Nikolai leaned against a blackened marble pillar while sitting on the floor. He watched the cityscape in silence, hair matted with sweat as the cold breeze diluted the stench of death.
’I shouldn’t have been reckless, the building will cost a lot to repair.’
After defeating Valan, the montum faded, leaving Nikolai winded. With the mission complete, the forces of Nosferatu started their retreat, allowing him to take his ti. But sohow... He just couldn’t bring himself to smile or celebrate it.
Bzzzt!
[White Wolf, are you there?]
The static crackle of the earpiece brought his focus back. Hearing Leona’s worried voice stirred his chest, and the lethargy dripped away. He sighed. As if letting out all the negative feelings inside. Then tapped his earpiece. "Leona, ah... was it Celtic One? Yeah I’m just a little tired, the mission is over."
[... Are you sure?]
Thanks to the perks of being the patriarch, Nikolai could switch to private channels without permission. The sa was true for Leona. "Is this a private line?" He noticed the change in her tone that beca softer, unlike the accent she used when performing her duties as a battle maid.
[Yes, everyone has completed their tasks, although... the maids in Tower Three suffered significant damage.]
’Tower three, which group was that?’
His mind tinkered, trying to rember the vague faces of each maid unit, despite wanting to do his best. Rembering their nas and features was beyond him, with over a hundred mbers and more reserves. It was too much.
That’s when he recalled a single maid, soone who often drank and spent ti with Leona. Though her na was blurry, he could rember her hair and the atmosphere. Sharp, a little cold to n. But she prepared a nice coffee when he asked.
"How is Olivia’s team?" Once he spoke, Leona’s breathing beca louder, as she humd on the other side.
[Olivia... well, ahem! Charlie Team has suffered several casualties.]
"What about Olivia herself?"
Nikolai couldn’t save the world, nor the entirety of his clan, in battle. But when hearing the hint of sorrow in Leona’s tone and actions. He wouldn’t ignore it either. The cold marble sent a chill down his spine the mont Leona sniffled.
[Ah, well, she’s alive...]
There was a long pause before Leona continued.
[But it’s unlikely she can continue as a mber of the Battle Maid Unit.]
"..."
He wanted to comfort her, to support the woman who helped him when he needed it. But there was no simple answer. "Are you okay?" With a sigh, he tilted his head, glancing in the direction of the third tower. Flas burst from the windows, and it looked like a ss. "Didn’t you join the maid unit with her?"
Sniffle~
[Nn...]
The noise wasn’t convincing.
Distant gunshots and the sound of explosions still echoed through the east district, although the police and firetrucks must have wanted to intervene. Fenrir had already blocked the roads and paths inside.
"Shall we have a drink later?"
[Honey... I am pregnant, you know?"
"Well you can have normal juice, haha."
[Idiot!]
"I’m your idiot, though, so tell . What do you need? What can I do for you?"
Both knew a way to help Olivia, but Nikolai didn’t suggest it first. His blood, along with Marianne’s, could restore lost organs, lost limbs and the fact that she couldn’t return ant that the potions they’d already prepared weren’t enough. So he wanted her to ask. It was a rate he could do anything for his wives... other than his body.
[Do you an it, even if it’s sothing that you hate?]
"Well, if it were for soone else, I’d hate it. But soone who has served the clan, and for you? Then it’s just a bit of blood, Leona."
Nikolai sighed before glancing towards the distant helicopters hovering in the area, the brilliant white lights shining through the burning buildings. He couldn’t help but twist his lips into a smirk. ’Those guys would never imagined this.’
"Mikael and Irina did well."
Because the people he chose might not be ready to fight in the field yet, he gave them a special task. Their group dealt with the governnt and city council, telling them that the Scarlet Group would be taking these towers.
’But they probably thought it’d just be a business transaction, not sothing so violent, haha.’
[Then, when you co back, let’s et with Olivia and the others... Thank you.]
"It’s fine, I’m a little tired, so I’ll go now."
His eyes narrowed. The sleepiness made them feel heavier each mont that passed.
Ironically, the fight against Valan wasn’t difficult. Their strength was closer than he thought. But there wasn’t anything beyond his ability. It was more the unwillingness to lose and give up that shocked Nikolai.
’He would have made a great rival.’
***
anwhile, Ryan hid behind a wall, bullets zooming past his head, with Alexei and the other maids on the opposite side.
Pew, pew!
’Damn, from the comms, Nikolai’s already done.’
