Ishara suddenly paused mid-step.
Her violet eyes sharpened as she turned her head slightly—fixing her gaze directly at a large boulder partially concealed by overgrown vines.
Behind the rock, Zakar stiffened.
A bead of cold sweat rolled down his neck.
She's looking this way… did she sense me?He clenched his jaw and glanced at the unconscious Selena in his arms. No time to hesitate.
With a silent curse, he sheathed his sword—only to draw it again and thrust it toward Selena's chest in one swift motion.
But before the blade could reach her—
CRACK!
Ishara vanished.
In the blink of an eye, she reappeared beside him, her delicate hand catching the incoming sword mid-air—like it was nothing more than a falling twig.
Her fingers wrapped around the blade as if it posed no threat at all. No injury. No struggle.
Her voice, cold as winter steel, pierced the air:
"Do you truly believe a Dread-class demon can kill the daughter of a Deity-class magician?"
Zakar's eyes widened in shock.
She… she knows?!
He staggered back instinctively, his hand trembling on the sword hilt. His mind raced.
Even Krazun doesn't know my true rank… how—how could she?
As he looked into Ishara's glowing violet eyes, a chill ran down his spine. It wasn't just her power.
It was the way she looked at him.
Like she had peeled away his every mask, his every lie. Like she had seen every memory, every secret, every sin.
From atop the tree, Mia's lips parted slightly as she leaned closer to Elira.
"Elira… did you see that?" she whispered, eyes wide with wonder. "She vanished."
Elira, still staring at the empty spot where Ishara had stood, nodded without thinking."Yeah, Mia. She's a high-class magician. She probably used some teleportation spell."
But Mia shook her head, her brows furrowing."No… that's not it. She vanished without even using mana. No incantation. No ripple in the air."
That made Elira pause. Her gaze shifted again toward the forest floor.
Now she was paying attention.
Just then, something darted through the trees—fast, black, and silent as death.
Elira's eyes widened."Mia—did you see that?!"
"See what—?"
Before Mia could finish, a deafening CRACK echoed through the woods.
Far off in the distance, a massive tree shook violently—its thick trunk splitting in half as something smashed into it with monstrous force.
It was Zakar.
He lay slumped against the shattered tree, blood trickling from the side of his mouth, saliva mixing with the dirt. He coughed, dazed, his body twitching from the impact.
In the clearing, Ishara reappeared, calm as ever.
Raising her hand, she conjured a radiant golden orb, humming with pure energy. The ground beneath her feet cracked under the pressure of her mana.
Zakar's eyes widened in horror.
No—she's going to kill me!
With trembling hands, he yanked a scroll from his robes and cracked it desperately.
The scroll shimmered—and just as Ishara hurled the golden sphere at him, his figure vanished in a burst of dark magic.
The orb hit the earth with a resounding BOOM.
A blinding explosion followed, a shockwave tearing through the forest—uprooting trees and turning the earth into scorched rubble. Ash and dust flew high into the air.
Elira and Mia clung to their branch, shielding their faces as the wind whipped past them.
Down below, Ishara clicked her tongue.
"Tch. Coward."
She slowly lowered her hand, her expression unreadable as golden light faded from her palm.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As Zara approached the area where the massive explosion had occurred, she slowed her pace. Smoke still lingered in the air, and the ground was scorched black. Cracked trees leaned awkwardly, and the atmosphere was thick with residual mana.
In the distance, she saw several figures standing quietly.
Who are they?
Moving cautiously, Zara crept closer through the brush until the figures became clear.
She froze for a moment.
Mia and Elira were standing silently before Ishara, their heads lowered in worry as they looked down at a motionless figure—Selena.
Without hesitation, Zara broke into a run.
"Miss! How is Selena?!" she called out, her voice rising with panic.
Ishara turned her head toward Zara, her expression softening slightly.
"She's fine," Ishara said calmly. "Thanks for informing me."
Zara quickly waved her hand. "Don't thank me—Selena's my friend!"
At that, Ishara looked between Zara, Mia, and Elira. Her usually composed face turned solemn.
"Girls," she said, her voice unusually gentle, "can you hear me out?"
Zara stepped forward. "Yes, Miss?"
Still staring at Selena, Ishara slowly clenched her gloved hand.
"My daughter… since the day I adopted her, she's never had friends. She only trained, fought, and lived under revenge thoughts. I've watched her grow up in solitude."Her voice wavered slightly, but she continued, "And now, finally… she's made friends."
Ishara turned to them, her blindfold catching the dimming light of the forest.
"So I ask you," she said softly, "please… take care of her. When I'm not around, protect her, and remind her she's not alone."
