༺ Queen Of The Night (5) ༻
Thud— Thud— Thud—
Brigitte pierced through the lower-ranking vampires and arrived at the rooftop of the largest building in the red-light district, the 「Night Garden」.
On that rooftop, three unfortunate women who had been kidnapped and enslaved could be seen.
They were each surrounding and protecting a ‘Crimson Cocoon’ the size of a human being.
━We must protect Lady Shehrazade!
━She hasn’t fully absorbed the blood yet!
“They seem to have some intelligence. Are they elite members of the vampire’s household? They look strong. At least a Silver Level subjugation.”
Thud— Thud— Thud—
The bound Crimson Cocoon, wrapped in red threads, pulsated ominously like a beating heart.
“It seems like we’ve found our way to our objective, Cariote.”
“That seems to be the case.”
“Destruction. Thorns. Flames.”
Brigitte quickly recited the three words.
Black flames gathered from her staff and shot out like thorns, piercing through the ranks of the guardians and flying toward their target.
Fwoosh— Fwoosh—
The pierced guardians turned into ashes without even having the time to let out a scream.
The thorn-like flames, which were guided by Brigitte through the vampires, finally penetrated the cocoon that they had been protecting.
Boooom—!
The crash of the magic thorns caused a loud explosion.
As black smoke rose, the scent of blood and protein filled the air with a hot and eerie heat, tickling Brigitte’s nose.
━Grrrrrrrrrrr…!
A scream that felt like it would tear her eardrums apart echoed.
Soon, along with a few flaps— the black smoke was carried away by a strong gust.
As the smoke cleared, something finally revealed itself amidst the black haze.
━Gwaaaaaaaak…!
It was a creature that resembled a slimy slug with red mucus-like skin.
Its arms and legs were loosely attached and wriggled disgustingly, while tentacle-like appendages fluttered like wings on its shoulders.
“…What is that? Such a creature exists?”
Brigitte was astonished.
Cariote calmly replied to her.
“It’s a Blood Ancestor. The ancient ancestor of vampires. The true form of Blood Ancestors is distorted and horrifying, heavily influenced by the cursed aura of Demiurge Nocturne, whom they serve. Never underestimate them.”
Cariote drew a matchlock gun from her waist and solemnly warned Brigitte
The latter, of course, had no intention of not taking the monster before her seriously.
“Cariote, can you protect me? Chanting my next spell will take some time!”
“Understood.”
Brigitte raised her magic power to the maximum.
The destructive magic power inherent in her body surged like lightning from her fingertips to her toes.
Brigitte closed her eyes and delved into her inner self.
She selected the words she would use.
She decided that this would be the best first choice.
“Death.”
Wavee—
A circular magic circle appeared beneath Brigitte’s feet as she began the incantation.
“Pain.”
She chanted the second word.
Waaaave—
This time, a triangular magic circle appeared beneath Brigitte’s feet.
“Destruction.”
The third word was uttered.
Waaaaave—
The magic circle began to shine even more violently, and a square-shaped magic circle appeared under Brigitte’s feet.
A magic formation that was built layer by layer with each chant.
Cariote knew almost nothing about magic, but she could sense that something “amazing” was about to be cast. And the same was true for the vampire Shehrazade, who also noticed it.
-Dammmiiiiit…! Those fucking bastards…! How dare they attack while I’m regaining my sealed powers…!
Her voice sounded like a hundred screams echoing in a cave.
Then, the Blood Ancestor’s slug-like body suddenly inflated its body size to that of an elephant and reached out its hand towards Brigitte.
━Unexcusable, unexcusable! Become nourishment for me and my subordinates…! I will not kill you, I will make you rot as my slave until you wither away!
Kaching━
The slimy hand transformed into a sharp needle-like shape and lunged at Brigitte.
Its power surpassing that of a knight’s cavalry charge.
Brigitte was certain to be pierced by the needle if she stayed in that position.
“Despair.”
Brigitte chanted the fourth word.
A pentagon-shaped magic circle surrounded Brigitte’s feet, adding another layer.
In a state of complete concentration within her own being, she was completely unaware of the giant slug’s attack.
Cariote, while amazed at Brigitte’s immense concentration, also heightened her guard.
And then, after gathering all her strength, she leaped off the ground and charged between the giant slug monster and Brigitte.
