I pressed the button.
A can of coffee dropped out.
Was it sweet?
“It feels cheap.”
Maybe because it’s vending machine coffee, it’s a stark contrast to the cup design I saw at the bingsu shop last time.
[ Are you here to meet that girl again today? ]
“Yeah.”
Bloody was silent for a moment.
“Why?”
[·····It’s nothing. ]
How boring.
I opened the office door and walked in. It was quieter than usual. Erica was still not in sight.
“Hello! Director!”
The director nodded.
“It feels like I come here almost every day; should I just apply for a job here?”
“That wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“Hey, I’m just joking.”
I twisted my hair for a moment.
If I joined, would I be able to see Erica every day?
Actually, I already don’t have a day without seeing her.
“What about the Union Department?”
“I already informed them.”
“You mean I killed them all?”
“Exactly.”
That’s not good.
“Even Erica?”
“Erica doesn’t know. I just told her she was hospitalized due to severe injuries.”
“Thank you.”
Wait. Shouldn’t I be thankful for this?
If they had just said everyone died on the spot, she might hate me more, so it wouldn’t have messed up my plans.
But then again, I wouldn’t get to have coffee with her.
“Um…”
“Do you like Erica that much?”
“Of course!”
The director swept his hair back.
“Today there’s a gate defense battle.”
“That’s not my job.”
“Erica will be on the front lines.”
“Then it is my job!”
What if she gets hurt? It’s dangerous.
“How can I join as well?”
“If you show cooperation, they will understand.”
“Oh…”
The office door opened, and Erica walked in.
“Hello…”
Our eyes met.
“Hello.”
“The weather is nice today, Director.”
I glanced at the window. It wasn’t particularly nice.
I deliberately made eye contact with the director and smiled subtly.
“Erica.”
“Yes?”
“When is the meeting?”
“In a bit, at 2…”
“Can we have Orly attend as well?”
“Yes?”
Enjoying Erica’s expression, I waved my arms in the air.
“Given the progress of the crack, isn’t it dangerous to send only one team to the field? Since they offered to help. I’m also concerned about the Union Department.”
“No, but…”
An invisible knife gripped my arm. It pierced the air and a silent scream echoed.
“Ha.”
“I think it’s a good idea!”
“Please stay quiet.”
Erica hurried past me and grabbed the director’s arm, pulling him into a corner.
Are they whispering about me behind my back?
[ What are they plotting this time? ]
“I need a few more days. The bite marks are still visible.”
That aside, I need to catch the Dracula.
I need to decide whether to act based on the current gate hierarchy.
“You could just notify separately!”
Glancing over at the two, I saw Erica trying to hide her surprised expression.
It’s nice that the director is having a good time.
“I can’t believe this…”
“Are you done talking?”
The gaze from those eyes isn’t bad either.
With one hand supporting my chin, I stared blankly. The expression on her frowning face seemed to say something.
“Swear that you will remain quiet as if you don’t exist.”
“Is it really necessary…?”
“Unless you have something to say.”
“I swear.”
I sat in the office, watching Erica work as the meeting time approached.
“Come here.”
I blinked a few times at Erica’s gesture and nodded. Following her, I saw a somewhat small conference room.
There were two long rows of desks and a beam projector at the front.
Naturally, I sat next to Erica and looked ahead. There were only a few people, maybe five in total.
When my eyes met the staff in front, I smiled slightly.
Their expression immediately turned sour. Wait, does this mean I did something wrong?
How unfair.
“It’s a high-rank layer. The estimated time for predictions is 30 minutes.”
The video projected on the beam looked like CCTV. As usual, there were no people on the street. Yet, thanks to the bright light, the crack was displayed vividly.
The chart trembled.
“The progress of the crack is, as you see, fast. There are no irregularities. As you’ve been briefed, please proceed.”
This meeting seemed to be a final check. Outside, the gate already showed signs of opening, so it feels a bit strange to have a relaxed meeting.
The association consists mostly of field personnel.
Papers resembling reports were handed out. I briefly glanced to my side and saw Erica holding her throat and coughing.
A small water bottle caught my eye.
“Do you want some water?”
There was a brief moment of silence.
“… No thanks.”
I didn’t mind. She would need to drink a lot soon anyway.
I smiled and set the water bottle down.
After the meeting ended, I followed the field team outside. The street we faced was desolate. The sun blazed down. If it were night instead of afternoon, people might have appeared a bit. The weather would have been a bit cooler too.
Normally, I didn’t care about the weather, but now that Erica was going to the field, I found myself suddenly interested. I could change this way.
It was somewhat fascinating.
I arrived at the location after following the hunters. Looking up at the sky, I could see traces of dark paint in the air.
The crack.
It immediately warped and its size ballooned in an instant. Several demons burst out and made noise. The hunters took out their weapons and moved forward.
“There’s a Golem too.”
I slipped away from them and landed on the rooftop of a nearby low building. It gave me a good view of the distance.
The director mentioned that Orly would help persuade Erica, but I didn’t have any intention of that. Erica would likely know. Everything I’ve done until now has been utterly malicious.
That’s a fact everyone is aware of. I accept it and don’t harbor any unrealistic expectations.
What I’m witnessing right now follows the same logic. If they get hurt, so be it, and if they die, then they die. Such is the fate that has been laid out.
The only exception is Erica. I will observe her as she engages in battle today and supplement my future plans.
I need to check if there are any aftereffects from blood-sucking or if her stats have decreased.
The battle began as the hunters charged out. As the demons howled, the currents shifted and the vibrations spread. Smoke soon filled the area.
I perched on the edge of the rooftop. My butt touched the brick, but my legs didn’t reach the ground; it felt strange.
[ Will you just stay as you are? ]
“Yeah.”
