Chapter 9 – Whispers in the Palace
The palace buzzed with hushed voices. Servants hurried through corridors, heads bowed, whispering rumors of bloodless corpses found in the city streets. Farmers from the villages spoke of a white shadow slipping past their homes, leaving only silence and terror.
Kael stood before the king's council chamber, his armor polished yet heavy with unease. He had seen her again last night—Snowball—and no matter how hard he tried, he could not deny the pull she had over him.
Inside the chamber, voices rose sharply.
"The deaths grow in number," one minister barked.
"Cattle drained. A child left pale as bone. My King, it is a curse!"
The king slammed his fist on the table. "Then find the creature! Bring me her head!"
Princess Elira, seated at her father's side, lowered her gaze but her heart clenched. She had long admired Kael, secretly in love with him. But she saw how distracted he had become. His eyes strayed, his thoughts lingered elsewhere. She knew why. She had heard the whispers—of the pale woman, the seductress in white.
That night, Elira found Kael alone in the courtyard.
"Captain," she called gently. He turned, bowing with respect.
"You seem troubled, Princess," he said.
Her voice trembled, honest. "Do you love another?"
Kael's silence was louder than any answer. Elira's lips parted as though cut by an unseen blade.
Meanwhile, in the city's shadowed alleys, Snowball drifted like a wraith. The faint glow of lanterns flickered across her pale form. She wore her dress carelessly, seductive and flowing, and men turned their heads as though hypnotized. She smiled at them like a courtesan, but her hunger lurked beneath the beauty.
She didn't sell her body. She didn't need to. Her presence alone intoxicated, her fangs always just hidden enough. She played the part of a prostitute in the city's eyes, but her intentions were far darker.
That night she found Kael again. He had been drinking with soldiers, but when she appeared, it was as if the whole world bent toward her. She slipped beside him, eyes glowing faintly crimson.
「あ...な...た...,忘...れ...ら...れ...な...い...で...しょ...う...」
"You… cannot… forget… me…"
Her voice dragged like silk across his skin. He followed her into a darkened alley, away from eyes, where their lips met again, this time with a hunger neither could deny. Her fangs pressed against his lip, a reminder of danger, of how close death always lingered when she touched him.
In the palace, another scream rose that same night. Another servant found pale and lifeless. And though suspicion fell on the streets, on phantoms and whispers—Kael knew. He knew who lingered behind it all.
And yet… he could not stop himself from wanting her.
Chapter 10 – The Taste of Sin
The night smelled of rain and iron. The streets of the city gleamed wet, reflecting lantern light. Captain Kael walked his patrol with his men, armor clinking softly, eyes sharp. He had fought many battles, but nothing unsettled him more than the thought of her.
And then he saw her.
Snowball.
She leaned against the stone wall of a narrow alley, her white dress clinging to her form, a faint glow in the dark. The soldiers passed without noticing her, as if shadows swallowed her whole. But Kael's eyes locked on hers—the faint red shimmer, the smile like poison-laced wine.
「あ...な...た...」
"A… na… ta…"
You…
The word stretched, dragged in her lips, as if she were tasting him even without touching.
Kael dismissed his men with an excuse, and then stepped into the alley. The city's sounds dulled, leaving only the thunder of his heartbeat.
Snowball tilted her head, fangs glinting faintly in the half-light. "Still in uniform," she whispered in broken English, her accent thick, sultry. "Mmm… on duty… but already here."
Her hand traced his chestplate, slow, deliberate, like a courtesan's tease. Yet this was no marketplace flirtation. Her touch carried weight, hunger.
"Snowball," Kael breathed, his voice caught between command and surrender. "You shouldn't be here."
Her lips curved.
「あな...たの血...あま...い...」
"Your blood… so sweet…"
Her words lingered like silk unraveling. She leaned in, brushing her lips against his. The kiss came like fire and ice together. He tasted her hunger, the metallic tang of something hidden, something forbidden.
