Chapter 203: The Revived Vampire Princess Meets a Crushing Defeat
The blood moon hung high in the sky.
Screams echoed incessantly from within the Crimson Tower.
"M-Monster!!!"
The vampires who had once arrogantly viewed humans as livestock and food were now scurrying frantically through the tower, emitting pathetic wails.
The ones responsible for this chaos were none other than Mahiro and Yukime, who had entered the tower.
Mahiro had no need for these filthy remnants of Crimson's faction—they were nothing but eyesores to him.
Yet, Yukime alone took action. With each swing of her iron fan, wind blades mercilessly reaped the lives of the fleeing vampires.
She was practically acting as his enforcer.
Mary discerned the subordinate relationship between the two, but this only deepened her astonishment at Mahiro's identity.
Yukime was the last of the three rulers to arrive in the Lawless City, yet her rise had been swifter than the others. In just a few months, she had firmly established herself in the city, and within a year, she stood as an equal to the other two major powers.
Calling it a miracle would be no exaggeration.
Yet such a formidable being was merely an enforcer under this youth?
"Just who are you?" Mary asked, her voice trembling.
"A passing-through Kamen Rider."
Mahiro replied without turning his head, "And I have Elisabeth, the Blood Queen, as my target. Does that make it clear to you?"
Hearing his words, Mary was seized with terror.
He had come for Her Majesty...
"What do you intend to do with Lady Elisabeth?!"
"That is none of your concern, Miss Mary. All I can tell you is that I mean her no harm... If you wish to witness what happens, then follow."
With only those words, Mahiro resumed his ascent toward the tower's summit.
Mary bit her lip lightly, her heart tangled in hesitation.
As Mahiro had stated earlier, she was not only a vampire hunter but also a vampire herself. She had once served as the right hand of Elisabeth, the progenitor of vampires, and had witnessed Crimson's betrayal a millennium ago, which led to Elisabeth's rampage—destroying three nations over three nights...
Even the vampires' sanctuary had become a relic of history.
To atone for the sins committed by Elisabeth, she had taken on the role of a vampire hunter, dedicating herself to hunting vampires.
But her power was ultimately limited.
Though she could achieve ageless immortality and survive in sunlight, the cost was that over the millennia, she had never consumed a single drop of human blood, and her strength had dwindled to that of a mere human.
Even if she wanted to stop this youth from approaching Lady Elisabeth, it was utterly impossible.
After a brief internal struggle, Mary ultimately chose to follow.
She wanted to see what this youth intended to do.
If he truly meant to kill Lady Elisabeth...
Though Mary's heart wrestled with conflict, much like when she had guarded her eternally slumbering master,
That had been Lady Elisabeth's wish. She would restrain herself absolutely and never interfere!
When they reached the tower's summit, they finally laid eyes on the one in question—
"Crimson!!!"
Mary uttered the name with pure hatred.
"Oh, I didn't expect you to come as well. It's been a long time, Mary."
Crimson greeted his old acquaintance with the elegance of a gentleman.
"Unfortunately, you're too late. The former Blood Queen shall reappear in this world on this crimson moon night, bringing forth a terror named blood!"
He stood beside the coffin, gently stroking the surface of the lid, his eyes burning with extreme fervor.
Even after a thousand years, that scene remained vividly etched in his memory.
Mere humans deserved to be treated as livestock, ruled over and trampled beneath the feet of vampires like them!
"Crimson, I absolutely won't let you disturb Lady Elisabeth's eternal rest!"
"Kekekeke... Do you still possess such strength in your current state?"
No sooner had he spoken than Mary, who had drawn her sword and charged at Crimson, was immediately intercepted by two vampire executives flanking him.
There was no helping it—such was her pitiful state.
Once one of the Vampire Progenitor's most trusted aides, her current power wasn't even one percent of what it used to be, making her no match for these vampire executives.
Meanwhile, Crimson had already pushed open the coffin lid.
A skeletal remains lay at the center of the coffin.
With great care, Crimson lifted out an object from within with both hands.
It was a silver-white artifact resembling a Holy Relic, with a glittering ruby embedded at its center.
"Ah... It's been so long, my dear Queen. The blood feast has been prepared for you, awaiting only your awakening!"
The object in Crimson's hands was none other than the heart of the former Queen Elisabeth.
After a millennium of slumber, all that remained of the Progenitor was this heart and her indestructible bones.
But as long as the heart remained intact, bathing it in fresh blood would allow the Progenitor to revive and return to the world!
Their vampire kind... no, rather the Vampire Progenitors, were such ultimate beings—ageless and deathless.
"Say, how long do you plan to keep ignoring me?"
Just as Crimson was lost in his fantasy of Queen Elisabeth's resurrection and world domination, a voice shattered his delusion.
Turning around, he saw Mahiro standing beside Yukime, his brows furrowed in a disapproving glare.
"Being ignored during what should be a proper boss battle... even I would get upset, you know."
At these words, Mary who was being pinned down by the two executives suddenly came to her senses.
