Chapter 4

"You're not a vampire..." growled the man, cloaked in a black hooded robe.

"I never claimed to be a vampire," Neo agreed, sprawled in a comfortable leather chair, crossing one leg over the other.

In a spacious dimly lit room, where tall candles crackled in the corners, two individuals faced each other - a young man in a school uniform and a towering figure, completely concealed by the hooded robe.

The creature's long, almost one-and-a-half-meter arms trembled slightly from endless pain, and from beneath the sleeves, coal-black claws slowly dripped blood, drop by drop, sprinkling the white floor.

"Give me just one reason why I shouldn't drain you dry, human spawn!.."

- "I have ten reasons." - suddenly, from behind the young man, five pairs of pristine white wings appeared, illuminating the room's darkness with their white light, enveloping Neo like a cloak. Above Mori's head, a radiant golden halo flared, and his dark eyes slowly took on a golden hue, ablaze with otherworldly fires.

- "Grrra!" - the creature tried to shield itself from the hood's opening with its ashy hands and convulsed in pain, howling in a thin voice. - "Pleeease, stoppp!"

- "I'll stop, creature," Neo slowly spoke, surveying the pitiful being writhing in pain. - "I'll stop when you realize the situation you're in. If you attempt to call for help, not even ashes will remain of your nest. I am Iophiel, known as God's Seals. Known as the Beauty of God. I will destroy everything here. Do you understand me, Nosferatu?"

- "I... understand..."

The transfiguration ceased immediately, and the wings with the halo slowly dissipated into the air, leaving only the golden flames in the eyes to testify that what had just happened was not a dream.

- "Listen, creature of God. God* has sent me to this sinful earth because He is ready..." Neo smiled, like a father watching his child's first steps. - "To forgive you and the sins of your forefather."

- "You..." the old vampire couldn't believe what he was hearing, slowly calming the horror from what he had witnessed and the multitude of emotions that had erupted within him. - "Is this true?"

- "It's true," Mori agreed, folding his hands on his knees. - "God is ready to restore your humanity, forgiving the sin of Cain. Too much time has passed, He's tired of seeing how the evil of the past slowly accumulates through the ages. Multiplies itself... If you ask me, I would have destroyed all of you. To see you, dragging your pitiful existence in the darkness of the night... It pains me to see what was originally human, made in His image and likeness, turned into you, wretched deformed creatures. But I am not Him, and it is not for me to judge you..."

The vampire listened with horror and reverence to the words of the being sitting before him.

At the edge of his consciousness, he felt that something was amiss. Why didn't he feel the overwhelming power of the Archangel? He had only heard about them, but had never seen one in real life... And the vein of blood pulsating on the boy's neck? Or the faint smell of blood that... no, it couldn't be! Could an Archangel drink a human's blood and not become Fallen?

- "Blood... you drank blood?"

- "I am ready to repeat the feat of Adam and Eve if it is necessary to fulfill His intentions," Neo calmly replied, neither confirming nor denying Nosferatu's words. - "Do you wonder why I haven't fallen? As long as my Will and Faith in Him are steadfast, I will not fall..." Mori clapped his hands sharply, making the vampire start. - "And now, creature, answer the question. Are you ready to fulfill His Will, or did I go through all these humiliations in vain? Are you, Lamorck, willing to become human again? Are you ready to fulfill His Will for this?"

Nosferatu was prepared to do many things to regain his human form, to stop feeling the endless hunger and the pain that accompanied his perpetually decaying undead body.

But he hesitated... what if He didn't keep His promise? Although there had never been such a case, but...

Two crimson eyes gleamed from under the hood, surveying the kind smile of the Archangel.

No, this being could not lie... it would have fallen immediately. But why did He send "the Beauty of God," as if to mock the cursed Nosferatu? Why not "the Voice of God," or had it perished during the war of the three factions?

And... Nosferatu couldn't remember if he still lived to this day... but what was there to think about, here he was, sitting in front of him, with eyes burning with God's Wrath, causing even the strongest creature, who had lived for centuries, to tremble.

- "Tell me... are you really 'the Beauty of God'?" - it seemed as if the lips of the ancient vampire moved on their own.

He didn't want to ask this question, he was afraid of it, but Lamorck had long sought his "beauty." He wanted to know the answer to one of the eternal questions.

- "Do you want to know why this particular form?" - Neo closed his eyes, ceasing to radiate his fiery gaze in all directions. - "The truth, Lamorck, is that beauty..." the young man's face slowly "melted," transforming into the face of a handsome man with a small black goatee. The face of a man that the vampire had long forgotten since the Middle Ages. He had forgotten and tried to remember every day. - "Is embodied in each of His creations. Even in you, Sir Lamorak Wellesley, the last of the Knights of the Round Table."

- "What... do I need to do?" - the voice of the ancient vampire trembled with tears. - "I am ready to do anything if I can become myself again..."

