No. No. No. This cannot be happening.
I cannot get my body to move. The holy power from the silver arrow was eating away at my left leg. Even if I managed to get to my feet, I would not be able to run.
In the dark, enveloped by holy power, the Death Knights quietly closed in on me.
There were four of them. And they were all third-class knights. The Lord had said that they would pose no threat to a vampire. And including Senri, the Lord had held out against five of them for a few hours. That alone should be enough to prove how much of a monster he was.
My heart that had finally started to beat, was ringing like the bells. I heard a voice glide towards me.
“Geez… I was really surprised. When that stubborn Senri left for the woods after insisting that she retrieve the corpse, only to return empty-handed.”
“Senri is really strong, but at the same time a little too naive. She may seem cool-headed at a glance, but she’s honest and wears her heart upon her sleeve. Hence she commits ‘mistakes’ of this sort at times. And we take care of that.”
I let out a soft scream and quietly dragged myself intending to put some distance. I need to buy time. I need to act like a weakling.
There are no chances… of winning. But I shall not give up. The entirely hopeless situation clears my head a little.
I was almost there. If only… if only I could replenish my power—-.I opened my eyes wide, made my body tremble a little as I looked up at them. Up close, the third-class knights looked very much like grim reapers.
Senri was nowhere to be found. Genuine third-class knights who were not as strong as Senri but without her faults. They were more than enough to kill me.
Truly overwhelming and thorough. There is not much I can do as I cannot tell for sure if I would be able to defeat one of them even if I were in perfect condition.
Another silver arrow pierced my right leg. I did see it coming but given my present state, where I can barely move my body, there was no way I could evade it.
Well, one good leg would not really help get myself out of this predicament. It is alright. I do not need my legs. I need to get them to lower their guard.
It felt like my legs were on fire that I screamed out loud. The kind of scream that would evoke sympathy in someone.
However, the blonde female knight who had pierced me with arrows, unlike Senri, had terrifying cold eyes that looked in the least shaken.
Every single thing… has been completely unexpected. I wonder if I am perhaps cursed?
Senri’s appearance was unexpected. It was completely unexpected that the Lord who was supposed to have fallen, made a reappearance and tried to take over my body.
And finally, the Death Knights reaching here when it is still dark is, rather than unexpected, exceptionally fast of them.
I had expected that they would find out about my lies to Senri. However, I had anticipated them to make their move at daybreak at the earliest.
The night is the hour of the undead. That is the reason the Death Knights chose to attack the Lord during the day. So I was convinced that they would choose to come during the day this time as well.
I was too naive. I should not have wasted time, collapsed on the ground. I should have crawled or even disposed of all my belongings to get out of this place.
The four of them were still exhausted. Their clothes in tatters, the holy power enveloping them was not at its best either. Although not as powerful as Senri, they had more than enough power to put an end to me.
Resistance… is futile. The moment I try to attack them, they are certain to completely destroy me.
The body that had finally become mine and the freedom that I had finally attained, are all… meaningless.
Think. You need to think. Think about your best course of action.
The Death Knights spread out and surrounded me, as I lay face down on the ground. They were all alert. However, they did not view me as a powerful opponent. If they had, they would not have allowed me the time to grovel this way but instead killed me with an onslaught of attacks.
I cannot give them more reason to attack. I will drag things out even a second longer. Even if it is futile to do so, it is the best possible option for me.
The wound in my leg is slowly spreading out.
I would have been better off staying a ‘ghoul’. The body that was strengthened by evolution is working against me now instead.
I put on an obsequious expression and looked up at the male Death Knight who had me cornered.
He was the one who had held suspicions that I was an undead, when we had met at Engey before. Senri had called him… Neville, if I recall correctly.
I desperately appealed to him.
“Haa, haa, I… I have retained my memories from my previous life.”
“Ahh, looks like it. I heard from Senri. Does sound unbelievable, but I heard you were making a grave. It would be one thing if you had robbed a grave, but I’ve never heard of a monster that makes a grave.”
“I- I have never attacked humans either. And I don’t plan to!”
“Hah… so what?”
No weaknesses. The man in front of me is a perfect Death Knight. Cool-headed and the strongest, the very image of Death Knights I had in mind.
He did not in the least waver. Instead I felt bloodlust directed at me.
He is angry. I have no idea what I did, but I have provoked him somehow.
As far as they are concerned, a monster that does not attack humans is still a monster. And that makes sense as protectors of this world.
“Senri let me—”
“How dare you monster say her name!!!”
“…?!”
He looked absolutely livid. He glared at me, lips quivering. The hand that gripped the mace had turned pale.
The man near me, who had me cornered with the sword, the woman with the bow, and another man with a staff, everyone looked at me with anger.
The atmosphere looked very likely to blow up at the slightest impetus.
“D-did… she… sell me out…?”
“We wouldn’t have to go through this if she could do that. She was protecting you till the very end. But our Master isn’t naive.”
Thank goodness. Those words gave me some relief.
