I awoke to find myself lying in bed.
My head felt fuzzy, and my body ached all over.
The ceiling above looked unfamiliar. What was I doing sleeping in a strange place? Had I been kidnapped? It was possible. My family was rich and had vast political influence. And I was a total knockout beauty…
"Lady Komari. You're awake!"
Confused, I looked over.
The creepy maid was sitting in a chair by my bedside. I stared at her. She wasn't wearing her maid uniform right now. Instead, she was in hospital pajamas, and both of her arms were bandaged. She didn't look like the sicko
maid anymore. Just a regular sicko. Wait, wait, never mind that right now.
"Vill?! Are you all right?!"
As I rushed to sit up, pain shot through the lower half of my body, and I fell back against the pillows. Ouch. That hurt so bad. It felt like someone had stabbed me in the calf with a pair of scissors.
"Please, lie still. Your wounds still haven't healed."
"It hurts! What is this?! Why does it hurt so bad?! It feels like my leg is on fire!"
"You were stabbed with a cursed weapon. Don't you remember?"
Come to think of it, I did.
Yes. I went to the abandoned castle all by myself and fought withMillicent. Got pretty banged up, too. I was about to give up…realizing I couldn't manage to save Vill…when…wait. If I could feel pain, that had to mean…I survived?
"Vill? Are we in heaven?"
"No, not yet. You won, Lady Komari."
"What?"
"You beat Millicent Bluenight. You infiltrated the castle, took down theterrorist, and saved the captive…me."
"Wait, what? What are you talking about?"
I obviously lost…right?
Millicent had shot me full of Magic Bullet holes, stabbed my leg with her silver knife, and then finally sliced me up with a laser. There was no way I could have come back from that. Only great mages in fantasy novels can turn that kind of situation around.
Vill was gazing into my eyes.
"Do you know about Core Implosion?"
"Implosion? Wait, that's what you were telling me about in the bath that one time?"
"Yes. Core Implosion is a very special, very powerful force that is entirely distinct from magic. People with Core Implosion abilities can cut off the Dark Core's influence to tap into demonic forces ordinary people can't even comprehend."
"Huh. No, I've never heard about it before. But what of it?"
"You used it."
"Huh? Say what?"
According to Vill, this was what happened.
I'd been born with a special type of Core Implosion power, known as Blood Curse. Whenever a drop of blood passes my lips, I explode with dark magical energy and powerful abilities. Just when Millicent had been about to execute me, Vill had fed me a drop of her blood, thus awakening my Core
Implosion. Then I suddenly became all-powerful and used my skill to pummel Millicent into hamburger meat.
I see, I see… Wait, what the—?!
"I don't remember any of that!"
"Well, you seemed to go a bit over the top. After you twisted Millicent's head off, you fainted. The Seventh Unit thugs carried you on their shoulders back home, and for a while there, we all thought you were going to croak!"
"Hold on, there's so many things I wanna ask, but I can't think straight!"
"I'll explain everything at leisure later. All you need to know right now is that you're kind of a demigod, Lady Komari. You have the power to crush any foe in existence. Millicent was nothing compared to you."
"That's unbelievable, though! I'd find it easier to believe if you told me she'd tripped on a flagstone and had died from hitting her own head on the altar!"
Vill chuckled.
"Yes, it is quite hard to wrap your head around. But you're under no pressure to believe it if you don't want to. I'm just so happy that you're here, and you're safe…"
"…"
Why was she acting like everything was all fine and dandy?
And this was much too embarrassing. I wasn't used to her being so…open about her emotions with me. I much preferred her evil machinations on my body. Ah, wait, no I didn't.
I turned away from her, trying to think of how to change the subject.
"You look really well, Vill…even though you were on the brink of death…"
"I'm a soldier, too. I can handle a few war wounds."
"I see…"
I didn't know what else to say after that. My head still felt fuzzy. I knew this wasn't heaven, but everything seemed kind of hazy and floaty.
"Lady Komari…" Vill hesitated. "Lady Komari, you won. The terrorist was arrested. Right now, she's chained up in the underground jail. She won't bother you anymore."
"R-right…"
"So there's no need for you to keep holding on to the past."
"…"
It was as though a cool breeze were blowing away the cobwebs of my past.
I didn't have to worry about all that anymore. It was such a relief…
The past three years the shadow of Millicent had loomed over my life.
I didn't want to go outside. I didn't want to spend time with people. I had so many painful memories…so I withdrew myself. And the feelings just got worse and worse. Shut up in my dark bedroom, wallowing in my misery,
enabling my own prolonged victimhood.
But those days were over now.
I had managed to take the first step along an entirely new path.
"But just because I defeated her, it doesn't mean my mental wounds will automatically heal…"
"You may be right. However…"
"I want to talk to Millicent. At some point."
Vill blinked at me, shocked. I was surprised by my own feelings, to tell the truth. But somehow I just got the feeling it was something I needed to do.
"She hates me. I think she always will. But I want to change. I don't want to be afraid of her anymore. I think I need to try to get some sort of closure. Otherwise, I won't be able to make a clean break with the past."