“Beast hunt!”
A strike was delivered with all the force from top to bottom, carrying the energy of annihilation.
The sharp tentacles of the slug that had been rampaging towards Brigitte were sliced off.
━Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiik…!
The giant vampire let out a scream as its tentacles were cut off.
It was a horrifying scream that painted the sky of 61st Street red.
Squelch— Squelch—
However, Cariote noticed that new hands had sprouted from the cut edges.
“As expected, it won’t die unless its heart is pierced. I never thought that such a cursed monster would hide in the shadows of the Principality of Freesia, sucking people’s blood. Your long life ends here, however.”
Cariote casually wiped the blood off her sword.
At that moment, the slug writhed and revealed the upper half of a beautiful and enchanting woman from within its slimy flesh.
“You are not the first hunter who has come to hunt this lady, and you certainly won’t be the last one. How can this lady, Nocturne’s mistress, be taken care of, by you?”
Flash—
The woman’s red eyes sparkled.
In an instant, Cariote felt her surroundings turn red as if her mind was crumbling.
Everything around her dissolved like scattered watercolors.
An illusion.
Or maybe hypnosis?
“Charm…!?”
“Right, I have the power to put young and innocent maidens under illusion. Hunter Cariote, you have lived as a pure maiden. To think the savage woman known as the Butcher is a virgin. This lady is truly impressed.”
“……”
Charm.
This vampire seemed to be able to mesmerize pure maidens.
Cariote quickly understood what had happened to the young women who had mysteriously disappeared on 61st Street.
They had all fallen prey to those eerie eyes.
‘Stay calm.’
Cariote regained her composure.
In front of her eyes, the full moon, the tantalizing corpse, and the ashes disappeared, and a majestic and elegant palace appeared.
It was a ballroom where men and women dressed in gowns were dancing in pairs.
The peculiar thing was that it resembled the atmosphere of the western lands governed by the sultans.
“Hunter, let yourself wander in the illusion prepared by this lady.”
A voice echoed loudly in Cariote’s head.
‘Illusion. This is an illusion.’
Cariote closed her eyes.
As her sense of sight, which had dominated most of her senses, disappeared, her other senses became more acute.
Squelch—
The sound of squelching slime echoed in Cariote’s ears.
This Blood Ancestor.
What she was aiming for─.
“Brigitte, be careful!”
“It’s already too late. Pierce through the mage from top to bottom.”
Blood Ancestor Shehrazade clenched the thorny spear made of tentacles.
“Don’t let her die! She must become this lady’s retainer!”
Without any defenses, the elastic spear swung, piercing through the vulnerable mage’s body─.
That was what she thought would happen at least.
But.
The one to let out a scream was Shehrazade.
“Gyaak!”
“Oh, a slug, how disgusting.”
* * *
As I climbed onto the rooftop of the building, I was met with the sight of a massive monster writhing around.
It looked exactly like what you would get if you combined a slug and a woman’s body.
“Damn, that’s disgusting. That’s a vampire, Naru.”
“A vampire…! But I thought vampires were bats?”
“Yeah, this one looks more like a leech.”
A massive, twisted creature.
It seemed to be the true form of the vampire that ruled over the red-light district of 61st Street.
They called her Night Courtesan or the Queen of the Night, so I was expecting a beautiful vampire, but my mood quickly soured.
But then again, that’s how vampires were.
I heard that they were heavily influenced by Demiurge Nocturne, a being from another realm.
“Bandit Judas.”
The twisted vampire frowned as she looked at the tentacles severed by my dagger.
Now that I was able to look closely, her upper body was that of a fairly attractive woman.
But.
Judging by the lack of any significant reaction in my heart, it was clear that she was probably an “elder.”
Not just an elder, but a wretchedly old one.
She was definitely over a hundred years old.
The slug woman glared at me.
Her crimson eyes immediately shifted towards Naru, who was on my back.
“Is it true that you’ve given birth to a daughter? My, my, even I have heard the rumors about you. But you’re not really fit to raise a daughter, are you?”
“You think you know me? I don’t know a monster like you.”
“Sure, compared to you, I’m just a petty thief who committed a massacre in a single night. Does everyone know? That you slaughtered everything living in Kowloon Mountains?”
