EPILOGUE
“And that concludes my report of the recent incident.” The avatar of research, Officer Clauvia Phillet, stated. She’d delivered the account in the royal family’s private room within the Astral Garden.
Her audience was one Alexios Ray O’ltriese, the emperor’s younger brother, who was presently residing in Camelot.
“Hmm. So the dragon Dark Lord was polluted by the Voids, went berserk, and then sank into the ocean around the Seventh Assault Garden, where it perished. A result that goes way beyond anything I would have ever imagined…”
“Excalibur Academy’s administration bureau is investigating the seabed, but its remains have seemingly vanished,” explained Clauvia. Her avatar, a white cat, bowed its head respectfully to the floating, mirror-surfaced sphere.
“The cause behind the corruption is unclear, yes?” Alexios confirmed.
“That matter is being investigated. However…,” Clauvia trailed off.
“What is it?”
“Immediately before the seal came undone, the Dark Lord seemed to react to something.”
“Hmm. ‘Something’?”
“I don’t know for sure. However, Duke Crystalia’s daughter happened to be present.”
“A survivor of the catastrophe from six years ago. That is quite fascinating,” Alexios remarked pensively.
“Of course, I’m inclined to believe it’s merely a coincidence, but it does bother me ever so slightly…,” Clauvia admitted while her avatar nodded.
“Very well. I’ll keep that in mind. Regardless, we’ve suffered a great loss. Perhaps the Dark Lords who opposed the gods in ancient times are simply too much for us to handle.”
“If I may be so forward, Your Highness, we—”
“Yes, I know. We must continue our search for others of Veira’s kind. Even if they beckon destruction upon us, they’re the only hope we have left.”
The arrival of a gigantic Void had cut the Holy Light Festival short. Excalibur Academy suspended classes for three days so that all could focus on repairing the destruction.
However, since the Sixth Assault Garden also suffered damage in the attack, the two massive islands remained coupled for much longer than intended. The exhibits that students had made were reopened during the break period. All sales were donated to help with reconstruction.
For how great the disaster was, the people of the Assault Gardens recovered from them quickly. Perhaps that resilience came naturally to people who fought the Voids.
Regina had explained to Leonis that “The Holy Light Festival is significant because it represents igniting the luminance of human civilization after a long period of darkness. It’s an important celebration, one they won’t cancel that easily. As far as humanity is concerned, this is a matter of pride.”
I see. Pride, is it? Yes, maybe that’s part of where humankind’s strength stems from.
“By the way, kid, I got a new maid’s uniform, and—,” Regina started.
“I am not dressing up in women’s clothes again!” Leonis shook his head with indignation.
Veira’s remains had conspicuously vanished from where she’d died. Perhaps she’d been too corrupted and disappeared as other Voids did. It seemed that Leonis’s attempt to resurrect her as an undead had failed. While he thought that was an unfortunate development, there was nothing to be done about it. Truth be told, Leonis knew the odds of succeeding on that front hadn’t been great to begin with.
Although the fight was over, one question still needled at Leonis’s mind: Why had Veira awakened from her thousand-year slumber when she did? It couldn’t have been a coincidence. Perhaps it was a reaction brought on by Leonis’s, a fellow Dark Lord’s, presence.
Either way, that man was undoubtedly involved.
Nefakess Reizaad, the Devil of the Underworld’s former attendant. Amid the chaos, he’d confronted Riselia and Sakuya. Leonis had thought himself wary, but he hadn’t anticipated that the man would get so directly embroiled. Leaving Shary alone as Riselia’s guard had been a mistake that Leonis greatly regretted.
As it happened, Leonis had sealed the demon that attacked Shary in a Prison of Truth to draw information out of it. The spell’s magic forced those captured within to talk. Already Leonis had learned that Nefakess had summoned the creature and had ordered it to capture Riselia. It didn’t seem to know anything else, though. Nefakess was after Riselia, seemingly because he thought she was responsible for Tearis Resurrectia’s destruction. He didn’t realize that the one to foil his plans in the Third Assault Garden was, in fact, the Undead King.
