Chapter 103: Variable – 2

Chapter 103: Variable – 2

*…Wake up, will you?*

“……”

*Hello? Five minutes passed ages ago, you know?*

“……”

*Ugh, seriously! Just wake up already!!*

Unfortunately, that voice couldn’t reach the girl sleeping soundly on the floor, looking utterly at peace.

The warm sunlight streamed down, and the girl was spread out, sleeping exactly where the sunlight fell.

…Her sleeping habits weren’t great; the phrase ‘sprawled out’ accurately described her state, but anyway.

Perhaps she was happy in the warm sunlight, with a faint smile on her face, and tossing and turning, using her coat as a blanket. How to describe her?

She possessed a natural cuteness and charm that would make anyone watching her smile.

Her waking appearance was ‘not likely to starve anywhere she went,’ but her sleeping appearance had an even stronger impact.

She exuded a miraculous aura that made anyone feel like they had to take care of her.

In short, her sleeping appearance alone was enough to enchant someone.

“Ugh. I’ll just wake her up myself!”

……Of course, that didn’t seem to be the case for the owner of the voice, who eventually decided to materialize and wake the girl.

She had been calling for 30 minutes already, but with no response other than intermittent “Just 5 more minutes……,” it was understandable.

And the being that materialized was…

“Wake up, aren’t you going to do the Branch Point?”

“Uhm…… Ria…?”

“Yes, it’s me. You wouldn’t wake up, so I personally……”

“…What, must be a dream. I should probably wake up soon, but before that…”

Thwack!

She was hit by the sleeping girl’s fist and fell backward.

…It was a fist heavily laden with emotion.

“Ah, that felt good. Time to get up.”

And so, somehow, the girl woke up from her dream?

……It didn’t take long for her to fully regain her senses and realize what situation she was in.

***

“Pfft…”

*Is it funny?*

“Of course it’s funny! I’ve always wanted to hit you, just once, even if it was just a single punch.”

*…Yes, yes. I’m sure you’re ve~ry happy that your wish came true.*

“Damn right I am.”

*……I’m just not going to say anything today.*

…Clearly, something serious was happening, and Melini might even be in a very dangerous situation, but…

The atmosphere suddenly lightened too much for such thoughts.

Of course, the situation itself hadn’t lightened, but perhaps my mind felt a little more at ease.

……I don’t know if it’s okay for my mind to be at ease in such a situation, but anyway.

“Then… shall we go?”

*Let’s. Once again, to create your narrative.*

And so, with the usual clear sound of breaking glass, a blue, gigantic, swirling portal opened.

***

“…Haa, haa…”

“Hmm, indeed. You’re more than I expected.”

The devastated surroundings, melted armor and sword, and myself covered in blood.

The blood-soaked area, and the still perfectly fine high-ranking vampire.

……Everything was signaling my end.

“When I first saw you, I didn’t think you were an adventurer of such caliber… Your aptitude was sufficient. However.”

“However, what? The opponent was bad? The equipment was crappy? What are you trying to babble about?”

“However, you were human.”

“……What?”

No, it would have been better if it had just signaled my end.

A sudden chill, and an ominous feeling.

More than anything…… the high-ranking vampire quietly gathering blood and energy in front of me.

“Human. You have aptitude. You haven’t fully blossomed yet, and your wretched body cannot handle my mana.

But, become mine, become my minion. Then everything will be resolved.”

“Are you… babbling about me becoming a vampire…?!”

“Yes. Someone of my standing can certainly embrace you. And someone of your caliber is certainly qualified. Since you haven’t blossomed yet, you clearly show the aptitude to reach the highest position later.”

……Words I usually desperately wanted to hear, coming from that bastard’s mouth, were truly unbearable.

Ultimately, there was nothing I could do.

Even if I had that much aptitude, as the vampire said, this body, already at its limit, couldn’t do anything.

…Refuse? If he killed me for refusing, he’d be a saint. It’s over if he just turns me into a minion.

“I don’t even have a choice, do I? In a battlefield like this, with blood everywhere, you expect me to resist a vampire’s magic?”

“It’s the ability of our clan, and the terror of our clan. The longer the battle continues, the stronger we become.”

“……Ugh.”

With those words, chains made of blood began to tighten around my body.

It was a chain hell where I couldn’t even breathe properly, let alone use my sword or mana.

At the same time… a metallic scent of blood spread through the air, and a crimson blood mist rose.

“Now, then, accept your fate……?”

And, through that crimson blood mist, a strikingly blue light flickered.

So clear and bright, it was impossible to ignore.

More than anything… it wasn’t just any magic, but spatial movement magic, so it was a situation that couldn’t help but draw attention.

