Remilia's crimson eyes narrowed as she looked at me, my clothes still singed from pying with Fhe air around her felt heavy, like a storm about to break. She crossed her arms over her frilly dress, looking every bit the noble vampire.

  "Now let's talk about what you did wrong. You came to my mansion, pyed with my sister, and pletely ignored me." she said, her voice sharp but calm. "Do you know how rude that is?"

  I gulped, knowing there was no excuse. "I... I'm sorry, Lady Remilia. I didn't mean to—"

  She raised a hand, sileng me. "Hmph. I should be furious, but seeing you py with Fndre so nicely, I suppose I five you." Her lips curled into a sly smile. "But that doesn't mean you won't face punishment."

  My shoulders tensed. "Punishment?"

  "Yes. I've decided." She leaned forward, her voice dripping with mischief. "Let's py danmaku. But this won't be just a friendly match. We'll make a deal."

  A chill ran down my spine. "W-What kind of deal?"

  Her smile widened, showing the tips of her fangs. "If I win, you will bey servant."

  The weight of her words hung in the air. The thought of being her servant, like Sakuya, sent a shiver through me. "You mean... forever?"

  "Yes, but let's not start right away." she said, waving her hand dismissively. "We'll py in three days, uhe full moon. I'll evee a red moon for you—a special ohat boost your vampire power. It'll be a fair game."

  I bit my lip, knowing I couldn't back out. Remilia was serious, her eyes holding a promise of sequence if I refused. "Alright... I accept. But if we're making deals, then I want something too."

  Remilia snorted, amusement fshing in her eyes. "Oh? You're a bold one. What could you possibly want?"

  I hesitated, then stood my ground. "I'll tell you when I win."

  Fndre, who had been watg with wide eyes, cpped her haedly. "I want to py too!"

  Remilia turo her sister, her expression softening. "No, Fhis is between me and him. You 't join."

  Fndre's smile vanished, repced by a pout. "That's not fair! I y!"

  Her wings sparkled as her frustration grew. Remilia sighed, realizing that her sister's mood was turning dangerous. "Fine. If you want to py, then e at me."

  With a sudden burst of energy, Fndre shot into the sky, crimson and rainbow light trailing behind her. Remilia followed, her elegant form cutting through the air like a bde.

  The sky above the mansioed into a sea of color. Danmaku filled the air—crimson orbs from Remilia, chaotic spirals from Fheir bullets cshed and danced, creating patterns that were as beautiful as they were deadly.

  Remilia moved with practiced grace, her bullets weaving in disciplined patterns. Fndre, oher hand, was wild and uable, her danmaku bursting like fireworks.

  From the ground, I watched alongside Sakuya and Patchouli, who had put doweacup to observe. Sakuya's expression remained calm, but I could see the tension iance. Even she wasn't sure how this battle would end.

  "They're not fighting seriously, are they?" I asked quietly.

  Patchouli shook her head, her purple hair brushing against her hat. "No, this is more of a game. But with those two, even a game bee dangerous."

  I watched the sky, my heart pounding as scarlet and rainbow lights cshed above the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Remilia and Fndre were pying danmaku, but there was nothing pyful about the way Remilia moved. Her bullets danced with precision, f Fo twist and dodge through intricate patterns.

  I swallowed hard, my palms sweating. If Remilia could handle Fndre so easily, what ce did I have against her in three days? I had agreed to her challenge, a danmaku duel uhe red moon she would create. If I lost, I'd bee her servant. The thought made my chest tighten.

  "Are you nervous?" Patchouli's quiet voice cut through my thoughts.

  I tried to hide it, f a ugh. "Is it that obvious?"

  "Remilia is powerful. You'd be a fool not to be nervous." She set doweacup and looked at me thoughtfully.

  I sighed, my shoulders slumping. "She's pying with Fndre like it's nothing... and Fndre is already terrifyingly strong. I barely kept up with her. How am I supposed to beat Remilia?"

  Patchouli's gaze softened. Her lips parted as if she wao say something, but she hesitated, her fiightening aroueacup. Her eyes flickered with a mix of emotions.

  For a moment, she looked like she was struggling to find the right words, her usual calm demeanor wavering. Finally, she took a breath, her voice quiet but firm. "I wao thank you," she said, her toler than before. "For g my anemia and asthma."

  I blinked in surprise. "Oh, that? It was nothing. Just a little trick I learned..."

  She shook her head, her gaze dropping to the tea in her hands. "It might have been nothing to you, but to me... it was torture."

  My eyes widened. I had never seen Patchouli look so... vulnerable. Her shoulders were tense, and her firembled slightly as she tinued. "Every breath felt like I was suffog. My chest felt heavy, and there were days I could barely stand. It was like... being trapped in my own body."

  She took a shaky breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "I thought... I thought I'd have to live like that forever. But then... you took that pain away. You gave me freedom I hought I'd feel again."

  Her words hit me harder than I expected. I never realized just how much she had suffered. I rubbed the bay neck, feeling awkward. "Well... I'm gd I could help."

  Patchouli's lips curled into a small smile, her eyes shimmering with unspokeions. "I want to repay you."

  "Repay me?" I echoed, fused.

  She nodded, her purple eyes gleaming with determination. "I know Remilia better than anyone. I've been her friend for turies. I help you uand her powers... and her weaknesses."

  I looked at her in shock. "You're... willing to help me?"

  She leaned back, her gaze drifting to the sky where Remilia was weaving through Fndre's wild bullets with ease. "I don't enjoy watg one-sided battles. And... you intrigue me. Your power... it's unlike anything I've ever seen."

  My heart skipped a beat. Did she know about my ability? I tried to keep my faeutral, but Patchouli's pierg gaze saw right through me.

  "Your power that cured me... it wasn't just ordinary magic, was it?" she asked, her voice low. "And you've bee a vampire, yet... you don't behave like one. I help you uand that power, too."

  I hesitated. If Patchouli knew about my ability, could she be trusted to keep it a secret? But then I remembered the way she had looked when her asthma had disappeared—the relief, the gratitude. She wasn't my enemy.

  And if I wao stand a ce against Remilia, I needed every advantage I could get. I looked back at the sky, at the crimson bullets that paihe night like a deadly masterpiece. I couldn't afford to lose.

  I took a deep breath a Patchouli's eyes. "Alright. Teach me."

  Patchouli's smile widened, a knowing look in her eyes. "Follow me to the library. There's much you o learn."

  I gnced once more at the battle above, at Remilia's graceful movements and Fndre's pyful ughter. My chest tightened. In three days, I'd be fag that power head-on.

  But this time, I wouldn't be going in blind. I followed Patchouli, stepping into the shadows of the mansion, ready to learn the secrets of vampires... and my own mysterious power.