**Chapter 17: The Devourer of Souls II**
The flames were pitch black.
My body felt hot. My skin, my flesh, was burning. I understood what had happened. I had been ambushed.
An unending, indescribable pain and heat gnawed at my body and mind.
This was a duel. A one-on-one duel. The other members of the Magic King’s army were watching. I had never expected to be ambushed while my status was not even facing my opponent. I had no intention of allowing it to happen.
I had underestimated the Devourer of Souls. No… it was more than that. It was not just underestimating.
The Devourer of Souls was… more despicable than I could have imagined.
If it were an enemy, I could understand, but to be ambushed when I had not yet declared hostility was an outrageous act. I could even understand the feelings of the lizard creature that had suddenly attacked me. It had intent to kill. However, this time, the Devourer of Souls recognized me as a rival in a duel over spoils and ambushed me for its own benefit.
A voice echoed. I couldn’t discern the content, but I understood it was mocking me.
Before me lay darkness. I couldn’t tell up from down, left from right. My senses felt stretched. Sadness, fear, anger—various emotions tossed me about. Yet, what I strongly recalled as I lay collapsed was the words Senri had taught me.
It is difficult to kill a vampire that is already dead. Fire, ice, and lightning have no effect. Though it is a corpse, the deceased do not easily meet a second death.
Magic does not affect a vampire imbued with strong magical power. Fire spells, healing magic, mental corruption, and even necromancy hardly influence me.
And finally, a vampire born from a strong curse is immune to curses. Curses are fundamentally different from magic. They are objects that exert a significant influence in exchange for a great risk. Furthermore, curses do not stack; they are overwritten by stronger objects. The curse of the undead is among the strongest of all curses. Curses do not affect the deceased or vampires.
That’s right. The only thing that can bring my end is—blessing and the light of the sun.
There’s no way I would allow myself to be killed by a mere “Devourer of Souls.” I had already used every means necessary to survive. Even if Lord and Albatross brought this upon themselves, at least Ruu died because of me, and Senri’s life was drastically altered.
My soul is not light enough to be extinguished by something like this. I have yet to repay all my debts to Senri.
If I am to be killed, I have decided it will be by Senri’s hand.
The dark view began to gradually return to normal. The pain that had been gnawing at my skin and flesh slowly receded. I took a deep breath and gathered strength into my weakened arm. A hoarse voice fell upon me from above. This time, I could clearly hear its content.
It was the language of humans. However, the one speaking was not human.
Why was it that I could clearly discern this from just the voice?
“Hmm… to think there exists one who can move after being bathed in my cursed flames… I thought you were merely a fool who did not know the difference in power… but perhaps you will entertain me, ‘Living Dead.’”
In truth, I had been gathering information from Oliver and other members of the Magic King’s army as usual. Therefore, I was aware of the existence of the Devourer of Souls. I hadn’t heard that it would ambush me before the duel began, however…
It was a phantom beast resembling a person.
It had a body like a lion and a long tail sprouting countless poisonous needles. Its crimson fur repelled ordinary swords and arrows, and its strength could shatter the earth.
I staggered to my feet and glared at the Devourer of Souls for the first time.
“The One Who Devours Souls.”
That phantom beast was known by this name.
“There’s a strong scent of death. Hehehe… I have no desire to consume you.”
Its wrinkled, grotesque face broke into a deep smile. A cold shiver ran up my spine. A human head sat atop a beastly body—it was unsettling beyond measure.
It looked far more monstrous than I, who appeared human. The Order of the Final Knights should be hunting the Devourer of Souls instead of me.
The body of the Devourer of Souls was smaller than Albatross but larger than mine. Its face was human, and I could sense intelligence in its voice, yet there was no room for negotiation.
My vampire instincts screamed that this moving object before me was an enemy. It urged me to kill it, to bring death to the Devourer of Souls that had attacked me.
I ignored those instincts and slowly checked my status.
The coat I had just newly acquired was tattered from the cursed flames. It had barely avoided being completely consumed, but not a trace of its once-cool appearance remained.
The magical belt and dagger were in even worse condition. The dagger seemed to have melted away completely, and the belt was burned to ashes. Such destruction could not be caused by mere flames.
Should I be glad that my body remained intact? I had wanted to show it off to Senri, but now it was already in ruins.
I inadvertently dropped my sword, but I managed to lift the great sword that had survived. The onlookers were in an uproar.
The flames of anger smoldered in my mind. I knew it was foolish to lose my calm.
I would admit that I had gotten carried away. Even if it was unexpected, it was my mistake to receive an attack while unguarded.
However, I would make the Devourer of Souls regret it. I would make it regret destroying my favorite item, and for trying to kill me.
The Devourer of Souls narrowed its eyes, glowing red like flames. Even when faced with my massive sword, it showed no sign of agitation.
There was an air of authority that came with being strong.
“I’m surprised… to think you could withstand my cursed flames without being extinguished. What a… abominable… thing…”
Killing was supposed to be off the table. Yet, it was clear the Devourer of Souls was trying to kill me.
I would kill it. I would wipe out all who sought to kill me.
I would eliminate all obstacles. The Devourer of Souls was a hated creature; it wouldn’t matter if I accidentally killed it.
The abomination was—YOU.
I did not respond. There was no need to wait for a signal to begin. The battle had already commenced.
