As planned, the Grand Duke led Hate and the Phantom Dullahans out of the Abyss first.

"The Grand Duke has returned!" The warriors of the Northern Army, who had been fighting outside the chasm, spotted her and swarmed forward. Great General Ganiro, one arm now pitch-black and inert, approached her.

"Grand Duke! I’m relieved you’re safe!"

[Indeed.]

"The Northern God! What happened to the Northern God?" Ganiro pressed.

"Did you finish it?" a warrior shouted, ready to cheer.

Seeing the hopeful faces of her subordinates, the Grand Duke’s heart ached. She was glad her helmet hid her expression.

[The Northern God was not in the Abyss.]

The warriors’ faces instantly hardened.

[We fell into a trap. This sortie ends here. Retreat.] She turned her steed’s head. Her red cape fluttered in the wind before settling, forlorn, against her back. The soldiers stared, unable to believe what they were hearing.

"What... do you mean?" Ganiro’s lips trembled. "The Northern God isn’t there? Then who is controlling these undead? It has to exist! We must find it! Even if we freeze to death searching the Frost Field...!"

[The fourth one is attacking Vilkenos.]

At those words, Ganiro and the agitated warriors fell silent.

[The people are in danger. Hate and I will ride ahead. Do not worry, Great General Ganiro.]

"...Yes, Grand Duke."

[You are to gather the troops and return to Vilkenos.] She pulled on the reins of her phantom horse and spurred it forward. Hate and the 2nd Legion’s Phantom Dullahans followed in unison. [There must not be any more sacrifices. All troops are to return safely. The Northern God will surely send forces to strike our backs as we retreat, so steel yourselves.]

Ganiro, his expression grim, bowed his head low. All around them, warriors stabbed their weapons into the snow and collapsed, their desperate cries echoing across the frozen waste. Defeat. They had failed to capture the Northern God again. They had failed to avenge their fallen. They had failed to end the war in their generation. They had failed to give their children a peaceful world. The resentment of all rose like a lament.

Riding toward Vilkenos, the Grand Duke pulled her helmet down low. ’I’m sorry.’ She couldn’t tell her despairing subordinates that Simon and the 7th Legion were preparing to plunge a dagger into the Northern God’s heart. To deceive the enemy, one must first deceive one’s allies. The Northern God had to believe the Northern Army was retreating in defeat. Only then, thinking it had seized victory, would it send troops in pursuit. This was the only way to buy Simon time.

’I’m counting on you, son of Yona. No.’

She drew her bowstring.

’Simon.’

She pierced the cores of the undead loitering in her path as she pressed onward. She had to ride hard to reach Vilkenos.

---

That night. The heart of the North, Vilkenos.

’Chirp— Chirp—’

On a night filled with the chirping of insects, the assault of the ’fourth one’, which had plunged the city into terror, had ceased at sunset. It was nowhere to be seen, likely having withdrawn to replenish its Jet-Black. In the early dawn, as warriors and residents alike collapsed from exhaustion, a figure moved in the shadows.

’Is anyone there?’ A middle-aged man with a bundle on his shoulder peered around from atop the city wall.

"There are no guards here. Hurry!" He was a merchant who traded leather between the North and the South. He had brought his children, his wife, and even acquaintances who had begged to be taken along. Taking advantage of a gap in the patrol, he lowered a rope over the wall and, holding a child in one arm, carefully climbed down.

"Slowly! There’s no need to rush!" The others followed, one by one. The man watched from below, smacking his lips.

’Fight together in Vilkenos? And die a dog’s death? Not me.’ The power the ’fourth one’ displayed was horrifying. Meanwhile, the Grand Duke was far away, fighting the Northern God. It was impossible to win with the forces left here. Even if a victory cry echoed from the Frost Field, Vilkenos would be annihilated. The calculation was simple.

’Thankfully, the attack stopped at night. Lucky for us.’

Once everyone was down, the man gestured for them to follow and took the lead. ’I have no loyalty that compels me to die with you. Farewell.’ Pride be damned. He had lived with pride on his lips to do business here, but at his core, he was a merchant. He ran, leading the small group away from the city.

