The situation on the streets was becoming horrifying.
"Please let us out!"
"We are visitors; we're not people from around here!"
"Do you know who my father is?"
At the southern entrance, various people were gathered. They carried what they could in their hands.
The reason for their flight was that the ghouls had taken over almost the entire gray zone.
Because the red zone was well fortified thanks to barricades designed to prevent the guys having fun with the girls from escaping.
The people there had no idea what was happening outside.
They only heard screams and paid them no attention.
The gates were closed.
The reason was to prevent anyone from entering or leaving.
The vampires came out, leaving everything closed, but no ghouls had entered.
They didn't care, as sooner or later they would break down the barricade.
Some vampires watched everything from above.
"Stupid humans, look at them trying to fight to escape like the rats they are."
"Haha, that's right. These idiots think they can break—"
Their cheerful conversation ended quickly as something happened.
A mysterious figure rose up and cut both the vampires and the wall into pieces.
That figure walked calmly through the crowd.
◇◇◇
Fifth floor of the black tower.
Several minutes ago, three individuals infiltrated.
The interior of the tower was like a normal watchtower.
It had various rooms that were bedrooms, a kitchen, and a gym for them.
Once they set foot inside, they began to coldly kill all the vampires.
"Who the hell are—?! Gyaah!"
The vampires were killed without having a chance to defend themselves.
Some used their Blut, others their atomization, and others their awakening. A forbidden technique that reveals their grotesque and true appearance.
But it was useless.
Clement released a large number of golden threads, and they trapped them like a spider's web catching flies.
"Thread magic: Beelzebub's Sonata."
"Gyaaaaah!"
The threads generated ultra-strong vibrations that made the surroundings feel a small earthquake.
That vibration disintegrated the vampires to painful levels.
While John, at Clement's side, used a peculiar and very rare way of fighting.
"Wocha!"
John shouted as he pulled out some black nunchucks from his back.
He swung and moved them from side to side while shouting.
"Wachao!"
One nunchaku went straight for a vampire's head. The vampire thought nothing would happen to him; he was wrong.
The vampire's face was destroyed by the blow. Then, using the other nunchaku in his left hand, he split the vampire in half.
He wasn't the only vampire dead.
John did pirouettes while making strange noises as he killed vampires.
A vampire drew his sword and used atomization.
Heading for John, he reversed the effect and thought he had won.
But John knew he would do that.
Moving the nunchaku backward, the vampire was split in half.
Then he approached one much larger than the others.
He placed the nunchaku chains around his neck and, while strangling him, made a great leap upward.
They went up several meters. The vampire couldn't use atomization due to the lack of oxygen to concentrate.
Reaching the highest point, he could, John turned halfway and began to fall headfirst, forming a whirlwind.
"Death Spiral!"
The great whirlwind approached a group of vampires.
They were crushed by the force of the fall.
John was unharmed as he landed on his feet at the last minute.
"Truly, these guys are a nuisance."
He said while looking up.
"Getting to the 100th floor will be very—"
"Why do you think you'll get that far?"
A mysterious voice whispered to him while he had his back turned.
John turned around, but it was too late. A cut appeared on his back.
Blood gushed out in torrents.
John used a potion to regain strength and close the wound.
Once the pain disappeared, he realized the same thing happened.
He was cut. On his face, then his torso, and finally near his ankle.
He moved back to avoid further damage.
But the enemy wasn't going to allow it.
John was cut again; the vampire used atomization faster than John could react.
Blood was all over John's body.
Finally, the red mist turned into a "person" and revealed who the attacker was.
A thin man, with pale skin, gray hair combed forward, and closed eyes looked at him.
"Your condition is very pitiful, John. Is this the result of the cowardly life you've led since that day?"
John, who was breathing heavily from blood loss, reacted to the vampire's voice.
"That voice... don't tell me it's you. Georg Hardie?!"
"The very same."
"Impossible! You're supposed to be dead!"
A long time ago, there was an elite squadron called the great knights.
The great knights were those chosen by the ministers to form an elite squadron for special missions.
Among them, a young man was chosen as captain.
He came from a small foreign knight household that came to live in the kingdom.
The young John was a man who successfully carried out his orders.
But that was partly a facade.
