Chapter 101 Their Respective Reactions (1)

Eyghon.

The Fortress of the Earth. The Demon Lord reigning high above every single Outer Demon that threatens the planet. A monster that measured over ten kilometres in size, easily equalling the mountain range surrounding it. A pillar of power far beyond anyone’s comprehension of what an Outer Demon should look like.

Throughout the long war against the Outer Demons, humanity struggled against the Demon Lords. Especially against an oddity such as Eyghon.

It was utterly immune to magic. It had skin tougher than diamonds. It was massive in its frame and impervious to any external attack.

Even the Blackburn House, the one Vampire Clan with the most experience dealing with Eyghon, fell short in dealing with the enigmatic Demon Lord.

It was a pillar of the Demon Lord’s invasion and a symbol for all of humanity that there were mountains that couldn’t be conquered. A powerful foe that no single S-ranked Hunter, Archbishop, ancient Vampire, Alpha Werewolf, High Elf or any other race could measure up to.

Until…

“… Are you kidding me?”

In the deepest recesses of the Blackburn Estate, three figures sat equidistant from each other at a round table. The biggest of the bunch was easily over two metres tall and was a fiend that towered over most men. Yet, at that very moment, the massive Vampire was slouched on the table with his hand rubbing his forehead.

“Eyghon was a machine all this time? And a boy less than thirty years old beat it? What kind of alternate universe have I been flung into?”

General Enzo took some time to gather his thoughts regarding the aftermath of Eyghon’s demise. The world had bonded together to bring forth the greatest army in history. It was supposed to be a triumph for the planet as every significant race put aside their differences as they participated in the final battle for the fate of the world.

And yet… The promised battle never occurred.

Just one Vampire, no, one young boy… Managed to disintegrate Eyghon’s heart into dust and utterly destroy the Demon Lord from the inside.

It was practically unheard of. A single being taking down a Demon Lord. And that person was a young man who was barely twenty-five.

“He’s only been a Vampire for over half a year…”

“That’s even worse, isn’t it?!”

General Enzo slammed his fist on the desk as he heard Matriarch Innocence’s mutter. It was unfathomable to think that Eyghon, the mighty being that terrorised the Blackburn House for centuries, was defeated by a young boy who had just awakened his powers. However, he couldn’t deny the facts.

Ysabelle, his precious daughter, was the most reliable witness around. Plus, her account of everything matches the description of Eyghon’s corpse. While the Iron Heart and the chamber that it lay in were utterly destroyed, the scars of the battlefield, the vast inner world of Eyghon’s stomach, and the decimated structures and Demons all matched Ysabelle’s report.

“To think that the inexplicable beam was shot from that boy’s Soul Armament… Sirius, you fought him. What on earth was that?”

The last person seated at the table folded his arms and let out a deep frown. While Matriarch Innocence and General Enzo weren’t paying attention then, Sirius saw that crimson pillar of light with all its grandeur.

It was a concentrated beam of magic that he’d never seen in his life. It possessed an incomprehensible aspect of destruction in its power, making Sirius feel like he was nothing but an ant before an elephant. The power was tremendous, and its destructive capability was second to none.

Sirius reflected, thinking if he had any methods of defending against that dreadful beam. However, the more he thought about it, the more the mighty Lord Sirius felt dejected. If he had the time, Sirius was confident that he could evade or prevent the attack from being launched. But the moment it touched his flesh…

Just the thought of it sent shivers down the Moonreaver Lord’s spine. And if Jin had mastered that attack during the duel, they had… Sirius might not be here talking today.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen it before. He never used it once during our battle.”

“So it’s something he’d recently acquired… Innocence, do you have any clue?”

“… It’s his Vampire Aspect.”

The Matriarch showed a rare face of defeat as she folded her legs together and glanced to the side.

“I have someone stationed by his side, so he reports everything about him to me.”

“Wow, I didn’t think that you were a stalker?”

“It wasn’t my intention. I only wished to protect my heir, so I learned about his abilities.”

Variel had been a faithful bodyguard and servant to Irina, but alas… His true allegiance lies with the woman who raised him. Throughout Jin’s travels, the aged butler had been reporting everything about Irina to the Matriarch, including Jin’s growth as a Vampire. Naturally, she would be in the know about the man’s unique Vampire Aspect and the special abilities that came with it.

“That boy toy… No, that would be rude for me to say that now… Jin Valter, that brat, his Vampire Aspect is special.”

“Hoh? How so?”

“When he’d first awakened his Vampire Aspect, it materialised into five rings, only one of which was activated. That ring gave him the power to control Spacetime, an utterly ridiculous ability if you would ask me.”

“Power over Spacetime?! And that’s his first ability? Any Vampire would kill for that to be their Vampire Aspect.”

“Yes,” the Matriarch nodded her head in agreement. The ancient Vampire wouldn’t admit it, but even she was slightly jealous of Jin’s control over Spacetime. “But that was just the beginning. After he’d met with the Moonreaver lass, he awakened his second ring, which gave him the power of Creation.”

