Chapter 45 - I'm Ugly

[Mana-infused Grim Reaper Robe: This item has been enhanced by Inventory: Lair(Benia).]

[Just wearing it emits an ominous aura. Wrapping your whole body in the robe allows you to enter shadows.]

Thanks to the enhanced Grim Reaper Robe, I easily cut off the vampire's head. Because of this I can now activate [Correction: Surprise Attack] anytime, doesn't this mean I can beat most small fry? Right?

"Are you okay?"

Sophia nodded at my question. But her expression seems somewhat unsatisfactory, the cause is probably─

"Sophia. What did you just say? Don't tell me you believed that bastard's words─"

"Hey. Shut up."

Crunch!

I stepped on the guy's head with my foot. This bastard that bastard, let Sophia go and whatnot. Ignoring all the words I heard, I looked at Sophia.

"Kill him."

"Huh?"

"I'm saying you can kill him. He became a vampire anyway. Not even upper class but lower. Even if he lives he'll just be a criminal going around sucking others' blood."

"But still─"

I stopped Sophia's words with my hand. Leaving guys like this alive just makes them annoying later saying things like revenge.

"You can kill him. He's not human."

Understanding my meaning, Sophia slowly nodded.

Though I chose words carefully since Sophia is a vampire too, you won't get expelled from human society for killing a vampire.

Rather you'd be praised for saving people, the opposite won't happen.

"Wait, Sophia. Just a moment!!"

Crunch─!!!

A different sound from when I stepped on him. His head completely crushed with chunks of meat flying through the air.

"Ugh."

Though I turned my head away at the grotesque scene, I felt relieved.

The true ancestor didn't come looking for Sophia. Meaning Sophia wasn't the goal.

Then that means the true ancestor is in the mist that appeared earlier─

I really hate this so much.

"Sophia. I have to go, so you go around subduing apostles."

"You're going to meet the true ancestor."

Your perception is disgustingly quick. Honestly I want to run away too. If not for Raphael and Ishia I would have run already.

I came here first since Raphael disappeared with Ishia, but while I don't know about Ishia, Raphael has no combat ability.

She'll die if I don't save her. She probably can't bring out her wings yet either.

"I'll go with you."

At those words I tilted my head.

"Are you crazy? Why would you go."

"I have to kill them."

Seems she's gone mad. A hidden life saying she's going to meet a true ancestor. Though I was dumbfounded and words didn't come out well. I chose my words as carefully as possible.

"Let me be clear, they didn't come for you. That's self-importance so stay still. If it was for you they would have come to meet you right away."

Though that's true. I wrapped myself in the robe ignoring her muttering. Watching the surprised Sophia while feeling my body disappear into shadows.

"Wh-where are you going?! Take me too!!"

"Sophia. Kill the apostles. Don't hesitate. They'll only increase damage if left alone. You know they've completely lost intelligence unlike the lower vampire you just killed right? Leaving them alive is suffering for those people. Kill them no matter what."

With those final words I hid my body in darkness. Let's run away since arguing seems endless anyway. True ancestors can't sense other true ancestors anyway. Even if she tries to sense the mist, the apostles spread everywhere will interfere.

"Lee Seonghoon!!!!"

"It's master."

"Yet you answer."

If Sophia meets another true ancestor, all that's left is Sophia turning evil. I hate such a future to death. She'd kill me nearby first.

"I'm saying this in case you have strange thoughts, but if you think of yourself as human you can sufficiently live as a human. I'll handle the true ancestor so wait for your master while catching apostles."

So let's prevent strange thoughts as much as possible. Tell her to cool her head while killing apostles.

With those final words I fully entered the darkness.

Though I spoke coolly, honestly I'm disgustingly scared. No way I can win fighting a true ancestor and high chance of dying.

Yet the reason for going is simple.

"Let's go save that damn angel."

Just don't fight. Let's proceed with saving and running away.

[Received meow. Go straight meow.]

