Tales of Andromeda: The Vampire Witch

In the afternoon of a typical day in the city, everything was calm as usual. The sounds of people walking through the market and children playing in the streets filled the air. But suddenly, a gunshot rang out, followed by screams.

"Everyone get down! Don't move!" A voice shouted from a group of armed men who had stormed into the city bank. They fired shots into the air to intimidate the public, their target being the money in the vaults.

Max and Piana, special unit officers of the city, were patrolling the nearby area. They received an emergency alert through their radio.

"They have hostages," Piana said excitedly as she ran with Max. "We need to get in there before things get worse."

"Listen," Max said firmly. "We stick to the plan. You don't do anything rash, understand?"

Piana nodded, though her heart was filled with worry. She knew she had to be cautious, but her desire to help the innocent made her anxious.

They sneaked to the back of the building. Max tried to report the situation through the radio to their superior, while Piana caught sight of a child trapped under a table in the lobby.

"Max! I'm going to help that kid," she whispered.

"No! Wait!" Max tried to hold her back, but Piana didn't listen.

She rushed out and cast a protective shield spell. A flash of light filled the room, causing the terrorists to panic and start shooting wildly. Max had no choice but to run out to protect her.

Finally, the explosion caused by Piana's magic mistake severely damaged the structure of the bank. The ceiling collapsed, and Max had to drag the child and Piana out of the wreckage.

After successfully rescuing the child, Max stood panting amidst the debris of the bank. Piana ran over to him, her face full of regret.

"Max... I'm sorry. I just wanted to help that kid..."

Max turned to look at her, his eyes filled with anger. "Help? You call what you did helping!? You ruined the whole plan!"

"I didn't mean to!" Piana tried to explain, tears starting to fall. "I just... I wanted to save lives!"

"Look around us!" Max pointed at the collapsed building. "If you'd listened to me, none of this would have happened!"

His words silenced Piana. She knew he was right, but the sting of his reproach left her speechless.

Max turned his back on her in disappointment and walked away from the scene.

Piana watched him leave, tears streaming down her face. She wondered if she would ever be able to regain his trust.

...

The sound of the airship's engine hummed softly as it landed in front of the old house. Piana stepped off the airship, sensing something was off. She hurried into the house.

What she saw when she entered was Max lying unconscious on the floor in the middle of the living room. She rushed to his side and kneeled next to him immediately.

"Max! Wake up!" She called, shaking him gently.

Max frowned, feeling a little dizzy before slowly opening his eyes. He saw Piana's face up close, her eyes full of concern. He was stunned for a moment before speaking softly. "Piana...?"

"Yeah, it's me. You're awake. That's great," Piana replied, letting out a sigh of relief.

Max tried to sit up, but the dizziness from being sprayed with knockout gas made him stumble slightly. "How did you get here?"

"I tracked your coordinates using the airship. I came to help you," Piana said straightforwardly.

Max paused for a moment before his memories of the past resurfaced, making him feel guilty right away. "Piana... I'm sorry," his voice was quiet but sincere.

Piana froze. She looked up at him, her eyes full of confusion. "Sorry for what?"

"Really sorry... for being angry with you when you were just trying to help everyone. I never listened to you that day..." Max closed his eyes tightly, his voice laced with regret.

Piana stayed silent, looking at him with a changed gaze before nodding slowly. "I'm sorry too. I should've listened to your warnings more."

Max gave a faint smile for the first time in years. "So... can we start over?"

Piana reached out her hand to help him up. "Of course... But you have to promise me that you won't act rashly again," she said with a small smile.

They looked at each other, and the relationship that had once been fractured seemed to begin mending. They walked out of the house together, ready to face the battle ahead... but this time, they wouldn't be walking alone.

…

Princess Zan, dressed in her magnificent golden armor, slowly descended from the star observatory tower with graceful steps. The sunlight reflected off her armor, glinting brightly, and the sound of her boots lightly tapping against the stone floor echoed in the quiet that enveloped the city.

Tae and Aém rushed toward her immediately, their faces filled with determination.

"The evacuation of the people from the safe zone is complete," Tae reported, his voice calm yet filled with careful consideration.

Princess Zan nodded in acknowledgment, her cold eyes scanning the still-silent city. "Good..."

