Claire suddenly stands up from within Milia"s arms. Noticing her violet eyes, Milia lets out a soft gasp.
"Claire, the color of your eyes……"
The change is not limited to the color of her eyes. Her aura seems more mature, and even the quality of her magic seems different somehow.
But above all else, the most conspicuous thing…… is that all her wounds have closed up.
Her abdomen is stained with the blood from the large wound just now, but that blood begins to wriggle before clumping together and floating in midair.
It is exactly what the Queen of Blood is doing.
"Well then, I wonder how long — can last……"
So murmurs Claire. That voice is quiet and composed. Even the way she speaks seems to have become that of an entirely different person.
"Are you really Claire……?"
But right after Milia voices her question, the Queen of Blood"s clump of blood explodes.
The sprays of blood once again turn into arrowheads, then fall upon everyone with unavoidable speed and density.
All of them merely stand in place, capable only of watching in despair.
That is…… with her being the sole exception.
"Unfortunately for you, I am the original……"
So muttering, Claire sets off her own clump of blood.
That clump of blood splits into tiny, tiny drops that disperse. It almost becomes a mist of blood.
The drops adhere to the arrowheads upon making contact.
"Eh?"
Milia is the only person who voices her astonishment. But everyone else present is equally shocked.
The blood arrowheads suddenly lose momentum, falling to the ground as if drained of energy.
"It is not difficult to steal away control over blood that has left the body. It seems that I wasn"t able to completely wrest control, but……"
Claire smiles bewitchingly while looking at the Queen of Blood, who is currently pierced by several blood arrowheads.
Claire had used the mist to hijack control over the arrowheads, then even sent them back. However, it was only with a limited number that she was able to go so far. The others she could only drop.
However, the ability to do such a thing is clearly beyond the realm of a human.
Everyone is left dumbfounded at the sight of what seems to have developed into a fight between two Queens of Blood.
"You cannot hope to defeat me with projectiles. In other words, there is only one thing that you can do."
Claire runs her tongue over her lips, causing them to be dyed blood red.
The Queen of Blood moves.
She regenerates the areas wounded by arrowheads, and changes the shape of her dress.
From her dress of blood emerges…… tentacles of blood.
Within the blink of an eye, she adds to their numbers.
"Yes, that is the right answer……"
So Claire murmurs, before extending tentacles of blood from her own body. It is exactly what the Queen of Blood is doing.
Red tentacles spread out from both of them, seemingly trying to intimidate the tentacles of the other.
Then both sides initiate battle simultaneously.
Sharp tips like the point of a spear stabs straight towards the other.
Some tentacles dive underground, some thrust through the ceiling to go overhead, and the rest almost paint the entire s.p.a.ce blood red in their attempts to attack the other from all directions.
While tentacles crush tentacles, it takes but a brief while to reach their respective targets.
Looking at the incoming tentacles, Claire lifts a giant red scythe in readiness, while the Queen of Blood extends her red claws.
Then they both begin slas.h.i.+ng at each other.
Tentacles dance, are crushed, are ripped apart, and dye the air with fresh red. The light from the Red Moon s.h.i.+nes in through the holes punched into the ceiling, illuminating the two ladies in breathtaking beauty.
The fight being played out is too fast for eyes, too incredible for belief, and so utterly beyond human boundaries.
No one can take their eyes off this ferocious yet entrancing fight.
"How incredible……"
"What a fight this is……"
Are the two perhaps of equal strength?
Observers would not be able to determine who is holding the advantage.
All that can be determined is that not a single decisive hit has landed yet.
After the maddened dance of the tentacles continues for a while, Claire heaves a sigh.
"This isn"t getting us anywhere…… But is it already enough?"
Then a roguish smile comes over her face.
"Have you already…… breathed in enough of the blood mist?"
The next instant, the Queen of Blood falls to her knees.
She vomits blood, then blood pours out from her eyes. Then blood spurts out from every single orifice on her body.
"Goho……"
For the first time, the Queen of Blood groans in pain.
"If you"re going to breathe it, you have to properly steal back control over it."
Claire"s tentacles rush towards the kneeling Queen of Blood.
The Queen of Blood"s tentacles make an attempt at warding them off, but merely get crushed by the overwhelming difference in quant.i.ty.
Enough tentacles to fill one"s vision envelopes the Queen of Blood —— then a huge amount of blood scatters everywhere.
All that is left is red blood.
"It"s still far from my best, but I suppose this would have to do."
That mature air, mysterious smile, inhuman battle strength, and violet eyes.
The Claire standing there with arms crossed is completely different from the teenage girl that Milia knows.
"Claire, what has happened to you……?"
Claire briefly glances at Milia, then smiles a slightly troubled smile. That smile seems to have Claire"s shadow in there somewhere.
However, the next instant, vigilance returns to those violet eyes.
The entire place is enshrouded in thick blood. Eventually, it gathers, and forms a humanoid shape.
"She"s here……"
"You"ve got to be kidding me……"
"She"s still alive……?"
Amidst the cries of shock, Milia is the only one who looks somewhat understanding. The Elizabeth that she knew would not be finished this easily.
Despite that, the color of despair has already receded from Milia"s eyes.
Because she is here.
She, who is like Claire, yet is not Claire, is here, standing in opposition against Elizabeth.
As long as she is here, the mistake from a thousand years ago would not repeat.
She is the hope that she now clings to.
However, the moment the Queen of Blood emerges unscathed from the mist of blood, Claire"s body wobbles.
Then she falls to her knees.
"As I"d thought, this body has already reached its limit……"
She appears to be in pain, and blood is dribbling down from the corner of her mouth. It appears that Claire"s body could not withstand that power beyond human limits.
Claire is kneeling, with the Queen of Blood looking down on her. The scene has become the exact opposite of that from mere moments ago.
"Oi oi, are you f.u.c.king kidding me……"
"We might be in trouble now……"
"How can this……"
Milia"s eyes shake.
If Claire goes down here, there would no longer be anyone to stop Elizabeth.
The tragedy from a thousand years ago would play out once more. Then, after everything is over, her master would once again fall into despair and weep……
She cannot allow that to happen again.
And furthermore, she does not want to once again lose a friend that she holds dear.
"Claire!"
Milia rushes towards Claire.
"I"ll fight too!"
She draws her sword and faces towards the Queen of Blood.
"You……"
"Even though the color of your eyes has changed, you are still you, right……?"
"I"m just borrowing her body for a bit. Claire is still Claire."
"Then you are also an important friend of mine."
A thousand years ago, Milia had already half given up. It was because she knew Elizabeth"s strength that she understood how incapable she is of stopping her.
But…… if she hadn"t given up, perhaps something might have been different.
Just as Claire became able to stand up against Elizabeth, perhaps something might have happened to Milia herself.
If she did not give up, a miracle might have happened.
That is why Milia now raises her sword.
Believing with her heart that something will happen.
That is also what everyone else is praying for.
For someone to come stop the Queen of Blood……
"There is no need for you to fight……"
Claire reaches out to press down on Milia"s sword hand.
"I have fulfilled my role. All I was trying to do is buy time until he arrives……"
Claire flashes a beautiful smile.
""He"……?"
"Yes. And he has arrived……"
Then —— a jet-black shadow descends.
"Mine name is Shadow. I am he who lurks in shadows, he who hunts shadows……"
Upon beholding him, Claire lets go of her consciousness in rea.s.surance and relief.