Check out my new work : Highschool DxD : I'm Motohama
. . .
The walk back through Carmilla's castle felt longer than the walk in. My mind was replaying every word of the negotiation, every calculated pause, every strategic promise. Carmilla had orchestrated that entire meeting like a master chess player, and we'd been swept along whether we liked it or not.
Beside me, Penemue maintained her composed facade, but I'd spent enough time around Fallen Angels to recognize the micro-expressions that indicated deep thought. Lavinia, for her part, seemed uncharacteristically quiet, her usual bubbly energy dampened by the weight of what we'd just heard.
Elmenhilde led us through corridors that seemed deliberately designed to showcase wealth and power. More tapestries, more chandeliers, more evidence that the Carmilla faction had resources to spare even while supposedly fighting a losing war. That detail bothered me more than I wanted to admit.
Elmenhilde said, breaking the silence "Each of you will have private chambers, though they're connected through a shared sitting room. Her Majesty thought you might prefer the option for privacy or collaboration, depending on your needs."
"How considerate," Penemue said neutrally.
We reached a set of ornate double doors, and Elmenhilde pushed them open to reveal a suite that would've made most five-star hotels look shabby. The sitting room was spacious without being cavernous, furnished with comfortable-looking chairs arranged around a fireplace that was already lit. Three doors led off to what I assumed were the individual bedrooms.
"Dinner will be served in two hours, should you wish to dine," Elmenhilde continued. "Simply ring the bell, and servants will attend to any needs. Her Majesty has also made the castle library available to you, as well as the gardens, should you desire to walk."
She paused at the threshold.
"I should mention that while you are, of course, honored guests with freedom of movement, certain areas remain restricted for security purposes. The north tower, the lower dungeons, and the western battlements are off-limits. I'm certain you understand."
"Of course," Penemue said smoothly. "Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Karnstein."
Elmenhilde bowed slightly and departed, the doors closing with a soft click behind her.
The moment she was gone, I felt the atmosphere in the room shift.
. . .
"Well," I said, moving to check the nearest bedroom door. "That was something."
"Indeed," Penemue agreed. She'd already positioned herself near the center of the room, her posture suggesting she was scanning for surveillance measures. "Though I suspect 'something' understates the situation considerably."
I pushed open the bedroom door to reveal a space that was somehow both elegant and comfortable. A large bed with what looked like actual silk sheets, a writing desk, a wardrobe that probably cost more than my entire life back on Earth. And notably, a window that offered a view of the castle grounds while being high enough to make escape impractical.
"They're monitoring us," I said, closing the door and returning to the sitting room.
"Undoubtedly," Penemue confirmed. She'd settled into one of the chairs, adjusting her glasses with a gesture that seemed more habitual than necessary. "The question is whether it's merely standard security protocols or something more invasive. I've detected three wards in this room alone that could serve as listening enchantments."
"Should we assume everything we say is being recorded?" Lavinia asked. She'd drifted to the fireplace, staring into the flames with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"We should assume everything we do is being observed" Penemue said. "Queen Carmilla hasn't survived eight centuries by being trusting blindly. She'll want to know our reactions to her proposal, our true thoughts when we believe we're speaking privately."
I dropped into a chair across from Penemue. "So we're in a gilded cage, basically."
"A very comfortable gilded cage," Penemue corrected. "But yes."
"I don't like this," Lavinia said suddenly. She turned from the fireplace, and I saw genuine distress in her expression. "Asking someone to fight in a war... after everything he's been through? It's not right."
"I agree," I said immediately. "But that doesn't mean we can just dismiss the threat Carmilla described."
"You believe her?" Lavinia challenged. "About the Tepes faction becoming some kind of evil vampire empire causing troubles in our world?"
"I believe she believes it," I said carefully. "Whether that makes it true is another question entirely. But the Sephiroth Graal is real. If Valerie Tepes can do half of what Carmilla claims, that's a significant shift in vampire forces of that faction"
Penemue was watching our exchange with interest "Isaiah raises a valid point. The strategic implications of a Longinus that can remove vampiric weaknesses are considerable. Not world-ending, perhaps, but certainly destabilizing to the current balance of power. Imagine high rank devils removing their holy power weakness"
"But is that our problem?" Lavinia pressed. "The vampires have been fighting their civil war for centuries. Why is it suddenly our responsibility to help one side win?"
