Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“Bandersnatch, that kid’s in the way—take her away! The rest of you, go keep the little fox company!”

Just as Elsie had said, the creatures—which could be called modified monsters—sprang into action.
The large, two-headed dog called Bandersnatch carried Renge, her eyes vacant, on its back and left the scene. All the others rushed toward Kuzuha-chan.

“Wind—”
“—You need to accompany me, okay?”
“…!”

The moment I tried to cast a spell, a shock of blonde hair flashed right before my eyes.
It seemed she’d seized the split second my attention wavered to step in.

Sensing danger, I relied on my Speed stat to slam on the brakes and immediately shift into reverse. As a result, I managed to put some distance between myself and Elsie, but I also ended up separated from Kuzuha-chan.

“I’m fine, Arje-san!I’ll be right over there…!”

Just as I had moved away, Kuzuha-chan was also pushed away from me by a large number of enemies.

…So she split us up?

It was clearly intentional—I’d been separated from Kuzuha-chan.
Separated by what looked like a few meters—a distance that could be closed in an instant if we both tried—we faced each other.
A voice, as sweet and cloying as dripping honey, drifted out.

“Ahaha… So now it’s just the two of us, huh? ♪”
“I suppose so. Can I leave now?”
“Fufu… Not a chance. Let’s play until you stop breathing, o-k-a-y?”

Unfortunately, my request was denied. Not that I ever expected her to let me off the hook in the first place.
Sweat began to seep out slowly, even though it was nighttime. It felt less like discomfort and more like an ominous premonition.

…Let’s stay calm.

It’s true that my opponent is a vampire with immense power. Still, I, too, possess a considerable number of skills—and they’re all maxed out.
Even setting victory or defeat aside, I should be more than capable of stopping her movements.
I’ll face her calmly and then go save Kuzuha-chan. To do that, I must first focus on what’s right in front of me.

I regulate my breathing and calm my mind. I sink my fangs into my finger and pry it open.
The sweet taste of blood calms my mind a little.

“Blood Arms, Chain.”

I use my vampire abilities to transform the spilling blood.
Blood Arms. The ability to create weapons from blood. I’m not sure if a chain really counts as a weapon, but since I can make one, I suppose it is.
It’s not particularly fast, but it’s a chain I can control remotely. Grasping one of the countless chains I’d created, I took off running. I used remote control to hurl the countless chains I hadn’t taken in hand.

“Huh, you’re faster than I expected.”
“I’m sorry, but I’d like you to stay still for a moment.”
“Hehe, you, of all people. Bloodcraft, Chain.”
“…!?”

Suddenly, a burst of red filled my field of vision.
A massive number of blood-red chains appeared, as if sprouting from the ground.
It was a different skill from Blood Arms. Yet, it was created from the same source.
From the looks of it, her opponent wasn’t bleeding, but since it had “Blood” in the name, it was likely the same—a skill that utilized blood.

“Shadow Bind.”

As she spoke, blackness appeared. Elsie’s shadow, illuminated by the moonlight, shifted its form.
Numerous pitch-black hands stretched out like tentacles.
The shadow, clearly possessing physical mass, closed in as if slipping through the red chains.

“Physical restraints and a magical curse. You’re bound with both. I wonder if you can break free?”
“…This is a hassle.”

The magic part aside, the physical restraints are troublesome.
I’m only immune to magic and curses. With physical attacks, I have no choice but to dodge or block.
To block, I manipulate the chains I created. If I collide them with my opponent’s chains, that serves as a defense.
It seems my foundational abilities are superior after all. It takes three of my opponent’s chains just to match a single one of mine. In that case—

“—I’ll make more, then. Okay?”
“Gh! More chains, please!”

Just as the opponent said, their chains multiplied, so I increased mine as well. It’ll use up more blood, but I can’t worry about that right now.
Even though our weapons are evenly matched, the same can’t be said for the shadows. I have resistance, but it’s probably best to avoid them as much as possible. I’ve confirmed in previous battles that even with maximum resistance, damage will still be dealt if the attack’s power exceeds a certain threshold.

I make my way through the forest of chains while dodging the “hands” closing in on me. If I rely on my maxed-out speed, it’s not that difficult.
I close the distance between us and swing my chains. It’s a strike intended to restrain the opponent, aided by remote control.

“Bloodcraft, Mirror.”
“Huh…!?”

The sudden glow that appeared right before my eyes was shattered by the chain.
The scattered shards of mirror sparkled, scattering moonlight in their wake.
There was no opponent beyond the scattered reflections, and the moment I realized this, a voice reached my ears.

“Shadow Bind: Kaleidoscope.”

A shadow leapt out from the swarm of shattered light. Countless shadows reflected in the shards bared their fangs and closed in on me.
Even with my speed, I couldn’t dodge it. There was no “gap” to slip through. No matter how small my body is, there’s no way I can escape this net.

