Castle of Lurking Darkness

「……How did things become like this?」

Clara was muttering by herself in her room inside the mansion of Dandall House at the sorcery academy.

Recently she rarely went to class using her bad health as excuse. But it was true that she hadn’t been feeling well since obtaining Gift in the dungeon and her weight had also decreased slightly.

Her big brother Rockwell thought that his little sister was greatly burdened by her role as the main fiancée of the crown prince. He was worried for her and came to visit everyday, but her fiancée the crown prince had stopped coming to meet her frequently like in the beginning.

Rockwell seemed to be feeling discontent with Ervan’s action. He was serving as Ervan’s aide inside the academy as the future supreme knight commander, but currently he and his best friend Mihail from Melrose House were gradually distancing themselves from the crown prince faction.

Clara and Ervan had connected emotionally with each other. But, now the distance between their hearts was widening once more.

Who was at fault? Did she do something wrong?

Ervan got attacked on his way to the outdoor field trip and became traumatized.

But Ervan didn’t rely on Clara even though as his fiancée she should be the one to comfort his wounded heart. There was also his guilt from not listening to her warning and getting close to other woman, making him trying to overcome his trauma by himself.

But that behavior was like a kid who was scared of getting scolded. That opening in his heart then got taken advantage by the “heroine”.

The otome game’s heroine──Alicia Mercis.

That girl who called herself [Licia] was different in appearance compared to the [otome game heroine] in Clara’s memory, but the girl’s action was strikingly similar with the otome game’s heroine.

But even though her action was similar with the heroine, there was “something” decisively different from her.

All the males who had the role as capture target in the game had darkness enveloping their heart.

The heroine should get inside their heart using that opening and said the words that those males wanted to hear while at times treating them strictly in order to make them grow up, but this girl here was pampering the males by “completely accepting” everything that they sought.

The sicker the male’s heart was, the stronger their dependence to the heroine became. Ervan was at the receiving end of that abnormally pampering acceptance from the heroine. Seeing him like that made Mihail and Rockwell who should also harbor a darkness inside themselves to put some distance from the heroine instead. But as the result of that, the males who got ensnared by that [pampering] ended up staying at the heroine──Licia’s side constantly.

The crown prince Ervan, the royal brother Amor, and then the grandson of the head priest Nathanital whose heart became enveloped in darkness too because of that kidnapping incident. Those three were at the heroine’s side.

Conversely Licia’s butler Seo was now also gradually distancing himself from the heroine because Mihail from Melrose that was the leader of black ops was doing so. Now he was often seen near Mihail and Rockwell.

The ensnared males and the resistant males……”what” was it that differentiate them?

What was the crown prince and the royal brother thinking in their head by putting distance from people of Dandall House and Melrose House that were the biggest supporter of the royal family faction? At this rate the country would be split into two and a new conflict would break out. Such conflict wouldn’t just weaken the unifying force of the royal family, but also created a weak spot that other country could take advantage of.

Even if viscount daughters became the first queen for two generations in succession, it would still be possible to put the chaotic kingdom in order if the “heroine” became a [saint] and got acknowledged as Melrose’s princess, followed by Ervan growing up to have the caliber of [king].

But, she could only see the worst future in store at the rate things were going.

Clara wondered if perhaps the current heroine was also a reincarnator like Clara, but no matter how she thought about it, the heroines only picked the options that were heading toward bad end, so she scratched out the possibility of the heroine being a reincarnator.

That……the current heroine was just a deviant who was a slave to her desire.

The current heroine──Licia was growing to become even more troublesome than the game heroine. She had to be removed as quickly as possible.

Clara’s first plan was to remove the heroine by forcefully activating the major event [Evil Race’s Conspiracy] that could happen at the second year.

Originally several flags were needed for [Evil Race’s Conspiracy] to happen. It could only happen at second playthrough, when Ervan’s positivity level was the highest while the other capture targets’ positivity levels were average. It was a route in order to capture the “hidden character”.

The heroine would get kidnapped by evil race. In order to rescue her, all the capture targets would head to the evil race country. Then depending on the hidden character’s positivity level, there would be route to reconcile with the evil race or defeat the evil race’s king.

But in case they got into a fight with the evil race king, it was possible there would be a bad end where the heroine died in battle because her parameters at that point weren’t high enough.

This was exactly why after clearing the dungeon, Clara increased the number of her pawns, contacted the evil race, and provided them with a base and a map so they could kidnap the heroine.

The evil race would collude with a royalty and kidnap the heroine, but nobody would head out to save the heroine because this happened while the positivity levels were still low. With that the heroine would be removed. But, perhaps because of the fault of irregulars like Tabatha and Grave, the evil race joined hand with the noble faction and even plotted to assassinate the crown prince…….

