My Horny Stepmom Turns Me into Her Vampire Slave-Chapter 59: The comeback of those who never give up

Levreeshka lets go of Chris’s hair and drops him, then immediately drives a kick into his stomach.

He’s sent flying against the dome’s wall, but he doesn’t fall — blood appendages instantly wrap around him, pinning him in place and crushing him.

He feels his bones creak and shatter faster than they can regenerate. The pain is so sharp he can’t even scream.

Levreeshka lands gracefully on her feet, just a step away from Mia, lying unconscious on the ground.

She lifts her by one of her pigtails and looks at her with a pleased smile.

"Ah, finally. Time to return to Mildelar, Tear of Azkarith. Your new master has been waiting for you far too long," she murmurs, reaching for the divine artifact at her neck.

◇◇◇

Westchester County, 10:00 a.m.

SLASH!

With another devastating slash, Isabelle reduces the last hundred primordial vampires to pulp.

Around her stretches a landscape of absolute destruction — uprooted trees, shattered trunks, and shredded remains of thousands of corpses.

She dissolves the large blood sword and resumes her desperate race against time.

Moving at the speed of sound, she covers the few kilometers to the Bronx in seconds.

But the moment she gets there, she stops.

Dozens of vans and hundreds of Monster Slayers block the entrance to the city.

Isabelle keeps moving unfazed, ignoring the massive force in front of her. But as soon as she gets too close, a group of Monster Slayers stops her.

"I’m sorry, but you can’t go any further! A terrorist attack is underway. Until the area is secure, we have orders not to let any civilians through. It’s for your own safety."

But Isabelle has neither the time nor the patience for talk.

"I don’t give a fuck. Let me pass, or I’ll kill you all."

As she says it, her eyes shine with a sinister red light.

"A-A vampire...?" stammers a young Monster Slayer. "It doesn’t matter. Orders are orders."

At that refusal, a vortex of Sanguis energy rises around Isabelle, so intense the Monster Slayers struggle to keep their footing.

"I didn’t want to hurt you, but you leave me no other choice."

The Monster Slayers immediately summon their swords of light, ready to fight. Then...

"Stop!"

An authoritative female voice rings out not far away.

A woman in her fifties with short black hair, blue eyes, and a Monster Slayer uniform approaches at a brisk pace.

"What the hell is going on here?" the woman — Britney Lance — snaps.

"General Lance, this vampire was about to force her way through the New York containment line."

Britney shifts her gaze to Isabelle, then turns to her men.

"Do you have any idea who that vampire is?"

No answer.

"That’s what I thought. You’re too young to know her."

Then she turns back to Isabelle.

"What are you planning, Platinum Death?"

At the sound of that nickname, everyone instinctively steps back.

Rumors of the overwhelming power of the strongest vampire have reached even the younger Monster Slayers — even if they had no idea what she looked like until now.

"Princess Mia Valakis is in the middle of that mess, and I’m going to save her. That’s all. Now let me through."

"I understand. But first, answer one question: do you know what caused this epidemic of primordial vampires? Any information to stop this plague will be valuable."

"There’s no epidemic. It’s all the work of a powerful vampire with an Innatus that lets her create hundreds of those creatures every day. So if you authorize my access, I can go kick her ass and end this mess."

"Permission granted. If you need support, I can assign you a squad of Monster Slayers as backup."

"The only support I need is for you to stay out of my way and keep your men far from the combat zone. I won’t take responsibility for anyone who dies getting caught in the fight."

"It will be done. We’re counting on you, Platinum Death."

◇◇◇

The moment Levreeshka reaches for the Tear of Azkarith, time seems to stop for Chris.

Tears stream from his eyes — from the pain of his bones shattering under the crushing force of the appendages, and from the despair devouring him at the thought that in one second it will all be over.

His helpless gaze falls first on Zaira, collapsed on the ground, unable to move, her jaw shattered and blood smeared across her face.

Then on Brianne, her battered body lying in a pool of blood.

And finally on Mia, barely able to breathe, held up by one of her pigtails, just a step away from being killed before his eyes.

M-Mia, Zaira, Brianne... forgive me. I’m... too weak. You gave it everything, without fear, against an opponent completely on another level. While I... have done nothing but wallow in self-pity, convinced everything was lost from the start... I’ve been completely useless... and I’m ashamed of it...

Those terrible things Isabelle told me in Hawaii... I know she said them to push me forward, but they’re the fucking truth!

In the weeks since I became a vampire, my strength is still almost as pathetic as on the first day. Someone else in my place — someone stronger and more determined — would have protected them. While all I do is complain about my weakness — even now, one step from the end, that’s all I’m doing.

Chris strains his arms, drawing on every drop of energy in his body, forcing them outward to break the grip crushing him.

The faint energy around him shifts into a darker, deeper red, no longer the usual bright Sanguis glow.

I... I don’t want to be weak anymore! Isabelle trusted me, and I don’t want to disappoint her! I’ll save Mia from that bitch at any cost — even if it means my life!

Levreeshka’s hand closes around the Tear of Azkarith — when... BAAAM!

A brutal right hook slams into her face.

The pain is so intense she loses her grip on both Mia and the divine artifact.

She’s sent flying toward the opposite wall of the dome, but red appendages burst out just in time.

They catch her, hold her, then lower her to the ground just before she crashes.

Before Mia can fall to the ground, someone catches her in their arms.

Mia opens her eyes for just an instant. When she sees her savior, a faint smile appears on her lips before she loses consciousness again. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

It is Chris, clad in the skeletal armor of his Innatus.

"W-What the fuck...?" Levreeshka mutters, staring at Chris in disbelief.

He steps in front of Mia. A thick, semi-transparent dark red skeletal armor covers him. A deep crimson energy swirls around him.

She grits her teeth in irritation.

Could it be... an Innatus? That sniveling brat didn’t warn me Mia’s stepbrother had one. If I’d known, I would’ve adjusted my plan... doesn’t matter. Innatus or not, he’s still just a beginner. I’m one of the most powerful vampires in the entire kingdom of Mildelar — he doesn’t stand a chance against someone with my strength and experience!

Now that Chris has awakened his Innatus, he feels completely renewed. His wounds and fractures regenerate instantly, and energy surges through him like never before.

But he doesn’t know how long his body can withstand all that power. He won’t waste even a second.

He charges at Levreeshka with overwhelming strength and speed.

Dozens of red appendages shoot from the dome at Chris, wrapping around his limbs, torso, and neck. But they’re not enough to stop him or even slow him down.

He pushes forward, unfazed, ripping the tangle apart like fragile blades of grass. In an instant, he’s in front of Levreeshka.

He throws a violent punch at her face. She sees it coming, intercepts the blow, and clamps her fingers around his wrist.

But from the point of contact, thin bone spikes sprout, sharp as needles. They pierce through her fingers instantly, like she grabbed a hedgehog.

The pain makes her loosen her grip just enough for Chris’s punch to keep going and slam into her face.

At impact, sharp bone spikes sprout from his knuckles, turning his fist into a knuckle-duster.

Levreeshka is sent flying, sailing several meters before crashing to the ground.

Her swollen face twists with shock and sharp pain. Yet Chris looks even more surprised than she is.

This power... it’s incredible! I... I feel invincible! Now I understand why Isabelle pushed herself that far back then so I’d activate it.

And she was right... the fear of death is the key to unleashing my Innatus — not my own, but that of the people I care about! That’s why, despite all the effort I put into that training and being pushed to the brink of death, I got nothing! But now I finally understand!

Mia, Zaira, Brianne... it’s only because of your suffering that I finally made it, and now I’ll pay back in kind that bitch who did this to you!