The barrage was just like a black storm.

　The vampire's physical strength surpassed the physical ability of the demise knight, which was strengthened by the blessing. It is the most difficult for the demise knight to deal with the inexhaustible swinging of the spear with a long reach that comes out of his mighty body.
　A sword can take him out, but a spear is not so easy. There was no skill in that swing, but that made it hard to take.

　His body language was like that of a beast, but it was backed up by his experience.
　Even if you're a sorcerer, even if you haven't learned the technique, your mighty physical ability surpasses everything.

　Still, he exploded a blessing at his feet and stepped back. If close combat was too much for him, he could simply attack from a distance.
　Immediately, Lefley and Nevira gathered around Senri and received the spear. As he focused his strength on his sword, the Lord of the Shadow laughed.

I know your tricks, .......

　The light of blessing pools for a moment and then fires.
　At the moment when the light of purification, which is not as flashy as annihilation but certainly damages the undead, hits the King of the Void, a wall appears in front of him.

　It hits the wall of earth and the light dissipates easily.

　Unless it is converted into destructive energy like annihilation, the blessed light does not have the ability to destroy.
　Lufrey, who had fortified his left and right flanks, released the cleansing light as a check, and Nevira attacked with her mace. In response to the simultaneous attacks, the Lord of the Void took a step backward.

　A crystal sprouts from the ground. The black polished crystal reflects the light and catches Nevilla's mace.

　--Strong. She's used to fighting.

　The power of the Blessing can annihilate the undead and prevent the miasma with a mere touch, but it can't erase or prevent physical objects.
　But it can't erase or protect something real.

　Then, the King of the Shadow suddenly looked down at his palm. The crystal shattered.

"Mmm. ...... I didn't expect the blood demon's body to be this weak. The power of death is not enough.

　These words are hard to believe.

　I'm not sure what to do.
　The king of the dead doesn't even have his own men with him. It's definitely not a perfect situation.

　And so, the King of the Shadow put his spear to the ground and smiled quietly.

But what a sense of urgency--I hadn't felt that in a long time! I've long since forgotten this blood-curdling hatred of the living.

　What was in his voice was joy. An inexplicable joy. A reminder that the Demon Lord is back, no matter what.

　This vampire is genuine. Not like the End. I'm not sure if I'm under the influence of my previous incarnation, but I don't feel anything.

　Senri bit his lip.

　A vampire with human form and no sign of death. If we let him go, he'll cause a lot of damage. Definitely an enemy of all life.

　The magic of the powerful undead is incomparable to that of the living.
　The vampire in front of you is out of gas. Perhaps he was interrupted in the ritual by End, so he's not quite ready.

　Maybe he's not even a vampire. A vampire would have to have powerful special abilities.

"Well, good. I will suck all of your blood to moisten this unbearable dryness.

　The King of the Void laughs.
　As he struck the ground with his spear, a huge stake sprouted from the ground and attacked him.



§.


　The onslaught was just like a storm. It was undoubtedly one of the best undead I've ever fought, and it had a very bad matchup.

　Blessing is a versatile energy, but it has its strengths and weaknesses.

　Blessing is good at cleansing and restoring. What it is not good at is destruction and defense against mass attacks.

　Like a tsunami, the ground will rise up and a huge amount of debris will come down like a raging tide.
　It easily crushed the light shield defense that Lefley had deployed over a wide area, and kept out Nevira and Senri who tried to step in.

"............ d*mn it!

　It's not a matter of skill. It was the overwhelming destruction allowed by the strong.

　The King of the False Shadow attacked, hiding behind the towering rubble like a living thing. You parry the blow with your sword. You retreat and avoid the debris flying from above.
　No matter how blessed and strengthened his body is, there is nothing he can do if he is attacked by a massive force.

"Weak, weak!　I'm not sure what to say.

　If you don't have the enhanced perception from the blessing, you won't be able to deal with a series of thrusts and surprise attacks.
　I'm not sure what to make of this. The King of False Shadows laughs excitedly.