- "Do not weep, child of His," Neo returned to his original youthful face. - "And listen to His task: in a month, a sacred maiden will come to the city of Kyo, capable of healing anyone with her light. But the naive soul has been lured into a trap by the Fallen traitors working with the church. Also, as of late, this city's territory is under the control of Demons. That's why we cannot intervene without starting a new war."

- "I think... I understand," the vampire said uncertainly. - "Do you want my nest to protect her?"

- "No," Neo's eyes blazed with flames once again. - "He wants you to kill everyone, including all the residents of the nearest neighborhood. No one must know what has happened, but the priestess must remain alive. She is still needed for His plans. Just make sure she sees it all... knows what happens to those who betray Him."

- "B-but..." such words, devoid of kindness and filled with malice, were extremely unsettling to hear, even for the ancient Nosferatu. Especially coming from a holy being endowed with immense power. His words carried only coldness, like light in winter, and they pierced deep into the soul.

- "Do you doubt His intentions?" - Mori slowly rose from his seat, putting his hands in his pockets and glancing at Nosferatu one last time. - "Remember, His ways are unfathomable, and He punishes traitors with fire, casting them into the depths of hell. Or... - Neo took a few steps towards the exit, but at the last moment turned back. - "You, earthly creature, do you not wish to become human again?"

- "I do!" - the vampire banished thoughts of the wrongness of killing ordinary people from his mind. A creature that had taken countless lives worried about mere mortals? Ridiculous! His encounter with the Archangel had shaken something in his black soul, but the desire to regain his humanity drowned out the instinctual signals of the beast. - "I will do it all!"

- "Wonderful," the young man smiled and continued towards the exit. - "Exactly one month from today, starting today. In the evening, exterminate everyone around the abandoned church in Kyo, which has recently become an unofficial territory of the Fallen. Remember, take the lives of all the people from the nearest quarter - the Fallen have blackened their souls with their dark decay. But leave the sacred maiden, named Asia, alive... And then your entire nest will be forgiven."

- "It will be done."

Neo nodded to the "bartender" waiting at the door, and the bartender led him out of the network of tunnels located beneath the building, which pierced through the entire city.

Unfortunately, vampires did not have their own world like demons or angels. Currently, only two clans could coexist with humans to some extent - the "Tepes" and "Carmilla," while the "Nosferatu" and many other monsters, like skeletons, could no longer live among humans. Deformed creatures, deprived of their humanity, had to hide in the shadows, trembling in fear of the sunlight underground, beneath the cities, and in basements.

Who knows, perhaps every person has their own monster living in the basement?

Or perhaps it, bound in chains, is hidden deep within the chambers of the mind? Everyone chooses their own answer.

With these thoughts, the young man adjusted his glasses and stepped outside, finally taking a deep breath of fresh air.

It was like a drink of water for a traveler. The stale air of the underground had a negative effect on Neo, and the almost fainting state and unbearable burning sensation in his chest only worsened Mori's critical condition.

But he endured it; he had to bear the cost of using "that" ability.

The young man slowly headed towards his father's car, which had arrived right on schedule, and immediately took a seat in the back.

"Father, I'll lie down for a rest. Will you tuck me in?"

"Of course," the man calmly agreed, glancing at the pale face of his son reflected in the rearview mirror. "Did you have a good walk?"

"It was wonderful," Neo nodded, leaning back in the soft seat and closing his eyes. "Thank you, Father."

Neo instantly fell into a hazy restorative sleep. The damage to his internal organs was extensive for a human body, and magical depletion worsened his already dire condition.

The next day, he would spend it entirely at his home, causing some concern among those who cared about his absence.

But Mori had prepared for this and anticipated a favorable outcome.

His chances of survival in this situation were about thirty-two percent, but he decided to take the risk, and it paid off.

And the day after tomorrow... the day after tomorrow, he could pay a visit to one of the key figures on the chessboard, thereby moving one of the many plans into the active phase.

But that would be the day after tomorrow, after he tended to the restoration of his body in the laboratory. Some organs would need replacement or regrowth, but it wasn't critical right now.

The most important thing was that the plan had succeeded.

After all, today had been a crucial turning point in the fates of many intelligences.

"Eh, I would like to crumple someone's tits..." muttered a rather infamous deviant, exuding universal sorrow with his whole appearance.

Issei's day didn't start well from the very beginning. First, some crazy dog snatched a limited edition porn magazine right out of his hands and ran away with it.

When the guy finally caught that damn dog, all that remained of the magazine were saliva-soaked memories. Luckily, the pervert's perfect memory knew every millimeter of the magazine by heart, so if Issei had wanted to, he could have redrawn it with his own hands. But he was too lazy, and his thoughts and plans were occupied with something else.

For example, the breasts of young schoolgirls, their short skirts and beautiful teachers.

What else can a young guy think about? About the future? Family?

Well, Issei had thought more than once and twice about how he would finally start dating, not just one, but three or five young beauties at once, and everything would be fine with him, but one thing is a dream, and another is the hard asphalt of reality.

