Reincarnated as the Vampire Princess' Familiar
Chapter 39 - 38 - Escape for survival (2)

Chapter 39: 38 - Escape for survival (2)

Ginevra and I swiftly retreat from beneath the gaping chasm that has formed after the complete collapse of the staircase—a structure that once connected the ground floor to the highest levels of the dormitory, spanning over thirty floors. My sword’s upper half remains lodged in the wall, while its hilt—snapped from the blade during the desperate rescue attempt—lies discarded among the rubble.

We were convinced that, after witnessing our leap—and our survival—many other familiars from the upper floors would follow our example... but that wasn’t the case. Only a handful dared to throw themselves down, desperate to escape certain death at the claws of those small winged demons. As for the others—especially those who jumped from floors even higher than ours...

...God... I can’t even look... Their bodies hit the ground with a sickening thud, flesh and bones shattering on impact—their blood and viscera splattering onto me and Ginevra, leaving us frozen in sheer horror.

Others, those with greater mastery over Vis energy, manage to get away with it—if one can call it that—suffering severe fractures to their limbs. I couldn’t suppress a gag at the sight of shinbones piercing cleanly through the knees of an unfortunate familiar, nor at the sound of his agonized, gut-wrenching screams.

Lastly, those who jumped last managed to escape with barely a scratch, using the corpses of their fallen or immobilized comrades to break their fall.

After the bodies, even the rubble begins to rain down from above—likely caused by the collapse of part of the ceiling—kicking up a suffocating cloud of dust and debris that burns my lungs and stings my eyes. The stench of blood grows heavier, thickening into an unbearable nausea.

We now stand in the main atrium—on the ground floor—an immense hall with a large glass window overlooking the dormitory courtyard. Beyond it, towering walls separate us from the true battlefield, obscuring our view of the chaos outside. Yet, the deafening sounds beyond those barriers leave little room for doubt—explosions, agonized screams, howls resembling countless wounded dogs, followed by more explosions and shrieks, while bursts of red light tear through the dark sky.

The glass of the entrance door is stained with splashes of blood, its cracks spreading wider with each passing second. Every explosion shakes the dormitory’s structure, and I can’t help but wonder—will everything collapse at any moment, burying us alive before those damned demons even get the chance to rip us apart?

From the atrium, reaching the mess hall on the third floor is nearly impossible without stairs, but... if we were to use the pile of corpses amassed beneath the chasm, we might be able to climb up to the mess hall on the first floor and hope that Luke and Gerard are there. A macabre, revolting idea—just imagining using mangled bodies as a ladder churns my stomach—but with our survival on the line, now is not the time for hesitation or sentimentality. Besides, even if we wanted to, we don’t have any other options.

I suggest it to Ginevra, who agrees with an unexpected coldness—perhaps her determination to find the one she considers a brother is fueling her courage and clarity, keeping her from being shaken by anything, not even death.

But things—unfortunately—just keep getting worse.

From the gaping hole in the ceiling—the same one we fell through—small winged demons begin to swarm like bees from a disturbed hive, undoubtedly drawn by the crowd of familiars who have taken refuge in the mess hall. Their piercing, bone-chilling screams reverberate through the air, sharp and relentless. The blood-soaked lances they wield leave no doubt about the massacre that unfolded on the upper floors.

Shit! Those bastards, even though they’re swarming toward the mess hall on the first floor—packed with familiars—have spotted us. A few of them break away from the swarm, hurling themselves against us in pursuit.

Without a second thought, we channel every ounce of Vis energy in our bodies into our legs, propelling ourselves into a desperate sprint—abandoning any thought of searching for our two companions—as we rush toward the door leading to the basement, positioned at the exact opposite end of the atrium. The distance, though barely two hundred meters, feels impossibly vast, stretched by tension and the countless obstacles in our path—mostly collapsed concrete blocks and deep fissures in the floor.

Despite our speed—far beyond normal, fueled by adrenaline, fear, and the sheer human instinct to survive—it’s still not enough to outrun those creatures. With each passing moment, the gap between us shrinks at an alarming rate. The sharp hiss of their membranous wings beating in the air draws closer and closer, until I can feel the displaced air brushing against my neck. There are too many of them. Far too many. It’s like trying to outrun a swarm of furious wasps!

