**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Strange Strategy II**
The **Cursed Flame** is a terrifying power. It feels as though it is gnawing not only at the flesh but also at the very soul. The relentless pain and heat cause my vision to flicker.
Even so, the black flames only burn the outer layer of my skin, consuming merely a millimeter of flesh. The skin regenerates from the burned side, and as long as the power of Blood continues, it will burn eternally.
The power of Blood is extraordinary. Its manipulation could be called the essence of a Vampire. The idea was inspired by the strength of the End Knight. Senri boosts his physical abilities by circulating Blessing within his body. What I am doing is somewhat similar.
Enduring this unending pain is agonizing… yet, it is a strangely nostalgic sensation. However, this time, I will not die. I will not die. If I can kill Raynel, I can concentrate my power and extinguish the **Cursed Flame**, returning to normal.
This is the final battle. I can no longer hope for Del’s assistance. I step forward, my burning legs pushing me onward. At this moment, the only beings I recognize are the Demon King Raynel and myself.
Raynel, the Demon King, stands before me, untouched. His golden mane glimmers with radiant light, and his sharp silver claws glint menacingly. Yet, I can sense that his life force has diminished significantly compared to a moment ago. It is likely due to the overwhelming energy he unleashed earlier—the **Dragon’s Breath**. Had I not intervened, Del would have undoubtedly been obliterated. Even so, for a brief moment, Del, who resisted that energy, was a true Hero.
Time is running short. Even now, my head throbs painfully. To counter the **Cursed Flame**, I am using the power of Blood for regeneration. It should hold for a while, but my strength is not infinite. I should have drained more Blood from Monica.
Raynel narrows his eyes, glaring at me, enveloped in the cursed flames.
“Ugh… that power is the **Cursed Flame**, is it? Has Hebram betrayed me?”
“Do you think so?”
“What a murderous intent… you monster.”
It is hot. Yet, my bones and flesh are not burning. That is why I can stand. I gather my thoughts, which are being eroded by pain. I focus on thinking. Raynel resisted my assault from above, even halting his attack on Del to do so. This means that with this much firepower, the **Cursed Flame** is sufficient to affect Raynel.
The black flames indeed singed his fur, inflicting damage. However, it was not a one-hit kill like the **Silver Dragon’s Breath**.
Raynel is cautiously assessing my movements. I must avoid his lethal silver claws at all costs. There’s also the chance of a counterattack. I point my sword, wrapped in flames, toward him.
I will kill him. I must kill him. I can think of nothing else now. Faced with the formidable King before me, I cannot afford to think of anything else.
“The monster is… you!!”
I search for a chance to win. Raynel’s voice is hoarse. The **Dragon’s Breath** has scorched his throat.
Just touching him was not enough to bring him down. It was clear from the moment Hebram, who wielded the perfect **Cursed Flame**, could not defeat Raynel. His opponent has already experienced the **Cursed Flame**.
I slash at him with my sword. Perhaps I can inflict damage through the wounds and burn him from within.
“Uoooooohhhhhh!!”
I roar, masking the heat and pain as I leap forward. Raynel roars back, but I push through with sheer willpower.
The silver claws descend from above. I narrowly evade them by destroying my ankle and halting abruptly. Calm down, stay composed. Just as I remind myself, Raynel’s sweeping strike sends my body flying.
I crash against the wall, the impact causing my flesh to burst and bones to crack. I realize anew that size equates to power. Though I touched the flames, Raynel does not relent. He charges at me with terrifying ferocity, as if he has always reigned as a King. Indeed, the Demon King and the Human King are worlds apart.
I am desperate. I forget the pain and throw myself down, just as Raynel’s silver claws shatter the wall I was pinned against. Raynel is giving it his all. It is hard to believe that just a moment ago, he was trying to spare my life.
But I have the advantage now. Raynel’s belly is right in front of me. Blood flows from my head into my eyes. I thrust my arm with all my might toward his abdomen.
The sword created by my **Sharp Claw** is part of my own flesh. A dull shock reverberates through me. Heavy, solid, yet flexible. Is this the dragon’s hide used in the armaments of every Hero?
Raynel chooses not to crush me. The moment he receives my strike, he leaps back with a speed unimaginable for his massive frame.
I urge my body to rise. I look down at my right arm. The bone blade has cracked. The crack quickly heals, but the shock remains.
It did not pierce… even though I attacked his completely defenseless belly, it felt as if I had done no damage at all.
It has been a moment. Sensory-wise, it should have been a moment, but the bone blade was thwarted by Raynel’s fur.
