The blazing flames and the sharp sound of metal.
Screams traversing the boundary between life and death, along with the acrid scent of life.
In the chaos of the battlefield, I acted solely on instinct.
Killing. Biting. Drinking. Things I’ve grown accustomed to, just like any other day.
But the only difference from my usual hunting is that this familiarity isn’t indiscriminately targeting anyone.
“Vampires! There are vampires!!”
“Why are they among the Beastmen—Ahhh!!”
A complex battlefield entangled with Humans and Beastmen.
In this turmoil, I targeted only the Humans for my attacks.
The Beastmen, aware that I’m on their side, do not attack me.
However, it’s unavoidable that they watch me with wary eyes. The expressions of the Beastmen who just witnessed the enemy, whom they had clashed with, slowly bleeding out as I drank his blood was closer to fear than triumph.
‘It can’t be helped today.’
I know that my actions could lower the morale of my allies.
Perhaps because I excel at sensing my allies’ feelings, there have been times when I’d be willing to restrain myself and avoid creating a spectacle too hard for them to bear.
But today, it can’t be helped. I need to dope up a little before fighting the Grand Duke Jeil Helraig to increase my chances of winning.
What can I do? You’ll have to endure it.
It’s my fight, so it’s only right that the Beastmen yield and keep back for now. If you have complaints, go take down Hexion yourselves.
“…Quite flamboyant, aren’t we?”
“Can you guys even do this? You fight like you’re throwing money around.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, a thunderous bang erupted near the castle wall. It was the sound of a boulder inscribed with explosive magic being hurled from a trebuchet, crashing into the castle wall.
At that moment, I was struck with the revelation of how the Beastmen were managing to demolish the castle walls where Vampires roamed.
‘How can these ignorant fools exist?’
Even if we were momentarily allied, they were allies nonetheless. Out of consideration, I kept my thoughts to myself.
With what means did the Beastmen manage to bring down Pahera’s castle walls? I wasn’t particularly interested, but I have found it curious at times.
Though Kanak could likely do it, it’s not something mere soldiers of the Beastman Resistance Army could break down with their bare hands, and their favored siege weapons wouldn’t be suitable for breaking walls.
But I never expected they would handle it like this.
Isn’t that practically artillery? How much would it cost to prepare even mundane stones engraved with explosive magic?
Beastmen generally lack magical aptitudes. They couldn’t have made it on their own, so if they’ve been using this kind of extravagant stuff all along… Ugh… Now I understand why the Beastmen have been quietly receiving bribes from Vampires.
‘This is definitely a deficit.’
There’s not even room for doubt. Even if they plundered, they wouldn’t break even.
If they continued to fight like that, even the resources brought in from the outside would surely dwindle.
Weaklings. They don’t bother thinking about getting stronger to at least be able to smash the walls with their bare fists, but instead rely on money.
Of course, I can say this because I’m the Progenitor of Vampires. I’ve managed to survive by desperately feeding on blood. But your circumstances aren’t my concern.
While I was battling with the errant thoughts swirling in my somewhat heightened and excited mind, the chaos near the castle wall grew even more intense.
The rising screams and spreading fear. In that moment, I sensed a familiar yet restrained bloodlust in the tremors of the air.
“Seems like it’s my turn. He’s here. Get ready.”
Noticing the strong opponent’s presence, Kanak stiffened his expression and tightened his grip on his sword.
Based on my experience from the last few months, I’ve only ever seen one warrior, aside from the one I’m against, who could be as sharp as a well-honed dagger while effectively hiding his presence.
Hexion Requid had appeared.
Every situation and instinct led to that single conclusion.
I hurriedly blended my body with the faint shadow of Kanak created by the moonlight and concealed my presence.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t some dazzling technique to meld into the shadows. I merely resorted to using dark magic as a means to momentarily dilute my presence.
However, a threatening magic isn’t determined by the difficulty of use or destructive power but is instead dictated by the situation.
No matter how powerful Hexion is, it wouldn’t be easy for him to discern my disguise in the chaotic melee. If I could buy even a moment’s grace, that would be sufficient.
The Beastmen near the castle wall began to retreat slowly. Yet, during that time, soldiers were still falling one by one.
If Kanak and I intervened right now, we could minimize the sacrifices of the soldiers. But neither of us immediately took action.
This was Kanak’s resolve and determination.
He was willing to accept the sacrifices of his soldiers to ensure that Hexion was fully drawn in before starting the fight, minimizing the chances of interference and escape.
It was indeed a tactically sound choice.
