I look at little Yana standing around five meters away facing me with determined expression, only making her cuter rather than giving impression of formidable opponent.

“Lemme get the rules straight. For now, you attack and I defend, after a while I will go to offensive. No particular limitations for either of us, use just your body, but try not to hit dangerous spots like temples or spine. If either of us gets on the ground we stop until we can fight properly again. Clear?”

“Clear!” – Yana says excitedly.

“Good.” – I grin, recalling all the mock fights I had with her and other kids before, and announce the start of combat. – “Begin!”

The next moment I see Yana rushing towards me with speed incomparable to a normal child of her stature. She is a bit over one meter in height and very slim for a child her age, partly caused by slight malnutrition, but also her race, half-vampire, which basically prevents her from getting fat and makes her frame smaller, but stronger.

I was waiting for her with legs planted firmly on the ground, and when she came closer to around one meter from me I took a step forward, with left foot, surprising her. Not trying to slow and making use of her momentum, Yana raised her little fist and launched it at me, aiming at the liver. Her usual attack, but surprisingly effective coupling with small stature and speed and strength significantly higher than what opponent would expect.

I am also not normal though, sharply turning my left foot to the right and stepping to the left while tilting my body back. Yana’s fist grazed my belly and her eyes opened wide, realizing she had screwed up as she has no way to stop herself.

I grab her outstretched right hand as she tries to rotate in the last moment and attack me once again, but I am in favorable position and manage to overpower her. Placing left hand on her shoulder I twist her arm and push down with all my strength using her own momentum, making her land face-first to the ground and unable to get up if she doesn’t want to dislocate her shoulder.

After a moment I let go of her arm and help her up as she looks at me with sour expression that somehow expresses admiration, excitement and happiness as well.

“Do you know what you did wrong?” – I ask after dusting off her dress.

“Um…” – She gets slightly embarrassed, recalling our fight. – “I think… I didn’t expect you to evade that?”

“That too, but it is a broader problem.” – I reply and back off slightly to demonstrate my words. – “I would say you didn’t have proper stance, which resulted in losing your balance after I evaded. Instead of simply rushing forward and punching me like that.” – I walk and punch forward with my feet in quite careless stance with right leg above the ground. – “You should put your left foot forward when you attack so you will be able to stop in time if you miss.” – This time I stretch my left leg out and plant it firmly on the ground, then I make a stronger punch, putting my whole weight on left leg as I slow down and then step forward, rotating in place and throwing another punch with left arm. – “Alternatively you can anticipate I will evade and purposefully deviate the attack and follow up with another while saving momentum.” – I step back and this time instead of slowing down just after the punch I quickly put my right foot forward and turn around, kicking in the air to my right.

After all that I turn around to Yana, standing with slightly surprised expression, and ask. – “You got it? Try again.”

“Uh.” – The girl shakes her head with a bit stupid expression. – “How do you know that? It’s been not even a week!”

I stop for a moment. – “Um. Actually, now that you say it, it is rather good question. I said it… kind of unconsciously, but it was just… normal for me, as if I was saying something I long knew? Um, I guess it comes from the experience I received from this spirit? Actually, that is something I haven’t mentioned? I formed a connection with her and some of our experiences mixed with each other, so I know some things she learned kind of… unconsciously? Does that make sense?”

“Huh…?” – Yana narrows her eyes as her face twists rapidly through various expressions, including mainly suspicion, shock, dissatisfaction and excitement. – “That’s unfair! You must teach me!” – She suddenly shouts with unhealthy amount of expectation and excitement for her and dangerously cute and angry face for me.

"Hahaha! Sure! Come on, then!" - I laugh and retreat a few steps, indicating her to attack me once again.

This time, trying to put my advice into motion Yana dashes slightly slower and kicks at my waist quickly. I step back as her foot tears air just a few centimeters from me, but then, continuing her rotation, the girl steps forward and throws a powerful punch to my liver. This time I grab her wrist and knee her stomach while preventing her from retreating.

Yana tries to make use of her trapped wrist and strongly pulls herself aside and steps to the left, evading my knee by hair's breadth, but she can do nothing after this move with bad stance and trapped arm. And as expected, before she is able to react properly I pull her arm strongly and trip her leg.

With tensed face she lands on the ground once again, this time though she quickly gets up and jumps back, looking at me with a grudge.

