As soon as I stepped inside the castle wall, I swiftly followed the strong scent of blood.
Finding Hexion wasn’t difficult. Perhaps due to his injuries, he was still within my line of sight.
“Vampire!”
“Protect the knight at all costs!!”
The soldiers shouted with solemn expressions as soon as they spotted me.
Now that I think about it, it’s quite unusual to see so many soldiers inside the castle walls. Usually, it wasn’t like this when I came to suck blood.
Must be because I followed the Beastmen today, right? It’s a stark reminder of how much the vampires have been getting away with.
But I couldn’t afford to be tripped up by the likes of petty soldiers. Hexion had to die, no matter the cost.
I lightly scanned the strong scent of blood wafting through the air.
It seemed there were no notably strong humans nearby.
There were maybe five or six humans who could be considered stronger than the average soldier, but none so remarkable that they warranted serious concern.
I’d learned the hard way from Hexion that I shouldn’t rely solely on my sense of smell. However, this time, I was confident I made the right assessment, even if I couldn’t explain why.
I’ve never come across a human capable of masking their presence so well besides Hexion, and there weren’t any knights stronger than him in Pahera. Statistically speaking, it seemed highly likely there were no issues.
With my calculations wrapped up, I stomped on the ground.
I slipped between the soldiers blocking my path and roughly swung my arms.
I felt a slick sensation at my fingertips. The enticing smell was incredibly tempting, but I’d have to set that aside for now.
I saw the faces of the advancing humans who looked quite serious.
They weren’t a problem anymore. Normally, I would have prioritized breaking through, even taking minor attacks, but now it seemed that wouldn’t be necessary.
I revised my plan. I would cut through in the shortest distance and wreck all nearby obstacles.
In a delayed response, a red streak of blood surged upwards behind me as anguished screams painted the sky.
The distance I had once had from them vanished instantly, and I locked eyes with the knight guarding Hexion’s back as he moved forward with assistance.
Judging that there was no chance I would be shaken off this way, there was resolve in the way he gripped his sword.
In that moment, I could tell. Ah, this guy is somewhat strong.
“Evil vampire—”
The knight’s head took to the skies.
He was indeed a bit stronger than those unimpressive humans littered around.
…Maybe?
Hexion, who had halted his steps, turned to look at me. He seemed to realize he couldn’t flee after witnessing his ally’s head flying.
“I told you months ago, there was an irritating vampire, but I didn’t think it would come to this.”
Hexion breathed heavily, but with a clear intent of hostility. In his left hand, he gripped a spear that was already familiar to him.
Even saying a few words seemed to take effort, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
Blood poured from the cracks of his broken armor and from his right shoulder.
Hexion looked like he could collapse any moment now. Frankly, I didn’t understand how he was still alive in that human body.
Yet, despite quaking, his two legs steadfastly held their ground.
The spear, held diagonally in his left hand, remained sharp and gleaming.
“Come at me, vampire. I, Hexion Requid, will handle you.”
For some reason, this one-armed old man, who seemed to have no power to take even a single step, looked more threatening than anyone I’ve faced before.
It was honestly the type of image you might expect from a hero’s tale.
Someone would definitely look at his current form and regard it as an example of a knight. If this were a fairy tale, he would triumph in a miraculous victory, igniting the flame of courage in people’s hearts.
A smile involuntarily crept onto my lips.
Pathetic. Just a mere disposable item.
Who do you think you are trying to hold your ground? Your only purpose here is to be devoured by me and become my meal.
Reality is not a fairy tale. I know all too well from experience that simply opening your eyes and steeling your resolve won’t make unreasonable odds go away.
But I—I’m really looking forward to it.
What kind of reaction would those remaining humans have when their hero, who inspires hope and courage, meets a regrettably terrible end without even retaining a shred of dignity?
I lightly stomped the ground.
I stepped into range of Hexion’s spear, which looked like it would collapse and die if left to its own devices.
I know better than anyone that despair and adversity become most tragic and cutting when hope is openly denied.
I can’t be the only one to savor the taste meant for one. Be grateful. Soon, you all will understand.
Hexion’s left arm moved. The knight, who had swung spears his entire life, completed a thrust that was faster and sharper than any before, with just one hand in the final moments of his life.
