The Undead King of the Palace of Darkness

☠☠☠

The impact runs through my body. My field of vision shakes violently. I don’t know just how many times I’ve rolled on this floor already. The power I replenished by sucking Monica’s blood is abating very fast. My perceptual ability, enhanced after I learned how to manipulate blood power, is precisely gauging the countdown until everything ends.

It’s not like my opponent doesn’t get tired either, he’s just too tenacious.

I’m not strong enough. I’m just a little short on power…short on pure muscle strength. I felt this during my fight with Albertus too, but I should’ve become much stronger since then. Does this mean that the world is just that wide?

I move my body and evade his furious attack. At this point I’m just relying on my instincts. I might be fighting a monster, but my fighting spirit hasn’t died yet.

Power. I need more power. Dell is rolling in the corner. Looks like he’s completely used up all his powers, there’s no signs of him getting up even after some time has passed. Would she be able to bounce back if it was Senri? Such meaningless thoughts start to go through my brain.

However, Dell’s eyes are at least open.

The blood. I need to replenish blood.

“So, you are still not giving up. You truly are the best enemy I have ever faced!!”

Rainel roars. Frighteningly enough, contained in his roar was an emotion closer to happiness.

Should I attack him from the inside like my initial plan? But although I don’t know how it would be if it was Man-Eater… Rainel isn’t stupid enough to eat me while I’m on fire.

Both the blade and the fire are repelled by the fur. I somehow manage to ward off the attack by twisting my body, but the impact still adds on.

How did I win against Albertus? ―― Oh, right. I drank blood. I avoided the crisis by drinking blood.

But this time, the situation is different. Albertus had a weak spot. Having had curse placed on her by a vampire, she had some leftover fear of them. Rainel doesn’t have that.

And, to start with, Rainel’s power isn’t from a curse. I can’t steal it with ‘Curse Steal’. Even if I somehow managed to drink his blood, beast’s blood won’t increase my power by much. I’ll just be killed.

It’s at times like this that the Lord doesn’t come out. Argh, he’s so useless.

The silver claws that he swiped at me shallowly hurt my left hand. Overriding the pain of ‘Cursed Flame’, sharp pain passes through my arm. I immediately cut my arm off at the shoulder. It takes some time to heal the damage caused by the claws. I have no choice but to do this. I grow a new arm fast enough, but the power exhausted by it isn’t a little.

Heavy. Fast. Rainel’s movements are still as strong, almost as if he’s not even a living being.

The King’s room is now pretty much different from ruins. This a perfect place for the current Rainel.

There is nothing I can use as a weapon nearby. There is no useful terrain either. I can’t fine good materials.

No, on the contrary――Rainel’s power is even recovering. The energy he used a while ago for ‘Dragon Breath’ is being refilled.

Is there nothing else? I need something to overcome this situation. I desperately make my mind turn.

I don’t want to drink Dell’s blood, and even if I did, I doubt it’ll help me recover much strength.

My throat is parched. Rainel doesn’t let his guard down much. He’s getting used to my movements. If he can accumulate his power, I will be burnt to a crisp by ‘Dragon Breath’. I have no means of dealing with it.

The power. I need more power. Vampire’s physical strength isn’t enough. I need it. The power to cut through Rainel’s fur.

I was way too focused on his claws. A body slam coming from his giant wall-like physique sends me flying and the impact that almost shatters my whole body is transmitted to me.

I can no longer afford to just be on defensive. My head is strongly slammed into the floor and my field of vision shakes violently.

At this moment, I realize that there is something else I haven’t tried.

“!!… Kuku!”

Maybe it was thanks to hitting my head. I should thank Rainel. I find it slightly funny and end up letting out my voice.

Rainel, who tossed me about like a storm, didn’t chase after me. I prop myself on my hands and get up.

The flame that’s eating into my body still hasn’t disappeared. What an annoying fire when it can’t even burn Rainel. It’s troublesome whether it’s using it and having others use it against me.

I don’t need words anymore. What I need is a fighting spirit and bloodlust.

That’s why, this is not a conversation, but rather a ritual to resolve myself.

