Chapter 3: Volume 1 - CH 1

This world and everything inside of it acts based on unreasonable thinking. Around fifteen years ago, I was born into the most noble royal family of the Mulnight Empire, the Gandezblood Family. First, what kind of name is that? That name alone tells you that his family is a mess, and as it turns out, I was correct.

This Gandezblood Family has existed for a thousand years, being hereditary army generals. The name of the family is even left behind in the history workbooks of our race, and five years ago, my mother had been one of the Seven Crimson Devas. That’s where the horrors started.

Needless to say, I am a vampire that advocates peace and freedom. I am the furthest away from these berserker ancestors of mine. Yet, my relatives put insane pressure on me. Komari-chan will definitely become a wonderful commander, she’ll kill everyone that stands in her way, she’ll surely become the greatest killer in history, and so on—Morons, all of them.

In the beginning, I tried responding to everyone’s expectations, but that effort was shut down right away. I was lacking various skills and talents in order to achieve this.

First of all, I can’t use magic. Following that, my physical and athletic abilities are way below average. Lastly, my body is way too small. And, there is a very obvious reason for these three problems plaguing me…I can’t drink blood.

During every single dinner table at our Gandezblood Family, blood could be found everywhere, but I really don’t get how anybody could be able to drink that. I can’t even stand the scent, or the sheer look of it. Why do I have to drink something disgusting like that? How can everybody else just gush it down their throats? My little sister Rorocco once said “You’re missing out in your life if you can’t drink blood”…Shut up, okay. I’m more than satisfied with tomato juice.

But, from an objective point of view, I might be the weird one here. As a result of this, my life took a turn for the worse. Not being able to drink blood means that I can’t grow up. For a vampire, blood is a crucial source of nutrients, and not drinking any blood means that many types of bodily functions don’t work well. The reason why I can’t use magic, why I have no athletic skills, and why my little sister beat me in terms of height is all because I’m lacking blood supply.

As a result of this small difference to the other vampires, my life was full of suffering. At school, I was the target of everyone’s gossip, even bullied and hurt for no apparent reason. On top of that, my relatives still expected me to become the greatest vampire ever. As you might expect, I couldn’t handle the situation, which is why I became a shut-in.

This happened three years ago. In this vampire society where strength is everything, as someone who can’t drink blood, can’t use magic, and has no physical outstanding abilities, a shut-in has no hope of ever achieving anything. The best I could do was stay in my safe space, and keep writing novels, because that fit me best. It really should have fit me best, and yet—

*

It’s morning. My inner clock is telling me so. But, I won’t get up. I refuse to get up. I rolled over in my bed, tightly kept my eyes shut, and embraced the dolphin hugging pillow my father bought for me. Let alone hibernation, I planned on sleeping through several twilight years. I have no connection with this world at all, I am a nomad travelling from one corner of the bed to the other. I was preparing myself for another slumber, when an irregularity occurred.

My belly was itchy. Even after scratching it, the itchiness wouldn’t go away. As a result of this, my eyes opened. Some insect might have bitten me in my sleep. Still drowsy, I pushed up my upper body, and looked beneath my pajamas.

“…Huh?”

And then, I froze up. On top of my navel I could see some mysterious pattern. It was a weird design with the wings of a bat, and waves of blood around them. I feel like I’ve seen that before—Oh, right. This is the Mulnight Empire’s coat of arms. It’s drawn on the royal palace even. No matter how much I tried to scrub it away, it stayed. Is this some weird dream I’m seeing?

“—Terakomari-sama, good morning.”

I suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice, which almost had my heart leap out of my chest. When I looked at my surroundings, I found a weird-looking girl standing in the corner of the room. She possessed a cool gaze, giving off a dignified atmosphere, and she wore maid clothes. Was this girl working here? With my wariness up to a maximum level, I glared at the girl.

“W-Who are you. Why are you in my room!”

The maid’s eyebrows twitched.

“I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Villhaze. I work at the Imperial Army, and I am an associate special third-ranking lieutenant. From today onward, I will be working here as Terakomari-sama’s personal maid.”

I don’t get it. Why would I need a maid?

“I don’t mean to be rude, but…this room is quite the mess, is it not.”

That is actually very rude.

“…What do you want? Money?”

“Do not be so frightened, please. I am your ally, Terakomari-sama.”

As if I would believe you just like that. You might be a thief, or you might be a pervert who came here to assault me. I’m probably better off asking my father. And more importantly, I need to visit the toilet. However, I can’t leave her unattended. This is bad, I’m getting close to leaking.

“…Hey, you Villhaze or whatever. Wait here for a second.”

“We do not have the time for that. We have to depart right away to the royal palace.”

Royal palace? I got a really bad feeling about this. Every fiber of my being screamed danger, as I acted like a cat, jumping away from this person. Or so I planned, but that maid suddenly grabbed my arm, not allowing me to escape.

“Let go! I need to take a piss!”

“This isn’t the time for that. Please listen to me.”

“I’m gonna let it out, okay!? Are you fine with that!?”

“Then listen to me while you let it out.”

“That’d just make me a pervert!”

“Nobody is watching, so feel free.”

“You sure as hell are watching!”

The heck is wrong with her. She must be a pervert that came here to assault me. It sounds plausible, seeing that I am a beauty above beauties (since my father tells me each and every single day, it must be true).

“We have no more time. Please stop resisting, and follow me.”

“Don’t wanna! You’re going to kidnap me, right! Because of my overwhelming looks as a beauty!”

“Is that something you should say about yourself?”

Like this, we continued to battle for a few moments, when…

“—You can leave it at that, Vill-kun.”

I heard a deep voice from the hallway. Turning around towards the source of the voice, my savior, a large vampire wearing a black mantle just waltzed into my room. That’s right, tell her, Father! She’s a perverted maid who came here to assault me!—is what I screamed inside of my heart, and said maid indeed let go of my hand, albeit too abruptly.

“Bulgh!”

Because of the momentum I still had, I slid on the ground face-first. That hurt. I feel like crying. My view grew blurry. The perverted maid however fully ignored my state, and instead politely bowed to my father.

“I am terribly sorry, Gandezblood-dono. Terakomari-san resisted beyond what I imagined, so I was thinking of forcefully bringing her with me.”

I knew you were trying to abduct me.

“Don’t go around bullying my daughter too much, okay. She is a proud shut-in.”

“That’s right, she is a shut-in.”

Why’d you have to repeat that. That just hurts me even more if you do that. Just to let you know, I can easily leave my own room if I want to. I just never really felt the need to, but if I’m motivated, I can easily do a hitchhike across the world.

“Komari! Are you hurt anywhere?”

Unsure of what I should feel about this, I pushed up my body, when my father approached me with wide open arms. On top of that, he’s got the nerve to touch me all over my body. If that guy wasn’t my parent, I’d get him arrested.

“Hum, you seem to be fine, but maybe we should get you checked out at a doctor? An unrivaled beauty like you has to be careful about her body after all.”

