Cid froze.
Of the three streams of magical energy, two felt familiar to him. Yet he chose to focus on just one.
Slowly, he turned toward its source—just beyond the walls of the Crimson Tower's treasure room.
At that moment, Cid's eyes suddenly glowed red, proof that his vision-enhancing magic had activated.
A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"…Ash, huh."
He recognized the source of the magical flow instantly.
But instead of surprise, his expression shifted into one of genuine interest.
He rose to his feet slowly, still holding a few gold coins in his hands.
"Now you've started moving…" he murmured quietly.
His eyes narrowed, as if he were watching a performance that had just begun.
"So, what kind of stage are you setting up this time?"
Cid's gaze lingered for a few more seconds, trying to read the situation.
But moments later, that expression vanished entirely.
He turned back to the pile of gold coins before him.
"…But that's a secondary matter."
Without hesitation, Cid resumed dropping the gold coins into his slime suit.
After all, this treasure was far more important right now.
The improvised stage could wait.
Meanwhile, the scattered gold coins on the floor… would be a tremendous loss if left unattended.
***
At the top of the Crimson Tower, a fierce battle was underway.
Droplets of blood hovered in the air like petals from a hellish rose.
The red drops did not simply fall.
They gathered, swirled, and extended into sharp tendrils that shot forth like projectiles fired without end.
Amidst this vortex of blood stood Aurora—currently inhabiting Claire Kagenou's body.
Floating in the night sky before her was the figure who had become the source of tonight's calamity.
Elizabeth.
The Vampire Progenitor.
The Queen of Vampires.
She had a small yet proportionate body, with bright pink hair cascading down to her knees. Her eyes matched the intensity of her hair.
Her ears were pointed like an elf's, though partially hidden by her long hair.
She wore a deep red, knee-length gown that seemed to be made of flowing, hypnotic liquid blood.
Matching deep red gloves, stockings, and shoes completed her ensemble.
A dark red hairpin and a red necklace adorned her neck, tied with a small ribbon that contrasted sharply with the terrifying aura she radiated.
Their battle was brutal.
Yet it was clear who held the advantage.
Every blood tendril Elizabeth launched was effortlessly seized by Aurora and sent back in return.
As if the blood itself obeyed Aurora more than its owner.
As a result, Elizabeth's body was shattered repeatedly.
Limbs were severed.
Her body exploded into the air.
Yet each time, she reformed. Her terrifying vampire regeneration restored her as if nothing had happened.
Aurora watched her with a gentle smile.
"That's good…" she said lightly.
"Young girls should indeed be full of spirit."
She then swung her hand.
The blood in the air immediately converged.
In an instant, a massive scythe, entirely formed of blood, took shape.
Aurora gripped its handle with her right hand.
At the same time, Elizabeth conjured the same weapon.
The blood surrounding her formed a red scythe that pulsed like a living heart.
Without another word, they moved.
Their speed was so immense that it was nearly impossible for an ordinary human eye to follow.
Elizabeth lunged first.
Her blood scythe swung horizontally.
SLASH—!!
Aurora lightly spun her body, evading the strike like a dancer following the rhythm of an unheard melody.
A gentle smile remained on her face.
At the same time, the blood scythe in her hand moved.
A counter strike hit Elizabeth's body with deadly precision.
Yet, in the next instant, Elizabeth's body suddenly transformed into a mist of blood.
Her form dissipated as if it had never truly had a solid shape.
Simultaneously, tendrils of blood reappeared from every direction.
They surged from all corners toward Aurora like a deadly hail of projectiles.
Amidst the onslaught, time seemed to slow.
Aurora maintained her gentle smile.
"Impressive… her abilities," Aurora said casually.
Without any rush, she raised her blood scythe and swung it vertically.
SLASH—!!
In an instant, the blood surrounding her spun wildly.
A red vortex formed, growing into a raging tornado of blood.
The sharp winds generated by the spinning maelstrom sliced through the incoming blood tendrils from all directions, devouring and destroying them before they could reach Aurora's body.
The tornado devoured the surrounding air, eroding the roof of Crimson Tower with terrifying force.
Yet after a brief moment, the blood vortex slowly subsided.
The red mist gathered again in the air.
And from within it, Elizabeth's body reformed.
Perfectly, just as before.
Their battle resumed.
"Elisabeth-sama…"
A soft, worried voice came from the side.
It was Mary who spoke.
But in truth, the top of Crimson Tower was not occupied solely by Aurora and Elizabeth.
Several others were also watching the fight.
On one side of the tower wall, Juggernaut clung to the crumbling stones.
His right leg was broken.
His entire body was covered in wounds and blood.
Yet his eyes remained fixed on the battle, filled with a wild, unyielding spirit.
Not far from there, Beta stood.
His body was also covered in wounds.
Near him were the other members of Shadow Garden: Number 666, Number 665, and Number 664.
They were all injured from the previous battle.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the tower, Yukime stood gracefully, observing the fight in the sky.
Unlike the others, her body bore not a single wound. Not only was she able to avoid fatal attacks, but she was also protected by the artifact bestowed upon her by Gabriel Michaelis.
The night wind gently blew the edges of Yukime's kimono as she watched the battle between the two monsters.
Elsewhere, Beta clenched his fists tightly.
His eyes fixed on the sky with tension.
"…This is bad."
He gritted his teeth.
"That woman… is too strong."
But just as the words left his mouth, another figure suddenly appeared near Aurora.
Its appearance was so calm that it felt in stark contrast to the chaos around them.
The figure wore a long, pale white robe, with a thin mist flowing from the edges of the fabric.
In his left hand, he held a sake jar—sipping from it casually, as if the entire battle atop Crimson Tower were nothing more than a normal scene.
His appearance made Elizabeth pause.
She did not attack.
Her body floated silently in the air.
Her gaze remained fixed on the figure in the white robe, unblinking.
From her eyes, it was clear her consciousness had not fully recovered.
Elsewhere, almost everyone at the top of the tower immediately recognized the figure.
Except for one person.
Juggernaut.
The giant man furrowed his brows.
Confusion was obvious in his eyes.
But for the others, there was no doubt.
"Ash…"
The name slipped quietly from the lips of several onlookers.
Aurora herself smiled softly.
She hadn't expected the figure who arrived to be Ash.
But for her, it made little difference.
Whether Shadow or Ash, both were capable of turning the world upside down if they so desired.
Aurora nodded slightly.
Then she closed her eyes.
The next instant, her body wavered, losing consciousness.
"Lady Claire…!?"
Beta immediately sprang into action.
He leapt forward and caught Claire Kagenou before she hit the ground.
Control of the body had fully returned to Claire, but she was unconscious from sheer exhaustion.
Elsewhere, Beta and the Shadow Garden members exchanged confused glances.
They had never received any reports that Ash was in the city.
Meanwhile, Mary stared at the figure in the white robe with a serious expression.
She clearly recognized him.
Ash.
The mysterious figure she had once encountered in the past.
Even though the man now appeared more mature, Mary could never forget him.
It was precisely for that reason that her brows furrowed slightly.
Why was he here…?
Her mind raced, weighing one possibility after another.
Mary knew full well that the man's power was not something to be taken lightly.
But what confused her wasn't his strength—it was his purpose.
Her gaze then briefly shifted toward Elisabeth.
She observed the situation for several seconds.
Then, slowly, her breath eased.
…But.
It seemed that this wasn't necessarily bad for Elisabeth-sama.
Her instincts told her as much.
After all…
Mary also had a debt she needed to repay from the past.
____
Author's Note:
Don't forget to give me your Power Stone, add it to your favorites, leave a comment, and rate it