With the power of Hiding in the Shadows, it will be infinitely more difficult to find me at night. This ability, which eliminates signs, smells, and sounds, allows for an extremely high level of secrecy.
　If anyone were to see me running, they would think it was an illusion.
　I could understand why they say that the True Vampire, the one with pre-mutation powers who has repeatedly mutated into a vampire, is much more terrifying than the one who was bitten by a vampire and became a vampire.

　I ran through the city at night, avoiding the main streets and streetlights.
　All the while, no one was paying attention to us. There was no pursuit. My senses are acute at night. I am now aware that I have mastered my abilities to some extent.

　When I arrived at a deserted inn, I kicked the ground hard and landed softly in an open window.
　The room was dimly lit, with only a single lamp on. If it wasn't for the sunlight, it wouldn't have harmed me, but I guess it was out of consideration for my overly sensitive eyesight.

It didn't work after all.

So ............ are you hurt?

　It was Senri who was waiting for me in the room. Her cold good looks hadn't changed since the first time I met her.
　She seemed to have taken off her date glasses. I stood up and spun around.

As you can see. See, there's not even a hole.　It's not obvious.

............ Good.

　Senri's expression didn't change, but I could tell from his heartbeat that he breathed a sigh of relief.
　I was unharmed. Their weapons weren't silver, so if they had pierced my flesh they wouldn't have done any damage at all, but in fact they didn't even make a hole.
　Bullets flew at me, but I avoided them all. This is what you get used to.

　The body regenerates, but the clothes do not. That was a big problem for me.
　Every time I was burned, ripped, or transformed, I would be naked. If I were a human being, I would probably die if I was ripped or burned, so I wouldn't have time to think about my clothes, but I'm not, and - as it turns out - I have many opportunities to do so. You can blacken your body by using Hiding Shadow, but even that is not a substitute for clothes.

　But if you are careful, you can avoid most bullets, arrows, knives, and slashes. In some cases, you can even grab them by the hand. You can't control shapeshifting, but you can control most opponents without turning into a dog.
　At first, I was often cut and bled, but now that I've destroyed several mafias, I can avoid most of them.

　But ...... Sable was different. At the end, when he transformed into a bat and ran away, he didn't leave any clothes behind.
　There must be a way. Senri didn't seem to know how, and Arbatross was naked. And although I have no idea now, the vampire curse is really deep.



　The fierce battle with the Demon Lord Rainer's army gave me many things.
　Some good, some bad, but most importantly... there's someone after me.

　The King of the Stakes. Sable, the vampire lord's ward, was looking for an outsider vampire. And he had a way to control me.
　This is a fact that cannot be overlooked.

　We were going to the fortress city of Rhomburg, partly to hide from the Knights of the End by escaping the human domain.
　It was small, but we had the Night Crystal, so it shouldn't be impossible. Even if there was no Crystal of the Night, there was a possibility that it would not be a problem if there were no other pursuers besides the Knights of the End. But all this was pointless imagination now.

　Senri said that he hadn't been able to finish off Sable. It's too risky to flee outside the human habitat when there are non-human trackers.
　The King of the Stakes is said to be a powerful demon lord. The King of the Stake is said to be a powerful demon lord, so powerful that even though he is a vampire, he has not been destroyed by the Knights of the End.
　He has countless demonic beasts under his command, and the scale of his army is said to be incomparable to that of the Demon Lord Rynell.

　When I saw Sable, I knew at once that he was a vampire. That evil presence is probably the same one that the Knights of the End use to identify us.

　The key item is the Night Crystal. And Senri.
　Without Senri and the Night Crystal, I'll never find peace.

　I didn't plan on living in the wild all the time to begin with. I was planning to return to the town when things cooled down.
　I didn't want to go back to the town when things cooled down, because I didn't think the Senri would get enough nourishment in the wild and it would be too much work. And I want to see the town too.

　But that cannibal Hebram ruined all my plans. Oh, why didn't I take the crystals off during the duel? ...... I want to punch myself in the face for that.

