Chapter 4 : Fighting the Boss

Lilith believed that one of the most infuriating things in the world was being interrupted unexpectedly when passion was at its peak.

Imagine, you’re tangled in the sheets with your lover, lost in the heat of the moment…

Crash! A squad of fully armed nuns bursts in!

It’s like a scene straight out of a vice raid! The kind of commotion you’d expect from an F.B.I. takedown!

Lilith couldn’t fathom how the protagonists in those anime managed to stay composed when their “spell-casting” was disrupted!

How did they endure it?

Wouldn’t such a shock leave lasting trauma, maybe even… performance issues down the line?

At the very least, Lilith felt like her fingers had gone “impotent” from the ordeal!

She wanted to sue these Inquisition nuns!

But staring down the dark barrels aimed at her and Cecilim, Lilith knew these infuriating nuns wouldn’t bother reasoning with her…

As the Church’s enforcers, they had the authority to shoot first and ask questions later when dealing with “heretical threats.”

And she… was likely being mistaken for the culprit behind the recent vampire murder cases.

Damn it! Just her luck! She should’ve known better than to tempt fate earlier!

She had even planned to track down the vampire causing all this chaos beforehand…

Now, look at this mess… she was the one being targeted instead…

A dangerous red glow flickered in Lilith’s crimson eyes.

Her black cloak, which had returned to her shoulders the moment the warehouse door was blasted open, billowed ominously.

In the still air of the warehouse, the dark cloak stirred, whipping up a chilling, blood-scented gust that seemed to freeze the atmosphere.

The petite vampire positioned herself protectively in front of Cecilim, who was trembling in fear at the scene unfolding before them.

No matter what, she had to keep Cecilim safe!

Fighting to the death here wasn’t a wise choice.

Cecilim, an ordinary human, would surely be torn apart by the battle’s aftermath.

Lilith took a deep breath.

Crimson patterns spread across her pale arms, and blood magic unfurled like mycelium in the dim warehouse.

The refrigerated blood bags in the warehouse seemed to answer her call, trembling along with their racks.

Suddenly, the blood burst free, spilling across the floor, transforming the warehouse into a sea of dark red, as if a lake of blood had formed beneath their feet.

The armed nuns sensed the thick, cloying scent of blood washing over them.

Holy runes on the silver bayonets affixed to their rifles glowed in unison.

The silver bullets in their chambers and the blood-guided magic teetered on the edge of erupting in a single, fleeting moment.

A demon bathed in blood faced off against guardians of sacred order, locked in a tense, momentary standoff.

“Wait! There’s a hostage being held by the vampire inside! Hold your fire!”

One of the nuns seemed to notice the bewildered human behind the vampire.

This caused the fingers of the gun-wielding nuns, previously poised on their triggers, to tremble, their mouths filled with curses aimed at the “shameless vampire.”

Damn this vampire! How many more atrocities would she commit?

But they couldn’t risk putting down their weapons for the sake of one civilian.

If they let this vampire escape by mistake, who knew how many more innocents she might harm later?

No one could bear that responsibility.

They had been hunting this murderous vampire for far too long…

Seeing the nuns blocking the warehouse entrance, their faces a mix of hesitation and fury, Lilith felt a slight sense of relief.

Good… these Inquisition nuns still cared about civilians…

They were clearly reluctant to harm innocents.

Otherwise, to escape with Cecilim, Lilith couldn’t guarantee she’d hold back and avoid hurting these nuns who had mistaken her for the real culprit.

A misunderstanding could be cleared up, but if she actually killed someone, it would turn into an irreconcilable blood feud.

She’d end up just like the true instigator of this chaos, hunted across the entire city.

“Cecilim.”

Lilith pulled Cecilim to her side, whispering softly in her ear.

“In a moment, I’ll throw you toward those nuns. They probably won’t hurt you. But they’ll question you afterward. Just insist you were coerced by me, and they won’t give you too much trouble.”

“B-but… Lady Lilith, what about you…? I… I can’t just abandon you!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Go home and wait for me. Once the heat dies down, I’ll come find you.”

Lilith gave Cecilim, who looked anguished as if they were parting forever, a reassuring smile.

“Trust me. Go!”

Lilith pushed Cecilim toward the nuns, then let out a cackling, eerie laugh.

“You foolish humans! I don’t need hostages to threaten you! If you’ve got the guts, come catch me! Catch me, and I’ll let you… heh heh heh!”

Before Lilith could play it up further, the moment Cecilim was pushed forward, a nun wielding a heavy shield charged out from the group.

Moving as fast as a raging bull, she swiftly pulled Cecilim behind her shield.

“Hostage secured! Open fire!”

A hail of silver bullets followed a nun’s furious shout.

The nuns, positioned in the corridor outside the warehouse door, were well-trained.

They reloaded and rotated seamlessly, unleashing relentless volleys without pause.

A net of silver bullets filled the air, leaving no gaps in the cramped warehouse.

There was nowhere to dodge.

But Lilith merely chuckled and waved her hand.

A crimson barrier of blood rose before her like a wall.

“Woo-hoo! Face the storm!”

Ranged attacks? Useless.

The silver bullets, engraved with holy runes designed to target vampires, plunged into the rapidly flowing blood.

The resistance stopped them dead in their tracks.

Though being hit wouldn’t do much to Lilith, having those bullets lodge in her body would be a hassle.

They likely contained mercury, which would be a pain to extract.

Even in this seemingly dire situation, Lilith’s mind was filled with lewd nonsense.

Because… she genuinely didn’t see these armed nuns as a threat.

Her only concern had been ensuring Cecilim wasn’t caught in the crossfire.

“Deploy mercury grenades! Equip gas masks!”

Seeing the silver bullets fail, the nuns switched tactics.

They donned gas masks, and several grenades exploded in the warehouse, filling the space with silvery mist.

Then, the courageous nuns, armed with bayonets and shields, charged into the warehouse, ready to engage the vampire in close combat, fighting to the death.

Holy hymns echoed from the corridor behind, their prayers blessing the nuns charging into the darkness.

A faint blue glow enveloped their bodies.

What is this, a world boss raid?

Lilith rolled her eyes, ignoring the nuns closing in on her.

She glanced at the small nun with the shield who had protected Cecilim.

That blonde nun with horns on her head was now fitting Cecilim with a spare gas mask.

A minotaur…

No, a good cow… Lilith really didn’t want to fight them.

Time to run.

Just as Lilith prepared to cast an escape spell, a flash of silver light cut through the air.

Lilith was sliced in half at the waist.

“…”

Now she’s version 2.5…

Her crimson gaze shifted to the gray mist behind her, where a figure had appeared unnoticed.

Lilith locked eyes with a black-haired girl hidden in the fog, wielding a silver blade, her pupils mirroring Lilith’s own.

Heh, no wonder they found me.

A surprise was hiding here all along…

Judging by her aura…

A half-vampire, huh.