Chapter 4: A Voice Echoes in the Land of Night

We couldn't use teleportation magic.

Mulnite's Chancellor—my Daddy—had suspended the use of all Gates, presumably to prevent any further invasions. This was proof enough of how dire the situation was back home.

After escaping the Holy City of Lehysia, we arrived at a town in the Dark Core Zone. A fortified city under Mulnite's rule.

Only Sakuna, Vill, Millicent, and I were there. We hadn't been able to meet back up with my troops. I assumed they were wandering the Dark Core Zone, but I couldn't contact them through Correspondence Crystals anymore. Worse still, rumors were flying about the Holy Knights going around taking out vampires. I got chills just thinking about it. Would they be okay?

"Things are grim. The peddlers say the Imperial Capital will be down in no time," Millicent said with a sardonic smile.

It was night. We were in the cafeteria of an inn.

Vill reacted first. She stared daggers at Millicent and said:

"Why do you look so happy about it? Aren't you a member of the Imperial Army?"

"I don't care if the Empire goes down. It's not like I'm dying."

"Lady Komari, may I splat some mayonnaise on her face?"

"Relax! She's not being serious!"

"Yeah, Ms. Villhaze. You see, Ms. Millicent is just…shy. She likes keeping up a cold front while being full of love on the inside," Sakuna chimed in.

"I'm gonna kill you."

Sakuna shrieked and trembled. Seemed like that girl only had hate on the inside.

"I don't like her." Vill puffed her cheeks.

The Dark Core had healed Vill after we escaped the Holy City. She could already move around without difficulty. We also told her about Millicent being appointed Crimson Lord. She seemed unable to forgive her; there was only disgust in her eyes whenever she looked at her, and understandably so. Letting go of what she'd done wasn't easy.

Still, we were now allies. We had to stick together, or things would only get rougher. At the very least, Vill understood that Millicent had saved her, so she wasn't going out of her way to criticize her…

"Lady Komari, I think we ought to send Millicent Bluenight to the grave."

…or I guess she was. Don't just say that to her face, c'mon.

"This bickering is a waste of time. We must go back to the Imperial Capital and get rid of Inverse Moon as soon as possible. We're sitting ducks staying here."

"Oh, so you are worried about the Mulnite Empire…"

"I am not," Millicent said, a fed-up expression on her face. "Guerilla groups made up of Inverse Moon members and Holy Church believers are attacking the Imperial Capital, and they have the upper hand. The other Crimson Lords must be having trouble coming up with any decent strategy without the Empress."

"I don't think the others would lose so easily… Inverse Moon must have some tricks up their sleeve…"

"Probably, yes. They're expert tricksters, after all. In any case, we have to go back ASAP and stop the riots. Either that, or directly defeat Tryphon Cross or the Wicked God Slayer."

"The Wicked God Slayer? Who?"

"The boss of Inverse Moon."

The boss? You mean someone even more insane than everyone I've met so far?

I was helpless against Tryphon; how could I hope to defeat his superior? I wonder what that Sapphire is doing about now. Did he follow us? Go straight to the Imperial Capital?

Then we heard a "Sorry for the wait." A worker at the inn had brought us dinner.

"There's still much I don't know about the Wicked God Slayer. We didn't get a chance to meet back when I was in Inverse Moon. But they can't stay in the shadows this time. If we take the chance to kill—"

"Woah! Look, Vill. There's two Hamburg steaks on my omelet rice!"

"My, you're right. Will you be able to finish that? It's quite a lot."

"I'm starving. 'Course I ca—"

"Listen!!" Millicent bopped my head. She was glaring at me like a bloodthirsty beast.

What's her problem? Though now that I thought about it, perhaps it wasn't the best of times to be having dinner. I said sorry before silently eating my omelet rice. It was so good. Omelet rice had the power to cheer me right up. To give me life.

Millicent maintained her icy glare.

"I have no attachment to the Empire, but you don't want Mulnite to fall, do you? You have to prepare yourself. You hold the key to solving this problem, Terakomari Gandesblood."

"…" My hand froze midair as I was bringing my spoon to my mouth.

I hold the key? What's that mean? Then I noticed Vill clenching her fist under the table. She had this conflicted look on her face.

"…Millicent, you know I can't use magic and have no physical skills whatsoever. How is this useless vampire holding the key?"

"You're so stupid," Millicent asserted. "The people who change the world are strong of heart. And you have the potential. I mean, you've already transformed Aruka and the Heavenly Paradise. Don't you remember?"

"...…"

That was because of Nelia and Karla. I hadn't done anything. It was just a big misunderstanding.

I knew something happened whenever I sucked blood. But so what? Could that save Mulnite from disaster? No way. I was no warmonger. I was a scholar and an intellectual. My real job was eating some nice omelet rice and escaping reality.

Then Millicent stood straight up.

"The people of Mulnite are praying to Terakomari Gandesblood. It is your duty to answer them… I'm going to my room," she said before leaving.

In the end, she didn't have anything for dinner. How can Millicent hope to do anything on an empty stomach? I thought to myself, looking away from my worries.

***

We'd only gotten two rooms for the night. One for Vill and me, and another for Millicent and Sakuna. I was worried about those two, but Sakuna told me, "It's no problem, we were allies once before." Maybe they actually had lots of things to talk about.

Vill and I went to our room after dinner. It was already dark outside. We were supposed to head over to the Imperial Capital early the next morning. Were the Crimson Lords doing okay? Was my family all right?

As anxiety ate me alive, Vill, sprawled out on the bed, called my name.

"Lady Komari, how about we play cards? We still have some time before we need to sleep."

"Fine, if you want… Don't you find that posture a bit sloppy, maid?"

"Sorry." She got up with a deadpan look on her face.

Then she turned her green eyes directly toward mine.

"Wh-what?"

"Nothing. I was just…thinking about how I haven't thanked you or apologized. Thank you very much for saving me," Vill said.

"Uh, so what's the deal here?"

"Sorry," she said again, casting her glance down. "The truth is…I left with Julius VI under the orders of Her Majesty. She told me to go spy on the Holy City. But it all turned out to be part of the enemy's plan… Regardless of the circumstances, I ended up causing you concern by staying quiet about this. I am very glad you came for me after falling for their trap."

I was shocked. To be quite honest, I was expecting Vill to confess to something more…perverted. I sat down on the bed with a smile.

"I'm not mad. But why didn't you tell me? You could've said something. I was worried sick… And y'know…it was all so sudden that I was at a loss for a while there."

"I did it to get your attention…," Vill said timidly.

So she'd wanted me to worry. Geez, there was no end to my maid's nasty ploys. And worst of all…it worked. My whole life had been turned on its head just by losing her. My men would've killed me sooner rather than later if I'd kept doing my job as commander like that.

"…My, what a naughty maid. You shouldn't be doing those things behind my back."

"Please punish me. Make me get in the bath with you and have me wash your every nook and cranny. Force me to kiss your feet…or, indeed, lick your toes clean."

"What am I, candy?! No, thank you! Gosh!"

She didn't feel like she had her usual energy. Despite her words, she had been wearing a long face this whole time. Something must've happened to bring out this change in her.

"It's my fault you found yourself in such danger."

"Hey, it's the same thing every time. I narrowly avoid death pretty much every day because of you."

"And I'm so sorry about that… Have I been nothing but trouble?"

My jaw dropped. Had there been some weird mushrooms in her dinner or something?

"You say you don't want to work. You always talk about how you want to coop yourself up. But I keep pulling you outside, thinking it's for your own good. That you need to be out there to fulfill your duty as Crimson Lord. But…you've gotten hurt so many times because of that."

Vill was right. I had been badly injured after the Crimson Match, and the Six Nations War, and the Heavenly Ball. The worst murderers you could imagine beat me up every single time.

