Chapter 22 – The Chapel of Blood
The ruined chapel lay silent after the bite. Moonlight poured through the shattered roof, glinting on Snowball's crimson lips. Kael lay beneath her, weak but alive, his body trembling from the blood she'd taken.
She brushed his cheek with her claw, her voice dragging in satisfaction:
「もう誰も...あなたを奪えない...」
"Now no one… can take you from me…"
Kael's lips parted to speak—but then the chapel doors exploded inward.
The Hunters Arrive
Three shadows stormed into the moonlit ruin.
The assassin's daggers glinted. The priest raised his cross high, chanting, his voice echoing against the broken stone. The spy smiled thinly, his eyes burning with cruel purpose.
"There!" the priest cried. "The White Demon!"
Snowball hissed, her fangs bared, her claws flexing. Shadows leapt from the walls at her command.
Kael struggled to rise, sword in hand, though his body was faint from blood loss. His eyes locked on the assassin—one of his former brothers-in-arms.
The Battle
The assassin lunged first, blades flashing silver in the moonlight. Snowball's claw met steel, sparks flying. The priest hurled holy water, sizzling on her pale skin, drawing a furious scream.
Kael staggered to his feet, parrying the assassin's second strike. "They'll kill her—kill us both!"
The spy circled the altar, whispering: "Captain… you can still come back. Leave her now, and we'll pretend tonight never happened."
Kael spat blood, his grip tightening. "No. I'm already hers."
Snowball surged forward, her gown whipping like fire. She slashed the priest across the chest, sending him sprawling into a broken pew. She kicked the assassin into a wall, splintering wood.
But the spy moved fast, a silver blade hidden in his sleeve. He lunged for Kael.
Snowball screamed, interposing herself. The blade bit deep into her side, smoke hissing where silver met flesh.
Her knees buckled. For the first time, she faltered.
The Escape
Kael roared, cutting down the spy with a furious strike, steel ripping through cloak and flesh. The man fell, silent at last.
Snowball clung to him, blood running dark down her white body. "Kael… we must go…"
The assassin staggered up, bloodied but alive. The priest crawled, clutching his cross. Reinforcements would come.
Kael lifted Snowball into his arms, her blood staining his armor. With one last glance at his broken comrades, he charged through the shattered window into the night.
They fell into the alley below, shadows swallowing them, the city screaming around them.
Behind, the chapel burned with holy fire as the priest's final prayer ignited the ruins.
The hunt was no longer secret. The war had begun.
Chapter 23 – Blood in the Veins, Fire in the Palace
The City's Underbelly – Snowball & Kael
The alleyways of the capital drowned in shadow as Kael carried her through the labyrinth of streets. Snowball's blood dripped steadily, darkening his armor.
He slipped through a tavern's back door into a hidden cellar, where smugglers once traded contraband. The place reeked of wine and dust, but it was safe—at least for the night.
Snowball lay against the stone wall, pale even by her own standards. Her crimson eyes flickered weakly, yet she still smiled with fangs glinting.
Kael pressed cloth to her wound. "You'll bleed out if you don't—"
Her hand grabbed his wrist, strong despite her weakness. Her lips dragged against his palm, her voice low and sultry:
「なら...飲ませて...」
"Then… let me drink…"
Kael hesitated. His veins still ached from the last time. But her eyes burned with hunger, and his heart surrendered. He tilted his head, baring his neck.
She sank her fangs in gently this time. The pain was softer—an intimacy, not an assault. Kael shuddered, gripping her waist, his blood becoming her strength.
Her body grew warmer, her claws softened into fingers caressing his chest. When she pulled back, lips crimson, she kissed him slow and deep, blood mingling between them.
「これで...生きられる...あなたがいる限り...」
"With this… I can live… as long as you are mine…"
The Palace – The Princess's Fire
Back in the golden halls of the palace, the Princess stood at the head of a gathering. No longer dressed in silk, she now wore black armor traced with silver. Her beauty was colder, her grief forged into rage.
Before her knelt twenty knights, the survivors of the hall. Priests chanted behind them, sprinkling holy water on sharpened blades.
The Princess's voice rang out:
"The White Demon has defiled our throne. She has stolen my Captain. She has spilled the blood of our fathers' house. This city will not sleep until her corpse is hung upon the gates."
The knights roared their assent.
The King raised his hand, but his voice faltered—his strength waning, his will fading. The Princess saw it. She saw the crown slipping.
Her eyes glinted. If her father could not lead, she would. And she would build her throne from Snowball's ashes.
The Two Flames
Beneath the city, Snowball curled against Kael, whispering in Japanese, dragging each syllable like silk. Above the city, the Princess sharpened swords and prayers, her rage rising like fire.
The kingdom whispered of two queens now:
One in shadows, fanged and crimson, with a soldier bound by blood. One in the palace, armored and vengeful, with an army forged by grief.
And between them—Kael, the man claimed by both love and duty.
Chapter 24 – The Trap and the Temptation
Beneath the City – Snowball's World
The cellar was no longer enough. Snowball led Kael deeper, through tunnels that sloped into the underbelly of the capital.
