Chapter 90

On a weekend morning, surrounded by an endless sea of forest, a small wooden house, like something out of a fairy tale, basked in the warm sunlight, exuding a visible sense of leisure and warmth. But this was not a candy house for children to play in; even with its splendid exterior, the castle of the true vampire was still hard to make one feel at ease.

Sitting around the large dining table, which had been hastily added due to the recent population surge, six people were enjoying a rich breakfast. Among them, only the black-haired ancient spirit, Hoshizaki Kaguya, seemed indifferent to everything, and the robot, Rokushaku Chachamaru, who could not express emotions in a normal way, appeared more natural. Even the short-haired girl, Momoko, who had been there the shortest time, seemed to have an animal-like intuition and sensed something amiss, eating quietly without saying a word.

Yuiwen held a delicate cup, sipping her post-meal tea with elegant manners, her cute little fangs occasionally showing, as if warning people not to forget her identity as the true vampire. The young lady of the Far坂 family, sitting beside Yuiwen, looked preoccupied. If not for Chachamaru's reminder, she might have smeared the bacon on her face with her fork.

Having spent more time together than many people do in a lifetime, Levi had long understood Yuiwen's habits. The elegance and mystery of a vampire were merely her facade for others. Only when they were alone did she fully indulge in the privileges of a spoiled, capricious, and willful little girl. Her unusual behavior now clearly conveyed her suppressed dissatisfaction and resentment. Fortunately, they had withstood the test of time, and such a small issue should not affect their relationship. However, a bit of physical suffering was inevitable. Levi lowered his head without showing his bitter smile.

Compared to Yuiwen, whose mood was written all over her face, Levi was more concerned about the girl who had skipped breakfast today. The spirit girl with hair longer than Yuiwen's, who often wore a black tight-fitting battle suit even while sleeping, was the one Levi was most worried about. Her treatment at Chao Lingyin's place was his primary concern.

Always holding a book, with a face as expressionless as Nagato Yuki, such beings were hard for even the closest and most familiar people to fully understand. If Levi had to name the most troublesome resident of the cottage, Eve would definitely be at the top of the list. But perhaps it was a morning illusion, or perhaps he just preferred to see his servant sitting quietly and eating, rather than the strange feeling of an empty chair.

"I'm full."

He put away his utensils and plates, maintaining the last bit of etiquette like a condemned man at his final meal.

"Full? Perfect."

Yuiwen put down her teacup and raised an eyebrow.

"Follow me."

A determined hunter would not let even the most cunning prey escape, let alone when the prey had clearly given up resistance. Yuiwen was happy to save her energy. She stood up, her soft little hand gripping Levi like a red-hot iron tongs, dragging him away from the table. As the couple descended the stairs, the black-haired spirit, who had just finished her meal, could be seen with a subtle, indescribable smile on her face.

"Yuiwen, I'm going to be late. Can we talk about this after school?"

"It's the weekend."

Levi searched his entire body but found nothing to confirm the time. The vampire girl, standing barefoot on the white sand, expressionlessly reminded him that it was a non-working day.

"Wait, wait, we just finished breakfast, too much exercise is bad for the body!"

"Oh? So you're full? Should I count how many bites you took? I saw it clearly!"

Before he could finish speaking, a large amount of magical elements gathered in the girl's seemingly delicate hands. Levi had guessed what would happen next as he was dragged into the villa. Seeing no way to avoid it, he was not about to stand there and take it.

He made a decision and acted immediately, teleporting behind Yuiwen to incapacitate her before she could cast her spell.

Bang!

A sound like a giant hammer hitting rebar echoed, and Levi, who had just appeared on the sand, was shot into the sea like a cannonball.

"Oh? That feeling... you blocked it with a gun? Looks like you're not just a man who revolves around women."

Standing in place, Yuiwen shook her tightly clenched fist.

"Who revolves around women! It's them, the Holy Grail War... it's beyond my control! Cough, cough."

The drenched and disheveled man stood up from the water. Although the powerful force had been deflected, the subsequent impact still left Levi's body numb. It was a power that remained in his memory, more terrifying than the raging Hercules. Among the countless opponents he had fought, the one with the strongest power was indeed the small, soft-looking magician in front of him.

How ironic, he shook the water from his hair, sighing for the Hercules who had lost his reason to the berserker state.

"Are you one of those weak magicians?"

She stroked the golden hair that fell to her chest, speaking arrogantly.

"No, I almost forgot, how nostalgic..."

The vampire's physique far exceeded that of ordinary humans, with innate agility and speed that were unparalleled. However, Yuiwen's powerful physical strength was not a gift of her race.

Dark magic—regardless of strength or morality, it devours and absorbs everything—this was the terrifying magic created by the true vampire, Yuiwen Agatha Antanathia Kattie McDowell. By using her own magic to draw in the magical elements of nature, setting the order of their arrangement, and then detonating them, this was the fundamental way magicians created various miracles. However, if the process was altered, and the energy that should have been detonated and did not belong to oneself was absorbed into the body and controlled at will, it was Yuiwen's unique skill. It could instantly double the strength and power of the body, concentrating scattered magic within and using it with terrifying force, as Levi had experienced firsthand.

"Ah, after seeing a berserker like that, I truly understood the terror of dark magic."

That power, surpassing everything, came at the cost of the caster's own body and soul, bearing an indescribable burden. In the few hundred years since the creation of dark magic, Yuiwen was the only user. The skill, which was not complex in principle and technique, had never been endured by any normal human during the casting process. It was a power granted by tragedy, a power bought with pain, a power that should not belong to an innocent girl.

When he first learned of it, Levi had felt pity and pain, but as the peaceful life continued, and with Yuiwen's magic sealed, he had almost forgotten about dark magic.

"Yes, powerful strength, useful skills. The ability to defeat any opponent..."

Murmuring to herself, Yuiwen slowly approached Levi. The seawater that flooded the beach submerged her delicate ankles, then her knees, which were flushed with excitement, and finally her slender waist.

"But, but! Why can't you learn it!"

The girl suddenly threw herself into Levi's arms, catching him off guard and nearly causing him to fall backward.

"Clearly the method is correct, the scroll I made must have worked! Why! Why! Your magic power far exceeds that of other magicians, yet why can't you even learn the basic fire spell! You idiot, why did you even participate in that boring Holy Grail War! Damn Nagi, damn seal! Do you think every opponent will foolishly follow you into the villa! You..."

The girl's trembling, cold lips were covered by the man's, the inner turmoil quelled by a gentle kiss.

At that moment, words were unnecessary.