**Chapter Eight: The Eternal Night’s Demon King**
The siege of the castle was a bothersome task for a Vampire. With several critical weaknesses, it was incredibly tough for a Vampire to face a well-prepared enemy. One of the most troublesome weaknesses was the inability to cross flowing water, which caused a significant loss of power. This was one of the reasons why powerful Vampires rarely survived long.
Additionally, there was the unique nuisance of not being able to invade fortresses, castles, or mansions without an invitation. The success of the mission given to Mireille by Now depended on how she would resolve this challenge.
――And Mireille was tackling this inconvenience with sheer force.
She uprooted trees with ease, launching them like projectiles. The mass bullets, released at a speed rivaling cannon fire, struck the sturdy walls, causing the old fortress to tremble slightly before plummeting into the deep moat filled with flowing water. Countless soldiers gathered atop the outer walls, stunned by her brutality. Unfazed by the failure of destruction, Mireille pulled out another tree and resumed her assault.
Even the most mundane objects became weapons when propelled by a Vampire’s strength. This was the essence of “Simple is Best.” If I were to attack a castle surrounded by a moat, I would likely resort to a similar method, but she was remarkably flexible in her approach.
It seemed that she was…… quite self-sufficient.
A bat that had been soaring high in the sky descended and perched atop Mireille’s head.
“!? Brother-sama!?”
Mireille immediately recognized the bat’s form, her voice filled with joy.
With a small chirp, I regained my consciousness, vision, and attention from the bat that had transformed from a part of my body.
I let out a sigh of relief. The bat’s perspective still flickered in the back of my mind.
The powers of a Vampire were convenient and versatile. When facing another Vampire, the outcome of the battle would likely be determined by the mastery of their abilities. It would be embarrassing if I went to rescue Senri only to end up in a negative situation. I couldn’t keep losing to Mireille.
That said, there had been no progress in the situation. Oliver was alone, and while I preferred to attack before suggesting surrender, I wouldn’t have any excuses when confronted by Senri afterward. Even if I wanted to practice my powers, the supply of blood was limited. Currently, I was reluctantly receiving blood from Monica, but it was of a different quality than Senri’s. It seemed that human blood was the best source for gaining power.
For now, the role of the elite white puppy army was simple. Monica would investigate, Oliver would negotiate, and Mireille would intimidate. As for me…… I was only capable of gymnastics.
“Not good, End-sama. The humans are exhausted, but even they won’t surrender without showing some form of combat power.”
“……Maybe I should join the next negotiation…”
“!? In this era, humans don’t meet with people at night, End-sama.”
Oliver’s fearful and exasperated gaze seemed to say, “You’re a nuisance, so don’t tag along.” If it were Senri, I could easily accept that opinion, but I couldn’t shake this feeling.
However, if I continued like this, I would become a mere figurehead, making my subordinates do all the work.
I should have been attacking the castle alongside Mireille, but if it could be done with just one person, it would be more efficient to attack alone and use that time for something else.
What should I do to meet Senri as quickly as possible? I crossed my arms and pondered for a while before nodding.
“…………I have some time, so maybe I’ll make a weapon.”
“…………Huh? What are you talking about?”
Our objective wasn’t just to absorb subordinates. The true goal of the white puppy army was to make them fight and reach Senri.
Those who would yield to intimidation likely weren’t very strong, but even weak subordinates could become somewhat better if armed with appropriate weapons.
“A weapon… While it’s true that there’s a shortage of weapons in the world, End-sama, do you have any knowledge of blacksmithing?”
“I don’t know blacksmithing, but I do know magic.”
I touched the pitch-black sword left behind by the Void Shadow’s Demon King—Jena Tnumait Braklion. The Sword of Dawn. It curses all who touch it, but while I was asleep, no one could take it away. And only I, who defeated him, could wield it.
This sword was a creation of Jena Tnumait, born from the magic of the earth.
It was hard to believe that such a sword could be created with mere magic—even now. But what I inherited from him was not just the weapon.
Vampirism was not merely about nourishment. Introducing blood into one’s body was—an inheritance of power. When I first vampirized Senri, I inherited a trace of her life force and some resistance. At that time, when I bit into the illusion of the Lord, I wasn’t even a lower-rank Vampire, yet I inherited his memories.
The curse designed by the Lord, “Curse Absorption,” was an advanced form of Vampirism. When the power of the King, who dwelled in the palace of all magic, flowed into me, I relived his memories. The soul of the Void Shadow’s Demon King still resided within me.
I placed my palm against the stone wall. Even though I said I relived his memories, I could only utilize ten percent of Jena Tnumait’s power now.
