Volume 8
Chapter 46
My body is disappearing... The pain is already gone. Only light and heat envelop me. A warmth and excitement I have never felt before. And joy. This surging emotion fills my chest. There has never been a challenger who resisted me so. There has never been a strong one who drew out so much of my power. There has never... been an 'other person' who made me get this serious. Ah... wonderful. No other word comes to mind. My long, boring, repetitive time. But in this one instant, for the first time since I was born, I have obtained fulfillment and satisfaction.
(Ah... but, even so...
still...)
A new emotion surfaces
amidst the fulfillment. It is not relief, nor is it sense of liberation.
It is... further
"desire."
I want to know more. I
want to see more. Even though the heat poured into me is already incinerating
my body, about to annihilate even my soul, the tiny fragment of "me" that remains cannot stop
seeking him. Precisely because I have obtained the feeling of "satisfaction," I desperately,
desperately want the next satisfaction. How
can I remain in this world? How can I stand before Nozomu Bountis once more?
『Indeed. There is no doubting your aptitude. But
tragically, because of that very prominence, you will never be 'complete.' An unfinished masterpiece... 』
What comes to mind is
the one from 150 years ago. The only one who broke through my power with his
breath and claws and wounded me. The only one I know who rivals Nozomu Bountis.
『But, it is fortunate. It is better for you to remain
as you are. For the sake of your kind... 』
And that scatterbrain, who barged in just because
he was "curious," said he
"understood," and then
left, never to be seen again. I had no idea what he meant, but if I am
remembering it now, at this moment, perhaps it has some meaning.
(Ah, that's right...
It's not so bad, to struggle at the very end.)
I try to use all my
remaining power. But I cannot regenerate my body, let alone my soul. Only a
fragment of my soul remains. Without the essence,
regeneration is impossible. My overflowing magic is gone. My tough body is
gone. Is there nothing? Is there nothing left? Inside of me... In the few
seconds before my complete annihilation, I desperately search for what remains.
At that moment, I felt a faint presence. Something far away, yet near. A tiny
power, like a spring seeping from frozen rock. It was a dull, blood-red
crystal. My scattering consciousness is reaching its limit. I desperately... as
if clinging to it... reach out my hand, trying to touch that power. The moment
my fingertip touched it, light exploded, and countless, shimmering bubbles
appeared. Inside the bubbles, which float and pop, are scenes I have never
seen. A beast, running through a lush forest. A snake, enduring the scorching sand.
A swarm of insects, devouring a corpse. Water, seeping into the earth, sinking
deep. With every scene, my sense of time accelerates. In an instant, time
passes in a flash, and my fading soul rapidly returns. No... more than that...
my consciousness continues to expand. Like a bird flying in the sky, like an
insect burrowing in the earth, like a whale swimming in the raging sea. And
then, the final scene spread before my eyes. A sky, shrouded in gloomy
darkness. A dark hole is open in the sky, where one cannot tell if it is day or
night. A hole, rimmed in blood-red. The blood dripping from it stains the
ground, and stains my body red. Ah, I see... The one who was my "parent" intended this from the very
beginning... And, at last, I have become... my "true self," and my consciousness was colored in frozen, fresh
blood.
***
The place where the luxuriousugh
Francilt mansion had stood was, in a short time, reduced to rubble. The mansion
was completely destroyed, down to the last stone, and a giant crater was gouged
in the center of the grounds.
"Hah... hah...
hah..."
In the center of the
crater he had created, Nozomu was breathing raggedly. A full-power 『Annihilation Light Impact』. He was sure it had finished the job. It should have
annihilated her, body and soul. Shrouded in the swirling remnants of elemental essence and dust, Nozomu,
without even taking a moment to catch his breath, looked toward Irisdina and
the others. He saw they were safe, and finally let out a sigh of relief.