Bullets shredded the wall above Ryan’s head, dust raining onto his hair as he ducked lower. His ears rang, throat dry, fingers tightening around his pistols.
"Oi! Baldy!" Ryan hissed across the hall. "How many of these assholes are left?"
Alexei peeked out, only for a silver round to graze his cheek. He ducked back with a grunt. "These bastards, they’re not normal leeches! I don’t know what, but sothing’s wrong with their bodies."
"We already killed the ghosts and the freak in charge," Ryan spat. "Why are these fuckers so damn stubborn?"
Thud, Bang!
Before Alexei could answer, a maid sprinted past Ryan and drop-kicked a vampire soldier so hard his spine bent backwards. The woman then rolled and gripped her arm, which took several shots.
"Human, move up!" she shouted with blood pouring down her face.
’Shit don’t rush , only my wife can do that!’
Ryan didn’t voice his anger; instead, he listened for the click of the enemy’s guns before he released the venom and peeked over the wall.
Bang, bang, bang!
Purple mist burst from his fingertips as he fired, each bullet trailing venom like a cot tail. The first vampire’s head exploded. The second’s arms went numb mid-charge. A third collapsed, choking on bubbling athyst blood.
Alexei rushed beside him, crushing a skull with his elbow. "That mist is nice." He curved his lips before slamming another vampire into the wall like a wet dishcloth.
Thud!
"Phew... it might be nice, but it’s exhausting..." Ryan’s body slipped, falling against the wounded maid who had drop-kicked a vampire monts before.
"Grrr..."
’She growled at !?’
The werewolf maid with striking blue eyes glared at him while holding her bloodied arm. However, Ryan ignored her warning and took out an expensive potion that Nikolai had given him before they started. "Here, stop being a baby."
Ssssss!
"Argh... you damned human!"
He poured the potion over her arm, and the deep gash imdiately healed.
"Hmph, what do you an. I saved your arm, werewolf."
Throughout the past hours, Ryan’s temper and atmosphere shifted; he no longer took the bullshit from Alexei without retaliating, and his reactions with the maids beca less reserved and resembled Nikolai at tis.
The maid’s cheeks flushed red as she turned away while biting her lip.
"T-Thank you, maybe you’re not so bad, human."
’She’s quite pretty.’
A sudden cold chill shot down his spine. There was a feeling that the black scales on his arms, the purple mist... all might sohow transmit his feelings and thoughts to his wife waiting back ho.
Alexei watched the interaction with a strange smile.
"Oi, what’s up, big guy?" Ryan asked.
"You’d better be careful, your wife is similar to mine..." Alexei didn’t speak more and just walked towards the last room.
’...’
Ryan pretended to ignore him, stepping away and following Alexei with the maid beside him.
When they ca to the end of the corridor, a thick steel door awaited them with strange runes flickering weakly around the edges. The building shook from the distant explosions and raging auras of the monsters fighting.
"What’s this?"
Alexei pressed a hand to the door. "The door feels really cold."
Ryan reloaded his magnums, the purple mist seeping into each bullet, sothing he learned was the longer and more mist he poured into them. The stronger his bullets beca. ’I can help Nikolai now, it feels so good.’ Purple mist leaked from the cylinder with each click. He glanced at the maids who set up several small computers and devices.
"What’s the plan?" He asked the maid he helped.
"Eh? Oh... we’re going to use the specialised system to analyse the runes to ensure safety when unlocking the door." She remained a little sharp, but no longer snorted or insulted him; rather, she pushed a bottle of enhanced water to him. "It’ll replenish your electrolytes..."
Bleep, tap tap tap tap, Boop!
Two maids rapidly typed on the laptops, their fingers shimring with a blue aura that allowed their fingers to move faster than Ryan could see.
’Imagine how easy office work would be...’
Bzzzzt!
Suddenly, everyone’s communication device buzzed.
[All units, this is Celtic One, mission complete. Prepare to finish your roles and withdraw; the main family will arrive soon to take over.]
"Hmm."
The maid clicked her tongue. "Tsk, idiots again."
Ryan exhaled and holstered his guns. "Then we’re done here."
Alexei nodded. "Let’s go. Nikolai’s waiting."
It was a long night, and as the sun started rising from the horizon, each mber of the team slowly began to finish their roles. The door would be opened later, with the clan led by the second team, with Ivan, Dimitri and Nagisa leading them.
’Mission complete.’
User Comments
0 comments from readers