They passed crypts where old kings slept in stone, sewer-arches dripping with black water, and hidden doors leading into dens where shadows whispered.
At last, she drew him into a chamber lit by candles that never melted. The air was thick with perfume and blood. Curtains of silk hung from broken arches, and pale figures lounged inside—monsters in human form.
Some had eyes too bright, others nails too long, some lips stained with crimson. They looked upon Kael like wolves at prey.
Snowball held his arm tight, her voice dragging in warning:
「彼は...私のもの...触れたら殺す...」
"He is mine… touch him and you die…"
The others bowed their heads. For all her wounds, her dominance was unbroken.
Snowball pulled Kael onto a couch of velvet, pressing close. She poured him dark wine that smelled faintly of iron.
"Drink," she whispered in broken English, lips at his ear. "Tonight… you see my world."
Above the City – The Princess's Trap
Meanwhile, the Princess stood upon the balcony of the high tower, overlooking the city streets. Her spies had mapped the underground, the assassins had marked the blood-trails.
She raised her hand, and bells tolled—not for warning, but for control.
Torches flared in the alleys. Soldiers moved with silent precision. Priests traced sigils across doorways.
"The White Demon hides beneath us," the Princess declared. "We will not storm her lair—we will choke it. Seal the alleys. Flood the tunnels. Drive her out like a rat, and when she rises, we strike."
The knights bowed. The Princess's lips curled—not with joy, but with iron resolve.
"Kael will see her burn. And if he does not—he will burn with her."
The Crossing of Shadows
Back below, Snowball pressed Kael against velvet cushions, her claws grazing his chest, her fangs brushing his throat. Her voice dragged low, sultry:
「上では...罠が動いている...でもここでは...あなたは私の虜...」
"Above, their trap moves… but here, you are my captive…"
Kael's head swam, torn between pleasure and dread. He could hear faintly—the bells tolling, the boots of soldiers above.
The city itself had become a board. Two queens moved their pieces. And he was both pawn and prize.
Chapter 25 – Fire in the Veins, Fire in the Streets
The Tunnels Ignite
The underworld shuddered. Bells tolled above. Then came the hiss—smoke. Holy smoke poured into the tunnels, flooding every corner with stinging white haze.
Snowball snarled, dragging Kael to his feet. Her crimson eyes burned, her claws flexed, her gown whipping in the rising wind of shadows.
Figures appeared through the haze—knights with silvered spears, priests chanting, the assassin returning with fresh blades.
Snowball roared, her voice reverberating like thunder:
「ここは...血の海になる!」
"This place will drown in blood!"
She lunged. Claws ripped through steel. Shadows strangled men where they stood. The tunnels became a slaughterhouse, echoing with screams and steel.
Kael swung his sword beside her, parrying a knight's strike, cutting down another. Smoke filled his lungs, his eyes stung, but his blade stayed true.
The Ascent
But the hunters had planned well. Torches flared in every corridor, forcing them upward. Every passage they took was driven toward the surface.
Snowball hissed, wounded anew by a priest's cross that seared her skin. Kael pulled her arm over his shoulder, half-carrying her as they stumbled up a stairwell lit by moonlight.
The trap had worked. The tunnels were lost.
They burst onto the streets of the capital—into firelight and steel.
The Princess's Stand
There, waiting in the square before the palace gates, stood the Princess.
She wore black armor chased with silver, a sword at her hip, a torch in her hand. Behind her, rows of knights gleamed like a wall of iron, priests chanting, banners snapping in the wind.
The people of the city crowded rooftops and balconies, watching in terror and awe.
The Princess's voice rang clear, carrying over fire and smoke:
"Kael of the Guard. You stand beside a demon. You betrayed your King, your country… and me."
Her torch flared as she dropped it into the oil-soaked ground. Flames erupted, circling the square.
"You will not leave this place alive."
The Clash of Queens
Snowball stood tall despite her wounds, her white hair wild in the firelight, her crimson eyes blazing. She pressed a claw to Kael's chest, whispering:
「選んで...今すぐ...」
"Choose… now…"
Her voice dragged like silk over steel.
Kael looked between them—the Princess, radiant with fury, her knights at her back… and Snowball, blood-stained and smiling, her shadows writhing hungrily.
Two queens. One kingdom.
And Kael, caught in the fire between them.
Chapter 26 – The Demon and the Saint
The Transformation
The square burned red with fire. Smoke swirled in the air, banners snapped, and the people of the capital held their breath on rooftops and balconies.
Snowball's chest rose and fell as she gazed at the Princess. Her crimson eyes glowed brighter, her lips pulling back to reveal her fangs fully, no longer hidden.
Then her laughter broke, dragging low and seductive into the night:
「見せてあげる...私の本当の姿を...」
"I'll show you… my true self…"
Her gown ripped like paper. Her pale skin rippled, stretching, tearing. White fur burst along her arms, claws lengthening into talons. Her hair spread like a mane of snow, eyes glowing like twin suns of blood.
