Both Haruka and Karen didn't seem to acknowledge each other's existence whenever they were in the same room. Whenever they were having their meals together with their grandfather, they said nothing to each other.

At the very least, in the presence of their grandfather, things didn't escalate into arguments and conflicts between the two of them. Tetsu was grateful for that, at least, because he definitely didn't want to deal with both of his granddaughters fighting with each other.

Tetsu had been made aware of his granddaughters' secrets, with Haruka being a magical girl and Karen being a vampire. Tetsu hoped that both his granddaughters could get along with each other, but it seemed to be more complicated than that.

Tetsu had learned that Haruka had been hunting vampires lately, and he assumed that these vampires were Karen's underlings. Karen already promised that both her and her minions wouldn't kill anyone in the town, but they also couldn't avoid having to harm the townspeople by feeding on their blood.

He knew that he was being hypocritical when he allowed Karen to continue with her things, but there was little he could do here. Karen seemed to at least trust him with her secret, but it was clear that both his granddaughters were in direct opposition with each other. It was only a matter of time before they finally clashed with each other over their differences, and there was no doubt it would be violent, judging from how Haruka had been dealing with Karen's vampire underlings.

All Tetsu could do now was to give advices to both his granddaughters, hoping that they wouldn't do anything that they would regret in the future.

"Grandpa, is something on your mind?"

Tetsu was broken out of his reverie when Haruka spoke to him. He was currently tinkering on a radio that his neighbor had asked him to repair. Haruka had just returned from school, and she was watching him do the tinkering in the living room.

"Hrmh…" Tetsu let out a grunt. "No, it's nothing. Just focusing on fixing this radio…"

Haruka tilted her head. "Ah…" She looked at the radio that her grandfather was currently fixing. "Um… just so you know, grandpa, the town's been safe lately. No monsters prowling the streets at night."

It had been a few days since the time when Karen revealed her secret to Tetsu, and now, Karen had been limiting the movements of her minions, preventing them from being hunted down by Haruka, who had been patrolling the town at night. Karen had told him that it was a change of policy for her coven, keeping themselves underground for the time being.

Tetsu knew that it was only a temporary solution. He suggested this to Karen to ensure that there would be no confrontation between his granddaughters, but sooner or later, the vampires would need to do something about their food supply, though Karen had reassured him that she would continue working on a solution to this problem.

"That's good…" Tetsu said. "That means you don't have to patrol the streets at night frequently." He glanced at his granddaughter's face. "What you're doing is admirable, but you should remember to take care of yourself too."

Haruka nodded. "Mhm. I'll remember that, grandpa."

Tetsu then finished fixing the radio, and as he put all his tools back into the toolbox, there was someone ringing the doorbell.

"A guest?" Haruka looked at the direction of the front door. "Are you expecting someone, grandpa?"

Tetsu tried to remember if he was actually expecting someone today, and he wasn't sure. "Hrmh… we'll see who it is, then…" Putting aside his toolbox, Tetsu made his way to the front door as Haruka followed him. When he opened the door, he saw a young woman in white dress.

"Good afternoon, grandfather." The young woman bowed politely to Tetsu, and the old man blinked in confusion. Even Haruka, who was currently behind her grandfather, had the same confused expression as him.

"Kirie?"

The young woman, who was in her early twenties, seemed to notice the confusion on Tetsu's face. Brushing her pink hair behind her ear, she smiled and said, "Ah, I guess you didn't open your email. I'm so sorry." She bowed to him apologetically. "I should've called you earlier. And…" She looked at Haruka. "It's you, Haruka. You've grown."

Haruka stepped forward, looking at her older cousin's face. "It's been a while. Still, I thought you're studying at Rome right now."

"Well, I'm on a break, and I thought I should come here and see grandfather." Kirie smiled at her younger cousin. "Come now, give me a hug." And so, she pulled Haruka into a hug, burying her younger cousin's face in her ample chest.

"Mmhffmm!" Haruka let out muffled noises as she was being smothered by Kirie's breasts. At the same time, Kirie looked at her grandfather.

"You don't mind if I stay here, do you?" Kirie spoke to her grandfather while still keeping Haruka in her hug, unintentionally smothering her with her bosom.

"Hrmh… there are still empty rooms up there…" Tetsu said. He looked at Kirie who was still hugging Haruka. "Maybe you should let go of her now."

"Oh, oh my…" Kirie then let go of Haruka, who was flushing from having her face buried in her older cousin's breasts earlier. "I'm so sorry about that, Haruka. It's been a while since the last time we met, and you've gotten even cuter."

