"What kind of joke is this? Even if she's just a half-blood, Valerie is still Queen of Tepes. You think we'd hand her over to a bunch of devils?"
"Red Dragon Emperor or not, your demand is outrageous! We refuse!"
"Hmph! Word is, the current Red Dragon Emperor can steal Sacred Gears. I bet he's got his eyes on our Holy Grail!"
The hall, silent for a heartbeat, erupted as the Tepes elders glared daggers at Tenra, faces twisted with indignation.
Valerie might be a puppet, but she wore their crown. Letting her be taken would shatter the dignity of the entire Tepes clan.
Tenra didn't flinch.
"Ten vials of Phoenix Tears."
His tone was flat—businesslike.
Marius's lips curled in a mocking smile.
"Tsk, tsk. Generous, aren't you? But Phoenix Tears mean little to vampires. Our regeneration makes them nearly worthless. And Valerie's Holy Grail is worth more than a hundred vials."
"So you won't hand her over?"
Tenra's eyes narrowed.
"Not a chance."
Marius's smile didn't waver.
Tenra shrugged, muttering under his breath.
"Guess I'm saving myself some money…"
He strode toward the dais, eyes locked on Valerie and Marius.
Marius's face darkened. He signaled the guards, voice cold.
"What now? Planning to take her by force, Red Dragon Emperor?"
Tenra flashed a grin.
"Exactly."
Before the guards could react, he was already in front of Marius.
He'd expected this. Diplomacy was a dead end—if he wanted Valerie, he'd have to take her.
Marius's eyes went wide with fury, but Tenra didn't give him time to speak. His fist crashed into Marius's chest—
"DXD: Infinite Loot System"BOOM!
Marius flew across the hall like a comet, slamming into the wall and disappearing beneath a mountain of rubble.
The silence that followed was absolute. The elders and guards stared in shock—Tenra had just assaulted someone in the heart of Tepes's palace.
"Outrageous!"
"Seize him! Seize them all!"
Panic gave way to fury. The elders roared, and vampire guards poured in from every door.
Tenra's girls didn't wait for orders—Yubelluna, Ravel, and the others sprang into formation, meeting the enemy head-on.
A cluster of elders and guards charged Tenra. He raised a hand, and dozens of golden chains shot forth, binding their limbs and necks. No matter how they struggled, they couldn't move an inch.
Tenra turned to Valerie, still frozen on the throne.
"Come with us, Valerie."
She shrank back, panic flickering across her face.
"N-no, Lord Tenra… I'm Queen of Tepes now. I can't leave."
Tenra's lips curled in annoyance.
"You still can't bring yourself to drink blood, huh? Pathetic. You think you're a queen? You're just a puppet."
He chopped her gently on the neck—Valerie slumped forward, unconscious. Tenra scooped her into his arms.
"We're leaving."
Yubelluna and the rest rallied around Tenra, fending off the vampires as they retreated toward the palace gates.
A crash echoed from the rubble—Marius staggered to his feet, blood trickling from his mouth, his once-handsome face twisted with rage.
"Crom Cruach! How long are you going to stand there and watch? Kill them! Kill them all!"
His scream was raw with murderous intent.
Suddenly, a wave of icy pressure swept through the hall. Tenra's eyes narrowed; Yubelluna and the girls went pale.
Every vampire froze, terror etched on their faces, scrambling to clear a path.
From the shadows stepped a man in a black coat—hair streaked gold and black, right eye gold, left eye black. Heterochromatic. Impossible to mistake.
Raw spiritual power radiated from him—so dense it felt suffocating.
Tenra didn't need to fight to know: this was a monster.
He summoned his crimson gauntlets and spectral blue wings. Ddraig's voice rang out from Tenra's jewel, sharp with surprise.
"Hey, isn't that Crom Cruach? What's he doing here?"
The man's lips twisted into a stiff smile.
"Ddraig, Albion. It's been a while."
Tenra glanced at his jewel.
"You know this guy, Ddraig?"
Ddraig's tone was grave.
"Crom Cruach—the legendary 'Crescent Moon's Darkness.' He looks human, but one glance and you know."
"Careful, partner. He's one of the most dangerous Evil Dragons. Even among the wicked, he's the strongest."
Tenra remembered now. The infamous Evil Dragons: Crescent Moon's Darkness, Grendel the Sinful, Azi Dahaka the Forbidden Source, Apophis the Primordial, Nidhogg the Outlaw, Ladon the Guardian of the Sacred Tree… Each one a catastrophe. Most had been sealed or destroyed for their brutality. Even Vritra, the Black Evil Dragon King, was tame compared to them.
Tenra's gaze sharpened.
"No wonder the Tepes coup succeeded. You helped them, didn't you, Crom Cruach? Joined up with Khaos Brigade?"
Crom Cruach nodded.
"More or less. I've heard stories about you too—Ddraig and Albion's host, Tenra Kamiyo."
"You want to take the vampire girl? Fight me. Win, and she's yours."
Tenra snorted.
"I'm not in the mood for a brawl. But you won't let us pass unless I fight, right?"
He summoned his power, voice cold.
"Fine. Ddraig, Albion—let's show him a real beating."
With a cruel smile, Tenra unleashed Cardinal Crimson Promotion. Two jewels burst from his body, blasting through the palace roof and streaking into the sky…
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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