Wings of shadow erupted from her back, vast and writhing. Her body grew, towering, still beautiful but utterly inhuman—a demon bride crowned in crimson fire.
The crowd screamed. Some prayed, some fled, others fell to their knees.
The White Demon stood revealed.
The Princess's Defiance
The Princess stepped forward, alone, silver sword flashing in the firelight.
She raised her blade high and cried out—not just to her knights, but to the city, the kingdom, to history itself:
"Do not bow to shadows! Tonight, we carve this demon's name into ash!"
Her armor blazed in the firelight, her eyes alight with fury. The people, trembling, found their voices: "For the Princess! For the crown!"
Knights roared, priests lifted crosses, horns blared.
The Princess leveled her blade at Snowball, pointing like a spear. "You stole my love. You drank our blood. Tonight, you fall."
The Clash
Snowball roared, her wings unfurling, shadows crashing forward like a wave. Knights scattered, some dragged screaming into darkness, others cut down by her claws.
The Princess charged straight through the storm, her sword gleaming like lightning. She ducked a slash that split stone, leapt upon the rubble, and struck Snowball's arm, silver steel slicing white flesh.
Snowball screamed—not in pain, but in delight.
「やっと...少しは楽しませてくれる...!」
"At last… you might actually entertain me…!"
The two women clashed, steel against claw, fire against shadow. The square itself shook under their fury.
Kael's Place
Kael stood at the edge of the flames, sword in hand, torn apart.
One side—his Princess, pure and furious, the crown's last hope.
The other—Snowball, monstrous, radiant, the woman who had claimed his blood and his heart.
The people screamed his name now, echoing from every rooftop: "Captain! Captain!"
All eyes turned to him. His choice would not be private this time. It would belong to the world.
Chapter 27 – The Captain's Betrayal
The First Strike – Toward Duty
Kael's grip on his sword tightened. The Princess's voice carried over the square:
"Kael, now! Stand with your crown!"
Snowball, monstrous and radiant, hissed with dripping fangs:
「来て...私を守って...」
"Come… protect me…"
The city waited.
Kael charged forward—toward the Princess. His blade rose, silver clashing against Snowball's talon as he struck her shoulder. White blood sprayed, hissing in the fire.
The crowd erupted: "The Captain stands with the Princess!"
The Princess's eyes shone with hope. Snowball's laughter cracked the air, pained but wicked.
The Turn – Toward Desire
Then Kael spun. His sword swept not at Snowball, but at a knight lunging for her throat. Steel rang, and the knight fell.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. The Princess's face froze. Snowball's crimson eyes widened—delight flooding them.
Kael shouted, his voice hoarse:
"Neither of you will have me. I choose with my blade!"
The War of Love
Snowball slashed toward the Princess. Kael blocked her strike.
The Princess lunged at Snowball's heart. Kael parried her sword away.
The square became chaos—knights, priests, shadows, and fire swirling around three figures at its heart.
To the people, it looked like madness. One moment, the Captain was the Princess's shield. The next, he was the demon's sword.
Snowball's laughter echoed as she bled, seductive even in agony:
「裏切り者...いい...もっと私を狂わせて...!」
"Traitor… good… drive me even crazier…!"
The Princess's fury burned brighter, but her voice cracked with grief:
"Kael… you would shatter me for her?"
The Shattering Choice
By night's end, blood stained every stone of the square. Snowball towered, bleeding but unbroken. The Princess's armor shone with cracks, her crown askew.
And Kael stood between them, his blade dripping with the blood of both.
The people no longer cried for a savior. They whispered only one word: "Monster…"
Chapter 28 – The Crown of Betrayal
The People's Cry
Morning rose over a city that no longer slept. The square where fire and blood had burned was blackened, corpses dragged to the side, priests chanting over ashes.
But the name on every tongue was not the demon's.
It was Kael.
From alley to marketplace, from palace to tavern, whispers ran like wildfire:
"He fought beside her—the White Demon."
"No, he struck her too!"
"Traitor! Both to crown and mankind!"
"Not traitor—madman! A monster in human skin."
Knights sharpened blades with shaking hands. Merchants closed shops. Children hid when his name was spoken.
The Captain of the King's Guard had become the city's curse.
The Princess's Chamber
In the palace, the Princess sat alone in her chamber, armor discarded, her sword laid across her knees. Her hands trembled though she would not admit it.
She whispered into the silence:
"Kael… was it ever love? Or only weakness?"
When her maid entered, she demanded in a voice like stone:
"Send word to the people. He is no longer Captain. He is exile. If he is seen, he dies."
But her eyes burned with something deeper than wrath. Grief. And beneath it—desire still unbroken.
The Demon's Den
Beneath the city, Snowball coiled around Kael like silk and smoke, her wounds stitched by shadows, her lips curling against his throat.
She whispered in dragged Japanese, sultry and cruel:
「人間たちは...あなたを憎んでいる...でも私は...愛している...」
"The humans hate you… but I… I love you…"
Her claws traced his chest, her laughter low.
