Chapter 149

149 – The Third Stratum – The Realm of Vampires and Underlings 4

Herv may not have asked, but I’m sure the audience is curious.

There were two big mysteries.

The source of the blood and the brittleness of the Avatars.

Actually, both of those mysteries have the same answer.

Firstly, I’ll explain the organization.

Being called a part of the Big Four is more than just a rank.

As someone who is called the Chief of Staff, I have something special, such as Black Sorcery or the Demon King’s horn in addition to planning strategies.

Each and every one of the Big Four similarly possesses something special.

Someone who fancies the appearance of a Dream Demon and can Drain her enemies without touching them. However, that is only one side, the actual person can change to any form she desires, reproducing even the special characteristics of the chosen form.

The shapeshifting, black-winged leopard Demi-Beast, the Demon of Love Sitri.

A warrior who rides in armor reminiscent of a huge statue and manipulates an extendable spear. The rider of said armor looks nothing but a young girl but can run faster than the wind, is powerful enough to crush rocks, and boasts an endurance to keep going even when the heart has been crushed.

An appearance that belies her unimaginable physical strength, the mighty warrior Ogre, the Reaper Knight Furcus.

A person of the same race as the Demon King herself, in possession of two magnificent horns. Devoutly faithful to her Highness, he who excels in Magical Energy generation, magical power, and physical ability. A Wizard who toys with his enemies with his movement magic which makes it seem like he’s traveling through time.

Quick and decisive, he moves without delay or hesitation. He is the Majin, the Time Demon Agares.

The Big Four that the Adventurers encounter first. With a cold-blooded personality that sometimes scares people and sometimes helplessly attracts them. Her blood manipulation causes a gruesome yet beautiful massacre.

Dripping with fresh blood, the Vampire who steals your blood and then terrorizes you with it, the Vampire Queen Carmilla.

She polished and polished her skills as a Blood Manipulator, which excels in manipulating blood.

Normally, is it not possible for the master Vampire to manipulate the blood sucked by their vampiric Demi-Beast pets.

Ultimately, it is only their own blood that they can meddle with.

However, Carmilla noticed an exception to the rule.

Blood sucked directly from others became her own. How does this work?

She came to a conclusion.

By mixing it with her own blood, it becomes susceptible to manipulation.

In order to test this out, she repeatedly gave her blood to her own Demi-Beasts.

Then, at some point in time…

She was able to manipulate the bats as she wished.

The day that she and I first met.

Milla called and commanded the bats to attack her assaulter’s source of violent carnal desire, ensuring that they will never function properly again.

Carmilla’s technique of turning the blood sucked from the Adventurer by her vampiric Demi-Beasts into her own weapons is one that was produced by her steady hard work, and trial and error.

「…Aerial, have you noticed?」

Said the Samurai Masamune with a serious expression.

The looming blood thorns form a circle around him, not moving any closer.

For if they do, they will be cut to shreds and scattered.

That’s how fearsome his skill with the katana is.

「I am also…like this.」

Masamune is also crumbling from his left knee down.

He continues to fend off the thorns while standing on one leg.

「Yeah, the ones who are crumbling are those with little Magical Energy.」

「I am still unsure as to the cause of it, but if that is true, then it matches the current state of our party. Other than Masamune, none of us have shown any noticeable deterioration.」

The Alchemist Louie turns a stone bench into a shield in the blink of an eye in order to defend against the thorns.

Aerial’s guess isn’t wrong.

But to be more precise, the bodies of those that spent little Magical Energy in their Avatar generation are crumbling.

Avatars are reproductions of living things using Magical Energy.

The Magical Energy cost of the reproductions depends on the living thing, of course.

The more information and the more complex it is, the more Magical Energy is required.

So why are the bodies that were generated with little Magical Energy crumbling at this time?

「If you count just the bats, it doesn’t make sense. Isn’t there something else?」

Wraith really is sharp.

The bats that they encountered in the forest were mostly dealt with by the Adventurers, but no matter how many they get, they can’t get all of them.

For example, if there were bats that sucked just a little and ran away, it would be impossible to notice all of them.

However, even if there were dozens of such bats, this doesn’t mean that Carmilla can manipulate such an amount of blood.

There is a possibility that she stored her own blood somewhere…but if that were the case, then there would have been plenty of ways to use it. For example, she didn’t use it during the Fenix party fight.

「Sucking blood without us realizing… Mosquitoes?」

Said Fran while tilting her head.

「Ahaha, good one, Fran. But in order to have collected this much, they would need a very noticeable amount of mosquitoes. Besides, you’d hear the buzzing of their wings, right?」

Even in this situation, the banter between the childhood friend duo doesn’t miss a beat.

