"Wake up, Thio, you absolute dingus!!"
"Meowah?!"
The whack to the head brought her back to reality.
Thio opened her eyes and saw the face of her mean boss, then realized she'd been asleep. She felt like she'd just had the worst nightmare ever. First she was killed off, and then she was thrown into a boiling pot, seasoned with ponzu sauce, and eaten whole. Her dreams had gotten nastier as of late due to the nature of her work, not to mention the deadly amount of extra hours she'd been putting in.
"Gosh! How can you fall asleep at such a critical moment! Have you no pride as a journalist?!"
"What? I mean, how can you expect me to stay awake after putting in a hundred hours of overtime this month? That has to be illegal. I'm going on paid leave for the da…"
Then it occurred to her what was wrong. Her sensitive nose picked up the smell of blood and flames. And she didn't even need to rely on her sense of smell to figure out things weren't all right—the situation was obvious just from looking around.
Buildings were on fire. People were running in a daze. She could hear loud religious hymns from every which way. The vampire army was getting beaten to a pulp by people in religious vestments. They were surrounded by spears.
"Wha—? Where are we? Hell?"
"A back alley in the Imperial Capital. The Mulnite Empire is on the brink of collapse."
Melka ground her teeth while glaring at the disaster.
Little by little, Thio remembered what had transpired before she blacked out.
They were investigating the religious uprisings in the Imperial Capital when they came across a familiar foxgirl—Fuyao Meteorite. The terrorist behind the trouble at this fall's Heavenly Ball. She's pulling the strings again?! Melka thought, excited for the scoop. "Please no, please no, please no," Thio had wailed as the Sapphire pulled her along by the tail. Fuyao was heading to a bar downtown, and Melka was sure they'd get to report the scoop of the century if they spied on her, so she dragged Thio along. And then a mysterious person attacked them from behind. They'd come to in this alley. The riots had exploded in intensity while they'd been knocked out.
"I don't get it."
"Think for a moment! This has to be one of Inverse Moon's ploys. And we got too close to the truth! We were about to take the perfect incriminating picture of the terrorists when we were found out! But then they healed us and threw us into the alley or something?! Do they think we're just a pair of powerless girls?!"
So what if we are? At least we're still alive.
Melka couldn't see it that way.
"They must pay… I'll show them the power of my pen!"
"Um… How about we go home already? I feel like we might actually die this time."
"Thio, do you remember the face of our attacker?"
"Don't just ignore me. And no, I don't."
"Useless kitty."
"Hey, you didn't see their face, either. But I think I got their scent…"
"Good job, Thio! What's it like?"
"They smelled very nice."
"That's all?"
"Yes."
"You doofus!" She hit her head.
It's not fair. I'm definitely changing jobs this time.
Thio's sniffing magic let her pick up on the race of her target from scent alone. She'd most likely smelled a vampire. And a woman, at that. A young one.
But she'd chosen not to tell her nasty boss that.
In any case…the Imperial Capital is in shambles. She peeped outside and saw two forces clashing: the Mulnite Imperial Army, and what seemed to be followers of the Holy Church…but they didn't smell like regular believers. They were terrorists. Probably members of that dumb, stupid organization known as Inverse Moon.
Suddenly, flame magic burst right before her eyes.
Yeah, we're dead if we stay here.
"Thio, this battle will decide the fate of Six Nations News."
"No, it doesn't have to. Let's go home."
"Before our eyes spreads a domain where only the best of the best can survive. This is no place for rookie journalists. I've seen countless scriveners lose their lives because of their adamant competitive spirit. Yet will you follow me into this realm all the same, Thio?"
"What? No, thanks."
"If you're not mentally prepared for this, you better go home. I say this for your own good."
"All right. Good-bye!"
"Don't go!" Melka grabbed Thio's tail. "This is where you should say, I'll follow you to the pits of hell! Aren't we a team?!"
"I'm not wasting my life for this team! Don't drag me to hell, I can't die yet! I have a sick sister back home I need to take care of!"
"I've seen your sister in perfect health killing people in the Dark Core Zone!"
