Come on, get a move on!　You idiot!　I just got hit in the center with a needle. You idiot!　Fill the wound!

"G......, ......, ......, .......

　In bed, I desperately exert my entire body. Slowly, little by little, the numbness began to dissipate.
　I crawl under the bed and try to get up on my hands.

　What was driving me now was anger. Anger at Senri.

　He said he'd give me blood, but that was such a terrible lie. Even if there was a reason, it was unforgivable.
　It had been almost ten days since the last time he had taken blood from me, and I had been thinking that I was about to run out, so I hadn't doubted him at all.

　I was so happy, but it's terrible. ...... I'm going to get you for this later. I'll never let my guard down again.

　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.

But you're still insane. You have talent. It's not the kind of skill that can be recovered in such a short time. If only you didn't have such a weak mind, you could have been the strongest king. ......

　Then don't tell me to bury it.

　You're a really annoying load for a phantom. I think he's more outspoken than the real thing.
　In the first place, I'm not aiming to be the strongest king. I'm aiming for the undefeated king.

　Even as I do this, the negativity in me continues to grow. It seems that my power is slowly increasing even without killing creatures or sucking blood.
　I don't know if this is common for the undead, but from the way Lord talks about it, I guess I have the gift of the dead. What an irony that I have such a talent for survival at all costs.

　Senri bit into my neck and made a deep, thin hole in me. A hole that went all the way to the center. The damage is slowly filling in.

　But it's a really bad move. If it had been a punch or an attack, it would have made more sense, but it was done while he was examining the bite point on Senri's neck. It's awful .............

I'm not sure what to make of that.　How could you survive to that age with such a body? ......

　Lord says with a quizzical expression. I'm not sure what to make of that.
　I let the words sink in, and with all my strength, I stood up, putting my hands on the soft bed.

I'm here because I'm dead. ...... Oh, I'm starting to feel a little better.

　I'm wobbly. I still have some numbness in my fingertips, but I think I can manage.

　But why in the world did Senri put me in such a bad situation? We were supposed to move into the house my father had prepared for us today.

　If she betrayed me, I don't understand why she just paralyzed me and left. It would have been easier for Senri to finish me off than to twist the hand of a baby.

　I have to go after Senri at ............. I have a bad feeling about this. It's not perfect, but I'll recover on foot. The road disappeared before I knew it.

　Given the circumstances, I think Senri wanted to stop me from moving to my dad's house. I'd have to ask her why, but it's possible that she went to check if there were any ...... traps. It is also possible that his father said something to Senri.

　The Senri I've seen so far had a spirit of self-sacrifice.
　But while I'm willing to do whatever it takes to survive, I'm not willing to put that burden on her alone.

　The machete--the Blood Ruler--was at .......
　You look around the room and find the machete propped up against the wall. As I picked it up with my still numb hands, a black object suddenly flew through the window.

　The void in my consciousness was exploited. Above all, I could barely feel it.

　Broken glass. My whole body was flung away by the thing that flew in. The Light Eater leaves my hand and rolls across the floor.
　My vision shakes violently. I bounce several times on the floor, slam into the wall, and roll. I held up my numb hand, ignored the dull pain, and raised my head.

　What jumped out at me was a black dog, a beast about a meter and a half tall. Of course, I didn't recognize it.
　Its golden eyes glittered in the darkness.

　My instincts told me. It wasn't just any beast. It's like a ...... monster dog.

　Why are you doing this to me ...... when all I want to do is live?
　Not just demon knights and vampire hunters, but dogs as well.

　No, ...... no!　This smell, somewhere...

　While thinking, I scolded my arm for not moving properly yet, and reached for the "light eater" that fell to the floor. However, before my fingertips could touch the handle, the black dog flicked it away with its paw. Then a thick paw stepped through the back of my hand. I can feel the flesh crushing and the bones breaking.



　Forcibly, ignoring the shredded flesh, I pulled my arm out and rolled over to stand up.


　By this time, the crushed bones in my hand had healed and the pain had subsided.


　Unfortunately, tonight is the full moon, the time when the night family is at its strongest. The power I can exert is beyond my usual ability.
　A black dog jumps at me. It stands on its large hind legs and slams its bristly right paw down. I slumped down to catch it as it fell from above.

"......?

　I gasped at the result, which was different from what I had imagined.

　Your legs sink into the floor and your body screams.
　You cringe and resist the force that tries to crush you from above.

　It's a tremendous force. It's not just the power of a beast, though my body is annihilated. It overwhelmingly surpasses every hexenbiest I've ever faced. I'm not sure what to make of it.

　I'm not a fan of ......!

　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do it, but I'm going to have to. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. The left front paw, with its clawed end, attacks from above at an angle. I stepped back in panic, but the tip of the claw snatched my body.

　Blood splattered, I was flung backwards by the tremendous force and slammed against the wall. The wound heals quickly, but this thing--

　The black dog kicks the floor, its huge jaws and gleaming tongue closing in. Its mouth is full of sharpened fangs. A vampire's body is much tougher than a human's, but if you take it unprotected, it will bite you off.

　He rolled to the side to avoid the bite. The jaws slam into the wall, making a huge hole. The unavoidable paw makes a hole in my body as deep as the number of its claws.


　Shit. .......


　Biting down on the pain, I move my legs and kick the thing hard in the torso. But the blow, which could have broken several bones in an ordinary creature, did not give the beast any itch.
　Strong. He uses his "claws" to change the claws on both hands. He rolled around to avoid a series of paws slamming down on him, and used his knife-sharp claws to thrust into the fur.

　There was a response. But it's a hard response. My knuckles snap.

　The claws that had pierced so many beasts were broken in half. What-- what hair! His back slammed into the wall as he tried to back away from the counterattack. A glinting claw falls from above.

