**Chapter Thirty: Ancestor**
“Be careful. Vampires are cruel and merciless monsters. Humans bitten by a Vampire inevitably become like them. That is… surely, instinct.”
The conversation I once had with Senri flickered through my mind. Ah, how true that is.
My Blood power was nearly depleted, and the agony in my side, where I had been slashed by Rainer, felt as if a branding iron had been pressed against it. My body, scorched by the Cursed Flame, was in excruciating pain, yet even in this state, a dark killing intent swirled within me. Even on the brink of annihilation, this impulse would surely never fade.
This must be what makes a Vampire a fearsome monster. Amidst the raging impulses and pain, I thought about it.
Surely, a Vampire would never retreat against any formidable foe. They would not cower like Oliver. A Vampire that despises battle surely does not exist. To fight until death—that is the curse of a Vampire.
Rainer was rampaging. His massive form crashed through the walls, and his roar caused the ceiling to collapse. Yet, even so, the black flames engulfing Rainer did not diminish. It seemed he had fully embraced the Cursed Flame. I had no idea how he could unleash it. Perhaps it had something to do with his lung capacity? Was it a power that could only be wielded by a beastly body? Verification could wait until after.
The sky was collapsing. There was no time to pursue. My Blood power was almost gone. Hunger and pain blurred my senses. I gathered the last remnants of my strength, extinguished the Cursed Flame that burned me, and reverted my body back to human form. My forelegs, covered in black fur, creaked as they shrank.
A massive chunk of rubble was falling toward me. The ground shook, and I fell to the floor. Even after returning to my original form, the wounds remained unchanged. White smoke rose from the gash, and I pressed down to staunch the flow of Blood. I wanted to dig into the wound, but I could hardly muster the strength to use my Sharp Claw. The falling rubble would be harmless under normal circumstances, but if it crushed me now, I might die.
Del was crawling, leaning against the wall. I wanted to help him since we had come this far, but I had no strength to spare. It seemed Del couldn’t move properly either. Our eyes met just as a large slab of rock fell between us.
It appeared there was no chance of escape. At this point, I could only leave my fate to the heavens. I curled up as much as possible, shielding my head.
I just wanted to see Senri one last time.
—
How much time had passed? Probably not long. The tremors subsided, and I cautiously moved my arms, which had been shielding my head.
The ceiling had completely collapsed. Through the shattered remains, I could see the crescent moon shining in the sky. Unlike a moment ago, there was now a profound silence around me.
It seemed I had managed to avoid being crushed. However, the situation was still dire. I craved Blood. I urged my limp limbs to move, staggering as I rose. I wiped the Blood that had flowed into my eyes.
I felt like I was on the brink of death. If it weren’t for my AnAdero blood, I would have been dead long ago. Rainer’s forces were still intact. I needed to escape quickly. But what had happened to Del?
My head throbbed, and my thoughts were muddled. First, I had to find a way to dig out the wound inflicted by Rainer…
At that moment, a massive pile of rubble a few meters ahead suddenly exploded.
Debris rained down. I instinctively shielded my face. No, this was not an explosion.
A large black mass rose, and a hoarse, fragmented voice echoed quietly through the darkness.
“Fearsome… magic object, indeed. To think you possess the same power as Hebram…”
Impossible… this couldn’t be.
Rainer was clearly gravely injured. His once golden fur was now charred black, and there was no visible part of him that remained unscathed. Yet, he was alive. The flames that had engulfed him had all vanished, and he stood on his four limbs.
He was half-dead. The power he had once possessed was nowhere to be seen. Yet, his eyes shone with a fierce light. The pain of the Cursed Flame was supposed to be unbearable for any living being, but was this the power of dragon blood…?
No, it wasn’t just that. Rainer was standing now, surely fueled by nothing but the pride of a demon king.
“Do you still intend to fight… Rainer?”
He did intend to. Without saying a word, Rainer’s eyes still held the will to fight. And despite his earlier words of fear, he showed no sign of it.
I had no strength left. Even standing was a chore. But I raised my arms, somehow managing to take a stance. Rainer’s fur was singed. Could I pierce through it even in my current state? It seemed difficult. Rainer’s movements were sluggish. He must be on the brink of death as well. Yet, the holy silver claws equipped on his forelimbs remained intact.
I could see no chance of victory.
Rainer’s large eyes narrowed slightly.
“End-BaロN/A. I will take pride in having fought you. Monica has brought forth a worthy opponent.”
