Chapter 11: Volume 1 - CH 7

Johan Helldars was trembling with fear. He had stayed over at this town of La Nerient, specifically the abandoned castle, for two weeks now, and in the deeper parts of the church’s altar, he spotted a familiar maid, crucified. Both her arms had been stabbed by nails to keep her in place, as red liquid endlessly dropped down from them. What was that about? Johan felt an odd sense of anxiety in his chest.

“H-Hey…what is that?” He asked MIllicent, who stood next to him.

She had previously said ‘I’ll show you something interesting’, so Johan followed after her, but there is nothing interesting to see in this scenery.

“You can’t see it? That’s Villhaze—the maid of the Gandezblood Family.”

“I know her. She’s that weird maid who always follows Terakomari. I’m asking what she’s doing here.”

“She’s a hostage, of course.” Millicent said, as she approached the maid.

The girl seemed to be unconscious, not moving at all when Millicent gently ran her hand along her body.

“As long as we have this maid with us, Terakomari will definitely come. She’s a coward, but her sense of justice is even stronger than her fear. She surely won’t cast this girl aside.”

It was a doubtful reasoning. Johan didn’t believe Terakomari could go this far, and he was still wary of Millicent at the same time. When they met at the bar, this is what she told him.

“If we can kill Terakomari at the party that’s happening soon, she’ll definitely suffer from the shame. And not just that. She’ll get ridiculed by her subordinates, and most likely be removed from the position of a Seven Crimson Deva.”

“Then I’ll sneak in there and kill her.” Johan said.

“No. That will be taken as an attempt of rebellion against the country. I will be the one to kill her. You just have to get me inside the party.”

Johan felt bothered at the fact that he wasn’t allowed the main dish, but he also wanted to escape being branded a criminal. Hence, Johan could only agree to his plan, using whatever clarification he had as someone from the army, and prepared the ‘gate’ at the party location. However, the target couldn’t be killed nonetheless. Only the party itself had been ruined, but the evaluation of Terakomari had not suffered in the slightest.

There, Johan’s head suddenly cooled down. There was absolutely no merit for him to work together with a terrorist. All he wanted was revenge, all he had to do was kill the target of his revenge, so there’s no need to work with a spy—that had been the Hellflame Slaughterer’s principle. But apparently, Johan had lost himself too much in his rage.

He could not return to the 7th Corps. At the same time, the remains of magical power at the gate must have surely revealed Johan to be the one who set it up. There was no more place to be at the Mulnight Empire. That’s why he just loitered around with Millicent.

“—Hey, if you kill Terakomari, what will I…” Johan stopped his words.

Something incredible happened in front of his eyes. Millicent had stabbed a heavenly tool into the maid’s shoulder. It was a silver knife that could cancel the restorative ability of the magic nucleus. The maid’s expression distorted in anguish, and blood came gushing out of the wound. Seeing this, Johan grew frantic.

“W-What are you doing!” He grabbed Millicent’s shoulder. “She’ll die for sure if you do that!”

“—Die for sure? What are you talking about?”

Johan felt a shiver run down his spine. The voice he heard sounded like he stood in the middle of a blizzard.

“I’m just trying to not die of boredom until Terakomari comes here.”

“B-But, there’s no need to use a heavenly tool. The wounds will stay…”

“…Hey, did you really want revenge on Terakomari? I thought you wanted her head?”

“I do, but not in the real sense…”

“Stop blurting out nonsense or I’ll kill you.”

Johan felt like a frog being targeted by a snake. Millicent turned around, glaring at him.

“It seems like you’re lacking awareness that you’re an ally of ‘Inverted Moon’. Then, let me ask you. What meaning is there in a battle with no permanent death.”

“Y-You can fight as much as you want.”

“I see. I thought you were the same as me, but I was wrong.” Millicent showed a faint smile, and pulled the silver knife out of the maid’s body, holding it in her left hand.

Johan watched this in a daze. He did not feel her killing intent at all. The tip of the knife suddenly dug deep into his own chest.

*

The town of La Nerient was a type of slum located in the lower-class district found in the imperial capital. Normally, it’s a place I’d never visit out of my own desire, but just for today, I had to make up my courage and set foot inside. A stagnated atmosphere greeted me, together with a dimly-lit city landscape. I could feel temporary gazes from the houses, but nobody came talking to me.

If I had to guess, they must have been scared of the military uniform I was wearing. And, it wasn’t just any uniform. It was something only a commander of the highest rank was allowed to wear, the ‘Full Moon’s Coat of Arms’.

After walking for a while, I found the place I was looking for, the abandoned castle. According to the topography, this had been a separate residence built as a pastime of a noble family, but after the owner disappeared, thieves and animals started to nest in there. Taking a deep breath, I passed the gate.

That’s right, I am heading over to my battle with Millicent. Of course, I finished all my preparations already, but I still can’t help being scared. If possible, I want to forget about all of this, and just go home.

But, that won’t do. I’ve decided to face my past, and come to terms with it. I took another deep breath, and entered a large hole inside a nearby building, heading inside. It was dark, making me feel like I entered a graveyard. I took care of rubble and old furniture as I moved along, when I spotted a mysterious door. It was rusty and dirty as everything else, but it looked different than the rest.

I immediately understood. This is the place. Past this door, Vill and Millicent are waiting for me. I swallowed my breath, and carefully opened the door. What greeted me was an old church. The owner of this castle must have been quite the faithful follower—is what I thought, taking another step forward.

“I’m glad you came, Terakomari.”

Hearing my name called out like that, my heart almost jumped out of my chest. I spotted Millicent, standing near the altar. She held a silver knife in her right hand, with her left hand in her pocket, as she glared at me. My legs froze up because of the fear getting the better of me. But, the second I looked next to her, all of my fear and anxiety were blown away. I saw Vill, crucified on a cross.