The reality had strayed to be completely different than the scenario. The Ash Crowned Princess was also moving to kill the irregulars Tabatha and Grave.

What would happen to the evil race event because of this……even Clara who had [Foresight] couldn’t begin to guess it anymore.

***

「Because, it was me who gave the evil race place to stay in this country.」

「…………」

The attack on Elean and Ervan. The people who joined hands with Grave to harm the kingdom……Carla said that it was her who invited them in.

She gave them information to build a base and called them in, and then she betrayed and killed them…….

「……What are you thinking?」

「Nothing. There wasn’t any significant reason or anything.」

Carla lightly played stupid like a mischievous girl toward my question. But, dark flame was still burning brightly inside her eyes. I could feel her hatred toward this Claydale Kingdom.

I took Carla’s hand that had grown cold and made her faced me. Carla who usually put on a smile that showed no hint of her emotion made a troubled smile in respond.

「You’re mean Aria.」

Just like how there was no right way to live, there was also no right way to die.

I guessed that Carla went as far as inviting in the evil race to destroy the kingdom because she wanted to settle things with her own hand.

Carla had her own sense of aesthetic. She was fixated with how she would die. For Carla who had obtained a Gift and wanted to destroy everything by herself now, the evil race people who he invited into this country in the past had become something unnecessary.

「I’ll clean up after my toy myself. Aria should kill your own enemy and become stronger……just like me.」

「…………」

She smiled in a way as though she was baring her fangs while her purple eyes that were filled with madness pierced me. After that we exchanged no more words and returned to the camp wordlessly.

Carla sought strength in order to die while dragging everything together with her to hell.

I carved the desire to become strong even deeper into my heart, for my own sake……and so that I wouldn’t die…….

And to liberate her from her pain.

Even if that ended with the result of taking Carla’s life.

.

Several days after that, we arrived at our destination, the territory of Marquis Kendras.

This marquis territory was facing Condo Mine, one of the largest ore deposits in the continent. There were a lot of miners doing physical labor here, and not all of them were human. There were beastmen and rock dwarves mining iron or copper with their excellent physical strength. Dwarf craftsmen with skilful hands created weapon or other handiwork with the mined ore and merchants gathered here for those works. The city was full of vigor.

But we didn’t stop by there and headed straight to the city near the border. Just like the city where the northern frontier branch of assassin guild existed in the past, a place with mine would have a large chapel to hold a funeral service for those who died from accident. That place before was a region that being governed by a baron house that had family relationship with Kendras House, but the family lineage was severed around ten years ago and right now the area was under the direct control of Kendras House.

There was a castle there where the baron house once lived in, but now there should be nobody who lived there other than the caretaker. There that man……Grave was staying together with the evil race.

The source of this information had been skillfully covered up, but the black ops who collected the evidence said that they could catch a glimpse of Grave’s intent behind the information, maneuvering me to take a certain action.

It was just as Gilgan said, there were multiple motives from multiple people at work behind this case.

Those who wished to remove the crown prince and turn Elena into their puppet.

Those who wished to remove Elena while leaving the crown prince alone.

Those who wished to remove both the crown prince and Elena.

And then those who moved just to take revenge without care of all those things…….

Grave……what is your wish?

.

「Then, I shall take my leave here.」

Carla’s objective wasn’t Grave but exterminating the evil race. Just as we decided beforehand, we split into two groups before arriving at the location.

Carla said that she had her own information source but, most likely there was someone else who told her that the evil race’s base was in different location that the castle where Grave was staying. But, according to Carla……

『A vampire’s stronghold obviously will be in the catacomb.』

……Apparently.

High ranked vampire should be a formidable enemy even for a Gift owner like Carla. But Carla too surely would never stop still just like me.

Carla had her own fight to take care of. I had my own fight. Our gaze met just for an instant before I turned my back on her without saying anything and started walking toward my battlefield.

This city that once housed tens of thousands of people in the past was said to only have several thousand residences living in it now. Was that decline caused by the disappearance of the feudal lord who governed it or was it because of the vampire lurking in this land…….

The evil race’s vampire clan still hadn’t make any big movement. Most likely they were still in the middle of increasing their force right now, just like what happened in that mountain village.

Considering that, I felt that my attack timing right now was good but, it was possible that Grave’s intention was also at play there.

Even if the vampire clan’s main squad was in the catacomb just like Carla said, there was no way there would be none at all inside the castle. I avoided the city and headed to the castle through the forest together with Nero. Then Nero and I started our attack at the same time when the sun rose.

