The Undead King of the Palace of Darkness (WN)

A swell mansion indeed, thought the Keeper, unfazed.

Quite spacious, well furnished, with plenty of space to hide and more than anything, there were no other houses in the vicinity.

The secret to hunting vampires lies in rendering them unable to make a move. Careful planning is critical to kill vampires that are superior to humans in every possible way. The disparity in strengths is that extreme. No matter how much a normal person trains their body or masters all kinds of combat techniques, they still cannot hold a candle to that monster.

The only ones capable of holding their own against those loathsome monsters are the Death Knights with their blessing or the ones who carry a similar curse as them.

If the first ever necromancer had succeeded in dispelling all the weaknesses of the undead, then humans might have been reduced to no more than creatures that lived in obscurity and fear forever. Or the position of humans and vampires… might have been reversed.

Fortunately, the undead possess a lot of weaknesses at present. Human history is their long battle against the undead.

The crucifix sword has been made precisely to reflect an actual crucifix that the undead are fearful of. A bomb filled with garlic and powdered silver and a wooden stake made easy to wield. A robe made with holy water and silver that almost serves as a blessed armor.

The tools that are a product of vigorous research and immense progress are capable of exterminating weak undead like vermin.

The undead are meant to be annihilated. There are… no exceptions to this rule.

They can communicate and master tools created by man. Once you pity them, you will be taken advantage of. In particular, vampires possess the ability that the weakest undead, i.e, zombies possess, called “infect” and are capable of using it at their own will. Hence, vampires can multiply much faster than humans.

The target this time is a troublesome one.

The vampire not only has a special trait setting it apart from the rest of its own class, but it also has a former Death Knight as guard. So it was no wonder that Epée the Destroyer had requested the Keeper to take on the job.

Among the vampire hunters, the Keeper and Albertus are specialists in tracking down vampires. Since one of the targets is a Death Knight and is aware of the tricks employed by the Death Knights to pursue vampires, ordinary methods cannot be used to catch up to them.

The opponent has let their guard down upon getting their hands on the night crystal. Tonight we will settle the score.

It is a full moon tonight. The day in which the vampires are at their strongest. However, that is precisely the reason they would have their guard down. There is not much a lesser vampire can do against the Keeper upon gaining a bit more power.

It was luck that enabled them to predict the next move of the target. The fact that the vampire possessed memories from its previous life was also a complication.

Sadly, that repulsive monster still considers itself human. What a tragedy!

The father, who was Lord of the Land, readily yielded to their threats.

The carefully prepared mansion looked no different outwardly, but it had been converted into an anti-vampire stronghold. Well, perhaps… it should be called an execution site instead.

Vampires possess many weaknesses that are fatal to them. Even if they are a little smart, they are done for once caught in a trap. Once an opening is discovered, they can be barraged with attacks until they die.

Any kind of means can be employed to kill a vampire. That is the duty of a vampire hunter.

It escaped once. The circumstances worked to their disadvantage before. But that will not happen again. The opponents are not the only ones who learnt their lesson from the first encounter.

They hid inside the mansion and awaited the prey to fall into the trap. If the Lord had followed their instructions, they should make an appearance anytime now.

And thus, that time arrived.

The key turned in the lock, followed by the door opening quietly. A light pair of footsteps walked straight towards them. Not in the least nervous, they stood as unmoving as a shadow.

The vampire would be welcome inside with open arms. It needed to be completely trapped in the room.

A vampire would find itself considerably weaker once inside the room. Since vampires only sleep at places untouched by sunlight, it should make its way into this room.

Never in their wildest dreams would they have imagined that the vampire hunters would be lying in wait for them. If they are already aware of it, there would be no reason to go out of their way to set foot in here.

A special herb had been used to conceal their body odor. The opponent is completely off guard. They need not worry about being discovered before the target enters the room.

His lips twisted into a huge grin as he awaited his hunt. And thus, the door to the room in which the Keeper was lying in wait, opened wide.

The one that came into sight was someone that the Keeper had been expecting.

However, they were missing their companion.

The precious student of Destroyer with silver hair and purple eyes stepped into the room without hesitation and looked in the direction of the Keeper, unlikely to be seen as he stood hidden in the shadows.

“It’s pointless to wait. End… won’t be coming.”

They were exposed. It was not a trick.

Looks like the circumstances are widely different from expectations. The Keeper emerged from the shadows and scowled at the ignorant princess.

