Epic of Caterpillar
chapter-408

As Kireina discovered the origin of why Nephiana's egg had merged and discovered that the rest of her children had Divine Energy, a group of Vampires was discussing things out in the Golem Vampire Tower.

The Golem Vampire Tower was a construction created by Kireina after bringing the Vampire's Manor from the Thanatos Kingdom. She molded it as a tower so it would not take as much space in the middle of the city.

Former Vampires of Agatheina family who were converted by Kireina into her Dhampirs and Vampires, alongside the original Dhampirs which used to be humans from the Vast Plain Tribes and the Athetosea Kingdom gathered in here.

Alice, who was formerly one of Athetosea's adventurer, was Kireina's concubine and one of the first Dhampir ever created, due to this, she held the highest authority within all of the Dhampir Kireina had created, she was the 'head' of the 'Dhampir Espionage Team', a team of Dhampir and Vampires that worked in the shadows for Kireina.

After the Vampires of Agatheina were converted and joined in the Empire, a lot of assessment had to be done about them, from registering into citizens to give them ranks within the 'Dhampir Espionage Team'.

Because there were too many Vampires who had more abilities than just espionage and because several of the original Dhampir had already evolved into Vampires, the organization had been renamed to 'Dark Moon Knights' by the Rin Sisters.

However, aside from the plentiful of new faces in the organization, there was a strong Elder Vampire who had lived her entire eternity commanding others and held an impressive strength.

At first, she did not like the idea of Kireina taking control of all of them, but after meeting her in person, and experiencing her miracles alongside her powerful charm, blessings and titles, she could only kneel and lick Kireina's feet, her existence was too below the Empress of the Dark Moon Empire.

She had grown obsessed with her new Empress, such power and charisma were almost blinding, she could not help but serve her like a good dog.

She was then granted a high position in the Dark Moon Knights… and she was glad to serve her new and beloved Master, but that also implied serving others in higher positions than her. Something quite hard for her to accept.

A beautiful woman, with pale white skin, crimson red eyes, and short dark blue hair, wearing a series of gothic-styled and erotic armor shouted in the middle of the Vampire Tower. Her aura was that of a deep crimson red, and her sharp dark heels clashed over the floor, creating thunderous sounds, even the Tower Golem released a small shriek of pain.

"I can't accept you anymore, Alice!" she shouted.

The woman that she was shouting to was Alice, Kireina's concubine, and the current head of the 'Dark Moon Knights'.

Her beautiful scarlet eyes gleamed in a mischievous light. Her silvery blonde hair shined eerily as she stood up, her beautiful red dress dazzled, impressing most of the Vampires. Her dress was not normal clothes, but a Legendary class item. Alice seemed to have expected the woman beside her, Aleksandra, to one day come and protest about her position.

"Fufufu… I was waiting for the day that you would finally show your true colors, Aleksandra-san! I won't let you take the position that Kireina, my wife, had given to me! You will have to fight for it!" she shouted, baring her fangs with a teasing and wicked smile.

A mature woman with an abnormally large chest, wide hips, crimson eyes, pale-gray skin, and discolored azure hair, who was at Alice's side, decided to speak.

"Alice-sama, please, calm down," she said.

"Jonette…?" said Alice, calming down for a second and glancing at her loyal servant.

"It may be normal for Vampires to fight for positions, but we are serving a common, and higher Vampire now, we shouldn't fight aimlessly like this. We should all strive to serve Kireina-sama better and cooperate" said Jonette… Acelina's older sister and Ismena's aunt.

She was a victim of Alice's rampage in the Athetosea War and was resurrected as a Lesser Dhampir by her bite, her blood had been drained so much that her skin turned gray, and even after evolving into a Dhampir, such color remained, alongside the discolored blue hair typical of the Athetosea family.

Since she was resurrected as a Lesser Dhampir, she had served Alice in all her needs, as a loyal servant. She regained her consciousness and intelligence after becoming a Dhampir. Her loyalty remained, but she had slowly become 'the voice of reason' for Alice on several occasions.

"That's right! That's right, there's no need to fight!" shouted Keenan, a half-wolf beastmen and half-beast demon Vampire, who had become one of Kireina's subordinates to save his life and that of his family. He was a dog-like loyal servant as well and didn't like internal conflicts

"Even Keenan?!" shouted Aleksandra.