“Vill!”

“Oh, no need to rush. She’s not dead yet. She eventually will be, though.” Millicent laughed.

I put strength in my quivering hands, and glared at her as best as I could.

“…Return Vill.”

“Now now, there’s no need to rush things. It’s finally just the two of us, so aren’t there things you’d like to discuss first?”

“I don’t have anything like that.”

“Well, I do.” Millicent came down from the altar, approaching me with loud footsteps. “Hey, Terakomari, do you know how much I had to suffer ever since that day?”

“That day? What are you talking about?”

“The day three years ago. When I tried to steal your pendant.”

“……”

I remember. That was the reason I became a shut-in. Apparently, Millicent also had disappeared from the academy ever since then.

“My life changed drastically ever since that day. Your shitty old man accused my family of planning a rebellion, and chased me out of the country.”

“Eh…”

“With no place to return to, the only place that offered me a home was the terrorist organization ‘Inverted Moon’. While you were staying at home, living the life, I had to taste all the ill-will this world has to offer.” Millicent spoke as she played with the knife in her hand. “I had to go through all of this because of you, Terakomari. I did join this wonderful organization exactly because I was chased out, but that isn’t enough to just rectify everything. It’s true that I agree with the organization’s principles, namely the destruction of the magic nuclei, or ‘Dying is the Living Ones’ cherished desire’ and all that. But, what’s burning strong inside my chest isn’t some religious belief. Rather, what kept me going these three years—was the desire for revenge. My desire to kill you, Terakomari.”

“W-What’s up with that! That’s just baseless hate!”

“But, this hatred exists. It burned up my heart into black ashes. If I leave this alone, I’ll burn up entirely. That’s why I chose the same date as these three years ago, and will put an end to this farce. By killing you, I will take another step towards a brighter future. That’s why, consider this a ceremony.”

“…!”

I see, that makes sense. She’s similar to me. Unable to escape from my trauma, I still can’t live an honest life if I don’t free myself from it. That’s why, talking things through here probably won’t work.

“I understand your feelings. You really want to see me dead, right.”

“I’ve been saying so from the very start. Even if you cry and beg for your life, I won’t forgive you. I’ll turn you into omurice now. I’ll use your innards as filling, and use your blood as a sauce. You like Omurice, don’t you.”

“Eh? Not really. I prefer hamburgers…”

“Then I’ll turn you into a hamburger!”

“I don’t really get it…”

“Stop it, Terakomari! Don’t provoke her any more than that!”

Someone screamed over at me from the corner of the church. Looking over, I saw a man with blonde hair—Johan Helldars, as crimson blood dropped down from his stomach. I was baffled to meet him here.

“She’s an actual killer! You have no chance against her! Just run away while you have the chance!”

“Why are you here…?”

“That doesn’t matter right now! Just run! She has a heavenly tool! See, that wound in my chest. It won’t heal at all.”

“I see…” I formed a fist. “Sorry that I’m this late. I’ll save you right away, so just wait.”

Johan looked utterly baffled. Right after, he started muttering to himself.

“You’re an idiot. The biggest idiot in the universe…I…I worked together with her to see you dead, you know? You can’t even do anything, and she’s a full-fledged killer. She’s different from an average soldier. Just forget about your maid, and—Ugh!?”

Johan’s body flung up. Millicent had sent a <Magic Bullet> flying at his thighs, which led him to soar down on the ground. I thought so before, but she really does not care about others.

“Shut up, you insect. I’m talking with Terakomari here.” She said, and trusted the silver knife at Johan.

This knife was a heavenly tool, allowing you to cancel the regenerative ability of the magic nucleus. If she were to cut Johan’s carotid artery, he would die for sure. I couldn’t allow that to happen. I watched the scene in front of me unfold, as a warm passion burned up inside of me. It was anger. A scorching hot rage that I had never felt in my life so far.

I rummaged through the pocket of my military uniform, and took out a small stone.

“Wha—A magic jewel!?” Millicent had her eyes wide open in shock.

The magic jewel flew, and landed right at the place where Johan was.

“Gyaaaaaaaaaaa!” Johan screamed in fear.

As a roaring explosion rang out, I fell backwards, and was relieved that I managed to deny Millicent’s attack. Since he had been killed by the magic jewel before the heavenly tool, he should be able to resurrect normally.

“…Cough cough…Ha…hahaha, that was great, Terakomari. Seems like you prepared yourself for a battle, huh.”

The dust and smoke of the explosion started to clear up, as I could see Millicent’s slender silhouette. With a trembling hand, I counted the magic jewels I had left in my pocket. I couldn’t prepare too many, but it should be enough to bring an end to this.

Soon after, everything was back to normal, and I could see Millicent’s fiendish smile directed at me. At the same time, a shower of <Magic Bullets> was sent my way.

*

At the same time, Komari’s father Alman Gandezblood ran through the royal palace in a rush. Before he realized it, Komari had disappeared. Only a puddle of blood was to be found in her room.

“Your Majesty! Komari…Komari disappeared!” Without even bothering to give a greeting, Alman barged into the throne room, looking up at the Empress.

The big-breasted blonde-haired beauty sat on the throne as always.

“…Disappeared?”

“Yes, but I don’t know when.”

“You only now realized?”

“Huh?” Alman let out a dumbfounded voice.

To that, the Empress let out a sigh.

“You might seem wise, but you can be quite the idiot as well. Komari departed from the Gandezblood Residence about an hour ago. She headed for the enemy’s hideout to fight Millicent, and take back Villhaze. A guard reported this.”

“W-Why?”

