11-11. Vampires (3)
Satou's here. In horror movies, there are scenes where a head without body laughs maniacally, or with someone who doesn't die even if there's only their head left while it's cursing in resentment.
I can't help but wonder just how are they making voices without a throat and lungs.
◇
"I've come to beat you! Ban-sama!"
"Semeri, you're energetic today too."
A beautiful woman riding a giant scorpion followed by a Tyranosaurus, and a Roper, which has ivies as its limbs, confront the True Ancestor in the castle's courtyard.
Her pale body entwined by her wavy black hair is quite captivating.
The woman is one of the True Ancestor Ban's Vampire Princesses, a Vampire Lord. The giant scorpion and the monsters accompanying her have also been turned into vampires like her.
I asked Ban since I found it strange for his subordinate to come attacking him, but he reply in carefree manner, "She's in her rebellious phase nanodearu."
It's probably a part of entertainment for him.
Moreover, Semeri who's come to defeat the True Ancestor has her pale body dyed in violet color.
Contrary to her word, her eyes are those of a girl in love.
"Now then, who are going to be the vanguard today?"
"Ban-sama, me!"
"No, let me do this."
"I want to do~ it."
Not only the blond haired beauty from before, the red-haired and the black-haired women also applied.
Apparently, she's not the only battle maniac around.
"My turn."
The white-haired taciturn little girl Vampire Princess who has been silent since a while ago raises her hand quietly and goes to the courtyard.
The little girl cuts her wrist with the fingernail that's extended from her small finger.
The blood spouting out of the wrist moves like an animal, forming a scythe.
....It's very like vampire, or rather template-like, it's truly a fantasy spectacle.
As for Semeri, she puts a great sword made of monster material on her shoulder.
"Fuhn, wouldn't have thought the white princess to be the vanguard? I thought the fat blond over there would be the one."
"I-I'm not fat! I'm only a tiiny bit plump!"
Semeri called the glamorous blond-san fat, but even though I don't think she's thin, she doesn't look fat at all either.
The little girl who's arrived at the courtyard pushes her scythe toward Semeri as if she doesn't hear the two's bickering.
"My vanguard is Tyranon. Go, Tyranon!"
I felt slight affinity with Semeri's questionable naming sense.
The little girl jumps to the Tyrano which swings its tail with one leg as the pivot.
The six-meter big Tyranosaurus is comparatively agile for its size.
The little girl easily cuts the Tyrano's tail with her scythe.
However, the Tyranosaurus seems to have assumed that the tail would be cut from the beginning.
The blood spouting out of the cut part of the Tyrano's tail suddenly burst into flames for some reason.
Just as the flaming blood that's spraying like flamethrower about to engulf her body, the little girl turns into mist to evade it.
However, it looks like they've grasped vampire's ability well, the spraying blood seems to be have the special characteristic of burning the body of a vampire that has turned into mist.
The other vampire princesses who are watching the game hold their breath, while Semeri is smiling.
"....Naive dearu."
The True Ancestor muttered.
Even according to my AR indication, the little girl is only slightly damaged.
The little girl emerges from the shadow under the Tyrano and quickly cuts both its legs.
Apparently, the mist was a fake, the real body had merged into shadow.
It's not a shadow magic, but a race-specific skill called [Shadow Walk]. Only few people posses it, including the little girl and the True Ancestor.
It seems to be a skill that only vampires who have aged past certain years posses, the 170 years old Semeri doesn't have it.
The Tyrano which has lost its mean to escape is cut into pieces without any resistance.
Apparently, vampires turn into ash when their HP becomes zero.
"Winner, White Princess Ryuna."
The taciturn little girl grips her small fist, secretly looking happy.
The girl gracefully walks toward the True Ancestor, and then presents her cheek toward him. When the True Ancesotr lightly kisses her cheek, she smiles broadly.
It's rather cute.
◇
"The second one is, Roper! White princess can't fight again okay?"
When the little girl who was still smiling was going to walk toward the courtyard, Semeri stopped her in irritated tone.
The little girl turned toward the True Ancestor to be the judge.
"Umu, one-side game isn't fun dearu."
With those brief words, the second round is a fight between Roper vs the blond beauty.
Just like the little girl, the blond beauty cuts her own wrist and create two short swords from her blood before going to the battle.
The beauty evades the randomly-attacking tentacles with speed that surpass humans, while warding off the ones that she can't evade with her short swords.
Unlike with the Tyrano, the sap of this roper doesn't seem to burn.
However, it seems it has strong viscosity as the blond beauty's movement is getting dull.
The nail-like cornified parts at the tip of the roper's tentacles are tearing the beauty's clothes.
"Ahahaha! Good good Roper! Expose that fatty's shameful body under the broad moonlight."
"I, am, not, fat."
The blond beauty's breath seems to have been thrown out of order after arguing with Semeri, she's finally unable to dodge and caught by several tentacles, she's lifted on the air with her limbs tied.
--quite an erotic pose.
For her honor, I shift my glance behind.
I could hear crackles like from electricity from behind.
The blond beauty is affected with paralyzed status, it seems she's taken electric attacks from the tips of the tentacles.
It seems she can't turn into mist in this state, her defeat is decided without even a counterattack.
"Game over, winner Roper."
I turn around since it's ended--Oh my, it's a splatter.... the corpse of the blond beauty which has been split in two are dangling on the Roper's tentacles.
