Late at night, in the quiet side chamber where Tenra and his companions slept—
"Mmm... so good... so tasty..."
"Tenra-sama... Tenra-sama..."
Iru and Neru snuggled against Tenra, the twins lost in some sweet dream, giggling and murmuring his name.
Shuriya, Isabella, and the others rested nearby, curled close for warmth. Gasper, as usual, had a room to himself.
Somewhere in the night, Tenra's eyes snapped open.
He lay still for a moment, thoughtful, then carefully disentangled himself from the twins' sleepy embrace. Without disturbing anyone, he slipped out of the bedroom.
"Tenra-sama."
"Master, where are you headed at this hour?"
Yubelluna and Ravel's voices came quietly from the shadows—they'd sensed his movement and followed.
"Come with me."
No explanation. He set off, and they fell in behind him without another word.
The three stepped out into a courtyard shrouded in darkness. The wind whispered cold warnings; the air itself felt hostile, thick with a chill that clung to the skin.
Tenra scanned the gloom, then spoke, voice low and steady:
"You're here. Why not show yourself?"
The temperature dropped further, the night seeming to tighten around them. A tall figure materialized, her arrival as eerie as the silence she broke.
Yubelluna's eyes narrowed; Ravel's lips curled into a sly grin. Tenra simply looked unsurprised.
"Impressive, Red Dragon Emperor. I masked my aura well, but you still found me."
Emerald hair flickered in the wind as Ampusa stepped into view, her tone as cold as the night.
"Miss Ampusa, your aura is hard to miss. So, what brings you out so late? Still itching for that fight?"
Tenra's smile was light, but his eyes were wary. He'd sensed her approach long before.
Ampusa shrugged. "A duel would be fun, but I have something more important tonight."
"More important?"
Tenra's brows knit. He didn't trust this vampire elder's intentions.
Ampusa's lips twisted into a frosty smile.
"Red Dragon Emperor, let's make a deal."
Morning came.
After breakfast, Tenra and the girls lounged in their room. Elmenhilde arrived right on time.
"Let's go, Red Dragon Emperor. Her Majesty has granted you passage. I'll take you to Tepes territory now."
She didn't waste words.
"Thank you, Miss Elmen."
Tenra gathered Gasper, Yubelluna, and the rest. Together, they followed Elmenhilde to the border between Carmilla and Tepes.
Once, vampires had ruled as one nation. But centuries ago, a feud over whether female or male True Ancestors should lead split them into the Carmilla and Tepes factions. Each claimed half the land, their border marked by twin walls rising high as mountains.
Soldiers patrolled the ramparts, magical barriers layered thick. Between the walls stretched a buffer zone—battle-scarred and silent, the scars of war still visible even now. Severed limbs and broken weapons littered the ground, some left unclaimed.
"You'll take this gondola across."
Elmenhilde gestured to a massive capsule, easily big enough for dozens.
"It's designed to pass through Tepes' strongest barriers. We've sent word ahead—someone should meet you on the other side."
"Thanks again, Miss Elmen."
Tenra smiled, nodding.
"Hmph. I'm just following orders."
Elmenhilde's tone was brisk, but she hesitated, then added:
"One more thing. According to our latest intel, there's been a coup in Tepes. The old king vanished—fled, most likely. There's a new leader now."
Tenra raised an eyebrow, surprised but unconcerned.
"Whoever's in charge doesn't matter. We're here to rescue Valerie."
Elmenhilde's lips curled in mischief.
"What if I told you Valerie is the new Queen of Tepes?"
Tenra's expression finally shifted.
"Valerie... became Queen?"
Gasper nearly exploded with excitement.
"Wow! Tenra-sama, Valerie's amazing! She's a real Queen!"
Tenra, Yubelluna, and the girls all facepalmed, struggling not to laugh. Elmenhilde just looked at Gasper with pity.
"Is he always like this?"
"Pretty much. This blockhead won't wise up for years."
Tenra sighed, ruffling Gasper's hair.
Gasper blinked, confused by everyone's sympathetic looks.
Valerie's a queen now—shouldn't we be happy for her?
Tenra-sama, what's with the faces?
Tenra just shook his head.
"Thanks for the info, Miss Elmen. We'll be on our way."
The urgency of Valerie's situation was clear now. Tenra said his goodbyes, and the group boarded the gondola.
Elmenhilde nodded, signaling the guards to open the gates. The gondola shot forward, slicing through the buffer zone like an arrow.
Inside, Gasper couldn't stop talking about Valerie. Finally, Tosca sighed and explained:
"Valerie's a half-blood. In vampire society, that means she's basically livestock—no power, no status. And now she's Queen of Tepes, a faction that worships male True Ancestors? It's obvious she's just a puppet, being used!"
Far from living in glory, Valerie was in real danger.
The truth finally hit Gasper. He turned pale as a sheet.
"Tenra-sama, we have to save Valerie! We have to hurry!"
He clung to Tenra's arm, desperate.
"Relax. We're already on our way to rescue her."
Tenra's tone was exasperated, but there was warmth in his eyes.
Gasper's naïveté was exhausting, but his worry was genuine. Tenra squeezed his shoulder, reassuring him. Complications aside, their mission hadn't changed.
The gondola sped on, and soon they crossed into Tepes territory. As it came to a halt and they stepped out, they found themselves surrounded by a squad of armed vampires...
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