The Hour of Humanity Comes to an End, and...

Bats.

A flock of bats, cutting through the sky.

They flew in a perfectly organized formation, like a team of fighter planes.

He was headed for the biggest hospital on the island. Straight into a particular single room inside the ten-story building.

A second before they were flattened against the windows, the bats disintegrated like droplets of water, then turned into black fog, entering through the window.

There was not a hint of hesitation in this action. In fact, it looked more like a mix of anxiety and terrible anger.

The fog took material form inside the hospital room, becoming a teenaged boy. His handsome features were still somewhat childlike, but his expression was gravely set.

Although it was evening on a cloudy day, he had still flown here before sundown. There were burn marks all over his body, but they healed in the blink of an eye.

There was a No Visitors sign hanging on the door, but someone was already inside.

The girl in the room very closely resembled the boy. She was wearing a ragged black dress, and her face was so pale that she looked as though she could collapse at any moment.

...Ferret.

Honored Brother...

Ferret looked slightly relieved at the arrival of her older brother. Relic von Waldstein gently put an arm around his sisters shoulder.

It was only then that he realized that Ferret was trembling. Was it because she had lost so much blood, or because she had been so emotionally rattled?

Wrapping his arms around his trembling sister, Relic turned to the bed at the center of the room.

Medical devices and intravenous packs of all kinds were surrounding the bed. Every needle from the IV drips was connected to the arms and neck of its occupant.

A breathing tube was fixed to his face to keep his trachea clear, but his face was in much better shape than the rest of his body. Relic could still recognize the face of his friend.

...How is he?

Mihails injuries were clearly severe. Yet even if his diagnosis was nothing but hopeless, Relic wanted to know the truth.

There was a moment of silence. Ferret hung her head, and began to recount what the doctors had said earlier.

...His life is not in danger. However... his spine was damaged in several places... And his right hand... may never regain function...

Although there were gaps in her description, Ferret enunciated clearly with deliberate force. But Relic could feel her trembling worsen as she spoke of Mihails right hand.

...This isnt your fault, Ferret.

But itis, Honored Brother! If... if only I were stronger...

Theres no point in discussing hypotheticals. Ferret, whether youre weak or strong doesnt change the fact that someone poured out all this hatred towards Mihail.

...

Relic gently stepped away from his silent sister, and approached Mihails bedside.

Mihail...

For some time, Relics gaze remained with his grievously injured childhood friend. Then, something caught his eye.

...?

Stuck next to one of the needles poking into his carotid artery was a rather large bandage. It was clearly of a different handiwork than the rest of his patched-up wounds, and there were two little red dots staining the gauze.

It was a familiar mark to Relic.

It must have been a needle.Relic tried to tell himself, but his sense of logic rejected the notion. Although it might have been most tactful to pretend that he never saw it, Relic was neither so foolish nor so sly that he would feign ignorance.

The mark on his childhood friends neck must have been left by a vampire. It was simple enough to deduce who might have been behind it.

Ferret... Did you...?

Relic did not try to meet her gaze. He held back his emotions from tinting his words.

I... will make no excuses. Ferret said, still hanging her head. Her hands curled tightly into fists.

I... I am weak and powerless. Mihail faced down than man on my behalf, yet I could do nothing for him.

Although her tone was little different from usual, Relic could sense the emotions that filled her words. Ferret was doing her best to remain stoic, but the effort only served to tighten her chest. Her vision grew blurry with tears.

The werewolves who carried Mihail here told me that his life might be in danger. And at that moment, I... I...

Her voice shook.

Because Relics eyes were still on the mark on Mihails neck, Ferret did not force herself to look at her brother, either.

Relic wanted to be beside his sister at this moment. But knowing that Ferret wouldnt want such a thing, he remained where he was, allowing only his attention to be turned to her.

I... before he was taken in for treatment... I... I sunk my fangs into Mihails neck...

Ferret was forcibly squeezing out her voice.

Although she appeared to be quite calm, her words were full of resentment. Resentment at herself, for having been so weak.

With this, Ferret tried to end the conversation. But Relic spoke up before the room was swallowed by silence.

Its all right, Ferret. I dont think hes been turned. Although Im not sure if its a blessing or a curse that you dont have the power to turn humans...