“Naru loves slaughter!”
Naru exclaimed with a crackling voice.
I was left with no choice but to put down Naru and seriously say to her.
“Naru, hide nearby. We’re playing hide and seek. You must never reveal yourself until I find you. Understand?”
“Ung, ung! Naru is really good at hide and seek!”
“If there’s someone you don’t like, use this to stab them.”
Grab—
I handed her the throwing knife I had kept as a gift for Naru.
She was extremely happy to receive it.
“Oh, holy shh…! The Rai-setsu throwing knife! I’ve always wanted this for a long time! Dad said it was expensive and didn’t buy it for me! Hehe, let’s throw it and hit something…!”
Thud—
Naru jumped into a nearby building.
Upon seeing that, the slug-like woman chuckled.
“You have such a cute daughter. But Judas, this lady dares say, we shouldn’t be facing each other. Come with this lady. Let us join forces for the resurrection of the Demon King.”
“Resurrect the Demon King?”
I never thought that there would be people attempting such insane acts.
I felt my head spinning.
The vampire spoke.
“It has already been completed. It’s only a matter of time. It’s just a matter of timing. The Demon King will be resurrected, and through him, Nocturne of Despair will once again roam the world and grant a gruesome death to all.”
Suddenly, I thought that what these guys were talking about might be related to Naru’s return to the past.
My intuition was quite good, so there was at least a 70% chance of this being the case.
“How about it? If you join us from now on, this lady might grant you her favor. You are a strong man. If it’s you, this lady can surely give birth to many strong children.”
Oh, holy shh.
It was blatant seduction.
But my heart didn’t even twitch.
“You’re too old. And you’re not even a virgin, you slug!”
“…I have no choice then. If you don’t agree, then die. I will inherit the Vessel you possess.”
The slug-like woman’s body stretched out flexibly.
Thorny tentacles uncontrollably shot towards me.
Thwack— Thwababath—!
The thorny tentacles pierced the ground at a speed as fast as bullets.
Even I had to concentrate quite a bit to avoid them.
“You’re quite the fast young man.”
“I’m just in a bit of a hurry. I’m not this fast usually.”
I had to defeat Blood Ancestor before the first rays of the sun.
Only then would the curse that Naru carries be lifted.
I was a little impatient.
However, this vampire named Shehrazade didn’t give me any opportunity.
Her basic physique is sturdy.
She can even regenerate.
I’ve never fought such a powerful vampire before, so I’m not sure what to do.
“Aim for the heart. There should be a heart somewhere in her huge body.”
At that moment, Cariote, with her eyes closed, shouted at me.
Her heart.
Logically speaking, it should be somewhere in the upper half of her body.
“Blood magic. Pool of blood.”
“Fuck.”
Bubbling— Bubbling— Bubbling—
The vampire summoned a pool of blood beneath my feet.
Making them feel sticky and sluggish, slowing down my movements.
“It was this lady who taught necromancy to Alubaba’s Al Sahad. This kind of trick is easier than sucking the blood of a child. With ‘Immortality’ and ‘Black Magic’ obtained by surpassing the realm, this lady is invincible.”
A half-immortal body.
And black magic.
A vampire armed with these two things was formidable.
If the necromancer Al Sahad I faced last time was just a beginner who had barely reached the platinum level.
Then this slug woman was skilled enough to be called a master among those who have surpassed the realm.
“Hoo-.”
Breathe-
I took a deep breath calmly.
I have to aim for the heart.
Logically, one would think the heart would be in the chest area of a woman, but my thoughts were different.
Guardians usually protect the most precious things in a large vault.
If the heart of this vampire is its greatest weakness, it would surely be hidden deep within its slimy muscles.
In that sense, the upper body of the woman was too blatantly exposed to the outside world.
It was like the glowing organ of an anglerfish.
In other words, the woman’s upper body was a decoy.
Therefore, the heart was likely to be deep within the central part of the slug’s body, surrounded by its slimy muscles.
“Hoo…”
I took a deep breath calmly once again.
I controlled the energy in my body to the point where my rapidly beating heart slowed down to an almost stop.
Thump— Thump— Thump— Thump—
It was when I finally felt as if even my heart had stopped beating.
Everything in the world became silent.
The tentacles that were flying towards me.
