Watching the people I cared about get hurt right in front of me, I, Somiliana, felt nothing but frustration.
Tima-san and Mars-san, who had become covered in wounds trying to protect someone who could do nothing.
Onee-sama was still fighting, but several cuts already ran across her beautiful body.
Ignoring that older sister, the incarnation of death descended right in front of me, trying to harvest my soul. My body trembled at the approaching death, and my voice came out hoarse.
"I'm scared."
That fear clung to me together with the chains of the Grim Reaper that bound me, and a coldness like ice and snow robbed my body of freedom. The large scythe was swung down, trying to tear my body apart.
"Kh!"
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, as if trying to escape the pain that would invite me to death. As if closing my eyes would let me run away from reality. That was all I could do.
…But no matter how long I waited, the pain never came. Thinking it strange, I opened my eyes, and there, instead of the Grim Reaper, was the back of a man.
It was not a particularly large back.
But to me it looked larger and more reliable than anything else.
After laying Ena down in an empty room and retrieving the weapons, when Nozomu returned to where Somia and the others were, what he saw was the form of Lugat's familiar about to swing its large scythe down. Nozomu immediately poured qi into his sword, severed both of the familiar's arms with Phantom Void, and with the returning blade bisected the familiar.
"Nozomu…san?"
Somia called out to Nozomu as if confirming, but he had no leeway to answer that question. Against the opponent he was facing now, not even the slightest carelessness could be allowed.
Lugat was looking at Nozomu, who had cut the contract familiar in two with a single stroke, with a surprised expression.
"…To think the contract familiar would be defeated with a single stroke…"
Both Irisdina and Tima had their eyes wide open. Only Mars alone was watching with an exasperated expression.
Nozomu took down the greatsword he had been carrying on his back and kicked it toward Mars. The greatsword slid across the floor and reached Mars's side.
"Tch… you're late…"
Mars grumbled as he picked up the greatsword. However, his hands were covered in blood and his legs were trembling. Even from the side it was clear that continuing the battle was impossible.
"…Sorry."
"…Hmph."
"But I defeated the contract familiar. With this, the contract is…"
When Nozomu muttered that, the fragments of the bracelet that had been the familiar's core, which he had shattered, floated into the air and began gathering in midair.
"Wha!"
The fragments that had gathered in the air were dyed jet black and became a mass of black light that began pulsing thump-thump. From that appearance, Nozomu and the others could tell that the Grim Reaper was trying to revive.
"W-why…"
"That familiar will revive as many times as necessary so long as I possess the contract document."
"…Are you still intent on taking Somia-chan away?"
"Yes. That is the order of my master."
Lugat answered without hesitation. He held not the slightest doubt about the act he was about to perform. At that attitude, Nozomu's voice naturally grew rough.
"Why?! The people themselves weren't told a single thing about a contract from three hundred years ago! Do you think a contract like that will be accepted?! Besides, the contents of the contract only say to return the Furnace of Spirit Flame! Not a single character is written about taking Somia-chan's soul!!"
Nozomu did not understand the obligations of noble houses or the circumstances of the Francilt family from three hundred years ago. But unilaterally making a completely uninformed Somia into a sacrifice and dumping everything onto their own children was something Nozomu could not accept at all.
"To be honest, the fact that the Furnace of Spirit Flame had fused with Somia-sama's soul was something I myself only learned upon confirming it here and now. My master does not place particular importance on this contract either. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say he has no interest in it…"
"Then!"
"However, the contract has already been exchanged. Once exchanged, it is absolute."
Without waiting for Nozomu's words, Lugat declared it clearly.
"Indeed, the Furnace of Spirit Flame has fused with Somia-sama's soul, and it is likely no longer possible to separate them. Even so, that does not mean our contract never existed. If a contract that has been exchanged once is discarded, it becomes a matter of credibility and dignity for both parties who exchanged it, and in some cases it could even be taken advantage of by hostile existences. Even if he has no interest, my master will not remain silent if the contract is unilaterally broken. For the Francilt family as well, I believe they would prefer to avoid this secret agreement becoming public…"
"I don't care about any of that! Let Somia go!"
