Chapter 71: An Unexpected Reinforcement

I released my magical energy without restraint, announcing my presence to the First Arbiter. I stood quietly, eyes closed, atop the ruins where our last great battle had taken place, waiting for the arrival of the First Arbiter.

“I didn’t expect to see you here again, Princess Liliana,” a voice sounded at my ear.

“Is it just you? Where is the First Arbiter?” I opened my eyes and surveyed the group before me, questioning them. The Fourth Arbiter, the Puppeteer; the Fifth Arbiter, the Duke of Poison; the Eighth Arbiter, the Ice Maiden; the Ninth Arbiter, the Mirror Master; and the Tenth Arbiter, the Musician—five Arbiters who served the Vampire Council and had never crossed blades with me before, now all stood before me.

“We were never truly aligned with the First Arbiter, so there was no need to act together. We don’t know where he is. But does it truly matter? If the Wind Duke and Blood Knight stood by your side, we might hesitate. But I cannot fathom why you would appear here alone, Princess. Do you perhaps believe you can stand against us by yourself? Or have you resigned yourself to surrender and are ready to return with us to the ancestral castle?” The Fourth Arbiter, the Puppeteer, asked with evident amusement.

“Who can say? Perhaps I’ve grown weary of running and hiding. Or perhaps I simply refuse to let anyone else be hurt because of me. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that I am here alone, and that will not change, will it?” I replied calmly to the Puppeteer.

“In that case, please return with us, Princess. We have no wish to fight you, nor do we wish you to force our hand,” the Ninth Arbiter, the Mirror Master, offered me a courteous bow and spoke with respect.

“If I could, I would avoid conflict with you as well. But my fate is mine alone to decide. I will not surrender my destiny to the decrees of those decrepit elders in the Vampire Council. So, I will not submit willingly,” I replied with a soft laugh to the five Arbiters before me. “I had hoped my presence would draw out the First Arbiter, yet it’s you who have come. It seems the First Arbiter truly holds my strength in contempt. Very well, I shall prove my power to him by defeating you. Perhaps then, he will take an interest in me.”

“How arrogant!” The Ice Maiden spat coldly, her fury clear.

“Princess Liliana, you seem quite confident,” the Duke of Poison sneered.

“Perhaps. But none can know how things will end until the fight is over. Who’s to say there isn’t such a thing as miracles in this world?” I murmured as if to myself.

“From your words, Princess, you mean to resist us to the end?” The Puppeteer sighed, resigned. “In that case, forgive us.” With that, I saw no movement from the Puppeteer himself, but the tiny puppet that always perched on his shoulder suddenly sprang into the air, cackling gleefully.

As the Puppeteer made his move, a cloud of inky green poison swirled around the Duke of Poison, whose body seemed to dissolve into the miasma and vanish. The Ice Maiden unleashed a bone-chilling cold so intense that the very air around her seemed to freeze, crystals of ice forming and hanging in the air. The Mirror Master’s power, so like Liliel’s, split three identical forms from his own body. The Musician summoned a massive golden harp before him, his fingers plucking its strings with delicate grace.

My weapon—the black scythe that had been my companion for countless years—had been shattered in the last conflict, utterly destroyed. Now, I stood unarmed, quietly awaiting their assault.

“Take care, Princess Liliana,” the Tenth Arbiter, the Musician, was the first to strike. His fingers moved lightly over the harp strings, and a voice of unearthly beauty poured forth, as if the heavens themselves were singing. Yet woven within that beautiful melody were waves of sound, pulsing and crashing toward me.

Just as the sound waves were about to strike, a sharp hiss, the sound of air being sliced, pierced the Tenth Arbiter’s ear, interrupting his performance. A shadow-black dagger slashed for his throat, barely intercepted by his harp, though one of the golden strings snapped in the process. Seeing his beloved instrument damaged, the Tenth Arbiter’s furious voice rang out, “Who dares?”

“It’s been a long time, everyone.” From the darkness nearby, a gentle male voice called out.

“Illusionist!” The Tenth Arbiter, the Musician, spat through clenched teeth as he glimpsed the newcomer.

“It’s you?” I looked at the Illusionist, puzzled by his unexpected appearance, unable to guess why he would intervene in the attack.

“We’re here as well, Princess Liliana!” One of the Night Twins appeared in everyone’s field of vision, calling out cheerfully.

“That’s right. You can’t possibly forget about Vivi and Annie,” the other chimed in, not to be left out.

“Andregis the Illusionist, Sidonia and Viviana of the Night Twins—and the Shadow Blade must be near as well,” the Ice Maiden stated with icy precision.

“To think our humble names would be remembered by you, Lady Ice Maiden—it is truly an honor,” the Illusionist replied with delight.

“What are you attempting by interfering? Do you wish to make enemies of the Vampire Council?” The Duke of Poison’s rasping voice rang out.

“How could we dare? We are but humble servants, ever obedient to the Council’s will,” the Illusionist responded, feigning fear. “This time, we only wish to repay Princess Liliana’s kindness for sparing our lives. Her mercy is something we have never forgotten. So, forgive our rudeness.” His words were courteous, but his actions betrayed no mercy. Silently, he unleashed his domain—“Nightmare”—engulfing the Mirror Master in its shadow.

“Damn you, mere Thirteenth Arbiter, so brazen!” The Mirror Master, caught in the Illusionist’s domain, lost all his usual composure.

“Princess Liliana, we’ll handle the Ninth Arbiter, Vivi and I. The Tenth Arbiter is being engaged by the Shadow Blade. You only need to face the remaining three. This is the best we can do—good luck.” With those words, the Illusionist and the Twins vanished into his domain. The Tenth Arbiter, the Musician, was quickly entangled by the Eleventh Arbiter, unable to break free. Truly, they had done all they could to aid me. Yet I could not fathom their motives—did they really act out of gratitude for being spared? I didn’t know, nor did I need to. All that mattered was that, for now, we were allies. That was enough.

“Since they have made their move, we cannot afford to waste any more time. I hope you will enjoy the gift I’ve prepared for you,” I said with a faint smile to the three remaining Arbiters.