Chapter 46: Its your turn

“Ellie, wait!”

“Hmph. Slowpokes should stay behind!”

Lunch break arrived after a boring lesson. I ignored the slowpoke next to me and dashed out of the classroom.

I had no time to waste. Sister was waiting!

“Just a minute, Sister!”

I ran towards the second-year classrooms, picturing Sister’s welcoming smile. I felt unusually sluggish, but I pushed the thought aside.

I reached the garden, a beautiful expanse of blooming flowers, where I saw a girl, lost in thought.

“You are…?”

The girl looked up, surprised. She was beautiful, rivaling even the surrounding flowers.

Her silver hair swayed gracefully in the breeze, her golden eyes sparkling.

She looked like a precious jewel, given human form.

“Gasp…huff…cough, cough!”

“Are…you okay?”. She took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the sweat from my brow. So casual with a stranger…perhaps she lacked caution.

Thud.—

My legs gave way, and I collapsed.

“Haa…huff…”

“Why were you running like that?”

Sister. I’d come to see Sister.

“Where am I?”

“Huh?”

“Sister…I miss Sister.”

“Sister? Who… Wait, are you crying?”

I shook my head vehemently, my fluffy ash-gray hair swaying.

Crying? Me?
Ridiculous. I rarely cried, even in my past life. I couldn’t even remember the last time I cried.

“There, there. Blow your nose.”

Snort!—

I blew my nose loudly into the offered handkerchief. My head cleared, and I finally took in my surroundings.

Where was I?

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

I ignored her concerned voice and looked around.

Had this garden always been here?
It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Flowers bloomed in abundance, interspersed with elegant statues.

“Are you…lost?”

“No, I’m not!”

I wasn’t lost; I just…didn’t recognize this place.

“Finally listening to me, are you?”

“And what if I am, huh?”

She was annoying, but she’d helped me earlier, so I tried to be polite.

“Just tell me where the second-year classrooms are.”

She ignored my polite request and asked something strange.

“You…don’t know who I am?”

“What?”

What was she talking about?

I studied her, trying to place her. Had I seen her before? As I looked at her, she tied her silver hair into pigtails.

“How about now? Recognize me?”

“Oh! You’re…?”

“Finally! Hee hee.”

She smiled, a coquettish smile that looked…cute on her young face.

“You little…!”

Thwack!—

Annoyed, I flicked her on the head.

“Ow! That hurts!”

“Hmph, don’t get cocky, little girl.”

I smirked, looking down at the girl squatting before me. The satisfying impact of my flick felt strangely familiar. I must have known her.

“Oh, I remember you now! You’re the one who pretended to be the princess and sucked my blood, you little vampire!”

My ability to recognize people was truly exceptional.

“My thigh’s been aching ever since. It seems we meet again.”

This helpless vampire would be no match for me. I’d have some…fun this time.

“Hee hee…now it’s my turn.”

Revenge. The moment I’d been waiting for.

It was time to hunt a vampire.

****

Colorful flowers swayed in the breeze. The vampire, the flowers, even the trees…everything was upside down, swaying gently back and forth.

“Waaah…let me down!”

Tears streamed down my face, plastering my hair to my forehead.

My skirt kept flipping up, exposing my panties. I clutched at the fabric, covering myself. My shirt had ridden up, exposing my stomach.

Thud, thud.—

“Serves you right for hitting me. What if you damaged my brain?”

“I’m sorry…hic…”

I mumbled an apology, dangling helplessly from the girl’s magic.

My long hair swept the ground, a humiliating reminder of my…fallen status.

“Sister…”

I’d lost.
If I’d used my full strength, I could have easily defeated her.

But she was just a child, even if she was a vampire. I couldn’t bring myself to hurt her seriously. I’d shown mercy, and this was my reward.

“Stop crying. I’m not going to eat you.”

A hand gripped my shoulder, and I yelped,

“Hyaa! I…I don’t taste good…!”

“Haa… Don’t worry. I’m not hungry right now.”

Her ominous words sent a chill down my spine. Not hungry right now? Did that mean she’d eat me later? It wasn’t very reassuring.

Snap!—

She snapped her fingers, and the restraints vanished. I was still upside down, though.

It didn’t matter. I had good balance.
I flipped myself over easily.

“Oops.”

“Ugh…!”

As I flipped, I saw the vampire reaching for me. I tried to dodge, but it was too late.

Thud!—

I landed on my back with a dull thud.

****

“She left early? And she’s not here yet?”

A cold voice, laced with barely contained fury.

The blonde girl, however, responded casually, unfazed by the sharp tone,

“Perhaps…her legs are too short, and she’s taking longer?”

Crack.—

Anna Estelle, the object of Ellie’s affections, bit her thumbnail.

How dare she insult Ellie’s height? Only she was allowed to find Ellie’s small stature endearing.

“Forget it. Let’s go find her.”

Anna didn’t wait for a response and ran off. With anti-tracking and teleportation spells blocking her magic, she had to search manually. Ellie might be lost and crying somewhere.

“Sigh…they’re both soimpatient. Where could Ellie be?”

Linne, oblivious to Anna’s worry, set out to find Ellie as well.

****

“Ow…”

I woke up clutching my throbbing forehead.

My body ached all over, my ankle especially. I almost screamed when I tried to move it.

“Ugh…it hurts.”

It felt broken, maybe even permanently damaged. If I wasn’t so mentally resilient, I’d have passed out from the pain.

The ground beneath me shifted.

“Ugh…why are you so heavy…!”

Right, there was someone else here.

She must have been underneath me when I fell. And how dare she call me heavy? That was rude.

“Sorry. I can’t get up…”

I pressed down on the squirming vampire beneath me.

“Aaaaah! That hurts! Get off!”

Her pained cries were strangely satisfying, but also…concerning.

Was I…really that heavy?

I shook my head. I wasn’t heavy; she was just weak. She might have lifted me easily last time, but she must have been through a lot since then.

“Get…off me!”

Her struggles beneath me were… strangely comforting, though a bit noisy.

“Shhh. You’re hurting my ears.”

I looked down at the vampire. She was…pretty, up close. Was I losing my mind?

Her soft, flawless skin. Her teary, innocent eyes.

Who would think she was a vicious vampire? She was so deceptive. This girl had pinned me down and sucked my blood?

I noticed her pale neck. I’d been through worse; this should be fine, right?

“Eek! Wh…what are you doing?!”

She looked terrified as I leaned closer. That hurt my feelings.

I opened my mouth wide, ready to take a big bite—

Chomp!—