If it was before my transformation, with her strength and speed even slightly higher than I have now I wouldn't bet I could win these two exchanges despite being taller and heavier, but the experience I received from Natria coupled with my meals this week made me significantly stronger and resulted in one-sided pummeling.

After that we do a few more rounds I win with overwhelming advantage, though I can easily see as she concentrates and puts conscious effort not to make the mistakes I point out.

I can see she is striving to improve and she seems to be making quite good progress for one session.

{Hm, ask her why she isn't using claws, would you?} - Natria asks at some point during our fight.

'Huh? She has claws?' - I ask, genuinely surprised, making her dumbfounded in exchange.

{You... don't know? Her soul says she has great claws, surprisingly sharp and durable for lower half-vampire, but she seems to consciously avoid sticking them out.}

'Okay...'

"Um, Yana? You have claws, right?" - I ask her while relaxing my stance during one of the breaks.

Yana makes an extremely surprised and at the same time anxious expression. - "I... How?" - She manages to say.

"My spirit told me just now. Are you hesitating to use them?"

The girl drops her eyes and glances at me with somewhat fearful expression. - "I... don't want."

"Huh? Why?" - I step closer to her.

"It's just... I don't like them." - Yana says with bitter face.

I frown at that. - 'Master, what can make a vampire not like her own claws? I once heard they take pride in them and care about them just as much as about hair, if not more.'

{I'd say it's either how they look or something to do with her past, but you would need to ask.}

After a moment of hesitation I step forward and grab Yana's wrists strongly, making her flinch and look up in surprise.

"Show me them." - I say decisively, leaving no room for negotiations as Yana looks at me anxious expression and widens her eyes in surprise.

"I..."

"Show me them." - I repeat, making the girl lower her head at her hands.

After a moment of hesitation she tenses her hands and I see her pointed, black nails change shape. Within a few seconds ten shiny, black claws slowly emerge from tips of her fingers. They are slightly curved inwards with the shape of a diamond, around fifteen centimeters long and appearing to be very sharp and strong.

That said, though, they seem to very well-kept, with no apparent damage nor any sign of grime, at least unless it can't be seen with naked eye.

{Well, that's nice. Such claws usually belong to much stronger individuals than low vampires she seems to have inherited her bloodline after, and she seems to have maintained them properly. If you are interested she could cut softer metals with them even now, not to mention when she grows up.}

'That's new for me. She has hidden them really well.' - I raise my brows with that pleasant surprise.

With her arms still secured firmly in mine Yana retracts her claws quickly and lowers her head.

"S-sorry..." - She suddenly says in a shaking voice, startling me.

"For what?" - I ask, astonished, going back to ground from my thoughts.

"F-for being a monster..." - She whispers so quietly I am barely able to hear it, making me widen my eyes and freeze for a moment, unable to decide how to react to that.

"Tell me, Yana." - I grab her head and forcefully turn her in my direction, looking into her eyes that have traces of tears forming. - "Do you know what happened to me?"

"Huh? N-no...?"

"Do you really think I am a human still?"

Yana freezes, looking at me in shock, taking a long while to properly process what I said.

"Y-you are not?" - She asks finally.

"I am not." - I reply in firm voice. - "And seriously, Yana, do you think I am not aware you are a half-vampire or something? This is nothing bad in my eyes, and if anything, it makes you more special. Some claws will not worsen my opinion of you, but rather improve, since they make you stronger. Am I clear?"

During my whole speech Yana is staring straight at my face through half-open eyes and her expression rapidly twists, finally ending with a mix of joy and relief.

"I... I... sob, Thank y-, y-, buhuuuuh!" - She starts crying loudly and she hugs me tightly, pressing her face to my chest.

Her tears of relief and happiness wet my cloak as I pat her silver head gently.

Well, that was unexpected, but I guess it is good that she finally showed her claws to someone. We'll see how it plays out, but it should prove to be a good change.

...

After a few minutes, when Yana calmed down enough to be able to talk properly, though she was still clinging to me surprisingly persistently, she asked me once again as if she didn't believe what I told her. - "Um, do you really... don't mind my claws?"

"I don't mind at all. If anything, I like them. I think it would be nice to have similar, and it would make a lot of things easier." - I reply confidently, missing the slight redness on Yana's cheeks.

"I-I see. Um, you are not human?"

"Un, yeah, though it is not noticeable now. I have a bit of a devil, a vampire and an elf in me from the important things."

"Oh... um, what is a devil? I don't think I have heard about them." - She raises her head and looks at me with confusion.

