The training ground fell silent again.
Olivier studied Gabriel for a few seconds.
Then—a faint smile appeared on her lips.
"I understand."
She didn't fully comprehend everything.
But she understood one crucial thing.
The technique was dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
Her sword slowly rose.
A sharp aura began to emanate from her body.
"Then…"
She lowered her stance slightly.
Her fighting posture set.
"Don't use that trick too often."
Her gaze sharpened, focused.
"…or this sparring will become too boring."
Gabriel let out a small sigh.
"Don't worry."
He slowly drew his katana from its sheath.
A thin glint of steel caught the daylight.
A few seconds of silence.
The wind brushed across the Alexandria training ground.
Both moved.
At the exact same moment.
The ground beneath their feet cracked in unison.
The two figures dashed forward.
Their swords met in the center of the field.
CLANG.
Sparks flew—and this time, their sparring truly began.
***
A few days had passed.
Under the scorching midday sun, the familiar sights of Lawless City stretched out as usual.
The market buzzed with slave traders, illegal weapons dealers, peddlers of strange drugs, and goods so dubious they could hardly be called "legal" anywhere.
The harsh sounds of bargaining mixed with street hawkers' shouts and the laughter of people clearly not of good repute.
In one narrow alley of the city, Claire Kagenou walked with an aura that reeked of danger.
Her face wore a smile.
But the smile was far too dark to be called normal.
"Cid, that fool…" she murmured in a voice that sounded sweet but carried a threat. "I told him to watch over Gabriel… so why is he the one who's missing now?"
A small laugh escaped her lips.
"Hehehe~ looks like I'll have to tie him up and lock him in a room."
Her bangs fell over her crimson eyes.
"Don't worry, my sweet little siblings… your big sister will take very-very good care of you both~"
The words sounded gentle.
Too gentle.
A few passersby instinctively stepped aside as she passed, shivering without knowing why.
Beside her—or more precisely, slightly behind her—Gabriel Michaelis was being dragged across the ground like a suitcase.
A black choker was fastened around his neck.
The choker was connected to a chain held by Claire.
A truly unusual sight.
"Nee-sama," Gabriel said in a flat, lazy tone. "You sound like a villain saying that."
Claire paused for a moment.
Gabriel continued without changing his expression.
"And besides… I can walk on my own. Stop dragging me."
Suddenly, Claire tugged the chain a little harder.
CLINK.
The chain tightened.
"Gah…!!!"
Gabriel choked slightly and furrowed his brows.
Claire slowly turned toward him.
Her smile was bright—almost unsettling.
"Villain?" she repeated.
Then she leaned forward slightly.
"This isn't a villain's action."
The chain wobbled with her pull.
"This is called a responsible big sister's action. Unlimited affection!"
She continued walking.
Still dragging Gabriel along.
"Do you know why I'm doing this?"
Her tone shifted, tinged with irritation.
"Because both of you are annoying."
She glanced over briefly.
"Cid and you."
Claire clicked her tongue.
"I get it—twins usually have a lot in common…"
She tugged the chain again.
"But both of you are way too similar."
Gabriel was dragged half a step forward.
Claire continued her scolding.
"Especially in one thing."
She let out a long sigh.
"You both like disappearing without a trace."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Cid suddenly vanishes off somewhere."
She pointed at Gabriel with the chain.
"And you're no different."
Claire raised her brows, annoyed.
"If you're not in the abandoned warehouse, you show up in the market for no reason…"
She sighed, exasperated.
"Or I might find you standing alone in some narrow alley, spouting nonsense that no one can understand."
Claire stared at Gabriel flatly.
"Seriously, what are you actually doing when you're alone like that?"
She held her gaze on him for a few seconds after the question hung in the air.
Gabriel didn't answer immediately.
He simply remained silent, his face as expressionless as ever.
Claire clicked her tongue softly.
"See?" she said, annoyed. "You're not even answering."
Gabriel let out a small sigh.
"Because there's nothing that needs explaining."
Claire narrowed her eyes.
"That's even more suspicious."
Gabriel glanced slightly to the side, surveying the busy streets of Lawless City.
Slave traders.
Mercenary fighters.
People living without laws.
Some of them even paused for a moment, staring at the unusual sight—a beautiful girl walking while dragging a man along with a chain.
