Vampire, Arrival (2)

A black giant larger than a house had appeared, and in front of them stood a man who was at least not friendly.

Moreover, the Hero who should protect the Saint — Ludvic had been absorbed by that black giant.

The cathedral knights rushed out in front of Bigrind and raised their shields.

The knights who had gone to the community center had already turned into a stream of blood and become Damian’s life, and the remaining knights numbered no more than twenty.

It was a situation where these knights had shown enough courage by standing in front of Bigrind to protect her, not giving in to fear even in this situation.

• • Graaaaaah——!!

The black giant raised its arms and roared.

Looking around, there were no beings to be hostile towards, and its creator was demanding indiscriminate destruction.

As a creation, it was a being that wholly followed that will.

Damian looked around.

He was constantly forming hand seals with both fingers, and each time he did, parchments fluttered up.

Every time he moved, a formation drawn as if with red cinnabar moved along under his feet.

Damian, enveloped in dark red smoke emitting an ominous energy, was looking at the knights with that unchanged gloomy face.

“—It would be better to retreat.”

Despite Damian’s words, the knights did not back down.

Bigrind’s blessing was shining above these knights’ heads, and within the range of her blessing, the energy rising from Damian surely could not invade.

“The Saint is with us! Do not retreat!”

The knights shouted preemptively, encouraging themselves.

Forcibly holding back their two feet that wanted to run away right now, remembering that this was the time to show the results of the intense training they had received so far, the knights were facing off against Damian.

• • Uwooooh—!

The black giant raised its enormous arm.

White energy rising from that arm.

The black giant that had absorbed Hero Ludvic was raising holy power that didn’t match its black body at all, as if extracting holy power from him.

“Everyone, raise your shields—!”

The knights’ voices rang out.

In this battlefield where screams were rampant — in this cauldron of chaos that had suddenly become a battlefield, the knights were calm.

Raising their shields, in front of the Saint they must protect with their lives, and in front of the great evil they must repel.

They do not back down.

The black giant’s fist struck down on the knights.

However, that fist was blocked by a golden radiance and failed to achieve its intention, and Bigrind, who had emitted that radiance, gritted her teeth and stood firm in that spot, glaring at Damian.

“—Don’t make me laugh, you demon. Who said I wanted to hear such words from the likes of you?”

The holy power of Bigrind, who had finally realized the true duty given to a Saint, became even stronger.

To say it became stronger is not enough; her holy power became even more noble and pure.

“My presence here is the presence of the Celestial God. You, who have set your filthy feet in this most impoverished place, this lowest place, are the ones who deserve divine punishment!”

Bigrind opened her eyes wide and clasped her hands together.

The golden radiance emanating from her burst forth even more intensely, and like wings — a halo exploded behind her back.

Damian’s mouth twisted slightly as he stared at her appearance.

In all these long years he had lived, had there ever been divine punishment?

Damian had committed deeds that a ruler should not do — deeds that even a human before being a ruler should not do.

He had taken the lives of millions of the living, and had overturned the rest of millions of the dead.

At least if there was divine punishment, if the Celestial God truly upheld justice and walked the right path, He should have appeared long ago to condemn him.

• • Graaaaaak——!!

As if displeased with this golden radiance that blocked its fist, the black giant kept roaring and struck down its fist several times.

Each time, the radiance shook greatly, but nevertheless, its brilliance never diminished.

“If you want death, if you want the purification of that life, I will gladly condemn you. The Celestial God watches over but does not move personally, so your life is a human life. Then it is right that we humans should rightfully condemn you!”

At those words, Damian closed his mouth.

After being silent for a long time, Damian finally opened his mouth.

“Don’t make me laugh, Saint. If He exists but does not rule, for what purpose does that Celestial God exist? That place I belong to, the demon realm — how dare you praise the Celestial God who is now frantically trying to clean it up. Do you still not understand? That the Celestial God has no interest in you.”

“A demon should quietly accept death like a demon! What persuasiveness is there in the words of someone who sneaks into a slum to fill their measly stomach! How can it be justified that creatures like you are hiding among those who have nothing and whose bodies are weary!”

It was Bigrind, not backing down a single word and lashing out.

Somehow, without her realizing it, her personality from before becoming a Saint was showing.

“Give the Hero back. He’s someone who was momentarily careless, not someone who would be defeated by the likes of you!”

Bigrind’s roar did not stop.

As Damian watched Bigrind, who was staring straight at him without backing down a single word, the gloomy aura on his face gradually faded, and irritation began to rise bit by bit.

“…You keep chattering on well, Saint. I have endured until now, intending to take your blood and flesh to obtain rest, but I have reached the point where I can hardly bear to listen to your chirping anymore.”

“Then quickly return the Hero and get lost!”

