Chapter 86: It’s Okay, Bai
Bai didn’t say goodbye to the Legendary Knights, simply taking Ara and leaving the palace.
Shortly after, Princess Lilia, feeling unusually well, emerged from her room.
Prince Kruse, after examining her, confirmed that her condition had stabilized enough for her to preside over the festival in Ares’s place.
He and Kweil, having received Bai’s assessment of the attacker, began to formulate a plan to treat Ares, focusing on the Ice Demon’s power.
At the same time, one of Bai’s contingency plans was activated, and the four Knight units in the capital began a systematic search.
A web of patrols spread throughout the city, quickly identifying several key areas where the attacker might be hiding.
The capital’s large-scale detector was activated at full power. Although it had failed to detect Bai earlier, that was an exception; not every demon possessed the Authority of [Absolute Negation].
Of course, Bai wasn’t immediately involved. She was still struggling with a strange discomfort, and she returned to her room at Leticia’s shop.
The moment she entered, the overwhelming urge from her bloodline returned, and she lunged at Ara, pinning her to the bed, her fangs grazing Ara’s neck.
“Bai, what’s wrong…?” Ara asked, not resisting, only confused by Bai’s strange behavior.
“I…” Ara’s voice snapped Bai back to reality. She quickly pulled away, her fangs having broken Ara’s skin, a small bead of blood welling up.
“I’m sorry, Ara. I don’t know why…” Bai said, flustered.
The small wound healed instantly.
But the thought of hurting Ara, even accidentally, filled her with a sense of dread, and she suppressed the urge with all her might.
What was happening?
Why the sudden urge to drink blood?
She had tasted her own blood before, after the incident with the crimson dagger, and had acquired a partial Vampire bloodline, but she had never felt such an overwhelming compulsion.
And it had started after helping Lilia…
It couldn’t be Lilia’s fault. Could it be because she had used her Vampire Demonic Runes?
But she had never heard of such a side effect…
As her mind raced, Ara looked at her, and said softly, “Bai, your hair… it’s all red now.”
“Hmm?” Bai looked in the mirror.
Her hair, previously black and red, was now a deep crimson, just like Queen Shaya’s. The black strands were gone.
She tried to activate her Shadow Demon runes, but to her surprise, she couldn’t feel them anymore, just like her Ice Demon runes.
“Could it be…?”
She removed her glasses, and sure enough, her eyes were now a solid, sinister crimson, the black irises gone.
Her new appearance was more… uniform, but she felt even more demonic.
“I’ve completely transformed into a Vampire…” she sighed wryly. Now, when she met Shaya, she wouldn’t be able to deny her connection.
She had even claimed she wasn’t a Vampire…
But she had a feeling that this transformation was Shaya’s doing.
But how? Besides the crimson dagger, when had she had any contact with the Vampire Queen?
As she pondered this, her concentration lapsed, and the urge to drink blood returned, stronger than before.
“…”
She lost control, lunging at Ara again, her fangs sinking into her neck, the sweet scent of her blood intoxicating.
“No, I can’t…”
She tried to pull away, but Ara held her tight.
“Bai, you want to drink Ara’s blood, don’t you?” Ara asked, her voice soft.
“No, Ara, I can’t hurt you…” Bai turned away, closing her eyes, but the scent of blood was too strong, the primal urge almost overwhelming.
“It’s okay,” Ara said, her voice a gentle whisper. “If Bai wants to drink Ara’s blood, it’s okay.”
“Ara is Bai’s. We’re one and the same…”
Her words were like a siren’s song, and her small, fragrant body, pressed against Bai, was an unbearable temptation.
Bai was about to lose control, to bite down again.
But then, with a final surge of willpower, she raised her own arm, sinking her fangs into it.
Hiss—
Even her own blood was better than harming Ara.
“Bai!” Ara yelped, trying to pull her arm away, but Bai released it herself, coughing.
“Cough, cough…”
She had been a bit too forceful, and had choked on her own blood.
“Bai…” Ara tilted her head, a hint of sadness in her voice. “Does Bai not like Ara anymore? Why won’t you drink Ara’s blood…?”
“…Of course not. Bai likes Ara very much,” Bai said, wiping her mouth. Although embarrassing, the act had quelled the bloodlust, at least for now.
“Then why—”
“But Ara,” Bai smiled, ruffling her hair, her gaze filled with affection, “it’s because Bai likes you so much that she can’t bear to see you hurt. Not even a little.”
She knew that now, she was an outcast, neither human nor demon. She was alone in this world.
No one would sacrifice everything for her.
Except Ara.
Only Ara.
Ara and Bai, they could entrust their entire beings to each other.
“Promise me, Ara,” Bai said, her face close to Ara’s, her lips gently brushing against her forehead. “Promise me you’ll always protect yourself. If Ara gets hurt, Bai will be very sad.”
Ara’s sadness vanished, replaced by a bright smile. “Okay, Ara promises Bai.”
Perhaps the cruel past had torn them apart.
But now, they would never be separated again.
