"Be careful. Vampires are cruel and inhuman monsters. People who are bitten by vampires and turn into them end up like that. I'm sure it's ...... instinct.


　I'm sure it's instinctive." A conversation I once had with Senri came to mind. Yeah, you're absolutely right.

　The power of the blood is nearly depleted, and the side that was sliced open by the liner is in extreme pain, as if it had been burned with an iron. It goes without saying that my body was scorched by the 《Spell Flame》, but even after reaching that point, black murderous intent still swirled within me.
　Even if I'm on the verge of extinction, I'm sure this urge will never go away.

　Perhaps this is the true nature of what makes vampires such horrible monsters. In the midst of the raging urge and pain, I thought about this.

　I'm sure vampires don't retreat when faced with any difficult enemy. Nor do they cower like Oliver.
　Surely there are no vampires who don't like to fight. Fight to the death, that's the vampire curse.

　Lynel is rampaging. His huge body shatters the walls and his roar collapses the ceiling. But even after all that, the black flames that enveloped his entire body would not disappear.
　It seems that the "curse flame" has completely entered him. I don't know how he was able to release it. Could it have something to do with his lung capacity?　Was it a power that could only be used in the body of a beast?　You can verify that later.

　The sky is collapsing. There's no time to chase.
　The blood is almost gone. I can't even see up, down, left, right from hunger and pain. With what little strength I have left, I extinguish the flames that burn me and turn my body back to human. Her black fur-covered paws creaked and shrank.

　A huge pile of rubble falls in front of you. The ground shakes and you fall to the floor.
　I put my body back together, but the wound was still there. Shiro smoke rises from the wound, and I hold it as it bleeds. I want to gouge the wound, but I no longer have the strength to use my claws.
　The falling debris would be no problem in normal times, but if it crushed him now, he might die.

　Dell crawled along, his back against the wall. I want to help him now that he's here, but I can't afford to. And Del can't seem to move either.
　We meet eye to eye. A large slab of rock falls between us.

　Apparently there was no room to escape. I'll just have to leave it to luck. Shrink as much as you can and cover your head.

　I wish I could have at least met Senri at the end.



§§



　I wonder how much time has passed. Probably not that long.
　The shaking stopped, and I slowly moved my arm that was protecting my head.

　The ceiling had completely collapsed. Through the completely collapsed ceiling, you can see the chipped moon shining in the sky.
　Unlike before, there was silence in the area.

　Apparently, he had not been crushed. But things aren't getting any better.
　I need blood. I scolded my weak limbs and staggered to my feet. I wipe the blood from my eyes.

　I'm dying. If I weren't undead, I'd be dead already.
　There's still a whole army of Lynel left. We should get out of here. But what about Del?

　My mind is racing and I can't think straight. First we have to-- somehow-- gouge out the wounds that were inflicted by Ryner. .......



　--Just then, a large pile of rubble a few meters away suddenly exploded.


　The debris rained down. I quickly cover my face.
　No, no. This is not an explosion.

　A large black mass rises up, and a hoarse, broken voice echoes quietly in the darkness.


"Fear not, ...... demon. How could it possibly have the same ...... power as Hebram?


　That's ridiculous ...... and impossible.

　I'm not sure what to say. The golden fur on his body was burned black, and no part of him was safe from the elements.
　But he's alive. The flames that had burned his entire body had all been extinguished, and he was standing on his four limbs.

　Half dead, half alive. There's no sign of the power that was in his body.
　And yet, only its eyes shone brightly. The pain from the 《Spell Flame》 must have been unbearable for a living creature, but is this dragon's blood .......?

　I'm not sure if it's because of the dragon's blood that Lynell is able to stand up now.


　The Demon Lord. Now, Ryner stands only by his pride as the Demon Lord.

"Are you still going to do this ......, Linel?

　I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. He doesn't say anything, but there's still a will to fight in his eyes. And he said he was afraid, but he's not afraid.

　He didn't have the strength. He couldn't even stand up. But he raised his arms and managed to get into position.
　Lynel's fur was charred. Would I be able to penetrate it now?　Will it be difficult?　Ryner's movements are slow. The opponent must be dying. But the holy silver claws on his paws are still intact.