“You ask me how I can sit still here? Let me ask you a question of my own. Will me acting really be for her sake?”

“If you won’t, then Komari will die. Are you going to abandon her?”

“How could I. She is mine and Yurine’s daughter.”

“Don’t twist reality. Komari is my daughter.”

“You don’t need to worry about the small details. I’m saying that you’re too overprotective. None of this would have happened if you didn’t exile the Bluenight Family. Anyway, I won’t go save Komari. Saving her would mean the same as abandoning her. She has to deal with her own past herself, and this is a great opportunity.”

“Isn’t that too much of a tough love?”

“You needn’t worry. I am a vampire, but no demon. If things look helpless, I will offer a helping hand—However, I don’t believe I have a role to play here.”

“What do you mean?”

“You should know as well…that she isn’t normal. She could easily surpass me.”

“……”

A long silence set it, when…

“E-Excuse me! Your Majesty, we have a problem!” A court lady rushed into the throne room.

She must have been running here, as she was out of breath.

“…What happened? Want to take a bath with me later? Or should I lick away all your sweat?”

The court lady beautifully ignored the Empress’ sexual harassment.

“The members of the 7th Corps have started to invade the lower-class district.”

*

“The town of La Nerient, huh. How mischievous, your Excellency.”

There was a group that rushed through the darkness that enwrapped the imperial capital. It was the 7th Corps of the Imperial Army, also known as the Komari Squad, and its 500 vampires. None of them seemed to be working together, as they only ran with blood-shot eyes. They didn’t even care about the reports of the inhabitants that an ‘angry mob appeared’. That was just how desperate they were.

“We’ll definitely get punished for this.” Belius muttered, and yet showed no signs of slowing down, in spite of being hurt still.

He seemed intent on fighting together with his commander. Chaostell ran next of him, and grinned.

“Who cares about being punished. How can we sit still when her Excellency is fighting on her own?”

Only Belius thought about the possible consequences of this. Everybody else only focussed on heading over to their commander’s location, ready for battle. This was something normal for the 7th Corps, as they were known for disregarding orders.

Luckily, they had found out that their commander was currently located in the town of La Nerient. When they last met, the girl did not share her destination with them. However, Chaostell had the magic called <Magnetic Web>. He could pinpoint the location of a certain individual thanks to this. However, since he already used the strand of hair before, he had no chance of using that magic—Until suddenly Melaconcy handed him a golden thread.

“HERE YOU ARE!”

“Huh?”

“Yeah! Entered her Excellency’s room, found a strand of hair, boom. I’m a criminal, punishment won’t be minimal~”

Of course, he ate another fist to the face for that. However, this allowed Chaostell to find the location of his commander. She did tell the squad not to follow her, but he had to ignore this order. The entire squad was prepared to face the consequences. Chaostell especially was ready to receive whatever punishment necessary, like being stepped on, being insulted, or having his neck squashed.

“Just you wait, your Excellency! We will help you right away!”

“Wohoooooooooooooo!!” The Komari Squad let out a roar as they kept running.

*

The second I saw that she started casting magic, I frantically hid beneath a couch. The storm of <Magic Bullets> created holes everywhere around me.

“Come on now! How long are you going to hide, you little rat! Come out, come out! Your precious maid is going to get killed at this rate!”

“Damn it…”

Right after another bullet scraped the tip of my nose, I used up all the courage I had, and ran away from beneath the couch. In response to that, Millicent’s expression distorted in joy. The second she finished aiming at me for another use of <Magic Bullet>, I took out a magic jewel out of my pocket, with the effect <Barrier>, and slammed it on the ground.

Following that, magical power gathered in front of me, and created a wall that blocked the incoming attack. Millicent shot a few more of her bullets, but the <Barrier> showed no signs of breaking down. I might be able to do this—the moment I thought so, I prepared another magic jewel. This time, the attack type. Preferably one that can finish this all in one strike—

“Ugyah!”

A sharp pain ran through my shoulder. Another bullet apparently grazed my skin. I could see that the <Barrier> slowly showed holes inside of it, and Millicent aimed exactly for these as she kept firing more <Magic Bullets>. The magic jewels in my pocket fell to the ground. I wanted to pick them up right away, but that instant, my <Barrier> broke with a roaring sound.

I couldn’t even react, as the attack hit me, a bullet of magical power piercing my left shoulder. Because of the impact, my body was flung backwards, as I rolled around several times through the dirt, eventually hitting my body and head at a stone wall. I tried pushing up my body, but that was impossible. The incoming pain delayed my every move.

The pain made it feel like my body was burning up in fire. Blood came gushing out from the wound, and I felt my heart pounding all over. I started crying. No matter how many times I rolled around, the pain wouldn’t go away, and I finally felt the premonition of certain death creep up on me.

“—What are you doing? You can’t die this quickly. Entertain me some more.” Millicent yet again played with that silver knife, as she laughed.

That’s right. I wasn’t stabbed by that heavenly tool. The magic nucleus will help me heal. But, it still hurts. The blood won’t stop. Why do I have to go through this hell? Subconsciously, I glanced up at Vill, still crucified.

Just by looking at her, I can tell that she’s suffering. She had wounds all over her body, as the blood dropping down created a river of crimson red. Her hands and feet were nailed to the cross. Compared to her suffering, this bit of pain is nothing. As if I’d die in a place like this.

“—Oh? You can still stand? Not bad.”

I used the wall to push up my body. My entire body hurt like hell, and my legs were quivering. My heart was about to be crushed by the fear assaulting me, but that’s not something that will stop me.

“…I’m not going to lose!”

Millicent grinned.