☠ ☠ ☠

Senri Silvis did not know much about the vampire hunters. However, she did know that they were formidable.

In the past when the Death Knights were still few in number and there were still no proper means to make use of the power of blessing, they and the vampire hunters had cooperated with each other. By the time Senri had become a Death Knight, the Order had been widely known for hunting down vampires, so she has never come across or joined forces with any vampire hunters. However, upon witnessing their methods in person, she had realized they were just as powerful as the Death Knights in a different way.

In the presence of a second-class Death Knight, the man who introduced himself as Keeper, did not in the least look fazed.

“Did you come to surrender? Or is it a negotiation you’re after? Well, it doesn’t matter. You’re our objective anyway. Should you follow us willingly, we will let that vampire be.”

“!… Don’t… take me for a fool.”

Her brows furrowed, she glared at the strange man.

Even Senri could tell that it was a lie. The man was not that naive. Moreover, Senri was not innocent enough to believe someone who had already once lied.

The Keeper sighed and surveyed the room. The wall clock showed that the time of the hour was midnight. There were still a few hours before dawn.

“So you being here means, the Baron betrayed us… what an exasperating man. Even if it were his son, the fact that he would try to protect an undead… is a heavy sin. Does he not treasure his house?”

“I haven’t the slightest what you’re on about.”

There were several things she wanted to say in response, but Senri did not rise to the bait and feigned ignorance.

Ludo Formet had taken her aside and told her about the Keeper. After which, he had entrusted End to her.

Senri did not know how important the survival of the family name was to a noble. But, she had certainly witnessed the bond between parent and child.

She had considered running away, but found herself unable to make that choice.

This man’s tracking was simply too fast and accurate. If left unchecked, they would pose a bigger risk if they were to team up with the Death Knights or other vampire hunters.

“Legend has it that corpses of nobles make powerful undead. Though a cock-and-bull story it may be, it’s the reason why it’s been made mandatory to cremate nobles in a majority of countries. Kekeke, if it were to be known that a corpse had disappeared… it would be the end of the house of Formet. I did warn him… looks like I have no other choice.”

“…”

After saying his piece, the Keeper suddenly looked puzzled. He spoke to Senri in a tone that appeared to be one of censure.

“I said this last time we met, but I still don’t get it. Why would you take that vampire’s side? You can’t tell me it’s all out of the goodness of your heart. It makes zero sense to me.”

“…”

“Giving him your blood should have fulfilled any sense of obligation left in you. Don’t tell me you mean to watch over him forever? That boy has no concept of time. As a Death Knight whose duty is to hunt down the undead, are you really going to stand there and point your sword at me and not the vampire?”

For goodness sake, what an obnoxious man.

Perhaps, using words to rattle someone is one of his tactics as well. His words prodded at Senri’s concerns.

It was true that End is dangerous. He still remains sane, but it cannot be known how long that would continue and also when he would become stronger than Senri. There is also the difference in their lifespans. Not to mention the possibility that he might drink someone’s blood unbeknownst to her.

However, End, as she had seen him until now, had touched her heart.

He is extremely timid, resists his own instincts and has been trifled with by his hapless fate.

She had wanted to stay close to him and support him. And that was reason enough to wield her sword.

She withdrew her sword from its sheath. The proof of her being a Death Knight. The silver sword glowed cold.

This… is a display of my will.

“Do you think… I would never kill a person?”

The enemies of the Death Knights are the undead. However, there are undead capable of controlling humans and also knights who join them of their own volition.

There is a history of dispute between the Death Knights and Vampire Hunters. They are well versed at fighting humans as they are with undead.

The Keeper frowned at Senri, who glared at him, sword at hand.

“No, you can’t. Not me at the very least. Because… pitiful… vampire bride…”

“Unlike you… we didn’t come alone.”

“!!”

She used her sword to fend off the blow from the dark figure that suddenly attacked from behind.

She retreated as she countered the attack but as it was simply too strong, her sword shook and her arm grew numb.

It was the girl in a black dress, who had attacked.

She looked a lot younger than Senri and it was unbelievable that her small arm had delivered such a strong blow. It was not the physical strength of a human.

In the dark of the room, fiery gold eyes shone brightly. Albertus. The girl who had defeated Senri once, smiled like a monster in the darkness.

She held in both her hands weapons shaped like claws.