However, even ten percent was sufficient. The stone wall writhed like soft earth, and in my hand, a stone sword was born. Its shape and strength were far inferior to the Sword of Dawn, but it was better than nothing.
The blade, colored as if burned, was a product of compressing stone with magic. Oliver, who received the sword, let out a sound of admiration as he examined its length.
“Hmm…… It’s a bit heavy, but for a Demon Race, it should be no problem to wield.”
“If we had metal, we could make a metal weapon. I can’t absorb components from the earth to create weapons like Jena Tnumait, though…”
To reach that level would require a delicate composition of magic, a deep understanding of the earth, and above all, a desperate hunger. He reached a profound abyss of magic because he craved it so intensely. It was unlikely that I would ever reach that level.
However, it could be used as a tool for negotiation. With a weapon, even the weakest Demon Race could become useful. It would be better than fighting with just bare hands, and it was certainly an improvement over a mere stone sword.
What would happen?
When I turned my gaze, Oliver was lightly swinging the weapon, deep in thought, but he nodded vigorously as if convinced.
“……That’s a terrifying power. If we show this, we could at least establish a cooperative relationship. At the very least, we would need enough people to be called an army.”
“It depends on Mireille…”
The human city was too weak to be the first target, and we only had four people. No matter how strong we were, there was a high possibility of being underestimated. The army of the Eternal Night’s Demon King was weak but had a considerable number. If we could dominate them, it would serve as a foothold for our first step. Conversely, if we cornered them and it led to nothing, we would need to rethink our strategy.
Vampires had a very limited time to act.
“Well then, I’ll go make the weapon…”
“Then I’ll prepare to carry the weapon. It would be nice if we had a horse… Alas, we’re short on horses, so it seems I’ll have to pull the cart for a while.”
As Oliver sighed and left the room with a dejected expression, I thought about promoting him to general once the white puppy army grew larger.
—
The body moved as if it were still in the days of freedom before being afflicted by illness—no, even beyond that. Brother-sama often exercised, and Mireille understood that feeling well. Even though only a few years had passed since she fell ill, her joy had not faded. It was undeniable that Brother-sama, who had literally experienced a death-like powerlessness, held onto a joy that surpassed that.
The scent of blood, the aura of battle, and an overwhelming exhilaration surged within her. The towering fortress loomed above. Even the countless murderous intents directed at her from there did not instill fear.
In her mind, she could hear the bat released by Brother-sama emitting its high-pitched cries. Tonight was not a full moon. It wasn’t the time for Vampires to exert their full power, but it was enough.
Vampires had a high capacity for sensory information. They could see in the darkness as if it were daytime, yet they were not blinded by the raging flames. They could hear the sound of a pin dropping without being overwhelmed by the roar of battle. They were sensitive enough to feel the flow of the wind, but they were not weak against stimuli.
In other words, it was perfect. There were countless weaknesses, but as long as she absorbed information and stayed alert, there was no worry of being ambushed.
It seemed Brother-sama had fought without caring for his own injuries, but Mireille had not yet reached that level of detachment. Moreover, the aversion to her body being harmed lingered in the back of her mind, dampening her fighting instincts.
She deftly evaded the incoming arrows and hurled tree trunks at the enemy. The stone walls constructed from solid rock were sturdy, but at this rate, they would eventually crumble.
Mireille refrained from transforming into a wolf, partly because her human form was more agile, but also to avoid killing too many of her opponents.
Mireille had crushed several towns in her search for the base, perhaps killing a bit too many. With fewer people, the benefits of incorporating them into her ranks would diminish. This was one of the lessons learned from the operation against the Eternal Night King.
If she continued to hurl trees, the moat would soon be filled, and her enemies would surely despair and raise their voices in hopelessness. Although there was still some time before dawn, she wanted to return as quickly as possible.
Flaming arrows were released, embedding themselves in the trees. She intended to set the forest ablaze to reduce the number of projectiles and buy herself some time. It was a cunning tactic; Mireille pulled out a blazing branch and threw it slightly higher. The burning wood disappeared beyond the outer wall, and screams echoed on the wind.
Her enemies must have caught on to Mireille’s strategy by now.
“Brother, are they about to exploit our weaknesses?”
Mireille’s tactics were all constructed from the stories she had heard from her brother, Yuan. She was skilled at imagining scenarios, as that was about all she could do while trapped within the confines of the Bena/Doro. She never expected that one day, those imaginings would be put to use in battle.
In response to her question, the bat perched atop her head squeaked adorably. The sheer cuteness made Mireille’s heart flutter.