“I-I’m fine, okay.”

“Terakomari-sama, are you really fine? Do you not feel weird around the area of your belly?”

Holding back the desire to immediately shove her out of my room, I remembered it thanks to her words. Right, the symbol on my belly, it was itching. Scratch.

“Oh my, if you keep scratching like that, your silky smooth skin will be ruined.”

“Don’t you dare touch me, you perverted maid!” I brushed off her hand, and swiftly took three steps back.

As a result, she even stared at me with a blank expression and cold gaze. I’m scared, I feel like she’ll kill me in my sleep.

“Father, who is she even!?”

“From today forth, she will be your personal maid, Komari. She will listen to whatever you say, so use her freely.”

Whatever I say? She sure as hell didn’t let me go when I told her to, right?

“I don’t need a maid. Not to mention such a scary one…”

“You say that, but this has been ordered by her Highness, so put up with it.”

“The Empress? Why is that?”

“I shall explain that.” The perverted maid took a step forward. “Terakomari-sama, you know the Seven Crimson Devas, correct.”

“Where did that come from…I mean, I do, what about them?”

The Seven Crimson Devas: They are vampires in full control of the army under the royal family, basically the strongest seven fighters in the imperial army.

“You became one of them, Terakomari-sama.”

“Huh?”

“Congratulations. With a mere fifteen years, becoming one of the Seven Crimson Devas is something extraordinary.”

“No, wait…Why?”

“That’s because your father worked really hard.” He dared to show me a shit-eating grin. “Komari, a while ago, you said that you wanted to work, right?”

My heart almost leaped out of my chest.

“…R-Really?”

“Your father remembers it clearly. It happened during last year’s Christmas party. Roro asked you with a Why don’t you start working? and this is what you answered—”

—Work, huh. I am well aware that hard labor is crucial for society. But, you can’t forget that I am a legendary sage. There’s no job befitting my greatness. Well, if there is one, then it’d be being the Empress of the Mulnight Empire, so I wouldn’t mind working if I became that, I guess?

I felt the heat rush to my head. Now that I hear about it, I might have said that…

“Your father was so moved, you know. To think the shut-in Komari, who only stayed in her room for three whole years, would bring up the idea of working like that.”

What should I even say here. To be perfectly honest, I had no intention whatsoever to start working. The only reason I blurted out nonsense like becoming the new Emperor was because I was absolutely drunk….from apple juice, that is.

“R-Right, I did say that. So, what about that?”

“I talked to Her Majesty, asking for you to receive the position of the Empress.”

Are you a moron!?

“Because of that, she got really angry at me.”

Yeah, who would have thought.

“But, your father still didn’t give up, because it was for your sake, Komari.”

Just give up, please. You’re going to be the death of me.

“I explained how much of a genius you are, and mentioned that you even call yourself a legendary sage. I added the fact that you always stay in your room, thinking about something on levels a normal person could not even hope to comprehend. More than anything though, I had to stress the fact that you possess unparalleled beauty…And then, Her Majesty said Very intriguing, you know.”

Nothing is intriguing here. I feel like wanting to kill myself.

“Basically, Her Majesty has admitted your greatness, Komari. But, making you the Empress out of the blue would be impossible, right? That’s why she made you one of the Seven Crimson Devas.”

The perverted maid nodded along to that.

“It is exactly as Gandezblood-dono has stated. According to the custom of the Mulnight Empire, only the strongest and most skilled warriors of the Empire have the right to become the Emperor. Hence, the tradition shows that the Seven Crimson Devas have the chance to become the next emperor candidate. Her Majesty must have appointed you as one of the Devas to measure your talent and skill, Terakomari-sama. On a side note, I am your personal maid that will aid you in this endeavour. Please treat me well in the future.”

My head was spinning. The Seven Crimson Devas are that, you know…They’re the types of demons that kill other races inside this world’s centre, the ‘Nucleus Domain’. As I stated before, I am a vampire that advocates peace. How would I ever fit into a group of monsters like that. As if I’d do that, moron.

Since this conversation just crossed the point where continuing wouldn’t make any sense, and more importantly, since my urge to urinate was reaching critical limits, I ignored the two, and was about to make my way over to the toilets, but…

“Please wait!”

For some reason, that perverted maid clung to my thighs.

“I became a maid so that Terakomari-sama would find success in her military rule! Please, become a Seven Crimson Deva! If not, then my reason for existing will vanish…”

“S-Stop shaking me, I’ll seriously let it out, okay!”

“Terakomari-sama, I am your humble servant! I have the determination to accept your everything!”

“I don’t have the determination to let you accept it! Father, stop watching and help me!”

“You say that, but Vill-kun is a worthy subordinate of the legendary sage, don’t you think? She should provide great support for you, I’m sure.”

“If anything, I’ll be forced to keep her in check!”

“Terakomari-sama, please become one of the Seven Crimson Devas.”

“Who’d become one of them!” I forced the scariest expression on my face, and glared down at that perverted maid. “Just to let you know, I’ll become an author! I’m writing lots and lots every day! I want to stay inside, not meet anybody, and work on my story! Me wanting to work was just a joke, why’d you take it seriously!”

I only realized after finishing these words. Both the perverted maid and my father were staring at me with a baffled expression. Immediately, I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Maybe my heart has gotten cold after locking myself up for such a long time. If it was me a few years back, I would have never been able to raise my voice in front of my father like this.

“T-That’s why…I can’t become a Seven Crimson Deva.”

“However…”

“So annoying!”

“However—if you don’t become one of the Devas, Terakomari-sama will explode and die.”

“…Excuse me?”

What did she just say? Explode? Huh?

“It’s just as Vill-kun stated, Komari.” My father narrowed his eyebrows as he looked at me. “In order to become one of the Devas, you have to exchange a promise with the Empress. In return for receiving exceptional status as one of them, you offer a contract and promise to give your entire existence for the Empire. And, in the event that this promise is being broken, you will explode.”

“I don’t even remember making a contract like that, you know.”

“Last night, it was formed.”

“Formed? How?”

“Her Majesty snuck into your room, and gave you a kiss while you were sleeping.”

“Huuuuuuuuh!?”

A…what, a kiss!? A kiss, that kiss!? I remember that a kiss can be used as a trigger to activate contract magic—And how did that shitty Empress even make it into my room! Why is everyone around me a pervert!

“…Wait, doesn’t contract magic require consent from both sides?! I don’t remember agreeing to that!”

“Your father gave the consent. I am your legal guardian after all.”

“What the hell are you thinking!?”

I slammed my fists against Father’s chest, but he just laughed it off. This isn’t something you should laugh about, you shitty old man. So this symbol that’s making my belly itch this entire time is the proof of our contract? Don’t joke with me, that has to be illegal.

“This is the worst…My life is over…”

“Terakomari-sama, this is a personal letter from Her Majesty.” The perverted maid handed me a letter with noble design, so I quickly ran my eyes over the contents.

