“Are you serious about helping me?”
I rolled my eyes, trying to understand the sudden change of heart from Yustelein.
How did they know I was a reincarnator? Is this related to their change of heart? If so, can I believe them?
It’s confusing. If I trust them, I’m uneasy, but to dismiss it as a lie is difficult given that they recognized my true identity.
…Honestly, I wanted to believe. I knew better than anyone else that I could collapse at any moment.
I had already been fighting for several days. The blood that dripped from my head had dried over my right eye, almost rendering it useless, and my left eye could only see a dull, monochrome world.
My body felt as if it was wrapped in an invisible thin shell, yet the pain seeping into my bones was astonishingly palpable.
The fact that I had made it this far was nothing short of a miracle. I knew better than anyone that if they hadn’t intervened, this fight wouldn’t even have been possible. If Yustelein’s change of heart was real, I should be grateful.
[I will only lend you my strength. The choice is yours.]
“…What do you mean by ‘choice’?”
[How you will use that strength.]
“…?”
I couldn’t immediately grasp the meaning of those words. Choose how to use it? Isn’t that predetermined from the start?
To protect those I want to protect and to fight against Luminous. Yustelein wouldn’t be ignorant of that.
Just as I contemplated what the fickle Elder Dragon was expecting this time, the next moment brought a shock that made my breath hitch, leaving my mind blank.
[I will grant you my blood. But greed is not advised.]
From between the scales covering Yustelein’s neck, a red liquid oozed out and formed a sphere in midair.
The moment I realized it was condensed dragon’s blood, a strong scent flooded past my blocked nose.
“Gah… Hah. Gah… Hah.”
My breathing became ragged, and saliva filled my dry mouth. It was definitely a body that didn’t need to breathe, yet I felt suffocated, and my heart raced wildly.
How could I even describe this feeling? Touching? Thrill? Enlightenment?
It felt like I had been hit in the head with a hammer. I couldn’t believe such a sweet aroma existed in the world.
Tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn’t calm my stirred heart, as if witnessing a god I hadn’t believed in since my terminal diagnosis.
I felt like I knew the reason I was born. I had grown certain of why I endured such a desperate and painful life until now.
I must have lived for this moment.
Surely, I had paid half a lifetime of misfortune for the sake of experiencing this heavenly cuisine that shook my brain, to pay the cost for that extreme pleasure.
My trembling arms involuntarily reached toward the floating clump of blood.
Then, the nearby rocks began to chip away on their own and turned to powder, gathering into my hands. The collected powder formed a cup, and the floating dragon’s blood filled it.
I brought the shimmering stone goblet to my mouth as if enchanted.
Thump-thump, my heart pounded loudly, ready to leap out of my mouth.
As the cup touched my lips, the sticky red liquid stained my cracked lips and flowed into my mouth, wetting my tongue.
“Uheh.”
A current flowed from the top of my head down to my toes. Something fuzzy and sparkling burst inside my mind.
My facial muscles loosened involuntarily, and the foggy vision regained its vivid colors.
In an instant, the empty stone goblet slipped from my hands and fell.
No, did I drink it all already?
The fullness that had filled my chest faded, replaced by despair.
No, no. Just a little more. Just a little more of that bliss.
I stumbled to the ground and hurriedly picked up the fallen goblet, licking it ravenously. But there wasn’t a single drop of blood left inside.
I quickly covered my nose and mouth with both hands. I had to hold onto whatever lingering scent remained.
Fortunately, it worked. The blood aroma flooded my nasal passages, stimulating my brain, sending another delightful tremor down my spine.
“Hyah!”
Heat boiled uncontrollably from my lower abdomen, and my waist arched up. I heard a bell ringing in my ears, and my head buzzed.
Pshht, a sticky and translucent liquid gushed out between my legs.
I feel like I’m going crazy. I’m so happy I might explode.
Oh god, oh god. Please let this moment last forever. Let me feel this happiness continuously.
Lying on the ground drenched in the fluid I expelled, I closed my eyes and held my nose tightly. I didn’t want to miss even a second of this aftertaste. I didn’t want to let go of this happiness.
