Darkness devoured this frozen city.
Under the eternal night, it seemed every existence had lost its inherent warmth… the walls, the streets, even time and life itself, all thoroughly frozen in this profound and despairing blackness.
Yet on this night.
This indifferent city received a visitation of light, though not the cold moonlight it had welcomed countless times before.
Instead—towering flames.
…
Billowing thick smoke carried ashes skyward, the soaring firelight illuminating the entire pitch-black night while also revealing the city’s original appearance.
Amid the ruins, a figure knelt in the center, silver hair matted to her cheeks with blood. Those once pristine and beautiful strands now lay dull and lifeless.
Her crimson gown was mercilessly torn, exposing the horrific wounds beneath. She supported herself with one hand, her scarlet eyes—still flowing with blood—brimming with rage and resentment.
“Ara ara~ Who would’ve thought the so-called Vampire Queen only amounted to this?”
From within the sea of flames came a voice laced with frivolity and amusement.
She saw it—that figure emerging from the depths of the fire, stepping over broken walls and rubble. Those crimson eyes, identical to her own, now overflowed with undisguised contempt.
“Klal…”
The Vampire Queen kneeling on the ground let out a hoarse roar. She struggled to rise once more, but the intense pain made her body sway, forcing her to remain powerless on her knees…
Watching her pitiful state, the contempt and mockery in Klal’s eyes deepened.
The corners of her mouth curved into a playful arc as she let out a few pleased and satisfied chuckles.
“Hm hm hm~ What an unsightly posture, Cassia Fironiya…”
Klal leaned forward slightly, gently pressing her crimson greatsword against the queen’s chin, forcing her to lift that face twisted in pain and fury.
“How does it feel, once-revered Vampire Queen, to be unable to even stand after losing your claws and fangs?”
Cassia glared at her fiercely, her eyes swirling with cold killing intent. Yet Klal merely chuckled lightly and retorted in a chilling voice.
“Inferior mongrel, a pathetic by-product of humanity’s ridiculous experiments… A defective patchwork scraped together in a laboratory dares to invade vampire territory and dream of becoming queen?”
She panted, yet still forced a scoff from her throat.
“What? A half-breed abomination, finally starving enough to come to this penned area in search of blood livestock to sate your hunger?”
Cassia’s scarlet eyes surged with undisguised disgust and disdain.
This place was Eternal Night City, the pasture where vampires raised human blood livestock.
And she, Cassia Fironiya, was the queen of this city—and indeed, of the entire vampire race.
But this Klal before her?
She was nothing more than a tragic creation born from human laboratories attempting to fuse vampire power!
A freak rejected by humans! And unrecognized by vampires!
Yet now, this mongrel dared to invade her grand hall! Trample her domain! Covet her throne!
“How does it feel to have both human and vampire blood flowing through your veins?”
“You can never escape this innate filth you’re born with.” Cassia continued her cold mockery.
“…”
The expression on Klal’s face vanished entirely. She merely gazed indifferently at the blood-soaked, wretched girl kneeling before her, the playful interest in her eyes long gone.
“How disappointing…”
She stated flatly, slowly raising her crimson greatsword—no longer toying, but hovering it directly at Cassia’s forehead.
“Go repent properly in hell.” Klal’s voice held not a single ripple.
Just as she prepared to cleave Cassia’s body in two with one swing.
Pat… pat…
A series of light footsteps from bare feet echoed from one side of the ruins.
A petite figure draped in a tattered black cloak burst out, then charged toward Klal without a shred of hesitation.
The dagger clutched tightly in her hand, her sudden assault clumsy to the point of foolishness and ridicule.
Klal didn’t even shift her gaze. She simply stepped back casually, raised her leg, and delivered a fierce kick.
Bang!
A dull impact resounded.
That kick landed heavily on the small figure’s abdomen, the immense force far beyond what that frail body could withstand.
“Ugh…!”
A suppressed cry of pain escaped from beneath the cloak. The figure flew backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing hard into the broken wall beside Cassia before sliding to the ground, motionless.
“Heh, truly beloved, aren’t you? I’m almost touched…”
Klal chuckled lightly, her gaze sweeping over Cassia’s suddenly constricted pupils.
However, before she could finish.
Crunch…
The faint sound of shifting rubble rose again.
Under Cassia’s stunned stare, the limp figure on the ground trembled once more, using slender arms to prop herself up bit by bit, staggering to her feet.
Her abdomen had caved in from broken ribs, uncontrollable pained gasps coming from beneath the black cloak.