He only cared about the glamour and benefits it gave him.
Then one day, his vice-captain, a man from a house destroyed by the twilight saint, betrayed them.
John was ambushed.
The Hardie Household betrayed the empire by selling weapons to enemy kingdoms.
Almost all were killed by the sword saint sent after their misdeeds were discovered.
Georg survived because he was in the palace when it all happened.
As his family was killed by the palace, he decided to take revenge on the one who informed on him. There was only one person who knew his family was selling weapons.
John.
Both Georg and others cornered him and killed many great knights.
In a desperate attack, Georg was wounded in the lungs by John, but John didn't escape unscathed.
Georg's sword went straight to his corneas. That day, John's life as a knight died.
Both John and the other great knights were dismissed and exiled from the knight squadrons.
John spent his days drinking alone in his room.
His own family didn't support him because he had brought it upon himself by not reporting it sooner. He didn't do it because John also gained something by helping Georg, but one day he got tired of earning little and decided to earn a lot.
It went wrong.
Then one day, someone appeared at his door.
He was a tall, burly man.
He spoke to him.
"Is this what you want for your future? You may have ruined it, even cost you expulsion from your family and your job, as well as your honor."
John got angry and threw his bottle at the man.
"Don't fuck with me! What the hell do you know about me? What's wrong with earning extra money?! ... If only they hadn't discovered me, none of this would have happened."
The man was silent for a while and then said.
"Is that your excuse for your actions? I lived in poverty and famine, but that doesn't mean I would do what you did. Even if life is horrible and you don't want to live it, it doesn't mean you're going to hurt others out of a tantrum. I'm not judging you; I'm just asking you if this is what you want to do now?"
"Who the hell are you to care?!"
"I am..."
The man said a name that made John get up from his bed.
"It can't be... you're that man, the legendary S-rank adventurer—"
"My name doesn't need to be remembered. A long time ago, I was what you said, but now I'm just another vassal of a noble house."
John was left speechless as he didn't know what to answer. The reason he became a great knight was because this man recommended him.
Because of his anger, he didn't recognize him.
John followed him to an acquaintance of his. The current director of the academy, who at that time was just another professor. He appointed him as a professor.
John worked hard for several years training his body, which had lost its sight.
But thanks to that training, he was able to develop his other senses, including the perception of magical power.
Thanks to that, he can "see" his surroundings without problem.
John remembered everything that happened to him as he looked at Georg.
"Answer me, how are you still alive?"
Georg laughed.
"That day I was dying, then I saw him. Gerhardt-sama appeared to give me a chance, and I became a regular vampire."
"I trained very hard so that no one could defeat me. Not even an incompetent like you."
"On this day, you will die, John. Taste my rage, stored up for so many years!"
Georg turned into a red mist and flew everywhere.
Clement wanted to help him, but the vampires gathered, blocking the way.
John took off his glasses to clean them.
His eyes with scars were exposed.
He placed them on the ground while, from one of his legs, he pulled out a black tonfa.
He looked at the sky and noticed that the red mist was spinning many times. After waiting a while, it descended at great speed.
"Die, John!"
John said as he positioned himself to jump. The tonfa spun several times as he gathered momentum.
"Georg. I'm glad you're alive, so to speak. This way I can tell you this. I'm very sorry."
"You're in this situation because of me. If only I hadn't been so greedy. Your family could have received a lesser sentence to achieve pardon, but that couldn't happen."
"That's why, as comrades, I..."
The tonfa spun at great speed, and John jumped straight into the red mist.
"Diiiiiiieeeeeeee!" –Shouted Georg as a sword appeared inside the mist.
John shed a tear before saying.
"I'm sorry you turned into this. If I were in your shoes, I would also have made a deal with the devil. Forgive me; it was my fault. That's why I will free you."
The tonfa spun at great speed in reverse mode.
Instead of being sent backward, Georg was attracted.
Even using atomization, Georg was just smoke of molecules.
"Damn it!"
He shouted as his molecules were dispersed around without the possibility of reorganizing them.
(In the end, I had to appear.) His legs were no longer there, and in mid-air.
"This is goodbye."
John stopped swinging his tonfa and split Georg in half.
His heart was also split.
Before turning to ash, Georg said.
