Kein opened his eyelids heavily. His recovering consciousness was immediately met with an unusual sight; his vision was obstructed by the curve of fine white fabric right in front of his face. It was Diane's blouse. The woman appeared to be leaning against the edge of the bed where Kein slept, making her body slightly bent and in very close proximity.
The scent of cold roses, which was Diane's signature, rushed into his sense of smell, mixed with a faint, calming aroma of clean fabric. As Kein tried to focus his gaze, he was stunned. Diane was asleep in a position that seemed very uncomfortable for her. Her long silver hair, usually neatly styled, now flowed freely, falling across the sheets and partially covering Kein's shoulder like a silver curtain.
When Kein tried to move his arm, he felt a cold weight pressing down on his right hand. Apparently, Diane's hand lay there—smooth, pale, and feeling as cold as porcelain. Miraculously, the pain that had torn at his heart and shoulder last night had completely vanished. His body felt light, as if the horrific wounds from Zevron's claws were merely fragments of a nightmare that evaporated at dawn.
Kein moved with extreme caution, as if even the sound of his breath could break the silence of the room. Slowly, he pulled his hand from under Diane's palm, feeling the soft friction of her skin for one last time before it was fully released. With his fully recovered muscles, Kein slipped his arms under Diane's back and the crook of her knees. He lifted his master's body with a very stable movement, ensuring Diane's head remained resting on his shoulder so she wouldn't wake up. The body felt so light, yet carried a cold aura that seeped into his skin.
Slowly, Kein laid Diane in the center of the bed that was still warm from his own body heat. He positioned the Lady's legs to be straight, then pulled the thick blanket up to cover her shoulders. The stray strands of Diane's silver hair looked starkly contrasting against the dark pillow.
Kein stood at the edge of the bed, staring at Diane with a look that was hard to interpret. A thin smile was etched on his face. Now their positions were swapped; Kein was awake, watching Diane sleep while sitting on the edge of the bed. His mischievous hand moved, gently stroking the ends of Diane's hair scattered across the bed, before his fingers moved up to touch the woman's cheek.
His courage grew. His palm now stroked her forehead and neatly brushed Diane's hair with gentleness. Kein glanced around for a moment; it was the same room where he had rested yesterday. The window curtains appeared tightly closed, struggling to block the sunlight trying to seep in.
However, when he turned his gaze back, Kein's heart nearly jumped out of his chest. Diane's red eyes were wide open, staring straight at him without any expression.
"DIANE!" the young man shouted spontaneously, as if he had just seen a corpse suddenly wake up.
Without a word, Diane grabbed Kein's hand that was still on her head. With a calm but undeniable movement, she pulled that hand and bit Kein's index finger with her red lips that appeared to be starting to dry.
"Diane, are you thirsty?" "No, I am hungry," Diane said after releasing her bite, her eyes occasionally blinking as she looked at Kein's face. "I feel like swallowing you, you naughty boy". "Diane, are you suddenly so lustful that you want to swallow me?" Kein asked innocently. "No, Kein. I was just joking," Diane replied in a quick, yet still smooth tone.
The young man just fell silent, locking eyes with the woman beneath him. It wasn't a gaze of hatred, but a deep, unwavering look, as if Kein were trying to find the truth behind the cold mask Diane always wore. Diane immediately straightened her back on the bed, sitting level with Kein who was still beside her.
"Kein, can you really not distinguish between a serious statement and one that is just a joke?" Diane said. Her voice was low, but her eyes remained locked on Kein's pupils, waiting for an answer that never came from the young man's lips. The silence between them felt so thick that even the sound of a heartbeat seemed audible.
THUD!!
In one movement that was too fast for a human eye to catch, Diane pushed Kein's body onto the bed. The soft mattress creaked as Kein fell onto his back with Diane now on top of him, supporting her body weight with both hands on either side of Kein's head. The young man's face looked shocked, his breath caught in his throat.
"Do you really think I've lost control, Kein?" Diane asked, with a soft whisper in front of his face that made his hair stand on end. "—" The young man just fell silent, processing the words in his head.
Diane's red eyes now glinted with a dangerous spark—the spark of a predator that had just been provoked. The ends of her silver hair fell across Kein's cheek, creating a cold, ticklish sensation. "Are you not afraid of being devoured by a vampire, Kein?" "Diane, I am also a vampire," Kein replied, his eyes hiding a bit of fear in front of the woman. He raised his right hand, intending to cover Diane's face.
Before he could block her face, the young man's hand was already laid beside his head—with his wrist held by Diane's palm.
"Your hand is very meddlesome, Kein," the woman stared, without flinching in the slightest. "You should be aware of your position now, —Kein?" "I was just carried away by the atmosphere. There was no other intention, Diane," Kein replied, increasingly cornered. "—Is that so? Now you are brave toward me because you've become a bit stronger," Diane said softly, not as a threat, but as a deliberate, thin mockery. "Kein, the Psionic Blade?"
Kein's eyes closed for a moment. "Diane," he said softly, realizing he had just given an opening to be teased. Click. The young man opened his left eye after feeling a flick on his forehead.
