Starlight Dream

Chapter 26

"I'm telling you, one was almost three meters tall!" Masato said, measuring the air for effect. "There I was, the corpses of at least fifty vampires scattered around me. But the damnable monsters kept coming, leaving me almost too exhausted to stand!"

Paper plates flew to the floor as Masato leapt onto the table. It almost couldn't manage his weight, and bent dangerously as the former thug paced along its surface waving his hands about in exaggerated gestures.

"They were almost too many to count! No way I could manage those fiends alone." Masato paused for dramatic effect. "But then he appeared, Paliah, the lone swordsman to the rescue. He joined me, and we fought back to back against the monstrous horde. Fists and blade ready for action!"

A cup splashed juice on a nearby wall as Masato accidentally kicked it aside. "He was a true hero, valiant and brave. But our foe proved too great, and we faltered under the weight of their furious attack! My friend collapsed to his knees, his injuries terrible after several blades pierced his chest!"

"But my new friend wasn't out of tricks! The vamps drove his back against the wall, his death seeming certain. Then Paliah flickered like a ghost, appearing a few steps from his terrible foes a few moments later! His odd power gave me the distraction I needed to charge the vampire horde from behind!"

"It routed our enemies. Somehow, we manage the impossible. Together, we finished the remaining vampires! We laughed in sheer disbelief that we'd overcome such a terrible foe, numbering in the hundreds! His work done, that brave hero gave his final farewells before vanishing from sight!" Masato paused, waiting for the applause. It didn't materialize, and his audience stared at him with blank expressions.

"What a bunch of crap!" Takako said, certain she'd surmised their feelings in a few, simple words. She didn't buy a word of that tall tale, its obvious holes too numerous to count. Heck, Takako doubted this Paliah even existed.

"Very succinctly put," Kiyojiro said, nodding.

"I feel dumber after hearing that story!" Colten added.

"Come on, guys! That's what happened!" Masato said in protest, going red-faced. "I've been training super hard. You underestimate how badass I've gotten since Seina vanished on that quest to Starlight Dream. I've become quite the distinguished vampire hunter."

Not wanting to justify that remark with a response, Takako returned to reading her manga. It had the President of the United States fighting monsters in the body of a Japanese teenage girl. It still seemed more sensible than Masato's story. Her other friends agreed with her, returning to their own private tasks.

"Come on, guys. I mean it!" When the former thug got no response, he sulked in the corner. "Seina would have believed me." He muttered.

"Still, he has a point in one area. Vampires are on the move again!" Colten produced a newspaper with a headline about an alarming increase in vampire attacks. They were getting bolder without the fear of Seina to keep them in check.

"And you want me to deal with it?" Takako asked, raising a head from her manga. Her tone told she wasn't enthused by the prospect.

"You're a magical girl! It is your job to fight evil." The fairy said, in a tone which suggested he was close to losing its patience. Kiyojiro gave an emphatic nod of agreement.

"Let that masked hero guy take care of them." The whole endeavor sounded like an annoying, tedious waste of time. But a disapproving frown creased Colten's mouth, making her reconsider.

"Okay, fine." Takako said, relenting. This manga was pretty dumb, anyway. Besides, she didn't want to face Seina if she returned to discover her home planet in ruins.