Ch.463Episode 17 – The Blood-Drinking Tree

A cave that would have been pitch black if left in its natural state.

The worshippers of the Earth Mother brought bright light to the deep cavern.

But transparent light is absent here.

Red illumination soaks the rock walls, and siren sounds disturb the air.

Spent bullet casings are scattered everywhere, and glass fragments are sprinkled about like snow fallen at dawn.

The corridor glowed blood-red.

A cave consumed by ominous lighting.

In the depths of vivid darkness too deep to measure.

-Clank- Clank-

The heavy metallic sound of steel against steel continued menacingly for a long while.

Episode 17 – The Blood-Drinking Tree

“Request support from the Punishment Committee, quickly!”

“We must lower the barriers and destroy the facility immediately!”

“Are you insane? We don’t even know how many people haven’t escaped yet, and you want to blow up the cave!”

It was absolute chaos.

Heated arguments, wailing, and sounds of people suffering in pain and agony could be heard everywhere.

“What in the world…”

Camilla muttered as she looked around at the unfamiliar scene.

Others who arrived at the scene with a slight delay, passing through the light clusters that flashed with each teleportation magic circle, wore similar expressions.

The confusion at the scene offered a subtle sense of anxiety. Emotions are both volatile and highly contagious.

Camilla couldn’t help but feel that something had gone wrong, even without knowing what was happening.

“Ibrahim!”

Amidst the chaos, she spotted a man. Ibrahim, commander of the Sacred Knight Order’s 92541st Unit, commonly known as the Utland Order.

He was sitting on a box, puffing on a cigarette.

“I heard the coffin was opened. What exactly happened?”

“…The vampire has awakened.”

His response came weakly.

His tone was markedly different from his usual voice that exuded confidence.

As she sat down on the box next to him to hear the details, Ibrahim’s condition finally came into view.

“…What happened to you?”

“As you can see. Wounds… from the battle.”

His face showed clear signs of distress, and his disassembled bulletproof vest dangled loosely.

The uniform covering his shoulder had been neatly torn as if cut with scissors, revealing glimpses of blood-soaked skin and suture marks.

“Where is Saint Veronica?”

“I’m not sure. I saw her down there earlier, but after the lights exploded, she disappeared.”

I wondered if something had happened to her, but Ibrahim shook his head.

“At least when I last saw her, Saint Veronica wasn’t even injured. After receiving reports that the vampire had awakened, she took up arms and went to face it herself.”

“So you didn’t fight together.”

“No. Despite the priests’ attempts to dissuade her, she insisted on going alone.”

“Haa…”

Damn it. Why would she do something so reckless?

At least Veronica seems to be safe. When we spoke on the phone just moments ago, her voice and breathing were stable, and she said she would contact me separately later after assessing the situation, assuring me she wasn’t injured.

“Those of us who came up in the elevator just now were the last to successfully escape. Six minutes… no, exactly eight minutes ago.”

Veronica had contacted me 12 minutes ago.

If the Sacred Knight Order had made the last escape, there was a good chance she was somewhere on the surface. However, with casualty management and personnel accounting still ongoing, it didn’t seem easy to go looking for her.

I went to Francesca, who was conversing with what appeared to be researchers or scholars, and asked her to find Veronica. As she was already gathering information to assess the situation, she readily agreed to meet with Veronica and learn what had happened.

A moment later, I returned to my position and posed a question to Ibrahim.

“What exactly happened?”

Exhaling cigarette smoke, Ibrahim began speaking in a calm tone.

“As you’ve heard, the vampire awakened. A researcher from Al-Yabd was the first to notice the coffin opening and spread the word. The guards and Sacred Knight Order tried to kill the vampire, but they were overwhelmed.”

“You couldn’t kill it?”

“If we had succeeded in eliminating the vampire, we wouldn’t be sitting here like this.”

I wasn’t sure if it was self-deprecation or a statement of fact, but Ibrahim’s demeanor appeared quite composed.

I listened attentively, and Ibrahim continued his explanation in a monotone voice.

“The vampire that awoke from its deep slumber was far stronger than anticipated. Neither consecrated bullets nor holy water affected it. It withstood the hail of gunfire and even broke through the seals and barriers.”

Consecrated bullets refer to ammunition that has received a priest’s prayers and been sprinkled with holy water.

Unlike ammunition mass-produced in munitions factories, consecrated bullets are produced by the Inquisition and cannot be made in large quantities. It takes time and effort to imbue them with the power to destroy evil.

Thanks to these consecrated bullets, the Inquisition was able to eliminate all manner of unholy and evil beings. The centuries-long battle ended in humanity’s victory.

But…

“The consecrated bullets didn’t work?”

When I asked again, Ibrahim silently nodded.

What could have possibly allowed a vampire to remain unaffected after being hit by consecrated bullets?

“The armor was the problem.”

“Armor?”

“Are you familiar with the armor knights used to wear?”

“If you mean those knights on horseback… Yes. I’ve seen them when visiting historical sites during my military history studies.”

