Vampire, Arrival (4)

“…I’m repaying the kindness I received. There’s no other intention.”

Alec looked at Scarlet with suspicious eyes before turning his gaze away.

In fact, Scarlet wasn’t really important right now.

Yona and Berbaria went ahead first, and leaving only Rubina and Serad in the carriage, Alec’s group entered Evian together with Alebiang.

Due to the commotion already happening in the back alleys, the gate guard who should have been guarding Evian’s city gate was nowhere to be found, so they were able to enter Evian smoothly without being stopped.

But that was all.

This black barrier standing in their way seemed determined not to allow anyone’s entry or exit, and even when Alec raised his holy power and hammered at it, it didn’t budge at all.

Not only them, but even the guards protecting Evian and the military that had been mobilized were unable to enter.

And that was Scarlet’s answer to Alec looking at her with suspicious eyes, as she had followed them all the way here for no apparent reason.

“It seems Damian has deployed his domain.”

Alebiang whispered to Alec.

Only Alec and Yona knew Alebiang’s true identity.

It wouldn’t be good for it to be known that he was a divine official of the demon realm, and only Yona of course and Alec at most knew.

Kairoc thought Alebiang was just a great mage.

“…Then what should we do?”

“There is a way, but…”

“Then we should do it.”

Alec replied without a moment’s hesitation.

Alebiang looked at Alec like that for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.

“The inside is already filled with sorcery power. Even if I open it, it won’t be of much help otherwise. There, Alec, you might find it difficult to move properly. Kairoc or James as well.”

“…Then what do we do?”

“Damian’s power is sorcery. It means his basic physical strength itself isn’t that great.”

“…Alebiang, let’s just speak plainly. I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

At Alec’s words, Alebiang frowned.

First Yona, and now even Alec.

Alebiang wondered how he had ended up in this situation, then sighed while pressing his temples.

“So—”

*

“I can only open it for a moment. Damian’s sorcery is never weak.”

As Alebiang said this, he began drawing circuits on the black barrier.

This time, excluding Kairoc and James who decided not to enter, Alec and Scarlet nodded with stern expressions as they watched Alebiang.

“Sir Scarlet, can you do it?”

“…Of course. I will definitely repay the kindness I received.”

Despite showing such fierce hatred towards Yona, she would repay the kindness of Yona saving her when she was dying from self-harm.

Although Alec wasn’t sure how much to believe Scarlet’s words, he decided to trust her for now.

There was no other option anyway.

“Then, I’m opening it.”

The circuit drawn on the black barrier.

The characters densely filling the area around the circuit mixing five-pointed and six-pointed stars were unrecognizable.

And Alebiang struck down with his palm right in the center of that circuit with a loud slap.

Then the barrier rippled greatly as if undulating.

The barrier that had looked solid suddenly felt squishy.

It was about the size for one adult man to enter.

“Now, quickly go in.”

At Alebiang’s urging, Alec and Scarlet stepped inside the barrier.

As soon as the two entered and Alebiang followed right after, that undulation disappeared and it turned back into that solid barrier as before.

“…Ugh.”

As soon as he entered, Alec frowned and gulped.

This strange feeling suddenly pressing down on his whole body wasn’t demonic energy.

This bizarre sensation that could only be described as ominous and eerie—

Yet not holy power either.

Alec barely held back his nausea at this alien energy he had never felt before in his life.

Alebiang didn’t look comfortable either, but Alec and Scarlet were managing to endure somewhat.

“Secti, are you alright…?”

“…I’m fine. Are you alright, senior?”

“I can bear it.”

Neither tainted by demonic energy, nor holy power.

Alec and Scarlet were in a strange state right now.

Scarlet had been gradually eroded by demonic energy since being attacked by Yona, and that erosion became even stronger when healed by Yona. And Alec too had been healed by Yona, and since his seal was undone by Yona’s hand, he had become a being mixed with demonic energy.

But the holy power they had cultivated their whole lives hadn’t disappeared either, so now they had become peculiar beings with demonic energy and holy power mixed together.

A third type of existence that Damian, who had lived since ancient times, couldn’t understand.

That’s what Alec and Scarlet had become.

Sorcery power that exerts great influence on ordinary humans, those imbued with holy power, and those imbued with demonic energy alike.

Alec and Scarlet were neither ordinary humans, nor pure clergymen, nor were they subordinate to demonic energy.

“Phew… No matter how many times I feel it, this feeling is really unpleasant.”

Even Alebiang said this, showing how ominous this place was.

Scarlet slowly drew her morning star.

A shield in one hand, and a morning star in the other.

Scarlet’s eyes flashed.

*

“What’s going on? You spoke quite impertinently telling me to submit, but why are you unable to do anything?”

Yona clenched her fist as she glared at Damian who was sneering with a voice full of laughter.

Her weapons were the storm of demonic energy, and also controlling snake-like familiars using Berbaria’s power.

The storm of demonic energy was supporting Berbaria who was engaged in a fierce battle with the black giant, and the snake familiars, perhaps because they were Berbaria’s power, were repeatedly blocked by the parchment talismans flying around Damian.

Rather, Bigrind was playing a bigger role.

It seemed her words about realizing the holy power of the Celestial God were not false, as her golden holy power was supporting the knights while also continuously striking down hammers of holy power on Damian’s head, making somewhat of an attack.

However, the obvious thing was that no decisive results were visible.

Kuaaaa—!

The black giant’s roar echoed.

And at the same time, Berbaria’s body flew across the sky over Yona’s head and—

Kwang!

Berbaria, who had collided with the barrier, fell straight to the ground, writhed a few times, and then went limp.

His body gradually became transparent, and soon disappeared completely.

【I’m… sorry, Saint… My, my power… could not reach…】

Berbaria’s voice was heard in Yona’s mind.

