VRMMO: My first Contractee is Yandere

It seems the effects of [Blood-Drenched Berserk] had worn off.

As the skill's name suggests, it must require continuous blood consumption to maintain. The Gourmand, tilting his head in confusion, activated [Bloodsucking Blade].

A spear art.

It seems to be an art that, like Liora's, adds an effect to his weapon. From the name, it likely allows him to absorb the blood of those he slashes.

Originally, the synergy between [Bloodsucking Blade], [Predation], and the regeneration factor of [Vampire] would create a berserker-style combat approach, combining rage with healing.

Unfortunately, this enemy's concept somewhat overlaps with Liora's.

However.

Liora possesses [Offering: Annihilation Dance].

The enemy's usual winning strategy doesn't work here. Despite having similar combat styles, the enemy was at a distinct disadvantage against Liora.

The Gourmand, one of the Three Knights, seemed to realize this.

"I can't win this... I'm out of here."

HIs decision-making ability is impressive.

Honestly, despite his appearance and attitude, this vampire a formidable foe.

Liora declared.

"I'm not letting you escape."

"So passionate! Liora-, you love me too much!"

"I hate you."

"That's what they call tsundere, right? I heard it from a spirit on my side!"

"Die."

The Gourmand turned his back and struck the ground with his powerful arms.

His massive body flew through the air at an incredible speed, but Liora had no intention of letting him escape.

"Rouro!"

Rouro's summoning range is within Liora's line of sight.

In other words, Liora could summon it even in the air where the Gourmand was fleeing. Rouro suddenly appeared and struck the Gourmand with all its might.

"Gwahhh!"

As his internal organs were blasted out, the Gourmand was sent flying back towards us.

Liora's scythe was already imbued with [Death Guide Blade], [Lifetaking Blade], and [Killing Blade]. Additionally, the [Shadows of Death] skill had consumed half of her Life Stock, boosting her attack power.

In other words,

"Greet my god after you die…!!"

The scythe, filled with dense darkness, gleamed.

Liora's crimson eyes shone brightly, her cold gaze fixed on the enemy.

The torrent of darkness surged forth—

"Too bad, Liora-! [Mist Form]!"

The destructive wave of darkness, which could tear apart the sky, faded into the distance. The Gourmand easily evaded the wide, powerful strike.

As if in retaliation, the Gourmand's spear accelerated towards Liora's face.

"[Blood Explosion Thrust]!"

"[Dark Legion], Liora."

Liora, trusting me completely, neither dodged nor defended, instead swinging her scythe. The scythe struck the Gourmand's neck, ignoring defense and multiplying the damage by five, wiping out his HP.

The boss's head flew through the air.

"How dare you!"

Liora immediately lunged at the regenerating Gourmand.

Her blade was once again infused with [Cursed Blade] and [Lifetaking Blade]. She didn't use [Berserk] since she wanted to avoid taking any damage.

Instead, she activated [Dark Aura].

Merely approaching the enemy spread status effects, drained his health, and stole the enemy's MP. It was a brutal buff effect.

Meanwhile, the Gourmand activated [Bloodsucking Blade].

A battle between a vampire and a young reaper girl—a full-on, life-draining showdown had begun.

The Gourmand's spear technique was formidable. It was adaptable and versatile, preventing Liora from closing the distance.

Small cuts began appearing on Liora. The enemy seemed determined to protect his neck at all costs. Due to the scythe's properties, it was difficult to inflict significant damage if she focused solely on defense.

However, the poison wouldn't allow the battle to drag on.

"Damn! How can such a little girl be this strong!?"

The Gourmand's tone shifted, and he unleashed a fearsome display of spear techniques.

But Liora's speed was extraordinary.

The spear whistled through empty air while Liora's scythe continued to land blow after blow, overwhelming the Gourmand with sheer numbers.

"[Summon Familiars]!"

The Gourmand summoned a swarm of bats. By striking them with the spear, they triggered the [Bloodsucking Blade] and gained a pseudo-healing buff through HP absorption.

However, the bats died instantly upon approaching, thanks to [Dark Aura].

