Chapter 7: Blood Curse

Yohann Helders was trembling with fear.

For the past two weeks, he'd been staying in the abandoned castle in La Nelient. Now he'd discovered the body of a maid he recognized, nailed to a cross in the chapel located in the heart of the castle.

Blood oozed steadily from where the nails pierced her palms.

Although Yohann couldn't make any sense of the scene, a deep sense of foreboding was unfurling slowly within his chest.

"Hey…what the heck is that all about?"

He turned to Millicent, who was standing beside him. She'd gotten him to follow her here, promising him that she had something "amusing" to show him. But Yohann had no idea what was so amusing about this.

"Can't you tell? That's Villhaze—Gandesblood's maid."

"I know that. She's a sicko, always trailing around after Terakomari. What I want to know is, what is she doing here?"

"She's my hostage, duh."

Grinning, Millicent slowly advanced on the maid. She was unconscious, and her head was slumped forward. Millicent reached up and stroked her chin gently.

"I've got the maid, so Terakomari is sure to follow. She's a weakling, yes, but she's nothing if not compassionate. She'll never turn her back on her little companion."

Yohann wasn't on board with this. For one thing, he wasn't sure Terakomari would be brave enough to risk her life for anyone, even if it was a friend of hers. Second, Millicent Blueknight was seriously starting to creep

him out.

Their conversation back in the bar had gone like this:

"If we can slaughter Terakomari during the Empress's party, where all the high-society fat cats are gathered, then we'll be able to publicly shame her. No, even better than that. We'll be able to expose the true 'might' of the

pathetic, so-called Crimson Lord to every vampire in the country so they can see her for the con artist she really is!"

"Then I'll sneak in and assassinate her," offered Yohann.

"No. That would make you guilty of treason. I'll be the one to actually slay her. I just need you to get me access to the gala."

Yohann had been loath to miss the chance to get into the action, but he hadn't wanted to be guilty of treason, either, so he'd agreed to Millicent's plan. He'd used his army background as leverage to sneak into the venue, where he'd set up a magic gate for Millicent to use later.

But in the end, she hadn't been able to take out her target. All they'd managed to do was ruin the Empress's party. And Terakomari's approval rating remained high even after the ruckus had died down.

After that, Yohann had started to cool off a bit and think more clearly.

When he considered it logically, there were few benefits to be had from teaming up with terrorists. If he wanted to exact revenge, he could get it for himself. If he was going to kill Terakomari, he wanted to do it with his own

hands. He had no need for trickery. After all, he was the famed perpetrator of that prison massacre, wasn't he?

Unfortunately, Yohann was already in way over his head.

He couldn't go back to the Seventh Unit, not after all that. And the big brains at the Imperial Palace had figured out that Yohann had been the one who'd constructed the magic gate by examining the magical residue that had been left on the scene.

There was no place in the Mulnite Empire for him anymore.

And so he was stuck with this psychopath, Millicent Bluenight.

"Listen. If I can manage to kill Terakomari, then…"

But Yohann suddenly trailed off. The sight before him left him speechless.

Millicent had just shoved a cursed blade into the maid's shoulder.

It was a sharp, shiny, silver knife, imbued with the power to neutralize the Dark Core's regenerative influence.

The maid's face contorted in agony as crimson blood spurted from the hole. Seeing this, Yohann panicked and dashed forward.

"What are you doing?!" he screamed, grabbing Millicent by the shoulder. "You're going to kill her for real!"

"Kill her for real? You have no idea what you're talking about, do you?"

Yohann froze, a deep feeling of dread seizing him.

Her voice was so cold and inhuman, it made him think of snow blizzards in the bleak midwinter.

"I'm bored. I wanna amuse myself until Terakomari comes. You got a problem with that?"

"B-but there's no need to use a cursed knife, is there? The wound won't heal if you do that…"

"…Weren't you the one who was talking about wanting to get revenge on Terakomari? Doesn't that involve murdering her?"

"Yeah, but it's not like really killing someone."

"I'll terminate you if you don't stop annoying me."

Yohann felt like a scared rabbit, hypnotized by the eyes of a venomous snake.

She slowly turned to fix her cold-blooded murderer's gaze on him.

"It looks like you're not prepared to be an Inverse Moon coconspirator. But let me ask you this: What's the point of butchering someone if they won't stay dead? Go on. Tell me."

"It…it can be useful for wars and stuff."

"Uh-huh. You know, I thought you were like me, but I was wrong."

Millicent grinned faintly before plucking the dagger out of the maid's shoulder and switching it to her left hand. Yohann watched her, sweat sliding down his forehead. Not being a true killer himself, Yohann could never have predicted what would happen next. Without a second's hesitation, Millicent buried the knife up to its handle in his chest.

***

The neighborhood of La Nelient was a slum comprising most of the Imperial Capital's poorest district. Usually, I wouldn't have dreamed of setting foot in a place like that, but today I was fired up and feeling brave enough to face it.

The air was stagnant, and the town was gray and gloomy.

I kept my eyes averted from the ramshackle houses lining the roads, but fortunately, no one tried to speak to me.

Perhaps my Mulnite Imperial Army uniform intimidated them. And it wasn't the regular uniform, either. It was custom-made, with the full moon crest that identified me as a high-ranking commander.

I made my way through town, heart pounding. Finally, my objective came into view up ahead: the abandoned old castle.

According to the official records, it had once been a vacation home for some rich guy. But he'd disappeared without a trace one day, so now its sole inhabitants were tramps and wild animals.

Taking a deep breath, I passed through the gates.

I was on my way to confront Millicent directly. Though I was obviously prepared, I still found myself trembling with fear. I wanted to turn and run home with my tail between my legs.

But as much as I wanted to, I couldn't do that. I promised myself that I would try to make a clean break with my past.

I took another deep breath and stepped through a large hole in the castle wall to gain access to the building. It was dark and dreary inside, like a graveyard. Maneuvering my way through the rubble and pieces of broken furniture, I continued onward until I came across a strange door. At one point it must have been quite elegant, what with its ornate carving, but now it was a mess of rust and mold.

I paused in front of the door. Somehow I knew.

This was the place. Beyond this door, Vill and Millicent awaited me.

Swallowing hard, I placed my shaking hand on the entrance and pushed against it.

The portal creaked slowly open to reveal what looked like an old church. So the guy who'd owned this castle had been a religious type. That was interesting. As I took a step inside…

"So you've come, Terakomari."

The sound of my name in the gloom made my heart leap almost out of my chest.

When my vision came into focus, I saw Millicent, standing by the altar. She was holding a silver knife in her right hand, while the other was thrust into her pocket. Her reptilian eyes glittered as they gazed straight into me.

