Chapter 51: A Smile That Crosses the Sky

Days after the Red Moon’s fall, the world began to heal.
The morning air smelled of rain and renewal, yet the scars of battle lingered—in the city, in people’s hearts, and in Lucy most of all.

She stood before the airport gate, suitcase in hand, silver hair glimmering under the sunlight.
Tokyo had been saved, but her journey was far from over.

“You’re really leaving?” Kanata asked quietly, standing beside her with a small, knowing smile.

Lucy nodded, her eyes clear but trembling with emotion.
“I have to. There are still vampires out there—those who might be lost because of Father’s control. If I don’t stop them, no one will.”

Kanata folded his arms. “You’ll be doing the world a favor. Just… don’t carry everything alone.”

Lucy smiled faintly. “I don’t know how to repay all of you for what you’ve done.”

Kanata looked up at the sky, exhaling. “By living. That’s enough.”
Then, turning to her with a warm grin—“And don’t forget to make others smile too.”

Lucy laughed softly, wiping her eyes. “Of course I will. A smile, right?”

Nearby, Evelyn checked her flight documents, her voice crisp and commanding as usual.
“We’ll be stationed in Africa for this mission. The High Elite Wizard Division ‘Hunter’ will handle containment and extermination.”

Lucy blinked. “Africa? That far?”

“Think of it as a vacation with a lot of blood.” Evelyn smirked.

Before boarding, she turned to Celestine, who had rushed to the airport still in her academy uniform.
“Tell Father I send my regards—I won’t make it to the family gathering.”

Celestine sighed. “Again? He’s going to throw a fit.”

Evelyn waved dismissively. “Then tell him Kanata can attend in my place.”

Kanata froze mid-sentence. “Wait—what?”

Celestine’s eyes widened in horror. “K-Kanata!? Sister, are you insane? You remember what happened last time, don’t you?”

Evelyn tilted her head innocently. “Oh? The incident with Father?”

Celestine groaned. “You mean when he brought fake grenades and chased a random boy because he thought I was being kidnapped? Half the police force thought he was a terrorist!”

Evelyn chuckled dryly. “Yes, yes. He was just… protective.”

Kanata scratched his head, muttering, “I’m definitely not going.”

Lucy laughed until tears welled in her eyes. The sound made Evelyn’s smirk soften just slightly.
And with that, the two boarded the plane—the silver-haired vampire waving until the clouds swallowed her figure.

The next morning, chaos returned—not from vampires, but from bureaucracy.
Reiga stood in front of Kanata, a clipboard in hand and dark circles under his eyes.

“Kanata, the team evaluation exam starts tomorrow. You need a full squad, or you’ll be disqualified.”

Kanata’s brow twitched. “That again?”

Itsuha slammed the desk beside him. “We’ve tried! No one wants to join us!”

Envy folded her arms, sighing. “To be fair, most people are still terrified of the ‘Dragon Arm Incident.’”

Celestine handed out recruitment flyers to passing students—who immediately walked faster to avoid eye contact.
One of them whispered, “That’s the guy who punched a vampire king.”

“See?” Celestine muttered. “Even the janitor’s hiding from you.”

Kanata buried his face in his hands. “Fantastic. I’m the campus cryptid now.”

That afternoon, a sudden announcement shook the academy halls.

“Attention, all students! Report to the main hall immediately for an important announcement!”

Whispers filled the corridors.
By the time everyone gathered, Reiga stood on the central podium beside Kobayashi, looking unusually serious.

“Effective immediately,” Reiga declared, “each class will merge with an existing team to prepare for the Grand Field Examination.”

Students exchanged uneasy glances.

“Class C will join Team Rose.”
Murmurs spread.

“Class B—Team Hunter.”
The crowd erupted in cheers.

Then Reiga raised his hand.
“And Class D… will join Team Black Dragon.”

The hall went dead silent.

“W-Wait, the Black Dragon? The one with him?!” a student stammered, pointing toward Kanata, who stood awkwardly at the back.

Kanata waved halfheartedly. “Hi.”

Reiga’s tone hardened. “Fear has no place on the battlefield. If you can’t trust your allies, you don’t belong in this academy.”

A brave student raised his hand. “But sir, what if we get hurt?”

Reiga looked him dead in the eyes. “Then you learn to stand back up.”
His gaze softened slightly. “I fought beside Kanata against the Vampire King. He doesn’t give up—neither should you.”

Silence filled the room… then slow applause began from the back rows.
Within minutes, Class D officially joined Team Black Dragon.

Kanata sighed in relief. “Well, at least we’re not short-staffed anymore.”

Itsuha crossed her arms. “Don’t jinx it.”

Meanwhile, across the city—night fell over Tokyo.
A young woman with glowing red eyes wandered into an abandoned alleyway, clutching her chest.

Her form flickered—half ethereal, half solid—as if she wasn’t meant to exist here.
She staggered into a hospital’s emergency wing and collapsed beside a lifeless body.

“This… should do.”
Her voice was like crystal, ancient yet fading.

She placed her trembling hand on the corpse’s chest.
“<Fusion>.”

The world went white.

Moments later—alarms screamed.
Monitors lit up.
The “dead” patient gasped, heart pounding once again.

Doctors rushed in, eyes wide in disbelief.
“Her heart’s beating! She’s alive!”

“Impossible! She was declared dead an hour ago!”

The young woman opened her eyes—brilliant blue, sharp and empty.
Her voice trembled as she spoke in an unfamiliar tongue.
“Where… am I?”

Her supposed parents stormed in, tears streaming down their faces.
They hugged her tightly, sobbing with relief.

“Our daughter’s alive… thank the gods!”

The girl blinked slowly, confused but silent.
Then, her thoughts—alien, calm, and curious—echoed in her mind.
“So… this is a human body. I can feel its pulse.”

Through faint memory threads, she pieced together the name written on the patient chart.

Shirayuki… Asuna.

She whispered it under her breath, testing the sound.
“Shirayuki… Asuna.”

A soft smile formed on her lips.
The heart of her new vessel fluttered as if in recognition.

Outside, the moonlight reflected against the hospital window—pure and silver.

But when the girl looked into the glass, her reflection did not smile back.
Her eyes shimmered faintly—not human blue, but crimson, glowing through the mirror for a single heartbeat.

And then they vanished.