Tepes Royal Castle. Deep underground, in a hidden laboratory—
"Damn that Red Dragon Emperor! Damn him!"
"How dare he?!"
Marius Tepes's voice was thick with venom and rage, echoing off cold stone walls. The Red Dragon Emperor had publicly humiliated the vampires, stolen his Grail, and unleashed two monstrous dragons to tear through their territory. The insult was intolerable.
"Calm down, Marius-kun. Don't howl like a beaten dog—it's giving me a headache."
Rizevim sat on a throne-like chair nearby, lazily digging at his ear as he spoke.
"Oh, I'm the beaten dog? As if you're any better! I thought your two Evil Dragons were supposed to be unstoppable. Instead, they barely escaped with half a head between them!"
"With the Grail gone, our plans are ruined. It's all over!"
Marius's fury bordered on madness.
Rizevim clicked his tongue, a sly grin curling his lips. "Who said we lost the Grail? Look—here it is."
He produced a silver chalice from inside his cloak.
"The Grail?! But—wasn't it supposed to be in that half-breed's body? Why do you have one?"
Marius's eyes went wide with disbelief.
"Marius-kun, for someone who calls himself a Grail researcher, didn't you notice that the vampire girl's Sacred Gear exists in multiples?"
"Multiples?!"
"That's right. Three in total. I took this one out ahead of time."
Rizevim watched Marius's shock with open amusement.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Marius finally managed, voice rising.
"I'm telling you now, aren't I? You want revenge on the Red Dragon Emperor, don't you? Let me help."
"Help me? How?"
"Simple. Let me use the Grail to remake your body. I'll give you real power."
"My body's already been modified. I've shed all my vampire weaknesses."
Rizevim waved a finger. "No, no, no. This won't be some surface-level tweak. I'm talking about a transformation on a whole other level."
He leaned forward, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Come on, Marius-kun. Let me help you."
A chill ran down Marius's spine. He'd never trusted Rizevim—whatever help he offered always came with strings attached. They were allies of convenience, nothing more. Letting Rizevim tinker with his body again? Who knew what kind of monster he'd become.
"No. I'm done with modifications. If I want revenge, I'll find my own way."
Sensing danger, Marius tried to leave.
Rizevim sighed, feigning disappointment. "Refusing my goodwill? Marius-kun, you really aren't very cute."
As he spoke, Euclid stepped in, blocking Marius's path.
"Rizevim, what are you playing at?" Marius demanded, voice dark.
"Guards! Guards!" he shouted, panic creeping in.
A squad of armed vampire soldiers burst into the lab, weapons drawn.
Rizevim barely glanced up, swirling his wine. "Euclid, if you please."
Euclid's lips curled into a cruel smile. In seconds, the room erupted in screams. Blood splattered the walls. Marius and his soldiers fell, one by one, until Euclid was left stacking bodies like cordwood.
"Disobedient children get punished, Marius-kun. Stop struggling and accept the transformation. Let me give you power."
Rizevim descended from his seat, his grin pure malice.
Magic surged, a glowing circle unfurled across the floor. The Grail floated from Rizevim's hand, hovering above the heap of bodies.
Marius's instincts screamed at him—danger, endless and overwhelming.
"Stop… stop…"
His pleas were swallowed by another round of agonized screams.
Elsewhere, in the embassy's sunlit lounge, Tenra, Valerie, Ravel, and the others sipped tea in quiet comfort.
Three days had passed since Valerie's rescue. The initial chaos had faded, and the Tepes royal city had settled into a strange, uneasy calm. Rizevim and Marius hadn't shown their faces. Aside from a few vampires who seemed determined to make trouble outside the embassy, no one else dared approach. The whole atmosphere felt oddly muted, as if everyone was waiting for the next move.
Tenra wasn't bothered by the local vampires—the real reason he remained was Rizevim, and the matter of the missing Grail. Yubelluna and the girls had been gathering intelligence every day; even Gasper had insisted on joining the effort.
"Valerie, you must be tired of being cooped up indoors. Want to go out for a walk?" Tenra asked, smiling gently.
"Go… outside?" Valerie's eyes flickered with a glimmer of hope, but she hesitated. "Maybe… maybe not…"
She'd spent her childhood locked away in the castle, forbidden to set foot anywhere else. Even after Marius discovered her Sacred Gear, her world only shifted from one prison to another. She'd never known true freedom, never walked beneath the open sky.
The longing was there, but fear held her back.
"It's settled, then," Tenra declared. "You don't have any other clothes, do you? We can't have you wearing the same thing every day. Let's pick up a few new outfits while we're out."
He knew Valerie was nervous, but he refused to let her hide away any longer. She was free now. It was time she learned to live in the world again.
"Okay… if you say so, Lord Tenra…" Valerie whispered, yielding to his gentle insistence.
After a quick round of preparations, Tenra led Valerie, Ravel, Mittelt, and Kalawarna out of the embassy.
"Red Dragon Emperor!"
A handful of vampires lurking outside spotted Tenra and immediately leapt forward, eyes blazing with hatred.
"Ah!" Valerie flinched, shrinking back.
Ravel, Mittelt, and Kalawarna stepped forward, eyes cold. In a blur of motion, they intercepted the attackers, pinning the vampires to the ground with spears of light.
"Die!" Ravel hissed, licking her lips as dark flames danced in her palms, ready to incinerate them.
"Enough." Tenra's voice cut through the tension.
He didn't care about the vampires' fate—he just didn't want Valerie to witness bloodshed. She was timid enough as it was; seeing vampires burned alive would haunt her dreams.
Ravel clicked her tongue, noticing Valerie's pale, frightened face. Reluctantly, she let the flames die away.
"It's over. Let's go," Tenra said softly.
"Yes, Lord Tenra."
He offered Valerie a reassuring smile, and together, the group walked away from the embassy, leaving the chaos—and the past—behind.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Read up to (50+ ) advanced chapters on Patre\on
Visit us here: patreon.com/GoldenLong
Happy reading, everyone!