Good... I protected them... He turned, and started to walk toward them. After a
few steps, he felt a pull and looked back. In the center of the crater, there
was nothing but the gouged earth. She was dead. For sure. The fact that he had
killed weighed heavily on his shoulders. What washed over him was relief, and
guilt. Holding this indescribable feeling, he tried to walk toward the ones he'd
decided to protect. But at that moment, Crash...
Something crumbled at his feet. He looked down and saw something strange. A
distorted crystal, like many rhombuses stacked together. It was a blood-red
color, and it was sticking out of the broken ground. He stared at it, wondering
what it was. At that moment, a chill, like needles, ran down his spine.
(Good... We meet
again...)
He reflexively spun,
reaching for 『Mumei』 at his hip. But a hand shot out from the crystal,
swatting his katana, scabbard and all, away.
"Guh!?"
Then, a crystal spear
shot out, piercing his left shoulder. Next, the crystal began to pulse, like a
heartbeat, and began to absorb the surrounding elemental essence and magic power. Thump, thump. With each beat, the red crystal began to take a human
form. An alien existence with crimson skin and hair.
"Haaaah..."
The humanoid form,
shamelessly displaying its alluring limbs, let out a hot breath and turned its
gaze on Nozomu. It was, without a doubt, Vitora, whom he thought he'd annihilated.
But the very substance of her body had clearly changed. A power that was
neither ki nor magic. A fundamental existence, one he had been able to sense
acutely ever since his Blood Pact Ritual
with Shina.
"A
spirit..."
It was, without a
doubt, pure elemental essence. The
very power that spirits use.
"Ah, I've finally
returned. It was a long, long time..."
Vitora, who had
approached him soundlessly, suddenly embraced him.
"Wha-!?"
"Fufu, you
haven't changed. But that is to be expected. For you, it was but an
instant."
"Kuh!?"
"Ah..."
He reflexively slammed
Tiamat's elemental essence into her,
breaking her hold.
"What? We've only
just met again. You could at least let me hold you a little longer..."
Vitora, on the other
hand, pouted, looking clearly displeased. Her attitude was a complete reversal
from her previous high-handedness. Her child-like demeanor, as if her favorite
toy had been taken, almost made Nozomu slack-jawed, but he quickly firmed his
expression.
"Weren't you...
dead?"
He was sure he'd
finished her. Tiamat's elemental essence
had, without a doubt, erased her body and swallowed her soul.
"Ah, yes. I was,
indeed, killed by your power. I should have been absorbed by the Dragon Vein
and disappeared, but... as they say, 'faith
moves mountains.' My own Ability, at the very end, allowed me to
return."
"An Ability, you
said?"
"Origin Regression. My personal Ability.
What you all call..."
"An
Ability..."
"Yes, that. An
Ability to awaken one's own origin at the moment of death, and be revived.
However, now that it has been awakened, there is no second time. If I am killed
again, I will just die... But in exchange, I have gained this power."
Elemental
essence erupted from Vitora's body, dyeing the surroundings red. Not just the
ground and the rubble, but the very air.
"!"
At this sight, Nozomu
reflexively lunged at her. The converging red elemental essence blocked his punch. In sync, the speed at which
the red space was expanding slowed, just slightly.
"Your instincts
are as sharp as ever."
Tiamat's elemental essence annihilated Vitora's,
pushing her back. The rubble, which was crumbling into a thick, blood-like
sludge within the red space, confirmed his suspicion.
"You! You're
eroding and absorbing your surroundings with your elemental essence!"
"Yeah. It seems
this is my form as a spirit. You might call me... the Spirit of Fresh Blood."
As all things were
reduced to blood and flowed into her, blood-colored elemental essence erupted from her body. The space was dyed an even
deeper red, and even the falling snow turned crimson. Furthermore, the City Isolation Barrier that had been
deployed began to turn red and crumble.
"You...!"
Nozomu, throwing all
caution to the wind, spat out Tiamat's elemental
essence, blowing away her encroaching power, and leaped back, trying to
retrieve 『Mumei』. However, Vitora, ignoring her own burning flesh,
plunged into the raging elemental essence
and grabbed his hand again.