“Heh, so you actually got some guts in you. Where do you want me to shoot you next? The chest? Stomach? Or would you rather have me make a mess out of your face? Ruining your so-called overwhelming beauty doesn’t sound half bad.”

“It’s not overwhelming, it’s unparalleled!”

“What’s the difference, really! Stop annoying me!”

“I’m even more annoyed!”

At the same time as I flung the magic jewel, I started running. I was aiming for Millicent’s reach. She won’t be able to use her <Magic Bullet> like this, but I can freely use my magic jewels.

“Kyahaha! Some suicide attack!? Have you gotten crazy now!?” Millicent fired a consecutive row of bullets from her fingertip.

One grazed my ear. I don’t feel any pain. I will bring this to an end before I can feel anything. I evaded the <Magic Bullets> approaching me.

“—Explode, magic jewel!”

I tightly closed my eyes, and ignited the magic jewel I just threw. A bright flash filled our surroundings; <White Lighting>. It’s magic to momentarially blind the enemy.

“You damned wench and your impudent tactics!!” I heard Millicent’s enraged voice.

She must have been hit by the flash, as she held her eyes in agony. From her slender fingertip, she fired more <Magic Bullets>. They created even more holes in the chairs, stained glass, and the statue of the Holy Mother—No, don’t be afraid. Don’t back down.

I dodged every bullet that came too far, and finally made it up to Millicent, whose eyes were wide open. However, I had already pressed my magic jewel into her lower abdomen.

“You—”

“Magic Jewel <Shock Wave>.”

Bang! A shockwave rang out, sending Millicent’s body flying. But, my feet didn’t stop yet. I chased after the soaring Millicent, and activated another magic jewel with the name <Falling Rock> right as she hit her back on the ground. Magical power was set free, as a rock materialized in the air.

“Get crushed, Millicent!!”

“Wha…Eh!?”

It was already too late for her. The magical rock had already materialized fully, and attacked Millicent’s body. A high shriek rang out, followed by the sound of bone being crushed. But, that wasn’t enough. I used another magical jewel with the same <Falling Rock> effect, falling onto the previous one.

This time, I heard no screams. At first, Millicent tried to fight against the falling rock, but apparently ran out of strength, as any movement stopped. Yet, I prepared another magical jewel just in case. Everybody else would tell you that she’s dead. But, I was riddled with anxiety still. There’s no way Millicent would be defeated by something like that. She must be alive under that rock. More than anything, I couldn’t believe that I killed her.

And yet, Millicent showed no reaction. Letting out a sigh, I fell to the ground. I did it. I finally managed to come back from being a shut-in. But, I didn’t have time to relax yet. I pushed up my tired body, and ran towards Vill.

“Vill! Are you okay!?”

The girl didn’t respond. She still was bleeding from all over her body. I have to carefully get her down, and quickly take her back—I felt relief for a second, but then it happened. I felt something hitting my calf.

“Eh?”

I looked down. I found a silver knife stabbed into my leg. Holding the knife was a blood-drenched hand. Following that hand, I found Millicent, who looked up at me like the devil himself.

“Kyahahahaha! How dare you, Terakomari!”

I was so terrified, I couldn’t force out a voice. The knife was pulled out again, and I fell to the ground. Impossible. I was stabbed? By that silver knife? I was stabbed by the heavenly tool that can negate the magic nucleus’ effect—But, I was only allowed to think that far.

A burning pain ran through my muscles. A piercing shriek escaped my mouth. I started crying again. Drool came out my mouth as well. Indescribable pain ran along my skin. This wound will never heal. I will continue to taste this pain—the second this realization set in, I almost lost consciousness from the panic attack. But, I barely managed to get a grip of myself, and tried crawling away on the ground, distancing myself from Millicent.

“Ohh? Terakomari-chan, where do you plan on going?”

“Ugh!”

Millicent kicked my stomach, which lifted me up from the ground for a brief moment. Reflexively, I looked up, and saw how Millicent was grinning down at me.

“Ho…w…”

“How am I still alive, you ask!? Hyaha! As if such low-tier magic could kill me, you idiot!” She grabbed me by the collar.

I couldn’t look her in the eye. Instead, when I glanced past her, I saw the destroyed rock. She must have used some defense-type magic to avoid being crushed—But, I don’t have time to closely analyze the situation.

“Hey, does it hurt? It must hurt, right? Look at all that blood coming out.”

“Sto…p…”

“As if I would stop, you moron!”

Sparks filled my view. When I realized that I was hit in the face, I already had fallen on the ground, facing upwards. I tried to stand up, but the pain in my leg led me to fall down again. My chest hit the ground. Millicent only laughed even harder.

“Well, I think you were trying pretty hard this time around. I didn’t think you had the guts to actually attack me.”

The Death God slowly approached me. My body wouldn’t move still. I saw the silver knife flash up.

“But, it’s already three years to late. You’re a trashy kid that got bullied. Nothing changed since then. Even if you tried to change, you failed miserably. People like you have less worth than insects, and should be killed.”

Without me realizing it, I started weeping. My entire body hurt. The shoulder I was shot through, the leg I got stabbed at, the cheek that got hit, my broken heart, everything gave me anguish.

“Huh, you’re gonna cry now? You really are worthless trash. What do you think will happen just because you start crying? Just to let you know, this world isn’t as kind as you think! You probably don’t get it, but I understood that when I got chased out of the country. Even when I cried, nobody came to save me! I could only rely on my own strength!”

“S-Shut up. Shut up. I’m…not crying…”

“Stop acting brave now!!”

The magical bullet she fired from her fingertip pierced my side. Oddly enough, I felt no more pain. Millicent brought her face closer, and kicked me in the stomach.

“Ugh!”

I couldn’t bear it. I rolled around on the ground, holding my stomach in pain.

