Chapter 176: The Night of the Full Moon – Middle (1)

Meanwhile, while Anatolia was turning into a living hell due to Raizein’s invasion, where and what was Sion doing?

“Nice! You brought it back perfectly this time too! Well done, hahaha!”

“Woof!”

“Alright, now I’ll throw it towards that cliff over there! Run and fetch it before it falls!”

“Woof!!!!!”

She was joyfully playing frisbee with five Spirit Hounds in the snow-covered mountains of the north.

For reference, this place was at least 5,000 km away from Anatolia.

It was the very same mountain range where, long ago, she had first made shaved ice for Exia during her travels with Lier.

Why had she come all the way out here, of all places?

Because if she wanted to play freely with the dogs without putting on an act, she needed a secluded location away from prying eyes.

Plus, she could also enjoy running around in the snow.

Thanks to this, she was happily basking in their reunion without a single worry.

“Woof, woof woof woof!”

“Oh, you brought it back before I even lost sight of it! You little rascals, who did you take after to be so quick and agile?

Should I throw it 100 meters up in the air this time?”

“Woof woof woof woof!!!!”

The massive wolf-like creatures wagged their tails excitedly. When all five barked at once, their voices echoed through the mountains like a thunderous roar.

Leaning against a rock, Exia yawned lazily and muttered,

-“You guys sure never get tired… You know you’ve been playing for almost an hour now, right?
I have no idea how you managed to live without these wolves all this time.”

-“Well, that’s because I never even dreamed that they were still alive.

After 500 years, anyone would assume they’d be long gone, wouldn’t they?”

-“They’re spirits, though? That means they were obviously still around.”

-“That wasn’t a guarantee when they were created. Like I told you before, these guys were artificially engineered by combining the traits of Spirit Wolves and regular dogs. We had no idea when the explosive inside their bodies might go off.”

Nowadays, everyone knows that adaptive surgery is 100% safe, but back when it was first developed, no one could be sure.

Spirit Hounds, in particular, were created at the very dawn of the research—a mere experimental prototype.

And as with all prototypes, no one could predict when a side effect might strike them down.

Yet not only had they survived, but they recognized her at first sight and immediately ran to her.

As their master, there was no greater joy.

“Alright, everyone, stop!”

Sion called out firmly. The wolves, who had been energetically bounding through the snow, halted simultaneously and turned to look at her.

“Now, formation: Pyramid! Number 1!”

“Woof!”

“And Number 2… oh, right, he’s unconscious and getting treated after getting beaten up by Dorothy. Then Numbers 3 and 4! You two take the bottom row!”

“Woof woof!”

At her command, three wolves aligned themselves in a straight row with practiced precision, as if they had done this many times before.

“Next, Numbers 5 and 6! The second row!”

“Woof!”

The remaining two climbed onto the backs of the three below them, forming a structure reminiscent of a card tower or a human pyramid.

In this case, though, it would be more appropriate to call it a wolf pyramid.

Watching from behind, Exia raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

-“What… is this?”

-“Heh, this is a special trick I trained them to do. Originally, there should be one more on top, but we’re short a member.

Still, the fact that they remembered it after all these years is amazing…”

Sion gazed at the wolves with a deeply moved expression. The affection in her eyes was even greater than when she reunited with old comrades.

As she indulged in the moment, a thought suddenly crossed her mind, and she spoke up.

“But this is strange… How did they even know I was in Anatolia? My mana barrier should have prevented my scent from leaking outside…”

“Woof!!!!”

At those words, the wolves suddenly broke formation and rushed toward Sion. They grabbed her clothes in their mouths, tugging at her as if trying to lead her somewhere.

“Woof! Woof woof woof!”

“Hm? What’s wrong? You already want to go home?”

“Woof woof woof! Awooooo!!”

“??? Even if you look at me with those desperate eyes, I have no idea what you’re trying to say… I don’t speak dog.”

In times like this, the best option was Exia, who possessed telepathic abilities. Sion turned to the sacred sword and asked,

“Exia, can you translate what they’re saying?”