「もうあなたは...私と同じ...血と裏切りに生きる者...」
"Now you are like me… one who lives by blood and betrayal…"
Kael closed his eyes. Her words bit as much as her teeth. He could not deny the thrill—or the weight.
The Triangle Tightens
Above, the Princess declared him outlaw. Below, Snowball crowned him her equal.
Kael stood between crown and claw, both women pulling at his soul, his sword, his heart.
And the people, caught between terror and fury, whispered a new prophecy:
"Whichever woman wins him will rule us all—demon or crown."
Chapter 29 – The Oath of Blood
The Secret Meeting
Night fell heavy over the capital. Kael moved like a ghost through the alleys, hood drawn low. Soldiers hunted him, but an unseen hand guided his steps—a token slipped by a servant, a mark burned into the wax.
He came to the ruined chapel on the palace's edge, its windows shattered, its altar broken. There, beneath a pale shaft of moonlight, the Princess waited.
Her gown was dark, her crown absent, her sword sheathed. She looked not like a ruler but like a woman stripped raw.
"Kael," she whispered. "You came."
He bowed his head, torn. "I should not have. You named me traitor."
"I had to," she said, stepping closer, her eyes shimmering. "The people would have torn me apart if I hadn't. But Kael…" her hand reached for his chest, trembling, "I cannot let you go."
Her lips hovered near his, but her voice was edged with steel:
"Swear to me. Swear you'll abandon her. Swear you're still mine."
The Demon's Demand
But even in the chapel's shadows, Snowball's presence was never far. Her laughter slithered through his mind like silk, though her body was nowhere to be seen.
「裏切ったら...わかっている...」
"If you betray me… you know what happens…"
That night, when Kael returned to the tunnels, Snowball's claws dug into his shoulders, her lips brushing his ear.
「証明して...彼女の血を...持ってきて...」
"Prove it… bring me her blood…"
Her fangs grazed his neck as she whispered:
「彼女を殺せば...永遠に私のもの...」
"Kill her… and you'll be mine forever…"
Kael Torn
Two women, two demands:
The Princess, begging him to abandon the demon and return to her side. Snowball, demanding the Princess's death as proof of loyalty.
Kael stared at his sword, blood-stained and trembling in his grip. His heart beat like war drums.
Either choice would damn him. Both choices would destroy him.
Chapter 30 – The Mask of the Captain
The Princess's Oath
The Princess met Kael again, this time in the garden of night, moonlight glimmering off roses drowned in dew. Her voice was sharp, but her hands shook when they touched his armor.
"Swear to me, Kael," she whispered. "Say the words. Say you are mine again, and I will forgive everything."
Kael bowed, voice steady though his chest burned:
"I swear, my Princess. I will cut her down. Snowball will not live another night."
The Princess's eyes closed, relief flooding her face. She kissed him—soft, desperate, trembling—and whispered, "Then perhaps there is still a future for us."
But in Kael's mind, another voice dragged through the silence:
「嘘つき...でもいい...」
"Liar… but I like it…"
Snowball's Proof
When he returned to the underworld, Snowball was waiting, lounging upon a throne of bones, wounds healing, her crimson eyes gleaming.
She crawled down from her seat, circling him, her gown slipping over her pale skin like liquid. Her claws traced his throat.
"Her blood," she purred in broken English, her tongue dragging over the word. "Bring it. Tonight."
Kael's hand trembled as he drew his sword, laying it across his palms. The blade was stained with blood—knights', demons', his own. He lowered it toward her feet.
"She bled," he whispered. "I struck her. I bring you proof."
Snowball's laughter echoed, low and intoxicating:
「半分の真実...甘い...でも足りない...」
"A half-truth… sweet… but not enough…"
Her fangs brushed his throat. "Next time… I want her heart."
The Captain's Mask
Kael now lived as a mask with two faces:
To the Princess, he was the repentant knight, sworn to strike down the demon. To Snowball, he was the blood-soaked lover, sworn to slaughter the Princess.
But inside, his own oath was forged: to bend fate until both women destroyed each other—or until he destroyed himself in the attempt.
The people whispered his name still, but now with dread:
"Kael the Captain is no longer man. He is trickster. Devil's pawn. Crown's ghost."
Chapter 31 – The Shattered Veil
The Princess Awakens to the Lie
In the palace's candlelit chamber, the Princess stared at the stained cloth Kael had brought her—a scrap of Snowball's gown, red with blood.
At first, she had clutched it to her chest, whispering prayers of thanks. But as the night stretched on, her fingers trembled over the stains.
Too dark. Too dry.
The blood was not fresh.
Her heart twisted. She rose, her gown dragging across the marble floor as she hissed into the silence:
"He lied. Again."
Her hand closed around her sword. Tears stung her eyes, but fury burned hotter.
"If I cannot have his love, then I will take his head."
Snowball Smells the Truth
Deep below, Snowball's lips dragged across Kael's throat as she pressed her body against his. Her claws traced his chest, but her nose lingered where his skin met steel.
She inhaled, then hissed.
「その匂い...彼女に触れた...」
"That scent… you touched her…"
Her eyes narrowed, glowing crimson in the dark.
