Chapter 27: Under the Moon, the First Embrace — I Grant You My Name!

Yiluo existed in a strange state, as if dreaming, yet clearly conscious.

With the scenes constantly shifting before her eyes, she somehow became the girl within them, gradually losing herself.

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“Alice Victoria, you have been chosen by our Lord.”

“Chosen by the Second Holy Relic—the Holy Ring of Heavenly Judgment.”

“From today onward, you are one of the representatives of the Holy Church.”

“The Sword of the Church.”

“The Sword Saintess!”

The speaker’s face was blurry and indistinguishable, but a brilliant crown rested upon his head, and in his hand was a golden scepter.

Within the cathedral, countless high-ranking knights and bishops shouted, praising something she could not fully hear.

This was the beginning of the vision.

A girl named Alice, only ten years old, her eyes filled with religious devotion.

Before this, Alice’s memories were blank.

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“Saintess, please rest. You have been practicing for twelve hours.”

“No, Mother. My strength is too weak. I cannot punish evil as I am.”

“Saintess, your identity is too noble. Please stop calling me Mother. If they hear, we will both be punished.”

“My surname is Victoria, Mother.”

The beautiful woman wearing a silver crown looked upon Alice without emotion, then turned away wordlessly.

Alice held the Holy Ring of Judgment—taller than herself—and continued practicing sword swings alone beneath the night sky.

.

The scene shifted.

Fourteen-year-old Alice had grown into a graceful young woman, though still youthful.

She fought a massive magical beast alone.

Even drenched in blood, she continued to strike desperately until the beast fell.

She checked on the three severely wounded knights who accompanied her.

They could not be saved.

“My strength… is still not enough…”

Though she wielded the purest light and sacred energy—

Though she was blessed by the divine—

She could not use even a single healing spell.

Watching her knights die from untreated wounds, she cried for the first time.

She resolved to become stronger—
to protect those behind her with overwhelming offense.

At age fifteen, Alice broke through to the Heavenly Rank.

The youngest in history.

The greatest talent the Sword Saintesses had seen in a thousand years.

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Time passed.

Alice now looked identical to Yiluo, her figure even more refined.

She practiced sword swings in a vast training field.

Behind her, a pink-haired loli nibbled on a watermelon and complained:

“Little Alice, this practice is useless for you!”

“Come eat watermelon with your master! I can’t finish it!”

Alice ignored her master’s antics.

If ten thousand swings could make her 0.1 seconds faster—
she would do it.

“Little Alice, listen seriously.”

“Be careful of your superior. He’s extremely two-faced.”

“You advocating peace between humans and demi-humans slaps him in the face.”

“You’re too popular. If this continues, he’ll definitely try to get rid of you.”

Alice paused and replied calmly:

“The Pope is our Lord’s voice. He would not do such things. Master, please stop speaking improperly.”

The loli jumped up angrily.

“You idiot!”

“You’ve been brainwashed!”

“That stupid church doesn’t promote equality at all!”

“You’re not even a proper Saintess!”

“I won’t bother talking to you anymore!”

After that day, Alice never saw her master again.

.

More things happened.

Almost all involved battle and training—
the fate of a Sword Saintess.

Yet Alice remained human in small ways.

She liked pretty clothes.

She ate delicious food happily.

She disguised herself to wander cities.

She admired scenery and treasured small joys.

The dream’s final vision—

Alice led countless warriors to the Land of Sealing to slay the Vampire Demon King.

Her forces included the Church’s knights and priests, elite warriors from many nations, and demi-human fighters.

This vision was far clearer.

The first to die—

were the demi-human fighters from Green City.

Yiluo fully felt Alice’s anger, helplessness, and resolve.

Alice had reached Saint Rank, equal to the vampire lord in realm—

but their power gap was enormous.

Her allies turned to dried husks beside her, one by one.

Yet she could not defeat the vampire girl quickly.

Her own body accumulated wounds.

After twelve hours of brutal combat, Alice finally stabbed the Holy Ring of Judgment into the vampire girl’s heart, pinning her to stone.

Divine light and blood mist clashed violently.

She had long exhausted her energy—even her life force.

Yet she held the vampire girl down for twenty-four more hours through sheer will.

Eventually, the relic consumed Alice entirely.

Her life faded.

But her body remained pressed upon the sword.

Until—

A blade pierced her heart from behind.

The one who stabbed her—

Was the Night Knight, Hesper Gladys.

One of the eight survivors—
saved only because he hid behind Alice.

The vision ended.

Yiluo awoke in a barren void.

Across from her stood a girl in a simple white dress.

Alice.

Identical face.

More mature figure.

“Why did you show me this?”

The memories felt lived—too real.

Alice did not turn.

“You now carry all of my energy… even more than I once had.”

“At this level of resonance, I did not show you anything.”

“You wanted to see it.”

Yiluo frowned.

“You saw my memories too, right?”

“I couldn’t refuse.”

Yiluo felt like an intruder—
a thief stealing another’s life.

But she also knew—
Alice would never try to erase her.

“Right now, I am only one of your authorities.”

“I cannot control your body.”

“Nor… can I accept who I am now.”

The barren void reflected Alice’s heart.

Her faith had betrayed her.

She had nothing left to seek.

Yiluo asked desperately:

“How much time has passed?”

“What’s happening outside?”

“I must save Coco!”

“What do I do!?”

Alice looked upward.

“I am at my limit…”

“When my energy fades…
the bloodline I’ve been suppressing
will be freed…”

Yiluo panicked.

“Speak clearly—!”

Her vision went black.

Her mind spun.