I have decided to make you a Seven Crimson Deva. The blood contract has already been established, and you are unable to escape from this order. As long as you don’t want to be blown to smithereens, you shall fulfill your duty as a Seven Crimson Deva, and show me your determination to become the next Emperor candidate. Leaving aside your work as a Seven Crimson Deva, I already admire your appearance enough, see. Your beauty deserves to stand at the summit of this Empire. Just looking at your sleeping face had me get excited beyond what I have felt in years. By the way, rumours have told me that you loathe drinking blood. What a rare disposition to have as a vampire. Because of this, I have considered you. Instead of having you drink my blood, I had you drink my saliva, and formed a contract based upon this. Putting it simply, we shared a deep kiss. I treated you kindly, so be thankful to me.

So friggin disgustiiiiiiiiiiing!!!

“Good for you, Terakomari-sama.”

“Nothing is good here! I got goosebumps all over my body! I never even had my first kiss yet…”

“Now now, don’t be like that. This is a great opportunity, so just become one of the Seven Crimson Devas. With this, you’re a full-fledged member of vampire society! And then, your father can be proud of you, and brag to other people!”

Ahahahahahaha—I heard the distant laughter of my father.

A Seven Crimson Deva…Why did it have to be one of the worst possible jobs imaginable. If I had to work somewhere, I at least would have wanted something more peaceful…like in a cake shop.

“Congratulations, Terakomari-sama. Let me confirm the schedule right away. First, you have a meeting with Her Majesty in two hours, and after that, your subordinates will be awaiting you. Tomorrow, you will attend your first ever battle with the neighbouring Laperico Kingdom. Following this—”

I started blending out the perverted maid’s words after that. What is this, why did things end up like this? I should have never blurted out about becoming the next Emperor. Also, how in the hell did my father manage to convince that wench. Did he catch her weakness or something? But, even if I didn’t want to accept it, this is reality. Me running away from reality this far has come back to haunt me.

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

Having reached my limit in a lot of ways, I just crouched down on the spot…Only to be reminded of my bodily needs, so I jumped up and dashed towards the toilet. This time, nobody stopped me.

*

One hour passed.

“Hey, um, Villhaze?”

“Feel free to call me Vill.”

“I-I see. Then, you can call me Komari as well. That’s what my family calls me anyway.”

“Understood, Komari-sama.”

“Very well…So, Vill, how many subordinates do I have? Around five or something, right?”

“Five hundred.”

I almost fell over from that number. Hearing 500 just like that was enough of a shock, but because I haven’t been outside in a long while, the sunlight hitting me had me feeling all dizzy as well.

“Ugh, the sunlight is too tough…”

“Ah, Komari-sama! Get a hold of yourself! I will take you to the toilet right away!”

“What good would that do!?”

“Didn’t you want to go there before?”

“I already finished my business!”

Around one hour went by after I was attacked by that perverted maid, and somehow managed to keep my dignity. Even now, I had trouble accepting this rotten reality I found myself in. I tried slapping myself in an attempt to wake up from this nightmare, but I felt the pain nonetheless. This meant that I really was made a Seven Crimson Deva from the Empress, and if I were to reject that, I would die. What kind of stupid situation is this even. I know I basically asked for this, but never in a million years would I have imagined that it would come back to haunt me like this.

“Ahh, I don’t want to be a commander…”

“Do you want to die, then?”

“Of course I don’t…”

It’s exactly because I don’t want to die that I’m actually going outside right now. I had to accept the fact that I couldn’t run away from my duties as a commander any more, and reluctantly announced that I was stepping down from being a shut-in. The second I did so, all the servants gave me a round of applause. Even my rotten father had tears in his eyes. My siblings appeared out of the blue, blessing me as well. Of course, all of this had the opposite effect on me. Only my little sister showed worry with an ‘Are you going to die, Koma-nee?’. Don’t just jinx anything, will you.

According to my father, I had a single duty to fulfill.

[Battle against an enemy country every three months, and win.]

That is the bare minimum a Seven Crimson Deva has to fulfill, and if I don’t do so, it will be regarded as a break of contract, and I’ll be blown to smithereens. It’s so illogical, I feel like crying again…And if that wasn’t enough, there was another part to consider.

[If you manage to win a hundred battles, you will earn the rank of being an Emperor Candidate.]

Seriously, who cares about that. I sure as hell don’t.

“Please hurry, we only have twenty minutes left until the meeting.” Vill hopped onto the horse carriage she had prepared.

It’s been what, three years now since I used one of these? Then again, it’s been three entire years since I left my house in general. I sat down on my seat with unsteady feet, and let out a sigh as the carriage started moving.

Shortly after this, we made it to our destination. As always, the residence of the Empress couldn’t have been more luxurious. I thought our house was gigantic, but it had no way of beating this place. When we told the guards the purpose of our visit, they smoothly let us through, and we were guided inside…N-Not good, the tension is getting to me.

“—I welcome you, Komari! You are as precious and lovable as I remember you!”

Right as we approached the throne, that person came jumping down towards me with a beaming smile. The girl possessed impactful golden hair, and she should be around the same age as me. However, you cannot be deceived by her outer appearance. As a former Seven Crimson Deva, she utterly obliterated the commanders and generals of our neighbouring countries. On top of that, she genuinely has the hots for other girls, which is why she constantly sexually harasses them no matter the time or place—Ah, her face is so close! Too close! I knew it, she’s just a pervert!

“Komari, I have longed to meet you.”

She wouldn’t even leave two centimeters between us. Her breath hit me right on the cheek, and her sweet scent drifted up my nose. Her moonlight-colored eyes stared directly into mine, telling me that I would be executed if I dared to run away.

“I-It an honor to meet you…But, aren’t you a bit too close?”

“What problem is there between the Empress and a commander being close?”

“No, that’s not what I meant…I was talking about the physical distance…”

“By the way, I’d love to fondle your breasts, can I?” She said, but already was about halfway on her way towards my chest with her hand.

Yet again I understood just how much of a pervert she was. I have to involve the police in this as quickly as possible.

“…Your Majesty, please keep this jesting at a modest level. Komari-sama will start crying at this rate.”

Just when I actually was about to break out in tears, the perverted maid oddly enough helped me for once. I guess she has some common sense in her—But, my admiration didn’t last long, as the Empress gave a nonchalant ‘That was a jest indeed’, and sat back on her throne. So making me cry is just a joke for you?

“I am the type to respect other people’s feelings. I wouldn’t fondle your breasts if you do not consent to it.”

“You did kiss me, though…”

“Ah..”

For a second, the Empress showed a bewildered expression.

“Wahaha! Interesting, truly interesting! Honorific language does not befit your image. Please, talk to me like we’ve been friends for tens of years.”

I don’t even have a single friend, you know. But of course, the Empress had no way of knowing this, and crossed her legs as she continued.

“By the way, you really resemble your mother. The air around you is slightly off, but looking at you makes me feel quite nostalgic.”

“R-Really?”