He will pay dearly for laying a hand on my minion, Leonis swore as he lay on his bed.
“Ah, good morning, Leo,” Riselia said as she entered the room. She was fresh out of the shower, it seemed, as her silvery locks were a bit damp.
“Have your injuries healed?” Leonis inquired.
“Yeah. A vampire’s regenerative powers are really impressive.”
Not a single scratch marred the young woman’s smooth skin.
“Hmm, actually, Leo, I need to consult you about something,” Riselia hesitantly mumbled as she sat on the bed.
“What’s wrong? Do you want my blood?”
“Y-yeah—I mean, no! That’s not what I meant!” Riselia’s face flushed, and she shook her head. “A-actually, I drank blood from someone else… Just a little bit.”
“…What?!”
During Riselia’s battle with Nefakess, she’d required more blood to keep up with the True Ancestor’s Dress’s mana needs and had sucked Arle Kirlesio’s blood.
“Leo, what am I going to do? I read that people bitten by vampires turn into vampires, too…”
Apparently, she learned as much from those books she’d gotten at the library when researching things for the haunted café. Riselia was anxious at the thought that Arle was an undead now because of her. Leonis, however, simply looked slightly disgruntled.
“Yes, it should turn her into an undead. If she’s fortunate, she’ll rise as a vampire, but most people become ghouls. Your turning into a Vampire Queen was a stroke of luck.”
“Wh-what are we going to do?!” Riselia squeaked, honestly panicked.
“I’m joking,” Leonis told her with a shrug.
Sucking on someone’s blood wasn’t enough to turn them into a vampire’s minion. However, Leonis did feel curiously upset that Riselia had partaken of another’s blood.
Could it be that I want her all for myself? No, that’s not quite it…
Still unsure of what to make of this odd feeling, Leonis coughed dryly. “J-just don’t suck blood from anyone other than me, please.”
“A-all right. I won’t,” agreed Riselia.
“Here you go, then.” Leonis held out his hand to her.
“Y-yeah. Thanks—and sorry…,” Riselia said sheepishly. Whatever shame or embarrassment she felt quickly evaporated, and the young woman began licking Leonis’s finger wantonly. “Schlrp… Mha… Nha… ”
The thrust of Riselia’s fangs brought on a sweet, rapturous twinge of pain that somehow felt oddly pleasant to Leonis.
“…Mmmhaa.”
As wet noises filled the room, Shary puffed up her cheeks grumpily. She’d come over so she could have Leonis try some of her cookies, but now she couldn’t bring herself to enter the room.
“I suppose I’ll have to come again later.”
Sighing, she turned around to leave.
And they turned out nice, this time. My lord can be such a dense idiot…
Still pouting, Shary took a bite out of one of the freshly baked sweets.
Mmm, it’s good.
The maid’s eyes positively sparkled. Cookies from the store were tasty, but homemade ones were better.
Crunch. Chew, chew… Crunch, chew, chew…
And before she knew it…
“…Ah! I ate my lord’s share, too!” Shary exclaimed, tearing up.
Booooooooooooom!
Suddenly, a rumbling thud shook the dormitory.
“…Wh-what?!”
“…What was that?”
Riselia and Leonis hurriedly opened the window from their second-floor room and peered outside. A massive crater had formed in the forest behind the dorm.
“Is it…a meteor?” Leonis asked in disbelief.
“…It could be the Voids!” Riselia stated sharply.
Yet as the cloud of dust hanging in the air cleared away…it became apparent that it wasn’t Voids or a meteor. A girl was standing in the center of the crater. She had flame-like crimson hair that billowed in the wind. There was something indescribably vivid and violent about her, and the beauty she exuded seemed otherworldly. Perhaps most unusual of all, two small horns were sprouting from her forehead. The young woman softly levitated into the air…and spotted the two staring dumbfounded from a window.
“Hey, where’s Leo? He’s here, isn’t he?” asked Veira, the Dragon Lord.
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