"I do think the same, you two should stop discussing such things already… Aleksandra, why don't you confess that you're just jealous of Alice because she is a master's wife?" said Jerold, the Black Cat Beastmen Vampire. He used to be a spy that took care of Aegina, the twin centaur sisters' little sister in the Cilane Kingdom.

He had evolved into a Vampire after defeating the Cilane Kingdom former King. Since then his strength developed widely in a few days and raised in an almost equal position to Aleksandra, Jonette, Keenan, Caedmon, and Cassandra.

"Geh…! Y-You black cat! What are you saying?!" shouted Aleksandra, bewildered, baring her fangs. She seemed to be about to break the Black Cat's neck, but she would never dare to harm her master's servants, she was just angry and frustrated.

"Sigh… Aleksandra-san, you should calm yourself a bit… Your reaction immediately revealed that Jerold-san hit right in the nail" said Keenan.

"Aleksandra-san, instead of trying to find an excuse to duel against Alice-sama, why don't you ask the master for some of her love?" said Caedmon, a Half Shadow Lord Vampire Noble, one of the Vampires who was originally sent to kill Aegina. He had been converted into Kireina's loyal vampire, and had his life forbidden, becoming a loyal servant.

After several fights in Cilane, he evolved into a Vampire Noble, though he was weaker than Alice and Aleksandra, he held a similar position to Aleksandra, his former master who he had never thought to speak in equal positions before.

"M-Master's love…?! I would never…! And she… seems to evade my presence…" muttered Aleksandra, her fierceness dissipated as she resembled a gloomy woman who had been rejected multiple times in her life.

Even Alice seemed to pity her as she sat down in her 'throne'.

"I've never been against my wife having more lovers, as she has a great heart that can love many people, our family is large after all… but I won't force her to love you, Aleksandra," she said.

"W-What do you know?! You impure Vampire! I shall take your position and gather more merit, so Master shall notice me!" she shouted.

"You're so hopeless, Aleksandra-san," said Cassandra, who had appeared behind her. Cassandra was part of Caedmon's team, both of them were merciless assassins that had taken many lives in Cilane, yet their lives were forbidden by Kireina, who converted her into useful servants.

She is a half-succubus and half-human Vampire Noble, evolving into one after the fights she took a part in Cilane. She now held a similar position to Caedmon, Keenan, Jerold, and Aleksandra.

Cassandra had appeared with a 'poof' behind Aleksandra, caressing her blue hair with her delicate hands, which had long pink-colored nails. Cassandra's scarlet hair seemed to gleam in a mischievous light.

"Perhaps I could please you instead? If you so desire, Aleksandra-san~ Fufufu"

"Uwah! W-What are you implying, you impure Vampire?! I-I won't fall for your charm, I am an existence way higher than you!" shouted Aleksandra.

"Then why are you in the same position as all of us? Here, what master's think is the only thing that matters. You should get a bit humbler with your colleagues and superiors, Aleksandra" said Jerold, with a firm look on his red eyes.

"Grr…! Again, with your arrogance, black cat? You should know that I've served Agatheina-sama for many years and was the head of the Vampire Family of Thanatos! I've been in charge of multiple people in my life… the arrogant ones where the first ones to have their tongues sliced off!" shouted Aleksandra.

"Yes, and?" asked Keenan.

"You're not serving Agatheina anymore, you're serving Kireina-sama… even your goddess is serving her," said Alice.

"I-I know! But! I-I… I just want a higher position! T-This is unfair! I'm going to show you how strong I am, Alice! I deserve that position, not you!" shouted Aleksandra, finally cornered by the words of the Vampires, she released a powerful and thick bloodthirsty pressure, resembling scarlet-colored energy.

All of her capabilities were enhanced as she bared her fangs, her crimson eyes gleaming fiercely. She had decided not to use her weapons, and only her nails, which extended like long black claws.

"I won't accept that you are higher than me unless you beat me in a duel! Alice!" she shouted, her powerful Aura dancing around, taking the shape of an angered beast.

"A-Aleksandra calm down!" shouted Keenan.

"Kireina-sama will reprimand you!" said Caedmon.

"Don't say that! That will give her even more motivation to fight!" said Jerold.

"Oh…" muttered Caedmon.

"Caedmon, you're still such a blockhead," said Cassandra.

