“Justasthought!”

hegranddukecriedoutasifsomethinghadfinallyclicked.

“herewasnowaysomeoneasexceptionalasyouwouldsimplyvanishwithoutanyplanatall!”

Shrrrack...!Boom!

hemassivetendrilskepthurtlingtowardthegrandduke.

Blockingthoseattacks,thegranddukeshouted:

“thoughtyouhadtobealivesomewhere,butcouldneverfindyourpresencenomatterhowhardsearched.”

Boom!

“owunderstand.fcourseyouwouldbeimpossibletofindlikethis!”

Boooom...!

“Youwerehidinginsideatoy!”

hetendrilsmovedwithterrifyingspeedandprecision.

nfact,judgingonlybytheprinciplesandtechniquecontainedwithinthosemovements,

eventhatgranddukewasnotworthyofcomparison.

nthepast,

Ariellahaddescribedsabellaassomeoneexceptionalevenamongallthegranddukes.

thadnotbeenbecausesabellawassomeoneclosetoher,andsoshehadpraisedsabellaoutofaffection.

fanything,toAriella,sabellahadbeenanobjectofhatred.

venso,

Ariellahadbeenforcedtoacknowledgesabella’sability.

“hankyou...o.”

...heproblemwasthis.

“hankyou,Sister!”

omatterhowextraordinarythetechniquewas,

therewerelimits.

Craaaaack...!

neoftheblacktendrilsflyingtowardthegranddukewasseizedinthegrandduke’shand,

andthemusclesinthatarmswelledtoagrotesquedegree.

hegrandduke’sappearance,whichhadresembledthatofarefinedmiddle-agedfigure,twistedintosomethinghideous.

“Becausecouldneverfindyouintheend,hadnochoicebuttostruggleandsearchforanothermethod.”

hereasonthegranddukehadsetouttoconquerthisland wasbecauseofthepowerofthe97%ConquestWar

embeddedinthegrandduke’sheart.

hatpowercouldneitherberemovednorendured.

venifthegranddukerestoredAriella’srankanddevouredher,

Ariellawouldneverobedientlyacceptthatrank.

Andso,therehadbeennochoice.

heremaining3%oftheConquestWarhadtobecompleted.

But.

owthingsweredifferent.

“othinkyouwouldrevealyourselflikethis!”

Ariellahadregainedherrank.

Andontopofthat—

thegrandduke’sbloodhiddenwithinherhadnowrevealeditspresence.

Craaaack...!

hemassiveshadowresisted,

butseparatefromtechnique,

thedifferenceinsheerpowerwasfartooobvious.

Pullingthatshadowin,thegranddukeadvancedtowardAriella.

“Donotworry.”

hegrandduke’seyeswerefilledwithpassion,

andthatattentionwasfocusedsolelyonthesingledropofbloodflowingsomewherethroughAriella’sveins.

“nyourplace,will...theProgenitor...”

...Right.

Fortunatelyforme.

“randDuke.”

“...?”

hegranddukewassofocusedonthatblood thattherewasnotevenroomtospareaglanceatthesurroundings.

“Youhaven’tforgottenourpromise,haveyou?”

“You...?”

hatmeantallthegrandduke’sattentionwasfixedonthatbloodalone.

***

Justbeforethegrandduke’shandcouldreachAriella,

calledouttothegranddukeasapproachedwhilehidingmypresenceas[]muchaspossible.

“Youhaven’tforgottenourpromise,haveyou?”

ntruth,

separatefromsabellapermittingAriella’sascension,

wecouldhavehiddenherpresenceifwereallywantedto.

Allwehadtodowasaskhertogobackundergroundintothatmistmanaagain.

But.

Ariellaandhadchosentorevealherpresenceonpurpose.

hereasonwassimple.

'fit’sabeingonthelevelofagrandduke...there’snowayitwouldn’thavesensedit.'

herewasnowaythegranddukehadfailedtonotice

thepowerswellinginsidemerightnowasifitmightburstatanymoment.

hemomentapproached,

thegranddukewouldhavetriedtoeliminatemefirst.

But—

“...!”

And.

hatwasstilltruenow.

“Youbastard!”

hegranddukenoticedmypresence,eyeswideningasitturnedtowardme.

tlookedreadytorushatmethatveryinstant.

But.

Shrrrk...!

“!”

Unfortunatelyforthegrandduke,

someonewastheretoholdthosestepsinplace.

“Wheredoyouthinkyou’regoing...”

Craaaack...!

“randDuke.”

“Marquis?”

Massiveblackpillarsturnedintowhipsandboundthemselvesaroundthegrandduke’sbody.

fthegranddukehadbeenfartheraway,

thennomatterhowremarkablethetechniqueandprincipleswithinthosepillarswere,

holdingthegranddukewouldnothavebeeneasy.

