37. Betrayal

"Welcome back~"

The moment he heard her, Yumino raised his head, hopeful that his prayer wasn't in vain.

What he saw must have been meant to hurt him even more, for now there stood three familiar faces in front of him, and the one whom he cared about most grinned at him, displaying her fangs to erase any doubt.

Lucien was the first one to speak.

"I remember you telling me something about how I should be careful with my most loyal soldiers. I must thank you for the advice. You were right; I should give Averin the chance to prove her loyalty more often. After all, that's her best quality."

"You too..." Yumino said in a low voice.

Next to the two vampires, there stood a girl clad in heavy dark armor, leaving only her face to be seen and wearing an expression that didn't swing towards any emotion. The young lady stood there expressionless with her claymore held in one hand.

"Averin... Why?"

"Pfft! Ahahahah! Look at him!" Nimera intervened. "What? Did you think you could run into this girl's arms once things between us turned sour? Who's next? Velmira?"

"Nima... Why?"

Yumino wanted answers more than anything. He could understand Lucien's actions, but the betrayal of the two girls came out of nowhere.

If there was someone Yumino expected to be betrayed by, that would be...

"Yumino, this is the part where you have to listen carefully. Please, ready your bow."

"What are you even saying?"

"Just like you've done many times before!" said Gauntmere.

"They're my fiends! I won't hurt my friends!"

The refusal in Yumino's voice was all the more clear as the conversation resounded in his head.

"Yumino, if you do nothing, you'll die here, giving you body to that guy. Is this what you want?"

The elf didn't answer, the reality of this world slowly creeping up on him. His body would become someone else, and that means that was also the case for...

"She's dead, Yumino! That's not the Nima you know! That's just Lucien's puppet...."

As much as he wanted to deny it, Yumino knew what becoming a vampire meant. He'd lost her. Deep down, he knew that. He had lost the girl he cared about most. He was helplessly staring at the fruits of his carelessness.

And reflecting in his eyes, there was the one who was at fault for it all.

"Lucien..."

The next second, Yumino got on his feet and aimed his bow at the lord in the middle, his eyes brimming with anger and sorrow.

"Die!" he screamed as he released his silver arrow—an arrow that didn't even reach the vampire. Instead, it was blocked by Averin's think sword.

"You lack conviction, Yumino! That arrow should have pierced—"

"SHUT UP!"

The next move was made by the knight, who jumped forth and swung her giant sword at the elf.

"It's a duel, Yumino! Like the many others you've had, it's just a duel!"

Even as clearly lies, Gauntmere's words gave Yumino the conviction to dodge.

"Averin! What are you doing? Can't you see this is all wrong?"

For a second, the girl's grip on her sword weakened, leaving just enough time for Yumino to react. He lunged at her and kicked the weapon out of her hand, leaving it to stick into the ground next to them.

"Averin, you don't have to follow him..." Yumino said in a low voice, pulling her weapon out of the ground and handing it to her.

"Please, I need your help to save Nima..."

"That's Nimera for you!" the lady in red screamed, slashing at the elf's hands.

Yumino jumped back to dodge the attack, but in doing so, he let go of Averin's weapon, leaving it on the ground next to the knight.

With shaking irises, Averin looked at the weapon on the ground, finally parting her lips to speak.

"The perfect knight..."

"Follows their lord. Isn't that right, Averin~?" spoke Lucien, putting his hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Now, while Nimera is protecting us, pick up your sword and ready yourself~."

"Bastard! Let Averin think for herself!" Yumino intervened.

"Oh? Isn't that a little bit hypocritical on your side? How is what you're trying to do different from what I'm doing? We are both demanding so much of this girl already. Let's let her make a decision!"

With all eyes on her, Averin stood frozen, sweat dripping down her forehead.

"Yumino... Lord Lucien..."

If I pick up this sword for Yumino, I may be able to get him out of here, she thought, yet her orders were clear. As a knight, she couldn't defy orders, yet the reason she became a knight was to serve and protect, and what Lucien was doing was clearly going against her will to defend the ones dear to her.

On one hand, she wanted to protect. On the other hand, she had to serve. Never before had she been put in such a situation. All of her life, Averin served to protect and protected the ones she served.

"I can't..."

Suddenly, the noise of air being cut rang in everyone's ears.

The one who couldn't wait for Averin to make her decision was none other than Yumino, who shot an arrow in a direction that surprised everyone.

"Nima!" Averin screamed, picking up her sword just in time to block the arrow coming for the vampire.

"Yumino! How could you!" the knight screamed at the elf, yet Yumino had already loaded another arrow, this time aiming at his true target.

Looking dead into his eyes, Yumino lit up the silver tip of his arrow, released the bowstring, and watched it fly towards Lucien.

Both girls too far away to intervene, the lord was caught off-guard as the arrow coated in crimson flames approached him rapidly, giving the vampire no time to dodge.

"Gauntmere, I think I'm starting to understand you a little..." Yumino said. "I just hope he doesn't burn away too quickly."

Anger was burning the elf's heart. In a matter of hours, everything he had come to care for had been torn down.

Just like the elves of old who had lost the one thing that made them special, Yumino had lost the ones dear to him in mere minutes, and all he had to show for it was hate. He felt a deep hatred towards the vampire he was going to impale. He wanted to see him get hurt. He wanted him to suffer. He wanted him to regret his actions. All of this, Yumino would transmit through a single arrow.

Yet Lucien seemed unimpressed.

"Yumino! Run! Now!"

The vampire lord only let out a murmur, and the arrow that Yumino had put his trust into fell to the ground soon enough, triggering an explosion of red flames that burned everything between the shooter and his target, not reaching Lucien.

At the same time, the elf's body started feeling heavy, as if his legs couldn't carry his weight anymore.

"Don't tell me, Yumino... You didn't really think an arrow was enough to kill the lord of this castle, did you now? I've been around for millennia for good reason, you know?"

Doing his best to keep himself on his feet, Yumino glanced at the two girls as they both fell to the ground, unable to handle Lucien's gravity manipulation.

"Unfortunately, manipulating the laws of this world often angers those damned Riders, so I will have to deal with you rather quickly. A pity, really. I would have liked to hear the reason for which you were moving with such passion ever since you've come to my kingdom," Lucien said as he approached the hero.

It was then that the lord suddenly felt himself getting weaker. It felt strange, he wasn't dazed nor sick. It was a familiar feeling, yet one he rarely had to deal with.

"I'm... starving?" he whispered to himself, barely noticing that another arrow was now approaching him.

Fortunately for him, Averin came to the rescue once again, saving the lord who fell to his knees.

"So you've made your choice..." Yumino said, looking at the three enemies who had once again come together.