Kael staggered back, yet his hands clutched her waist as if they would never let go.
"You… you've killed again." His voice shook, torn between anger and desire.
Snowball only laughed, soft, cruel, beautiful. She pressed her forehead to his, whispering with fangs brushing his lip:
"Death follows me… but you…" she dragged the word, "…you are still alive. And you want more."
Kael hated her truth. Every word dripped with sin, and yet the weight of her body against his, the heat of her breath, the taste of her kiss—he could not resist.
In the palace, bells tolled. News of another death spread through the halls. Servants whispered of bloodless bodies, of demons in white dresses. The Princess, pacing her chamber, pressed trembling fingers to her lips. She knew where Kael was. She knew.
But Kael, lost in the shadows of the alley, pressed Snowball harder against the wall, his duty slipping away with each stolen kiss.
Her voice purred, dragging like smoke:
「罪...あまい...罪...」
"Sin… so sweet… sin…"
And Kael, despite everything, drank it in.
Chapter 11 – Whispers in the Palace, Shadows in the Street
The palace was restless. Servants hurried with pale faces, guards whispered when they thought no one could hear. Another body had been found in the outer district—drained, pale, lifeless.
King Aldros sat heavy on his throne, his hand clutching the armrest, veins standing out. "This city bleeds, and my people whisper of demons. Captain Kael, what say you?"
Kael knelt, his heart torn. "My King… I believe something stalks the night. It strikes swiftly, unseen. I will hunt it down."
The King nodded, but his eyes burned with suspicion. "Hunt it, then. And bring me proof. The people demand justice."
At the edge of the throne room, Princess Elira watched silently. Her eyes followed Kael as he rose, but her lips trembled. She loved him—every soldier knew. Yet she saw the tired shadows beneath his eyes, the way his armor looked hastily worn, as if torn off and put back in haste. And the faint mark on his neck…
That mark looked far too much like a kiss.
That night, in the rain-soaked streets, Kael wandered further than duty required. And as if summoned, Snowball appeared again. She stood beneath a lantern, rain dripping down her white dress, making it cling shamelessly to her body.
「あなた...来た...」
"You came…"
Her voice dragged like a song.
He should have turned away. He should have remembered the King's command. But her smile melted his resolve. He followed her into the narrow streets, where the night market bustled, and shadows covered every alley.
Snowball laughed softly, leading him by the hand. "Here… so many eyes… yet they don't see us." She brushed against him like smoke, her dress shimmering with every movement.
And then, in a forgotten alley, she pressed him against the wall, her lips seeking his. Her kiss was deep, intoxicating—her fangs grazed his lip, drawing the faintest taste of blood.
「あまい...血...」
"Sweet… blood…"
Her whisper made him shiver. He kissed her back harder, even as guilt stabbed him.
All the while, not far away, the Princess walked among her people with her maids. She heard the news whispered in taverns—"another corpse, white as snow, drained dry." And she saw, across the street, the fleeting sight of Kael disappearing into an alley… with a pale figure in white.
Her heart cracked.
In the morning, a body was found in the marketplace. A merchant, eyes wide in death, throat marked. The whispers grew louder.
And in the palace, the King thundered:
"If this demon is not caught soon, heads will roll—including my captain's."
Kael clenched his fists. He had tasted Snowball's lips last night, even as blood ran fresh on the cobblestones.
Chapter 12 – The White Demon in the Market
The city's heartbeat was its market. By day, colors and laughter filled the streets—spices from the desert, silks from the east, barrels of wine stacked high. By night, the lanterns burned low and the air thickened with secrets.
And then came her.
Snowball.
She walked the market as though she were one of them. Her dress was silk and shadow, cut to reveal what should not be revealed, her white hair spilling down her shoulders like a veil of snow. Men stared, women whispered, and children tugged their mothers' sleeves to look away.