Fur. His fur is far too resilient. The first wound I inflicted was on his foreleg. And there is no fur on the pads of Raynel’s forelegs.
The paw pads. The only place I can barely injure him is on those pads. Perhaps the reason my initial strike landed there was that it was Raynel’s weakness. The sword was engulfed in flames, yet it still felt ineffective.
Raynel moves silently, leaping over the rubble, preparing to pounce on me. His fur still shines with a golden hue.
“What a terrifying power… so this is the **Demon King**, huh… a truly formidable foe.”
Raynel’s retreat was likely due to the fact that had he chosen to crush me, I might have pierced his belly. The gap is but a moment. Yet, it cannot be bridged. I cannot think of a way to close it. Even if I wanted to use Raynel’s momentum against him as I did before, he is now wary of that tactic.
My hands tremble. Should I retreat…? No good. If I run, Del will die, and Raynel would never let me escape.
A sense of intuition strikes me. If I think of fleeing—negative. I will transform this searing heat into fighting spirit.
I glare at the unyielding figure of the Demon King Raynel, a smile of impossible confidence creeping onto my face.
“…If you plan to run, I won’t chase you.”
“…Hah, how foolish. A coward cannot become a King!”
—
Shock courses through my body. My vision sways violently. I have lost count of how many times I have rolled on the floor. The power I replenished by draining Monica’s Blood is rapidly dwindling. The heightened perception I gained from mastering the manipulation of Blood clearly captures the countdown to my end.
It is not that my opponent is without exhaustion, but he is far too resilient. I am lacking in strength. Pure muscle power is… just a little short. I felt this during the battle with Albatos, but I should have grown considerably stronger since then. Perhaps the world is simply vast.
I move my body instinctively to evade his fierce strikes. My opponent is a monster, yet my soul has not lost its fighting spirit.
I need power. I need strength. In the corner, Del lies motionless. It seems he has completely exhausted his strength, and even now, after some time has passed, there are no signs of revival. Would Senri have recovered by now? Such meaningless thoughts flit through my mind.
Yet, Del’s eyes remain wide open.
Blood. I must replenish my Blood.
“You still refuse to give up? Truly, you are the strongest adversary I have faced thus far!”
Raynel roars. Strangely, there is an emotion akin to joy in his voice.
Should I attack from within, as I first thought? But if this is a person-eater, I cannot predict what would happen… Raynel is not foolish enough to consume a burning me.
The blade, the flames are deflected by his fur. I twist my body to deflect his attacks, but the shock is accumulating.
How did I win against Albatos? That’s right. I drained Blood. I escaped danger by sucking Blood.
However, this time, the situation is different. Albatos had openings. She had a lingering fear of Vampires due to the curse placed upon her. Raynel has none of that. Moreover, Raynel’s power is not derived from a curse. It cannot be stolen by **Curse Absorption**. Even if I somehow managed to drain Blood, the beast’s Blood would hardly enhance my power. I would only be killed.
Of course, the Lord is nowhere to be found at a time like this. Crap, utterly useless.
The sweeping silver claws shallowly wound my left arm. A sharp pain that surpasses the agony of the **Cursed Flame** surges through my arm, and in a panic, I sever my arm at the shoulder.
The damage inflicted by the claws takes time to heal. There is no other choice. A new arm will sprout soon, but the drain on my strength is significant.
Fast. Heavy. Raynel’s movements do not slow, as if he is not a living being.
The throne room is now a desolate ruin. It is the most fitting place for Raynel at this moment.
There was nothing nearby that could serve as a weapon. No usable terrain. No good materials to be found.
No, more than that—Rainer’s power was even recovering. The energy consumed by the Dragon’s Breath just moments ago was once again being replenished.
What can I do…? I need something to break this situation. I desperately turned my mind over.
I didn’t want to drink Del’s blood, and even if I did, it wouldn’t restore much of my strength. My throat was dry. Rainer was far too vigilant. He was getting accustomed to my movements. If he gathered enough power, I would be burned to ashes by the Dragon’s Breath. I couldn’t respond to that.
I needed strength. My vampire’s physical power was insufficient. I needed the ability to tear through Rainer’s fur.
I had been overly concerned with his claw. The impact of his massive, wall-like body sent me flying, a shock coursing through my body as if it would shatter me into pieces. There was no longer any room to brace myself. My head slammed hard against the floor, and my vision trembled violently.
And then, I realized there was still one method I hadn’t tried.
“!! …Hehe.”
Perhaps it was the blow to my head. I had to thank Rainer. I felt a bit delirious, and a laugh escaped my lips.