『Gaa……』

<──Forest──Corpse──>

Nero suddenly stopped walking and it transmitted its thought to me through the electricity signal from its whiskers.

「There are “defectives” inside the forest?」

<──Right──>

Most likely the defectives that could move even under sunlight were positioned in the forest as security. I didn’t know how many of them there were. Even if they had no combat skill and their combat strength was only around the average soldier, they would surely rush into the castle if a commotion occurred in there.

It wouldn’t be hard to deal with them for Dalton and Feld who had large weapon and could use Battle Skill that swept through large area, but my weapons weren’t suited to face a large number of opponents.

In that case I should remove the enemies inside the forest first, but if I took my time eliminating the scattered enemies, night would come and the vampires would come out.

<──Advance──>

Then, Nero soundlessly stepped forward in front of me who stood still. It waved its whiskers that extended from its ears like whips toward the direction of the castle.

「……You’re telling me to go ahead?」

Nero slightly shook its head when I said that. Its mouth changed shape to form a smile.

「Got it……please.」

『Gaa』

We nodded to each other and parted inside the forest before resuming action once more. Nero too should have resentment toward Grave. But Nero gave priority to me settling things with Grave while volunteering to act as support.

I didn’t hesitate. Nero’s feeling would go to waste if I took time in making decision.

I erased my presence while sprinting through the forest that was still gloomy in the morning. When I arrived at the castle’s stone wall, I threw the scythe pendulum to atop the wall and climbed up from there.

***

All the windows inside the castle were closed. The light from outside was completely blocked by nailing boards over the windows and covering them with curtains afterwards.

The big size of this castle was unsuitable for a baron house. It was originally a relic from when Dandall was still a dukedom. It was a fortress that was built on the border in order to expand human’s territory. The walls here were unnaturally thick compared to the present era. The castle was not only blocking the light but even outside air. I could feel the faint scent of mold and blood inside it.

There was no sign of human life inside. There were only undeads and defectives who weren’t even breathing in the castle. Even so there was still a small amount of light inside for the sake of the defectives who couldn’t see anything inside complete darkness and the only “human”.

A man was sitting alone on an old and rotting sofa in the hall that in the past must be used to gather a lot of people or soldiers. Under the light of candle that was affixed on a candlestand, the man swirled a glass of wine that was red like blood. His left hand that was holding that glass creaked when a woman who was wearing black all over her body appeared from inside the darkness.

「That little girl is here……. Just as promised, I’ll be the one to kill her.」

「Do as you please.」

That woman──Tabatha put on a mad smile that was filled with hatred in respond to the man’s reply. Then she vanished as though she was melting into darkness.

When her presence had completely vanished, the man leaned back on the sofa and a smile formed on his face for the first time while his artificial left arm crushed the expensive crystal glass in his grasp.

──*Pakin*

「……So you came, Aria.」

***

Under the morning sun, I was climbing the stone wall that made the castle’s rampart.

This fortress that was created during the era when the former baron was living here was difficult to invade from the front of from the wall. But, climbing the wall that had the height of a three-storey building was still easier than opening the huge gate just to pass through.

Even though it was a bit dark because it was early in the morning, there was a possibility of me getting discovered if I ran into “defectives” that could move during daytime.

I didn’t let my guard down even if there was no vampire outside. There were ways to be stealthy at daytime. I perfectly blended my mana with the surrounding magic particles even while climbing the stone wall under the sunlight. I even camouflaged myself with sunlight using light magic particles and blended my figure with the stone wall’s scenery.

I jumped over the wall onto the pathway on the wall and started moving by following the flow of wind. I sneaked behind a defective that was patrolling with a lifeless look, snaked my arm around its neck from the side and twisted to snap it.

「…………」

My stealth worked even against this pseudo undead. I had also worked out how much I had to go in order to kill them dead. I judged that as long as I knew that, there would be nobody here who could oppose me under the sun. The strength of the defectives was influenced by their ability while they were still alive, but anyone who had the ability to oppose me should have high possibility to turn into vampire successfully.

After that I spent around one hour to crush the defectives patrolling the courtyard.

But, I got this small feeling that their number should be greater than this. Even if I assumed that it hadn’t been long since the vampires started working to increase their number, if they had reached as far as that remote small village in the mountain to increase their minions then shouldn’t their number be greater than this? Were the majority of them outside? Or perhaps Nero’s appearance caused the undeads inside the castle to also here there?

It was also possible that the majority was concentrated in the catacomb of the chapel Carla went to, but if their combat force was concentrated there, there was also the possibility that it was the work of Grave who had predicted my arrival here and he intentionally arranged for this place to be shorthanded.

