"So you're the only one left." Aegis said as he crossed his arms and looked out the castle's massive window. Outside, the sky was still stained with a strange whiteness, as if time itself hadn't yet decided whether to move forward or stop altogether.
Yue stood there. Saying nothing, just watching him from the side.
There was no sound, not even the wind.
Then, she stepped forward.
She extended her hand slowly, as if unsure. But she ended up taking his.
Her skin was as cold as it was soft. Thin and very fragile. Aegis instinctively looked down and gazed at it, just as she did the same.
Although her face showed no expression, a flood of emotions sparkled in her crimson eyes.
"I... don't want to go back."
Aegis looked at her calmly, letting her speak if she wanted to—or not. He didn't seem bothered.
Yue tightened her grip on his hand.
"I know it doesn't make sense... we barely know each other... But when I'm with you... I feel free. Like I'm not... alone."
In truth, it wasn't surprising. Aegis had already foreseen it. He knew exactly what kind of place Yue would return to if he sent her back.
A dark, silent, dead abyss.
And if she ever managed to escape… it would be even worse. A world that hated her for being what she was. A cursed race, feared for its power. The church would hunt her down. The false god, watching from the other side, would wait for the right moment to trap her and steal her body.
And this time, there would be no Hajime to save her. She might not find any companions. She would wander alone.
"Does that mean you want to stay here with me?"
Yue's small head nodded fervently several times.
"Mm… I want to be with you forever, Yuu…"
"Are you absolutely sure?"
"Mm... very sure. I don't have a home. My own family betrayed me... they tried to kill me, and when they failed... they locked me away in that abyss... But you... Yuu, you pulled me out of that darkness."
Her fingers trembled slightly as she held his hand.
"Then stay," Yuu said with a calm smile. "Do whatever you want. There's no turning back anyway."
From the beginning, he had planned to keep this little vampire with him.
Yue looked at him in silence for a few seconds, then poured her feelings into her words:
"Mm… Yuu is my new home now."
It was as if all the tension she had held until then melted away. The empty expression, the firm mask she always wore, shattered without anyone forcing it. What remained was a small, gentle smile.
Yuu, who after countless years of coldness and emptiness was no longer good with deep emotions, found that expression refreshing—it loosened something in his chest.
"That's better," he murmured, lifting his hand to her head.
Yue's hair was soft, and her head was small. She closed her eyes without saying a word, like a cat being petted. She looked happy.
"Mm… Yuu... don't you get bored staying here?"
"Of course I do. This castle is pretty, but nothing happens. I get bored just thinking about spending another day here."
It was his first day here, and he already wanted to escape.
"…I thought you lived here."
Yuu fell silent for a moment.
"No. This castle belongs to someone else. A woman named... well, I call her Olddy."
He showed a slightly bitter smile. He suddenly realized he didn't know much about that existence—not even her real name.
He stared into nothing for a few seconds, eyes distant.
"But she's no longer here. So… you could say I'm looking after it. For now."
Until she comes again.
Yue opened her eyes. She felt Aegis's sadness and loneliness through the connection they now shared, and squeezed his hand, as if telling him she was here for him now.
"So, where will we go?"
Yuu glanced sideways at her.
"I suppose you've never been outside of Tortus, have you?"
Tortus was the world she used to live in.
"Mm... no. If it weren't for Yuu... I wouldn't even know other worlds existed..."
"Great. Then let's go. I'll take you to my world. I want to show you all the interesting things it has to offer."
Yue nodded without hesitation.
"Mm... If Yuu is there, then it's fine."
Yuu intertwined his fingers with hers a little tighter. And then, the space around them changed as if someone had turned the page of a book.
The castle vanished without a sound.
×××
A moment later, they appeared in an empty park. The wind blew gently, and the streetlights lit up the lonely paths.
Yue blinked a couple of times.
"…Where are we?"
"Kuoh City. There are also supernatural beings around here, though they're hidden. So it's not really a dangerous place."
Yue raised her head and looked at the starry sky. She closed her eyelids and inhaled deeply. After a few seconds, she said:
"So this is what freedom smells like..."
She had been trapped deep inside a dungeon for hundreds of years, where she smelled only dampness day after day. This time, she enjoyed the scents of the earth, grass, and flowers for the first time.
Yuu put his hands behind his back and looked up at the night sky.
"This is where your new life begins."
And mine. He added. Because this time, he wasn't alone.
Yue didn't respond, she just walked up to him and took his hand again.
Yuu looked at her small figure for a moment. He wanted to stay like this. That unfamiliar yet comforting feeling of their connection that had bloomed in his chest. And he would work hard to make sure it always stayed that way.
"Come on, my house isn't far from here," Yuu said, pulling Yue's hand as they began walking along the park sidewalk.
The night was quiet. Not many people were out at that hour. The only sounds were the chirping of crickets and the occasional hum of a car passing by on the distant road. Yue walked beside him, her crimson eyes darting curiously from side to side.
A car turned the corner. Its headlights briefly lit up the path in front of them, causing Yue to suddenly stop.
"Is that… a monster?"
She asked, taking a step back and looking at the car like it might leap at them.