Rainer, who had toyed with me like a storm, did not pursue me. I pushed myself up and stood. The flames gnawing at my body still hadn’t extinguished. They were a nuisance, unable to burn Rainer, yet troublesome whether as an enemy or ally.
Words were no longer necessary. What was needed was only the will to fight and the intent to kill. Thus, this was not a conversation. It was a ritual to determine my resolve.
I declared to Rainer. A cold voice that felt alien to me emerged.
“I will kill anyone who tries to kill me.”
I poured the power of my blood into my words.
And then—I transformed.
My arms elongated and developed. Sharp claws grew, scraping against the stone floor with a grating sound. The flames had not extinguished, but a far stronger, dark heat resided at the core of my being. My vision elevated. I dropped to all fours. A strange coldness tingled at the back of my head. My perspective shifted, and in its place, my sense of smell conveyed the world around me.
Rainer merely widened his eyes and stared at me.
A creaking sound echoed from within my body. The growth did not cease. It was the power of blood. The power of blood was enhancing my curse. My body felt heavy. The front limbs I saw on the ground were astonishingly massive—and even through the Cursed Flame, I could confirm they were black.
I recalled the monster I had once faced. Yet, there was no sense of awe. The heat I felt within was incomparable to what I experienced as a vampire. I was no longer a white dog. Now, I was a monstrous beast.
I did it. This was it. This was the world that Albatross had seen, the killing intent he had harbored. My breath was hot. A hoarse voice escaped me.
“Ah… ah… I’ll… kill… you…”
“That is… your true form…”
Power surged within me. I felt an impulse for destruction and an overwhelming sense of omnipotence threatening to consume my thoughts. However, I knew I couldn’t win against this demon king without thought. That sliver of judgment and reason was what tethered me to my humanity.
The holy silver claws glimmered. My current form was as large as Rainer’s, but that only meant I had become a larger target.
The claws on my front limbs were black and sharp, curving in a grotesque arc. They were undoubtedly designed for killing. This form was the embodiment of my intent to slay.
With these claws, with this power, I could surely tear through Rainer’s body. But Rainer would understand that as well. He would evade me. I could not maintain this form for long. The power of blood would surely run out after a few minutes. I had no idea what would happen if the source of the vampire’s curse ran dry while in this state.
“Are you not coming at me?”
Rainer was gathering his strength. His trump card, the power of Dragon’s Breath.
One strike to decide it all. I would pour all my strength into the next attack. I would leave no room for error. If I failed again, I would die. I would die. Therefore, I would kill.
And so, I kicked off the ground, following my instincts. The floor caved in beneath my kick. I surged forward at an incredible speed. Rainer, facing my desperate strike, smiled in that fleeting moment.
Rainer lunged at me. Even before my death-defying blow, he charged without fear.
The holy silver claws glinted dully under the half-moon.
It was impossible to block. I had known that from the start. I wouldn’t even attempt to evade. As I pressed forward, Rainer’s claws moved slightly slower. It was hesitation. He must have thought I would dodge.
The claw swept horizontally, slicing shallowly at the base of my front limb, sending a sharp pain coursing through me. Yet, my movements did not falter. He must have assumed I would evade since he hadn’t aimed for my throat or head. I had resolved to take the hit. As long as one arm remained, I would be fine.
Now it was my turn. For the first time, a strong sense of unease flickered in Rainer’s eyes. He raised his right front limb high.
Unlike the holy silver claws, the black claws were warped and ominously absorbed light. My target was—his vital spot. His neck.
“N/A!”
The instant felt like both a second and a minute. The black claw pierced through Rainer’s golden fur. A heavy sensation transmitted through the claw.
I poured all my strength into it. The claw embedded itself in his neck. A sickening sound echoed. Rainer’s massive body trembled.
But I opened my eyes wide.
—It was shallow.
I understood instinctively. This wouldn’t kill Rainer. It was the difference in combat experience with a beast’s body. The Cursed Flame I had wrapped around myself barely affected him. Rainer likely didn’t possess the regenerative abilities of an An/N/A Doro, but he was a creature of dragon blood. I was also suffering from negative injuries. Once I pulled back, I wouldn’t have time for another strike.
Our eyes met at close range, Rainer’s golden ones locking onto mine. I was lost in the moment. I took a deep breath. My lungs trembled with heat. Rainer’s eyes widened.
And then, I unleashed the cursed flames toward Rainer.
My vision was engulfed in black. The pitch-black flames were far more intense than when I was human, enveloping Rainer’s massive form in an instant.