……I guessed that was still better compared to him focusing on Elena, but I really had attracted the eyes of a troublesome man even if I said so myself. I had suspected it after encountering Feld and Viro during my childhood, but was I perhaps giving off the smell that was attracting strange men to me? This made me seriously wanted to consider that possibility.

I finished cleaning up the defectives at the courtyard and started climbing the inner wall inside the castle.

I also considered making drastic move like attacking with fire from outside, but it would be troublesome if the citizens saw the smoke and came here, or if the soldiers of the feudal lord who belonged to the noble faction and was an ally of Grave were dispatched.

My fundamental fighting style was assassination. The surest way to make sure Grave didn’t run away and die was by killing him myself.

I checked a window at the second floor and saw that it was closed with boards from inside. The inside seemed to be dark. In that case vampire would also be able to move normally there. It would be risky for me to enter inside by breaking the boards. It would cause enemies to gather unnecessarily.

Then what should I do? I considered climbing up the castle and entered inside from a tower that looked like an observation platform.

I climbed my way up using body strengthening and martial art and pendulum’s string. On the top I found an entrance on the floor that was covered with a lid. I oiled the hinges so it wouldn’t make any sound.

「……Feel……」

I used mana to feel the key’s structure, controlled string through the opening and undid the bolt from inside.

I entered inside into what seemed to be a demonic cavern that was ruled by darkness. Even so it wasn’t a perfect darkness. There was a small amount of light. I assumed that there were some number of defectives here.

In that case, were the vampires located at the area of perfect darkness?

Also……where was Grave in here?

There was also the possibility of that man becoming a vampire, but I believed that was out of the question.

For me becoming an undead was no different than running away. If he had lost attachment to life then he was just a person of that level. There was nothing to fear from him no matter how strong he was.

But……if Grave was still a human inside this environment, this battle would likely become very deathly like never before.

.

*Katsun……*

At that time, a footstep resounded inside the darkness.

That footstep sounded like it was made to display the owner’s existence. I also stopped walking and saw a flickering candle light approaching this way from the other end of the passage.

From the hard footstep sound, I assumed the person might be wearing high heels like some noble ladies. The person was making their footstep heard because they had absolute confidence with their own strength.

They were definitely vampire. Furthermore they might be high ranked vampire like that Sarara.

The candle light was swaying along with the walking rhythm. Even so the approaching candle’s flame itself wasn’t flickering at the slightest.

.

▼Female Evil Race Race : Dark Elf – Vampire ♀ – Assumed Rank 4

【Magic Power：２５４／２６０】【Stamina：３２７／３２７】

【Overall Combat Strength：９８２×２（１９６４）】

.

「Welcome miss. You’re the intruder aren’t you?」

The dark elf woman had golden hair and silver eyes. Her skin was black like obsidian and she was wearing a crimson dress. Her sharp fangs peeked out from her lips as she smiled.

「A vampire huh.」

「My, have we met somewhere before?」

As expected she seemed to be Sarara’s comrade. The vampire woman gave affirmative to my question while approaching nonchalantly without stopping.

「Where is Grave?」

「You’re that person’s guest? But too bad……」

The vampire woman sighed languidly. The distance between her and me had been reduced until around 20 steps. Even so the vampire woman didn’t stop walking.

「Why?」

「You don’t know?」

The distance between us decreased until around ten steps. The vampire woman then showed a bright smiling face like a beast.

「I am, feeling a bit puckish right now.」

*Hyunn!!*

Two “lines” cut through the darkness in that moment. They cut my shoulders as I immediately jumped away. At the same time the scythe pendulum that I threw gouged the woman’s right eye horizontally from the side.

*Claang……*

「……How horrible. I wonder how many decades it had been since my face got wounded.」

The light vanished when she dropped the candlestick. Black blood spilled out from between the fingers of the woman who was pressing her hand on her face. When she removed her hand, her left eye regenerated as though time was going backward and she regained her former beauty.

「Are you perhaps this country’s black ops knight if you are that person’s acquaintance? You are really strong despite looking so cute. Aa……how fragrant your smell are.」

「…………」

She was staring on my blood that was trickling from my shoulder to my fingertip with hunger in her eyes.

「What weapon is that I wonder? I couldn’t see it.」

「Who knows.」

Both sides couldn’t see each other’s weapon. Even so the vampire woman wasn’t tense at all because she was thinking that my weapon wouldn’t be able to kill her.

Vampire was strong. That was exactly why that strength became their weakness.

「My name is Shelaruelu. Remember it okay? I’ll let you become my servant if you still alive even after I have my fill.」

There was a flash of blade from the vampire Shelaruelu. So it was her right that was holding the weapon. I guessed that it was a type of one handed weapon, but even my eyes that could see magic particles couldn’t determine what it was yet.

