Chapter 82 - Dhampir of the Holy Grail (3)

The cold air made Shirone shiver as she walked down the dungeon's stairs. She had had to knock out several guards she had encountered along the way. In the absence of torches, Shirone felt as if she were watching the twilight through her night vision.

One of the uses of Senjutsu that Kuroka had taught her in that year of training had been the ability to have night vision.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she found herself in a crowd of cells. She stood in front of one of them, where a blond vampire was watching her fiercely and cautiously.

"Who are you?" The vampire asked. His voice was charged with poison and hate.

"You first."

Shirone hid any emotion inside her body, something Mordred had taught her. She did not have to let a stranger catch anything in a conversation or interrogation, so she would always be able to gain the upper hand in such exchanges.

"I am the Lord of the House of Vladi. I will ask you again, who are you?"

"It's none of your business." Shirone shrugged.

She had not intended to speak her name at all. In fact, she had received specific instructions not to reveal her name or identity to anyone, even wearing her face covered so that no one could record her image.

"What do you want then?" the vampire asked.

"Valerie Tepes, where is she?"

Shirone went straight to the point. She wanted to stay in this place no longer than necessary. Everything about the vampires disgusted her, they were even worse than the rumours said.

"Hahaha, so she has her eyes on the holy grail. I don't know how the information about that girl got into your ears or those of your organization, but I don't care. She was taken from here a few minutes ago. If you don't hurry, you won't be able to find her for quite some time. That Marius is very clever, and he has the support of someone very powerful."

Shirone nodded and left the scene immediately, heading for the spot where the vampire was pointing.

...…

A fierce kick was enough to open the doors. A guard with a long spear made it inside first, his eyes scanning the library and his spear ready to pierce anything that lungs at him with bared fangs or sharp claws. He looked over his shoulder.

"The room is clear, Mayor Marius."

Marius moved inside, pushing an empty bag to the guard's chest, almost making him trip over.

"You know what to do." He said after picking a strange-looking gem. "I have to speak to someone."

The guard looked up from the sack. "What should I put inside?"

"Everything." Was his Mayor's response.

Marius activated the stone.

"Euclid! We're under attack! A very powerful knight, with a helmet from which horns come out, appeared out of nowhere and has killed all of my guards!"

Marius cursed after receiving no answer.

"I have already sent the Sephiroth Graal to a carriage. You know the coordinates, we will continue to talk there."

He threw the pearl against the wall and held out the urge to throw all the books off the shelves. He had lost the Castle of Tepes, that was a fact. The Tepes was not prepared for another coup, even if months were to pass, their defences were as weak as a withered tree.

He needed to leave with Valerie. As long as he had the Holy Grail, losing his home wouldn't bother him at all.

Marius looked up when a sudden temblor came after the howl in the corridors, thankful that the doors were locked when the gigantic beasts passed away from them. He definitely knew what those were, their aroma was more than enough to make him puke.

"Werewolves," Marius whispered with a shaky breath, resuming his work. "Not truly werewolves anymore, but they are aberrations nonetheless. I have seen but one in my childhood near the many infamous laboratories funded by the House of Tepes. It is a memory that I hide even from myself."

Indeed, any vampire, let it be Carmilla or Tepes Faction, would sweat bullets at the acknowledgement of such things. Except for Valerie, for an odd reason, she categorizes such creatures as "cute" on her list.

That and boys wearing skirts.

He gritted his teeth and ignored the soldier's odd look. There's no time for fooling around, while he wished to see the Knight smashed, obliterated, nothing left to bury by the Tepes infamous creation. He knows how vital this project he's been working with Euclid is essential for their progress.

...…..

Shirone had informed Mordred of the discovery, so they both ran out of the place.

"Go to the hotel where we're staying. You're not fast enough to catch up with the girl."

If what the vampire said was true, the girl should be at least a hundred yards away. Mordred decided that Shirone was not necessary to continue the mission. Rather, she was totally useless from now on.

Shirone nodded, knowing her limits, and stepped aside. Mordred wanted to get it over with and get the hell out of this place, something Shirone agreed with.

Mordred jumped onto the roof of a building and continued to jump from building to building, looking for Valerie.

"I found you."

Mordred was internally surprised when she saw the huge creature in front of the Dhampir. Valerie was sitting on the ground, one hand on her heart, in a clear state of shock. Well, anyone would be when they saw the grotesque creature standing in front of her.

Mordred was also a little bit in shock. She'd heard about these creatures and how they were the natural enemies of vampires. But the one she was seeing didn't look at all like what they described in the fantasy books.

"Is that a werewolf?"