I was so terrified, I was certain my knees were about to buckle.

But when my gaze shifted to who was behind Millicent, I forgot my fear completely. Shock and concern replaced all my other emotions.

My maid was nailed to a cross.

"Vill!"

"Whoa, whoa, no need to panic. She's not dead yet. She will be soon enough, though."

"…Hya-ha-ha!" Millicent's shrill laughter pierced the air.

I clenched my trembling hands into tight fists, glaring right at her.

"…Return Vill to me."

"Now, now, no need to be so hasty. Not when you and I finally have the opportunity for a nice private chat. You must have a thing or two you want to say to me?"

"Not really."

"Well, I do."

She jumped down from the altar and started heading toward me with heavy footsteps.

"Listen, Terakomari. Do you have any idea how much I've suffered since that day?"

"What day? What are you…?"

"It happened exactly three years ago. The day I tried to take your pendant."

"…"

I remembered. The event that had caused me to become a shut-in.

After that day, Millicent had stopped attending the Academy…

"My life's been upside down since that day. Your jerk father framed me and my entire family for treason and had us cast out of the country."

"What?"

"I was chased out of the Academy, chased out of the country, I lost contact with my family, became homeless…and then finally I joined the terrorist group…Inverse Moon. While you were enjoying a cushy shut-in life in your mansion, I was crawling about in the gutter!"

Millicent continued to rant, fidgeting agitatedly with the knife.

"You're the cause of everything that went wrong for me, Terakomari. Yes, I found my brethren in Inverse Moon after I got banished from the country. But that was just a happy coincidence. Although I do agree with their ideologies. The power of Core Implosion, and our slogan: Life in the Shadow of Death Is Mankind's Long-Cherished Desire. But the true passion burning within me has nothing to do with terrorist ideology. No, it's my desire for vengeance that has sustained me these three long years. My lust to permanently kill you. That is all I really care about."

"Wh-what? But you started picking on me to begin with!"

"And I'll finish it. My soul is burned black with hatred for you. If I continue to do nothing, I know it will incinerate completely and crumble to ash. So that's why I picked this auspicious date to lure you to me for the final showdown. Now we can settle the old score, once and for all. Yes, this is my ritual rebirth ceremony, where I will wipe you off the face of the earth and begin my new life, my soul washed clean."

"…"

Finally, it all made sense to me.

Millicent wasn't so different from me after all. She hadn't been able to process the trauma of what had happened three years ago; she'd struggled through life with so much unresolved. In that case, there was no chance we'd come to a peaceful resolution. The thick wad of bank notes I'd brought on the off chance I could pay her to leave me alone would be of no use.

"I get how you feel. I understand how you must want to kill me for real."

"Don't try to empathize with me. You can cry and beg and use your little tactics all you want, but you'll never get away. I'm going to murder you slowly, with my bare hands. Yeah. I'm going to scramble you up like an omelet. One that oozes bright red, ketchup-like blood. Your favorite dish, isn't it? Omelets over rice?"

"What? No, I actually much prefer Salisbury steaks, and—"

"Then I'll grind you up like hamburger meat!!!"

"Wait, I don't follow…"

"Silence, Terakomari! Don't antagonize her any further!"

I heard a desperate squawk from a corner of the chapel and turned to see the blond youth…Yohann Helders. He was staggering in the shadows, bleeding from the midsection. He was the last person I would have expected to see here. But Yohann continued to gaze at me with earnest, panicked eyes.

"She's nothing but an insane murderer! A runt of a vampire girl like you has no hope against her! If you value your life, you'll run!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Never mind that! Just flee! She's insane, and she's got cursed weapons! Look! See this chest wound? It hurts! It won't heal!"

"I see…"

I clenched my fists.

"I'm sorry I was too late. I'll come and help you shortly. Just hold on."

Yohann's jaw dropped.

Then it closed again. "You're a fool!" he yelled, bursting into tears.

"You're the biggest idiot alive! I teamed up with this psychopath to assassinate you, did you know that? There's nothing you can do anymore! She's completely cold-blooded! Millicent is on a whole different level compared to those army brawlers. Just forget about the maid and run awa-GLUH!"

Yohann's body flew into the air.

Millicent's Magic Bullet hit him in the legs and knocked them out from underneath him, leaving him crawling on the ground, squealing.

I gasped.

Millicent was truly evil. She saw people as nothing more than cockroaches.

"Shut up, worm. Terakomari and I are about to duel to the death. Her death."

Millicent threatened Yohann with her silver knife, a cursed weapon that would block the regenerative powers of the Dark Core. If she cut his carotid artery with that, he would permanently expire.

There was no way I could let that happen.

Seeing one of my soldiers being threatened this way, I felt an indignant fire begin to burn inside my belly.

It was…rage. Rage like I'd never experienced before in my life.

I dug into my uniform pocket and withdrew a vibrant stone, which I immediately threw.

"What?! A Magic Stone?!"

Millicent's eyes widened.

The Magic Stone flew before landing at Yohann's feet and exploding.

"Yaaaaargh!!!"

Yohann screamed as the blast knocked him flat. But now he was safe from Millicent's assault. I'd managed to take him out with the Magic Stone before she'd had an opportunity to use one of her cursed weapons on him. He would be all right now—safe, at least, until he regenerated.

"Gack, gahhh! …Ha-ha-ha! Very nice, Terakomari! So you did come here prepared to throw down!"

As the smoke cleared, a skinny silhouette came into view.

Sweating, I thrust my hand back into my pocket again. I hadn't been able to bring that many Magic Stones with me, so I wanted to neutralize Millicent quickly before I ran out of options.

As my field of vision cleared, she and I locked eyes. She was grinning like a shark.

And then, before I even knew what was happening, a rain of Magic Bullets came flying at my face.

***

Around this time, Komari's father, Armand Gandesblood, came sprinting into the Imperial Palace.

Komari had disappeared from the house all of a sudden. And what's more, he'd discovered a large amount of blood in her room. Obviously, something terrible had happened.

"Empress! It's Komari! She's missing!"

Armand burst into the audience chamber and began yelling without any preamble. But the Empress's reaction made him skid to a halt, and soon he was scowling at how casually she was draped across her throne, with her long blond hair and big boobs and utter disregard for the usual process of aging.

"Gone, you say?" she inquired.

"Yes. She just disappeared! I don't even know how long she's been missing!"

"And you're only realizing this now?"

"What?" Armand was confused.

The Empress heaved a huge sigh.

"You always were a shockingly dim-witted man-thing, weren't you? Komari left the Gandesblood mansion an hour ago. Millicent captured Villhaze to use as bait. Your daughter has gone to save her by heading into

the belly of the beast all by herself. My informants reported everything directly to me."

"Th-then why…?"