"You kissed her," she said in broken English, her voice cracking between fury and lust. "You lie to me, Kael…"
Her laughter came sharp, dangerous.
「いい...裏切りはもっと甘い...」
"Good… betrayal makes it sweeter…"
But her claws did not leave his chest. Not yet.
The People's Revolt
In the streets, the storm finally broke.
No longer whispers—shouts. No longer fear—rage.
Torches blazed. Bells tolled not from the palace but from the common folk. Crowds surged through the alleys, chanting one word like a curse:
"Monster! Monster! Monster!"
Some meant Snowball. Some meant Kael. Some even spat the word toward the Princess herself.
The city had turned against crown, demon, and captain alike.
The Triangle Fractures
Kael now stood at the center of a kingdom tearing itself apart:
A Princess with a sword, ready to kill him for lying. A demon-lover with claws, ready to devour him for betraying her. A city with torches, ready to burn them all.
And still, both women reached for him—one with steel, one with shadow, one crying love, the other hunger.
Chapter 32 – The City of Ashes
The Convergence
The square burned again, brighter than ever before. Smoke curled into the night sky, bells clanged, and thousands of voices roared.
The people had risen with torches and stones. Knights broke rank, priests shouted prayers into chaos, the banners of the crown were torn and trampled beneath countless feet.
And at the center of it all, three figures drew every gaze: the Princess, radiant in armor; Kael, bloodstained, his sword bare; and Snowball, white and monstrous, her fangs bared in delight.
The triangle had closed.
The Duel of Queens
The Princess raised her blade high, its silver edge glowing in firelight.
"Traitor!" she cried to Kael. "Demon!" she roared to Snowball. "Tonight, one of you dies!"
Snowball's laughter cut the air, sultry and venomous:
「死ぬのは...あなた...」
"The one who dies… is you…"
The two women clashed. Steel against claw, crown against shadow. The crowd screamed as fire and blood painted the square.
The Captain's Choice
Kael charged between them, blocking blows, striking both. One moment he parried the Princess's blade, the next he saved her from Snowball's talons.
The people watched in awe and horror—unable to decide if he was hero or devil.
But in the storm of steel, fate demanded blood.
Snowball lunged, her claws piercing deep into the Princess's side. The Princess screamed, stumbling, blood soaking her gown.
Kael roared and struck Snowball's chest, sinking his sword to the hilt. White blood poured, her laughter breaking into a hiss of agony.
Both women fell to their knees.
The Death
Snowball's voice dragged low, broken but seductive even in her end:
「私の...愛しい人...あなたの剣で...死ぬのも...悪くない...」
"My beloved… to die by your sword… is not so bad…"
Her claws slipped from Kael's chest. Her body crumpled, wings dissolving into smoke. The White Demon's laughter faded into silence.
The Princess staggered forward, blood pouring from her wound. She pressed her trembling hand to Kael's cheek.
"Why…" she whispered. "Why couldn't you just… choose me?"
Her knees buckled. She collapsed into his arms, her crown falling into the dirt.
The Anarchy
The crowd erupted—not in triumph, but in madness.
"Both dead!" some cried.
"No—alive!" others shouted, pointing at Kael.
"Monster! Traitor! Demon-lover!"
Stones flew. Torches lit the palace gates. Soldiers abandoned posts. The city screamed like a beast unchained.
Snowball's blood still smoked on the stones. The Princess's crown lay shattered.
And Kael, holding both women's broken bodies, stood at the center of a kingdom tearing itself to pieces.
Chapter 33 – Ghosts in the Ashes
The Deaths Announced
The dawn was black with smoke. Bells tolled across the capital, not for victory but mourning.
Heralds shouted from the palace steps:
"The Princess is dead!"
"The White Demon is slain!"
The words echoed into every alley, every tavern, every chapel.
And with them, the city cracked apart.
Some wept for the crown. Some cheered that the demon was gone. Others shouted that Kael himself was the true monster—that his blade had murdered both their Queen and their curse.
By nightfall, the banners of revolt were raised. The kingdom stood leaderless, the streets dripping with blood.
The Princess's Survival
But in a hidden chamber beneath the palace, the Princess stirred.
Her body was broken, her wound deep, but breath still rattled in her chest. Loyalists carried her in secret, refusing to let the world see her alive until she could rise strong again.
Her first words through cracked lips were not prayers or commands.
They were:
"Where… is Kael?"
Snowball's Return
Deep below, in tunnels drowned in shadow, Snowball's body lay motionless—until her crimson eyes flickered open.
Her voice was a whisper, dragged like silk over bone:
「彼の剣...痛かった...でも...私を殺せない...」
"His blade… hurt… but it cannot kill me…"
Her laughter rose, weak but growing. She licked her lips, tasting the memory of Kael's blood.
「また会える...私の愛しい人...」
"We will meet again… my beloved…"
And her body dissolved into mist, carried deeper into the earth.
The Captain Alone
Kael stood in the ruins of the square, his sword heavy in his hand, his name cursed from every throat. To the people, he had killed both their Queen and their nightmare.
But in his heart, he felt the truth.
