As I looked around the base of the Demon Lord Rainer's army, I understood how a fragile being like human could have developed in a world dominated by powerful phantoms and monsters.

　The physical structure of a beast is suitable for hunting, but not for building a civilization. And as quadrupeds, they take up a lot of space.
　There may be a difference in reproductive capacity, but even if they had the intelligence of humans, it would not be easy for them to multiply. Some of them may be able to use magic, but magic can only do rough things and cannot replace two dexterous hands.

　The army of the Demon Lord Rainer was a mixture of many different kinds of magical beasts. However, as Monica led me around the base, I began to see the hierarchy of the army.

　Basically, the bipedal Hexenbiests have a higher rank.
　I've heard that the more powerful the demon, the more humanoid it becomes. The farther away from the castle, at the foot of the mountain, the greater the number of beasts, and the closer to the castle, the greater the percentage of bipeds.
　Even so, they seemed to be quite cramped since they were not unified in race. Some of them may even be hostile monsters.
　With such a wide variety of beasts at their heels, they are truly terrifying beings worthy of being called Demon Lords.

　And Monica Wurzbier seemed to have a good status among the servants of the Demon Lord Rainer.

　Demons, as far as I know, are powerful demons. I was aware of him from the fact that he was in charge of cutting off supply routes and from the fact that he could talk directly to the Demon Lord, but it seems that his face is known even to the lower members of the group.
　Monica has an attractive appearance (although I don't know if she can communicate with demons that have different forms), but the gaze she throws at me is filled with a strong sense of awe. At least she wasn't a small army.

So you have a position.

It's not as strong as ............ the Night King's Fascinate Eye, but it's suitable for inciting a wide range of targets.

　Perhaps it's just common sense. Monica's words were casual.
　Apparently, it was true that demons were good at deceiving people. And there is a similar tradition with vampires. I don't know when I'll be able to use it, but vampires who have lived long enough can make people melt just by looking at them. I don't think it will work on Senri anyway.

"Are you using that ability on me, too?

　I'm a little excited about this new situation, but I've always been a more cautious person.
　Monica rolled her eyes at my question.

............ You've got to be kidding me. There is no way that the Night King can be charmed by magic.

　Apparently, he can't. Well, I've always wanted to take a look around, even before I died. .......

　I'm not sure what to make of this.
　They raid people's cities and give away the goods they get in order of strength. I wonder if this is a true meritocracy.

　At the lower levels of the base, everyone was doing as they pleased.
　The narrow camp, where blood, flesh, screams, and roars mingled, resembled hell. Perhaps they are waiting for the time to fight. Monica told me that there was a commander, but I couldn't tell him apart.
　At any rate, the one with the most scars is most likely to be the commander. I could only nod my head when Monica said that it was the same with humans.

　The upper levels were still better than the lower levels. There were more demons, beastmen, and other subhumans, and their density was not as high.
　Some of them even gave Monica a fond look. Apparently, beastmen and demons have the same aesthetic sense as humans. Come to think of it, stories of beautiful princesses being kidnapped by demons and devils have been a staple in fairy tales.

　In the upper part of the castle, on the side of the castle, there was a sturdy stone building. Monica points to it and says, "That's the treasury.

That's the treasury. The whereabouts of all the spoils of war are decided in battle. Everything is fought over, from the weapons and armor that are taken, to the wine, meat, human prisoners, and even the guard of the same kind. It's a system where only the strongest get everything.

"What about money, ......?

Human money is meaningless in this army. It's not a popular item among the lower ranks. It's not a popular item among the lower ranks, although it is exchanged among the higher members. ............

Is that how you got these clothes?

...... Human clothing is not popular, so there is no fighting over it.

　I see. ...... Cultures are many things.
　They are definitely the enemy of humanity. They are definitely enemies of humanity, and it will not be easy for them to understand each other since their lives are based on plunder. Besides, there must be some emotional reasons on the side of the Demon Lord since they are taking the trouble to take on human opponents.

　But perhaps because I'm already an enemy of humanity, I don't feel much repulsion. It's partly because I can't do anything about it, and partly because it's similar to the feeling I had when I first saw a corpse and was fine with it.

　As I was enjoying the night sightseeing in a completely sight-seeing mood, I suddenly heard a low voice from behind me.

"Monica. Who is that man?

　It was an annoying voice that clearly did not come from the human vocal cords.

　There was a huge man who looked up at me. Or, to be more precise, "probably" a man. I can't tell the gender of the subhuman.

　He must have been three meters tall. His skin is covered with black scales, and his eyes are golden, like those of a reptile. His arms are strong and several times thicker than mine. He wears only a waistcoat, but is almost completely naked. On his back, he carried a spear with a forked end.
　A thin tongue can be seen through the gaps in its full-grown fangs.

　Perhaps this is a lizardman. One of the sub-humans hostile to humans, famous for their ferocity and superior physical abilities. I've never seen one before.



"Celzard...... this is Master Endo Baron, guest of Master Rainer.

"A guest ......?　A human?　Are they the likes of that d*mned Oliver Arbol?　Or is he your slave?　Is he one of Rhomburg's informants?

　The voice was clearly insulting me.
　His sharp eyes were filled with strong murderous intent. Behind him were a number of slightly smaller lizardmen.

　In general, lizardmen are classified as demons. Their culture is too different from that of humans.
　They are omnivorous, but also eat humans. They are ferocious and can use tools to a certain extent, but their culture is not well developed to make tools, so they sometimes attack villages and towns for human tools.
　On the other hand, I have heard that they sometimes go hunting from the human side because they have a large territory in clean water and swamps where valuable plants grow. It is no wonder that they have joined the Demon Lord's army.

　I didn't know it could speak human.