"If it weren't for me, you'd be leading an uneventful life. You wouldn't be getting hurt. Like what happened again just now… If you're opposed to it, I won't force you to fight. I will take you somewhere safe."

That was an alluring proposition.

Honestly, I had no idea what was going on in the Mulnite Empire, but one thing was for sure: I'd end up badly wounded, or worse, if I went to the Imperial Capital. My tightly trained sixth sense was yelling at me, screaming that I would die. My scholarly intellect said the wise choice was to run far away with Vill.

"And…once you're safe, I will disappear from your sight."

"You idiot. What're you saying?" I stared straight at her.

I didn't know what to do about the matter at the Imperial Capital, but I knew it wasn't right for my maid to vanish out of guilt.

"Lady Komari, I…"

"To be honest, I was fed up with you forcing me to work. And that's nothing new—I'm always saying it. You're never stop pushing me to the brink of death."

"…"

Tears budded in her eyes. Perhaps I was too harsh. I grabbed Vill's hand in a panic and, looking away from her, added quietly:

"But I am who I am now thanks to you."

"Wha…?"

"It happened with the Crimson Match, the Six Nations War, the Heavenly Ball. Every time you roped me into things, I ended up gaining something precious. I would have missed out on meeting so many people if I'd stayed a shut-in."

"…"

"And…hey, you're…precious to me, too. So don't go disappearing ever again. I don't think I can go on living without you. My room's a mess, I can't get up in the morning, and my men would probably kill me if you weren't around. I end up unleashing the full extent of my uselessness when you aren't by my side."

"B-but…"

"B-but don't get the wrong idea! This is no confession of love. I just need a maid, is all, and I don't want to hire someone else… So… Um…"

I didn't know what I was saying anymore. It felt like my body temperature had risen for some reason. My cheeks were burning. Vill gave an emotional stare that bore straight through me, and I couldn't take it anymore. I looked away at the wall and said:

"…Anyway, I'm just glad you're okay, Vill."

"Lady Komari!"

"Wah?!"

My maid jumped at me so suddenly I couldn't resist, and I fell down on the bed. She brought her elated face right next to mine. She was actually crying. Her tears fell on my lips.

"Lady Komari, may I hug you?"

"You're pretty much already doing that! Get off me! Shoo!"

"I won't leave you again. You said you needed me. I will serve you and stay by your side in sickness and in health and in death."

"You're too heavy, in both senses of the word! Gosh! Fine, already!"

"As your maid, I will bring you heaps of work from now on. I will give you all my support to make you the best Crimson Lord there is. You said it yourself, and I memorized every single word: I ended up gaining something precious every time—precious like you, my beloved Vill."

"I didn't say that last part! And I didn't ask you to give me more work! I mean, I kinda said something that could imply that? But no, I still want more days off! Where's my paid leave?! I know it's the law that I have to get at least a few days to myself every year!"

"I've been filing paid leave for you on days you go to work."

"That's beyond evil!"

I kicked and screamed, but no matter what I did, I couldn't escape the weight of my maid.

Vill then put on an artificially deadpan look and said:

"To tell the truth, I haven't drunk your blood yet."

What's this all of a sudden?

"So what?"

"May I?"

"Huh?"

"Traditionally, masters and servants who share a close relationship will exchange blood. Of course, I can't let you drink mine, or you'd level this whole area, but I would like to taste yours at least…"

Level this whole area? No way, you're blowing things out of proportion.

In any case, I never thought I'd be in a situation where someone would suck my blood. I felt like that could only ever happen in novels or my own imagination… Crap, I'm getting nervous now. Get a grip, Miss Brightest Mind of the Generation! Honestly, it's not like I really mind…

"I can't…?"

"No, I, uh…"

"If you say no, then I'll puke blood and die."

"Waaah! Okay, fine! Do it! Do as you please!"

I couldn't say no after that.

Vill softly smiled in relief, for some reason.

"Well then… Excuse me."

"G-go ahead."

Vill slowly brought her face closer.

Why? I'm just getting my blood sucked, but my heart's beating so fast. My little sister Lolo had said the blood of the person you liked tasted sweet. I wondered what Vill's impression of mine would be. Sweeter than cake, maybe?

I stared at the stains on the ceiling while those incoherent thoughts went through my mind.

I could hear her heartbeat. Maybe she was nervous, too.

Soon, her lips reached my neck, and then…

"Ms. Komari! There's a guest looking for you!"

Vill scrambled off me at the speed of light.

Sakuna had opened the door without knocking. It looked like she'd just gotten out of the bath. Her skin was flushed, and her hair was wet. She was ten times prettier than usual.

"…? What's with you two?"

"N-nothing. Right, Vill?"

"I messed up! This was the perfect opportunity to show Lady Memoir that Komari is mine and mine alone, but I got so nervous I pulled back on instinct!"

Slow down.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sakuna said, changing the subject. "But there's someone who wants to talk to you two. They're waiting in the lobby on the first floor."

I glanced at Vill. She raised an eyebrow, too.

We had no idea who could possibly be looking for us right now.

***

We found an unfamiliar man waiting for us. He was the only person there, so it had to be him.

He was sitting at a mahjong table, fiddling with a tile. His eyes were sharp as a knife, while his clothing was frilly—traditional Heavenly Paradise clothing. He had to be a Peace Spirit.

"Oh." He raised a hand as soon as he saw us. "Miss Gandesblood, thank you for coming. Take a seat."

"O-okay…" I did as told.

"Watch out, Lady Komari. He might be one of those perverts people always talk about," Vill said as she sat at my left, seemingly unaware that she was one of those famous perverts.

The Peace Spirit man just stared at me for whatever reason. It made me uncomfortable. At the same time, looking at him gave me this sense of déjà-vu. He had this cold, sharp air about him…it reminded me of the way Karla had acted when we first met.

"…Why did you call us here? Take your lascivious gaze off Lady Komari, or I'll pepper spray you."

"Stop being so hostile! I-I'm sorry, my maid's a little short-fused."

"I don't mind. I understand my call came out of nowhere." He looked down at the mahjong tiles. "I'm Kakumei Amatsu. You know Karla. She's my cousin."

"Huh…? Are you the guy she called her brother?"

"I imagine… By the way, keep my presence a secret from Millicent. It's very likely she'll try to kill me if we meet now."

I wasn't following. What did he do to her?

"Up for a game of mahjong? I have a tournament coming up for a coworker's promotion. I want to get in some practice before that happens. Don't want to lose all my money," Amatsu said.

"Sounds good. Let's play strip mahjong. Just you and I, Lady Komari," Vill suggested.

"I'm not doing that! Sorry, really, I have to decline. I don't really know the rules…," I said.

"It's fine. I don't really know them, either."

What a weird dude.

Then Vill got impatient.

"Lord Kakumei Amatsu, please cut to the chase. How did you even know we were here? Were you following us?"

"I had a subordinate tail you."

"So you're a stalker. I'm calling the police."

"Go ahead, if you have a death wish. I don't mind. But if you want to do something to stop the fall of the Mulnite Empire, then I advise you to listen to what I have to say."

Amatsu produced a Magic Stone from his pocket.

Vill stood up on guard. However, Amatsu showed no intention of attacking us. He handed me the Magic Stone.

"This is a teleportation Magic Stone. The Mulnite Imperial Palace Gate is offline now, but I got my subordinates to get through the battlefield and assemble a new one. You can get to the Imperial Capital with this right now."

"Um… Why are you giving me this?"

Amatsu scoffed.

"I don't care what happens to the Mulnite Empire, but someone asked me to… And I must say, I don't want you losing to the Wicked God Slayer like this."

"Please elaborate. How much do you know?" Vill asked.

"I can say for sure that many people will die if Terakomari Gandesblood doesn't take action."