Though it's darkness where I can't see an inch ahead, I can advance straight toward the mist.

***

─Vampire..? What's that? Sucks blood..? Sorry. I have something to do at home!!

─You monster!! Get lost!! Don't ever come near our house again!!

─I'm grateful you told me honestly. But I'm sorry. I hope you disappear before I call a hero.

"What kind of 'if you want to be human you can live as human'."

Sophia walked the streets laughing helplessly. Screams heard from here and there, apostles lowering their heads as if recognizing her.

Though they have no intelligence, do they instinctively recognize true ancestors?

They moved avoiding Sophia.

"I don't like it."

But Sophia didn't like that. Apostles burst and disappear every time she passes by.

They collapse spewing blood. Magic using "Magic Chant Breaking".

Yet Sophia didn't stop thinking.

Her life was always like that. Chased out everywhere for being a vampire, persecuted, and chased even from places she went to grasping at straws.

This place is where she came in the midst of that. This was her last bastion.

─Shall we leave?

When first discovered she really thought what would happen but.

─Because vampires are a race too?!

─I swear on the name of dragons.

─If you think of yourself as human you can live as a human.

The saying that you never know how life will turn out is true. For the first time she met a human who understood vampires without her revealing herself as a vampire.

Lee Seonghoon. That man treated her no differently from others even knowing she's a vampire. Gets angry the same, gets annoyed the same, laughs the same.

As if she's the same human. That made her a little, just a little happy.

Yet seeing him go to fight a true ancestor for her sake felt a bit strange.

To the point of wondering why he goes that far.

What is she for him to go that far.

He could just tell the Justitia faculty 'Sophia is a vampire' and be done with it easily.

Why does he go that far.

She couldn't understand. He's an incomprehensible man from the start.

Usually lazy and just ordering others around, only caring about money, having bad personality, doing crazy things, yet the most reliable in dangerous situations─

"What 'I'll handle the true ancestor'."

BOOM─!!!! Apostles burst and fly away. Though the person about to be bitten gave thanks, Sophia just passed by.

"What 'believe in and wait for your master'."

She thought trust was a luxury. Even the child she thought was close, the man who took her in, the uncle who laughed heartily and treated her well.

Everyone betrayed her but.

For some reason. The thought that if it's Lee Seonghoon. lingers in her mind.

The pillar of light she saw during the wraith incident flickers, and the dragon's eyes she saw in the department room come to mind.

All chilling memories, but for some reason if it's Lee Seonghoon─

"Feels like I should believe."

Since I decided to believe anyway is twice hard? Sophia tried hard to force a smile.

***

"Ugh. What is this?! Seonghoon?! Where is─"

Raphael looked around naturally searching for Lee Seonghoon then stopped.

The reason is simple.

Because Lee Seonghoon isn't visible. All that's visible is rippling darkness and strangely bright surroundings.

"This feels like I've seen it somewhere before."

"Vampire."

"Eek?! Ishia? You scared me!! Say something before appearing!!"

Raphael jumped in surprise. Are her eyes okay trying to pop out? Ishia tilted her head and stood beside Raphael.

"We're inside a vampire's stomach. We experienced it last time right?"

"Ah-hah."

As if just remembering Raphael hit her palm then looked around again.

"How do we get out? Seonghoon's not here either?"

"Is Lee Seonghoon Doraemon? Solves everything? Let's get out on our own."

"Let's call him Seonghoonemon. Well. It's true he solves everything though."

"..."

Ishia had nothing to say so didn't answer. More importantly, experiencing a vampire's stomach twice. Thinking things like what if she gets caught by evil eyes again, she thought about how to get out.

There's one way to get out of a vampire's stomach.

Killing the person who made this mist. That's how we got out last time too.

"Be careful of evil eyes. Since we know it's a vampire. Never make eye contact. If you do make eye contact close your eyes immediately."

"Okay~"

At least she answers well. Ishia glanced at Raphael once with untrusting eyes then scanned the surroundings.

"Aren't we moving?"