Lugat was inserting threats into his polite words, but Irisdina brushed them aside. To her, the little sister before her eyes was a treasure more irreplaceable than anything else, far more than the people of a house drowned in money and power.
"......"
Watching that, Lugat's atmosphere changed.
"…In our country, strength is valued above all else."
The Dizart Empire, from the reason it was founded, respected and revered the strong all the more the stronger they were. Even if one suffered damage, if the opponent was strong it would be forgiven. That was the national character.
"If you say you cannot accept this contract…"
Magical power overflowed from Lugat's body. That attitude clearly told them "This is the final warning." If Nozomu and the others resisted any further, he would without a doubt come to kill them.
"Prove that you yourselves are stronger than I!"
Lugat declared, "Break this contract with strength."
Facing the now serious Lugat, Nozomu also raised his sword. Irisdina came to Nozomu's side and spoke to him.
"…Nozomu-kun. That technique from earlier, how many more times can you use it?"
"…Not many. A few more shots is the limit."
Under Ability Suppression, Nozomu's quantity of qi was low. No matter how much he reduced the amount of qi used, he could not release many techniques that would work against that opponent.
"…Frustrating as it is, I cannot match Lugat. I'm counting on you. The black sphere Lugat holds is probably what controls the contract familiar… Please. Destroy the black sphere he holds."
"…Understood. I'm going."
Nozomu answered Irisdina's sincere request, yet his voice was somehow trembling. The opponent was a fierce warrior of S-rank, the same as his own master. Fighting while still carrying hesitation against such an opponent was out of the question.
(Right now I fight. Because I have no choice but to fight!!)
Forcibly suppressing his own hesitation by using the current situation as an excuse, Nozomu applied physical reinforcement to himself and raced toward Lugat.
Lugat's ten fingers ran through the air as if playing a musical instrument and once again drew formations. From the formations drawn in the air, ten magical bullets were fired toward Nozomu. The approaching ten magical bullets closed in to pierce Nozomu, but they were blocked by five magical bullets that flew from behind him. Irisdina, who had been behind Nozomu, had activated five "Magic Bullets" with Instant Deployment and canceled out Lugat's magical bullets. However, she had only been able to cancel five of the magical bullets. The remaining five were still closing in on Nozomu. While charging toward Lugat, Nozomu concentrated qi into his legs and detonated it.
Qi technique: "Instant Footwork – Curving Dance –"
Nozomu ran through the gaps between the five magical bullets and closed in on Lugat. He cut toward him as is, but Lugat quickly drew a magic circle and formed a blood sword. Holding that sword in his right hand, he blocked Nozomu's slash. Nozomu had expected to be blocked, so without concern he released consecutive attacks.
Diagonal slash, left rising cut, right sweep, left sweep. He used the muscles of his entire body without waste and linked the movements without stagnation.
In response, Lugat quickly blocked with the blood sword held in one hand. Those movements were certainly fast, but unlike Nozomu's movements they were linear and uneven. Lugat was probably not particularly skilled at close combat. In pure swordsmanship, Nozomu was superior.
However, Lugat, who possessed extraordinary physical ability, paid no mind to such a difference in skill. By correcting wasteful movements and even calculating the time spent on those wasteful movements, he completely blocked Nozomu's consecutive attacks. It was a feat made possible by overwhelming experience.
"Kh!"
Even though it was the distance the opponent was weak at, Nozomu's face twisted at being unable to push through.
Lugat drew a formation with the left hand that was not holding the sword. Seeing a magic circle being drawn at his own feet, Nozomu immediately withdrew with Instant Footwork.
The same moment Nozomu pulled away, dark-colored flames erupted from the magic circle. If he had remained in that spot he would have been thoroughly roasted down to the bone.
With the distance opened, Lugat rapidly fired magical bullets toward Nozomu. Because Nozomu could not punch the magical bullets back head-on the way Mars did, he struck the sides of the magical bullets and diverted their trajectories.
However, because there were too many magical bullets he could not fully handle them, and before he was overwhelmed he repeatedly moved at full speed with Instant Footwork.
