**Chapter 19: A Sad Conclusion II**
—
“Sorry, Ruu. I couldn’t explain the numbers at all.”
“It’s fine.”
Senri shook his head at Lazar’s apologetic words. The sheer number of Abominations was a level that even skilled mercenaries would struggle against. To tackle that without the Blessing of the Order of the Final Knights, and with so few people, was clearly absurd. It might have been an End, but it was still excessive.
He thought they should have used Purification, but if they wiped everything out, it would leave no reason for the Destruction that followed. And erasing only part of it was a delicate task that even Senri couldn’t manage. The “Purification Light” was an area attack.
Moreover—
“I also wanted to meet your client once.”
“Hmm… Ruu really likes important figures, huh? Just a mere dignitary, though.”
The accompanying Dwarf snorted as he spoke. The man who had been staring at Senri’s appearance seemed to be avoiding eye contact, perhaps due to witnessing the power of End.
However, it was different. To call him just a dignitary was an understatement; it was clear that this city was hiding something.
Even if it wasn’t an End, the fact that such a number of Abominations appeared without calling the Order of the Final Knights was already quite irregular. Abominations were foes that brought nothing but harm. Unlike other magical beasts, their fur couldn’t be effectively utilized, nor could their bones be crafted into weapons. Normally, one would contact the Order immediately.
If they learned that something was targeting the place where the former King of the Dead once resided, the Order of the Final Knights would not remain silent.
The destination the mercenaries headed to was the central part of the city of Desenador, the largest building. It was likely the city hall. Guards stood watch at the gate, but since prior arrangements had been made, they were allowed to enter without issue.
Out of habit, Senri searched for any presence, but there were no signs of Abominations. After all, like other buildings, the city hall was adorned with silver, which Abominations detested. Though the existence of the unprecedented Night Crystal made one cautious, if there were Abominations making this place their stronghold, they would have to be a high-ranking entity, or perhaps—
After a few minutes in the reception room, a stout elderly man appeared. His complexion was poor, likely due to an unhealthy lifestyle, but he was undoubtedly Human.
“Thank you for waiting, Lazar. This person doesn’t look like much, does he?”
“Appearance has nothing to do with defeating Abominations.”
“Quite right.”
The man nodded at Senri’s emotionless voice and introduced himself. It seemed he was the mayor of Desenador.
When Senri first arrived in this city, he felt a strong discomfort. The city’s strategy against Abominations—specifically against Vampires—was excessively paranoid. Thus, he investigated. Desenador had originally been skilled in strategies against Abominations, but it seemed that their focus on Vampire strategies had intensified in recent years. In other words, the man before him was the one responsible for the city’s excessive Vampire strategies. Yet, there was no trace of the grievance towards Vampires that one would expect from someone in such a position.
Senri, with a calm demeanor, sought to read the mayor’s emotions. His enhanced senses, bolstered by Blessing, even picked up the rhythm of the mayor’s heartbeat.
“However, who are you…? I never expected such a number of Abominations to attack the old castle, and to think you defeated them all alone… It’s unbelievable.”
The emotions he sensed were—doubt, anxiety, and… a hint of fear. Normally, there should have been relief at having defeated the Abominations, but why was there none?
Indeed… It was good that he kept the matter of End hidden.
Now, what should he do in front of this strange mayor? Even if the mayor had something to hide, the people living in the city should be irrelevant. He couldn’t just leave things as they were. Senri had decided to side with End, but he had no intention of discarding everything else. At the very least… he needed to grasp the nature of the secrets being kept.
He glanced briefly at Lazar and the others behind him, then checked the guards at the entrance. The Eclipse Knights wielded tremendous power against Abominations, but the meticulously manipulated Blessing also granted strength against living beings.
It’s fine—Even if all the members gathered together, Senri was stronger.
Taking a small breath, Senri fixed his gaze on the mayor and spoke.
“I am a Vampire Hunter, and once—an Eclipse Knight. So, dealing with Abominations of that level is no problem for me. Of course, even if the enemies are stronger.”
—
Senri was worried. But his stomach hurt. How long had it been since Senri left? I was still desperately writhing in the closet.
Could it be that Seibur was manipulating the blood inside me to cause trouble? The thought was absurd, but the pain was real. Yet, at the same time— it was just painful.
The certainty that I wouldn’t die gave me peace of mind. In my previous life, I had faced an incurable disease—the Death Soul Disease, which had guaranteed death awaited me. Compared to that, physically speaking, I was much better off, even if mentally it was still quite tough.
