[You…]
Black was completely stunned, his mind grinding to a halt.
A gentle breeze drifted through the ruins, and Phaga's words lingered faintly in the air.
Yet it took Black several long minutes to finally piece together what Phaga had truly meant.
And the moment understanding struck, terror followed.
He staggered backward, one hand clutching his forehead while the other desperately braced against the broken wall. His legs went weak, and only by forcing every ounce of strength into them did he manage to stay standing.
After a while, Black let out a bitter laugh.
[My dear Creator… do you have any idea what kind of outcome your choice will lead to?]
"Humans and vampires will be forced to face a common enemy," Phaga replied calmly. "Whether it's false goodwill or smiles hiding knives, they'll have no choice but to set aside old grudges and sit down to negotiate."
[But if the losses are too great, you'll become a sinner to both races!]
What Black didn't say was—
Even if the losses weren't catastrophic, the name Phaga would still be nailed forever to the pillar of shame in the history of New Eridu.
Even if his intentions were flawless.
Objectively speaking, Phaga was gambling with the survival of two entire civilizations.
"That doesn't matter," Phaga said evenly. "My reputation isn't part of the equation."
His expression was calm—so calm it seemed as though those words hadn't even come from him.
In truth, he had already pulled out his phone, preparing to send a message to Ellen.
But when the moment came, despite having countless words in mind, he couldn't type a single one. He hesitated for a long time, his finger hovering above the screen again and again, until he finally gave up without entering a single character.
"…Sigh."
Phaga exhaled deeply, closed his eyes, and steeled himself as he swiped out of the message screen.
Instead, he opened the map and searched for the location of Hollow Zero.
Throughout the entire process, Black silently watched his expression.
When a flash of resolve appeared in Phaga's eyes, something strange flickered across Black's face as well.
Moments later, just as Phaga finished plotting the shortest route to Hollow Zero and lowered his phone to depart, Black suddenly spoke up.
[Wait, Creator!]
Phaga turned back. The wings he'd raised lowered slightly, revealing half his face. His narrowed eyes held clear confusion.
"What is it?"
[I'll go with you.]
Black took a step forward, his gaze unusually firm.
"…Alright."
Phaga didn't register it at first. He assumed Black was saying something pointless again and began to turn away.
Then his brain caught up.
He snapped his head back around, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
"…What?"
I go fight, you cling to me—fine.
I go into a Hollow, and you're still following?
Did the vampire clan create you just to stick to me?
[This is my own decision, Creator.]
Seeming to read the confusion in Phaga's eyes, Black scratched the back of his head awkwardly, his cheeks tinged faintly red.
[If Bern were still alive, he would've forced me onto the battlefield. His strength wasn't much, but as Chief Scientist, he had authority over me.]
[So I worked with Misha to get him sent out—so the humans could kill him.]
[Looks like I really did have foresight. Who would've thought that in the middle of a war, I'd end up getting a one-on-one outing with the Creator?]
"This is not a date, you bastard!"
Phaga ground his teeth in fury.
Deep down, he also cursed Bern for being so weak.
Serves him right for dying.
…But still.
Phaga clicked his tongue and let out a long, weary sigh.
"Come with me, then."
Resigned, he closed his eyes. With a powerful beat of his wings, he launched himself toward Hollow Zero.
More people meant more strength.
No matter what, Black had real power. And if history needed someone to shoulder the blame, having one more person meant future generations would aim their scorn at the most obnoxious-looking subordinate first.
That way, when the masses came raining down curses, Black would be the one bathing in spit—while Phaga himself would only have to wash his face.
Phaga let out a crooked smile at the thought, then shook his head.
Of course, Black had no idea what Phaga was thinking.
All he knew was that the Creator he'd longed for had finally agreed. Buoyed by joy, he felt light all over, whistling happily as his wings spread wide and he flew after Phaga.
At that moment, no one on the battlefield noticed that two vampires had quietly vanished.
Everyone was far too busy.
