The Undead King of the Palace of Darkness

“Be careful. Vampires are cruel and immoral monsters. Humans who have been changed after being bit by them, turn out the same. I’m sure… it’s instinctual for them

The conversation I once had with Senri crosses my mind. Yeah, that’s exactly right.

My blood power is close to running out and my sides, torn by Rainel, hurt as if I’ve been hit with hot iron. The same goes for my body that’s been scorched by the ‘Cursed Flame’, but there is still dark bloodlust whirling inside me.

I’m sure this urge won’t go away even if I were to be on the verge of annihilation.

I suppose this is the true reason why vampires are such terrifying monsters. I think such thoughts in the middle of rampaging urges and pain.

Vampires wouldn’t retreat no matter what kind of formidable enemy they faced. They wouldn’t cower like Oliver.

There are no vampires that hate fighting. To fight until they die, that is the curse of the vampires.

Rainel is on a rampage. His giant body destroys the walls, and his roar collapses the ceiling. However, even after doing that much, the black flames that surround him don’t go out.

Looks like ‘Cursed Flame’ completely started working. I don’t know how it managed to flare up. Is it perhaps connected to lung capacity? Was it the power that could only be used in the body of a beast? I can analyse it later.

The sky is collapsing. I have no time to chase after him.

I’m almost completely out of blood power. I can’t even discern left and right because of the hunger and pain. I squeeze what little power I have left, erase the ‘Cursed Flame’ on me and return back to human form. My forelegs, covered in black fur, creak, and shrink.

The armful of rubble in front of me collapses. The ground shakes and I fall on the floor.

Even after I regained my form, the wound I had received meanwhile didn’t heal. A white smoke rises, and I stop myself from bleeding out. I want to gouge out the wound, but now I can’t even spare the power to use ‘Sharp Claw’ anymore.

Falling rubble might not be a problem normally, but if I get crushed now, I might actually die.

Dell crawled to the wall, setting his back against it. He’s come this far so I’d like to help him out, but I can’t really afford to do that right now. And it looks like Dell can’t move properly either.

We make eye contact. A large rock board falls between us.

Looks like I don’t have enough time to escape. Now that things have come to this, I can only resign myself to fate. I shrink into myself as much as I can and cover my head.

I wanted to meet Senri for the last time at the very least.

☠

I wonder how much time has passed. It probably hasn’t been that long.

The shaking stopped, and I finally moved away the hand I was using to cover my head.

The ceiling has completely collapsed. I can see the shining half-moon in the sky from the collapsed ceiling.

Unlike before, the surrounding is silent.

Looks like I managed to avoid getting crushed. But the situation hasn’t improved.

I want to drink blood. I rebuke my powerless limbs and stand up while staggering. I wipe away the blood that flows down and gets into my eyes.

I’m on the verge of death. If I weren’t an undead, I’d be dead long ago.

Rainel’s army is still here. I got to run away fast. But what happened to Dell?

My head is throbbing, and my thoughts can’t seem to settle down. First of all, I have to gouge out the wound Rainel gave me no matter what…

――At this moment, a large mountain of rubble a few meters away suddenly exploded.

Pebbles pour down on me. I immediately cover my face.

No, wrong. This is―― not an explosion.

A large black mass stands up and the bits of a hoarse voice resound quietly in the darkness.

“Oh, what a, terri… fying… monster… you, are. To… think that… you would have… the same power… as He… bram…”

No way… this is impossible.

Rainel was clearly heavily wounded. His formerly golden fur covered body was burnt black, no part of his body left fine as far as I could see.

But he was alive. The flames that had burnt his whole body were fully extinguished and he was standing on his limbs.

He was half-dead. There were no traces of power left in him.

Nevertheless, his eyes were shining brightly. I thought the pain caused by the ‘Cursed Flame’ was supposed to be on the level that living creatures couldn’t endure. Is this the blood of a dragon?

No, it’s probably not because of his dragon blood that Rainel is standing up right now.

It’s because he’s the Demon King. Rainel is only standing because of his pride as the Demon King.

“Do you still intend to fight… Rainel?”

He does. He hasn’t said anything, but there is still a fighting spirit in Rainel’s eyes. And while he called me terrifying, he shows no signs of being afraid.

I don’t have any more spare energy. Even getting up is a hassle. But I raise my arms and somehow manage to stand ready.

Rainel’s fur is charred. I wonder if I can pierce it even in my current state? Would it be hard? Rainel’s movements are sluggish. He’s also on the verge of dying. But the holy silver claws, equipped on his forelegs, are unharmed.

I cannot―― see the chance to win.

Rainel’s big eyes suddenly narrow.

“End Baron. I am, proud to have, fought against you. Monica brought, something good back.”

Looks like he’s seen through that I don’t have enough power to fight either. But I don’t have enough power to run away either so I have no other choice but to fight.

I overwrite the pain with the urge to kill.

I’ll kill him. I have no intentions of letting myself get killed. I’ll murder him. My fingertips creak, as if in response to my bloodlust and my five fingernails sharpen a few centimeters.

