Something smells nice. My body feels a little warm but it seems the place is a little dim. I turn to my side where a presence of another person is. I slowly open my eyes to reveal the one next to me…

“Hola!~”

It was the geezer who saved us earlier lying next to me with a wide grin as he greets me. I was really hoping to see Shouko beside me but this was kind of disappointing. My face naturally frowns at the sight of the mustache fellow who especially lay down beside to greet me.

“You really do look like a girl! However, with one sniff of your blood, I instantly figured that you’re a boy.”

“Where’s Shouko?”

“Awe, can’t you have a little chat with me, mi niño?”

“I want to see Shouko first.”

“Such a hasty brother, do you really love your twin sister so much?”

“I love her as a woman.”

“Dios mio, that a really cool line. Very well then, she’s just behind me.”

My body shot up and to see Shouko. Lying next to Gria is Shouko covered with blankets and sleeps in portable bedding. She sleeps with soft breathing but her countenance is paler than ever. However, she is still alive even without her soul inside her body. I drop to my knee in relief.

“Don’t move her too much. She currently doesn’t have a soul, right?”

“Yes…”

“For now, rest up here until you recover your strength. I also roasted a hare so feel free to fill your stomach with it.”

I wordlessly nod from his words. I look carefully at my current surrounding and found out that we are inside a cave. From afar, I saw the mouth of this cave but it’s only white. On a closer look, it was an actually strong gust of wind with snow, a blizzard. At the center of this part of the cave, a bonfire is lit with the said hare impaled on a wooden rod.

I look at Gria Hellbeing.

There’s an air about him that feels noble. He did mentions earlier that he, as a vampire, is a true ancestor. Even though at first impression, he’s a little goofy, one would immediately notice that Gria exudes a malevolent power that he tries so hard to hide.

My glance shifted to Shouko. Gria did tell me not to move her too much. With that alone, a question rises inside my mind. Somehow, I cannot feel comfortable eating the food Gria served knowing that my twin sister hasn’t even woken up yet since her soul was taken.

What struck me before hunger is the dryness of my throat.

“Is there anything I can drink? I would appreciate it because my throat is so parched.”

“Oh? Of course.”

SNAP

Gria snaps his fingers and then, his shadow expands outward from him. From there a figure of a woman came out from it. In her hand is a metal plate with a water pitcher and a glass of water served. From her atmosphere, she seems also seems to be somewhat alike to Gria.

“My Lord, here’s the water.”

“Ah, this is Lirin, my familiar but also my maid. She is a rare race of demon, a doppelganger.”

“I am much pleased with your introduction, My Lord.”

I took the glass full of water from her and reluctantly drink it. My mind wanders towards the two of them thought of how much they could be a threat or an ally for me.

Gria notices my unrest and moves to another topic.

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“Were you thinking where she came from? She came from another place but I can summon her through my shadow and return her to the place she was previously from. She brought your twins sister’s padding. She’s a really hard worker.”

“Really? Thank you then. To both of you, I am grateful.”

“Lirin, just leave that here. I shall extend my little stroll.”

Lirin places the water down and curtsied elegantly as she sunk down in the shadow of Gria. I bow towards her to show my gratitude again. After she was completely out of sight, Gria beckons me to eat. I am aware that I need to eat to regain my strength, an opportunity given by this man so I can keep protecting Shouko.

“Well, now that you are in the mood to eat since there’s a blizzard outside, let’s have a little chat…about your sister’s condition.”

“I would love to hear more about it.”

“First is she doesn’t have her soul but does not mean she is dead. As long as her soul is alive, her body will live.”

“Then…!”

“No, if she and her soul are apart for too long, her body will eventually die. The thin thread that connects her body and soul will snap and that would end her life.”

“…I get…the gist of it. Do you have any estimate of when that thin thread would snap?”

“…Four days.”

“What?!”

I immediately stop eating as I heard that. I don’t know anything about souls and I don’t think I can rely on his information as it is insufficient. However, truth or not, I need to know further.

“How can you be so sure? What is your basis? How can you prove you are not lying to me?”

“Ah, of course, those questions rises, bueno, I’ll tell you. Look at this.”

From nothingness, Gria drew a clear crystal ball, one that we used to verify our strengths back then when we were just summoned.

“it seems you already know what this is. Look, even at my hands, the ball shone. Try holding it yourself.”

I took the ball from Gria and firmly grasp it. The ball let out a little light that glitters around the cave. I can already guess that it detects living people by just a touch. I returned the ball to Gria with a grim expression.

“I will now place the ball in your sister’s hands.”

