Epilogue

In the distance, the giant tree was crumbling into ash.

"So you lost, Ginion."

Looking out at the dissipating tree through the window, the woman whispered quietly but firmly.

"However, you did well. Your devotion will not be in vain."

What mattered in this incident was not the extent of the damage. Even the defeat of Ginion, whom she had personally turned into a [Vampire], worked in her favor.

The fact that he had become a monster through Pina’s blood was more important to her than anything else.

"Now that we know Pina’s blood is the real thing thanks to Ginion, all that remains is to confirm the location of the 'Heart'."

The woman, having praised the achievements of Ginion—who had exceeded his duty as a noble and his loyalty to the royal family to serve her—operated the tablet in her hand.

Displayed on the screen were the movements of various factions when the [Vampire] outbreak was detected—specifically, when Ginion transformed into a monster. She scrutinized the information gathered from her subordinates, whom she had planted in various parts of the Academy Archipelago in advance.

The two major schools of the Archipelago: St. Guinness Girls' Academy and the Imperial Style Doji Academy Main School.

Both were operated by factions that held great power in the Heaven Disc World. The woman smiled faintly at the information detailing the movements of the two major schools during the emergency.

"To possess the strength to easily subjugate a monster of that level, yet choose to remain on the defensive... It seems there is no mistake that the 'Heart' is located at one of those schools."

The 'Heart' that was supposed to be in the Academy Archipelago was a supreme treasure for a [Vampire]. It was only natural that the two major schools would do everything in their power to keep it hidden.

She was a newcomer who had only been a [Vampire] for about half a year, but she understood its value. If the location of the 'Heart' were revealed, it would spark a massive conflict between humans and [Vampires].

A war no less devastating than the conflict between humanity and [Vampires] seventeen years ago—the very war that led to the creation of the Academy Archipelago—would surely break out.

A Great War involving both worlds.

"To carry out the severance of the two worlds... I suppose it’s about time I showed my face at the school my younger sister runs."

The mastermind pulling Ginion's strings, and the founder of Royal Tritonis Academy.

Claudia Tritonis, the First Princess of the Tritonis Kingdom and Laurier’s older sister, smiled, quietly baring her fangs.

After the post-incident cleanup was finished, Kuro had come to the terminal area of the Academy Archipelago with Karane.

Since Kuro's arrival in the Archipelago had been through the unusual method of falling through a hole, he had to redo the official procedures. While they were at it, he was seeing off Karane, who was returning to Japan.

"So, like I said, I'm staying in the Archipelago. Got a problem with that?"

"You...! You really... what am I supposed to do with you?!"

Kuro chuckled as Karane swallowed her shout.

The wounds Kuro had sustained during the series of incidents had mostly closed up. Even he was a bit put off by his own healing factor, but he no longer felt inferior because of his abnormal constitution.

"Karane. You don't need to stay by my side anymore."

"...What's that supposed to mean?"

"In the Academy Archipelago, I don't have to be 'normal.' You don't have the obligation to seal my abilities anymore, Karane."

Kuro gave a grin to his childhood friend, whom he had been with for as long as he could remember.

"From now on, choose the path you actually want to take."

On Earth, Karane had stayed by Kuro’s side to seal his excessive power. This was because the Watarase family’s ancestral sword and their [Unreal] magic—which had spent a thousand years erasing mana that fell to Earth—were necessary.

But the Academy Archipelago was overflowing with power even greater than Kuro’s. There were plenty of extraordinary magicians here who could defeat him, compete with him, and help him grow without having to suppress him into being "normal."

"What I... want to do..."

Karane started to say something, then pressed her lips together.

"...Fine. Then I'm enrolling in the Academy Archipelago too."

"Huh? Why?"

"What? You got a problem with that?"

"No, ma'am. Not at all..."

He was repelled by the glare in Karane's eyes. Kuro was simply no match for her.

"As the successor to the Watarase family, I have to demonstrate our superiority over magicians. The Academy Archipelago is the perfect place for that. I’ll enroll in a different school from you and show you the difference in our class."

"Is that what you want to do, Karane?"

"It’s what I can do."

As a wielder of the rare Mana Crystals that had existed since before the two worlds were connected, and as a member of the Watarase family that had continued to negate magic for a thousand years, Karane spoke with absolute certainty.

"So? What are you going to do at Laurier’s school... Tritonis, was it?"

"Ah..."

Kuro hesitated for a moment, then stuck out his tongue.

"Since you’re going to a different school, you’re the enemy. I’m not tellin' ya."

"You’ve got guts. I’m reporting that attitude to Grandmother—ah?! Where do you think you’re running, Kuro!"

The moment the head of the Watarase family was mentioned, Kuro took off at a full sprint. He looked back over his shoulder as he ran.

"See ya! Take care! Also, tell Grandma I said hi!"

"Wait—at least see me off properly, you idiot!"

Smiling as his childhood friend's insults faded behind him, Kuro headed toward the school he would now call home.

Pina was waiting in an empty classroom.

Laurier and Haruhana weren't there. She had confessed her betrayal to them, but Haruhana had forgiven her with a smile, as if she didn't mind at all, and Laurier had even tearfully apologized for her own lack of strength.

After the three of them had made up, Pina had arranged to meet Kuro alone.

It was almost time. As she sat there restlessly, the classroom door opened.

"Sorry, Pina. Did I keep you waiting?"

"No. You're right on time."

The one she was waiting for had arrived.

Kuro. Pina stood up from the desk she was sitting on and approached him.

"Thanks for coming. There's something I want to confess to you first, for the sake of our future."

