground unable to move.

'W-What happened?'

Every part of his body ached. Blood covered his entire body and he didn't know which part of him was injured. The blood of his teammates was splattered on the ground. The leader struggled to focus his blurry sight but his eyes widened when the man appeared in front of his teammates in a blink of an eye and effortlessly decapitated them. No one had the time to react. No one had the power left to stand up and defend themselves. Their regeneration ability was not strong enough to heal the injury inflicted by him. Seeing his teammates get eliminated like mosquitos, his pride quickly went down the drain.

His voice was filled with fear as he tried to form coherent words.

"P-please spare me..."

He begged the man who was looking down on him like he was nothing more than an insect. Hearing his plea, the man only gave him a cold look. Devoid of any mercy, the werewolf ended his life. And just like that, the elite squad that was assembled by the Great Elder himself was quickly slain in mere seconds. The vampires' corpses which now lay on the ground slowly began to turn into ashes and dissipated into thin air.

The man looked at his surroundings calmly. Chaos and destruction are still transpiring around the city. He closed his eyes and focused all his senses on everything going on in the background. He felt the cold midnight air nipping on his skin as his ebony locks swayed gently in the melody of the breeze. His senses sharpened as he concentrated and began to gradually expand the range of his observation until even a pin dropping to the ground from all across the city could reach his ears.

The Azure Alpha was in a flow state of mind and obtained temporary omnipotence. He could see and hear everything. The wicked laughter and cries of pain. The sound of the fire still gobbling up everything in its path greedily. The sound of kicks and punches from the ongoing fight between the creatures of the night. The eerie sound of dark monsters wreaking havoc which allowed the werewolves an opportunity to attack and seize the vampire city. The acrid smell of smoke and burnt substances.

The stench of a certain vampire that he knows all too well.

His eyes immediately opened as a frown made its way to his impeccable face. That smell that he could instantly recognize from a mile away. All concentration was gone from his body as the face of the owner of that scent appeared without permission in his mind. He let out a low growl and his sculpted jaw clenched unconsciously.

Without a second thought, he rushed at his maximum speed towards the location in which the scent was coming from.

"Alpha, I have information on–"

The werewolf who just arrived on the scene and was about to report to him could only blink as his Glorious Alpha disappeared in a flash leaving only a gust of wind behind.

Random Wolf: "...."

In a matter of seconds, the Azure Alpha arrived at the location of the scent that he loathes more than anything in this world. His pupils dilated at the sight that greeted him.

Her long wavy midnight hair that could rival the night swayed gracefully as she dodged any incoming attacks while simultaneously launching powerful strikes. It seemed as though she was dancing in the air with her elegant movements. Her opponents could not keep up with her agility and speed but his glacier-blue eyes followed her every move. Absolute concentration can be seen on her soft flawless face and her plump luscious lips were pursed ever so slightly. Every kick and punch that she released sent her opponents flying. Blood splattered and decorated the ground as she slaughtered all the werewolves in her way. She looked like a dark angel descending from heaven to penalize sinful creatures.

The deadly beauty suddenly looked in his direction as if feeling his intense gaze and their eyes met. Captivating scarlet orbs clashed with mesmerizing glacier-blue ones and time seemed to slow down. Upon recognizing her archenemy, her scarlet eyes glowed even brighter. Everything around them was in chaos but the eye contact between the two was never broken.

In a flash of movement, the vampire appeared in front of the werewolf, aiming to tear at his flesh with her long, sharp nails. The distracted man sharply turned to his right, barely avoiding the fatal attack. He quickly recovered his footing and unleashed his own claws but the vampire smoothly evaded his attack, creating some distance between them. Blood trickled down his face from the deep gash on his cheek. He clenched his jaw in anger, his glacier-blue eyes dimming. The vampire smiled in response, revealing a set of long, sharp fangs.

She stalked towards him at a slow pace.

"Oh, my. Never thought I would see the Azure Alpha in a measly place like this.

I thought you were always too busy chewing on a bone."

" I could say the same for you. Didn't know you had time for other things aside from sucking life forms, leech.

....

"Go fetch a stick."

"Go gargle garlic."

....

The two glared at one another before charging forward, relentlessly throwing attacks, endlessly tearing each other to shreds with their sharp claws.

Their swift actions were a blur to the ordinary eye, only the two fighters were able to keep up with each other as their speed continued to increase, their adrenaline rising with each passing second.

