Kajan was dressed in the typical attire of a Langerstine driver, complete with a straw hat and a shabby brown vest. "Kajan? What are you doing, driving a carriage?" Simon’s gaze flicked to Serne. "And why are you two together?"
It was an odd pairing, to say the least. Their only real interaction had been during the battle against Saintess Flema. "Why? Is there a problem with us being together?" Serne purred, wrapping her arms around Kajan from behind. His expression remained glacial. "Let go in three seconds, or you die."
Serne pouted as if she’d lost her favorite toy and released him. Kajan was one of the few people immune to her mental manipulation. "I’m on a mission," Kajan stated flatly, pulling his straw hat lower. "And I’ll be attending Kizen for the second semester. We can talk more in the dorms."
With that, he fell silent. But the word ‘mission’ had already lit a fire in Simon’s eyes. "What kind of mission? Is something happening in Langerstine? I can help!"
"Simon...," Kajan said, his voice heavy. "I know what you’re capable of. But this is a mission assigned to me as an agent, and my team will handle it. You should focus on being a student and preparing for the new semester."
Simon hadn’t expected such a cold dismissal. "B-But during the Flema incident, we...!"
"Right. We caught a Saintess," Kajan cut in. "But that was then, and this is now. You’re a student. Don’t get your hands dirty with things that don’t concern you. Just do what students do."
He seemed to be deliberately pushing Simon away. A pang of disappointment hit Simon, but he knew Kajan wasn’t wrong. From her seat, Serne, who had been watching the exchange with detached amusement, finally chimed in with a chuckle. "So cold, Mr. Driver."
She then slung her arms around both of their necks. "But come on, we’re Kizen’s great ‘Saintess-Killer Trio,’ aren’t we? We can lend a hand!"
’What a terrible name,’ Simon thought. Kajan seemed to agree, letting out a weary sigh. "Let go in three seconds, or you die."
"Fine, fine."
"And I only contacted her as an informant and a witness," Kajan clarified. "She has nothing to do with my mission."
As they spoke, the carriage rolled to a stop in front of Campbell Road. "I’ll tell you one thing," Kajan offered, perhaps noticing Simon’s crestfallen expression. Simon’s head snapped up, his ears perked. "Be careful of men with strange patterns painted on their bodies."
"What?"
"That’s all I can say for security reasons."
The carriage slowed to a halt. "Well, I’m sure our driver has things under control," Serne said with a smile. "More importantly, when are you meeting Meirin?"
"She said she’s arriving tomorrow. I thought she’d be with the others from the Ivory Tower."
"As you know, we’re not exactly close."
True enough. Their relationship was notoriously hostile. Simon hopped out of the carriage. "Thanks for the ride."
"Hoho, don’t mention it!"
"...See you at school," Kajan grunted, and the carriage pulled away. Simon watched it disappear down the street before turning his attention to his destination. Thanks to them, he’d reached Campbell Road without breaking a sweat. The street was paved with golden bricks, flanked by gloomy necromancer shops displaying monster corpses, organs, and eyeballs. The first time he’d seen it, he’d been horrified. Now, he found himself genuinely intrigued by some of the materials on display. When he spotted a Vanilla-brand ‘Snowfield Gnoll Skeleton’, he stopped in his tracks, captivated. He had to chuckle. He really was a necromancer now. Forcing himself past the shops, he entered a wide, open plaza where necromancers sat on benches chatting, enjoying tea, or hammering out business deals over contracts. Skeletons laden with luggage and skeletal horses stood by patiently. Simon was just thinking of taking a break himself when he saw her. ‘Ah.’
A girl in a Kizen uniform stood by the fountain. As if sensing his gaze, she turned, her skirt fluttering. Light purple hair cascaded over her chest, framing a pair of large, innocent eyes. He caught a glimpse of her cute canines and the small bat wings sprouting from her back. "Simon!"
She waved, her smile as bright as the sun. Her wings perked up with excitement, and she bounced on her heels, a gesture that brought a smile to Simon’s face. "Kami!"
After two months apart, he was overjoyed to see her. He started toward her but stopped short when he noticed the large, dark-clothed man standing beside her. ‘Who’s that?’
Before the question could fully form, the man’s body dissolved into a swarm of bats. Simon froze as the swarm converged in front of him, reforming into the man in a split second. An immense pressure slammed into him, and his body went rigid. The man’s frame was impossibly large, with a thick neck and shoulders as broad as a plain, tapering to a narrow waist and relatively thin legs. He was draped in a black, cloak-like garment. His eyebrows and beard were stark white, his eyes a piercing red, and his ears were pointed. The fangs that glinted from his mouth were massive and sharp, making Kamibarez’s look like tiny needles. ‘This man... he’s unbelievably strong.’
He didn’t need to sense the man’s Jet-Black; his mere presence was enough to crush you. Simon quickly bowed his head. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir."
There was no need to ask who he was. Standing with Kamibarez, a vampire of this caliber could only be one person: the strongest of his kind, the current Vampire Lord. ‘Dietrich Hon Ursula.’
