The faint clamor from the nearby street only served to accentuate the inhuman silence of the alley.
Seele walked nervously through the darkness, speaking to her "other self." "...Um, with you here by Seele's side, Seele... isn't as scared anymore..."
Dark Seele was stunned by these words, and all her frustration vanished in an instant.
"Well, of course. After all, you're so timid. Without me, I'd be worried you'd get eaten by some strange thing."
"Mhm... You've always protected Seele. 'Other me,' if it weren't for you, Seele probably wouldn't have made it this far..."
"What's with you? Getting all sentimental all of a sudden. Let me say this first, even if you— Hm! Wait, we've got a situation."
Seele's voice suddenly changed as her "gaze" shifted towards a rooftop.
The sharp corners of the dark, tall building cut a narrow slice out of the night sky.
Under the light of a crimson moon, the silhouette of a young girl stood on the edge of the roof.
She was like a condensation of the night itself, her pair of pupils glowing with a blood-red light.
"...A vampire?"
Seele spoke the name from legend.
The vampire's scarlet pupils were fixed on Seele. Her fierce posture, like that of a beast hunting its prey, made Seele's body tremble slightly.
Then, that pair of scarlet pupils wavered in the darkness, flickering like a candle flame in the wind.
The vampire turned and leaped off the roof in the opposite direction.
"W-Wait—"
Seele took a step forward, fluttering like an azure butterfly. In the next instant, she had caught up to the vampire.
The movement was so fast that even Dark Seele didn't have time to react.
The vampire, still in the midst of her "fall," saw the girl appear face-to-face with her, and her pupils contracted violently.
They both landed on the ground at the same time.
The vampire leaped back as if startled, performing an agile flip in mid-air and landing steadily on a streetlight.
Now, she had already raised her axe high, her scarlet pupils radiating a mad frenzy as she stared down at Seele below.
"Are you... also here to hunt me?"
Her doll-like, inorganic expression and the faint, oppressive aura she exuded repeatedly emphasized the girl's inhuman identity.
At this moment, Seele also got a clear look at her.
She was a young girl with white hair, dressed in an outfit woven from shadows as black as漆 and blood as red as鲜红, giving off an air of nobility and severity.
"...It really is you... Theresa."
Upon hearing these words, the blood-red light in the vampire's eyes blazed even hotter!
"Theresa" was the name "Sister" had given her.
In that place that was like a "home," Sister would call her by this name, not a cold serial number.
"Who are you? Why do you know my name?"
Of course, it was Ye Feng who had told Seele.
After hearing Seele describe the "World Bubble with vampires," Ye Feng had explained the general situation to her.
He had even taken Seele to see Luna Kindred, and by extension, the larger version as well.
"Seele will explain that to you later. You look like you're in a lot of pain right now... Is there anything Seele can do to help you?"
Seeing Seele's current state, Dark Seele was also confused.
Just a moment ago she was trembling with fear, but now she can face a vampire head-on?
Or could it be... this girl is just afraid of the dark?
Yuexia looked down at Seele with ice-cold eyes. "Hmph? Since you know who I am, why would you still help me?"
Seele clenched her fists and said in a small voice, "Because... because Seele can't just ignore you... If this continues, not just you, but everyone else will be in danger..."
"Is that all? I don't understand. Humans... are not supposed to be such naive creatures."
Yuexia frowned. The intimidating sharpness in her eyes receded, and the oppressive aura surrounding her gradually faded.
"But there is no scent of lies on you."
"Whew~~"
Seele breathed a sigh of relief.
"So, can we talk properly?"
"Human, I have nothing to talk to you about."
A crimson light flashed in Yuexia's pupils, as if she was suppressing something.
"The bloodlust..."
Seele said, "That's it, isn't it?"
Yuexia's body stiffened. "How do you—"
"Brother Ye Feng told Seele."
"Ye Feng?"
"Mhm. A very, very powerful... um, Seele doesn't know if he's human. Anyway, Brother Ye Feng said he has a way to save you."
That's right, Ye Feng had instructed Seele.
If you run into Yuexia, remember to help her.
Although Seele felt that Ye Feng's motives weren't entirely pure.
However, being as kind-hearted as she was, Seele of course couldn't ignore someone in need.
After hearing Ye Feng tell the tragic story of Luna Kindred, she had decided to help her.
Although Ye Feng had added a bit of his own color to the story and omitted a few things, the core elements remained unchanged.
Yuexia seemed lost for a moment, murmuring, "...Save... me?"
Then she abruptly raised her head, a cruel smile on her lips. "Don't get carried away, human! What can you possibly do?"
"Seele is useless. She's a coward who can only hide in a box and cry whenever something sad happens. But... even for a Seele like this, everyone was still willing to help... so, Seele will help you too. And there's Brother Ye Feng. He can do anything."
"Oh? Is that so? He can do anything? Hehe, how interesting, how arrogant. Then let me test—"
Yuexia raised her axe high, its blade reflecting a cold light.
She dove down, like a bolt of black lightning.
"—whether you have the right to say such words."
"Wat—"
BANG~!
"—ch out."
Before Dark Seele could finish her word, Seele had already thrown a punch on pure reflex.
The wind from her fist formed a powerful, azure stream of air that blasted the diving Yuexia away, sending her crashing into a wall.
Seele meekly retracted her little fist and jogged over. Looking at the figure embedded in the wall, she said softly, "...S-Sorry, Seele didn't mean to... 'Other me,' what should I do? She's not talking. She's not dead, is she..."
"Don't ask me. I'm just as stunned as you are."
Dark Seele was still replaying the power of Seele's punch in her mind.
Although Seele had previously shattered the Sea of Quanta with a punch, opening a path to a World Bubble, Dark Seele's limited knowledge prevented her from fully comprehending the feat.
But now, seeing her send a vampire flying with just the wind pressure from a punch was a very direct demonstration.
---o---
"Oh? So Seele ran into Yuexia."
"Didn't Brother Ye Feng say her name was 'Theresa'? Why do you keep calling her Yuexia... Ah, sorry. Now isn't the time to be so relaxed."
Seele quickly continued, "Seele brought her back to the dorm. 'The other me' is looking after Miss Theresa... Brother Ye Feng, you said last time that you had a way to save her. Please, what exactly should Seele do?"