「…Leeches?」

Mutters Scathach.

They seem to have arrived at the correct answer.

That’s right.

In each stratum, a new plan for the purpose of the Raid Battle was formulated.

The one Carmilla has been working hard on is controlling a Demi-Beast other than bats.

And so, without the Adventurers noticing, their Magical Energy was sucked from their Avatars.

The forest environment, with its rustling trees and night wind. Moist air and soil. Poor visibility due to the night and fog.

And the Dungeon that is entirely made of Magical Energy called a Field.

Furthermore, the Vampires joined the fray there. Many of their reliable allies have excellent Magical Energy.

If all the conditions are met, the weak little leeches stick silently onto people and suck away at their blood, naturally unnoticed.

Whether it is Magical Energy borne from a Magical Energy organ or not, they steal their blood, or in this case, the Magical Energy that their body is comprised of.

When the Adventurers enter the forest, the leech Demi-Beasts stick to them and suck their blood, and when they have sucked their fill, they simply drop off.

And then when the Adventurers go on ahead, someone will come by and gather them. Then deliver them to Carmilla.

In a normal scenario, it wouldn’t be unusual to notice your blood flowing out from a wound. Even after the fact.

However, this is a Dungeon Clear. Blood that flows out…quickly turns into Magical Energy particles.

It is difficult to notice Magical Energy particles leaking little by little from small wounds in the deep fog and in the middle of battle.

Also as time passes, the bleeding will slow down.

If a subordinate can defeat an Adventurer, that would obviously be the best outcome.

But even if they were all defeated without doing that, it isn’t a loss.

「Just how many leeches would be needed to collect this much Magical Energy? I don’t know how, but Carmilla can manipulate it. As if it were her own blood. How the heck is she able to do that, I wonder?」

Wraith seems to understand the tremendous efforts Carmilla had to go through.

In order to be able to use the blood sucked by the leeches, she had to continuously give her own blood to the leeches prior to all this.

How many tens, hundreds, or thousands of leeches? Looking at the time period, she wouldn’t have made it in time unless she started her preparations long before the Raid Battle announcement.

It’s possible she started…since that time she met me again.

When I became the Chief of Staff, I recall her saying that she wishes to stand as my equal which possibly caused her to start doing this.

A winning strategy that suits the environment of the stratum she’s in charge of.

Ingenuity and effort that makes full use of her own abilities.

「Not noticing the weak things and inviting prey into her nest. This is yet another way to fight, huh?」

Wraith looks impressed.

But the situation is tense.

Putting the Aerial party and Wraith & Fran pair aside, the Scathach party is in trouble.

Aside from Scathach, the other three are not suited to a situation where they are surrounded on all sides by blood thorns indoors.

Prioritizing survival, for now, the Magician Theo spins his threads into a cocoon enveloping himself and the Hunter Suuri.

Then Scathach and the Warrior Hamill, with his Magic Sword, protect said cocoon.

I don’t think that can last for long, both efficiency-wise and for the camera.

「Hmm…let’s leave this to Hervor.」

After a bit of thinking, Aerial makes that judgment call.

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In fact, the liveliness of the thorns has decreased ever since she started fighting with Herv.

A large portion of her consciousness has to be focused on the fight with her.

「What’s wrong, Queenie?! Go on and tease me some more, that’s yer specialty, right?!」

Tearing the thorns off as she’s moving, there is nothing to stop Herv.

Just as she was about to be hit, Milla turns into mist and materializes behind her.

「…There is no joy in striking someone who is asking to be struck. What I enjoy is gazing at the faces of despair.」

「Ahaha! Then I guess we’re just not compatible! ‘Cause I love fightin’ strong people!」

「So it seems.」

Having given up on trying to restrain her, Carmilla splashes blood on the floor instead.

That blood soon changes into a carpet of needles.

「You think this is enough to stop me?」

Herv closes in on Carmilla without any care for her feet being pierced.

「Do you think stopping you is my intention?」

Carmilla’s blood swords fly around her. Not just one or two swings.

「There is no such thing as a creature that cannot die.」

「Yeah, and Vampires aren’t immortal either, right?」

「Neither are dragon-slayers, I suppose.」

「You sayin’ just because I can die, that means I can be killed?」

「Exactly.」

「…Don’t get carried away, you.」

The blood swords assault Herv one after another.

She ignores them and continues on.

Her priority is to strike Carmilla.

And the Vampire Queen…stands firm.