The blond beauty's head which has been thrown by the Roper is picked by the little girl.
"Unsightly."
"....Regrettably."
Geh, as expected of vampires.
She can talk even with only her head.
"Do not worry. She will be immediately revived if she takes some blood dearu."
The True Ancestor followed-up when I was shocked to see the freshly-severed head talking.
Confirming on the AR indication, her health gauge is gradually being restored.
◇
"Roper is going to fight again. It's the leader's turn over there!"
Semeri looks toward the True Ancestor.
The True Ancestor looks at me as if she didn't notice her gaze.
"Routine works cause laziness dearu. Let's change the plan today. Kuro-dono, would you show us the techniques you use to defeat the guardians?"
"Yeah alright."
I don't mind since I can just tie the Roper with [Magic Hand] and defeat it in one blow with fire magic.
"This Roper is a special kind for Ban-sama. Like I'd use it against a human! I'll torment him directly."
....Didn't you just use it against the blond beauty.
And also, I'm afraid to ask just what kind of things is she going to use it for.
"I prefer not to injure her, is there any tip to hold back?"
"You human, hold back you said?! You underestimate this Semeri-sama."
"Don't worry dearu. Vampire Lords won't perish even if they turn into ash."
I consulted True Ancestor in whisper, but it seemed vampire princesses had good ears as Semeri heard it, she was enraged to the point of looking like her blood vessel would rupture.
The True Ancestor gleefully said, "She would be revived immediately if you put a magic core on top of the ash and drip some blood, so I don't mind if you go all out dearu.", as if fanning the situation.
The castle maids would become victims if I do it seriously you know.
They won't die even if you cut their head, I guess I'll end it by doing that.
"Ban-sama! The term won't change even if I beat this guy y'know?"
"Ah, if Semeri won, I would be your captive until next month as promised. However, if you lose, Kuro-dono will be given the right to order you."
No, I don't need such things like an order right.
Semeri's expression becomes warped when our eyes meet.
Please stop covering the deep valley that you're fully displaying from my view.
It's really vexing.
"S, shameless orders are no no!"
"Ara, Semeri, do you feel like losing?"
While still staying as a head only, the blond beauty teases Semeri as if getting her revenge for before.
The scene is too surreal.
These girls are really Undeads huh.
I produce a glass-like transparent sword with [Magick Sword] magic chantlessly, and wield it.
"Hou, you're making a weapon from 『Dancing Blade』 type of magic huh. Really quite unusual way nanodearu."
It makes me feel that I'm really odd when those were said by a vampire who's lived for a long time.
However, I had to disrupt such thought since Semeri was coming to attack me, wielding a great sword with her slender arm.
I thought that she was a brute-force type of person, but it seems she unexpectedly practices proper swordsmanship.
She's probably been swinging swords in her free times during the 170 years of her life.
Her swordsmanship is polished enough to liken her with Pochi's master.
However, her craftiness isn't comparable to the elf master--thus, she's easy to read.
In addition to that, Semeri's expression is too rich.
Just like when I'm training with Pochi, I allow her to do the attack she wants while gradually cornering her.
Semeri who's been cornered cut her wrist and attack with the blood that have turned into needles.
I disperse such a desperate attack with [Short Stun] and destroy Semeri's great sword with the magick sword.
"Kuh, damn."
I block the blood sword that Semeri's created with the magick sword in one hand, slip to the bosom of her body which is pushing in, hitting it with my palm.
The moment my palm touches her body, I drain her magic power in one go with [Mana Drain].
Losing her magic defense, I drive in my palm which is shaped like it's gouging thing.
Looks like even vampires breathe, Semeri stopped moving after losing her breath.
While pulling my palm back, my other hand is swinging the magick sword toward her neck, but it stops right before it hits the neck.
No, I stopped it.
I couldn't cut the neck of a woman who looks like nothing but human save for her pale skin.
Even though I know she won't die, I'd likely still feel repulsed.
"Winner, Kuro-dono!"
However, the True Ancestor seems to have judged my victory.
Semeri coughs violently with both her hands on the ground.
"Kuro-dono, what do you wish of Semeri."
Before answering the True Ancestor, I look at Semeri.
She's gnawing her mouth in vexation, trembling in disgrace.
My sadistic side is incited, but I'm not going to ask perverted things.
None.
"Right then--"
Please forgive me for making Semeri a bit anxious.
She has the natural characteristic of being easy to tease.
"--Could she guide me around the attractions of the labyrinth's lower layer?"
My request seems to be surprising, Semeri tilts her head in puzzlement while saying, "Attractions?"
True Ancestor seems to like it, he claps my shoulders while laughing pleasantly.
"Attractions it is! Leave it to me. I'll let you see astounding attractions that you have never seen before."
Apparently, Semeri interprets it as a new challenge from me, she energetically points her hand at me.
Looks like she's eager to guide me immediately, but it's going to be dawn soon, today I'm going to have a date with Zena-san in the noon, and a party with the guildmaster in the evening.
I have to escort Lady Karina to the tea party and the banquet tomorrow, so I ask for the tour to be held the day after tomorrow.
I could do it tonight, but I'd love to have a proper rest before touring the attractions.
As for the rewards of the fight from the True Ancestor, he's going to introduce me with the reincarnated people who live in the lower layer.
Let's visit them as I'm touring the attractions later.