**Chapter Fourteen: Encounter**
—
Beautiful hair, like finely woven silver threads, cascaded down her shoulders. Her deep purple eyes, reminiscent of amethyst, held a captivating allure. She appeared to be in her late teens, not yet twenty. Her skin was pale, but unlike Ruu’s, it bore no sickly quality; instead, her well-defined features exuded an air of intelligence that was breathtaking, even in such dire circumstances.
She was shorter and more delicate than I, yet the energy radiating from her was even more overwhelming than what I had sensed from a distance earlier. Ruu, who couldn’t perceive Sei’s energy, seemed to be struck dumb by her presence.
As I gazed upon her divine beauty up close, I couldn’t help but think—if someone as stunning as her intended to kill me, then surely I must be a being unworthy of existence in this world.
Still, I would never entertain the thought of willingly accepting death.
Fortunately, it seemed my body could withstand the energy. Or perhaps the sensation of being scorched simply by approaching her was an illusion; maybe the residual energy held no destructive power. Even in fairy tales, there were no accounts of beings that could annihilate the undead just by getting close.
Yet, I couldn’t stop my body from trembling.
Leaving Ruu behind was out of the question. My physical abilities surpassed those of a mere human, but my opponent was no ordinary human.
“You’re shaking, and your complexion—”
“That’s your fault.”
“Honestly, Senri has a thing for objects, doesn’t she?”
The words were meant to be considerate, but the tone and gaze were as cold as ice. One of my companions, a brown-haired knight wielding a mace, peered at me with a frown, seemingly exasperated.
Our preparations should have been flawless. According to the Lord, the Order of the Final Knights could detect the presence of negative energy and pinpoint our location from afar. With the amulet concealing it, they shouldn’t have any solid proof to suspect us.
I steeled myself. If I couldn’t fight back or flee, I had no choice but to somehow bluff my way through.
Ruu remained silent. The sun-like man did not approach but instead watched over me—Senri—with a serene expression from afar. Although his gaze was chilling, the fact that he didn’t attack right away suggested that, at least for now, we hadn’t been discovered. The attention on Ruu’s collar was concerning, but slaves weren’t so rare as to raise immediate suspicion.
“I apologize if I sound angry, but this is just my princess’s ‘natural’ state. Even so, she has great potential, you know?”
“Natural? Is this really what you call natural?”
Her piercing gaze seemed to see right through me, but… natural?
At my companion’s words, the woman who could obliterate me with mere aura lowered her gaze slightly, looking somewhat displeased.
“Still, it’s understandable for Senri to be worried. I hate to say it, but you look like you’re on the verge of death. Your complexion is terrible.”
“Rufuri! How rude!”
The blonde female knight behind him smacked his head and turned to examine my face. It seemed I had narrowly avoided the worst possible outcome, but this was still bad. The sunlight was blinding. I adjusted my hood, pulling it down more naturally.
“Um, no, thank you. I’m just recovering from an illness, so it’s fine. I was bedridden until just recently… and I’ve finally managed to walk outside.”
“Bedridden… and you’re saying it’s fine?”
“Yes.”
As the line moved forward, I followed suit. However, the group of grim reapers targeting me continued to follow without any regard for the atmosphere.
What on earth are they after? Have they already realized I’m undead and are merely waiting for the right moment to strike? I was grateful to be undead; if I were alive, I would surely be sweating profusely by now.
The moon’s apostle spoke softly.
“I understand how you feel. I was bedridden too…”
“N/A… is that so?”
A faint smile appeared on my face, and Senri mirrored a similar, albeit awkward, smile.
Two shocks hit me. One was the revelation that this girl, who possessed a power akin to a miracle, had once been ill. The other was her attempt to understand me to that extent.
In my previous life, I would have thrown an object at her. Now, I could smile at her words because my body was healthy. However, what was healthy for me was not necessarily the same for them.
But what a strange situation this was. The words she spoke helped me regain a bit of composure, and I lifted my head to look at the members of the Order of the Final Knights once more.
Their expressions were varied—some were exasperated, others smiled, and some looked impressed. The second shock was in their demeanor.
These knights radiated light. Yet, astonishingly, they were—just humans. In the tales I had read in my previous life, there were knights feared for their fierce emotions like raging flames. Yet, the knights before me were far too human.
They displayed concern for me, someone who had merely looked pale and had drawn no interest from those around me. Their compassion was fitting for the apostles of light, but it was different from the hero I had envisioned.
