Just as Milia had predicted, the Red Tower has indeed been almost emptied of vampires and ghouls.

However, they are not entirely absent, so Milia and Claire are encountering the occasional attacks.

Claire’s sword flashes, and a vampire’s head flies off. However, the vampire is still moving.

“Pierce the heart!”

Obediently listening to Milia’s instructions, Claire stabs her sword through the headless vampire’s heart. Immediately, cracks begin running throughout the vampire’s body, starting from the heart area. Red light shines out from between the cracks, then the entire body crumbles into ash.

Behind Claire’s back, Milia is finishing off the very last one.

Being able to come this far without suffering even a single wound from the fights against vampires is, in large, due to Milia’s help.

Despite not having as much magic as Claire, Milia more than makes up for it with her skill with the sword. And above all else, she is extremely familiar with fighting against vampires.

Many vampires fight by relying solely on their superior physical abilities, but there is the occasional one that is able to use their mind to some degree. Coupled with their inhuman movements and astonishing regenerative powers, they can make for very difficult opponents indeed.

However, Milia is able to read their next moves as if she has thoroughly mastered fighting against vampires, moving quickly and accurately exactly as needed.

Claire now fully understands that Milia’s aid is a definite must in order to save her younger brother.

But still, even so——Claire cannot help but to inquire.

“Are you hiding something from me?”

So Claire asks as Milia looks down at the last pile of ash with somewhat sorrowful eyes.

“What do you mean……”

Milia turns around with an expressionless face.

“You were acting a bit strange back there at the archive. It almost felt as if you were sympathetic towards the vampires. Isn’t it your goal to kill the Queen of Blood?”

“Yes, I will kill her.”

“Is that so. Then let me ask this: why are you so knowledgeable about vampires? Anyone can tell just by watching you fight. Undoubtedly, you know about vampires, much more so than any other person.”

“That’s because I live solely for the purpose of killing the Queen of Blood……”

“And I’m saying that it’s unnatural if that’s all there is to it. Alright, then what’s the meaning behind those final words at the archive? Land of peace? Path for ‘her’ to tread?”

Claire’s tone is growing stronger with each successive question.

However, Milia offers no answers.

“I won’t get it if you just stay silent.”

“You are the same though.”

“What?”

“You also have something that you’re hiding. Why are you so obsessed with demon possession?”

“That’s……”

“It’s common sense that there’s no way to heal demon possession. Everyone who contracts it dies.”

“…… So it seems.”

Claire bites her lip.

“Everyone has things they want to keep secret. Am I right?”

“…… Alright, then. We won’t pry into each other then. I’ll just help you with killing the Queen of Blood, and you’ll just help me with saving my younger brother. That will be the terms of our relationship.”

“That’s fine……”

The two turn to continue climbing up the tower without looking at each other again.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

“Hold on.”

After a while, Milia, who is in front, suddenly stops.

“What’s the matter?”

“Someone’s fighting up ahead.”

The two make their way over while treading silently. It seems that the fighting is happening on the other side of a door directly in their way. There is no other passage to take.

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“We’ve no choice but to go in……”

“Let’s open it a sliver and peek inside.”

Milia nods at Claire’s words, then peeks through from a thin crack.

The other side turns out to be a spacious hall. A huge opening reveals the red moon still hanging prominently in the sky.

Within is a swarthy man clutching the neck of a vampire and laughing in ridicule.

“You’re so weak……”

The giant nata that the man is carrying is stained with blood, and all around him are chunks of flesh and piles of ash.

“You’re an officer, aren’t you? I seem to remember your face. Where is Crimson?”

So asks the swarthy man while tightening his grip on the vampire’s neck.

“B-, beats me……”

“So you don’t intend to tell me.”

“There’s… no need… to tell you……”

The instant the vampire says that, he changes into a red mist. It is the Mistify skill that only high class vampires can use.

“Oh?”

The swarthy man’s hand is now holding nothing, while the red mist gathers behind him.

The vampire’s arm materializes from there, his sharp claws quickly closing in on the swarthy man.

However, the swarthy man does not even look backwards.

“I have really good intuition……”

The man simply swings his giant nata casually.

The incredible wind pressure reaches even the door, causing Milia and Claire to hurriedly close the door back.

When they look inside once again, they see parts of the vampire tragically lying around like pieces of minced meat.

The pieces quickly turn into ash.

“What is with that guy?”

Going by appearance, he is not a vampire. However, neither does he look like an ally.

“He is one of the monarchs of Outlaw City, Juggernaut the Tyrant. We would do best not to engage him in battle. The vampire that he just killed is the third most skilled officer from the Queen of Blood’s faction.”

“That was their third……”

The contrast to Tyrant was so overwhelming that the vampire did not look like it at all.

“Let’s hide and just wait for him to leave……”

Claire nods at Milia’s suggestion.

However, Tyrant’s voice rings out from the other side of the door.

“I said I have good intuition…… I know you’re there.”

“!?”

Immediately afterwards, the door is pulverized.

A gigantic nata suddenly appears through the door in a horizontal mowing attack. The two of them drop to the ground in evasion. Above their heads, the sound of violence roars past.

“Two lasses, huh.”

Beyond the broken door, Tyrant looks down on the two of them.

“This is the worst.”

“Guess we have no choice but to do it.”

The two of them draw their swords, as which Tyrant just sneers.

“You two don’t look like vampires, but…… you’re going to die here regardless.”

Then his giant nata is swung down.