**Chapter Six: The Town of Immortality, Part 3**
Supported by Senri, I walked through the night streets of **DeSen/Adoro** in my human form.
It was my selfishness. To know the enemy, to know oneself, and to know the land. Ever since I was resurrected by the Lord, I had survived by living this way.
The town of **DeSen/Adoro** was clean and beautiful even at night, exuding a sense of history. Perhaps this town shone the brightest during the era when it fought against the **AnADeN/Adoro**. The waterways and the cross motifs scattered throughout were remnants of that time.
There were many doors at the inn. The wooden doors looked so flimsy that even a moderately strong human could easily break through them, but for a vampire, it was a different story. The door represented a boundary. As a lower rank, my restrictions were minimal, but this town was incredibly difficult for vampires to navigate. It was perplexing why there was such a strategy against vampires when the phantom king was supposed to be a skeleton.
Although it had been a while since dusk fell, the main street was bustling with people. The streetlights lined up along the road illuminated the darkness, giving a peaceful first impression.
I blended into the crowd, but no one noticed my presence. Occasionally, someone would glance at Senri, but they paid me no mind.
Only trained humans could discern the **AnADeN/Adoro**, which closely resembled humans. A perceptive person might instinctively feel fear upon seeing me, but even when I was out hunting mafia and mountain thieves, no one had noticed my presence. If someone were to sense me from afar, it would likely be an **Eclipse Knight** or a necromancer. Thanks to the control of my blood power, the negative energy I emitted was significantly suppressed.
I scanned the town quickly, but nothing seemed out of place. There were no mercenaries in sight, and of course, no **AnADeN/Adoro** either.
Like Senri, I could sense negative energy. There were ways to identify them by smell. If someone was exuding the stench of death, they would be an **AnADeN/Adoro**. However, neither of those indicators was present.
After patrolling the town for a while, we entered a stylish restaurant where the scent of garlic was kept to a minimum. Just a short walk had already made me feel quite ill. The presence of crosses, garlic, and flowing water was overwhelming. Compared to my previous life, it was far better, but enduring prolonged discomfort was something I hadn’t experienced in a while.
As we settled into a table at the back of the restaurant, I remained alert, scanning the surroundings.
“What’s the likelihood that the **AnADeN/Adoro** we sensed are strays?”
“None. There’s been no recent information about a war in this area,” Senri replied in a hushed voice.
**AnADeN/Adoro** can be broadly categorized into those created through necromancy and those that arise spontaneously. However, unless there were a large-scale war resulting in many deaths, the chances of a significant number of **AnADeN/Adoro** arising spontaneously were virtually nonexistent.
The **AnADeN/Adoro** that Senri sensed seemed to be of a considerable scale. Their strength wasn’t particularly high, but they were said to be dispersed in all directions. I twirled the seafood pasta (without garlic) on my fork and asked, “Do you think they’re targeting the town?”
“…………I don’t think so,” Senri said, her expression slightly hesitant but clear.
I agreed. Destroying a town with such a strategy against **AnADeN/Adoro** would be quite difficult. Spontaneously generated **AnADeN/Adoro** would instinctively avoid approaching this town, and intelligent **AnADeN/Adoro** would recognize the town’s defenses at a glance. It seemed more likely that their objective was the castle of the phantom king, just like us.
Cautious action was necessary. However, the situation was far from dire. The reason we had come to this town was partly due to Senri’s intuition. While there was a possibility that we might find nothing, the presence of other suspicious entities increased the likelihood of discovering something.
I pondered for a moment while gazing at Senri’s silky silver hair.
I believed morning would be the best time to investigate the castle. Skeletons don’t turn to ash in sunlight, but they aren’t completely unaffected either. It was only natural for someone as knowledgeable and experienced as Senri to choose a time that favored her.
However, if there were other **AnADeN/Adoro** aiming for the castle, we could take alternative measures.
“Senri, who’s stronger, you or those **AnADeN/Adoro**?”
“…………”
Senri frowned slightly, taking a sip of her orange juice. No, it wasn’t that I doubted her strength; she shouldn’t make that face…
“If it’s me against those **AnADeN/Adoro**, who would win?”