"Why am I still sitting here, you mean? Well, let me ask you this…what good will it do her to have me intervene?"

"But if you don't, she'll get killed! You're just going to turn your back on her?!"

"I'm not going to turn my back on her. Komari is my child. Mine and Yulinne's."

"Don't distort facts. Komari is my daughter."

"Never mind the reproductive semantics. You've been far too overprotective of that girl. None of this would have happened if you hadn't gone nuclear on the Bluenight family. Letting Komari handle this herself is the best thing for her. She needs to make a clean break with the past, and she needs to do it by herself. This is a fine opportunity if you ask me."

"That's…that's too harsh!"

"Now, now, don't misunderstand me. I'm a vampire, not a demon. I'll step in if things start looking grim; you can count on that. But I don't think it will be necessary."

"I don't get it."

"But you should know this better than anyone. That girl isn't normal. In fact, when it comes to weirdness, she tops even me."

"…"

There was a short, loaded silence. Then…

"Excuse me! Empress! Urgent news!"

A female servant came crashing into the audience chamber in total dismay. Her cheeks were bright red, and she was panting hard. The Empress twitched a brow in response.

"What's wrong? Why are you so red and sweaty? Would you like to hop in the bath with me, hmm? Or I could lick it off for you…"

The servant ignored this blatant sexual harassment in favor of delivering her message.

"The Seventh Unit! They've gone wild! Rogue! They've invaded the lower-class district of the capital!"

***

"La Nelient, eh? Slumming it, are we, Commander?"

Dusk had fallen, and a mob was advancing through the capital and picking up speed.

The group consisted of all five hundred vampires from the Seventh Unit. The Komari Unit.

They were an unruly bunch who lacked the discipline to keep in formation, all running and jostling together with their bloodlust shooting sky-high. Little did they notice the alarmed townspeople who rushed to lock their doors as they passed. They were too focused on their mission.

"Hmm. We'll pay for this later, mark my words," Bellius muttered darkly to himself. Yet he, too, was jogging along with the mob while ignoring the lingering pain in his belly. He wanted to fight alongside the commander just

as much as the rest of his crew. Caostel grinned beside him.

"Who cares what they do to us? The commander has been seized with the urge to slaughter! We can't just sit back at HQ twiddling our thumbs while she embarks on a monumental duel all alone!"

Bellius was the only one who'd given any real thought to what might come after this insurgency. The others, however, had been overtaken by battle fever and their desire to reach the side of their beloved commander. The Seventh Unit was a band of scofflaws so nefarious that parents would threaten naughty children with a visit from them. They thought nothing of turning their backs on authority and pursuing their own goals.

Right now, they were advancing on the lower-class district of the Imperial Capital, known as La Nelient.

Yes, they knew exactly where their beloved commander was. When she'd run off earlier, she'd neglected to inform her officers where

she was going. But Caostel had remembered his Web of Attraction spell. All he'd needed to power it was a piece of Komari. Sadly, however, he'd lost his much-beloved strand of hair in the process. As he was wailing loudly about this, Mellaconcey suddenly interrupted him by pushing a golden lock into his hand.

"I gotcha, bro!"

"Huh?"

"Check it! The commander's bedroom is what I infiltrated! What I found was a pillow hair, nothing X-rated! So I pocketed the hair, no one even saw me there, and now we can get our commander relocated!"

Mellaconcey, of course, met a swift pummeling from the other troops, who were completely fed up with his rapping schtick by now.

At any rate, the commander's position had been easy to deduce after that. She'd warned them not to follow her, but there was no way they were going to obey that order. After all, Squad Komari was a band of outlaws. They were always ready to break the rules and cause chaos. They lived for anarchy. The

commander could lecture them, stamp on them, or wring their necks if she liked. None of that could put them off once the battle-lust swept them up.

"Hold on, Commander! We are coming to assist!"

"""RAAAAAGH!!!"""

The crowd of vampires, the Komari Unit, raised their voices as one in a booming battle cry as they continued their rampage through the streets.

***

I slid under a bench, narrowly avoiding Millicent's magical strike. As I cowered, a rain of Magic Bullets ate holes in the walls, pews, and door of the chapel.

"Come now, Terakomari! Don't just cower under the benches like a little church mouse! I'm going to kill your darling maid, you know!"

"Curses…!"

Waiting for a bullet to zip past my nose, I gathered my courage and scurried out from under the bench. At this, Millicent grinned widely. As she readied another Magic Bullet, I whipped out another Magic Stone, this one a

Barrier Wall, and threw it on the ground.

A magical wall sprang up between us out of nowhere, which Millicent's Magic Bullets instantly studded.

She blasted bullet after bullet at the wall, but the Barrier Wall held firm.

Good. I produced another Magic Stone. Next up, something with some oomph. Maybe even the strongest one I had, to stop Millicent in her tracks…

"Guh!"

A dull pain flared in my shoulder.

She got me. Somehow. A hole must have opened in the Barrier Wall. Then Millicent deftly shot a bullet right through the hole and struck me in the shoulder. My Magic Stones fell from my pocket and scattered across the floor. As I scrambled to pick them up, the Barrier Wall shattered to pieces, accompanied by an immense crash.

Crap, I thought, but it was too late.

I heard another bang, signaling a fresh attack.

A Magic Bullet tore into the flesh of my other shoulder. The force of the impact sent me flying backward, and I rolled across the ground before smashing into the wall and slamming my head on the stone.

Mewling, I tried to rise to my feet, but I couldn't manage it.

The pain hit me a few seconds later.

It was like being on fire. Blood was pumping from my shoulder, almost in rhythm with my heartbeat. Tears began to flow. Even though I clutched the wound, the pain just wouldn't cease. For the first time ever, I felt the encroaching shadow of death, and all the fear that came with it.

"What are you even doing? Relax. I'm not going to wipe you out this soon. Where would be the fun in that?"

Twirling her silver knife, Millicent cackled.

Of course. It had only been a Magic Bullet, not one of her cursed weapons. The power of the Dark Core would heal my injuries in time.

It still hurt, though. Like, a lot! And it wouldn't stop gushing. Why was I having to go through so much pain? Why did I…?

Just then my gaze went to Vill, hanging on the cross.

She was a pitiable sight.

Her body was covered in various wounds, a small river of blood puddling beneath her. Her hands and feet were nailed to the boards, and the weight of her body looked to be opening those cuts even more as time passed.

Compared to what Vill was going through, crying over a little shoulder pain like this seemed silly.

Let Millicent kill me in a place like this? No way.

"Ah-ha! You can still stand? Very good, Terakomari!"

Clutching the wall, I managed to drag myself to my feet. My entire body ached, and my legs were trembling. I felt numb with fear. But I refused to let this foul terrorist get away with what she'd done.