If they were the heroes I had imagined—I would already be dead. No, if that sun-like man had come closer, he would have seen through my Sei body. He had an air about him that suggested he could do so without regard for the amulet.
Suddenly, Senri’s eyes widened as if she had just remembered something.
“Oh! I can use healing magic—this should help restore some of your strength.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m okay now… thank you, Senri. If you must cast it, please use it on Ruu instead. She’s exhausted from taking care of me.”
In that moment, I could genuinely smile from the bottom of my heart.
Ordinary healing magic does not work on the undead. Some spells that share Sei energy can be potent enough to be considered poison.
Senri, the compassionate girl, nodded slightly and placed her palm toward Ruu, who was tense beside her.
The waves of power overflowing from her body contracted and were released with a small incantation. The excessive energy, which seemed capable of turning to ash with just a touch, flowed into Ruu, and her skin, which had been as sickly pale as mine, quickly regained a healthy hue.
Indeed—she was strong. Too strong. Moreover, even after casting such a powerful healing spell that could obliterate me, Senri’s aura remained completely undiminished. Unlike the undead, the Sei energy wielded by the Order of the Final Knights should have its limits, yet the disparity in strength was evident.
However, even as a deadly spell was unleashed nearby, my expression remained unchanged.
They were the natural enemies of darkness, yet allies of the weak. Compared to their otherworldly power, their spirits were far too human… and there was undoubtedly a chink in their armor. At least, on a mental level, I wouldn’t stand a chance against that cunning Lord.
Of course, I couldn’t fight them on a Sei level. That would be the height of foolishness. Their power—Senri’s, and that of the sun-like man—was far beyond my reach.
I needed to devise a plan… not to kill Senri and the sun-like man, but to ensure my own survival.
Without revealing my inner turmoil, I bowed my head. Countless heroes’ eyes were upon me.
“Thank you very much. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we must hurry—”
Just as I pushed Ruu’s back and tried to move forward, a hand suddenly rested on my shoulder. My heart, which should have already stopped, felt as if it might do so at any moment. I had no pulse, no heartbeat, and no breath. In fact, my body temperature was—much lower than that of a human.
It was sheer luck that my shock didn’t show on my face. The one who stopped me was a blue-haired man standing behind Senri, who had not spoken a word until now, his cunning eyes glinting.
“What is it?”
“Ah, sorry to stop you. Actually, we’re currently—under orders from our master—searching for a necromancer hiding in this area. A dark mage who toys with death and souls.”
“That sounds… quite troublesome…”
“Don’t worry about us. Senri is said to be the greatest talent in history; if we can find the necromancer, it’ll be a quick kill. But we haven’t been able to find any leads. Those gloomy bastards are known for their hiding skills.”
His mocking tone was far from the dignified manner I expected from the Order of the Final Knights. Yet, in a way, he was much more dangerous than Senri.
The man scrutinized my face closely before speaking.
“I’ll be blunt. Your complexion is quite close to that of an undead. I don’t sense any dark energy, but… vampires are weak to sunlight. So, let’s see that hood of yours. Whether you like it or not.”
“Nebira!?”
Senri’s voice was accusatory, but Nebira’s expression remained unchanged. I see… while Senri was stronger, they seemed to be nearly equal. The master he referred to was most likely the sun-like man watching over us.
I smiled faintly and slowly reached for my hood, removing it without hesitation.
The sunlight flooded my eyes, and I squinted against its brightness. The sunlight, the weakness of the undead, illuminated my skin, and I felt a slight, prickling pain.
“Is this alright? Perhaps because I’ve been bedridden for so long, my skin has become quite sensitive…”
Unexpectedly, Nebira widened her eyes and observed I’s face for several seconds, but then frowned and clicked her tongue in annoyance.
“Ugh, a miss. Ah, forget it. My apologies.”
“Nebira! …I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. It’s just part of the job.”
She shook her head with a smile and adjusted her hood deeper over her head. However, I’s inner thoughts were far from calm. There was no pulse, no heartbeat, and no breath. With a body temperature as low as I’s, there were many signs that could expose her, aside from her resistance to sunlight.
The reason they only checked for sunlight was likely because it was the most glaring weakness of the undead. Powerful undead beings with intelligence capable of blending in with humans generally have a strong aversion to sunlight, which is why the professionals dealing with undead would not think to check for other signs.
…Wait, do vampires have a pulse or heartbeat?
If I remember correctly, vampires perish when their hearts are pierced by a wooden stake. After all, those undead creatures are monsters that live by drinking blood. It wouldn’t be strange for blood to flow within them.