　It's hard to see how he can win.

　Lynel's big eyes narrowed.


"End Baron. I'm proud to have fought you. Monica has brought us a good man.


　It looks like they know we don't have the strength to fight. But since we don't have the strength to escape, we have to fight.
　Override the pain with the urge to kill.
　Kill. I'm not going to be killed for free. I'm gonna kill it. My fingertips creak in response to my murderous intent, and the nails on my five fingers sharpen by a few centimeters.

　There's no time for me to step in. Somehow, you have to avoid the blow. And put a hole in its belly. That's the only way.

　Its right paw slowly swings up. I regret the fact that it doesn't look any different from before.
　I should never have turned my body back. Even if I couldn't come back from the beast, I shouldn't have come back until I was sure Lynel was dead.

　My senses were out of control. A silver glint fell slowly. The intimidation alone is enough to crush me. I can't lift my arms. I can't move my legs, even with the will to kill as fuel.




　--No, I'm dying.




　Just as despair crossed my mind, I suddenly heard a strange sound.
　You fall to your knees, unable to withstand the wind pressure.

　You can't ...... die. The silver claw stopped a few inches in front of me. The paw that was about to swing down made a creaking sound.

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on. ...

　A reddish-black thread wrapped around the column-like paw of the liner. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.
　A moist and pleasant voice rang out. The voice was unfamiliar.


"I can't believe I'm meeting ............ the Ancestor in a place like this .......... ...I can't believe it.

　I desperately searched for the source of the voice.
　It was in the shadows of the rubble. It was a woman with a neutral face wearing a jet-black cloak. She was probably a little older than me, and she approached Lynell without making a single sound of footsteps, who had not lost his dignity even after being scorched all over his body.
　Behind her was a red conical pillar several meters long. No--it's not a pillar. It's blood. The suffocating scent of blood.


　Threads stretching from it, entangling Lynell's every movement.
　The arm in front of him slowly lifts.


"Demon Lord Rynell, he's not just the True Vampire. He's the King of the Vampires, the Ancestor. He's the origin, like my king. I didn't mean to hurt you, but I can't let you kill .......


　I'm not going to let you kill her." With those words, my guess turned to certainty.

　This woman is a vampire. She's a vampire. She's evil, like she's boiled down darkness. And she's not a Lesser like me, she's all darkness.
　Should I be pleased or saddened by his appearance?

　But Lynell's target seemed to have shifted completely.

"Still here, Sable. You're a dead man!　I warned you that if I ever saw you again, I would kill you!

　There was a cracking sound. Linel's arm tore off a thread of blood and swung wide at the female vampire who called him Sable.
　Her eyes widened involuntarily. You can't expect her to be able to move this much with her whole body burned.

　But Sable laughed.


And you should be grateful. I never thought I'd be able to weaken that golden lion dragon this much...



　Rainer's huge body floated slightly in the air. There was a series of low sounds, as if he were piercing something wet. Ryner's eyes widened in shock.

　Before he knew it, countless "blood stakes" had been inserted into his body. From below and to the side, countless stakes tore through Ryner's charred fur, digging into his flesh halfway.
　Rynell roars. The stake pierces him, but his claws swing down toward Sable. And just as he was about to slice right through her slender body, her flesh turned to haze.

　The claws tore through the air and stabbed into the ground. Sable materializes a few meters away. Naturally, his body is unharmed.
　Atomization. It's a common vampire ability.

　Rynell spits blood and scratches loudly. The roar vibrates and blows the body away.

　Sable ignores the raging Lynel, turns and kneels.

"Great progenitor of vampires. This is the power I inherited from my master, the Blood Pain. My army welcomes you.

　Linel flailed. But the game was already over. Countless additional threads of blood were released, binding Ryner.
　He was originally half-dead from the fight with me, but the timing was too bad.

　Blood-red eyes, just like mine. From the edge of her blood-red lips, I can see her sharp canine teeth.

　What to do?
　Don't even think about it. No.

