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The bracelet that was hastily made for Bernardo had no special features. It was simply crafted to signal Vasha whenever Bernardo summoned his holy power.
And if Bernardo was using holy power…
"Well, if it means I get the honor of delivering a blow to Menorah, then maybe it's worth it..."
"What's..."
At Vasha's vague remark, Strigon frowned slightly. But in the same moment, his sharp senses picked up the surge of a massive holy energy.
Something had gone wrong.
Even before Strigon could react, the holy energy exploded, surging directly toward the two of them in the blink of an eye.
'There's no way to dodge it!'
Judging by the sheer intensity of the holy force, even the area covered by the [Shadow Travel Spell] was completely within its range.
That's when Strigon finally realized, Vasha had been waiting for this moment all along.
His handsome face twisted in frustration.
"Are you planning to die with me? You think someone like me, a Menorah, would die from something like this?!"
"You won't die... but you'll take a hit, for sure."
Vasha smiled faintly.
Despite knowing the danger, her calm attitude gave off a strange sense of dissonance.
"And I'm not planning on dying with you either."
She definitely had something else planned.
Strigon, sensing that, reached out toward her, but he was already too late.
Vasha had spoken the activation words a beat earlier.
"Omnes viae ad tenebras ducunt!"
(All roads lead to darkness!)
As soon as the incantation ended, her entire body vanished as if swallowed by darkness.
The red threads that had been binding her dropped to the floor uselessly, and Strigon's hand merely sliced through empty air.
"Hah…"
Strigon let out a breathless, bitter laugh.
Judging from the activation phrase, she had just used a [Soul-Link Spell].
Among vampires, the [Soul-Link Spell] was already considered obsolete. And for good reason, this type of spell required a 'destination' that was connected to the soul.
Like having a fragment of one's soul left at that location. Or having a familiar waiting there.
But to leave behind a soul fragment just for teleportation was unthinkable.
As for the second option…
'Very few high-ranking vampires even know about the [Binding Contract].'
By magical law, the relationship between a vampire and a familiar is meant to be equal.
But the ones vampires choose as familiars are often beings so insignificant, they're barely worth commanding.
To place oneself on equal footing with such lowly creatures through magic?
Regardless of its usefulness, the concept of familiars was an affront to vampire pride.
That's why the high-ranking ones gradually turned away from the [Binding Contract], and over time, the technique faded into obscurity.
A vampire actually invoking that ancient contract? It was unthinkable.
Strigon had been completely outmaneuvered. He let out a bitter laugh, unable to hide his disbelief.
"I have no choice but to let her go this time... but don't expect to get lucky like this again."
Strigon had never once given up on something he wanted.
Time was abundant for vampires.
If there was one thing they excelled at, it was coiling patiently and waiting for the right moment to strike.
His snake-like eyes gleamed with obsession.
And then, just seconds later.
FWAASH!
A wave of blinding white light surged like a tsunami and engulfed where Strigon stood.
***
After Lucy left, a moment of stillness filled the space.
Breaking that silence, Matteus turned urgently toward Oliver, whom he already knew, and fired off his question in a panicked tone.
"What happened at the villa? What about our young master? Is he safe?"
Since Oliver had come from the villa, he must know something.
As he awaited a response, Matteus's lower eyelids trembled with nervous tension.
"…This man."
Only now realizing Matteus was present, Oliver furrowed his brow. And then, Suddenly, a radiant light burst above their heads, as if the sun had risen.
It wasn't yet dawn.
This strange occurrence in the middle of the night caused all three to instinctively look up at the source.
Atop a high spire, so tall it could be seen even from the distant forest, light had gathered.
All three stood in awe, momentarily frozen by the surreal sight.
Todd was the first to grasp the situation, his face turned pale.
"No way…"
Next came Matteus, who, though only a half-paladin, could also guess what was happening.
The bishop of Noctiluca was known to have weak holy power.
Which meant, the one who could activate a sacred relic now was…
'The young master is alive!'
Matteus's face, which had just been etched with worry and fear, now lit up with joy.
At the same time, Todd's face froze in shock, he realized where the holy light was aimed.
Hope and despair clashed in one moment.
"No!"
Todd's anguished cry tore through the night, but it was futile.
The light only grew brighter.
True to its name, The Lighthouse of Dispelling Evil, the sacred beam burned with holy power, piercing through the darkness of the night in a straight line.
The [The Lighthouse of Dispelling Evil] incinerates vampires.
Any vampire caught within its beam would wither as if scorched by the noonday sun, recovering only to suffer again, burning away every last coin of life energy before they could finally find rest.
In other words, if they had enough life force, they wouldn't die immediately.
'If it were a low-rank vampire, they'd have evaporated instantly. But if it's someone like Strigon... he might endure it. Still, you never know…'
It wasn't too late yet.
Todd couldn't stand by any longer.
He immediately turned back, intent on returning the way he came.
And in that very moment.
Todd's pendant began to glow red.
"W-What the...?"
Even the bold Todd faltered, startled by the sudden activation of the artifact.
A brilliant light unsuited for the night cut through the air, and then, within that light, darkness appeared.
While everyone's minds froze from the rapid succession of bizarre events, the darkness took shape.
Like something curled inside an egg, the figure formed midair, then plummeted straight down.
Thud!
"Ugh!"
The one who crashed unceremoniously to the ground was none other than Vasha.
Not caring what kind of stares she was getting, Vasha sat up with difficulty and swore.
"Damn it, that blasted firestarter! Who the hell brings a sacred relic to a fight? I almost ended up as Menorah's dinner!"
"Vasha!"
Seeing her appear before his eyes, safe and sound, Todd's eyes welled with tears.
He didn't even notice he was crying as he ran to her.
When Vasha saw Todd's face, she finally let out a breath and realized, she had truly made it back.
With a small smile, she caught Todd in a returning embrace as he rushed into her arms.
His thin arms wrapped around her neck, trembling slightly.
Gently patting his back, Vasha reassured him.
"I told you I could escape, didn't I?"
As Todd buried his face in Vasha's embrace, a familiar scent of roses drifted around him.
It was real, not a dream.
Only then did Todd truly relax. Lifting his head, he asked.
"How did you even get here? The shadows don't reach this far."
"Because my soul is here."
Vasha poked a finger at Todd's chest, right over his heart.
In teleportation magic, the most difficult part is designating the destination.
For a spell like the [Shadow Travel Spell], it's easy, since you're only moving within the range of your own shadows.
You just teleport from one part of your own domain to another.
But the moment the destination lies outside the range of your shadow, the difficulty rises drastically.
Still, as long as you can pinpoint the destination, the rest isn't so hard.
So Vasha used something else, soul gravity, the pull of her own soul.
But even that wouldn't have been enough to fully escape from Strigon.
Casting a teleportation spell takes time.
And with someone like Strigon, sharp and attuned to magical signals, there's no way he'd just let her go quietly.
The only reason Vasha was able to avoid his detection and cast the spell in time was because she had prepared the spell in advance.
As for when she did that...
'To think I'd end up using my trump card like this…'
The [Soul-Link Spell] had been Vasha's final hidden move, carefully embedded in the pendant.
It was a contingency. If Todd ever found himself in danger, she would be able to teleport instantly to his side.
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