I resolved to reread the undead compendium when I returned home.
With that thought in mind, I smiled and bid farewell to Senri and the others.
“Thank you very much. Until we meet again—”
If only it would be—never again.
This encounter was a coincidence. I had a feeling, a premonition, about the next time we would meet.
When we crossed paths again—it would undoubtedly lead to battle.
I would survive. I had resolved to live, even if it meant becoming a monster.
I had no intention of attacking first, but I must fend off any sparks that may fall upon me.
Even if those sparks were not mere embers, but the flames of hell itself.
—
“What!? You encountered the Knight of the End!?”
The Lord’s expression changed dramatically upon hearing I’s report.
His face twisted like a malevolent demon, exuding a deep, dark power unlike that of the Order of the Final Knights.
I recounted everything. After all, Ruu would report it anyway, so it was the same whether I did it or not.
The number of them, their weapons, the energy radiating from them. The only thing I withheld was the ‘sweetness’ I sensed from Senri and the others.
When I spoke of the elderly man cloaked in sunlight-like energy, the Lord’s emotions reached a peak.
With eyes burning with anger and grievance, he slammed his fist onto the table. That figure was the very embodiment of the necromancer I envisioned.
“A first-class knight, you say? I can’t believe a first-class would come to such a remote area just as the final wish is within reach… Do they simply not rest until they cause trouble?”
“Is there a chance of victory?”
“Of course, there is!”
The Lord gasped for breath, shouting. His words were filled with inflated confidence and the exhilaration unique to one facing a formidable foe.
It wasn’t a lie—not at least in the Lord’s mind. He had reasons to believe it.
“But… if only I had a little more time, I could have crushed them with even greater power! Is this—my final trial!? No, perhaps it’s still not too late. It’s somewhat frustrating, but facing a first-class knight with a disciple leaves no room for delay.”
The Lord removed the cloth that covered an object.
What emerged was a rod with smooth curves. It was black, glossy, thick at the bottom, and tapering as it rose—.
At that moment, I finally realized what that object was. I involuntarily shivered.
Seeing my reaction, the Lord wore a deep smile.
It was—an enormous fang. A fang from a colossal living creature.
If just one fang was as long as my arm, how massive must the creature be? It was certainly incomparable to the magical beasts that appear in this forest.
“However, there’s still not enough grievance. I need one more. I’ve had Haku prepare it, but… End. You mentioned feeling an incredible power from the Knight of the End in your earlier report, didn’t you?”
“Y-yes… I would be obliterated in an instant. Just a touch would turn me to dust. That was the kind of power it held.”
It was a pitiful admission, but the difference in rank was insurmountable. No matter how I simulated it, I couldn’t fully gauge the opponent’s strength, but I could assert that much with certainty.
I still didn’t fully understand how much power the rank mutation would grant me, but I didn’t believe I could win with just one or two mutations.
However, the Lord’s response to my answer was a burst of laughter.
“Ahahaha! That is precisely the vessel of the King of the Dead! Rest assured, End. The power you sensed is proof of the depth of your abyss! The undead are—deep shadows cast by light. Can you truly sense that with just Shiki? The vessel is more than sufficient! There should still be a little time before they arrive here. End, brace yourself and wait!”
His eyes sparkled with madness and ecstasy.
That figure, having faced the shining ones, was even more terrifying.
I didn’t need power. I had never wished for the depth of the abyss.
Once again, I felt the danger of the Lord strongly.
I didn’t know what he was planning, but the man before me was undeniably a monstrous entity. Though his direction differed from that of the sunlit man, he was no less a… abomination.
I couldn’t afford to be caught up in a battle between such monstrosities.
There was no time to waste. Indeed, the Lord was right; there was not a moment to spare.
“I shall make you—the King of the Dead! And I will present the heads of the arrogant gods’ vanguards before you!”
The Lord shouted. Ruu shrank back, trembling, as if waiting for a disaster to pass.
But I felt my thoughts grow colder the more the Lord shouted.
It was not fear. My instinct for survival outweighed any fear.
The King of the Dead? No, thank you. I was a dead person who understood my place. Just leave me be, like a proper dead being.
I had a plan—one I had come up with on the way home, a special strategy.
The risk was great, but I had to do it. However, it required assistance.
I would make a deal with Ruu. I had already thought of my persuasive lines. I understood the feelings of the weak. It should work out well.
Whether it was the Order of the Final Knights or the necromancer, anyone who disturbed my peace—should die, all of them.