[473] Death
The next day, August didn't go to Saikai Academy. In the early hours of the morning, the space around Itogami Island began to grow unstable.
Across the entire territory of the island, spatial distortions rippled through the air.
August knew this meant Yuma Tokoyogi had begun her move.
By tapping into the immense magical power within Kojou Akatsuki, she was forcing the prison barrier to manifest. But this was only the first step.
The spatial distortions were merely a prelude—the real show was yet to come.
"This city never changes, does it?"
"Heh, such an ugly thing. I'd love to destroy it!"
The two women were witches from the Library. The elder sister, Emma, was known as the "Ebony Witch," while her younger sister, Octavia, was the "Crimson Witch."
Both were first-class criminal mages. They had once caused a massive disaster in the Ashdown region of the North Sea Empire, earning the title "Witches of Ashdown."
Their purpose for coming to Itogami Island aligned with Aya Tokoyogi's—to free Aya, who was imprisoned in the prison barrier. However, unlike Yuma, they cared little for Aya herself. Their true goal was to recover the Dark Oath Grimoire, which Aya had stolen from the Library ten years ago.
Whether Aya lived or died was irrelevant to them. They weren't alone either—other Library operatives were working in the shadows.
"This is my master's domain. I can't let you wreak havoc here as you please."
A voice interrupted their thoughts.
"Who's there?"
"Show yourself!"
Emma and Octavia angrily scanned their surroundings.
In midair, they spotted a blonde woman with jet-black wings sprouting from her back.
Upon seeing her crimson eyes, the sisters immediately recognized her nature.
"A vampire?"
"Are you here to stop us?"
The two sisters sneered at Beatrice, hovering above them.
As witches, they too possessed "guardians," and theirs were stronger than many vampires. Over the years, they'd faced countless vampires in battle.
"No, I'm not here to stop you. I'm here to kill you. My master's plan doesn't require your presence—you're expendable."
"Arrogant fool!"
Enraged by her words, Emma unleashed her power. The ground beneath her feet began to shift.
Massive crimson tentacles burst through the earth, lashing toward Beatrice.
"Oh? Tentacles, huh? What a coincidence—my familiar is a whip."
A blood-red whip materialized in response. With a single lash, Beatrice repelled the guardian's tentacles.
"A weapon-type familiar? A Type-T vampire? I never expected to encounter such a rare specimen on Itogami Island."
Type-T vampires were the rarest of their kind. Originating from the Third Primogenitor, whose bloodline produced only female descendants, their numbers were further limited by her elusive nature.
"What a treat. I can't wait to tear you apart, you wretches!"
A flicker of anger crossed Beatrice's face. Specimen? Were they treating her like some pet?
The sin of "Wrath" infused her blood whip, casting it in a menacing scarlet glow that instilled fear in anyone who saw it.
"Damn vampire, who are you calling wretches?"
"Sister, kill her!"
Under the influence of the "Precept of Wrath," Emma and Octavia lost their composure, consumed by rage and recklessness.
The sisters pulled out their grimoires, and the air filled with a dense mass of enormous tentacles.
"Wrathful Blood Whip!"
The scarlet whip extended rapidly, swelling in size.
Crack!
With no resistance, the wrathful whip shredded every guardian tentacle in its path.
"Impossible! Octavia, together—we'll use the Library's power!"
"Yes, Sister!"
Boom!
Their grimoires flared with magical flames, igniting as the ground around them shattered. A swarm of massive tentacles erupted from below.
"Burning your magic too? As expected, under the precept of wrath, everyone turns into a brute."
Beatrice flashed a charming smile, though no one was around to appreciate it.
As the tentacles surged toward her, she remained unfazed. With a flick of her wrist, the wrathful blood whip multiplied, sprouting jagged thorns.
Her weapon was a familiar, merely taking the form of a whip.
Thud!
Despite the size difference, the tentacles stood no chance. The whip crushed them wherever it struck, reducing them to fragments.
"Damn it, this—"
Splatter!
Before Emma could finish her threat, a sharp pain pierced her chest. She looked down to see a thorn-covered blood whip impaling her. Beside her, Octavia's head had been pulverized.
In Beatrice's presence, the two witches were utterly outmatched.
Even Kojou Akatsuki, with a single awakened familiar, could be subdued by Beatrice—let alone these minor witches.
Retracting her whip, Beatrice licked the blood from its thorns. For a vampire, blood was the source of power.
"Disgusting taste. After sampling my master's blood, everything else in this world is trash."
She grimaced in distaste before her expression softened into one of adoration.
Last night, August had granted her a small portion of his blood. The taste had brought her unparalleled ecstasy and boosted her strength significantly.
But as a result, she'd lost all interest in anyone else's blood.
It was like eating a lavish feast and then being offered plain scrambled eggs—utterly unappealing.
Looking down at the corpses of Emma and Octavia, Beatrice raised her hand. A sphere of dark energy formed and plummeted toward the ground.
Boom!
The explosive darkness obliterated their bodies and a chunk of the earth, leaving no trace.
Destroying the evidence was as easy as that.
As time passed and noon approached, a beautiful young woman with a striking figure slowly opened her eyes at Kojou Akatsuki's home.
"Last night, Yuma, she…"
Memories surfaced. The previous evening, Yuma Tokoyogi had come to her, kissed her forcefully, and then everything had gone black.
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