"So, what's next?" Aém asked.

"We have one advantage," she said firmly. "They will come to us, so we have time to prepare additional plans..."

However, before her words could finish, an alarm sounded on Tae's watch. His expression changed instantly. "Laufey's coordinates... she's at the city gates now!"

Suddenly, the loud sound of Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang! echoed from the automatic machine guns at the city gates. The once-quiet city of Chopia was now filled with explosions and the sound of bullets firing from the gun emplacements.

A report came through the princess's earpiece. "They've arrived, Your Highness! They're trying to break through!"

"It looks like we'll have to fight," Aém said.

Princess Zan and Tae did not hesitate. Both of them immediately rushed to the scene.

The vampire prince's group appeared at the city gates. The roar of the bat demon reverberated through the air. Its giant, monstrous form led the enemy group. The bullets shot from the machine guns bounced off the creature's skin as if they were mere toys.

The vampire prince walked majestically behind the bat demon, as though he had no fear of anything, with the demon blocking the bullets for him.

The vampire witch floated above the ground, extending her hand to use her magic to lift the machine gun emplacements from their bases.

Clink! The gun emplacements rose from the ground before being hurled toward the bridge over the city's canal. Boom! A loud explosion followed, and debris scattered everywhere.

Princess Zan and Tae arrived at the scene just in time. Her eyes fixed on the situation before her as Tae took a deep breath. She immediately gave orders through her earpiece.

"Activate Aegis Nova now!"

"Understood, Your Highness!" The response from a female knight in the control room came through the earpiece.

The ground around the city began to tremble slightly as golden light began shooting up from the city walls in all directions. The light slowly spiraled upwards into the sky, resembling glowing vines intricately woven together. The light from the walls on every side converged at the center of the city. From a distance, the structure of a half-dome energy shield gradually emerged, like a golden eggshell slowly enveloping the city of Chopia.

The vampire prince and the witch stopped and looked up at the energy dome that was slowly forming in front of them. The golden light shimmered in their eyes, and the surrounding silence was replaced by the faint vibrations of the energy merging together.

The golden light shone brilliantly before gradually calming down, and the sound of the system fell silent. All that remained was the image of the city, now covered by the energy shield, standing as the last bastion before them...

"If you like it, please leave a five-star review!" Tae said, turning to look at Princess Zan.

…

The aroma of coffee filled the air, once a relaxing atmosphere now filled with tension. Nina stood behind the counter, her eyes fixed on the television screen mounted in the corner of the café.

Several customers sat quietly, their gazes fixed on the screen, which was broadcasting an emergency situation in the city of Chopia.

"This is live footage from the city of Chopia..." The female reporter's voice echoed. The aerial shot revealed a golden energy dome surrounding the city. The sound of explosions echoed in the distance, and the city seemed to tremble from the force of the blasts around the walls.

Nina's hand pressed unconsciously against the counter as she listened intently, worry etched on her face.

The scene shifted to the city gates, revealing the shadowy figure of a vampire witch floating above the walls. Her black cloak billowed in the wind as she held her hand out, a faint red magical glow emanating from her palm, seemingly preparing to strike at any moment.

Whispers filled the café, customers murmuring in shock, some even forgetting their coffee cups.

"Who is that witch? Things must be bad in Chopia!" A middle-aged man's voice broke the silence.

Nina stared at the screen, her eyes filled with anxiety. She whispered under her breath, "Please, let them be safe..."

The image shifted to a warplane within the energy dome, firing energy blasts at a massive bat demon.

"What in the world is that?!" The reporter's voice trembled with surprise.

The café staff turned to Nina with worried expressions. "Nina… isn't your Aém there?"

Nina bit her lip tightly, her eyes flickering with uncertainty. She took a deep breath and nodded faintly. "Yes... he's there."

The sounds of footsteps and soft conversations filled the café, but no one ordered more coffee. Everyone's focus remained on the screen, following the unfolding crisis in Chopia.

Nina turned back to the counter, her breath heavy. She gripped a coffee cup tightly, but her thoughts were consumed with Aém. She tried to calm herself, but the images of the battle on the screen only heightened her worry.