Neither woman was gone.
Both still claimed him.
And when they rose again—one with a crown of steel, one with a crown of shadows—the kingdom itself would be torn in half.
Chapter 34 – The Crown and the Fang
The Princess in the Shadows
The chamber beneath the palace was dim, lit by one guttering lantern. The Princess lay upon a bed of torn silks, her body bound in bandages, her breath sharp with pain.
Her most loyal maid—pale from lack of sleep—washed the blood from her skin.
"Your Highness," she whispered, "the people believe you dead. The nobles have begun to circle. Factions rise in your absence. Already, your cousin speaks of taking the throne."
The Princess's eyes burned through the haze of pain. She pushed herself upright, biting back the cry in her throat.
"Let them think me dead," she hissed. "When I rise, I will rise like fire. They will kneel or burn."
Her hand clenched weakly around her sword, but her lips trembled as she whispered the name that haunted her most:
"…Kael…"
Snowball's Haunting
Kael tried to sleep in the ruins of a burned tavern, the city's riots echoing outside. But sleep brought no peace.
Shadows slithered across the walls, forming curves, lips, claws. A voice dragged across his ear, sultry, mocking:
「眠れないの...?私が恋しいのね...」
"Can't sleep…? You miss me, don't you…?"
He jolted awake—only to find her sitting on the bed beside him, pale legs crossed, her gown clinging to her like liquid. Her eyes glowed faintly in the dark, crimson against the smoke.
"You stabbed me," she whispered in broken English, tilting her head, smiling. "It hurt. It felt… good."
Her claws traced his cheek, cold but soft.
「次は...もっと深く刺して...」
"Next time… stab me deeper…"
She leaned in, her fangs brushing his throat, her voice a low hiss of pleasure:
「でも...殺すのは許さない...」
"But I won't let you kill me…"
Then, as suddenly as she came, her body dissolved into mist, leaving only her laughter echoing in his chest.
Kael Between Two Ghosts
The Princess plotted in silence, her return hidden but inevitable.
Snowball stalked his nights, reminding him that his blade had bound them closer, not apart.
And Kael stood between them both—hated by the people, hunted by the crown, haunted by a demon's love.
Two queens, one kingdom, one captain cursed to belong to both.
Chapter 35 – A Crown of Flesh, A Fang of Love
The Princess's Reach
In the hidden chamber, the Princess was pale but glowing—like a candle burning its last wax. She dismissed her maid and ordered the door sealed.
Her breath trembled as she stared at her reflection in a cracked mirror.
Her lips curved into a smile. "He won't resist me. Not if I remind him who owns his heart."
She summoned Kael through her spies, promising him sanctuary. But beneath her silken voice was something else: a need sharpened by jealousy, a hunger to mark him before the demon did again.
Snowball's Chaos
Meanwhile, Kael stumbled through the alleys, haunted by laughter that echoed from shadow to shadow.
「ここよ...私の愛しい人...」
"Here I am… my beloved…"
Snowball appeared suddenly at the mouth of a street—white hair flowing, gown half-slipped, crimson eyes glowing. The townsfolk screamed and scattered, but she ignored them. Her gaze locked only on Kael.
She lunged—not to kill, but to kiss. Her lips crashed onto his with feral heat, her claws clutching his armor. The city roared around them: people shrieking, bells clanging, torches blazing… and still she pressed him to the wall like a lover, not an enemy.
"Your taste…" she whispered in jagged English, licking her lips. "Mmm… better than blood."
The comedy was cruel—soldiers who tried to attack her slipped on their own fear, tumbling over barrels, while she never broke the kiss.
The Alley of Horror and Desire
Snowball dragged him into a shadowed alley, her gown spilling around her like spilled milk. She pressed Kael onto the cold stone, straddling him, her fangs brushing his neck.
「私を拒めない...わかってるでしょう?」
"You cannot resist me… you know it, don't you?"
Kael's sword lay forgotten at his side as her hands slid over his chest. Her laughter was soft, seductive—but each touch was edged with danger. Every kiss threatened to turn into a bite, every caress into a claw.
The horror was that Kael wanted it. His breath came ragged, his will breaking.
And when her fangs grazed his throat, he whispered her name—not in fear, but in longing.
"Snowball…"
She shuddered, biting back a moan.
「ああ...その声...もっと聞かせて...」
"Ahh… that voice… let me hear more…"
Interrupted by the Crown
The alley flared with torchlight. Guards stormed in—sent by the Princess.
"Seize him!" they cried. "Take the Captain to Her Highness!"
Snowball hissed, her eyes blazing. She licked the blood from Kael's neck and smirked, whispering:
"Go to your little princess. She can play queen… but she'll never taste you like I do."
Her body dissolved into mist, vanishing into the night, leaving only the echo of her sultry laugh.
Kael Between Fire and Fang
Dragged before the Princess, Kael was forced to his knees. She dismissed the guards and knelt before him, her wounded body trembling as she cupped his face.
"You belong to me," she whispered fiercely, tears and desire tangled together. "Not to her. Not to that monster."
