The Curse Flame is a terrifying ability.
　It was as if not only my body but also my soul was being consumed. My vision was flickering with incessant pain and heat.

　Even so, the black flames only burned one layer of my skin, one millimeter of my flesh. The skin regenerates from the burned side and burns forever as long as the power of blood lasts.

　The power of blood is amazing. Its manipulation could be called the essence of vampirism.
　I got the idea from the power of the demon knight. Senri boosts his physical abilities by letting the blessing flow through his body. What I'm doing is similar to that.

　It's a painful ...... feeling to be exposed to never-ending pain, but it's a feeling I miss very much. But this time I won't die. You can't die. If I kill Lynell, I can focus my power, douse the spellfire, and return to normal.

　The final battle. No more help from Dell. I put out my burning foot and stepped forward. At this moment, the only thing I recognized was the Demon Lord Rainer and myself.

　The Demon Lord Rainer was seemingly unharmed. His mane was covered in golden phosphorescence, and his claws were sharp and silver. But as an undead, I could see that the life form's power was much lower than before. This was probably due to the super-high energy shot I had just received - the Dragon's Breath.
　If I hadn't intervened in the middle of the battle, Dell would have definitely been wiped out. But still, Dell was a hero for resisting that energy, even if only for a moment.

　I didn't have much time. Even as I do this, my head is throbbing with pain.
　I'm using the power of my blood to regenerate to fight the Flame. It should last a while, but the power isn't infinite. I should've gotten more blood from Monica.

　I should have sucked more of Monica's blood. Lynell narrows his eyes and stares at me in cursed flames.

"Nuh-uh. ...... The power is the d*mned flame. Did Hebram betray you?

Do you think so?

"What a murderous ...... monster.

　Hot. But no flesh or bone is burning. So I can stand.
　Rebuild the thoughts the pain is eating away at you. I concentrate on thinking. Lynell "resisted" me coming at him from above. He resisted until he stopped attacking Dell. In other words, with this much fire, the "curse flame" is enough to get through to Lynel.

　The black flames did indeed scorch its fur. It did some damage. But it wasn't a one-hit wonder like Celzar's.

　Lynel is carefully assessing my moves. I had to avoid the silver claw, which could be a one-hit kill. It has reach.
　I point my flaming sword at him.

　Kill him. Kill it! Kill it once and for all. That's all you need to think about right now. There's no time to think about anything else when you have a fearsome king in front of you.

The monster is ...... you!

　Find a way to win. Linel's voice is faint. The dragon's breath had burned his own throat.

　The mere touch was not enough to defeat him. That was to be expected when Hebram the Cannibal, who had perfected the Spellflame, could not defeat Ryner. His opponent had already experienced the Conjuring Flame.

　Rip the flesh with your sword. That way, the flames might damage the wound. It could burn him from the inside out.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

　You roar to cover up the heat and pain and jump at it. Linel also roars, but he breaks through with only his energy.

　A silver claw falls from above. You avoid them by stopping suddenly, breaking your ankle. Calm down, calm down. Just as I tell myself to calm down, the snout of the cleaver blows my body away.

　I'm slammed into the wall, my flesh popping and my bones breaking on impact.
　Once again, I understand. Size is power. I must have touched the flames, but Lynel doesn't stop. He rushes forward.
　It's a terrifying fight that I can't believe he's been reigning as king all these years. After all, a demon king is different from a human king.

　He was desperate. Forgetting the pain, I threw my body down, and the wall I was impaled on was torn apart by silver claws.
　Lynel was doing everything he could. This was not the man who had just tried to kill me.



　But we got the bottom. Linel's belly is in front of me.
　Blood from his head in my eyes. I thrust at his belly with a force that shreds my arm.

　The sword I created with my claws is also a part of my body. I felt a dull impact.
　It was heavy, hard, but flexible. Is this the dragon skin used in the armor of all heroes?

　Linel did not choose to crush him. As soon as he received the blow, he jumped back with a speed unimaginable from his huge body.

　He reprimands his body and stands up.
　He looks down at his right arm. There was a crack in the bone blade. The crack disappears quickly, but the impact remains.

　It couldn't penetrate ....... I'd attacked a completely defenseless belly and it hadn't done any damage.