　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's worth it.
　I look at the large carrying case beside me. I'll only be human for a few more hours.

"End, I still think we should run. This life will be absolutely impossible.

I know. I know, Senri. This is too risky. Not the mafia. They're useless. And the bandits. But we can't just run. There's no future in that option.

　Senri has a point.
　It's not hard to take down a human, but the word is spreading. If it spreads any further, there will definitely be people who find out who I am. It's unnatural for a mere human to take down several organizations. It's not fiction.


　And once his true identity is discovered, killing the vampire will not be easy, but it will not be impossible.

　The situation may seem peaceful, but it's getting tighter.
　It turns out that the Night Crystals are unobtainable by normal means. The mafia doesn't even know its name, so it's useless to ask the merchants.

　If there's a possibility, it's probably a vampire expert.
　A "vampire hunter" like Kainushi, or the Knights of the End. Or-- a hack.

　If it's the corpse-carrying hack who dealt with Horus Kamen, or the man who procured the fangs of the giant evil dragon, then he still has a chance. No, it's even possible that the crystal Lord was carrying was procured by that man.
　But I don't know where he is. I'm a decent fighter, but I don't have the ability to find people at a distance. I can't use magic, and I don't have the power to turn my body into a bat yet.

　Senri gently squeezes my hand over his. It's warm and soft, and it calms my thoughts a little.
　My fangs tingle, but I only got the blood the day before yesterday. I have to be patient.

　Even right after the blood was given to him, his fangs would tingle if he was touched, and if he didn't hold back, Senri would become anemic. The reason why I'm so thirsty is because Senri's blood tastes good, but it's probably because I'm still growing.

"End, don't think too much. You're doing great.

"............ Oh, I'm fine. The urge to kill hasn't gotten any stronger. I've gotten used to it. It's better when there's no pain.

You are ............ very, very strong.

　Your tolerance for the inevitable has already been built before you were born.
　It's not that I'm not impatient, but I don't think it's wise to expend energy for nothing. Especially, hitting Senri is the most important action to avoid.
　Fortunately, my time for thinking has not diminished. During the day, while Senri is carrying you, you can think. I think about how to survive with Senri.

　Senri says.

But when you mutate into a vampire, your urges become stronger.

"Oh, thanks for the ....... I'll be careful.

　I'm a lot stronger than I was when I was just a head, but the way Senri looks at me is still filled with concern.

　Now I can somehow sense people's emotions by their smells and heartbeats. The fact that she doesn't feel any fear in the face of me, who is becoming a higher-ranked monster - even if Senri is still overwhelmingly stronger than her - is an amazing thing. That's why I can't betray the one person who has been on my side from the beginning.

　I'm not telling Senri, but I already have a theory as to why I haven't mutated into a vampire yet.
　And if I'm right, I'll never be a vampire.

　But that's okay. If I don't need my powers to survive, I don't need them.
　Yes, vampires are powerful, but the body of a lowly vampire is not bad. In my current state, I have few weaknesses and I can walk in the sun for a while.
　I love the sun, and I have yet to let go of my regret for the sun. And I'd like to walk in the sun with Senri one more time, if possible. ...... I'm too scared to try it, but I wonder if I should wear a parasol.

　It's been a long time since Epe's attack, but there has been no second strike. It's hard to believe that the fearsome hero would be satisfied with just one attack, so he must have been pushing himself very hard.
　And even if the next attack did come, it would probably be at the same level as that one.

　If I put my hand on my heart, I can instinctively understand that my soul is still falling at this moment.
　I'm a deeper, more abominable monster than I was then.

　Stronger, with enhanced regeneration, control over the power of blood, and a myriad of other abilities. Such a monster.

　Senri, who was sitting next to me, suddenly came around to the front.
　Well-shaped eyes. Purple eyes reminiscent of amethyst. Silky hair. A glow of life reminiscent of moonlight. Senri opened his lips with a rare hesitation.





'End ............ is not likely, but I have one idea.