"Where would we move to?"

"Hmm. Don't know? But feels like moving would be better than staying still."

"It's the same even if we move. To get out we have to kill the person who spread this mist."

Then staying still is right. Vampires have the instinct to suck blood from beauties.

It feels a bit off to think of herself as a beauty, but still she's quite good-looking and the prettiest person she's seen so far is with her.

The vampire will definitely come this way. Seems better to just wait quietly. As if answering that thought.

A sound was heard.

Click. Click.

Ishia took a battle stance while hiding Raphael behind her at the sound coming from far away.

The silhouette gradually becomes visible.

It was a woman. A woman whose silhouette was clearly visible even through clothes.

Yet red hair swaying, eyes shining visibly even from far away.

Getting closer.

Click. Click.

As the heel sounds grow louder, and Ishia's heart starts beating sending warnings. A voice was heard together.

It was an elegant voice.

"Unnie. You kept the pendant for me."

"Unnie?"

As she tilted her head, Raphael behind her poked her head out.

"Me?"

"Yes. But why weren't you with Lee Seonghoon? I gave it to unnie thinking you'd always be together. This makes me feel a bit betrayed?"

Since someone who looks older to anyone keeps saying unnie, Ishia had cognitive dissonance and kept raising question marks above her head.

"Haah. Have to go look again. They say love is hard work."

Not a single word was understandable. Raphael seemed the same as she tilted her head.

Eventually, as the woman got completely close and her face became visible. She walked over with a completely disappointed expression and put her hands on her hips.

"Unnie. If you're going to keep the pendant you should have been with Lee Seonghoon."

"Seonghoon? But I was with Seonghoon?"

Ah. Then was it my mistake? Only then did the woman's face brighten as she smiled broadly.

"But why do you keep saying unnie?! We're meeting for the first time?!"

"No we're not. Look closely."

"Hmm?!"

Raphael stared intently at her face then made an "Ah─!!" sound and jumped in front of Ishia.

"Silvia?!"

"Yes."

Silvia also smiled and waved her hand at the blonde bouncing happily as if glad to see her.

"Ishia! This person isn't an enemy! It's Silvia but how did she grow so big?! Anyway─"

Raphael's words couldn't continue. Because she was grabbed by the neck and lifted into the air by Silvia.

Ishia couldn't react to the suddenly occurring event. She just broke out in cold sweat as if frozen.

"Unnie. Can't grasp the situation? Seems you lack perception. If I suddenly grew you should be suspicious first."

"S-Silvia? This is a joke right? Why are you doing this?!"

"Seems you still don't know."

Sharp fangs flashed as Silvia smiled. Only then did Raphael's complexion turn blue as she finished grasping the situation.

"You deceived me!! You trash!!"

"The deceived person is bad. That's what Lee Seonghoon would say."

"How do you know that?!"

As expected. Silvia smiled brightly and opened her mouth.

"I-I don't taste good!! Even if you eat me I won't have any taste─!!!"

"We'll know if I eat you. But in my experience all beauties taste good. Especially since unnie is a beauty."

"That's true, but no? I'm ugly!! I'm uglier than Seonghoon!!"

Though Raphael struggled, there wasn't even a tremor despite being held with one hand. Plus what about her expression.

An ecstatic expression, the face of someone with 5-star hotel cuisine before them.

"I wonder what expression Lee Seonghoon will make if I kill unnie? You're close right. Always sticking together. Ah. What if he comes rushing to kill me? I'm already trembling."

She's not sane! Raphael struggled with a shocked face. She tried to spread her wings, but all that appeared was a blue window.

[Currently unique magic "Angel Wings" is charging.]

As thoughts like am I going to die like this─ came to mind, suddenly a floating sensation enveloped Raphael.

Because Silvia who was holding her let go and jumped back.

A shadow falls over Raphael who's rubbing her sore bottom after landing hard.

"The other unnie is interfering."

Ishia was standing as if blocking between Raphael and Silvia.