"H-haa… a-and your breasts have gotten even b-bigger now…" Haruka commented. Kirie just giggled while Tetsu just rolled his eyes.

"Now if you two are done, let's get moving. Your things aren't going to move by themselves, are they?" Tetsu groused, pointing at the bags that Kirie had brought with her. So, Tetsu and Haruka helped Kirie to move her bags to one of the rooms upstairs.

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Now that Kirie had finally settled in, both her and her grandfather had a talk at the living room. Haruka was preparing some tea for both of them.

"How's your father?" Tetsu asked after taking a sip of his tea.

"He's doing alright…" Kirie said, putting down her cup. "He's an ordained priest now, and he's one of a few Japanese priests currently at the Vatican."

"Is that so?" Tetsu had heard about this. Kirie's father, or his son, had converted to Christianity when he and his wife moved to Italy, and after his wife's death, he had become a deacon.

Tetsu didn't consider himself religious, as he was nominally a Shintoist, though as long as his son was happy with his decisions, he was fine with him becoming a Catholic priest.

"I thought married men cannot become priests." Haruka chimed in. "At least that's what I heard about Christianity."

Kirie nodded to her younger cousin. "Normally, yes. But there are exceptions for widowers. My mother died, so my father was free to take up priesthood even though he already has a child. He can't remarry, though."

"Ah, I see…" Haruka mused. "I've learned something new today. Thanks, Big Sister Kirie."

Kirie nodded and smiled. "You're welcome, Haruka."

"What about your studies?" Tetsu asked again. "I remember you getting into a university at Rome."

"Yeah, it's Sapienza University of Rome." Kirie said, referring to one of the oldest universities in Europe. "Like I said before, I'm currently on a break, so I thought that I might as well come back to Japan and see you, grandfather. Maybe about three months or so, if you don't mind me staying, of course."

"Hrmh…" Tetsu let out his grunt. "I don't mind. You're a grown woman now, so I trust you to not cause trouble." He then finished his tea. After putting his cup down, he looked at Kirie's face. "You're free to stay here because you're my granddaughter. At the very least, having you around makes the house livelier."

Seemingly touched by her grandfather's words, Kirie nodded. "Thank you for having me, then. I promise I won't cause trouble to you, grandfather."

"Hrmh… it's not like you're a little kid anymore…" Tetsu said. He got back up to his feet and went to pick the radio that he fixed earlier. "Now then. Why don't you help Haruka prepare for tonight's dinner? I'm heading out for a bit." He showed the repaired radio to Kirie. "I need to bring this back to its owner now."

"Very well. Have a safe journey, grandfather." Kirie said politely, bowing her head. And so, Tetsu headed out, bringing the repaired radio with him.

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Kirie was helping Haruka preparing dinner for tonight. The two of them were working together, with Haruka doing most of the heavy lifting while Kirie was assisting her.

"Hmm… maybe we should do some grocery shopping tomorrow." Haruka mused after seeing what they had in the fridge. "Is there anything that you can't eat, Big Sister Kirie? I mean, you're Christian, right? There has to be some kind of foods that you're prohibited to eat."

Kirie blinked. "I think you're confusing Christianity with Judaism, Haruka. I'm fine with most foods." Kirie informed her. "It's Jewish people who have problem with the types of foods they eat."

"Oh, um…" Haruka blushed. "S-sorry. That was embarrassing."

"It's okay, Haruka. I'm glad that you're thoughtful about me. You've grown to become so reliable, it's hard to believe you used to be a crybaby back then." Kirie gave her younger cousin a teasing smile. "Maybe I should catch up with my other cousins, then. It's been a while since the last time I saw them."

"Well, there's Karen who's currently living with us, at least. But…" Haruka hesitated. "I'm not sure if you can get along with her. She's a bit… problematic."

"Problematic?" Kirie gave Haruka a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"I-I dunno. It's kind of hard to describe, honestly…" Haruka admitted. "She has changed so much I can't believe she used to be my close friend when we were younger. And I'm not sure if any of us can get along with her right now…" She looked down. "She's just… too different."

"Too different? In what way?" Kirie asked.