I declare to Rainel. An unrecognizably cold voice comes from my throat.

“I will kill anybody who tries to kill me.”

I pour in blood power.

And I―― transform.

My arms stretch and grow greatly. My sharp claws scrape against the stone floor. The flame didn’t go out, but there is an even stronger heat gathered in the centre of my body.

My field of vision becomes higher. I get on all my fours. I feel bizarre coldness behind my ears. My view changes and instead my sense of smell conveys the information about the world.

Rainel was just looking at me, astounded.

I hear a creaking sound from inside my body. Growth doesn’t stop.

It’s the blood power. The blood power made the curse grow. My body is heavy. My forelegs that I can see on the ground are surprisingly huge, and ―― black enough to be recognizable even seen through the ‘Cursed Flame’.

I remember the monster I’ve faced before. But I don’t feel moved.

The heat I feel inside my body is incomparable to that of when I was a vampire. I’m not a white dog. Right now, I’m a dog monster.

I did it. This is it. This is the world Albertus saw, the murderous intent she felt.

My breath is hot. I let out a hoarse voice.

“Ye… ah… I… will…kill… you.”

“That is…your true form, huh?”

I’m filled with power. The urge to destroy and the feeling of omnipotence almost make me lose my sanity.

But I can’t win against this Demon King if I stop thinking. That slight judgement and reason are what keep me as a human.

The holy silver claws are shining. My current body is as big as Rainel’s but that only means that I have become a bigger target,

The claws on my forelegs are black and sharp, drawing an ominous arc. They’re definitely made to kill. This form is the embodiment of bloodlust.

With those claws and this power, I can definitely tear apart Rainel’s body. But Rainel also knows that. He’ll try to evade.

I won’t be able to keep this form for long. My blood power will run out in a few minutes. I don’t know what will happen if the origin of the vampire’s curse manifests while I’m in this form.

“Are you, not going to attack me?”

Rainel is saving up power for his trump card, ‘Dragon Breath’.

I’ll decide everything with a single hit. I put all my strength in the next attack. I won’t leave myself any leeway. The next time I fail, I’ll die. I will die. That’s why I have to kill him.

And, I kicked off the floor, following my instincts.

The whole floor collapses with a single kick. I reach a terrific speed. For an instant, Rainel smiles at my suicidal attack.

Rainel jumps at me. Even after seeing my desperate attack, he still attacks me without an ounce of fear.

The holy silver claws are illuminated by the half-moon, shining with dull lustre.

It’s impossible to stop the blow. I knew this since the beginning. I won’t evade it either.

The movement of the claws slightly slow down as I move forward. He’s agitated. Did he think that I would evade it?

The claws that were swiped down to the side shallowly cut the base of my forefoot. Intense pain runs through me, but I don’t slow down.

He didn’t target my throat and head because he thought I’d avoid it. I was ready to receive the attack. As long as at least my arm remains, it’ll be fine.

It’s my turn now. For the first time, strong agitation runs through Rainel’s eyes. I swing my right foreleg wide.

Unlike the holy silver claws, black claws are crooked and ominously swallow the light.

My target is―― his weak spot. His neck.

“Kh!”

An instant felt both like a second and a minute. Black claws sink into the golden fur. A heavy sensation is transmitted to me from the claw.

I put all my power into it. My claws bury themselves in Rainel’s neck. I hear a tearing sound. Rainel’s giant body shakes.

However, I open my eyes wide.

―― It’s shallow.

I understand it instinctually. I can’t kill Rainel like this. It’s the difference between our experiences of fighting with the body of a beast. The ‘Cursed Flame’ I’m wrapped in didn’t transfer over either.

Rainel doesn’t have the same regeneration ability as an undead, but he has his dragon’s blood. I’m also wounded. I can’t afford to attack the next time if I move away now.

I meet Rainel’s golden eyes from a short distance. He has lost control of himself. I take a deep breath. The inside of my lungs tremble with heat. Rainel’s eyes were shaking.

And, I spit our cursed fire towards him.

My field of vision is dyed black. The jet black flame is far more intense than when I was in a human form, wrapping around the Rainel in a second.