Although Relic intended to bring Ferret some comfort with this statement, Ferrets heart only grew heavier. The weight of her guilt had not been alleviated.

She had torn into Mihails neck, drinking his blood.

The memory of that sensation worsened her trembling, now clearly visible.

Why in the world... did I do such a thing...?!

Her pent-up emotions spilled out at once with no end in sight. Her screams were filled to the brim, and tears of anguish fell from her eyes.

I was scared... when I thought that Mihail would die... I was so scared... I was so scared that I wanted to die! And before I knew it... I was already biting down... But I only made things worse! I left him with even more wounds! And if... if Mihail dies because I drank his blood... What if he dies?! I... I...

It was only then that Relic finally turned towards Ferret. He held her even more tightly than before, whispering to console her.

Dont say stuff like that, okay? Ferret, Mihails not going to die. Remember what I just said about hypotheticals?

But it was almost starting to sound like his words were directed at himself.

Embracing his sister, who had never looked so frail in her entire life, Relic lost himself in thought.

Itll be all right, Ferret. Hell be okay.

Relic... Relic...! I...!

Ferret buried her face into Relics chest, choking back tears.

And she soon burst into sobs, her emotions overflowing all at once.

Relic knew that his sister would not want him to see her cry. He did not want to see, either.

So he stood there silently, listening to the sound of Ferret crying.

On the inside, he allowed his heart nurture a certain emotion:

Soundless hatred for the Eater who had driven his sister to tears.

Once Ferret had regained some semblance of calm, Relic discussed what was going to happen next.

I contacted Hilda, so shell be here soon.

...

Hilda.

She was Relics girlfriend and Mihails younger sister. As soon as Relic mentioned her name, Ferret went up to the door.

Ferret.

How could I face her, Honored Brother?

Its okay, Ferret. You know she wont blame you.

That is precisely what pains me. Yes, I understand that I am running away... but please, Honored Brother. Please... give me some time.

Relic did not try to stop his sister. Ferret took hold of the doorknob, and without turning back, addressed her brother.

...Until today, I had never seriously considered drinking the blood of a human. I believe... today was the first time I felt such an impulse.

...?

But... how strange. Even though I feel for that Eater the very opposite of what I feel for Mihail... I cannot help but want to drink that cursed mans blood. I would leave not a single drop, and vomit it all into the ocean.

Logically speaking, this was the point where he should try to dissuade Ferret, Relic thought. But he did not say anything of the sort.

He did not tell her to give up on revenge. He knew that to say such a thing would be to drive her further into a corner.

As Ferret came clean about her desire for vengeance, Relic could only answer,

...Me too, Ferret.

The werewolves, having returned to human form, were waiting outside Mihails room.

Although it would normally go against regulations for such a large group to camp out in front of a room marked No Visitors, hospital officials knew about vampires and understood their situation. So they turned a blind eye to a certain degree of rule-bending.

Ferret greeted them with a nod, and quietly walked down the hallway.

Relic watched his sister depart, and turned to the blue-haired werewolf in the hall.

Um...

We know. Well watch over her.

...Thank you.

Heh. Thats ourjob, you know. Were more than happy to help.

The blue-haired werewolf grinned, his fangs glinting. He then followed after Ferret alongside several other werewolves.

Relic sent them off gratefully. Suddenly, a little boy from one of the werewolf families approached him.

Relic? Is Mihail gonna be okay? Hes not gonna die, is he?

Relic smiled kindly and gave the boy a pat on the head.

Its okay. You know how Ferret always hits Mihail, but he gets right back up? Im sure hes going to be fine this time, too.

Even now, several werewolves were anxiously peeking through the door at Mihail.

Mihail seemed to be a very popular person among non-humans. His earnest sincerity, coupled with his genuine nature and the way he treated them no differently from others, had enraptured themand even taken hold of Ferrets heart.

Relic stepped back into the room and shut the door behind him. It was just him and Mihail.

At that moment, the supposedly unconscious Mihail suddenly spoke up.

Relic... you lucky bastard... cant believe... you got to hug Ferret...

Youre awake! Thank goodness. Dont push yourself too hard.

Heh... heh... of all the luck... I was supposed to take her on a date tonight...