Slowly but surely, fear began to creep into the Gourmand's expression. The realization that a vampire, known for regeneration, was losing to someone else's abilities must have been sinking in.

The prolonged battle of slashes continued.

As dawn slowly approached, the Gourmand seemed to finally notice the fresh morning mist filling the mountain.

"A-Ahh! No, no, no!"

Vampires are incredibly powerful at night.

But expose them to sunlight, and their performance plummets. Typically, vampires flee rather than fight during the day, which is part of what makes them so troublesome.

The long battle had dragged on, and now dawn was breaking.

The Gourmand's movements became noticeably less precise, likely out of panic. Eventually, perhaps sensing his impending death, her activated trump card skills in a desperate attempt to survive.

"[Berserk] [Blood-Drenched Berserk]!"

"[Berserk]!"

However, the Gourmand was mistaken.

Liora is stubborn. If I had ordered her to wait for the morning, she would have done so, but left on her own—she doesn't wait for dawn.

A direct clash.

But no matter how much the enemy's stats increased, the lack of technique and reason in a short skirmish made him far less threatening.

The enemy was already weakened by poison and countless slashes.

Honestly, the Gourmand would have been more troublesome if he hadn't used berserk mode in this situation.

But well... succumbing to fear and choosing to abandon reason—it was a fitting end for a psychopathic vampire.

The Gourmand's final, desperate strike passed by Liora's side.

"It's over."

At the break of dawn.

Just as the moon was setting on the horizon.

The jet-black blade decapitated the vampire. As the head rolled to the ground, Liora, having deactivated [Berserk], finished him off with a [Shining Slash].

And thus, it was over.

The monster's corpse crumbled to ash and dissolved into the night breeze. Watching this, Liora softly muttered.

"Death is equal for all under Lord Zephyr, the Evil God."

"Indeed it is..."

And so, one of the Three Knights, Vampire Kinght the Gourmand, was lost.

Had he fought to the end as a true warrior, he might have had a better chance.

A major achievement.

We defeated the enemy's main force without letting them accomplish anything. The military is thrilled, and now there are countless offers to make Liora a general, calling her a "War Princess."

It's such a hassle, isn't it?

I also grew tired of these kinds of offers during my active years... Though I did leave all of that to Santosh. But now that he's gone, who will manage my work as an artist?

No one else knows my personality like Santosh did, so I'm afraid they'll bring me jobs that don't suit my taste. I'm quite picky when it comes to my art, and not even threats from royalty would make me accept something I don't want to do.

As for anything outside of art... let's just forget about that.

Anyway, despite rejecting all the offers, Liora remains on the front lines.

However, it seems she has been granted a brief vacation. She can't take a long break since the operation will be carried out in a few days.

This is a section of the city where Liora is employed. Earlier, we participated in a military strategy meeting with the lord, which was basically a praise session for her.

Incidentally, the man whose arm Liora cut off apparently survived. He refused to meet Liora's gaze, but that's understandable.

At the mansion prepared for the Seventh Strike Force, Liora is constantly swinging her large scythe in the garden. Her movements are almost like a form of art, stepping into the realm of beauty.

Watching her makes me feel a bit excited as well, making me want to move around.

"Shall we take a break soon, Liora? What shall we do today?"

"I'll be with you all day, my lord… it's the best day ever!"

"Every day is the best day, isn't it?"

"It is! It really is!"

Well, I do log out to sleep and rest, so from Liora's perspective, there are days when we aren't together.

To be honest, both Liora and I are kind of sick, aren't we?

Most of my time is spent with Liora, to the point of being a recluse.

Ordinary people would log out during breaks or travel time, but we spend even that time together. I don't mind, though, since I like Liora.

Still, it's quite a boring time.

There are no new quests we can take, and levelling up feels unnecessary at this point. Plus, it's Liora's day off.

Though her expression is blank, Liora has an aura of happiness around her.

"For now, let's head to the 'Ideal Atelier'—"

"—Captain Liora!"