The last desperate strike, pouring all his remaining strength, perfectly aimed for my heart.
Huung!!
With just a light twist of my body, his spear sliced through the air without force. It was an excellent thrust, but he had poured everything into that one blow, and it was clear he had no energy left to continue attacking.
While his thrust was crossing mine, I lunged forward into his embrace. Before wasting more precious blood, I hurriedly sank my fangs into his neck.
“Kuh, hack….”
As expected, there was no twist here.
As I punctured his dry neck, the blood remaining in his body surged forth. The moment it touched my tongue, I shivered with a thrilling sensation.
So sweet.
The richest, most vibrant taste I’ve ever experienced.
With each gulp, I felt vitality rushing through my body.
Yes, this is what I wanted.
The power encapsulated in the blood of a strong individual holds far greater value than that of a hundred trivial soldiers.
It was inevitable, but I lamented the wasted blood from my crushed side and severed arm. I focused on the act of bloodsucking with all I had, striving to take in every drop of his remaining blood.
The surrounding soldiers seemed to shout something, but with my meal in progress, their voices didn’t reach my ears. The looks of sheer horror in their eyes served as quite the tasty side dish.
See? Pride and honor can’t change anything.
In the end, what matters is strength. It’s cold but true: the strong decide everything, and the weak have no choice but to follow reality.
But what’s the funniest of all is that even though I’m feasting right in the middle of the enemy camp, no one is trying to stop me.
The soldiers nearby were all just making noise with their mouths, yet not a single one dared to fight me. I thought there would be quite a few rushing at me in a blind fury for the sake of avenging their fallen hero.
I casually surveyed the area. A few soldiers who met my gaze flinched and took steps back.
They truly bore the look of defeat. The strongest ally fell, and they rationalized that stepping forward would only lead to their own demise, which I could easily read from their downward glances.
Some humans had already ditched their weapons and ran, whether to request reinforcements or simply making excuses, I couldn’t tell.
Hexion, you see?
These are the humans you’ve spent your whole life protecting. The comrades you’ve fought alongside.
They’re so scared they can’t even think of revenge. How does it feel seeing them look so disgraceful? A bit regretful, perhaps?
Ah, you’re already dead. How unfortunate you won’t get to see such joy.
No one else tried to impede me any further. Honestly, I had worried that even if I succeeded in killing Hexion, I might not be able to drink enough blood, but considering the current situation, that concern was completely unwarranted.
Yet, while focusing on the act of bloodsucking, I did not entirely let my guard down.
And because I was still on high alert, when someone I’d failed to notice suddenly spoke up, it took me a moment longer to react.
“Hey, sis?”
A familiar voice, one I had heard before. But it was a flustered tone that surely did not belong in this place, tickling my ears.
“Sis…is that you?”
I shot my head up like I had been struck by lightning, searching for the source of the voice.
Standing there was a girl who seemed entirely out of place in the blood-drenched battlefield filled with the scent of iron.
With lightly waved sky-blue hair and eyes as clear and bright as a day without a cloud in the autumn sky.
It struck me as odd that I hadn’t noticed her presence until she spoke. Her bright colors and delicate frame should have stood out starkly in the grim battlefield.
Especially since the girl wasn’t even wearing armor. If she had been without the sword hanging from her waist, one might have believed her to be a lost lady from the neighborhood.
But whether it was misfortune or fortune, I didn’t have to waste any time trying to recognize the girl. Her face was undoubtedly one I remembered well.
“Sis, it’s Aria, isn’t it…?”
Even with my silver hair turned black from the gift of a choker from Martini, the girl called my name.
Months had passed since we last saw each other, and even if my hair color was different, she appeared certain of my identity.
Perhaps that was only natural, considering that Aria was the one who’d given me the name.
In fact, I finally understood why I hadn’t realized her presence until she approached. I couldn’t possibly sense a knight’s presence.
“…Plona.”
Knight Plona Moonlight.
One of the first bonds formed when I obtained my second life and the girl who stands as my greatest nemesis.
The moment I was certain the girl in front of me was not an illusion, I threw aside Hexion’s body, which still had some blood left, and attempted to escape at full speed.
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