I don’t have the leisure to go on offense. I will somehow manage to evade his attacks and open up a hole in his stomach. That’s the only way.

His right foreleg is raised slowly. Seeing his imposing appearance that doesn’t seem to have changed a little bit from before, I feel regret.

I shouldn’t have reverted. I shouldn’t have reverted before confirming Rainel’s death, even if that cost me to be stuck in the form of a beast forever.

My senses are out of control. Silver light is slowly falling down. I feel like I’ll be crushed just by its pressure. I can’t raise my arms. Even if I use my bloodlust as fuel, my legs don’t move.

―― Oh no, I’ll die.

The moment despair invaded my mind, I heard a strange creaking sound.

Unable to endure the wind pressure, I fell to my knees.

I’m… not dead. The silver claws have stopped right in front of my eyes, just a few dozen centimeters away. The forefoot that was about to be swung down was creaking.

“So… you… will… get in… my way… too…”

A red thread was wrapped around Rainel’s pillar-like foreleg. Thin thread wrapped around him in layers, completely stopping his stout arms.

A soft and pleasant voice resounded. It was an unfamiliar voice.

“I would have never imagined… that I would be able to meet ‘The Ancestor’… in a place like this.”

I desperately search for the owner of the voice.

They were in the shadow of the rubble. The voice belonged to the androgynous looking woman wrapped in jet-black coat. She’s probably a bit older than me. She’s approaching Rainel, who has still maintained his majesty even after being burnt entirely without making any sounds.

There is a several meters high red cone-shaped pillar behind her. No―― it’s not a pillar. It’s blood. The intense scent of blood that would make one choke.

The thread stretching from there is stopping Rainel’s movements.

The arm, that was right in my face, is slowly lifted up.

“Demon King Rainel, he is not just a ‘True Vampire’. He is ―― the king of the vampires, the ‘Ancestor’. The one who will become the origin, just like my King. I didn’t intend to interfere, but―― fufufu… I cannot exactly let you kill him.”

Those words changed my suspicion to conviction.

This woman―― is a vampire. She has a wicked presence, as if the crystallization of the night. Not to mention, she’s not Lesser like me. She’s the complete darkness.

Should I be rejoicing or lamenting at her appearance?

Rainel’s target seemed to have completely changed at the very least.

“So, you were still here, Sable. You underhanded walking corpse! I already warned you, that the next time I meet you ―― I will kill you!”

I hear a tearing sound. Rainel’s arm tore off the blood thread and swung down on the female vampire called Sable.

I involuntarily open my eyes wide. Who’d think that he’d be able to move this well after being burnt entirely――.

However, Sable laughed.

“And I must thank him. I didn’t expect for him to weak the famous golden gamelyon to this extent――”

Rainel’s giant body slightly floated up. A low sound, similar to something moist being pierced, sounded several times. Rainel opened his eyes wide in astonishment.

Before I knew it, there were countless ‘Blood Stakes’ piercing Rainel’s body. There were countless stakes cutting through his burnt fur from below and from sides, partially digging into his flesh.

Rainel roared. Even after being pierced by the stakes, his claws were mowing down towards Sable. And the moment he tried to tear her delicate body into pieces from above ―― her body turned into mist.

The claws slash away at the air and pierce the ground. Sable materializes a few meters away. Naturally, she’s unscathed.

‘Atomization’. It’s one of the vampires’ abilities.

Rainel coughs up blood and writhes intensely. His roar turns into vibrations, blowing my body away.

Sable ignores Rainel’s rampage, turns towards me and kneels.

“O the great ancestor of vampires. This is the power I have inherited from my Lord―― ‘Blood Pain’. Our army welcomes you with open hands.”

Rainel is raging. But the match has already been settled. Countless more blood threads that were released additionally are restraining Rainel.

He was already half-dead when he was fighting against me, it was the worst timing for him.

Bloody red eyes like mine. I can see sharp canines from the sides of her blood red lips.

What should I do?

No reason to even consider it. I refuse.

Since she mentioned her lord, her master must also be a vampire. And most likely, he’s an ‘Ancestor’ just like me. Becoming his ally would mean becoming Senri’s enemy.

Above all else, I don’t like the attitude of this female vampire.

Sable’s words sounded polite on the surface, but they were not ‘inviting’. She didn’t ask for my intentions. Just like Rainel.

That being said, I can’t fight. I don’t have the power for that.

Sable’s negative energy is enormous. I can see this exactly because we’re both vampires. It’s doubtful if I could even defeat her in my best condition, not to mention my current state.

Looking at me as the gears in my mind were desperately turning, Sable smiled.

“You are… very wise. That is right, o Ancestor. You are far weaker than me as of now. You have no other choice but to oblige. Please rest assured. My lord is gathering the Kings of the Night. It will be more comfortable than living a solitary life alone.”

That’s not true. I’m not alone. I have Senri, that’s why I can’t come with you.

Sable casually raised her index finger.

It’s a slender and beautiful finger, white with no blemishes. Suddenly, blood spouts from its tip, creating a small black sphere in the air.

The moment I see that, all the hair on my body stands up.

This is―― bad.

Sable says in a cold voice…