“A blunder, it seems…”
The flesh transformed into three wolves, pinning down the parent and child from before.
“Kukuku… Victoria, don’t move. If you move without my permission, I’ll kill those three.”
“Understood… I will not.”
“Hee… You’re obedient. Then really don’t move. You can’t even defend against attacks.”
Robert created a small, fist-sized wolf and launched it like a bullet. Victoria almost deflected it with a defensive barrier, but desperately suppressed the reflex and took the direct hit.
It pierced her abdomen. Tearing through flesh, it bit into her internal organs.
“Guh!”
She wanted to crouch down.
But she was told not to move.
“Hey, hey… Are you an idiot!? You don’t know those three, do you? They’re not your relatives, are they!? Why are you obeying when strangers are taken hostage!? Keeping still while your internal organs are being devoured is insane!”
“But… you were the one who told me not to move…?”
“And I’m saying it’s insane to obey that. Honestly, I was desperate. I didn’t think it would work. But… no, I had a slight hunch. You don’t kill vampires because you like killing them, do you? You kill them because you want to protect humans, right!? How foolish!”
Responding to Robert’s excitement, the wolf inside Victoria’s abdomen thrashed violently.
“Ka… hah!”
“Ah, yes, that expression… I’d be happy if your screams were louder. What a shame, I’d love to dissect you with my own hands. The drawback of this ability is that I can’t feel it myself. But even with hostages, I’m afraid to get close to you. I’ll just keep whittling you down like this. Even a mighty vampire has a regeneration limit. Those were your words.”
That’s right.
If this continues, Victoria will eventually die.
She could endure five or ten minutes. But if her organs are eaten from the inside for hours, she will die.
To be killed by such a small fry. No, this ability is troublesome. He wasn’t a small fry. Even so, there’s still a chance to win. It’s simple. Just ignore the hostages.
She doesn’t want to sacrifice anyone. But her own life is at stake.
Three strangers. If she abandons them, no one would blame her.
Not her comrades in the Night Watch Organization. Not Rosette, not Akito, not Mizuha, not Misty.
They would all say it can’t be helped.
Yet, her body won’t move.
“Kuhahaha! Hey, hey, isn’t your regeneration slowing down? Now, let’s see how long you can last—”
“Come forth from Purgatory, Sin—Overflow, Sloth. And Wrath.”
Robert’s voice stopped.
At the same time, Misty’s kick, falling from the sky, pierced Robert’s skull. Crushing his skull, it continued to shatter his spine and ribs.
When Misty’s foot touched the ground, Robert was in pieces.
The scattered fragments flew beyond the range of Sloth’s effect, where they gathered and regenerated. Regenerated, but…
“Hah, hah… Who are you! Suddenly barging in… Are you Victoria’s comrade!? You don’t move either! That parent and child are hostages!”
Having used most of his physical strength to maintain the wolves and regenerate repeatedly, Robert was visibly exhausted.
If he did the same thing a few more times, he would reach his regeneration limit.
And the hostages.
Victoria can’t move if there are hostages. But that might not be the case for Misty. Robert himself had said it. It’s insane to obey when strangers are taken hostage.
The moment the intruder appeared, Robert was cornered.
Especially since the hostages were now lost.