**Chapter 24: Secret④**
Eclipse Knight transcends humanity. The Purification granted by Blessing is a fatal weakness for the N/A Doro, who surpasses humans in every domain. However, even without this, the Eclipse Knight, who embodies an extraordinary amount of Life Energy in the form of Blessing, is far more powerful than any mere human.
So, what about the Vampire Hunters?
Unlike the Eclipse Knights, Vampire Hunters do not possess any unusual powers. If they had the talent to wield Blessing, they would undoubtedly have become Eclipse Knights themselves. Generally speaking, Vampire Hunters are far less remarkable compared to Eclipse Knights. However, this does not mean they cannot fight against humans.
The driving force behind Vampire Hunters is obsession. It takes madness to kill the transformed beings while remaining human, and it requires relentless training and luck to survive.
For the Order of the Final Knights, humans are beings to be protected. Yet for Vampire Hunters, humans are simply easier targets than the transformed beings they constantly battle.
“We, the Vampire Hunters, are merely agents of vengeance for the pitiful and weak victims. Of course, I cannot deny that there is a bit of personal enjoyment and business involved,” Master Beast said, stepping over the collapsed guards in a room within the city hall. Despite his cheerful tone, his eyes were murky.
Gazing into those abyss-like eyes, the mayor of De Se N/A Doro, seated on the floor, scooted backward in fear.
He was an elderly, portly man. Though appearance and ability do not always correlate, he certainly did not seem as sharp as the collaborator had described.
The guards protecting the mayor were also unremarkable in skill. If the collaborator’s information was true, it was clear the mayor knew something. Yet, his alertness was alarmingly low. Nebira, who had been observing quietly with narrowed eyes, admonished Master Beast with mere words.
“Master Beast, I thought we agreed to handle this gently.”
“Indeed, Eclipse Knight. I hold no grudge against this man.”
The mayor’s eyebrows twitched as he sat paralyzed. Master Beast leaned down to meet his gaze. With his tall, slender frame, he looked down at the short mayor, almost peering over him.
Trembling, the mayor looked up into Master Beast’s calm, piercing eyes and shouted, “W-what do you want?!”
“Thus, this is not driven by my own emotions. It is merely the desire of my clients, who harbor grievances so deep they burn like a Vampire’s soul. Do not hold it against me.”
The staff held in Master Beast’s right hand fell to the floor. His bony fingers, covered in leather gloves, gripped the mayor’s neck. Still holding him by the throat, Master Beast stood up. The mayor’s windpipe was constricted, and he let out a croaking sound, like a squashed frog.
The strength was incredible. A slender man lifting a full-grown adult with a single hand was beyond human capability.
Rufuri gasped, while the beast-like girl watched intently.
“Hehehe… What my clients desire is not the execution of justice. They wish for me to take my time, to prolong the suffering as much as possible! To kill the Vampires and those who ally with them! That is how I earn my pay!”
“Master Beast!” Rufuri grasped his arm. Master Beast lowered his voice slightly, but the light in his eyes remained unchanged.
“However, I have never been able to achieve that sufficiently. Unlike the Eclipse Knights, I am human, and if I give my opponent even a moment’s respite, I will be killed. Thus, mayor, when dealing with humans… I must balance the scales.”
The mayor clawed at the hand gripping his neck, but the vice-like grip did not budge. Master Beast’s voice, whispering into the mayor’s wide-open ears, was chilling.
“Please exhale slowly. If you wish, you may suffer and die right here. I will feel quite remorseful, but… yes, my dear clients will surely be very satisfied.”
—
“That was excessive, Master Beast.”
“Hehehe… Is that so? I thought you all were the senpai, willing to use any means necessary to corner the N/A Doro.”
Rufuri admonished him, but the skilled Vampire Hunter only laughed. Yet, beneath his calm exterior, madness lurked in his eyes.
Master Beast was utterly serious. He had come to listen, but he was prepared to kill if necessary. Even knowing the mayor might be a victim, he showed no signs of relenting.
The madness that defines a Vampire Hunter. A human who has become a transformed being to hunt down other transformed beings was standing there.
If necessary, this man would attack without hesitation, even if his opponent were an Eclipse Knight.
Nebira grimaced and spat out, “Don’t lump us together! We only choose any means necessary when our opponent isn’t human!”
The Order of the Final Knights would not abandon humans unless there was a considerable reason to do so.
Among the cunning Vampires and high-ranking N/A Doro, some hide their true forms and use humans as pawns. They kill those who stand in their way without hesitation but save those they can. Eclipse Knights do not kill humans for the sake of killing.
At Nebira’s words, Master Beast frowned and nodded in agreement.
“That is… of course. If the Order of the Final Knights were to become like us—well, that would ruin our business.”
“…Tch.”
“The objective has been achieved. The mayor is alive. Is there a problem?”
