Hinata Sakaguchi, Commander of the Holy Knight Order, walked the empty halls of the inner sanctum of the Holy Empire Ruberios. Her steps were sharp and precise as she moved at a fast pace. Wasting time, either her own or somebody else's, was something she never indulged in.
As the head of not only the paladins, but the military of Ruberios in general, not to mention being considered the absolute champion of humanity who stood against the biggest threats of the world. her hands were always full.
The Western Holy Church was the stalwart guardian of the western nations against not only the random monsters that popped up from time to time, but also the ten Great Demon Lords.
Under Hinata's leadership, the church's influence has grown to the powerhouse it was today. This world, however, wasn't her home.
Same as her mentor, Shizue Izawa, she was one day transported to this world. Unlike her teacher, there was no summoner involved and she hadn't been enslaved by anyone because of it. With an unshaken determination to survive, she tore through anyone who dared to harm her. That was the case until she met Shizue, who gave Hinata her first temporary home in this world and a chance to learn.
Within a short few months, she had learned everything her teacher could offer and left to seek a new path for herself. Hinata joined the crusaders and rose in ranks with unprecedented speed, reaching the very top of the organization within months.
But then she found out the horrible truth. Holy Emperor Louis was a vampire, and what was even worse, the twin brother of the infamous Demon Lord Roy Valentine.
All this time, she had been serving the very monsters she vowed to exterminate.
Defeating them hadn't been an easy task, but ultimately, she came out victorious, slaying the two monsters that tried to puppeteer the whole of humanity.
Only to come face to face with the true Demon Lord, Luminous Valentine herself. Luminous effortlessly resurrected her two slain subordinates and gave Hinata a simple offer; do the trial of seven luminaries, and if successful, Hinata could challenge her.
The seven luminaries were the church's second-highest authority and answered directly to Louis. Hinata defeated each and every one of them by using her Unique skill, |Usurper|, which let her take away power from others and in many cases copy their skills. Assured that she could defeat the Demon Lord, she proudly challenged Luminous, only to be humiliatingly defeated and shown the true depths of power.
One would think that an arrogant otherworlder would have faced a torturous demise in such circumstances, but the Demon Lord gave her yet another offer. Hinata would be the shining champion of the church and defend humanity in her Goddess's name.
Since that day, she had loyally served Luminous, ensuring her worship spread among the human nations.
Hinata stopped before a mirror to double-check if her appearance was flawless.
Everywhere else, she wore her battle gear, but when meeting with Luminous she was forced to show her feminine side and dress appropriately. Like many other otherworlders, she didn't look a day older than nineteen. Her short black hair was combed to perfection, and her face was covered with light makeup accenting her already stunning natural beauty and her enchanting violet eyes.
She knew very well that it was her good looks that made the Demon Lord spare her life when she killed Louis and Roy.
Today's choice of clothing was a knee-length black dress with a deep cut accenting her slender figure. The only defiance to her mistress' request was the sandals she wore, as she was supposed to wear high-heeled shoes, but Hinata's hatred for heels was stronger than her desire to appease the Demon Lord.
Although, she had almost given in, considering the reason for today's meeting. Three days ago, the news of the Storm Dragon breaking out of his prison shook the whole world. Even the weather patterns changed in response.
Not finding any flaw in her appearance, she continued on. Soon all windows disappeared, replaced with gray stone walls decorated with rows of candles. The inner sanctuary was partly built within the holy mountain as an impenetrable fortress.
Hinata reached a large double door and opened them without knocking. Her mistress was already sitting at the table, and the moment the Demon Lord's gaze fell on Hinata, she smiled, showing her pure white fangs. The vampire was the very definition of beauty. Still looking like she was in her late teens, the young-looking woman had pale skin, long silver hair, blood red lips, and her heterochromatic eyes glistened in deep crimson and light sky blue. Her slender figure was clad in a black dress with frills.
"Ah, Hinata, you finally arrived. Sit down." Luminous said with a casual demeanor, practically devouring Hinata with her eyes.
Hinata silently bowed her head and sat down in a seat opposite to Luminous. The table was not particularly big, and if she leaned forward, she would be able to touch Luminous. In the presence of her mistress, being watched and observed by her was not an easy task, but luckily Luminous never openly broke boundaries and didn't decide to just claim Hinata as her personal toy.
"Gunther!" Luminous addressed an elderly butler who was standing by her side. The thin man had a dignified look with short white hair and red eyes. Dressed in a typical butler's suit, he stood with an almost unnaturally straight back. He quickly took a wine bottle from the table and walked around it to Hinata's seat, filling her glass.
Hinata picked up a glass and took a sip, remarking. "It's so sweet."
Luminous took a sip on her own, "It was made fifteen hundred years ago and preserved within a chamber with a time-slow enchant. Yet, I can only taste the bitterness of it." the vampire said frigidly.
