Chapter 104: Battle of the Old Castle (2)

Being observed makes me stronger. The Stake King's army is so huge, it's too much for me to handle. But Sable is alone. I'm not one to talk, but perhaps because they're very strong, vampires are too careless. It's natural that they'd be hunted by humans.

Amidst the darkness illuminated only by the moonlight, my eyes could clearly see the surroundings.

Sable comes forward with a sword in one hand. Perhaps hiding her presence required concentration, her presence that had been completely erased until now has slightly come back. The sword's reach isn't that long, but it's originally made from blood. Distance might as well not exist for it.

"I will enjoy the power of the King of the Dead, the power of an Ancestor!"

Her eyes were narrowed with the pleasure of trampling down on me. Mysterious chills rose from my feet and spread to my whole body.

I already know how to fight with vampires. I just need to do the same things I hated my worst foes would do to me. Sable is careless.

I take a step back. Sable looks at me, smiles faintly and moves forward as if showing off.

At that moment, I stepped in with all my power.

Blood sword? Caution? Measuring the distance? Nonsense. I'm not a human.

I've learned. What can defeat a vampire ―― is a power that's stronger than them.

The blood wedge shouldn't be that easy to use anyway. If it had such lenient conditions, she wouldn't have so much trouble with Rainel. "?!"

If I can't use her weakness, if my opponent is stronger than me, I'll suppress her before she can use her full powers.

Sable's eyes distort with astonishment. The blood sword bursts open, turns into arrows and flies towards me. Several arrows pierce my body. Dull pain and impact shake my body. But I was already prepared for all this. There was only a single thought in my mind.

―― My only good clothes are in tatters again.

I immediately shook the machete and cut off Sable's right arm from the shoulder.

Sable's graceful face distorts for a second. But I won't give her the opportunity to counterattack. Vampires have high regeneration ability, but it uses power and healing something as big as an arm takes time.

I won't let my guard down. I'll do everything I hated when they were done to me.

Blood flowing from the shoulder I cut off squirmed and instantly formed a shield. I see, that's a troublesome ability. It changes freely. The speed of its forming is also fast. Making a part of one's body transform isn't much different from Sharp Claw or Sharp Fang, but they have different degrees of freedom.

Then, I realized something. It felt like I had received a revelation. It wasn't particularly advantageous. But I'm in a fight with somebody stronger than me, yet I still feel very good. My feeling of wanting to study the unknown is something that I couldn't satisfy at all when I was alive.

"I see... I get it. The power of the Stake King ―― is a variant of Sharp Claw and Sharp Fang."

"?!"

Just like how my Curse Steal is a modified Feeding, the Necromancer who created the Stake King definitely modified Sharp Claw and Sharp Fang to create Blood Pain.

What a discerning eye. Any vampire can use Feeding, but strictly speaking, Sharp Claw and Sharp Fang are the abilities of Ghouls and can't be used by those who were directly turned into vampires by the power of creating the kin. The reason why Stake King became a big force is probably because the power inherited by his kin was very convenient.

I strike her with Blood Ruler and break the shield of blood. The blood shield could only hold up for a moment against the single strike that had the physical strength of the vampire behind it.

But that was enough. Sable, who was close enough to be in my arm's reach, literally 'dispersed'.

It's the Atomization ability. I was on guard for it, but I couldn't do anything. There is no power amongst my abilities that could deal with Atomization.

"Kh... I've been underestimating you, Ancestor! I didn't think you'd come at me without hesitation!..."

Sable appeared a few meters away. Black outfit that melted into the darkness. Arm that I had cut off at the shoulder was healing at the speed visible to the naked eye. Her bloody red pupils were dilated. My body shook from her strong killing intent.

"To be honest ――my power isn't anything special."

I see. So she can't regenerate when she's in the form of mist. And the time she can stay in the mist state isn't that long. It probably uses a lot of power. Even Silhouette, which hides my presence, uses an amount of power that can't be ignored. It makes sense. This has been very informative.

I strongly kick off the ground and rush straight towards Sable. The female vampire narrows her eyes.

"Kh... don't think that the same move will work forever...!"

The flowing blood swirled and instantly created a triangular pyramid――a giant blood arrow. What great skills she must have to make it in time for a vampire's full power leg strength. But it's not like I rushed towards her without thinking.

I had already finished transforming my left arm. The reason I made it in time wasn't because I was very skilled, but because I had used the ability at the same time as I stepped in. The ability I used was Sharp Claw. But I poured in blood power and made it transform excessively. Sable's face distorted.

"!?"

During my fight with Man-Eater I turned my whole arm into a blade. But what I created this time was ―― a bone shield with a smooth streamlined surface.

Although it's not on the same level as creating a sword from blood, if they created Blood Pain by evolving this power, there's no reason why I wouldn't be able to do something similar. Looks like, Sharp Claw and Sharp Fang are, strictly speaking, not the ability to transform claws or fangs, but rather ―― the ability to transform bones.

A white shield and the crimson arrow collide. Bone shield and blood arrow, I don't know which one's stronger. But, I didn't create the shield for receiving. The arrowhead slides off the surface and flows behind. Sable immediately raises her remaining left hand. I mercilessly strike it with the machete. The sensation of the bones, the flesh being crushed is conveyed to me. I continuously shake the machete, but as expected, the protection around her head is hard.