"They are a type of demons that are mostly human in appearance, but usually have a tail and horns." - I repeat what Natria told me before. - "They are aligned with darkness and corruption and are generally considered bad guys, but they are very rare, at least on this island."

"Oh, I see." - She nods her head. - "Um, then, do you have any..."

"No, at least not yet." - I reply, guessing she means horns, tail, claws or some other inhuman part like that. - "But it is more than likely I will have in some time, though I have no idea when and what exactly."

"Okay. Um, why are you so calm about it?" - She asks while lowering her head.

"What? You mean your claws? Or that I am not fully human?"

"Both..."

"Well. My spirit once told me to never hastily judge anyone by appearance, but try to see who they are inside. This definitely plays a part. As a side note, I guess that is also because I have seen a few things much more scary or repulsing than your claws. Though, to be honest, one of the main reasons is that it is you, not some random vampire."

"Hu? Oh, um, okay." - Yana's posture visibly softens at my words and her voice is a bit nervous, but much more relaxed than at the beginning.

I look at her head, at her long, silver hair, and what lays underneath.

"I haven't told you that I can see your soul and spirit, did I?"

"Hm? Haa!? You can!?" - She jolts and raises her head with shocked expression along with her voice.

"Well, I can." - I grin. - "What made you think I can't?"

She shrinks and says in a little voice as I notice her slightly pointed ears getting pink. - "Um, I... didn't really think about it..."

I smile widely at that. - "Well, every person has a soul, and you are close enough for me to sense it. It's another reason why I trust you."

"Hm? How?" - Yana asks confused.

"You see, each person has different soul. The three guys I defeated earlier had red, yellow and purple repulsive spirits, meaning they are bad people at heart. Yours is... pretty unique. It is white, sharp like claws, calm like weather before the storm and bloody red at the same time. It means that you are pure and calm, but also you like violence and blood and you are itching to fight. Correct?" - I ask with a cheeky grin.

The vampire girl gets redder and averts her gaze.

"You know I am right, hm?" - I ask, drawing my face closer with narrowed eyes.

"I-I know! Shut up!" - She flails her fists at my chest and backs off.

{Sorry for interrupting, but Laura will be there in a minute. She is going through sewers and she seems a bit pissed off.} - I suddenly hear Natria's voice.

"Oh? Alright."

"Hm? What is it?" - Yana looks at me with confused expression.

"Oh, nothing. Laura will be there in a moment." - I explain and look around, dusting off and straightening my cloak.

"Oh, okay. Let's wait for her here."

I walk towards the flop to the sewers and wait a bit. After half a minute I hear faint footsteps and I slowly open the flop and look down to see slightly dirty Laura in her hunter's outfit looking up with wariness and surprise, soon melting into a smile as she sees me.

"Heya, Laura." - I reach down with my arm and help her up. - "You look kinda ticked off today."

"Hello, Nea." - She puts her feet on the ground and gets her clothes in order, then looks at me and widens her eyes. - "Holy shit! How the hell are you so strong? Uh, Yana? What are you doing here together?"

"Nea was showing me how she fights! And she's fantastic! I coudn't even hit her properly!" - Yana declares with almost unhealthy amount of enthusiasm as she clings to Laura's leg, showing her... kind of extreme mindset along the way. She isn't bothered by the fact that she is much weaker than me, but instead she is excited by how much I can teach her.

“I killed a few things here and there.” – I reply to the previous question.

"Oookay." - She stretches the word out, looking between beaming half-vampire and calm-faced me. - "By the way, the three corpses by the entrance...?"

"Well, yeah, I killed them." - I say without batting an eye, making Laura flinch lightly, but she became even angrier than me with my further explanation. - "They came to the kids with bad intentions and were going to break in. One of them was going to hurt Angelin when she came out."

After a long exhale Laura seemed to calm down and asked another question. - "Well. they are dead, so nothing to do about it. Okay, so, the kids are okay?"

"Yep, no problem. I talked with them a bit, but didn't tell anything. Yana though was as perceptive as usual." - I nudged her side, making her jolt in surprise, but then she made a proud expression as soon as she caught up to the meaning of my words.

"You mean..."

"Yep, I mean Neo, my brother. I think I will share that after I get stronger and help them, because I don't want them to feel left out..."

"...Okay." – Laura’s eyes light up in understanding and she nods slowly. - "Anyway, let's come inside for now."