…

As the warplane hovered above, its cannons roaring, firing energy blasts at the bat demon that stood in front of the vampire prince. But suddenly, a blinding purple light shot up from below. The vampire witch floated above the ground, her hand extended, magic emanating from her palm, slamming into the side engine of the warplane.

Boom! Flames engulfed the left wing of the warplane, and the alarm blared. The pilot struggled to maintain control, but the damaged engine sent it spiraling toward the ground. Crash! The belly of the plane scraped the ground, the nose slamming into walls and buildings, sending debris flying.

The low growl of the bat demon filled the air. It sniffed the air forcefully, its red glowing eyes locked onto a distant observatory at the horizon. It immediately shot toward it.

"The sacred stone... it's there," the vampire prince said calmly but with confidence.

The vampire witch nodded before speeding off after the bat demon without hesitation.

…

As the bat demon and the witch charged forward, the vampire prince stopped suddenly. His red eyes gleamed with danger as he faced Princess Zan, clad in golden armor, who approached with regal poise. The long sword in her hand reflected the light from the energy dome surrounding the city. Beside her, Tae stood ready, holding a glowing nano-blade that resembled a laser.

The vampire prince smirked slightly before raising his hand in a taunting gesture.

Princess Zan immediately leaped toward him, her sword slashing down with speed and force almost too fast to see. The vampire prince nimbly dodged to the side. At the same time, Tae lunged from the other direction, swinging his nano-blade to block the prince's escape, leaving behind a trail of light in the air.

The vampire prince skillfully avoided the attacks, moving like a dancer. The sound of metal clashing with the ground rang out. Princess Zan spun around swiftly, slashing her sword again. The vampire prince leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the strike.

Tae seized the opportunity to close in on the prince, but the vampire prince ducked low and swiftly pivoted to the other side. Tae's nano-blade only grazed the air in a split second.

In that moment, the vampire prince saw the perfect opportunity. Though he was being attacked from two directions, he used his agility to avoid the strikes. He quickly reached for two energy pistols from his belt and fired them at Princess Zan and Tae simultaneously.

Bang! Bang! The energy blasts shot directly toward their targets.

The energy blasts hit Princess Zan squarely, sending her crashing backward to the ground.

Tae was also struck in the chest. He was knocked back, rolling several times, but the nano-armor he wore helped absorb the impact.

At the same time, the howling wind sliced through the air. Aém looked up and saw the bat demon and the vampire witch flying straight toward the observatory where he stood. His eyes narrowed before his hand moved instinctively.

Whoosh!

A fighter jet flew overhead just in time. Aém flicked his wrist, releasing synthetic webs that shot upward to latch onto the underside of the plane. His body was pulled swiftly into the air, heading straight for the bat demon, which bared its sharp fangs.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!...

Energy bullets from the jet fired at the bat demon. Aém saw Laufey, floating alongside the demon, and swung his body with the momentum of the web, shooting toward the vampire witch.

"Ninja Kick!"

Thud!

The tip of his foot struck Laufey's body with full force. The impact sent her flying, and both of them plummeted together, crashing down onto the houses below.

The sound of breaking wooden planks echoed loudly as the town, decorated with New Year's lights, began to collapse.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Aém swung downward but lost control. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

His body slammed into the giant paper dragon in the main square. "Ugh!"

The paper dragon shattered into pieces, sending paper flying. He tore through it before rolling out of the dragon's mouth, crashing hard into the ground.

"Ouch..."

He tried to push himself up, but before he could catch his breath, the vampire witch rose from the debris, brushing dust off her outfit. Her eyes glowed with fury.

"This is bad..." Aém gritted his teeth and dug his feet into the ground, preparing for the next attack.

But suddenly, the low rumble of an engine roared overhead. Aém glanced up and saw the airship hovering outside the dome. His eyes gleamed as his heart raced with hope. They had arrived!

Not far away, Tae and Princess Zan, who had just risen after being shot, also looked up. Their tense expressions softened into relief.

The vampire witch, who had been glaring at Aém, narrowed her eyes slightly before looking in the direction he was focused on. Her eyes trembled for a fraction of a second when she saw the airship, and her expression shifted from fury to uncertainty.

Meanwhile, the vampire prince stood still, observing the scene silently.