As they argued in the back alley, they heard the rumble of something giant shaking the ground. Even Melka noticed this time. She pulled Thio by the tail into the street.
"Hold up, Ms. Melka! Why're you going outside? You're gonna get us killed! Let go of my tail already! I'm suing you if you pull it off!"
"Look at that, Thio," Melka uttered in amazement.
She was pointing at a cannon being carried by a vehicle, which wouldn't have been so unusual if the gun wasn't so large. It was twice as long as Thio was tall. The muzzle was over three feet wide and shrouded in darkness.
Thio knew that could only mean one thing—danger. And it was aimed in the direction of the Mulnite Imperial Palace; the weapon was on the terrorists' side.
"It sure feels good riding on the coattails of the riots."
There was a girl in a lab coat by the side of the cannon, a Warblade wearing a beaming look on her face as she ranted and raved.
"There's a special barrier protecting the Mulnite Imperial Palace, but my Ruin & Despair Cannon is theoretically capable of breaking through it and damaging the palace behind it. I never thought I'd see the day I could put it to the test!"
"Lady Cornelius! We're ready to fire!" A man in vestments ran up to her.
So that thing really was a terrorist weapon.
"Good!" The girl in the lab coat—Cornelius—nodded in satisfaction. "Ignite it, then."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The man set fire to the fuse, and everyone immediately retreated to the shadows.
Thio flinched in place, but Melka grabbed her tail tight.
"You're gonna get killed!"
"You're ripping it off!" Thio yelped as Melka dragged her back into the alley.
Then the girl in the lab coat grinned.
"Time to put it to the test! And don't worry, this is no Divine Instrument."
Thunder shook the ground.
Thio felt as though her ears were falling off.
The mana shook the air as it flew. Seconds later, the sound of destruction reverberated.
***
The barrier around the Mulnite Imperial Palace was effortlessly broken, and the damage didn't end there. The entire eastern half of the palace hiding behind the shield—the Empress's luxurious castle—was torn away in the explosion that followed.
Flöte Mascarail turned back in disbelief.
The heavens burned red like blood.
The vestment-clad terrorists cheered in ovation. Flöte felt dread come over her, even as she struck down the vampires attacking her. Dead bodies were scattered everywhere. Blood. Eerie hymns shook the air around her. Nothing remained of the gallant and graceful Imperial Capital she once knew.
"Lady Flöte! We have a report from the Fourth Unit."
"What is it?! I'm busy!"
"Commander Delphyne died from the blast just now."
"What?! Del…"
The Fourth Unit, which had stayed behind to guard the Palace, was almost entirely wiped out.
Flöte ground her teeth. How had it come to this?
Millicent Bluenight had wiped out the first wave of riots without breaking a sweat. But the problems started thereafter. Their foes crept out from every nook and cranny, looking to destroy the Imperial Capital in unison under the auspices of "reforming the heretical Mulnite Empire." It was insanity.
The rioters' attacks exceeded the Imperial Army's expectations. They were no simple believers. Most of them were warriors allied with Inverse Moon. To top it all off, they kept bolstering their own forces by hypnotizing Mulnite's soldiers. They destroyed everything on their path to the Mulnite Imperial Palace.
"Bastards! They won't stop coming!"
The terrorists yelled God's name with every strike.
They had yet to find whoever was leading the riots.
The Crimson Lords couldn't keep up against the guerillas and were drawn farther and farther in. A ceaseless series of explosions erupted in the distance, courtesy of the Reckless Bomber, Petrose Calamaria. She was trying to bring the leader of the insurrection out into the open, but it wasn't working.
"Lady Mascarail! Behind you!" a subordinate shouted.
She turned around right away, but it was too late. One of the rebels thrust their sword straight toward her throat. Just as she gritted her teeth in preparation to receive the attack, someone punched her opponent from the side, knocking them away.
"Are you all right, Lady Mascarail?!"
It was the Crimson Lord in religious vestments—Helldeus Heaven.
Flöte gripped her rapier tightly in relief.
"Thank you, Lord Heaven. I almost died back there."