It seemed he had already discerned that I lacked the strength to fight back. But since I had no power to flee, I had no choice but to fight. I suppressed the pain with my killing intent. I would kill. I had no intention of dying for free. I would kill him. In response to my murderous intent, my fingertips creaked, and the claws of my fingers sharpened slightly.
I had no leeway to advance. I had to somehow avoid a strike and create an opening in his belly. That was my only option.
His right foreleg slowly lifted. It looked no different from a moment ago, and I regretted my decision to revert my form. I should not have returned to my human state, even if it meant I couldn’t revert back to my beast form. I should have remained until I confirmed Rainer’s death.
My senses were in turmoil. The silver glow slowly descended. The oppressive aura threatened to crush me. My arms wouldn’t move. Even with my killing intent as fuel, my legs wouldn’t budge.
—
This was bad; I was going to die.
In that moment of despair, a strange sound suddenly echoed. Unable to withstand the pressure, I fell to my knees.
I wasn’t dead… The silver claws had stopped just a few dozen centimeters in front of me, their descent halted. The foreleg that had been poised to strike made a creaking sound.
“Ugh… you… dare to interfere…?”
Rainer’s pillar-like foreleg was entwined with crimson-black threads. The thin strands wrapped around his massive arm completely immobilized him. A soft, pleasant voice resonated through the air. It was a voice I had never heard before.
“To think I would encounter an ‘Ancestor’ in a place like this… Unbelievable.”
I desperately searched for the source of the voice. It was hidden behind the rubble. A woman with androgynous features, clad in a pitch-black cloak, stood there. She appeared to be slightly older than me, and she approached Rainer, who was still radiating a fearsome aura despite being half-burned, without a hint of fear. Behind her stood a red conical pillar several meters high. No—this was not a pillar. It was Blood. The suffocating scent of Blood filled the air.
The threads extending from her were ensnaring Rainer’s movements. The foreleg that had been poised to strike slowly began to rise.
“King Rainer is not merely a ‘True Vampire.’ He is the Vampire King, the ‘Ancestor.’ He is one who shares the same origin as my King. I had no intention of intervening, but… heh heh… I cannot allow you to kill him.”
Her words transformed my speculation into certainty.
This woman—she was a Vampire. An evil presence that felt like the essence of darkness itself. Moreover, she was not a lower rank like me; she was pure darkness. Should I rejoice at her arrival or mourn it?
However, Rainer’s focus had completely shifted.
“So you still exist, Sable. You wretched specter! I warned you, the next time we meet—I’ll kill you!”
With a sickening sound, Rainer’s arm tore through the Blood threads, swinging down toward the woman he called Sable. I widened my eyes in disbelief. I never expected him to be capable of such movement in his burned state.
Yet, Sable merely laughed.
“And I must thank you. I never thought you would weaken that golden Lion Dragon to this extent…”
Rainer’s massive body lifted slightly off the ground. A low sound, like something wet being pierced, echoed repeatedly. Rainer’s eyes widened in shock.
Before I knew it, countless ‘Blood Stakes’ had pierced Rainer’s body. From below and from the sides, the stakes sliced through his charred fur, embedding themselves deep into his flesh. Rainer roared, and despite being impaled, his claws swung down toward Sable. Just before he could cleave her delicate form in two from above—his body turned to mist.
His claws sliced through the air, embedding themselves in the ground. Sable materialized several meters away, of course, without a scratch on her body.
**Mistification.** A common ability of Vampires.
Rainer coughed up blood, thrashing violently. His roar reverberated, sending shockwaves through the air.
Ignoring the rampaging Rainer, Seーブル turned to me and knelt.
“O great Ancestor of the Vampire, this is the power I have inherited from my master—’The Curse of Blood (ブラN/ADoro-ペイN/A).’ My army welcomes you.”
Rainer continued to struggle. However, the outcome was already decided. Countless threads of blood shot forth, binding him tightly. He had been half-dead from his battle with I, and the timing could not have been worse.
Like I, Seーブル possessed blood-red eyes and sharp canine teeth that peeked out from her blood-red lips.
What should I do? There was no need to think. I refuse.
If she calls herself my master, then Seーブル must be a Vampire. And she is likely of the same ‘Ancestor’ lineage as I. Joining her would mean becoming an enemy of Senri. More than that, I was unsettled by this Vampire’s demeanor. Though her words were superficially polite, they were not an invitation. She had not confirmed I’s intentions, just like Rainer.