With my great sword in hand, I kicked the ground hard. My target was—its head. I would bring this iron mass crashing down upon it.
I closed the distance with a swift step. My opponent was a four-legged phantom beast. I could not gauge its strength, but I should have the advantage in agility.
The Devourer of Souls’ eyes widened in surprise. I could see its sharp fangs glistening from its slightly parted mouth.
Then, suddenly, something flew toward me, and I used my great sword as a shield.
A series of short sounds echoed. A dull impact reverberated through me.
It was needles. It had launched the poisonous needles from its tail. The Devourer of Souls let out a growl, and I could sense a strong irritation in its voice that hadn’t been there a moment ago.
“Will you take this as well? Hmph…”
I hadn’t received it through dynamic vision.
I had heard about the Devourer of Souls’ abilities beforehand.
Cursed flames, sharp claws and fangs. A long tail that strikes like a whip, and powerful poisonous needles that could knock me out with a single hit. On top of that, it could wield the language of humans, meaning it could cast spells—implying it could manipulate the structured magic created by humans and demon races.
It was a powerful phantom beast of the undead. I never expected it to resort to such cowardly tactics.
The speed of the poisonous needles flying from the tip of its tail was fast, but I could dodge them with sufficient ease. However, the tail, which moved like a whip, made it difficult to predict its trajectory.
I braced myself against the ground as its body charged at me with the force to shatter the earth. I used my sword as a shield. A heavy impact coursed through me. I struggled to hold my ground, but I felt my body being pushed back.
The weight difference was too great. The moment I lost my footing, I felt I would be sent flying.
Before I could take my next action, the tail struck again. Its trajectory was complex, and it seemed the Devourer of Souls could manipulate its tail as if it were a third hand.
It was not just strength. It was powerful. There were no openings. Each strike from its claws gouged deep into the earth, and my sword creaked under the pressure of its whip-like tail.
I was still a vampire, so I could endure it, but the speed and force behind each attack were far beyond what any human could withstand. This was a different level from the other members of the Magic King’s army I had fought before.
A hoarse voice reminiscent of an old man laughed mockingly.
“What’s wrong, vampire? Is this all the Night King has to offer?!”
“Ugh…”
This was bad. At this rate, I would be defeated. I had no chance of victory unless I shifted to the offensive.
Its strength and speed were not on par with Albatross. Its endurance likely wasn’t either.
The Devourer of Souls was a phantom beast, but its fighting style displayed intelligence. Albatross was perhaps too reckless.
Before my abilities were revealed, I had to strike first.
I knew how to fight beasts. It was difficult to block its forelegs. My target was—the tail.
The frequency at which the Devourer of Souls launched its poisonous needles was decreasing. It likely didn’t have an infinite supply.
The body of I was dead, rendering poison ineffective. If poison had no effect, then the incoming needles were hardly a significant threat.
A fluid series of strikes. I barely managed to fend off the relentless attacks from the Person Eater, waiting for the right moment to strike.
That moment arrived swiftly. The scorpion-like tail of the Person Eater flickered with a graceful motion. My dynamic vision captured its movement with clarity.
—Here it comes.
No matter how freely it could be manipulated, it was impossible to retract a tail swung down with full force. I would pull out that bothersome, non-furry tail.
“Ugh…!?”
I emerged from behind the sword I had been using as cover. With resolve, I kicked off the ground, extending my left arm to grasp the tip of the flexible tail—just below the multitude of poisonous needles sprouting from all sides. A shock coursed through my palm, but since it was before the momentum built up, it wasn’t too severe.
And then, the moment I tried to pull it with all my might—an explosion erupted right before my eyes.
It was almost instinctive. I shielded my head with my left arm. A searing pain spread throughout my arm, only to vanish in an instant. My vision spun wildly, and I crashed hard into the ground. I tried to roll and stand up, but my balance was completely off.
My body felt light. The left arm I had used to protect my head was gone. A foul stench, like rotting flesh, filled the air.
My right arm was riddled with holes, like it had been eaten away. Needles. The spots where the needles had pierced were—melting.
Now I understood. The tip of the tail had exploded, sending countless needles flying.
A nauseating heat enveloped my jaw. I lifted my mangled right hand to confirm my fears. The lower half of my face was missing. I hadn’t been able to shield it with my left hand. As I quickly checked my body, I realized that the needles had struck indiscriminately, leaving my flesh a gooey mess with large holes throughout.
The great sword lay on the ground, oddly warped. It should have been larger than me, but now it was less than half its original size.
A corrosive poison—capable of melting even metal. Clearly, this was not something I had suffered from the initial strike.
Despite having unleashed so many needles, the tail had sprouted countless more. The Person Eater itself must have been hit by its own attack, yet its body bore no wounds.
Now I trembled in realization that I had grossly underestimated the threat level. The Person Eater… was a monster. It defied common sense, a phantom beast. It was distinctly different from mere magical beasts.
Had I been struck in the leg? The ground rushed up to meet me. Crap… this is bad. I’m in trouble. I’m going to die.
Desperately, I urged my body to move, but even with the immortality of my being, if my body was gone, there was nothing I could do.
As I crumbled helplessly to the ground, the Person Eater spoke, seemingly incredulous.
“Still conscious, are you…? They truly do call you the living dead.”