「Hurry up and kill them!」(Sercrent)

『Yeah, we’ll do that.』(Borkus)

「?!」(Sercrent)

As Sercrent turned to look in the direction that this unfamiliar male voice had come from, he heard a slashing sound.

And then in the corner of his vision, he saw his own arm that was still holding his sword and his leg that had been severed above the knee flying away.
「Guh… GAAAAAAH! Y-you bastard!」(Sercrent)

The bald Titan who possessed only half a face with finely-chiseled features responsible for the【Sky Rend】attack laughed and said,『Don’t scream so loudly.』

『Oops, my bad. Are we taking them alive?』(Borkus)

「Change of plans, Borkus. Please kill everyone except for this person. But I would be happy if you let me kill that one.」(Vandalieu)

『Yeah, roger that. Just when did you manage to charm such a pretty lady?』(Borkus)

「No, no, I’m the one who has been charmed.」(Vandalieu)

『Are you serious? At this rate, things will start to look bad if we don’t find Zandia-jouchan soon.』(Borkus)

Seeing an Undead with extraordinary bloodthirst emanating from his entire body, Eleanora whispered in wonder.

「Th-the【Sword King】Borkus. It can’t be, you tamed him?」(Eleanora)

The Titan hero who was said to have cut off the head of a Dragon in a single attack, defeated in the war two hundred years ago. And even now, he had simultaneously severed the arm and leg of Sercrent, a Noble-born Vampire.

It was impossible that such a powerful Undead could be tamed. The difficulty of taming a monster is proportional to the monster’s Rank and intelligence. Borkus possessed strength exceeding that of lesser Dragons, and was intelligent enough to hold conversations. Even with the goddess’s divine protection, the difficulty of taming such a being should be beyond comprehension.

However, there were many Vampires who, unlike Eleanora, didn’t have the time to notice and be surprised by such facts.

「Sercrent-sama!」(Vampire)

「You bastards, keep the Undead busy! I will kill the Dhampir in the meantime!」(Sercrent)

『As you will!』(Vampires)

The ten or so remaining Subordinate Vampires faced Borkus while Sercrent turned to Vandalieu, who had slipped away from Eleanora’s arms, and began reciting an incantation.

Though Subordinate Vampires were lesser beings among Vampires, their power posed a threat to humans. Even though they didn’t possess magical abilities like Noble-born Vampires, they possessed immense physical strength, sharp reflexes, claws that could tear through iron and tremendous Vitality and regenerative abilities that prevented them from dying as long as they weren’t decapitated or had their hearts destroyed.

And they also possessed the human-like trait of receiving bonuses to their skills from Jobs. Facing ten such Vampires was utter madness.

「GYAAAAAH!」(Vampire)

「A-a Dragon from the wall?! GAHAH!」(Vampire)

「S-Sercrent-sama! Please save – GUHEH!」(Vampire)

But such Vampires were trampled down without being able to resist in the slightest.

『GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.』

『GYAOOOOOOOOOOOH!』

The one responsible for this wasn’t Borkus, but the Undead dinosaurs that had been created from the dinosaur corpses Vandalieu had received on his third birthday.

There was a large banquet hall on the unoccupied floor beneath the cabinet minister’s office. Vandalieu had already turned its walls into Golems.

That was why they had changed shape to form a corridor through which the Undead dinosaurs had charged in from the dining hall.

Apart from those who had been taken by surprise, the Subordinate Vampires attempted to deal with them, but Vandalieu had also turned the floor that they were standing on into a Golem.

As their legs were caught by the arms that had sprouted from the ground and their movements were stopped by holes that had suddenly appeared beneath them, the Undead dinosaurs pierced them with their teeth and horns.

They had the upper halves of their bodies shredded by the teeth of a Zombie Tyrannosaurus Rex, their heads smashed like ripe fruit by a direct hit from the tail of a Zombie Ankylosaurus and thrown around in the jaws of a Zombie in the shape of a mysterious one-eyed cat with scales.

Every time they attempted to counterattack, fists would extend towards them from the walls and floor to hinder them, and then they were overwhelmed by the Undead without being able to move properly.

Meanwhile, only three of the Subordinate Vampires faced Borkus as they had been ordered to.

『Here,【Single Flash.】』(Borkus)

With an unenthusiastic voice, Borkus swung his magic sword towards them and released the most basic of martial skills.

「You fool!【Iron Wall!】【Iron Body!】」(Vampire)

A Subordinate Vampire quickly readied the shield that was on his back and used Shield Technique and Armor Technique martial skills.