To the untrained eye, she looked like a courtesan. Her smile was slow, inviting, lips glistening as if always wet with wine. But her eyes… her eyes burned red, and the wise knew to keep their distance.
"Who is she?" murmured a merchant.
"They say she is the White Demon… taking men at night."
"No," another whispered, trembling, "they say she sells herself in alleys, and those who take her never see dawn."
Snowball only laughed, a sound too soft, too dangerous. Her voice lingered in the air like perfume, dragging syllables long and sweet:
「みん...な...見てる...でも...触れない...」
"Everyone looks… but none dare touch…"
Kael heard the rumors before he saw her. On patrol through the village streets, he heard men boasting of a pale woman who kissed like fire, lips tasting of cherries and blood. His heart sank, for he already knew who it was.
And then, across the square, he saw her.
Snowball leaned against a tavern's wooden frame, lantern light bathing her in gold. A drunkard stumbled near, grinning wide, but when her smile met his, he froze. He did not touch her. No one ever did—not twice.
Kael's fist tightened on his sword. Rage, jealousy, and fear tangled inside him. She looked like a prostitute to all the city, yet to him she was more—a curse, a sin, a hunger.
And then her eyes found him.
Her smile deepened. She mouthed the word slowly, dragging it out until it became music.
「あな...た...」
"You…"
Kael felt the heat rise in his throat. He should have turned away, yet his boots carried him closer. His men saw nothing, as if shadows themselves cloaked her presence from their eyes.
Snowball slipped back into the alley, and Kael followed.
The alley smelled of damp stone and spilled wine. She pressed him against the wall, lips finding his with a hunger that shook him. The kiss was heat, blood, fire.
"You…" she whispered, broken English wrapping around him like chains. "…only you taste this sweet."
Kael gasped against her mouth, his body betraying him. He knew another death would be found by dawn. He knew the city whispered of her like a plague. Yet in that moment, he no longer cared.
Meanwhile, in the palace, Princess Elira sat alone at her window. She had seen Kael's silhouette vanish into the alley that evening, the pale figure with him. Tears streaked her cheeks.
Her maid whispered, "Your Highness… the people say a White Demon walks the city. They call her a whore, a seductress. But they also say… she drinks blood."
Elira's hands tightened. She knew. She knew.
And she also knew she was losing Kael.
By dawn, the bells tolled again. Another man had been found in the village. His body pale. His throat marked.
The people no longer whispered—they shouted.
"The White Demon! She walks among us!"
"Why does the King not act?"
"Where is our Captain?!"
And Kael, standing in the barracks, felt their voices like daggers in his chest. He had kissed the demon hours before, while death crept through the city.
Chapter 13 – The King's Ultimatum
The council chamber roared with voices. Nobles, priests, and generals argued over maps and rumors, but one truth bound them: the killings must stop.
King Aldros stood, his cloak heavy on his shoulders, and the chamber fell silent. His voice boomed like iron on stone:
"The White Demon has made a mockery of this city. Our people die in their beds and markets, and fear rules the streets. I will not allow it. The Captain of my Guard will lead the hunt. This creature must be found, and her head brought before me."
The chamber erupted in cheers and fear. Some muttered prayers. Others sharpened daggers.
Kael bowed deeply, but his stomach twisted. To hunt Snowball meant to kill her. To disobey meant treason.
The King's eyes narrowed. "Captain Kael… fail me, and I will hang you beside her."
That night, as torches blazed and soldiers combed the city, Princess Elira slipped into the Captain's quarters. She wore no crown, only a pale cloak that hid her trembling frame.
"Kael," she whispered.
He turned, startled. "Princess—you should not be here."
Her eyes searched his face, and for the first time, he saw fire in her gaze. Not the soft warmth of a maiden, but the sharp ache of jealousy, fear, and love.
"I saw you," she said, voice breaking. "In the alley. With her."
Kael's throat tightened. "Elira…"
"Do not deny it!" Her fists balled. "The city calls her a whore, a demon. And you—" Her voice cracked. "You kissed her. You let her touch you."