"Guh!? As
expected, your power is incredible. To think that even I, as I am now, cannot
resist it..."
As their elemental essence sparked, Vitora pulled
on Nozomu's arm while sweeping her opposite arm across. The blood-elemental essence extended from her arm,
forming a giant blade that closed in on him.
"Tch!?"
Against the
approaching blade, Nozomu instinctively twisted his body, and as he stepped
forward, he knocked up Vitora's inner elbow with his free hand, forcing her to
release his arm. Furthermore, as he slipped his body inside the range of the
sweeping blade and raised her upper body, he threw off the restraint, and once
again slammed the 『Annihilation Light
Impact』 into Vitora's
abdomen.
"Wha!?"
But, as his fist
pierced her, the five-colored elemental
essence, instead of burning her, fizzled out, like a candle.
"Even I cannot
absorb Tiamat's elemental essence. I
simply returned it to the Dragon Vein."
"To the Dragon
Vein...?"
"What is so
strange? I am a spirit now. Is it not obvious?"
"Then!"
He slammed Tiamat's elemental essence into his other hand,
releasing it into the ground. The point-blank 『Annihilation Light Impact』 blasted both of them apart.
"Guh!"
"Muh!? How
reckless. To set off Tiamat's elemental
essence at point-blank range."
Nozomu, bouncing off
the ground, stood and reached for 『Mumei』 again.
"I won't let
you."
However, the ground
suddenly rose, and a crimson wall blocked him. In that time, the crimson elemental essence wrapped around 『Mumei』 and pulled it into her hand.
"If you have this,
I don't know what you'll do. My apologies, but I cannot return it."
"Kuh!"
"Now, let us
fight again. This time, I will win!"
Vitora, with 『Mumei』 now pushed behind her, unleashed her power. A swarm of blood-icicles,
enough to blot out the sky, appeared. An onslaught, reminiscent of Tiamat's
spirit magic, was unleashed on the disarmed Nozomu.
***
Before Vitora, who had
awakened as the Spirit of Fresh Blood,
Irisdina and the others were speechless. A being who was already a natural
disaster had become a spirit, an even more powerful existence. It was so far
removed from reality that all they could do was stare, dumbfounded.
"Is that... her
true form?"
"Yes. That is correct."
"She was a
monster before, but this is... even worse."
Mars and Shina, the
only two who had managed to come to their senses, questioned Rugato, their
faces grim. The old gentleman, gazing at his awakened Mistress with deep
emotion, began to answer.
"The former
master... Vitora-sama's father... created a vampire of the purest form, in
order to protect his people. But the one he created, while perfect, was 'incomplete.'"
An unfinished
masterpiece. The previous head had tried to awaken it. But he was, in turn,
killed. What remained was a perfect, incomplete work, its creator gone.
"What was needed
was death, and a powerful 'desire' at
that final moment. That was what was required to awaken my Mistress's Ability.
However, I believed it would never come to pass. Until this very
moment..."
His eyes shining with
emotion and an unexpected joy, Rugato looked at the young Dragonslayer who had awakened his mistress.
"I thank you,
Nozomu-sama. Thanks to you, my Mistress has been able to become her true self."
"Guh..."
At that moment, a
sudden pain in her neck made Irisdina drop to her knees.
"Ane-sama!?"
"Hey, what's
wrong!?"
"This is..."
The bite mark on her
neck was burning hot, as if a brand had been pressed to it. The white-haired
girl's face tensed at the remnant of power, still sealed, yet raging within
her. A wet, sticky sound came from her hand. Blood was pouring from the wound.
Somia and Lisa tried to treat it, but the blood wouldn't stop.
"With the
Mistress's awakening, the power remaining inside Lady Irisdina must be
resonating."
"...You! Was your
plan to turn her into a spirit all along!?"
