Chapter 21: The Princess Joins the Game
To be honest, relying on Tang Linlang at this point seemed rather unrealistic. Sure, she was putting on a brave front, ready to fight tooth and nail to protect her. It was touching, really, but in this messed-up world, being touched wouldn’t save them. Only overwhelming power, raw strength, could do that.
Adele couldn’t bring herself to hope that Hermione would come to their rescue. She was probably busy studying in another part of the academy. And Dorothy… well, Dorothy was Dorothy. As for the other Sequence Ones, they were even less likely to lift a finger to help.
If anything, Adele was more worried that they might join in on the “fun.”
So that left only one last straw to grasp at…
Adele’s gaze drifted towards the Sequence Two classroom. She knew Celeste was in there. *But… do I really want to ask for her help?*
Or should she just swallow her pride and apologize? Maybe then, wary of the human mediators, this bully would back down.
*But I don’t want to back down!*
Occasionally yielding to her wives was one thing. They were her wives, after all. Sometimes you just had to indulge them… But bowing her head to this arrogant bully… Adele couldn’t do it. She wouldn’t.
It wasn’t just about maintaining some misguided sense of pride. This was about staying true to herself.
Besides, they were the ones who had started this whole mess, the ones who had unleashed their mental pressure first! Those spoiled Sequence Three brats… why should she and Linlang be the ones to suffer the consequences?
So, she forced herself to stand tall, to project an air of… well, not exactly strength, but at least not utter helplessness.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but you need to back off.” Her voice was soft, but there was an icy undercurrent to her words. It was Hermione’s tone, or at least her best attempt at mimicking it.
After all, there was only so much authority one could project with Adele’s naturally sweet and endearing demeanor. Even when she tried to look intimidating, her wide, innocent eyes just made her look even more adorable.
“Have you forgotten who brought me here this morning?” she continued, her voice gaining a touch of steel. “Why don’t you try acting tough then? I dare you.”
It was classic Adele – wife-powered intimidation! If only the original Adele had mastered this tactic, she would have ruled this academy!
As expected, the Sequence Three vampire faltered slightly, her oppressive aura receding just a fraction.
*Ice Queen Hermione… She’s bad news.*
Even Celeste, a Sequence Two, had been forced to kneel and apologize to her. What hope did a lowly Sequence Three like her have?
Still, she couldn’t shake off the suspicion that Adele was bluffing. After all, she was just a plaything in the hands of a Sequence One. What reason would they have to actually protect her?
But then again… as a middle-ranking vampire, she knew better than to underestimate the whims of those above her. She needed to be smart about this, or she might find herself slipping down the social ladder.
With a sigh, the Sequence Three vampire toned down her aggression, but she maintained her haughty demeanor. She wasn’t about to lose face entirely.
“Just a toy, acting all high and mighty,” she scoffed. “I’ll be waiting for the day the Princess gets tired of you. When that day comes, my friends and I will make sure you regret this.”
She spat out her threat, and Adele couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. *Empty threats…* She could threaten to turn Dorothy into a supermarket right now, but what good would it do? She didn’t have the power to back it up.
But just when she thought they were in the clear, the Sequence Three vampire shifted her attention to Tang Linlang. It seemed even vampires understood the concept of picking on the weaker target.
“I know her,” one of the other Sequence Three vampires chimed in, her voice laced with malice. “She’s… from that vampire hunter family!”
“Vampire hunter?”
The mere mention of those words was enough to send a ripple of anger and fear through the group of vampires.
If vampires were a nightmare to humans, then “vampire hunters” were the bane of their existence, a constant, looming threat.
The Sequence Three vampire narrowed her eyes, a cruel smile spreading across her lips. “A vampire hunter, you say? And such a weak one at that… If I’m not mistaken…”
“There’s only one family that fits that description.” Her gaze settled on Tang Linlang, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of hatred and a disturbing hint of glee.
“You’re a Tang.”
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” she purred, her voice dripping with malice.
While her own family’s standing wasn’t high enough to have any direct connection to the True Ancestor who had been nearly killed all those years ago, vampires were a vengeful lot. They thrived on their shared history, their grudges passed down through generations.