"This feels! Amazing! Rainel's probably satisfied too." I survived, so as a result, Sable's interruption turned out to be advantageous for me, but that aside, taking revenge on a strong enemy is pretty tasteful. Sable disappears. Atomization again? That ability is really a nuisance.

The black mist moves at a high speed. It would be difficult to distinguish black mist in the dead of night.

―― For a human, that is.

"?!"

I follow the black mist without hesitation and kick off the ground. I'm pushing her. I mustn't give Sable leeway. Atomization is a powerful ability, but no matter how powerful an ability is, it has a weakness. The mist climbed the wall. At the same time as I ran up the wall and followed after her, I blew on my single best pair of clothes, which was unusually still intact.

Black sparks spread and instantly covered my whole body. Dull pain and heat torment my body. I won't let my guard down. I don't know if I can burn the mist with the flame, but even if this turns out to be the declaration of war on the Stake King, I'll finish Sable here. While I still have blood power, I won't have to worry about my body burning down.

"Hahaha, teach me how to stop my clothes from disappearing!"

"... Are you sane...? Ancestor."

I stretch out my left arm that's wrapped in black flames. The flame touches the mist, but I don't know if it worked or not. But even if it doesn't work on the mist, it should at least be able to evaporate the blood that she's manipulating. It's not a bad strategy. It would be even more perfect if I didn't lose my clothes.

Black mist rises to the sky. Even I could not chase her up that high. I can jump, but that would be too reckless. The mist gathers in the sky. Sable's tattered appearance takes shape, with the moon behind her.

Vampires have an ability to change into bats. But... I wonder, will she not fall down?

Sable says, while I'm looking up at her with faint hopes.

"Haa, haa, I'm surprised. Looks like you're ―― more used to fighting than I assumed."

Sable didn't fall down. Two crimson wings grew from her back, stopping her mid-air. The wounds I went through so much trouble to inflict, are slowly healing.

She's not using the power of bats. Those are blood wings growing from her back.

Thinking calmly, blood moving freely is magic itself. I'm only changing the shape of my bones, but Sable's curse has completely reached the realm of 'manipulation of liquids'. Her wings didn't move. Rather than flying like a bird, it's like she's floating mid-air by affixing her in place.

"Come down, you coward! Do you not have your pride as a vampire!?"

"Say what you will. I will not ―― let my guard down anymore."

I opened my eyes wide and looked up at Sable, who had turned pale.

But the feeling I was overcome with wasn't anger.

―― I want it. I want that ability.

If I had Blood Pain, I could fly. I'd be able to catch the cowardly Senri who escapes to the sky ―― and it seems to have uses other than this too. Sable said that she wouldn't let her guard down, but I still haven't shown Curse Steal to her.

You can't take countermeasures ―― against something you don't know about.

Then, Sable, who had completely healed her wounds, sighed deeply.

"It's annoying to retreat while I'm being pushed, but unfortunately I'm here on my Lord's order."

Suddenly, I heard howls of beasts. And not just one or two. I noticed several presences of living beings around only now. They definitely weren't here just a while ago so Sable must've called them somehow.

A few giant shadows appeared without making a sound. A big frame that towers over me. Well-developed limbs. Sharp claws and golden eyes.

It's a smell I've smelled before―― strong animal odor. It's the Werewolves.

There are ten of them. They don't have weapons like swords, but I've already experienced the sharpness of their claws. I shuddered at their clinging killing intent. Even when they saw me, they didn't stir an inch. They seem to be different from Oliver, who surrendered the moment I showed myself. I frown. It's been a while since I've gained another life, but while I might have been swarmed by the weak and overpowered by the strong, it's the first time I've been swarmed by the strong. While I was wary, Sable talked with a calming voice. "Stay put, End. I won't do anything bad to you. You're strong. If you're with us, we can create the land of the dead."

Land of the dead, huh. I don't know what in the world they desire. I'm not interested in it either. But... as expected, Sable's faction doesn't suit my nature.

I manipulate my power and change back my left hand that I had turned into a shield. I extinguished the Cursed Flame and dropped Blood Ruler that I was holding on the ground.

Sable's eyes relax for a second. A vampire, who's stronger than me, has taken air superiority and I'm surrounded by elite werewolves. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I've been driven into a corner.

And I pour in power without any hesitation.

"I'll follow the example of the strong foes I've fought so far. Right now ―― I'm definitely stronger than Albertus and Rainel."

After all, it is a full moon today ―― and I received blood full of love from Senri just yesterday.

I feel an enormous power that seems to tear my body apart. It's not a power from outside. It's power that comes from inside me.

My skin tears and black needle-like body hair pops out from the inside. My bones creak audibly, my bone structure changes and my muscles expand. My field of vision rises in a twinkle. If I stretch out my arm, I might reach Sable, who's floating in the sky. But, unfortunately, right now I can't grasp anything.

My body is hot. It's like the inside of my head is burning. Power wells up inside me. It was worth pouring in more blood power than necessary.

The werewolves that were twice as big as me just a second ago are almost like children now. Right now I'm even bigger than I was when I transformed during the fight with Rainel.

I can hear it. I smell it. It's the fear. It's something that those who I've fought until now didn't have. The werewolves are agitated.

As I thought, being big is good. You can crush anybody you don't like with a single swing of your front legs.

Even though she should have already known that I could transform into a dog, Sable's face distorts.

"This power... your ability is――"

"Just between you and me ―― it's to become a fire-breathing dog."

As I narrowed my eyes and answered, I roared with all my might.