Kael had faced blades, beasts, and battlefields, yet her tears struck harder than any sword.
"Elira… I…" He faltered. Words failed. How could he explain the spell Snowball cast, the hunger that bound him like chains?
The Princess's lip trembled. She stepped closer, laying a trembling hand against his chest.
"Kael… I love you. I would give you my crown, my life. But if you keep her… she will destroy us both."
Meanwhile, in the dripping alleys of the city, Snowball laughed.
She had heard the shouts, seen the torches. Soldiers hunted her like hounds, yet none touched her. Shadows curled around her like lovers, hiding her from sight.
She licked her lips, tasting the memory of Kael's blood still clinging to her mouth.
「みんな...私を追う...でも...あなたしか欲しくない...」
"They all chase me… but you're the only one I want…"
Her voice dragged slow, sultry, echoing in the night.
By dawn, rumors spread like wildfire:
The King himself had ordered the demon's capture. Soldiers scoured the villages, but the White Demon danced among them unseen. And whispers claimed she was not fleeing, but circling closer to the palace.
Kael knew the truth. She would not run. She wanted him—and she would tear the kingdom apart to have him.
Chapter 14 – The Demon at the Gate
The palace walls had stood for centuries, impregnable stone, towers lit by eternal flame. Armies had broken against them like waves against cliffs. But no wall, no watchtower, no army could guard against her.
Snowball.
Wrapped in silks stolen from a merchant's chest, her pale body glimmered like moonlight. She walked through the palace gates as if she belonged there, her face veiled, her hips swaying with the rhythm of temptation. The guards glanced, felt the pull of her smile, and their eyes glazed.
One of them stammered, "M-madam, the palace is—"
Her hand slid across his cheek, nails like ice. She leaned in close, lips brushing his ear as she dragged the words like honey:
「ねえ...眠って...」
"Sleep now…"
His knees buckled. He slumped to the ground as though drunk, breath shallow. She stepped over his body without breaking stride.
The other guard blinked, shook his head, but when she turned her veiled face toward him, he froze. His sword clattered uselessly to the stones.
Inside the palace, torches burned in golden sconces, but the corridors felt colder. Maids whispered of shadows that moved where no man walked, of perfumes in the air like roses mixed with blood.
In the great hall, Princess Elira hurried through the archway, clutching a scroll. She nearly collided with a maid, pale and trembling.
"Your Highness," the maid whispered, "a stranger walks the halls… dressed as a noblewoman. But when I looked upon her—her eyes, they were red."
Elira's heart stopped. She knew at once. Snowball was here.
Kael, summoned by horns, raced through the palace corridors. Soldiers ran in every direction, but none seemed to see the shadow gliding past them. He alone knew her scent, that mix of snow and blood, sweet and choking.
And then—he saw her.
At the foot of the marble stairs, Snowball leaned against a pillar as though waiting for him. Her veil hung loose now, white hair spilling out like frost. She looked less like a noblewoman and more like a courtesan dressed for a feast.
When her eyes found his, her lips parted in a slow, wicked smile.
"Kael…" she purred in broken English. "…you come."
His soldiers saw nothing. To them, she was only a shadow. But to Kael, she was brighter than fire.
He drew his blade. "Snowball… you should not be here."
She laughed, dragging the sound long and low, echoing against the stone.
「私は...いつも...ここにいる...あなたの心の中に...」
"I am always here… inside your heart…"
Her fangs gleamed as she dropped the veil. Gasps rippled through the few servants who saw her, before shadows seemed to swallow them away.
Kael's hand shook. Duty demanded he strike. His King demanded her head. But his heart—his cursed, bleeding heart—demanded something else.
Above them, hidden behind a balcony's lattice, Princess Elira watched. Tears welled in her eyes as she saw the Captain she loved face the woman she feared.