Both of them were skills increasing his physical and magical damage resistance that he had finally become able to use after his skills had reached level 5. There was no way that a sword swung with a technique such as【Single Flash】could touch even the Vampire’s pinky finger through such a defense.

However, Borkus’s magic sword cut through the Subordinate Vampire’s shield, arm and entire body like a hot knife through butter.
『Come on, you have to survive at least one hit.』(Borkus)

The martial skill’s power was proportional to the user’s skill level. The level 5 Shield Technique and Armor Technique skills couldn’t possibly stop the【Single Flash】of Borkus, whose skill had reached level 10 and granted him the superior version,【Sword King Technique.】

「Hyih, hyiiiiih!」(Vampire)

「Sercrent-sama, it is impossible for us! Please assist us!」(Vampire)

The last two finally understand the difference in our strength, but are they stupid? Borkus wondered as he swung his magic sword once more.

『Look out,【Triple Slash.】』(Borkus)

Borkus released three sideways slashes at high speed. They cut a Subordinate Vampire’s neck, below the chest and the base of his legs. Blood scattered everywhere as his legs and head went rolling across the floor.

「Ah, AAAAAH!」(Vampire)

But the other one was saved by the fact that he’s only had both legs cut off just above the knees. Well, I’ll kill him soon as well anyway.

「W-wait! I surrender, I’ll tell you anything! I’ll tell you about Sercrent-sama, Gubamon-sama and even Birkyne-sama! So please spare me!」(Vampire)

『Sorry, but I’ve been told we don’t need any prisoners.』(Borkus)

I’ve been told to kill everyone but that pretty lady, and I have to do what the boss says. Oh, I’ve grown up quite a bit, haven’t I?

『And it’s an old saying that you should kill Goblins no matter how pitiful they look.』(Borkus)

Saying an old proverb spoken amongst adventurers since old times, Borkus swung his sword three times. Scattering blood everywhere, the three small-fries had turned into masses of meat giving off a delicious smell.

『Well, you can blame yourself for becoming that kid’s enemy.』(Borkus)

Borkus picked up one of the legs rolling around and began munching on it raw. Delicious.Subordinate Vampires taste better than they look.

I suppose I’ll try their brains and organs next.

Ah, I should have at least brought some salt with me.

With fresh meat as a snack, Borkus watched the execution.

「Die, you damn Dhampir!」(Sercrent)

Shouting these words, Sercrent unleashed a lightning attack. The lightning that was writhing through the air like a snake was probably very powerful. There was no doubt that being grazed by it would stop Vandalieu’s heart and taking a direct hit would turn him into ash.

However, it vanished upon coming into contact with the【Magic Absorption Barrier】surrounding Vandalieu’s body.

「Wha –?! … Very well, I will slaughter you personally with my claws!」(Sercrent)

Swinging his claws, Sercrent closed in on Vandalieu with the speed of a wild beast. His movements were unexpectedly sharp for someone missing an arm and a leg.

「I’ll have your head!【Iron Tear!】」(Sercrent)

Such wonderful speed. To Vandalieu, it appeared as if Sercrent had vanished in one moment and appeared in front of his eyes in the next.

However, the【Impact-Negating Barrier】and【Magic Absorption Barrier】had both been set up. After what had happened during the battle against Bugogan, Vandalieu had decided to make them extra-thick.

「What?! My Mana, my strength!」(Sercrent)

Sercrent felt as if the air had been replaced by a heavy, viscous substance. The moment he touched Vandalieu’s barriers, his arm had stopped moving.

His arm should have been strong enough to destroy a castle’s walls, but Sercrent felt an incredible amount of resistance from trying to move it just a single millimeter. It was as if it was submerged in an impossibly viscous liquid.

Sercrent thought that this was some kind of special defensive spell. And he understood how he could pierce through it.

「Fuhahaha! This simply means that I must attack with an attack powerful enough to overcome your spell!」(Sercrent)

Laughing loudly, he once again unleashed his high-level unarmed martial skill,【Iron Tear.】His arm began moving towards Vandalieu again, one centimeter at a time. He was less than thirty centimeters away now.

The moment my claws reach him, I will crush the Dhampir’s fragile skull and scatter its contents across the floor as he dies a terrible death!

「You’re right about that. But you can’t do it.」(Vandalieu)

Sercrent had thought that the Dhampir’s expression was empty due to despair, but the Dhampir said this proudly. Quite the bluff. Sercrent was inferior to Eleanora, but his Mana and martial skills were worthy of being called those of a Noble-born Vampire.