"Because if we don't, the consequences of the other side winning might become everyone's problem," I said. "That's Carmilla's argument, anyway. Help her maintain the status quo, or risk the Tepes faction deciding they don't need to coexist peacefully with the rest of the supernatural world."
"It's a compelling argument," Penemue admitted. "Which is precisely why I'm suspicious of it. Carmilla is exceptionally intelligent and has had centuries to perfect the art of persuasion. The question we must ask ourselves is whether she's presenting an accurate assessment of the threat or crafting a narrative designed to manipulate us into providing assets she desperately needs."
I leaned back in my chair, processing that. "You think she's exaggerating the threat from the Tepes faction?"
"I think she's presenting one perspective on a complex situation," Penemue said. "The reality is likely more nuanced than 'help me or face wrath of a vampire empire.' Wars rarely have such clear moral lines, especially civil wars that have persisted for centuries."
"But she's offering a peace treaty," Lavinia pointed out. "That has to count for something, right? Bene chan. The Three Factions have been trying to establish formal relations with the vampire factions, so it's a good thing isn't it?"
"Which makes me question why she's offering it now," Penemue said. "If the Carmilla faction is truly on the verge of extinction, what value does a peace treaty with them hold? We'd be allying ourselves with a losing power, gaining their cooperation at the exact moment when their ability to provide meaningful support is evaporating."
That was a good point. A very good point, actually.
"Unless," I said slowly, "she's counting on our help to turn the tide. Make the peace treaty valuable by ensuring the Carmilla faction survives to fulfill it."
"Precisely," Penemue said. "We wouldn't be allying with a dying faction. We'd be allying with a faction we've helped save, who would then owe us considerable debt beyond the formal terms of any treaty."
I replied "If that's indeed her play. She's not asking for lending a helping hand, she's offering us the opportunity to create a powerful ally by helping them at their moment of greatest need. The gratitude and obligation that would generate could be worth far more than any treaty"
"I hope that's how it turns out to be, Isaiah kun"
. . .
The castle was quiet at midnight. The kind of quiet that crawled under your skin and made a home there, whispering that maybe staying in bed with sheets and a locked door wasn't such a cowardly idea after all.
I ignored it. Because apparently, my survival instincts had filed for divorce and moved to a different brain.
Two hours. That's how long I'd been lying there, staring at ceiling molding so ornate it probably had its own insurance policy, while my brain replayed that dhampir girl getting kicked like a street dog. The laughter of those pure-blood vampires. The casual cruelty of it, like violence was just networking with a different skill set.
And that distinction in her I'd caught with my demon slayer mark. That impossible shift in her aura that made about as much sense as a fish riding a bicycle.
Something was wrong with the whole picture. And in the supernatural world, "something wrong" usually translated to "someone's about to try murdering you in ways that'll require a closed-casket funeral."
So naturally, I decided to investigate.
I slipped out of bed, already dressed because only idiots went to sleep in enemy territory wearing pajamas. The last thing I needed was to face down a supernatural threat while wearing cartoon boxers with little devils on them. The irony would kill me faster than the actual threat.
Yamato materialized in my hand with barely a thought. The katana hummed to cut through the fabric of reality like it was another normal day in its life.
I could've walked through the castle. Snuck past guards, avoided patrols, played the whole stealth game like some kind of vampire-territory Metal Gear Solid protagonist.
But, I decided to use the demonic sword that literally cut through space and time.
Tough choice, I know.
I focused on the alley where we'd seen the dhampir earlier. Pictured it in my mind as clear I could picture it, the cobblestones, the amber lanterns, the shadows. Yamato responded to my intent, the blade beginning to glow with that distinctive blue-white light that meant reality was about to have a very bad day.
SLASH
Space tore open in front of me like someone had unzipped the universe. Through the rift, I could see the Carmilla territory, exactly where I wanted to be. No guards. No patrols. No sneaking through hostile territory like an amateur.
Perks of having a legendary demon sword. Why walk when you can teleport?
I stepped through, and reality sealed itself behind me with a sound like a sigh of relief. The cold night air of the Carmilla territory hit me immediately with cold wind blended with the smell of old stone and blood.
The Carmilla territory at night looked like someone had given a horror movie director an unlimited budget and daddy issues. Mist so thick I could've cut it with a knife and served it for dinner. Amber lanterns casting shadows over the street. Every building hunched against the darkness with the patience of a spider who knew something would eventually wander into its web.
What a great atmosphere for making good life choices, it really sets the mood for not dying horribly.