“Kyahaha, how unsightly.” Millicent let out a roaring laughter, pulling me up by my hair. “This time I’ll make you into omurice. Any problem with that?”

“Y-You…liked omurice more than me, right…”

“What’s wrong with that!?”

My face was pressed on the ground. My field of view turned white, and I couldn’t think about anything.

“—Why don’t you use that Nucleus Liberation of yours anytime soon? Then you might even have a chance. I prepared myself these past three years, so don’t waste all my efforts, will you.”

What is she saying? I gave no response.

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“Huh? You have some condition to activate it? Or do you not feel like using it? Are you too scared to even think?”

“…………”

“Say something!” She screamed right into my ear.

It felt like my head was about to explode. Millicent clicked her tongue.

“…You really don’t know anything. Did you not come here trying to win by using your Nucleus Liberation?”

“I don’t…know anything like that.”

“Then, why did you come here in the first place. You can’t win against me under normal circumstances. You should know that better than anybody.”

Of course I did. However, it’s not a problem of being able to or not. Neither is it a question of life or death.

“…For Vill’s sake…”

I pushed myself up, while spitting out blood. But, my words didn’t stop.

“I came here to save Vill. I might be small, bad at sports, and unable to use magic, a total failure of a vampire…Yeah, I was scared to come here. My legs were shaking, and I thought of turning around again and again. But, I didn’t want to run away anymore.”

Just breathing hurt me. But, my words won’t stop.

“I can’t stay a shut-in forever! That’s why I came here! I know that I’m weak! But, I have to do this! I have to work hard for the people who care this much about me!”

“……”

Millicent took half a step back—or that’s what it felt like, but I had no way of confirming. Right away, she screamed in rage.

“…Work hard? Stop spitting nonsense! Nobody would suffer if you could get what you want with just effort!”

She kicked me in the stomach again. I wanted to argue against that, but I couldn’t muster up any strength.

“You really disgust me. How could you come here while knowing that you’re weak. I don’t get it…Ah, whatever. I’ll free you from this misery soon. And after that, I’ll bring ruin to the Mulnight Empire. We don’t need such disgusting people, so I’ll just slaughter them all.”

“………”

She’s a demon. She does not have a human heart. I thought that ‘We might be somewhat similar’, but I was wrong. She hasn’t changed at all in these three years, and she made no attempts either. She’s rotten to the core, taking pleasure in other people’s suffering. My entire body hurts, I can’t move still. I lost. It’s over—

“—Now then, I guess I’ll start by killing the maid. You take a good look at it. Your precious maid will go to hell right in front of you.”

What did she say? She’s going to kill…Vill?

“Hm, seems like she’s still sleeping. I’d love to kill her when she’s awake, and enjoy her expression. Maybe she’ll wake up if I stab her a few times?” Millicent took a step forward.

Her face was distorted in joy, as she held the silver knife in her hand. Wait. I won’t allow that. This isn’t the time to be frustrated.

“—Stop.”

Millicent’s feet came to a halt. I slowly stood up. My courage burned up strong as I grit my teeth to suppress the pain. I glared at the girl.

“Don’t you dare touch Vill. I’ll be the one to defeat you.”

Millicent grit her teeth.

“Don’t be like that. Why don’t you show me then. At this rate, that girl will die, after all.”

“I can’t…let her die…As if I’d let someone like you kill her.”

No way I can give up here. How could I, after Vill did so much for me. Also, I’m the strongest Seven Crimson Deva. I can’t watch someone else kill my subordinate. That’s why, all I have to do is kill who’s in front of me.

“Stoooooooooop!!”

I raised my voice, and rammed my body into Millicent. I had no particular plan. I just tried a suicide attack.

“Give it a rest already!” She turned around to kick me in the face.

I couldn’t find solid ground, and leaned backwards. But, I still wouldn’t give up.

“I can…I can still fight…”

“I told you to quit it!!”

A <Magic Bullet> grazed my cheek, another my shoulder, another bit into my flank, as blood splattered everywhere. These wounds will recover. Go break my arm, pierce my flank, I can just grit my teeth and fight back.

“I won’t forgive you…I’m definitely taking Vill back with me!”

“Again with your righteous nonsense! You’re a shut-in, so stop acting so tough!”

“I’m no shut-in! I’ll defeat you, and take my first step towards a brighter future!”

“First step? Why don’t I break your beautiful leg, and make sure that you won’t be able to move any longer!”

“I won’t lose either way! Not against someone who can hurt others without batting an eye! I’ll win this!”

“Haha, well then why don’t you try, punk!!”

Millicent held her hands aloft, as she gathered magical power. It was already too late when I realized. A magical circle appeared, and lasers flickered up. This is high-tier magic; <Defecting Evil Ray>. I can’t run away from that. I tried moving my body, but then Vill would be hit behind me.

“—!!”

An immense impact shook my entire body. My field of view grew white, and my consciousness was close to being blown away. My wounds ached, my blood vessels popped, making me think that this time I must have died for sure, as I was blown through the air. When things calmed down, I realized I was laying on the ground, facing upwards. My body won’t move anymore. I couldn’t even move a single fingertip. My sense of pain apparently had vanished already—I see, I will die like this.

It’s frustrating. Unbearably frustrating. I couldn’t defeat Millicent, couldn’t save Vill, and couldn’t change myself. I don’t want that. Just when I finally decided to muster up the courage to change, this is the result?

“Komari-sama.”

Just when I started crying out of frustration, I heard a voice. At first, I thought it was just a hallucination. But, that turned out to be wrong. Apparently, I had fallen right beneath the altar, which allowed me to see inside Vill’s skirt when I looked up…Black panties.