"You'll never beat me!"

Millicent practically hopped with glee.

"Oh, how fascinating! You've got more moxie than I credited you for! Now, where do you want the next hit? In the chest? The belly? Or should I mess up that lovely face of yours? You're an absolute knockout beauty, right? Well, how about if I absolutely knock you out, you scrawny wench?"

"…Don't forget the part about me having a rare scholarly intellect as well."

"Are you…are you completely insane?!"

"Are YOU?! You psycho terrorist!"

Flinging a Magic Stone with all my might, I set off at a run. I was aiming to get as close to her as possible, where my stones would be most effective, and she wouldn't have the space to unleash her Magic Bullets.

"Hya-ha-ha! A kamikaze attack? You really have lost your marbles, Terakomari!"

She fired another bullet at me, which grazed my ear. I couldn't even feel it. I didn't have time. I ducked as another came right at me.

"Explode, Magic Stone!"

I squeezed my eyes shut as the Magic Stone I'd just hurled suddenly exploded.

Then came a blinding flash of light.

This stone was called White Flash, a special type of light magic meant for temporarily blinding your opponent.

"You…you impudent little witch!" Millicent hissed, one arm covering her eyes. With her free hand, she blasted Magic Bullets wildly all over the room. The benches, stained glass, and holy statues were immediately peppered with holes. Stay firm, Komari! You've almost got her!

Dodging and weaving between the rounds, I finally reached Millicent.

She opened her eyes and stared at me.

But I'd already shoved a Magic Stone up against her stomach.

"What are you…?"

"Magic Stone! Shock Wave!"

A blast went off, and the force of the shock wave blew her backward. I remained on the move, chasing after her even as she flew. When she landed on the floor with a heavy thud, I activated another Magic Stone, Falling

Rocks. As it activated, a heap of rubble began to form, hovering precariously high up above, right on top of her.

"Eat it, Millicent!!!"

"What the—"

But it was too late. The heap of rubble came slamming down on Millicent like a ton of bricks. Her scream was awful. The sound of her bones breaking was impossibly loud, like dry sticks crackling on a fire. But I wasn't done

yet. Just for good measure, I conjured up another heap of Falling Rocks. The pile of rubble fell like meteors, crushing Millicent into the stone floor.

The entire chapel shook from the force of the impact.

This time, Millicent didn't scream. There was a brief clattering, as if she was still stirring under the rubble heap, but then it ceased. She moved no more.

But I still couldn't relax. I was already readying another Magic Stone.

She was clearly dead.

But I was still terrified, and I couldn't be sure I'd won.

Terrible, tenacious Millicent, going down that easily? No way. Surely low-level Magic Stone incantations couldn't have taken her out…was what I kept telling myself. Mostly, I didn't want to believe that I'd actually just killed someone.

But Millicent remained silent. And very still.

I let out a huge gasp of air and crouched down on the floor.

I did it. I did it! Finally I could be reborn and leave my shut-in past behind.

But no…it was too early for celebrations. I leaped to my feet and ran over to Vill, strung up above the altar like a martyr.

"Vill! Are you all right?!"

She gave no response, merely hanging there as blood oozed from her many wounds.

I could pull her down and carry her home on my back. Just as I was about to climb up on the altar, it happened.

Something hit me in the back of my legs.

"Huh?"

I looked down, blinking.

Sticking out from the back of my calf was a silver dagger.

A blood-drenched hand gripped its hilt. I traced the arm to see Millicent's demonic face, her eyes burning into mine.

"Hya-ha-ha!!! Nice moves, Terakomari!"

I couldn't even croak in response. My throat had locked up.

She plucked the blade from my leg with a sickening sound. Unable to stand a second longer, I plunged to the ground. And there I lay, too shocked to move. She had stabbed me. With that silver knife. The cursed weapon, the

one that canceled out the Dark Core's influence…

The pain was searing. And it was traveling up my spine.

I could hear myself screaming.

Tears spouted from my eyes. Drool hung out of my mouth. The sensation was unbearable. It felt like my flesh was on fire. And this wound would never heal. This pain would never end. As that realization struck me, fear overtook me, and I almost passed out. But my reflexes were still firing, so I found myself rolling across the floor, trying to get away from Millicent.

"Huh? Terakomari? Where do you think you're going?"

"Gluck!"

Millicent's boot landed hard on my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I looked up. She was standing over me, grinning down.

"Why…?"

"Why am I still alive? Hya-ha-ha! Are you an idiot?! You think low-level Magic Stones could ever kill me?"

Then she reached down and grabbed me by the neck.

I flinched, averting my gaze. I couldn't bear to look at her demonic visage up close. There was a pile of rubble across the room. Millicent must have cast a protective incantation at the last moment. But that didn't matter now.

"Does it hurt? It does, doesn't it? It must. Look how much you're bleeding!"

"S-stop it…"

"Make me!!!"

Fireworks were going off behind my eyes. She must have punched me. I found myself rolling across the floor again. Though I tried to scramble to my feet, the pain in my leg was too much. Stumbling over, I crashed down on the stone floor once more.

Millicent's guffawing was almost obscene.

"Ah, you're really trying your hardest, aren't you, Terakomari? I didn't even credit you with getting this far."

Her boots clacked over the stone floor as she approached me. I couldn't stop shivering.

The silver dagger flashed.

"You're the same sniveling worm who tried to kill me three years ago. You always were a stuck-up crybaby brat. You haven't changed a bit. Oh, you tried to change, that's obvious, but your efforts were futile. You should just let yourself get exterminated like a bug. That way, not a trace of your miserable existence will be left behind."

I was sobbing now. Snot streamed down my face, but I didn't care about dignity or shame anymore.

My whole body throbbed. The shot to my shoulder, the stab wound on my leg, my cheek where she'd punched me. And the mental wounds. They all hurt so much.

"You're just going to lie there weeping? You think that's going to get you anywhere? The world's not that kind! You don't know anything about the world, but after I was banished from the country, I learned fast! I learned that no one's coming to help you if you cry. The only thing you can ever rely on is your own strength!"

"Sh-shut up…I'm…not crying. I'm not…"

"Quit trying to look brave!!!"

Millicent shot another Magic Bullet into my side. I must have been suffering from nerve damage because I felt no pain there. But then she advanced on me again, her face twisted. She raised her boot and slammed it against my stomach.

"Guhhh!"

I wasn't able to dodge it. All I could do was clutch my stomach and roll around in agony.

"Hya-ha-ha! You're pathetic!"

Grabbing a handful of my hair and pulling me up by it, Millicent continued to cackle.

"Ha-ha! Shall I turn you into an omelet now? Hmm?"

