Ch.275Chapter 275 – Serious (1)

In a certain alley of the Fiume port.

Normally, this place would have been adorned with a vagrant or two on the ground, but for some reason, there wasn’t even a trace of those people.

And as if to replace them, there were two hooded figures, and shadows pursuing them.

“Damn it…! Of all places to be discovered here.”

One of the people running ahead cursed.

If someone had heard that voice from the side, they would have concluded that the owner of the voice was a young girl. And then, as if trying to calm the young girl, a boy’s voice was heard.

“Calm down, it’s not like we didn’t calculate this might happen.”

“Even so!”

The girl replied, gritting her teeth.

“I didn’t think we’d be detected this quickly!”

“That’s true.”

The boy answered halfheartedly.

However, judging by his narrowed eyes under the hood, he wasn’t responding that way because the girl was annoying him.

He had simply answered halfheartedly to the girl’s words because all his attention was focused behind them.

“They’re coming!”

Right after the boy shouted, one of the pursuers behind them threw something.

A blade filled with red energy flew toward them, and seeing it, the girl shouted boldly.

“Ha, even if I get seriously injured now!”

Saying that, the girl snapped her fingers.

With just that, the blade began to turn into smoke, and knowing her defense had succeeded, the girl turned back and shouted mockingly.

“I’m not weak enough to fall to such ordinary attacks! You fake, pretender nobles!”

The latter words were clearly meant to provoke the pursuers.

And in response to her attitude, the pursuers behind began to launch attacks indiscriminately.

“To fall for such a simple provocation.”

The boy said as he swung his hand once.

In an instant, his fingers grew larger, and with a gust of wind, all the red blades were shattered.

“They really are weaklings.”

The boy said that and then turned his body again.

The number of pursuers chasing them now was just over ten.

No matter how severe their injuries were, they could win easily in a normal fight.

Yet they were running away.

“If it weren’t for that vampire woman coming from behind, we could take care of all of them here.”

“Damn it.”

The girl looked at the figure coming from behind after hearing the boy’s words.

It was clearly directed at the figure flying from behind, rather than the pursuers.

At a glance, she seemed so relaxed that it almost looked like she had no intention of picking up speed.

However, the fact that she wasn’t disappearing from the fugitives’ sight at all indicated that this distance was purely because she wasn’t being serious.

“We’ve been making all this fuss until now to shake her off.”

“Can’t be helped. She was the strongest after us.”

The boy said, narrowing his eyes.

“…And now that we’re badly injured, she’s stronger than us.”

“Damn it.”

The girl cursed again but had to agree.

Without injuries, they could win unless the location was particularly unfavorable.

But now they were in an injured state.

There was no good way to win against an opponent they would have to be careful of even in normal physical condition.

That’s why they had been on the run until now.

And as if answering the boy’s words, the figure that appeared behind the pursuers took out a fan, covered her mouth with it, and said:

“I’m getting tired of this chase. Would you mind giving up and letting yourselves be captured?”

A woman in a black dress resembling mourning clothes said with a smile.

Her height was only slightly taller than the girl on this side, so she didn’t look like an adult woman.

However, knowing that she was actually quite old, the girl smirked and said:

“Damn old hag.”

“You’re older than me, Dark Elf.”

The woman replied in a slightly angry voice, apparently sensitive about her age.

And the hooded girl, the Dark Elf, slightly lowered her hood.

“No choice. We’ll have to fight properly here.”

As she finished speaking, the Dark Elf prepared to attack.

Seeing magical power gathering around her, the boy also lowered his hood and said:

“Vanilla, are you ready?”

“You better keep up, Gigas.”

The two demon commanders, who were once leaders of the demon army, entered battle stance.

Watching them, the woman smiled fiercely and lowered her fan.

Just as the two commanders, the woman, and her subordinates were about to rush at each other—

“Oh my!”

Suddenly, the woman jumped far back.

And golden divine power began to shoot toward where she had been standing.

“Aaaaargh!!!!”

A subordinate who was unlucky enough to be hit by that light instantly began to turn to ash.

Immediately, the woman’s subordinates began to cower, and the two commanders started to be on guard.