　Sable's master must be a vampire because he's my master. And he's probably the Founder like me. Becoming one of them would mean becoming Senri's enemy.
　Most of all, I don't like the attitude of this female vampire.
　Sable's words were polite on the surface, but they weren't an invitation. She wasn't confirming my intentions. Same as Lynell.

　But I can't fight. I don't have that kind of power left.
　Sable's negative power is enormous. I know because we're vampires, but even in my best condition, I doubt I could win, and in my current state, I have no chance.

　I'm not sure if I'll be able to win even if I'm at my best.

You are ...... very clever. That's right, the Founder. The current founder is much weaker than I am. I have no choice but to obey. Don't worry. My Lord is gathering the Night King. It'll be much easier than living alone.

　You're not alone. I'm not alone. I have Senri. So we can't go together.

　Sable raised her index finger in a casual motion.
　Not a single blemish on her white skin, her finger thin and clean. From the tip of the finger, blood suddenly spurts out and forms a small black ball in the air.

　The moment I saw it, all the hairs on my body stood on end.

　This is-- this is not good.

　Sable says in a cold voice.

"I'm going to have to wedge you in. No offense, but this is a blood contract. My blood stays in your system, and if the situation calls for it, it will kill you. There's nothing you can do to resist.

　No doubt. It's an anti-vampire ability.

　Curses and magic don't work on vampires. But this is not that kind of ability. It's not like the absolute command that was once placed on a lord.
　Sable's ability is probably blood manipulation. As with the binding of Lynel, ...... moving blood and crushing the heart or brain can be fatal. So we can't go against it. It's too violent a deal.

　The ball of blood is coming closer.

　You can't escape. We have to kill it. But Sable can't be too careful. He might be able to move his body a little if he gives it his all, but he won't be able to counter. He's expecting it.
　The sphere of blood changed shape and sharpened like a needle. Its tip approaches my head.

　Alarm bells ring in my head. My hands, my arms, my shoulders shake. I can't breathe. Not knowing what to do, I open my lips, the only ones I can move properly.


　And without thinking, I raised my voice in desperation.




"'Prostrate yourselves, O dead!



"?


　Sable's face twisted in astonishment. The needle of blood stopped.
　His voice was husky. The words that came out half-unconsciously were not in a language I knew. But strangely enough I knew what they meant.
　My hands were shaking. This isn't fatigue. This was fear. But it's not fear of Sable.


　Now I'm in awe of-- of myself.



"I am against the underworld, king of the dead. Ruler of the dark world. Rejoice! Bow your head and become my follower.

"Foolish ............, this is ...... necromancy. You are .............


　I'm not sure what to do.
　The blood needle melted and crumbled, and the sable retreated several meters as if to flee in an agile movement. The bloodless face became even paler, and his fingertips trembled slightly. Only her blood-red lips were impressive.


"Oh, no, that's impossible. You're ...... no, you're not just a vampire. The King of the Dead!　No way, the new vampire king of the dead is .......


　I've been hit. I can feel it.
　The subjugation spell didn't work. The vampire's resistance made it go away. But it should have worked. At the root of Sable's curse was the sensation of touching its heart.

　This is the power of the ...... lord. A power that Holos Kamen had acquired over the years.
　There is no sign of the Lord, but he lives in me.

　Terrible. This isn't some life magic I learned over days. Is this the power of magic?

　Sable's trembling didn't stop, even though she knew her resistance had been successful. Her pupils were completely dilated.
　The female vampire in front of her is now at the mercy of a fear that exceeds the urge to kill.


The power is freshly ...... born?　I mainly ...... report to .......

"Hold your ground.

"What?

　Sable's feet, which had started to run, stopped as if she was trapped by my words.

　I'll call it a spell. The Necromancer controls the dead. Even if they are not their own creations, they can do this if they have vampire magic.

　I was only stopped for a moment, but it was enough. But it was enough.

　A silver flash struck Sable as she tried to run again.
　Lynel's claws. The lion dragon's blow swung down from the side, tearing Sable to pieces.
　A small scream goes up. The slender body is split into two halves, the upper and lower, and falls to the floor.

　Ryneel, pierced by the blood stake, was truly a corpse. His eyes are cloudy and his vitality is diminishing rapidly. But he's standing. His eyes were fixed on Sable, who was lying on the floor.