“…………Maybe, I’d be a bit stronger.”
“A bit…?”
If she was only slightly weaker than me, who were those **AnADeN/Adoro**? Given their numerical advantage, my strategies would be rendered ineffective. Seeing my expression, Senri unusually corrected herself.
“…………It’s maybe impossible for me to defeat them.”
“…………”
An awkward silence fell between us. It seemed I had unintentionally touched on a sensitive topic for her. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, I decided not to press further and continued the conversation.
The number of guests began to increase. However, no one seemed to be eavesdropping on us.
“Can your detection work even if they use night crystals to mask their presence?”
“…………I can’t say for sure if they’re **AnADeN/Adoro**, but…”
As expected, her answer was predictable. In the past, Senri had tracked the movements of Monica, who sought opportunities to raid from afar. If the night crystals merely suppressed the emission of negative energy, there was no reason why the ‘body’ left behind wouldn’t be detected by Senri’s wide-range scanning.
We had two paths before us. We could either take down the **AnADeN/Adoro** first and then check the castle afterward, or we could carefully monitor their movements and seize any opportunities… or we could choose to ignore them altogether.
Both options carried a certain level of risk. I hesitated for just a moment before saying, “Let’s go hunt the **AnADeN/Adoro**. I want to grasp the situation accurately.”
“……Understood.”
“Of course, I’m going too.”
“……I know.”
While it would be easier to seize opportunities, Senri still bore the soul of an **Eclipse Knight**. Ignoring the presence of **AnADeN/Adoro** while being aware of them would likely go against her will. Besides, I had no idea what might happen if we left them be. We could always escape if things turned dire.
Senri looked at me with her keen eyes and nodded slowly.
—
The gates were closed. Unfortunately, it seemed this town did not allow entry or exit at night. Reluctantly, we walked along the high city walls.
Upon closer inspection, the defenses were formidable. While a vampire could potentially scale the city walls, the wide moat filled with rushing water right after would pose an insurmountable challenge. If I jumped with enough force, I might clear it due to inertia, but sensing the moat from the outside was difficult.
However, it seemed there were only minimal guards stationed atop the walls. The lighting was sparse.
The facilities were perfect, yet it felt somewhat lacking in certain aspects. I poked Senri on the shoulder as she walked ahead.
“Hey, don’t you think that with just the two of us, we could do anything?”
At night, I was an invincible vampire, and during the day, Senri was an invincible former **Eclipse Knight**. While we couldn’t save a nation together, we could escape anywhere.
The journey as guards for the caravan had been enjoyable. I didn’t dislike humans. However, considering the potential obstacles that could arise, traveling as just two people had its merits. If the caravan hadn’t been there back then, I might have been captured by Rainer’s army after parting ways with Senri.
Senri stopped and stared at me intently, then said with an exasperated expression, “……Be a dog, BaRoN/A.”
“!?”
Again!? Sure, it would be more convenient to carry a dog, but changing forms was a hassle. I had already spent the entire day in dog form. It wasn’t like I was being forced like **Albatross**…
Perhaps I looked pitiful, as Senri finally broke into a faint smile.
“Just kidding. End…… hold on.”
Senri wrapped her arm around my shoulder. Her body was slender and supple, exuding a soft, sweet scent. Being so close made me want to bite into her neck, but if I said that, she might insist on me staying in dog form forever.
I could feel Senri’s heartbeat through our touching skin. The blessing hidden within her body was exploding inside her, yet it didn’t reach the skin I touched. It was a perfect manipulation of her blessing. Perhaps it could serve as a reference for controlling blood power.
Then, with a powerful kick against the ground, Senri lifted me, who was larger than her, effortlessly.
A faint sound echoed. Suddenly, the ground seemed to recede, and I felt the strength leave my body. Moments later, we landed atop the city wall. She bent her legs, absorbing the sound of our landing.
Her strength was truly inhuman. No mercenary could pull off such a feat. The high city walls were meaningless to an **Eclipse Knight**.
Upon reflection, it was perhaps only natural that the Order of the Final Knights had established a strict rule to use such power solely against **AnADeN/Adoro**.