No, why am I just calmly stating that. I’m not a pervert, okay. My brain just went crazy because I’m on the brink of death.

“Komari-sama.” Vill had woken up, it seems.

“Vi…ll…I’m sorry…I couldn’t save you.” I coughed up blood as I said that.

I couldn’t muster up any more words. I wanted to, of course, but only groans came out of my mouth. Vill shed tears of blood, as she smiled.

“I couldn’t be happier. To think you would come to save me again.”

No. This isn’t right, Vill. I didn’t do anything. I just left my room once, and got killed right away. Where is this legendary sage? I don’t know her.

“Please don’t make such a saddened expression. You worked really hard. You are no longer a shut-in vampire. You can live proudly.”

How could I. I’m a shut-in, a good-for-nothing—As if Vill had felt my thoughts, she showed a tired smile. And then, my eyes opened wide. Vill forcefully freed her right arm, which had been nailed to the cross. The nail flew off, as a gush of blood fell to the ground. I could tell that it must have hurt. Vill’s expression tightened up for a second, but quickly calmed down again.

“You are the strongest, most kind person in this world. But because you don’t have any confidence in yourself, I always have to worry about you.” She slowly lifted up her right hand.

It dangled right above of me. And then from the tip of her finger, a drop of red blood fell—

“You’re still alive, Terakomari!?”

A roar arrived at my ears, making me twitch. Of course, that was Millicent. I can’t fully see her, but she was approaching me, judging from her footsteps.

“Just you wait! I’ll cut you to shreds with this <Silver Cutter>!”

She probably was done playing around. I’ll be killed. My body didn’t move, and neither did my heart. Yet, my gaze was glued to a single point in my view. Vill’s finger, the deep red blood, the source of magical power, the life of a vampire, the beverage I hated the most.

“Please forgive me, Komari-sama. I am ready to face whatever punishment you give me.” She apologized with a blank expression. A drop of red fell down. It was defeated by gravity, and soared down—weddending my lip.

Thus, the world turned crimson red.

*

A vast ‘future’ was created like a puzzle of light particles. It was a dazzling sight. She had never seen such a future. Even with this <Pandora Poison> that she held, she could never hope to achieve what was in store for her.

—Yeah, things will be fine. I saw everything.

—If it’s Komari-sama, she will not give in again.

A snicker escaped her lips. It was a laugh of relief. Relief and pride that the girl she loved and respected has such a blooming future in front of her.

“Komari-sama, you will not lose.”

Muttering only these words, Villhaze’s eyes closed in peace.

*

“Your Majesty, we have to send the army there right away!”

“The army is moving already, right? The 7th Corps, that is.”

“That is not the army. They are a group of criminals.”

“You’re talking with your superior here…Ah, wait a second.”

Alman was desparate, but the Empress looked up at the ceiling. He grew agitated, thinking that she wasn’t taking this seriously, but the best he could do was wait for her words.

“Seems like the game has been set.”

“Your Majesty, please use words I understand.”

“If you don’t understand it, then think. A great magical power source just appeared. The location is the lower-class district of the capital. In other words, Komari had taken blood to herself.”

“Wha…” Alman felt a cold sweat run down his cheek.

The situation he feared the most finally occurred. However, the Empress only showed a calm smile.

“That takes care of things.”

“…Are you serious? Do you know how much I went through to not make her drink any blood?”

“Rest assured, the same tragedy from three years ago won’t happen again.”

“However…”

“Do you not have any faith in your own daughter? After becoming a Seven Crimson Deva, she met all sorts of folk, and washed away the self that held her back. Right now, she has a heart. Even if she drinks blood, she won’t lose herself. Though she might suffer some injuries on the side.”

“……” Alman grit his teeth.

The reason Komari hated the idea of drinking blood was all because of Alman’s brainwashing. The person herself isn’t aware of it, but Komari held immense power. Nucleus Liberation—By cutting yourself free from the magic nucleus, you can draw out your innate abilities, which greatly defy common sense. In Komari’s case, the condition to activate the Nucleus Liberation is to ‘Drink someone else’s blood’. This incident marks the fourth time her Nucleus Liberation was activated.

The first time happened when she was three years old. During lunch, she had her first sip of blood, which ended up in her slaughtering the entire Gandezblood Family. The second time was when she was ten. A newly-hired maid accidentally cooked food with blood in it, and was instantly killed by Komari. The third time was when she was twelve. She was bullied, beaten, and happened to drink a bit of blood from the other girl as she fought back, killing everybody in the vicinity without a single person realizing what even had happened, disregarding them being bully, normal student, or teacher. She even killed the former 3rd Corps commander, who acted as a Seven Crimson Deva.

Basically, whenever Komari had just a drop of blood, she caused a slaughter, killing anybody in her sight—and the person who had induced this crossed her legs with an indifferent expression.

“Seven Crimson Deva are specialists in killing, and if a weak Seven Crimson Deva existed, that would be blasphemy towards the royal family. The reason I agreed to make her a Deva was because I wanted to get a grip on her own life, and also because she truly was worthy of being a commander.”

“That’s…”

“Ahh, I’m so excited. Show me, Terakomari. Show me the greatest Nucleus Liberation the Empire had seen for the past thousand years — <Solitary Crimson Mercy>, and its value that it holds with you.” The Empress raised her head.

Outside the window, a crimson-red moon shone in the sky.

*

The vampires of the Komari Squad that set foot into the church of the castle came to a sudden halt. The scenery that had opened up in front of them was too surreal. Everything around the area was drenched in blood. A blue-haired girl stood in the center of the church. She held a knife, making her the terrorist that infiltrated the party. Normally, the Komari Squad would run out to attack her right away—but what stopped them was the sight of a maid crucified on top of the altar. And, below said maid laid their beloved and respected commander Terakomari.