As Nebira clicked his tongue, Alba, who had been silent until now, spoke up with a cold voice. His voice, unusually deep for his age, concealed dark emotions similar to those of Master Beast.
They glanced at the city hall, which had just been entered.
Perhaps Master Beast’s words were terrifying, or perhaps the mayor was competent enough to sense the seriousness behind them, but he easily divulged information before enduring what could be called torture.
Reflecting on the interrogation scene, Rufuri sighed.
“The castle’s underground, huh… Just like the Order of the Final Knights of old.”
It was well-known across the lands that the Dead King’s hidden card was kept there.
The fact that they did not destroy the castle was likely to make use of the structure, but it was also true that the Order of the Final Knights at that time did not have the resources to spare for such an endeavor. While the present day was somewhat better, it was said that in the past, there were many necromancers, and the Eclipse Knights did not hold dominance as they do now.
During the interrogation, Rufuri and the others merely observed from behind, but there was no sign of deceit in the mayor’s expression.
However—this did not mean they had extracted all the information.
They learned that there were night crystals in the underground. Yet, there was an undeniable discomfort in the flow of the conversation.
For instance—when asked why he had not called the Order of the Final Knights, the mayor’s response lacked a convincing reason. Not all humans think logically, but hiring mercenaries to cope with an emergency seemed foolish no matter how one looked at it.
And regarding that point, Master Beast, who had taken such extreme measures, did not press further.
Master Beast, with a dazed expression, looked into the air but suddenly turned to Rufuri and asked, “So, what shall we do?”
Master Beast was now in the position of being employed. Vampire Hunters typically do not act unless they receive a request. This is likely a form of restraint for those who wield hatred and madness as weapons against Vampires.
“I’ll call for reinforcements.”
The young Eclipse Knight made a quick decision, causing Master Beast to raise an eyebrow.
“Hehehe… Not a bad idea. Have you been spooked?”
“Just pick one: praise or criticize! I don’t plan on dying, but if I die before relaying this information to headquarters, everything will be over.”
They must destroy it at all costs. Nebira’s eyes gleamed with fighting spirit, but his words remained calm. The Order of the Final Knights had refined their tactics over a long struggle. While each member was a formidable warrior, they could not defeat the N/A Doro, who did not have a lifespan.
The castle belonged to the Dead King. Undoubtedly, the underground would be a death trap. Therefore, they should approach the battle with the resolve to turn it into a wasteland, just as they had when they defeated the Demon King.
“Or do you have a brilliant plan as a Vampire Hunter?”
“Hehe… I will obey my client. If I can get paid for it.”
In response to Rufuri’s straightforward question, Master Beast shrugged slightly.
“Besides… I gave the mayor time on purpose. He must dance for us—”
At that moment, Alba suddenly lifted his face with vigor.
With eyes reminiscent of a beast, he stared in one direction. Under the strong sunlight, the figure he focused on was that of a man resembling a traveling merchant. He wore a long traveler’s cloak, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that his gaze was far too sharp to be that of a mere merchant.
Rufuri narrowed his eyes. The man exhaled sharply, his voice trembling as he spoke.
“How nice it must be. Thanks to your, uh, companions, I’ve been having a terrible time.”
“…What are you talking about?”
In response to Rufuri’s question, the man did not answer.
Instead of words, the man’s body began to tremble violently. The traveler’s garments, made of thick fabric, ripped apart as his physique bulged from within. His skeleton shifted, coarse hair sprouted from his skin, and his mouth split open to the cheeks.
His limbs swelled, ears emerged, and a fiery tongue flicked across sharp fangs.
At that moment, Rufuri and the others entered a combat stance, while Master Beast stepped back.
“Werewolf… here, in the middle of town?”
The Werewolf. A minion of the Vampire, and at times, even more formidable than the Vampire itself, embodying a Demonic Nature. Unlike the Deceased, it is difficult to detect, possesses no fatal weaknesses, and can move freely even in the morning—however, since the fall of its creator, the Ancestor known as the Beast King, Lycos, its numbers have been gradually dwindling.
As the monster’s presence became apparent, the passersby screamed in terror. The Werewolf addressed Rufuri and the others, who stood ready with swords and maces, without launching an attack.
“Since when did the Eclipse Knights start teaming up with Vampires?”
“W-What!?”
With a powerful kick against the ground, the Werewolf leaped away—not to attack Rufuri and the others, but to escape. Its transformed and enhanced physical abilities surpassed those of any beast. They hurriedly pursued the retreating figure, but even a second-rate Knight would find it challenging to slay a Werewolf that was solely focused on fleeing without prior preparation.
Ignoring the numerous potential prey around it, the Werewolf vanished from sight in the blink of an eye. Staring in the direction it had fled, Nebira’s voice trembled as she spoke.
“The Eclipse Knights… are working with Vampires!?”