“Indeed. You inherited her looks. Possessing overwhelming beauty, your mother Yurine Gandezblood gave you all her genes it seems. It gives me the shivers, really. I’ve always wanted to make her my own, but that Alman bastard had to steal her from me—Oh, that object hanging around your neck, is that Yurine’s pendant by any chance?”

“Um…”

Met with her passionate gaze, I was a bit at a loss. I froze up, unable to say anything, when the Empress showed a snicker.

“Sorry, sorry. That doesn’t matter right now, does it—Listen well, Terakomari Gandezblood, you have been appointed as one of the Seven Crimson Devas, are you prepared to inherit this position?”

“Yes.”

Not at all, but whatever.

“I said you needn’t use honorific language with me. If you dare ignore my command, I will kiss you again.”

“I under…stand…”

“Alright, time to give you another smooch.”

“I-I got it! I got it already, so stop acting like a pervert!”

“Ahahaha! You really are an interesting one.”

Nothing is interesting here!

“Well, let us leave this matter aside. I deemed it necessary to give you a warning, Komari, since you have been appointed as one of the Seven Crimson Devas.”

“Warning?”

“Indeed. You are actually weak, correct?”

I twitched in shock. Then again, trying to hide it would be a waste of effort. Everybody could easily find out that I have no combat skills and strength.

“What about it? Ah, am I actually too weak to be one of the Seven Crimson Devas? Aw man, that sucks, guess I have to go home now…”

“Do not worry, the second I formed that contract with you, the rank of Seven Crimson Deva has been bestowed upon you.”

Tsk, don’t get my hopes up.

“What I am concerned about is whether you can fulfill your work or not. I am sure you must be aware of this, but the commanders known as the Seven Crimson Devas are the vital point of the military affairs. If you fail to defeat and kill enemy generals and commanders, your salary will go down drastically.”

“…Huh? So basically, if I keep sucking, I’ll get fired?”

“Yes, you’ll get fired, explode, and have your head flying off. Basically the same.”

Stop joking around like that. I just thought I saw a light in this nightmare.

“Hence, I want to ask of you. Are you able to massacre like it is expected of you?” The Empress asked me with a serious expression.

But, I had no reason to hesitate.

“…I told you I’m the legendary sage, right?”

The Empress showed an interested Oh?, and crossed her arms.

“I heard about this from Alman—No, your father. In the face of your lack of physical ability, you have profound knowledge and wits, is it.”

“Exactly. The knowledge and wisdom I acquired over the last fifteen years of my life greatly surpasses that of the average person. Even if I have no value in actual combat, I am skilled in the art of moving and ordering others. I’ve read the entirety of ‘War Chronicles of Andronos’, you know? I’m sure you must have heard of this, but that series consists of 40 volumes, with each book possessing over 400 pages. I remember all the tactics used in there.”

That’s right, I accepted the idea of becoming a Seven Crimson Deva. The reason is simple, it’s because I judged I didn’t have to step on the front lines myself. If it was anything but one of the Devas, I would have bawled my eyes out and begged for my retirement.

“Komari-sama, that is…”

However, the perverted maid of all people showed me a worried gaze. Even the Empress had a wry smile on her face. Did I say something weird?

“…Very well. Let us assume that you were able to rival even the Gods with your knowledge and wits. What do you think your subordinates will do, in this vampire society that is dominated by strength?”

“They’ll force me to do some muscle training?”

“Wrong. You’ll be overthrown.”

I felt my chest tighten up. But, the Empress continued indifferently.

“Komari, your predecessor Deva has been overthrown by their subordinates, and was killed. Because they had been weaker than the ones they controlled.”

“W-Wait a second! Is that allowed!?”

“Naturally, by law it is not, but strength decides everything. As proof of this, the one who has killed your predecessor still works in the imperial army now, and I have no intentions of exiling them.”

“So that means…”

“Indeed. The second your subordinates will find out about you being weak and fragile, they will kill you without hesitation. Vampires are the type of beings that always crave for something higher.”

“Wha…” I started sweating profusely, and my heart started to race. “W-What should I do about this!? Dying is the thing that hurts like crazy, doesn’t it!? It hurts more than having my big toe hit the corner of the shelf, right!?”

“Do you hate dying?”

“Of course I do!”

“But, you’ll be able to become a shut-in again once you die, you know.”

“Ugh…”

With the power of the magic nucleus, I can come back to life no matter how many times I die. That is common sense, and a logic even children know about. In other words…if I were to get killed by my subordinates, I would be removed from my rank as a Seven Crimson Deva. That is something I would very much appreciate, but…

“…I don’t want to die. And, Father worked his best to give me this chance, so I can’t disappoint him.”

The Empress gave me a stern gaze, as if to figure out my true feelings. Eventually, her cheeks relaxed.

“Then, the best you can do is hide it. No matter what may happen, you have to act like an undefeatable champion in front of your subordinates. To support you in that—I gave you this maid.”

“Please leave it to me, Komari-sama. I will definitely make sure you won’t be found out!”

“Now I’m even more worried…”

There exists no term of office as a Seven Crimson Deva. This means that if I don’t keep losing in battle, don’t get overthrown by my subordinates, or run away from the battle all-together, I can’t get out of this. This is hell, isn’t it.

“…Vill, you’re not going to overthrow me, right?”

“Naturally. I love Komari-sama more than anybody else in the universe.”

What a bad liar you are. Today is our first meeting.

*

You are reading story Hikikomari Kyuuketsuki no Monmon at novel35.com

At the same time, inside the Mulnight Empire’s Royal Palace’s Seven Crimson Office, also called the Blood-stained Room, the vampires belonging to the newly-formed Komari Squad had gathered. Every single one of them wore deep red clothes, emitting strength beyond the reasonable, and awaited the arrival of their new general. However…

“—Late! What is our commander doing!”

A young man with golden hair stomped on the ground in anger. His name was Johan Helldars, and he was a genius rookie skilled at using fire magic.

“Look at this, they’re already five minutes late for the meeting! Do you really think some tardy bastard like that is allowed to be our leader? You don’t, right! It wouldn’t be too far off if that good-for-nothing got fired from their position as a Seven Crimson Deva, right!?” Johan looked at the other vampires around him, asking for supportive voices.

Though there were those that nodded in agreement, most of these were the usual group that would always suck up to Johan. The greater number of vampires present disagreed with him.

“Huh? Aren’t you all annoyed? Someone who can’t arrive in time is a failure in society’s eyes!”

“…Zip it, brat. We are under the command of the commander-in-chief. You shall not complain about them.” A deep voice filled the room.

A man leaned against the wall of the room with his arms crossed, possessing the head of a wolf—Belius Inu Kerbero.

“Tsk.” Johan glared at Belius as he clicked his tongue.

“What do you want, dog brain. Should I forcefully send you back to the beastmen country, huh!?”

“What did you just say, you bastard? I won’t tolerate any insolence like that, brat.”

“Huh, who’s a brat here? I’m already twenty, you know?”

“Your mental age is three at best. Just go back to kindergarten, you brat.”

