NOVEL NEXT Chapter 164: Epilogue: The family he had always dreamed of
Four years have passed since that day.
As Melania Narkhalis had promised, Velshekar never again laid a hand on Yuzu or Rika. Instead, he poured all his ambition into expanding his power and influence across Earth—through sheer wealth.
His reach extends everywhere. In politics, the elected presidents of Lithuania, Brazil, Argentina, and Indonesia serve as his loyal allies. He's also taken over the world of entertainment, now presiding over two football clubs, one basketball team, and a rugby franchise.
Now, he's even running for President of the United States, under the revived alias—John Hawkley.
His organization has grown exponentially, recruiting an ever-increasing number of followers from N'Raeth and forming a network of terrifyingly powerful subordinates.
Foremost among them is Itsu Chihane, who, desperate to escape a lifetime of delivery work, accepted Velshekar's offer to return as his personal bodyguard. In exchange, he was paid enough to forget, for a hundred lifetimes, what it means to worry about rent or bills.
But Itsu wasn't the only one drawn to Velshekar's side.
Tony Caspada, too, found shelter under Velshekar's wing, serving as one of his debt collectors. For four years, he trained relentlessly under Itsu's personal supervision, slowly building up a respectable level of strength.
He was never anything extraordinary—Tony had never been a particularly gifted vampire—but his efforts paid off. Now, he's strong enough to survive his dangerous job… and not worry about being killed by a mere human.
Meanwhile, after resurrecting the corpses of Akashi Chihane and Zhurvak—the blue hybrid covered in countless yellow bulbs—Velune decided to return to N'Raeth, intent on reinforcing her fearsome army of undead.
It was a hard choice—leaving Earth meant giving up her favorite soap opera, El Suspiro de Valmara. But in the end, her ambition as a necromancer won out.
(She still plans to return to Earth as soon as possible—to buy the DVDs of every episode she's missed, of course.)
And finally, Lucrezia.
Ever since discovering the existence of supernatural powers, her dream—quoting her own words—was "to become a superheroine who uses her powers to defeat bad guys."
In the end, her stubbornness won out. Through countless tricks, clever schemes, and with a bit of help from Chantal, she finally set foot on N'Raeth and became an accomplished Monster Tamer—one of the few ways an ordinary human can fight.
(But that, well, deserves its own webnovel—a story that will surely come someday.)
Meanwhile, as for Hakuto and the others…
«Man, today's mission is brutal. I can't wait to eat—I'm starving,» Hakuto grumbles as he arrives at the gates of the huge villa in Ashiya—the same place where everything started, now completely renovated from top to bottom.
For the last two years, Hakuto has served as an agent of HESPARC Japan—and one of its best. In just a short time, he's risen from a D-rank agent to B-rank, and can now easily contribute to the household expenses.
«Welcome home, Hakuto,» Kagura greets him, busy at the stove. About a year and a half ago, she decided to retire from her position as CEO of Seiryu Biotech to pursue something far more fulfilling—being a grandmother.
«Daddy! Daddy! You're home!» a little girl squeals, her short black hair bouncing as she stumbles toward Hakuto and throws herself into his arms.
Her name is Reina Tendo, the daughter of Hakuto and Yuzu—a lively, mischievous succubus barely a year and a half old.
«So, my little one,» Hakuto says, spinning her playfully in the air, «Have you been good today, or did you make Mommy mad again?»
«I… I was good! But Shin… Shin was naughty! He made Mama Rika mad!»
«Shin, is it true you made Mama Rika mad?» Hakuto asks, his voice caught between teasing and scolding.
The boy standing beside Reina frowns, his wavy blond hair falling over eyes the same warm shade as hers—now narrowed in a sulky glare. Shin Tendo, a one-and-a-half-year-old vampire, is the son of Hakuto and Rika. His name was chosen by both parents in honor of Hakuto's father, who had died four years earlier from the severe wounds he suffered in his battle against Cassian Thalukvar—wounds that neither magic nor medicine had been able to heal.
Shin Tendo Senior had passed away in his hospital bed at the HESPARC medical center three days after revealing to Yuzu and Rika the truth about their father's death and finally reconciling with Misaki.
At the time, no one had understood why he had insisted on that long family embrace—but the doctors' words after his death had made everything clear. When he had appeared before them, he had been standing only thanks to a massive dose of medication, the healing magic of the succubi working at HESPARC, and a terrifying willpower—without which he would have died much sooner.
But his determination not to take that secret to the grave—and to see his family one last time—had kept him alive.
The funeral of Shin Tendo Senior had turned into a worldwide mourning.
Representatives from HESPARC divisions across the world had gathered to pay their respects, and his ashes are still kept in an ornate urn displayed in the living room of the Ashiya villa.
«That's not true, Daddy! Reina's lying!» Shin complains, running into Hakuto's arms and poking his sister's cheek.
The front door behind Hakuto swings open once more.
It's Misaki Yuunami, still teaching at Tsugumi High, home earlier than usual. After all, today marks a special occasion—the second wedding anniversary of Hakuto, Rika, and Yuzu, and a big celebration has been planned for tonight.
«Auntie Chantal! Auntie Elisabeth! You're here!» Reina squeals, her face lighting up as the two women step through the doorway.
They're officially a couple now—and are even planning to get married soon. Thanks to her remarkable talent, Chantal has quickly risen through the ranks, becoming an A3 agent of HESPARC France. However, because of her status as a political refugee, Elisabeth isn't allowed to leave Italy to follow Chantal to France.
To solve the problem, they bought a house in a small village called La Brigue—officially French but standing on Italian soil—so they can live together without having to endure a long-distance relationship that Chantal's fiery, passionate spirit could never bear.
«Who would've thought you three could actually stand a husband like Hakuto for two whole years!» Chantal laughs, giving Rika a friendly slap on the back.
«The real question is—who'd have guessed they'd actually get married in the first place,» Yuzu says, smirking. «Just thinking about all the effort I had to make at the start to get them close still gives me a headache. But in the end, we can all agree it's thanks to me!»
«Yeah… maybe you're right,» Rika says with a sweet, nostalgic smile, remembering their early days together. «Still, Hakuto, you should know I haven't forgiven you for that time you groped my butt while I was asleep!»
«That was five years ago! And I've told you a thousand times—it was Yuzu's fault! She used her succubus magic on me!» Hakuto protests, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
«Daddy, why did you make Mommy mad?» Shin asks, pouting, his small arms crossed just like Rika's.
Hakuto chuckles, a wry smile curling on his lips. Moody and stubborn, just like his mother. It's going to be tough when he grows up…
His gaze drifts toward the ornate urn displayed in the living room—the one holding his father's ashes.
See, Dad? We've become the big family you always dreamed of. If only you could see us… I know you'd be proud.
A soft breeze brushes through Hakuto's hair—light as a caress.
END