E P I S O D E
9

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      The sound of the cheerful and joyful bustling around the capital of the Kingdom of Slor were all around the place, a sound of gallops from a horse and a carriage passed through the crowded happy place. The weather is nice and there is no clouds around the sky, the sun is up at the very top but the breeze is cool and the heat is not too extreme.

  Inside the carriage, there was a figure silently staring at the crowd with her piercing blue eyes. Her fangs were slightly showing on her closed lips.

  The lady sighed and started drinking her blood wine. The Vampire Princess, Todou Yurika - seems to be in distress.

"Is there something wrong, Milady?" Her maid asked in concern, Yurika waved her hand and raised her eyebrows slightly. "I am fine, do not worry about me, Areya."

  The maid who is observing her master for a almost three months now, cannot help but to voice out her worries. "Milady, i apologise for being impudent for saying this, but you have been drinking blood for this past two months non-stop. And you seem to be in a state of bloodlust lately. I am really worried about you, my lady."

Yurika, who have only been listening to her maid's worried voice, drifted off to the day the Feline Princess disappeared.

  She was there in her estate, but she couldn't save her dearest friend.

    It was a fine sunny day in the garden of Saotome's Palace. Four of the princesses were talking about the latest fashion design of their favourite boutique shop. There was Saotome, Yurika, Oozora, and Arisugawa.

  "Have you guys heard about this new design?!" Oozora started and placed the new design of the shop on the circular table, which caught the attention of the three other princesses. There laid the beautiful design of an extravagant ball gown, with different colors, and theme. Perfect for the princesses.

  Arisugawa Otome was the first tl react, she gasped "Lovely, de~su!"

Yurika licked her fangs and started rambling about her proud bloodline of her vampire kin.

  "I am a descendant of the great Count Dracula who has wandered this mortal plane around six hundred years ago, something extravagant as this would definitely suit me. If anyone dare to disagree, i will suck your blood!" Says the proud vampire princess.

"Love you, de~su!" Arisugawa fangirled over the vampire princess, earning a smirk from the princess herself.

"What are you saying, desu no?! Anyone suits these dresses! Not just you, Yurika." Saotome disagreed, knowing that Yurika is going to claim these dresses as hers. Saotome couldn't agree to this.

"Do you want me to suck your blood so badly?!"

"Do it already if you can, desu wa! I would not give you a chance this time!" Ako showed her little cat fangs and her sharp nails. While Yurika silently stared at Ako with her deadly gaze, before smirking.

"M-Maa~ Saotome-sama, there's a lot of dresses like this from the botique, you can stop fighting now." Oozora Akari tried to soothe the two royal princesses. But her voice fell into deaf ears.

  Without giving much thought to Ako's challenge, she stood up and started to bid her goodbye to the other princesses.

"I shall look forward to it then, the first to buy the dress, wins. Ohohoho~" Yurika walked away with her black parasol swinging in circular motion on her back.

"Just you wait!"

After Yurika left the garden, she didn't completely left the estate. She wandered around the hallways admiring the beautiful carvings of gold and the paintings.

Saotome's palace were like a place where golds appears out of nowhere. So, Yurika really likes them.

Her sight-seeing however, came to an end when a sudden explosion sounded from the front gate and the inner palace, it is where Saotome's bedroom is.

   "Eh? What is happening?" She asked herself and looked around the surrounding. She thought that maybe the princesses are having a spar, but she saw Saotome Ako's golden barrier waver all of a sudden.

  As if something is trying to disable Ako's barriers.

Realizing that, Yurika immediately sprout out her black wings, and her green eyes turned bright red. She flew in the sky and observed the surroundings.

The palace is also in ruins already, the smoke was so big it was so hard to see if there were any people. But outside Saotome's Palace were the princesses, trying to destroy the barrier to get in.

'What? Ako's barrier wouldn't do that...unless something is working behind these.' Yurika gritted her teeth and flew towards the princesses in full speed. 

  The princesses who noticed Yurika's flying figure, suddenty started shouting. "Yurika-sama! There are demons inside! Please save Saotome-sama!" Oozora shouted in full worry, her eyes were filled with fear and dread - that in one look, it began to get contagious, Yurika started feeling dreadful and scared as well.

"I'll go check on her."

Without hesitation, she flew inside the mansion. She easily broke through the second floor window and looked frantically around for her. The maids were collapsed on the floor and some were bleeding horribly. The smell of the blood began to make her intoxicated, so she held her breathe and flew away from that place.

  This time going to the third floor, but all is the same. And there is no sign of Saotome's shadows.

   'Where could she be?!' Yurika gritted her teeth and looked around once more, while holding her breath altogether.

As she was about to fly outside the house, there was a violent shake in the entire area - and she heard Ako's pompous loud voice on the ground floor. It is where the secret passage were located in.

