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"Lord Tenra!"
Yubelluna and the girls hurried over as Tenra stepped out of the palace, their eyes bright with anticipation.
Elmenhilde, who'd been waiting just outside, called out, "Red Emperor, did you reach an agreement with Her Majesty?"
Tenra nodded, looking rather pleased with himself. "All settled."
Elmenhilde pressed, curiosity burning in her gaze. "What did you ask for as payment? Did the Queen really agree to everything?"
Tenra just flashed a mysterious grin. "That's classified."
Elmenhilde huffed, rolling her eyes. "Fine, keep your secrets."
She led the group down a corridor. "Come on, I'll show you to the side hall. You can rest until nightfall."
Tenra followed, whistling softly. The mood was light, but tension simmered beneath.
As dusk fell, Carmilla herself, joined by Lamia Hilde, Amphusa, and several vampire elders, gathered atop one of the city's tallest towers. Below, the plaza teemed with soldiers—ranks tight, weapons gleaming, faces set with grim determination.
Despite the Queen's pact with Tenra, none were foolish enough to rely on him alone. Carmilla's people stood ready to fight, no matter what promises had been made.
The first warning came as a distant, guttural roar.
"They're coming!" someone shouted.
Every eye turned to the horizon, where a solid black mass surged closer—not storm clouds, but a living tide of Evil Dragons. Thousands upon thousands, shrieking and snarling, their monstrous forms blotting out the sunset. At their head loomed a beast so enormous it dwarfed the city walls, its forehead twisted into a grotesque human face.
"Enemy attack! All units, prepare for battle!"
"Where's that Red Emperor? Didn't he promise to help us? Why hasn't he shown up?"
"Hmph. I never trusted that guy. Boasting he and his little harem could wipe out every Evil Dragon. He's probably run off by now!"
The elders' derision echoed across the rooftop, but just then—
"Ha… sorry, sorry, we're late."
Tenra's voice rang out. He strode onto the tower with Yubelluna, Elmenhilde, and the rest trailing behind.
The elders who'd just mocked him went rigid, faces darkening. Damn that Red Emperor—he always knew how to make an entrance.
Relief flickered in Elmenhilde's eyes as she glanced at the oncoming dragon horde. When she'd gone to fetch Tenra, he'd been busy flirting with his companions—she'd nearly exploded with frustration. At least he'd arrived in time.
Queen Carmilla's lips curved in a sly smile. "Red Emperor, the fate of my clan rests with you. If you destroy those Evil Dragons, I'll pay any price you ask."
Tenra met her gaze, his own smile sly and confident. "For a reward like that, Your Majesty, I'll give it everything I've got."
Carmilla's fingers twitched, but she forced herself to remain composed. Let him show off now—she'd deal with him after the battle.
Tenra turned to Valerie, brushing a stray lock from her forehead. "Valerie, you stay here. Leave the fighting to us."
"I understand, Lord Tenra." Valerie nodded, determined not to be a burden.
Elmenhilde hurried over, concern etched on her features. "Red Emperor, please… try not to destroy our city in the fight."
Tenra laughed softly. "You really do love your homeland, Miss Elme. I respect that."
He raised a hand. A shimmering, ancient mirror shot skyward, then unfurled into a translucent dome of light that enveloped the entire city.
Elmenhilde flushed, caught off guard by the compliment—a rare sight for a pure-blooded vampire.
"What… what is that?"
"One of my Sacred Gears—the Yata no Kagami. With its protection, your city will stay safe."
Tenra's tone turned brisk. "Enough talk. The enemy's here. Time to move."
Golden wings flared to life at his heels, courtesy of Hermes' Boots. Tenra launched himself into the sky, a streak of light against the darkening clouds.
"Ladies, to me!" Yubelluna rallied the others, and they soared after Tenra. Gasper nodded to Valerie before transforming into a cloud of bats and following suit.
"Red Emperor… we're counting on you," Elmenhilde whispered, watching them ascend. Carmilla and the elders exchanged cold, skeptical glances.
A handful of fighters against tens of thousands of monsters—and that abomination with a human face leading them? Only a madman would call this a fair fight.
Let's see if the legend of the Red Emperor was truth or empty bravado.
—
The sky boiled with dragons—an endless, writhing mass of wings, claws, and fangs. The sheer scale was enough to break the mind of any ordinary onlooker.
At the forefront, the largest of all bared its fangs—a twisted parody of Marius Tepes, its forehead warped into a leering human visage.
Tenra clicked his tongue, half amused, half impressed. "Well, you've gotten bigger, haven't you?"
Marius had devoured countless dragons and vampires, growing to twice his former size—almost rivaling Ddraig and Albion's true forms.
Tenra grinned. "Time to even the odds…"
He murmured a spell. Darkness pooled beneath his feet, and from it erupted a legion of crimson and silver giants—dragons forged in the image of Ddraig and Albion.
Some were the size of houses, others as large as city blocks. Ten… a hundred… a thousand… In moments, tens of thousands of Heavenly Dragons filled the air, their roars shaking the heavens.
Down below, Carmilla's soldiers could only stare in stunned silence.
The true battle for Carmilla had begun.
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