The unseen blade carved shallow cuts on my arms and legs. The wounds were shallow because Shelaruelu was also wary against my unseen weapon that she unconsciously stayed in place.

Then I should execute a plan while there was still a leeway for me. For that, I dodged while jumping to the middle of the narrow passage. I kicked on the ceiling while throwing the knives that I pulled out from my thighs.

*Clang cling!*

「That’s pointless.」

The knives got deflected with a flash of Shelaruelu’s blade.

It would be pointless if she fought with a vampire’s way of fighting like Sarara and let the knives hit her body. But the composed Shelaruelu deflected the knives that weren’t any threat for her with her weapon. The sparks from the clash taught me her weapon’s true identity.

A fencing type saber huh…….

Even saber that was a type of one-handed sword had several varieties. The warrior at Karlfan Empire that was located in desert didn’t wear heavy armor, so crescent moon shaped saber for cutting through leather was common there. Meanwhile the saber at the northern part of the continent was shaped to be thin like needle to specialize in piercing through armor.

Fencing saber was a weapon that was specialized for a duel among them. It was slender and very flexible, a weapon with a single purpose of killing human.

「You should give up soon. The pain will only last for an instant!」

Shelaruelu’s eyes were dyed red after smelling the smell of blood. She leaped forward.

The unseen blade hummed through the air. Almost all people wouldn’t be able to see the black blade that was made from magic steel inside the darkness when it was swung with a vampire’s physical strength.

But, a weapon that was specialized for duel could exhibit its strength only when it was used in accordance to the rule.

「Wha-!?」

I stepped forward at the same time and the blade hit my body. But, that attack didn’t cut me apart and only struck like a whip.

A fencing saber was only sharp at the tip. It was just a pointy weapon. Shelaruelu had gotten careless because of her advantageous situation. Even though that weapon was only meaningful when it had distance, she crushed that advantage by closing the distance herself.

I didn’t miss that instant and raised my right hand.

But Shelaruelu who shouldn’t be in the position to dodge smiled at that moment──I swung down the weight type pendulum while slashing at the darkness behind me with the knife in my left hand.

「GYAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

Two screams echoed through the darkness. Even the undying vampire would stop their activity when their brain was destroyed.

「……You bi……tch!」

Shelaruelu was still moving even with half her head crushed. She glared at me with her remaining right eye as I raised my right arm once more. I swung down the weight pendulum once more on her face that was twitching with fear.

.

「”Ash Crowned”……!」

「So the “ambusher” is really you……Tabatha.」

When I turned around, I found Tabatha wearing all black kneeling on the floor. Her face had been torn apart along with her mask.

The way to use a weapon would change depending on what it was used for. There was no idiot who wouldn’t be on their guard inside this kind of darkness that was perfect for assassination.

「How, did you notice……」

「Who knows.」

The way she erased her presence was perfect. Even I didn’t detect her. But, there was no way I wouldn’t notice when they wounds that I got were much more than the number of slashes Shelaruelu launched. Besides from her way of speaking, I felt that she had clearly learned about me from someone else.

In that case I could see the enemy’s identity based on the situation. That was why I was convinced that “Tabatha” was the unseen attacker and I simply slashed at the position where it was easy for her to attack.

And it was Shelaruelu taught me the timing of her attack.

「Don’t make light of me……YOU SHITTY BRAAAAATTTT!」

Tabatha who was kneeling jumped to her feet and assaulted me.

The black dagger that I threw in that moment stabbed her right eye. Even so Tabatha didn’t stop and swung down a mythril chain while sporting a twisted smile.

「It’s the end, Ash Crownedd!!」

Really……the strong people in this world were too careless.

In that moment, the “scythe” pendulum flew from her blindspot and tore until halfway into Tabatha’s throat.

Tabatha had also transformed into vampire, perhaps because of her grudge for me, or to heal the burns all over her body.

Tabatha must have planned to take me by surprise by hiding that fact. She was pressing her hand on her neck was also to hide her healing wound. It was impressive that she threw away her humanity just because of her grudge toward me.

But, my eyes that could see magic particle could differentiate whether someone was human or not.

Even without that, it would be obvious seeing that the burn scar I saw on her in that forest had now vanished.

「……aguoaaa」

Even though she didn’t die instantly, her neck had just gotten slashed deeply until it almost came off. She pressed her hand on her neck while vomiting blood and reaching out toward me with her black claws.

Perhaps you would be able to kill me if you continued attacking during the surprise attack before this. But, you couldn’t right? After all a freshly made low class vampire didn’t have that much regeneration ability.