’Just a little further and there’s a village. From there, we can take a wagon down to the South...’

A scream tore through the night.

He spun around to see a woman flailing in mid-air, held fast by the darkness itself.

’What the—!’

From the shadows, the figure of a giant slowly emerged. The oversized face, the short, plump body. It was the ’fourth one’. Jet-Black dripped from its mouth, forming a magic circle.

[Es... cape... is death.]

"U-Uwaaaaaaah!"

The people scattered, screaming. The creature casually crushed one of them with a flick of its finger, then spread a black magic circle in the sky. Bizarre projectiles rained down, killing the escapees one by one. Horrific screams echoed outside the city walls.

"Ack!" The merchant writhed on the ground, a fragment of black magic lodged in his leg.

A sick grin spread across the fourth one’s face. It glanced at the corpses, then swung its arm, spreading a magic circle over them. The dead bodies began to twitch.

’Don’t tell me.’

The man scrambled backward. A woman, covered in blood, shot to her feet. The zombie staggered toward him.

"W-Wait! Honey! It’s me! Can you hear me?" he pleaded, forcing a smile through his terror. "W-We were supposed to go to Blue Harbor when we got back, remember? We made a lot of money, so now...!"

’Chomp!’

His wife’s zombie bit into his neck.

---

’Chomp! Chomp!’

’Smack. Smack.’

Godric, having taken a hearty bite of a plump chicken leg, placed the bone on his plate and wiped his mouth with a napkin. The stress had made his cheeks hollow.

This was the Vilkenos Castle conference room. Godric let out a long sigh and took a swig of cold water. "I apologize that this is all we have to offer our esteemed guest."

"N-No! It’s fine!" In the center of the round table sat Kamibarez, the vampire girl with light purple hair. She smiled awkwardly. "But... is it okay for me to sit here?"

Her seat was the place of honor, normally reserved for the Grand Duke or Ganiro. It was a starkly different reception from the "Another outsider!" she had received upon her arrival.

"It is the treatment you have earned," Godric said, dabbing his lips. "Lady Kamibarez, although you are an outsider, you have bravely declared that you will stand and fight alongside us."

"If you’re going to keep hurting people, I will fight for the North and for Simon, too!"

"In those words, we heard your firm spirit and pride. In fact, you have played a greater role than any warrior here and have saved many people." Godric bowed his head respectfully. "As the one responsible for Vilkenos’s defense, I express my deepest respect."

The warriors roared their agreement. The sight of the burly, bearded men grinning was almost comical.

"Th-Thank you," Kamibarez said with a timid bow. They were a bit rough and hot-tempered, but they weren’t bad people. "Buuut... aren’t you all going to eat more?"

All they’d had was a piece of bread and a bowl of bland soup, which they had devoured in seconds. The only proper meal was the chicken dish on her plate. Even Godric had only taken a single leg. The rest was for her.

"Hahaha! We all ate before coming!"

"Don’t mind us, just eat!"

"We get full just watchin’ the little one eat."

The warriors laughed innocently. Kamibarez poked at her plate with her fork, took a small bite, then quickly said, "Ah, that was so delicious! I’m full." She patted her stomach and gently pushed the plate toward the warriors. "I left a little. Would you like to finish it?"

She could feel their eyes drawn irresistibly to the plate.

"Ahem! Hem! Well, if you’re offering leftovers..."

"Can’t let food go to waste. I guess I’ll just have one wing..."

"You lot!" Godric shot up, aghast. "Have you no shame! Daring to touch the meal of our esteemed guest!"

But it was too late.

The chicken dish flew into the air. The warriors descended on it like ravenous piranhas, and in an instant, it was torn to pieces and vanished. Only a few white bones clattered to the floor.

"Tsk tsk." Godric clicked his tongue and sat down, shaking his head.

Kamibarez just smiled brightly.

"My apologies for that unsightly scene. Now, let us resume the Vilkenos defense meeting." Godric’s expression turned serious as he addressed the room. "The creature attacking us is undoubtedly on the level of the Three Brothers. What’s important is the reality that it is attacking Vilkenos while the Grand Duke and our army are in the Frost Field." He pounded the table with his fist. "We must hold out, by any means necessary, until the Grand Duke returns."