And then she kissed him—deep, desperate, claiming him not with claws but with fire.
The room spun. His lips still tasted of Snowball, but now the Princess's warmth burned against them.
Two women. Two hungers. One man caught between them.
And outside, the city roared with riot and flame—an audience to a love triangle that might consume the whole kingdom.
Chapter 36 – Between Fang and Crown
The Princess's Chamber
The Princess dismissed her servants with a trembling wave. The candlelight glowed against her pale skin, her wound hidden beneath silk, her eyes dark with fire.
Kael stood at her bedside, torn, battered, his armor half broken. She reached for his hand, pulling him closer until his shadow merged with hers on the wall.
"Kael…" she whispered, her breath warm and desperate. "Don't leave me tonight. Not for her. Not for the people. Only for me."
Her lips trembled against his jaw, moving lower, tasting his sweat and blood. She was no longer regal, no longer untouchable—only a woman clawing to keep her love.
"Say it," she begged. "Say you're mine."
Snowball's Dream Invasion
But when Kael closed his eyes, the world shifted.
The silk sheets became cold stone. The candlelight dimmed into fog. And from the darkness, Snowball's laughter slid across the air like a knife.
「また来たの...私の愛しい人...」
"I've come again… my beloved…"
She appeared crouched upon him, her white hair spilling, her gown falling open like a broken veil. Her claws pinned his wrists, her crimson eyes glowing.
"You can't resist," she purred in broken English, fangs glistening. "Your Princess kisses you… but you call for me."
Her tongue traced his neck, her laughter half-moan, half-growl.
「私のものよ...永遠に...」
"You are mine… forever…"
The Overlap
Kael jolted awake—only to find the Princess still on him, her lips pressed to his throat, her tears wet against his skin.
But in the candlelight, for a moment, her eyes gleamed red. Snowball's laugh echoed through the chamber though she was nowhere to be seen.
The Princess clutched him tighter, terrified, whispering against his chest:
"She's inside you… isn't she? She won't let you go."
And Kael, trembling, didn't know if the arms around him belonged to a Queen… or to a Demon.
The Horror and the Comedy
In the hall outside, a maid pressed her ear to the door, blushing furiously at the sounds within—only to faint dead away when she heard a low hiss that was not human.
Meanwhile, in the riot-torn streets, drunk villagers swore they saw Kael kissing two women at once, one crowned, one clawed—arguing about who got his lips first.
The city laughed, screamed, prayed… all while the kingdom fractured further.
The Crossroad
Kael stood between them—one kiss of silk, one kiss of fangs.
One woman begged for his loyalty.
The other demanded his surrender.
And he could not escape either.
Chapter 37 – The Possession and the Ritual
Snowball's Claim
Kael lay restless on the Princess's bed, sweat beading on his skin though the chamber was cold. His pulse thundered. His lips murmured a name he did not mean to say.
"...Snowball…"
The candlelight flickered and turned white. Mist seeped from the cracks of the chamber, coiling like serpents. Snowball appeared at his side, half-corporeal, her gown floating like water, her eyes blazing with hunger.
She leaned down, her tongue dragging across his chest where the Princess's hands had rested.
「私の血...あなたの血...もう分けられない...」
"My blood… your blood… they cannot be separated now…"
Her fangs pierced him lightly—just enough to draw a trickle of crimson. She moaned low, her body shivering as if his blood was ecstasy.
"You're mine," she whispered in jagged English. "No crown, no prayer can take you."
The Princess's Ritual
The Princess woke from her shallow rest and saw it—the mist, the demon's pale figure curling over her Captain. Her fury burned brighter than her wound.
"Not in my bed," she spat, her voice shaking.
She staggered to her knees, dragging a dagger across her palm. Blood spattered the silk as she whispered words older than her line of kings—half prayer, half curse.
Symbols blazed on the walls. The candles bent, their flames twisting into shapes of eyes.
"Begone, foul spirit!" she cried. "I will not lose him to a monster!"
Her blood sizzled as it struck the floor, forming a glowing circle around the bed.
The Collision
Snowball laughed, fangs dripping.
「かわいい...女王様のふりをして...」
"How cute… pretending to be a queen…"
She pressed herself harder against Kael, her claws digging into his shoulders. The Princess pulled harder, chanting faster, her blood burning hotter on the stone.
Kael screamed—not from pain, but from being pulled apart. His body arched, one side bathed in the Princess's holy flame, the other caressed by Snowball's white mist.
The bed split, silk catching fire and dissolving into smoke.
Horror, Love, Comedy
Kael's mind fractured. In one vision, he lay with the Princess, her lips desperate, her tears sweet with devotion. In another, he writhed beneath Snowball, her laugh sultry, her fangs dripping pleasure and terror both.
And in the middle, his thoughts: Which one do I truly belong to?
Outside the chamber, guards heard the screams and muttered nervously.
"...Do you think he's fighting the demon?"
"…Or just… having a very intense night?"
They didn't know whether to storm in or blush and run.
The Breaking Point
The ritual circle cracked. Snowball shrieked, her body half-ripped apart. The Princess screamed, clutching her bleeding hand tighter.