I didn't understand. Neither did I want to hear such awful things.

"…Why do I need to act? I mean, I'm…"

"Why are you here, then? Weren't you looking for a way to get to the Imperial Capital?"

"Well, I…"

Even I didn't know. I'd just let Millicent drag me all the way here. I hadn't thought about what to do next. Rather, I didn't want to think about it. I just had this vague, useless hope that everyone would be okay regardless.

Amatsu sighed. His demeanor resembled Karla's.

"I see you're not determined yet. Fine. You'll understand soon. The world's headed for doom if you don't do something. I know I don't really have the right to say this, but it's the truth."

"Lord Kakumei Amatsu, we can't force Lady Komari to—"

"I know. She has to want to do it herself, or nothing's getting done. Look…I have something else for you. Give it a read later."

He handed me an envelope. It had no sender or destination. I guess just reading this isn't too much of an ask. I tried opening it, but then Amatsu stood up in aggravation.

"I must go before Millicent finds out I'm here. Farewell."

I could only stare as he walked off, unsure if I should say good-bye or something. As soon as he got to the door, he turned around.

"By the way, thank you for helping out Karla. Figure I should say that, as her cousin."

His cold face didn't look very grateful.

Amatsu said nothing more and stepped into the dark outside.

Vill puffed her cheeks and grumbled, "What's with that man? He shows up out of nowhere, starts lecturing us, then goes away without explaining a thing. He has no manners. At least treat us to some ice cream or something. But above all else, I can't stand that he got in the way of me sucking your glorious blood."

"I'm more in the mood for something warm, not ice cream… But that's beside the point. Let's give this…letter(?) a look."

"So can I still suck your blood later? Actually, can I suck it now?"

"Hmm, yes, this has to be a letter. Just one sheet, huh?"

"Lady Komari, are you listening? Lady Komari?"

Who sent it, though? I casually opened the piece of paper folded in three. That instant, I felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest. My throat went dry. I was sweating out all the liquid.

The content was brief. A most ordinary message. But the strong, yet gentle handwriting… I recognized it. I could never forget it.

Dear Komari,

Please take care of Mulnite. Keep the world close to your chest.

Mom

"…Lady Komari? Where are you going?"

I couldn't be here. The text was faintly imbued with mana. Her mana. My late mother's mana.

I dashed out the door. The cold wind slashed my body.

Where did Amatsu go? Could I manage to catch him? I needed him to explain this to me.

Then I saw glowing red substance pour deep into the town.

I heard the sound of something breaking, followed by yells. Highly concentrated mana wafted all the way to me. Someone was destroying stuff with magic.

"Terakomari! The Holy Knights caught up with us!"

Millicent, Vill, and Sakuna dashed out of the inn.

My jaw dropped. Tryphon's pursuers had already gotten all the way to us?

"Wh-what now?! We have to run… But Amatsu's…"

"They appear to be killing everyone indiscriminately in their hunt for you,"

Vill said while holding a pair of binoculars to her face. "They're true barbarians. How shameless of them to invoke the name of God while doing this."

"Why…"

Then I heard a yell behind me.

"Don't move, Terakomari Gandesblood!"

Armored soldiers appeared in droves.

They approached us slowly, glowing bloodlust in their eyes. There had to be over fifty of them. I turned around to run away, but then I saw the Holy Knights closing in from that direction as well.

We were surrounded. I hid behind Sakuna, thinking it was over, this time for real.

Millicent stood in front of us with a hostile look on her face.

"What's this? You really needed this many people to get us? Heh."

"Surrender, foolish vampires," said the Warblade man at the front with a sneer. "We've captured the members of the Mulnite Imperial Army who Terakomari Gandesblood brought in. All five hundred were killed and imprisoned in the Holy City. They will rot in there."

"Wha…?! You bastards!" I jumped out from behind Sakuna. I couldn't stay still after hearing what they did to my Seventh Unit. "Give them back!"

"We don't follow your orders, only Captain Tryphon Cross's. And do you really have time to lose worrying about them? We have you surrounded."

I couldn't say anything back.

Screams and cackles resounded from all over town. Then I saw someone getting killed out of the corner of my eye. The Holy Knights were gutting my fellow vampires with spells. Blood spattered. Corpses piled up. All while they shouted in God's name. It didn't feel real.

"Wh-why are you doing this? Those people have nothing to do with anything…"

"This fortified city is under the Mulnite Empire's control. It's only natural that they, too, receive God's judgment."

"You…"

"This is only the beginning. We're going to attack every town in the Mulnite Empire. We're simply cleaning up now that the Imperial Capital has fallen."

"?!"

What did he just say? The Imperial Capital…fell?

While I stood there paralyzed in shock, I heard a voice come from the sky:

"Good afternoon, citizens of the world! This is Melka Tiano, reporting for Six Nations News!"

I looked up in surprise. There was a screen projected into the night sky, and on it was that journalist, the Sapphire Melka Tiano, speaking with a desperate look on her face.

"I've got breaking, urgent news! Feast your eyes on this disaster! It's an absolute wreck! You may not believe this, but I'm coming to you live from the Mulnite Imperial Capital! Terrorist group Inverse Moon and the Holy Church are behind this tragedy!"

The screen showed the city in ruins.

My jaw was planted on the ground. There were piles of dead bodies everywhere. The beautiful scenery of stone buildings I knew was nowhere to be found, replaced by flames and rubble as far as the eye could see. The Artois Plaza Clock Tower was broken in half. How did the city center end up like this? Even Vill and Millicent widened their eyes in shock at the sight.

"The terrorists have defeated the Imperial Army and taken over the Mulnite Imperial Palace! Only Crimson Lord Petrose Calamaria remains in the fight, but rebels keep popping up from all over the city to oppose her! The Empire is headed for doom! The people clamor for a hero to defeat this evil! I ask you, citizens of the world, can you sit by and let this happen?! I don't think I can!"

Melka's speech was more fervent than usual. She held her mic tight as she explained the situation.

"Honestly, I can't bear this anymore! Which is why I took it upon myself to spread the word across the globe! First, I'll be going to the Palace and—"

"Hey, that's the Six Nations News reporter! Cut the broadcast!"

"Wh-who are you?! Stop, let go of me! Violence against reporters is prohibited by law! Hey, Thio, you dolt! Don't just run away! Hey, stop! S-someone help! Commander Gandesblooooood!!"

The camera started to bob through some back alleys in the middle of their exchange. Evidently, the catgirl recording everything had made a break for it, and she even hurled the camera away somewhere down the line. The broadcast switched to a snowstorm before cutting off. The mana feed must have stopped.

A starry winter sky returned to view.

"Pesky journos. But now you understand what's going on at the Imperial Capital," boasted the Warblade knight. "You can't escape divine punishment. There's no averting the Mulnite Empire's downfall."

"Divine punishment my ass. Don't you realize that Inverse Moon's just taking advantage of you? Your captain, Tryphon, is one of their members."

"We know. But Captain Cross is a God-fearing man before he is a member of Inverse Moon. Everything he does is for the sake of spreading the word of God."

"That's a load of bull. There's not a shred of faith in that man."

"Enough of your blabbering. Fellow blessed soldiers! Capture the villains!"

The Holy Knights yelled and attacked.

"Lady Komari! Behind me!" Vill countered the knights with her kunai.

Millicent and Sakuna also responded with their own weapons, but even I could tell it would be hard to get past this many opponents.

Cries. Cheers. Yells. Explosions. Dread echoed throughout all corners of the city.

I could only watch as my friends fought. I was frozen in place, thinking about the nightmarish scene of the Imperial Capital that played moments before. Melka had asked me for help at the end of it. And it wasn't only her. It wasn't lost on me who she was talking about when she said "the people clamor for a hero."