"That's very admirable. But it also sounds like you're just saying what you think you ought to say."
"Maybe I am."
I smiled wryly. Until recently, I would never have sought out a conversation with anyone, let alone someone I knew harbored bad feelings toward me.
That had to mean I'd made huge progress already, right?
"But I think it would be good for me to get out and about."
"I understand. Then I shall schedule three battles every two days."
"Why do you always have to take things to the extreme?!"
I huffed angrily in bed.
This sicko was as ignorant of my feelings as ever! Hmm, but even if shebwas able to comprehend them, I had the feeling she'd still ignore them. Whata jerk she was. But at the same time, I had to concede that in her own creepy way, she had always tried to care for me. I couldn't get too mad at her.
"Lady Komari?"
"What?"
"Thank you for coming to save me."
I looked around at her, surprised.
She was wearing her usual cool expression, but her cheeks were uncharacteristically pink. I think she'd been waiting for the right chance to say that to me.
"You're welcome."
I gazed up at the ceiling as I spoke. The words sounded clumsy on my lips.
"…It feels like everything got settled before I even knew what was really going on. Is it settled for real, though? I'm not dreaming, am I?"
"No. You're awake."
"Hmm, it doesn't feel like a dream, now I think about it. It's just hard to comprehend. How did the army manage to arrest Millicent?"
"You unleashed Core Implosion and saved my life, Lady Komari."
"Yeah, but I mean… Oh, never mind. I guess what's important is that we're both alive and well."
I could think about the details later.
I turned my focus back to Vill.
"What about you? What are you going to do now?"
"…Eh?"
"The score from three years ago has been settled. You don't need to act as my maid anymore."
If what she wrote in the letter was true, Vill had come to be my maid as a form of repentance. (Not that I needed her to repent or anything in the first place…)
But now that the past was finally over and done with, there was no need for her to attend to me anymore.
I peeked at her, wondering what her reaction would be.
The sicko maid was gazing at me, mouth agape, looking like the world was about to end.
"But… You can't mean… You don't need me anymore?!"
"Er, I didn't mean it like that…"
"That is so mean, Lady Komari! How could you take my duties away from me?! If you do that, I'll have nothing left! I'll be forced to break into your bedchamber and pilfer your panties to satisfy myself!"
"Can't you just steal money like normal people?! I'm really gonna dismiss you from your post if I find you pawing through my underwear drawer!!!"
"Ack…dismissal…I'd rather die… I've devoted my life to you, Lady Komari, but now…"
"All right, all right! You can stay with me! Okay? I need you as my maid, Vill."
"Are…are you proposing…?"
"In your dreams, sicko!!!"
I yelped, kicking my legs. Ouch. That was a bad idea.
She really was a complete nightmare of a maid.
But still…part of me really enjoyed our banter.
Arguing back and forth with her like this…it always seemed to lighten my mood. It always made my problems seem to get smaller somehow.
With Vill by my side, I really felt like I could be reborn and start over as a whole new person.
Yeah, I really thought I could.
***
I wanted to withdraw. Be a shut-in.
I really, honestly, and truly felt that.
"Urgent news! Captain Mellaconcey has captured the enemy commander! I repeat! Captain Mellaconcey has captured the enemy commander! We win!!!"
The messenger's voice rang out, and all the vampires who were surrounding me began to yell and cheer. Engulfed by the noise, I allowed
myself a tiny little sigh of relief.
"That was a close one. I can't believe they all charged in a single formation."
"Seriously. I thought we were all gonna die…"
I relaxed, sinking deep into my throne.
Yes, I was back on the battlefield.
We, the Mulnite Imperial Army's Seventh Unit, had just finished our third engagement against the Lapelico Kingdom's Chimpanzee Corps. They were the ones who'd declared war on us, of course. Commander Hades Molekikki was desperate for a grudge match against me, and I hadn't been able to come up with a suitable excuse to get out of it.
We'd trained well and had hatched a battle plan beforehand, of course, but we probably shouldn't have bothered. They launched an all-out kamikaze assault on us. The moment the battle began, Molekikki gave the order for an
all-out, united charge. Full of bloodlust, the beast-folk came at us without a second's hesitation, with their commander front and center. That had made it easy for Mellaconcey to launch an impromptu bombing raid with explosive magic to take out the Chimpanzee himself and smoothly bring the bout to a close.
If the Chimpanzee had reached us, I probably would have been killed. Vill had told me something crazy about my having Core Implosion power, but I still didn't really believe her. I mean, me? All-powerful? Please. But my
soldiers had apparently witnessed me "making mincemeat of Millicent." Maybe it had been a group hallucination? They always seemed like they were out of their minds on some dodgy substance or other. Magic mushrooms from the forest…?
So, then, how had I managed to prevail over Millicent? It had probably been a delayed effect from one of the Magic Stones I'd hit her with. Had to be.
Or at least, that was what I told myself. I really needed to stop dwelling on it so m—
"Gah! I didn't even get a chance to fight!"
The blond-haired youth by my side, Yohann Helders, clucked his tongue angrily. He was as hotheaded and rash as ever. Shaking his fist at the blue sky, he continued to grumble.