I dismissed Yamato with a thought, the blade vanishing back into whatever dimensional pocket it lived in when I wasn't using it. No point advertising my presence with a glowing sword that screamed I am the real threat here.
The alley was exactly as I remembered it. Cobblestones slick with buildings leaning. The spot where the dhampir had been kicked was still there, no evidence of the violence except for a dark stain on the stone that could've been water or blood or both.
I scanned the area, activating my demon slayer mark just enough to see auras without lighting myself up like a beacon. Looking for any trace of that impossible flicker I'd seen earlier. If I just look around with my-
"I knew it!"
My hand went to where Yamato would manifest to the one who just jumpscared me, before my brain caught up with my reflexes and recognized the voice.
What? What is she doing here?
Lavinia stepped out from behind a building, looking entirely too pleased with herself for someone who'd just appeared in hostile vampire territory at midnight.
"Lavinia?" The surprise in my voice was genuine "What are you doing here?"
"Hm?...I followed you, Isaiah kun" she said simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world "Well, not through your portal. I can't do that. But I suspected you'd sneak out after dinner, so I waited near the castle exit. When I saw the spatial distortion from your portal, I knew where you'd be gone"
"And, I was correct!"
She stepped closer, pulling her hood back slightly. Even in the dim amber light I could see that knowing smile.
"So I used my magic to teleport to this area. Took me a few tries to pinpoint the exact location, but here I am!" Her voice was a cheerful whisper "You were going to look for that dhampir girl, weren't you? To save her? You're such a good boy, Isaiah-kun!"
Good boy? Right. Because using a legendary demon sword to teleport into hostile territory at midnight to investigate something and you making my danger sense have a nervous breakdown definitely qualified as 'good' behavior.
My left eye twitched. Just a little.
"Mm-hmm!" She nodded enthusiastically. "My magic isn't as precise as your sword for spatial travel, but it works well enough to know your location. I just had to wait for you to leave first so I knew where to look for!"
"Lavinia, this could be dangerous—"
"That's why I came along!" She cut me off, stepping closer "I couldn't let you do this alone, Isaiah kun. That girl... what those vampires did..." Her hands clenched into fists "Nobody deserves that"
I wanted to argue. Wanted to send her back where Penemue was sleeping unaware of our late night adventures. But looking at her face, at the set of her determination that said she'd rather fight me than leave, I knew it was pointless.
And honestly? Having backup probably wasn't the worst idea I'd had tonight. It wasn't even in my top five worst ideas, which said concerning things about my decision-making process.
"Um... Yeah," I said, because apparently, eloquence died around the same time as common sense "Let's look for her"
We moved deeper into the alley, past buildings that looked like they'd been forgotten by time, taste, and basic structural integrity. Windows boarded up with wood that had given up on being solid years ago. Doors hanging crooked on hinges rusted enough to be considered modern art. This was where the undesirables lived, the part of town pure-bloods pretended didn't exist while walking all over the dhampirs who had no choice but to survive here.
Sort of like how rich people treated the homeless, but with fangs and worse interior design.
"Isaiah-kun" Lavinia whispered, pointing to a narrow passage between two buildings "Look"
A trail of blood, like someone had passed through recently. Or like someone wanted us to think they had.
Red flag number one. But hey, when had obvious traps ever stopped me to not walk ahead before? Oh right, never.
We exchanged glances. I saw my own concerns reflected in her eyes. We both knew this smelled fishier than a sushi restaurant's dumpster.
We went in anyway. Because we were professionals and juggling dangers was just one of our side hustles.
The passage opened into a courtyard that made "depressing" look like an optimistic descriptor. Stone walls on all sides, climbing toward a sky they'd never reach. Dead vines crawled up the walls like the ghosts of plants past. Broken furniture littered the ground—the picked-over bones of civilization, if civilization had given up and decided to die in an alley.
And at the far end was...nothing. Just a wall. Dead end.
My danger sense, which had been ringing with a concerned melody, suddenly started screaming loudly.
Beside me, Lavinia tensed. Her senses were picking up the same thing mine were, we'd walked into a trap like tourists following a map that said "Free Candy This Way."
"This is a trap. How surprising" I muttered, already turning.
The passage we'd come through was blocked.
A figure stood there, silhouetted against the amber light like a cutout from a nightmare's scrapbook. Small. Human-sized. Holding something long and curved that definitely wasn't a pool noodle.
The figure stepped forward, and light caught on details my brain really didn't want to process.