　A clot of blood flows from Lynel's mouth, and his huge body collapses. All sign of life gone.

　Brilliant. He couldn't speak, but it was too good an end.


"...... You're a dead man!　...... Not yet. Not yet!


　Sable got up on his hands. A thread of blood extends noiselessly, gluing together the halves that should have been completely separated. It's too useful, I want it too.
　Shiro smoke was rising from the wound. But while Lynell's blow had indeed damaged Sable, his strength was still very much intact.

　I know because I'm a vampire too. I know because I am a vampire myself. The property of holy silver is to inflict unhealable wounds, not to reduce the power of blood directly.

　I never thought I'd be bothered by vampires' high immortality. The words came out quickly and forcefully.


"Obey me.

"Ugh. ............ It's not working. It won't work, End Baron. It won't matter if you're prepared.




　Sable smiles thinly, bloodlessly .
　d*mn, ...... tolerance is building up too fast. It seems that Sable is quite skilled. I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.


　But it looks like he was able to buy himself some time.


　Sable's eyes were filled with hesitation. She's probably thinking about kidnapping me or just running away. That hesitation was fatal.


What?


　A white light sliced diagonally across Sable's body. I felt a strange sense of peace in the clean light that made me tremble.
　Overcoming the rubble, a holy knight arrives. Familiar white traveling clothes. A nostalgic smell. The silver and white sword shines in the moonlight.

"Sorry, I'm late for the end .......

"No, ...... is fine. I just got here. I just got here.

　You can find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier. I'm not sure what to make of it. But there was not a drop of blood on her clothes.
　Senri rushed over to the fallen me and glared at the one he had just cut down.

　Perfect. Beautiful and terrible. Dell was strong, but the girl in front of him was not.

"Foolish ...... demise, knight ......?

　Sable's face twisted in astonishment.
　Sable's body was almost completely wiped out by the holy light. The lower half of his body, which was somehow connected by a thread of blood, is gone, and the upper half of his body is gone up to his chest. There would be nothing he could do now.

　Sable's eyes glared at Senri, and then at me, who was sheltered behind her.

I'm not sure what to do.　I'm not sure what to say.　I'm not sure what to make of that.

It's not like you're a ............ end.

"d*mn it, .............

　A pillar of blood spins violently, sending countless needles flying. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.
　The blood needles disappeared as soon as they touched the light, as if they were nothing. It's too overwhelming, even for a good match.

　A small amount of blood dripped from her lips. Did he bite it off?
　And then Sable spat. A voice filled with strong resentment.

"So much for ...... you ...... demise knight .......

　Senri didn't move. Because I'm here. He can't move to protect me from the needle of blood.
　But the game is already decided. It takes a lot of power to make the blood needles fly, all Senri has to do is wait until his power runs out.

　Her blood-red eyes look at me as I kneel on the floor. Her tongue licked the blood from her lips.

"End Baron. I'll see you again. Next time, ally to ally.


　I could barely say it behind Senri's pathetic back. I took a deep breath and glared at the female vampire.


I refuse. I'm happy where I am.

　There was no way for Sable to escape in the first place.
　The blood needle stops shooting. Senri didn't run. She remains standing in front of me, as if protecting me.


　Sable smiled as if in mockery and said.


Vampires can't live with humans.

　The column of blood suddenly turned black. The rest of Sable's body suddenly swelled and exploded. But it's not suicide.

　The next moment, the pillar of blood and the upper half of Sable's body had turned into countless bats. The bat swarm lets out a small squeak and flies away, dispersing in all directions. Not even a piece of clothing was left behind.

　Senri lets out a small sigh and puts all his strength into his sword. He glances at me.
　There was strong regret in her features. It makes me want to suck blood.


"I'm sorry, End.

I missed you.

Yeah, .................. me too.


　Then Senri thrust his sword wide and released his power towards the moon.


"Photon Delight.




　The light dispelled the swarm of bats and then shot out in a circle in all directions.


　A band of light shining in the sky. I let go of my consciousness completely, letting the beautiful sight burn into my mind.