Snap, a loud sound of something breaking filled the silence. Of course, that sound came from none other than Johan.

“I’ll fucking kill you!”

Without casting anything, Johan gared a hellflame, and jumped off the ground with enough force to leave a cave-in. Their distance had been at around five meters, and yet he overcame that in a split second, arriving at Belius’ face.

“You darned brat picked the wrong fight.” Belius readed is greataxe.

Every other person present raised cheers in the face of this upcoming battle, as raging flames started to scorch the ceiling, and the two fighters about to clash—Bang! Johan’s body slammed into an invisible wall, flung backwards. Hitting his back on the floor, Johan frantically looked around him to find the reason for this unexplainable event, only to find a single man holding up his right hand.

“…Don’t stop me, Chaostell.”

“There is nothing more unsightly than interior fighting, so please put away your weapons, the both of you.”

“Tch…”

“As long as you understand it.” The man flashed an eerie smile.

Chaostell Cont. He had the physique of a withered tree, possessing quite possibly the most effective magic against Johan. Said Johan grit his teeth, when someone tapped him on the back. He turned around. A flashy-looking man had both his middle fingers up.

“My name’s Melaconcy. Overflowing with charisma C. Small brat, go back to kindergarten and regret, I’m climbing up the ladder, light as a feather. Who’s the strongest? I’m the strongest! Yeah!”

The man got hit right in the face by Johan’s fist. Why are there only annoying folks in this squad, he asked himself.

“—Anyway, let us stop this needless fighting. We cannot greet our commander-in-chief like this.” Belius argued.

“That does make sense. We should just wait for our commander to arrive.”

“Yeah~! The three-year old brat can’t wait, and started a party-internal debate!”

Most of the vampires present were convinced by these three. Only Johan tried to leap at Melaconcy in anger, but now even his followers tried to hold him back. Chaostell ignored this reaction from the blonde-haired rookie, and crossed his arms.

“However, I do understand Johan’s feelings. This new Seven Crimson Deva called Terakomari Gandezblood is a young lady with unknown origin after all.”

Belius let out a snort.

“Terakomari-dono’s mother seems to have been a former Seven Crimson Deva. On top of that, the Gandezblood Family has a long history inside the Mulnight Empire. I wouldn’t say that she has an unknown origin.”

“Yeah! Gandezblood Family is royalty, Belious woof woof family is lower tier!”

Yet again, Melaconcy ate a fist straight to his face. He was the one trying to pick a fight most out of everybody now.

“My lord…” Chaostell shook his head. “I wonder if this Terakomari person will be able to keep a squad like this under control.”

“Well, if she can’t, then the same thing will happen again.”

“Oh? Will you be the one finishing the deal then, Belius?”

“If need be…However, I assume there to be more bloodlusty folks in this 7th Corps. The reason we are called the ‘Blood-drenched Army Corps’ is because these fools continue with their mindless slaughter.”

“It sure is troublesome to live through this constant change.”

“Why not become one of the Seven Crimson Deva yourself?”

“That won’t happen. Me and the other members of the 7th Corps are being hated by Her Majesty after all.”

This is the Mulnight Imperial Army’s 7th Corps. It harbors those outsiders that could not fit into the Imperial Army under normal circumstances. The greater half of these 500 soldiers have caused some sort of problem in the past, hence put into this outsider corps, being treated like criminals by the other army soldiers. That’s why things such as killing their superiors happen quite frequently.

“I hope things continue a bit longer this time. After all, with nobody above us, we can’t even wage any war—Oh, it seems like she has arrived.” Chaostell directed his gaze at one location, and Belius followed suit.

A sound came from the giant door of the Blood-drenched Room. At the same time, a vampire showed a reaction, moving in from the corner of the room.

“Hah! I don’t know who our commander will be, but it’s ten years too early for them to stand above me!”

It was Johan. He forcefully had his followers shut up, and summoned a flame in both his hands.

“…What should we do? Should we stop him?”

“No, let us observe this. We can use this as a chance to observe the new Seven Crimson Deva’s strength.” Chaostell said, and grinned.

* (A bit back in time)

After the visit of her Majesty, I now have to join the meeting with my subordinates. I was following Vill, and arrived at a location military officers of the Imperial Army could use freely, a building they call the Seven Crimson Office. According to Vill, the Seven Crimson Office was probably one of the most luxurious buildings you would find inside the palace. Rather than focussing on refined and grandiose building style, it gave off an unsophisticated atmosphere, showing that this was the place of the strong. For the legendary sage that is me, it is the most unbefitting place. After Vill took me to all sorts of places, and told me about this and that, we arrived at the clothing room.

“Now, please change into this.” Vill said, and handed me the military uniform of the Imperial Army.

Naturally, the stylish design definitely looked cool, but I would have never expected to wear one myself.

“I will help you in taking off your clothes. Please, raise your hands.”

“I-It’s fine, I can do it myself.”

“No can do. I am your personal maid, Komari-sama. I have the duty to strip you.”

“As if such a duty exists! You just sit still, and wait for me to finish!”

“Is that so. Then, I will closely observe Komari-sama’s stripshow from the prime seat.”

“No need for you to do that!”

Hasn’t she gotten even more perverted in these past few hours? If I leave her alone, she might just attack me when I’m not even paying attention…Feeling afraid, I somehow managed changing. I observed my own appearance in the mirror, and unexpectedly, it didn’t look half bad. The Imperial Army sure has good sense.

“It suits you wonderfully, Komari-sama.”

“R-Really? Well, I am an unparalleled beauty after all. Everything looks great on me.”

“It is the best. You are unbearably cute. If possible, I would like to hold a fashion show with you the second we make it home. I will prepare all sorts of clothes, be it Eastern or Western, so just wait a bit. A formal feeling does not hurt indeed, but I would like to see you in more revealing clothes. For example, a goth loli, or in a one-piece…”

“As if I’d just let that be done to me.”

I decided to not spend any more time with this perverted maid in here, and quickly dashed out of the changing room. I knew that I had no other place to escape to, so I thought I might as well finish off this meeting quickly, and get home.

“Wow…You really look like a Seven Crimson Deva…”

“I will be one soon. Although I hate the idea of it.”

I guess that I’ve given up on running away now that I’m wearing this uniform. My heart is still racing, and I can tell that my legs were shaking. The vampires we’ve passed gave me odd respect and even showed slight bows, when we finally spotted the door we aimed for. Beyond that laid the Blood-drenched Room. I asked Vill why a room could have such a grotesque name.

“Because a murder happened in that room.”

If you’re going to joke, at least come up with a more interesting and laughable one. I took a deep breath, and carefully put my hand on the door—but it wouldn’t move an inch. In fact, it was way too heavy for me to move.

“Ugh…Isn’t this at least a million tons heavy…!”

“Of course not. Normal vampires have no problems opening this door.”

“Sorry for not being a normal vampire!” I complained, and used my entire body to try and push open the door.