As he said so, Gria places the crystal ball on Shouko’s hands clamping it between her palms. I can only curse to myself as the ball didn’t even show a speck of light. I already saw it coming but seeing it hurts so much.

“You are perceptive. You already know what that means…”

“It was just self-evident now. You already proven your worth, however, even with this information or rather, fact slapped into my face, it didn’t do anything for Shouko.”

“Ah, also, her body is so weak that she is prone to diseases too. Her body’s immune system is extremely fragile.”

“That’s not really pleasant to hear but…”

“Don’t worry, I am prepared to give her treatment.”

“What do you mean?”

“First, because of her detached soul, she currently only has four days to live, however, with a drop of my blood filled with magic, I can strengthen the connection between her body and soul for additional three days.”

“Wait, if we have that option…don’t tell me…there’s a setback?”

“As you said, if I continuously give her my blood, at some point, she’ll become a vampire and when that happens, she’ll instantly reduce to ashes.”

“It’s better than nothing. Then, what about her health?”

“We’re getting into that. Have you ever heard of the miraculous medicine called Yggdrasil sap?”

“I think I’ve heard of it before and I already have an idea of what it does, after all, we are both from the same world, right?”

“Correct, bueno, I’ll skip the details about the sap. The Yggdrasil sap can boost your sister’s immune system and remove some of the disease that she caught.”

“Yeah, but how do you plan to get one?”

“Oh?~ I’ll be borrowing again from the friendly fairies.”

“Again?”

“No, nothing! Eat up and get stronger. We will have a long trip after the blizzard passes.”

“You mean we have to travel again, what about Shouko?!”

“I got that covered! Lirin will bring a carriage here…parts by parts…”

“That’s…convenient I guess… By the way, where are we anyways?”

“Hmm? This is the border of demon continent and fairy continent. We will head to the fairy continent to obtain the sap.”

“I see…”

Silence befalls as I quietly replied. I nibble on the roasted hare that was presented to me earlier. It tastes good with a little aroma wafting into my nose and the texture was just right. Gria just watches me as he stands guard near the mouth of the cave.

I don’t know if our conversation settled anything or not. One thing that I know is that Shouko’s life is still in danger and I have to do something about it. I will find that man, Flow, and get Shouko’s soul back, after that, I will kill Flow slowly and painfully.

“Hey, just don’t try to be vengeful, okay?”

“……”

“I’ve seen a lot of people ruining themselves with such emotions…even I once became like that.”

“It is not something I have control over. I love Shouko so much that anyone who does her harm will have to suffer. We’ve been separated once, that will never happen again. For the rest of my life, I will love her.”

“I can perfectly understand how you feel, mi niño. I also had the same circumstances as you.”

“The same?”

“Yeah, incest I mean.”

“……”

“I am married to my own sister. It is a common culture for a pure blooded vampire to do so to preserve their clan and power together with our high standing. It’s generally accepted in this world. It must be suffocating back in earth, right?”

“It is as you said. It’s incredible that you nonchalantly told me that you are married to your own sister.”

“And we already have a child, a daughter, same age as you I guess.”

“I see…Shouko and I can only love each other…even our parents didn’t treat us as their child. We were bounded in a village where tradition comes first… a twisted and dark tradition that I am glad I was able to erase them.”

“Dios mio, that sounds so morbid…”

“What about you, Gria? Is there any particular traditions that the vampires have?”

“…There is…but no one practices it anymore.”

“Why is that?”

“The only existing vampires are me, my wife, and my daughter. That’s far as I know.”

What?

There are only three vampires in this world left?!

“What do you mean by that?”

“I…killed all of the vampires, by myself. You could say that we rode the same boat.’

“I feel like that now…”

“…Rest up now. Any moment, the blizzard will be gone.”

“Fine…”

I glance at Shouko. I want to lay down by her side. I want to feel her up in my arms but I need to compose myself and stay strong. I’m sure she is trying her best to live too.

I will also…

.

.

.

“Gria, are you okay?!”

“No problemo!~ I am strong enough!”

Currently, we are riding a roofed carriage with a makeshift bed inside for Shouko to lie on. Thinking that a carriage is the most idiotic thing that could be used in the snow with a horse, I was flabbergasted when Gria started pulling the carriage himself.

With undeniable strength to plow through the snow, Gria runs faster than a horse heading towards the warm part of Fairy continent.

From afar, I caught a glimpse of the said forest.

The carriage will be useless at that point as the continent is filled with trees but the environment will be a lot better for Shouko, is what Gria said.

With this, Gria and I embark on a mission to get a Yggdrasil sap.

Moreover…

“I’m surprised you’re fine acting as a horse even though you are a noble.”

“Horse?! No! I am a Toro!”