episode_0032

There were no witnesses.

All citizens had already evacuated.

The situation was optimized for Yuria to rampage.

However, there was a witness who shouldn’t have seen her in that state.

“…So, what do you intend to do, Your Holiness?”

Ian’s puzzled gaze turned towards the saint.

First and foremost, truly giving up on the saint’s wish was simply resigning herself to death. Even in the original work, her true desire never surfaced.

Protecting the village was the extent of her wish, but doubts still lingered.

Of course, leaving her unattended was not an option. If the righteous saint were to die here, it would be troublesome, and the demon within her was an even greater threat. Allowing it to take control recklessly would only lead to a ruined plan.

Outside the window, a horde of monsters and demons surged together.

Above all, judging by the aura of the central demon, at least high-level injuries were expected.

A demon capable of easily annihilating a village like this must have gathered due to a deep desire to die from the curse of the dragon.

Isabella was a saint with considerable skill. Assuming she used her blessings and divine magic, Yuria could kill them all using only the basic physical abilities of a vampire.

Yet, the saint remained silent.

It was too late to pick up spilled water. The attack, foreseen even at the time of forcibly losing her virginity, had come after a three-day delay.

Thud, thud, thud,

The sound of hurriedly ascending stairs.

It was the lady-in-waiting who seemed to be the closest attendant, awakening sooner than expected and coming to find the saint.

“…Ah, you’ve come at just the right time. Quickly take your lord and flee. Right now.”

“Your Holiness!”

The knight drew his sword roughly.

However, Yuria, with a single finger, bent the steel sword and added, “Can you not hear me?”

Even as they met her ruby-red, shining eyes, the lady-in-waiting’s loyalty was genuine. Despite reaching the point of trembling hand gripping the hilt, she did not choose to flee. In that regard, she deserved to be recognized as a true knight.

“To make the saint like this…! This disciple of the devil…”

“…Stop. Lawrence, let’s go back now.”

“…Yes? Your Holiness, what’s happening… More importantly, monsters are gathering outside in large numbers…! We need to send reinforcements to the Holy Kingdom…”

“…It’s no use. Even if we send them, we can’t know how many days it will take. The monsters have already infiltrated the town. If the guests from Britna hadn’t evacuated the citizens in advance, the town would have been filled with screams by now. Here… we must heed their words.”

Unlike her emotional state earlier, the saint made a highly calculated decision.

In the end, they were in a position where they needed their help. Whether they were from anywhere or held the status of a vagabond, it didn’t matter.

At least it wasn’t a situation to be picky about.

With a somewhat dignified attitude, Yuria put away the nails she had taken out and opened a shadowy passage beside her.

“If we go this way, we’ll move to the town where the citizens are. Although we’ve covered quite a distance from here, please try to remain quiet. And if another attack comes, there should be bells in the center of the village. Don’t hesitate to ring them. That concludes our discussion. Time is precious, so please evacuate quickly.”

“…”

Outside the town, a tense darkness loomed.

The town they were about to infiltrate was eerily quiet, as if it were dead.

Perhaps they had taken some measures since they had violated the terms of the contract.

Given that it was an ambush, demons and monsters would have undoubtedly attacked the town recklessly.

The creatures here were somewhere between intelligent demons and mindless monsters, so intelligence was almost non-existent.

Normally, that is.

If the Black Knight who had been watching over the town from afar hadn’t been there, that’s how it would have played out.

“…”

The demons next to him were of a higher rank.

However, the demon standing arrogantly, gazing at the town with his chest puffed out, emitted such a strong sense of intimidation that the remaining 300 demons who had rushed to the town and the other 700 simply looked on at the silent Black Knights.

“Oh… Has even Lord Baphomet’s direct knight come to this place?”

A fleeting, confronting gaze.

I’ve faced the legion commander’s knights before, but the aura I sense now far surpasses that experience. A knight and a direct knight are distinctly different. Yet, if even regular knights can be so cunning in the presence of a high-ranking demon, then to merely speak seems regrettable at this point.

“…Other demons are curious as well. Could you at least tell us why such resources are being used in a place with just one saintly maiden?”

“It is Lord Baphomet’s command.”

“…”

“A vampire who has stolen one of the possessions intended for use by Lord Baphomet’s household is there.”

A vampire? Those creatures that should have been eradicated, now serving as possessions for the legion commander’s demons…? What nonsense is this? The demon who had been silently listening posed another question.

“Hmm, so what do you intend to do about that vampire?”

“First, we gauge its strength. It is necessary to know the extent of its abilities.”

“…For that, you need around 300 of them?”

“If desired, it is merely an expendable combat slave that can be summoned infinitely.”

“…”

The demon fell silent. As they say, the bigger the head, the more insolent. Judging by the way he speaks, he doesn’t see them as anything more than slaves, or perhaps even less.

‘…Is it because he’s Lord Baphomet’s direct knight?’

Internally spitting on his face, at that moment, the foremost intermediate demon who had gone to the front was flying back from the sky.

Appearing significantly injured, frantically flapping his wings, shedding blood. There were even those crawling on the ground, bodies partially severed, dragging themselves forward.

“Heheh, those guys. They’re really determined to survive.”

