After being swallowed alive by Ferid, Guren arrived in a dark space filled with a thick scent of blood.
"Guren."
Guren heard her name and turned her head, seeing a Vampire with only half a body left.
"Shaka?! I see, so you were also eaten by Lord Ferid."
Shaka's strength was exhausted, and his voice was weak.
"The Vampires here are gradually digested by Lord Ferid, unable even to undergo Demon Transformation. How about it? A dream burial ground, isn't it?"
As Shaka spoke, he grabbed a skeleton beside him.
Guren found her legs and reattached them, then struggled through the mire-like ground to reach Shaka's side, her emotions already fraying.
"I don't remember you being so talkative before."
Shaka gave a self-deprecating smile.
"Heh, maybe it's because I'm dying that my former human emotions are gradually returning. What are you doing?!"
Shaka's tone was full of shock, as if he had seen something extraordinary.
Guren let go of the Vampire corpse in her hand and wiped her mouth, her posture radiating madness.
"I can't die yet; I still have to serve Lord Ferid. Don't be ridiculous—Lord Ferid just wanted me to meet you, and he'll let me out later! I won't die before then!"
As she spoke, Guren grabbed Shaka's mangled remains and began to bite into them.
"Hahahaha! Madman! Ferid is a madman, and you're a madwoman! Hahaha!"
The pain stimulated Shaka's nerves, and he couldn't help but laugh wildly.
"I'm actually a bit reluctant to die now; I really want to see how you and Ferid end up!"
Guren grabbed Shaka's head and crushed it with a bite, saying indistinctly.
"Do you want to steal Lord Ferid from me? In your dreams!"
...Inside the helicopter.
The pilot of the helicopter smelled the scent of blood from his own kind and looked back.
Guren was gone, and Ferid had already appeared behind him.
"Fe—"
A minute later, Ferid was happily humming a tune while piloting the helicopter.
"La~ la~ la~ 383~"
"You seem quite happy."
Ferid was startled by the sudden voice from the co-pilot's seat, but he quickly regained his composure.
"I knew it couldn't have been an illusion. You're finally willing to show yourself."
"Oh? It seems you were prepared?"
As Ferid spoke, he tried to turn his head to see who it was, but the sight nearly caused him to lose control of the helicopter.
"I just felt someone in the shadows... Kyle?! How can it be you?!"
Kyle was satisfied with Ferid's reaction and mocked him.
"It seems your preparation was insufficient."
Ferid leveled the helicopter again, his heart churning like a stormy sea.
After organizing his thoughts, Ferid probed.
"You've become a demon?"
As he spoke, Ferid glanced around, but he didn't see any cursed gear or other living beings serving as a vessel for the demon.
"Your reaction is quite fast, but it's not entirely correct."
"True, a demon shouldn't have memories from before they became one, and you don't look like you have amnesia. So, why have you come to find this old friend? For revenge?"
Kyle sneered; Ferid truly was thick-skinned.
"I just saw something interesting and couldn't help but want to chat with you."
Ferid knew this referred to him consuming the two Vampires just now, which was a bit of a problem.
Kyle asked casually.
"What do you think would happen if I told the other Progenitors about this?"
Ferid made a sour face.
"Oh dear, that would be quite troublesome for me. Could I ask you to keep your mouth shut?"
"Oh? Is there any reason that could convince me?"
Ferid acted as if nothing was wrong.
"Tell me your real reason for coming. I still have the Queen's orders to carry out."
Kyle looked straight ahead; the helicopter was flying directly toward Nagoya.
"It's nothing much, really. My contractor wanted to thank you for your help last time."
Hearing this, Ferid felt a sense of relief.
"I knew it. The only one who could have turned you into a demon was Guren, who was also in Shinjuku at the time. With Hiiragi Mahiru's techniques, it's indeed possible for you to not lose your memories."
Kyle rolled his eyes at Ferid in his mind.
"There you go again, acting like you know everything."
Kyle was only saying what Luke had instructed; he had no idea about the secret dealings between Ferid and Guren.
"By the way, there's been a hitch in the plan, and it needs to be renegotiated. There might not be time in Nagoya, so he sent me to discuss it with you."
Half an hour later, with Nagoya not far away, Kyle phased through the helicopter's hull and left.
During that time, Ferid had probed further into the details of the plan, but Kyle, who was remotely connected to Luke, didn't falter at all.
Luke also maintained the right balance, having Kyle respond with "I don't know" to certain details—after all, would it be right for a demon to know everything so precisely?
Kyle returned to the demonic sword embedded in the helicopter's hull and stopped monitoring Ferid. In the process, he "accidentally" sliced off a small section of the rotor; the flight would be a bit shaky now, and landing would probably result in a minor tip-over.
Anyway, Luke had marked Ferid before setting out, so he wasn't afraid of Ferid trying any underhanded tricks—and of course, Guren wouldn't be able to find it.
Sanguinem.
Luke shook Krul, who was resting on his shoulder with her eyes closed.
"How soon are we leaving?"
Krul didn't open her eyes as she replied.
"If you're in a hurry, go ahead and leave first. I didn't ask you to wait for me."
"I was just asking."
"Then don't ask."
"Oh."
A while later.
Several nobles returned to Sanguinem.
"Lady Krul, Lord Luke, we have returned."
Krul opened her eyes and stood up, leaning on Luke for support.
"How many nobles are still out in Kansai?"
One of the nobles replied.
"There are probably four or five left. They are escorting a significant number of humans, so they might be slow."
Krul frowned.
"Aren't there specialized squads responsible for the humans?"
Luke nodded; he remembered that Mika, Lacus, and René were responsible for capturing humans from small villages and towns to send to the front lines.
The noble's voice was a bit shaky as he stammered.
"I... I don't know. It might be... because they're afraid the blood supply at the front won't be enough..."
In the blink of an eye, Krul was in front of him, her voice cold.
"Go and notify them to return as quickly as possible. My order was to return with haste, not to take their families on a tour!"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
The noble's voice cracked with fear. Although he knew she wasn't angry with him specifically, he had spent years in the Kansai territory and knew little about the Queen; there were no "whys" for what superiors did to subordinates.
Furthermore, the Queen's aura was so suffocating that if he were to be beaten, he would have no one to complain to, so he was constantly on edge.
The noble straightened up and prepared to leave to notify the nobles who hadn't arrived yet, glancing at Luke in the process.
Luke gave him a gentle smile and even waved.
"The Lord Ninth Progenitor seems quite easy to get along with; he must be a very reasonable superior."
You will get 30 chapter ahead for this fanfiction.
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