We can sense the deadly energy wielded by the undead. If you concentrate on it, you can sense it pretty far away, but we don't usually sense that wide of an area, and it's not that accurate. So if you go from city to city without causing ............ damage, there's not much chance of being caught.

　The sun is setting again. As usual, he crawled out from under the ground, greeted Senri who was waiting for him, and exchanged information as he prepared to leave.

　Senri's information was worth a thousand gold pieces. The book the Lord was carrying was written from the human perspective and did not contain any information about the abilities of the Demise Knight. Perhaps it wasn't something that was generally known. Perhaps the Lord knew about it, but I was not given the knowledge.

　Knowing your enemy is necessary to protect yourself. I was fatally lacking in knowledge.

　Perhaps we should have discussed this first.

　Now that I've had some of Senri's blood and my blood-sucking urges have subsided, I understand how close I came to being consumed by madness yesterday.
　If I were sane, I would not have told Senri that I was going to uncover Ru's grave, and I would have known, without needing to do the math, that it was too far to run.

　He was slowly losing his mind without even realizing it. He was saved by Senri's kindness, but it was a very close call.

It's ...... exactly how far away can you sense?

　I'm not sure.

...... I don't know. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's possible to get within range of a medium-sized city if you give it your all. I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.

"What about Senri's master?

The ...... master is ............ exceptional. If he really wanted to, he could sense this place from the engae.

　I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It's a long way from the city of Engay to here. I've been walking through the night for nearly twenty days.
　Even though I was not in perfect physical condition, the distance I walked was not that of a city or two.

　I was astonished at how ridiculously strong I was, but Senri said quietly.

But don't worry. We don't usually do that level of sensing. Detecting a large area consumes a lot of blessings, and the larger the area, the more undead will be caught and lost.

Are there a lot of undead on ......?

"There are ....... Some are created by necromancers, some are naturally occurring.

　Her voice was the same as before, but it sounded as if she had been blown away.
　She's on my side. She's trying to understand me. At least we're closer than ever.

　A vampire and a demise knight. They're still adversaries, but Senri doesn't seem to be a very good actor.
　She's going to teach me how to survive in safety. I won't have to worry about being destroyed out of the blue. As long as I don't become an enemy of humanity.

I think we should head for the city.

...... I need to get my gear. I came here in a hurry and left my stuff behind. ............ I'll wear clothes that won't get dirty, but I'll need a change of clothes.

　Senri is always dressed the same. She's been bathing when I'm not looking, so she doesn't look that dirty, but she's probably not prepared for a long escape.
　My belongings were also scavenged from the wreckage of the Lord's mansion, so I can't say that I have much to offer. My cloak has also fallen into disrepair. My body regenerates, but my clothes do not.

　I also need a watch. I'd also like to see the city if possible. Am I being too greedy?

Demise Knights are few and far between. We're always shorthanded. We operate in platoons. We have enemies. If it's a small town, ...... there shouldn't be any.

"What about vampire hunters?

　I'm sure the demise knights aren't the only enemies of the undead.
　I'm not sure what to make of that. I stared at her, and she seemed uncomfortable saying it.

They go ...... everywhere, but basically, they don't move unless they're asked to. Stray vampires are ............ not worth the money.

"I see. ......

　To them, vampires are no different from prey to be hunted. It's a tough prey because it turns to ashes when you kill it, and unlike hexenbiests, you can't strip it of its materials.
　Strictly speaking, the relationship between a vampire and a vampire is like that between a bounty hunter and a bounty hunter.

　Whether you want to be friends with them or not, they are much easier to understand than Senri, who is driven by compassion.

　I wonder if the look on Senri's face, as if he's looking at something painful, is because he's worried that I'll be shocked.
　It's a needless worry. I know I'm not a human being.

　I will not be shocked if you tell me again how you see me now.

　He laughs and says relievedly.

"That's ............ a relief.

"............Yes. Relief.

　He was prepared to have no one on his side. He was prepared to have no one on his side, and he knew how much he would be saved just by having Senri on his side.
　He was full of strength. The fangs that had been carved into his arms were no longer there. The heat that had smoldered in the depths of his thoughts was gone, and the vision of the Lord that had looked down on him like the Grim Reaper was gone. It was as if he had been reborn.



　We're going to leave the forest and go through the meadow. But before that, I had a proposal to make to Senri.
　He readied himself and turned to face Senri, who was covering the remains of the fire with earth.

　It's okay. You have to trust Senri. It's for the best now.
　He takes a deep breath and looks into those purple eyes.

I think I'm going to run as fast as I can ............ because I know there will be people after me. Hold back your blessings--will you ride on my back?


§



　With a single step, I accelerated incredibly. Feeling the strong resistance of the air all over my body, I moved through the air for a dozen meters.
　Without a doubt, I was now much faster than I could ride a horse.