“What bastard dares to interrupt my ritual…”

“I don’t really know about that……”

And with those words, the one who emerged from the movement magic instantly leaped into the sky… and descended.

With lightning wrapped around the greatsword on her back.

“Let’s take a hit first and then think, shall we?”

…With a deafening roar, lightning struck the vampire’s head.

But that voice, it sounded familiar… didn’t it?

***

“Tsk, I don’t know what kind of lowlife you are, or where you came from,”

“It’s not like it matters anyway, is it?”

With another familiar voice, this time a greatsword wreathed in flames blazed.

And the clearly audible sound of breaking glass.

Only then did I realize who had arrived at that spot.

I barely shook off the vampire’s restraint and grabbed my sword.

…It was already half-melted and shapeless, but it would be better than nothing.

How did she get here? And why did she come? I quickly discarded those questions.

They wouldn’t help at all in the immediate battle.

So, I immediately tried to join Lucia and attack the vampire together.

…Yes, I only tried to attack.

Why didn’t I actually attack?…… Because Lucia was already winning against the vampire quite handily.

Even I, watching, was momentarily dumbfounded.

Lucia’s greatsword and the vampire’s magic clashed.

The victor? Lucia’s greatsword.

…It didn’t make sense logically.

A seemingly delicate girl, who anyone would think needed protection, was wielding a greatsword and beating up a vampire.

“Huh… now she’s even using divine power?”

She was even using divine magic, somehow and somewhere she learned it.

No, it would be more accurate to say that Lucia had even turned divine magic into a potion.

Against the vampire’s magic, which quickly tried to scratch and cut her, Lucia responded by unleashing brilliant white chains.

It was clearly a battlefield advantageous to the vampire, with blood everywhere.

There was plenty of blood, the source of magic, and I hadn’t put up any resistance, so there were no injuries or wounds.

Yet, such a high-ranking vampire was struggling against Lucia.

…Of course, it wasn’t that Lucia was overwhelmingly powerful, but victory was clearly within her grasp.

As much as I wanted to help, with my body barely moving and my weapon, I would only be replenishing the vampire’s blood.

“This is driving me crazy……”

Therefore, all I could do was incinerate the remaining blood everywhere and watch the fight.

The full story… I’d have to hear from Lucia later…,

For now, my gaze was drawn to Lucia herself, who was amidst the swirling mist of fire and ice, and was cutting through the surging crimson magic.

…I couldn’t shake the thought of her truly beautiful appearance, and her incongruous weapon and power.

“Melini! Dodge!!”

Was it because I was spacing out? Or perhaps the vampire realized I was incinerating and removing the blood he could use?

A spear shot by the vampire flew towards me at full speed.

Block it? Impossible. Dodge it? Also impossible. Take the hit? Of course possible, but I wouldn’t survive.

My brain, which had stopped functioning because all possibilities led directly to death, regained its function as my entire body was covered in warm blood.

“Ah.”

It was hot. So incredibly hot.

The spear of fresh blood, which had accurately pierced my heart, was again continuously gushing blood.

Therefore, my face and entire body were splattered with incredibly hot blood.

At the same time… something even hotter was flowing from my eyes.

…This blood was definitely not mine.

“Hey, hey! What the hell did you just do?!!!”

Lucia was in front of me, somehow having reached me from that distant range.

…With the spear the vampire shot precisely embedded in her heart.

With hot blood gushing from her ruptured heart onto my body.

“Mel…ini, I’m sorr……”

Lucia seemed to be trying to say something, but I couldn’t hear her clearly.

For the first time, I felt like my emotions were so intense that I couldn’t hear anything.

To be honest, she wasn’t a child with whom I had a deep connection.

To be precise, I was the one who unilaterally doted on her, liked her, and expressed affection.

That’s why I was truly surprised when she came.

Once, because she came to save me, and again, because she came looking for me.

But now, that child, in my arms, crumbled.

Her lively and cute face turned dull and pale, and her body, lacking strength, slowly slipped from my embrace.

…She was a truly willful child, saving me on her own accord, and dying on her own accord.

And that made me even angrier.

But that wasn’t important right now.

Anyway, she came for me, and even threw herself in front of me for my sake. At that point, she was already my benefactor.

And now, that vampire bastard in front of me, watching it, was laughing, as if it were pathetic.

Therefore, I picked up my sword.

Even if it had been someone other than Lucia who died for me, I would have done the same.

If I don’t get angry at the bastard who tried to kill me and killed the one who tried to save me, then who the hell do I get angry at?

“Hey.”

“What is it? Have you changed your mind and decided to become my minion obediently?”

“Let’s just burn to death together.”

The half-melted sword completely melted and disappeared.

……In its place, only a raging inferno, capable of swallowing everything, remained in the shape of a blade.

And, beyond that, only my burning rage remained.