Chapter 10 - Volume 1 (1/2)

Volume 1, Chapter 10: The Demon’s Blessing

“Albertine-samaaaaaa!”

Zumana couldn’t believe what was happening.

His intense feelings for Albertine hit him as the sacrifice, a child, with a smile filled with compassion…

Snapped his beloved’s neck.

Zumana’s thoughts went blank, then he was quickly filled with anger and hatred, but, the moment he reached to take out his sword, he sensed an ominous [Feeling].

The little girl’s adorable eyes… the white parts were eroding.

A ruby-like glow appeared around her pale gold pupils.

Behind her cherry-colored lips, a beautiful ruby red fang showed.

From the adorable little girl spilled a violent aura of [Intimidation] and [Presence]. The little girl pierced the throat of the still warm Albertine with her fangs. Zumana was frozen still.

Blood shot out from her throat…

As if she expected it, Albertine’s blood flowed into the little girl’s mouth without spilling a drop.

“… A vampire…?”

A legendary evil monster.

In the past, a country was filled with vampires and fell to ruin. Recently, just a single vampire had appeared in a neighboring country, causing a massive amount of people to flee.

This thing in front of him, it was such an evil existence…?

Perhaps because she heard the Zumana’s voice, the little girl, let go of the throat to breathe, murmuring curiously while looking in his eyes:

“… A vampire…?”

The little girl said in a different tone, before patting her belly and *kepu* giving a cute burp.

Zumana shivered at the sight.

Killing people, drinking blood as a [Meal] …

In her eyes which looked at Zumana, he was not reflected as an [Enemy], not even as a [Human]. He was only seen as food, he realized.

“…”

Clenching his teeth to not moan aloud, Zumana began running from the [Monster].

To avenge the enemy of the one he loved, risking his life for a sure kill, He called for reinforcements.

“Marquis Brunnow-sama, have the summoners start the ritual!”

Marquis Brunnow came rushing in at the sudden call.

However, he wasn’t a man to fall into a confused panic. He had also felt the presence of a [Monster].

“Zumana-kun, what is it? This pressure is no joke.”

“It’s probably… a vampire. It’s pretty strong, too…”

“What… happened to Albertine-sama!?”

“Albertine-sama was…”

Brunnow understood Zumana’s indescribably agonized face. He clenched his fist unconsciously.

Brunnow would honor her nobility and will, a beautiful rose had been broken, his hatred solidified in his heart.

“…Can we win even if we use a demon…?”

“…Perhaps”

“…All right. Knights and soldiers! Keep your distance from the vampire! Zumana-kun, remember it be controlled only with a sacrifice”

“It has… intelligence”

Seeing Zumana had a decisive look on his face; Marquis Brunnow also made his resolve.

“He… here it comes!”

The voices of the soldiers echoed in the basement.

The voices sounded confused. The target, even with that monstrous aura, was an adorable little girl, which caused them pause.

If they hadn’t heard it was a vampire, they’d even hesitate to pull out a weapon.

“Go! Don’t let it get too close!”

The commanding knight yelled. The soldiers ran, wielding their swords and spears.

They could not hesitate at its adorable appearance.

‘It can’t be person, it has those crimson eyes and fangs… her face must be an illusion’ to follow their orders, they stopped their thoughts.

With a thin smile, the little girl punched a sharp spear and pushed her finger forward, causing the soldier to be slammed into a pillar in a bloody mess of meat.

A knight, had his blade stopped by its fingertips, and, with a pat on his shoulder, had the left side of his body crushed.

Like a little toddler conducting an orchestra, the little girl waved her hands around, for every swing, bodies were torn, threaded, or crushed entirely… As if played with by the hands and feet of an invisible giant, soldiers and knights continue to be killed.

Flowers of blood sprouted and bloomed on the ceiling, the floor became a sea of blood.

However, those that were quickly killed, those were the lucky ones.

“……O…Oh…”

With a snap, the flame spear the commander was saving as a trump card was repelled, a magic barrier forming with just her raised hand. The knight commander collapsed out of despair and fear.

Seeing the commander’s face wet with tears, crying for her life, the beautiful monster put on a gentle smile as it sipped the blood of the woman while she still lived.

“…U…Aaaaaaaahhh?!”

The two remaining knights forgot their pride, dropped their weapons and ran.

“Hiiiii!”

The two knights who fled from the summoning team fell, their necks slashed in an instant by Zumana.

“Zumana-kun, you…”

“Marquis-sama, we have to sacrifice soon”. “Hurry…”

The casters reacted to his voice.

‘If we try to escape, we will be killed’… the thought caused the summoning team to desperately pour magic into the ritual.

And then,

For a split second… it felt like the light from the lamps was overtaken by darkness.

Out of the summoning formation, figures spring out, three Greater Demons.

One of them felt more otherworldly and undoubtedly evil.

That demon was slightly larger than the other two Greater Demons; it had a shape closer to that of a human than the monkey-type.

It wore armor made of bones and bodies, on its back were the black wings of a bird of prey.

While still being a Greater Demon, it appeared to clearly be an existence beyond.

“Demons, take these sacrifi… Gu~o!”

Before the summoning leader could finish speaking, the summoners were instantly massacred; further, the demons ate the knight corpses, a fee for their manifestation.

“Monsters… the summoned demons just arbitrarily…”

Marquis Brunnow stuttered out in shock. While he was a great mage in his own right, he had only barely escaped the demon’s claw due to its starting distance from him.

The demon noticed that the Marquis dodged, looked with intelligent eyes towards him, and said in a low voice:

“[The bodies have been taken, but they were not enough. I wonder if you’ll be able to form a contract…]”

The demon said with a juvenile grin on its face.

Marquis Brunnow understood what it meant and knew his folly.

Demon summoning… not to mention Greater Demon summoning, generally has been considered taboo.

Summoning lesser demons was one of the most useful magics for a mage to know for travel with small groups because it was simple. They were even easier to call on than spirits.

Why is it then, that summoning them is taboo…?

It’s not too hard a question: in the past, a Greater Demon that had been summoned rampaged without the caster being able to control them, it destroyed the castle, and the town had such a large number of victims that it is used as an example for the law.

For this reason, why had Marquis Brunnow prepared only this amount of sacrifices?

He was sure the Greater Demon would be satisfied, regardless of its price it named. He believed that he had more than enough, for stronger demons which asked for more sacrifices.

He was wrong about the demon’s power.

He had mistaken his own talent.

He had messed up. As a result, he would not only lose his life: he’d unleashed the demon.

“If you need a sacrifice, take me!”

Looking at the source of the voice, Marquis Brunnow sees Zumana standing there, a face full of conviction.

“Take me dark one, and accept my command! If you need more sacrifices, there are about 50 children in other rooms. With this, as our contract, serve Marquis Brunnow-sama”

“[…tsk]”

The demon clicked his tongue and looked at Zumana.

When acting without permission, a summoned creature could still be dealt with. To quickly negotiate with the demon and form a [Contract], Zumana made the right choice.

“[So… my instructions…?]”

“Defeat our enemy”

“[… Understood]”

The next moment, the demon had torn off Zumana’s head and eaten it, the contract with him sealed.

Unceremoniously, Zumana’s soul had been eaten by the devil and extinguished.

“[… The enemy…]”