-“Hmm? Not sure, I’m not that confident in animal language, but… let’s see…

They say they have someone to introduce to you.”

“Someone to introduce?”

Who could it be? Raizein? Or Igor?

Judging by their excited expressions, the former seemed more likely.

Since Raizein was a vampire who could extend her lifespan by consuming blood, it wouldn’t be surprising if she had survived all this time.

“Woof! Woof woof woof!!!”

“Ah, I got it. I got it. Let’s head back. I also want to see how my daughter has grown.”

Sion smiled as she patted the wolf. Then, forming a hand seal, she chanted a spell.

“Greater Teleport.”

And so, after a full hour, Sion and the five wolves finally returned to the garden of Anatolia’s dormitory, where they had originally been.

However, the atmosphere was different from when they had left.

“Hmm? What? Why is it so dark?”

Sion frowned as she looked around.

Not only were all the dormitory lights turned off, but the entire school was shrouded in such darkness that she could barely see ahead.

Tonight was a full moon, so even without artificial lights, there should have been at least some visibility.

A natural darkness? No, this wasn’t normal.

This unnatural, artificial darkness felt just like—

-“!? Sion! To your right!”

“!?”

The moment Exia shouted the warning, Sion instinctively grabbed her and swung her aside.

A Hunting Horror that had been lurking in the darkness, ready to pounce on her, was immediately sliced in half and killed.

The dead beast soon dissolved into smoke, only to gather again, reshaping itself into a new form within the darkness.

A familiar sight.

“This is Black Parade, isn’t it? Just what the hell did that damn Raizein plant in the school?”

Sion furrowed her brow even further.

At this point, she was about 90% sure that the intruder was Raizein.

A 9th-circle spell wasn’t something just anyone could cast. Igor, who had virtually no magical talent, was out of the question, and even a high-ranking commander would hesitate before attempting it.

The only person who might have been capable was her extraordinarily gifted youngest daughter.

“Looks like she deciphered the spellbook I left behind and learned how to cast it. How troublesome.”

Sion sighed, then slung Exia over her shoulder.

As she stared at the shadows writhing in the distance, ready to attack, she released her aura.

“Frightful Presence.”

Whoosh!

A force so overwhelming it bordered on terrifying spread outward. The shadows that had been brimming with hostility instantly crumbled, melting back into the darkness.

Just like that, every enemy within a 100-meter radius was wiped out.

Sion glanced at the large wolves beside her.

“Alright, lead the way. Where is my daughter?”

“Woof!”

The moment Sion spoke, the five wolves turned into spirit forms and dashed in one direction—toward the unmistakable scent of their second master, the thick scent of blood lingering even in this darkness.

However, their run didn’t last long.

Within a minute, a new presence emerged from the shadows.

“Ruff? Ruff ruff!!”

“Hmm? What’s wrong? Is there something ahead?”

Sion narrowed her eyes and stared into the darkness.

And then she saw a familiar face.

Long black hair reaching down to her waist, a strikingly mature figure for a fifteen-year-old, and her signature red scrunchie.

No doubt about it—it was Marianne.

Sion tilted her head.

“Oh? Lady Marianne? What are you doing in such a dangerous place? Did you get lost?”

“……”

At that moment, as soon as Marianne heard her voice, she creaked her head toward her, like a stiff, lifeless golem.

Her eyes were completely empty—hollow and void of emotion.

“…Found. You.”

“Huh? What do you—”

“Raizein…”

Sion’s question was cut off by a loud, ringing voice.

“Father!!!”

From behind Marianne, a woman who was the spitting image of Sion emerged from the darkness.

She looked to be in her mid-to-late twenties.

With her face and figure, anyone would assume that Sion should be called “older sister” instead, but here and now, such common sense held no meaning.

Raizein ran toward Sion with a bright, childlike smile.

“Faaaatheeeeer—!!”

Ah, my infinitely revered and beloved father.

A man of unparalleled strength, as great as a mountain and as radiant as the stars.

The greatest Demon King in history, our one and only sovereign.

To that father, Raizein—

“Shadow Spear!!!”

—hurled the sharpest spear she had ever forged, carrying the purest intent to kill.