"John... you've become quite a knight now—"
Unable to finish what he was saying, Georg disappeared.
John fell to the ground. He put on his glasses, and tears kept falling.
"I'm not a knight; I'm a demonic professor who overworks his students."
Clement saw everything while fighting, but there was something he forgot.
"Where is Professor Manfred?"
◇◇◇
Twelfth floor.
Professor Manfred was calmly climbing the stairs.
"Old age is a fearsome enemy. My legs aren't what they used to be."
He moved away from the others to advance at his own pace.
He walked elegantly with his cane while stroking his mustache.
Suddenly he stopped.
Black mists approached him.
There were a hundred of them.
Among them, a very large figure appeared.
He measured 2.5 meters, had scars on his face despite having the ability to regenerate. His skin was tanned like wheat, and he was also bald.
He had a sword as big as him.
The man spoke in a strong tone that made the ground tremble.
"Who is the idiot who enters our domains?!"
Manfred touched his mustache with interest.
He stopped doing so as he seemed to know the guy.
"Wait a moment, sir, you look very familiar to me."
"Could it be—"
"Kakaka! I was feared decades ago in the empire! I was the one who made the knights and armies feel fear."
"I was dismissed from the palace because I was too cruel to my enemies. I am the one and only, Dorian the Butcher! Kakaka."
Everyone burst out laughing and began to recount their identities.
A toothless man covered by a leather bag shouted.
"If we're doing famous introductions. I was Donovan the Bone Collector. I tortured children and ate their flesh, leaving their bones as souvenirs."
Another man with a disheveled mustache said.
"I, the fearsome James the Crusher. I'm more famous than all of you because I tortured a duke while pretending to be on a trip, hahaha; the palace's incompetence was a delight."
Those present were criminals, and not just any, criminals whose monstrous deeds had been erased from history.
Manfred said.
"I know you all. You were supposed to be sent to the gallows, especially you, Dorian. I saw the air escape from your body, and you showed an expression of pain."
Dorian laughed.
"Kakaka, so?"
"That day I certainly died, but Gerhardt-sama gave me his blood, and I became one of the strongest. These scars are on my body only because that degenerate is too strong for me. But it doesn't matter; I'll earn points so that Gerhardt-sama makes me his right hand. Now... die!"
The great sword approached Manfred; everyone laughed, then...
"Is that supposed to be fast? I'm asking because I saw it coming and had time to move."
When the great sword fell to the ground, Manfred was standing to one side.
Everyone saw the weapon move faster than a blink.
Dorian didn't understand what happened, but he did it again.
"Now, old man, die!"
This time, the same thing happened.
Manfred saw the sword linearly approaching his waist.
He used his cane to stop the blow.
Dorian's arms trembled from the vibration.
He and the others couldn't believe what happened.
Then Manfred told them.
"No matter how many years pass. Beasts will always be beasts."
"Huh? What the he—"
Dorian fell silent upon observing how Manfred removed his monocle and then combed his hair forward with his fingers in a very rebellious youthful style.
"Well, do you remember me now?"
Both Dorian and the others were astonished by what they saw.
"N-No... it can't be. It's impossible that it's true."
Manfred walked forward.
"Even if you forget me, I will not forget you. Since most of you here, I was the one who captured you and sent you to your execution; I was even the executioner for some."
Dorian sweated, then shouted.
"Those eyes! That rebellious hair! And above all... That tone of fearing nothing! No... you can't be him..."
"Perhaps this name will remind you."
Manfred moved his lips, and almost all the vampires dropped their swords.
"Arroganz."
Then Dorian said.
"M... Ma... Manfred, the Saint of Arrogance!"
"The very same."
A detail that was never revealed in the game about Manfred. His past was a mystery; he always supported Lily and the capture targets. In fact, he even defeated Lambert several times in training. The reason was clear.
He was testing them.
If they were going to save this country, they had to show they were worthy.
That's why this man, the former sword saint, the Saint of Arrogance, was seeing if they were worth it.
"The reason I am no longer one is because when the new emperor took the throne, his little toy was much more effective than me. And they fired me."
"Those bastards took away everything I earned, and I had nothing. They even named me the third son despite being the heir to my family."
