Whatever was going on, if Lady Angelica had sprung into action using her vampire abilities, it had to be something she couldn’t discuss with normal students. Since I knew her secret, though, there was some chance I’d be able to lend a hand. I figured I could try to see what was going on, and if it turned out to be something way beyond me, I could just apologize and be on my way. I doubted Lady Angelica would blame me for it.
Well, it’s now or never. I have time, so I’ll get a little closer.
I crossed through the well-tended garden and ventured into the trees. The canopy blocked enough sunlight that I felt the air around me get noticeably cooler. There wasn’t a real path to follow, but the ground wasn’t too rough to walk on.
I’m pretty sure she went that way. I walked in the direction I’d last seen her going. The grounds behind the school had a lot of ups and downs, and when I turned back at some point, I realized I couldn’t see the buildings anymore. I tried to remember if there was anything nearby. As far as I knew, there would just be trees and more trees—there were no buildings in this direction.
It was starting to feel like a hiking expedition. Evidently, no one ever came here; the weeds had grown wild.
Just as I was doubting whether Lady Angelica had gone this way after all, I suddenly heard a soft squeaking sound above me. When I looked up, there was something clinging to a moss-covered tree. A black butterfly—no, a bat.
When my eyes met the bat’s, it made the same squeaking noise again. It was definitely directed at me. One thing was clear: this bat was very used to being around people.
My mouth opened wide as I started to cotton on. “Are you a friend of Lady Angelica’s?” I asked gingerly.
The bat squeaked again. Yes, it was saying.
“I knew it! Which means Lady Angelica must be around here after all, right?”
Squeak! Squeak squeak squeak! it answered, flapping its wings. It looked like this bat really did understand human language.
“I don’t really need to see her. I’m just curious about what’s going on, that’s all.”
I started walking toward it, intending to go past and be on my way. I even waved goodbye to the bat. However, continuing to squeak, it flew down and perched on my shoulder.
“You want to show me the way? Thanks, I appreciate the help!”
There couldn’t be any harm in letting Lady Angelica’s friend sit there. With this cute little companion on my shoulder, I kept walking through the trees. All the while, the bat kept squeaking, as if holding a conversation with me.
As I kept going deeper into the thicket, the temperature dropped even more. A thick fog hung in the air, and my skin grew cold. Suddenly, I realized I could hardly see anything in front of me at all. For a moment, I considered turning back, but after a few more steps I had a clearer view again, so I decided to keep going.
I think I’m way outside of the high school grounds by now. If I recalled correctly, going farther in this direction would lead to the university campus. I’d never gone over there, so I was kind of curious, but apparently it was even more expansive than the high school grounds, so taking a proper look around would take up a whole day. I didn’t even know if students from the high school were allowed over there.
I started to wonder if Lady Angelica had some business at the university—but as soon as I had that thought, I heard a strange noise from another direction. At first I thought it might be construction work, or a tree being felled, but it didn’t sound like that. It was more like a battle.
Maybe I really should turn back already.
Then I heard Lady Angelica’s voice. She hadn’t gone to the university campus after all. She was still off the beaten path, somewhere deep in the thicket.
What could she possibly be doing?
Whatever it was, I couldn’t just ignore it and turn back. With some trepidation, I moved closer to where the sounds were coming from.
I soon reached a small clearing. It didn’t look like it had been made neatly, though. It was like the trees had been forcibly mowed down. Now that I was here, I could hear voices more clearly. One was Lady Angelica’s, and the other I didn’t recognize at all.
“You’re wasting your time. Your techniques are centuries out of date.”
“Shut up. I don’t have to listen to you, vampire. Now be quiet and let me exterminate you.”
Huh? That’s a really weird conversation. Not the kind of thing I’d expect to hear at a school for young ladies, that’s for sure. What is Lady Angelica doing?
Peering from behind a tree, I could see that she was in full-on vampire mode, with bats swarming around the wings on her back. Facing her was a student I didn’t know in a Domestic Arts uniform.
Her short, chestnut-colored hair flicked up in a casual and straightforward manner, giving her a lively feel. Her distinctive features didn’t look Japanese. She had the active air of a sports player about her, and her ribbon color indicated she was a first year, like me. I couldn’t be sure since she was just wearing an ordinary uniform, but I didn’t get the impression she was Lady Angelica’s Seraph.
Maybe it’s some kind of challenge where if she beats Lady Angelica, she can become her Seraph? But then why would she have said she wanted to “exterminate” Lady Angelica? In fact, if I take what she said at face value, it sounds like she knows who Lady Angelica really is and is trying to take her down.
Wait! That would be pretty awful, wouldn’t it? She may not be human, exactly, but I don’t think she’s a bad person. Actually, I’d say she’s a good person. She’s working hard to make this school the best place it can be.
What do I do? I know I’m not strong enough to jump in and stop this, but that doesn’t mean I can just stand here and watch someone attack Lady Angelica.
As I stood there trying to decide, the girl pulled a string of garlic from somewhere and drew closer to Lady Angelica.