In an instant, tension filled the place, and the two forces stopped confronting each other.

And the woman with the fan looked in the direction from which the light had come, and as if realizing something, she covered her mouth with her fan and said:

“…I should say I’m honored.”

The woman said quietly.

“I never expected to see both a god and a dragon at the same time.”

“What?”

Forgetting they were enemies, Vanilla raised her voice as if asking what she meant.

Soon, several figures appeared from the alley.

And seeing familiar faces among them, Vanilla’s eyes widened.

“Those are…”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but they seem to have appeared at a good time.”

A man wearing a helmet and armor said as he drew his sword.

And the sword soon changed into a halberd, and the man who rested it on his shoulder said quietly:

“So, who’s the enemy?”

“The White Dragon…”

Looking at the man who had intruded, Kay, Vanilla quietly called out his epithet.

+

There are demons hiding in the port.

After saying that, Chris immediately pointed in a direction.

It was a bit far from where we were, but Chris guided us in the exact direction, and soon at a certain point, he suddenly extended his hand and shot divine power.

And as we continued moving, we could see demons facing off against each other amidst a large amount of ash flying, probably due to the divine power Chris had shot earlier.

“You found them accurately.”

“I’m a god, so I should be able to do at least this much, right?”

At my words, Chris lifted his head slightly, as if embarrassed but wanting to boast.

After smiling slightly at Chris, I stepped toward the demons in front of us.

And changing my weapon to a halberd, I slowly examined the opponents.

“So, who’s the enemy?”

“The White Dragon…”

The Dark Elf was muttering something while looking at me.

And behind her was a small boy.

‘These are the commanders who appeared in Albheim.’

After immediately recognizing the identity of the opponents, I turned my gaze again to look at the ones they were facing.

They all had an antique look about them.

And pale skin.

“So those are vampires.”

I didn’t expect to meet them so soon after hearing news of them appearing in Florence or the royal palace.

‘There’s a limit to coincidence.’

On my way to the port for a different purpose, I heard rumors of demons plotting something suspicious, and then I meet demons at my destination.

I was a bit conflicted about whether I should be grateful to the god who was smiling beside me now for this coincidence or not.

“So what are those things doing now?”

“It seems those two are being chased.”

Ive said quietly as she drew her sword.

“And those two are definitely demon commanders. They were unusually strong.”

“But they seem to be injured.”

Beatrice said, narrowing her eyes.

That’s how the three forces—vampires, commanders, and us—came to face each other.

‘Now, what to do.’

From our perspective, both were enemies.

While they seemed to be confronting each other, I didn’t want to create a situation where they would join forces against us.

‘Should I quickly take care of one side?’

The commanders were currently injured.

If we were determined, we could probably deal with them quickly.

While I was contemplating how to move, Sia drew her greatsword, quietly stuck it in the ground, and then spoke to the woman who seemed to be the leader of the vampires.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, Sirius.”

“It’s been a while, Sia. And please add ‘Duchess’ to that.”

The two seemed to know each other well.

Soon, Sia spoke again.

“So, I’d like to ask what you’re doing now.”

“As you can see. We were chasing our traitors.”

The woman called Sirius said, looking down at Sia.

“Why are those two traitors?”

“Because the current Demon King decided so.”

“…Did your leader think so too?”

Sia asked, narrowing her eyes.

Soon, the woman named Sirius closed her eyes for a moment, then opened her red eyes and said:

“I am the leader now. You can guess from the fact that I’m here, not in a safe rear position.”

“I see.”

As if the conversation was over, Sia turned her head away from the woman.

And after looking at the commanders behind, she looked at me and said:

“I think it would be good to cooperate now, considering our enemies align. What do you think?”

“That’s…”

While the vampires had called the commanders traitors, so there probably wouldn’t be any collusion between those demons, it was difficult to trust a former enemy with our backs.

Right now, even Serra, Ive, and Chris were clearly glaring at the commanders with suspicion, making it even more difficult.

From the start, I couldn’t take my eyes off them either, so it was hard to just trust and fight together.

Just as Sia was about to say something after seeing our attitude—

“What are you all doing? Why aren’t you attacking?”

Sirius, with her fan, ordered her subordinates.