At Simon’s words, the corner of Dietrich’s mouth curled upward. "Prove it, human."
"...Pardon?"
"Prove your worth!"
Dietrich’s eyes flashed, and a jolt of electricity shot up Simon’s spine. A primal sense of danger screamed through him, and every hair on his body stood on end. Something huge was coming. Simon threw himself aside just as a wave of destructive force tore past him, splitting the fountain in two and shattering the marble wall behind it. "Dad!" Kamibarez cried, rushing forward, but a cage of blood-red energy slammed down from the sky, trapping her. "Good reflexes!" the Vampire Lord roared with laughter, his mouth splitting into a terrifying grin. A grotesquely muscular arm shot out from beneath his cloak. "Show me more!"
The arm swung, unleashing a blow that seemed to warp space itself as it pulverized the plaza. "Excuse me!" Simon shouted, dodging the attack. "But I cannot harm my friend’s father on our first meeting!"
"Hah! Harm me? That’s the most absurd thing I’ve heard in ages!"
Fair enough. His opponent was a monster known as ‘the Immortal.’ If that’s how it was going to be... Simon gritted his teeth and stomped his left foot on a paving stone. ‘Open Gate!’
Six Overlord blades shot forward. Dietrich didn’t even bother to block, simply standing his ground. The blades struck his cloak and bent backward on impact. "An interesting summon... Hmm?"
In a flash, Simon appeared at Dietrich’s side, his body twisting as his leg swept in at an angle. ‘So, he finally shows his fangs!’
It was a decent move. Dietrich grinned and raised an arm to block, but Simon pivoted, bypassing him and heading straight for Kamibarez. He sliced through the cage with his Overlord’s blades and pulled her into his arms. "S-Simon?"
Dietrich licked his lips. ‘Not a bad call. He realized the power gap and is trying to use my daughter as a hostage.’
But for a warrior of Dietrich’s caliber, eliminating Simon without harming Kamibarez would be child’s play. He moved to strike. ‘Grab. Grab.’
Two zombies summoned by Simon latched onto Dietrich’s cloak from behind. Simon opened his palm and clenched it into a tight fist. ‘Corpse Explosion!’
’KABOOM!’
As the explosion erupted behind Dietrich, Simon shielded Kamibarez with his body, dropping to the ground. Debris rained down on his back. "Ah...?"
Kamibarez was too stunned by the rapid chain of events to process anything. Her face was beet red, her mind a complete blank. Protecting her, Simon glanced back. As expected, Dietrich was standing unharmed, his cloak without a single scorch mark. "A counterattack, even while on the defensive." His fangs glinted. "And you shielded my daughter not as a hostage, but to protect her from the blast."
Dietrich’s shoulders began to shake. Perhaps his expectations had been too low, because this was surprisingly satisfying. "I now grant you the right to stand before me!" he boomed. "Raise your head and state your name properly, human!"
As if waiting for his cue, Simon straightened up and spoke respectfully. "I am Simon Polentia of Kizen."
"Yes! Simon Polentia! I shall specially grant you—!"
’POW!’
Dietrich was cut off. Kamibarez, her hand shaped like a pistol and her eyes welling with tears, shouted, "Stop it! Please, just stop! You’re embarrassing me in front of Simon! You’re such an idiot, Dad!"
The remnants of a Blood Flow Bullet dissipated harmlessly. His immortal body was unscathed, but his fatherly heart looked wounded. The tension that had gripped Simon moments before vanished, and he felt blood rush to his face. ‘What did I just do?’
He hadn’t been in his right mind. The Vampire Lord or not, he’d just used Corpse Explosion on his friend’s father! The moment their eyes had met, his combat instincts had taken over. "Ahem! My daughter, Kamibarez." The most powerful vampire in the world was suddenly sweating, at a complete loss in front of the small girl. "This father has a duty to protect you. I was merely testing to see if that human was worthy. Pay it no mind."
"I can protect myself!" Kamibarez declared, clenching her fists in front of her chest. "And more importantly, you have no right to test my friend!"
It was the first time Simon had ever seen her so angry. She’d had her moments, but her inherent cuteness had always softened the edge. Now, however, she was condemning her father’s actions with every fiber of her being.
While the two argued, Simon discreetly surveyed the damage. The plaza tiles were shattered, and the fountain was a wreck, water gushing from its cracks. The surrounding necromancers, however, seemed unfazed. If anything, they were craning their necks, curious about the spectacle. "Is that a vampire?"
"He looks seriously strong."
"Isn’t that Dietrich Ursula?"
"Nah, no way! You think every vampire you see is Dietrich?"
The murmurs grew, drawing more attention. Kamibarez noticed, and her face flushed an even deeper red. She grabbed Simon’s sleeve. "I-I’m leaving! I didn’t want you to come, but thank you for the escort! I’ll be with my friends from now on!"
She spun on her heel and marched away. Towed by his sleeve, Simon glanced back. Dietrich was giving him a murderous glare, pointing two fingers at his own eyes, then at Simon. ‘I’m watching you.’
Simon bowed politely. "You don’t have to bow, Simon! Let’s just go!"
"Oh, right."

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