In a hurry, Yurika broke the ceiling and the floor all to immediately get in the ground floor, creating a lot of smoke and debris flying around.

  As she reached the ground floor, she heard the scream of Saotome's maids and butlers.

"MY LADY!"

  Yurika witnessed a wide black hole, a glimpse of Ako's stunned face as she fell. But Yurika stood there, unable to move. She couldn't do anything to stop her friend's fall into that unknown warp ability.

   And then after Ako disappeared, the demon too - as if the demon were just a pesk of dust, it suddenly disappeared along with the thick smokes.

  "My lady, we have arrived in the Luns Eclai Palace."

Yurika snapped out from her deep thoughts and looked at the silver shiny palace of the first princess, Hime Shiratori.

Yurika got off from thr carriage without saying anything, and began to stare at nowhere again.

  Hime stared at the vampire princess from her fifth floor terrace with a worried expression, but careful not to show it to others, other than Yume herself - which is together with her.

"Do you think she will be okay, Hime-sama?" Yume asked in concern as she stared at Yurika together with Hime.

  They watch as Yurika walked lifelessly inside the palace with the maid guiding her. Both Yume and Hime sighed in worry.

"I think?" Yume chuckled at Hime's uncertain answer.

Their talk halted when they heard a knock, "Hime-sama, Yume-sama. It is me, Shirogane Lily and Hikami Sumire." 

Yume walked to get the door, and Hime sat on her chair - waiting for the other to come as well.

Today, is going to be their first time meeting to discuss a plan and to learn about the demon's agenda - on why making the two princesses disappear.

   Yume greeted the two princesses with a gentle and lively smile, "Goodmorning, you two."

"Goodmorning, Yume-sama." Both Shirogane and Sumire politely greeted with a courtesy.

"Is the others here yet?" Yume asked the two, while guiding them both to their respected seat.

Sumire gently shook her head,
"I believe Shinjou-sama will not be able to attend."

  "Oh right, she's always kept to herself huh?" Yume remembered, smiling sheepishly while scratching her cheeks.

  Sumire smiled sweetly and Lily calmy sat and took a sip on her silver moonlight wild white tea, the nuanced and mild flavour of the tea made Lily smile in satisfaction. Yume, who brewed the tea smiled to herself as she watched Lily's satisfied reaction.

"Is it to your taste?" Yume asked, which made Lily nod gently.

"I'm glad."

Sumire looked confuse as she looked at the second princess, "You're glad? Why?"

  "Ahhh, nothing. It just came out.." Yume tried to lie, averting her gaze from Sumire's All Seeing Eyes.

  "Fufu, never mind that. We should start gathering our thoughts about the recent incidents about the Succubus Princess, Nanakura-san. And the Feline Princess, Saotome-san." Hime started talking, which caught the attention of Lily and Sumire.

  "We have to find a way to protect the core - now that the balance is disrupted." Yume smiled and sat down on her chair beside Hime's spot.

"Yeah, that's the crucial part of our meeting." Lily lowly said and lowered her gaze as she fell in to deep thoughts. While Sumire looked at her card, "What about the other two princess? Should we be doing something about their disappearance?" Sumire softly said as she continued staring at the card on her hand.

Both Hime and Yume gloomed, they also don't know what to do about the situation of the two missing princesses, that's why they decided to hold a meeting right now.

   But before they could gather their thoughts, Sumire placed a car on the table. "It said, Destruction and Chaos."
Sumire solemnly told them. She too, were also dreading about the future that was about to befall the kingdom.

Yume felt shivers ran down her spine, while Hime feared for the lives of the people in the kingdom. She just knew that someone, or something must break this future.

  Sumire also brought out another card, this time - with some glimmer of hope in her eyes. "But please don't lose hope - my card says that someone will come." She placed the card on the table to let the princesses see the message.

Yume saw an angel with both black and white wings, the surroundings were in different colors - it's like rainbows and behind the angel were countless of pegasus.

"Saviour from the Other." Yume smiled in relief, hoping for the saviour to come and quickly come and save them.

  "Should we prepare for the arrival of this saviour?" Yume excitedly asked Sumire, "There's no need. I think it will come in the most crucial time. So we won't be able to welcome the saviour." She told them, which brought some disappointment but relief on the two princesses.

  As they were about to speak, a knock came from the door.

"Excuse us, this is Oozora Akari and Todou Yurika." Oozora's voice reached their ears. Yume stood up and opened the door for them.

  "Goodmorning, Oozora-san, Todou-san." She courtied which they answered back.

"Such a pleasant day to meet you, Yume-sama." After the courtesy, Yume glanced at Yurika's silent behaviour and smiled worriedly.