"…I'm not sure. Maybe I'm just being too judgmental. I just can't reconcile the current Karen with the Karen I used to know. And I'm kind of afraid to actually reach out to her, because I'm afraid she has changed for the worse…" Haruka admitted. "That's why we haven't spoken to each other ever since she came here."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"I see…" Kirie mused, nodding in understanding. "I think I can understand why you're so worried. But, if you don't make any effort to reconnect with her, or at least try to understand why she's changing, both of you are going to continue with this silent treatment with each other. Do you think you want to keep going with it as long as you're sharing a roof with her?"

"That's…" Haruka struggled to come up with the right response, but she looked down, looking ashamed. "I-I'm just… afraid."

Kirie smiled kindly at her younger cousin. "Well, there's no need to be afraid. Even if she has changed for the worse, at the very least there is no doubt left when it comes to your relationship with her. You can be frank with her if your doubt is cleared." She patted Haruka on her shoulder. "And even if you end up fighting with her, I doubt it's going to escalate into something serious. After all, fighting in family is normal. It's a way for you to be honest with each other…"

"Honest… with each other?" Haruka mulled over those words.

"I'm sure there will be hiccups here and there, but you and Karen are family." Kirie said. "Maybe both of you are never going to get along with each other, but at the very least, try to understand each other. Try talking it out. Honesty is the best policy, after all."

"…" Haruka seemed to be deep in thought. "I understand, Big Sister Kirie. Maybe I should try reaching out to her, after all."

Kirie nodded in approval. "Well, if you ever need my help, just tell me. I'll be staying with you for a while, after all. No pressure, though."

Now that Haruka had cheered up, they continued preparing the dinner. And then, they heard someone ringing the doorbell before the door was opened. Hearing footsteps, both Haruka and Kirie looked at the open door of the kitchen and saw Karen, who was currently in her modified school uniform.

"'Sup?" Karen greeted. "Where's grandpa?" She asked. She then looked at Kirie and raised an eyebrow.

"He went out to visit the neighbor." Haruka said. "Dinner will be done soon. Are you planning to join us for dinner?"

"Hmm… I'll think about it." Karen said before she looked at Kirie. "It's been a while, Big Sis Kirie. You staying with us?"

"…Yes." Kirie nodded, keeping her eyes on Karen.

"Alright. Your boobs are getting bigger, though. Talk to you later." And so, Karen headed upstairs, leaving both Haruka and Kirie at the kitchen.

"…" Kirie was silent as she watched Karen leave. "So… that's Karen?"

"Yeah." Haruka nodded. "She has that stereotypical gyaru appearance now, so that's why I'm kind of afraid to reach out to her."

"Is that… so?" Kirie mused. She seemed to be thinking about something. "Haruka, when did she start living with you and grandfather?" She asked her younger cousin.

"Hmm… maybe around a week or so." Haruka answered. "Why's do you ask?"

"…Nothing. Just wanted to ask." Kirie said. She had a strange look on her face. "Let's keep going."

And so, the cousins continued with their dinner preparation. Soon afterwards, their grandfather returned home. Time passed by uneventfully.

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This time, Karen had decided to join the others for dinner. Seated around the table, everyone started eating their meal.

Tetsu remained silent as he ate his food. Meanwhile, Haruka kept glancing at Karen while eating. Kirie remained silent as she quietly dug into her bowl of rice.

"…Karen." Haruka finally said as she put down her empty bowl. "If you don't mind, would you like to talk?"

"Hmm?" Karen looked at her cousin, blinking. After swallowing, she said, "You want to talk to me?"

Haruka nodded. "We need to do this eventually. What do you say?"

Karen looked down into her bowl of rice before she glanced at her grandfather. He showed his typical gruff look, but then, he nodded.

"Sure, but…" Karen finally replied. "…maybe not tonight. There are other things that I need to deal first. Maybe tomorrow?"

Haruka studied her cousin's face before she nodded. "Tomorrow, then."

And so, the dinner continued uneventfully, with none of them talking about anything. Once they finished dinner, Haruka cleaned up the table and washed the dishes. Karen returned back to her room while Kirie helped Haruka. Tetsu went to watch the television together with Saiph, Haruka's cat.

"…" Kirie said nothing as she helped Haruka put the dishes into the rack.

"Big Sister Kirie, what's wrong? Something on your mind?" Haruka asked, noticing that Kirie had been silent this whole time.

Kirie looked at her younger cousin's face before she smiled. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." After a pause, she told her, "Tonight, stay in your room, okay?"

"Huh?" Haruka blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Kirie seemed to rethink her words before she sighed. "Never mind. Just sleep early tonight, okay? You're going to school tomorrow, right?"

