Chapter 5 — Your Attitude Towards Me Has Really Changed, Euphemia...
A little earlier:
A week after they had departed the City of the War God, Risley’s group was walking through the forest.
“This place is a lot farther than I thought! Will we really be able to catch up to them?!” Risley had fallen for Yogiri Takatou, so they had set off to meet him. Though she had managed to meet him once, he had immediately left them behind and gone his own way.
“It depends on the weather, but I hear that a voyage to the island of Ent takes about a week,” Euphemia replied. “As such, if all goes well, we will be able to avoid that journey.”
Ships heading to Ent weren’t especially frequent. If Yogiri had planned on using a ship to get there, they wouldn’t be able to catch up in time. Euphemia had suggested they instead used the teleportation devices the Sage Lain had set up around the world.
“Ugh...but if it doesn’t go well, we’ve lost a ton of time...” Risley said.
If they caught up within a few days of Yogiri reaching Ent, there would be no problem. But if they took too long, he would leave again, heading for a new destination. Following him from there would be even more difficult. Risley wanted to avoid that at all costs.
“We are finally here.” Euphemia, who had been guiding Risley by the hand, pulled her to a stop.
“Are you sure?”
The trees came to an end, and a clearing opened in front of them. It looked like there was something there, but it was hard to tell in the dim starlight.
“That’s a pretty big house for being so far out in the wilderness.”
“You can see it, Carol?” Risley asked.
“Yep. The Ninja class is specialized in acting at night, after all.” Carol S. Lane replied. Risley had clung to Euphemia for their whole journey due to how poor visibility was in the forest at night, but Carol could see easily enough.
“I can’t imagine why, but for some reason the Samurai class provides me with night vision too,” Ryouko Ninomiya commented.
“I can also see just fine. Is it because I am a vampire now?” the half-demon Origin Blood Euphemia added.
“So I’m the only one who can’t see?! On that note, is there anything I can do?!”
Risley was a clone created by Lain, but she had no memories of the event. Upon awakening, a recording of a woman named Lain had played, telling her who she was. The Sage had created Risley in such a way as to avoid her being killed by Yogiri’s instant death ability. For that reason, Risley had none of Lain’s memories or powers.
“That is fine, Risley. Allow me to take care of all the bothersome work for you.”
Euphemia was a half-demon woman who had shown up right when Risley had planned to set out on her journey. She had been turned into a vampire by Lain, and following the Sage’s death, an intense battle had erupted over who would inherit the title of Origin Blood. Though she had no interest in it, Euphemia had been wrapped up in the battle and ended up winning. As such, all of Lain’s powers as a vampire were now in her possession. Though she had become the Origin Blood, her allegiance to Lain remained ingrained in her, and those feelings also applied to the Sage’s clone, Risley.
“So, this is one of Lain’s mansions?”
“Yes. She has many across the world.”
There were teleportation devices connecting the estates. Since the estate where Risley had first woken up was particularly isolated, it didn’t have any such device. They had come to this one in hopes of reaching Yogiri sooner. Still holding Euphemia’s hand, Risley made her way towards the house. But after walking for a short time, Euphemia pulled her to a stop again.
“What’s wrong?”
“There should be staff maintaining the estate. It is strange for it to be completely dark like this.”
“Maybe they don’t use lights because they don’t want people to find them?”
“No, a barrier has been erected around the building. No one can see through it from the outside, so there is no need to worry about lighting.”
“Maybe they’re asleep since it’s night?”
“No, they are not permitted to sleep. Their role is to maintain the estate, so they must be prepared for Lain’s arrival at any time.”
“Huh? Isn’t that kind of mean?” Risley had no idea what kind of person Lain had been. But she seemed like someone insensitive enough to force her servants to stay awake and await her return with no idea when that would be.
“They are all members of her lineage, so there is no need to be concerned. The mansion exists for Lady Lain’s sake, so it is only natural that everything in it is maintained for her as well.”
“Of course I’m going to be concerned! What’s with this Lain person?!”
“I know very little about what kind of person Lady Lain was. We were only together for a brief period.”
“Hmmm. If they’re all from her lineage, maybe they can see in the dark and don’t need light?”
“Perhaps they can see in the dark, but that doesn’t mean they especially like it. They should have set up lights at night.” Euphemia spoke vaguely, since she had only been turned into a vampire herself recently. She had inherited all of Lain’s knowledge, but it didn’t always feel entirely real.
“Hmm. It doesn’t seem like there’s anyone inside. There’s nothing moving or alive in there. Well, vampires are technically undead, so it’s not out of the question for her to use undead to guard it,” Carol mused. One of her skills as a Ninja was to detect all life in a given area around her. She could tell there was nothing moving or alive around, but there was always the possibility that something dead was around.
“This is too strange. Risley is a form of Lady Lain. Someone should have noticed your approach and come out to greet you.”