Gracefully wielding the blood swords created from her own blood, she unleashes a thrust.

「That’s fine, too.」

While licking her lips, Herv opens her left hand.

She lets Carmilla’s sword pierce through her palm.

Then she moved her hand to forcibly change the trajectory of that sword. The thrust aimed at her face was deflected.

She pushes forward like that. The blade having run all the way through Herv’s palm, she grabs on to Carmilla’s hand.

「…!」

「Gotcha.」

She doesn’t have time to turn into mist. Herv knees Carmilla in the gut.

「…」

Furthermore, she dodges an attacking blood sword by just moving her neck and…grabs its handle with her mouth and swings the blade.

She slashes Carmilla’s throat and Magical Energy particles gush out.

「You did some wild stuff, but in the end, it’s over. This was fun, Carmilla.」

Carmilla’s body shatters and Carmilla particles dance in the air.

「This match is-」

「Yours, yes?」

「Wha?」

Herv let out a befuddled voice.

The voice she heard just now was the voice of Carmilla who she thought she had just defeated.

In the next moment, Carmilla appears behind the Hero of the Cursed Sword and sinks her fangs into her neck.

Directly sucking blood from their enemies is an attack that throws aside the pride that Vampires prize so dearly.

「You turned into…mist…!?」

That’s right.

She changed shape. Vampires turn into mist in accordance with what people imagine, but it isn’t particularly limited to that.

It’s a lot of work, but it isn’t impossible for her to turn into Magical Energy particles to pretend to have been defeated.

If she had the courage and ability to make the effort in the face of the Hero of the Cursed Sword.

Like not turning into mist at the time when her arm is trapped and she is probably going to die in the next instant.

「Hah…hahahaha! You’re amazing, Carmilla! The best! A hell of a fighter! This is so fun!」

While being rapidly drained of her Magical Energy, she laughs out of pure joy.

「You. Are. Worthy.」

Saying that, Herv grips the handle of the cursed sword with a crumbling left hand.

The weapon that she doesn’t take out unless she were facing something on the level of a Demon King or an ancient dragon.

She unsheathes the cursed sword Tyrfang.

However, from this position, she can’t cut Carmilla that’s behind her…but then.

Aiming at her own abdomen, she plunges the blade without hesitation.

She pierces herself in order to get to Carmilla behind her.

「It’s a sword that can kill a dragon, pretty effective, huh?」

A sound like hot sizzling oil can be heard coming from both of their bodies.

They are burning and melting.

From there, Herv brings the blade further up toward the shoulder where Milla is biting her in order to slice her.

Herv scorched and slashed herself and Carmilla.

「…?」

There was a confused look on Herv’s face.

Because only her body was falling to the floor.

If you looked, large chunks of her both legs were turning into Magical Energy particles and scattering, leaving whats left of her legs to crumble.

「…That’s right…you did say earlier that you weren’t trying to stop me…」

The blood carpet and even the thorns that wrapped around her earlier, weren’t there to stop her.

She was sucking her blood using the blood weapons.

It was nothing short of an extraordinary feat.

From the Monster’s side, it’s something even the Demon King should praise.

It would appear that Carmilla pulled a reversal and won the match.

But…the Hero of the Cursed Sword will never give up.

As her remaining knee hits the floor, she uses it to spin around, pull out the cursed sword that is stabbed within her and slashed Carmilla in half at the waist, all in one motion.

「……Those are no longer the movements of a Human.」

「So what…?」

The Hero thrusts her cursed sword at the neck of the falling Carmilla.

The ruler of Vampires cannot dodge that.

Instead, she manipulates her blood swords to pierce her foe with all her might.

She who lost her right arm and both legs, is completely skewered from head to toe.

She, who lost her entire lower half, Magical Energy organ up to her shoulder burnt and cut, is stabbed through the neck by a cursed sword.

「……It’s my loss…Carmilla.」

The once-thought immortal Herv’s…no, the Hero of the Cursed Sword Hervor’s body breaks apart at this very moment.

A faint light is cast all over the church…she is defeated.

「No…if you hadn’t been my opponent, I would have assuredly defeated more Adventurers. In other words, it is a draw.」

Carmilla gives a final chuckle just before her end.

Following the Hero, the queen’s body breaks and shatters, scattering and melting into the air.

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The remaining subordinate Vampires were already defeated by the other parties.

The third stratum – the realm of Vampires and underlings.

Four members were defeated.

The Adventurers have been decreased to ten, their greatest loss so far, and they have decided to continue on to the fourth stratum.

Carmilla has undoubtedly showcased the true strength of the Big Four this day.