"Curses! My first real battle in ages! What am I supposed to do with the battle fever that even now threatens to engulf my soul?! Shall I burn down all these fields?!"
"Hey, brat. How did you worm your way back into this unit anyhow?"
Bellius folded his arms across his chest and glared at Yohann. The dog-headed man was back in top form, and during yesterday's training he'd been swinging his ax around merrily and decapitating his opponents with ease.
Yohann snorted confidently.
"If you've got a problem with it, Bellius, take it to the commander. She's the one who personally reinstated me into the Seventh Unit."
""What?""
Bellius froze. Caostel, who had been listening to the conversation, also froze, and the two of them stared at me in shock. Ah. Well. I mean, I'd deliberated over it for quite a while…Everyone makes mistakes, right? And hadn't Yohann repented? I figured there was no harm in pardoning him. Besides, he came to me and personally apologized.
"I'm terribly sorry, Commander. I'll never plot to kill you again. I mean, uh…I'll protect you instead. You may be weak and useless, but you've got grit. I'll help you become a great warrior, a truly mighty Crimson Lord. Ah, but don't get me wrong! I'm not doing it 'cause I like you or anything! It's purely transactional! Let me back into the Seventh Unit, and I'll be forever loyal to you! I'll protect you with my life! All I ask is…that you let me be near you!"
I mean, how could I have turned him down?
Even though he knew my true nature, he'd still agreed to follow me. And he'd even sworn to protect me with his life. Who could abandon such a good, loyal soldier as that?
"Commander! How could you pardon Yohann?!"
"He teamed up with a terrorist against us all! He's dangerous!"
A crowd was gathering, and its members had begun to mutter their discontent. The thrill of victory hadn't managed to distract them for long.
"Pah!" I spat, throwing my head back and putting on an air of confidence and bravado, with just a hint of superiority.
"Are you really all so quick to condemn a man who made a simple mistake?"
"…But Commander. Yohann's crime is terribly grave…"
"Is it? He only colluded with a known terrorist a little bit. You guys are all way too quick to blame people!"
"…?!"
The vampires all gawped at me in shock.
"She's so…magnanimous!" "So openhearted!" "Commander Terakomari is truly the best of us all!" "Her outlook on life is so sagacious!"
"When the commander speaks, I can almost hear a thousand of our enemies shriek in fear!"
Can you, now?
…Ugh, please. Stop looking at me with those adoring eyes, all of you!
"I see. So the commander's generous nature has saved Yohann's skin."
"Precisely. But relax. If he does any more terrorism in the future, I'll come down on him like a ton of bricks! Even a saint's patience sometimes runs out, they say! And my patience has its limits, too! So don't worry! I'll
take personal responsibility for Yohann and off him myself if the need arises!"
"HAAAIIILLL!!!"
The vampires screamed in approval, which caused me to jump. I wasn't expecting them to cheer just then.
But anyway, I was relieved they seemed willing to accept my decision regarding Yohann. Plus, I'd managed to secure myself a loyal bodyguard.
But that aside…
"All right! We won the battle, so we now return to Mulnite in triumph! Let us report our victory to the Empress! And then let's kick back and chill!"
I wanted to go home as soon as possible and crawl into bed.
However…
"No, Commander! We have to start training for the next battle straightaway!"
"…Huh?"
"Caostel is right. We must make haste and prepare!"
"Yeah!" "We need to head home and start prepping for the next fight!" "Arrrgh! I can hear the bootfalls of our enemies approaching!" "The bloodlust is upon me!" "Let's dooo it!" "Let's gooo!" "Hunnnnng!" "Nyunnng!" "Hyaaaah!" Graaagh!" "Rawwwr!"
...…
...
…Was this a zoo?
"Lady Komari, you should probably forget about resting for a while. It's fight time now."
"…"
I watched my soldiers roar and bellow and stamp their boots in a fit of combat frenzy. Then I despaired.
I really, really couldn't understand how their minds worked. An indoorsy girl like myself really wasn't a good match for this group of brawlers. Taken individually, they weren't so bad, but put them together, and they were darn near uncontrollable. If I did anything to rain on their parade, I was certain they'd turn on me and rip me limb from limb.
And so even though I hated doing it with every fiber of my being, with every cell of my body…I raised my voice and made another patented
Komarin speech.
"Very well! Your passion has inspired me! We return to Mulnite to immediately begin planning our next engagement! As promised, I will keep you all sated with the blood of your enemies! I am your commander, Terakomari Gandesblood, who shall paint the skies above all Six Nations crimson with blood! Follow me, for all else is ashes!"
The roar this time was so loud, it almost knocked my head off.
Then they all started up their "Komarin" number again.
Surrounded by my adoring soldiers, I gazed up at the sky, resigned to my fate. It was a beautiful deep blue. Turn this pretty sky bloodred? Yuck.
Sigh.
Maybe I really should have stayed a shut-in after all…
But my fate was already sealed… I was destined for further trials as Commander Komari, the Shut-In Vampire Princess…