Credits: Anica Mihai
Having confirmed during the day that the Dead Apostles were unlikely to emerge and that killing some small fry held no real meaning, Aoko spent the daytime both playing and making preparations.
As time slowly passed, the sky gradually darkened. The neon lights at the street corners of the bustling commercial district of Souya illuminated the vibrant streets, where crowds of people flocked shoulder to shoulder. If Einnashe were to descend upon this place, the instant devastation would be incomparable to the scale of the destruction caused by Vlov.
When it came to large-scale slaughter, Fores of Einnashe was a consummate professional. Every time he appeared, he brought with him an enormous death toll. Fores of Einnashe had long been a thorn in the side of the Church, but every attempt to eliminate him failed—even Merem Solomon was unsuccessful.
Considering that if Aoko and Touko openly accompanied Arcueid, they would likely be recognized by those two elusive Ancestors and deter them from appearing, the sisters employed second-circle illusion magic to render themselves invisible. They followed Arcueid closely, keeping a reasonable distance.
Taking into account the speed at which the enemy could emerge and cause destruction, the three had devised a route in advance. The plan was to gradually lure those tracking Arcueid to areas with fewer people. To this end, both Aoko and Touko had prepared large-scale magic for repelling humans and protective barriers in advance.
By the time it was close to midnight, the number of people on the streets had dwindled. However, as part of a massive metropolis, the Souya district had a vibrant nightlife, and there were always some who wouldn't leave even after midnight.
When Arcueid nonchalantly reached the end of the pedestrian street, where even the neon lights couldn't fully illuminate, the hidden rats in the shadows could no longer hold back.
It was unclear to Aoko whether the White Wing Duke didn't realize the three of them were baiting or if he was overconfident in his ability to take down a fully powered Arcueid, along with the two likely Magicians at her side. Either way, he made his move.
A blood-red sphere, about a meter in diameter, pulsating like a heart with exposed veins on its surface, appeared out of thin air and fell toward Arcueid on the ground.
The moment they saw this, Aoko and Touko simultaneously activated their repelling magic. The sisters' vast reserves of mana spread across dozens of kilometers, ensuring that any ordinary human within the range would begin evacuating immediately.
"You insolent creature," Arcueid's pupils suddenly turned golden as she looked in a specific direction in the sky—a place that seemed to be the Castle's entrance. "To attack without even announcing your name first? Or is it that you vampires haven't even learned the most basic manners from your master?"
Aoko and Touko focused intently on the descending red sphere, ready at any moment to seal it or transfer it to a more suitable battlefield.
"Answer me, you pitiful subordinates akin to livestock," Arcueid commanded the hidden enemies with a tone completely unlike her usual self, exuding an air of superiority. "Proof of the Ancestor, the nest of the root, the vortex-like dwelling, the embryo of a new principle—what does blood mean to you?"
After a brief silence, the blood-red sphere temporarily stopped its descent and hovered mid-air. Then, an aged voice echoed around them.
"Answering with a heart of reverence: my blood is plunder, my blood is life, my principle is to follow the primal impulse."
When the first voice finished, a second, younger male voice followed.
"My castle is my kingdom, my principle is my world, my domain is the mechanism of the principle itself."
"Princess of the True Ancestors," the aged voice said, "in this era, the world no longer needs the executioners who maintain its principles. This time, we shall return you, the child of Crimson Moon, to the planet—"
"Hmph, arrogant fools," Arcueid's pupils reverted to their crystalline ruby-like hue as she crossed her arms and smiled up at the sky. "Ortenrosse, do you truly think you can kill me with just Einnashe? Have you forgotten how that thing came to be in the first place?"
The voices in the sky did not respond to Arcueid's question, but she had no interest in wasting words with those two. Killing a Roa was killing; killing two more Ancestors who foolishly sought death was no different.
Suddenly, the surrounding ground erupted, and hundreds of glowing green vines sprouted at a speed imperceptible to ordinary humans, completely binding the red sphere in the sky.
The blood-red sphere struggled violently as if trying to break free from Arcueid's restraint, but she merely furrowed her brows. The seed of Einnashe's power couldn't break through the seal of her Marble Phantasm.
"—As expected of White Princess," the younger male voice said in a playful tone. "If it's just Einnashe's seed, it seems there's no chance of capturing you. In that case, allow me to show my hand—'Principle Release—[Castle, therefore kingdom]!'"
Abruptly, what appeared to be a Reality Marble-like domain unfolded rapidly. Seizing the opportunity, Aoko grabbed Touko's hand, and together they activated a teleportation spell, arriving beside Arcueid. All three were enveloped in the principle-bound domain of Chrome Clay's Principle.
...
...
...
When they opened their eyes again, the three found themselves in what appeared to be a magnificent Gothic-style city, ancient yet ornate. The sky was filled with gray clouds stretching endlessly into the distance.
"This must be Chromclay's principle," Aoko said. "Arcueid, how are you feeling—"
"Awful," Arcueid looked flustered. "I can't maintain my Marble Phantasm in here!"
"What's the problem?" Aoko asked. "Don't worry about it. Even if you can't use your Marble Phantasm, you should still be able to handle an Ancestor of the Dead Apostles, right? After all, your physical abilities—"
"That's not the problem!" Arcueid interrupted. "The issue is, I've already sealed Einnashe's seed outside. But now that I can't use my Marble Phantasm in this domain, that seed—"
Before she could finish, the ground beneath them began to quake. Acting swiftly, Aoko cast a group flight spell, lifting all three into the air.
Looking down, they saw an eerie forest sprouting from the city below. Some of the vines, clearly malevolent, were already extending toward them.
"I see," Aoko nodded. "So this was their plan all along. Using Einnashe's extradimensional traits in combination with [Castle, therefore kingdom] to sever our connection to the planet and the Root, then using the internal permissions of the Reality Marble to deal with us?"
A series of explosions erupted within the forested city below. Aoko's entire body lit up with magic circuits, and a massive barrage of magical bullets cleared a large swath of the dark forest.
"But let me tell you," Aoko declared. "You've made a grave miscalculation."