My Vampire Harem Will Dominate Everything

Chapter 254: The Seventh Restaurant

A muted flash appeared in an alleyway, causing a nearby drunk to stumble away, muttering about aliens and UFOs.

Ezra and Gen stood as still as statues, memories of a courtroom appearing in their mind. The alleys were vampire teleportation spots but occasionally, humans stumble upon them and have to be killed and disposed of to erase all evidence.

And even killing humans was a violation of the breach of Secrecy. If evidence could be found that the Necromancer killed humans, he'd receive a death sentence and could be killed on the spot.

With the man gone, their forms morphed into the images of Ivo and Armand.

They stepped out of the alley and into the drizzle. The cobblestones beneath their feet were slick with rain, and the dim glow of street lamps barely illuminated the street corner on which they were on.

All carefully calculated in an attempt to keep human traffic low in this area. Only shady people and the drunk ones would have a reason to be here this late. Easy people for vampires to dispose of.

They looked down at themselves, admiring the flawless transformation. Now, for the final part, they ditched their shirts. Ivo and Armand were known for going everywhere without wearing shirts.

"Weirdos." Gen muttered under her breath.

With a shared nod, they moved in silence, communicating without words as they walked toward the restaurant ahead, a small, unremarkable building that blended into the row of similar storefronts.

The seventh restaurant.

As they approached the door, a hostess stood waiting, her expression calm, almost mechanical. She'd been expecting them.

Without speaking, she led them through the empty restaurant, past tables set with delicate plates and flickering candles, and into a private room on the upper floor. The room had no windows and had only one exit, illuminated dimly by flickering bulbs as if holding secrets that could destroy the world.

The door clicked shut behind them.

It was exactly midnight.

Ezra and Gen, still in their borrowed forms, took their seats at the table in the center of the room. The mechanical clock on the wall ticked softly, the only sound that accompanied the growing tension.

They waited, the seconds dragging by in silence, their senses attuned to any change in the atmosphere.

Time seemed to stretch, each minute heavier than the last. Gen tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her eyes flicking toward the clock.

Then, without warning, the ceiling above them disappeared into dust.

Ezra and Gen leaped to their feet, dropping into defensive stances as the sudden and familiar pressure of an Aura pushed down on them. Teleportation was impossible. They were trapped.

A golden glow covered and sunk into their skin, pumping their vitality into the defense. It was Gen's Mirror. All attacks would be reflected immediately.

Their eyes darted up to see several features perched along the edge of the now-opened ceiling. Behind the figures was the dark misty yet solid form of a black zone, isolating them all completely from the outside world.

And standing above them, weapons aimed directly at Ezra and Gen, were the Necromancer and his crew of vampire minions.

The Necromancer stood front and center, his dark cloak billowing dramatically making Ezra wonder where the wind was even coming from. Beside him was Bella, the missing peacekeeper, her expression cold and calculating. She was aiming a bow that suspiciously looked like Natalia's down at them.

On the other side, Z, his face hidden behind his bird mask crouched, red chains swinging slowly from his arms. Standing beside him and wearing a dark red robe similar to the Necromancer's was a fourth figure, wearing a cat mask, their identity unknown but their presence no less menacing.

After a few seconds of the standoff, the Necromancer's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "Who are you?" His red eyes gleamed as he glared down at them. "You're not Ivo and Armand. I'm not easily fooled."

Ezra let out a slow breath, exchanging a glance with Gen. There was no point in keeping up the charade anyways. This was all to see the Necromancer's reaction and plan all future steps.

He took a step forward and in a fluid motion, released the shapeshift, his appearance shifting back to his true self, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Well spotted." Ezra said, his voice filled with dry amusement. "I suppose it was worth a shot."

The Necromancer's eyes narrowed, but there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes as well. "Ezra Matten." He said, his voice dripping with mockery. "Are you stupid or just suicidal? You've walked right into my hands. I could kill you right here."

Ezra's smirk widened, his stance casual despite the danger. "Go ahead and try." He taunted, his voice a mixture of confidence and arrogance. "I'll even give you a head start."