Lugat tried to press the attack further, but this time Irisdina cut toward him from the opposite side, so Lugat handled her with the blood sword in his right hand.
"Haaaaaaaa!"
Irisdina swung her thin sword in continuous strikes. Those movements were flowing and without the slightest waste. The blade was faintly glowing, perhaps because an enhancement magic had been applied, and each time Lugat blocked with the blood sword, magical particles and sparks scattered.
Confirming that Lugat's feet had stopped, Nozomu sheathed the sword he had drawn. Immediately after sheathing it he poured qi into the sword and compressed it to the extreme in only half a second.
Lugat, who had been crossing blades with Irisdina, also noticed this side and deployed a magic circle with his left hand. In half a second he deployed a double magical barrier.
Nozomu drew. The extremely compressed qi blade flew at high speed and landed on the magic circle Lugat had deployed. The qi blade sliced through the first barrier and exploded halfway through the second. The barrier had its structure fatally destroyed and dispersed.
Nozomu cut toward Lugat with the returning blade, but Lugat's left hand moved quickly and the constructed magic circle created a blood sword.
He received the "Phantom Void – Regression –" that Nozomu released as a follow-up by pouring enormous magical power into the blood sword.
The three of them crossed blades as if sandwiching Lugat from both sides, but even with only one hand Lugat could not be pushed back by Nozomu and Irisdina.
"Hah!"
"Uwa!" "Kh!"
The moment Lugat put strength into it and rotated his body, Nozomu and Irisdina were blown away as if they were toys.
Lugat released the blood sword and immediately constructed formations with both hands. He showered the two of them with countless magical bullets. The two somehow handled them, but by any measure it was a losing battle of attrition. Nozomu's quantity of qi was being heavily consumed because he was applying physical reinforcement at full power, and the number of times he could release Phantom Void was gradually decreasing. Irisdina as well had been fighting at full strength until now, so the color of fatigue was thick on her.
Before they realized it, the two of them had been forced a considerable distance away. They no longer had any spare strength. They had to finish it with the next strike. Holding a certain idea in his chest, Nozomu spoke to Irisdina.
"Haa haa… Irisdina-san, how many more full-power attacks can you make?"
"Fuu… Let's see, one more is the limit."
Nozomu conveyed his idea to Irisdina so that those around them could not hear. She was surprised at first, but—
"…I'll open the path. After that… I'm counting on you."
"…Understood."
Once confirmation was finished, Nozomu charged at Lugat with Instant Footwork. Magical bullets immediately closed in, and Nozomu tried to dodge with Instant Footwork – Curving Dance –, but there were too many magical bullets and he could not fully avoid them, taking hits.
"Kh!"
Intense pain ran through the places that had been hit and blood came out, but Nozomu gritted his teeth against the pain and continued dodging. On the opposite side Irisdina was likewise continuing to dodge the raining magical bullets. It was the same one-sided development as before, but Nozomu and the others had already accounted for that.
The problem was how to escape the rain of magical bullets and bring it to close combat. The method was already assembled in Nozomu's head, but the problem was his quantity of qi. The technique he was about to use was too large a technique for himself under Ability Suppression. A single use would exhaust almost all of his qi. Using it in his current state, already worn down from battle, could even kill him.
He returned the sheath to the belt at his waist, raised his left hand, and poured a large amount of qi into it. Because several times the qi of the previous Phantom Void had concentrated at a single point, the qi wrapping his left hand released intense light.
"Mu!"
At that sight Lugat's expression changed, but without concern Nozomu slammed his left hand into the ground.
Qi technique: "Annihilating Light Impact."
The next moment, the ground at Lugat's feet exploded, and a torrent of light enveloped Lugat.
"Guuuuuuh!"
Qi was rapidly draining away, and his vision was growing dark. The release of qi beyond his limits had put even his own life activities in a dangerous state.
Annihilating Light Impact possessed the largest effective range among the techniques Nozomu held. If he could put Lugat-san inside that effective range, the man would be unable to attack this side and would have no choice but to focus on his own defense.
Irisdina-san was already preparing the next move. Several magic circles floated up on her thin sword, and black magical light was violently undulating along the blade.