“Bellatoldmesomething.”

But.

hegranddukehadapproachedAriellaonitsown.

“Shesaidalarakisachildfullofbloodandplayfulness,likeapuppy...andthatyouhavetokeepatightholdonsuchchildren.”

Craaaaaaaaaack!

hatwasthereason Ariella’sshadowshadbecomecapableofrestrainingthegrandduke.

“...Whatareyouthinking?”

Atthatfact,

thegranddukelookedatAriellawitheyesfilledwithsuspicion.

“Whenfleeingfrommeshouldbeyouronlyconcern,whywouldyoudothis?”

Fromthegrandduke’sperspective,

ifitcouldonlysecuresabella’sbloodwithinAriella,

thenitwouldundergoafurtherascensioninrankandmoveontothenextstage.

Anyonewhoknewthat wouldunderstandthatanenemyofthegranddukeshouldbehidingsabella’sblood.

Buttheresultwastheopposite.

“ouseSister’sbloodasbait.”

twasdangeroustoanabsurddegree.

And.

ftheyweretryingsomething thatwasworthtakingarisklikethat,

then—

“Whatexactlyareyouplanningtodo...?!”

—anyonecouldguess

thattherewardwouldbejustasgreat.

'Ah,damnit.'

And.

Underthatgazefullofsuspicion,

lookeddownattheobjectinmyhand.

[SerumContainingtheDevotionandMiracleofanApostle-Classealer]

Asmallvialfilledwithredliquid.

nthepast,

itwasthemedicineucahadmadetohealmybody.

Andatthesametime...

'ucadidtellmenottousethisunlessabsolutelyhadto!'

hiswassomething

ucahadhopedwouldavoidusingifatallpossible.

***

...Whenfirststartedthinkingthatthegranddukehadtobebroughtdown,

thethoughtinmyheadhadbeensimple.

'owthehellamsupposedtokillsomethinglikethat?'

heobjectivedifferenceinstrengthwasfartooobvious.

venifsomehowmanagedtoisolatethatthingallbyitself,

thatwouldbenothingmorethanthestartingline.

hegranddukebeingalonedidnotmeancouldactuallydefeatit.

'hedifferenceinstrengthistooobvious.'

Anenemyevenstrongerthanthenearlyperfectbodyucahadcreated.

Andunlikethatone,

thisenemydidnothaveanyclearweakness.

ventheonlyweaknessesitdidhave—sunlightanddivinepower—wereblockedbythatredmist.

herewassimplynowaytodefeatit.

'But...whenthinkaboutit.'

But.

hemomentthatthoughtcametome,

amemorybrushedpastmymind.

'herewasatimeinthepastwhenthoughtthesamething.'

Anenemythatwasoverwhelminglystrong.

hedifferenceinpowerhadbeenobvious,

andhadoncefacedsomeonefarbeyondanythingcouldhandlealone.

But.

haddefinitelysurvivedthatenemy.

twasnotbecausehadbecomestrongerthanthatenemy,

oranythinglikethat.

'fusethatmethod.'

hadonlyfoundonewaytosurvive bystrugglingdesperatelytostayalive.

And.

'tmightworkthistimetoo.'

fusedthatsamemethodnow,

thoughtthatevenagainstthisgrandduke,mightsomehowhaveachance.

venso,

hadstillspentalongtimewonderingwhethertherewasreallynootherchoice.

Andforgoodreason.

'venifitworks...theresultcouldbeirreversible.'

Becauseitwasanexcessivelyrecklessmethod, onewithnotellingwhattheoutcomewouldbe.

But.

Whatelsewassupposedtodo?

'hisistheonlymethod’vegot.'

hen’vejustgottotryit.

Withthatthought,

lookedattheitemthatwouldletmeattemptthatmethod.

[SerumContainingtheDevotionandMiracleofanApostle-Classealer]

heserumucahadmadeforme.

[hiswasaworldonceruledbyadivinityofmedicinethatcouldreviveeventhedead.]

[Andtheonewho,eveninthatworld,receivedmoreofthatdivinity’sfavorthananyoneelsecreatedthisserumforasinglepurpose,usinganymeansandmethodswithoutrestraint.]

[eniusessometimescreatemiraclesnooneelsecouldevenimagine.]

[Andwhenthatgeniusbecomessoabsorbedthateventheirownmindcollapses,freeofallrestraint,thatbecomesevenmoretrue.]

[venifwhatisproducedistheproductofgrotesquemadness.]

[Whatthatgeniuscreatedstillpossessedavalueworthyofbeingcalledamiracle.]

Whenucamadethisserum,

ithadbeeninastatethatwasmentallyalittlebroken.