The Necromancer's lips curled into a cold smile, his laugh echoing across the open room. "Do you really think I'm that reckless? This is clearly a trap." He gestured toward the black zone surrounding them. "Don't think I didn't see that golden glow of yours which conveniently shrouds your whole form in vitality. Who knows if you're even the real Ezra Matten? No, I'm not that easily baited."

Ezra crossed his arms, saying nothing. Red and Olivia were waiting nearby and with the Mirror active, the Necromancer could very well kill himself with a giant attack. The man won't attack them. He'd rather use a surprise attack than a fight right here and now.

Not that Ezra wanted a fight. He didn't know the complete abilities of his opponents. It's better to draw the Necromancer in, isolate him and then deal with him.

The Necromancer crossed his arms, his expression turning serious. "You've failed the first game, Ezra. The requirement was simple. Bring Ivo and Armand. You didn't. Now, as a consequence," his eyes danced with glee, even as his expression remained serious, "you've just lost twenty percent of your slush fund."

Ezra watched him, making sure to keep his expression neutral. He had expected something like this.

"You can expect the second game soon," the Necromancer continued, his voice cold and final. "And next time, I suggest you take me more seriously."

With that, they all disappeared, leaving Ezra and Gen standing alone in the ruined room. In the next moment, the black zone around them began to dissolve, the darkness melting away like smoke in the wind.

Ezra shook his head, his posture relaxing as the immediate threat disappeared. He turned to Gen who had transformed back to herself, her modest breasts on display for Ezra to see. She smirked as his eyes rested on it for a long moment.

"Like what you see?" She asked.

"Very." He grinned. "But more importantly, I think it's safe to say that the Necromancer doesn't have the slush fund." Ezra crossed his arms. "If he did, he would've threatened us directly. The Necromancer has no idea of our financial state, so how did he know we needed the slush fund and couldn't part with it?"

"Someone is using him." Gen said in realization.

"Bingo." Ezra nodded before his gaze returned to the missing ceiling and roof. He groaned, pulling out his phone and scrolling through his contacts. "Great, the idiot left and now I've got to deal with the damages. Let's get the Custodians on this before anyone notices."

Gen's laughter filled the room as he made the phone call.

**********

The Necromancer stepped into his private chamber, the shadows of the room swirling around him as the door clicked shut behind him.

Despite what he'd displayed to Ezra, his mood was darker than usual, irritation simmering beneath the surface. He'd left the seventh restaurant feeling unsettled. Not because of fear, but because of how casually Ezra had treated the game.

He wasn't taking it as seriously as Helena had said he would. She'd said he needed the money but what if he didn't and was just playing along to get something from him?

He moved to the center of the room, his thoughts already turning to his next move. With a sharp tug on the thread connecting them, he summoned Z, who appeared within moments, his bird mask hiding any hint of expression.

"Send a message to Helena." He ordered, his voice low but commanding. "Tell her that Ezra isn't taking the game seriously. Is her information correct or am I wasting my time on a move that won't work?"

Z gave a slight bow at his words. "It will be done." He said before disappearing to carry out his task.

The Necromancer's mind raced as he paced the room, but he was interrupted by the sound of soft footsteps. Bella entered, her expression serious as she gave him a slight bow.

He couldn't deny the rush he felt when his minions bowed or when Z, wearing Griffin's face, obeyed his every command. "What is it?" He snapped at her. It had better be important.

"We've made progress, my lord." Bella said, her voice steady. "The search for Ezra Matten's hidden home has been narrowed down. We've got it down to a handful of locations, and within the next few days, we'll know exactly where it is."

"Finally!" The Necromancer nodded, a slow smile creeping across his face. "That's excellent news." He said, his irritation from earlier replaced by satisfaction. "Continue the search. I want Ezra's base pinpointed as soon as possible. When we find it, we'll be ready."

Bella gave a sharp nod, her eyes gleaming with the same sense of anticipation that now filled the room.

The Necromancer flopped down on his bed, sighing happily. Things were finally going in his favor, and soon, Ezra would have nowhere left to hide from him. Exclusive content from m,v lem|p,yr