Even as demons, their desire to live made them a source of amusement for the higher demons. Despite being similar demons, these creatures, not even proper demons, were used as bait, running and ultimately escaping, which was simply delightful. However, their condition was peculiar.

“…Wouldn’t a mix of ordinary monsters and demons have tenacious vitality? And there was even a huge demon, with half of its body severed, hopping towards us with only one arm and leg. Even the smirking high-level demon sensed something amiss and stiffened.

-Krooooooaaar!!!

Amidst the dark clouds, a faintly visible shadow emerged. A dragon’s retinue, enhanced by demons and serving as underlings to vampires, soared through the sky.

“…Insane.”

Upon closer inspection, the demons’ eyes turned crimson. Not the usual purple-like flowing blood, but an atypical red unseen in demons. And then…

“Screaaaam?!!!”

My gaze fixated on the direction of the demon’s scream. Kin were tearing each other apart.

“…”

I couldn’t grasp what was happening. One, two, the screams multiplied. Something was off. Demons hardly attack each other, unless there’s a clash of opinions. Almost never. Even the less intelligent ones have no reason to kill each other.

Suddenly, a demon staggered, realizing something.

“…The retinue’s domination.”

Followed by a returning force of 300 demons.

“A-Are they all… infected by vampires?”

“…What?!”

“After consuming centuries of time, how could they commit such dreadful acts…”

Even the silent black knight reacted.

Meanwhile, the demon thought inwardly, ‘First, I need to release the demons from their control…’

But as it raised its head to receive orders from the nearby black knight, its gaze turned vacant. It noticed that the black knight’s gaze remained fixed on the sky.

The leader, despite the demons turning against them and standing as foes, only gazed at the scouting dragon in the sky.

“…”

A swarm of 300 vampire-like retinue demons. Furthermore, from the sky, lower to mid-level demons infected just like them were descending slowly.

However, the anticipated enemy, who was supposed to be riding on the dragon’s back, showed no intention of descending from above.

Despite the clear advantage of attacking from both ground and sky, they simply observed.”

From the sky, I release demons little by little.

Even if I can overlook the fact that I conceal my defeat, it would be a huge mistake to think that I cannot completely kill those 300 low-level demons and the infected ones by extreme means.

“…You just keep looking down from above. Even though at least a third of them have been taken out by the higher-ranking demons.”

“In your eyes, is that all you see?”

“…Yes?”

“I see more than that. I see how insane that woman is.”

The Black Knight said as he tightened his grip on his majestic sword and leaped into the air, scattering magic around as if he had to stop that woman right away.

Dominating the sky.

Surely that was why Baphomet desired so many dragons.

“…I think I understand the meaning of those words to some extent.”

Ordinary manipulation.

Freely manipulating dragons that rival top-tier demons in power, even surpassing them, unable to handle the most powerful demons with a vampire’s body.

Moreover, mastering dragon magic.

Overcoming the weakness of dragons, which lose their reason and become domesticated, unable to use magic derived from their blood after becoming kin, and mostly resort to using breath attacks, by concealing a magic circle with the attribute of ‘holiness’ capable of annihilating high-ranking demons in one strike within the clouds.

And not even allowing an escape space by unfurling a large barrier… It shows determination to eliminate all demons here.

“A young vampire.”

What a ridiculous thing.

If that vampire, who is akin to a newborn, continues to exist, then all the knights, including himself, are non-existent beings.

And if more time passes… even Lord Baphomet.

The Black Knight’s helmet began to crack, revealing a face adorned with madness.

Now, even the spear aimed at him is no ordinary spear.

“If I’m pierced several times by that, I’ll become just another vampire like them.”

However, he feels no fear at all.

Instead, he seems to ignite with a sense of “stimulation” in life, as if responding to his grandeur, his magic surged.

Though outwardly unimpressive, and an ability to be looked down upon.

Within, he conceals both its splendor and cruelty.

Ruling over the strong ones, one by one, from the sky, feels like… reviving that sensation from back then.

As a valiant knight, he had charged at his current lord and inherited forbidden knowledge, reaching the pinnacle of power just like his predecessor. Such battles always pushed him beyond his limits.

“Let’s see if I can be dominated for once. If you can defeat me, I’ll willingly submit to your authority,” said the expectant dark knight.

Contrary to his hopeful expression, a spear pierced his chest from behind. Soon, demons wielding similar spears emerged from all sides, exploding upon impact, serving as living bombs to increase their control.

In an instant, those who were under his command moments ago now rushed towards him as ghouls under someone else’s dominion. The dark knight, chuckling, discarded his tattered armor and looked up with a ruthless gaze.

“Seems like an unsightly foe. I should return to Ian soon.”

-Kagagak!

Yuria lightly restrained the assailant, bleeding profusely. Her action was astonishing. Then, a dragon’s fang pierced the dark knight’s torso, tearing into him.

Contrary to expectations of a swift escape, “Grrk?!” A cold-eyed vampire drove a spear into the dragon’s upper jaw, forcibly pinning the knight. Yuria forcefully drew out more blood magic, anticipating a prolonged struggle.

“To my lord, only a succubus was sent. Whose cursed demon’s name is this?”

“No, the succubus is under my-”

“Succubus. Among the demons, it’s the one I detest the most.”

“Grr, no-“