The vampire who was growing impatient, unleashed a vicious strike to his left aiming to hit his internal organs, but the werewolf caught her arm. She raised her heels and intended to kick him but the man quickly pinned her to the ground.

She glared at him to which he returned with a cold smirk, both panting and out of breath.

"It seems like the Scarlet Vampress' skill is rusting. Impatience is very unlike you."

The vampire glared in response at the man above him.

"You're awful talkative today. A dog should be put on a muzzle."

His hands travelled to her neck, caressing it softly with his long sharp nails, and watched as murky blood slowly trickled down from her slender neck.

"And a tick like you should be squished on the ground like the parasite that you are. You should know your place. Are you sure that's what you would like to say as your last words?"

His eyes glinted dangerously with a warning look, reminding her of the position he held over her at this moment.

She smirked coldly and gazed straight into his soul.

The vampire opened her mouth and was about to respond when a dark figure suddenly loomed over them. Their eyes both widened and they quickly pulled apart as a monster came sprinting towards them at full speed. The two avoided the gigantic creature as it destroyed everything in its path.

'It's the monster who attacked the city.'

The vampire thought while she stood at the top of a tall building, silently observing the ballistic monster, her presence purposely hidden to avoid getting sensed. It looks just like a creature of the night with its lackluster slimy skin and sharp claws. The monster had a closed hole located in the upper part of his face in replace of where the eyes should be. Its enormous mouth was wide open, with an excessive amount of teeth.

Suddenly, the man appeared beside her and whispered in her ear.

"That's a real big monster."

Goosebumps erupted in her skin as she felt his warm breath tickling her ear. She quickly created some distance between them and glared at the male. The man in question only looked at her blankly.

She was about to throw some insults when the man put a finger to his lips, telling her to stay silent. The woman quickly understood his intentions and decided to ignore him instead.

The monster in front of them does not possess eyes and nose therefore it is unable to see nor smell them but it has a unique trait that can sense dark energy. It's a Rank SS monster that is naturally attracted to dark energy. It must have come rushing to this area after sensing the Azure Alpha and the Scarlet Vampress who both possess high levels of dark energy.

Her forehead creased after a thought came into her mind but it was quickly pushed away when the monster let out a loud howl.

'Well, this monster poses no threat to me. I suppose I'll end its life quickly since I still have some unfinished business to tend to.

The vampire thought and glanced at the werewolf through her peripheral vision. Suddenly, a plan had formed in her head.

'Maybe this thing isn't too useless. I can use the distraction and kill this werewolf while he's busy with the monster.'

The Azure Alpha turned to her as if feeling her gaze and looked at her from head to foot. His eyes stopped at her chest.

'What the hell is this canine's problem?'

The vampire thought while maintaining a nonchalant expression.

"That's an ugly necklace."

Her eyes glinted in surprise as she felt a sudden sense of deja vu after hearing his random comment.

'Why does it feel familiar? It seems like I already heard those words in the past. I'm sure he told me this exact same line before, maybe a few decades ago? or could it be a hundred years ago? I can't recall.'

'But more importantly, what does it have to do with the current situation?'

She faced his direction and stared at him coldly and his glacier-blue eyes stared back with greater intensity, making her feel lost in the middle of a winter storm.

" What is wrong with you?"

The vampire genuinely asked, a frown visible on her face.

A few seconds of silence passed between the two before the woman looked away.

She diverted her attention in front and

unconsciously held the emerald necklace while tracing its intricate design with her fingers as if lost in thought. The wind blew her hair as the moonlight

illuminated her immaculate figure.

Glacier-blue eyes stared at the majestic vampire who resembled a moon goddess under the scarlet moon. His orbs followed her every move as she jumped down from the building and landed gracefully on the ground. He watched as she dropped a powerful kick at the monster making it howl in pain. The monster reached its huge tentacles trying to catch the woman but she slashed every single one with her sharp claws. It growled hysterically and tried to hit the woman but failed miserably as she dodged with little effort.

His eyes dilated as one thing crossed his mind.

'How can someone be so cruel yet so beautiful?'

She smirked as her scarlet eyes glowed and bloodlust radiated in her aura.

The werewolf glared at the vampire who was busy fighting a monster below.

'How can someone like that possibly exist?'

He really, really despises this woman with every fiber of his being.