But I couldn’t fight back. I had no strength left. The Negative power Seーブル wielded was immense. As a fellow Vampire, I understood that even at my best, victory was uncertain; in my current state, I had no chance.
Seーブル lifted the corners of her lips, a smile forming.
“You are… very clever. Indeed, Ancestor. The current Ancestor is much weaker than I. You have no choice but to comply. Rest assured, my master is gathering the Kings of the Night. It should be far easier than living alone.”
I am not alone. I have Senri. Therefore, I cannot go with you.
Seーブル casually raised her index finger. Her flawless white skin and slender, beautiful finger were striking. Suddenly, blood erupted from its tip, forming a small black sphere in the air.
At that moment, every hair on my body stood on end.
This is bad.
Seーブル spoke in a cold voice.
“I will place a wedge. I mean no harm, but—this is a Blood contract. Your blood will remain within your body and may kill you depending on the circumstances. There is no way to resist.”
There was no doubt. This was a power designed to counter Vampires.
Curses and magic do not affect Vampires. But this was not such an ability. It was different from the absolute order once placed upon the Lord. Seーブル’s power was likely the manipulation of blood. Just as she had bound Rainer… if blood were to crush the heart or brain, it could be fatal. Thus, I could not resist. It was a contract far too brutal.
The blood sphere drew closer.
There was no escape. I had no choice but to kill. However, Seーブル was not careless. If I exerted myself, I might be able to move a little, but a counterattack would be futile. She would anticipate that. The blood sphere morphed, becoming sharp like a needle, its tip approaching my head.
A warning bell rang in my mind. My hands, arms, and shoulders trembled. I struggled to breathe. Not knowing what to do, I opened my lips, which could barely move.
And without thinking, I desperately shouted.
“‘Rest in peace, O dead!’”
“N/A!?”
Seーブル’s face contorted in shock. The blood needle froze in midair. My voice was hoarse, and the words I uttered were not in a language I knew. Yet, strangely, I understood their meaning. My hands trembled—not from fatigue, but from fear. However, it was not fear of Seーブル.
Now, I was—afraid of myself.
“‘I am the one who defies the underworld, the King of the Dead. Ruler of the dark realm. Rejoice. Bow your head and become my servant.’”
“B-Baka na… This is… Necromancy. Y-You are…?”
The confidence had vanished from Seーブル’s expression. The blood needle melted away, and she retreated several meters with a swift motion, as if fleeing. Her previously vibrant complexion had turned even paler, and her fingertips trembled slightly. Only her blood-red lips remained striking.
“Ah, this can’t be… You are… no, you are not just a Vampire. ‘The King of the Dead’ N/A! Could it be that a new Vampire’s King of the Dead has…?”
She was repelled. I could sense it. The magic of ‘subjugation’ had failed. It was deflected by the Vampire’s resistance. Yet, it would not have been surprising if it had worked. I felt a connection to the heart of Seーブル’s curse.
This was… the power of the Lord. The strength that Holos Carmen had acquired over many years. Though the Lord’s form did not appear, he certainly lived on within me.
It was terrifying. This was different from the life magic I had taken days to learn. Was this the power of sorcery?
Seーブル must have understood that her resistance had failed, yet her trembling did not cease. Her pupils were fully dilated. The Vampire before me was now being overwhelmed by fear that surpassed even her bloodlust.
“Is that power… newborn? To my… master… report…”
“‘Halt your steps!’”
“N/A!?”
Seーブル stumbled as my words made her feet come to a sudden stop.
Let’s call it a ‘curse word.’ A necromancer controls the dead. Even if they are not beings of their own creation, with enough Vampire magic, this much could be achieved.
The moment her feet halted was instantaneous. But that was sufficient.
As Seーブル tried to run again, a silver flash struck her. It was Rainer’s claw. Perhaps due to her distraction, the blood binding had loosened, and the strike from the Lion Dragon came crashing down from the side, cleaving Seーブル in two.
A small scream escaped her lips. Her slender body was severed into upper and lower halves, falling to the ground.
Rainer, pierced through by countless blood stakes, was indeed on the brink of death. His eyes were clouded, and I could see his life force rapidly diminishing. Yet, he stood. His gaze was fixed firmly on the fallen Seーブル.
A mass of blood spilled from Rainer’s mouth, and his massive form crumbled. The presence of life vanished.
It was magnificent. Though we could not exchange words, it was a truly remarkable final act.