Mars, suspicious of Rugato's
emotional tone, questioned him again. But Rugato just shook his head, as if to
deny it.
"No. I was merely
acting for my Mistress, who had taken an interest in Lord Nozomu. I never
thought he could completely control Tiamat's power, let alone that he had the
strength to kill my Mistress, even once..."
His words held not
just joy, but pure, unadulterated astonishment. It seemed that even Rugato had
not expected Vitora to be defeated, and then re-awaken as the Spirit of Fresh Blood.
"Without a doubt,
Lord Nozomu is the greatest of all Dragonslayers
in history. At the same time, my Mistress has clearly obtained new emotions. In
whatever form, for my Mistress to have grown, and to feel such happiness... as
her attendant, I am overjoyed."
"For us humans,
it's just a massive pain in the ass."
Mars scowled at Rugato,
who was beaming with joy. Arcazam's administrative district was already in
ruins from the aftershocks. If not for the barrier, the entire city would be
flat. And now, even that barrier was being eroded by Vitora's blood-elemental essence.
"This is bad.
We're running out of options. We have to do something... Hey! Where do you
think you're going?"
In the midst of this,
Irisdina, her face pale, stood up, shaking off Somia and Lisa, and walked to
the edge of the barrier. Mars, worried by the grim resolve in her back, grabbed
her shoulder.
"Hah... hah...
Mars-kun, please let me go."
"I can't do that.
You're not planning something desperate, are you?"
"I... wonder. But
we're out of time. The barrier is at its limit, and Rugato-dono's magic won't
last much longer."
Mars glanced at Rugato,
who nodded in affirmation.
"Indeed. Perhaps
one or two minutes, at most..."
"If the barrier
breaks, we'll be swallowed by her elemental
essence. When that happens, we'll all die."
"Yes. No
exceptions. Including... myself."
Mars sighed as Rugato
stated, so nonchalantly, that he too would die.
"You're pretty
calm for someone who's about to die."
"I apologize that
my weakness has failed to protect you all. But, if my Mistress has been able to
grow, then I am content. Besides, I have lived long enough. Perhaps... a little
too long."
Rugato, with the
expression of a kind old man, stated he would die for his master. But Irisdina
retorted.
"Unfortunately, I
have no intention of dying. And I won't let anyone else die."
"But what will
you do? As you are, you cannot even enter the space filled with my Mistress's elemental essence."
Irisdina slowly raised
her arm. As she stared at it, a white chain appeared. It was the Soul-Sealing Chain Nozomu had placed on
her, to protect her from Vitora's magic.
"...I will undo
this."
She grabbed the chain
and began to pour strength into it.
"Ane-sama!?"
"Idiot! What are
you thinking!? You know that's your lifeline!"
Somia and the others
cried out in confusion.
"If what I
have... is not enough... then I have no choice but to reach out to a certain
source..."
"It's impossible.
Even if you become a vampire, you will be no match for my awakened
Mistress."
She was aiming for the
dramatic increase in power from vampirification. But Rugato denied her. From
what he'd seen, Irisdina couldn't withstand Vitora's magic. The chances of her
awakening as a vampire were less than one in ten thousand. And besides, the
current Vitora was an existence that could no longer be contained within the
framework of a "vampire." What could a newly awakened vampire do?
Still, Irisdina did not stop.
"It's not about
whether I can or not. It's about whether I do it. Besides... no matter what
happens... I want to be by his side..."
She was, she realized,
staring at Nozomu with an uncontrollable longing. Perhaps she was just
feverish. It was the feeling she'd finally acknowledged, after cutting him off
and pushing him away. And now, seeing that he had come for her anyway... her
heart could no longer be stopped.
"...Yes. Me
too."
Shina stepped forward,
as if in agreement. She, too, was a girl who had been saved by him, and had
fallen for him. And who had, for his sake, been willing to give up her dream.
