The Soul Oath

The Soul Oath is a kind of covenant in which both parties stake their very souls. Because it literally binds the soul itself, the oath carries absolute coercive power. You have no choice but to obey its terms without exception. That was why Luna and I were about to form one. Between two people who had only just met, it was the only way to create any measure of trust.

“Hey, I’m done writing. Take a look.”

Luna seemed to have finished transcribing everything onto the parchment. I decided to review it.

“I’ll check the contents now. One moment.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Hmm. She had written the terms quite generously. Since I was the one asking for the favor, I had expected her to draft something unreasonable and simply tolerated it. But this was fine. No—in fact, it seemed far too favorable to me. As long as I kept her identity secret, every action that could endanger my life would be completely blocked off. The conditions were written far too advantageously for me.

But Silia? So her name wasn’t Luna after all?

In the end I couldn’t hold back my curiosity and asked her directly.

“Silia? That was your name?”

“...What about it? The oath requires your real name. If it’s missing, the covenant won’t activate. And what’s wrong with my name anyway?”

“Nothing. I was thinking it’s a beautiful name.”

It really was. I wasn’t lying. Still, there was so much I didn’t know. Well, the original game hadn’t revealed every piece of information either. Come to think of it, I vaguely remembered an expansion pack being announced a few days before I possessed this body.

While I was lost in thought, Silia—who looked slightly flustered—raised her voice.

“W-what? Forget it. Just stamp it already!”

“Understood. But, Silia.”

“What? What is it this time?”

It was just that the terms seemed excessively in my favor. I had wanted to ask.

“I was wondering if the conditions weren’t too advantageous for me.”

“If you don’t like it, change it. I try to be nice and you still complain…”

“No. We’ll leave it as it is.”

There was no need to alter it. If she said so, then so be it.

Now all that remained was to stamp the seal. I retrieved the knife I had bought earlier from my Inventory.

At the sight, her eyes widened like a cat’s.

“Is this your first time seeing a subspace pouch?”

“No, it’s not that. It just feels… alien somehow.”

As expected, a vampire’s senses could not be deceived. I did find it strange myself, but the function had been there from the beginning and I had simply decided it didn’t matter much.

Anyway, I gripped the knife and made a shallow cut on the tip of my thumb. Crimson blood began to well up.

The covenant would be completed once we stamped the seal with each other’s blood and burned the parchment with fire.

“Silia, here. You need to do this too, don’t you?”

“I’m fine. I can use my nail.”

Excuse me? She was going to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tear it open with her fingernail? Her way of thinking really was different, as expected of a vampire. Then again, there was no way a high-quality body like Silia’s—half-vampire or not—would be cut by a cheap knife like this. A vampire’s physique was exceptionally tough.

She transformed back into her original appearance and used a sharp nail to make a small incision on her own thumb.

All vampires basically possessed crimson eyes and hair in shades of white. Some had silver hair close to gray, while others, like Silia, had hair as pure white as snowflakes. I hadn’t been able to look properly earlier because everything happened so suddenly, but seeing her again, she really was beautiful. No—breathtakingly so.

That proud aura radiating from her snowy hair paired with the seductive crimson of her eyes. Seeing it in the flesh was genuinely moving. Possessing this body had been worth it after all.

Back to the matter at hand. Now we had to form the seal. I supposed any method would do as long as the seal was completed.

“Silia, once we form the seal and stamp it, there will be no turning back.”

“I know. Just give me your hand. Let’s finish this quickly.”

Silia took my bleeding hand and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠began shaping our fingers into a specific form.

‘This is…’

It was the same gesture we used to make when promising something as children—linking pinkies and finishing with a thumb stamp. What a nostalgic memory. To think it could form a magical seal as well. So simply touching our blood together was enough.

While I stared at our joined hands, Silia spoke.

“Don’t stare so blatantly. It’s embarrassing. As long as the seal forms, it doesn’t matter how.”

“I know.”

“Still… your hand is really rough. Calluses everywhere, and so many scars. Are all boys’ hands like this?”

“Ah, I’m sorry,” she said, apologizing. It was true that Vern’s hands were rougher and more scarred than most boys his age. He had lived a harsh life from a young age, so it was only natural.

By contrast, her hand was so soft and warm that it was hard to imagine it belonged to someone who carried a painful past. Her hand was so small. The thought of a girl with such delicate hands dying was truly…

Silia. I want to see you smile. You have the right to live an ordinary life. Yes, I’ve made up my mind. This is my new goal—saving my favorite character.

I hope everyone on the path I walk can smile. That includes her.

Anyway, it was time to stamp the seal. We released our hands and pressed our bloody thumbs onto each signature line. The blood-red imprint dyed the letters on the parchment a deeper crimson. A strange atmosphere spread from the document, and I thought I could see faint purple energy drifting around it. So this was black magic.

To finish, I created a flame of magical power. Blue fire bloomed. I brought the parchment to the flame. The edge caught fire, and after a short while the entire document burned away. The ashes that remained seeped into our right wrists. A black brand now marked our skin. The oath appeared to have been successfully established.

“Silia, the Soul Oath seems to have been completed without issue.”

“I guess we won’t have any reason to meet again.”

“It won’t necessarily be that way.”

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

“What do you mean?”

“We’re both students at the same academy. We’ll see each other often.”

“Often? What are you talking about?”

Of course we would meet often. She was in danger. A terrorist organization had her in their sights. Did she think I would just leave her alone?

“Why did you enroll in this academy?”

“...”

“I don’t know your full circumstances, but there must have been a reason.”

“Ha, this is ridiculous. Are you stupid? We’ve only just met. Who do you think you are? I’m a vampire! A demon! For all you know I came here to kill everyone!”

“If you intended to kill them, you would have done ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it already. The fact that you spared me told me you aren’t the kind of person who would do such a thing.”

“That’s… I could still be a member of Requiem, you know?”

“No. Earlier you were being attacked by one of Requiem’s executives. Therefore you are neither an executive of Requiem nor a monster sent to massacre everyone here.”

“...”

“You’re simply an ordinary person. In that sense, Silia, would you perhaps like to join a clu—”

“...The oath is finished, so I’m leaving.”

With a flutter, Silia transformed into a bat and flew out the window.

She just left? What about me? I had been about to use my veteran technique of surprise club recruitment. Guess I would have to head back alone. Being by myself in here felt oddly eerie. It was almost eleven already. I should return to the dormitory quickly. I had to work my part-time job again starting tomorrow morning. There was still so much to do.

Today I would go back and rest without doing anything else. What an exhausting day.

A cool breeze blew across me where I stood alone in the classroom. It was the refreshing spring wind coming through the window Silia had left open. When I looked up at the sky outside, it was as peaceful as ever. Tiny stars glittered in a cloudless expanse.

Silia had been like a star shining in the night sky. If anyone tried to trample on that girl’s future, I would trample them just the same.

A half-vampire girl who wished for ordinary life. Something everyone else took for granted, yet she had never been allowed to have. Yes—normalcy was her life’s goal, her dream. I hoped she would live long enough to achieve it.

The wind blew once more.

Monday morning and he was already here making me tired.

“Silia, join the club.”

Ha, seriously… Should I just kill him?