"Just kidding," Diane said softly, her right hand still resting on the forehead of the boy beneath her. "Afraid just like that". The woman closed her eyes for a moment while wearing a mischievous smile. She stroked Kein's forehead, followed by a brush toward his hair. A second later, Diane had moved aside, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Is that how you treat me after I almost died at Zevron's hands?" Kein said sulkingly, his back rising up on the bed. "Diane". "How mean," the woman said, looking at Kein. "Even though I was the one who restored you last night, Kein".
The young man was stunned for a moment, while Diane got up from the bed. "Kein," she called, already sitting at a dressing table—beside the bed, near the window.
Kein stood up and approached her from behind, reaching for a hairbrush made of oak wood, decorated with a small framed bead. He untangled the strands of hair behind Diane's neck. The aroma of cold roses mixed with a thin scent of sweat as he brushed it slowly, smoothing out the tangles left from sleep until it was as smooth as silk again.
After the hair was perfectly untangled, Kein's fingers moved skillfully, separating two thick strands of hair from the temples. Carefully, he twisted both strands toward the back of her head—forming an elegant twisted crown. When the two hair twists met in the center, Kein made a hole between one of the twists.
With skillful movements, Kein inserted the other hair twist through the hole and locked it with a crisscross technique using a silver hair clip—matching the woman's hair color. The remaining hair below was left to fall freely like a silver curtain on Diane's back.
Diane stared at the large mirror in front of her. Only the empty walls and room furniture were visible there, while the figures of herself and Kein seemed erased from reality; there were no shadows, no reflections. She glanced slightly at the young man behind her who was taller than her; his face looked serious while brushing her hair. She smiled thinly, seeing Kein's sincere devotion.
"Thank you, Diane," Kein said, nearly whispering, while his fingers continued to brush the hair. "For everything". "Thank you too," Diane whispered in a low, yet deep tone. She looked back at the empty mirror in front of her. "Your Psionic Blade looked cool, Kein".
Kein fell silent for a moment. "If it weren't for you, I would have definitely died fighting Zevron, Diane," Kein said, smiling while continuing his task. "No, I just said your sword was cool. Not that you were great, Kein," the woman joked, closing one eye for a moment.
The young man was taken aback, raising his eyebrows for a moment before returning to normal. "I am joking, Kein". "You have mastered my Legacy—a unique concept of power possessed by every True Vampire—well, and could even create a new form of Psionic Energy". "Creating a new form is not that easy; you need strong determination. It means your hard work so far has been quite good".
Hearing that, Kein paused again from his task. "I was only thinking for a moment at that time," he whispered softly. Realizing the young man had stopped brushing, Diane slowly turned her body around. An awkward smile with a blushing face was painted on Kein's face.
"Why—?" the young man asked softly, looking at the woman in front of him. "Your face is turning red, Kein. How cute," Diane teased, the corners of her lips rising slightly. "Diane—!" Kein said in a higher tone than before; he turned his body to face away from the mischievous vampire. "Stop teasing me like that".
The woman stood up and approached him, gently touching the young man's shoulder from behind. "Ask for something, as long as I am able to fulfill it," Diane said softly, enough to calm the boy in front of her. "Anything?" Kein asked shyly, as if to make sure first. He turned his body to face Diane.
"Nothing weird, Kein," the woman replied spontaneously, yet still sounding polite. "Hmm," the young man thought, his fingers placed on his chin. "How about buying me new ammunition?" "Ammunition?" "Yes, I need it for my weapons," Kein said, suddenly pulling out both of his pistols from their holsters. "Grimlock, and Silver-Six". "Since when did you name those strange weapons of yours, Kein?" Diane remarked; she looked with bewilderment at the young man who was smiling while showing off his pistols. "Just now," the young man grinned. "Do you not like it, Diane?"
"I like it," Diane replied, her hands guiding Kein's wrists downward. "In that case, let us go buy them, Kein. Show me the place". "Yes, Lady Diane!"
***
The atmosphere in the Trading District this evening was as crowded as yesterday, but there was a slight difference. Occasionally they saw groups of people in gray plate armor, circling and interacting with pedestrians. 'Do you know anything about the shooting at Twilight Sky, sirs?' The sounds of interrogation were heard faintly amidst the noise of the trading district.
"Diane, it seems we are being sought by the Town Guards," Kein whispered while glancing at Diane; his tone was apprehensive. "That was your doing, Kein," Diane replied flatly, without looking at the young man as she continued to walk level with him. "Where did you last see that weapon shop, Kein?"
Kein looked at the red brick buildings along the district, searching for the location he had found while walking yesterday evening. Across the right side of the street, a wooden sign was seen attached to a building: Steelfire Armory. "That is the place, as I recall, Diane," the young man pointed; he crossed the street followed by the woman beside him.
Their steps stopped in front of a building that looked prominent among the rows of other brick shops. Diane stared at the shop's name sign with a furrowed brow. "A strange place".
Steelfire Armory did not use an ordinary wooden name sign; above its entrance was a giant iron carving shaped like a dragon coiling around a long-barreled rifle. Strangely, the dragon's eyes glowed dimly with a reddish mana crystal glow, as if watching every visitor who came. TING! The bell behind the heavy iron door rang when Kein pushed it open.