"What? You gonna ask me out or something?"

Kuro was probably joking in his own way, but Pina nodded with a serious face, not even cracking a smile.

"Yeah. I am."

Kuro’s laughter stopped.

Pina put on a smile to hide her embarrassment and twirled the tip of her silver hair around her finger.

"I guess I’m more 'easy' than I thought. It’s only been three days since we met... but I think I might be starting to like you, Kuro."

Kuro was visibly flustered. Seeing his distress, a sense of loneliness welled up in Pina’s chest.

She had already predicted the outcome of this confession.

"But... you like Karane-chan, don't you, Kuro?"

"That's—"

Kuro opened his mouth to reflexively deny it, but then gave up on lying.

"Yeah. ...Was I that obvious?"

"No. I just kind of figured it out."

Whether it was the kindness in Kuro’s voice when he spoke of Karane, or the fact that she had seen the two-shot photos carefully sorted into folders, even Pina couldn't put into words how she knew.

She had just known the moment she saw the two of them reunite after the battle with the [Dryad].

"That's why. Before I fall for you for real, I want you to reject me right here, right now. Say something like, 'Don't get the wrong idea, I don't like you at all!'"

The reason Pina was going out of her way to ask for this was simple.

"If you do that, then from tomorrow on, we can just be normal classmates."

The discord of a romantic entanglement would only get in the way of rebuilding Tritonis Academy, where Laurier served as principal.

That was why she had to do it now, while her crush hadn't yet become a permanent fixture in her heart.

"Asahino Kuro-san."

To put an end to her feelings here, to end this faint first love.

"I like you."

Pina confessed to Kuro with a lonely smile.

"...I'm happy you feel that way, Pina."

"Yeah."

"But still, I can't be your boyfriend."

"I know."

Bitterness welled up. Even though she had asked for this herself, a wretched lingering attachment remained. Just as she was about to slowly savor and digest that pain, Kuro unexpectedly continued.

"But. I won't deny how you feel."

"...Huh?"

As Pina's eyes went wide, Kuro looked her straight in the face.

"See, I haven't been able to confess to Karane."

Kuro had liked Karane for a long time. They had been together for years, lived under the same roof, and yet Kuro had been unable to confess his feelings, just moping around.

That was why he felt this when Pina confessed to him.

"I think the courage you have to tell someone how you feel is amazing, Pina. Having someone like you fall for me... it makes me feel kind of proud of myself."

Because Pina had confessed, Kuro found a little more courage than usual to voice his own feelings.

"So, I'm looking forward to tomorrow too."

Pina’s mouth hung open at the unexpected words delivered with a smile.

She thought that if she confessed and was rejected, she could give up. She thought she understood that much logic.

But she had confessed, been turned down, and then had her pain healed by kind words. Her heart, receiving the gift of being made happy, suddenly swelled and burst, revealing a version of herself she didn't even know.

Pina Lycure, the greedy girl who wasn't so sensible after all, had been laid bare.

"...Kuro. When you reject a confession, you shouldn't be so kind."

"Eh?"

Pina, who had been looking down, raised her head, her eyes melting as she gazed at him.

"Because when a girl hears something like that from a guy she's interested in... she gets so happy that it becomes impossible not to fall for him for real."

"O-Oh. No, like I said, I have someone I like..."

"Yeah. So, I’m sorry."

He was saying things that sounded like he was trying to run away now, but it was too late. To prevent Kuro from escaping, she pulled on his arm and peeled off the bandage on his neck.

It was the wound Pina had made when she drank his blood.

She felt lonely seeing the wound she had given him fading away. So, Pina pressed her lips to it once more.

"Pi—na?!"

Kuro let out a cry. Of course, Pina didn't care.

She didn't use her fangs. She felt the sensation of his skin against her lips, the sweat on her tongue, and the scent of a boy wafting from his neck. Savoring the taste of Kuro for the second time, she pursed her lips and sucked hard enough to make a sound.

She spent about ten seconds savoring a side of him different from when she had drunk his blood.

Though she felt reluctant to let go, she pulled her mouth away. A red kiss mark remained on Kuro’s neck, connected to Pina’s lips by a silver thread of saliva.

"I'm sorry."

She had been rejected, yet her love had been affirmed. She had been recognized and treated with kindness.

"Just now, I started liking you so much I can't give up on you anymore."

She reapplied the bandage to hide the hickey on Kuro’s frozen neck.

"Kuro, you might think you’ll never like anyone but Karane-chan, but aren't you being a bit naive?"

Pina smiled like a little devil, but with a far more charming allure than she had possessed just a moment ago.

"During our school life from now on, I’m going to make you like me even more than Karane-chan. So, be prepared, okay?"

Pina turned on her heel and left the classroom ahead of him, leaving the stunned Kuro standing there.

After walking a few steps, she placed her hand on her chest. Her heart was pounding. Her cheeks were bright red.

She had done something bold even she couldn't believe.

But she felt that if she didn't do something that drastic, she wouldn't be able to carve her feelings into Kuro.

Shame, tension, heart-pounding excitement, and an unhidable joy. Above all, for that one moment, she felt a wretched sense of superiority for having monopolized Kuro’s feelings, which were usually directed at someone else.

"Aha♡"

She exhaled a heated breath. Intertwining her fingers behind her back, she gave a little skip in her step.

She would enjoy the days to come. She would savor her first love.

By meeting Laurier, Pina had become a human.

And by meeting Kuro, she had become a girl.

"Kuro is just... so cuuute!"

With the flutter of first love in her chest, Pina returned to the place where her friends were waiting.