　Almost there. The blade of bone was blocked by Lynel's fur, though it should have been.
　The fur. The fur was too tough. It was the paw that wounded first. And there was no hair on the flat of Lynel's paw.

　Paw pads. The paw is the only thing I can barely hurt. Maybe that's where I got my first hit because that's where Lynel's weakness is. The sword was covered in flames, but it still didn't seem to penetrate.

　Without making a single sound of footsteps, Rainer flipped the debris and prepared to pounce on us. His fur still glistened with gold.

"Terrible power. ...... So this is the undead, ...... a formidable foe.

　Linel retreated because he knew that if he had chosen to crush it, it would have pierced his stomach. The gap is close.
　But it's not closing. I can't think of a way to close it. I try to use the momentum of Lynell's attack like I did the first time, but he's wary of that.
　My hands are shaking. Should we run for our lives? ......?　No. If I run, Dell dies, and Rainer won't let me go in the first place.

　I had a hunch. If I thought about running-- I'd lose. I'll turn this burning into a fight.

　I stared at the Demon Lord Rynell, who still had the appearance of a king, and forced a smile.


I'm not going to chase you if you run away from .......

I'm not going to chase you if you're running away. You can't be a king if you're a coward!


§§


　A shock passes through my body. My vision shakes violently. I don't know how many times I've rolled around on the floor. The power I'd replenished by sucking Monica's blood was dwindling fast. Her perception, heightened by learning to manipulate the power of blood, saw the countdown to the end clearly.

　The opponent was not without wear and tear, but he was too stubborn.
　You're not strong enough. The power is ...... pure muscle power, just a little more is missing. This is what I sensed in the battle against Arbatross, and even though I must have gotten a lot stronger since then, the world is a big place.
　I move my body to avoid the onslaught. It was almost instinctive. It was a monster, but my soul hadn't lost its will to fight.

　Strength. Not enough power. There was Dell lying in the corner. It seems he's completely drained his strength, and there's no sign of him coming back after all this time. If it had been Senri, would he have come back?　Such nonsensical thoughts flashed through my mind.

　Only Dell's eyes were open.

　Blood. We need to replenish the blood.

You are the best enemy I've ever fought!

　Rynell barks. His voice was filled with a terrible, almost joyous emotion.

　Should we attack it from the inside, as I first thought?　But I don't know what would have happened if it had been a cannibal. ...... Linel wouldn't be stupid enough to eat me on fire.

　The blade, the flame, bounces off the fur. I managed to twist my body to block the attack, but the impact was accumulating.

　How did I win against Arbatos? I sucked his blood. I got out of the crisis by sucking blood.

　But this time, the situation is different. Arbatross had an opening. She was cursed by a vampire and she had a little fear of vampires left. Lynell didn't have that.


　And in the first place, Lynell's power is not due to a curse. It can't be taken away by the Curse of Steel. Even if I managed to suck his blood, the beast's blood wouldn't boost my strength enough. I'll just get killed.

　This is the only time the Lord doesn't show up. d*mn, he's too useless.

　The silver claw that cleaves off my left arm is a shallow wound. A sharp pain that surpasses the pain of the Curse Flame rushes down my arm, and I quickly cut off my own arm from my shoulder.
　The damage done by the claw takes time to heal. This is the only way. A new arm will grow back soon, but it will take more strength.

　Fast. Heavy. As if he were not a living thing, Lynel's movements do not slow.
　The throne room was in ruins. The most appropriate place for Rynel now.

　There was nothing nearby that could be used as a weapon. No terrain to exploit. No good materials to be found.
　No, on the contrary - Ryner's strength was even returning. The energy that had just been drained by the Dragon's Breath was being recharged.

　Isn't there something ...... I need something that can break this situation. I'm frantically turning my head.

　I don't want to suck Dell's blood, and I don't think it'll do much to restore my strength.
　I'm thirsty. Linel is too tricky. He's getting used to our moves. If he saves his strength, the dragon's breath will burn him out. I can't handle that.

　Strength. Not enough strength. A vampire's arms aren't strong enough. I need it. Strength to cut through lynel's fur.

　You cared too much about the claws. The huge wall of his body bounced off his body, sending shockwaves that tore his flesh apart.
　There was no longer any room to catch it. My head hits the floor hard, and my vision shakes violently.


　And then I realized that there was only one move I hadn't tried yet.



