Ryo's mind whirled as he faced the stone slab a second time. I died again… but how?
He gritted his teeth, absorbing the familiar scene—the chatting students, the demon foe facing him, and the instructor observing with the same piercing stare. Everything was just the same.
No. Not the same. This time, he had prepared.
Resolute to alter his destiny, Ryo modified his position. He changed his strategy in the rematch, using his blood powers more effectively. His reflexes were quicker, his senses better honed. Every failure made him better in combat, developing him into a more formidable fighter.
His adversary struck with the same careless ferocity, but this time, Ryo saw the attacks coming and easily sidestepped them. His mastery of Blood Weaponry had grown—he created exacting blood needles, firing them with deadly precision.
In seconds, he saw an opening and struck with crushing force, sending the demon student crashing to the ground.
The match was done.
He had won—once more.
Just as the match concluded, an unfamiliar yet strong presence invaded the training grounds.
A silver-red haired girl with crimson eyes walked in, her expression unreadable. She carried herself with an air of absolute confidence, her gaze sweeping over the students before locking onto Ryo.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
"That's her… The Vampire Princess…"
"Why is she here?"
Ryo, still catching his breath from the fight, felt an uneasy chill crawl down his spine.
The girl stepped forward, her piercing scarlet eyes contracting as she analyzed him.
She gasped and whispered, "This blood… Impossible."
Ryo stiffened. What's she talking about?
The chanting around them slowly died down as the Vampire Princess approached, her eyes filled with a combination of shock and inquisitiveness.
"You," she said softly but authoritatively. "Who are you?"
Ryo, still regaining from battle, blinked. "Uh… Ryo Takashi?"
Silence hovered between them while her face fell unreadable.
Then, and only after one fraught moment, she announced publicly:
"Ryo Takashi is my fiancé."
The whole training facility was thrown into an uproar.
"WHAT?!"
Not even the instructor, who until then had taken no sides, could hide being flabbergasted.
Ryo's world fell. Wait… WHAT?!
His opponent on the ground and still groaning, looked almost as shocked as the other pupils.
The Vampire Princess did not budge. Her scarlet eyes pierced Ryo's, her voice leaving no room for objection. "I've made up my mind. You're mine."
Ryo had no idea what to say. How on earth did a victory in a match translate to an engagement offer?!?
Before he could even object, the teacher coughed. "Princess, I'm not so sure this is how engagements work—"
"It is for me." Her voice cut off all further debate.
Ryo could do nothing but stand there in shock as his whole life went off on yet another unexpected tangent.
Waiting for Death
Following the turmoil of the day, Ryo came back to his dorm, his thoughts a whirlpool of confusion.
First, I slipped back again. Then, I won the match easily. And now… I somehow ended up engaged to a Vampire Princess?
He lay on his bed, massaging his temples. Something wasn't quite right. In his last regression, he had died before reaching the next morning.
Set on learning how, he struggled to keep himself awake.
Hours went by in silence.
Then—a sound outside his room.
The doorknob turned, and the door opened slowly. A horde of demon students entered, their eyes hostile.
Ryo's heart racing.
So this is how I died the last time.
There were nine of them—six upper-level students and three low-ranking demons, including his foe whom he just beat.
His body tensed. He anticipated this, but the difference between their levels was too extreme.
He tried fighting back—but was dead on the spot.
Regression after Regression
Ryo's eyes opened.
Back at his dorm.
I died once again.
This time, he did better preparations, adapting his approach.
He managed to live a bit longer. But nonetheless, he died.
Again.
And again.
And again.
With every regression, his abilities improved. His reflexes enhanced. His manipulation of blood developed quicker and more deadly.
By his eighth try, he was not only surviving—he was thriving.
The Eighth Life – The Turning Point
When the demons invaded his dorm again, Ryo did not hesitate.
His blood needles flashed into existence, piercing with fatal accuracy. He deflected their attacks with ease, countering with deadly force.
He battled with controlled ferocity, shattering bones and cutting flesh, overpowering them.
After the battle, almost all of them were on the floor—unmoving.
For the first time, he had emerged victorious.
Battle noise had alarmed the dormitory guards.
A team of instructors came into the room, their faces stern as they surveyed the sight of bruised, unconscious students.
One of them—a senior academy administrator—turned to Ryo. "What happened here?"
Ryo, blood-stained but unbroken, let out a deep breath.
"They ambushed me," he told her flatly. "I defended myself."
The official stared at him for an eternity before bobbing her head. "Self-defense is well within your rights. We will take these students to the infirmary."
And on that, the knocked-out assailants were rushed away.
Ryo, having his dorm returned to him now that the invaders had been driven out, exhaled heavily.
Despite being intact, however, his head wasn't still.
I cannot afford to drop my guard. Not even for a moment.
He put down, looking at the ceiling, and couldn't sleep.