Impossible. Had their commander lost against the terrorist? The vampires were about to jump out, when the impossible happened. Her Excellency slowly stood up, like she had just gotten up from her grave. Her uniform had been ripped to shreds, her body drenched in blood, and yet she held no expression on her face. Suddenly, her small mouth moved.

“I’ll kill you.”

Following that, a storm of crimson-red magical power hit the church. No, it wasn’t just the church. Her Excellency’s immense magical power covered the church, the abandoned castle, the lower-class district, and the entire Empire as a whole, turning the world crimson. The vampires froze up.

Fear, doubt, uncertainty, all these feelings gathered in their hearts, but what stood above all of them was joy. Their respected commander had colored the heavens crimson. This is the true strength of Terakomari Gandezblood, no doubt.

“Your Excellency…”

Someone opened their mouth. Other voices followed.

“Your Excellency!”

“Your Excellency Komarin!”

“So this is how strong she really was!”

“Go and kill that terrorist!”

“Komarin! Komarin! Komarin!”

The voltage between the vampires started to grow, as their Komarin chanting began. The church was filled with excitement, but the Komari in question had kept her cold, rational gaze glued at her enemy.

*

Millicent Bluenight narrowed her eyes. Terakomari should have been utterly defeated, and yet she stood up. Not to mention that her entire body was wrapped in a fearsome amount and density of magical power. A cheering squad was screaming at her back. Without Millicent realizing it, a group of vampires wearing military uniforms had gathered. That brat, she had the nerve to actually call her allies over—Millicent grit her teeth, and faced the girl.

“Hey, Terakomari, I told you I’d kill the hostage if you talked about this with someone, right? That cross actually has been riddled with explosions, so if I sent a bit of magical power over there—” Millicent was forced to swallow her breath.

She was gone. Terakomari had disappeared. Millicent frantically looked around. Impossible. Where did she go? She was in front of her only a second ago, so why—a sweat ran down her back, when a strong impact hit her into the abdomen.

“Gah…” A groan escaped from her lips, and yet she somehow managed to stand on her own two staggering feet.

In a panic, she observed her own abdomen. Her skin had burst open, as red liquid gushed out of the wound. It hurt like her inner organs had been ripped out of her. No, they must have been ripped out of her for good. The second she understood that, Millicent’s expression tightened up.

“What…did you dooooooo!!”

The vampires watching raised voices of admiration. Terakomari stood still at around three meters away. Her crimson-red eyes were radiating—and that crimson looked even more red than usual—as her right hand was drenched in Millicent’s blood. Terakomari showed no signs of her past self that had been bullied before, and resembled a monster more than anything. She didn’t say anything, just staring at Millicent.

“W-What happened…? Is that…Nucleus Liberation?”

“……”

“Say something! Look at what you did to me! How are you going to compensate me for that!?”

“…you.”

“Huh!? I can’t hear you!”

“I will kill you.”

Terakomari kicked off the ground. She moved with the speed of a storm, wrapped up in crimson magical power, to which Millicent fired <Magic Bullets> purely out of instinct and fear for her life. The barrage of bullets vanished in the darkness of the church. Not a single one of them hit Terakomari. She used movement you wouldn’t expect from a living being to evade these bullets.

“…!” Millicent could follow her, when a fist appeared right in front of her eyes.

It was a small, girly fist, and yet it was filled with immense killing intent. Millicent barely managed to avoid it, as the fist instead rammed inside the wall behind her, creating a magical explosion. Met with the explosive breeze, Millicent fell to the ground. The wall of debris had been blown away like it was a mere child’s toy.

Impossible. This should not be happening. Millicent had spent the past three years trying to rival Terakomari’s Nucleus Liberation. By defeating her, only then would she feel her own growth.

—But, this was outside her expectations. To think such a rule-breaking Nucleus Liberation existed.

Millicent held her own abdomen to subdue the pain, and stood up. Her enemy gripped her right hand tight, tilting her head like she was confused. The vampires at her back were still chanting ‘Komarin! Komarin! Komarin!’, supporting the brat.

—Don’t joke with me.

“All of you…are just joking around…making fun of others who aren’t born with talent…!”

‘I’ll kill you’, she says. You should be the one to get killed. People like you, who trample on others feelings, should die the most gruesome death. I want to rip out your heart right now, and turn it to shreds.

Millicent staggered backwards, gathering magical power. She used up all of the magical power sleeping in her body. Who cares if her eyes were bleeding from the extreme toll this took. As long as she could kill Terakomari, everything was worth it.

“Millicent.” Terakomari turned towards him. “How foolish you are.”

Something snapped inside of Millicent. She lost herself, and screamed.

“Youuuuuu damned braaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!!”

She set free all of the destructive magical power she gathered in the form of special-tier light attack magic <Evil Radiance2>. A thick laser carved the ground around them. With this, the battle is over—Millicent felt sure of her win. However, the impossible happened. The second she thought Terakomari had been hit, the laser was deflected upwards.

“Wha…”

It looked like something changed it’s trajectory. A roaring sound rang out. The laser, directed upwards, destroyed the stone roof. It kept going beyond that, and went straight up into the night sky. The hole in the ceiling let the moonlight in, coloring the interior of the church crimson red. Millicent was baffled, and glanced at Terakomari. In front of her, a magic circle had been established, belonging to high-tier reflection magic <Enma’s Mirror3>. Any sort of attack hitting this magic circle could be controlled, but mastering this magic was exceptionally difficult.

“How…how can you use mag—Ugh!”