But I lacked the courage. Vill, Sakuna, Millicent, and everyone back in the Imperial Capital were getting hurt, while I was still cowering in full shut-in mode.

What should I do?

What do I even want to do?

"Guh…?!"

Then I saw an enemy soldier drive their blade into Sakuna's shoulder. She cried out as red blood spurted from the wound.

I was about to run up to her, when suddenly, Vill grabbed my arm and yelled:

"Lady Komari! We can't defeat them! We must use our last resort!"

"L-last resort?! What is it?"

"The teleportation Magic Stone you just got. Lady Memoir! Blue girl! Come here!"

Both of them picked up on what she was planning and immediately pushed back the enemy before retreating.

I was as still as a statue while Vill shoved a hand in my pocket and pulled out the Magic Stone Amatsu gave me. She poured mana into it without hesitation.

But I still wasn't mentally prepared.

I also knew the Holy Knights would only hurt the people of this city even more if we left. They were even more violent than my Seventh Unit; I could easily imagine them getting more brutal as some sort of revenge. We had to defeat them first.

No…what am I thinking? I can't do anything myself. I'd only be making my friends get hurt more.

In the end, I couldn't say anything until the Magic Stone began flashing.

"Vill, wai—!"

"Hold on to me! Time to make our triumphal return to the Imperial Capital!"

She grabbed me by the scruff, and Sakuna and Millicent held tightly to her. The Holy Knights immediately realized what we were doing and charged against us, shouting like mad animals. But the teleportation was slightly faster.

White light enveloped our surroundings, and so I was sent back to the Imperial Capital, irresolute.

★

Meanwhile, at the Federal District of the Haku-Goku Commonwealth, the nation otherwise known as the Polar Union.

The northern country's air was bone-chilling in December. If a savanna beast-folk from the Lapelico Kingdom were to visit this time of year, they would instantly freeze.

Sapphires were absurdly resistant to cold. Their hard bodies allowed even the children of the Polar Union to frolic outside in this temperature, frigid enough to make a banana as hard as a nail.

However, every rule had an exception. In this case, the outlier was Commander Prohellya Butchersky. This member of the Six Arctic Masters was implausibly sensitive to cold.

She always wore winter clothes, no matter the season. She had a pocket warmer—a heating Magic Stone—on her at all times. Today, too, she sat before the fireplace, exclaiming like a curse, "It's freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzing!" How she wished winter didn't exist. The world would be so much better if it were summer all year round.

As she rolled into a ball on her chair, like a cat, Melka's emergency Six Nations News broadcast began.

The sight of the burning Imperial Capital was projected onto the annoyingly bright starry sky of the Federal District.

Then Prohellya burned with rage—enough to make her forget about the cold.

She had always despised senseless violence and malice. Her eyes were glued to the projection as tragedy unfolded in the Mulnite Empire. It was clear as day that the terrorists were making even unrelated people suffer.

Prohellya immediately called the General Secretary. She had to report to her boss before taking any action, after all.

"Yes, this is the General Secretary of the Communist Party."

"Sir! I want permission for my army to mobilize!"

"Calm down, Prohellya. It's cold outside."

"This is no time to be shivering inside. The terrorists must be stopped. You don't want the Mulnite Empire to fall, either, do you?"

She heard him snort. His leisurely attitude only poured fuel into Prohellya's fire.

"Do we have any duty to go help them?"

"This isn't about obligation. Inverse Moon is also an enemy of the Polar Union. We can't let go of an opportunity to crush them after they've shown themselves in the Imperial Capital."

"The Mulnite Empire is not our ally."

"That doesn't matter! First of all, we can't hope to make them our allies if we don't lend a hand! This is exactly why we're a friendless nation!"

"Cool your head a little. First of all, consider the pros and cons of building an allyship with the Mulnite Em—"

"Aaaaargh!! I've heard enough!!"

Prohellya turned to the fireplace to hurl in her Correspondence Crystal, but before she did, she heard the General Secretary speak again.

"Hold on, don't throw away the crystal."

She took a deep breath. Raising her voice like this was against her ladylike ideals.

"I apologize. However, I am outraged at your reaction."

"I appreciate your sincerity. Fine, as General Secretary, I command you, Arctic Master Prohellya Butchersky, to sortie to the Imperial Capital."

"Right away, sir."

"Wait."

What a chatty man.

"What is it?" Prohellya asked while preparing to leave.

"You can go to the Imperial Capital, but you can't use teleportation to get there. The Chancellor blocked all the Gates."

"No problem. I'll just fly."

"Also, Tryphon Cross is among the terrorists over there. This man has always been my political opponent. He has the power to teleport matter, so be careful."

"Roger."

"Also…"

"We're not done yet?!"

Prohellya put on her coat. She grabbed her weapons, wallet, and rations (liquid pudding). All set to go. Now she just had to call her subordinates...

"Nothing, forget it," the General Secretary said after a moment of thinking. "Don't catch a cold."

"Thank you for your concern, but the strong never catch colds."

"I think the saying goes, idiots never…"

Prohellya hung up and left her room in a hurry.

It was cold outside, but that was no matter. She had heard of Inverse Moon acting in the Polar Union as of late. They could target the Federal District next if she didn't do something about them in the Imperial Capital.

And besides, if the Mulnite Empire fell, she wouldn't get a chance to do sports-war with Terakomari Gandesblood. That would mean Prohellya wouldn't be able to challenge the girl to a bet where the loser had to do anything the winner says, so that she could get back her polar bear plushie. That she could not allow.

★

Meanwhile, at the Mulnite Imperial Palace in the Imperial Capital of the Mulnite Empire.

Tryphon Cross silently waited for the Empire's fall in the Audience Room. The Empress had not been on the throne. She was someplace far away, thanks to the Wicked God Slayer's plot. He hadn't heard the details, but apparently, she'd caught the Empress off guard with some special tool.

Now the Empire was practically in Inverse Moon's hand.

Her Highness had allowed them to send their full forces to the Imperial Capital. About five thousand troops. No matter how powerful Mulnite's commanders were, they were physically incapable of handling so many rioters. As a matter of fact, most of the Crimson Lords who'd stayed behind to guard the Imperial Capital were already dead; the Imperial Army was already virtually defeated.

"Soon, it will be over! We just have to find the Dark Core!" Fuyao Meteorite exclaimed as she wagged her tail with a smile on her face.

The attack had been carried out almost entirely under Fuyao's command. Tryphon once again admired the Wicked God Slayer's sharp eye in her choice to appoint this girl as a Luna.

"Where could the Dark Core be, though? Odilon Metal said not even the Chancellor knew, didn't he?"

"Her Highness said she would take care of it. Let's just put our faith in her and wait."

"I see. Though that begs the question—who exactly is this Wicked God Slayer? She looks like any normal vampire, but…" Fuyao trailed off.

"I reckon she's just like you, but perhaps she doesn't realize."

"??"

Fuyao was confused, understandably so.

Tryphon fiddled with the needle in his pocket as he thought things over. The Wicked God Slayer's true identity wasn't very important now. The crucial matter was what to do after taking over the Mulnite Empire. After obtaining the Dark Core and making Her Highness the Empress, how would she go about revolutionizing the world?

Cloing. A switch flipped.

"I'm bored. There's nothing left to do?"

"We just have to let Her Highness take the throne, and it's over. Perhaps Terakomari Gandesblood isn't coming. All of the Empire's Gates are closed, after all."

"Hmm… Yeah, boring."

Fuyao turned around.

"Where are you going?" Tryphon asked casually.

"Just taking a stroll," she said before leaving right away.

That vixen's job was already done. I'll let her off for the moment.

Then a Sapphire man rushed in, as if he were trading places with Fuyao.

