Outside the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Aya Shameimaru, the devoted reporter, still hadn't given up her stakeout. The perfect news story was right in front of her, and she wasn't about to let it slip away.
As the sun slowly began to rise over the horizon, a new development startled the already drowsy Aya. Her fatigue vanished instantly, and she quickly raised her camera, ready to capture the material for her scoop.
From one of the mansion's windows, a figure spread its wings and flew out. It was the man she'd encountered at the gate—Kars. Aya observed him, noting his bat wings, which strongly suggested he was a European vampire.
But if he was a vampire, what was he doing flying out first thing in the morning? Something was clearly wrong here.
The thought excited Aya. Her hard work camping outside was finally paying off. She was about to see where Kars was flying when she saw him head straight for the highest point of the mansion: the clock tower roof. He stood there, facing the wind, which lifted his shirt and exposed his muscular upper body. Aya felt no shyness, immediately snapping photos of the sight.
When the sun's rays washed over Kars, he spread his arms, beginning to enjoy the incomparable moment.
"He… he's sunbathing?!"
Aya witnessed this bizarre spectacle: a vampire waking up early and going to the highest point to sunbathe. It was utterly abnormal!
Despite the strangeness, Aya's hands didn't stop moving. She photographed Kars from every possible angle, especially capturing the look of blissful enjoyment on his face, which made the situation even more questionable.
It wasn't her job to figure out why he was doing it; she only cared if the story would be popular. After getting her pictures, Aya approached Kars, hoping for an interview.
"Hello! Unknown Vampire Gentleman, can I interview you?" Aya looked at Kars expectantly. However, Kars, lost in his sunbath, merely shot her an annoyed glance before closing his eyes and continuing to enjoy the sunlight.
"He really isn't easy to talk to." Seeing Kars's reaction, Aya was briefly at a loss. Although anything he said would largely be twisted or rewritten by her, a lack of direct quotes severely limited her creative space.
"You're smoking! Are you alright?" Aya noticed that Kars's reddening skin had begun to emit faint white smoke. Though minimal, the fact that he was smoking meant his body was definitely under stress.
Kars only responded with a deep, satisfied hum of enjoyment. Hearing the sound, Aya's expression changed subtly. She pulled out her Bunkachou (Gossip Magazine) and began to take notes.
A vampire who loves sunbathing. When his body experiences adverse reactions from sun exposure, he emits sounds of pleasure. Conclusion: This man is either a self-torturing sadist or a complete masochist.
"Excellent material." Aya looked satisfied after writing her notes. She glanced at Kars again and decided to leave. Staying longer was pointless; she needed to rest before looking for another opportunity.
After Aya left, Kars continued his sunbath. Once he felt his body could no longer take the sun's intensity, he returned inside the mansion.
Sakuya, who had already begun her daily chores, saw Kars return, his skin flushed red.
"Master Kars, is sunbathing like that truly not damaging your body?" Sakuya felt a wave of heat radiating off Kars as she approached him, causing her to wonder if his current temperature would lead to severe health issues.
"It should be fine. I haven't felt any problems with my body. It feels uncomfortable sometimes, but it goes away quickly." Kars rubbed the muscles on his arm. Even if he got checked, the result would likely be that he was perfectly healthy.
"Besides, yesterday, I met an Ice Fairy at the Misty Lake. I can rely on her power to rapidly cool my body, so you won't have to worry about me." Kars knew everyone in the mansion was concerned he would cook himself. By providing a solution, he hoped to alleviate their worries.
"That's good. However, Master Kars, please be careful recently. The Mistress is about to begin her plan. To avoid unnecessary problems, once you see the sky covered in Red Mist, please remain with Lady Patchouli. I will notify you when the situation is confirmed to be over."
Remilia didn't consider Kars to be a combat factor in the upcoming operation. She didn't think Kars, despite his age, could offer much help without any genuine fighting experience. To prevent problems, the best option was to keep him with Patchouli. Dealing with the Hakurei Shrine Maiden would be handled by Meiling Hong, Sakuya, Flandre, and herself.
"It's starting, then." Kars looked conflicted. Sakuya knew his worry stemmed from the high probability of being unable to sunbathe soon. If possible, she truly wished Kars would be a normal vampire and not have such a strange obsession with the sun.
"Yes. Please make sure to be careful, all of you." Kars didn't offer to help. Since Little Auntie Remilia had already made her arrangements, he would just obey and wait. He wasn't like that Cirno, who thought she was the strongest and challenged everyone.
He would stay with Patchouli and continue his magic lessons while waiting for news. He just hoped Little Auntie Remilia would grant him a place where he could still sunbathe after everything was over. Such a small request should be granted, right?
As Sakuya watched Kars walk away, she saw a faint light briefly flicker across his body as he stepped into a patch of shadow.
Am I seeing things? Did I not get enough rest? Sakuya blinked, but Kars was already gone around the corner.
Would you like me to continue the story, perhaps focusing on the beginning of Remilia's "Red Mist Incident" and Kars's reaction, or should I jump to the next magic lesson with Patchouli?