She clutched the rail, whispering, "Kael… don't let her take you. Please…"
But as she looked closer, she saw the tremor in his hand, the heat in his eyes. And she knew. He was already hers—Snowball's.
Chapter 15 – Blood in the Throne Hall
The throne hall was a cathedral of stone and fire. Golden banners hung heavy from the walls, torches hissed in iron sconces, and the polished floor mirrored the flames. It had witnessed coronations, treaties, executions. But never this.
The great doors groaned open.
Snowball stepped inside.
Her bare feet touched the marble with deliberate softness, her white gown dragging like spilled moonlight, her hair loose and wild. Blood streaked the hem—whether hers or another's, none could tell.
Gasps rippled through the gathered court. Nobles recoiled, priests clutched amulets, guards leveled their spears.
Upon the throne, King Aldros rose, his crown glittering like the sun in winter. His voice rang out like a war-drum:
"White Demon! You dare walk into my hall as if you belong here?!"
Snowball tilted her head, lips curling into a smile. She did not answer in his tongue. Instead, her voice slithered in Japanese, slow and sensual:
「ここは...私の家になる...あなたの兵士がいるから...」
"This will become my home… because your soldier is here…"
Her eyes slid to Kael.
Every gaze in the hall followed. The air grew heavy, thick with suspicion. Kael stood at the foot of the dais, sword drawn, but his hand trembled. His King's eyes burned into him, and the Princess—hidden behind the throne's veil—clutched her chest as if her heart would shatter.
"Captain," the King thundered. "Strike her down. Prove your loyalty before crown and God!"
Kael's throat was dry. He raised his sword, but his arm felt chained. Snowball's gaze locked on his, her lips parting to reveal the fangs she hid from others.
「カエル...私を殺せる? それとも...私と共に死ぬ?」
"Kael… can you kill me? Or will you die with me?"
The words dragged like velvet across the hall, though only he understood. His chest burned as if her voice itself had fangs.
"Do it!" the King roared, descending the steps, hand on his own blade. "Or I will cut you both down where you stand!"
Suddenly, Princess Elira broke from the shadows.
"No!" she cried, her voice cracking against the marble walls. "Father, stop!"
The court gasped. The King turned, fury and confusion flashing in his eyes.
Elira fell to her knees before Kael, clutching his arm. "Don't, Kael! Please… don't give her your soul. If you strike her, you will lose yourself. If you spare her, you will lose us."
Her tears hit the floor like drops of glass.
Kael's hand shook violently. His sword hovered between duty and desire, between crown and curse.
Snowball stepped closer, her gown brushing the floor like mist. She whispered, her voice dragging low enough to melt into his blood:
「選んで...私か...死か...」
"Choose… me… or death…"
The torches flared, shadows twisted, and the court held its breath.
Chapter 16 – The Crimson Throne
The throne hall thundered with silence. Kael's sword trembled, caught between the King's demand, the Princess's plea, and Snowball's whisper.
And then—he hesitated one breath too long.
Snowball smiled.
Her gown rippled though no wind stirred, her white hair lifting like smoke. Shadows curled around her feet, spreading across the marble like ink spilled in water. Nobles screamed, clutching each other, as the torches guttered and turned red.
The King roared, "Monster!" and drew his broadsword. The steel sang as he leveled it at her chest.
Snowball tilted her head, her voice dragging through the chamber:
「見せてあげる...本当の私を...」
"I'll show you… my true self…"
Her veil tore away in an unseen wind. Her skin glowed pale as snow, but her eyes—no longer hidden—burned crimson, pupils thin as blades. Her fangs shone fully, no longer concealed by lips.
The court shrieked as she spread her arms, and her body warped. Her shoulders rippled, claws sprouted from delicate fingers, her gown splitting as her form stretched taller, more bestial, yet still sinfully beautiful. She was no mere courtesan now—she was vampire-demon incarnate.
The first guard rushed her.
