83 CHAPTER XXV: REbellion 2




 A curse is a miracle, different from magic, which is created by strong emotions.
 The difference between a curse and a spell is simple. Magic has a theory, but a curse does not.

 It is said that when an emotion is strong enough to alter the body, it has power and becomes a 'curse'. Therefore, sorcerers are afraid of uncontrollable curses.
 Curses are powerful because they do not have much logic, they are disorderly because they originate from strong emotions, and they demand a great price from the user.

 Curses are similar to prayers. The only difference is whether the emotion is toward the negative or the positive.

 It was after the battle and shortly after I returned to Monica's house that I predicted that the cannibalistic Flame was literally the product of a curse. And after questioning Monica, I became convinced.

 In the first place, the reason why I took the man-eating Hebram's fire unprotected was partly because I underestimated Hebram's character, but also because I had never heard of a phantom manticore breathing fire.

 I was wary of poisonous needles, I knew it had claws and fangs, and I knew it could control magic, but I had never heard of fire.
 That was no ordinary flame. Vampires have so much magic in their bodies that most magic doesn't work on them, and even simple flames are ineffective.

 The reason I expected it to be a curse was because Hebram was only halfway armed.
 How could the cannibal, who had even prepared water that flowed immediately during the battle, not know that vampires had a weakness for silver? And there is no way that Hebram, the number two in the Demon King's army, cannot prepare silver weapons. In fact, the Demon Lord Rynell was equipped with a silver claw.

 The Manticore is a fantastic beast. It was natural to think that there was a reason why the cowardly beast, who should not be afraid of silver like Lynel, did not use a silver weapon.

 Perhaps the curse had transformed Hebram. My weakness was silver weapons, but Hebram's weakness was also silver weapons. That's why he couldn't use a silver weapon.
 Surely a curse can turn a creature into a demon. Oliver and I both have a weakness for silver. And that Arbatross who attacked me with hatred didn't use a silver weapon either.

 It was easy to take the Flame of d*mnation.
 The cannibals were wary of me, but they didn't know that I wasn't a pure vampire. Vampires are not allowed in the house without an invitation, but I, a lowly vampire, am not. A strong sense of repulsion arises, but that's all. I'd use the Hiding Shadow to mask my presence, kill the unwilling guards, and sneak into the cave.
 I definitely didn't want to bite the same s*x, but Hebram is not human, so it doesn't count. In the first place, even if Hebram was a female, she would not have wanted to suck blood, so the difference between the s*xes of the beast is insignificant.

 The "curse flame" that he took from the cannibal was extremely powerful. Selzard could not even scream and turned to dust.
 The information that Monica had given me - that the Cannibal was the only one in the Demon Lord's army that could damage the Demon Lord Rynell - made sense.

 With the death of the leader, the lizardmen that had surrounded the area stepped back.
 I exhaled with all my might, keeping a watchful eye on my surroundings.

 The spellfire in my breath was much weaker than the one Hebram had used. If it were a normal flame, I doubt I could light a cigarette with it.

 Besides, this ability makes me very hungry.

 According to the information I got before I killed him, the cost of the Flame of d*mnation is cannibalism. There was a reason why Hebram was so internally disgusted with humans and kept them to himself.
 If you don't continue to eat humans in large numbers, you will die. That's the price of the power of the Flame of d*mnation. But I'm already dead, so it won't matter much.

 The ability of "Carth Steel" is well thought out and designed.
 What's important about this ability is that I, the owner of the power, am not just a creature.
 The cost of Albatross' power was that my existence was slowly becoming more like that of a beast. I don't seem to have been eroded yet, but that's probably because there's a difference in base power between humans and vampires.
 And the price of the Flame of d*mnation is death, but I'm already dead. Hebram was burned by the Flame, but I am not.

 One of the lizardmen with a spear shouts.

One of the lizardmen with a spear shouts: "Surround it, don't let it pass!