「It’s good that I can meet you again Tabatha.」

Her eyes were reflecting my figure that was swinging down a pendulum just like before with Shelaruelu.

「It’ll be troublesome later unless I kill you with my own hands.」

*Splat…..*

.

After that I beheaded Tabatha and Shelaruelu to finish them off with certainty. Then I treated my wounds before moving once more.

There was no point to stay hidden anymore. Because my fight with Shelaruelu had caused the vampires and defectives inside the castle to gather. Even so there was no dark elf among the vampires who attacked me. None of them was also as strong as Shelaruelu or Sarara.

I used pendulums as trap to finish off the vampires that came out. I kept moving while defeating the enemies and arrived at the great hall that was the gathering place for the fortress’s soldiers. It was as though I was guided to here.

When I opened the door, There was only one table and one candlestick inside. A single man wearing loose black outfit stood up relaxedly.

His presence had gotten deeper than the last time we met. The thickness of his body had also increased compared to before.

The left arm that he lost to Nero was replaced with an artificial arm made from magic iron in the form of a gauntlet. His eyes narrowed for an instant seeing me coming and the corner of his lips rose slightly.

「It’s wonderful that you’re here, Aria.」

「Grave……」

The genuine monster who was haunting this country had gotten even stronger and showed himself in front of me once more.

.

▼Grave Race: Human ♂ – Rank 5

【Magic Power：２４５／２５０】△30UP　【Stamina：４０２／４１０】△60UP

【Overall Combat Strength：２０２５（With Body Strengthening：２５６５）】△600UP

***

『GYAAAAAAAAAAAH!?』

Several vampires of evil race were burn to ash with the flame that looked like a fire dragon together with their defectives.

「……You are,,,,, the “traitor” sorcerer!!」

Those eyes and words that were filled with hatred made Carla smiled more cheerfully than usual in the middle of blazing flame.

「I wonder if this is all of the trashes!?」

「Damn you!!」

That evil race vampire──Gostoura raised his voice in fury in respond to Carla’s joking words.

Gostoura told his close friend, the clan head Leave it to me when he was given the assignment to infiltrate into this Claydale Kingdom, a country that was very far away from the evil race country together with only ten-odd comrades so that the vampire clan could be recognized by the others as a part of the evil race.

Their objective was to kill the royal family of Claydale.

But, the scheme that was to be their first objective was changed due to the advice of Grave who became their collaborator in this country.

It was a very long term plan that would astonish any human if they heard it, but dark elf that was a part of evil race had a lifespan in the range of several hundred years, while vampire race’s lifespan was even longer than that it could even be called an eternity.

The time to carry out that plan had come and they went as far as braving danger in order to increase the number of their sacrificial pawns.

But, the pawns that they had created with much effort was now reduced to ash inside the flame. Inside the burning catacomb, Gostoura’s gray eyes glared at the first person who called them here, and also the person who betrayed them, the sworn enemy who killed his comrades.

「Traitor? We were just using each other from the start. Am I wrong?」

When Carla was still ten years old, she learned about the existence of them the evil race and drew them into this kingdom.

She talked to them about her grudge to the kingdom and used a detailed map of the kingdom as bait to come into contact with them. Then when several vampires showed up in front of her, she killed them in order to promote her own growth in strength.

「I had no more use of you guys. It wouldn’t problem me at all even if you guys were gone, but it’s also not amusing to see someone else making use of my throwaway without even asking.」

「You’re calling us……your throwaway」

The handsome face that was unique to dark elf twisted like a beast. Gostoura bared his fangs. The hatred of the surrounding vampires dyed even the flame black, and yet the smile on Carla’s face didn’t waver.

「I wonder who else contacted you guys other than me? Is it the black ops’ traitor? Or a naïve young lady perhaps? Well, not like it really matter.」

Carla brushed up her abundant black hair with one hand leisurely. A tall and lean vampire saw that movement as an opening and attacked like a gust of wind.

「──Stone Lance──」

「GUGYAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

A lance of stone extended from the ground like an ice pillar and pierced that vampire’s chest without Carla chanting anything to cast it. The vampire was hanging in the air like a butcher-bird prey impaled on twigs. He was struggling in agony while Carla didn’t even look at him and put on a dark smile that was filled with madness.

「I wonder, do all of you still thinking that you are a needed existence for someone else?」

──Mr. Sacrificial Pawn──

「……Kill her!」

Gostoura guessed the meaning of Carla’s words that ridiculed even herself as a sacrificial pawn. His order made the vampires and several hundred defectives to attack Carla all at once──.