I would have loved for the door to blow open on both sides, allowing me a cool entrance, but if I really had that strength, I wouldn’t be plagued by these troublesome jabs this perverted maid was giving me.

“Keep fighting, Komari-sama.”

“…Don’t just stand there, and help me…!”

The perverted maid just ignored me. Of course, I was slowly growing agitated, but even if I did, nothing in this situation would change. Hence, the best I could do was keep pushing my body against the door. A bit later, I finally had the door half-open, and just when I had seen hope—

“Go rot in hell, you shitty commander!!”

“…Eh?”

I saw it. Through the opening, I spotted a blonde-haired man running towards the door, ready to attack me.

“Wah, kyaaaaaa!?”

“Hyahahahaha! I’ll use my hellfire to burn your hair to a crisp!”

Bang! A dull sound rang out. It probably was the sound of the door closing. I say ‘probably’ because I actually haven’t seen it close. The second I saw that mysterious man run towards me, I decided on a tactical retreat. I immediately let go of the door, and hid behind Vill’s back. Of course, that sounded more cool than it actually was. In short, I just ran away because I was scared to the bone! What even just happened!? Who is that man!? Did he just tell me to die?!

“Komari-sama, are you okay?”

“I-I…I…I-I’m…f-fi…fine…?”

“Alright, alright, good girl.” Vill gently embraced me, as I quivered in fear.

It was too much for me to handle. That person just now must be a subordinate of me, right? He just leaped at me, you know? He was fully intent to overthrow me the second we met. What is going on? Also, Vill, I appreciate that you’re hugging me like this, but where are you touching me? You’re totally using this chance to grope my butt and breasts, aren’t you. You really are a pervert, aren’t you.

“…W-What should I do, Vill…they’ll find out right away that I’m weak…”

“No need to worry. Komari-sama has already won against that outrageous rebell.”

Unable to comprehend what she was saying, I just traced after Vill’s gaze. There, I thought my jaw would drop to the floor. The blonde-haired main had his head stuck between the door, his neck crushed, and had ceased any movement.

“Vill…”

“He died.”

“He’s dead!?”

Another murder case occurred, and this time I’m the killer!?

“Well done. You managed to defeat a vampire without using weapons nor magic nor any other skills. That is the legendary sage I know and love, you really deserve to be a Seven Crimson Deva. As expected of Terakomari Gandezblood-sama.”

“This isn’t the time to give me an applause, right! Ahh, why did this happen…” I quickly rushed towards the dead corpse.

On a side note, as long as you’re on the perimeters of the Mulnight Empire, the magic nucleus allows for a safe revival, and you can only die because of old age. Even this person will come back to life after a few days…But, having killed someone like this still leaves a bad aftertaste.

“Oh my god…Maybe we should put some flowers on his grave.”

“It is his punishment for attempting something foolish like that. Rather, let us hurry inside, your subordinates are waiting.” Vill said so with a deadpan expression, and pushed open the door with one hand.

She fully ignored my troubles and worries. I didn’t even have the energy to say something. I gave my regards to the deceased body of the blonde-haired man, and walked after Vill. And then, I felt fear run through my entire body. Countless vampires waited inside the wide open room. They weren’t any normal vampires. Every single one was wearing army clothes, looking like they could murder me in a second. As if that wasn’t enough, all of their attention was directed at me in a second…Yeah, I’m done for.

I would have loved to run away instantly, but Vill tightly held my right hand. How could I run away from that very hand who so easily opened that heavy door. I’m really done for, yup.

“—Terakomari Gandezblood-sama, we have been waiting for you.”

A man built like a withered tree called out to me. He wore the crimson red army uniform, looking like a classic vampire. I was about to pass out from the tension alone, but I seriously thought my heart would run away before I could when he stepped in front of me.

“It is an honor to meet you. I am a third lieutenant of the 7th Imperial Army Crops, and my name is Chaostell Cont. Please treat me well from here on out.”

“I-Indeed, nice to meet you.”

I somewhat managed to give a passable response, when this Chaostell person showed me a smile.

“Your Excellency, I am astonished. To think that you would slaughter the utmost impulsive member of this 7th Corps, Johan Heldars, in a mere second.”

He must be talking about that blondie from before. I really had no intentions of killing him, but…No, this is actually a great chance. I should use this to show my greatness to them.

“Hm, I can take care of such a low life with my pinky.”

Shocked voices arrived at my ears. Oh? Maybe my pinky was taking it too far? Even this Chaostell was giving me a puzzled expression.

“Y-Your pinky?”

“That’s right, my pinky.”

“However, Johan was quite the skilled vampire…”

“Well, I’m even more skilled then! You all probably don’t know, but everybody who dared to do a pinky promise with me had their bones fractured!”

“Oh my…”

I knew myself how bad of a bluff it was, but everybody apparently believed me. That was close. I should really work on my lies. If they find out that I’m not strong at all, I’ll be killed right away. But, I should be able to do it. Because I am the legendary sage.

“By the way, when Komari-sama was still a young girl, she had killed a hundred vampires with only her pinky. If Komari-sama were to go all out, she could slaughter all vampires here in a mere five seconds.”

Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!? Don’t just add more fuel! Everybody would know that you’re lying! And don’t give me a thumbs-up now! You’re not helping me in the slightest!

“Also, Lieutenant Cont, you are acting oddly presumptuous. You should offer allegiance to Komari-sama, and lick her shoe.”

Shut up already! Where did that even come from! Isn’t this just your own desire!? See, even Chaostell is bewildered at—Hm? He isn’t?

“—I never even thought about that. Your Excellency, am I allowed to lick your shoe?”

“Of course you can’t!” I immediately regretted retorting like that.

I wonder if I’ll get killed now. But, for whatever reason, Chaostell prostrated himself on the floor at the speed of light.

“Excuse my rudeness. A vulgar subordinate like myself shall never even dare to touch Your Excellency’s foot. I am terribly sorry.”

I’m actually a bit disgusted. I really am, but apparently this man doesn’t hold much hostility towards me. It made me feel a bit more relaxed, which allowed me to speak more calmly.

“Well…raise your head. Can I go ahead and introduce myself to everyone now?”

“Indeed! I ask of you, please greet your new subordinates, who are eagerly awaiting your words! This day shall mark the birth of the 7th Corps—No, the Komari Squad!”

Komari Squad? Can you not give it such an embarrassing name. Well, nevermind that. I can’t get hung up on that. For now, I have to forget about that whole pinky thing, because that will utterly destroy my already broken mental state.

I tried to calm down my shaking body as much as possible, and observed the interior of the room. At that moment, around 500 rough-looking vampires went down on one knee. They all looked so scary, I was about to break out in tears. But, I can’t run away. Take a deep breath, and another deep breath…Alright, let’s do this!

“To all you present!”

What era is this greeting from!? I’m such a moron. But, I can’t get depressed because of my mistake. I’ve practiced my speech countless times before coming here, so now it’s time for the main play!

