Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1808: Vampire Slayer

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"Who are you even talking about?! The lowly mortals who aren’t even worth our time?! Why would a being as powerful as you dedicate herself to caring for such meaningless creatures?! I just don’t understand. All of us in the Crimson Order admire your strength, yet you waste it protecting weaklings!"

Virel Thornveil could not comprehend Maria’s mindset. She had already slain four Family Heads, and with him, the count would soon reach five.

Yet even now, within Umbralheim, they admired her. A being so strong and ruthless was the ideal every Vampire aspired to become.

Even their Emperor had grown increasingly intrigued by her as time passed.

That was why he kept asking. That was why he kept pressing.

Why?

Why did she bother with fragile beings who died young when she could share eternity with powerful immortals like them?

"The answer is quite simple!" Maria declared. She leaped toward him and swung her sword down, then up, then to the left in a seamless arc.

Virel countered with sweeping blades, unleashing waves of cutting shadows. Maria evaded them effortlessly, transforming into lightning and reappearing above him. She brought her sword down again.

He spun in midair, striking upward as he rose, but the effort barely slowed her. Maria unleashed technique after technique, using her Dome Technique to defend and strike in perfect harmony.

"Nnngh! Every single one of her techniques is incredible! She’s prepared for anything!"

As he fell, Maria looked down at him with cold resolve.

"It’s because I was born a weak, pathetic human. I died twice and lived two lives as someone powerless, unable to fight against my fate!"

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

Maria pressed her assault. Sword energy poured from her blade, shaping into beautiful spectral lotuses that bloomed across the painted canvas of her soul.

"W-What?!"

Virel was stunned by the revelation, struggling to keep pace.

But not for long.

"I know the pain of weakness. I know the agony of being unable to fight back against the strong!" Maria said fiercely. "I lost everything, so I understand what it feels like for others to lose everything! I can sympathize—unlike any of you, born with power, born with riches, born with everything handed to you!"

In that instant, Maria’s soul expanded outward in a breathtaking surge. Virel witnessed an utterly mesmerizing vision.

Her entire soul painted the sky as she swung her sword.

Each glowing star within that painted night pierced his body with a slashing attack.

"NGAAAAHHH!"

"You only know how to trample the weak because that’s all you’ve ever known! And now that you’re finally struggling, fighting for your life... you grow desperate and try to recruit me instead of facing the challenge head-on. You’re cowards! You’re not warriors! You’re a bunch of nobodies undeserving of the power you possess!"

Maria’s words rang with unshakable conviction, reinforcing her ideals and forging her heart even stronger.

Virel screamed in fury. He transformed into a gigantic, mutated bat-like monster.

"SOMEONE AS STRONG AS YOU SHOULDN’T CRY SO MUCH! YOU’RE THE ONE UNDESERVING OF YOUR POWER!"

He attacked with devastating, explosive punches. Shadows twisted into flames, roaring toward Maria to consume her.

Yet her Sword Soul Heart Dome shielded her completely, slicing through every assault that came near!

"Hah?! I’m undeserving of the power I fought so hard to earn?! Hah... My mistake. For a moment I thought I was speaking with an adult, but you have the mind of a child despite living for hundreds of years!"

Maria descended like a comet, her blade splitting the void.

Stars aligned behind her, unleashing beams of sword ki that pierced the vampire’s entire body.

Blood and viscera splattered across the ground.

"A-AAAHHH! Wait! Spare me! You can’t keep killing us all! ARE YOU INSANE?! HAVE MERCY!!!"

As he begged, Maria’s sword cleaved through both his body and soul.

SLAAASH!

His form and essence exploded into abyssal flames. Maria flicked her blade casually, the motion slicing through every nearby Vampire and cleaning the blood from her sword in one smooth stroke.

"We’re done here."

She turned and scanned the tower. The kidnapped people were still alive—thankfully untouched, not yet ground into pills or worse.

"I’m glad we arrived in time."

After escorting the rescued back to the city, Maria lifted her gaze to the higher skies.

There, she sensed a powerful divine presence.

"The Olympus Gods are up to something foolish again. Let’s move quickly!"

With Nia and Hawken’s powers, Maria cut through the ferocious winds of this world.

Yet the pressure grew heavier the higher they climbed.

Until finally...

RUMBLE!

Dark clouds gathered. Lightning thundered in every direction.

"Thunderstorm Seas! It’s around here! Somewhere...!" Hawken shouted. "Ugh, if only I could ask the winds...!"

"Ask the winds?" Nia asked. "Can I do that?"

"Of course! Please try!" Hawken urged.

"I... how do I?" Nia wondered.

She fell silent and closed her eyes.

She channeled the winds into her hands, then let them flow around her body.

"Winds... please tell me... Where’s the Princess?"

Silence followed—only the howl of wind and crackle of thunder.

Nia’s hope began to fade.

Perhaps this whole Wind Rider idea was nothing more than fantasy.

Maybe she wasn’t truly meant for this.

"Please..."

Yet she refused to give up.

She kept hoping.

She closed her hands as though in prayer to the winds.

And then...

In that precise moment.

She heard it—a faint bell ringing in the distance.

No voice spoke, but an intention reached her clearly.

The bell was far away, yet now she could hear it.

"Did it work? I don’t know... but that bell—it has to be it, right?"

Nia nodded with determination.

"All right, follow me!"

She summoned her powerful Wind Aura, lifting everyone and pushing against the storm.

Somehow, she felt an even deeper, more instinctive connection to these elements.

Spreading her arms wide...

FLAAASH!

The winds and thunder parted, carving a clear path forward.

"There!"

At the end of the path within the dark clouds floated a small island.

Ancient ruins of green stone covered its surface.

Above the ruins hovered the Temple of Olympus.

With Maria’s short-range teleportation, the group reached the island in moments.

Guided by the bell, Nia rushed toward the gate.

"She’s over there! They’re using her to open the ruins!" she cried. "Ah, the Gods are coming!"

From the temple, dozens of Gods descended to confront them. Their auras blazed with every element and power—an alliance drawn from many pantheons.

"Stop them!"

"Don’t let them interfere!"

"Kill them!"

Maria studied the Gods. Her eyes flashed gold for an instant.

They weren’t overwhelmingly strong, but they weren’t weak either.

They had clearly been stationed here to buy time while their leader stole the Wind Stones—perhaps to grow stronger or fuel some greater scheme.

"Maria, Nia, go! We’ll handle this ourselves!" Lucifer roared.

"Go, mother!" Celes called.

"We’ll take care of these idiots!" Partner declared.

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