"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Grendel's agony echoed through the toxic mist. His once-mighty body was gone—nothing left but half a mangled, bleeding head.
But then—
A streak of light crashed down from the sky, whipping up a gale that scattered Albion's venomous fog in an instant.
The newcomer landed hard, blood at the corner of his mouth, skin pale beneath his black clothes.
Crom Cruach.
"Sorry, Albion. I can't let you finish him off. Grendel's coming with me."
"I'm not leaving! I still want to fight! I want to fight!" Grendel wailed, voice raw.
Albion watched them coldly, but didn't interfere.
Without another word, Crom Cruach seized what was left of Grendel—just that half-head—and vanished in a flash.
Ddraig descended, battered but proud. Albion's gaze hardened.
"So, you only managed a draw with Crom Cruach."
"That guy's grown to our level. If I had my real body, maybe it'd be different. But as things stand, a draw is all I've got," Ddraig replied, a hint of resignation in her voice.
She and Albion were just souls, sealed in Sacred Gears. Their power couldn't grow anymore, while Crom Cruach—still alive—kept evolving, and now he'd caught up. The feeling of being overtaken was bitter, and both dragons fell silent.
Finally, Ddraig broke the quiet. "It's over. Let's get back to our partner."
Albion nodded. Light flashed—and the two dragons shrank back into their jewel forms, homing in on Tenra's aura as they shot away into the night.
Evening. Embassy building.
Tenra stood at the window, watching the city slowly come back to life. After the dragons' battle, the vampires who'd fled were trickling back, and though the fight had left scars on buildings and streets, the damage wasn't catastrophic.
Of course, the chaos wasn't truly over. The Tepes leadership was probably in full meltdown right now—but that was none of Tenra's concern.
Outside, the barrier shimmered with ripples as a handful of vampires hammered at it, desperate to break in. They didn't know their king had been ousted, or that Marius Tepes and his cronies had sold out vampire honor to the Khaos Brigade. They were just pawns, told only that the master of the Heavenly Dragons was inside.
So they raged, determined to storm in and take revenge.
But with their meager strength, they couldn't even scratch the barrier—let alone touch Tenra.
Tenra offered them a friendly wave from the window, encouraging them to keep at it. The vampires below bared their fangs and glared, furious.
"Tenra-sama, Valerie's awake."
Yubelluna's voice called softly from behind.
"She's finally up…"
Tenra left the window, calling Gasper to join him. Together, they entered Valerie's room.
Valerie was awake at last. Tosca and Mirana helped her stand as Tenra and Gasper entered.
"How are you feeling, Valerie?" Tenra asked.
She stared at Tenra and Gasper, eyes wide and shimmering. Suddenly, tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Thank goodness, Valerie!" Gasper rushed to her side, tears streaming down his own face.
Valerie had only spoken their names, but Gasper could feel it—she was truly back.
Memories flooded in, years of pain and hope crashing together. After so long apart, this was their real reunion. The two unlucky souls clung to each other and wept.
Tenra let Yubelluna, Tosca, and the others quietly leave the room, waiting patiently until Valerie and Gasper had cried themselves out. Only then did he approach.
"Sorry I kept you waiting, Valerie."
He brushed her forehead gently.
"No… I always believed you'd come back for me. You and Gasper—I never stopped believing," Valerie sobbed, her smile shining through the tears.
She looked almost comical, laughing and crying at once—but it was deeply moving.
Marius had forced her to abuse the Grail's power, and every day her body and mind slipped further away. Her memories and feelings blurred, her consciousness frayed. Only her faith in Gasper and Tenra kept her from falling apart completely.
Tenra wiped the tears from her cheeks. "You're not alone anymore. Never again."
"And you must be starving. Maru and the others have dinner ready. Let's get you something to eat."
"Dinner?" Valerie sniffled.
"What, have you finally learned to drink blood like a proper vampire? Should I let you have a taste of mine?"
"N-no! I don't drink blood!" Valerie stammered, cheeks burning red as she waved her hands frantically.
Tenra and Gasper both laughed. A vampire who couldn't bring herself to drink blood—Valerie really hadn't changed.
She followed them out, but when she saw Yubelluna and the other girls waiting, she stiffened with nerves.
"Don't worry. They're all my familiars—they won't hurt you," Tenra assured her. "Yubelluna, everyone, introduce yourselves."
"Yes, Tenra-sama."
The girls introduced themselves warmly, their sympathy and kindness obvious. But when it came to Rena—
"I'm Rena. Master's little tool," she purred, wrapping an arm around Valerie's shoulders and mischievously licking her earlobe.
"Uu…" Valerie shivered, looking like she might burst into tears again.
"Rena, don't scare her."
"Hehehe…"
"She's just a nutcase—ignore her," Tenra muttered, shooting Rena a glare and offering Valerie a reassuring smile.
Maru and Bülent appeared, carrying out the evening's feast, and the room filled with the comforting clatter of dinner.
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