The warriors nodded solemnly. Kamibarez fluttered her wings. "I’ll fight hard until Simon gets back, too!"

At her small shout, the warriors’ grim faces softened. Just having one girl here had completely changed the usual gloomy atmosphere.

"We are very grateful! Now, let us discuss specifics."

Various opinions were offered, including a surprisingly detailed analysis of the fourth one.

"Thankfully, its physical abilities seem extremely poor. It couldn’t get over the walls. It doesn’t seem to be able to jump properly, either."

"One of the Three Brothers that feels pain from arrows! Unheard of."

"I think it ’can’ get over the wall," a young rider said with a grin, turning his head. "The problem seems to be that it’s too much of a coward. It must be wary of someone inside the castle."

All eyes turned to Kamibarez. She tilted her head, fluttering her small wings. The vampire girl of whom even the fourth one was wary. The power she displayed when her eyes turned blood-red was potent enough to send shivers down the spines of these lifelong warriors. She was a necromancer from Kizen, after all.

"The fourth one will continue to act cautiously," Godric said, rising from his seat. "It is physically weak, but it uses powerful black magic. It’s been bombarding Vilkenos from the safety of the outer walls." He glanced out the window. From just one day of fighting, a third of the vast city had been reduced to ruins. They wouldn’t be able to hold out for long. Once their resistance weakened, the creature would eventually enter the city and attack the Grand Duke’s inner castle. Then it would be over.

"Fortunately, it’s a coward. We must pressure it with all our might and stop it from breaching the walls."

"Alright!"

"Let’s do this!"

The warriors raised their weapons, lifting the mood.

"Yes!" Kamibarez shouted in a clear, ringing voice, clasping her hands.

’Grrrrowl—’

At that moment, everyone froze. The sound of a stomach. The warriors’ gazes all converged on one person.

"Ah... Um...!"

It was Kamibarez’s stomach. Her face turned beet red.

"You ungrateful, good-for-nothing bastards!" Godric finally roared, his pent-up anger exploding.

"You just had to steal Lady Kamibarez’s food, and now she’s hungry! Act your age!" one of the warriors snapped.

The others hung their heads, their faces etched with guilt. Kamibarez waved her arms frantically.

"N-No, it’s not like that! I’m not hungry, it’s just...!"

The warriors looked at her, confused.

"Well, you see... um..." Tapping her index fingers together, her face grew impossibly red.

"I’ll have the chef prepare a new meal at once!"

"No! That’s not it!"

"You dense men!"

The conference room door burst open, revealing a group of women. The warriors jumped in surprise, their mouths falling open.

"W-Wife!"

"What are you doing here?"

"I swear I didn’t do anything wrong today!"

The women shot their husbands, who were already jumping to conclusions, pathetic looks. Godric turned to them.

"What brings you all here?"

"You slow-witted fools," one of the women said, pushing a cart inside. "Didn’t you hear what the student said earlier?"

Kamibarez’s eyes went wide.

"Blood...!"

It was a container filled to the brim.

"She’s a vampire, isn’t she?" the woman explained, wheeling the cart in front of Kamibarez. "The people in the shelter all donated a little. We are people of the North, too. We have our pride. Defending our home isn’t just about running around with weapons like these men."

Women, children, the elderly, and even the injured—they all spoke up.

"Thank you for saving my son."

"Hang in there, Necromancer!"

Kamibarez’s eyes widened, then welled with tears. Being a half-vampire had always been a painful secret, a constant reminder of how different she was. Never before had anyone come together like this, offering their own blood for her sake.

Seeing her on the verge of tears, the people smiled warmly.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you so much."

She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform, then beamed a smile as bright as the sun.

"I’ll drink this and fight even harder!"

"We’re counting on you!"

"Let’s go! We can do it!"

The air crackled with renewed hope. According to the Northern God’s plan, the people of the North were supposed to fall into despair at the Fourth’s power and crumble from within. But with Kamibarez at its center, the city of Vilkenos was more united than ever.