[ Are you just going to watch? ]
“I’ll jump in once it’s over.”
I’ll act treacherously and cruelly. Let’s test the evil before the good between the two. It would be good for Erica too.
The screams of the demons mixed with the sounds of metal created a bizarre melody. In a flash, the shimmering and long sword cut through space.
I turned my gaze to search for Erica. Coughing up blood, I ran ahead again. When I thrust the sword into the Golem’s abdomen, it struggled violently. The shockwaves spread widely, and I could see the surrounding demons affected.
Once more, a fleeting glimmer and a massive blade descended. It didn’t take long for the demons to spew out mana stones and disintegrate into dust.
While there seemed to be some injuries, it looks like they were fighting well. She stood out, directing the surroundings.
I rested my chin on my hand, staring blankly. I could see the frown on her face. Blood marks and flesh were torn away.
If I stay with her, will I one day see her smile?
When would she even smile? In this world, could anyone smile? The walls obstructing our path are too immense. The rain falls, and the wind blows.
I only wish my favorite coffee wouldn’t change from mocha to Americano. The moment the bitter taste feels sweet is irretrievable.
After watching for a while, the currents calmed down. It was clear that they were veterans in this field, efficiently closing the gate.
Although I regret it, it seems the Dracula won’t come out to that extent. I need to immerse myself a bit more in the association and wait for an opportunity.
I descended from the rooftop and walked toward them. They looked exhausted, but Erica seemed relatively better. She didn’t seem to have sustained many injuries.
When I made eye contact with Erica, I extended the water bottle. It was small enough to carry.
“Do you want some?”
“….”
Suspicious eyes returned. Her blood-soaked hand reached for the bottle I held out.
And at the moment her finger touched it…
I dropped the bottle and instantly sliced it with my knife. Water droplets scattered into the air, reflecting sunlight and forming a small rainbow.
“If you want to drink.”
The droplets turned red.
“Then try to take it from me.”
I unfurled my wings and raised the knife into the air. The space warped, and the current seeped into the knife.
Erica grimaced. The bite marks on her shoulder gleamed gold.
Let’s push her just a little more. I want to drive her to her limits.
I kicked off the ground and charged at her. A white sword was lifted and clashed with my knife. The blood-red rings spread out and engulfed the area. The earth shattered, and the air trembled.
I saw her distorted eyes.
“Those eyes are pretty too!”
“·····Ugh!”
Reaching out toward the pushed-back Erica, the drops of blood spread widely, drawing in magic power. It compressed momentarily and then exploded, shattering the space and causing a jolt.
Massive swords erupted from the ground, surrounding Erica. With the explosion, the swords shattered. I soared above, dodging falling shards and feeling my wings tear from the impacts.
Feeling shallow pain, I chuckled softly. I dashed toward the swords and slammed into them. The moment the blades filled the space, I made eye contact with Erica as she swung her arm.
I saw a glimmering spear.
I didn’t dodge.
My abdomen was pierced, and pain surged. Gulping, blood sprayed into the air. For a moment, I reveled in the agony before pulling out the spear. I condensed the scattered blood into a ring. Holding the spear, I extended my arm back. The crimson ring entwined itself around the spear.
I reached out. The red spear raced through the air. The ground fractured, and red spikes emerged along its path. A white shield covered Erica. The spear pierced the center of the shield, exploding with a metallic clang.
I immediately charged, kicking the cracked shield away. Erica staggered and our eyes met. I swung the blood-condensed sickle, tearing a large gash in her chest.
A soft groan tickled my ears. I kicked her abdomen and created distance. Soaring high, I pulled up the surrounding blood. Spiraling and leading a storm, it transformed into the mouth of a massive beast.
I charged at Erica. The beast’s head slammed into the building behind her as if to swallow it whole. The space shook, and the ground quaked. In an instant, the building collapsed, releasing thick smoke.
“I can’t let you get hurt.”
With several accompanying impacts, I hurriedly brought the beast down. Flapping my wings, I glided.
Amidst the fallen debris, I spotted Erica slumped against a wall.
“You can’t die! Erica!”
She’d recover quickly if I treated her.
“Then who will die for me! Get a grip!”
I kept shouting as I approached her. I ripped apart my wings and landed on the ground.
“Ugh… You can’t die…”
“Y-you crazy bastard…”
“Erica!”
Desperately, I grabbed her shoulders and lifted her face.
“You’re alive.”
“You idiot…”
Her blood-stained face was revealed. I wiped her face with my sleeve and brushed her forehead.
“Don’t touch me, you jerk…”
“You don’t need to hold back.”
Her eyes filled with exhaustion and weariness glossed over. They were pale, like a field of bingsu.
Sometimes, my eyes turn red too, but when I see such consistent eyes, I feel a twinge of envy.
I reached out and transferred my energy to her. As the purple aura seeped into her body, she started coughing repeatedly.
I also sank to the ground, exhaling for a moment.
“You did well. Today’s training ends here.”
“What did you say…? Training…?”
Erica let out a hollow laugh. Her voice cracked slightly; it was almost pitiful.
“In other words, it’s the suppression of the terror that took your colleagues as hostages!”
Silence enveloped the room. Erica tilted her head slightly and muttered.
“Water…”
“Want some?”
I pulled out a small water bottle and shook it in front of her.
“Give it to me…”
As I unscrewed the cap and brought it to her mouth, I hesitated, then sprinkled it on her face.
“Ha! Serves you right! How does it feel to be on the receiving end…?”
Teasing Erica, who now had a wet face, my wrist was grabbed. The other hand seized the water bottle.
Water gushed down.
“Drink this! You jerk!”
“Ah! I’m sorry! Don’t splash it on me! I can’t breathe!”