“I am the new Seven Crimson Deva, Terakomari Gandezblood! Now that I have become your commander, don’t think you can go back to your eashi—!”

I bit my tongue. All the atmosphere I built up vanished. Save me, Vill.

“As you can see, Komari-sama bit her tongue because she’s so nervous. Isn’t she cute?”

You’re not helping! I was forcefully reminded that asking Vill for help is just going to get me killed. Hence, I removed this previous mistake from my memories, and redid my speech.

“Don’t think you can go back to your easy-going lives! From here on out, it’s going to be war every single day! There won’t be a single moment where blood doesn’t splatter, and the slaughter will never stop! But, do not worry. You all just have to follow my orders. Don’t ever think of overthrowing me, or betraying me, and just offer your everything to this beautiful and unparalleled beauty Terakomari Gandezblood-sama! I will promise you. As long as you continue fighting for me, days of pleasure will await you!”

A roar of admiration followed after I ended my speech. Seriously, what am I even saying. War, slaughter, pleasure, I have no interest in any of that.

“That’s right, I will be the vampire to become the champion of this realm. As long as I, Terakomari Gandezblood, exist in this world, heaven and earth will be under my command! Because I am the absolute ruler! I have the strength to fight a hundred battles on my own! I possess wits! Magic! Strength! All you have to do is blindly follow me. Never ever think of trying to overthrow me, and just worship me! Do you get it? My beloved soldiers, this is the glory you have all been waiting for!”

Everyone had their attention focussed on me. This is bad, I feel like puking. Why do I have to act like this? All I do each and every day is reading novels.

“Now, let us step forth! Grasp your swords! Follow me to the end of the world! Don’t you dare think of betraying or overthrowing me! Because if you do, you’ll end up like that blondie over there! I will kill you in a mere second! Did you get that! Very well! Those of you who want to fight with me, stay in this room! I, Terakomari Gandezblood, will give you eternal glory as a promise! That is all!”

With these final words, silence followed. I said everything I wanted to. Although the later half was more ad-lib than anything, I think I did well, considering my communication skills are practically nonexistent. If you use strong words, you look strong. Everybody should know how strong I am. But, I still am scared nonetheless. Unable to bear the silence, I glanced at the others. And then—

“Wohoooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!” A roar loud enough to burst my eardrums filled the room.

“Eh? W-What happened?” I was left baffled, when the vampires present started screaming like drug addicts.

I could even hear some disgusting cheers like ‘Komarin! Komarin! Komarin!’ in the midst of that. Excuse me, but who’s Komarin? I’m not an idol, you get that. And as if that wasn’t enough, Vill gave me some mysterious wink.

“Congratulations, Komari-sama. It seems like you managed to get control over your Komari Squad.”

Get control…Was it really that simple? Isn’t this development a bit too fast?

“Now you only have to hide your true strength from them.”

“That is the biggest problem, you know…”

I felt heavily depressed, when a few vampires approached me. A-Are they a faction that doesn’t agree with me!?—I felt a sense of danger rush through my entire body, which automatically urged me to run away, but the words of these vampires had me freeze up.

“Your Excellency, can I lick your shoe!?”

“Your Excellency, please step on me!”

“Your Excellency, can you crush my neck like you did with Johan!?”

I felt panic and danger for a different reason. Is this corps going to be fine? There’s only perverts in here. Also, just go kill yourself then, you last guy…No, who cares about them. Even if they’re perverts, my own mission doesn’t change. I have to act as an invincible ruler, so that they don’t even dare think of killing me. So far, everything seems to work out, but I have to keep this act up in the future as well…Will I be able to pull that off?

Just thinking about the hellish days ahead of me, I let out a defeated sigh. I just want to go home and take a nap, okay.

*

Now, why was Terakomari Gandezblood this popular in her squad? To find out the reason for this, let us ask the vampires belonging to this Imperial 7th Corps Komari Squad, and you find out soon enough.

“Ah, her Excellency? I mean, she’s super cute.”

“I fell for her at first sight.”

“She’s a blooming flower in this otherwise oppressing military life. My groin is already in combat mode.

“This cold-bloodedness to kill that brat—There, I realized she would be the unparallelled leader I always dreamt of having. I don’t know how strong in battle she actually is, but she must be worlds apart from her predecessor. However, I will continue to watch over her.”

“Komarin Super Conqueror, KSC, KSC.”

“I want her to step on me.”

“I want to lick her entire body.”

“I want to drink her blood.”

“Yeah! Her Excellency Komari got peak taste, she’s got wits and strength so graced.”

“Her voice sounds beautiful, I could listen to it all day.”

“I want her to call my name.”

“As things stand, I was overwhelmed the second I saw her. She possesses iron will to immediately reign control over her subordinates, yet equally possesses the beauty of an angel. I believe her to be someone worthy of using me. Sometime in the future, I want to make it past her shoes, and get a good li—Excuse me, ignore that last part. Anyway, I have high expectations for her. I would love to see her destroy the enemy by the swing of her pinky one day.”

A big part in this might have been the fact that their previous commander was some old man, but a greater half of the squad was already above the clouds solely because a cute girl arrived. The 7th Corps might be a lot more simpler than previously assumed. Or in other words, they were all normal men that had tastes like normal people. But, to Komari’s misfortune, she might never realize that.

And with this, we move back to the prologue.

*

The vampire race and its Mulnight Empire.

The beastmen race and their Laperico Kingdom.

The supernatural beings and their Fairy Land.

The Senryuu1 race and their Republic of Gela Arca.

The Sougyoku2 race and their Hakkyoku Federation.

The peaceful spirit race and their heavenly paradise.

These six countries existing in this world have their own kind of magic nucleus. A magic nucleus is a special grade heavenly tool, able to produce unlimited amounts of magical power. Thanks to this magic nucleus, the current society is built upon this limitless surge of magic and ability to be revived endlessly, using this to its fullest, which makes it a so-called magical society.

Let us take the Mulnight Empire as an example. The newly-born vampires in this country are being cared for two weeks, and then hold a ritual where they offer a part of their blood to the magic nucleus. Part of this is meant in a religious sense to offer your life for the royal family, but more than anything, by offering their blood to the magic nucleus, they become a part of it.

What does that mean? The answer is simple. Since the magic nucleus can produce endless magical power, and holds the ability to restore life, the vampires, who have become a part of this magic nucleus can use its strength itself. Hence, the people living in this world have an endless supply of magic at their disposal (although the strength and quality of magic can vary from person to person), and as long as you are within the range of the magic nucleus itself, no matter how deep and life threatening of a wound you may suffer from, or even death itself, it can be healed after a certain set of time.

This is the reason why wars and battles aren’t fought with the consciousness of life or death. Instead, current wars are all nothing but a demonstration of power. Countries use their prestige to fight until the bitter end, but it is nothing more than a sort of entertainment. Hence, the commanders controlling the war have the duty to show off the country’s strength to the rest of the world. If a Seven Crimson Deva lost in an unsightly manner, it would bring shame to the Empress. I think it’d be a perfect act to repay that shitty Empress, who kissed me without asking for my consent. But, as a result of that, I’d be the one being blown to smithereens.

