Dead Apostle, Louvre.
Hidden within the thick fog of Norway is a vampire over five hundred years old, a vassal of the White Wing Lord who aspires to emulate his master and become one of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors.
Over the years, Louvre has extracted the blood of nearly five thousand victims as sacrifices, according to incomplete statistics. If you include those infected by him, the number multiplies several times over. His clan, both in quality and quantity, along with the intertwined dark arts and magecraft, justifies his title as a "transcender among transcendents," an immortal monster.
The center of his clan is this ancient castle, situated in the land of eternal night.
Usually, the base of a Dead Apostle is never discovered by humans. Due to their conscience and fear of taboos, only guests appear in this dark, shadow-covered magical city. It is a secret sanctuary, shielded by multiple layers of bounded field and upheld by powerful magecraft. It possesses invisible guardians that deceive natural forces, almost akin to the otherworldly realms inhabited by fairies.
Louvre's castle is no exception. This lake, though not as grand as the castles of the Ancestors, still stands tall despite numerous crusades by heretical forces, a testament to its invulnerability over the centuries.
For five hundred years, it has stood firm and will continue to thrive, of this the lord is confident.
Several figures quietly emerged at the edge of the multiple-bounded field, at a corner of the lake where the castle is situated.
This group consisted of women, the oldest in her twenties, the youngest just eleven years old, still a child.
Could they be the next batch of sacrifices?
Legend says that vampires favor the blood of pure virgins, and indeed, from a biological standpoint, the pure cells and blood of those who have not engaged in intercourse are more suitable to replenish the deteriorating genetic material of Dead Apostles.
However, these women were not what they seemed.
Do not misunderstand, it's not about their virginity; the Dead Apostles in the castle would never get to know that because these women were not sacrifices; the Dead Apostles in the castle were!
A woman in an orange coat, with a cigarette in her mouth, adjusted her glasses and scanned the lake surface.
"Confirmed. This is the place described in the intel."
Beside her, a girl with eyes shimmering with light gritted her teeth: "Dead Apostle Louvre, one of the most important vassals of the White Wing Lord. Since the White Wing Lord wants us to lose our loved ones, we will make him lose his most important people!"
"Fujino, Dead Apostles are not people," corrected the youngest girl, her adorable face contrasting with the coldness in her eyes. "They are monsters who want to kill my brother! Monsters must be eliminated."
"Eek, Sakura, you're scary," shivered the black-haired girl closest to the lake.
The icy demeanor on the young girl's face shattered, and she lowered her head in embarrassment: "Sorry, Sister Kirie."
"No need to apologize," Kirie waved her hand repeatedly, "I was just trying to lighten the mood because I thought you might be nervous. I wasn't scared at all. Hmph, these monsters wanting to turn Shinji into a vampire should die ten times over."
"Kirie, how are you holding up?" Touko who had scanned the lake asked Kirie.
The four women standing there were all powerful in their own right, each with their trump cards, except Kirie, whose combat ability was significantly lower, to the point where half of the team had opposed her participation at the beginning.
The girl named Kirie confidently tossed her hair: "I feel great like I have limitless strength. I could tear down that castle myself."
"Confidence is good. Then the task of the vanguard is yours."
"Yes, Miss Aozaki," Kirie saluted clumsily, "Leave it to me. I won't let you down after making me this new body!"
"Good, I trust you," Touko nodded. It was unclear whether she trusted her creation or Kirie herself. "Has Barthomeloi arrived yet?"
Fujino shook her head. "Not yet. The previous communication said that negotiations with the Carillon Observatory weren't going smoothly, so it will take a bit more time."
"I see. That matter was difficult to handle from the beginning. Let's wait a bit longer. If it doesn't work out, we'll wait until tomorrow," Touko thought aloud.
"Okay, Sensei. Although it's a bit disappointing, I'll endure."
"Sakura will listen to Touko-nee-san."
"I'll do whatever Miss Aozaki says."
From their words, it was clear that Touko was indeed their leader.
"We'll wait another hour. If she doesn't come, today's action will be canceled."
"There's no need for that—"
A voice, tinged with a commanding tone, interrupted Touko's words. A girl in a noble dress, holding a short whip, descended from above.
"—I'm here. First of all, I apologize for being late."
"No need to apologize, Lord Barthomeloi. That request was unreasonable from the start," Touko said, stepping aside.
"When there are no strangers around, just call me Lorelei," Lorelei naturally filled the gap. "The request was indeed difficult, but no one can ignore the weight of the mediator. The stakes that Shinji offered were also tempting enough. The internal disputes within the Secret Judgment Division caused the delay."
"And the result?" Touko's face showed a hint of anxiety. She had been on the run for nearly ten years and had had enough.
"After a vote and extended discussions among the lords, it was finally decided to accept this unprecedented request and revoke the 'Sealing Designation' on you."
Lorelei's words seemed to inject life into the entire team.
"Really?"
"Then Sensei won't be hunted down anymore."
"That's great, Touko-nee-san."
"He... really did it." The usually composed Touko Aozaki, famed in the mystical world, rarely showed such an excited expression. At that moment, she wanted to hug that boy and kiss him fiercely. [: Ahem Miss, be mindful of the age gap...]
Standing beside Touko, Lorelei watched her nearly delirious expression with a slightly dazed look. She recalled Shinji's request to her before she came to Japan.
Perhaps it was because of such dedication that he won their hearts. Even I—No, nothing, nothing at all!
Lorelei bit her thumb hard, leaving a red mark where her teeth sank into her flesh.
What a shameless bastard, bastard, bastard, bastard—When he comes back, I'll make sure he pays.
But before that, Louvre must die!
Barthomeloi Lorelei snapped her whip, her intent to kill evident.
Standing beside her were Touko Aozaki, Sakura Matou, Fujino Asakami, and Kirie Fujou.
The five women were united in their fight against "Louvre, the Dead Apostle of the Lake"!
PS: Women can be scary sometimes...