“Creation?!”

General Enzo shot Sirius an inquisitive look, to which the silver-haired man could only nod in bitter resentment.

“Yes, he used that ability quite liberally during our duel. I’d thought he would never run out of magic.”

“Spacetime… Creation… These two abilities are already unbelievable powers. And the catalyst for each one was one of the four girls he bonded with in the past.”

Enzo wasn’t a clueless fool. He knew what had happened in the past, particularly since it pertained to his precious daughter. The four girls had shared their souls with Jin to protect his life, and now that he was returning them one by one… Jin’s latent talents were slowly being unveiled.

“So after meeting Ysabelle, you’re telling me he awakened his third ability?”

“That’s right…”

At this point, even the Matriarch couldn’t hide the incredulous look on her face. She recalled her conversation with Variel as he reported everything he’d heard from Irina. The ancient Vampire was lost for words for the first time in her life.

“What is it?”

“Destruction.”

“…”

“…”

Silence fell in the conference room.

Spacetime… Creation… And now Destruction…

There has never been a Vampire Aspect that blended the three abilities together. It was rare to find even one that incorporated one of those deadly powers, and Jin now had three. Not to mention, judging from the number of rings he possessed, Jin likely could awaken two more.

It wasn’t a stretch to call his Vampire Aspect the strongest since the Vampire Progenitor.

“… Isn’t he the strongest Vampire in the world already?”

“He’s still not there yet,” Sirius scoffed, but the shiver in his voice couldn’t hide his anxiety. “He doesn’t have battle experience, and his magic reserves are still as juvenile as any other Vampire his age.”

All of Sirius’ criticisms were legitimate. Jin’s main weakness right now was his shallow magic pool. Just one or two of his biggest spells and the man would enter into a day-long coma, which was a small price to pay given how powerful his spells were. And the only way to solve that issue was to grow his magic reserves, which took time and experience.

“But… Once he gets older… It’s highly likely that we’re seeing the second coming of the Progenitor.”

Sirius’ eyes glazed over as he thought of the boy he once stuck his hand through. He’d underestimated Jin, thinking he was just a playboy trying to peek up his sister’s skirt. Who knew the boy he attacked would be a tiger in the making?

“A Vampire that will be as strong as Dracula, huh? I don’t know if we should be excited or wary of that.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re too young to understand, Sirius. After all, you weren’t born during Dracula’s era.” Matriarch Innocence raised her neck and stared at the ceiling. “Dracula was our ace in the hole, the protector of the Vampire race and the most powerful creature on the planet. Because of his twisted power, the Vampire race was able to survive through its infancy and grow to the powerhouse that it is now. Alas…”

“Power corrupted him.”

General Enzo picked off where the Matriarch left off and sighed: “He was our main defender, and at the same time, he was our oppressor. Because he had so much power, no Vampire could defy him. He even held a leash on our blood, making it impossible for us to rebel against him. With that unchecked power, he became the tyrant of the Vampire race.”

“The Bloodborne House’s arrogance came from their ancestor. They remember the yesteryears when they dominated the world and sought to return their House to its rightful place. So you can imagine how twisted Dracula really was.”

“I see…”

Dracula Bloodborne. The First Vampire, the Vampire Progenitor, and the strongest being in history.

There weren’t many alive who remembered his reign. However, the few who did could barely hold themselves together every time they recalled the nigh-invincible monster. Fortunately, he passed away during the first Outer Demon War, shattering the old hierarchy and giving birth to a new age for the Vampires.

And if Jin was the second coming of the Progenitor…

“We’ll have to guide my son-in-law onto the right path, then!”

General Enzo burst out in a peal of laughter, drawing shocked expressions from the two other Vampires.

“Your son-in-law?”

“That’s right!” The Blackburn House’s patriarch roared out with smiles. “Ysabelle and him are all lovey-dovey since they returned from Eyghon’s stomach. And from what I hear, Jin intends to make my daughter his wife one day. If that’s the case, isn’t Jin my son-in-law?”

“Y-You… Shameless!”

“What’s there to be shameless about?”

General Enzo let out a knowing smile as he showed a sign of taking the moral high ground. He knew Matriarch Innocence and Lord Sirius had been at odds with Jin since the beginning. And given the circumstances, it was hard to believe that Jin would forgive them so easily.

But the Blackburn House was a different case. They didn’t deny Jin any hospitality, and neither did they ask to separate Ysabelle from him. If anything, the Blackburn House had provided Jin with the most hospitality thus far. Not to mention, Ysabelle truly loved Jin, and General Enzo was happy to support his daughter’s love. And if they could tie a future Progenitor-class Vampire with marriage…

It truly was a win-win-win situation for the Blackburn House.

“Excuse me, I must meet my son-in-law and give him my well wishes. You two carry on with your discussions.”

With an impish smile, General Enzo escaped from the scene of carnage with a victor’s smile.