CHAPTER 15: TRAINING IN THE MOONLIGHT

—BOOM!

«What the hell...?!»

I roll off the bunk in shock.

My only moment of peace—sleep—is shattered by a blinding red light, followed right after by a woman’s voice.

«Princess Ayra, it’s an honor to have you here.»

Gerard, startled awake, drops to one knee before the woman.

Meanwhile, I’m still sprawled on the floor, dazed, my eyes lost in the darkness of the room.

«A-Ayra...» I mutter, my half-shut eyes slowly adjusting to the gloom.

The blurry outline beside me sharpens—it’s my mistress.

She’s wearing a long black nightgown, sheer enough to leave little to the imagination—a body I know so well I could trace every curve from memory.

«Tomorrow morning I have a meeting... why wake me up in the middle of the night?!» I snap, my voice dripping with irritation at being dragged out of sleep so harshly.

«Because... I said so!» Ayra huffs, annoyed. «You’re my familiar. I don’t owe you any explanations! Now, come with me!»

«No way! Goodnight, see you tomorrow!» I grumble, turning on my side, still lying on the floor, using my hands as an improvised pillow.

«H-How dare you disobey your mistress?!» Her voice is a mix of fury and irritated disbelief. She raises her hand, thumb and middle finger ready to snap. She’s really about to—?!

«Punish—»

«No, please, not the red mist again!» I cut her off before she can finish that hateful spell, jumping to my feet like a soldier under command.

She grabs my arm and...

—FLASH!

A crimson light envelops us.

Suddenly... we’re standing on the shore of a lake.

A vast mirror of crystal-clear water, glowing under the silver moonlight, surrounded by towering trees with violet leaves—it looks straight out of a fairy tale.

The sight is breathtaking.

I never imagined this world could hide such beauty and calm—so different from the barren desert of rock and sand outside my dorm window.

«Why did you bring me here...?» I murmur, rubbing my tired eyes, still heavy with sleep.

Ayra doesn’t answer.

It’s as if she hasn’t even heard me, lost in her thoughts.

Her scarlet eyes reflect in the clear water, her gaze caught by the beauty around us.

A faint, almost nostalgic smile touches her lips.

What could she be thinking about?

«Why don’t you ask why I brought you here?» she suddenly says, annoyed.

«I just did...»

She shoots me a displeased look, then turns back toward the still lake.

«When I was little, my older sister Daphne used to bring me here whenever I felt restless or troubled. She believed this place had a natural power to calm the soul.»

«Daphne...?» I murmur. «I didn’t think vampire princesses could feel human emotions like worry.»

«Daphne Volkom is the eldest of my sisters... hold on, who do you think I am? Some heartless monster?!» she snaps, her gaze so cold it chills my blood. «You have no idea how worried I am about your meeting tomorrow! Expectations are sky-high! You’re the destined familiar, and I’m one of the most important vampires in the kingdom... I’m so anxious I can’t even sleep!»

«So naturally, you decided I shouldn’t sleep either...»

«Exactly!» she exclaims with total nonchalance.

«So... what now?» I ask, not thrilled, kicking a pebble into the lake.

And in response... Ayra materializes her sword.

«Simple. We’ll use the remaining hours to make sure you’re ready for tomorrow’s fight. Think of it as a warm-up.»

A wave of violet Visanguis energy wraps around my body as I cast the same spell to summon my sword.

«My sister Clotilde is right. Even if you can handle Sanguis energy, your body is still human, so mastering the Vis is just as crucial. That’s why I asked her to help me train you.» Ayra points her blade at me. «For now, we’ll refine your Blood Words. Against a low-ranking opponent, they should be enough to guarantee victory. Get ready, I’m coming!»

Ayra dashes toward me.

Her movements are deliberately slower, and she’s not unleashing even a fraction of the immense power she showed in the fight against Sasha.

I raise my sword, blocking her strike with surprising ease—it’s obvious she’s holding back a lot.

That woman is monstrously strong!

And she’s only a princess... I can’t even imagine how powerful the vampires specialized in combat must be.

After the first strike comes a second, then a third—each one slightly stronger than the last.

The clang of our blades echoes in the silence of the night.

She strikes again, much faster this time. I extend my arm, palm open between her blade and my body.

«Blood Word Lv. 1: Deflect!»

In an instant, a crimson disk materializes like a shield, absorbing the force of her attack and... reflecting it back at her.

A shockwave bursts out, hurling Ayra several meters back before she crashes to the ground.

«Are you stupid or what?!» she snaps, getting back up and brushing the dirt off her nightgown.

«What... What did I do?!» I ask, genuinely confused.

«Why did you use Deflect?! I told you it was forbidden!»

«No, you never said that! You didn’t say it!»

«It was obvious they were forbidden! Otherwise, don’t you think I would’ve used them too?!» she fires back, even more irritated.

Whether they’re human or vampire, women really are an unfathomable mystery...