"At last we meet," The woman said, her accent carrying the weight of old European nobility. "I am Elene Carmilla, leader of the Carmilla faction."
I studied her for a moment, noting the facade in how she held herself. Confident and Dangerous masked with hostility.
"And you're here because?" I asked, keeping my tone casual.
"You're just as arrogant as Elmenhilde told me," Elene said, though there was something almost amused in her voice as she looked me over.
"Confidence in oneself is often mistaken for arrogance," I replied evenly. "What's the purpose of your visit? And just so we're clear—if you're here for Valerie, you can save us both some time because that's not happening."
A smirk played at the corners of her lips as she crossed her arms "I have no interest in Valerie anymore."
*That wasn't what I expected.* My eyes narrowed slightly. Did Something happen from the lack of information about the original timeline.
"Then what are you after?"
"I want you," she said simply, as I raised my brow "Not Valerie."
I blinked, then let out a sigh. "Although I'll admit you're beautiful, your arrogant attitude is a huge turn-off for me. So I have to decline your offer."
Elene's eye twitched, and I caught the flash of irritation that crossed her perfect features.
"She doesn't mean in that way!" Elmenhilde interjected quickly, panic creeping into her voice. "Lady Elene would never agree to have a relationship with a lowly human—"
I side-glanced at Elmenhilde, letting just enough killing intent leak through to make my point. "Did you already forget the beating you took days ago?"
Elmenhilde's mouth snapped shut so fast I heard her teeth click. She actually took a step back, and I saw genuine fear flash across her face.
*Good*
Elene watched this exchange with renewed interest, her red eyes studying me more carefully.
"What I want is an alliance with you," she said, regaining her composure.
I raised an eyebrow. "Alliance?"
Her expression grew serious, the playful predator replaced by something much more calculating. "Tell me, do you know about the Khaos Brigade?"
*What does Khaos Brigade have to do with—* The implications hit me like a punch to the gut. This was way ahead of schedule.
"Don't even think about it" Elene must have seen something in my expression because she glared at me sharply. "I serve no one," she said, her voice carrying centuries of pride and authority.
I waited, letting the silence stretch until she continued.
"After your massacre within the Tepes faction," she said, watching my reaction carefully, "the Khaos Brigade took control over the remaining Tepes vampires. A man with a spear, claiming himself a member of Khaos Brigade, showed up in front of my castle." Her composure cracked slightly. "He told me to surrender within a week, or else he and his subordinates would kill all the vampires in my faction along with me."
*Cao Cao.* I immediately recognized who she was talking about. But why would he interfere with vampire politics this early?
"Why are you telling me about all this?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral. "I have nothing to do with vampire affairs."
"That man said he wants to know about the one behind the massacre of the Tepes. He's looking for the one behind it." Her red eyes locked onto mine. "So I want to form an alliance with you to deal with the Khaos Brigade. We both have common enemies, afterall"
I could see it in her posture, the confident way she held herself. She expected this to be an easy negotiation, thought I would agree simply because we were both being threatened.
"I understand the threats you're describing from the Khaos Brigade," I said after a moment, "but I have to refuse your offer. I'll be fine on my own."
Surprise flickered across her features, quickly replaced by annoyance "You're letting your arrogance cloud your judgment."
"Maybe," I shrugged. "But I won't ally with you. If that's all, then you can leave."
The temperature in the clearing seemed to drop several degrees. Elene's smile turned razor-sharp, all pretense of diplomacy evaporating.
"I could reveal to him about your location. So think carefully" she said, her voice carrying a dangerous edge. "It would be over for you."
I let my own killing intent flare, just enough to remind her what I was capable of. "I have the support of the Gremory family. And even if that's not enough, then I have more tricks under my sleeve which will be enough to deal with the Khaos Brigade."
We stared at each other for a long moment, neither backing down. The forest around us had gone completely silent, as if even the wildlife could sense the tension.
Finally, Elene's smile returned, though it held no warmth whatsoever.
"It was nice talking with you," she said in a tone that suggested the complete opposite.
Both vampires dissolved into swarms of bats, the sound of their wings fading into the distance as they disappeared into the night sky.
---
I stood there for several minutes after they left, letting my heart rate return to normal while processing what had just happened.
*Worried? Yes. Scared? No.*
But Cao Cao looking for me specifically changed everything. The Hero Faction had resources I couldn't match alone, connections that can rival factions across the supernatural world. And if Elene decided to sell me out...
*What should I do if she reveals my whereabouts? Should I move from Kuoh to somewhere else?* The thought crossed my mind, but I dismissed it almost immediately. *How far can I go? I can't spend my life running away.*
No. I'd rather face whatever was coming head-on than live like a fugitive. I had to be prepared when Cao Cao come for me, and to do that, I would use the evil pieces that Ajuka gave me to make Valerie and Asia stronger. It wouldn't be a one-on-one fight—it never was with the Khaos Brigade.
*Time to contact Chysis to arrange a meeting with Ajuka to use the evil pieces*
---
"Akira?" Valerie's voice was laced with worry as I entered into the house. She and Asia were waiting in the living room, Ingrid hovering protectively between them and the door. Both girls looked at me with concerned expressions. "What happened out there?"
I looked at their faces—Asia's hands clasped nervously in front of her, Valerie trying to project confidence while her grip on her practice sword betrayed her tension.
*I won't let them worry about this.*
"Nothing happened," I said with what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "It was just Rias and Akeno that were testing some spells."
Both girls visibly relaxed, sighing in relief.
"I'm going upstairs to my room," I said, heading for the stairs. "Good work on the training today, both of you."
---
In my room, I closed the door and went straight to my drawers, searching through them until I found what I was looking for. The pink crystal Chysis had given me was tucked away in the back, still wrapped in silk cloth.
*It works by pouring mana into it, and Chysis will get the message. She'll be here as soon as she can.*
I unwrapped the crystal carefully. It was warm to the touch, humming with stored magical energy that seemed to pulse like a heartbeat.
Taking a deep breath, I poured my mana into it.
The crystal began to glow with soft pink light, the illumination growing steadily brighter and brighter until I had to squint against the radiance. The warmth in my palm increased until it was almost uncomfortable.
Then it cracked.
The fractures spread across the surface like a spider web, and with a sound like breaking glass, the crystal shattered completely. Pink dust scattered across my palm, the glowing particles already beginning to fade into nothingness.
*Message sent.*
Now I just had to wait for Chysis to arrive and hope that Ajuka was willing to accelerate our timeline. Because if Cao Cao was already making moves, I didn't have the luxury of taking things slow anymore.
. . .
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