Judging by that faint voice that seemed about to fade away at any moment, Berbaria’s condition was not good.

Although she had continuously healed his wounds, there was nothing she could do about his depleted strength.

He probably wasn’t dead, but he was in no condition to fight right now.

‘…What should I do.’

No answer was coming.

She looked around.

The twenty or so cathedral knights were bravely fighting back, and that was probably due to Bigrind’s blessing.

Bigrind was sweating profusely, but she was still hanging on, and behind her, Bishop Phoebe and the other priests were lined up, each reciting prayers and drawing out holy power.

‘—Ceres? Why is she here?’

She had been wondering where all the magic kept coming from, and it seems Ceres was here.

There must be a reason why Ceres appeared at the relief event venue.

She wanted to go over and grab her collar to shake her right away, but she couldn’t.

Eije was right behind Ceres, and Yona couldn’t show Eije that she and Ceres had some kind of relationship.

“—Yona!”

A welcome voice reached Yona’s ears as she was thinking of what to do.

Alec and Scarlet ran towards Yona.

Alebiang had said it wouldn’t be good if his presence was revealed and concealed himself, so only the two of them were visible here now.

They had entered from behind Damian, and the black giant was approaching Yona and Bigrind.

So they were able to run towards the throne where Damian was sitting.

“You’re doing unnecessary things. If someone’s doing this, it must be that divine official…”

Damian snapped his fingers again without even turning around in his throne.

With a snap sound, several spheres with reddish-black flames flickering appeared around the throne, and from those spheres, dozens of sorcery arrows took form.

“Alec—! Danger, it’s dangerous!”

Yona screamed and ran towards where Alec was running.

The storm of demonic energy followed her movements, and that demonic energy stretched out to try to block Alec’s path, but—

The arrows were faster.

Dozens of arrows flew with a whooshing sound.

Alec and Scarlet didn’t stop even when they saw those arrows.

Rather, they split into two directions to create distance between them, planted their shields firmly on the ground, and took cover behind them.

Tudududududung!

The sound of arrows striking the shields echoed like rainfall.

Those arrows bounced off unable to penetrate the shields, and when Yona reached Alec—

Alec stretched out his hand and embraced Yona.

“I was too late. I’m sorry, Yona.”

“Why did you come, you idiot.”

Joy and joy and joy.

A voice mixed with emotions that could not be explained by anything else.

At the end of that voice, Yona buried her face in Alec’s chest.

There was no need for thought, no need for pretense.

It was the result of moving as instinct guided.

Sparks flew in Scarlet’s eyes as she watched this scene.

However, when Scarlet opened her eyes again after briefly shutting them tightly, her gaze was calm as if nothing had happened,

and she glared at Damian with that gaze.

“Is that the demon?”

“—Why did you bring that one again?”

Yona’s voice was sharp.

But she wasn’t really demanding an answer.

The situation was what it was, and there was an enemy that needed to be defeated right in front of them.

“This time you’ve brought strange beings. Not the Celestial God, nor the False Celestial God. And not even ordinary humans.”

Damian looked over the two with eyes full of interest.

There was no other emotion, but at least it was interesting.

“—There’s no time for long explanations. That thing is trying to kill Big. We have to stop it.”

“That’s enough.”

There was no need to look into the circumstances.

He was curious why the Hero wasn’t visible and the Saint was alone, but there must be a reason for that.

There was no time to ask about all that now, so Alec exchanged glances with Scarlet.

“Haa!”

Leaving Yona behind, Scarlet and Alec charged forward.

Damian maintained a relaxed posture throughout, and the spheres with reddish-black flames rising around him followed Alec and Scarlet, shooting arrows.

The shields shook violently each time they blocked arrows.

Alec’s shield wasn’t that great to begin with, so it was even more so, and even Scarlet’s shield, despite being consecrated, was the same. Their durability was visibly being chipped away, and the two were getting closer to Damian by that much.

Bang!

“Kuk.”

An involuntary groan escaped Bigrind’s lips.

The golden curtain that shook violently each time the black giant brought down its fist seemed about to shatter at any moment, and every time she repaired it, Bigrind felt a pain as if her brain was burning.

‘Celestial God, please give me, give me strength…!’

The situation hadn’t changed, only the opponent had changed from Damian to the black giant.

Alec and Scarlet had appeared and Yona had gone to them, and the one pounding on this curtain had changed from Damian to the black giant, that was all.

‘Hero…! Hero!’

The black giant seemed to have grown even stronger after swallowing the Hero.

The black giant when the Hero was facing it didn’t seem to have much physical strength, but now that it had swallowed the Hero, that was no longer the case.

Every time it struck down with its fist, the golden curtain shook.

The dead that Damian had summoned no longer appeared as Damian was now facing others, but the problem was that the cathedral knights couldn’t handle the black giant.

The difference in size cannot be ignored, and human cathedral knights have no way of dealing with a black giant that even that great demon Berbaria couldn’t defeat.

“Shall I help you a little, Saint?”

A voice was heard in Bigrind’s ear.

Ceres, who had been firing magic that seemed to be supporting or not supporting since earlier, had approached her side and was whispering.

“I-It’s alright. I can still endure.”

“Is that so?”

A strangely twisted voice.

Bigrind turned to look at Ceres while peeling off the hem of her saint’s robe that was sticking to her neck with sweat.

“I thought I could help somehow if I assisted you a little…”

“Since you say it’s fine, come over here and help me from my side.”

Eije grabbed Ceres’ arm and pulled her back to the rear line.

Bigrind was quietly watching Eije.

She must have noticed something strange.

Otherwise, there’s no way Eije would react like that.

If this matter ends safely, if that happens, she would have to ask in detail what was going on.

—And, before that, surviving was important.