“It was wearing that. Whether through some dark magic or having inherited thick blood, even our bullets couldn’t penetrate it.”

It was an absurd testimony.

No matter how sturdy armor might be, that only applied before the advent of firearms.

The invention of gunpowder brought about the end of castle walls and full-body armor, and the emergence of magic put the final nail in the coffin of the declining age of knights.

Of course, breastplates still existed even when muskets were mainstream, but modern firearm ammunition boasts penetration power incomparable to muskets.

Even medieval armor recreated with modern casting techniques gets punctured like cheese by rifle bullets. To claim that 800-year-old armor could stop rifle bullets? This assertion defied common sense.

“No, logically speaking…”

Just as I was about to refute Ibrahim’s claim, a thought occurred to me.

Is this really a situation that can be explained by common sense?

An 800-year-old corpse moving around, humans wielding magic and divine power with their bare hands, and creatures with animal ears in human form forming societies. These were phenomena I couldn’t possibly explain with my common sense.

If common sense doesn’t apply, then it’s not the situation that’s wrong, but the premise itself.

If a corpse in a coffin can move, then 800-year-old armor stopping rifle bullets isn’t so strange after all.

Once that thought settled in, my mind felt somewhat calmer.

Swallowing the words that had risen to my throat, I took a moment to compose myself and opened my eyes.

“Is there any way left to kill the vampire?”

“There are options.”

I silently raised my head and looked at him. Ibrahim also gazed back at me in silence.

After a brief silence…

“…Follow me.”

Taking one last drag from his nearly finished cigarette, the Sacred Knight Order commander stubbed it out in the sand and stood up.

“The armory is this way.”

*

The place Ibrahim led me to was a trailer some distance away. Armed soldiers stood in front of the black container, and a pad was attached to the iron door.

The container was filled with weapons. From silver knives and old scriptures to modern firearms and electronic equipment. All were standard-issue weapons used by the Sacred Knight Order.

“All the weapons here have been brought in from holy sites. Some are used by us, others by the inquisitors.”

I examined a pistol surrounded by cushioning foam and asked:

“They’re all consecrated, I assume?”

“Of course.”

Ibrahim explained the purpose and usage of the weapons stored in the container.

“Since you’re a soldier, you’ll know how to handle firearms and explosives. I’ll just briefly explain the vampire’s weaknesses and the special equipment.”

“First, this flat disc-shaped small object. It’s a bomb with holy water and silver beads inside. Silver and holy water are weaknesses for all undead. When you press the button, blades spring out, and they’ll embed deeply enough to withstand even a werewolf’s thrashing, so throw it carefully.”

“This rod that looks like a flare is a portable flamethrower. It uses oil imbued with divine power as fuel to spew holy fire, and fire has been, along with sunlight, the most reliable weapon for destroying the undead since ancient times. It’s disposable, but you can reuse it by replacing the cartridge.”

“This is thread made of silver. With its strong tension and durability, it can restrain movement, and because it’s sharp, it can also be used as a trap in emergencies. In the past, they used this to bind vampires and drive stakes through their hearts to kill them.”

As I was gathering weapons, he pulled out an ammunition box from a drawer and handed me a bulletproof vest hanging on the wall.

“Use these bullets and take this bulletproof vest too.”

“What are these?”

“High-penetration armor-piercing consecrated bullets with core and jacket, and a bulletproof vest with talismans embedded in it.”

He couldn’t guarantee the performance of the armor-piercing bullets in this situation, as it was his first time dealing with such circumstances.

But he could speak with certainty about the bulletproof vest’s effectiveness.

“While it may not completely block direct attacks from the vampire, it will at least protect you from the darkness it wields. With luck, you might avoid fatal wounds even if attacked by the vampire.”

“Is it effective?”

“At the very least, it will prevent you from becoming disabled.”

As he spoke, Ibrahim threw off his top, revealing the wound on his shoulder.

While I was fastening the buckles, he changed into a clean combat uniform and began preparing his own bulletproof vest. Glancing at him from the corner of my eye, I bluntly asked:

“Are you going to fight?”

“I must.”

It was a resolute answer.

It seemed he had no intention of giving up the fight. Other clerics, who appeared to be Sacred Knight Order members, also entered the container to draw equipment and load magazines with live ammunition.

“Brother Ibrahim.”

“Ah, Inquisitor. What is it?”

“A word, please…”

An inquisitor whispered something into the Sacred Knight Order commander’s ear. I couldn’t hear the content, but judging by Ibrahim’s subtly darkened expression, it wasn’t good news.

Sure enough, Camilla came running breathlessly and shouted to me from the container entrance:

“She’s gone!”

“What do you mean gone?”

“Francesca’s been looking for Saint Veronica, but she’s not here! Right now, inside…”

Her finger pointed somewhere, and I hurriedly went outside to see where Camilla was looking.

“Ah, shit…”

Between the sheer reddish-brown rock walls. The entrance where a crowd had gathered.

There was an elevator leading to the facility.