Just the slightest touch of the breeze against my skin made me tremble, and my heart raced like it was about to burst.
The heat that started in my lower abdomen climbed again along my spine. The warmth gathered in my heart and spread throughout my body, transforming into an overwhelming sensation at some moment.
“Aaaaaaah.”
This is amazing. I don’t feel fatigue at all. A moment ago, I thought closing my eyes would lead to death, but now it’s as if nothing matters.
I feel more energetic than ever. I feel like I can accomplish anything.
This is the power of dragon’s blood. The essence of the strongest and oldest life in this world.
…But something feels empty. It’s like there’s a hole in my chest. The quantity really isn’t enough. It doesn’t satisfy me.
I’m lacking. I’m lacking. The aftertaste is fading away. No, this isn’t enough. Just a bit more. I’m not satisfied. I’m not satisfied. I’m not satisfied. I’m not satisfied. I’m not satisfied.
“Give me more.”
[That should be enough.]
“…Did you just refuse me?”
The pleasantly floating feeling plummets.
As the echoes of the most incomparable bliss receded, an unbearable rage surged within me.
“I’m saying I’m thirsty right now!”
Are you trying to rob me of my happiness? Are you trying to take away the only meaning in my life?
I get it now. I’ve been living for this. But now you want to take it all away from me? You taught me this, and now you want to stop?
“Hand it over. Unless you want to die.”
[So, it comes to this.]
Don’t make me laugh. I’m never giving up.
Yes, the master of dragon’s blood is right in front of me. If I kill that, I can drink its delicious blood until I burst.
Just how much blood is contained in that mountain of a body?
The thought alone makes me happy. My imagination conjures the pleasure seared into my memory, and my body heats up once more.
But still, it’s not enough. I can’t be satisfied with this anymore.
There must be something important going on, but that’s probably just my feelings. All I can think about is wanting to taste that blood more, nothing else could possibly be more important.
Kill it. Kill it, drink it, take it. I am a vampire. That’s how I exist.
Power surged into my legs as I crouched low. If I just push off the ground, I can charge at that delicious Elder Dragon.
A remaining flicker of sanity screamed that doing so would be my end, but I didn’t care.
From the first moment I tasted the dragon’s blood, the conclusion had been predetermined. Life is not precious. It’s better to die than to give up here.
My body was taut like a drawn bow. Just as I was about to launch myself at Yustelein, I caught a glimpse of the woman reflected in the Elder Dragon’s eyes.
“…Huh?”
The blood-soaked woman grinned ferociously with glistening eyes.
Drool spilled from her greedily open mouth, trickling down her chin. She looked human, but she was not.
She was more like a wild dog than a person. It took me some time to accept that the wild dog reflected in the giant dragon’s eyes was none other than myself.
“…No.”
A chill shock pierced through the heat that filled me.
As soon as a thread of sanity returned, I quickly shut my eyes, turning away from reality.
No way. Is that me? After all this, just tasting blood once made me lose my mind?
When I finally opened my tightly shut eyes, familiar backs came into view.
The people I wanted to protect. Those who believed in me and were still fighting. The ones who believed without a doubt that I would return.
A wave of fear washed over me at the thought of almost abandoning their hopes to succumb to desire.
I reached out my hand toward their backs. It’s not too late. From here on—
—No, that’s not right.
A familiar voice echoed in my ears. The voice I’d heard countless times, like a haunting echo, wrapped around me in a firm chain.
My people’s backs grew distant.
No! Stop! I have to go back to them.
Wanting to spring up and chase after them, I found I couldn’t move. The sense of omnipotence I had felt moments ago vanished without a trace.
-You are a vampire. A monster that drinks blood. Can you really turn away from the ultimate feast before your eyes?
Click, the sound of footsteps grew closer. Shadows stretched from behind, finally revealing themselves before me.
“Kill. Drink. Take.”
It appeared before me, bound by chains, in my own likeness, whispering in the clearer version of my voice.
An unbearable thirst ignited, like pouring oil onto a flickering flame.
The vampire instinct within me grinned widely. It felt as if all was resolved if I only surrendered to that impulse.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