Black and white hooded cloak that looked like someone had hate-fucked a jester costume with funeral attire. Dark purple hair in a long braid, tied with a bow featuring a cheerful purple skull, because apparently looking scary had been crossed off this girl's vocabulary list at birth. Golden eyes that reflected light like a cat's bright, sharp, empty of anything resembling mercy or sanity.
And in her hands, was a scythe.
Not the farming kind. The "reaping souls" kind. Black metal that seemed to munch on the darkness around it, traced with lines of gold.
We've gone from "concerning" to "apocalyptically screwed" in under five minutes. That might be a new personal record of mine.
"Well" I said, keeping my voice casual despite my danger sense having a full psychiatric breakdown "Looks like we walked into a trap, Lavinia"
The girl's face split into a smile. The kind of smile that belonged on someone watching puppies play, not someone holding a weapon designed for the express purpose of separating souls from bodies.
"Ding ding ding! You figured it out!" She did a little curtsy that somehow managed to be graceful despite the whole 'harbinger of death' aesthetic "Though to be fair, you took longer than I expected! I thought for sure you'd realize something was off when those mean vampires kicked me. I had to really hold back my giggles during that part!"
My brain, which had been working on processing this information, finally delivered its report, You've been played like a fiddle at a hoedown.
"I see" I said, and even I could hear the mix of irritation and grudging respect in my voice. Because getting fooled by a girl with a scythe was apparently my new hobby, and I was developing quite the collection "That was you, the Dhampir girl?"
"Yup!" She bounced on her heels, clearly delighted "Did you like my performance? I worked really hard on the scared victim role! Tell me I did a great job! It would have been perfect if you came to rescue me, I would have sliced off your soul!"
Beside me, I felt Lavinia's power starting to gather. Ice forming in the air around her, temperature dropping fast enough to make my breath fog.
I put a hand on her shoulder.
"Let me handle her, Lavinia"
Because this girl had set up an elaborate trap specifically for me. Which meant she was either stupid, which seemed unlikely given the quality of her acting, or she was strong enough that she genuinely thought she could take me down.
And if she was that strong, I didn't want Lavinia in the splash zone when things got messy. And I hate when someone lends me a hand in my battle.
"But—"
"Trust me" I said, not taking my eyes off the girl with the scythe.
The girl tilted her head, golden eyes studying me with interest that felt distinctly calming. Like a cat watching a mouse and trying to decide whether to play with it first or just go straight for the kill.
"Ooh!" She clapped her hands together, scythe somehow not being an impediment "I love one vs one battles! It makes everything so much more interesting. Most just either ask for help, run, which is boring. But you..." Her smile widened as she raised her scythe.
I stepped forward, putting more distance between Lavinia and the girl. If this girl wanted to play games, I'd show her that I'd been playing them since before she learned to hold that scythe.
"You went through a lot of trouble to lure me here" I said, circling slowly to the left. She mirrored my movement, keeping the same distance "Which tells me one of two things, either you're a psychopath with way too much time on your hands..."
I let my demonic power flare a little, just enough to show I wasn't some helpless victim.
"Or someone sent you to kill me specifically. And since random psychopaths don't usually put this much effort into their murders, I'm guessing it's option two"
The girl's smile didn't falter, but something shifted in her eyes. Recognition, maybe. Or respect.
"You're smart!" She said it like it was a compliment "I didn't think you'd figure that part out until after I've already killed you!"
She stopped circling, settling into a stance that looked casual but wasn't. I recognized the balance, the way she held her scythe. This girl knew how to fight.
"So" I said "Who sent you? Because I don't recall pissing off anyone who employs—" I gestured at her outfit "—whatever this aesthetic is. Jester reaper? Gothic circus performer?"
"Bennia!" she announced cheerfully, like we were being introduced at a party instead of sizing each other up for murder "Daughter of Orcus, Grim Reaper in service to Lord Hades. And I'm here to claim your soul, Isaiah."
But that didn't explain why?!
"Lord Hades sends his regards," she added, raising her scythe. The scythe cut through the air where my head had been a second ago.
Except I wasn't there anymore.
I'd moved left, almost lazily and the blade passed through empty air with a sound like reality whimpering. The wall behind where I'd been standing suddenly aged a thousand years in a second, stone crumbling to dust.
Okay. So the scythe does exactly what she said. Soul damage. Aging.
"Ooh, good reflexes!" Bennia spun the scythe in an elaborate flourish, eyes bright with excitement "This is going to be so much more fun than I thought!"
