My Horny Stepmom Turns Me into Her Vampire Slave-Chapter 28: The secret of the Platinum Death’s strength

"W-What the hell...?" Chris mutters.

He’s fast asleep in his bed when a weight on his stomach wakes him.

The room is dark, but as a vampire, he doesn’t need light to know what’s weighing him down.

Zaira sits on top of him, her legs crossed and dangling off the side of the bed.

"Finally, you’re awake, idiot."

W-What the fuck is that bitch doing here?! Did she come to make Mia pay for rejecting her? I have to do something!

"ISAB-"

Chris is about to scream, but Zaira quickly covers his mouth with her hands.

"Damn it, Chris, are you stupid or what? Does this look like a good time to start screaming? You’ll wake Mia up!" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"You’ve got some nerve worrying about Mia after what you did to her! So what the fuck do you want from me?!"

Zaira pulls a slight grimace of regret, her gaze darkening.

"I-I know... I acted like a real bitch with her. I was selfish, and I really regret it. By now she probably hates me and wouldn’t even want to see my face — that’s why I’m here. I need your help to make things right with Mia. Tonight we plan, tomorrow we act. But obviously not here — it’d be a mess if she woke up and found me plotting with you in the middle of the night. We’ll talk at a pub. I’ll even buy you a drink if you manage to be at least a little useful. Deal?"

"Deal my ass! No fucking way I’m going anywhere alone with you! I still remember you trying to kill me!"

As much as he’s always hated her and is furious with her, he can’t ignore the feeling of Zaira’s soft, full ass pressed against his abdomen.

It’s lucky for him that, unlike vampires, succubi don’t have night vision.

"Oh, come on, we were just training — I wasn’t being serious!"

"Doesn’t matter. Go to Isabelle’s room, wake her up, and convince her to come with us. If she agrees, good. If not, you can go back home."

"Idiot, Isabelle’s the one who gave me permission to come here! And it’s a bit late to wake her up — she’s been awake for a while. Right now she’s probably beating the shit out of the Azuralis mercenaries... though I guess she’s already done."

"Isabelle... WHAT IS SHE DOING?!"

"Exactly what I just told you. Your friend Alexander and a certain Rudeor were planning to attack you tonight — right here at your house. But thanks to Isabelle’s foresight and my courage, you didn’t end up homeless. Isabelle told me that last week you met your ex to have some fun, but it was actually an ambush. The reason your friend was spared is because Isabelle wanted to use him to track down whoever’s above him and take out House Azuralis at the top. That’s why she asked me to track him down and keep her updated on whatever they were planning. And of course I accepted — otherwise she wouldn’t have even let me get near Mia. So stop complaining and get dressed — we’ve got a long night ahead."

"Alright, alright... now get off me — you’re crushing me!"

◇◇◇

"Is this the so-called strength of the Platinum Death?! Is this really what my father threw away his own dignity — and that of House Azuralis — for?! Absurd! Truly absurd!"

Rudeor throws another devastating punch, but she blocks it with the flat of her sword, just as she has every time before.

Since the start of the fight, she’s done nothing but stay on the defensive, dodging and blocking every blow.

Each impact between Rudeor’s lead-coated knuckles and Isabelle’s sword sends violent shockwaves through the area.

But the dark gray coating covering his body through that Alchemical Invocation isn’t ordinary lead. It’s infused with so much magical energy that it can withstand even the most violent blows.

Despite how one-sided the battle seems, it’s Rudeor’s face that’s tense with strain and fatigue, while Isabelle’s remains calm — almost amused. Like a parent playfully wrestling with a small child.

"You should save your breath for the fight instead of wasting it talking. Maybe then you’d actually manage to hit me," she mocks.

The provocation only fuels Rudeor’s already relentless rage.

"HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME, DAMNED WHORE!"

SLAM!

Rudeor’s clenched fist slams into her, driven by a sudden burst of fury.

Isabelle blocks it again with her sword — but this time, it’s not enough.

Crack!

The blade shatters, and Rudeor’s blow drives straight into her chest, piercing through her heart.

The force of the impact hurls Isabelle into a building behind her, which collapses on top of her.

Rudeor lets the lead coating fade and collapses to his knees, completely exhausted.

Someone like him can keep fighting for hours, yet that clash lasted barely half an hour.

And in that short time, he had to pour almost every drop of energy and mana into maintaining that level of power.

Rudeor’s eyes are fixed on his knuckles, stained with blood and fragments of Isabelle’s crushed heart.

He stays silent for a few seconds, almost incredulous — then bursts into loud, hysterical laughter.

"I... I did it... I knew it! I knew it! Did you see, father?! Did you see?! Once word gets out that I killed the Platinum Death, House Azuralis will regain the prestige it deserves — the prestige it lost because of that weak head of the family. Looks like I’m not the second strongest human you’ve faced after all, huh, damned vampire?"

"Oh, no, you still are. Don’t get ahead of yourself."

Isabelle’s voice freezes Rudeor in place. He starts trembling with rage and disbelief as he sees her emerge from the rubble that buried her.

She’s completely unharmed. No broken bones, no wounds from the collapse — not even a trace of the gaping hole that had torn through her chest.

"I-It’s not possible... you should be dead! I crushed your heart with my own hands! How the fuck are you still alive, you damned monster?!"

"You’re right. A vampire would die instantly without a heart. And do you know why? The heart pumps Sanguis energy through the body, allowing wounds to regenerate quickly. No heart, no regeneration."

"Stop beating around the bush and speak clearly! How the fuck did you survive?!"

"Isn’t it obvious? The heart can’t regenerate itself, but it can regenerate any other organ — even another heart."

"D-Don’t tell me...?"

"Exactly. I have two hearts. Feel honored — very few get to learn the secret behind my strength, just before I kill them. A small reward for making me put in a bit of effort. I hope you still have plenty of mana left... because the real battle starts now."