Chapter 182

"Your Highness... I want you to drink my blood..."

The boy was a complete wreck.

Even so, he made his request in a voice that sounded ready to break.

"......What?"

The girl could only be flustered.

He was asking her to take his blood.

In other words, he was asking her to break a vampire's taboo.

Though Carmilla wavered for a moment, she quickly understood what Viktor was trying to do.

"Is this... to get us out of this situation?"

Everyone in their group was practically unable to fight.

They had been surrounded by elite Cult troops in that state.

There didn't seem to be any way out.

All she could think was that they would die here without being able to do anything.

But the boy's voice reminded Carmilla of one thing.

'Awakening.'

Viktor wanted to draw out her awakening.

He wanted her to drink human blood and unleash the potential sleeping inside her as a pure-blooded vampire.

Carmilla understood.

With that method, they might be able to overcome their current predicament.

As expected of Viktor, she thought. Yet fear came before relief.

'Human blood... He's asking me to break the taboo.'

It was something she had stubbornly refused and resisted because she hated it so much she would rather die.

The conviction she had built to overcome her species' instincts.

One of the few meanings she had found in life.

Viktor's request was asking her to give all of that up.

"Viktor..."

She hated it.

No, she was afraid.

"But if I drink human blood... this princess..."

It was the beginning of corruption.

Countless vampires had tasted human Vital Blood and fallen into corruption.

The fulfillment that came with overwhelming power, along with an addiction and pleasure said to be many times stronger than any drug.

Could her willpower endure it?

She was afraid her convictions and resolve would shatter.

'Can I keep from going berserk? Can I restrain that power?'

Was she really strong enough to do that?

The girl could only ask herself questions with no answer.

Still, there was no other way.

Carmilla's shoulders trembled pitifully.

Demonic energy raged around them, and the enemies looked ready to charge at any moment.

"Viktor... Please answer me one thing..."

She didn't care about her own safety.

But there were people she had to protect.

"Can this princess truly..."

"......"

"Can I really do it...?"

"......"

Even her usual noble manner of speech slipped away.

The princess could only ask the boy about her world, which seemed moments away from falling apart.

Her red eyes trembled without end.

Then the boy answered in a clumsy but clear voice.

"Your Highness."

Even in that terrible state, his gaze as he looked up at her was full of affection.

There wasn't the slightest hesitation in his words.

"It'll be okay. I'm sure of it."

"......"

"You'll be fine, Your Highness."

"......"

Trust, as though it were only natural.

The boy calmly looked at Carmilla, at her alone.

'Why?'

If she went berserk after drinking blood, Viktor would be the first person to die.

Yet Viktor calmly exposed his neck to her.

What did he think his own life was worth?

How could he wear such a calm smile?

What about her did he believe in that let him show her his heart so easily?

"V-Viktor..."

"Even if you fail, it'll be okay. Even if that happens, I'll stay by your side..."

"......"

"If things go wrong... I'll take responsibility for everything. I'll handle it all, so Your Highness only needs to..."

The boy's voice was rough, as though his throat were full of blood.

His unfocused eyes blinked.

Only a faint smile remained on his lips.

That was why Carmilla had no choice but to relent.

"Yes, this princess will be fine too..."

She wanted to protect him.

She didn't want to lose someone as kind as him.

She was sick of losing precious people.

"As long as I can protect Viktor... this princess, I can become anything. I can throw away my revenge, my convictions, even my heart. There is nothing I cannot cast aside."

Carmilla lowered her head.

The distance between them closed, and the boy's scent filled her nose.

"So."

Viktor was covered in blood, and its scent was sweet and fragrant.

She hated herself for finding the pain of someone precious sweet.

In some ways, her nature was a curse.

But that was why she had to remain noble.

To prove it, the girl kissed someone for the first time.

"This princess will be fine too."

Chuup.

A soft kiss covered the boy's neck.

The rich scent of flesh made her vision swim.

Her lips touched him with affection instead of greed, with fear instead of pleasure.

Vowing never to forget that flutter in her heart, Carmilla gently drove her fangs into the boy.

Sink.

Flesh parted, and blood coiled around her tongue.

A tingling sensation swallowed the girl whole.

The final cry of pleasure rushed through her.

"......Ah."

After that,

Carmilla's consciousness snapped.

* * *

The girl had kissed his neck.

Before long, Carmilla's presence changed into something grotesque.

Rumble!

Thick killing intent pressed down over the entire plaza.

The pools of blood scattered everywhere began to writhe as though they were alive.

The kiss had been long. When Carmilla finally lifted her head, she was no longer the girl she had been before.

"W-what is this...?!"

"What terrible pressure! She's awakened the power of a pure-blood! Everyone, cast defensive spells...!"

The Cult members shouted in panic.

Their cries quickly died out.

The silver-haired girl stretched out her hand.

Her casually raised index finger pointed at one of the intruders.

-New Blandir Style Bloodcraft, First Form-

'Kill'

Crash!

A crimson spike shot out of the ground.

It pierced through the intruder, skewering them and killing them instantly.

"......"

"......"

That single attack told the intruders everything.

They couldn't face that monster with a force this small.

"Retreat! Everyone, tear your teleportation scrolls!"

"First, we need to return and report...!"

A swift decision.