Human forces were retreating steadily under the full-force assault of the pureblood vampires.
Misha led the clan in a relentless pursuit. Whether it was Hoshimi Miyabi, Yanagi, or Billy, all of them were giving everything they had just to barely prevent Misha from breaking through the lines, struggling to keep the retreat orderly.
Until—
"Reinforcements! Our reinforcements are here!"
Someone shouted, eyes blazing with joy as helicopters streaked across the sky.
Suddenly, two bolts of lightning slammed down from the aircraft. Electricity spread outward like a net, centered on the two girls who descended amid crackling thunder.
Any pureblood vampire who retreated too slowly was caught instantly. Their bodies convulsed, foam spilling from their mouths.
Only after being dragged back by their companions and resting for some time did they slowly recover.
And even then, something was wrong.
"Ah—my leg!"
Hearing the cry behind her, Misha turned her head.
One of her companions, freshly rescued from the electric net, now had his entire left leg covered in black patterns—clearly paralyzed.
"Anby, you're here! I missed you so much!"
"Rina!"
Nicole and Ellen called out at the same time.
The difference was that Nicole rushed straight forward, throwing her arms around Anby and rubbing her cheek against hers.
Anby wanted to push her away—but didn't dare use any real force.
Rina, on the other hand, smiled gently as she floated over to Ellen's side.
"You've done enough. Leave the rest to me."
Anby's eyes lit up as if she'd found the perfect excuse. She lightly pressed a hand to Nicole's chest, her voice calm but clearly relieved.
"Nicole, let go for now. We still have work to do."
"Miss Anby is correct, Lady Nicole."
At some point, Lycaon and Ben had appeared as well, with Grace following behind them, nail gun in hand.
"…Fine." Nicole finally let go, then blinked. "Hey—Anby, you changed back into your old outfit."
Only now did she notice that Anby had already switched gear, dual blades in hand, both crackling with electricity.
And not just Anby.
Rina, Lycaon, Ben, and Grace were all equipped with new gear, each of them looking distinctly more formidable.
"Heh, these were all specially prepared for pureblood vampires!"
A thunderous boom echoed overhead as a white mummy descended forcefully beneath a parachute.
Koleda stared in shock and delight, eyes nearly popping out.
"Dad?! What are you doing on the battlefield?!"
Wrapped head to toe in bandages, Khors didn't answer her. Instead, he crossed his arms and looked straight at Misha, pride written all over his face.
"Vampire clan—surprised? I, Khors, have returned!"
"Not only that—I brought with me the results of more than ten years of research!"
"The ones Anby and Rina hit earlier—your legs stopped working, didn't they?"
"You were lucky your people pulled you out fast. Otherwise, you'd already be dead!"
The human side erupted.
Excitement surged through the ranks, a fresh strength welling up in their hearts.
This war—humanity could still fight it.
Yet strangely, the vampires showed almost no reaction at all.
As more people noticed the expressions on the pureblood vampires' faces, an unsettling atmosphere crept in.
Smiles froze. Doubt took root.
Not joy. Not fear.
Something far more unsettling.
That eerie stillness lasted until Misha finally parted her crimson lips and spoke coolly.
[Mm. Noted. Anything else?]
[If that's all…]
She sliced the air with her hand.
A wound instantly opened across her palm, and vivid red blood seeped out.
The next second, she flicked her hand.
Blood droplets scattered, each landing precisely on the pureblood vampires who had been struck earlier by Anby and Rina.
Everyone froze.
Before their eyes, the black patterns on those vampires' legs vanished like smoke. Their bodies recovered almost instantly—and they stood up on their own.
Misha let out a cold snort.
All eyes turned back to her, clearly seeing a streak of her bangs turning a lifeless gray at a visible pace.
Yet she seemed completely unconcerned.
She lifted her chin proudly, mockery and resolve woven into her voice as her wings spread wide.
[…We don't care.]
It's nothing more than paying a higher price.