Risley thought back to when she had first met Euphemia. She’d stepped outside to get ready for her journey when the half-demon had suddenly showed up and knelt down in front of her. Despite having become an Origin Blood herself, Euphemia couldn’t bring herself to ignore Risley, so it was unlikely that any ordinary member of Lain’s lineage could do so either.
“Let’s be careful, then,” Ryouko said. The state of the mansion was baffling—they would need to be on guard.
Euphemia began walking again, Risley keeping close behind her. A set of double doors stood in front of them. After a short pause, Euphemia threw the doors open. Vampires had supernaturally good senses, and as an Origin Blood, hers were even stronger. She seemed to determine that the entrance was safe enough for the moment. The interior of the mansion was dark enough that Risley was effectively blind.
“Even if I can see well in the dark, this is a bit much.” As Euphemia spoke, a ball of light appeared over her palm.
“Huh? You can do that?”
“Even someone who isn’t a vampire should be able to manage this much.”
“Then why didn’t you do it from the start—gyaah!”
The now-illuminated entranceway was dyed red. The likely source of that redness was lying scattered on the floor in front of them. Body parts. Arms, legs, a head, a torso split into multiple pieces, and scattered organs lay strewn about the hallway.
“Wh-Wh-Wh-What’s going on?!” Risley exclaimed.
“Hmm. This doesn’t seem that fresh. Has it been a long time since this happened?” In contrast to Risley’s panic, Carol was totally calm.
“It appears to be more than one person. There are too many pieces for one body.” Ryouko didn’t seem especially surprised either.
“I see. Perhaps a battle for succession occurred here as well.”
“What do you mean?”
“Upon Lady Lain’s death, the members of her lineage were freed from her direct control. A battle quickly ensued to determine who would become an Origin Blood in her place.” Only one of those Lain had turned could inherit the title, and they could only do so once they were the last of her direct subordinates.
“Oh, now that you mention it, there was no one in the mansion I woke up in either. Was that for the same reason?”
“Yes, although it didn’t seem like any fighting had occurred in the mansion itself.”
“So even if it’s kind of gross, it’s not dangerous, right?”
“That should be the case, since I am the only survivor.”
“Do you think the teleporter is working?”
“I do not know. Lady Lain is the only one who can use them, so I cannot think why they would fight over the devices...”
Though their attention had been drawn by the bodies, the rest of the entranceway was in pretty bad shape. A rather intense battle must have taken place there.
With a scowl, Euphemia lifted Risley up into the air with her telekinesis before taking her in her arms. She must have been trying to save the child from having to step on the remains.
Passing through the entranceway, they found a large staircase leading to the second floor. Ignoring the staircase, Euphemia walked alongside it. She touched the wall supporting the stairs, and it gave a small click before sliding out of the way. There was a secret door there. On the other side was a staircase heading down. It must have been a hidden staircase leading to the teleportation device.
“Ohh! It’s like a ninja mansion!” Carol was suddenly excited.
“It does not appear that anyone intruded here,” Euphemia observed. Though the large upward staircase had been considerably damaged, there were no signs of disturbance underneath.
Taking the stairs down, they ended up in a small room.
“That’s a pretty clear magic circle, huh?” Carol said, looking at the floor of the room. A large circle had been drawn in white, and within it were numerous letters and geometric shapes. That must have been the magic circle Carol was talking about.
“Yes, anyone within it will be teleported. There do not appear to be any problems with it,” Euphemia said, looking around the room. The only thing in the room was the magic circle, so it must have been some sort of magical device that Risley didn’t understand.
Euphemia stepped into the circle, putting Risley back down on her feet. As she did, the circle began to glow, and images appeared before Euphemia’s eyes. The half-demon reached towards them, and the images began to change. It seemed she could use them to control the teleportation mechanic.
“We should have no problem reaching the Empire of Ent.”
“Are there places we can’t go?” Risley asked.
“If the destination has been destroyed then it is impossible, but it appears there are no problems with Ent. What would you like to do?”
“Let’s teleport. I want to meet up with Yogiri as soon as possible,” she answered. While that was certainly true, she was also quite eager to leave the blood-soaked mansion behind.
“Understood. Everyone, please step inside.”
At Euphemia’s instruction, Carol and Ryouko stepped into the circle. Euphemia continued to fiddle with the images, and the edges of the circle began to glow brighter. They were now standing in a tube made of light. After a short time, the light faded.
Risley looked around confused. “Did we teleport? It looks like nothing changed.”
“I imagine all of the mansions look quite similar,” Euphemia said. “The teleportation should have been a success.” She stepped out of the magic circle, and Risley followed her.
“I was hoping it would be flashier than that. Like we’d go flying through a space full of spinning clocks!”
“Just be happy that it was so quick. If it took any longer, it would just get nerve-racking,” Ryouko said as she and Carol stepped out of the circle.