Yuu watched the car pass, then looked at Yue, unsure whether to laugh or not.
"No. It's a car. Just a means of transportation. Like a kind of metal carriage that moves on its own."
"It moves on its own…? Mmm... Then it is a monster."
"No, it doesn't have a will. Humans drive it." Yuu smiled, nodding toward the driver visible through the windshield. "You see that person inside, right? He's the one controlling it."
Yue stared, then slowly nodded.
"Mmm… then it's like a tamed beast…"
"Something like that, I guess," Yuu said with an ironic smile. "Are you interested?"
She murmured while watching another car go by.
"Mm. I'd like to open one. I want to see how it works..."
"You can't just open up a car like that. It's illegal."
"Illegal?"
"It means you'll get in trouble if you do it. There are laws here."
"…Even for lifeless things?"
"Yup. So try not to kick or break anything yet. Okay?"
In truth, Yuu didn't really care about laws. However, it would be troublesome to see this little vampire, unfamiliar with the modern world, kicking and breaking things she found strange.
Should he buy a car? That way she could play with it and satisfy her curiosity.
"Mm… understood."
They kept walking in silence for a few seconds. Yue snuggled closer to his arm, observing each house, every streetlight, and every passing car with curious eyes. Everything was new to her.
Then, they reached a house surrounded by a garden full of colorful flowers that gave off a pleasant scent.
"Mm... is this your house, Yuu?"
"Umu."
"Smells nice."
"Right? I planted and took care of those flowers myself."
"…Do you like flowers, Yuu?"
"Of course. They give color to the world."
"Fufu... I've learned a little more about Yuu..."
The door closed with a soft click behind them.
Yuu turned on the hallway light, and the living room lit up. He wouldn't call it particularly luxurious. It was a normal place, but above all, comfortable. Wooden floors, white walls, a new sofa, a TV, a coffee table with glasses on it, and a kitchen in the back.
Yue stared at the ceiling lightbulb.
"No magic?"
"No," Yuu replied as he took off his shoes. "It's electricity."
"Electricity?"
"A form of energy. You can think of it as lightning magic. Around here, most things run on it."
Yue nodded slowly, but she didn't seem to fully understand. Watching Yuu's actions, she crouched down to take off the boots he had created for her. Yuu had already hung up his jacket and was down to his T-shirt by the time she finished.
"You're curious about everything, huh?"
"Mm."
Yuu glanced at the clock. It was late, and the day had been long. Not just because of everything that had happened at the castle, but also everything that had come before. Since he had arrived in this world.
'Ah, right… It's been several weeks. I need to get used to normal human days again.'
"I think I need a bath."
He opened a closet and took out a towel. Then he turned on the TV to give Yue something to watch for a while.
On-screen, Godzilla roared as he destroyed the city. Humans were running, explosions erupting everywhere. A decent introduction to the world of movies.
"Yue, this is—"
But before Yuu could finish his sentence, a sharp sound filled the room. A blast.
"...!"
A fireball flew straight from Yue's hand to the television. The screen shattered. Smoke rose from the device, crackling. The smell of burnt plastic filled the air.
Yuu blinked twice.
Tf
Yue was still in an attack stance, her narrowed eyes fixed on the ruined TV.
"It looked suspicious..."
Yuu covered his face with one hand.
"Look, Yue... That was a television. It shows moving images. The point is to sit and watch for entertainment."
Yue frowned.
"Entertainment...? So, it's not real?"
"No. It's a fictional movie. It's made with special effects, and what you saw doesn't actually exist here."
That meant it wasn't a real enemy.
"Ah…"
She looked at him, lowering her head.
"I'm sorry…"
Yuu sighed. Then he laughed.
"It's fine. I'll make another one later."
He walked over and, still sighing, gently ruffled her hair. The gesture made her blink, but she didn't pull away. She even closed her eyes, enjoying the contact.
"I'm going to take a bath. Try not to destroy anything else while I'm gone, okay?"
"…Mm."
Yuu walked to the bathroom without hurrying, the towel hanging over one shoulder. His bare feet made soft sounds against the cold floor. He shut the door with a light tap of his heel and exhaled.
"Definitely a long day."
He turned on the hot water. The sound of the faucet filling the bathtub was the only thing heard for a while. Steam began to fill the room.
He undressed without much thought and slowly slid into the water with a long sigh. The warmth sank into his muscles as if melting them. He closed his eyes, and his expression softened into a relaxed smile.
"A hot bath after decades of fighting…"
The steam was thick, and his mind started to drift.
But then—click—the door opened.
Yuu cracked his eyes open. Through the mist, he saw a figure approaching. A slim silhouette, with a white towel wrapped just enough to cover her chest and between her legs. The steam made her look like she was floating.
It was Yue.
He sat up a little.
"…What are you doing?"
She gave a faint smile, her lips curving with confidence.
"Fufu~ I'm here to bathe with you."
"…Haah?"
"Mm… You said technology runs on electricity, right? Then… I want to understand how baths work here…"
Yuu wasn't sure if that logic made any sense.
But the truth was, she was already taking off the towel.
He sighed.
He was definitely going to have to get used to this new life from now on.
×××
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