Gabriel spoke flatly.
"I'm just walking."
Claire glared at him sharply.
"Walking into narrow alleys while talking to yourself?"
Gabriel was silent for a few seconds.
"…That's not talking to myself."
Claire raised an eyebrow.
"Then what is it?"
Gabriel replied, his face still expressionless.
"Nee-sama wants to know?"
Claire stopped walking.
Completely stopped.
She stared at Gabriel with a blank expression for several full seconds.
Then she rubbed her temple.
"I don't want to know."
Gabriel shrugged slightly.
"But earlier, you wanted to know."
Claire cut him off immediately.
"I changed my mind."
She started walking again.
The chain tugged again, dragging Gabriel behind her as if he were nothing more than a large suitcase rather than a person.
The scraping against the ground left dust and dirt clinging to Gabriel's pants.
Yet his expression remained flat.
As if it were no big deal.
Meanwhile, Claire kept walking without a hint of guilt, and Gabriel, being dragged along like this, quietly used the situation to think.
Silently.
His mind raced.
If his calculations were correct…
The flow of the world should now be approaching the incident with the Vampire Queen Elizabeth.
A major event that would shake Lawless City.
But Gabriel didn't dwell on it too much.
Because when it came to matters like that—Cid would appear from who-knows-where and handle it in his own way.
It was practically a law of nature.
So Gabriel chose to think about something else.
Something far more interesting to him at the moment.
Yukime.
It had been a long time since they last truly "played." And now that he was in Lawless City… it would be a waste to let this opportunity pass.
Gabriel glanced at the sky for a moment.
The midday sky over Lawless City looked pale and dusty.
He counted silently in his mind.
There was still time.
Nine more days.
Before he had to return to the Infinity Room.
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
Barely noticeable.
"Hmm…" he murmured softly.
"Nine days should be enough for some fun."
***
Time passed.
Night swallowed the skies over Lawless City.
But tonight was different from usual.
In the cloudless sky, a full moon hung—deep red, like fresh blood spilled into the darkness.
To most people, the change seemed simple. Just a moon appearing larger… and redder than usual.
But in reality, it was far more terrifying.
The phenomenon was not merely visual.
Mana energy in the atmosphere began to vibrate unstably. Far below, even the Mana Leylines (Ryumyaku) running through the earth resonated, as if responding to the call of the blood-red moon in the sky.
That resonance spread throughout the city, and its effects quickly became apparent.
The ghouls began to change.
Their bodies grew stronger, their instincts wilder, and their madness surged uncontrollably.
They rampaged through every corner of the city.
Screams filled the streets.
Panic spread like a plague.
Lawless City—which had already been steeped in chaos from the start—tonight truly descended into madness.
In a narrow, dark alley, Claire sat on the cold ground.
Her body trembled faintly.
Resting in her lap was the head of a young man with black hair, tangled and matted with fresh blood.
Claire held his head tightly with both hands.
So tightly that even the slightest release seemed as if the figure would vanish completely.
"Sorry…"
Her voice was barely a whisper, almost drowned out by the chaos raging far beyond the alley.
"Please… forgive your sister…"
Her head hung low.
Her bangs partially obscured her face, yet the trembling of her shoulders betrayed the feelings she could not hide.
"If only… if only I had…"
The words hung unfinished.
Her lips parted slightly, yet no sound came out.
It was as if continuing the sentence would be too painful to speak—merely thinking it felt like a knife twisting in her own chest.
A few steps behind her, Mary stood, staring at Claire's back.
"So…" Mary spoke slowly, "you were the one looking for a child with black hair and black eyes."
Claire didn't turn around.
"I… before—"
"I've already found him."
Claire cut her off.
Mary fell silent.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at the figure Claire was holding.
"He's one of my siblings…" Claire continued softly.
"But…"
Mary lowered her head a little.
Her voice remained calm.
"The corpse of that child… doesn't have black eyes."
Claire froze.
"…Huh?"
She slowly looked down at the head in her lap, then lifted the corpse's face slightly.
And indeed.
The half-open eyes—were not black.
Claire stared at the face longer.
A frown creased her forehead.
Confusion replaced the grief.
"…Who are you?" she murmured softly.
_____
Author's note:
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