They're scared, I can smell it.

 I can smell the fear." His movements are much less graceful than before. The difference is fatal in a situation where there is a difference in strength.
 It takes absolute willpower to beat a superior opponent. The "Cannibal" I fought again was also weak. If it had fought properly, it could have at least bought some time, but it was pathetically easy to beat.

 Perhaps that's another reason why vampires with strong killing instincts are feared.

 I took a small breath, suppressed my raging killer instinct, and stepped toward the lizards surrounding me.


§§



 The outpost ended without much struggle. There were some reinforcements from outside who heard the anomaly, but they were no help.
 I reconfirmed the use of my new power through actual combat.

 The Spell Flame is strong. It has no reach and no momentum, but it's still more than strong enough.
 It's a flame that won't go out until it burns the target to the ground.
 The details of its performance are unknown, but given the nature of the cannibal who created this curse, its target is likely to be life.
 The creature that is hit by the flames, even if the flames are as small as a speck of fire, will quickly spread and turn to dust.

 The problem is that this ability is not invincible.

 Perhaps this ability will be resisted. If the curse is a demonic power, it won't work against the Knights of the End, who control positive power, and it won't work against undead like me, who are a product of a stronger curse.
 And it probably won't be powerful enough even against Lynell.

 I don't think it has any power at all, but if Hebram is stronger than Rynell, he wouldn't be stuck at number two. Hebram was a cowardly beast, but at the same time, he had a high self-esteem.
 A dragon is a powerful beast, its body is said to be highly resistant to all attacks. It's not hard to imagine that Lynell has the same kind of power.


 The reason I asked for the help of the captive demise knight was because I had taken that into consideration in the first place, but it was going to be a tough fight for me since I could only use the Spell Flame, which is weaker than Hebram.
 I wanted to increase my strength as much as possible before I took on the challenge, but I could imagine that my strength would not increase even if I sipped from the pool of blood that had formed around me. Considering that the blood of Monica, who was not human, increased my power to a certain extent, I guess it is very important for blood-sucking whether the target is in the form of the opposite s*x or not.



 If there were any enemies that could suck blood, I would have attacked them first before coming here, but the only cute girl in this Demon Lord army is Monica. .......

 I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. I could hear Dell's roar faintly mixed in with the sound of destruction.
 It seems that he entered the castle without waiting for me. I suppose it was a blatant lead-up, but are demise knights so simple, or should I call them pure?

 Against the Silver Claw, he couldn't rely on his usual regenerative ability to fight. If Dell died, the chances of winning would be very low.

 I rushed out of the castle.

 According to Monica, Rainer doesn't usually use the front door. It must be inconvenient for him to use a human castle because of his size and his lion's body.
 When the cannibals and I were fighting, Lynel fell from above.

 If you look up at the castle, which is made of stone, you can see a doorway for Lynel far above. A mere mortal would have a hard time climbing it, but that's no problem for me now. Kicking the ground hard, I jumped up a dozen meters in one breath, then grabbed a foothold with my hands and climbed up.

 The doorway was constructed like a balcony, but there were no windows or doors.
 The sound came from directly below. He used his Hiding Shadow to disguise his presence and looked down into the throne room.

 There was a battle going on there, reminiscent of the old battle between Senri and Lord.


"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

 Dell swung his steel sword with all his might.
 His body was filled with the same blessed power that had once made me shrivel up at the mere hint of it.
 Apparently, he had saved a lot of energy up to this point. The steel blade glowed with the energy of life, and even though the blow was not as graceful as the Senri's, it had the majesty of a hero.
 It was hard to believe that he had been trapped in a prison for so long. It was as if his life was on fire, and he took a step back.

 That's not good. It's a blade honed to kill me, and if I were to take it unprotected, even the current me might be destroyed by a single blow.




 But even with that, Rainer was still the King of Demons.