When she opened her eyes—
she was back in Green City.

The city glowed like daytime.

The furious knights now trembled in fear.

Some knelt, begging for mercy.

Yiluo’s awareness expanded unnaturally.

She could feel the entire city.

Every soldier.

Every heartbeat.

Immortal Rank.

The Holy Ring of Judgment in her hand carried energy strong enough to illuminate half the continent.

The legendary Ninth Rank.

Even the vampire lord had not reached it.

Alice—
this is your guidance?

There was no reply.

Very well.

As you wish.

Lumbarte was already dead.

But one more—

must die.

Yiluo raised her sword.

A divine calamity condensed in her hand.

She swung.

Three arrows’ debt—

must be repaid.

Radiant Knight Aransa, who wounded Coco—
must die.

Aransa fled a kilometer away.

But he looked back—

and saw golden light descending.

“Oh—NO!!!!”

He and his griffin evaporated.

Boom————

The false daylight vanished.

Earth split.

A hundred-meter-wide abyss divided Green City.

The ancient fortress collapsed.

Most buildings fell.

Countless civilians and believers died.

The Elva Empire’s border fortress—
was gone.

“Oh god—!”

“I survived!”

“I’m leaving! She’s a devil!”

Nearby knights fled.

Hard roared:

“STOP!”

“Her energy is gone!”

“She is weakest now!”

“Kill her!”

But the knights, having witnessed divine wrath, did not return.

“Damn it!”

Only a handful remained.

“Charge!!”

“Charge!!”

Yiluo stood silently.

Holding the dim Holy Ring of Judgment.

“Ah… so that’s it…”

“You… were already blood clan…”

“You hated what you became…”

“You couldn’t accept yourself…”

Crimson mist rose from her feet.

Her pale-gold hair turned silver.

Her blue eyes bled into red.

Hard and the knights didn’t even reach her—

They were drained into dry corpses.

Even the griffin.

Yiluo felt the burning in her body intensify.

Her wounds healed.

Her body shrank—
like a young girl.

“Hahaha…”

Her beauty sharpened.

Her laughter echoed across the sea of corpses.

“So the hunger was for blood?”

“This body craves blood!”

“Demon King Rank—Nightfall!”

Knowledge flooded her mind.

Her power—

upper-tier Demon King Rank.

“No one who has seen me like this can live.”

Thunder roared.

Crimson mist engulfed the city.

Then Yiluo approached Coco.

She knelt and held the unconscious girl gently.

Her madness faded.

Only tenderness remained.

She lifted her pale wrist—

and bit it.

A drop of golden blood slipped into Coco’s lips.

The First Embrace.

The ability of high-ranking blood clan.

Creating kin.

It weakened the giver—
but Yiluo did not hesitate.

Coco stirred.

Her hair turned silver.

Her body matured to a 15–16-year-old’s.

Her maid uniform strained.

Her skin flushed red.

“Hot…
So hot…”

Her hands clutched Yiluo.

Her ears twitched.

Yiluo stroked her forehead and deepened the wound.

Coco’s eyes opened—
pure crimson—

She lunged and drank Yiluo’s blood desperately.

Yiluo held her like a child.

After a while, Coco whispered between gulps:

“Coco… feels strange…”

“So hot…”

“Master’s blood… so sweet…”

“I shouldn’t… but I can’t stop…”

Yiluo whispered:

“It’s fine. Drink until it doesn’t hurt.”

Coco trembled.

“Coco… can’t… but… but…”

“Master’s blood… I can’t endure…”

Yiluo sensed Coco’s emotion.

The attachment.

The guilt.

The longing.

Yiluo knew what she must do.

“Coco.”

“From today onward.”

“By my authority as your master—
I grant you a surname.”

“From today—
you are Yi Coco.”

Coco froze.

Her cravings halted.

She lifted her head slowly—

Tears in her crimson eyes—

“Yi… Master…”

“Really?”

“Coco… can be Yi Coco?”

“Coco can… have a surname?”

Yiluo wiped the blood from her lips.

“Yi Coco.”

“My exclusive maid.”

“I—Yiluo—never lie.”

“Ha… haha…”

Coco laughed through tears.

“My master… Miss Yiluo… is a big liar…”

“But…”

“Thank you… for your blessing.”

“Yi Coco swears—
upon her life—
to forever remain by her master’s side.”

Yiluo looked at the moon.

“I am Coco’s master.”

“Her safety is mine to protect.”

“If the Holy Church rejects us—
I will destroy it.”

“If the entire continent rejects us—
I will rule it.”

Coco stared at her master—
bathed in moonlight like starlight.

She believed every word.

“Master… where do we go now?”

“Chaldea Academy.”

“The academy bold enough to enroll demons openly.”

.

.

.

Deep in the sealed land’s ruins—

Crimson mist swirled.

A golden-haired loli rose from the ground.

In a crimson Gothic dress—

Silver fangs gleaming—

“Though I fell from peak Demon King Rank to mid-tier…”

“Lilimya has revived at last!”

“Alice…”

“That damned Sword Saint…”

“That violent monster…”

She stomped bones furiously.

Then rubbed her feet.

Then—

“Urgh—!”

She vomited nothing.

She sat on a rock, face dark.

“To think a mere human left a shadow in my heart…”

“You are not my kin—
but my blood flows in you.”

“I can find you easily.”

“Wait…”

“Wait for me…”

“Once I drink stronger blood…”

“The blood of champions…”

“I will find you…”

“And I—Lilimya Dracula—

the rightful blood emperor heir—

will bring you endless torment!!!”

The crimson mist surged.

She vanished.

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End of Volume One.