Chapter 22: A romantic stroll through London

"So now, big bro... I’m your favorite wife, right?"

"Cut it out with this nonsense, or next time I swear I’ll make it as thick as an arm."

"...And I’ll be ready to take it just like I did this afternoon at the maid café!"

"No. You’d just end up getting torn apart."

"Don’t underestimate my hentai adaptability!"

"Your... what? Actually, forget it. I don’t want to know."

Camila clung even tighter to Lars’s arm, squeezing it so tightly that his elbow sank between her breasts.

"Aaah... there’s nothing better than a romantic nighttime stroll with my onii-chan through the city of love!"

"The city of love is Paris, not London."

Camila tilted her head.

"Are you sure, big bro?"

Lars let out a long, resigned sigh.

"...And you’re supposed to be the one teaching me about this era."

During the century Lars spent asleep, one of his wives’ duties was to keep up with how the world was changing.

That way, when he awakened, they could bring him up to date on past events and present-day customs.

A responsibility that, apparently, not all of his wives had taken equally seriously.

"...Anyway, let me remind you that we’re not here for a romantic stroll. We came here to hunt humans."

Camila looked up at him, puzzled.

"...Oh, really?"

"I must’ve told you at least four times. Do you ever listen when I talk?"

"But big bro, why can’t we just keep hunting in Vrenford like we always do?"

"Your friend told me you care about taking part in the Winter Interschool Festival."

"Yeah, so? I don’t get it..."

"If they find any more bodies, there’s a chance the festival could be canceled for safety reasons. Better to hunt somewhere else for a while. If bodies start turning up in London instead, they’ll think that mysterious serial killer has moved on."

For a few seconds, Camila stood completely still.

Then her eyes grew huge and sparkly, like those of a puppy wagging its tail at the sight of its owner.

"...You went to all this trouble because you care about my happiness... sniff... sniff... B-Big bro... this... sniff... is the happiest day of my life!"

Camila let go of Lars’s arm and literally jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and locking her legs around his waist.

And then...

Smack! Smack! Smack!

...she started showering his face with kisses while Lars held her up by the thighs.

"...Just a reminder: your panties ended up in the trash."

Camila froze.

Then she suddenly turned red all the way to her ears.

She immediately jumped down and tugged her skirt as low as it would go before spinning around to check whether anyone had seen her.

Fortunately, the alley was deserted. After all, they were in a fairly remote, poorly lit part of town.

"W-Why did you do that, big bro...? Now I can’t jump into your arms anymore..."

"There. You just answered your own question."

"But making out in the street is so much fun... You’re so old-fashioned..." Camila grumbled.

Then she shrugged.

"Fine, then let’s hurry up and find some prey so we can go home and really go at it!"

"No need to look."

"...Huh?"

Lars glanced sideways toward the mouth of the alley.

"...They came to us."

Four men were walking toward them through the narrow, dark alley.

They were bundled in heavy padded jackets, their faces half-hidden behind thick scarves.

They feigned indifference, chatting among themselves with apparent ease in a language that wasn’t English.

"Camila, follow me."

She nodded without asking any questions.

Lars started walking again, gradually picking up the pace, with Camila once more clinging to his arm.

A faint, satisfied smile spread across Lars’s face when he heard the four men speed up as well.

Perfect.

"Psst... big bro, is it much farther?" Camila whispered.

"Don’t be impatient."

"I’m not impatient, my stomach is... All that sex worked up quite an appetite..."

"Not much farther."

Lars suddenly turned and slipped into an alley even narrower and darker than the last one. It ended at the closed metal shutter of a shop.

The kind of alley no one would have any reason to wander into by accident.

When he heard the four men enter the alley behind them, Lars got the confirmation he had been waiting for.

He spun around.

The four men were only a few steps away now, and each of them had already drawn a blade.

One of them slowly raised a finger to his lips, warning Lars not to make a sound, while his knife gleamed in the dim light of the alley’s only streetlamp.