She still couldn’t perform the body-splitting transformation. There was a difference in their ranks, and her lack of experience played a part as well. Perhaps once she defeated the Eternal Night King, borrowing a bat from her brother might be a good idea. Since it would only be a temporary borrowing of its body, her brother would not be weakened significantly. If Mireille could assault a fortress alone, surely her brother could manage it without issue.
Just then, a sudden surge of powerful magical energy swept past her vision. The world, which had seemed bright as day, was suddenly shrouded in darkness as if a curtain had been drawn.
She hadn’t lost consciousness; her limbs were still there, and she could feel the wind brushing against her cheeks. This meant that what she was experiencing was—
“The reason they call him the Eternal Night King…”
Ordinary magic had no effect on vampires. This was likely something that affected the world around her rather than Mireille herself. Realizing it was a dark elf’s magic, she prepared to take action. The sensation of being unable to see outside reminded her of her human days, and it felt strangely refreshing.
Mireille’s heightened senses picked up the sounds of wind and footsteps.
So, her allies were still visible. Though she had never encountered this particular spell before, Yuan’s magic was greatly influenced by an individual’s aptitude.
Mireille had underestimated her opponent, but this was a fearsome king. If they were human, they would be utterly helpless. If they were human.
She evaded the rapidly flying arrows using only her hearing and the sensation of the wind. Even with her vision obscured, a vampire’s senses made it easy to detect her enemy’s location.
Of course, she was confident in her ability to engage in close combat even in this unseen state. Mireille-Noir was the first-ranked vampire of the Twilight Palace. She had no intention of tarnishing her king’s name.
Sharpening her senses, she focused on detecting the raiders’ positions. The footsteps were almost silent. They were likely dark elves. However, this posed no problem. Mireille’s hearing could catch even the sound of a pin dropping.
The dark elves began to surround her.
Sound. Scent. The sensation of skin. She tried to use all her senses to detect their movements when—Mireille sneezed loudly.
That shouldn’t have been possible. Vampires don’t sneeze. Almost simultaneously, the dark elves lunged at her, and she sneezed again. There was no room for restraint. Suddenly, she felt a warm sensation on her cheek and touched it. It was water. No—tears. Mireille was now crying. Moreover—like a waterfall.
As a sword came crashing down, Mireille, in a state of utter confusion, barely managed to evade it. Yet, a sharp pain shot through her skin, even though it shouldn’t have even grazed her.
At that moment, Mireille understood everything. This phenomenon was—
“Nin-nin-kyushun!?”
“Revenge for our kin, Vampire!”
She evaded the invisible yet sharp slashes by crouching low. Something that had flown from the sword adhered to her skin, sending waves of pain coursing through her. Her head spun with a strange heat that was unlike the fervor of battle. Her eyes stung. For the first time, Mireille threw caution to the wind and fled from danger.
The sword was not silver. In fact, silver swords were rare; there were hardly any left in such a backwater town. It was not a fatal wound.
But these individuals—had coated their swords with garlic juice.
She was completely caught off guard. She had assumed that if the enemy used anything, it would be silver or flowing water. Never garlic—
Previously, she recalled her brother saying with a serious expression:
“Mireille, our enemies will exploit everyone’s weaknesses. Be cautious in battle. They might use unbelievable things like cross-shaped swords. If we’re not careful, they might even use garlic cut into cross shapes as weapons.”
At the time, Mireille had thought it was a joke and had chuckled, but this was no joke.
These men—had no pride as swordsmen.
She could understand using silver swords or arrows. But to coat them in garlic—
There were many weaknesses that vampires possessed, but even when speaking of weaknesses, there was a weight to them.
Garlic was undeniably a vampire’s weakness, but it was not a fatal one. Being slashed by a sword coated in garlic juice would only cause intense pain; it wouldn’t hinder her regeneration or lead to death. Its nature was entirely different from silver.
Yet still—there was no doubt that it was the lowest form of attack. It was pure harassment.
With tears and snot streaming down her face, she fought to evade their attacks, unable to concentrate on the itching and pain that assailed her. Her power felt drained.
In the midst of this first-time experience that left her head spinning, she instinctively sensed the approach of a silver arrow and evaded it.
“It’s working, it’s working! Keep attacking!”
She felt like she wanted to replace her entire head. She wanted to wash her insides clean with water. What on earth had Mireille done?
In that moment, she finally understood why her brother had said that being a vampire was not easy. She wished for a fair fight.
Something emitting an overwhelming stench fell from above. She discerned its shape from the sound and the air.
It was garlic strung together. It was too much.
As Mireille rolled around while sneezing, the dark elves seemed invigorated, swinging their stench-filled weapons down upon her.