The murmuring of Brigitte as she was casting a powerful destruction spell.
The sound of Cariote’s breathing, who had closed her eyes and regulated her breath, also stopped. It was complete stillness.
Within that, I moved slowly as if swimming underwater.
And then, I slowly reached out and deeply inserted my palm towards the slug’s body.
It felt like uncovering something slimy, and finally, something cold clung to my hand.
Snap—!
I pulled it out with all my strength.
Thump— Thump— Thump—
Soon, everything began to accelerate, and the blood flow that had stopped in my body rushed.
“Guuaaaargh!!!”
Soon, someone screamed.
The slug vampire’s body drastically crumbled.
“My, my heart…!”
Snap—!
I crushed the heart that I held in my hand.
And then, the slug vampire couldn’t maintain its form and melted away.
“When on earth did you learn that? Was this the technique used to extract the Demon King’s heart?”
“….”
Instead of answering, I remained silent.
In response, the vampire started laughing.
“Hehehe, Bandit Judas, you’re even stronger than I imagined. To think you could push this lady this far even with part of your karma sealed in your body. What a pleasant surprise! Kyahahahaaha…!!!”
Why is she laughing?
Has she gone insane before dying?
That’s what I thought.
Shaaak—
I heard the sound of something sharp piercing through flesh.
Of course, there was not a single scratch on my body.
When I turned my head, I saw a tentacle protruding from the ground, precisely piercing through Brigitte’s back and into her chest.
“Gurgle-.”
Brigitte spurted blood.
Her spell, which couldn’t be completed, lost its light, withering away.
“That’s… The tentacle I first severed…? You are able to control your detached body parts…”
Cariote staggered, clutching her temple.
It seemed like she wanted to say more.
My mind turned blank.
Only the vampire’s sinister laughter remained in my ears.
“It’s over. I pierced the heart of the mage. Judas, how does it feel to have something precious stolen from you?”
“You…”
A chilling sensation ran through my blood.
And I felt everything turning upside down.
“The mage of the Demon King’s Subjugation Party is nothing special! Let me show you what it means to be trampled upon by our Tenebris! Next, it’s the turn of the charmed hunter!”
The vampire’s maniacal laughter echoed loudly.
Her body, already wriggling, swelled up even more grotesquely.
It was horrifying to see her still alive even after her heart was extracted.
I calmly closed my eyes.
I felt angry at myself for being too careless.
I had no one to blame but myself.
“You’ll be wishing for death when I’m done with you, you leech bastard.”
“Judas…”
At that moment, a voice pierced my ears.
“Judas, calm down. There’s no way I would die from something like this.”
It was Brigitte’s voice.
Brigitte, who had been impaled by the massive tentacle from her back to her chest.
She opened her mouth and finished her final incantation.
“Annihilation.”
An 8th-level incantation.
The spell, consisting of eight words, created a black hole beneath the vampire’s feet.
It was as small as an ant hole.
Gooooooooo━─.
The tiny hole began to suck in the vampire’s body, which hadn’t died, even after its heart was extracted, grotesquely consuming it.
“What is this, what is thiiiiis…!”
The ancient vampire, Blood Ancestor Shehrazade, tried to resist by forcefully driving her tentacles into the ground, but it was futile.
Her tentacles were torn, severed, and then dragged into the hole.
“That’s ridiculous! I-I pierced through her heart! Even if she has two hearts like me…! No, it can’t be! You damn mage! Could it be, could it be you…! The Wizard of Devastation!? Aaaargh…!!!”
The vampire screamed for a while before being completely sucked into the small hole.
Not even a small scream remained now.
“Seal.”
Brigitte spit out the word along with some blood.
When the small hole closed, Cariote finally coughed violently.
“…I’m finally freed from the Vampire’s Charm. The vampire seems to be completely dead. To be able to bring down a Blood Ancestor, who survived for over a hundred years, your spell was incredible. But…”
Cariote now frowned as she looked at Brigitte.
“It was a fatal wound, more than half of your organs were destroyed. Brigitte, your heart was completely obliterated. How in the world are you still alive? Mage of the Black Jewel. I would appreciate it if you could explain.”
Cariote seemed unable to comprehend the situation.
In those black eyes of hers, Brigitte’s body, which had been impaled by the tentacles, was slowly healing.
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