Soon, her subordinates began to protest.

“Wait, didn’t you see one of us turn to ash earlier? If that’s really a god, how can we—!”

“And there’s the White Dragon too!”

The enemies were busy talking, pointing at Chris and me.

And the woman quietly looked down at them and said:

“Then all the more reason to attack, isn’t it? Do you think you’ll survive if you just stand still?”

“But…!”

The vampire continued to resist.

And the next moment.

A red blade cut off his neck, and the beheaded vampire soon turned to ash.

“How noisy. There’s no reason for me to listen to your opinions.”

The woman called Sirius said, looking at her subordinates.

“Go and attack. Or die by my hand. Either way, I don’t care.”

“This…!”

Another vampire tried to rush at her.

But that was the end.

This time, red thorns sprouted from the vampire’s body, and this rushing vampire also turned to ash.

“This crazy woman…!”

“How many more do I have to kill before you’ll go and attack?”

The vampires cowered as they looked at the woman emitting red energy.

And soon they turned around.

“Damn it, kill them!”

As if they had given up, they began to rush toward us.

The vampire closest to me reached out his hand and shouted.

Somehow, a red sword had appeared in his hand.

“Die, White Dragon!”

“I’d rather not!”

I immediately met his attack with my halberd.

And after deflecting the enemy’s attack, I kicked his knee, forcibly bending it, causing the enemy to groan as his balance collapsed.

Just as I was about to continue with a follow-up attack—

“Eek.”

I suddenly dodged by turning my head to avoid thorns that shot out from the red sword.

And the sword also began to disappear, melting like liquid.

I could immediately identify what that liquid was.

“Blood, huh.”

I said as I slashed the enemy with my halberd.

Then I saw the blood he spilled solidify again, forcibly blocking the wound.

Just as I was thinking I had failed to kill him with one strike and was preparing for the next attack—

“Holy Light!”

The light that Chris shot flew toward the surroundings once more.

This time too, one vampire got caught in it and turned to ash, and the vampire confronting me rolled back with all his might to escape the attack range.

And then, I was slightly surprised looking at my weapon.

‘Divine power is imbued in it?’

Even without using Serra’s holy water jelly, golden divine power was imbued in the weapon.

Chris immediately shouted:

“It’s infused with my divine power! That weapon was made using my divine power!”

I could see Chris blocking an enemy’s attack as he said that.

Behind her, another vampire began to circle around to get in, but…

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Stay away!”

Ive and Serra attacked the vampire to protect Chris.

As Ive swung her sword and Serra fired a spell, I could see the vampire who had tried to ambush Chris retreating with injuries.

Meanwhile, Beatrice was striking down a vampire with an iron chain before grabbing its head and breaking its neck, and Sia was facing two vampires with her sword. That’s when I noticed—

“No time to be distracted, White Dragon…!”

Not just the one I had been facing, but two more rushed at me.

They had weapons made of blood and some kind of strange energy that felt like they were preparing some sort of magic.

It seemed they thought I was defenseless in the moment I was looking around.

As I swung my halberd imbued with golden divine power, the enemy’s weapon immediately shattered and disappeared, and I slashed the surprised enemy with my halberd.

“Ugh…!!”

Before he could even finish his scream, the enemy turned to ash and disappeared.

And I saw blood orbs being shot at me.

“Die!!”

Seeing the enemy’s attack, now filled with desperation, I changed my halberd into a spear.

I threw the spear, which easily pierced through the enemy’s attack before lodging in the vampire’s body.

And immediately after dodging an attack swung from behind, I changed the spear that had somehow reappeared in my hand into a sword and thrust it into the enemy’s body.

“Kugh…!”

The vampire with bulging eyes looked at me.

But before he could do anything, that vampire turned to ash and disappeared.

I shook my sword clean and stepped back slightly.

“Then next is…”

Just as I turned my head to support another area, there were no vampires left.

Everyone had already dealt with the vampires that had rushed at them.

Everyone immediately gathered toward me, and I turned my head to look at Sirius.

“Looks like you’re next.”

I said, pointing my sword at Sirius.

“We’ll see.”

Sirius, covering her mouth with her fan, said with a smile.