Snowball turned her head slowly. Her hand shot out faster than sight, nails ripping through his armor like parchment. Blood sprayed across the marble. She bent low, lips brushing his throat, and drank—red staining her mouth.
Gasps and cries echoed. The priests began to chant, but their words faltered when her shadow writhed upward and strangled their voices.
The King bellowed, charging down the stairs, sword blazing in torchlight. His blade clashed with her claws, sparks bursting across the hall.
"Kael!" the King roared. "Now! Strike her down!"
Kael's heart thundered. His King battled a demon before his eyes. His Princess sobbed, clutching at his arm. But his gaze was fixed on Snowball—her eyes flicking to him even as she fought, as if the duel meant nothing without his choice.
「あなたは...私のもの...」
"You are… mine…"
Her voice slithered into his skull even above the clash of steel.
Suddenly, she leapt back from the King, landing lightly on the throne itself. She perched upon it like it was made for her, her pale body gleaming with blood, fangs bared in laughter.
「王冠も...玉座も...いらない...欲しいのは...兵士だけ...」
"I don't want the crown… or the throne… only the soldier…"
The hall froze. Nobles stared in horror, realizing this creature had come not to conquer kingdoms, but to steal the heart of the King's greatest warrior.
The King's face darkened with rage. He raised his sword high, calling to the guards: "Kill her! Kill the witch!"
But as the soldiers surged, Snowball spread her claws, her voice dragging in a scream that cracked the stained glass windows. Shadows burst across the floor, pulling men down like quicksand. Screams filled the hall. Blood ran across the marble toward the throne.
And Kael stood at the center, sword in hand, torn between the two worlds collapsing around him.
Chapter 17 – The Soldier's Oath
The throne hall was no longer a hall—it was a slaughterhouse. Guards shrieked as shadows swallowed them, their blades clattering uselessly on stone. The marble floor was slick with red.
On the throne sat Snowball, half-woman, half-demon, licking crimson from her fangs as if it were wine. Her white gown was torn to ribbons, her pale skin glowing under torchlight, her hair wild and dripping. She looked both goddess and beast.
The King stood bloodied, his crown askew, his chest heaving as he pointed his sword at her. "This thing dies tonight!"
The Princess wept behind him, clinging to the bannister, her voice cracking. "Kael—please! For the kingdom, for me—end her!"
Kael's sword was slick in his grip. His ears rang with screams, but above it all was her voice, sliding into his blood like poison and silk:
「カエル...あなたの剣は...私のためにある...」
"Kael… your sword exists… for me…"
Her crimson eyes pierced him, daring him, seducing him. Even covered in gore, she was unbearable beauty. Even drenched in blood, she smiled like a lover awaiting a kiss.
The King roared, charging at her again. Steel clashed with claw, sparks and blood raining on the throne. Snowball laughed, low and sultry, even as she fought:
「この王...弱い...でもあなたは...強い...私の兵士...」
"This King… is weak… but you… are strong… my soldier…"
Her words dragged like velvet across Kael's mind.
The Princess, desperate, fell to her knees before him. "Kael, look at me!" Her tears glittered on the marble. "I love you! Don't let her steal you—don't let her damn you!"
Kael stood frozen. Duty or desire. Crown or curse. The world narrowed to the weight of the sword in his hand.
Then—he moved.
Steel rang as Kael's blade cut through the torchlight. Gasps erupted through the hall. Snowball's eyes widened, crimson fire glowing hotter. The King staggered, uncertain. The Princess held her breath.
Kael had made his choice.
Chapter 18 – Blood Oath
The throne hall rang with chaos. Snowball crouched on the King's throne, crimson eyes burning, her claws dripping with blood. The King raised his blade. The Princess wept, begging. The court cowered in shadows.
And Kael—Kael stood between them all.
For one heartbeat, he chose duty.