Ha-ha-ha-ha!　If you don't concentrate, you won't be able to make the big move!

　His eyes were filled with the joy of battle. His attacks were rough, but not easy to deal with.

　The whole earth is on the side of the vampire in front of me.

　The attack range is too wide. The king was not at his best, but there was no way he could win an endurance battle against the undead.


　The three of us were not enough to defeat this powerful king in front of us.

　We're running out of time. If we retreat, he'll come after us.
　Determined, he stepped forward. The thrust left even the sound behind. The debris attacked me with a series of thunderous blows.

　I sharpened my concentration and avoided the thrust with the minimum of movement.
　What he could not evade, he flicked with his sword. The debris pierced Senri's body, but he did not back away.

　The Demise Knight is also an expert in recovery. What you need is determination. As long as you're prepared, you can move forward.
　Her bloodshot eyes widened for the first time.

"Oh, oh, oh!

　I did my best to flick the spear with my sword.
　The blow was too much for a human to take, and a strong numbness flashed through his bones. But Senri smiled.

　The Senri of the past would have been unable to parry the blow. The only reason she could manage it now was because of the mock battles she had been having with End.

"Huh, you're laughing here!　Knight of the End!

　And then Senri took a step forward.

　The advantage of the spear was its reach. But it's also a weakness.

　The sword has the advantage over the spear when it comes to getting into the pocket.

　The King of the Shadow was right under my nose.
　Pour the power of blessing into the sword. The sword takes on a strong glow, and its bloody eyes narrow.

　He raises his sword and steps forward.

　At the same time, a wall appeared on either side of the Shadow King.

"!

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!　Did you think I didn't notice?

　A bottle of holy water that Nevilla threw from a blind spot hit the wall of earth and broke.
　Holy water is a vampire's weak point. But it's useless if it doesn't hit.

　It was a perfect surprise. But it was noticed. The King of Shadow catches Senri's sword with the hilt of his spear.
　A hard touch comes back to him. But more shocking than that was the fact that the surprise attack was averted.

　The Shadow King shouts.

Bluffing will not work!　Your sword lacks the will to kill!

No!

　I failed. Blood spatters as debris hits his cheek. The sharp pain is masked by the will to fight.

　I was lax. I didn't cut corners. But there was certainly no life in the blow.

　Because of his friends-- the demise knight is trained to win.

　They saw through my slack. Perhaps it was because we hadn't worked together in so long.

　Regret flashed through my mind for a moment, but there was no time to dwell on it. Spears and swords clashed, sparks flying wildly.
　But the blade just barely misses the king's skin.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!　That's a good sound!　When was the last time you saw a fight like this?

　The King of the False Shadow is no doubt exhausted. But that crazy laughter won't stop.
　Blood is spattering. But his head remains calm.

"Pull back, Senri!

　I can hear Lefley's voice in the distance.
　But Senri was ready to die. Concentrate. Putting survival out of her mind, she thought only of defeat.
　He flicked the blade and debris with only his instincts. The expression on the King of the False Shadow's face changes.

　It's not as bad as it looks. The difference between us is minimal. But the longer you wait, the more the gap will widen.
　We must move on. This is the dividing line.
　Light purges darkness. One blow and we have a chance to win. Senri roared for the first time.

"Aaaaahhh!

"?




　Stepping in unabated.
　In response, the King of the Shadow took action--retreat.

　The very speed of flight. In a single step, he fell back a dozen meters, and the Shadow King opened his eyes.

"You idiot,......, I've been pressured!

"............

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　I'm not sure what to do. He's still conscious.

　And then-- Senri flew.

　The art of blessed movement. "Wings of Light.
　Supported by Lufrey and Nevira, he was tens of meters in the air in an instant.

　Flying with a blessing is an advanced skill. Humans are not made to fly.

　It takes time to build up and cannot be used in high-speed combat, but the ability to control the air is tremendous.
　I can see the King of the Void, who looks like a grain of beans, far below. The power of the King of Earth cannot be displayed in the sky.

Senri, do it.

"...............