“It doesn’t seem like there’s anyone around. Of course, that doesn’t account for any undead who aren’t moving yet.” Carol led the group from the front, heading to the stairs with the rest of them close behind her. At the top of the stairs was a door, which she opened and let everyone through.
“Whoa! What is that?!” Risley shouted in surprise at the first sight that greeted them. She had never imagined such a thing would be waiting for them.
“Is it a dragon?” Carol seemed more curious than surprised.
The huge head of some monster was in front of them. The large reptilian face was covered in black scales, detached from whatever body had once held it.
“The rest of it is over there. It appears it was beheaded with a single strike,” Euphemia said, indicating the large winged body lying nearby. “This was a prosperous city long ago,” she continued. “It is where the Origin Bloods were born, but that is not important now. Let us proceed.”
Risley looked around. It seemed like they were in an enormous cave, large enough that Euphemia’s light couldn’t illuminate the entire cavern. They could see stone structures nearby, so it did seem to be a city.
“Huh? We’re just going to ignore the dragon?!”
“It is already dead. What do you want us to do?”
“Your attitude towards me has really changed, Euphemia...”
An ancient city and a dragon shrouded in the darkness of a cavern. Though she was right that it was of no concern to them, Risley couldn’t help but be curious about what had happened there.
But this wasn’t the time to be investigating. They needed to get out and find the capital of Ent. As Risley looked around to find the exit, a huge impact threw her off her feet.
“What was that?! An earthquake?!” she exclaimed.
“I don’t know. Please be careful,” Euphemia warned everyone. The powerful shaking continued, and the stone buildings behind them began to collapse. The ceiling of the cavern crumbled, raining down chunks of rock. “Everyone, get close to me.”
Risley stepped up to Euphemia’s side. Carol and Ryouko did the same. The falling rocks fell well away from them. It seemed they were being deflected by something. Risley was relieved. She had been worried when the earthquake had started, but it seemed like Euphemia was capable of keeping them safe.
“This is the first time I’ve felt an earthquake in this world, but isn’t it going on kind of long?” Carol asked.
Risley hadn’t experienced an earthquake before, but she also found it hard to believe it would be such a long event.
“Maybe it’s because of that?”
Ryouko pointed at the center of the city. It seemed to be turning into a mountain. The ground was rising up, throwing off the buildings that sat atop it. The mountain then shattered, leveling the surrounding buildings and turning the ancient capital into a barren expanse. If it hadn’t been for Euphemia’s protection, Risley would have been crushed by the debris.
“What is that?!” Carol shouted as she stared into the enormous hole the explosion had left.
The huge head of a lion popped up out of the emptiness. It continued upward, striking the ceiling of the cavern, carried by an unreasonably long neck. And it wasn’t just a lion. The head of a ram and snake followed it up to attack the ceiling. A huge hand with enormous claws reached up and aided in the attack. Whatever it was, it seemed to be trying to escape.
“That is part of the Overlord.”
Risley turned at the sudden voice from behind them. A slender man in a black suit had appeared.
“I have no idea what is going on either, but I guess I found it, so that’s good enough for now.”
“Umm...are you an enemy?” Carol asked nervously.
“Hm. I suppose it’s natural to be on guard when meeting someone in a place like this,” the stranger said. “However, I am only here by chance. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Zakuro. To use a word matching your language, I am a god. I have no intention of harming you.”
“And that thing won’t attack us?” Carol pointed at the monster destroying the ceiling.
“No, I doubt it would pay you any mind. You should be fine as long as you keep your distance.”
“I don’t know what you mean by ‘the Overlord,’ but does that mean you support that thing, even though you’re a god?” Carol asked.
“That’s correct. The word ‘god’ doesn’t really do justice to the many facets of my being.”
“Uhhh, I’m not sure if it’s okay to say this, but that Overlord thing doesn’t seem to have much in the way of intelligence.”
The beast Zakuro had called the Overlord was blindly flailing at the ceiling. Though it was clearly expressing a desire to break through, it was an entirely impulsive, animalistic expression.
“What are you saying, Carol?!” Risley hurriedly interjected. She didn’t know if this person was really a god, but Euphemia had begun sweating after seeing him. She recognized him as a considerable threat. If they hurt his feelings, who knew what would happen to them? This wasn’t the place to be speaking out of turn.
“As I said, this is but a part of him. It is not his true form.”
“I see. Then I guess it has nothing to do with us. Do you mind if we leave?”
Before Zakuro could give an answer, Risley was thrown backward into Carol’s arms.
“Carol, Ryouko! Take Risley and run away!”
Euphemia had been the one to send Risley flying, and the other two girls wasted no time in doing as they were told. Carol broke off into a sprint, taking Risley away from Euphemia.
“What?! What’s going on?! He said he wasn’t going to hurt us.” Risley was confused. It shouldn’t have been such a volatile situation, and yet they were now running away. The last thing she saw was Euphemia lunging at Zakuro.
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