In the wake of the unbelievable phenomenon that had bent the very laws of the world, a profound stillness settled over the plaza.
The remaining eight hundred and fifty Carmilla vampires, now stripped of their predatory nature, began to move with a hesitant newfound lightness. One by one, they shed their heavy black coats, allowing the morning sun to touch their skin without the fear of turning to ash.
They stood blinking in the brilliance, embracing the warmth as if they were seeing the world for the first time.
Jay moved through the crowds of survivors, systematically repeating the process for the remaining dhampirs.
With a pulse of the Grail's power, he purged the lingering darkness from their blood, turning them into humans completely.
Once the transformation was finished, the former monsters and the once-captives began to mingle.
The line between predator and prey had vanished, replaced by the shared necessity of survival. Many of the former Carmilla vampires, eager to prove their utility or perhaps seeking a distraction from their sudden mortality, began assisting Griselda, Lavinia, and Mirana in preparing a massive communal meal.
While the bustle of recovery continued, Jay retreated to the corner of the plaza.
He sat alone on a piece of jagged stone debris, a simple wooden bowl of soup in his hands.
Jay had changed into a clean grey sweater and black trousers retrieved from his dimensional pocket, as the autumn Romanian air remained biting despite the high sun. He ate slowly, his gaze fixed on the steam rising from the bowl, momentarily enjoying the quiet that Lavinia's cooking provided.
His solitude was eventually interrupted by a woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties.
She wore a modest black dress, her long white hair contrasting with the deep brown of her eyes.
It was Ernesta Carmilla, the former Queen of the Carmilla faction. Without her regal aura and the weight of her dark magic, she looked strikingly human, though her grace remained intact.
"Mr. Illya, may I speak with you for a moment?" she asked, stopping a respectful distance away.
Jay looked up, his expression neutral. "Sure. No problem."
"I have been discussing your words with my people," Ernesta began, her voice steady but soft.
"If we cannot live as we once did, and if our presence here is a reminder of a dark past, we have reached a decision. We wish to follow you. Even though our blood magic and darkness have been stripped away, we will learn human magic. We will strive to be useful to you."
Jay paused, a spoonful of soup halfway to his mouth. He considered her offer for a long moment before setting the bowl aside.
"I actually have a better idea," Jay said.
"And what is that?" Ernesta asked, her brow furrowing slightly.
"I had actually planned to create a sanctuary for these people." Jay explained, gesturing toward the hundreds of survivors.
"A sanctuary?"
"I want to build an institution... not just for them, but for another victims who lose their homes to the supernatural world. This includes your people as well, as they are now as powerless as any other human." Jay explained.
He then looked at Ernesta.
"And because of that, I want you to take charge in my stead as Headmaster… a place that will be a school, a home, and above all, a place where they can truly live their best lives."
Ernesta widened her eyes, her breath catching.
"But… why me? I'm sorry, but I don't think I deserve a position like this after everything."
"You don't, but you are the most suitable person for this position right now based on your experience, as I still have a lot of things to do elsewhere," Jay continued, standing up.
"But I will visit often enough to ensure things are running correctly. You won't have to worry about moving to another country either as i plan to build the place right here in Romania, specifically in the Maramures region."
"A place to live..." Ernesta muttered, the weight of the proposal sinking in.
Then, her gaze faltered.
"But you said our sins will never be forgiven. Do you truly believe these people will accept me? I am the one who caused many of them to lose their homes in the first place. And now to live with them..."
"I don't know," Jay said bluntly. "That is your job to figure out."
Ernesta bit her lip, looking toward the survivors who were currently sharing bread with her former subjects.
"I believe this is the only way you and your people can prove that their forgiveness was not misplaced," Jay added, his dark hazel eyes locking onto her brown ones.
"Will you do it?"
After a moment of tense silence, a small, resolute smile touched Ernesta's lips.
And then she nodded firmly.
"Yes. I will."
"Then it is agreed. Inform your people of my word. We will be moving soon, but I have a few matters to attend to first. We will discuss the details of the infrastructure, the organization, and other details later."
Jay extended his hand, and Ernesta took it.
They shared a brief, firm handshake that sealed the future of the Institution, a sanctuary for all who had lost their homes in this cruel and unforgiving supernatural world.
Without another word, Jay finished the last of his soup and walked past her toward the center of the plaza.
He noticed Dulio a short distance away, surprisingly adept at entertaining the survived children.
The Brave Saint was surrounded by kids, his usual laid-back demeanor making him an instant favorite among those who had forgotten how to laugh.
Jay eventually found his way to the fireplace where Griselda, Lavinia, and Mirana were gathered. As he approached, Lavinia stood up and reached for his empty bowl.
"Illya-kun, how was the soup?" she asked.
"It was good, Lavi. Thank you." Jay replied.
"I'm glad to hear that. Griselda-san and Mirana-san also helped. Oh, I just realized the two of you haven't been formally introduced yet," Lavinia said, gesturing toward the ash-blonde woman.
"This is Mirana. She's from Russia."
The woman stepped forward with a polite, measured smile.
"Thank you for your effort in protecting us, Ilya. My name is Mirana Shatarova. I am a sestra of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is a pleasure to meet you." Mirana used the formal Russian patronymic for Jay's name and offered him a slight bow.
Jay nodded. "Zayyn Illya Kovalenko. Nice to meet you."
"I'm sorry for asking but... Are you perhaps of Ukrainian descent, Ilya?" Mirana asked, her interest piqued by his name.
"I don't remember my parents. But probably, yeah," Jay said.
"I-I am sorry for asking."