Zara glanced at Mia and Elira, who both nodded without hesitation.
Zara stepped closer to Ishara and smiled."Don't worry, Miss. Selena is our friend. We'll take care of her."
For a moment, Ishara remained silent, her gaze fixed on Selena's peaceful face.
Then, as if the weight on her shoulders lightened just a bit, she let out a small, genuine smile.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vampire Realm
Carl nervously glanced at the woman staring at him. With a hesitant smile, he raised his hand and waved.
"H-Hi… hehe."
The lady returned the gesture with a faint smile, though there was nothing warm about it.
"Hello, my drink," she said, her voice silky and unsettling.
Carl's eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of her fangs.
"U-Uh, beautiful lady, do you mind if I spend the night here?" he asked, forcing a grin.
Hearing the compliment, the woman tilted her head and placed a hand gently on her pale neck.
"Fufu~ You may... but I'll be drinking your blood all night long."
"Ah—on second thought, no need!" Carl blurted, turning on his heel and hurrying toward the exit.
Just as he approached the doorway, he heard strange, distorted whispers.
"Ifdijp…"
He froze.
Slowly, he turned back to look at the mysterious woman.
She let out a soft chuckle, her eyes glittering with amusement.
"Wow, you're scared of those little dhampirs? Interesting. And by the way... I was joking about the blood thing," she added with a teasing smile.
Carl exhaled deeply in relief and cautiously walked back, settling himself a fair distance from her—close enough to talk, far enough to run if things went south.
The woman noticed his caution and gave him a sly smile.
"So, how did a human like you enter this realm? You do realize dhampirs still can't control their bloodlust, right? And you're not exactly strong."
Carl scratched his head awkwardly. "I didn't mean to come here. I just... fell into some kind of vortex and ended up in this place. And those people... you called them dhampirs?"
Her smile widened, this time with genuine interest.
"Yes, they are dhampirs. Half-breeds with unstable cravings. Do you want me to throw you out of this realm?"
Carl's eyes lit up with hope—but then he registered her choice of words.
"Throw me out?"
His expression dimmed slightly, and he gave an awkward wave.
"No need… I-I'll find my own way out, thanks."
The lady, still amused and clearly not done toying with him, leaned forward slightly.
"What's your name, boy? Oh wait—maybe I should introduce myself first, hmm?"
Carl watched warily as she placed one hand elegantly on her thigh and began murmuring to herself, almost too low to hear.
"Should I tell him my name? Maybe even my rank? But if I do that... then he has to become my lover, and I'll have to drink his blood until he dies. Tch, what a waste that would be…"
Carl's face twitched.
What kind of crazy flag did I just trigger?!
Without another word, he abruptly stood up and began backing away toward the door, waving his hands nervously.
"Ahaha! D-Don't mind me! You really shouldn't tell me anything about yourself! I'm nobody! Really! Just passing through!"
The lady saw the look on Carl's face and couldn't hold back any longer—she burst into laughter.
A rich, melodic sound filled the dim hall, echoing off the gothic stone walls.
Carl blinked in confusion, completely puzzled by her sudden outburst.
Did I miss the punchline?
She wiped the corners of her eyes with a slender finger, still chuckling.
"Ah… you humans are so much fun," she said, her voice laced with amusement. "Relax, boy. I was just joking."
Carl slowly lowered his guard, though his eyebrows remained furrowed in suspicion.
The lady crossed one leg over the other and offered him a teasing, almost regal smile.
"My name is Lilith Virelai… and I am…"
She paused for dramatic effect, her silver eyes glowing faintly in the candlelight.
"…one of the Seven Blood viscount of the Vampire Realm."
Lilith looked at Carl again, clearly expecting to see fear—maybe awe, or at the very least, a bit of trembling.
But instead…
Her expression twitched.
"…Aren't you shocked?" she asked, raising a perfectly arched brow.
Carl blinked and tilted his head slightly. "Uh… can I ask something?"
Lilith narrowed her eyes, intrigued. "Go on."
"What exactly does 'one of the Seven Viscounts of the Vampire Realm' mean? And… why such a long, fancy title?"
Lilith's mouth slowly dropped open.
she look at him with a stunned expression. "that's supposed to be intimidating!"
Carl scratched the back of his head, completely unfazed. "Oh. My bad. It just sounded like one of those over-the-top titles from a fantasy game. I thought you were trying to impress me or something."
Lilith stared at him in silence for a moment.
Then she sighed deeply, slumping back in her chair like a queen whose throne had just been mocked by a clueless commoner.
"…You're either brave or too dense for your own good."
Carl smiled confidently. "Can it be both?"