 Ryner hadn't let out a roar. Even though he wasn't roaring, he felt tremendous pressure.
 The golden lion is bigger than Arbatos, and no matter how well trained he is, humans are like insects in front of his majesty. The blow from its equipped silver claws is heavier and sharper than any slash I've ever seen, cutting through the walls and floor of the castle like a piece of paper.

 The swing of his forefoot shattered the floor, which was probably the main reason why the castle was shaking. Already the throne room looks like a ruin.

 I couldn't help but be fascinated by the battle. I'm a vampire now, but it seems that I still have a little of the heroic desire I once had.

 I squinted, watching every movement closely, looking for a chance to win.
 Linel is fast, heavy, and powerful. Every movement from his massive body was an attack, and this castle could easily fall if he wanted it to.
 He did not do anything unusual as a cannibal. He had no poisonous stinger, and he breathed no fire, but his natural strength alone made him an absolute powerhouse. I can see why Hebram followed him.

 Dell had evaded every one of Rynell's attacks. He deflected with his sword what he could, and avoided blows with his claws. Dell's physical strength, even with the boost from the blessing, was not even close to that of Ryner. And the demise knight seems to understand that very well.

 Monsters and humans. The advantage of humans is their ability to maneuver. He's making the most of it.

 His moves were an extension of what Senri had shown me in a mock battle.
 Good. But he still couldn't win by himself.

 Dell's sword had struck Lynel repeatedly, but the demon lord hadn't shown any signs of itching. Perhaps he wasn't using his full strength while evading the constant attacks, but it would probably be very difficult to kill him even if he were to slash him head-on with all his might. It's just too tough.

 There are no weaknesses. ...... At that moment, a shock suddenly hit my body. After a delay, a tremendous sound shook my whole body.

 The liner roared. It was as if the world had exploded. The castle shuddered and cracks appeared in the walls.
 In front of me, confused, Lynell swung a paw down at Del.

 Dell evades it.

 Despite the fact that he must have been more shocked than I was, Dell's expression was quite calm.
 The floor shattered and the castle trembled. By that time, Del had stepped on top of Lynel's paw as he swung down.

 With his sword in his hands, Dell ran. I see the power of the blessing concentrated at his feet.
 You widen your eyes. Lynel's claws aren't his only weapons. His jaws are big enough to bite through a hebram and his fangs are fully grown. It would take more than ordinary courage to run in front of it.

 In three strides, Del leaped, blade in hand. That's when I finally figured out what Del was up to.

 The hair on his body was hard enough to repel a sword. His head, protected by bone, would be even tougher.

 Dell was aiming for the eyeball.
 He wanted those golden eyes that seemed to shrivel at the mere sight of them. If Rainer was a living creature, then behind those eyes would be a fatal weakness that could not be trained: the brain.

 From the point of view of Rainer's huge body, Dell's sword is like a mere branch of a tree. But that's why he can aim for the eyeball.
 The Demon Lord stops moving. A blade of black iron approaches. Rainer squints at the tip of the blade.






 --and Lynell closed his eyes.


What?

 He couldn't believe it.

 The blade slid over his eyelids and bounced back. Dell's stance collapsed, and he was thrown wide to the floor, just barely landing.
 Rainer slowly opens his eyes. Not a scratch on his eyelids, not a scratch on his eyes. He may not have been able to put all his strength into it because his feet were not on the ground, but he was too ...... sturdy.

 That's when the Demon Lord opened his mouth for the first time. A voice with a somewhat aged sound echoed through the half-destroyed king.



That's the extent of ...... humanity. Is that the extent of the demise knights you hear in the sound? Is that enough to challenge me ...... foolishly ......?


 Not good. He'll kill me.
 Linel hasn't given it his all yet. Dell is strong, but he's human. He's worn out. We have to go.

 We'll take him by surprise. I'll use the Shadow to mask his presence, stick to his head, and give him a close range Curse Flame.
 I made up my mind in an instant and jumped towards Lynel.