That's right—this person! If it's this person...
"Please stop Crimson! Don't let him place the heart into the sacrificial vessel! If Lady Elisabeth revives under the crimson moon, the entire world will be plunged into endless fear!!"
Mary screamed with all her might.
"You heard her. She asked me to stop you. Hehe..."
Crimson laughed dismissively, his eyes filled with contempt.
"A mere human, the lowest form of livestock—do you think having that vixen by your side changes anything? Livestock should know their place!"
With a soft sigh, Mahiro suddenly vanished from Crimson's sight.
"I'm not quite sure what livestock looks like. Why don't you demonstrate it for me?"
The voice came from behind!
Crimson's throat tightened, his pupils dilating slightly, but before he could react, he felt a sharp pain in his neck.
His vision began to flip.
During the process, he saw his own headless corpse.
Had he been decapitated?
Yes, indeed he had been decapitated.
Mahiro had effortlessly torn through Crimson's neck using only a hand chop, without even employing weapons or magic.
"Huh? You're holding on quite tightly."
He tried to pry the heart from the headless corpse's hand, but the grip was so firm that he couldn't retrieve it.
"What a hassle."
Rip!
Mahiro swung his hand chop again, cleanly severing the wrist at its base, and the heart finally fell into his hand.
Who would have thought that the heart of the prestigious Vampire Progenitor would turn out to be a Holy Relic...
Well, it makes no difference.
"Damn you! Return the Queen's heart to me!!"
A furious roar suddenly interrupted Mahiro's observation of the heart.
Crimson's severed head reconnected with his body as if time had reversed, and even the fallen wrist and blood flowed back into place.
The next moment.
Thud!
Crimson's body was sent flying backward, crashing hard against a pillar at the top of the tower, shaking loose a cloud of dust.
"Fool! Under the 'Crimson Moon,' vampires are at their strongest! Such minor injuries..."
"Silence him."
Swish!
Suddenly, a golden figure leaped up from below the tower, its slender blade piercing straight through Crimson's heart and severing his head once more.
Cursed toxins, like incantations, rapidly spread across Crimson's body.
"How is this possible..."
Crimson stared in terror at the slender, dark figure now standing before him.
"Just who... are you people?!"
He saw, beneath the waist-length golden hair, a pair of pointed ears!
Could it be an elf?!
But why would an elf appear here?!
"We are the Shadow Garden, lurking in the shadows, hunting the sinful," Alpha coldly stated, glancing at the head that had rolled to her feet yet could still speak.
"..."
This became Crimson's final memory before death.
Meanwhile, Mary, who had been pinned to the ground, was rescued by Epsilon.
Two magical arrows descended from the sky, piercing straight through the hearts of the vampire executives.
However, as soon as Mary rose from the ground, before she could even offer thanks, she saw Mahiro place the Queen's heart on the coffin lid.
He then softly called out:
"Est."
A light manifested, coalescing in his hand into a—
"Spear...?"
Mahiro stared at the spear shaft engraved with elven runes and the cold, steel-colored spearhead, his lips twitching involuntarily.
He didn't need to think hard to know that Est was throwing another tantrum.
Because he hadn't summoned her through the proper incantation method.
"Doesn't matter, as long as it works."
Mahiro lifted the spear, pointing the tip toward his own fingertip.
That's right—he aimed not at the ruby embedded in the heart's core, but at his own hand!
Mary's heart leaped in terror as she cried out, "W-Wait... what are you doing?! Stop!!!"
She tried to rush forward, but an iron fan was instantly pressed against her throat.
Yukime gazed at her with a smiling expression, speaking slowly and deliberately:
"This humble one doesn't understand why our master values you so much, sparing you while other vampires were eliminated. But please remain quiet now, otherwise... this humble one won't be as gentle as our master."
Her soft tone was filled with unmistakable threat.
"Wait... please don't do this! If Lady Elisabeth revives during the blood moon, it would be the worst possible outcome!"
Mary desperately tried to stop in her panicked state.
But she was met with even firmer resistance.
"How could someone like you possibly comprehend our master's intentions?!"
The speaker was naturally Epsilon, who grabbed Mary's wrist and conjured magical handcuffs to firmly restrain her.
"The lonely landscape reflected in our master's eyes is something even we cannot reach."
Mary: "....."
She clenched her teeth tightly, feeling these people were complete madmen!
Just as she anxiously pondered what to do next, a sudden scent of blood wafted to her nostrils.
Such a sweet fragrance...
Mary's eyes widened slightly.
This blood's sweetness was completely incomparable to any other she had encountered—merely catching its scent triggered her vampiric impulses!
Looking up, she saw Mahiro had pierced his finger, with drops of blood slowly falling from his fingertip onto Lady Elisabeth's heart.
That captivating scent was coming from his blood!
One drop.
Two drops.
Three drops...
The blood dripped faster and faster, like a gradually opened faucet, somewhat reminiscent of the liquid manipulation ability of Water Dragon Possession: Black Marlin.