I didn't bother moving when she struck again. Just let my demonic defensive magic with crimson energy forming a barrier that caught the blade with a sound like a bell cracking. The impact sent shockwaves through the courtyard, but I didn't budge an inch.
Bennia's eyes widened slightly. "Oh! You're strong! That's so exciting!"
"Yeah" I said flatly, dismissing the barrier "I get that a lot."
She came at me again, faster this time. A flurry of strikes that would've turned most opponents into finely-diced soul fragments. The scythe moved in patterns that spoke of centuries of training, each strike precise, deadly, aimed at vital points.
I dodged them all without activating my mark. Just pure speed and reflexes, watching the blade pass by close enough to feel that wrongness it carried—the death—but never close enough to touch.
Because honestly? I'd fought Vali in Juggernaut Drive. I'd gone toe-to-toe with someone who could divide anything in existence while in a form that killed most people just from proximity. This girl was fast, skilled, dangerous.
But she wasn't on my level.
"Hold still!" Bennia said, sounding more excited than frustrated. "You're making this really hard!"
"That's kind of the point" I replied, sidestepping another strike that carved a gouge in the cobblestones "See, I'm not really interested in dying tonight.
I could end this. Could summon Yamato and cut her down before she knew what happened. Could activate my full power and overwhelm her with raw force. But I needed answers first, and dead people were notoriously bad at providing those.
Bennia lunged again, and this time I didn't dodge.
I simply parried it with my sword, Soul Rend, that I created for soul purposes, as I knew that this day was coming soon enough.
The blade stopped an inch from my face, those golden lines pulsing with frustrated energy as the weapon strained against my grip. Bennia's eyes went wide with shock.
"Wait, what—"
I yanked the scythe sideways, pulling her off balance, then released it and tapped her forehead with one finger.
The force was light. Barely a touch. But it sent her flying backward across the courtyard, tumbling head over heels before she caught herself mid-air with a grace that spoke of supernatural acrobatics.
She landed in a crouch, staring at me with something between shock and... was that excitement?
"You're really strong!" She said it like it was the best news she'd heard all week. "Like, really really strong! This is amazing! I haven't had a challenge like this since—"
"Yeah, that's great," I interrupted, activating my demon slayer mark fully now. Crimson patterns spread across my skin, power rolling off me in waves that made the mist recoil and the shadows flinch. "But I'm getting bored. So let's skip to the part where you answer my questions."
I let more power leak out, just enough to make a point. The courtyard walls cracked. The ground beneath my feet spider-webbed with fractures. The air itself seemed to vibrate with the force of it.
Bennia's smile faltered. Just for a second. Just long enough for me to see the calculation in her eyes—the reassessment, the realization that maybe, just maybe, she'd bitten off more than she could chew.
"Okay!" She said brightly, though I heard the slight strain in her voice now. "What do you want to know?"
"Why does Hades want me dead?" I took a step forward. She took a step back. "Be specific. Because 'disrupting the natural order' is vague as hell, and I'm not in the mood for cryptic prophecy bullshit."
Bennia tilted her head, golden eyes studying me with that same predatory interest. But underneath it now, I saw something else. Wariness. Maybe even a little fear.
Good. Fear means respect. Respect means honest answers.
"I don't know!" She said, and she actually sounded frustrated about it. "Lord Hades doesn't explain his reasoning to us! He just gives orders, and we follow them. He said you're not supposed to exist, that your presence is causing problems with the natural order of souls, and that I need to collect yours before it gets worse."
She shifted her grip on the scythe, but didn't attack.
"He mentioned something about you being an 'anomaly,'" she continued. "Said your soul has... irregularities? Like it doesn't supposed to be existing? I wasn't really paying attention because he was lecturing and I have ADHD and—"
I flicked her forehead as she got back to the point.
"Right! Sorry!" She shook her head "Basically, he said your soul is messing with Soul system that shouldn't be messed with, and if he doesn't remove you now, it'll cause bigger problems later. Something about soul disruptions, corruption, eruption....and a bunch of other stuff that went over my head."
Well. That's concerning. Is it because of me assimilating so many character cards?
Because she was more right than she knew. My soul didn't belong in this world. I was a transmigrator, someone who'd died in another world and woken up here with memories of a life that never happened in this reality. Knowledge of events that hadn't occurred yet, people I'd never met but somehow knew everything about.
Including the cheerful psychopath trying to kill me right now.
"And you're just following orders?" I asked, letting my power flare a little brighter "Not curious about why? Not concerned that maybe killing someone on vague orders is a bad idea?"