Besides, who’s to say she couldn’t spin this little incident to her advantage? Present herself as a loyal servant, eager to avenge the True Ancestor? It was just a pathetic little whelp from a fallen vampire hunter family. What harm could there be in crushing her?
The academy’s punishment? Please. It would be a slap on the wrist compared to the satisfaction she would derive from unleashing her fury.
The Sequence Three vampire’s eyes glowed with a predatory light, her gaze fixed on Tang Linlang as if she were a cornered animal.
“You’re free to go, little toy,” she said to Adele, her tone dismissive. “This… is between us vampires and humans now.”
Her words effectively removed Adele from both sides of the equation, implying that she was neither vampire nor human. Just a mongrel, a half-blood abomination.
A flicker of anger ignited within Adele, a visceral reaction from the original owner of this body. Or perhaps, in the short time she had been here, she had already begun to identify with Adele, to feel her pain and anger as her own.
Her mixed heritage had always been a sensitive topic for Adele. But then again, those without power weren’t allowed to have “sensitive topics.” What was she going to do if someone poked at her vulnerabilities? Get angry? And then what?
What could she possibly do?
Nothing…
But that didn’t mean she had to accept it.
Adele gritted her teeth, trying to summon a fierce expression. But it came across as more of a feeble attempt at a growl, more adorable than intimidating.
“I’m not leaving,” she said, her voice surprisingly firm.
“If you want to hurt Linlang, you’ll have to go through me first!”
She might be the one suffering from the vampires’ mental pressure, the one weakened by her fever, but she was also the one who stepped forward, shielding Tang Linlang with her own body.
“Adele…” Linlang whispered, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Her throat felt tight, and it took all her strength to utter the other girl’s name.
Never before had she hated her own weakness as much as she did in this moment. A foolish, impossible dream took root in her heart.
*If only… If only I were stronger…*
*Then, I could stand by her side, protect her, no matter what.*
“You’re really testing my patience now.” The Sequence Three vampire’s voice dripped with venom. She had tolerated Adele’s defiance once. Twice, even. But this… this was the last straw.
Or perhaps, it was the gambler in her, the belief that she could get away with it, that the fear of those higher-ranking vampires no longer held any power over her.
“Fine. A broken toy is still a toy, after all…” She chuckled, her voice laced with a cruel amusement.
“Now move!”
From within those swirling green shadows, from the depths of that monstrous presence, came a guttural roar. Thick, black tendrils shot out, their ends tipped with razor-sharp claws and teeth, lashing out at Adele and Tang Linlang with terrifying speed.
“Adele, look out!”
Linlang reacted instantly, summoning a pitiful little mithril shield with her magic, holding it aloft to block the attack. But the shield shattered upon impact, the force of the blow sending shockwaves through Linlang’s magic circuits, leaving her pale and breathless.
Reorganizing her magic, creating a new defense in time… it was a hopeless endeavor.
She could only watch in horror as the remaining tendrils, their claws and teeth bared, whipped towards Adele.
A wave of despair washed over her, threatening to drown her in its darkness. Her heart stuttered in her chest, her breath catching in her throat.
*Why… Why am I so powerless?*
—“What are you playing?”
A playful, almost amused voice cut through the tension, stopping the tendrils in their tracks.
Adele, who had closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impact that never came, slowly opened them to see the tendrils dissolving into nothingness, the monstrous presence within the shadows letting out a mournful wail.
The Sequence Three vampire, hearing that voice, blanched, her legs turning to jelly beneath her. Instinct took over, and she dropped to her knees, her body trembling uncontrollably as she fought the urge to beg for forgiveness.
And all this… before the newcomer had even released a single shred of her aura, before she had asserted her dominance.
It was a girl with long, flowing pink hair, strolling down the hallway as if she owned the place. Her pace was leisurely, almost theatrical, as if she were making a grand entrance on stage.
Then again, for someone like her, every entrance was a grand entrance.
She was the star of the show, the queen on her throne.
“Heehee, can I play too~?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she fixed her gaze on Adele.
Pink wife its here
Thanks for the chapter (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