“If it has come to this, I have no choice but to take you by force. Let’s see if you can withstand this.”

Seals rose from Damian’s hands.

Each time he formed a hand seal, black lines were drawn in the air, and they eventually became characters.

The characters intertwined and mixed, finally becoming one character, and that character flew to the black giant and melted into it.

• • Kuuuuk…!

With a bizarre sound, the black giant’s form began to change little by little.

A black spear took form in the giant’s bare hands, and something bumpy like armor was being put on the body that had been showing only its outline.

“Well, let’s see if your precious Celestial God can protect you this time.”

Damian’s hand seals turned to the right with a grinding sound as if turning a gear.

And as if that was a set signal, the black giant raised that spear high.

A black spear —

Ridiculously, it was so clearly visible against the blue sky.

That sharp spearhead.

It’s so black that it doesn’t reflect light, but nevertheless, its sharpness is clearly evident.

What it’s aiming at is all too obvious.

The golden radiance that Bigrind is spreading.

And that golden radiance covering the knights.

If that spearhead strikes down on it —

Could it really withstand it?

Bigrind swallowed hard.

Will it be okay?

No, it probably won’t be okay.

If it strikes down on the radiance with that spearhead that concentrates sharpness —

It would pierce through the radiance and finally break through, pouncing on the knights’ heads.

“Pray to that precious Celestial God of yours. If He passes judgment on me even now, I will gladly become the Celestial God’s dog.”

Damian’s mocking voice was heard.

Hearing those words, Bigrind tightly closed her eyes.

Celestial God.

Where are you?

Why do you not reveal yourself?

Are you angry because this inadequate Saint realized too late?

Have you left, disgusted by your creations oppressing each other?

The Celestial God did not respond to Bigrind’s prayer.

And as if mocking her, the black spear finally aimed at Bigrind’s radiance —

• • Kwakwaaang!

What’s heard is a thunderous roar.

And the sound of something collapsing.

• • Grooooooo—!

A shout that sounds different from a roar, like the black giant is screaming.

“You—!”

Damian’s cry, filled with bewilderment.

‘…Ah, it hurts.’

A stinging pain penetrating Bigrind’s entire body.

Only then did Bigrind gently open her eyes.

“What the hell is that bastard doing now? Big, who the hell is that guy?”

Elegant black attire.

Milk-white hair flowing behind her back.

A tall and slender figure.

Those large breasts visible even from behind — which had always been displeasing.

It was Yona.

The black giant, in the middle of striking down its spear, lost its grip on the spear and tumbled due to a fierce impact from the side.

Berbaria, who pounced on such a giant, spewed black demonic energy and charged at the giant again, then bit into the giant’s arm.

Smoke rose from the demonic energy gushing from his fangs, and Berbaria, with the giant’s arm in his mouth, violently shook his head and threw the giant down again.

The giant was helplessly overwhelmed by Berbaria’s attacks and tumbled through the slum.

Not only were Berbaria’s attacks coming without giving time to regain composure, but the altered demonic energy gushing from his fangs was seeping into the giant’s body and acting as poison.

“And who the hell are you? Who are you to be doing this to Big?”

Yona growled in a rough voice.

Her gaze was on Damian.

Berbaria had explained that he was Damian.

She had also been told that he was one of the demon Grand Dukes, a vampire.

But seeing him directly like this, she wasn’t sure what kind of guy he was, and she didn’t particularly want to know, but one thing was certain.

Since Big was hostile to him, he probably wasn’t a normal guy.

Moreover, if he was a demon Grand Duke, he was someone Yona needed to absorb.

“The Saint of the demon realm has appeared, so hurry up and submit, you blood-sucker.”

“I had heard that a Saint had appeared in the demon realm.”

Damian’s expression returned once again to that gloomy look.

With that voice full of depression, Damian stared at Yona and said:

“—I had not heard that she was such an ugly woman. What on earth are the priestesses thinking?”

“Ugly, you crazy bastard.”

Yona, who was about to get very angry, quickly calmed down.

Then she spoke to Damian again.

“…Never mind, just hurry up and submit. Like that Berbaria over there.”

“The demon Grand Duke, Berbaria, is it. That weakling snake would have had a hard time surviving if he didn’t submit to you. It would be troublesome if you saw me the same way. I didn’t realize I looked so ridiculous.”

Damian said this while spreading both arms.

Black characters unfolded behind his back, and eventually they rotated, drawing a round circle like a barrier.

“The time has come to show the majesty of the king. Well then, I shall show you.”

Black energy raced across the ground.

The black energy that covered the ground with explosive momentum eventually surged up to cover even the sky, turning everything into a uniform black color.

And in the center of it stood an altar tinged with red light.

Damian stood in front of that altar.

“Where the king is, there is the palace. Yes, welcome. To my palace.”

With those words, the world changed completely.