　I think. It's a problem that I let go of my machete, but it's even worse that I'm fighting in such a small space.
　You're at a huge disadvantage if you're tossed around in such a small space. No matter how much of a vampire I am, if I'm dismembered and my head is crushed, I'll die, and my regenerative abilities aren't infinite.

　I extended my arm and was hit by a powerful paw. I am defeated, my flesh and bones are broken, but I have a little time.
　I crawl like a beast on the floor and throw myself out the window in a desperate attempt. I was on the second floor, but I couldn't turn my back.
　People on the street screamed at me for suddenly jumping out of the window, but I couldn't care less.

　The black beast doesn't pay attention to the people running away, but pursues me without hesitation.
　The wound on my arm heals. But the torn clothes won't heal. I'd just bought them.

　I probably have the advantage in a big place. I don't know the identity of the dog in front of me, but I'm pretty sure vampires have better regenerative abilities than I do. I grab a stone the size of my fist that has fallen to the ground and throw it with all my might. It's like a cannonball, but the black dog doesn't slow down its rush and easily flicks it away.

　It was like a boar. Drooling, the beast comes to kill me.
　I regenerate and strengthen my broken claws. Stronger and sharper this time.

　I hear the creak of flesh changing.

　Eerie golden eyes closing in on me.
　Fine. If you want to kill me, I'll kill you.

　I prepare myself. I stepped firmly on the ground and caught the right paw with my left arm.
　I felt a strong impact on my body. This time, however, my body was not blown away. My left arm is making a creaking sound. But I'm fine.

　It's a match - no, it's a match made in heaven.

The ...... numbness is finally ...... gone!

　It's no joke that a vampire known for his strength would be overpowered on a night with a full moon.

　The jaws are coming to bite me. But no matter how different they are inside, they are still beasts. I've had many battles with wolves when I was in the Lord's house. I narrowed my clawed, sharp right hand at the approaching jaws and thrust.

　It went in perfectly. He was shot in the jaw from directly below, and his huge body leapt through the air. A thick liquid ran down his claws and touched his fingertips.


　The black dog was sent flying wide and bounced several times on the ground - then he caught himself and stood up on all four legs.

　Blinding. That's impossible. It went through the jaw, it could have been the brain spinal cord.

　Bloodshot golden eyes. The blood suddenly stops flowing from his jaw. Its legs scrape the ground and its chin lets out a low growl.

　It's--it's regenerating. If it were a mere creature, I would have given it a fatal wound for sure. .......

　And that's when it occurred to me what the strange feeling I had just gotten was.

　I thought I smelled it somewhere else. And this amazing regenerative power.


"Werewolf ............, is that smell you ......, one of the Cainushies?


　The woman who had been standing next to Cainusi during the negotiations, looking at me with hatred. Her name is Arbatos, you say?
　The black dog did not respond to my words.

　I don't know the specifics. But I know werewolves are common in fairy tales, so I have a general idea.

　A servant of vampires. The werewolf is a fearsome demon.
　They are usually human, but have the power to change into a beast at will. Like vampires, their abilities rise and fall with the age of the moon, and they have a weakness for silver weapons.

　But what sets them apart from the common night family is that these creatures are not undead. Werewolves are cursed beings, but they are not undead. As such, they can move in the daytime and protect sleeping vampires.

　There are many other characteristics, such as losing most of its reasoning when it turns into a beast, or changing its form forcibly on the night of the full moon, but if Arbatos is a werewolf, there are several questions.

　The first question is that ...... Cainusi is not a vampire. A werewolf is something that some vampires create.
　The second is that ...... what you see in front of you is not a wolf. It's a dog.

　Cainusi doesn't seem to be around. If he were, he'd probably attack us both.
　Maybe Senri sensed Kainushi's attack and disappeared.

　Well, let's leave it at that for now. Arbatos is the ...... monster for me.
　It's true that his strength, agility, hard fur defense, and regenerative abilities are a threat, but I can handle him now. I can win.
　I can't be too careful, but I feel I have a good chance of winning this fight.

　The werewolf's role in the story is mid-boss or small fry. They are like a prelude to vampires.

　They lick the blood from their claws. Albatross's blood was as different from Senri's as flesh is from fruit, but it didn't taste bad.

　Perhaps it was because the blood had just been spilled, but his head felt hot and his strength flooded him. The roar of Arbatos became more intense.
　His spirit was aroused by the battle and the blood. He extended his claws like a sword and smiled at Arbatos.

"If you want to die, come at me, Arbatos. I'm not going to go easy on you like Senri did.

　Arbatos narrowed his eyes.
　Eyes that reflected a murderous intent. A hoarse voice rises.

"Rrrr ............ name, Luna. Van ...... Vampire.

What?

　The next moment, Arbatos' body expanded.
　You can find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier.

　It was a marvelous change that could be called a curse. The claws at the ends of its limbs grew wide and made deep cracks in the ground. Its fangs grew longer and sharper, its golden pupils contracted like those of a beast, and the hair on its body stood up like needles.

　It's huge. ...... What the hell is this? ....... I was blindsided and took a step back.

　The transformed Arbatos was twice as big as before. It was twice as wide, twice as tall, twice as everything.
　Until now, it had remained in the category of a beast, but now, Arbatos was as big as a food cart. And its intimidation is not just doubled.

　Its paws are like pillars. If that's not a good look, I don't think I can take it.
　The blackest beast I've ever seen stomps the ground and turns its eyes toward me. The eyes that shone so brightly showed almost nothing of the reason I had felt earlier.

　The beast roars high in the air. The air trembles, debris flies, and the windows of the surrounding houses break.
　My limbs trembled. The euphoria that had been there a moment ago was gone. And then, crushing the ground, Arbatos attacked.