"Lord Cross! Urgent news!" Tryphon's subordinate courteously bent the knee. "Our lookout has just confirmed that Terakomari Gandesblood's group teleported in."

Tryphon groaned. I thought the city was blocked off. I can't believe that vampire's spirit remains unbroken.

"We don't know how they did it, but this must mean the Holy Knights back in the Dark Core Zone let them go. What shall we do?"

"Simple." Tryphon put on a faint smile. "Have all our forces, save for the troops fighting Petrose Calamaria, head their way. Oh, and now that she's here, there's no use keeping the Gates shut. Open them and call the Holy Knights."

★

The Magic Stone brought us to the Imperial Capital.

We were in some back alley, and I knew something was wrong the moment we materialized there. It reeked of blood.

"I can hear their voices. The thoughts of everyone in suffering…," Sakuna said while healing herself with magic.

"Are you okay?!" I rushed up to her. "I'm fine," she replied with a smile.

And indeed, she was a great healer—her wounds completely closed in a matter of seconds.

"Don't worry about me… Worry about the city… We need to do something quickly…"

"Y-yeah."

I took a peep out of the alleyway.

The scene looked just it had in Melka's broadcast. Piles of rubble and corpses. The buildings that hadn't collapsed were on fire. It was a landscape right out of a nightmare. What was Inverse Moon thinking? What did they want so badly that they had to cause this much suffering to get it?"

"Terakomari, get over here!"

"Huh? Gweh!" Millicent pulled me by my uniform abruptly.

Just then, a group of vampires in religious vestments walked right by us. Clearly no regular citizens. Terrorists. They laughed, waving blood-soaked swords as they walked away. They were violence incarnate. Vill kept her voice down and said:

"This is bad news. From how they're walking around like they own the place, the Imperial Army must be virtually, if not entirely, defeated."

"Those vampires are on the hunt for survivors. They must be killing anyone they find," Millicent added.

"Wha…?!" I opened my eyes wide. "What the hell…? The Crimson Lords lost? Flöte and Helldeus… Even Petrose…?"

"They wouldn't be roaming about if the Imperial Army were still standing. And look at the state of the city. It looks like even the Mulnite Imperial Palace has been conquered." Vill pointed in the direction of the palace.

It wasn't there. At least, not as I remembered it. The eastern half of the structure was nowhere to be found. And there was an odd flag on its tower. A slanted cross pierced by an arrow. The Holy Church's emblem.

The dreadful sight announced the Mulnite Empire's defeat.

Before I knew it, I was running out of the alleyway.

"Don't be rash, Lady Komari!" Vill shouted desperately.

I'd only seen this part of the Imperial Capital. Surely there was still peace in some other area. I ran with such escapist hope in mind, but no matter where I went, I found only ruins. Explosions went off in the distance now and then. Were people still fighting despite the already terrible amounts of destruction?

Then I smelled a dense concentration of blood.

I stopped. I saw a small church; a temple of the Holy Church, like any other. But for some reason, it was full of holes. Wrecked by a barrage of spells.

I saw people on the ground before it. Dread welled up inside me.

Even after I lost Vill, she had kept going to church. I could try convincing myself there was no safe place anywhere in the Imperial Capital to begin with, but…

"…?!"

…I saw her blond hair among the piles of bodies.

I ran up to her, filled with despair.

My little sister, Lolocco Gandesblood, was on the ground, her head bleeding, just moments away from drawing her last breath.

"Lolo! Stay with me! What happened?!"

"...…Koma?" she whispered.

She didn't look entirely conscious. She gazed up at me with empty eyes, as though lost in a dream. I stared at her as tears welled up in my eyes.

"Are you okay? N-no, I know you're not. But what can I do…?"

"It hurts. It hurts so much," she moaned.

Then I noticed the slash wound on her shoulder. No wonder she was in pain. She had been going through hell right here this whole time. I wept just imagining what she had gone through.

"Lady Komari! What in the world is…?" Vill gasped the moment she saw it.

Sakuna and Millicent also stopped in their tracks, grimacing.

I screamed immediately, "Sakuna! Heal her…!"

"Y-yes! Core, Dark Core…"

Sakuna's shining mana enveloped Lolo's body. That must've eased her pain, for she softly opened her mouth.

"…I was at church when people in vestments attacked us."

Millicent ground her teeth.

Sakuna shed tears while pouring her mana into her.

"I thought I'd be safe here… They were attacking everyone who ran… But…they also got the father… Now my favorite clothes are covered in blood."

I was totally shocked. Weren't the rebels advocating for the Holy Church? And yet they still attacked regular folk taking shelter in the church?

Corpses littered the area. Praying to God saved none of them.

This could not stand.

"…Koma." Lolo struggled to speak.

I wiped my tears with my sleeve and looked at her pale face.

"What is it? Don't speak, you're in pain…"

"Koma, please do your job."

It felt like I'd been stabbed out of nowhere.

"My job…? What do you mean…?"

"Your duty as a Crimson Lord. Please…save everyone…"

"…!!"

I was losing my mind.

The Seven Crimson Lords were duty-bound to protect the nation. I couldn't stand by while the Imperial Capital was thrown into chaos. I didn't have the right to shut myself in.

But…the Empress was missing. Some of the other Crimson Lords were defeated. The Imperial Capital was in ruins. I didn't have the courage to stand up against this threat amid such dire circumstances.

Tryphon had said shutting myself away would let me escape from all this suffering. Vill had told me I didn't have to force myself to fight. But Amatsu had claimed the world would head straight for doom if I didn't do something about it. Millicent had said something to the same effect. And now even my cocky little sister was asking me to save everyone.

I knew there was this power hidden within me, but when I'd tried using it in the Holy City, the next thing I knew, Tryphon had captured me. In the end, I was just as useless as I thought.

Then I heard moaning. Other people were still alive. "Commander Gandesblood…!" they exclaimed as their eyes lit up at the sight of me, like I was their savior.

"Commander…! Please save Mulnite!"

"Lady Gandesblood is here. We're finally safe…"

"Please, Commander. The Mulnite Empire is in your hands…"

The prayers spread in waves.

Where had they been hiding? Suddenly, I was surrounded by vampires asking me to save them.

I shivered.

Don't. I can't even bluff now. What if you catch the enemy's attention? I don't even have the power to defeat Inverse Moon. I can't take responsibility for this. You're putting your hopes in the wrong place. I can't do anything…

Then Vill put a hand on my shoulder. "Lady Komari, let's go home."

I stared at her in disbelief.

"You don't have to force yourself. This enemy is too much for even the Blood Curse. You don't have to sacrifice your body and soul for the sake of the Empire."

"Villhaze! What're you saying?! We can't defeat Inverse Moon without her!"

"Silence, Millicent Bluenight. Core Implosion is a reflection of the user's spirit. If Lady Komari doesn't wish to fight, then she won't be able to use the Blood Curse to the fullest," Vill snapped.

"…Terakomari! Do you understand the situation?! The Empire's going to…"

"Ms. Millicent! It's no use being forceful!"

"She's gonna go back to being a shut-in if we're not forceful!"

"Do you have any right to say that? You pushed her into being a shut-in…"

Sakuna and Millicent began arguing.

Vill paid them no heed and whispered into my ear:

"I can't stand to see you get hurt. Let us leave this place."

"But what then? Mulnite's over."

"There's many other places to go. It's a big world out there."

"But…"

Vill wore a soft smile.

Her uncharacteristic consideration shook my soul. The sicko maid always forced me out of my room and into work, but in the end, deep within her heart, she really was worried about what I felt.

Which was why her following words hit as hard as they did.

"Lady Komari, you've done a great job up to now."

The whole world felt upside down.

Vill's words had come from the kindness of her heart, but something seemed wrong. I was uneasy, like I was being fed poison.

