Reincarnated as Twins: And Then, I Was the Only One Abandoned - ☆38 Vampire Extermination ②

☆38 Vampire Extermination ② 

Kistopia’s red eyes gleamed ominously in the darkness. 

Sensing something by instinct, Lilith instantly strengthened her mana guard. 

—BZZT!!

Their mana clashed. It produced a crackling sound that echoed through the dark mansion. 

“Oh? So you can repel my ‘Charm’. You truly did come to exterminate me, I see.” 

Kistopia smirked with confidence. 

“Man, that was close. Guess it’s my years of adventuring kicking in. If I hadn’t reinforced my guard, I probably would’ve been caught.” 

Lilith grinned fearlessly. 

“And then, I suppose I would’ve become one of your thralls.” 

Kistopia’s mana darkened into a pitch-black hue. It enveloped her body before dissolving into a mere black mist, vanishing from sight. The silence deepened. It made the mansion’s darkness feel even heavier. 

Lilith tightened her guard further, sharpening her senses. 

A chill brushed against her skin—faint but unmistakable bloodlust. 

In the next instant, Lilith dove forward. 

As she turned back, she saw Kistopia emerging from the darkness. Her sharpened claws missed their mark. The razor-like talons glinted eerily in the dim light. 

It was an almost imperceptible killing intent—one that only someone like Lilith could have detected. 

“You’re no ordinary human, are you? I should at least know your name.” 

Kistopia’s smirk had disappeared. 

Her red eyes glowed coldly in the darkness. 

“Lilith Starseeker. Quite the honor to have a vampire remember my name.” 

Lilith responded with a light smile, her gaze locked sharply onto Kistopia. 

Then, in a flash, she closed the gap. She swung her sword in an iai-jutsu-like slash. 

Moonlight reflected off the blade—one swift arc cutting through the darkness. 

—SLASH. 

For a moment, the sound seemed to ring in the air. 

Kistopia’s right arm flew into the air. And after a brief pause, bl00d spurted from the wound. The severed arm tumbled to the ground—then evaporated like mist. 

“Hmm.” 

Kistopia glanced at the spot where her arm had been. 

Then—*shhk*—a new arm grew in its place. She flexed her fingers as if nothing had happened. 

“Regeneration, huh? Ugh, that’s a pain.” 

Lilith’s smile faded. 

“Your swordsmanship is impressive. But against my regenerative abilities, it means nothing. Your mana is vast, your strength remarkable for a human… but to us vampires, you’re little more than an infant.” 

Kistopia spoke as if lecturing her. 

Her voice brimmed with cold confidence. It reverberated through the darkness. 

Her crimson eyes gleamed once more. They were fixed on Lilith. 

“Well? Why not become my thrall and live for eternity by my side?” 

“Eternity *is* tempting… but, unfortunately, I don’t do well serving under others.” 

Without changing her expression, Lilith planted her feet and lunged toward Kistopia again. 

Her movements were blindingly fast. Her blade was cutting through the air with sharp, lethal precision. 

—Slash-slash-vwsh-vwsh-vwsh-vwsh! 

Each slash siphoned Kistopia’s mana. It caused the blade to take on a sinister red-black glow. 

Bl00d sprayed from Kistopia’s body, staining Lilith in crimson. 

The vampire’s body was hacked apart. Chunks of flesh were hitting the floor with dull thuds. They turned the surroundings into a sea of bl00d. 

Kistopia’s severed head rolled to Lilith’s feet, lips curled into a grin—then, once more, dissolved into black mist. 

The mist drifted in the air. It gradually converged in one spot. Slowly, Kistopia’s form reassembled, returning to her original shape. 

“Do you *still* not understand? No matter how many times you cut me down, it does nothing to me. 

But you? I can see the fatigue setting in. Your mana is dimming. 

It’s only natural—humans who bathe in a vampire’s mana are slowly poisoned by it, their very essence corroded.” 

Just as she said, Lilith’s face had paled. Her breathing turned ragged. 

“Hahh... Well… this is bad.” 

◆◆◆

Meanwhile, the thrall extermination in the village was nearly complete. 

Most of the buildings had burned to the ground. And under the moonlit sky, black smoke quietly rose from various places. 

All except for one—at the center of the village stood a single untouched mansion. It was the residence of the thralls’ master, the lord of the vampires. 

Elicia was unable to sustain the summoning of Shin-Agni any longer. She slumped to the ground, panting heavily. 

“That was rough. Shin-Agni was way too much this time… We really need to be careful about when to use Kai’s buffs, or things could get out of hand fast…” 

Recalling the hellish scene from earlier, I shuddered. 

“*Shin*? Yeah, seriously… If I let my guard down even a little, I felt like it could spiral out of control. It took way more mental focus than usual. Let me rest here for a while.” 

“Got it. I’ll go check on Lilith.” 

It had been a while since she headed toward the mansion. But she hadn’t come back yet. 

She’s ridiculously strong, so she should be fine… 

I mean, she *did* one-shot that wyvern. 

“Understood. Be careful. Just… don’t get in the way of her fight.” 

She said it jokingly. But her expression was dead serious. 

“I know, I know. If things look bad from a distance, I’ll come right back.” 

I kept my reply lighthearted. But deep down, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling creeping over me.