I had believed in her merciful nature. It is true that I had exploited it, but still, I had believed in her. Even if that belief may not have helped any, it would certainly feel awful to be betrayed by someone you trusted.
I cannot think of anything that would get me out of this pinch. I have no weapons either.
Neville’s face that had closed in on mine, softened for a moment. And his empty left hand was outstretched, as if he was trying to help me up.
“I sympathize with your circumstances. To suddenly one day wake up a monster must have been too much of a nightmare. Am I right?”
The hand that he held out was clad in holy power. It looked so powerful that the moment I touched it, I could get purified in an instant.
He had done it on purpose. Looking at me hesitating to take the hand, Neville sneered fiercely, and forcibly grabbed my left hand, hoisting me up.
“However, you bastard took advantage of Senri’s weakness to deceiver her. This is going to leave a scar in her heart forever. I’m not a big fan of that spoiled first-class knight, but even so, I am her senior.”
White smoke arose from my left hand. The intense pain made my body convulse and the spasms shook me hard. My backbone started creaking audibly.
A monstrous shriek that I would never have considered mine, filled the woods. Holy power can be used as a protective shield as well. And that can deal direct damage to the undead.
My free right arm trembled. Neville was very close, close enough that I could reach him if I were to extend my arm, but my arm would not move. Almost as if my strength was leaving my body from where I was held.
Well, to be more precise, there was nothing leaving my body. But it was getting filled. The abyss that is my life essence which would be abnormal in living things, was being filled with positive energy, and in conformance with the rules of the world, it was heading towards zero.
“This will leave a deep scar in her. She might be used to tragedies but that doesn’t mean she’s fine with them. Senri will be reminded of you at every turn hereafter. And that might become a big chink in her armor someday. To hurt someone greatly protected by holy power, you are one terrible monster!”
“… Just… let me… live. I don’t… wish for anything else!”
That is what I truly felt. I only just wish to survive.
I do not intend to bother any humans. I do not hold a grudge against them either.
Nevertheless… everyone wants to kill me. My vision was growing dimmer. I looked up at Neville with a desperate look on my face, to which he declared,
“Who would let a monster live?! You may seem harmless now, but you will kill humans someday.”
“Besides we are here on our Master’s orders. Tell me something. How did you know that Senri wasn’t here?”
Asked the female knight as I lay on the brink of death. With a silver arrow pointed at me, she inquired the reason to kill me, almost as if to torment me.
“Do you know how our Master replied to Senri’s plea? He smiled and said, ‘Alright, we’ll let him go’. Because Senri is too stubborn and we would never make any progress in an argument with her. But, Senri could tell that it was a lie. At the very least, she was worried it wouldn’t be true. You see, our Master is standing guard at the inn so that she doesn’t try to leave.”
“Not that it matters. Our Master sent us to find you. And kill you for sure. Well, although we never thought we’d be sent over even before daybreak… but, oh well, this will be a good experience for Senri. She needs to go through ordeals of this sort to become a first-class knight.”
The woman with the bow, the man with the sword, both of them were my enemies with not a bit of weakness to exploit. And I am sure the same goes for the inconspicuous man in the back with the staff.
Just what do they consider… my life to be?
How to make it out here alive?
Senri will come to save me? That is out of the question. Even if she were to arrive, it would be after I had been killed.
And if she were to make an appearance right now, Neville would kill me before she gets in the way.
He showed that kind of resolve, the resolve that he would not mind even if Senri hated him for it.
I did not feel any hunger but my throat felt awfully dry.
A while ago, the man with the sword referred to me as a ‘Lesser Vampire’. If that is true, then what I need right now is… blood.
Far. Simply too far. Even if I stretched my neck, I still would not be able to reach Neville, who was the closest to me. And I am not sure my fangs would be able to pierce through his skin, since he is clad in holy power.
The swordsman carefully approached me and stripped me of my sunshade cloak. Upon finding the shadow amulet I had underneath, he snapped off the chain and clicked his tongue.
“So, this… is the reason we weren’t able to sense any negative energy from you.”
“Horus Carmon’s precious item huh… dammit. If not for this, we wouldn’t have let you pass by when we met in town…”
If not for that, the Lord would not have allowed me to go into town in the first place.
I had already lost my bag somewhere during the struggle with the Lord. After examining the things I had on me, Neville roughly flung me to the ground.
Would they perhaps allow me to live? The impossible hope that had sprouted in me for a moment was crushed to bits by the Death Knight’s words.
“Now, all that’s left is one thing. And that is to kill you…”
Whispered Neville to me, as I lay pitifully curled up on the ground, cradling my hurting self.
The mace was aimed at me. A pair of silver eyes looked down upon me. Neville got close to my face and uttered.
“Apologize. I’ll give you a peaceful death.”
So, this is… a Death Knight. A Grim Reaper. They felt more real and severe than the ones that appeared in stories.
They are my enemy. They are an enemy to anyone who is an enemy of mankind. And I am an enemy of mankind.