"But it doesn't matter. I accepted this order because a good friend of mine, the former head of the Erzberger Household, was killed by your boss. I came today to kill that spawn. You are nothing more than an appetizer for me."
Dorian, still trembling, shouted.
"Y-You think we're afraid of you!"
"You're just a shitty old man now! You lost your skills long ago due to age! Die, you shitty old man!"
Manfred took his cane; near the end where he held it, he pressed a button, and as if it were a sword sheath, it fell.
A sword was visible.
"You're right that aging makes you weaker. But my sword, Arroganz, will never age. Its edge is and will remain the best that the holy kingdom could send!"
"Perish..."
With those words, before the cane fell, Manfred took it and said.
"Silence..."
As he slowly closed it, Manfred was on the other side.
"...of the innocent."
Upon finishing closing it, a rain of blood and ash happened behind him.
Without a single drop falling on him, he combed his hair as before and walked calmly.
"Why do you think I was able to pass so easily? Stupidity doesn't go away even if you're undead."
He said that while walking without looking back.
◇◇◇
"Huh, what are humans doing here? I, the great Lex, will—! Aaah!"
Razel and Cid managed to enter the black tower.
They were now on the 75th floor.
They climbed with great speed.
Razel led Cid to an entrance that no one used because it smelled bad to anyone.
Because Cid possessed the attribute of alchemical water magic, he was able to create a water shield to not touch the residue.
Although it smelled bad, it didn't stick to his body.
They managed to infiltrate when Clement was fighting Jack.
They secretly climbed up to the 14th floor. But Razel had flatulence from the French fries he ate, and they were detected.
Due to his speed,
He killed the vampires on that floor without the others noticing.
Due to the commotion happening on the first floor,
Many vampires went down.
Razel and Cid took advantage of that to climb and kill everything they encountered.
They reached the 77th floor.
Razel said to Cid jokingly.
"Is this the best they can do? Pff. We could have come any other day and not waited until today to—"
"Cursed Blood Magic: Fallen Angel."
Razel couldn't finish what he was saying due to a hand striking his cheek.
That sent him flying into the wall, breaking it and flying out.
Cid, upon seeing this...
"R... Ra... Raaazeeeeeel!!"
He shouted from the bottom of his heart.
But the person who killed Razel didn't feel the slightest interest in what the euphoric Cid was saying.
A man dressed in guard clothes like all the vampires, only he had medals on his chest and decorative shoulder pads.
He wore a very outdated senior officer's cap.
On his waist, he had a sword only used in fencing duels.
He was tall, thin; he almost seemed to have anorexia. His skin was pale, and his face was very long like a potato.
His lips were painted with black lipstick.
His chin was cleft, and there were signs of having a beard, although poorly shaven as the shadow of growth was visible.
His eyes were not visible due to round black glasses. His hair was strange.
It was almost entirely covered by his cap. But on one side, a strange zigzag-cut peeked out.
The man spoke in an arrogant tone to Cid.
"I came down because there was a lot of noise disturbing His Excellency. I never imagined these guys would be so incompetent."
Cid was angry. The man looked at the hole in the wall.
"It was my mistake to use part of my awakening as a superior vampire on an insect. A normal blow would have sufficed."
Cid heard a loud crash. It seemed something had fallen or impacted.
His eyes focused on the enemy.
The man, through his glasses, looked at Cid.
He made a disgusted expression.
"What? Do I have something on my face? ... It can't be?! Have you fallen in love? I'm not interested in guys like you. Much less insects."
The man spoke in an effeminate tone while spitting on the floor.
He adjusted his glasses and introduced himself.
"There's no one else here but me. The idiots above have come down, so I am His Excellency's last defensive wall."
"Allow me to introduce myself, as my beautiful angelic appearance is the only thing you'll look at before you die. I am Gerhardt-sama's advance captain. His faithful servant and right hand, Quinque der Quinx. I am a superior vampire, meaning the beasts you've defeated are nothing but trash compared to my majesty."
Quinque had red wings on his arms; that was the awakening. A vampiric power that only superior vampires could use.
He smiled seeing Cid draw a sword he had stolen.
"I will make sure that insects like you don't dare to disrespect us vampires."
There was less than 1 hour left before the fish tank feeding the vampire queen would empty, ensuring her resurrection.