What she had done was extremely simple. Layering enhancement magic. By repeatedly applying enhancement magic, she would ultimately unleash explosive power. It was the same type as one of the techniques Nozomu possessed, "Samsara Revolution."
However, the speed and precision of its activation were unbelievable. Raising the power of Samsara Revolution to its maximum required considerable time, but she, who possessed the Ability Instant Deployment, activated the enhancement magic at a speed that could not be compared to Nozomu's.
Magic sword: "Lunar Eclipse Night."
Eventually her magic was completed. There, a single magic sword had been created. The area around the blade was wrapped in jet-black magical power releasing waves of darkness, yet the blade of the thin sword itself shone white, like a comet shining in the dark night.
Irisdina stepped in. Nozomu released Annihilating Light Impact to match the timing of her swinging the sword. The comet wrapped in darkness sliced through the remnants of the torrent of light.
"Wha!"
Irisdina let out a voice, completely freezing at the unexpected situation. Lugat was not in the space she had sliced. Her full-power magic sword had only vainly cut through empty space.
"W-where… kyaa!"
A magical bullet that approached from her blind spot while she frantically looked around landed and blew her away. Four magic circles deployed around the blown-away her, and those magic circles summoned chains, binding her.
"W-what in the world… guh!"
Nozomu was thrown into confusion by the unexpected situation, but in that time he was bound by magic in the same way as Irisdina.
When Nozomu looked around, black shadows were flying about.
Looking closely, the things flying about were bats. The flying bats eventually gathered in one place, and from there Lugat appeared. He had transformed his own body into bats and withdrawn from the range of Annihilating Light Impact. In the opening of the large technique he had bound Irisdina.
Nozomu arrived at a certain conclusion from the fact that the man had transformed into bats. Probably he was…
"A vampire…"
"Yes, exactly so. I am a vampire."
Vampire.
On the Arkmel continent there existed a wide variety of races, but among them this was a race said to possess top-class latent potential. Extraordinary physical ability, vast magical power, an extremely long lifespan, and a wide variety of unique abilities. The ability from earlier to transform one's own body into bats was also a unique ability of vampires.
Although their numbers were small, their abilities were extremely high. However, precisely because of that high ability, and because they had to drink the blood of others in order to live, they had a history of being feared and persecuted.
In fact, the Dizart Empire itself was a country founded by such persecuted races gathering together.
Nozomu looked at Lugat once more. The deep crimson eyes the man possessed were indeed one of the characteristics of vampires.
But now that he understood, it was already far too late. Everyone had either been bound or driven into a state where they could no longer fight, and there were no longer any moves left to make.
Leaving the now powerless Nozomu and the others behind, Lugat headed toward Somia.
The old man was heading toward Somia, and I could do nothing about it.
"Kh! Come off! Come off!!"
I desperately tried to remove the magic binding me, but it would not budge at all. This magic seemed to have the effect of suppressing the opponent's magical power, and I could not raise my own magical power.
When the old man activated magic, the contract familiar revived.
"Ah… stop, please stop…"
Remembering what the familiar in front of me would bring, the blood drained from my face.
"Stop! Please stop!! If you want a soul then take my soul! So please don't take Somia away!!"
I desperately pleaded, but neither the old man nor the familiar showed any sign of stopping. When the familiar directed its hand toward Somia, her soul slowly emerged. It still had not completely severed the connection with her body, so a part of the soul remained connected to her body by a white, glowing cord, but there was no vitality in Somia's complexion.
"Ah… stop, please stop…"
My most precious treasure. The reason I had been able to keep from losing myself in a house swirling with desire was because Somia was there.
Somia, who had always followed behind me calling "Onee-sama, Onee-sama." My irreplaceable little sister who always smiled and told me she loved me.
Somia's death.
Faced with that, my body collapsed. Strength left my entire body, and all I could do was continue watching the scene of my little sister being killed.
Please. Anyone is fine. I'll do anything I can. I don't care if I offer up my body, my soul, everything!
So… so please…
"Someone… please. Help… me…"
Nozomu bit down on his lip.