There was no denying I was a useless vampire, a shut-in to the core.

But I was a bit different now, and it was all thanks to her.

I defeated Millicent, became friends with Sakuna, exchanged blood with Nelia, talked about our dreams with Karla…I'd evolved to being just half a shut-in.

Vill was as kind as a person could possibly be. It wasn't right for me to repay her kindness by giving in and holing myself up.

If I didn't do my job now, then I would go back to being the completely useless vampire I had been before meeting Vill. I was still plenty useless, sure, but if I did that, I would be an absolutely hopeless shut-in. And that, in essence, meant I would be denying our time together up until now.

I looked around. The vampires were staring at me like I was some sort of deity.

Geez, I'm nothing like that. Where did you even get that idea?

"…I don't fear pain."

I wiped my tears and looked straight into Vill's eyes.

She opened her eyes wide in shock.

"After losing you, I realized. At the end of the day, I think I do enjoy being a commander. I don't like getting in danger, obviously, and I still want more days off. But I've met so many people thanks to you. I've grown. Because of you, Vill."

"Lady Komari…"

"And I don't want your kindness to amount to nothing. So…I can't go back to being a shut-in like this. Besides, I can't just let that buncha idiots who hurt everyone in Mulnite go scot-free. I won't be able to eat my omelet rice in peace if I don't do something about this."

Vill stared straight back at me.

That was enough for her to understand everything I was thinking. She wasn't my sicko maid for nothing. She stared at me frozen in place for a few moments, until she bowed deeply.

"Very well. If you that is what you wish, Lady Komari. I will follow you until the very end."

"…Thanks."

Now I was ready… Okay, I was actually still scared. My knees wouldn't stop shaking. My feet were practically sewn into the ground just thinking about the pain that awaited me.

Still, Crimson Lord Terakomari Gandesblood would make no other choice.

I wasn't doing this for the Mulnite Empire. I was doing this for my friends. For Vill, more than anything. And for tomorrow's omelet rice. I had to prepare myself for even death in order to protect them all.

I glanced at the Mulnite Imperial Palace.

Right then, I saw a huge army coming toward us from an alleyway.

"O-oh, no! Inverse Moon is here!" Sakuna exclaimed.

Millicent started shooting Magic Bullets at them before the words left Sakuna's mouth. But there were too many. Our foes were unfazed as their allies fell, and they let out a war cry that shook the air.

"Tsk! We have to get out of here! The four of us can't take care of all of them!" Millicent shouted.

"Wait. The Holy Knights are on our other side," Vill said.

"What?! What are they doing here?!"

We turned around and saw the armored soldiers teleport there one after the other. The Gates must've been restored without us knowing. It made sense. Now that the Imperial Palace was in enemy hands, they could freely use our routes.

"Die, Terakomari Gandesblood!!"

Holy Knights in front of us, and Inverse Moon behind us.

We were doomed. Their spells flew mercilessly and set off huge blasts right beside us. I shrieked as I was blown away, then went rolling on the cobblestone. Vill screamed my name from behind.

It hurt. I was crying already. I think I grazed my knee.

But I couldn't give up. I'd been thrown into battle against my wishes every time before, but not now. This time, I decided to fight for myself.

Suddenly, I felt my hairs stand on end. I looked up in palpable hostility.

"Go to hell."

The Holy Knights were already on me, raising their swords aloft.

I could do nothing but observe from the ground.

My life didn't really flash before my eyes. I just felt rage at the terrorists whirling inside me.

"Run, Terakomari!!" Millicent yelled. I also heard Sakuna and Vill scream.

I was scared. I wanted to run away, but my feet wouldn't obey. I couldn't let my panic take over. I couldn't let my foes win in spirit. Even if it cost me my life, I had to get back up as many times as necessary and drive them away from Mulnite.

I stared at the sword falling down on me with unwavering determination, and then a pink wind blew.

"What?"

I couldn't tell who'd said that.

The next moment, someone slashed the shoulder of the soldier who was about to kill me. Bright-red blood spurted from his body, and he fell to his knees before collapsing entirely.

"Diverse Divide."

I couldn't believe my eyes.

Before me stood a girl. Her back was turned to me, and her pink pigtails swayed with the wind. In her hands were her teacher's twin swords. Her body glowed under the moonlight, enveloped in charming peach-colored mana. How appropriate for a girl whose alias was the "Moonpeach Princess."

She turned around, a beaming smile on her face that brightened my spirit.

"Komari, I'm glad you're okay."

It was Aruka's president, and my blood sister. Nelia Cunningham.

I stared in wonder into her scarlet eyes.

What're you doing here? This is the Mulnite Empire. Not Aruka. Not the Dark Core Zone.

My brain froze. Then I felt heat over my head. I looked up in shock. There was a teleportation gate open in the sky, out of which poured a swarm of Warblades. They descended on the Mulnite Empire with a valiant roar, pointing their weapons at the Holy Knights.

I stared at the battle unfolding before me, forgetting that I had been saved in just the nick of time.

"Wh-why are you doing this…?"

"Heh. This is no time to falter, Terakomari Gandesblood."

Before I knew it, there was a Warblade with a lizard-like face standing right next to me.

Pascal Rainsworth—the man who had once done terrible things to Nelia.

"Get up already. I can't have my killer losing to these small fries. I've been training ever since that day you defeated me at the golden plains, and you'll see…"

"Brother! Enough talking and more fighting! The enemy's coming!"

"I know, damn it!"

Rainsworth obeyed his sister Gertrude and charged against the insurrectionists.

I felt like I was dreaming. The Warblades, who had once been our enemies, were now fighting by our side for the sake of the Mulnite Empire.

"Thank you…," Vill said in astonishment. I was just now realizing that she was also at my side.

"Komari, get up already. The fight's not over yet." The peach girl smiled at me.

Her words brought me back to reality.

"Nelia! What're you doing here?"

"I'm here to help, of course," she said, as though it was a foregone conclusion. "I knew you were in peril. I couldn't stand back and do nothing while the Holy Church teamed up with some terrorists to take down Mulnite."

"But! But…"

"What? What're you getting so teared up about? Isn't it only natural that I come here to help out a friend?"

"But! Aruka's Dark Core doesn't reach all the way here!"

"Oh, that?" Nelia's smile deepened. "It doesn't matter. They don't care either, do they? And everyone said they wanted to fight for you. I mean…everyone in Aruka is in your debt."

The Warblades swung their swords as they shouted:

"Save Mulnite!" "Aid Commander Gandesblood!" "Kill the nasty terrorists!" "Show them Aruka's strength!"

I thought I was done crying, but just hearing them brought fresh tears to my eyes. I couldn't be happier.

"N-Nelia…"

"Hmm? What's up? Hey!"

Pomf! I jumped onto her chest. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I wailed like a little baby.

"Th-thank you! Thank you so much, Neliaaaaaaa!!"

"Huh?!?! Wai…! Hold on, um, so you're finally deciding to become my maid?!"

"Lady Komari! I understand your commotion, but you must get away from Lady Cunningham at once! If you're going to be someone's maid, then at least be mine—you'll be a hundred times better off!"

"WAAAAAAAAAH!!" I kept on wailing even as Vill pulled me back.

I felt like I was using up a whole year's share of luck at once.

"Dummy," Nelia said with a smile. "I'll do anything I must to help you. Plus, I'm not the only one here for you. Look."

"Huh…?"

I turned around as Nelia suggested and then, I felt a tremendous rumbling. I was only able to stay on my feet thanks to Vill propping me up.

The next moment, the earth cracked. Inverse Moon's troops were sucked into a hole. Their remaining forces retreated, leaving behind only the dying screams of those who were too slow to escape. What in the world was going on?

"This is Kidoshu's specialty: Earth Jutsu." I heard a voice right beside me all of a sudden.