Although Mihail was as cheerful as ever, his voice made it quite clear that he was exhausted.

...Yknow... Ferret gave me a kiss... right on my neck... Ive never been so happy... in my entire life...

Mihail... thats-

A kiss. Yeah... That was a kiss.

Mihail cut him off. He probably had some inkling of what had happened to him earlier.

Thats why... Im so full of energy... yknow? Im... all pumped up...

He was wearing a look of supreme satisfaction, as though he would have had no qualms about forgiving Ferret if he had been turned by her bite.

But Relic also knew that Mihail would never use this incident to take advantage of Ferret in any way. Mihail was neither strong nor weak enough for such a thing. He was nothing but innocent.

I promise... I didnt see a thing... I didnt hear Ferret crying... really... Im serious...

I know. Get some rest, Mihail. Relic said, trying to be considerate. But Mihail looked more worried than anything, refusing to go to sleep without finishing his conversation.

Relic... keep an eye out on Ferret... Yknow...? Shes such a nice person... so if she hates someone... or kills someone.. because of me... shell only end up hurting herself...

I know. I wont let my sister become a murderer. Its going to be okay, Mihail. You should get some sleep. Rest.

Once he was certain that Mihail had nothing more to say, Relic approached the window and watched the sun finally disappear over the horizon. The sky was already quite dark, but his skin ached as he bathed in the final vestiges of light.

But he ignored the pain as he thought about what he should do next.

Thats right. Ferrets boiling over with rage right now. But Im feeling the same way as her.

Whoever that bastard is... the bastard who made Ferret cry and hurt Mihail so badly...

I will never forgive him. I swear.

The windowsill where his hands rested was slowly being obscured by dark fog. The shadow Relic cast in the hospital room began to writhe, slowly taking on the form of a flock of bats. The presence of wolves was being cast against the walls of the room.

And just as Relics power consumed the entire room, Mihail slowly addressed him, despite having his eyes closed and having no way to know that anyone was still in the room.

Relic... you... too...

There was a dumbfounded smile on his face. Relic found his anger subsiding at the sight, his powers rapidly being pacified.

With an astonished sigh, Relic grinned at his girlfriends brother and childhood friend.

Mihail... youre an amazing guy. I gotta hand it to you.

And so, Mihail finally fell asleep.

Relieved by the sound of Mihails steady breathing, Relic once more turned this thoughts to the things to come.

If nothing else, I hope the Carnale Festival will turn out all right...

But he was certain: So long as the mysterious Eater who attacked Ferret still existed, that peace he hoped for would never become a reality.

And there was one thing he had not yet realized: The island of Growerth was teetering on the verge of a commotion more massive than he could ever have dreamed of.

At the same time, the harbor.

The ferry made port once more today, as though the disturbance from earlier had never even happened.

This was the final boat to come in before the opening ceremonies of the Carnale Festival. The excited chatter of the passengers filled the harbor even before the ramp was lowered.

Lively tourists from abroad disembarked one after another, and the harbor was soon host to countless people of different races and ethnicities. But the stream of visitors soon slowed to a trickle, and two men stepped off the ferry at the very end.

Maaaaaaan. Cant believe were finally here.

For your information, little brother, theres nothing more dull than sailing with you.

This duo was, strangely enough, at once polar opposites and mirror images. Their features, heights, and builds were identical, but the colors of their eyes, hair, and skin were different. One was caucasian, and the other of East Asian descent.

From their conversation, the Asian man seemed to be the elder brother. But from a purely visual standpoint, it was impossible to tell which one was older.

All right! Lets go on and find Mr. Gerhardt.

The mayor comes first.

There was a tense moment of silence.

Lets start by tracking down those two Eaters!

What are you, an idiot? Finding Sigmund comes first.

Another moment of silence.

Boxing: The sport of men. Am I right?

That would besumo.

...Dinner.

A shower.

Cats.

Dogs.

For having been in a fight, you two look like you got off pretty easy. So why the helld the two of you get into a scuffle on the ramp, anyway?

One of the harbor officials was holding the two men in custody in the harbor office, keeping them for questioning.

It was nothing more than a simple disagreement.

Its a hobby of ours. And you dont see any injuries on me cause theyre already healed.