　There was nothing to stop me, as the grass stretched as far as the eye could see. Below me, I could see herds of black beasts that I had never seen before, and their shining eyes, but I continued on past them all.
　A supple arm was wrapped around my neck and folded in front of my body, holding me tightly.
　I can feel Senri's heartbeat as he rides on my back, close to me. It cools down the omnipotent feeling that fills my brain.

　I can feel the softness of her touch squeezing my back, and the faint heat of her breath tickling my ears.

　I could smell the sweet, fragrant scent of blood. A thrilling sensuality coursed through my brain.
　She's like living fruit to a vampire. If a vampire saw me now, he'd be too envious to resist the urge.

　Senri held back his blessing so as not to kill me, and talked to me while I clung to him.

The endurance and physical capabilities of vampires far exceed those of ...... humans. Fatigue is almost non-existent. Vampires are said to be the gateway to what the ...... primordial necromancers consider the ultimate undead.

"Will I ever be the ultimate undead?

You'll have to kill tens of thousands of people to become one.

Then you won't have to become one.

　I'm not interested in strength ......, but if it results in making enemies, that's a different story.

　Even at this stage, you have extrahuman physical abilities and a near-immortal body, so there is nothing more you can hope for.
　If I am allowed to live in seclusion without being targeted by anyone, I would be happy to continue living as a Lesser instead of becoming a true vampire with great power but many weaknesses. You can even sunbathe for a short time.

The Demise Knight has been studying ...... vampires for a long time. Vampires who have been unable to satisfy their blood-sucking urges sip their own blood and eventually lose ...... reason completely, gouge out their own hearts and die .......

"............

But usually, they can't endure that much. Before it sucks its own blood, it sucks the blood of a human. If there's a human nearby, it'll ...... happen for sure. That's the ...... curse. I think you're probably the first vampire ...... who's been able to endure that much.

　It's a horrible story. But it doesn't matter anymore. There's no chance I'll ever need to endure that much again. Perhaps if I tried, Senri would give me blood before I went mad. And there's no escaping that temptation in a half-mad state.

　The landscape is drifting backwards at a great speed. You move your feet and hands, being careful to avoid impacting your back as much as possible.
　Just then, I hear a disturbing word in my ear.

"Maybe ............ Master will help you if he knows about it. ...... might be able to help me.

　That's impossible. That's not possible, Senri. I suppressed my emotions and swallowed the words that came out.

　Epe, Epe the Destroyer, is a perfect demise knight.
　He's not as naive as Senri. He's been through many tragedies and made many legends.

　Senri knows Epe better than I do.
　The man is a perfect friend to man. And the fact that I have a human heart is no reason for him to let it go.

　And there's one thing only Epe knows.
　I'm not as harmless to humans as Senri thinks.
　With my mind, my memories, my senses, my ability to control my impulses and choose my actions according to reason, I am possibly far more dangerous than the average undead.

　If Epe finds out that Senri won't change his mind, he'll try to kill me, even if it means making Senri his enemy. And that's the right thing to do as a Knight of the End.

　I can't just stand by and watch her lean towards Epe.
　But she's smart enough to know that Epe is not the kind of person who would do anything to me.

　I changed the subject.

I changed the subject. "Oh, by the way, ...... I read in a book that Horus left that it feels good to have your blood sucked. ...... Is that true?

"............

At least, I hope it doesn't hurt. How was it to have blood sucked from your fingers?　Does that feel good too?　

　Senri was silent for a while, waiting for an answer, and then he said in a shaky voice, as if he had given up.

........................ a little, just a little.


§


　Eventually, a road came into view below us. It's not a well-maintained road, but a trail made by ruts.
　If you follow it, you will come to a village or a town. I was paying attention to the direction I was going, so I didn't have to worry about reaching Engei by mistake.

　At that moment, Senri, who was getting used to being carried on his back, spoke up.

"End, look at .......



............ fire.

　Far off in the distance, a little off the road, a light could be seen. A bonfire. If you look closely, you can see a number of wagons parked nearby.
　Merchants, perhaps. It seems that the village is not far away.

　Of course, these are two mysterious men flying around at night. We can't meet up with the merchants, and we need to find a watering hole before night falls, but before we do, there's something I'm curious about.


　About a hundred meters away from the merchant, a group of black beasts were gathering. It was a pack of beasts resembling a panther. Their heads were clearly pointing towards the carriage.

　The carriage was also guarded by a number of people. They could probably fight off an attack. It's a pack animal, it can't be that strong.

　But--

Can I make a detour?

"...... is fine.

　Senri puts a little more pressure on the arm he has around her.

　It may be a little obvious, but I'll score some points.
　It's always good to have more reasons not to kill, even if it's just for the sake of calculation. There's also a chance the pelt will sell for a good price.

　I laughed and turned to face the herd of beasts.