It will take some time, but even with one arm, breaking a barrier like this would be… One arm?

「Sercrent’s arm and leg haven’t regenerated?」(Eleanora)

Eleanora noticed that Sercrent’s wounds were simply continuing to spill blood. With the regenerative ability of a Noble-born Vampire, the wounds should have stopped bleeding and begun to regenerate by now like the one in her own back, unless cut by a sword made of silver or a magic sword of the light attribute.

However, there were no signs of this occurring at all.

「I’ve used a spell called【Healing Negation】that nullifies self-healing abilities. It only works while I continue casting it, but it’s enough to kill you.」(Vandalieu)

It took a moment for Eleanora and Sercrent to understand the flat-toned words that Vandalieu spoke.

「Ah… AAAAAAAGH!」(Sercrent)

The moment he finally understood what Vandalieu meant, Sercrent let out a shout that didn’t quite sound like a scream or roar. He tried to break through Vandalieu’s barrier at all costs.

Before he died from losing too much blood.

Vampires have incredible regenerative abilities. Noble-born Vampires in particular can lose limbs and regrow new ones, and after some time passes, the limbs return to normal.

That was why Eleanora and Sercrent never bothered learning healing spells. They didn’t even carry Potions with them.

「UOOOOOOOH!」(Sercrent)

Sercrent attempted to use lightning and fire spells as a last-ditch effort to cauterize his wounds and stop his bleeding, but they faded away as they had their Mana absorbed by the【Magic Absorption Barrier.】

And the more he struggled, the more blood poured out of his open wounds.

「Uoh… oh…」(Sercrent)

Sercrent’s movements grew remarkably weaker and his originally white skin became deathly pale.

「Y-you bastard, I… I am the… subordinate of… the Pure-breed… Vampire… Gubamon… who has received… the divine protection of the…【Evil God of Joyful Life】, Hihiryushukaka… If you kill me… Hundreds of Vampires will… Even the Mirg shield-nation… is our puppet… They’ll send their forces here! If you… don’t want that to –」(Sercrent)

And then he started begging for his life. But it was partially true; Vandalieu seemed to think that his words had some merit to them.

He looked not at Sercrent, but at Eleanora behind him.

「What this guy is saying, is it true?」(Vandalieu)

On the other side of Vandalieu, Eleanora could see Sercrent’s face tensing up.

「No. This man who killed your father is indeed the subordinate of a Pure-breed Vampire, who does have connections to the Mirg shield-nation. But they will not move for the sake of this man.」(Eleanora)

「You bastard, wagging your tail for a Dhampir –」(Sercrent)

「Your breath stinks.」(Vandalieu)

Vandalieu plunged both of his arms into the angry Sercrent’s chest.

「Gagah?!」(Sercrent)

With【Spirit Form Transformation】applied to his arms, he moved them around inside and extracted his spirit while he was still alive.

「I’ve never met my father, so I can’t say that I love him. I don’t even know if I respect him. So even if you ridicule my father, even if you’re the one who killed him, I can’t hate you on his behalf.」(Vandalieu)

And I’ve learned the hard way on Earth and in Origin that blood relatives aren’t always your allies.

And then Vandalieu began to tear the spirit that he had pulled out.

「GYAAAAAAAH! AAAAAAAGH!」(Sercrent)

「But my mother loved my father. And the fact that you have connections to the Mirg shield-nation means that you’re not entirely unrelated to her death. I’m sure you were involved with the extermination force that was sent into the Devil’s Nest forest, too. That’s why I hate you bitterly. I’ll never forgive you; I don’t want to be liked by you. You make me sick. I’m not going to let you have another life.」(Vandalieu)

His spirit-form arms found a shining sphere, the size of a marble that he could pinch between his fingers.

And then he seized it.

「S-stop! Anything, anything but that!」(Sercrent)

This sphere was a soul. The core of a spirit, covered in spirit form. If compared to a cell, this was the part that would contain genetic information.

Sercrent understood this instinctively and pleaded with Vandalieu, but Vandalieu wasn’t listening.

He crushed Sercrent’s soul with all of his strength.

「GAAAAAAAAAH! GIHYAAAAAAAH! GYA –」(Sercrent)

With a cracking sound, it crumbled and fell to the floor.

The base fragments that made up Sercrent danced in the air like particles of light.

Sercrent, who had been screaming for his life, stopped moving at that moment. His heart was still beating and he was still breathing, and if there were machines available to perform electroencephalography, they would probably be able to detect brain waves.

However, Sercrent would never move again.

「What a nice sound… I’ve always wanted to do this.」(Vandalieu)