A boy soldier with one eye—Zerak—came running up, kicking up dust. In his arms was a girl who looked about four years old. The girl's eyes went wide from Zerak's speed as he skidded to a stop in front of Liora. I nearly got dirt thrown on me but managed to block it with a quick cast of [Darkness Creation].

"What?"

Liora, perhaps because of the inconvenience, muttered in a grumpy tone. Though it didn't seem to bother Zerak, who looked quite excited, his face flushed red.

"Captain! This is my little sister! Well, she's not my real sister, more like my honorary one… she's kind of like the official little sister of our party."

"What?"

"Ah, I just wanted to introduce her! She's always listened to stories about you and her eyes light up! To her, you're a hero, Captain Liora! You're a hero to me too, of course!!"

"I see."

Liora didn't seem the least bit interested.

At Liora's age, someone would usually get carried away with such compliments, but she's abnormal in every sense.

"Come on, say hello to Captain Liora."

The girl's eyes sparkled, but she seemed embarrassed. She buried her face in Zerak's chest, still held in his arms.

Liora tilted her head and then began to turn her back to them.

"Ah, A-Ah-iora Captain!"

At the call from behind, Liora turned around. Her white hair fluttered in the breeze.

There, still held in Zerak's arms, the girl's cheeks flushed pink as she desperately extended her hand toward Liora, offering her a flower.

"Thank you for helping my big brother! Here, this is for you!"

"…Understood. I'll take it."

"You're so cool, Captain Liora."

"?"

Liora accepted the flower from the girl, though she appeared quite confused, tilting her head repeatedly as she examined it.

It was a small, simple yellow flower with delicate petals. A faint, sweet fragrance drifted up to her nose.

Read exclusive adventures at empire

"…"

Liora stared at the flower, her expression puzzled as if unsure what to do with it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

She might be similar to me in that sense.

When someone acts out of kindness, neither of us seems to know how to respond. In her life, she's probably had little experience receiving such gestures.

Liora glanced at me repeatedly, as if seeking an answer.

I don't know either.

If it were an enemy, I could easily respond aggressively, but when approached with kindness, I'm at a loss.

I've already decided to give up on such matters.

Still, I'm curious about how Liora will respond. Though I can't change my stance now, I never thought my way was the right one.

Liora, however, can find her own best answer.

"…I'm going back to training."

"Good luck, Captain Liora!"

"You're amazing, Captain Liora! You're so strong, but you still work hard."

"Yeah."

Liora nodded slightly.

I see.

It seems Liora has chosen the option of "putting it off." That's not a bad choice either.

With that thought, I pulled out an item from my [Item Box]. It was something a golem at the "Ideal Atelier" had prepared for me, a prototype I had created.

The item's name is [Resonance Stone].

It's a paired item, one main stone and one sub-stone. The main stone is held by Liora, and it communicates the position of the sub-stone.

If Liora channels her magic into it, a loud sound will resonate.

It's a location detection tool.

The stone is set into a small pin that's light and easy to carry. With this, Liora can easily locate someone in a crisis.

"Liora, let's give this to Zerak."

"Yes, my lord… This was bestowed by my lord. Take good care of it."

Liora explained the item briefly.

After that, Liora gave Zerak a light training session (though it was too intense for the little girl to watch, so we called Samurai to take care of her. Samurai entertained her with some mysterious magic tricks she had picked up somewhere).

Afterward, we returned to the "Ideal Atelier."

Inside, golems were scurrying about busily. The top-tier golem, Seck, was holed up in the forge, working on some blacksmithing. I'd asked him to mass-produce shovels and pickaxes.

In this "Ideal Atelier," one can pay points to build mines or gardens. Since I plan to mass-produce golems to gather materials eventually, I'm stocking up on tools in advance.

The golems can only gather low-grade materials, but it's better than nothing.

This "Ideal Atelier" is probably meant to be managed by an entire clan.

Without high-level [Alchemy] skills like mine, it's difficult to fully take advantage of its benefits. The golems don't grow, their skill levels are low, and so it's not exactly a huge advantage...

I watched as Samurai ran off to the woodworking shop.

I sat down on the sofa. Well, more like plopped down, really.

I spoke to Liora.