And furthermore—I had actually already come up with a way to escape this situation.
The useless illusion of a Lord had said that the curse of a Lower Rank Vampire was weaker than that of a true Vampire.
In other words—if I could break free from being a Lower Rank and become a true Vampire, then the curse placed upon me would shatter Seibur’s curse—at the very least, I could reach a stalemate.
Until just recently, I had no idea why I couldn’t mutate or how to do it. But now, I knew both.
The reason I couldn’t mutate was due to the safety net placed by the Lord.
And the way to remove it was—words.
If it were too complicated, I wouldn’t be able to mutate quickly when taken over, and if it were too simple, there was a chance it could be undone before the takeover.
When I delved into my inner self and faced the bone Lord, the last piece of information he sent me was the key to the removal.
It was proof that the Lord had given a certain evaluation to my existence.
Just one word. By simply uttering it, I would likely be able to mutate.
Into the powerful and universally reviled Night Oni of the True Demon lineage. What held me back was—Senri.
To speak my true feelings, I was—slightly afraid of changing. It wasn’t just about the increase in weakness, but more so—how Senri would react to me if I became a complete monster. I had hoped to spend my days just like this.
Because, with this physical body, there was still a chance I could bask in the morning sun with Senri. Senri had been so kind to me in my current state, but there was no guarantee he would treat a changed me the same way.
Seibur had been repelled. But he hadn’t been killed. Next time, he would surely strategize and come at me with full force. I was growing, and “Curse Absorption” was undeniably a powerful ability, but I had no idea how far I could fight in this state. My opponent was the terrifying Order of the Final Knights, a group of true demons that had been battling for a long time.
I curled up, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. I could feel the curse I had absorbed from Seibur raging within me, tormenting my soul. Yet, I could still endure it. I had to endure it.
Until my resolve was firm, I had been postponing this moment. To mutate just to escape the pain would be utterly foolish.
Even if the conclusion I reached was mutation, it should be based on my unwavering will.
It was merely stubbornness. But I had lived this long through sheer will.
It’s fine. I can still fight. I can stand up. Sharpening my mind, I accepted the pain. This body wouldn’t die. Even if I were reduced to just my head, I had survived being burned by the sun. The idea of a Vampire getting a stomachache from drinking blood was laughable.
And so, I slowly stretched out my curled body. My fingers pressed against the inner wall of the closet with a crunch. The pain felt like my insides were being stirred, but I didn’t need to breathe.
“Seibur, you’re not that impressive. It just feels like all my insides are about to spill out, just a little bit.”
That’s right. I don’t need my insides. I can live without them. However, it was clear that the pain tormenting me wasn’t physical. Even if I emptied my stomach, the pain wouldn’t disappear. …I felt like I was dying.
But I couldn’t let Senri act alone anymore.
Senri was intelligent, strong, beautiful, kind, and his blood was delicious—perfect in every way. But if the rough mercenaries found out I was unwell, they might try to lay a hand on Senri. Only I could touch Senri.
I thought of trivial matters to boost my morale. I told myself.
“Alright, alright, alright, it’s not that big of a deal. Just feels like I’m about to die. Just a little bit. And thinking about it, I’m already dead, right? Just kidding.”
“…End. You seem quite relaxed.”
“What!?”
It seemed more time had passed than I thought. Through the gap in the closet, Senri’s purple eyes were looking at me with an exasperated expression.
Just a moment ago, it had certainly been daytime, but now the outside world was completely shrouded in darkness. It was my time.
I moved cautiously, pushing the door to step out of the closet. My expression tightened from the pain, but my limbs didn’t tremble. It would still be difficult to fight properly, and I hadn’t grown accustomed to the pain, but—at the very least, I could move.
The gentle Senri stepped forward with a graceful motion, supporting my shoulder. His silver hair glimmered in the dim light, and the sweet scent of blood wafting from his pale skin helped me forget the pain, if only for a moment.
“……………Is it really fine?”
“Yeah… I’m fine now. I’m fine, so please, tell me what happened.”
The responsibility for having drained the blue blood rested entirely on my shoulders. Senri had warned me from the very beginning that it was better not to absorb too many curses. Having taken in the curses from the Albatos and the man-eater had left me slightly unsteady.
I pressed my hand against my stomach and spoke to Senri, who was intently observing my expression.
“Ah, it hurts. My stomach really hurts. So, if possible, please be gentle. Listen to me softly, maybe throw in a joke or two—if you could, I’d love for you to hold me and whisper in my ear. The pain hasn’t subsided for such a long time, and standing still won’t change anything.”