If we were to delve in and fight only to get surrounded, the situation would become even more difficult, and if we pushed him back only for him to escape, it could lead to much bigger losses in the future.
However, not everyone can easily make rational decisions. In that sense, as a commander, Kanak was indeed extremely relentless yet composed.
“I’m going.”
As soon as the signal came that Hexion had been drawn to the planned location, Kanak, with eyes wide open and dripping blood, began to run.
I too followed in his shadow at the same speed.
With a few Human soldiers standing in our way easily cut down, Kanak charged directly to the target in no time.
Hexion Requid.
It was the first time we faced each other at such close range since he always seemed to be busy fleeing when he appeared. The old knight, wielding a long spear and slaughtering Beastmen, surely matched the face I had seen from afar.
As I saw the spear stained with blood, my shoulder suddenly ached. It felt as if my own arm had been taken by the enemy’s weapon.
The old knight did not look at me.
Though he was skilled at hiding his presence, it doesn’t mean he was also adept at sensing others. Perhaps my own growth was also playing a part in it.
Hexion’s gaze suddenly turned to Kanak, who had intruded.
It wasn’t particularly shocked. He must have encountered situations like this often, as Hexion gently kicked the abdomen of a Beastman soldier who had been impaled by his spear, twisting the spear’s direction toward this way.
There was no dialogue between the two warriors.
In the blink of an eye, the spear spun in a dazzling arc. From that lightning-fast movement, I gained one conviction.
‘I see. I can follow it.’
The first time I faced him, I should have lost an arm without understanding what was happening.
It could have ended with just an arm, thanks to instinctive actions and coincidental outcomes.
Back then, I hadn’t even realized I was being attacked until the moment the spear broke my bones and tore into my flesh.
But now it was different. Despite the terrifying movements, I could follow them with my eyes.
“Haaah!!”
Kanak, with the power of his charge, leaped while letting out a battle cry, raising his sword high above his head.
It was a drastic first strike focused solely on maximizing the impact of a single blow. However, an attack that can create maximum effect upon striking becomes meaningless if it can’t connect.
Though it’s a worthy opponent to miss, it was too reckless a position to adopt before Pahera’s strongest veteran, and Hexion seemed to sense this as an oddity as well.
Hexion had sparred against Kanak countless times. He understood that a warrior of Kanak’s caliber wouldn’t make such a foolhardy move without reason.
But no matter what he knew, avoiding the attack was a non-negotiable reality. After all, it was a strike that would be dangerous if it landed, and Hexion had no reason to purposely take the hit.
Sure enough, Hexion faced a short dilemma on whether he should dodge while also find an opening to counter or step back and wait for Kanak to show his hand.
After a brief hesitation of less than a second, he chose the former.
Knowing that there would be no other worthy opponent among the Beastmen, it would take confidence in his skills to respond to most variables.
And that swift and practiced conclusion based on his experience was precisely the reaction Kanak and I had been hoping for.
“What!?”
As Kanak leaped and the spear aimed at him ascended.
As I dashed along the shadows of Kanak, leaping into the moonlight, Hexion’s eyes widened in surprise.
So? Are you shocked?
You don’t know everything, do you? Right?
Clack. My thought process shifted to one optimized for battle.
My body lit up with warmth and blood pumped through my veins. The weird vitality I felt while training with Kanak wrapped around me in an instant.
As I kicked off the ground and pulled my right hand back, the night—dark as if I carved it out—coiled around my hand.
With a smooth two steps, I reached Hexion’s feet and launched an uppercut towards his solar plexus from underneath, exploiting the wide opening.
“Gah!!”
Is he really a renowned warrior of Pahera? Even in this ambush, he managed to respond somehow.
The spear that was aimed to intercept Kanak suddenly halted.
With a flick of Hexion’s fingers, the spear spun halfway, creating a crossline in front of him, blocking my punch from below.
Considering this was all executed in the blink of an eye, Hexion’s response deserved respect despite being a foe. However—
“…Damn it.”
Clunk—!
Pieces fell from Hexion’s armor. A dark red path began to bleed from the cracked armor.
Yes, Hexion was undoubtedly seasoned. If either Kanak or I had been just a bit weaker, he might have managed to deflect the blow perfectly.
But he didn’t succeed. In the end, Hexion’s response was just a tad lacking, and the cost for that was certainly high.
I licked the blood-soaked palm of my right hand. Seeing the twisted face of the old knight, I smiled brightly as I greeted him.
“Hello. I’ve come to repay my debt.”
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