The tensed air finds its way back to fill the room after the two girls left.
As of now, Remelia is having a staring contest… with my cheek.
But then she realizes I am avoiding that, so she hops on the other couch.
And stare…
Sigh.
It's a big problem. No matter how hard I try, I just can't get back the mood I had before. The feeling of exorcist. Sigh. When I look at Remelia, I don't see her as 'just' a vampire anymore. But as the president of the Occult Clubroom.
I can't get myself to really kill her.
Maybe I'm scared of the consequences. I don't know if this is the vampire's plan all along, but when she's been recognized as the president of the clubroom, I wouldn't know how to explain to the girls if she's gone.
And I'm real bad at lying.
Call it a blessing or curse.
Or maybe a doubt.
When Remelia told me she's getting rid of Ayane and Nelia, I'd misunderstood her. She's shown me that she's not using violence.
And there's Steve's case. Being charmed and forced to do her bidding out of his consciousness. Ayane just texted me, Steve is doing fine now and claims he doesn't remember a single thing.
As a former exorcist, I know very well how hell creatures use charms. They'd manipulate human desire by promising. And after the victim agreed they'd be out of consciousness. They'd tell the body to do something and so the victim walks but not themselves. After the victim did whatever was told, to hide their identity, the hell creature would make the heart of the victim stop.
Remelia crosses her arm. Her head leans forward me.
The vampire didn't do either of those things.
But stil...
Hell creature is still hell creature. Soon enough, she'd want to put chaos in this world.
"Hununununu…"
Remelia stares at me intensely.
"What are you doing?" I decide to ask.
Remelia keeps staring, "Trying to make you submit to me."
"If it's the charm, it wouldn't work for me."
"I know, you don't have to tell me that. As long as you wear that artifact, I can't charm you…"
It's not an artifact. It's just… contact lenses.
"But with my bloody, magnificent eyes alone, I will make you kneel before me."
Instead of kneeling, I stand up. I look down at her.
Remelia doesn't like that, so she stands up too. But then she still sees me taller than her. Pouting, she's standing on the couch. Now, she's a couple inches taller than me.
The reason I stand up puts me in a more serious spot.
This vampire princess makes me hard to.
I sigh.
"This is a problem."
I really can't kill her.
Hey, don't put me down like that. Do you know how hard it is to kill something? First you need the mood. I don't have any now.
Remelia snorts, "It's not going to be a problem if you just submit to me already."
But if I don't do anything, then this isn't going anywhere but to the human damnation from the vampire.
I have to do something.
Even if I can't kill her right now.
I have to find a way.
My eyes sweep around the room, expecting an answer to how to progress. The floor is messy with the chess pieces, broken vases, books, papers, mugs, and… hm, there's a shiny thing. It's something you can't look away from easily. Thin, smooth, slim, and silvery.
"Mwahahaaha," Remelia starts to laugh as she points at me and where my eyes look at mockingly, "What are you staring at my fallen hair for? Mesmerized by it now?"
It's her hair. I may have cut them when I missed her back then.
Something clicked in my head.
The record's case I've read before: Blood Romance.
Remelia throws back her hair, "Hm, you seem to very want it. I can give it to you, for free, if you just submit to me."
Then it's not free at all.
Remelia gets down from the couch and picks up her silver hair from the ground. She raises it up and struts toward me.
"There you go," the vampire's hair in front of me now, defenceless. Remelia chuckles, "you know, this is a very sacred part of the queen's body. I just need you to call me your queen from now on and I'll give you this. You love my hair, don't you? Don't you desire this?"
If someone heard that without the full context, they'd just assumed I have a weird fetish.
Remelia twists her lips when she sees I'm not moving to take her hair.
"Are you going to take it or not?"
"What do you think I can do with your hair?" I ask.
Remelia shrugs, "To make it yours?" She looks down at her own hair, "This is very valuable after all."
I don't response to her. And that makes Remelia frustrated.
She throws her hands down as she glares at me, "Why don't you want to submit to me?" She starts shouting, "If you say never then I don't believe you. I always get what I want. Tell me, Human, what will make you submit to me?"
She's desperate.
And I can take this somewhere.
"Soul bond," My lips utter.
"Huh?" Confusion swirls on her face.
"Soul bond with me." I explain.
Soul bond is the only way I can guarantee that I can stop the vampire. At what cost? My life.
I may be suicidal like this, but I don't want to live with guilt and regret seeing the world in peril from the vampires. If I can fix it, I'm willing to spend my whole life on my mistake.
I've closed my eyes and decided. I am going to be a man who takes responsibility.
When I open it again…
Woah.
Remelia is bright red, her cheek glows, her eyes widen. Her mouth slightly opens, showing her sharp teeth trembling.
I step back, "Wh, what?" She's making me nervous.
"You…"
Her long nail points at me, "Su--Sure. I'll do that with you."
Somehow I don't think we're on the same page here.
"Yo--You better submit to me heartily after this."
"What are you saying?" I ask.
The vampire looks at me directly in the eyes, "Do--Don't be shy about it."
I think you're the one being shy now. "I think you misunderstood me somewhere."
"Hm?" Remelia tilts her head, "So you do not mean to soul bond with me to become my paramour?"
…
"No."
She rubs her bottom lips, "Hm…" Her eyes watch my hand and my stare. Then she nods, "I see. So that's what you're thinking.
"But Human, would you kill yourself for the world?"
Remelia says. Her tone has no joke this time.
Though she sometimes looks stupid, the vampire princess is not. I don't need to hide or trick her into this
"Soul bond with me." I say directly.
And she smiles, "Funny. You didn't even try to hide it. I'm impressed."
There's one thing you should already know about her.
She never refuses a challenge.
"Sure. I'll do it."
And just like that, she hands me the silver hair.
"If that'd make you submit to me, then sure."
I look at the confident smile of a vampire.
"You know what my motive is…" I begin.
Remelia laughs, "I know it very well, Human. But I'm not just going to die. I'll rule all the realms first with you. I've dreamed it. I want it. And now I'm going to get it.
"Death is not going to stop me.
"Death wouldn't even dare to knock on the door of my life."
Just as when she said that.
Someone knocked on the door.
And a woman's voice creaks inside, "Excuse me, I'm from Death Inc., we heard you call us. Can I come in?"
…
Remelia and I look at each other.
Death... inc?
"It's about the soul bond," the woman says.
… I was wondering how even the soul bond ritual works.
"You're permitted to enter," Remelia says.
And then the woman comes in, full black suite, holding an umbrella and a suit case. She smiles.
Bzzztttt.
'Oh!' The woman gasps. "I have to take this one, I'm so so sorry." She then pulls a phone from her pocket.
…
Soul bond ritual…
Why is it so… not ancient?