“…As if I could just accept some absurd reality like this.” I looked at the sky.

In the center of the world lies the ‘Nucleus Domain’. This so-called Nucleus Domain is a special territory where the range of all the magic nuclei overlap. Hence, it is the location the most befitting for the countries to engage in a war. And this Nucleus Domain is drenched in blood yet again.

The Eastern troop was composed of overwhelmingly strong beastment warriors, belonging to the Laperico Kingdom’s Army, whereas the Western troop was built upon an elite of vampires, fighting for the Mulnight Empire’s Imperial Army—basically, the 7th corps I had under my control.

This is the following day after I had the first meeting with my subordinates. I had planned on relaxing all day in my room, but that perverted maid pulled me to this battlefield. That predecessor of mine apparently had a battle planned for today, and I had to now take up after him. Eat shit and die, predecessor…or rather, go die again…

“—Urgent news! First Lieutenant Belius has succeeded in defeating the enemy commander! I repeat! First Lieutenant Belius has succeeded in defeating the enemy commander! Our troops have emerged victorious!”

The moment the loud voice of the messenger reached my ears, I felt my hips about to give in. Ahh, I’m so glad…Now I don’t have any reason to participate after all.

“Ha, hahaha…Well done, Belius. I will give you a reward later.”

I don’t even remember who that Belius guy is though.

“Tsk, now her Excellency won’t…!”

“Read the mood, Belius.”

“Huh? Reward? Shouldn’t he be killed instead?”

“Alright I’ll put thumb tacks into his shoes.”

Hey, why do you all have to react like that? Aren’t you all comrades?

“Congratulations, your Excellency. Your first battle has ended with an overwhelming victory.”

I was left baffled at my subordinates’ reactions to our victory, when Chaostell lowered his head towards me. He apparently is responsible for everything substantial regarding the 7th Corps.

“O-Of course! It is the corps that I directed after all!”

“That’s what I expected from your Excellency. It is a shame that we didn’t get to see your full strength, but I will just look forward to it at another time.”

“Please don’t. You’re just making me blush.”

“No, I will be so free as to have high expectations. Let us continue to stay victorious from here on out. Our next target is the Republic of Gela Arca.”

This is enough, okay. I want to stay in my room for the next three months. But of course, there’s no way I could tell him, because I’d probably die in the process after him doubting me.

“…Komari-sama. At this time, you are best off nodding along.”

“Ugh…”

I held my head in defeat. Nobody here considers my honest feelings. That makes me feel a bit lonely.

“Now, your Excellency! Let us return to the Seven Crimson Office and work on our plan of operations for the next battle! This is not the time to relax. One day, you will surely stand at the peak of this world!”

When did I ever say that I was aiming for that!? I really want to scream this at his face, but that would just seal my death.

“R-Right! Alright, everyone, great work today! Just to let you know, we don’t have any time to relax! Now that you are working for me, I will promise you endless days of blood-shed and fighting! Let us return to the royal palace and be greeted with fanfare!”

I barely finished my words, when…

“Wohooooooooooooooo!!!”

Yet again, roaring cheers got close to completely and utterly obliterating my eardrums. I want to die. These guys have too much energy.

“Um, can I have a moment!?” A sudden voice arrived at my ears.

Since I was still in high tension, I turned around in shock. A young girl, holding pen and paper, looked over at me. She possessed snow white skin, probably belonging to the Sougyoku Race.

“I belong to the Six Countries Newspaper, and my name is Melka Tiarno! Excuse me, but you are the new Seven Crimson Deva of the Mulnight Empire’s Imperial Army, Terakomari Gandezblood, correct!? Could I ask you a few questions!?”

So close, her face was way too close for comfort. Wah, her eyelashes are so lo—Wait, who cares about that! Who is that even? I’m bad with people who are this pushy…At the end of my thought process, I glanced behind me. Vill stared at me, and Chaostell showed a grin. Is this what I think it is? They’re telling me to do this? Ahh, whatever then!

“I-I got it. Ask me anything. But, could you move away a bit?”

“Thank you very much!” She said, and pulled even closer.

Heeyyyy! What did I just tell you!? Our noses were about to touch there!

“The thing is, I have no idea what kind of person you are, Terakomari-sama. That’s why I would like to ask a few questions. Quite frankly, what happened for you to become a Seven Crimson Deva!? And, do you really come from the renowned Gandezblood family!? What is your relationship with Her Majesty! What is your favorite food!? Your favorite animal!? What have you been doing all this time before you became a Deva!? Is it true that you killed 500 vampires with just your pinky!? How do you think your future battles will evolve!? Do you have a lover? Did you have your first kiss yet—”

—S-So annoying!

“Let go of me already!”

“Kya!”

I reflexively pushed away the reporter, and spoke up, my heart burning with determination.

“The strong don’t need any words! However, that would be troublesome for you, wouldn’t it. You must want to write a magnificent article! That is why, just for you, I will use my words! What will I do from here on? That is simple! Absolute dominance! In other words, I, Terakomari Gandezblood, will murder the commanders of the other countries, and show everyone the greatness of our Mulnight Empire! Did you get it!? Also, my favorite food is omurice! That’s all!”

When I finished speaking, exhaustion assaulted my body, which led my shoulders to move up and down while I was gasping for air. Too much happened in these past two days. First I was dragged out of my room by that perverted maid, then I had to deal with these scary subordinates of mine, and today I was forced to guide the battle with these beastmen. The exhaustion must be visible on my face.

However—to my surprise, the people around me begged to differ.

“A-Amazing…”

The reporter girl had her mouth open in admiration. I don’t know what’s so amazing, because I just came up with these words on a whim. At the same time, my subordinates were looking at me with sparkling eyes, like I was some goddess that had descended.

“Ah, this is a real Seven Crimson Deva.”

“The strongest vampire, indeed.”

“Was there ever a commander with such overflowing strength.”

“This will remain in the chronicles of our world.”

“No mistaking it.”

“A new legend is beginning.”

“I’m glad I was born at the same time as her Excellency.”

“Thank the gods for my luck.”

What are you all on about? Then again, I probably should be thankful that they accept everything I say so honestly. After all, if they found out that I was weak, I’d get killed right away.

…But, won’t I just die from the stress at this rate anyway?

1It’s written as scissors/annihilate and weapon. No idea what this could even mean, so I’ll keep it original here for consistency sakes and since I have no context

2Written as azure + ball/egg/idk

You can find story with these keywords: Hikikomari Kyuuketsuki no Monmon, Read Hikikomari Kyuuketsuki no Monmon, Hikikomari Kyuuketsuki no Monmon novel, Hikikomari Kyuuketsuki no Monmon book, Hikikomari Kyuuketsuki no Monmon story, Hikikomari Kyuuketsuki no Monmon full, Hikikomari Kyuuketsuki no Monmon Latest Chapter