"Seems like you…like omelets…more than I do…"

"So what if I do?!"

She smashed my face into the floor.

My vision went white for a few moments, and I completely lost all my bearings.

"How about you get on with it and whip out your Core Implosion already? That'll hurry things along. I've been preparing for three years, so even if you do use it, it won't inconvenience me that much, I reckon."

I had no idea what she was talking about.

When I didn't respond, Millicent screamed at me again.

"What? You need some special trigger to evoke it? Or you just don't feel like using it? You lost your will to fight, is that it?"

"…"

"Say something!"

She screamed in my ear so loudly that it felt like my head would split open.

Then she spat with fury and disgust.

"You really seem totally unaware of everything. You came here to confront me because you were planning to rely on Core Implosion, right?"

"I don't…know what that is."

"So why did you come here, then? Surely you didn't think you could overcome me using your basic, low-level magic skills, hmm? I mean, you can't seriously be that stupid, can you?"

I could, actually.

Anyway, it wasn't a question of winning or losing.

It was about living or dying…

"I came here for…Vill."

The words came out in a sob. Bloody spittle flew from my lips.

But I kept speaking.

"I came here to rescue Vill. I know I'm short, and I'm clumsy, and I can't use magic, and I'm a stupid, useless waste of a vampire… I was so afraid to come here that my legs were quivering the whole way. I tried to turn back so many times…but I don't want to run away anymore!"

It hurt to breathe.

But still, I kept going.

"I can't waste any more of my life shut up in my room! That's why I showed up! I know I'm frail, I know it! But I had to try! I had to do my best for my friends, who have always cared for me!"

"…"

Was it my imagination, or did Millicent just take a step back?

It probably was my imagination.

Because she immediately erupted into fury and started screaming at me again.

"Do your best? Cut the bullshit! If we could all just get what we wanted by doing our best, then no one would ever have to suffer!"

She kicked me in the stomach again. I wanted to say something else, but I couldn't form the words.

Millicent sighed, gazing down at me with disgust.

"Pathetic. You're truly pathetic. How can you face me, knowing you're that weak? I don't get it. But whatever. I'll put you out of your misery soon enough. After that…yeah, I'm going to crush the Mulnite Empire. This country is full of nothing but weakling losers like you. I'll kill every last one of them."

"…"

She was a demon. She had no soul.

Millicent had said something about me and her not being so different, but she was so wrong about that. She hadn't changed at all from three years ago.

She hadn't even tried.

She was nothing but a murderer whose moral compass had warped beyond all repair. She found joy in nothing but inflicting pain on others.

My body hurt so badly, I couldn't seem to move.

But just as I was about to give up for real…

"All right, I think I'll kill the maid first. Watch closely, Terakomari. Your beloved maid friend is about to turn into a cold slab of vampire meat."

What?

Kill…Vill?

"Ah, it looks like she's still asleep. I'd prefer to execute her while she's awake. Then I can savor the look of agony and terror on her face. Hmm. Maybe she'll wake up if I cut her a little?"

Millicent took a step forward.

Turning the silver knife over and over in her right hand, her face a mask of demonic intent…

Wait.

I can't let you do this.

I can't give up. Not now.

"…Stop."

Millicent paused.

Slowly I staggered to my feet. Gathering the last dregs of my courage and anger, I raised my head and stared right into her devilish eyes.

"I won't let you hurt Vill. I'm…going to take you down."

She smacked her lips.

"Look, could you just get on with it if you're going to attack me? You don't have to announce everything first. Get it together; unless you want to go down like a worm."

"I'm not going to…die. I'm not gonna let a scumbag like you take me out."

No, there was no way I could give up.

Because Vill had always been there for me after all.

I couldn't just abandon her.

Besides, I was an commander. A Crimson Lord! What commander could stand down while one of her officers was being executed?

So I had no other choice. I was going to have to kill Millicent Bluenight.

"Raaaagh!!!"

My battle cry was pretty impressive, but I only had enough strength to limp weakly toward her.

I didn't have a specific plan in mind. I was just running on impulse. If only I could get off one good shot to the kisser… I just had to gather all the strength I had left and…

"You piss me off!!!"

Her roundhouse kick struck me right in the face. Since I hadn't been able to brace myself against it, I tumbled backward. Still, I refused to give up. Slipping a little in the puddle of blood beneath me, I staggered to my feet

once more.

"I'm not done yet. I can still fight."

"Shut UP! You piss me off so bad!!!"

A barrage of Magic Bullets came flying my way. One hit my cheek. One pierced my shoulder. One grazed me in the side. Blood was spurting from my many wounds. But I still wouldn't give in. The injuries would heal soon enough. She could break my arm, she could cause me to bleed internally…I didn't care. I would just keep going.

"I won't let you do this! I'm taking Vill, and we're going home!"

"Oh, shut up, Miss High-and-Mighty! You shut-in LOSER!"

"I'm not a recluse anymore! I'm going to defeat you, then walk an entirely new path in life!"

"Walk a new path? I'll break your legs like little sticks! See how far you can walk then!!!"

"I won't let you beat me! You're a nasty person who delights in tormenting others!!! I'm not letting a scumbag like you get the best of me! I'm going to see you get what you deserve!"

"Hah! Come on and try it, you little…!!!"

Millicent raised both hands. I could sense magical power charging up inside her. Yikes. This wasn't looking good…but it was too late. A Magic Circle had formed itself in front of her. Then, with an ear-piercing sound, a laser shot up from the Magic Circle.

This was advanced-level magic…the Heretic Ray.

I couldn't run from it. Not only was I not fast enough, I also couldn't bear to turn my back on Vill and leave her there.

"…!!!"

The next thing I knew, the blast hit me full-on.

Everything went white. I almost lost consciousness completely, but I managed to just about hold on. Fresh wounds opened. My blood vessels popped. This time, I was definitely a goner. I was sure of it. My body

rocketed through the air.

The next thing I knew, I was lying on the stone floor, gazing up at the ceiling.

I couldn't move. At all. Couldn't even twitch my fingers.

She must have completely destroyed my pain receptors because I couldn't feel a thing, even though my body was in complete tatters.

I was…going to succumb.

I couldn't bear it. It was so unfair. I couldn't defeat Millicent. I couldn't save Vill. I was going to die a weakling, a shut-in loser vampire. And there was nothing I could do about it.

I hated that it was going to end like this.

After I'd been so strong and shown such un-Komaristic bravery, too…

What kind of an ending was this?

"Lady Komari…"

But as I wept to myself in total despair, I heard a voice.

At first, I thought it was a hallucination. But it wasn't. Apparently, I'd rolled right under the altar. When I looked up, I realized I was looking right up Vill's skirt.