---

The airship swayed slightly in the wind. Piana gripped the controls tightly, her eyes fixed on the enormous energy dome, which shimmered before them.

As they reached their designated position, Piana reached for the side control panel, took a deep breath, and pressed the radio button.

"This is the Nobelo Airship, contacting control center. I'm above the city and request permission to enter."

The radio crackled faintly before a voice from the underground control center responded.

"Nobelo Airship?" The female knight monitoring the communication frowned. "Please confirm the secret code."

Piana glanced at the paper stuck to the control panel before reading the code aloud.

"Uh... X0218, requesting immediate entry."

There was a brief silence before the response came.

"Code confirmed... I'll inform Princess Zan now. Please hold on." The knight quickly pressed a button on the control panel and reported to Princess Zan, "Your Highness, the airship..."

"Open it now!" the princess ordered through her earpiece.

The female knight pressed her palm onto a control platform, and golden symbols appeared in the sky. Energy from the dome slowly parted, creating a gap just large enough for the airship.

Piana saw the opening and quickly moved the controls, pushing the airship forward. As the jet passed through the gap, the shield closed behind it, and the protective energy returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

Aém, watching the airship above, then glanced back at the vampire witch—but—

The vampire witch had vanished.

"She's gone!" Aém cursed, scanning the area.

In the split second that followed, Tae commanded the AI through his earpiece. "SUNDAY! Release ten drones. Nine will assist the fighter in dealing with the large target. One will search for Laufey's location. Get them!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A squadron of compact drones shot out from under the airship, and Piana watched through the cockpit window, excited.

"Wow! So cool!"

The nine drones spread out in a formation, heading toward the largest target in the sky—the giant bat demon.

---

"Hahhh!!!" It opened its wide mouth, its enormous body covering the sky. Its shadow blocked the sunlight as its giant claws lunged toward the fighter jet.

"We're going to get smashed!" The female knight in the jet panicked.

But before the beast's claws could touch the aircraft, the automatic machine guns on Tae's drone, which had just arrived, fired simultaneously.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Blue energy bullets shot out in bursts, piercing through the flesh of the bat demon!

Its roar shook the air, and its massive body staggered in mid-air before the impact from the bullets forced it to retreat.

One of the drones crashed full force into the side of the bat demon's face!

Boom!!!

The explosion sent vibrations through the air. Its gigantic body swayed sideways, losing balance in the air before stumbling and flapping its wings to retreat.

It roared loudly before turning back, looking for a place to hide from the swarm of drones still relentlessly chasing it!

Seizing the moment, Princess Zan swung her sword in a blur, blue energy flames flashing with the force of her swing. She charged directly at the Vampire Prince, aiming to strike him in the chest. But the Vampire Prince dodged just in time, his black cloak swishing with the movement as his body retreated, raising his gun to aim.

Bang!

A bullet shot out, but Princess Zan dodged it. Her feet moved swiftly, almost as if she were dancing on the wind. The tip of her sword reflected the sunlight. In one moment, she was in front of him, and in the next, she was behind. The Vampire Prince leaped into the air, twisting his body to avoid her slash.

The two battled fiercely, their movements as quick as lightning. Each side tried to land a hit, but neither could make contact. Every move was countered, every attack dodged—like a deadly dance without an end.

...

Piana stood up from the control panel, her eyes still focused on the aerial battle for a moment before she turned and walked to the back of the ship.

There, Max stood by the open door, a slight breeze blowing in.

"Got a broom?" Max asked casually.

Piana raised an eyebrow before bursting into laughter. "So old-fashioned! Who even uses brooms to fly anymore?"

Max turned to reply but—

Push!

"Hey!!" Max was startled and then...

"Aaaaghhh!!"

Max's body was shoved out of the airship by Piana, sending him tumbling backwards into the air!

Piana laughed lightly, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe. In reality, she had secretly opened a dimensional door earlier.

A glowing purple-blue circular portal hovered in the air below. As Max's body soared, he fell straight into it.

Whoosh! He rolled out from the other side of the open portal, now lying on his side, sliding along the ground.

"Ouch!"

Crash! He collided with a metal crate with a loud noise.

He looked up, gritting his teeth, and shouted, "Why not open it inside?"