There was only one move I hadn't tried yet.　............... ick.




　Maybe it was the blow to the head. I should be thanking Linel. I go a little crazy and my voice slips out.

　After tossing me around like a storm, Lynell didn't follow up. I get to my hands and stand up.
　The fire that consumes my body has not gone out. You can't burn Linel, but it's a nasty flame. It's nasty whether it's friend or foe.

　No more words were needed. All it needed was will to fight and will to kill.
　So this is not a conversation. This is a ritual of resolve.

　I declare to Lynell. A cold voice came out that didn't sound like his own.


"I will kill anyone who tries to kill me.


　I pour my blood into it.

　And then-- I changed.

　My arms grew wide and developed. Sharp claws clawed at the stone floor. The flames hadn't gone out, but an even stronger, comatose heat had settled in the center of my body.
　My vision goes high. I get down on all fours. A strange coldness in the back of my head. His vision shifts, and his sense of smell tells him the world instead.

　Lynell just looks at you with wide eyes.

　A creaking sound came from inside his body. The growth didn't stop.
　The power of blood. The power of blood makes the curse grow. My body is heavy. The paws I saw on the ground were surprisingly huge and - even through the flames of the curse - so black that I was sure of it.

　It reminded me of a monster I once faced. But I was not impressed.
　The heat I felt inside me was nothing compared to what I felt as a vampire. I'm not a white dog. I was a dog monster now.

　I could do it. This is it. This is the world that Arbatross saw, the will to kill that he held.
　My breath is hot. My voice is hoarse.



"Oh, ......, ......, ......, ......, I'll... I'll do it.

"That's what ............ really is. ......


　It's full of power. The urge to destroy and the feeling of omnipotence almost make you abandon your thoughts.
　But I can't defeat this Demon Lord without thinking. That little bit of judgment and reason is what keeps me human.

　The claws of holy silver are gleaming. Now my body is as big as Lynel's, but that means my target has grown bigger.

　The claws on my forelegs are black and sharp, and they form a distorted arc. Definitely a function for killing. This form is the embodiment of killing intent.


　These claws, with their power, could surely tear through Lynel's flesh. But Rainer would understand that. He'll avoid it.
　He wasn't going to be able to hold his form much longer. The power of the blood would be there in minutes. I don't know what will happen if the source of the vampire curse dries up in this form.


"You're not going to come at me?


　Rainer is saving his strength. The power of the dragon's breath.
　One blow will do it. Put all your strength into the next strike. Leave no room for error. If the next one fails, you die. You die. So kill.

　And I kick the floor on instinct.
　One kick and the floor caved in. With tremendous speed. A moment later, Lynell smiles at my desperate blow.


　Rainer jumps at me. Even in the face of my decisive blow, he still pounces without fear.

　His holy silver claws glinted dully in the half moon.

　It's impossible to catch it. I knew it from the start. No evasion.
　I push forward and the claws slow slightly. Upset. It must have thought I'd take evasive action.
　The claw cleaves straight across and cuts the base of my paw, causing a sharp pain to flare up. But it didn't slow me down.
　I didn't aim for its throat or head because I thought it would evade me. I knew I was going to get hit. All I needed was one arm.

　Now it was my turn. For the first time, Linel's eyes flashed with intense agitation. He swung his right paw wide.
　Unlike the claw of holy silver, the black claw was distorted and miserable, absorbing light.
　The target--the vital point. The neck.


!


　A moment felt like a second or a minute. The black claws dug into the golden fur. You can feel the weight of it in your claws.
　I put all my strength into it. The claw buries itself in his neck. There's a cracking sound. Rynell's huge body trembles.

　But I open my eyes.


　--Shallow.

　I know instinctively. I can't kill Lynell with this. It's the difference in combat experience with a beast's body. The spellfire he wore was barely registering.
　Ryner doesn't have the same regenerative ability as the undead, but he has dragon's blood in his veins. He is also wounded. Once he's away, there's no time for another attack.


　At point-blank range, I locked eyes with Lynel's golden eyes. I was self-conscious. I take a deep breath. A hot shudder in my lungs. Rainer's eyes widen.


　And I breathe out a cursed flame into Lynel.



　My vision turns black. The jet-black flames are far more intense than when I was human, and in an instant they engulf Lynel's massive body.