There had been elements that could have let him guess that Lugat was a vampire. But he had overlooked them, and the situation had become irreversible.
No, if he had released Ability Suppression from the beginning, perhaps Mars and Tima-san would not have taken unnecessary injuries…
Only regret tightened around his chest.
It was always like this. He could never do a single important thing.
He could not step into his relationship with Lisa. He was afraid of his Dragonslayer power being known and of being rejected, so he could not talk about himself to the people who were worried about him. In the end it was self-preservation.
Thanks to Master staking her life to teach him "do not look away from the fact that you are running away," he had become able to recognize that he had been running away until now, but even at a time like this he could not move forward.
When he casually raised his gaze, Lugat standing beside Somia-chan and Irisdina-san continuing to shout entered his vision.
When Lugat drew a formation, the familiar that had become a mass of black light in the air revived. When it went to Somia-chan's side and directed its pure white skeletal hand toward her,
a mass of white light slowly emerged from the chest of Somia-chan, who could not even make a sound from fear.
That light was connected to Somia-chan's chest by a white, glowing cord of the same color. That was probably her soul.
Somia-chan's face had turned pale, and she had lost consciousness.
It was exactly a death face… yes, the same as Master's at that time…
Remembering that time still made him sad even now. He had not been able to save Master. Even after obtaining power, that power had not been something that could save Master.
But he had not regretted it.
Master had been smiling at the end.
She had said "I'm satisfied." The person herself had said she had no regrets.
Master's death was still sad even now, but he had been able to accept Master's feelings.
Then what about now? Was it fine to simply watch Somia-chan's death like this?
Somia-chan, who had lost her vitality after her soul was extracted. Irisdina-san hanging her head.
There was no way it was fine. At the very least he could not accept this ending!!
At that moment, a voice casually reached his ears.
"Someone… please. Help… me…"
What he heard was Irisdina-san's hoarse plea. A voice so weak it was unimaginable from her usual self.
The moment he heard that, before he knew it he had skipped over all the anguish until now and released Ability Suppression.
Explosive power ran rampant through the surroundings. It easily washed away my magical power and rampaged like a torrent of qi that seemed to say "Don't do as you please."
"Wha!!!"
When I hurriedly turned my eyes toward the source of the raging power, there stood the boy who had bisected the contract familiar with a single stroke. The boy tore my restraint magic apart like scrap paper and vanished from that spot.
The next moment, the boy was above the familiar's head. The sword he had been holding at his waist was drawn, and the familiar was sliced apart again without the person himself even noticing, dispersing into mist.
I hurriedly took distance and looked at that boy. His appearance had not changed, but the power being released from his body had risen to a completely different order of magnitude.
Indeed, I had been impressed by his skill. Outstanding swordsmanship and exceptional qi control. The contract familiar was a powerful familiar that would rank as A-rank, precisely because it had been created by the former master.
Considering that he had defeated it with a single stroke, I understood that he possessed a weapon worthy of caution, yet even so I had not thought he could match me.
His movements had been precise, but far too slow. His skill and his own physical ability had not matched, and they had been far too mismatched.
But the movements just now… even though I myself had not been careless, I had been unable to see through his movements.
When I looked at his companions, their faces as well were frozen in shock. They too seemed to know nothing about the boy's current state.
I recognized him as an enemy that needed to be defeated immediately. Using all ten fingers, I activated multiple magics at the same time.
A storm of magical bullets assailed the boy, but the boy withdrew with Instant Footwork. That speed was of a completely different order, and even to my eyes almost nothing but afterimages remained.
The magical bullets I released landed on the walls and floor without even grazing him, only vainly kicking up rubble.
Without concern I activated magic one after another. Not only firing magical bullets, but also causing flames to erupt from the floor and controlling blood swords to cut toward him, yet he drew complex curved trajectories at high speed and either dodged or completely handled every magic I released with his sword.
I could not believe that sight. I had never seen anyone move at such high speed while performing such complex curved movement.
I understood that the qi technique he was using was Instant Footwork, but if one performed such explosive acceleration, one should only be able to move in a straight line!