A girl in a ninja getup was standing right next to me. It was Koharu Minenaga, leader of the Kidoshu, the ninja squad of the Heavenly Paradise's First Unit.

Then more ninja girls materialized from the shadows. They rushed silently against Inverse Moon, swinging their wakizashi swords with imperceptible speed.

My jaw was on the ground. I was moved to the core yet again at the Heavenly Paradise's aid.

"Wait here," Koharu said in apologetic tone. "My Goddess is still as much as a coward as ever."

"Huh…?"

Koharu approached a pile of rubble. She crouched down and rummaged through it. Then I heard a familiar voice come from right beside her:

"Hey! Don't pull me, Koharu! What if I get hit by a stray spell?!"

"Terakomari's here. Stop embarrassing yourself."

"I know! I get it! But this is too much! I'm gonna die out there!"

"All right, then stay under the debris and get crushed to death."

"Fine, I'm getting out."

A girl wearing a kimono, the traditional garb of the Heavenly Paradise, crawled out of the wreckage. It was Karla Amatsu, the current Goddess and my trusted friend. She wiped the dust off her clothes and walked up to me.

In sharp contrast to the nightmarish battlefield, she wore a peaceful smile. Her bell chimed.

"It's been a while, Komari. Would you care for a snack to ease the tensions?"

"Ah…" I could only hold back tears as I saw the sweet bean jelly she offered me.

How many times would I have to cry today? I was going to be sixteen next February! I accepted the confection and wiped my eyes.

"My brother told me about the situation in a letter. I can't believe the terrorists were planning something like this. I wish I could've gotten here sooner…"

"Don't worry. Thanks, Karla. I'm glad you came."

"Oh, it's nothing." She smiled, blushing a bit. "I actually haven't done anything worth thanking. And you're my friend. You backed me up and helped me realize my dream, so it's only fair."

I didn't know what to say.

Karla understood and grabbed my hand.

"Now we must make your dream come true. You're going to be a novelist. And we can't make that happen if you lose here. I offer you my full strength, however little."

"K-Karla…!!"

"Don't worry. The terrorists won't stand a chance against the army of the Heavenly Paradise. Koharu! Karin! Show them they have no place here!"

"Karla! Don't just dish out orders—fight!" yelled Imperial Saber Karin Reigetsu as she swung her sword.

Her samurai troop was here, just like Karla's ninja squad. Karin and I had clashed back during the debate and stuff at the Heavenly Ball, but now even she had come all the way here for us.

"…Very well. Although I can only offer support."

Then Karla's eyes shone red. She unleashed her Core Implosion, the same she had during the Heavenly Ball.

"Waving Moment. We can do it all over again, as many times as needed, so long as I'm here. This is how life ought to be, I think—with a few retries."

Then she went back to hiding in the rubble. I think you're more in danger over there. Also, your butt's sticking out.

In any case, the fierce battle was still raging, and yet I felt this fullness in my chest. My eyes were burning at the sight of the Warblades and Peace Spirits coming here to help me.

Nelia and Karla had risked it all to come to my rescue. And this scene of so many people joining hands was only possible because of how I'd lived my life. I'd made all the right choices up until now. I couldn't have ever felt this sensation if I'd stayed a shut-in.

"Komari! You head for the palace!" Nelia shouted. She spun her twin swords around as she slashed the enemy in an acrobatic display. "Armies like these collapse the moment they lose the head. That's your objective! Go get the enemy commander!"

"R-right!"

I let my allies take care of things here. I had to fight my own fight.

Still, it seemed unlikely that I would be able to open my way through this chaos. Heading straight for the palace would obviously put me in the crosshairs of everyone on the way there… Just as I was thinking that, the Warblades started yelling in confusion.

"What's that?!" "It's coming!" "Get out of the way!" They scattered to the sides of the street.

Then I also saw it: a beast rampaging from the back of the alley, dashing toward us and running over Holy Knights on its way.

I was speechless.

The moment the creature saw me, it came to a sudden stop, cracking the pavement.

A sudden gust of wind blew. I almost fell on my back, but Vill managed to prop me up. I just stared at it in shock.

"Bucephalus?! What are you doing here?!"

Pure-white body. Gentle blue eyes. It was my companion who'd fought alongside me in the Crimson Match.

He slowly walked up to me and brought his snout close and whinnied.

Vill looked up at him in admiration and said:

"They say a steed knows when its master is in trouble and runs to help them. It seems the Crimson Mizuchi has remembered its role after evaporating from our last couple adventures."

"He didn't evaporate! I've been taking care of him every week!"

"Right. I suppose the keeper left the stable open. Now then, Lady Komari, let's go. Charge toward the Mulnite Imperial Palace, where our foes await," Vill said while getting on Bucephalus.

Something wasn't sitting right with me, but this wasn't the time for nitpicking.

I got up with Vill's help and looked around. The Warblades and Peace Spirits were wounded. I had to put an end to the fight ASAP.

"Ms. Komari! We'll follow after you in a moment. G-good luck!" Sakuna looked at us, staff in hand.

Only two people could ride Bucephalus at a time. I gulped down my fear and smiled.

"Yeah. I'll take care of the enemy boss."

"You've got something else to do first—lift the spirits of the citizens." Millicent tossed me a Magic Stone. I just barely caught it. "That'll let you spread your voice. Commanders are also responsible for keeping up morale, you know."

"Wha? Morale?"

"No matter how super powerful or cunningly smart one may be, that's not enough to move the hearts of the people. That's why I find you so… Nothing. Forget it."

Millicent went straight back into the fray.

I sensed slight jealousy in her face. Maybe I was just imagining things. What was there to envy about me?

"Lady Komari, let's use that Magic Stone for that."

"What is that?"

"The usual. Your specialty: bluffing. Although you won't just be doing it for the Seventh Unit this time, but all vampires in the Imperial Capital."

I see. So I just gotta cheer everyone up.

I held the Magic Stone tight and poured in some mana.

There was no need to prepare my speech beforehand. This was how I'd survived up until now—coming up with stuff on the spot. Though things were a bit different at this moment.

This time, there'd be no lies. No bluffs. I was going to say nothing but the truth.

Bucephalus dashed ahead. I held on tightly to Vill's belly in a panic, and she whispered to me, as calm as always, "It's okay, Lady Komari. I'm here with you. Let's give it our all."

"Yeah."

I had my maid to back me up. There was nothing to fear.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and then, in my usual commander mode, I gave a loud decree.

"Can you hear me, vampires of the Mulnite Empire?!"

***

A round moon hung in the night sky above the Imperial Capital.

The Mulnite Empire was often called the land of night, due to the vampire's nocturnal nature. They had recently gotten more active during the day to accommodate trade with other countries, but back in the day, they were only truly active under the veil of night.

That old liveliness was nowhere to be found in the capital now. The buildings were in ruins. Bodies lay everywhere. Flames engulfed the surroundings. The people could only stare blankly in despair as the Mulnite Empire headed toward doom.

The Empress was absent. The Crimson Lords were defeated. The only path left was praying to God.

The terrorists were merciless. They would not hesitate to attack even when the citizens showed no intention of resisting. One could only imagine the nightmarish hell that would await if they took over the country.

And still, no one had the guts to resist. Even if they did, they only ended up captured and killed.

The vampires had no choice but to wait silently for their demise.

They had no power. Not in body, not in spirit.

But then a voice echoed across the city, loud enough as if to smash the moon.

"Can you hear me, vampires of the Mulnite Empire?!"

The people looked up in surprise.

Someone was transmitting their voice across the Imperial Capital with magic.

And every single vampire knew whose voice it was.

"It is I, Crimson Lord Terakomari Gandesblood! I'm sorry I made you wait! Are you all okay?! No, I know you're not… But I'm here! You're safe now!"