"There is no need to be," Jay replied, waving his hand. He turned his attention back to Lavinia.
"Lavi, I think it is time we check on Glenda's condition. Gasper and Valerie must be waiting for us as well."
Lavinia's smile faded instantly.
The mystery of Glenda's condition weighed heavily on her. This was not a simple case of a displaced soul, there was a fundamental wrongness to her Master's state that went beyond her understanding.
"Should I ask Seraph Gabriel for her help in examining Oshishou-sama?" Lavinia asked.
"No," Jay said, shaking his head. "The Grail has the power to extract information from the target. It should be able to identify the problem."
In truth, Jay's disappointment with the Seraphs' stance during the entire ordeal with the Carmilla faction still lingered. He preferred to rely on his own methods.
"Alright," Lavinia agreed. She turned to the other women.
"Griselda-san, Mirana-san, Illya-kun, and I will be gone for a short while. We'll return soon to bring back the children and the others. Could you watch over them for us in the meantime?"
"Of course, Lavinia," Griselda said, standing up with a grateful smile.
Her eyes then drifted to Jay.
"And Zayyn-san... I wanted to ask. Do you remember the girls and the trainee exorcists you saved while they were fighting the Manthar Nobles a few months ago?"
Jay raised an eyebrow. He hadn't used his Incinerate Anthem or revealed his identity during that skirmish. "How did you know about that?"
Jay raised his eyebrows for a moment. How did she know? He hadn't even used his Incinerate Anthem in front of them at the time, nor had he revealed his face. He decided it probably had something to do with the Durandal... maybe some of his mana had lingered there.
He then nodded.
"Of course, the blue-haired girl and the brunette. What about them?"
Griselda then bowed.
"I want to formally thank you for saving them," she said, a grateful smile on her face. "They are my precious disciples, and one of them... the blue-haired girl is actually my daughter. Without you, I don't know what would have become of them."
"No problem," Jay said, his voice turning characteristically blunt.
"But that incident was entirely your fault. You should never have sent a bunch of kids to fight an opponent that far exceeded their combined experience and power."
Griselda didn't flinch, but admitted her fault instead. "I know. We realized that it was our grave mistake to not thoroughly investigate the mission level and to overestimate our young exorcists," she said.
"Ara~," Lavinia teased, "talking like that… aren't you just as young as them, Illya-kun? You sound like you didn't just go and kill one of the legendary Evil Dragons."
"Eh... How old are you exactly, Ilya?" Mirana asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Fourteen," Jay answered, as if stating the time of day.
The silence that followed was absolute. Mirana's jaw dropped, and Griselda blinked in stunned disbelief.
"F-fourteen!? Ehhhhh!" Mirana gasped.
"You must be joking!"
"Fourteen you said..." Griselda whispered, leaning against a nearby crate. "That means you are only a year older than Xenovia and Irina. Oh, Heavenly Father."
Mirana turned her gaze toward Lavinia, squinting suspiciously. "Then Lavi, don't tell me you are just as young."
"No, I am slightly older," Lavinia laughed. "I am seventeen actually~."
"You are both still children," Mirana groaned, slumping slightly on her enormous chest.
"Longinus users are truly in a league of their own. It makes me feel ancient."
Jay sighed at the turn the conversation had taken.
"Lavi, we're leaving."
"Okay~!"
After a brief farewell, a bluish magic circle formed beneath their feet, and they vanished in a flash of light.
A short while later, Michael, Gabriel, and Uriel returned to the plaza after finishing restoration work in the outlying sectors.
"Has Illya-san and Lavinia-san gone somewhere?" Gabriel asked, looking around.
"Michael-sama, Gabriel-sama, Uriel-sama…" Both Griselda and Mirana bowed. "As for Zayyn-san and Lavinia, they had a matter to attend to," Griselda reported. "They said they would return for the survivors shortly."
"I see," Gabriel murmured.
"By the way, have the three of you eaten yet?"
***
In a quiet, spacious hotel room in the heart of the Bucharest, Valerie Tepes lay resting on a plush bed.
Beside her, Glenda remained in a deep, unnatural sleep.
While Gasper sat in a chair next to Valerie, who was already improving and could speak more words than before, though for now she was resting quietly while he watching over her.
Gasper looked at Valerie's face, her features softening as she rested, and for a moment he let himself drift into memories.
He remembered following Jay as he slaughtered the Tepes Nobles one by one, watching him strike each of them with ruthless precision and strength that left Gasper in awe.
Oddly, he wasn't afraid of him. Despite the cruelty and ruthlessness of his actions, Jay had become a hero in Gasper's eyes.
Now, as he sat quietly beside Valerie, Gasper waited patiently for their return, his mind a mix of worry and trust, confident that they would come back soon.
And suddenly,
Knock Knock
He was jolted out of his thoughts by a sharp knock at the door.
Gasper's face lit up with excitement. "Ah, it must be Illya-san and Lavinia-san!"
He hurried to the door and pulled it open, his greeting ready. "Welco-"
The words died in his throat.
Standing in the hallway were two familiar faces, a beautiful young girl with crimson hair and another with long black hair. Behind them stood a beautiful, silver-haired woman in a refined maid's outfit.
It was Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima, along with another woman Gasper didn't recognize.
The moment Rias saw him, her eyes welled with tears. She rushed forward and pulled the small boy into a tight, desperate hug.
"Gasper! Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" Rias sobbed, clutching him to her chest.
"Why did you run away? Why didn't you come to me?"
Gasper stood frozen in her embrace, his small hands hovering uncertainly in the air.
"Uhm..."