　This time I'll squeeze the life out of him. Lufrey and Nevira are on the edge. They are too busy flying to expect any help.
　A seemingly inexhaustible amount of energy is focused on the sword. He turns himself into a sword.

　The power that prevented the Shadow King from being destroyed. He's never used the mirror crystal in battle.
　Your opponent is exhausted. It shouldn't be a technique he can use continuously.

　No-- it doesn't matter if he can use it continuously. If I can use it continuously, I'll just destroy it until it dies.


　And just as he was about to unleash his power, the hill on which the Shadow King stood collapsed and expanded.

"You can't lose, little girl! You little brat, you're not even a tenth of what I am!

What?


　The ground rumbled. The ground rumbled. The rocks reassembled, and what was created was a giant arm.
　The huge amount of magic power that made me cower reached the heavens in an instant.

　A huge palm made of crystal cast a shadow over Senri.

　No doubt. This is the final blow. The next blow is the last for both us and him.

　A huge mass is falling. But I'm not in a hurry.

　Take a deep breath and focus your energy. I hear a voice-- on the back of my hand.
　Gently point the sword up. I can't feel my hand anymore. But your hand isn't shaking.

　And Senri made one last heartfelt apology.


　I'm sorry, End.


　What was that apology really for?

　And then the light was released.




§ § § §



　Rocks and crystals rained down on the earth. The roar shook the world and did not cease for a while.
　The earth shook as if in wailing, and then suddenly stopped.

　The moonlight illuminated the wasteland.
　The trees that had grown around it were swallowed up by the earth, and the old castle that had stood there for so many years was no longer even a shadow of its former self.

　Three figures swayed down to the ground and then collapsed.

　The most severely injured is Senri, who was in a state of raggedness but was able to muster up the strength, but the remaining two - Nevilla and Lefley - have little strength left.

　But they are still alive.

　Looking up at the heavens, Lefley lets out a muffled cry.

"Yes, .......

　Senri's last flash of annihilation. It did indeed completely annihilate the Shadow King's attack.
　It was really close. If it hadn't been for the annihilation, Lufrey and the others would have surely been crushed to death.

　They couldn't move a finger. But Senri was more seriously injured.
　Blessing is the energy of life, and using it up, even temporarily, until it's depleted is a dangerous situation.
　I should get her to the city as soon as possible, but it seems that Nevira is in the same situation. Looking at his companion lying next to him, Lefley smiled.

　The reason Lufrey couldn't move a finger was because he used his light wings to send power to Senri with the minimum amount of strength left. The fact that Nevilla was in the same state meant that the people next to her had made the same choice.
　Nevira's frown is probably because he realizes the same thing.

　Even at the third level, Lefley and the others are still Knights of the End. They should be able to recover enough to move after a short rest.


　Just as the air was beginning to relax, a dry voice rang out.






"Ha, ha. ...... Nice blow, .......

What?


　Nonsense--that's impossible. Senri's attack would have been completely overwhelming.

　The king of the void is unreadable. But the voice that echoed out of nowhere was definitely that of the Shadow King.


"The Knights of the End of Time are more than capable.

　A shadow cast over the heads of Lufrey and the others. They desperately tried to move their bodies, but their bodies would not move at all.

　A pair of crimson eyes peered at the three of them. The Shadow King's voice was dry, but there was no sign of wear and tear on his face.
　The Shadow King smiled.


The King of the False Shadows laughed. "C'mon ......, why don't you tell me? Knight of the End. The thing in your hand, the thing that made your voice come out--it's just a rock puppet.

"......

　I didn't notice that at all.
　No, in normal times I definitely would have noticed, but in extreme circumstances I didn't have the luxury of noticing.

　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

"Don't call me a coward. I don't like it either. I didn't expect to be defeated in my first fight after being reincarnated.

　Senri is still unconscious, unable to move a muscle.
　He can't move his body. His blessings are depleted.

　The King of the Shadow stretches out his arm to Senri, who lies in a helpless heap.


"You should be proud that the three of you have hunted down this king of the void with only three men... and you need not fear. You will live forever as my flesh and blood.