The people stirred.

"Is it real?" "Is Lady Gandesblood here?" Finally, the slaughter champion who had left for the faraway lands of the Holy City had returned.

"As you must know, a band of wicked terrorists are invading our Empire! I hear they've already taken over the Mulnite Imperial Palace! They've wrecked our beautiful city! I can only imagine how acutely you've suffered while I was away… Clouded by a whirl of despair, desperately looking for hope among the darkness… I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for making you go through all this. I apologize."

People collapsing on the side of the road. People hiding inside their homes. People packing up their things to escape the Imperial Capital. They all equally sent their hearts out to this girl, whose voice seemed to pull them from their nightmare.

Crimson Lord Terakomari Gandesblood's valiant address slashed through the twilight.

"The despair is over now. But isn't Her Majesty still missing? Aren't the other Crimson Lords defeated? Doesn't the city lie in ruins? So what! I'll turn everything back to normal!"

People shouted their savior's name in prayer.

Komarin. Komarin. Komarin. The usual ovation became a bridge that connected the people of the Imperial Capital amidst the darkness.

"Now listen! You just have to sit tight, wherever you are! I'll take care of everything! I will put an end to this! Those bastards won't get away with everything they've done to you! The strongest Crimson Lord of them all, Terakomari Gandesblood, will give them their just desserts! I swear I'll bring light back to the Mulnite Empire! Can you hear me, terrorist jerks?! Send out your Wicked God Slayer or whoever the hell you want! I can wipe out the

entirety of Inverse Moon using just my pinky finger! So quiver in your boots waiting for me to arrive! You'll regret making me mad!"

Yells roared from all across the city in response to her speech. Screams welcomed their hero. They all shouted in a frenzy: "Komarin! Komarin! Komarin!" Some of them shed tears, some of them danced in a frenzy, some of them cast their gazes down as they were overcome with emotion. And the moment she said her last words, the vampires' excitement reached its peak.

"Don't think I'm gonna be a shut-in forever! It's time to fight back!"

Then:

"HAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!" the vampires hollered. Even those who had died returned to life to shout, "Komarin! Komarin! Komarin!" There was no stopping them.

No one but Komari could light a fire in the Mulnite Empire like this. Everyone trusted her—they had faith that their hero could save the Empire. Only she could route their anxieties and lift their spirits.

The darkness clouding the Imperial Capital cleared away, as did the gloom inside the people's hearts.

She was a hero like no other. Perhaps one to surpass even Yulinne Gandesblood.

Deeply impressed, I headed to the Mulnite Imperial Palace.

The fierce fight between Warblades and Holy Knights, Peace Spirits and Inverse Moon was still unfolding before my eyes.

Harmony amongst all peoples.

Only Terakomari's kindness could have realized this bright accomplishment.

However, that didn't mean the alliance could drive the evil away.

No one was aware of my presence.

They were all engrossed in killing the foes right in front of their faces. They wouldn't notice a little vampire girl striding confidently down the street.

I looked up at the night sky and smiled. The moon was so beautiful it hurt.

If only I could flip the moon on its head and drop it to the ground. Just how good would it feel?

I skipped through the streets, the smell of blood in the air.

Then I finally decided to drop the act. Pretending for such a long time was proving to be tiresome.

"You're such a sincere girl," I'd been told since I was little.

"Hee-hee. Things are finally getting interesting!"

Terakomari was strong, in the truest sense of the word.

But I wasn't about to lose.

Amatsu, Fuyao, Cornelius, even Tryphon—they were all wicked because of their powerful convictions.

My heart was racing. I felt like sucking the blood out of each and every person I came across.

But I had to keep my excitement under control for now and hurry to the palace. I didn't really get why, nor did I have any interest in the position, but Tryphon had said he was making me Empress.

***

"Don't think I'm gonna be a shut-in forever! It's time to fight back!"

The girls reached the Mulnite Imperial Palace by the time Komari's speech was over.

Komari panted as she put the Magic Stone in her pocket. Villhaze was amazed at how easily she had said all of that. She got off Bucephalus after a moment.

The maid lent a hand to her master, who smiled while giving her a "thanks" as she alighted her steed.

As soon as Terakomari Gandesblood was on the ground, she looked up at the ruins of the Mulnite Imperial Palace and said:

"They're all cheering for me. I've gotta pull this off."

Not even a speech from Her Majesty the Empress would have so roused the citizenry's sprits. Villhaze was certain this girl had been born to unite the hearts of the people.

"What? What're you staring at?"

"Nothing. I'm just in awe of your greatness."

"Yeah, right. I'm not that special. I'm only here now thanks to everyone else. I can only do this because of the support they're giving me."

"Does that include me?"

"…" Komari looked away, blushing. Then she bluntly whispered, "Yeah. Maybe you're number one, actually. I can only get out of bed because of you. I wish you'd fix your sicko ways, but I can't deny that you're too good of a maid for me."

"…!"

"Thank you, Vill."

Komari's sincerity confused Villhaze at first. But that initial feeling quickly gave way to overwhelming joy.

A maid could wish nothing more than for her master to need her. However, she felt this little wasn't enough to repay Komari for how she had pulled her up from the pits of darkness. So Villhaze put on a cool face and said:

"No, I should be the one thanking you. Although the battle isn't over yet."

"Right. Still, I think I can do anything with you by my side."

"Lady Komari, may I hug you?"

"Wha?" She looked appalled.

Oops. Keep it down, Villhaze. I gotta fix this habit of harassment. Take it too far and she'll hate you.

But then, Komari approached her.

"Huh?"

Villhaze couldn't process what her lady was doing.

She felt warmth spread throughout her chest. Her heart was about to explode.

"Wh-wh-wh-what are you doing, Lady Komari? This is sexual harassment!"

"You don't get to say that. And…I have to do this. Okay?"

"Um, uh, ah, erm…"

Then Villhaze understood. Everything clicked once it was already happening.

Komari's breath caught on her neck. Then came prickling pain. But this soon changed to pleasure. Komari lapped at the blood that gushed out.

Villhaze was paralyzed the whole time. She stood there frozen in place, shocked that her mistress would suck her blood so boldly.

But more than shocked, she was happy. It was obvious she was imitating what she'd read in novels, for she had never really sucked anyone else's blood (let us forget about Karla Amatsu and Nelia Cunningham). Komari stood on the tips of her toes, restlessly moving about her tongue in such adorable manner. Yet she was oddly good at it. What is the meaning of this, Lady Komari? Are you just a blood-sucking genius?

Villhaze's thought process went entirely off the rails, and she let her mistress handle the rest.

"…Sweet," Komari whispered.

The next moment, a vicious mana storm brewed.

Its sheer power knocked Villhaze off her feet.

The wind swirled around like a tornado.

The black sky broke; the night was dyed red.

Cheers abounded from the city: "Komarin! Komarin! Komarin!" They were everywhere.

Terakomari Gandesblood, the Vampire Princess tinted red, took a step away from Villhaze.

Tears welled up in the maid's eyes at the sight of Komari's scarlet gaze. At the sight of the hero who would pull the entire world forward.

Then she felt heat pool in her own body. The heat of her own Core Implosion: Pandora's Poison. Her power, which activated by sending her blood into her mistress's body.

Villhaze's eyes, too, glowed scarlet as data from the future rushed into her.

"Let's go together, Vill." Komari held out her hand.

Up until now, Villhaze had always been out of commission by the time the battle reached its final stages. She was more elated than ever to get to be by Komari's side at the end this time around.

I'll follow you to the ends of the world, Lady Komari.

A smile drew itself on Villhaze's face as she grabbed her hand.

Their bloodlust was directed at a single place—the half-destroyed Mulnite Imperial Palace, where the demons who'd wrecked their home lay in wait.