The guy's mind couldn't figure out why he hadn't started a harem yet. Why did everyone blame his extreme infatuation with pretty girls? This is quite normal! Not even that, it's good! That's great! Girls should thank Issei for spying on them, appreciating their beautiful bodies and, between the blows of not the weakest female fists, commenting on their beauty!

Ah, women are very strange creatures. But here are their breasts...

"Tits, gee... A dreamy smile appeared on Issei's face, and saliva slowly flowed from the corner of his mouth.

Schoolgirls on the path of the guy began to twist their faces and whisper, and some old woman even crossed herself, but the guy did not pay attention to quite ordinary things.

Right now, he was completely lost in his own thoughts, right in the endless land of tits.

"Issei, hello," - a familiar voice from the left interrupted the guy's daydreams.

"Matsu-... Neo?" - Issei was a bit surprised, looking at the familiar cheerful face of the "nerd." - "Hey, dude, what brings you here?"

- "Saw a familiar face and decided to catch up," - Neo shrugged, throwing a black leather briefcase over his shoulder. - "How have you been, not too rough since last time?"

- "Nah, everything's fine!" - the pervert responded cheerfully, wiping the saliva from the back of his hand. - "Thanks for helping out! I don't know what I would do without you!"

- "You're welcome, Issei."

- Oh, sorry you don't want to hang out in our company, we would have revealed to you the wonderful world of tits and porn... There was a note of grave sorrow in the boy's voice. – Well, it's your choice, Neo, you still don't understand what you're giving up!

- "I'm sorry, I just don't have time for that," - Neo glanced briefly at his interlocutor.

- "It's okay, my friend, I understand... studies and all that, right? You're at the top along with Sona-senpai! And she's such a cutie, I would totally have had my way with her, hehehe..." - Issei coughed twice, distracting himself from thoughts of the delightful. - "Dude, if you ever have any problems or suggestions, just come to me! You've saved and helped me so many times, it's countless, and you've never asked for anything in return! Remember, I'll definitely help you out!"

Issei had long wanted to say these words to his... friend. Yes, his friend. Although they didn't really hang out much, Neo had saved the pervert from trouble a hundred times, escorted him to the infirmary, and helped with his studies several times when Issei was failing tests and feeling desperate.

And he didn't have to! Of course, Neo helped everyone and was widely known throughout the academy as a "hero," not the kind from fantasy, but a true "hero of our reality."

Just two days ago, news had leaked that he saved a girl from a truck, breaking his arm in the process. Wasn't that worthy of respect?

Yes, no matter how much of a pervert Issei was and how fallen he may have seemed to society, he had his own notions of honor. Perhaps they were twisted, like his entire mindset, but they were notions nonetheless.

He never forgot help, as so rarely did people ever assist him. In fact, aside from his parents and Neo, nobody had ever helped him... although, he vaguely remembered having a friend in childhood... but that was childhood and no longer counted.

Even his buddies, Matsuda and Motohama, didn't help him; they often left him to the mercy of enraged furies hiding behind the faces of ordinary schoolgirls... pretty, but schoolgirls.

In any case, Issei believed in justice and that his sincere faith in women's breasts would surely be rewarded.

As they say: good for good, tit for tit... or something like that. The guy sincerely believed in these words and vowed to follow them to the end. This was his way of being a pervert!

- "I don't need anything, Issei," - Neo smiled, adjusting his glasses.

- "You do," - in Issei's eyes burned the fanatical lights of "faith in breasts," and he firmly gripped his friend's shoulder, looking into his eyes hidden behind the glasses. - "I believe you do. Tell me, Neo, I'll definitely try to help you! Whether it's porn or some advice with girls... even though I'm not great with them, I have a list with measurements of all the beauties in the academy!"

- "Oh Lord, he's sick..."

- "Neo, don't listen to him, step away from this devil!"

Passing students on their way to class whispered and watched with undisguised pain as Mephistopheles tried to tempt Faust.

But they had faith that naive Eve wouldn't succumb to the serpent's persuasions!

- "Issei, I really don't need anything," - the guy repeated, pausing for a moment to look into Issei's eyes. - "But what do you need?"

- "Huh?"

- "Would you mind if we meet up after classes?" - Neo continued, ignoring his bewildered companion. - "Are you free?"

- "Well... " - damn it, porn or a friend? Porn or... - "I'm free," - Issei answered dejectedly, scratching the back of his head. - "But what..."

- "I'll explain everything later. Wait for me at the academy gate, okay?" - Mori interrupted him, patting his shoulder. - "I'm going to meet someone. And thanks, Issei."

- "It's nothing..." - Issei couldn't understand what he saw in his friend's gaze. Something that made his heart skip a beat and fill with... fear, perhaps? Or was it just his imagination?

Issei gloomily watched Neo quickly walk away, then decided to stop thinking about these foolish things.

Now something else is more important – boobs.

And all sorts of unpleasant premonitions, which don't exist anyway, are just secondary matters!