She then downed the entire glass and put it down. "You know why it tastes so sweet to you?"
"No." Hinata politely responded.
"The ashes that fertilized the fields that year made the grapes grow particularly succulent." Luminous took a long pause as she took the bottle in her hand and started at it. "Those ashes were all that remained of my kingdom."
Luminous gripped the bottle stronger as her face twisted in a snarl. "He burned everything down! He slaughtered half of my people! He…" The bottle shattered in her grip. She inhaled sharply. "He butchered them for no reason! It was a game! Destruction was nothing more than a game to him!"
The butler was already by her side, trying to clean the pieces of glass off her.
"Gunther!"
"My lady, I can't just…"
"Get off me! Now!" She hissed at the elderly butler who reluctantly stepped aside. Once the butler moved away, she slowly exhaled and then said. "Hinata, do you understand what I'm saying?"
"We must prepare to defeat the beast. I will lead the charge into his domain and…"
"You will do no such thing!" Luminous interrupted her. "That dragon is beyond your power, beyond even mine. He is no simple beast, but a force of nature. Did you ignore everything I just said? There has not been a day I didn't wish to find a way to end him. Do you believe you can do what I could not after centuries of trying?"
"Then what should we do?" Hinata asked carefully.
"Prepare defenses. Make sure all underground sanctuaries are ready." Luminous said with defeated airs. She then grabbed another bottle from the table and pulled out the cork before Gunther could come to her aid.
Although the elderly butler kept his professional expression, Hinata could clearly see he died a little inside each time Luminous didn't let him perform his duties.
"The sanctuaries can only hold about fifteen percent of the population… just enough to… to feed all your true people." Hinata said, gauging her mistress' reaction. The humans to Luminous and her kind, the vampires, were nothing more than cattle. While the older, high-tier ones had evolved beyond the need of drinking blood, the younger ones still needed it to survive.
Luminous took a large gulp of wine and then stared into Hinata's eyes. "What are you trying to accomplish by reminding me of that fact, Hinata?"
Hinata met her gaze without even a flinch. "A better plan is needed than just waiting for the Storm Dragon attack."
"And what do you suggest?"
"Veldora was imprisoned by a hero. The dragon can be stopped again."
"Yes, he was. But we cannot rely on her return." Luminous said grimly. "It's been decades since she was last seen, and she has not returned."
"Then there could be someone else. We have to stop the Storm Dragon and the nation he is building! You can't hide in your cave and let them destroy humanity!"
"The only thing we can do for now is to lay low and watch. If some weakness, or some solution is found, only then we will act. Let him build that kingdom of his." Luminous said with clear resentment in her voice. It was clear as day that she hated her own decision but was helpless before the might of a True Dragon.
"As you command." Hinata answered coldly, "What should we do if people start doubting you as a Goddess because we ignore a nation of monsters?" she asked, shifting the conversation.
Just as she uttered those words, Luminous' unrestricted aura hit her with full force. Hinata deftly put her hands under the table, as she was unable to stop them from shaking, and assumed a stony expression. She tried to meet her mistress' gaze, but the Demon Lord's power was too much for her to bear.
"Hinata," Luminous snarled. "Are you intentionally testing my patience? Do you seriously think you can talk to me like this?" She stood up, then walked around the table as her aura poured out like a dark tidal wave that was affecting both her subordinates.
"I should punish you for your impudence… or should I reward you for standing up to me, perhaps?" She smirked showing her fangs. "Could it be that you want to become one of my children? Enjoy all the eternal privileges of my kind and become like me? You would not be the first hero to fall." Luminous stroke Hinata's neck with two fingers, feeling how her subordinate's body shivered under her touch.
"No." Hinata managed to get out with a strained voice. "I'm just pointing out that ignoring the threat of a nation of monsters goes against the church's core doctrine. Besides, humans might lose hope if they see me fall from grace."
Luminous leaned in, putting her face right in front of Hinata's. To her disappointment, Hinata immediately looked away. 'How long will you toy with me like this! I will have you one day. Your fragrance, your soft skin, your…' Her subordinate was riling her up enough to keep her interested, but never crossed the line of showing actual interest.
Luminous leaned back, straightening out, and exhaled slowly. "Just put up the pretenses that you are fully preparing to face the monster nation, but do not let anyone provoke a response from that horrible reptile. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Hinata hastily responded.
"I'm glad we had come to an understanding." Luminous remarked, and then her demeanor shifted again to something more casual, "Are you staying for dinner or are you running off as usual?"
Hinata carefully eyed her superior. She was already dancing dangerously close to the line of angering the fickle Demon Lord too much, "Yes, I will stay and enjoy your company, Lady Luminous."