"...... d*mn you!

　Nevilla's voice was filled with anger. But his hands only trembled and did not move at all.
　Blessings run in the blood of demise knights. Blood with the power of the blessing is poisonous, and under normal circumstances it would be impossible to suck blood.

　But now Senri has used up all his power and the blessing is depleted.

　No. I can't let her suck blood.
　The king before you is powerful. If he regains his power, it will be a great evil this time.

　The only blood a vampire can draw power from is living blood. But Lufrey and the others can't even kill themselves now.

　As Lufrey and the others desperately tried to move their bodies, a fingertip approached Senri.
　Just as the pale fingers were about to touch her neck, the movement stopped abruptly.


"What the hell are you--?


　The King of the False Shadows looked up. What stood behind him was a battered young man.
　His limbs were snapped in the wrong direction, and his whole body was covered in dust. There was no light behind his eyes, and his white hair reflected the moonlight quietly.

　It was a wonder she was still standing.
　If he had been a human being, he certainly would not have survived in such a state.

　But this young man was definitely alive. No, it is wrong to say that he was alive.

　He was dead, but he was moving.

　The King of the False Shadows stands in awe at the sight of End, who reminds him of a hellraiser.

"You're a vampire ............ who was fighting Abyss Code ...... and you're alive?

　The King of the False Shadows wobbled on his feet. But End's feet were even more unsteady.

　His eyes were unfocused, as if he were dead. He showed no reaction to the words of the Shadow King.

　The Shadow King stretches out his arm and grasps its neck. There was a wet sound, but the end did not move a muscle.

　The Shadow King's brow twists as if he has seen something eerie.

"What is it, ......?　What are you?　You're a wraith again?　Why are you moving?


　It was at these words that End first reacted.
　His eyes, which had been wandering in the air, came back into focus and looked at the King of the Void.
　There was darkness behind the blood-red eyes. His arm lifted up weakly and rested on the King of the Void's arm gripping his neck.

　His throat, which should have been compressed, moves, and a voice that seems ready to disappear rises.


I'm ...... coma.................. king. I'm ............ coma ............ king. ......, is ...... empty--

"What?　............ What?


　The king of the void asks the apparently half-dead opponent.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.



　Then, as if gathering his strength, End said.



"It's the palace.

"What ......?

　The snapped limb crunched back into place. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.


　The light returns to your eyes. But the darkness that lingers behind it remains.

　The King of the False Shadows staggered. His throat is still clenched, but the voice that comes out next is no longer scratchy.





I am the King of the Void. Named by the Lord to surpass and rule over all darkness.



　I don't know what he's talking about. But the King of the Void opens his eyes.



"A name is important. That's why the Lord gave it to you as a key. The Shadow King.



　Even Lufrey, who had lost most of his strength, understood.

　It was as if the shackles had been removed, and the presence of death was rapidly growing.
　It was as if he was changing into another being, a remarkable change.

　The King of the Void's arm snapped noisily in his grip. He tried to take a step back, but End would not let go of his arm.
　Even with the vampire's physical strength, he can't move. A look of alarm crosses the face of the King of the Void.


　And then End smiled. His blood-red eyes glowed with a hint of gold--a demonic light.


　The expression of the King of the Void distorted, as if he had been struck by its presence.


　Eyes that shine with gold are the sign of a noble.
　A fearsome immortal who sucks a particularly large amount of blood among blood demons and stores up power.
　The mere confirmation of his birth is enough to alert the Knights of the End, and he is feared even by his own kind, the aristocracy of vampires.



I'm not sure what to make of that. I'm sure you'll understand.

I'm not sure what to do. I'll take the pain. I missed the light. At least for a day.


　Her face hadn't changed. But her mood had clearly changed.
　His bloodless features were so beautiful that even Lefley, a man of his own s*x, was horrified.

　Tears of blood flowed from her golden eyes. Perhaps it was the freshness of the mutation. But his voice was so calm.



"But-- but no more. You've hurt my darling--I don't want to use a dirty word, but I'm going to kill you.