Backwhenitwoulduseabsolutelyanymeansnecessarytoachieveitsgoal.

oputitbluntly,

ifyoucomparedtheucaofnowtotheucafrombackthen,

theonefromthepastwouldhavebeensomuchmorecapablethatcomparisonitselfwouldhavebeenmeaningless.

And.

hiswassomethingcreatedbythatthing.

Sonaturally...whatwasinsideit

hadnotbeenbornfromanynormallineofthought.

Pop!

hatwaswhy,

eventhoughhadbeentoldnottouseitunlessabsolutelyhadto,

hadalsobeentoldthatifthingsbecameunavoidable,thenwouldhavetouseit.

“hk...!”

hatwaswhy,

evenwiththecapalreadyoff,couldnothelphesitatingforamoment.

“don’tknowwhatyou’retryingtodo...!”

“Mylord!”

“Donotthink...wewillallowitsoeasily...!”

Ariella,resistingassheheldthegranddukeinplace.

hegrandduke,lookinglikeitmightbreakfreeandlungeoutatanymoment.

Seeingthat,

threwawaymyhesitation.

ulp.

tossedthecontentsofthevialintomymouth.

Srrr...

heredliquidbornfrommyownblood sliddownmythroatandflowedbackintomybody.

[Skill-Absoluteastehasactivated.]

[heeffectsofconsumedfoodaregreatlyincreased!]

ome,drugswerealsoakindoffood.

Becauseoftheskillpossessed,thepowercontainedwithinitwasenhancedanotherdegree.

Andtheeffectsofthatdish werejustabouttospreadthroughoutmyentirebody...

rightatthatmoment.

Ding!

[Awarning!Awarning!Awarning!]

Astatuswindowappearedbeforemyeyes.

[hecompositionalratiooftheelementsconstitutingtheawakenedone’sbodyhaschangedrapidly.]

And.

ookingatthatmessage,thought:

[Usecaution!]

ucahadtoldmewhileexaminingmybody.

hereasonhadnearlydiedwasbecausehadlostallthevitalenergyhadbeenbornwithasahuman.

And...

thereasonwasstillaliveinspiteofthat wasbecauseofthebloodofanotherracethatmadeuproughly49%ofmybody.

[fnotaddressedimmediately.]

And.

fyousaidthatinreverse,itbecamethis:

hereasonwassufferingfromalackofvitalenergy wasbecauseoftheweakhumanbloodthatmadeup51%ofmybody.

Andthereasonhadsurvivedevenaftermyvitalenergywasdepletedwasbecauseofthatotherbloodmakingup49%ofmybody.

nthatcase—

[Yourracemaychange!]

—didn’tallhadtodowasreversewhichsideheldcontrol?

twasanincrediblysimplethought...

andanincrediblystupidone.

***

“...!”

Asthegranddukestaredatmeinshock,

feltthechangeinsidemybodyandspoke.

“Youmadeapromise...didn’tyou?”

hatbastardhaddefinitelymademeapromise.

otjustanypromise,either.

thadspokenan[ath]infusedwithmana.

“oway...!”

thadprobablymeantitasnothingmorethanemptywordstocoaxAriella.

Fromthestart,ithadintendedtodevourAriellaonceshehadgrownenough.

tprobablyhadneverevenimaginedthemomentwouldcomewhenitwouldhavetokeepthatpromise.

[Awakenedne:ShinYoungjun]

[Class:WarChefv.45]

Butwhatwasitsupposedtodo?

“hemomentamrebornasanoble...yousaidyouwouldshareyourbloodwithme.”

“Youbastard...!”

[Race]

[Primate-uman?]

Apromiseisapromise.

Shouldn’tyoukeepit?

[Race]

[ampire(Primate-uman)]

Crack,craaack...

hatswollenbody.

hecenterofitbulgedoutwardbyforce.

Riiip!

hethickskintoreopen.

Andfrominsideit—

Puhwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!

acrimsonwave burstoutlikeanexplosion.

***

[Warning,warning,war—]

Bzzt...

[Duetotherap—idchangeinthebo—dy,ther—aceisch—anging———.]

Bzzt,bzt...

nthepast,

hadoncemetthosewhohadstoppedbeinghuman becausetheyhaddevouredtoomanyothers.

Andbackthen,learnedsomething.

hehumanbodyisweakerthanyouwouldthink.

tiseasilycorruptedbythemanaofotherbeings.

fyoudevourotherbeingschaotically,consumingtheirbloodandfleshandfillingyourownbloodandfleshwiththeirs,

thenbeforeyourealizeit,thehostandguestreverseplaces,

andyouarenolongerhumanatall.

Andhadlearnedonemorethingwhenmetpeoplelikethat.

Bzzt...

[fyoudonotcan—celatthist—me]

hatinfrontoftheireyes,

abrokensystemappears likethis.