And more than anything, she had borne his "Soul-Sealing Chains" longer than anyone. That was why she
understood that power better than anyone. Even better than Nozomu himself, who
had only just awoken to it.
"Shina-kun..."
"He... put those
chains on you to protect you. If so... they will surely answer your call."
With that, Shina
closed her eyes. And on her body, the same white chains appeared. The
blue-haired girl lovingly stroked them. And the chains, as if unraveling,
slipped off her.
"This is
Nozomu-kun's Ability. A new power, born from his wish to connect dreams. That's
why... it won't forcibly bind us anymore."
In a sense, this was
no longer the "Soul-Sealing Chains."
It was that which binds breaking dreams. It should be called... the "Dream-Binding Chain." Freed, Shina
released her magic, calling to the spirits. The spirits, who had been cowering,
now flocked to her, as if clinging to her.
"Don't be afraid.
It's okay."
A contract was formed
between Shina and the spirits. Bathed in their faint light, she held out her
hand to Irisdina.
"Give me your
hand."
Irisdina did. Shina
gently wrapped both her hands around it and touched their foreheads together.
They had connected their "links"
once before, to save the rampaging Nozomu. That link still remained. Using her
restored magic, Shina widened that link and, with the spirits' help, connected
with Irisdina on a deeper level.
"Think of him.
And of your wish. His power... will definitely answer you."
"Ah..."
The power of the
spirits, and Shina's feelings, filled her. Emboldened by the warmth, Irisdina
turned her consciousness inward. Perhaps due to the spirits, she could see what
they saw: the crumbling city, the fleeing people. She wished for the power to
carve a new future. Like him... she wanted to protect those precious to her,
and connect their dreams. Her world went dark. Before her was a crimson
crystal, and chains, wrapped around it. This was Vitora's power... and Nozomu's
chain. Irisdina gently touched the crystal. The chains unraveled and wrapped
around her. The silent crystal began to pulse, and the darkness turned red. It
was the sign that Vitora's power was beginning to invade her again. But this
time, Irisdina felt no pain. Only... a certain conviction and relief. She
closed her eyes, and looked at the chains protecting her.
(What do you want to
do?)
It felt as if the
"Dream-Binding Chain" was
asking her.
"I want to stand
by his side. And protect those precious to me. For that..."
I understand. As if saying this, the
chains unraveled into countless white rings and scattered into the red
darkness. Her vision went white. In that, the crimson crystal melted, blending
with the scenery. And then, her vision went black again.
"This is..."
What she saw was the
dawn sun. And the moon, shining even in the morning light. It was the brief
moment as night turned to day. But, strangely, she felt nothing. No wind, no
heat. It was quiet, as if time had stopped.
"I see. Is that
what will happen...? I don't care. I've already decided not to hesitate."
Convinced of what was
to come, Irisdina answered with resolve. She would walk this path. The next
moment, the dawn moon shone, and a dazzling moonlight enveloped her.
***
Faced with the
onslaught of the awakened Vitora, the disarmed Nozomu was quickly being
cornered.
"Guh!?"
"Fufufufu!"
Vitora, growing blades
of blood from her arms, twisted and unleashed a diagonal slash. The blade
extended, many times her own height, and tore through the air. Nozomu tried to
dodge and close the distance, but he was blocked by a swarm of ice pillars.
And, in the instant he was stopped, Vitora slammed him with a crimson torrent,
reminiscent of her "Thin Robe."
"This
damn-!"
He used 『Annihilation Light Impact』 to blow away the storm, but it wasn't enough. He was
being completely overwhelmed.
"Nozomu, get down!"
"Wha!?"
A voice called out. He
instinctively dropped, and a silver wind passed over his head. A girl, holding
a silver rapier, exposed herself to the lethal blood-blade. Nozomu's eyes
caught her. Long, silver hair. And a dignified, captivatingly beautiful face.
Above all, her eyes, though dyed blood-red, held a strong will. He knew, in an
instant, who she was.
"Iris...? No,
don't!"