She was wearing…black panties.

Wait, why was I looking at this?! I'm not a pervert! I just…lost my mind from being near death. Yeah.

"Lady Komari."

I shook my head. This was no time to be worrying about panties!

My maid had regained consciousness.

"Vill…I'm sorry… I couldn't…save you."

Blood dribbled from my lips. After that, my words completely stopped. I tried, but all that came out was a wet, wheezing sound.

She smiled at me, bloody tears dripping down her cheeks.

"Thank you. You came to my rescue once again."

No. You've got it wrong, Vill.

I hadn't been able to do anything. I'd just recklessly sprinted out of my bedroom right into my own death trap. What a rare scholarly intellect I had. Not.

"Don't look so sad. You did great. And you're not a shut-in vampire anymore. You can hold your head up and live with pride now."

No, I couldn't. I really was a useless, frail, shut-in vampire. But Vill seemed to read my mind just then. Her smile widened.

Then I blinked in shock.

With immense strength, Vill just tore her right hand free from the nail that had bound it to the cross. The nail popped off, and a fresh river of blood began to flow from her tattered hand. It looked super painful. She grimaced

for a moment, but then her usual calm expression returned.

"You're the strongest, kindest person in the world. But you don't have any self-confidence. That's why you always look so worried."

She slowly raised her reddened right hand.

Her white fingers trembled in the air above me, so pale, like the belly of a dead fish.

Then a droplet of blood trickled down to the tip of her finger…

"Still alive, are we, Terakomareee?!!!"

A sudden, deranged shout shook the room.

Obviously, it had come from Millicent. I couldn't see her, but I could hear her murderous footsteps treading closer and closer.

"Stop right there, Terakomareee!!! I'm going to slice you up with my Silver Blade of Doom!"

Oh gosh, she really was going to butcher me. But I couldn't get my body into gear. It had given up.

Suddenly, everything went sharply into focus.

I saw Vill's trembling finger. The deep red droplet of blood. The source of all magical power. A vampire's finest source of nourishment. My most hated food.

"Please forgive me, Lady Komari. You can punish me as hard as you like later."

The apology was merely a formality.

A scarlet droplet of blood fell from Vill's fingertip.

It fell straight down with incredible speed, landing and splashing on my lips.

High above the ruined castle, the skies turned bloodred.

***

The entirety of a person's future, condensed to a tiny grain of light, embedded into her brain.

What a thrilling sight it was. She had never before seen a future so grand and vast. Of all the futures she'd viewed since she'd obtained her power of Pandora's Poison, never before had she encountered an individual with such

potential. Terakomari Gandesblood could go anywhere. Do anything. It was all right there.

Ah, yes. She saw everything.

No matter what happened, Lady Komari would never be broken.

She smiled. It was a grin of deep relief. To know that the woman she adored so much had such a beautiful, glittering future ahead of her.

"Komari. You're going to win. I swear it."

As those words left her lips, Villhaze shut her bloodstained eyelids and went limp.

***

"So as I was saying, Empress, we need to mobilize the army to the downtown

area at once!"

"It is mobilized. Well, the Seventh Unit is."

"That's not the army! That's a band of savage vigilantes!"

"How dare you speak badly of the Empire's loyal soldiers? Ah, hold on a second."

The Empress raised a finger, silencing Armand as she lazed on the throne. Frowning, she looked upward. Armand blinked at her. This was an emergency. What was she doing? He waited in exasperation for her to resume

speaking.

The busty blond Empress grinned.

"It seems the die is already cast."

"What? Empress, I don't understand."

"Try using your brain. I just sensed a huge magical surge, coming from the outskirts of the city. In other words…Komari has ingested…blood."

"What?!"

Cold sweat slid down his cheeks. In that case, there would be no going back.

But the Empress was still smiling triumphantly.

"The issue is settled, then, isn't it?"

"…Are you insane? Do you have any idea how hard I've worked to keep that girl away from drinking blood all these years?"

"Calm yourself. An incident like the one that happened three years ago won't occur this time. Probably."

"But…"

"Don't you have any faith in your own daughter? Since becoming a Crimson Lord, she's met so many people and has cast off the shackles of her loser persona. The girl she is now…that girl has heart. She won't lose herself just from ingesting a little blood. Although her physical form might be affected a bit…"

"…"

Armand gnashed his teeth.

Komari hated blood…because he'd hypnotized her into believing she did.

She didn't know this herself, of course, but the girl possessed a fearsome and terrific power.

Core Implosion. An extremely rare ability. It allowed one to deliberately cancel out the Dark Core's influence and tap into their latent, natural power. A highly unorthodox and shadowy skill.

In Komari's case, she could only invoke her abilities by partaking in the blood of someone else's veins.

Until this point, Komari had evoked Core Implosion only three times.

The first time had been when she was three years old, when she tasted blood for the first time at the dinner table. Not a single vampire present in the Gandesblood residence at the time survived that incident.

The second time had been when she was ten years old. A newly hired maid served Komari a dish with blood in it, and the girl slaughtered her before she even had time to blink.

The third time had been when she was twelve. During a skirmish with a bully at school, blood had gotten into Komari's mouth somehow or another. The bully died before she even knew what had happened. To make matters worse, Komari went on to indiscriminately slaughter the staff, the pupils, the members of the Third Unit who'd been sent in to help, as well as the Crimson Lords.

In other words, blood turned Komari into a ruthless, indiscriminate murderer. But now this woman, this half-mad Empress who'd manipulated things on purpose to spark another such incident, was lounging on a chair and smiling blithely at Armand.

"The Seven Crimson Lords specialize in the art of murder. The existence of any weaklings in the group brings down the reputation of the Empire. But I appointed Komari as a Crimson Lord not just to bolster her confidence, but

also because she really is an excellent candidate for the job."

"You're insane."

"Ah, yes, I can't wait to see it! Show me, Terakomari! The sublime Core Implosion technique, unprecedented in the entirety of the Empire's thousand-year history, Blood Curse!!!"

She gazed upward with a rapturous expression on her face.

High above the palace skylight shone a gorgeous crimson full moon.

***

The vampires of the Komari Unit, having breached the walls of the abandoned castle, arrived at the chapel to be greeted with a stunning sight.

A bizarre sight.

The floors were awash with the blood of a person or persons unknown. A blue-haired girl was standing in the middle of the chapel holding a silver knife. She was unmistakably the terrorist who had attacked the Empress's

party.

Usually, the soldiers wouldn't hesitate to attack her on sight. But right now they were stunned and silent. All were gazing at the girl strung up at the back of the church, above the altar.

It was the maid, nailed to a cross.

And below her, their beloved leader, Commander Terakomari Gandesblood, lay slumped.

