Subjugation of the Demon Race (3)

,The Hero’s blood? Hehe… That’s a funny joke.”

Bloodmere lifted her teacup and took a sip.

,What’s so special about human blood? It’s all the same.”

She continued.

,I’ve tasted the blood of all kinds of races for hundreds of years.”

That was the moment.

Click.

The teacup stopped in Bloodmere’s hand.

Her red eyes widened, very slightly, but definitely.

,This…”

Her lips parted slightly.

,…This smell…?”

,What’s wrong? Why is she suddenly like this?’

Her whole body began to tremble as if electrocuted. Her eyes widened rapidly, as if her pupils would tear.

She licked her lips, which had been elegantly closed.

,This is… This fragrance is…”

Bloodmere muttered in a trembling voice.

,For hundreds of years… No, even if I lived for a thousand years, I couldn’t smell it… The scent of blood that doesn’t exist in this world…”

She leaned toward me.

,The purest… The sweetest… The most fundamental scent of life… Ah, this is like…”

She reached out to me.

,That blood… Give me that blood! All the blood I’ve drunk so far… It was sewer water! How can such perfect blood exist!”

The elegant and noble appearance from just now was nowhere to be found. Like an addict suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

,Huh? Wait, I was just kidding…”

I was flustered and backed away.

,Is Haru-nim’s blood that special? What kind of scent does it have?”

Darkness sniffed and buried her face in my arm.

,I don’t smell anything…”

,Ah, no… Just a moment…”

She got up from her seat and tried to rush at me, but barely regained her composure and quickly straightened her posture.

Of course, her once elegant posture had completely collapsed, and she was precariously perched on the edge of her chair, leaning forward.

,*Kuluk*, *keuheum*! Actually… Now that I think about it, joining the Demon King’s army might not be so bad!”

Her voice was subtly trembling.

,I’ve been… Yes, I’ve been trying to break the status quo and seek new changes for a while now! This is perfect!”

,Suddenly?”

,My relationship with humans… It was actually a bit boring! I needed a new stimulus… No, a change! This is a very timely proposal!”

,Ah, no… Now that I think about it, it might not be necessary…”

What’s wrong with this girl all of a sudden? Something’s strange.

Ignoring my suspicious gaze, Bloodmere continued in an impatient voice.

,But… Isn’t there a token of cooperation? To confirm each other’s trust… Just… a little bit…”

She looked at me with pleading eyes.

,Really, just even one drop…”

,If you don’t want to cooperate… I guess there’s no helping it.”

,What…”

Before she could finish speaking, the atmosphere in the room began to change strangely.

Huu-

A cold wind blew from somewhere, extinguishing the candles on the wall one by one. Even the moonlight shining through the stained glass was obscured by thick clouds.

The temperature in the room was subtly, but definitely, dropping.

,Haru-nim… Something… Something’s wrong…”

Darkness grabbed my sleeve tightly, looking uneasy.

A threatening smile, no longer elegant, appeared on Bloodmere’s lips.

*Seueuk*… *Seureureuk*…

Red liquid began to seep out of the walls like sweat.

Floor, ceiling, walls. Blood flowed down from everywhere.

The beautiful mansion instantly transformed into something like the inside of a living creature.

*Kkulreong*. *Kkulreong*.

The walls contracted and expanded like stomach walls, and the ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling pulsed like a heart.

,Now… It’s impossible to get out of here.”

Bloodmere whispered.

,It would be better for you to hand over that blood willingly.”

*Chwaaaaaak*-!

As soon as she finished speaking, tentacles made of blood sprouted from all directions.

From the floor, from the walls, even from the ceiling, dozens, hundreds of blood-red tentacles stretched out towards us with fierce momentum.

,Now, choose. Sweet cooperation, or terrible coercion.”

,*Euaaaak*! It’s disgusting!”

Darkness screamed and hid behind Elise, trembling.

,Don’t come near the Demon King-nim!”

Elise drew her sword and fiercely slashed at the tentacles. But the places her sword passed through healed again in an instant.

,There’s no end…!”

Even if we cut them down, the tentacles endlessly regenerated and narrowed the encirclement around us.

,Hehehe… Ahahahahaha!”

Bloodmere’s laughter echoed throughout the entire space.

Her body floated into the air. The small girl’s body began to grow rapidly.

She grew taller, and the curves of her body transformed into those of a mature woman. Behind her, a huge curtain of blood unfolded, forming a bizarre shape like bat wings.

Complete transformation.

She was no longer a 12-year-old girl. She was the true queen of vampires, who had lived for hundreds of years.

,I’ll show you a little taste of the power I’ve accumulated over hundreds of years.”

As she snapped her fingers, the air itself seemed to turn into sticky blood. With every breath, the fishy smell of blood pierced our lungs.

,This is your last chance.”