Her left arm was hit by an impact enough to tear it apart, followed by pain that made her almost blank out. Letting out a scream, she looked over at her left arm. But, it was nowhere to be found. There was no more left arm. A bullet had blown it off, and it dropped down lifelessly in the corner of the church.

It was low-tier light attack magic <Magic Bullet> that had struck her. She had the nerve to use the magic Millicent most excelled at. Unforgivable, unforgivable, unforgivable. Millicent had to kill her right away—

“!?”

But then, a sense of discomfort plagued her. Her legs wouldn’t move, almost like someone was holding onto them…

“Eeeek!?” Millicent let out a pathetic shriek.

From the puddle of blood at her feet, crimson-red hands appeared, grabbing her ankles.

“What…the hell is this…”

It wasn’t just comparable to ‘grabbing’. They desperately clung to her legs, slowly crushing them. Even as she fired several <Magic Bullets> at them, the holes that appeared in these bloody hands closed right away. Millicent screamed and begged her to stop, but nothing happened. The bones in her ankles were breaking apart. Unable to bear the pain, Millicent fell to the ground, and screamed in agony. The broken bones tore through her skin, visible from the outside. It really felt like all the blood was drained from her body.

What the hell is this? Millicent had never heard of such magic before.

“Stop joking with me, stop joking around…” She muttered to herself, and glared at Terakomari.

Terakomari’s eyes had been as cold as ever, fixated on Millicent as she approached her. Illuminated by the crimson moonlight, the girl was drenched in blood. Seeing this, Millicent’s body shook in fear. And then, a sense of deja-vu set in. It’s not her brain which remembers, but rather her body. This sensation—it’s the same from these three years ago where she had attempted to steal the pendant from Terakomari.

These past three years, Millicent worked hard to repay the favor she had received that day. But, the result was the same. Was all her effort for nothing after all? Was everything lost from the very beginning?

“Wooohoo! Your Excellecy!”

“Finish her!”

“Terrorists are the trash of this world!”

“Her Excellency is so cool!”

“Marry me!”

“Komarin! Komarin! Komarin!”

These cheers didn’t even reach Terakomari, who slowly approached Millicent.

“This is the end.”

She stretched out her hand. Instinctively, Millicent felt fear.

—Fear? I do? Towards Terakomari? As if I would!

She realized that she still had a way of winning. Using the <Silver Cutter>, which she held in her right hand, she could still defeat Terakomari. She didn’t hesitate.

“Go rot in hell, Terakomariiiiii!!!”

However, that knife did not reach Terakomari’s throat. A right arm fell to the ground. Of course, that one belonged to Millicent. It had been cut off all-too-clean from her shoulder.

“Ah…Ugh…”

Her heart was assaulted by despair. She had no means of resisting anymore. The second she realized that this was her defeat, fear filled her body. She started shaking, as a cold sweat drenched her clothes, and yet her willpower allowed her to glare at Terakomari.

“How…are you…” Millicent didn’t know what she even wanted to ask.

In the face of overwhelming talent, all effort is useless—she didn’t want to accept that. She hated the person Terakomari Gandezblood, who had been blessed by life, given so much raw talent without having done anything for it. She glared at her fated enemy, and saw overwhelming magical power, paired endless vigor.

But then, she realized. Terakomari was in tatters. Her clothes had holes everywhere, her expression and face dirty with blood and tears, wounds all over her body, and she must be still suffering from the <Silver Cutter> that she had been stabbed with. All of these wounds had been given to her by Millicent. If Terakomari had known that she could use Nucleus Liberation, then she would not have ended up this way.

That’s right. Even she isn’t perfect. Without this Nucleus Liberation, she’s just your good-for-nothing vampire. She has no special power, and can’t fight on her own. And yet, she suddenly awakened to this power.

—Nucleus Liberation is connected to something deep inside your heart.

She remembered Amatsu-sensei’s words.

—I have to work hard for the people who care this much about me!

Terakomari’s words played back in her head. That might just be it. If Millicent held a heart as strong as Terakomari, maybe things could have ended differently. Because she herself suffered, she vented out her anger on others. She sought for strength, and joined a terrorist organization. These are all signs of Millicent’s weak heart, and if she had taken a different approach, a different future might have greeted her—

No. Regretting the past won’t change anything. Coming to this realization, Millicent shed tears. She wasn’t frustrated at her loss, nor was she scared of dying. Rather, the sight of Terakomari was too dazzling.

—I wanted to become someone like her.

“Prepare yourself.”

Terakomari’s slender fingers wrapped around Millicent’s throat. The deep crimson vampire princess spoke, absolutely indifferently.

“With this, you’re free.”

“Wha—Geh.”

She didn’t even have time to regret. As her heart was hit by a wave of despair, her throat was crushed.

*

Six Countries Newspaper: 21st day of the 5th Month, Morning Newspaper

Successful Capture of the ‘Inverted Moon’ Member

[Capital—Melka Tiano] The Mulnight Government has announced the successful capture of a girl that belonged to the terrorist organization ‘Inverted Moon’, which had caused several attacks in the Empire. According to the government, she was a former inhabitant of the Empire, and was hiding in an abandoned castle near the lower-class district’s town La Nerient, where Seven Crimson Deva general Terakomari Gandezblood killed her in battle, and secured her corpse. This being the first time a member of ‘Inverted Moon’ had been captured, the Empire will play a great role in the search for the rest of the terrorist organization…(omitted)…Commander Gandezblood will be awarded for her honors. Of course, judging from the ongoing ‘Komarin Boom’, her work thus far was only the beginning, and she is already regarded as the new rising star of the Seven Crimson Devas, allowing us to have high expectations in the future as well.

1 Originally written as <destructive-doctrine evil light>

2 Mirror found in hell in Enma’s chamber that allows people to see their good and bad deeds

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