But their speed—already superior to ours—isn’t the only problem. The terrain itself plays a crucial role in this desperate chase, and not in our favor. Ginevra and I are forced to weave through fallen debris and deep cracks in the ground, each obstacle slowing us down dangerously. Meanwhile, those creatures glide effortlessly above us in a straight line, completely unimpeded by the chaos below.

For a moment, my heart stops—a shiver of icy terror shoots through me—as my foot lands on something slick—probably blood and viscera. I lose my balance, my body tilting backward, but before I can fall, Ginevra’s hand clamps around my wrist, yanking me back up with unexpected strength.

I don’t even have time to thank her before I’m once again in her debt... This girl never ceases to amaze me—she’s truly incredible! If it weren’t for her, I’d have died at least twice by now.

Every so often, I steal a glance behind me, just enough to confirm the inevitable—the little monsters are closing in fast. It’s during one of these fleeting looks that I spot one of them—the closest to me—hurling its small, razor-sharp lance straight at me.

The air whistles as the sharp metal grazes my face, slicing across my right cheek at point-blank range. Luckily, it’s only a superficial wound. A narrowly avoided disaster—if that lance’s trajectory had been even half a degree further left, I doubt I’d have escaped with just a scratch. But at the next attack... I might not be as lucky.

Fueled by sheer willpower and a stroke of luck, the metal door to the basement—our salvation—finally comes into sight, within reach, like a mirage in the middle of a desert.

«You focus on forcing the door open, I’ll hold them off!» I shout as a crimson aura of energy begins to condense around my right hand.

«Are you sure you can handle it?» she asks, concern in her voice.

«Just long enough for you to get that door open!» I reply firmly, turning around the moment we reach the small yet visibly heavy metal door.

Those little demons are mere steps away, their lances raised high, poised to strike. Their grotesque faces contort with hunger and malice, gaping mouths revealing thin, tightly packed rows of razor-sharp teeth, each one glistening with fresh blood. Their small, narrow eyes burn with a sinister green glow, filled with menacing intent.

I thrust my right arm forward, gripping my wrist tightly with my left hand, and... «BloodWord: Interius!»

From my palm, a blinding surge of crimson energy explodes outward, striking our pursuers head-on and blasting them back just enough to gain us a few precious seconds.

In an instant, the recoil hurls me backward. My back crashes against the wall with brutal force, and a searing pain tears through my body—it feels as if my vertebrae have shattered. I collapse face-down on the ground, paralyzed by the sheer agony, and a vomit of blood splatters from my mouth.

Fortunately, in the few seconds I managed to gain her, Ginevra’s strength was enough to force the door open—had it not been, we’d be doomed. Without hesitation, she wraps her arms around my torso and begins dragging me toward the doorway, her face contorted with strain and exhaustion, likely nearing the limits of her own strength as well.

But those little winged bastards are still very much alive—they took my attack head-on, suffering only minor burns, from which a nauseating, gelatinous greenish blood oozes. With even greater fury, they launch themselves at us once more, their rage only intensifying.

Shit... how is it possible that my most powerful spell couldn’t kill them, while Ginevra can take them out with a single punch? Am I really still this weak...?

A split second before our pursuers reach us, Ginevra yanks both herself and me past the threshold of the heavy metal door, slamming it shut with astonishing speed—despite its immense weight.

We now find ourselves on a small landing. I lie sprawled on the ground, every bone in my body screaming in agony, while Ginevra presses her back against the door, feet firmly planted, as an endless metallic clattering echoes from the other side—those creatures, as mindless as they are, are surely trying to break through with their lances. Still, from what I’ve seen so far, I doubt they have the physical strength to budge such a heavy door.

The lighting is barely holding on—only a few bulbs remain, flickering erratically, as if they could go out at any second. Even so, it’s just enough to illuminate the staircase beyond the landing, keeping us from stumbling blindly down the steps.

I take a deep breath of relief—at least for now, we’re safe.