Vampires.
A race called the rulers of the night, and a race capable of rivaling dragons, known as the strongest race on earth.
However, vampires usually fall short.
Only high-ranking vampires could somewhat compete with dragons, and even then, if the dragon was particularly strong, even a high-ranking vampire couldn’t guarantee victory.
They were no match for the Dragon Lord and the elders. Yet, the reason why it was said that vampires rivaled dragons was simple. It was because of the Lord’s existence.
The Vampire Lord.
The existence of that single individual balanced the scales between vampires and dragons. And now, the Vampire Lord frowned. Her hand was trembling for some reason.
“Am I… feeling fear?”
The dazed fool was gone. In his place stood a monster.
“What are you?”
“Who cares?”
“What?”
“Well, I can play with you for a bit.”
“…?!”
He smiled. But it wasn’t a normal smile. A smile devoid of teeth or light. A smile as dark as the abyss. And at the same time, one of his eyes flashed crimson.
“What?!”
Fast things have something in common. No matter how fast they are, they still move.
Whether it’s one step or a hundred steps, as long as they move, they can’t escape her eyes.
But the Commander easily dodged her attack. As if he had stopped time and closed the distance in that instant.
His right fist swung and struck Lucy’s face.
Thud!!
An impact and sound like being hit by a sledgehammer reverberated.
Lucy spat out blood.
It was a pain she hadn’t felt in a long time. Was the impact alone stronger than the Dragon Lord’s?
“I initially thought it wasn’t the Commander, but something else.”
Lucy quickly changed her mind.
A Vampire Lord of her caliber could see things that were invisible to others. Movement habits, eye movements, the rhythm of breathing.
Everything told her that the man standing before her was Hans, the Commander of the Royal Knights. If this was an imitation, it was even more terrifying.
Lucy laughed out loud.
“They say a skilled hawk hides its talons. How true that is.”
“Hmm? Ah, is that so?”
It instantly understood the Vampire Lord’s words.
She mistook it for Hans. Well, that made sense. Everything it was currently replicating belonged to Hans.
Beyond speech and behavior…
His breath, habits, even the movements of his internal organs…
It knew everything about Hans.
But at the same time, it felt a sense of displeasure.
Everything it had just mentioned was something only it knew until now. It hadn’t mattered before. It was all just child’s play.
“You…”
“Hmm?”
“You need to die.”
“…!!!”
Hans, or rather, the being that appeared as Hans to Lucy, raised his intact left hand to cover his black eye.
The remaining eye shone even brighter.
Instinctively, Lucy backed away. A thick killing intent, a genuine desire to kill her. A fear that made her knees weak and sent shivers down her spine.
The Vampire Lord felt it.
Usually, when one sensed killing intent, they felt fear, and that fear made them want to flee.
That was natural.
Living beings, especially when it came to their own lives, were inherently selfish.
She couldn’t blame them. The desire to escape death was a survival instinct. But the Vampire Lord didn’t flee. Instead, she smiled brightly.
“Yes, yes, that’s right. That’s what a hero should be like! Absolutely!!!”
She laughed.
Even with the intense killing intent aimed at her, even though she thought she might actually die, she laughed out loud. It was so unexpected that even it was surprised.
“How boring! Heroes only thinking about their own gain! Don’t be ridiculous! In the old days… thousands of years ago!! Those who didn’t care about such things were called heroes!!”
Politics. Race. Lovers. Family. Friends.
To be a hero, one had to be able to sever all ties. And there were many such individuals in the past. The one who killed his lover who became a vampire with his own hands.
The one who killed his mother who was possessed by a demon and then took his own life. The one who killed his wife who had fallen and become a temptress and gouged out his own eyes.
They were called heroes.
Naturally, countless heroes had come to Lucy. Because she was the one who corrupted them. She had been called many names: demon, temptress, vampire. And so on.
“Throw away everything and come for my neck, hero.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
Words were like packaging. They could be used to conceal the true meaning.
There was a saying that a single word could repay a thousand-dollar debt. It saw through her.
“You’re just… turned on by this, aren’t you?”
“Oh my, you caught me.”
“Well… you’re making it pretty obvious.”
“Yes, that’s it.”
Killing intent. Hatred. Rage.
Making someone kill their loved one with their own hands, and then using that same hand to kill her. How could such a situation not be exciting?
Excellent, good, that’s it.
“That’s all I can feel anymore.”
“You really need to die.”
Yes, that’s right.
She couldn’t be left by Hans’s side. Trash had to be disposed of immediately.
If you left a rotten apple next to a good one, the good one would soon rot as well.
It closed the distance and threw a punch.
The fist, extending in a straight line, pierced through Lucy’s abdomen in an instant.
Lucy staggered, blood and viscera splattering. But she didn’t lose her smile.
“Not yet. Not even close! You think this is enough to make me cum?!”
“I want to rip her head off, spine and all.”
This was the limit of the power it could manifest with one arm and one eye.
Was this all it could do? Barely on par with the Vampire Lord? But it couldn’t complain. It was content with this.
Because it was a gift from him.
Gifts were like bonds of the heart. You gave gifts because you loved, because you liked, and through those gifts, you became one.
That’s why it endured.
Looking forward to the day they could truly become one. It grabbed Lucy’s arm with its knee and slammed its elbow into her arm.
With a cracking sound, Lucy’s broken arm dangled limply.
“To think she would keep up to this point.”
It was holding back on area-of-effect attacks because it couldn’t destroy the fortress, but it wasn’t going easy on her. It focused all its power on close combat.
But even so, she didn’t back down.
They were fighting as equals. How long had it been since it had a fight like this? Humans were truly magnificent.
Lucy had nothing to lose. If she died by Hans’s hand, she would experience immense pleasure. And if she won, the taste of his blood would be intoxicating, like a drug.
“But it seems this is it for today.”
“Are you running away?”
“Unfortunately, I’m out of time.”
“Tch.”
It couldn’t deny her words. It couldn’t be discovered yet, not until its plan was complete.
It was a shame it couldn’t kill her, but it would have to wait.
“It’s been fun. I haven’t felt this much enjoyment in a long time.”
“Don’t worry, next time, I’ll make sure you can’t even feel anything.”
“I’m looking forward to it, Commander of the Royal Knights.”
Lucy turned to dust, starting from her toes, and vanished before its eyes.
It clicked its tongue.
It didn’t care what happened to that airhead. The plan was what mattered. It had intended to take things slowly, but ironically, today’s events had made it feel a sense of urgency.
A sense that its plan might unravel. It moved its fingers, and a red light slowly emanated.
“Love and resent me. Just as you always have.”
Time couldn’t be stopped. That’s why they loved and resented time. It was commonly called obsession.
Even time couldn’t create something from nothing.
There had to be many vessels. That way, it could bear fruit more easily.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, they loved its possessions more than it had imagined.
It understood.
Look at its possessions, how lovely they were. It knew they couldn’t help but love them. But that was what made it so unfortunate. It had no choice but to bring them misfortune.
“Teacher…?”
“You’re awake, child.”
“What is that…?”
“Shh, it’s not time yet.”
Helia, who had collapsed under the Vampire Lord’s magic, was the first to wake up. But it didn’t last long. It reached out its right hand and covered her eyes.
“Sleep a little longer. It’s not time for you to wake up from your dream yet.”
The voice was so sweet that Helia soon closed her eyes.
Watching Helia sleep soundly, it smiled.
Enjoy your sweet dreams.
The day that dream shatters is not far off.
You will be thrown into misfortune.
[Translator Notes]
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