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「──Soul Thorn──」

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Black thorns entwined on Carla’s pale white skin like tattoo. They writhed as though to devour her life.

The power was unleashed and immense mana whirled out from all over Carla’s body like a storm. The defectives that were surging forward like a tsunami were pushed back while Carla’s body was pushed up to the air.

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▼Carla Lester　Race：Human♀・Rank ４

【Magic Power：∞／５５０】△20UP【Stamina：33／53】△1UP

【Overall Combat Strength：１０６９（Special Combat Strength：３０６９）】△39UP

【Gift：Soul Thorn Exchange/Life Time】

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「Taake this! Fire Ball──」

Level 5 fire sorcery, Fire Ball was created in the air when Carla waved her hand. Five of them.

Sorcerer could only use sorcery of the same rank and lower because using sorcery that surpassed the level of the magic power control would require mana cost several times than the usual. Sorcery level 4 was the best that Carla could do, but the vast mana that was produced by Soul Thorn enabled her to use sorcery that was two level higher than her level.

The five fire balls exploded in the middle of the defectives that had gotten pushed back by the wave of mana and unable to move.

That explosion could even stop rank 6 monster. Just five of them swallowed more than a hundred defectives in flame. But, the defectives that only got blown away by the shockwave immediately stood up, while the vampires who had high parameters also leaped out from inside the flame and assaulted Carla.

Carla’s stamina was just at the level of a child. Let alone the attack of a vampire, even an attack from a defective could kill her instantly if it hit her fully. But──.

「Gah!?」

Carla who was floating in the air dodged an attack from a vampire that jumped toward her, then she kneed him on the face. Even so the vampire kept attacking, but Carla parried it with her arm, then crushed his eye with a thrust of her hand. She toyed with him using her martial art.

Carla’s physical ability wasn’t excellent. Her <Martial Art> Skill was level 3, and even her thinking speed could only reach level 4 at best even when she had forcefully sped it up with her magic power control. With Carla’s original parameters, her thinking speed might still be reasonable, but there should be no way for her to parry a vampire’s attack with martial art.

But, the black thorn that was emerging on her skin because of Soul Thorn wasn’t simply entwining around Carla. It could move Carla’s body just as she wished like a string puppet.

「──Stone Shot──!」

「──Splash──!」

「──Fire Arrow──!」

Several attack sorceries were fired from the vampires. At the same time the surviving defectives also rushed toward Carla once more.

They would attack using their number if they couldn’t match her in sorcery ability and power. It was a simple number game using low ranked vampires that only had number going for them, but this tactic should be highly effective considering Carla’s stamina parameter.

「──Typhoon──」

But in that moment, a level 5 wind sorcery swept over the area. It blew away the approaching attack sorceries along with the low ranked vampires.

Wind sorcery Typhoon should be a sorcery that exploded for an instant to blow away the targets using the wind blast, but Carla’s right hand maintained Typhoon using her immense mana while turning her left hand toward the low ranked vampires and defectives who couldn’t move.

「──Fire Breath──」

Carla’s specialty, the level 4 fire magic, Fire Breath’s flame spread out in wave. The defectives couldn’t even let out their death throes and crumbled into ash.

「UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!」

Inside the hellfire, even further above Carla who was floating in the air, Gostoura swung down his sword from the catacomb’s ceiling that was higher than five meter above ground.

「──Ice Lance──」

Carla immediately fired a magic to intercept. But at that timing, black blood spurted out from Gostoura’s back and formed warped black wings to float in the air. With that he dodged Carla’s ice spear.

The black wings wasn’t an ability of vampire, but darkness magic that was passed down in vampire clan where the user was using their own blood as medium. Gostoura dodged Carla’s attack with that power and swung his sword powerfully toward Carla.

*Clang!*

Carla immediately tried to block that full powered swing with her short sword, but it broke. Even so it allowed Carla to get away from being killed. However it also created a large opening in Carla’s posture.

「This is the end for you!」

Seeing that great opportunity, Gostoura took the stance to execute a Battle Skill in order to let out the greatest attack.

The broken sword blade twirled slowly in the air within his accelerated mind. He would definitely be able to kill her in this distance──Gostoura thought as she kept his eyes fixed on Carla, but then an indescribable chill ran through his back.

「──Fire Arrow──」

Carla fired a level 1 fire sorcery. But, even though flame was a vampire’s weakness, a low ranked sorcery like that wouldn’t be able to stop Gostoura at this point.

「What-!?」

But with just that single chant, Carla crated more than a hundred fire arrows that completely filled the area.

「Curse youuuu!」

Even Gostoura couldn’t dodge all the fire arrows that were raining down on him. He deflected the one that would hit him with his arm. But, just that single fire arrow instantly carbonized Gostoura’s arm.