She licked her lips with her red tongue and whispered to me.

,Will you give it to me voluntarily? Or will I have to pull out your heart myself?”

At the same time, hundreds of blood-red tentacles that had sprung up from all directions surged towards us all at once.

,Well, I’m more comfortable with force anyway.”

At that moment, a dazzling light burst forth from my right hand.

*Chwaaaaaa*-!

The pure white holy sword ‘Dawn’ revealed itself.

[Ah… The time has come to realize justice once again.]

The holy golden radiance emanating from the holy sword. As if a small sun had risen, it brightly illuminated this bizarre space.

The blood-red tentacles that touched the sacred light began to scream and evaporate.

With a sizzling, flesh-burning sound, a terrible stench filled the air.

,*Keuaaaak*! T-This is… a holy sword!”

For the first time, shock and pain clouded Bloodmere’s face. Her skin also burned as soon as it touched the light, as if she had been burned.

The light of the holy sword did not stop there.

As the golden wave spread throughout the castle, the wriggling walls, the pulsating chandelier, and even the blood prison that had tried to trap us. Everything made of blood disappeared as if absorbed into the light.

*Kwareureureung*-!

With the roar of the huge fortress collapsing, the bizarre, organ-like space returned to its original elegant Gothic palace.

,*Keuheok*…”

Bloodmere, who had been floating in the air, also lost her strength and fell to the ground. Her body shrank back to the appearance of a girl of about twelve years old.

The dignity of the mature queen was nowhere to be found, and the young girl collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath and groaning painfully.

,T-This… This can’t be…”

I pointed the holy sword at her neck and asked quietly.

,Do you know who’s stronger now?”

The overwhelming difference in power. It was a more certain language than any logic or persuasion.

Bloodmere looked up at me with trembling eyes. And in the next moment, all arrogance and anger disappeared from her face.

,I-I’m sorry! I-I was wrong!”

She suddenly slammed her forehead on the floor and began to beg.

,I deserve to die! Daring to… to the Hero-nim…!”

,……?”

,Please… Please forgive me! I’ll do anything you want! I’ll give you my kingdom, my life, everything, so please…!”

She sobbed and pleaded. Then, she suddenly raised her head and crawled towards me with bloodshot eyes.

Wait, isn’t she just desperate to save her life…?

,So… Please… That blood… Just a little bit…!”

Is it really that despairing not to be able to drink my blood?

,I’ve never smelled such a fragrance in my entire life! This is fate!”

,No, it’s okay. I don’t need your cooperation, so I’ll just go my way.”

As I stepped back, Bloodmere’s face turned pale.

,No! Please… Please don’t leave!”

She desperately grabbed my sleeve. The grip I felt from her small hand was beyond imagination.

,I really mean it! I’ll do anything you want! Please!”

,No, really, it’s okay! Let go!”

I tried to pull her hand away, but Bloodmere clung on desperately.

,I can never give up! Not until I taste that blood!”

She grabbed my arm and begged.

,Just a little bit! Just one drop a week is enough! Okay?”

,Haru-nim, what’s going on? Why is she like that?”

Darkness, who had come up behind me unnoticed, asked with a bewildered expression.

,Haa…”

The situation was completely twisted. Even if I left like this, she would definitely chase me for the rest of my life.

,Then… Once a month… No, even once every two months…!”

Tears streamed down Bloodmere’s eyes.

,In return, I’ll give you all the power of this Crimson Rose! My army, my wealth, even this body, everything!”

I fell into deep thought for a moment.

Obsession is scary, but it was also an opportunity to gain the powerful force of a vampire kingdom. There was no other good way out of this situation.

,Okay.”

I finally opened my mouth.

,But there are conditions.”

,Yes! Yes! Anything!”

Bloodmere nodded her head like crazy before I could even finish speaking.

,First, once a month. And only a very small amount.”

,Yes!”

,Second, you must absolutely obey my orders. And if I say I don’t like it, then you have to stop unconditionally.”

,Yes! I promise! I will!”

A bright smile bloomed on Bloodmere’s face.

,Finally, the Demon King is over there.”

I pointed to Darkness.

,The one you will pledge your loyalty to is not me, but Demon King Darkness-nim.”

,Yes! Of course! I will pledge my loyalty to the Demon King-nim!”

Bloodmere immediately knelt before Darkness.

,Great Demon King Darkness-nim. I, the noble Bloodmere, and my kingdom, the Crimson Rose, pledge our eternal loyalty to the Demon King-nim from this moment on.”

But her red eyes never left me.

,Wow! Now I have two subordinates! I really feel like a real Demon King!”

Darkness jumped up and down with joy.

I watched her and sighed with mixed feelings.

,Hero-nim… So, when can I taste that sweet blood?”

I had achieved my goal, but I felt strange. Why aren’t there any normal women around me?