“Ow… Excuse me, you’re hurting me.”
“You’re enduring it—just as I expected from the bride I’ve chosen! You’re wonderful!”
“I’m telling you, I don’t… understand what you’re saying!”

I force my way through, fending off the clinging shadows with my magic and curse resistance.
The parts entangled by the shadows began to throb with a dull ache, and I felt my legs growing slightly heavier. It seemed I couldn’t defend against them completely after all; I was still being affected by the curse to some extent.

“Pain, pain, go away.”

I washed away the pesky curse with a healing spell and, this time for sure, dodged the shadows that were still multiplying. My feet carried me forward—toward the source of the voice.
Beyond the reflected light and shadows, a figure in gold was smiling.

“The night’s only just beginning, isn’t it? Curse Maker, Cage.”
“…!?”

At my feet, something like thorns poked up from the ground.
Enveloped in such powerful magic that I could tell just by looking that a curse was imbued within them, similar black thorns stretched out to surround me.
The swarm of black thorns traced gentle curves, eventually weaving together above my head as if devouring one another.

“Ugh… Here we go again with this hassle…!”

The moment I was trapped inside, my body suddenly grew heavy.
I grimaced at the sudden sense of restriction, as if I’d been abruptly thrust into water.

“If I curse the space itself rather than you, I think healing your body would be pointless—what do you think?”
“…I’m getting out of here!”

I made my body thinner and turned it into mist.
It’s a skill I don’t really want to use because it makes even my consciousness grow faint, but escaping this cage takes priority. If I stay like this, I won’t be able to do anything.
I don’t think I couldn’t escape by turning into a shadow, but my opponent is manipulating shadows with magic. It’s probably best to avoid becoming a shadow.

“So you can use a full range of abilities, huh? Fine. In that case, I’ll teach you a little something.”

Even with my consciousness so faint and my ears gone, I can still hear Elsie’s voice.

“You’re probably superior to me in both skills and physical ability—but those alone don’t decide everything, you know?”

My faint consciousness felt as if it were being pulled.
It was a sensation similar to falling asleep—my consciousness growing heavy. But this was even more violent than that.
An unpleasant feeling, as if my senses were being devoured from my feet up. My faint hearing and vision were being painted black, and it wouldn’t stop.
My formless throat twisted, and I let out a scream.

……It’s disgusting, disgusting, DISGUSTING!

“NOo…!?”

As if trying to escape the sensation of being sunk into a bottomless swamp, I reflexively canceled the mist form.
What lay before my now-clear vision was a golden mist. With my head reeling, I tried to figure out what it was and voiced my thoughts.

“Mist…?”
“That’s right, this is my mist form… Did it surprise you?”

The golden mist coalesced and took shape.
Swaying her dress gently and letting her golden hair dance through the night once more was a girl with crimson eyes.

“Bloodcraft, Chain.”
“Eek…!?”

While my head was still foggy, she targeted me as if it were only natural. My limbs were entangled, and my freedom was taken away.
But it didn’t end there. The chains pulled my body in a specific direction—toward the ground, face up; in other words, backward.

“Bloodcraft, Bed.”

The moment I heard her voice, a soft sensation washed over my back.
It was a plush bed that cradled my entire body as if embracing me. I was flung onto the sheets—as red as if they’d been stained with blood—along with the chains.

“You didn’t know, did you? When two vampires in their mist form collide, their consciousnesses blend.”
“Consciousness…?”
“Skill stats are important, but… when a weak will collides with a strong one, it gets swallowed up.”

Her words were simple. Even my mind, which wasn’t working properly yet, could understand them.
Because the other person’s will was stronger, I was “devoured.” My will had nearly been overwritten by theirs.

There’s probably no one with a weaker will than me. Now that I know how this works, it’s only natural that this would happen.
I can’t keep my consciousness steady. I can’t concentrate, and I can’t move.
And then, a golden light slowly began to envelop me.

“Haa… I’ve finally caught you… Argento. Ufu, fufufufu…”
“No… let me go…”
“Not a chance. I’m definitely not letting you escape this time. After all, if I let you get away, it’ll be harder to catch you next time… Shadow Bind.”

Looking completely exhilarated, Elsie cast a spell.
A shadow stretched out, winding its way along the red of the chains like a vine, and transformed into a dark red restraint.

Perhaps because its nature was slightly different from the magic used earlier, it didn’t cause any pain. However, I couldn’t channel my magical power properly.
It felt as if the mental damage I’d suffered when I vaporized and fused had been amplified. My concentration was hindered.

I struggled to break free, but no matter how much strength I put into it, I couldn’t break the bonds, nor could I use any transformation-type skills.
The chains simply jingled, as if mocking me.

“The fun is just beginning…♪”

Accompanied by slender, delicate nails—so girlish.
With a sharpness that defied her appearance, the kimono Kuzuha-chan had given me was torn to shreds.