### Chapter 36: Death
I stood there, relying solely on my mental power. I had taken a stance that allowed me to move at any moment, but deep down, I had no confidence that I could actually act when the time came.
The man before me was a true monster. What kind of hidden cards did he possess? I had no way of knowing.
The ruins of the ancient castle lay bare under the moonlight, with only the sound of the wind breaking the silence. If I were alone, I would undoubtedly have fled by now. I had faced death countless times before, but this monster was different. He was a genuine creature of the night, one who had survived through the ages. The situation was overwhelmingly advantageous for me, yet I found myself ensnared in a trap.
It was the exact opposite of what I was used to. This being, despite being less mutated than I, was stronger. If there had been even the slightest misalignment, I would have been defeated.
I desperately tried to calm my mind, striving to maintain my composure.
Then—my sword slipped from my grip and plunged into the ground. The pillars of blood that had skewered the monster dissipated as it lost control.
However, even after regaining its freedom, the creature simply collapsed onto the ground, motionless.
It seemed that the “Curse of Blood” I had obtained from the Seーブル also had its drawbacks. I had lost too much blood, and my head was spinning; this power was far from complete.
Perhaps I could only absorb power incompletely because I had taken it from a body that had lost its heart. To activate such a half-baked power in that extreme state and deal a fatal blow to the monster was nothing short of a miracle.
Yet, a win was still a win.
The creature had already lost its power. The wounds scattered across its physical body showed no signs of regeneration. The consumption of vast amounts of power was necessary for mutation. How much power would be consumed in reincarnation?
Without the power of blood, a vampire could not regenerate. Even I, who had become an undead while retaining my memories, would have perished in that forest without Senri.
The VoidShadow King lay on his back, his blood-red eyes not looking at me but rather at the moon floating in the sky. His lips, tainted with a sinister hue, slowly uttered words.
“Ah, how dry… This is thirst, this is pain, this is hunger, this is—fear.”
Surprisingly, there was no trace of regret in his voice. Just how loathsome had his previous physical body, the one he had inhabited in life, become to him?
When I was resurrected as a Corpse Eater, I had felt no desires whatsoever. Yet, I still possessed the spirit of a human. However, I could not fathom what might have become of me had I lived for much longer in that state.
External stimuli were surely essential for a person to live as a person.
His gaze shifted from the moon to me, looking down.
“Who would have thought that I, a dead man, would be defeated by another dead man?”
The outcome had been determined by the presence or absence of allies. If Senri and the others had not fought first, my power would never have reached this king.
The end of the Abiko Doro, which I had sensed from beneath the rubble, would have been far more tragic had I left that subordinate behind.
“A king is— a lone wolf.”
The VoidShadow King spoke in a raspy voice.
“A lone wolf, and the only unique friend is the enemy. Young king… a dead man leaves nothing behind. But—take this, if you wish.”
His thoughts were so detached from those of a living being. His trembling fingers pointed to the sword that lay beside him.
A mortal being inevitably thinks of what they will leave behind when death approaches. However, for a king of the dead, there was nothing to leave.
Thus, the only one he could leave something to was the one who had defeated him.
There was no resentment in his voice. If I had been in the same position, I would have surely uttered a curse or two. Perhaps that was the mark of the king before me, who had lived through eternity.
Dawn was approaching. If left unchecked, the VoidShadow King would be bathed in sunlight and turn to ash.
There was no way to spare the creature. This man was far too dangerous.
I lifted the fallen creature, whose eyes met mine, but they no longer held any recognition of me.
“I will—move on ahead.”
“My wish… has been fulfilled. Ah, this joy… You too, shall know a day when it comes.”
In that moment, I felt as if I had forgotten the fear of death that had plagued me since my previous life.
Without hesitation, I plunged my fangs into his neck. The power of the ancient king, one who had lived long before my ancestors, flowed into me.
The physical body of the creature on the brink of death had hardly any blood left. Yet, I could feel the power, the curse etched into its soul, being inscribed anew within me. And thus, the VoidShadow King, Jena-Tunamite-Blaklina, vanished from this world without uttering a single word of resentment.
My heart thudded heavily. Pain surged through my body as if I had just remembered everything. My body swayed, but I firmly planted my feet on the ground, enduring it. My consciousness felt as if it might fade away. I felt a strong heat, hunger, and thirst.