Could the commander really have fallen to the terrorist girl?

As the troops stood there shifting uneasily, fear and doubt beginning to gnaw at their minds, they noticed a sudden movement.

The commander was stirring, slowly rising to a sitting position like a corpse rising from the grave. Her clothes were tattered and torn, she was smeared liberally with blood, and her expression was as frigid as ice…

Her tiny rosebud lips moved.

"I'm gonna kill you."

Then, a gust of scarlet-colored magical energy swept through the church with a roar. And not just through the church. Through the entire castle, through the entire slum district, through the Imperial Capital, and then throughout the entire Empire, staining the skies above a deep crimson.

The Seventh Unit froze.

Confusion, anxiety. Obviously, they were experiencing those emotions. But above all else, what made the vampires tremble was an overwhelming sense of awe and delight.

The commander had turned the skies red.

The true power of Terakomari Gandesblood…unveiled to them all at last.

"Commander…"

One of the soldiers in the mob gasped her name, and a wave of voices quickly followed.

"Commander!" "Commander Komari!" "Finally, the commander has unleashed her full power!" "Please, exterminate the terrorist, Commander!" "Ko-ma-rin! Ko-ma-rin! Ko-ma-rin!"

The vampires were getting more and more fired up, and their individual yells soon turned into a united chant as the people called for their leader. In the midst of all the fervor that was currently shaking the walls of the church,

Commander Komari herself simply stood silently, her cold gaze fixed on her bitter enemy.

***

Millicent was frowning.

How could Terakomari be standing after the colossal beating she'd just given her? And how had she attained the awe-inspiring, plainly overwhelmingly destructive magical power that was currently emanating from her like an aura?

Behind her, the cheers grew louder.

The chapel had suddenly filled up with vampires clad in army uniforms. Where they came from, Millicent had no idea. She must have called in her troops… Millicent turned back to face Komari, grinding her teeth together.

"Terakomari, remember when I told you I'd kill you if you blabbed about our secret meeting? That cross up there is rigged up with bombs. All I have to do is shoot one tiny magic beam at them and then—"

Millicent stopped talking and gasped.

She was gone.

Terakomari had vanished.

Millicent looked around in confusion and dismay. This couldn't be. Where had the girl escaped to? She'd been standing right there a second ago! Millicent felt a cold bead of sweat slide down her back as…

…She recoiled from a powerful blow to the stomach.

"Guh! Gah!!!"

Millicent let out an anguished scream but somehow managed to stay on her feet.

Eyes widening, she looked down at her stomach. A gaping wound had formed there, from which blood had already started to gush. It felt as though her guts had been ripped from her body. Was that what Komari had been trying to do?! When the realization dawned on her, she pulled back her lips in a roar.

"The heck do you think you're doiiinggg??!?!?!!"

The soldiers whooped and hollered in approval. Millicent turned back around to find Terakomari now standing about ten feet away.

Her red eyes were sparkling. And they looked even redder than before…a deep, crimson hue. Her right hand was raised, dripping with Millicent's blood. She looked like some sort of monster. There was nothing left of her that resembled the weak little bullied girl she'd once been.

Komari didn't speak. She simply stared at Millicent.

"What the heck? Is this…is this Core Implosion…?"

"…"

"Say something! Look, you've ripped out a chunk of my stomach! How are you planning to make up for that, huh?!"

"…You."

"What? Can't hear you!"

"…Gonna kill you."

Terakomari stamped, sending a shock wave of crimson-colored magical energy shooting toward Millicent at breakneck speed. Stiffening with terror, Millicent immediately started firing off Magic Bullets. Jets of light emerged from her outstretched fingertips, lighting up the dim church. But they didn't reach Terakomari. Twisting and turning with unnatural, otherworldly movements, she evaded each one. Damn it all. She was too fast.

"Ack!"

A fist flew toward her face.

Though it was only the fist of a little girl, small and knobby, Millicent somehow knew that it had the power to knock her dead. She flung herself to the side, and the mitt ended up smashing into the stone wall behind her.

Then it exploded with an immense blast of magical energy.

The blast tossed Millicent into the air like a rag doll. She flew across the room and landed flat on her butt.

Looking up, she saw a gaping hole where the wall used to be.

Her jaw dropped. This couldn't be happening. There had to be some mistake.

She'd plotted for three years in the hopes of witnessing Terakomari's Core Implosion powers; dreaming that defeating a more powerful Terakomari would prove that Millicent herself had grown stronger since their last battle.

But she'd never expected this.

Millicent had never dreamed that Terakomari's Core Implosion would be this terrible, this almighty.

Clutching her stomach, Millicent staggered to her feet. Her enemy was rubbing her fist and cricking her neck this way and that. Behind her, the vampire goons were still chanting "Ko-ma-rin! Ko-ma-rin! Ko-ma-rin!" like a bunch of idiots.

This was insane.

"This is insane! Insane, insane, insane!!!"

She was going to kill Millicent? It was Terakomari who deserved to die! Die like vermin crushed into the dirt after what Terakomari had done to her. Yes, Millicent was going to tear her full of holes, rip out her guts, and crush her brains!

Staggering backward, she drew together all of her magical power and tapped into the deep reserves lying dormant within her. She could feel her veins bulging with the effort, but she paid that no heed. All she cared about was murdering Terakomari. She had to kill Terakomari. Terakomari needed to die.

"Milliceeent…"

Terakomari slowly turned to face her.

Her face was a grinning mask.

"You…pitiable soul."

That's when Millicent really snapped.

She started screaming like a banshee.

"You snotty little brat, I'll kill youuu!!!"

Millicent's magical energy burst forth in a blaze of light.

It was a high-level light spell called Wicked Flare of Annihilationism.

A thick laser beam sliced a channel through the floor. This would finish her. The corners of Millicent's mouth rose in a triumphant grin.

But then something surprising happened.

Just as the laser beam was about to make contact with Terakomari, it suddenly veered sharply off course.

"What the…"

Some kind of interfering force seemed to have knocked it off its trajectory. A thunderous roar filled the church. The laser beam shot straight

up, eating into the ceiling. But it didn't stop there. It blazed its way through the upper floors as well, coming out of the roof and disappearing among the clouds.

It had left a huge hole in the castle roof.

Through the opening, the light of the full moon filled the church with its bloodred light.

Millicent gazed at Terakomari, quivering with fear.

A Magic Circle had opened in front of her. That was the advanced-level magic spell Crystal Deflector. Any attack that touched the Magic Circle would bounce away from its intended trajectory. It was an extremely rare

defensive skill.

"How? How can you wield such magic all of a sudd—guh!"

Suddenly, Millicent's left arm received a colossal blow.

What followed was unimaginable pain.