Yet she stood firmly in the end, taking one step, then another, laboriously shuffling back in front of Cassia. She spread her arms once more, using that pitifully thin back as a final barrier, blocking the path of the crimson greatsword.
“What are you… doing…” Cassia’s hoarse voice squeezed from her throat, laced with incredulous fury.
“Protecting… Lady Cassia…” From beneath the hood came the girl’s young yet resolute voice.
“Who needs your ridiculous protection! Get out of the way!” Cassia shrieked hysterically.
Yet the girl merely shook her head in silence, straightening her frail spine.
“Ara~” Klal observed the scene with great interest. Then, her amused smile faintly stiffened. Her crimson pupils scrutinized the girl closely, as if discovering something.
“This aura… Vampire? No…”
Klal’s voice paused. She narrowed her eyes, examining the girl further, and in the next moment, her pupils widened in shock, her face filled with astonishment.
“A Juvenile Progenitor?!”
“Cassia, you’ve hidden it well… To think you found something like this…” She scoffed, continuing.
“And turned it into blood livestock? How creative of you.”
The girl remained silent, reaching out to slowly remove her hood.
The flickering firelight illuminated a face no older than eleven or twelve, yet that moonlight-silver hair and those pure ruby-like crimson eyes proclaimed her identity without doubt.
“My blood… contains power…” The girl endured her fear, her voice trembling.
“Please… spare Lady Cassia… I’ll do anything… Even if… even if it means becoming your blood livestock… I… I’m willing…”
Klal’s breathing quickened noticeably for a moment.
A willingly offered Juvenile Progenitor—its value far exceeded imagination.
“A wise choice.” She chuckled lightly, but her tone shifted sharply.
“But why should I care whether she lives or dies?”
The girl shook her head, reaching out to pull aside her collar, revealing the scarlet collar around her slender neck.
“Blood livestock… contract…” Her voice shook as she spoke.
“If my master dies, I die too.”
Klal stared at the collar, her expression flickering between light and shadow as she weighed the pros and cons.
After a moment, she seemed to concede, smiling as she said,
“…Very well.”
“Alice—!!!”
Cassia’s roar carried towering rage, her scarlet eyes fixed on the petite back blocking her path, the flames burning within nearly enough to incinerate herself and the ruins together.
“Who permitted you to do this!” Her voice twisted with anger.
“Do you think you’re saving me? You’re pushing me into an abyss of humiliation deeper than death!”
“I don’t need…” Cassia’s voice turned low and resolute.
“I don’t need anyone to redeem me! I don’t need anyone’s sacrifice to cling to life! And I certainly don’t need this throne stripped of dignity!”
Cassia’s bloodied fingers clenched tight, the blood streaming from her eyes making her face even more ferocious.
“But I need it!”
Alice whipped her head around, for the first time meeting Cassia’s eyes that blazed with anger and pride.
The tears she had been holding back finally fell, mixing with the dust on her cheeks to carve two trails down her pale little face.
Those crimson eyes, identical to Cassia’s, now overflowed with complex emotions… sorrow, grievance, and a near-stubborn, inexpressible feeling.
Cassia froze, staring blankly at Alice’s gaze, utterly unprepared for such a response.
This was the first time she had defied her orders.
The girl’s emotions grew even more agitated, the words buried in her heart bursting out in hoarse cries.
“I need you to live! Lady Cassia!”
“I know! I might just be a tool! An occasionally useful blood livestock! One that can be summoned or discarded at any time!”
“But to me, you’re not!”
“You pulled me from endless darkness and cold!”
“You gave me a name! You gave me a reason to exist!”
“You’re the only reason I have to keep living!”
Her voice choked with sobs, the pain in her eyes deepening.
“So… even if you forever see me as a tool, or treat me as a lowly blood livestock…”
“Please… let me save you… let me continue watching over you…”
As she pleaded, she tremblingly extended that slender hand, reaching to touch Cassia’s stunned face.
“Just once… let Alice make a choice for you…”
Cassia’s pupils shook violently as she stared blankly at the hand slowly approaching her cheek.
In the past, she would have felt revulsion and disgust—blood livestock daring to touch their master was blasphemy and insult!
But now… she was simply frozen.
And just as Alice’s hand was about to make contact.
“Alright~ That’s enough.”
Klal’s amused voice suddenly cut in. She reached out abruptly, pulling Alice into her arms and restraining her tightly.
“Your deal—I accept… But before that…”
Klal lowered her head, whispering into Alice’s ear in her embrace, though her playful gaze remained locked on Cassia’s ashen face.
“Let me inspect the goods first… Hm hm hm.”
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Very interesting start so far