The precision of my magic dulled slightly from the agitation. The next moment, the boy charged this way without hesitation.
Paying no mind to interception by my magic, he invaded the distance between us and cut toward me. I immediately received it with a blood sword and tried to push back, but…
(Kh!! I can't push through!)
Even though as a race my specs should far surpass his, I could not push through.
No, rather I was beginning to be pushed back, and his sword was gradually closing in.
Thinking that at this rate I would be overwhelmed, I poured excessive magical power into the blade of the blood sword and detonated it.
I was blown away by the impact of the explosion, and countless wounds formed on my body, but as a vampire wounds of this level would immediately fully heal. In that opening I tried to open the distance further, but the boy cut through the smoke of the explosion and cut toward me.
Considering the boy's skill and current ability, I had no chance of winning in close combat. I concentrated magical power into my legs to withdraw while releasing magic, but as expected it was dodged and handled.
Not particularly skilled at close combat, I made opening the distance my highest priority and poured all of my magical power into raising my speed.
While both of us moved at high speed and crossed blades, the content of that exchange was completely dominated by the boy. Against me, who was moving in straight lines and the shortest distances, the boy took curved movement and therefore should have had a longer movement distance, yet he caught up and attacked one-sidedly.
"Guh! Kh! Aaah!!"
The boy's slashes that coiled around me like a snake were extremely fierce, and I could not fully handle them as lacerations were carved into my body.
"! Damn!"
And finally my destination was seen through and he got ahead of me.
My feet were stopped, and it turned into a pure exchange of blades, but I could not match him at all.
While further lacerations were carved into my body, I immediately transformed my own body into countless bats. The boy's slash cut through empty air without capturing the countless bats.
I directed those bats toward the boy as is. Countless fangs and claws assailed the boy, but he skillfully used his sword and sheath to shoot the bats down.
However, he began to be pushed back by the bats that boasted overwhelming numbers, and wounds gradually formed on the boy's body.
The bats swarmed in to swallow the boy as is. But the moment the boy slammed his fist into the ground, polar light burned the bats away.
"Guaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Literally burned, I returned from the bat state to human form. Smoke rose from my entire body, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.
At the excessive intense pain my consciousness was carried away, and when I came to, the boy had finished preparing his follow-up attack.
Enormous qi was being poured into the sheathed sword.
I felt a chill greater than any I had experienced before and deployed barriers with all my strength.
What I deployed were four layers of magical barriers that could withstand even advanced-level magic. If one thought about it normally, the only attack that could break through these barriers would be something on the scale of the largest ritual magic.
But that did not happen.
The sword was drawn, and at the same time the extremely compressed qi blade that was released bisected the four-layered barriers without difficulty and bisected my body along with the black sphere and contract document I was holding.
Qi technique "Phantom Void" bisected Lugat-san's body. It seemed to have bisected the black sphere along with it, and the familiar that had been trying to revive vanished. At the same time the chains that had been binding Somia-chan also vanished.
Irisdina-san seemed to have been freed as well, and she hurriedly ran to Somia-chan's side. Her expression, which had been stiff at first, became one of relief once she confirmed Somia-chan's condition, so that side seemed fine.
When I returned my gaze to Lugat-san and walked over to him, despite having been cut from the right shoulder down to the left hip, he was, surprisingly, still alive.
"Fu… fufu. A vampire of my level… will not die… unless the heart… or the brain… is destroyed…"
I was surprised and at the same time relieved. No matter how one-sided it had been, becoming a murderer was not a pleasant feeling. The problem was whether he still intended to target Somia-chan…
"Fufu, please rest assured. You… have defeated me. Therefore… I will not attempt to take Somia-sama away. …In any case… the magical tool for controlling the familiar was destroyed along with the contract document. With this, the contract has in fact become… impossible to fulfill. What remains… will be settled through discussion between the Uajalt family and the Francilt family."
At Lugat's words Nozomu exhaled and finally sat down, thinking it was over. When he casually looked, the Francilt sisters were approaching this way hand in hand. Setting aside the difficult matter of how to explain his own power, right now he was simply happy that he had been able to protect the smiles of the two of them.