Screaming, Millicent tried to look down at her limb to assess the damage. But she couldn't. Because her left arm wasn't there. It had been blown clean off. It was now lying in the corner of the church like a limp, white worm.

She'd been struck with low-level magic…just a simple Magic Bullet.

That wench had used Millicent's signature attack against her.

Millicent was incandescent with rage. Terakomari would pay. Millicent was going to beat her to death. With her one remaining limb.

"?!"

But something suddenly struck Millicent as strange.

Her legs refused to move. It was as though someone was holding on to them…

"Yeek!!!"

Millicent let out a horrified shriek. A crimson-red hand had risen from a puddle of blood near her foot and had latched on to her ankles with an iron grip.

"What the heck is that?!"

The thing's hold on Millicent grew stronger.

But it wasn't merely gripping her. It was crushing her, as though trying to snap the bones in her ankles. Millicent fired Magic Bullets down at it in desperation, but it seemed to be composed of blood, so no matter how many holes in the thing she opened, it grew no weaker. Soon Millicent ran out of strength and could no longer conjure any more bullets.

"Get off! Get off!" she shrieked, but it was to no avail.

Her ankle bones snapped and crunched.

Millicent crumpled to the ground, wailing in pain. Her snapped bones were sticking out of her skin at crazy angles. She almost fainted.

What the hell was going on?

She'd never heard of magic like this before.

"This is insane! It's insane, it's just insane!!!"

Muttering and rambling to herself, Millicent looked up at Terakomari.

A cold glint shined in her enemy's eye as she slowly approached.

A blood-drenched girl, illuminated by the light of a crimson moon.

Millicent twitched in terror.

Then she was hit with the strangest sensation of déjà vu.

But it wasn't from mental memory. It was from muscle memory.

This feeling…it was the same that she'd had three years before, when she'd touched Terakomari's pendant with her fingertips.

Millicent had dedicated the past three years to paying Terakomari back for that moment.

But she had no idea…

…My efforts…were all for naught?

…I was never going to be able to defeat someone with might like hers…?

"Wow, Commander!" "You really gave it to her!" "Terrorists are the scum of the world!" "Commander, you're so cool!" "Marry me,

Commander!" "Komarin! Komarin! Komarin!"

Behind her, the vampire goons were shouting their heads off.

Then Terakomari loomed over her.

"It's over."

Terakomari reached her hand out slowly.

Millicent felt like she was about to split in two from fear.

…Fear? Me, cowering before…Terakomari?! Give me a break! That…THAT is insane!!!

That's when Millicent realized something.

It wasn't over yet. She still had a chance.

She still had her cursed knife, her Silver Blade of Doom, clutched in her right hand.

She didn't hesitate.

"DIE, TERAKOMAREEE!!!"

She swung the knife upward, but it didn't reach her foe's neck as planned.

A disembodied right arm flopped uselessly to the floor with a flumping sound. Millicent's right limb.

Somehow it had been neatly amputated at the shoulder.

"Ah…"

Despair washed over her in a huge, dark wave.

She had no further tricks up her sleeve.

As she accepted her defeat for the first time, an immense fear of demise engulfed her. She was trembling all over, oozing cold sweat as she flopped onto her back and glared at Terakomari with hatred and resentment.

"You…how…?"

She wasn't certain herself what she was asking.

In the face of Terakomari's immense power, all her efforts had come to nothing. Millicent wanted to scream and wail from how unfair it all was. She despised Terakomari for being so blessed—the fates clearly loved her, since

they'd granted her such incredible abilities. Millicent was so jealous, she couldn't stand it.

She gazed at her old enemy, her mouth agape, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Such incredible power. Such an indomitable will…

But she'd realized something.

Terakomari was falling apart.

Her clothes were torn. Her face was smeared with blood and tracked with tears. Her stomach and shoulder were still oozing blood. And the wound the Silver Blade of Doom had inflicted was clearly still causing her considerable pain.

She looked a real mess.

Millicent had caused all that.

If Terakomari had been aware of her Core Implosion abilities and had been able to use them freely from the start, then she would never have endured Millicent's tormenting to this extent.

Right. Terakomari hadn't been born perfect after all.

In essence, what Terakomari had said about herself was true.

Fundamentally, she was a boring, plain weakling of a vampire. With no particular talents or skills, an embarrassment to her race.

But that runt of a vampire had made it all the way here without using any special skills.

Core Implosion was intrinsically linked to one's mental fortitude.

Hadn't Master Amatsu told her something like that?

I had to do my best for my friends, who have always cared for me!

She recalled Terakomari's words from earlier in their fight.

So…that was probably a big part of it, Millicent thought.

If only I had been able to strengthen my mind like her. I wonder if things would have been different…

Why had she bullied Terakomari? Because she'd been having a hard time at home? That had been stupid.

In her lust for power, she'd even joined a terrorist organization.

The cause of all of her misfortunes…had been her own weakness of spirit. If only she'd chosen a different path, her future might have played out differently. It could have turned out much better than this.

No.

What good was it to consider the past now?

Millicent realized that she was crying.

Not because she was frustrated in defeat. Not because she was afraid to die.

But because Terakomari had become so powerful. She was shining like a bright light.

I wanted to be like that one day…

"Prepare yourself."

Slim fingers closed around Millicent's neck.

The crimson-colored vampire leaned in, speaking in a dispassionate voice.

"I'm going to put you out of your misery."

"Wait…GURK!"

Millicent had no further time for repenting.

A wave of absolute despair washed over her as Terakomari ripped her head from her shoulders and completed Millicent's annihilation.

★

Six Nations News, May 21st, Morning Edition

GIRL DETAINED! MULNITE EMPIRE TERRORIST GROUP

"INVERSE MOON" MEMBER APPREHENDED

BY MELKA TIANO

The Mulnite Imperial Government, which has been dealing with serious terrorist attacks in recent years, announced on the 20th that they have apprehended a young woman believed to be a member of the anti–Dark Core terrorist group, Inverse Moon. The offender, who is believed to be a vampire from the Mulnite Empire, was killed and captured by Crimson Lord Commander Terakomari Gandesblood while hiding out in a ruined castle in the La Nelient slum quarter. This is the first time a member of Inverse Moon has ever been apprehended; the Mulnite Empire has claimed a victory for all of the Six Nations, while striking fear into the hearts of terrorists the world over. (…Continued from front page) Crimson Lord Commander Gandesblood, who apprehended the perpetrator, is to be honored in a special ceremony. Gandesblood, who many say is the most powerful Crimson Lord in history, as well as the youngest, is expected to continue her duties as a commander. The recent "Komarin Boom" is also expected to continue as her approval ratings have never been higher. We here at Six Nations News are excited to see what Commander Komari does next…