"Vulnerable, clever, stupid. I can't believe you'd sell out your own people. ...... My tribe has been driven from its home by you.

　He leaned forward and stared at me from close range. His nostrils twitch. I take a step back and scowl.
　I don't like it when you say that. It's not like I kicked them out, and it would be heartbreaking if they were harmless, but you guys eat people, right?　You eat people, and you even plunder them for civilization. Even humans fight each other, how can such people not be antagonized?
　As if she thought the situation was bad, Monica said in a panic.

What?　That's rude!　I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea. He's the Night King!

"What?

　There was no warning.
　As soon as I heard that, the sharp clawed left hand of the lizard man called Celzard pierced my torso from below.
　My body floated in shock. After a delay, pain rushed through my body. My heart was pierced. As the rumors say, it was a tremendous physical force.

　Monica gasped. Before my body could touch the ground, the three-pronged spear that had been pulled out before I knew it swung down on my skull.
　A strong impact. My body is slammed into the ground by the strength of human flesh. Celzard stomped on my prone body with his leg. My flesh and bones creak under the pressure.

"What the hell are you doing?

My homeland has been overrun by the Night King!

　That wasn't me either. I want to say it, but I can't.
　There was anger and elation in his voice. The ground is cold, the blood from my head is in my eyes.

The ground was cold, and I could see the blood flowing from his head. "......, but is this the extent of it, the feared Night King?

　I was careless. I had heard that there was a possibility of getting tangled up, but I never expected someone to suddenly attack me. But isn't it too much of a sin for the Night King to not attack us when he thinks we're human, but then try to kill us the moment he finds out we're vampires?

　Steeling myself, I got up on my hands. I've been rolled around on the ground a lot, but I'm not into that kind of thing.
　With a little effort, my legs lifted. My pierced heart and split head had already healed. Apparently, the spear was not made of silver.

　Celzar put all his strength into his leg, but his strength was not as strong as Arbatos'.

"Foolishly ...... pierced through the heart--

It's a great way to ruin your new clothes.

　It is true that the heart is a weak point, but if it is not a wooden stake, it will not kill you instantly. I might have been in a hurry if he had followed me, but I was too naive to just stomp on him. You should take a lesson from Arbatos.

　No, I don't care about that.　I don't care. I'm a peaceful vampire.
　I'm just a little bloodied up from a sudden attack. One shot is one shot.

　A leg comes off, the position collapses. Before Monica could stop me, I swung my fist as hard as I could with all my emotion into its open pocket.

　There was a short sound. The air quivered strongly.
　Monica screamed, and Celzar's eyes widened in disbelief.

　The fist he had swung out was completely buried in his body. Apparently, the scales that covered his body were not as tough as the fur of Arbatos. If Celzard had been a little smaller, it would have gone completely through.
　The soft, hot feel of his fist and the hard bone gave him a slightly creepy elation.

　Selzard's right arm twitched as he swung his three-pronged spear down.
　Feeling a bit sorry for myself, I pulled out my fist and ducked back to avoid it as it swung down without effort.



"I'm sorry, I didn't put out my claws, but I didn't expect them to penetrate the scales.

I'm sorry, but I didn't expect to penetrate the scales.

　The huge body was convulsing with just one blow. It's a good idea to take a look at the actual information on the web.
　It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.
　It was refreshing to see an opponent with such little endurance. I looked down at my clothes, which had a big hole in them.

I didn't mean to do that. It wasn't on purpose. But isn't it ...... strange that I'm the one who got my heart pierced and my head split open, like I'm the perpetrator?　Honestly, you're the weakest person I've ever fought. You should have been the first to attack me.

　I'm not sure what to make of this.

"......Oh, my, my ......

　I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've.
　The ground shook. His huge body convulsed, and green blood spread on the ground.

　You look so strong, but you're so weak.
　But there's something to reflect on. I've taken an unprotected blow to the heart. If Celzard had used a wooden stake as a weapon, he would be dead.
　Even after all this time, a chill runs down my spine. Apparently I haven't been vigilant enough on a regular basis.

　I look around at the other lizards. In their eyes was a combination of burning murderous intent and fear.

　Maybe Senri would forgive me if it was self-defense.

　The lizard's blood won't satisfy my blood-sucking urges. But I have no choice. If they want to kill me, I'll kill them. If they're strong, I'll run, but if they're as strong as Celzar, I'll have no problem taking them on at the same time.

If they are as strong as Celzar, it won't be a problem to take them on at the same time. "If it's not human blood, it's probably useless to suck it. ......

　You'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.

I'm sorry, sir!　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.

"Yes, .......

"I didn't mean to kill him!

I didn't mean to kill him!

　I'm a harmless vampire.
　I'm a harmless vampire, but I'm not so open-minded that I can laugh at an attack.

"Celzar is dying!　I think you already know how strong you are, Master End. I ask for your indulgence!

　I think for a moment. Monica bows her head with tears in her eyes.
　I didn't mean to kill her in the first place, but...

　...... Well, okay.

　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll do fine.
　I don't think he can win against the entire Demon Lord army. If you want to live in peace, you have to learn to compromise. ...... Maybe you can get some blood.

"Well, okay. Well, okay. Why don't you just take him in and treat him?　If it was human, it would die, but if it's a lizard, it might survive.

　A convulsing, prone Celzar is being carried away.
　I should have gouged out his heart with the first blow. That thought comes to mind for a moment, but the wound has healed completely. The only problem is his soiled clothes.
　It must have taken some effort to regrow them, but it doesn't bother me.

I need a towel and some new clothes.

I'll get you some right away.

　I'll get you some towels and new clothes." Monica bows her head deeply at my voice and runs toward the stone building.
　I licked the blood off my hands, but I knew that lizard blood did not taste good.