"Oye, us larki ko dekha? Saali full maal hai."

"Haan bhai. Aaj raat woh randi mere saath jayegi. Soch ke hi lund khara ho raha hai ke uske saath kya kya karunga."

"Bas oye, zyada kharab mat kar dena usko. Baad mein meri bhi baari hai."

"Tum dono us bande ko dekho. Jebein check karo, phone-paise jo bhi ho nikaal lo... phir saale ko nipta do."

Camila blinked, puzzled.

"Big bro... what the hell are those guys babbling about?"

"Apparently, they find you very attractive."

"All those words just to say that?"

"They also said they want to rob me and then kill me."

Lars fell silent for a few moments, trying to remember the meaning of words from a language he hadn’t spoken in centuries.

"...Ah, right. They also want to take you away and fuck you all night."

Camila let out a long sigh and shook her head.

"...Aah. Such a bad habit, making promises you can’t keep..."

Lars gave her a silent, pointed glare.

"I-It was just a joke, big bro..."

"Tum log in dono ko sambhalo."

At the order, three of the four men immediately rushed them: two went for Lars, while the third charged at Camila. The last one stayed back to keep watch.

Lars was about to move, but Camila stopped him.

"Leave them to me, big bro."

"Suit yourself."

Camila stretched one arm out to the side with theatrically exaggerated movements, just like the heroine of a battle shōnen about to unleash her ultimate move.

"Bloody Stream!"

A long, thick whip of brilliant red energy materialized in her fist.

Camila cracked it forward.

The whip tore straight through two of the thugs at chest level, slicing them clean in half.

Their upper bodies crashed into the spreading pool of blood and entrails already forming across the asphalt.

A moment later, their lower halves crumpled to the ground as well.

The third man, who had been a few steps behind the others, froze in terror.

The knife slipped from his fingers and clattered onto the asphalt.

He wanted to run, but his legs felt cemented to the ground. All he could do was tremble uncontrollably.

He opened his mouth to scream, but Camila reached him before he could make a sound.

She pounced on him like a cat on a mouse and struck him in the temple with a punch so violent that it killed him instantly.

Before sinking her fangs into his neck, she turned toward Lars and gave him a satisfied thumbs-up.

This time, she had managed to take someone out without even giving him the chance to scream.

Apparently, Lars’s scolding a few nights earlier had actually accomplished something.

There was still one left, though.

The last survivor spun toward the alley exit, but he didn’t even have time to take a single step.

Lars was already standing in front of him, blocking the way.

Panicking, the man lunged at him in desperation, trying to drive the dagger into his stomach.

Lars knocked his arm aside with a casual flick of his hand, as if swatting away a fly.

A moment later, his fingers were already wrapped around the man’s throat.

The man could barely breathe, let alone scream.

"T-Tum... Shaitan ho...?" he managed to choke out.

His wide eyes were filled with terror.

A wicked grin spread across Lars’s face.

"Nahin. Main uska beta hoon."

At those words, one final flash of dread crossed the man’s eyes.

Lars squeezed harder, and the man’s neck gave way with a sharp crack.

Before the body could hit the ground, Lars caught it and drained every last drop of blood from it.

Once they had both finished feeding, they calmly walked out of the alley as if nothing had happened.

Behind them, hundreds of rats squeaked as they feasted on what remained of the four men.

Camila clung to Lars’s arm again with a radiant smile, as if those brutal killings had been nothing more than a brief interruption in their romantic stroll.

"Did you see how good I was, big bro?"

"You simply did what you should always be doing."

Lars gave her a puzzled sideways glance.

"More importantly... why do you have to shout the name of every attack before you use it? And above all... why the hell did you give them names in the first place?"

"Because it’s cool!"

That answer was enough to kill what little desire Lars had left to continue such an absurd conversation.

...Aah, the patience I need...