Jena was depleted of power. But he was not the only one.
Mutation consumed vast amounts of power. The blood I had received from Senri was already gone. I had exhausted my power. If I hadn’t, I would have been the one to fall. I was barely hanging on.
I craved blood—fresh blood, right now.
I looked at the fallen Rufuri. They were battered and broken. The power of blessing had run dry, and they seemed to have lost consciousness.
The most concerning was—Senri. I hurriedly knelt beside him. His condition was worse than I had anticipated. His heart was still beating, but I could tell that his life was fading. His life force was depleted.
Immediate treatment was necessary. However, as an undead, I could not use healing magic.
I had to get him to the【DeSenaro】—to the village. If I left him here, he would undoubtedly die.
Blood. I needed blood—there wasn’t enough. I felt a flame smoldering deep within my thoughts, threatening to consume me. It was likely instinct—the instinct for blood that I had felt when I first traveled through the forest with Senri, magnified many times over.
The intense instinct of a true vampire was something I would not have been able to endure without my previous experiences.
The voice of the Lord was silent now. As I reached out, I noticed Rufuri lying nearby, his eyes wide open.
His gaze was unfocused, his consciousness fading. Though not as severe as Senri, Rufuri’s condition was not something that could be recovered from in a short time.
The seal of blessing had also worn off. If I wished, I could kill him at any moment. Rufuri spoke up.
“Are you… planning to suck Senri’s blood… monster?”
“……”
He spoke his mind before his consciousness slipped away. I averted my gaze.
I needed to think. What was necessary was to contemplate. I had no luxury to waste on the futile grievances of the past.
The heat that enveloped me burned at my mind. My body could move, but the power of the vampire was already beyond my reach.
I could not suck Senri’s blood. Vampirism was the absorption of power. If I drank blood from Senri, who was on the brink of death, I would undoubtedly kill him.
I could not leave him behind. Senri would die.
But—dawn was approaching. I sensed my natural enemy closing in fast.
In my current state, I could not endure the light of dawn as I once had.
I desperately forced my hazy mind to think.
The【DeSenaro】was still some distance away. Moreover, the surrounding area was flatland. Even if I somehow reached it before dawn, there would be no place to hide. Furthermore, that town was fully prepared for a vampire strategy. They would not help just because I brought in a wounded person.
Time felt like it stretched on forever.
There was no time to hesitate.
No—there was no hesitation. But I needed resolve.
The Lone Wolf King entrusted everything to me and fell into eternal slumber. But if there was a world after death, what would that king think if I, the one who had defeated him, appeared in the same place again?
However, like a revolving lantern, the light that flickered in my mind was filled only with memories of Senri.
They were good memories. The best of times. It was because of Senri that I was able to avoid becoming an enemy of humanity.
My bones creaked, my flesh groaned. The sun had yet to rise, but the air already carried the essence of morning. My body felt as if it were turning to ash.
“!? W-What’s wrong!? Is it alright!?”
And then, I barely managed to reach the gates of DeSen/Adoro.
A city surrounded by deep moats and flowing waters, a place that despised vampires. The guards, adorned with a mere hint of silver, rushed over upon spotting our tattered forms.
Thank goodness. With this, Senri would be saved. Her life had not yet flickered out. She could not die yet.
I was supported, and Senri’s weight slipped from my back. Until the very end, she had not regained consciousness.
Darkness crept into my vision. Though a vampire’s eyes should pierce through any shadow, I could see nothing.
Why did I feel a deep familiarity with that darkness instead of fear?
“Hey, N/A!? What happened!?”
My body was shaken. But it was already too late. The sensations of my physical form began to fade. Soon, I would no longer hear anything. There was no pain.
Perhaps this was what Jen/A had felt in those final moments. I struggled to move my paralyzed throat.
“Ah, um, the two of us, together—”
If this is what they call the end, if this is what they mean by disappearance, then perhaps being an immortal isn’t so bad after all. The absence of loneliness must stem from the relief of having saved Senri.
Sunlight approached. My body began to vanish. I was turning to ash.
Yet, my precious person was saved. Just before my consciousness slipped away completely, I moved the muscles of my face and managed to smile.