Vitora's blade closed
in. It was a blow that could cut a human apart more easily than paper. But
Irisdina drew her rapier. The mithril blade, shining silver like her hair,
swung to meet it. Compared to Vitora's, it was a flimsy toothpick. But the
moment the silver blade touched the raging blood, Vitora's attack... dissipated
like mist.
""What!?""
Ignoring the stunned
Nozomu and Vitora, Irisdina lunged. An enormous magic power, black and silver,
erupted from her, an amount incomparable to before. She activated her Ability,
"Instant Deployment,"
casting enhancement magic, and thrust at Vitora.
"Kuh!?"
Vitora reflexively
twisted, but the rapier grazed her shoulder. The vampire princess, wincing,
leaped back. It was an abnormal sight, considering her power.
"What? This
is..."
Vitora clutched her
shoulder, muttering in a daze. Looking closely, blood was still flowing from
the wound. The wound that, even against Nozomu's blade, should have healed
instantly...
"My body... it's
not regenerating?"
For the first time,
terror appeared on Vitora's face.
"You... what did
you do? No... what did you become!?"
"Who knows... I don't
know, either. I just know... that he granted my wish."
Her silver hair, now
filled with magic, fluttered. Irisdina glanced at Nozomu and smiled. "Fufu."
"...What did you
say?"
Vitora shot Nozomu a
questioning look, but he was also staring, wide-eyed, in bewilderment. He had
no idea what was going on, either.
"You..."
"Hah!"
Vitora unleashed a
giant mass of crimson elemental essence.
Countless magic bullets shot out, piercing it. The crimson elemental essence was torn apart. Vitora's power, which should have
eroded all existence, was being dissipated by mere magic bullets.
"Mmph. The
difference in firepower... It's still not enough..."
"This magic, so
similar to my own... You... did you take my magic and become a vampire!?"
"A vampire? How
rude. I am still, very much, human. ...Probably."
Irisdina grinned,
pulling up her lip with a finger. Her white teeth were, without a doubt, human.
She lacked the sharp fangs.
"...Then, what in
the world have you become?"
"I don't really
know. I just know that, for some reason, my power is extremely effective
against you."
Her words were filled
with conviction. Elemental essence
and magic. And more than that, there should have been an overwhelming difference
in the total power of Vitora, a spirit, and Irisdina. And yet, her magic was
unilaterally destroying Vitora's elemental
essence. Like the morning sun, cutting away the night's darkness.
"With this... I
can finally fight by your side. Let's go, Nozomu. To seize our future... with
our own hands."
Her declaration was
filled with exultation and confidence. With the poise of a silver dawn moon,
Irisdina swung her rapier, which now glowed with a black and silver light. The Night-Dispeller (Dhampir). Awakened
by the bond she had formed, she now stood with the one who had slain a dragon,
to seize their future. The long dawn was almost here.
***
I finally managed to
write this far. Vitora is strengthened, but, as if spurred on by that, Irisdina
also awakens. Next time, this long battle will probably come to an end.
Origin
Regression
Vitora's Ability. It
uses the 'desire' at the moment of death as kindling to awaken her origin and
revive. It's an Ability that can only be activated once in a lifetime. With it,
she became a 'throwback,' the Spirit of
Fresh Blood.
Spirit of
Fresh Blood
The existence Vitora
became after her 'spirit-ization.'
She is a 'heretic spirit,' different
from the six major attributes, and retains strong vampiric characteristics. She
can dye the surrounding elemental essence
with her own 'color,' connect to the Dragon Veins, and possesses power on par
with the highest-ranking spirits.
Night-Dispeller
Also known as a
Dhampir. A new race, born from Irisdina Francilt's transformation, using
Vitora's magic and Nozomu's awakened Ability. The details are unknown, but she
is already showing fragments of her overwhelming superiority, such as being
able to unilaterally destroy the power of Vitora, the ultimate form of a vampire.
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