「GUOAAAAAAAAAAAH!?」

「Gostoura-samaaa!」

A female vampire stepped forward to protect Gostoura, but more than ten fire arrows burned her into ash. The other low ranked vampires who were Gostoura’s subordinates also threw themselves to the firing line one after another. They managed to protect Gostoura by becoming shield……but.

「Where are you going……?」

The vampires who were concentrating to dodge the fire arrows didn’t notice Carla’s approach. Carla grabbed Gostoura’s right arm that was starting to regenerate and easily tore it off with the black thorn’s strengthening.

「Curse you, curse youuuuuuuu!!」

Gostoura who was protected by the surviving vampires backed away. Carla too landed on the ground and played with the bloody black arm.

The defectives that numbered in the hundreds were also reduced into ash inside the flame. There were only four vampires remaining even including Gostoura.

Even though it was by someone who possessed a combat oriented Gift, they were being trampled just by a single girl, they the vampires who should be the monsters here. They were looking toward Carla as though she was a monster.

「It should be time already I think……」

「What?」

Gostoura who was holding his arm asked back in respond to Carla’s muttering.

But Carla didn’t respond and looked over the catacomb that was starting to be enveloped in flame. She then said words that they couldn’t believe.

「This place also won’t last long. You guys can leave already.」

「What’re you planning……!」

Carla said that she would let the vampires get away even after doing this much. Gostoura couldn’t understand her intention from those excessively egoistical words and asked her back. Carla grinned and lightly waved her hand.

「I told you guys before right? I have grudge against the kingdom. ……Right right, the “greatest combat force” who was protecting the princess also came to this area with me. You can join hands with that man to defeat her, or you can attack the lightly defended academy……do as you like.」

Gostoura glared at Carla to ascertain her true intention after he heard those words.

Just what was it she really wanted to do here? Rage bubbled up inside him because of the girl’s too incomprehensible action, but Gostoura saw the disadvantageous situation and decided to retreat.

「I have no grudge toward the evil race from the start. Come on, you guys will get buried here if you don’t hurry you know?」

「…………You better remember this.」

Gostoura spat out those parting words and vanished into darkness together with his subordinates.

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「…………」

Carla quietly saw them off until their presence completely vanished. Then her cheerful smile crumbled into intoxicated madness. She let out a heated sigh in the middle of the ocean of flame.

「Aa, Aria……」

Carla accompanied Aria not to deal with evil race that had left her grasp. Her true objective was to reduce the evil race into moderate number that she could send toward Aria’s way, pulling her into endless battlefield.

The evil race was nothing more than one of the numerous schemes that Carla was cooking up. From the start Carla was giving no heed at all whether they were leaving her control or getting killed off on their own.

Her hatred toward this country was still there inside her. But after running into [her], her hatred, her anger, her schemes, all of them now had lower priority than her.

That girl’s existence was something shocking to her when she first met her.

Even adults were scared of her and always be mindful of her mood, but that girl who was the same age like her faced her head on.

That girl was the only one. Carla was living inside pitch black darkness, walking on top of a blade called “madness” that was hurting both herself and others with bare foot. But that girl, she was the only one who was standing on the same place with her.

That girl’s eyes were always looking ahead at far away. But surely Carla didn’t exist at the end of her gaze.

Carla wanted to make herself become reflected on that girl’s eyes even if just for an instant. Because of that she hurt herself to cover that girl with all the blood from her wound.

Blood really looked good on that girl. Whether it was that girl’s blood or Carla’s own blood…….

The figure of Aria soaked in their bloods while killing her looked beautiful even in Carla’s imagination.

Carla’s fingertips that were soaked in black blood pressed on her cheeks that felt like they were going to broke into laughter. Her expression than changed to look like a maiden in love in the middle of the sea of flame.

Those beaten up vampires would surely rely on their new collaborator. And Aria would definitely be there in whatever they tried to do then. It was impossible for her to be killed by anyone else than her. And it was also impossible for her to be killed by anyone else than Aria.

She would destroy this country that had driven her mad. And then Aria would definitely fight Carla if she started slaughtering the nobles that gathered in the palace.

The blood soaked kingdom would be necessary to be the [stage] where that last act would be played on.

But if Aria stayed like she was right now, some hindrances would surely appear and interrupt the deathly duel that should be just for the two of them.

Bathing in the blood of the evil race would surely make Aria even stronger. And then in the gorgeous stage where a lot of nobles gathered, Aria and Carla would kill each other in the middle of sea of blood of dead nobles.

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「Aria. Become stronger quickly……then come kill me.」