"Quite the appetite you have there."
Mahiro smiled faintly as he watched the heart continuously absorbing his blood.
Thump—
Thump—
The blood-soaked heart actually began to beat, transforming into a crimson bud before his eyes.
This was a sign of revival.
So Mahiro stopped supplying blood.
With a mere thought, his wound instantly healed.
However, the heart seemed unsatisfied, instead gradually swelling and growing, the bud becoming enormous like a rose blossom.
The roots coiled around the coffin began to writhe eerily as if coming to life.
Transforming into countless tentacles, they lunged toward Mahiro.
"Such a hard-to-satisfy creature."
Mahiro casually swung his spear, immediately severing the attacking root tentacles.
The bud seemed to understand that this most delicious food source wasn't easy prey, so it turned its attention to the sacrificial offering nearby.
"OSASAS....!"
Seeing the tentacles coming for him, the sacrifice frantically shook his head, but bound as he was, how could he possibly escape? Slowly, the tentacles wrapped around his limbs and body.
The roots piercing his flesh continuously drained his blood.
And the previously stalled bud began to bloom at this moment.
As the flower bud bloomed petal by petal, the faint silhouette of a completely naked beautiful girl gradually emerged.
Her deep crimson hair danced without wind, matching the scarlet hue of her eyes.
With porcelain-like fair skin and a perfectly proportioned, feminine figure, Mary's lips trembled slightly at the sight of this familiar form.
"E-Elisabeth-sama…"
Her voice carried shock and nostalgia, but also thick with regret.
If she had known things would turn out this way, she should have followed Elisabeth-sama's last wish—killed her and scattered her ashes into the sea.
Then it wouldn't have come to this…
Everything was already over…
Tears glistened in Mary's eyes as overwhelming despair surfaced.
The scene that had played out a thousand years ago was about to repeat itself…
"Ah…"
Elisabeth parted her cherry lips and bit into the sacrificial offering's throat. Fresh blood instantly flooded her mouth, and with each swallow, she continued to draw it in.
The living sacrifice was drained dry in moments.
Simultaneously, a powerful surge of magic erupted from the resurrected queen, shaking the very atmosphere.
This terrifying amount of magical force sent Alpha stumbling back three steps.
Sensing the overwhelming pressure from the Blood Queen, she frowned slightly.
…
The crimson magic swirling around her body seemed to solidify, writhing and coiling around her slender, graceful form like living blood.
It transformed into a dress as vivid and red as fresh blood.
"You are not allowed to interfere. This is my prey."
Seeing Yukime, Alpha, and Epsilon bracing themselves as if facing a formidable enemy, Mahiro, standing at the center of the storm, spoke calmly before turning his gaze back to the legendary progenitor of vampires.
How could she not be strong?
This woman had consumed his blood, at least doubling her original magical power.
If she couldn't even surpass Alpha, that would be far too dull.
Thinking this, a faint smile curled at the corner of Mahiro's lips.
"Then let's begin as well, Miss Elisabeth. I hope you won't disappoint me."
Elisabeth tilted her head slightly, as if unable to comprehend his words, her consciousness still shrouded in a hazy slumber, not fully awakened.
Only her instincts incessantly whispered that the blood of the person before her was delicious.
So she reached out toward Mahiro.
At the same time, blood began to gather in the Blood Queen's right hand.
An astonishing concentration of magic gathered in her palm!
And before anyone could react, the floating mass of blood suddenly exploded!
In an instant, the shattered blood splattered everywhere, countless droplets transforming into sharp arrows in the blink of an eye, all aimed at Mahiro.
"Hmm, that's more like it."
The blood arrows dyed the entire space in a bloody red.
Mahiro swiftly took a large step back, then swung his spear through the air before him.
Dimensional Formation: Shambhala!
A formation resembling a taijitu appeared like a barrier in front of Mahiro, and the thousands of blood arrows vanished into it without a trace.
The next moment…
An identical teleportation array materialized above Elisabeth's head.
Countless blood arrows manifested alongside it, descending like a torrential downpour!
Those blood arrows should have mercilessly pierced through Elisabeth's body...
That's how it should have been.
Yet in reality, the blood hung suspended in midair with unnatural stillness, as if repelled by an invisible barrier that prevented any further advancement.
But Mahiro understood.
This was merely the blood manipulation of this Vampire Progenitor.
He couldn't help but smile faintly: "Then how about this?"
Snap!
Crimson light erupted in Mahiro's eyes as the magic circle of his Copy Eyes manifested at the center of his pupils.
With the snap of his fingers,
Overwhelming magical power surged forth, instantly seizing control of the blood in the exact same manner.
The blood rain immediately descended, piercing through Elisabeth's smooth jade-like back, running through her delicate frame.
She collapsed to the ground like a ragged cloth, countless blood droplets striking the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.
"Is this all you can manage? Surely you're not already spent? Oh, legendary Blood Queen."
A flippant, arrogant voice, like that of a predator toying with its prey, faintly echoed beneath the blood moon atop the high tower.