Leave a comment

While Ruri spoke with Ryuka, Erika continued her lone battle against the army of Shiki. Though she had evolved and grown more powerful, fatigue set in, and she was vastly outnumbered.

The armed Shiki, hidden among the horde, seized their first opportunity, charging at Erika with weapons drawn. Just as Erika felt overwhelmed, rocks propelled by Akane and her fangs cleared the attackers.

“…!”
“Shaa!”

Akane landed nearby and rebuked Erika for letting her guard down, prompting a retort from Erika. However, they couldn’t afford to relax; one crisis had been averted, but they remained encircled by the swarm of Shiki. Positioned back to back, the two confronted the ongoing threat.

Above them, a massive explosion released life force into the air, and the enormous dragon began to falter, its mana dissolving, causing the ground to tremble. This indicated that Ruri had successfully completed her task.

Yet the battle was far from over for Erika and Akane. The Shiki still stood, and the disintegrating dragon continued its assault.

“Shaa!!”
Erika opened her jaws, ready to strike at the Shiki.

“!”
But before she could act, Akane, realizing the imminent danger, threw herself at Erika. Her evolved body had enough mass to push Erika out of harm’s way.

“Sh..Sha! Shaaa!”
Erika tumbled aside, roaring in frustration just as the dragon’s hand swung down at her previous location, gouging the earth.

“…”
Peeking through the dragon’s fingers were thin, shiny red legs—Akane’s. The whole arm then crumbled, crashing down in an attempt to crush its grasp.

“Akaneee!” Natalia’s voice echoed from deep within the forest. Erika and Akane had been fighting near an area of the cave that hadn’t collapsed—until now. Below them was the noxious swamp.

Regardless of Natalia’s screams, Akane’s body, trapped within a crumbling chunk of earth, plummeted into the swamp.

“Let me go, Erika! Akane just fell! Akaneeeeee!!”
“Sha, Shaa…”

Natalia tried to dash onto the unstable ground, prompting Erika to restrain her forcefully. Typically, Natalia could overpower Erika, but having exhausted most of her strength, she was vulnerable to falling herself.

As Natalia continued to wail for Akane, the last remnants of the dragon’s mana dissipated, revealing Ryuka supporting Ruri.

I feel like everything is becoming darker than even the night itself.

“Noo! Ruri! Rurii!”

The hole leading to the swamp below keeps growing larger, while Akane has already vanished within it. Nearby, Ryuka firmly hugs Ruri’s unresponsive body.

Why? Why did it have to end like this? I just came here to save Ryuka. Why did Akane have to die? Why did Ruri have to die?

Just when I decide I’ll value my own life more, the two of you decide to go and die like this. When Akane pushed Erika aside, I felt like our eyes met for an instant.

And Ruri is the reason why I was able to open up to Olivia. But now she’s making Ryuka cry like this? That’s just messed up. Why would you ever do that?

I really want to complain to them like that, but I stop myself. It’s really frustrating, but I know I would’ve done the same if I were in their position.

Then, some particles with a soft glow emerge from Ryuka, roughly forming the shape of a person next to her.

“Ryuka, she’s still alive.”
“…Forefather…”

Ryuka slowly looks up, hearing that voice. I guess those particles are Tsuebe then.

“Her life force has nearly run out, but there are still ways to save her. You should know that better than anyone.”
“Wait! But then—”
“Tatsumasa, we did our best to give Ryuka a peaceful sendoff, but it didn’t pan out as we wanted. She’s alive now, so let’s not meddle with her life any further. And I also have to respect her ability to slay my other half while leaving me and Ryuka alive. I’m only talking to you now thanks to her.”

Tatsumasa sounded unsure, but Tsuebe held him back.

The particles forming Tsuebe start to fade away, as if being blown away by the wind. His time is near.

“Ryuka, if you’re sure you want to… Well, I guess I don’t need to ask.”

Ryuka simply nods, her lips firmly pressed together.

“Then do as you wish.”

Before Tsuebe finishes, Ryuka bites her own tongue.

“Huh?!” I let out a confused voice, unsure of what to say at the sight of fresh blood.

But without any delay, Ryuka leans down and bites Ruri’s neck.

“I’m sure you’ve heard stories before, of vampires creating more vampires by drinking their blood.” Tatsumasa walks up to me. “That doesn’t happen merely by drinking someone’s blood. The one being bitten also must receive some of our blood.”

“They receive…your blood?” That sounds like the opposite of vampirism, so I feel like I have to ask that.

“We need to modify the victim to turn into one of us. That can’t be done if they don’t receive anything from us.”

Blood is one of the intermediaries for mana in living beings, even if most of them are unaware of that. It also makes it a symbol of life. When a vampire mixes in their own blood, they gain the ability to modify the properties of another being and turn them into a vampire.

Drinking someone’s blood also allows a vampire to read their victim on a deep level. Providing some blood back can turn around the direction of that process. By doing both things at the same time, the vampire and victim’s lives get connected, and the victim’s body gets transformed.

That was not an easy process, and both their lives would end up linked forever. The victim would become a vampire, and if either of them died, the other would die as well. It was not really a good way to expand the population of their species.

Because of the dangers involved, vampires were usually forbidden from turning other species into vampires like that. And that concluded the explanation from Tatsumasa.

“Transforming their bodies through a mana catalyst…”

That sounds a lot like alchemy. Perhaps the actual process is entirely different, but that’s how it seems to me.

Ruri and Ryuka remain in their embrace for a long while. By the time the sun begins to rise, Ryuka finally releases Ruri’s neck.

“Ruri…”
“…La…dy… Ryu…ka?”

Ryuka speaks softly to her, and Ruri responds with a voice fragile and broken. Hearing this, a different kind of tear fills Ryuka’s eyes, and she hugs Ruri tightly.

“I’m glad I managed to stay long enough to see the end. I’m proud of all of you.” With those words, Tsuebe fades away entirely, disappearing into the light of dawn.

And so, the burden on the Urado family is finally lifted.