I am sure they have families of their own. And people they hold dear to their heart.
And no doubt those people would view them as kind and reliable.
—Even so, I do not wish… to die.
“I-I don’t want… to die, that’s all! I just don’t… wish to die!!!”
I wailed into the darkness. Even if such an act were to bring about a fresh new round of torture, it was a cry from my soul.
Neville and the others did not look furious. They just simply looked at me, curled up like a caterpillar, as if I was something beyond hope.
“… Tch. Are you insane? Too pitiful… Hard to think you’re that Horus Carmon’s underling when you’re not trying to defend yourself even when it’s come to this. Can’t really fault Senri for finding you pitiful and letting you go. She has a soft spot for weaklings.”
“Neville. Be sure to finish him off. Those were the Master’s orders.”
“Goes without saying. I’m not like her!!”
I am going to die. Get killed. There is no one to help me.
So I was killed by a strange disease in my previous life, and when I thought I had finally gained a strong body, I am going to be killed by the Death Knights? Surrounded, unable to defend myself, stamped on by overwhelming power.
Tears rolled down my eyes. Tears of blood. My vision blurring, I looked up at my enemies desperately. My body would not move. And the pain had robbed me of reason.
A weakness. There has to be one. Probe to find one even if you are not sure of its existence. Never stop struggling till the very end. If you die… come back as a ghost.
“What’s with those eyes?!! What’s with that look in your eyes even in this situation?! Fuck!!!
Neville kicked me hard. With every kick, positive energy along with the impact poured into my body.
I was not screaming anymore. I could feel the positive energy pushing my existence towards zero.
Even in these circumstances, Neville’s kicks were not aimless. He seemed used to them.
I lay like a corpse, bones broken, muscles crushed; Neville lifted me up by the hair and forcefully raised my head. A very cruel pair of eyes peered into mine.
“… Fine. As one last act of mercy… I shall allow you a moment to repent.”
“… Neville?! You don’t mean…”
“ To be purified by the Death Knights is… salvation. I shall tell you all about it. What did you say your name was? Well, never mind. Do you know what the most painful death to an undead is?”
My body had no more strength left to even tremble. All I heard was Neville’s ill-boding voice in my head.
Suddenly, I felt a dull shock to my left shoulder. Before I realized it, Neville had thrust into the ground the sword he had held, reached out and raised something into the air.
It… was my left arm. He gripped it tightly and it was purged in an instant. My left arm turned to dust and disappeared.
… Fine. I will let you have that arm. The left arm that I could not even move that well anymore—.
“Sunlight. Weaken the undead to the point that their regenerative powers won’t help and slowly fill up their abyss with positive energy from the sunlight. It has them suffer continuously from unbearable pain. No matter how evil an undead, it would soon start grumbling. We call it the ‘Punishment under the Sun’. Due to its inhuman nature, we only ever use it to set an example though.”
Sunlight. Even with tolerance of sunlight as a ghoul, being exposed to sunlight for too long still felt like pinpricks on the skin.
I wonder how much more damaging it would be to me now.
With a fleeting consciousness, I croaked.
“Aah… how… dreadful!”
“I shall give you time to repent. To regret. Consider it punishment for deceiving Senri and for wanting to live even after death!”
It was anger. He felt angry towards me and he was trying to vent his anger on me. He was trying to punish me more than necessary.
No matter what he uttered, the act felt emotional and more like a personal grudge. And it was the first thing I saw in Neville that I felt was unbecoming of a Death Knight.
But, that is alright. That is just fine. I breathed faintly through my mouth.
I would gladly welcome a slow death.
I can bear with any amount of pain and disgrace. If I can live even a moment longer, if I can acquire a chance to make a getaway, the pain is nothing.
Neville squinted at me, who lay defenseless, as I was desperately holding on to my sanity.
“Don’t tell me, you still think you can survive? Dream on. I shall give you some time but you will not be left alone.”
Neville picked up my dismembered left hand and easily reduced it to dust as I looked on in a daze.
“The only thing we’ll leave behind… is your head. That should be enough to repent, right? Oh, right. We’ll leave your head, near the grave that you supposedly made.”
☠ ☠ ☠
My body would not move. Well naturally, as I had nothing below my head now.
The Death Knights, particularly Neville, mercilessly took me apart. Deliberately without using the silver sword, he ripped off my arms, my legs and mangled up my body and purified it all except for my head.
I have no idea why I am still alive. I have no power. I cannot regenerate either.
Intense pain and numbing coldness that I felt at the back of my head, indicated that I was heading towards death.
The woods at night are certainly peaceful. The Death Knights were long gone.
Maybe this solitude is also part of the punishment. All I could see from where was placed on Roux’s grave, were the ruins of the Lord’s mansion.
There is nothing that can be done. I cannot fight nor run away. All I was left with was pain and despair. Very much the same as it was at the end of my previous life.
Ahh, what a dreadful thought!
As I was desperately trying to stay conscious, I suddenly heard a wispy voice.
“How pitiful… End.”