Haruka absentmindedly nodded. They finished washing the dishes together before Kirie wordlessly returned to her room.

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Karen was currently in her room, sitting on her bed. Tonight, she didn't feel like contacting her minions. After changing the policy of her coven, their activities had been drastically reduced. She had told Homura, one of her subordinates, to look around for people with potential to be turned before extending invitation to them so that they could be turned into vampires.

For her, changing people indiscriminately would be foolish, especially in a place like Sakamoto Town. Also, because she didn't want to disappoint her grandfather, she also made sure that they didn't have to unnecessarily harm any of the townspeople here. Sure, there was no avoiding harming people because they needed blood, but they would have to restrain themselves so that they didn't accidentally kill the people here.

"If only there is a way to drink blood without harming people…" Karen muttered to herself. Sure, they could rely on the Great Leyline that would allow them to become stronger without the need of blood, but such process would take time, and she wasn't sure if the Demon Hunter Association or the Catholic Church would come knocking and start ruining everyone's life.

Karen sighed. She had decided to keep holding onto her humanity, not just for the sake of her grandfather, but also to differentiate herself from her sire who had turned her without her consent. Sure, he was dead now, thanks to the Demon Hunters, but he was the reason why she was in this mess in the first place.

She was glad that her sire was dead now. She wasn't sure what would happen to her if her sire survived the raid. Perhaps she might become even more detached to her humanity, becoming more monstrous and wicked who would use her power indiscriminately and consume the blood of others without regret or hesitation. Well, there was no point thinking about what-ifs now. All she could manage was to focus on her own survival.

There was also the matter of Haruka, her cousin. Back then, when they were younger, they were pretty close, but now, they were distant to each other. Though Karen could hardly blame her cousin for this. There were other factors that could contribute to this, and she honestly preferred the distance due to her being a vampire. She was sure that Haruka might take it badly if she learned that her cousin had become a bloodsucking monster.

"Well, maybe just a talk won't hurt." Karen muttered.

"Karen, are you in there?"

Karen heard Kirie's voice from outside her room as she knocked on the door. Karen got up from her bed and opened the door. Kirie was standing outside her room, wearing a simple white shirt and blue shorts.

"Big Sis Kirie? You need something from me?" Karen asked, looking a little bewildered. It was already late at night.

"Well, yeah. Actually, there is something I want to buy outside, so if you don't mind, will you accompany me?" Kirie asked.

"Buy something? Like beer or something?" Karen inquired.

Kirie thought about it for a moment before she nodded. "Yeah, I want to buy some beers. Grandfather don't have any in his fridge, so I want to buy some. I think there should be a vending machine outside." Kirie said.

"Hmm… sure, why not?" Karen shrugged. So, Karen put on a jacket over her own sleepwear, which consisted of a cropped tank top and shorts.

Both Kirie and Karen left the house, walking down the street. Karen was walking behind her older cousin, watching her back.

It was already late at night, and the moon and the stars were obscured by the cloud. The two of them wordlessly continued walking down the street before Kirie suddenly stopped.

"This should be far enough…" Kirie then turned around. "So, let's end this charade, shall we?"

"Huh?" Karen blinked. In an instant, she was staring into the barrel of a gun. And then, there was a bang.

Bang!

It was thanks to her vampire reflexes that Karen managed to duck and avoid the gunshot. And thanks to her instinct, she was able to jump back, avoiding the follow up of the gunshot, which was a swing of a sword aimed to her neck.

"S-shit!" Karen landed on her feet, almost losing her balance. She was able to avoid the shot and the slash, and when she steadied herself, she saw Kirie holding an ornate-looking gun and curiously, a katana. "Y-you…"

"And that proves it…" Kirie said calmly as her body shimmered. Her clothes started to change into a nun habit, only with a slit on her skirt, displaying one of her toned legs. She was also wearing a pair of boots. "No normal humans can react to those attacks quickly. Well, select few can, but I already know what you are…" She pointed her katana at Karen. "You are a vampire."

"D-don't tell me… you are…" Karen's eyes widened as she saw her older cousin wearing a nun outfit, holding a gun and a katana in her hands. "Y-you're with the Church?!"

"I don't know what you did to Karen and what your plans are for my grandfather and my little cousin, but one thing for sure, I shall purge you, demon." Kirie said. "I am KYRIE, and I am the Sword of God. I will not let you wear my cousin's face any longer." She brandished her weapons, preparing to attack. She glared at Karen. "Prepare yourself. Whatever vile machination you have, I will put a stop to it!"