"Just let her do as she pleases, whenever she has her ass beaten, she'll understand. Your former Master is way more primitive than I thought. Not even beastmen are like this" said Jerold.

"Alice-sama… you cannot duel too much… what about the life in your womb?" muttered Jonette, worried.

"Don't worry, we have fought worse things and my child is just as fine… Fufufu, alright, Aleksandra! Come!" shouted Alice, as she released sparks of crimson lightning all around her body, her Aura was even more tyrannical and overpowering than Aleksandra's. Giant hands made out of lighting appeared behind her as she bared her fangs and extended her nails into thunder-enhanced claws.

"Heh! But do not go cry to master afterward!" shouted Aleksandra as she pounced towards Alice with incredible speed, her Aura taking the shape of giant bat-like wings.

"Crimson Onslaught!" she shouted, using her Aura to enhance all of her capabilities, her claws moved incredibly fast, slashing, and piercing her target while releasing a crimson and eerie flame-like pressure.

Clash! Clash!

"That was easier than I… Huh?!"

Aleksandra had thought that she had already beaten Alice, but Alice had suddenly banished from her position, and the thing that she hit was her after-image made out of her lightning aura.

Spark!

Alice suddenly appeared behind her, moving faster than light itself, not even Aleksandra was capable of sensing her movements.

"You may have higher physical power than me, but I have the upper hand in speed and magic! Scarlet Thunder Spear!" shouted Alice. Her Aura taking the form of giant spears made out of crimson lightning. Moving at an incredible, piercing speed, they hit Aleksandra's back without her even having a second to evade or defend, even her aura was pierced as if it were made out of butter.

Clash!

"Uaaagghhh…! W-What?! Thunder and Blood Attribute magic…?! I've never seen a Vampire develop something that merges both…! B-But I haven't lost yet! You are lacking a few thousand years of experience before you can even think that you can defeat me! Shapeshifting!" roared Aleksandra, her entire body trembled as several of its areas became covered in dark fur.

Large bat-like wings sprouted off the crevices of her lewd armor suit, her claws grew larger and sharp, alongside her feet. Her armor seemed to naturally take upon the form of her body, covering the claws of her feet and hands. She became an anthropomorphic bat creature exuding a herculean strength.

"Huh?! Aleksandra isn't you taking this too far?!" shouted Keenan, moving away from the powerful presence.

"Silence! I will make master notice me instead… by beating Alice!" roared Aleksandra, her beautiful appearance was now that of a horrendous bat monster, with her powerful new strength, she moved at an incredible speed and released a barrage of claw attacks using her Unarmed Fighting Technique and her Aura.

Alice was capable of detecting her movements and evaded them all as if she were made of lightning itself, Aleksandra wasn't fast enough to hit her directly, and only hit her countless after-images instead.

"What?! Are you made out of lightning or something?!" roared Aleksandra, releasing a powerful barrage of Shadow Spheres and Blood Needles in all directions, but Alice was never hit by them no matter how fast she attacked or how wide her range was.

"Well, you will be my servant pretty soon, so it is fine to tell you… Indeed, I am made out of crimson lightning!" said Alice.

"Huh?!"

Flash!

A large thunder attack pierced Aleksandra's chest all out of a sudden as if appearing out of nowhere.

Clash!

Another one appeared to hit her neck, then another in her head, and into her arms, leaving deep burns, releasing the smell of grilled flesh.

"Ugyaaaaaahhh…!!!"

"And here, the finishing move! I hope you can now understand that you and I cannot really compare! Scarlet Heaven's Punishment!" shouted Alice.

Spark!

Alice's Aura and Mana gathered around her entire body as she converted into her own attack, gigantic thunderous energy in the form of crimson lightning pierced Aleksandra's chest once more, leaving a gaping and bloody hole. Her entire innards were fried.

"Gaaaaaaahhh!"

CLASH!

Aleksandra's body fell over the ground, as it slowly shapeshifted back to her original body appearance. All of her wounds were quickly recovering, but the pain had made her mind blackout.

"Alice-sama, I think you went too far," said Jonette.

"Oh, do you think so? I got a bit pumped up when Keenan said that Aleksandra was taking it too far as well…" muttered Alice, glancing at the unconscious Aleksandra.

From this day onwards, Alice was never bothered again by Aleksandra or anyone.