With a cry, he raised his sword and struck. Steel bit into Snowball's pale shoulder, spilling a spray of dark blood across the marble. The hall gasped as her laughter broke into a hiss of pain. For the first time, she had been wounded.
The King roared triumphantly, surging forward to finish the strike.
But then—Snowball's eyes locked on Kael. Not the King, not the crown. Him.
Her lips curled into a bloody smile.
「やっと...私に触れた...カエル...」
"At last… you touched me… Kael…"
Her voice dragged, sultry even as blood soaked her gown. She reached for him—not in rage, but in hunger. In love.
And Kael faltered.
He had drawn her blood, but he could not bring himself to sever her life. His sword trembled. His breath caught. Even wounded, she was irresistible. Even bleeding, she was beautiful.
The King's blade swung—aimed to end her.
Instinct moved Kael before thought. He stepped between them, steel clashing against steel. Sparks showered. Gasps erupted.
The King's fury blazed. "Traitor! You shield her?!"
The Princess's scream tore through the hall: "Kael, no!"
Snowball laughed, crimson staining her lips. She leaned against him, fangs brushing his ear as her shadow spread to engulf the hall.
「見た? あなたは私を傷つけ...そして守った...もう逃げられない...」
"See? You hurt me… and you protected me… now you can never escape…"
The throne hall descended into madness. Shadows writhed, soldiers screamed, blood slicked the marble. And in the center of it all stood Kael—sword raised against his King, Snowball clinging to him like a lover, crimson eyes glowing with victory.
He had chosen both.
He had lost everything.
And Snowball had won.
Chapter 19 – Flames in the Capital
The throne hall was no more than a ruin of screams. The King's guards lay broken and blood-drained. The marble floor ran crimson. Shadows writhed like living snakes across the pillars and tapestries.
Snowball clutched Kael, her body pressed against his, her bloodied lips dragging across his cheek as she whispered:
「行こう...愛しい人...」
"Let's go… my beloved…"
Before the King could rally, she spread her arms. Shadows swelled, exploding the stained glass windows into a storm of shards. She leapt with Kael into the night, vanishing into the city below.
The capital burned.
Snowball landed gracefully in the market square, still gripping Kael's wrist. Citizens screamed as they saw her monstrous form—white hair wild, gown soaked in blood, fangs glinting in firelight. She looked like a demon bride dragging her groom through chaos.
"Snowball, wait—!" Kael tried to catch his breath, but she pulled him deeper into the labyrinth of alleys, past overturned carts, past soldiers rallying to horns of alarm.
Everywhere, people whispered her name:
"The White Demon… she's stolen the Captain…"
"The King's guard has betrayed us…"
Back in the palace, the Princess knelt amidst the carnage. Her dress was stained with ash and tears, her hands trembling.
She looked at her father, the King, barely holding himself upright, fury blazing in his eyes.
"Father," she whispered, her voice breaking, "I cannot forgive this. She has stolen him from me… and shamed us before the throne."
Her tears dried. Her hands clenched into fists.
The Princess rose slowly, her eyes no longer soft with love, but sharp with fire.
"I will see her destroyed. Even if Kael stands at her side. Even if the city burns to ash."
The King's gaze hardened. "Then we are agreed. We make war upon the White Demon—and upon the traitor who chose her."
Meanwhile, Snowball dragged Kael into a shadowed alley, pressing him hard against a wall, her crimson eyes glowing with ecstasy. Her fangs gleamed as she kissed his throat—not piercing yet, only teasing.
「聞いて...みんなが知っている...今夜から...あなたは私のもの...」
"Listen… they all know… from tonight on… you are mine…"
Kael's pulse thundered. He was Captain no more. He was prey, lover, prisoner, chosen one—all at once.
And above the city, bells tolled war.
Chapter 20 – Two Queens on the Board
The city was a tinderbox. Smoke still rose from the palace, soldiers patrolled in fear, whispers spread like wildfire. Everyone spoke of the White Demon and the Captain she had stolen.