This power—if not for justice—would be far too terrifying.
Senri hadn’t even broken a sweat. The guards hadn’t noticed us at all.
Now that I thought about it, it had been a while since I fought alongside Senri. During the caravan escort, I had been in dog form, and we had dashed through the journey. In battles against mountain thieves and mafia, Senri and I had acted separately.
This could be a good opportunity to show Senri my current strength.
“!?”
I moved in front of Senri and, without warning, lifted her body. Senri flinched slightly at the sudden action.
The body remains as light as ever. Well, with the strength of a Vampire, even a heavily armored giant would feel light, but being so close to this delicate form makes my fangs ache.
Senri wasn’t wearing armor. He had even removed the gauntlets he usually wore. The armor of the Eclipse Knight contains silver, which is poisonous to me.
I’ve grown accustomed to the bloodlust. Even without being able to drink blood, just being held by him revitalizes me.
“It’s been a while since I’ve ridden on your back in human form. I’d like you to wrap your arms around me tightly.”
“End… I can run too.”
It seems that he’s become so used to riding in his dog form that he finds it a bit strange to ride in human form. I protest against Senri, who whispers in my ear.
“Senri hasn’t hugged me much lately, except when giving me blood. Besides, I should do my part as well.”
I’ve been relying on Senri for so long. I haven’t been able to repay him at all. Given the circumstances, it’s a debt that feels impossible to repay, but if I don’t at least try to return the favor when I can, I might be abandoned one day.
Senri fell silent for a moment at my words, then wrapped his arms firmly around my neck and leaned into me.
§
We raced through a moonless night. It was a sufficient distance to sprint from the DeSen/Adoro, towering over a steep, rugged mountain.
The castle was enormous, so massive that even before climbing, it was clear it dwarfed the simple fortress Rainer had made his base. It might have been more manageable in the morning, but gazing up at the ancient castle in the dark, even I, with my night vision, felt it resembled a monster.
However, the path was far too steep, seemingly designed without any consideration for convenience. I wondered how anyone could live in such an inconvenient castle. Senri explained from my back.
“The Demon King usually builds his castle in places that are hard for human armies to attack. In the DeSen/Adoro, he wouldn’t need food…”
“I see… I thought it was a waste to abandon a castle they had just taken, but I guess it’s only natural to leave it behind.”
I wouldn’t be able to live here. After obtaining the Night Crystal, I would likely hide in a human city. It would provide plenty of nourishment for Senri as well.
“There’s one presence of the DeSen/Adoro inside the castle, while the others are all around it. Their movements are halted. Probably—same master.”
What on earth are they sending inside while keeping the rest waiting outside? I don’t know who is controlling them, but their movements are organized. The Lord had sold skeletons to the HN/Aku. Skeletons aren’t exclusively usable by necromancers, after all. I still don’t know who this master is, but it seems that those using the DeSen/Adoro also don’t know much about this castle.
So, they’ve already infiltrated the castle, huh? I should have confirmed the whereabouts of the city’s inhabitants, but it seems I was a step too late. Is it dangerous to follow them inside? According to the information Senri gathered, no one has gone missing inside the castle, but… when I think about it, using necromancy to sacrifice pawns is incredibly convenient.
…It might be fine to wait for them to return.
I have no idea what the situation is. Safety is the top priority. If I were to die trying to obtain the Night Crystal, it would all be for nothing, and if Senri were to get injured or killed, I wouldn’t be able to bear it. Well, I’ve already died long ago, but still…
It seems Senri decided it was unnecessary to go any further, as he dismounted from my back when he didn’t have to. I would have liked to carry him all day if I could…
“Let’s carefully check the surroundings.”
“End, stay strong.”
I thought I had put on a serious face, so why did I falter? Senri let out a deep sigh and spoke.
=====
Could it be that Senri can read my mind? Does he know what I’m thinking?
…He must be wanting to drink my blood.
Next Chapter: End, Vampirism in the Ancient Castle. Stay tuned!
*Note: The preview may differ from the actual content.
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/Tsukikage
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