*

Shouts were exchanged. An elderly cleric with a purple fascia around his neck strained his voice.

“Why are we only now learning that Saint Veronica is still inside! How dare you call yourselves Sacred Knights and Inquisitors!”

“Bishop, please calm down!”

“You, go report to the Vatican. And as for Saint Lucia… try to break the news as gently as possible.”

Male monks tried to dissuade him, but the bishop resisted fiercely. The aged priest vented his indignation, and the clerics who received his rebuke bowed their heads like the worst of traitors.

The scholars muttered with disbelieving faces.

“Sunset is approaching… If this continues, the vampire might reach the surface.”

“Haven’t the barriers been lowered? Three steel doors, each over 30cm thick. It’s essentially trapped in a lead, silver, zinc, and concrete coffin hundreds of meters underground. It won’t escape easily.”

“But didn’t you all see it? The creature walking past the statue of Israel who slew demons, crossing over the salt barrier…!”

“Who touched it in the first place? All readings were normal until 10 minutes ago. Which idiot messed things up?”

“No one touched it. We had trap magic set up 5 meters around the coffin. No one could approach it, and no one did. How many guards were watching the coffin?”

The clerics of Al-Yabd lowered their voices with anxious expressions.

“This is all because of those cultists. We must urge the High Priest to severely punish those who pursue visions while turning a blind eye to heresy.”

“…Enough! The Punishment Committee has dispatched ‘Farsa.’ They should be more than capable of sealing the vampire.”

“If we lose ‘Farsa’ on top of the twenty-plus Sacred Knights and ‘Mostar’ who went underground and may not even be alive…”

“First, we need to quickly resolve the issues at the facility. I’ll report to the High Priest as soon as he finishes his prayers. If it’s him, who fought alongside the Empire’s Grand Duke, a mere vampire should be nothing.”

Francesca looked at the crowd with a serious expression.

“People are still trapped inside the facility, yet no one seems concerned about them.”

Contempt, coldness, and mockery flowed from her lips, but no one heard. Or they pretended not to hear.

“It’s amazing they escaped without even realizing the Saint was still inside. How could they not know, especially the clerics of the order?”

“Indeed.”

I don’t know the exact number of personnel stationed at the facility, but just counting the people gathered here, there must be at least 300.

“Checking the surveillance equipment, I found that all Inquisition and Sacred Knight Order members were deployed in combat, while researchers and scholars fled from the vampire.”

The confusion that arose as fighters entered and those fleeing for their lives intermingled reached its peak when the vampire appeared around the corner.

The desperate struggles of those trying to escape the vampire.

Sharp nails that scratched past chin straps to throats, and pressure felt from all directions.

A researcher rolling on the floor after hearing intense gunfire, and a janitor crawling on all fours, unable to stand due to lost strength.

To buy time for civilians to escape, guards and clerics attacked with all their might, but the vampire didn’t budge.

Initially, they managed to form a defensive line and hold out. But when the lights exploded without warning, everything was reversed.

Darkness swallowed the entire facility, leaving escape as the only option.

The guards and inquisitors barely managed to evacuate the civilians in the escape route and get out, while the Sacred Knight Order, who had their vision sealed in pitch-black darkness and were holding off the vampire until the end, had to retreat without even recovering their wounded. Or perhaps they got lost in the darkness and couldn’t escape.

Veronica’s figure was nowhere to be seen except for the moment she left her room.

I checked my light and blurted out:

“Of course, those who should have been protecting the VIP left the Saint behind, so it’s inevitable they’re being treated like criminals. Still, they made the best choice in that situation, so there should be some room for leniency.”

Hearing this, Francesca asked with a smile:

“You don’t seem very worried about her?”

“Worry is selective.”

Who is Veronica? She’s a survival specialist who managed to navigate the three-way battle between the Imperial Guard, the Inquisition, and Military Intelligence with just her tightrope walking skills.

Though in a different field, when it comes to survival, she’s on par with Bear Grylls.

“And it’s strange that a Saint who defeated demons would fall to a mere vampire, isn’t it?”

She was alive and well enough to talk on the phone just moments ago. If it’s Veronica, she must still be alive.

With the light secured to my bulletproof vest, all checks were complete. I loaded consecrated bullets into the chamber and looked around.

“Is everyone ready?”

Francesca, who had a rune sword with strange characters engraved on it strapped to her back, nodded. I could hear the sloshing of alchemical potions in the leather pouches attached to her belt.

Camilla, who had been repeatedly clenching and unclenching her fists, also answered energetically:

“Yes!”

“Let’s go in.”

As I tapped a shoulder, Sacred Knight Order members who had been illuminating the darkness with their lights boarded the elevator.

Camilla and Francesca entered, and after the doors closed, I had a brief exchange with Ibrahim.

“Are you a priest too, Ibrahim?”

“I was.”

“Then say a prayer for us.”

That we may return alive.

No sooner had the words ended than a loud noise was heard.

-Whoooom…!

The elevator carrying the humans began its descent.

Towards the darkness hundreds of meters below ground.