What a strange weapon. Although they hunt vampires, the weapon did not seem to be made of silver but some other stronger metal, as she had no trouble stopping Senri’s blows last time.

She was of a smaller stature than Senri, but her every single move was incredibly swift and nimble and she may be better than Senri at pure martial arts.

Her strength was clearly inhuman. If she were human, that kind of strength cannot be exerted unless the body has been enhanced through blessing, but that did not seem to be the case and there were no signs of her using magic either.

All that left was one conclusion.

A cursed one. In return for a curse similar to that of a vampire’s, she had received strength.

Just as how the vampires possess several weaknesses, the curse was supposed to be accompanied by its compensation, but Senri was not able to pinpoint it in their first encounter. After all, there are several cases in which the compensation was not paid right away.

My path of retreat has been blocked off. The reason she was not in the room, was to trap me in?

“Did you forget the hole I made in that stomach of yours, Death Knight?”

“Those aren’t the moves of someone with a hole in their body… Alba, it’s not as you told me.”

“All I need to do… is tear her a new one.”

Albertus crouched down and her abundant hair quivered.

The Keeper unsheathed his crucifix sword. Although the sword would have no effect on Senri, his posture spoke of his mastery over it.

“I thought the two of you would come together. But I guess one at a time is more convenient. Princess, it looks like you don’t completely trust that vampire yet. After taking you in, I shall catch that boy as well. Try to not get caught… kekeke, I’m sure the experience will be eye-opening,”

“… Keeper, you’re mistaken about something.”

The Keeper grew silent. Albertus looked at Senri through gleaming, fiery eyes.

She felt charged. The chilly atmosphere caressed her cheeks.

She collected the power of blessing that circulated in her body. Her body grew hot and she could feel the power surge through her body.

And then, she unleashed it all at once. The power transformed into light and then into a strong wind that swirled around her.

If the vampire hunters use any means or tools to strike at weaknesses and lay traps, the methods of the Death Knights make use of their abundant pure energy… their blessing to fight.

One of the conditions for a third-class knight to become a second-class knight is to master 36 basic skills that make use of one’s limited amount of blessing.

Strength enhancement skill, “Direct Light”.

She suppressed the strange sense of satisfaction that arose from the power spreading up to her head, cloaked herself in light and stood her ground.

“I didn’t… exert all my strength last time. It’s not that hard… to take on both of you. It’s not… that I don’t trust End, it’s just that I can’t fight at my best with him at my side.”

☠ ☠ ☠

“You, are you even trying?! To think… that you’d be done in that lass. Ahh, how pathetic as the vessel of the King of the undead.”

“Sh..ut…up…”

“Ahh, if this is what you’d be reduced to, I would have taught you to be more careful around women. Ahh, what an utter shame. You fool.”

I cannot refute that. However, it was Senri’s fault. It was all her fault.

My whole body felt numb and I could not move. Putting aside the pain, it was my first time experiencing paralysis strong enough to render me immobile.

I was laying on the bed, face up and spoke my objections to the Lord, with a barely moving tongue.

The Lord’s illusion was not as composed as it always had been before. His hand on his forehead, he looked as if he was flabbergasted at his son’s stupidity, as he shook his head in disapproval.

Wait a minute, why did you even appear? Am I, perhaps… dying?

Poison does not work on an undead like me, nor do anesthetics or sleeping drugs.

However, here I am, having to put my all into moving a single finger and the Lord’s illusion that always appeared when I was on the brink of death had popped up. Oddly enough, I was still conscious. I did not feel any strength leave my body either.

“That lass, is rather strong. Only your spine has been accurately paralyzed. She went and used a minor skill that is seldom used. But, it certainly… is your fault for falling for such a weak skill. I dare say there is no other undead in the world that has ever fallen for such a thing.”

“…”

“You were too carefree. Where would you ever find a vampire who would allow himself to get bitten? You fool. You better reflect on your mistake!”

Who in hell discovered this horrible technique!

I mean, it could not be helped. I will admit that I was on cloud nine with a lot of things proceeding smoothly.

However, I trusted Senri. Anybody would accept an invitation to feed from her neck, and while embracing each other, she whispered into my ear, “Before that, can I bite you too?”, so of course I would ask her to go ahead.

Who would have thought she would do something so awful… she betrayed me. She did not give me any blood either. I hate the Death Knights.