As the chastity curse activated, both Adele and Hermione cried out in pain. Adele’s cry was a sharp, piercing shriek, while Hermione managed to stifle hers, a low grunt escaping her lips.

Hermione, with her deep understanding of magic, immediately recognized the nature of the curse, the source of its power. A wave of anger and relief washed over her.

Anger, because the curse originated from Dorothy, not the Amaterasu twins.

Relief, because it meant that the twins, like herself, had been affected by the curse’s backlash. They hadn’t violated Adele, hadn’t inflicted any lasting harm.

It was a small mercy.

Hermione, despite the searing pain coursing through her veins, could have endured it, could have held Adele close. But to prove her love by hurting the one she cherished… that was a perversion of true affection.

With a grimace, she gently placed Adele on a nearby chair, breaking the physical contact and ending the curse’s backlash.

Adele gasped for breath, her heart pounding, her hand clutching her chest. But her gaze remained fixed on Hermione, filled with trust and admiration.

Hermione met her gaze, her own eyes soft with concern.

“Rest,” she said, her voice firm yet gentle. “I’ll handle this.”

Those simple words, spoken with such conviction, filled Adele with a sense of security.

“…Okay,” Adele whispered, nodding obediently. Her heart fluttered, her mind filled with images of Hermione, her A-game on full display.

It even sparked a few… inappropriate thoughts.

*If Hermione prefers to be the dominant one… maybe I could be her… you know…*

Under normal circumstances, Adele would never be so honest with herself. But the danger, the shared pain, had amplified her emotions, revealing a hidden vulnerability.

Perhaps being the pampered one, the one who was protected and cherished… wasn’t so bad after all.

And maybe her fingers wouldn’t get so tired… ?

Adele blushed, shaking her head. *What am I thinking?*

The griffon chick, perched on the table beside her, tilted its head, chirping softly.

Adele scooped it up, burying her face in its soft feathers.

“You greedy little thing!” she mumbled. “I can buy you fish snacks too! Don’t eat their food anymore! They’re bad people! Understand?”

“Meow?”

The griffon chick chirped, its head cocked in confusion. It probably thought, *How could someone who carries fish snacks and feeds stray cats be a bad person?*

But the reality was, some people could be kind to animals yet utterly ruthless towards their own kind.

Adele sighed. Trying to reason with a magical creature… she was the real fool here.

Hermione, facing the twins alone, held her own.

The classroom furniture became weapons in the twins’ hands, hurled towards Hermione with a combination of gravity and gravitational pull. But Hermione, manipulating the water pipes hidden within the walls, created a steady stream of ice, forming shields to deflect their attacks and launching icy projectiles in return.

But the twins had the advantage of numbers.

While Hermione was focused on casting a spell, Kuro and Shiro exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between them. They split their efforts, one defending, the other attacking, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Hermione couldn’t defend against Kuro’s close-quarters combat while maintaining her magical barrage. And if she focused on Kuro, she would leave herself open to Shiro’s gravitational attacks.

And Adele would be an easy target.

The tide of the battle turned, and Hermione found herself struggling to keep up.

Then, a burst of flames illuminated the room, catching Hermione’s eye. Surprise and gratitude warred within her.

Celeste had arrived, intercepting Kuro’s attack just in time.

But she didn’t even spare Hermione a glance.

“Don’t get any ideas,” she said coldly. “I’m only doing this for Adele. If she wasn’t here, I’d be on their side.”

In other words, if Adele wasn’t in danger, Celeste would have gladly joined the twins in taking down Hermione. But her loyalty to Adele trumped her desire for revenge.

It was a strange alliance, two sworn enemies united by their shared affection for a single girl.

“Celeste…” Adele whispered, her voice filled with emotion.

Celeste’s expression softened as she heard her master’s voice.

Hermione snorted, her pride still intact. But she wouldn’t be foolish enough to say something like, “I could protect Adele without your help.”

Adele’s safety was more important than her own ego.

Kuro and Shiro exchanged a wary glance.

Hermione was one thing. But who was this newcomer?

Celeste wasn’t powerful enough to intimidate them, but her arrival had addressed Hermione’s biggest weakness: being outnumbered.

And then, Tang Linlang joined the fray, rushing into the classroom with reckless abandon.

As a weak human, her presence here was an act of courage bordering on insanity. But she wasn’t here to help Hermione or Celeste. She was here to rescue Adele.

She had no love for vampires, regardless of their faction. Let them tear each other apart. All she cared about was Adele’s safety.

Once they escaped, Linlang would convince Adele to join the Student Council! It was the only way to protect her from the predatory vampires, to provide her with a powerful shield.

Of course, getting a half-vampire into the Student Council wouldn’t be easy. But Linlang would find a way. She would do whatever it took to ensure Adele’s safety.

“Stop… Linlang, stop!” Adele called out, her voice weak.

Linlang had already helped her off the chair, and if Adele didn’t protest, she would be carried out of the classroom, away from the danger.

But Celeste and Hermione were fighting for her…

She couldn’t abandon them.

They might not blame her, but she would never forgive herself.

She would stay.

She would share the burden, the danger, with her wives.