Bennia shrugged, somehow making it look cute despite the whole 'reaper of souls' thing.
"I love doing my job!" She said with genuine enthusiasm, which made my earlier annoyance fade away "And Lord Hades has never been wrong before. Plus, if I complete this mission, I get to go back on vacation! Do you know how rare grim reaper vacations are? Very rare! So really, you dying is a win-win situation!!!"
"Why do I get these kinds of people to take my life?" I muttered.
I was about to press her for more information when something shifted in the sky, on a massive scale.
My danger sense, which had been humming a concerned melody about Bennia, suddenly started screaming like Behelit.
BOOOOM!
An explosion rocked the Carmilla territory.
BOOOOM!BOOOOM!
Then another. Then three more in rapid succession.
I spun toward the sound, activating my full perception, and saw buildings collapsing in the distance, flames reaching toward the sky, and the distinctive flash of combat magic painting the darkness in strobing colors.
"What's happening? Isaiah kun?!!" Lavinia said, looking at the scene before us in disbelief.
BOOOOM!
The Carmilla territory was under attack.
My first thought was the Tepes faction. Civil war finally boiling over, Valerie and her Sephiroth Graal-enhanced army making their move while we were here as diplomatic guests.
But then I felt the magical signatures appear from the familiar golden magic circle up in the sky. Tens, Fiftys, Hundreds of them, powerful and coordinated, moving through the territory like LVL 100 troops raiding a LVL 50 village.
And I recognized those silhouettes.
"This can't be" I said with disbelief, clenching my fists "Khaos Brigade magicians. What are they planning?"
The same ones we'd fought at the Three Factions Peace Treaty. The ones who'd tried to disrupt the peace conference, who'd been working to destabilize the supernatural world for their own twisted agenda.
They were here. In Carmilla territory. Attacking while we were conveniently occupied.
More buildings collapsed. The screaming got louder. I saw vampires running through the streets, some trying to fight back, most just trying to escape the destruction.
And then I felt it. A power signature that made even my demon slayer mark twitch.
A figure rose above the burning buildings, silhouetted against the flames. Black dragon wings spread wide, each one easily twenty feet across. The boy couldn't have been more than sixteen or seventeen hovering in the air with the casual ease of someone who'd been flying since before most nations existed.
I knew that. Knew those wings. Knew exactly who I was looking at.
'Crom Cruach'
The Evil Dragon known as the Crescent Circle Dragon and is said to be the strongest Evil Dragon out of them.
But there he was and very clearly in charge of this assault.
Bennia had stopped attacking, her attention drawn to the destruction. "Oh," she said, sounding genuinely surprised "That's new. Lord Hades didn't mention anything about this."
I barely heard her. My mind was racing, putting pieces together, trying to understand the shape of whatever conspiracy had just revealed itself.
Hades sending a reaper after me. Khaos Brigade attacking Carmilla territory. Crom Cruach, the evil dragon who should still be not making his appearance leading the assault. All happening at the same time, in the same place, while I was conveniently trapped in an alley fighting someone who knew exactly where to find me.
'No way, Euclid really went out of his way to coordinate with Hades, an Evil Dragon, and deploy Khaos Brigade assets all at once'
BOOOOM!
Another explosion. This one close enough that debris rained down on the courtyard, forcing me to throw up a barrier to protect Lavinia.
Carmilla's territory was burning. People were dying. And I was standing in an alley, playing twenty questions with a cheerful psychopath who just admitted she had no idea why she was supposed to kill me.
I looked at Bennia, then at the destruction in the distance, then back at Bennia.
"You know what?" I said, my voice cold enough to freeze blood. "This conversation is over"
I'd already turned to Lavinia, as I saw Carmilla Territory getting sealed by a very powerful magic circle similar to one, which didn't allow any spatial movements. Looks like they didn't needed Gasper this time.
"We need to get to Penemue, get Carmilla's forces organized, and figure out what the hell is actually going on"
I summoned Yamato, the blade materializing in my hand with that familiar weight. One slash, and space tore open, showing our quarters in the castle.
"Hey!" Bennia's voice called out behind us "We're not done! I still have orders—"
"Take it up with your boss," I said, not looking back. "Tell Hades that if he wants me dead, he's going to need to send more than a cheerful reaper and some half-assed conspiracy"
I grabbed Lavinia's hand and pulled her through the portal while Carmilla territory burned in sea of flames.