They didn't talk much during dinner, only expressing their opinions about the meal. Luminous continued looking at Hinata like a trophy she wanted to get, but beyond that didn't do any other advances.
After the dinner, Hinata quickly departed to resume her duties and start making preparations in case the Storm Dragon Veldora made a move against humanity.
Luminous, meanwhile, retreated to her personal chambers, dismissing even Gunther to have complete privacy. The moment the dutiful butler had departed, she took her wine-stained dress off, dropped it on the floor, and descended to the deepest part of her private chamber.
In the candle-lit room, there was only one object: a glass casket containing a naked young woman inside.
Luminous approached the casket with a longing stare, gently touching it with three fingers. The moment her fingers touched the casket, she felt them starting to burn. The holy magic protecting it was so strong that even a vampire of her unimaginable power could not touch it without getting harmed. Luminous gently stroked the glass, ignoring the pain. "I know you said you would be back when the right time comes, but I need you. I need you so much right now." she said softly, hoping against hope it would reach the person inside the coffin.
After watching the inert figure inside for a while, Luminous leaned down and kissed the glass right in front of the lips of the woman, feeling the flames of holy light burning her lips badly. A few decades ago, her millennia-long friend had returned from her adventures one last time, put herself inside the casket, and gave very few departing words. 'I will be back when the right time comes. Do not worry. I know what is about to come.'
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"Now that we know he is out, what should we do about our brother?" Velgrynd asked her sister. Both sat at the table at their usual meeting place.
The shockwave Veldora sent around the world a few days ago was proof enough that he was truly out of his prison.
"I haven't heard of him acting out yet. In fact, there is no news of him even appearing anywhere. If not for his signature aura sending a wave of magicules, I would not even consider him free." Velzard responded, being lost in thought. After each revival, her brat of a little brother would make his presence in the world known within a day, usually in a needlessly destructive manner. Now it wasn't the case.
"Maybe we should pay this nation of his a visit. If Veldora is reasonable enough to not cause a ruckus, he may have changed for the better. A family reunion has not happened for so long." Velgrynd said with a smile. 'To see my brother finally mature, what a delight.'
Velzard leaned back in her chair and looked up to the ceiling. "You know, we left him to sit there for centuries. I'm rather sure he would not be thrilled to see us for now. It may have been just a, how mortals put it, short timeout, from our perspective, but he may see it in a different light. That brat never understood any sort of discipline."
"True. Then you suggest we just watch him develop his nation to see if his new mindset sticks?" Velgrynd asked.
"That would be for the best. Don't go too soft on me here."
"I'm not going soft." Velgrynd hissed, "If not for your needless cruelty, maybe we could have changed him long ago."
"Mmm, I know you far too well, sister. You want to go to his nation on a purely friendly visit. Maybe I should remind you that you were the one to spoil him. How overjoyed you were to not be the youngest in the family."
"So what? He is our brother." Velgrynd said defensively. True, she had a much softer approach when dealing with Veldora, and even during his worst tantrums, she merely put him in his place. Very much unlike her sister, who outright killed Veldora each time he drew her ire.
"This is why he never changed. You wanted to let him out a century ago. And what would have happened then? He would be the same brat he ever was." Velzard scolded her sister coldly. Her epithet 'Ice Empress' suited her in many ways.
"You don't know that. When was the last time you ever tried talking to him? A millennia ago. Same as with our niece, we left him as a loose piece on the board without bothering."
"Don't bring Milim into this. She doesn't need to know what she is and what she has done. It's because of her the world is in this state."
"Don't blame her for Velda's choices. Maybe for once you should follow my advice and actually care about others beyond damn politics."
"She is one of the Demon Lords and you will not go and take her to your side! She doesn't need to know what she is, and there is no one who can tell her!" Velzard spoke in her calm, arctic tone. "Speaking of politics, remind me who is blindly following her beloved's every whim on this matter?"
Velgrynd snarled back at her without saying anything, but even a flicker of her aura was enough to set a nearby sofa on fire. Ignoring the damage she had done to the meeting place, Velgrynd stood up and walked towards the door. Just before walking out of the room, she practically spat, "I do not wish to speak with you anymore for now! Until next time, sister."
'When will she learn to control that explosive temper of hers? None of my relatives seem to possess even a modicum of self-control. So little is needed to provoke her.' Velzard dryly lamented. She already knew Velgrynd would apologize for that outburst the next time they would meet, but it didn't change the fact that her younger sister let her feelings rule over her far too often.
Proofreading by Sad_Smiles, Visur Nyxan, Abbysalidiot, Somnium Hypnos, and Alassandro.
AN: Thank you for reading the story, and if you have caught up to the latest chapter, you can check out my other work or join my discord server (Link is in my profile) where additional chapters are available.