They immediately tried to escape.

But the girl's finger was already pointed at them.

-New Blandir Style Bloodcraft, Second Form-

'Cruelty'

Crash! Crash! Crash!

Dozens of spikes burst from the ground at once.

Before their hands could tear open their scrolls, crimson lines pierced through the intruders' necks.

Not a single vile creature survived.

Their instantly slain bodies merely hung limply from the spikes.

More than fifty elite Cult troops had been wiped out when Carmilla pointed twice.

"......"

The area fell silent.

Carmilla only blinked blankly.

"Sweet... but not enough..."

The muttering girl had lost all reason.

Her eyes had lost their focus.

Whoooosh.

Only the girl, without a single drop of blood on her, stood amid the slaughtered Cult members.

Carmilla already seemed thirsty for blood.

A thick pool of blood lay at her feet.

Its sweet scent tickled her nose.

She wanted to bury her face in it and greedily lap up the bounty before her.

"Not enough."

The girl's greed swept over the corpses.

She stood blankly for a moment, then her attention suddenly shifted elsewhere.

"No... no."

Weren't there much fresher sources of blood than these?

Carmilla slowly turned to look behind her.

Toward where Viktor and the others stood.

The children watched the girl with alarmed eyes.

"Sweet. They must be sweet."

How blissful would it be to sink her teeth into those fragile things and suck every last drop from them?

Come to think of it, she had heard that the blood of young maidens was the most delicious.

Carmilla swallowed without realizing it.

"Ahh, what would they taste like...?"

She wanted to tear open their throats and taste them right away.

She wanted to kill every human and fill her cup with their blood like wine.

"Hey... don't her eyes look a little strange?"

"We should be careful. Her presence is so strange that she doesn't seem like the princess at all."

"Fuck, is there no end to this?"

"I'll handle her. Please take care of Sir Viktor."

"What are you going to do when you're exhausted? Move aside. I'll help too."

The air grew grim.

The noble princess was gone. Only a hunter licking her lips remained.

The children braced themselves for a clash.

The elite Cult troops had been slaughtered with ease.

Even so, the girl didn't have a single wound or look the slightest bit tired.

"......How strong do you think she is?"

"I'm not sure. She seems about as strong as the Chief Investigator, at least."

"I thought so... Damn it, how are we supposed to beat that in our current condition?"

"We can only hold out until the investigator joins us."

"Who knows when they'll get here?"

"There is no other way."

"Fuck..."

The air was ready to explode.

Then a single voice echoed across the plaza.

"Your Highness."

"......"

Carmilla's shoulders twitched for a moment.

Viktor stood unsteadily before her wavering eyes.

Was it the ring's rapid regeneration effect?

His lower body, which had been crushed apart, had at least regained its shape.

With consciousness that seemed ready to crumble, the boy faced the girl.

"It'll be okay."

There was still no fear in his eyes.

Viktor quietly spread both arms.

His arms had not healed yet, their flesh hanging in ragged strips as they waited for the girl.

"Come here."

"......"

The knight called for his liege.

The girl only stood frozen in place, looking confused.

As though he wouldn't allow her to remain there, Viktor spoke in an even clearer voice.

"Your Highness."

"......"

"Isn't it me who's calling you?"

"......"

Quiet.

Calm.

Cozy.

Had that atmosphere overwhelmed her?

The girl who had lost her reason approached as though moving in a daze.

Step, step.

Viktor stood on shaking legs.

His muscles were crushed and his flesh tore, but that was only pain.

"It'll be okay. Come to me."

It was something he could endure as long as he was waiting for someone precious.

Carmilla steadily approached the boy.

Her eyes, full of desire, craved blood.

She thirsted for human blood.

But something else moved her first.

Something that came before reason and instinct, before such simple things.

"Your Highness."

"......"

The girl walked toward the boy.

Awkwardly, uncertainly.

"Hey, get back!"

"You can't! Sir Viktor...!"

Urgent shouts tried to stop the boy.

But Viktor held them back instead, telling them not to interfere.

"It'll be okay. Please step back, everyone."

"She's obviously not in her right mind! She won't even recognize you...!"

"She will."

"What...?"

"No matter how out of her mind she is, she'll recognize me at least."

Trust.

A belief too extraordinary to be expressed in such simple words.

With his body in ruins, the boy only waited for Carmilla to return.

"......"

"......"

Step.

Carmilla finally came to a stop right in front of Viktor.

She stood still as though frozen solid.

The companions around them held their breath, afraid she might bare her fangs.

Her red eyes were unfocused. After a long silence, the girl offered not her fangs, but a name.

"...V-Viktor?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"I... I feel strange. My head..."

"It'll be okay. I'm by your side."

"Is that so...?"

She muttered a few clumsy words.

Before long, the girl's eyelids slowly fell shut.

Thud.

Carmilla collapsed, losing consciousness.

I spread my arms and caught her.

Splat.

I couldn't even support her slight weight.

So we both fell to the ground together.

Warmth seeped into my arms. Quietly, I patted the girl's back.

"You did well."

"......"

"It's over now."

"......"

I looked up at the sky.

The blue barrier had shattered, and only a star-filled night sky stretched above the sky island.

"Really. It was such a long day..."

It was over.

That was how we stopped Blue Night.

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