“N/A… a dying man, N/A! …Not yet. Not yet, N/A!”
Seーブル pushed herself up with her hands. The blood threads stretched silently, reattaching her severed body. Such a convenient ability; I wished I had it too. White smoke rose from her wounds. However, while Rainer’s strike had certainly dealt damage to Seーブル, her power had hardly diminished.
As a fellow Vampire, I understood. The property of holy silver is to inflict wounds that cannot heal, but it does not directly reduce blood power.
I never thought I would come to see the high immortality of Vampires as a nuisance. In a moment of desperation, I gathered my strength and spoke.
“‘Submit!’”
“Ugh, N/A… it won’t work anymore. It won’t work, N/A, End-BaロN/A. If I resolve myself, it will be nothing.”
Seーブル smiled faintly, devoid of bloodlust.
Crap, N/A… her resistance is developing too quickly. It seems Seーブル is quite skilled. According to Senri, Vampires are weak to pain, yet she showed almost no openings even after being severed.
But it seemed I had bought enough time.
A flicker of hesitation crossed Seーブル’s eyes. She was contemplating whether to abduct me or flee. That hesitation would be her downfall.
“N/A!?”
A white light swept diagonally across Seーブル’s body. In the presence of that purifying light, I felt an inexplicable sense of peace.
Overcoming the rubble, a holy knight approached. Clad in familiar white travel attire, a nostalgic scent wafted through the air. The silver sword reflected the moonlight, shining brilliantly.
“I’m sorry, End… I’m late.”
“No… It’s fine. You just arrived, after all.”
Seeing Senri again was beautiful as ever. A hint of fatigue showed on her face, likely from crossing paths with the Demon King’s army. Yet, not a single drop of blood stained her attire.
Senri rushed to my side, glaring at the one she had just cleaved through.
She was flawless. Beautiful and terrifying. Del was strong, but the girl before me was on another level.
“Impossible… the End Knight…!?”
Seーブル’s expression twisted in disbelief.
Bathed in holy light, most of Seーブル’s body had disintegrated. The lower half, which she had barely managed to connect with blood threads, vanished, and her upper half was reduced to her chest. At this point, she could do nothing.
Seーブル’s eyes glared at Senri, then shifted to me, who was being shielded behind her.
“!? Why is the End Knight siding with the Ancestor!?”
“End is different from you.”
“Ku… N/A…”
A pillar of blood spun violently, launching countless needles toward us. From all directions, they shot out at high speed, but Senri deployed a wall of light to intercept them.
As the blood needles touched the light, they vanished as if they had never existed. Even if the compatibility was good, it was overwhelmingly one-sided.
A trickle of blood dripped from her lips. Had she bitten herself?
Then, Seーブル spat out her words, her voice laced with deep grievance.
“…Is this where it ends? You, End Knight…”
Senri did not move. She couldn’t, as I was here. She was unable to act to protect me from the blood needles.
But the outcome was already decided. Seーブル was expending her strength to launch the blood needles; all we had to do was wait until her power ran out.
Blood-red eyes were fixed on me, kneeling on the floor. Her tongue licked the blood flowing from her lips.
“End-BaロN/A. Until we meet again. Next time, as allies.”
It was a pitiful admission, but I could finally say it while hiding behind Senri’s After. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I glared at the female Vampire.
“I refuse. I am satisfied with my current status.”
In the first place, there was no way to escape from Seーブル. The blood needles ceased their assault. Senri did not dash forward; instead, he stood protectively in front of me.
Seーブル smiled as if mocking us and spoke.
“A Vampire cannot live alongside Humans.”
Suddenly, the blood pillar shifted to a dark hue. Seーブル’s remaining body unexpectedly swelled and then exploded. Yet, it was not an act of suicide.
In the next moment, the blood pillar and Seーブル’s upper body transformed into countless bats. The swarm of bats emitted high-pitched cries, scattering in all directions. Not a single shred of clothing remained in the After.
Senri let out a small sigh and tightened his grip on the sword. He glanced at me briefly. His expression was filled with deep regret. It made me crave his blood.
“I’m sorry, End.”
“I wanted to see you.”
“Yes… I did too.”
Then, with a fierce determination, Senri thrust his sword forward, releasing his power toward the moon.
“《Annihilation (フォトN/A-デLiート)》”
Light erupted, obliterating the swarm of bats, and then radiated outward in all directions. A brilliant band of light shone in the sky. As the beautiful scene burned itself into my memory, I completely relinquished my consciousness.