"A rare sight to see you so distracted. But it's understandable. This is a bit too much." Helldeus crossed his arms. "What drives them to this degree? It's outrageous of those rebels to call themselves believers in this state. One can only imagine how poor the Holy Church's reputation will become once the strife is over."
"Let's think in the now before the future," Flöte said while looking around.
"I don't get what's going on. Is it the Holy Church we're up against? Is it Inverse Moon? How deeply are the two organizations linked?"
"I don't know, but we can take it as a given that Julius VI is in cahoots with the terrorists."
One of the insurrectionists they'd captured had said they were operating on Julius VI's orders, but Flöte couldn't believe she was being driven by faith alone. The rebels had to be using religion as an excuse for some other ambition.
And their fangs had already reached the Mulnite Imperial Palace.
Would things be different if the Empress were here?
Then Flöte heard loud cheers ring out from up ahead. The terrorists were spilling forth in droves. She gripped her sword and clicked her tongue.
"What is the party who headed to the Holy City up to right now?"
"We just got a call. Lady Gandesblood managed to take Lieutenant Villhaze back, but that's everything I know."
"It'll all be for nothing if they didn't convince Julius VI to stop. That or finding out the real source of the riots and taking them out…"
"Right." Helldeus stood beside her. "By the way, Lady Mascarail, what do you think is the Holy City or Inverse Moon's ultimate goal?"
"What's there to question now?! They're obviously colluding to dismantle the Mulnite Empire. If only Lady Karen were with us—she would've taken care of things much earlier…"
"Hmm. The Mulnite Empire sure has been relying on her a lot."
Something felt off to Flöte. That wasn't something a Crimson Lord should be saying.
Helldeus smiled.
"Mulnite is a very fine country. Do you have the resolve to die for your fellow vampires?"
"Hm? …Naturally. It is a Crimson Lord's duty to lay down their life for the Empire. No matter the enemy, we must face them valiantly…and valiantly fall, if need be."
"I see, I see."
The newer Crimson Lords were too soft. Terakomari Gandesblood was the worst in that regard, but that went for Sakuna Memoir as well. It was Flöte Mascarail's role to show them how a commander ought to act.
Suddenly, Helldeus pointed in the direction opposite from the enemy and yelled.
"Ohh! Look at that! That's incredible!"
"What's incredible? What're you going on abou—"
Cloing. A switch flipped.
Then Flöte felt searing pain in the pit of her stomach.
"Wha?" She looked down in despair. A sharp blade had been plunged deep into her midsection. Why? How?
All strength left her body and she fell to the ground.
It was then that she realized—Helldeus Heaven was holding the blade. Or rather, someone with the appearance of Helldeus Heaven.
"So easy. I didn't even have to use the Null Night Blade."
"Y-you…!"
A puff of smoke covered the surroundings, clearing away the vampires in vestments. In their place appeared a girl with bright red eyes.
A beast-folk with fox ears and tail. The terrorist who'd fought to the death against Terakomari Gandesblood and Karla Amatsu at the Heavenly Ball—Fuyao Meteorite.
She shot Flöte an icy glare, then calmly said:
"Helldeus Heaven is long dead. The only Lord remaining is Petrose Calamaria. Either way, the fall of the Mulnite Empire is at hand."
"You…damn terrorist…"
"Just stay right there and die. This will no longer be a vampire nation by the time you wake up. Well…if you manage to wake up before we destroy the Dark Core, that is."
"W-wait…"
Fuyao Meteorite left with a spring in her step.
Flöte couldn't follow behind her.
Each and every vampire in her Third Unit was dead.
She couldn't move. She didn't even have the energy to cry sour grapes. All she could do was watch as the Imperial Capital plunged into ruin as her consciousness faded.
So it was that the Mulnite Empire teetered on the brink of collapse.
The Empress was nowhere to be found. The Chancellor was dead. Three of the four Crimson Lords defending the Imperial Capital had been defeated. The Elders had already fled to the countryside, their riches in tow.
The people did not pray to God.
What they longed for was a hero—for one of the remaining Crimson Lords to subdue the mayhem.