The vampire laughs as if I'm making a joke, touching her belly with her small white hands. "Bwahhaaha, wha--what is that supposed to mean? You're done? Oh no no no, human. We still have a lot to do. And vampire princess? Really? I suppose I like the sound of that but I prefer the word queen. Remelia is fine too."
But I don't waver and the vampire bites the hint too, that I'm not joking. Her laugh stops. She has a lot more serious face as she asks, "Human, I don't understand. Done with what exactly? And why are you giving me that look? I'm your superior, you know that."
I heave a sigh, "I'm done keeping you up, Vampire."
The vampire eyes went wide as soon as I said that. She claps her hand happily. I think she, once again, misunderstood what I'm trying to send here. She gleefully says, "Ah, yes! Finally, you're already submitted to me. This is a progress, you're thinking to let me go out of this room." She smiles, full of plans. "Oh, I appreciate the offer, Human. But I already be out if I want to, have you ever thought of that? The only reason I'm staying here is because it's not yet time for me to appear outside."
And she adds, "let's wait for my vassals."
That grips my throat. "Vassals?"
The vampire princess' vassals, I imagine, are going to be a hoard of demons and vampires. Which if I imagine more, the occult clubroom is going to be full of them.
The vampire princess nods her head, "Yes. I'm calling them. Through that box headed human."
So that's the reason Steve is talking in a language he shouldn't have known.
"As expected," I say.
The vampire princess raises her head proudly, taking satisfaction in what I said.
I stare at the scarlet eyes of her. Soon they'd be filled with human blood, all of us. And I am doing something before that'd happened. "I can't let you live."
The room is out of air as soon as they hear what I said. It has been a long time since I used this tone. I thought I had abandoned it but now they return back just like dead heroes.
It seems my day as an exorcist never did end.
The vampire princess tilts her head, "Huuuuhhh? Wwhat is that supposed to mean? I can't let you live, that… that…"
I think I can see a bead of tear at the corner of her eyes.
…
This is not the time for me to feel pity or guilty. I have to do this.
I can't let her see me hesitate, stutter, or think I'm being funny. Though I can kill her easily when she's not ready but that method is never my taste. Every hell creature should have the right to know their lives are in danger.
I'm not a psychopath. I'm just doing what I think is justice.
I feel my eyes burning. And the vampire princess in front of me is as good as dead already.
And just like years ago, a sudden familiar power rushed through my blood vessels and burst out from my skin. The air is chocking.
The vampire princess steps back, her hand on her chest. She looks at me to check for a joke but there's no any. "A--Are you being serious, Human? Wh--what are you trying to do here? Don't scare me like that."
I decide to answer her once again, "I have to end you."
"You can't be serious thinking of that."
I shake my head, "You're wrong. I'm sorry it's going to be this way but I thought you weren't that much of a threat before. But today you've proved me wrong. If I keep you any longer like this, you're going to be a lot more powerful and the word is really going to end."
The vampire gulps and she lets out a dry laugh, "Don't be ridiculous. You've thought wrongly about our plan. I never want to 'end' the world. I am dominating it to make it better."
She don't convince me.
The vampire furrows and bares her fangs, "I see, so you have to make a decision. If so, you are on my way."
I keep my posture strong. "I wouldn't let your selfish desire to succeed."
She raises her chin and hugs her own small body. "And how do you think you can do that? How do you think you can stop me… Human?"
Now she wants to see it. And I for once decided to entertain her.
My hand was cupped to my lips. And from my lung, I blow my breath. And the familiar sounds once again ring around my ear. The whistle… slowly… turning into the crackle of a fire.
I blow harder.
Flickers around my hand.
And just like a dragon, I'm breathing out fire.
They crawled out of my hand and formed a shape.
And then the fire freezes.
I swing them to put off the remaining fire.
And so there it is… a red sword in my hand.
The exorcism art we call weapon breathing.
The vampire has been watching the performance in silence. But as soon as it's over she snickers. "Heh, I've seen this before. Exorcist. I remembered none of your kind could make my father challenged. And I will do the same to you too. Traitor."
The vampire holds up her palm.
And then the sight I've never seen before plays in front of me.
The air is rustling. The skulls, books, candle, and the chess pieces fell down to kneel before the strong air swirling around her hand. They move too fast and strong around her nails that the air starting to colour themselves purple and red. A fading black is tailing them.
Finally, a dark ball sits on her palm as the blood orbits it.
The vampire looks at me threateningly.
And I give a look that I've never given it to her. Kill.
The vampire clicks her tongue, "Are you sure about this? You still want to try? You know that we've gone through this the first time we met…"
She's right. But this time it'd be different. I am seriously going to end her.
The vampire continues to talk, "You are the man-who-opens-choas, I do not want to fight you. Or rather, we aren't supposed to be fighting. I feel them."
Her fingers curled.
Mine is getting loose.
"We can feel them. The world's bind. They won't let us kill each other."
I know.
My hand is becoming heavy. I want to drop my weapon and just rest in this room as any other day. I wantto put off the burning intend now. But I know this is not me. This is what the world wants. And I'm not going to play by its rules.
I raise my knees up and put them down forward. It feels as if I'm moving in mud.
My whole body is shaking.
My eyes target the vampire who's not been moving for a while.
I take another step.
And my eyes watch her neck.
Just one slice is enough. One slice to save the world from the prophesied damnation.
I have to save the world.
Only I can do this and now.
I take another step forward.
And raise my sword up in the air.
The vampire princess who I've known for almost a week now just stares at me trying.
And her soft lips blow out her voice. "You wouldn't do it. The prophecy says so."
And it's wrong.
Kill.
Sword.
The scarlet eyes look up at the crying blade.
And I swing them down at he--
"SENSEI!!!!"
A bang.
A voice I instantly recognize. Nelia.
My sword swung down on the floor, just an inch away from the vampire.
Nelia.
Holy shit.
It's Nelia.
I can't let her see what's going on!
Automatically, my fire sword disappears with a hiss.
Thank god I can do that.
Still in this slow motion world, I see that the vampire eyes widen. She doesn't know what to do with the floating ball which obviously looks like can kill anyone instantly.
Still hiding her own identity, the vampire looks around the room, probably thinking of a hide spot for em ball.
But she panicked and slips. Accidentally throw the balls. And I have to say, with that speed and heaviness, I am surprised that the ball is bouncing around the room and destroying everything it lands on. Every bounce, it becomes smaller.
I am seeing the world slower because I'm using my extraodinary reaction. But my body can't move as fast as my reaction. So when the bouncing ball hit my ankle, I can't stop myself from falling toward the vampire.
Pop.
The slow motion ended.
Puff.
"Se…S--Sensei???"
Nelia's voice.
It's an unfortunate moment. I am on top of the small vampire princess now. And to make it worse, our noses are touching each other. I can imagine what it looks like from Nelia's point of view.
Man, an explanation is needed now.
I quickly turned to Nelia who had her hands on her mouth now as if shocked.
Before I can say something, I see the ball is still bouncing around the room silently. And I guess Nelia didn't even see them, mostly because the scene of me on top of a loli is way more important.
"Nelia!"
That is me trying to warn her that the black small ball is shooting at her. But Nelia is Nelia. She's just always too slow to get anything.
So the inevitable comes. The ball hit her head.
And then it puffs away.
…
Nelia eyes go blank. And she fell down as she whispered, "Cucked."
Thud.