The official questioning the men seemed to be having a hard time dealing with their particular brand of eccentricity.

Names?

Yellow Bridgestone!

My name is Ishibashi Aiji.

Any speakers of English and Japanese would instantly know that these names were fake; but the official was a German speaker. He noted down the mens names without a second thought.

Passports?

Cmon, now! Were totally Germans, born and raised.

We were abandoned at a young age and forced to fend for ourselves, so Im afraid we have no official records.

At this point, it was quite clear that the men were lying. But the official decided to save the detailed investigation for later and instead continued his questioning.

Occupation?

Gunman!

A ninja. Although, for your information, I dont live in hiding.

The official finally put down his pen and put two objects onto the deskthe objects that had been found among the mens belongings.

One was a plastic handgun. The other was a bamboo sword. They were both quite obviously childrens toys.

Would those occupations by any chance involve making money with these toys?

Its not a toy. My gun shoots silver bullets, you know?

This sword is called ashinai. And for your information, we have no income.

The official decided that the black-haired man was the more reasonable of the two, and turned his attention towards him.

I see. So how dyou feed yourselves?

But this time, the two men answered in unison.

We moonlight as

Hah! Cant believe we finally agreed on something, big brother. Like one big happy family.

But its hard to believe all we had to do was show the man a couple of bats in order to be released. Sir Gerhardt and Watt seem to be quite influential in these parts.

Tch. If we were gonna prove were vampires, I couldve just shown the guy my sharpshooting skills.

Youd have destroyed buildings that way.

Because they had spent too much time being questioned in the office, the brothers had no choice but to go to the opening ceremony in order to meet with both the mayor and the viscount.

Yellow and Indigo climbed the hill together, surrounded by countless festival-goers.

So who else is comin besides us?

Hm... Miss Dorothy should be here already. And I believe Romans the Dark Grey elected to stay behind this time; he claims to dislike crowds.

Yeah, hed send everyone running with that look of his. And who else?

Everyone will probably make their own decisions. Weve contacted the officers who werent presentBlack, Mirror, Gold, Silver, Pearl, and Orange. But most answered that they would only come if they had the time. Although Garde the Black seemed to be intent on beating down Caldimir before coming to the island. The elder brother replied stoically. Yellow shook his head.

So teamworks still a foreign concept to everybody... Anyway, you said Miss Dorothys already here?

Yeah. Its almost sundown, so she should be just about... Ah. Now.

Ishibashi looked up at the sky over the castle and smiled like a man who had just won the lottery.

At that very moment, most of those who had been looking up at the sky over the hill realized that something was wrong.

Oh? Was Miss Dorothy supposed to join us today? Theresia wondered as she headed for her next destination.

...Miss Dorothy, huh. But I dont have time for her... I have to find that vampire girl... No. Finding Theresia comes first...

After a brief moment of rest, Rudy got up from his shelter in the rocks.

...Hm? I hadnt heard a thing about Dorothy coming to the island today. What is Caldimir up to? The black bat that had been flying over the castle mumbled, watching the sky around him.

And as for the master of that very castle:

[My word! So many visitors to entertain today. Ah, it seems there is only an hour to go before the opening ceremony begins...]

As the viscount wondered where he should station himself for the best view of the ceremony, one of the maids spoke up nervously.

Um... Master?

[Yes? Might you have found a most perfect vantage point for tonights festivities?]

No, sir. There was something very important we had to report to you, but we could not interrupt your meetings with your guests...

[And what might that be?] The viscount asked firmly, detecting the gravity with which the maid spoke.

We were contacted by Grandmother Job not very long ago. It was at the harbor, sir, this afternoon

Master Gerhardt! The window! Outside!

The sudden exclamation cut off the maids report. Stumbling into the room with this cry was a Japanese man wearing a suita vampire stage magician affectionately known as Mage.

What is the meaning of this?! Cried the maid who had been reporting to the viscount, but everyone else in the room, including the viscount, took one glance out the window and realized that something was wrong.

...Is this... snow?

Clumps of white were falling from the sky in massive quantities.

But... its not even winter!

Because it was in the oceanic climate zone, Northern Germany was relatively warm even in winter. This also meant that summers were quite cool and prone to storms, but in spite of it all, Growerth had never once received snowfall in the summertime. At least, that was what logic dictated.