In the Shadows – Snowball & Kael
Snowball dragged Kael through a broken iron gate into a forgotten courtyard cloaked in ivy and moonlight. The ruins of an old chapel rose around them—abandoned, desecrated long ago.
She spun on him suddenly, pinning him against a crumbling pillar, her gown torn, her fangs gleaming. Her crimson eyes burned with possession.
「あなたはもう兵士じゃない...私のもの...」
"You are no longer a soldier… you are mine…"
Kael's breath shook. "Snowball… the whole kingdom will hunt us now."
She leaned closer, lips grazing his jaw, her voice dragging like velvet:
「いいわ...彼らが来れば来るほど...血が流れるだけ...」
"Good… the more they come, the more blood will flow…"
Her laughter echoed through the ruined chapel as she kissed him—not tenderly, but like a claim. Kael's sword slipped from his hand, clattering on the stones.
In the Palace – The Princess's Vow
The Princess stood in her chambers, her white gown replaced with black silk, her eyes rimmed red but sharp as blades.
Around her knelt three figures—an assassin in dark leather, a priest clutching a silvered cross, and a court spy whose face was hidden in a hood.
"You will find her," the Princess whispered, her voice trembling with fury. "You will hunt her down, and you will bring Kael back to me—or bring me his head, if he is lost to her."
The assassin bowed silently. The priest muttered a prayer of exorcism. The spy only smiled thinly.
The Princess raised her chin, her voice breaking into steel:
"She stole my love. Now I will steal her life."
Back to the Chapel – The Blood Kiss
Snowball straddled Kael now, pressing him into the cold stone altar. Her hair spilled over him like snow, her claws grazing his chest. Her hunger was rising—not for his love, but for his blood.
She whispered against his ear, her breath hot:
「愛も血も...両方欲しい...」
"I want both your love… and your blood…"
Kael closed his eyes, torn between dread and desire, as her fangs brushed his throat.
And above the city, the palace bells tolled again—this time not in alarm, but in declaration of a hunt.
Chapter 21 – The First Bite
The ruined chapel was drowned in moonlight. Dust hung like mist. Broken statues stared with hollow eyes. And on the cracked altar, Kael lay beneath her.
Snowball's white hair spilled over his chest, her lips brushing his throat. Her claws pinned him gently—but unyielding.
「静かにして...すぐに甘くなる...」
"Be still… it will turn sweet soon…"
Her fangs gleamed. Kael's breath caught. His sword was far, but his heartbeat was close—so close.
Snowball licked the pulse at his neck slowly, seductively, drawing it out until he thought he might lose his mind. Then—she bit.
Pain. Ecstasy. His cry echoed through the ruined hall, muffled by her lips.
Blood rushed into her mouth. Her eyes burned crimson brighter, her nails dug into stone, cracking it. She moaned low, savoring him like rare wine.
At the Same Time – The Hunters' March
Outside the city gates, three figures slipped into the night.
The assassin moved like a shadow, silent. The priest whispered prayers, his cross clutched tight, holy water sloshing. The spy walked ahead, lips curled in a knowing grin.
"The Princess has given us gold, horses, and leave to kill," the assassin murmured.
"But can we kill what is not human?" asked the priest.
The spy only chuckled. "Everything can bleed."
Their boots echoed down the cobblestones, their eyes fixed on the faint trail of blood leading from the palace into the heart of the city.
Back in the Chapel – The Bond
Snowball pulled back at last, her lips dripping crimson, her eyes glowing like fire. She stared down at Kael, his chest heaving, his skin pale from the blood she'd taken.
He expected death. Instead, she kissed him—slow, lingering, her tongue tasting his lips with his own blood.
「これで...私たちは一つ...」
"Now… we are one…"
Her voice dragged, low and sultry, almost reverent.
Kael's vision blurred, torn between horror and surrender. His body trembled, but his heart beat for her.
And far outside, the hunters' footsteps drew closer.