"I'll guide you to your seat, Oozora-san." Yume leaded them to their designated place - Oozora was placed beside Sumire, and Yurika was placed beside Yume.

  As soon as they were seated, the discussion started again. "Does anyone have any ideas as to who attacked Saotome-san and Nanakura-san?" Hime started, which caught the attention of the silent Yurika.

  "I don't know them, but i saw this one particular demon." Yurika started with a determined gaze towards the two higher princesses.

  Hime's attention caught by Yurika, turned to her immediately, "That's great. That may be our main lead for now. What did you see, Yurika-san?"

"She had golden orbs. Her eyes were sharp, like those of a vicious cat. Her body is covered in mist, but i saw her wearing a white robe with a rose emblem on her left shoulder. She had tan skin and short black hair." Yurika explained thoroughly.

"Golden eyes..." Hime and Yume both said at the same time, before looking at each other, as if they just realized something.

"What's with golden eyes?" Oozora asked in curiosity.

"It's a very powerful being." Yume answered Oozora's question, at her response - the four princesses gasped in shock. "What? How?" Oozora can't help but feel skeptical.

  "Golden eyes. Do you remember our ancestors? They came down from the sky, right?" Hime began to explain.

"Yes, i do remember them."

"Our ancestors were very powerful, our abilities were far more inferior to them. And they all had the same colour of eyes, golden."

"Then, does that mean - that demon is also our ancestor? But why would she side with the demons?" Lily asked this time.

"That's the big question right now. We don't know their agenda."

"That is a big trouble..." Oozora breathe lowly, clenching her heart to ease her fear.

"We need to find a way to bring back Nanakura-san and Saotome-san here. Does anyone here have any idea?" Hime asked, paying no attention to their fear.

Yurika raised her hand, "Should I spy over them?"

  They all were surprised with Yurika's bold suggestion. "Yurika-san, it will be very dangerous." Hime warned to Yurika.

"I know that very much well. But I will be fine. Atleast I'll make it so."

Her words didn't eased them, they won't let Yurika go and spy over the demons when they are not a hundred percent sure for her safety.

Yume was very quiet as she observed Yurika at her side.

"I won't allow this, Yurika-san." Hime firmly said.

"But i will still go, Hime-sama. This is my determination to bring back my friends." Yurika talked back to the first princess, and Yume couldn't bear the heavy atmosphere anymore, so she said something that made them silent.

  "We can't progress on our investigation if there are no risks, Hime-sama." Yume gently smiled at Hime who was still stunned.

Yume looked straight at Yurika, "Yurika-san. I will allow you to spy them." 

Hime abruptly stood up, "No, i can't risks one of our people. What would happen if she also suddenly disappeared? Two princesses already vanished and the core was showing strains. But three? I don't think the remaining princesses would be able to handle to protect the core, Yume."

  Yume reassured the first princess with a confident smile, "You know, i just had a very good plan."

"Plan?"

The other princesses who witnessed the heated conversation between the first princess and the second princess were on their edge, but they got really curious and relieved when Yume reassured the first princess.

"Yes," Yume stretched out her hand and a ball of light with hues of rainbows appeared. "Give me your hand, Yurika-san." Yurika complied and felt the breeze of the light touching her palm before it coursed through her hands. She felt her body felt like it had a connection with the owner of the ball of light.

"W-What is this?"

  Yume chuckled lightly, "It's a mirror vision."

"Yume? What are you planning?" Hime asked.

   "To gather information, we need Yurika's sacrifice. She would spy into the demon's territory, all the things that she will see, it will connect to me. Means, her eyes are also my eyes. In case something happened Yurika, we will be able to tell. Using my ability."
Yume explained.

Hime was nonetheless very proud of Princess Yume to come up with this clever plan all on her own. "So that's why you have been staring on Yurika these whole time?" Sumire asked.

"Well, not really. I was just worried about Yurika, that's all." Yume scratched the back of her neck with a sheepish smile.

   Hime looked jealous as she whined at Yume, "Yume, you're not allowed to flirt infront of me."

  Oozora gasped, "There it is! Hime-sama begging for Yume-sama's attention! Kyaaah!"

  Lily glared at Oozora, "Please refrain from saying such things, Oozora-san."

"Well, there's nothing going on between Yume and me. I just felt very protective of her." Hime smiled.

   Yume warrily smiled at Hime's graceful face while saying those. She sighed and proceeded to talk to Yurika to further explain what she's going to do.

"Now then, Yurika-san. I'm sure you already figured out what you'll do, am I right?"

"Yes, very much so."

"This connection is very strong, even if you vanish, i will still be able to see and feel your presence - as long as you're alive."

  "I understand."

"You will be leaving in two days from now. Please be thoroughly prepared."

  Yurika held a very determined gaze, "Yes."

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Not edited.

  Word count: 2791 words.