But at this very moment, logic was dead. Perhaps it would have been more realistic for snow to be falling now, instead of what was actually happening over the castle.

To be specific, the clumps of white falling from the sky were not snowflakes.

The moment each clump neared the ground, it rose into the air like a bird riding the winds, repeatedly ascending and descending as though it had a mind of its own.

And those in the parlor with particularly good eyesight finally managed to capture the identity of the masses of white.

Those are... white bats...? Someone muttered. At that very moment, one of the bats glanced over at the viscount inside the room.

Then, the millions of white bats flying outside rushed in through the window, as though in an attempt to fill the castle.

Master! The maids cried, attempting to protect the viscount, but the viscount scrawled in extremely large letters:

[There is no need for panic!]

?!

[This visitor is no stranger, I assure you.]

The bats congregated at unthinkable speeds, combining together at a single point. And for some reason, ever since the bats first entered the room, the parlor seemed to feel colder.

Finally, the gusts left in the wake of the bats settled. The occupants of the parlor turned to the point at which they had been gathering.

Standing there was not the flock of bats from earlier, but a woman.

She had white skin, white hair, and white eyes, and wore a white dress. The woman, who looked rather like the personification of snow, smiled nostalgically as she caught sight of the viscount.

Its been much too long, Viscount Gerhardt.

[Indeed it has, my dear Dorothy.]

It was clear that they two of them were at least acquainted with one another, but the maids and the werewolves did not let their guard down for even a moment. Mage, who had alone been pacing back and forth, nervously spoke up.

Um... Master Gerhardt? This would be...?

[Ah, yes. This is Dorothy, a fellow member of the Organization I discussed earlier. It has indeed been a very long time. What brings you all the way to Growerth, Dorothy? It would be nothing short of delightful to hear that you came to visit for my sake, although I am unsure as to whether this is the case today.]

The second part of his words was directed at Dorothy. She smiled pleasantly.

Im afraid not, Gerhardt. Ive come today to protect your adopted son Relic.

[Oh?]

Melhilm and Caldimir are both after him, Gerhardt! And seeing as he is to one day become my son, I thought that I should try and act as a mother to him while I had the chance.

Everyone but Dorothy and the viscount froze.

A moment later, all eyes were on the viscount as though demanding an explanation.

The pool of blood did not hesitate to give them an answer.

[Is there something the matter, my friends? Dorothy is my most lovely fiancee.]

Underground, Waldstein Castle. The laboratory.

...

In utter silence, Doctor watched the footage recorded through the harbors security cameras.

He had installed these cameras in many places around the island, particularly in locations where vampires tended to gather. He had the footage directed to his laboratory, where he could observe them from the comfort of his chair.

Normally, the harbor camera went completely neglected.

But when he heard the rumors about the commotion that took place there today, Doctor decided to take a look at it once Val had left the lab.

Hm? Ah, Professor. Perfect timing.

Doctor turned to face Professor, wearing an unnecessarily bright smile.

No, its only... Id just remembered that it has been quite a long time since we began working together.

Idle thoughts, Professor, nothing more... But to be perfectly honest, I really must thank you for everything. How you brought such healing to my lonesome heart...

Though Professor was bemused by Doctors sudden show of sentimentality, she twisted her body round and round in embarrassment.

Would you, now? Then... I have a request.

Professor folded back her arms in a motion of readiness. Doctor leaned in close to her, a smile fixed on his face.

Then... I want you to listen, okay? Please, listen to my name. I cant ask anyone but you...

Professors soul was struck by an ominous feeling.

She had lived with Doctor all this time, but never before had he spoken this wayin a way that was a perfect match for his childlike appearance.

As Professor stood there in confusion, Doctor put a hand on the lid of her coffin.

And in a quiet voice, so low that only she could hear, he whispered to her his true name.

Theodosius... My real name is Theodosius M. Waldstein.

And before Professor could even react, he quickly flipped open the lid of the coffin.

Her arms, caterpillar tracks, and her voice generator all ceased to function. Professor could no longer move.

But DoctorTheodosius M. Waldsteinsmiled sadly at the soul that surely existed before him.

Im sorry. Just get some rest here, so you wont get involved. I didnt think it would happen so soon, but... theres something I have to do.