And Kael—Kael cried out both their names at once, his blood spraying across the circle.
The chamber went dark.
When the light returned, both women were gone. Kael lay alone on the scorched bed, his chest scarred with both a crown-shaped burn and a fang-shaped bite.
Chapter 38 – The Man of Two Queens
The Waking
Kael woke with a gasp, his body trembling, the sheets soaked in blood and sweat. The chamber was silent, burned, broken—yet he was not alone.
He heard it first in his ears… then in his chest… then in the marrow of his bones.
Two voices.
The Princess Within
Her voice was gentle at first, warm as firelight, regal yet trembling:
"Kael… it is me. Your Princess. I'm inside you now. You are bound to me, my knight, my protector, my love. Together, we will rebuild the kingdom. Together, we will rule."
Her words filled him with steadiness, a strange warmth that made his heartbeat strong.
Snowball Within
But her voice slithered over the Princess's like silk over steel:
「いいえ...彼は私のもの...血も心も...永遠に...」
"No… he is mine… his blood, his heart… forever…"
Her laughter curled into his skull, playful, mocking, sultry.
"You taste of me," she whispered in jagged English. "Your lips, your scars, your dreams… they all belong to me. She can keep her throne. But your soul… is my bed."
Kael Torn
Kael stumbled to his feet, gripping his sword, though it felt heavier than stone. His reflection in the cracked mirror flickered—one moment crowned in gold, the next crowned in white hair and crimson eyes.
The Princess whispered:
"Be my King."
Snowball hissed:
"Be my prey."
And Kael whispered back, broken:
"…What am I becoming?"
The Comedy of Madness
Outside, the palace was in chaos. Priests were called to bless the halls. Nobles muttered that Kael must be cursed. Servants whispered that he was haunted by both a queen and a demon—and some even bet coins on which one would win him first.
Meanwhile, drunk soldiers in the taverns sang songs of Kael "sleeping with two women at once and surviving." The myth of the Captain grew even as he lost himself.
The Fantasy and Horror
At night, when Kael tried to rest, the voices turned into visions. The Princess caressed his face with warmth, pleading for loyalty. Snowball straddled him in mist, biting his throat, moaning with every drop of his blood.
Sometimes, their visions overlapped.
He would kiss the Princess… only to open his eyes and see Snowball's fangs.
He would resist Snowball's claws… only to feel the Princess's trembling hand clutching tighter.
The nightmare was also the dream.
The horror was also the love.
And Kael… was both their prisoner and their prize.
Chapter 39 – The Puppet and the Predator
The Gathering
The palace square overflowed with fire and shouting. Nobles argued, priests chanted blessings, and the people demanded answers. Who ruled now? Was the Princess alive? Was the Captain a traitor—or a savior?
And then Kael appeared at the balcony. His armor gleamed with soot, his eyes bloodshot, his lips trembling.
For a moment, he stood tall, regal, kingly. The Princess's voice flowed from his throat, calm, commanding:
"My people… fear not. Your Queen lives through me. I will protect you. I will lead you."
The crowd gasped, some falling to their knees, others glaring with suspicion.
Snowball's Hunger
But then Kael's head tilted back, his lips curling into a sharp smile that was not his. His crimson eyes glowed. Snowball's voice slithered out, sultry and cruel:
「いい匂い...血の匂い...」
"Such a scent… the scent of blood…"
His tongue slid across his lips. His fangs—barely hidden—flashed.
Before the priests could finish their prayers, Kael leapt from the balcony like a beast, landing among the crowd. He seized a man's throat, biting deep, moaning with pleasure as the blood spilled.
The square erupted in panic.
The Clash Within
"Stop!" the Princess's voice screamed through him, forcing his hands to drop the victim. "You will not be her beast! You are mine, Kael—my knight, my King!"
But Snowball's laughter rattled through his ribs.
"He likes it," she purred. "His heart races when he tastes blood. Don't lie, my beloved—you crave me…"
Kael's body jerked violently, like a puppet torn by two masters. One moment he raised his sword to calm the people. The next, he slashed it at their throats, laughter bubbling from his mouth.
The Horror, Comedy, Fantasy
The crowd didn't know whether to cheer or flee. Some shouted, "Long live the King!" Others screamed, "Monster! Demon!"
One drunk shouted, "He's kissing us or killing us—I can't tell which!" before fainting dead away.
Children screamed, priests fainted, nobles argued—and Kael stood in the middle, half-king, half-predator, his body twitching between royal dignity and blood-soaked hunger.
The Aftermath
By nightfall, the square was in ruins. Bodies lay scattered, prayers and curses tangled in the air.
Kael staggered back into the palace, his hands drenched in both blood and holy ash. He collapsed to his knees, whispering hoarsely:
"…Why can't either of you let me go?"
The Princess's voice answered softly, trembling with devotion:
"Because you are my crown."
Snowball's laughter hissed, sweet and cruel:
"Because you are my prey."
And Kael—laughing and weeping at once—realized he was no longer a man, but a throne.