Each and every word uttered by that beautiful face was filled with pathos, like the lines of a hero straight out of a tragedy.

Thank you. You... Brought me salvation.

With that, Doctor recalled the images he saw on the monitor earlier.

Theresiaone of the two children he met many years ago.

And the man in the suit of armor, who stepped out of the crate next to her. In all likelihood, her other half.

Recalling the two faces, Theo whispered to himself:

But you know, Im not worthy of salvation. Not now, not ever.

Pasts and presents of all kinds collided together upon the island.

Enlivened by the lights and the crowds, the festival embraced the collision

And the moment it finally began, the hour of humanity came to an end.

The darkness of the night began to stir, led by the lights of the festival.

Little by little,

Without so much as a sound...

Extra Chapter - The Gravekeeper Approaches Without a Sound, and...

There was a moment of silence, followed by the sound of the parlor at Waldstein Castle turning upside-down.

At that very moment, in the place where the Organizations vampires had gathered for their meeting, a man was laughing to himself.

Hahaha... Mwahahahahahahaha! Ive fooled them! Ive fooled them all!

The vampire was rolling on the floor of the great empty hall, laughing like a hyena.

Oh man, that feels great! Stupendous! Ive never felt so good in my entire life! Hah! How you bastards sneered at me all these years... But enjoy it while you can! Yes! We vampires are all about power. But guess what? Ive got more than that. Ive also gotwisdom!

Caldimir reveled in his victory as he lay in a fetal position on the floor. He had been beaten senseless by the other vampires earlier and left unconscious, but as soon as he awoke, he knew that he had managed to hide the truth from his fellow officers.

The true reason for dispatching Sigmund to Growerth.

Thosefools! I bet theyre scrambling to protect Relic right about now! But Once Rudy and Theresia get wind of the fact that hes one of the Waldsteins, theyll take care of him without me having to get my hands dirty! And in the meantime,weget our hands on yet another product of Melhilms research!

Caldimir remembered the watermelon to whom he had given some of his own blood.

And so! I will become greater than humans! Greater than vampires! I will become a god!

Whos becoming a god? Who?

Heh... Who do youthin-

Caldimir was partway through his reply when he finally realized that he was not alone. He looked around, left and right, to find the owner of the voice.

But there really was nothing he had to look for.

A gender-ambiguous figure was crouching on one of the chairs, dressed in strange clothing.

The figures face was wrapped up in layers upon layers of black bandages, their wide-open right eye being the only feature exposed to the world. The rest of their body was also wrapped up in bandages, making them look very much like a black mummy. The only exposed parts of their body was their shoulder-length hair, which stuck straight into the air, and the area around their neck and bellybutton.

This strange being spoke once more in a voice that did not sound particularly masculine or feminine.

Whatre you doing? Say, whatre you doing?

Grr... Garde the Black! Garde Ritzberg?!

Wh-what?! I didnt even contact Garde! So why is the Black Gravekeeper-

There was a conference. A conference! Why didnt you call me? Well? Why didnt you?

It cant be... How did you find out about... Urgh... Agh...!

Garde leapt into the air as Caldimir stuttered, landing atop the latters stomach.

Caldimirs organs and ribs were badly injured by the blow. He wanted to roll around on the floor again, for a different reason from before, but Garde remained standing atop him, preventing even that.

Ignoring me, are you? Ignoring me?

D-dont...

Im angry. Im really really really really angry. I am. Yes! I am!

A fist mercilessly drove itself into Caldimirs face with astounding force.

Argh...! But... You would side with Gerhardt! Unconditionally!

MisterGerhardt. Right?MisterGerhardt. Garde spat coldly, pulling back their fist little by little. With that, the curtains rose on the one-man massacre in the conference hall.

I should tell everyone what this idiots planning. Tell everyone.

Garde glanced at Caldimir, now a pile of half-ground meat on the floor, and took out their cell phone.

They then realized that there was a problem.

I dont know! Hm? I dont know their numbers! Their emails are on my computer back home! On my computer!

Garde put their hand to their temples, wondering what they should do.

A moment later, Gardes eye widened as they came to a simple conclusion.

Ill have to go. No other choice! Ill have to go!