The Vampire’s Revelation

“…You are Shulk, aren’t you?”

Hearing the vampire before her call out her name, Avril frowned.

“I knew it was you. Besides you, no one could use healing magic of that caliber.”

But… how could he… have turned into her?

What exactly had he endured?

After listening to Avril’s words, Shulk—no, Seraphina—offered a faint smile.

“Shulk? I don’t understand.”

“Are you perhaps referring to that Shulk? The one who, despite single-handedly supporting the entire team, was despised, resented, and even discriminated against by all of you? The one who, unable to bear your oppression, left the party, ventured into the dungeon alone, and was then accidentally captured by vampires?”

Seraphina gazed at Avril’s innocent face, watching her brows furrow and her lips tremble incessantly. A smile played at the corners of Seraphina’s mouth, widening slightly.

“You have something to say, don’t you?”

“No, wait. Given the circumstances, you must have something to say, mustn’t you?”

Seraphina tugged at the chains in her hand, and the person at her feet let out a soft whimper.

It was then that Avril realized the one Seraphina held on a leash was none other than Iqiyah, the Blood Princess and final boss of the Blood Manor—the very being who, just days prior, had effortlessly struck them down to their knees and encased them like silkworm cocoons!

‘This is impossible!’

Avril’s pupils dilated in shock.

This was Iqiyah, the Blood Princess! The ruler of the entire Blood Manor, who had ground countless adventurers to dust, scattered their souls, massacred without mercy, and regarded human lives as mere weeds.

How could such a formidable final boss, guarding an entire dungeon, be led around like a dog by a mere Level 1 Shulk?

Avril looked from the final boss, now prostrate like a puppy, to her former teammate—once subservient, now transformed into a vampire maiden who treated a boss like a pet. Confronted by this utterly preposterous sight, Avril’s already overwhelmed mind plunged into utter chaos, becoming no more coherent than a bowl of congee.

Just then, Ailur’s not-so-bright voice echoed from behind them.

“Avril! Don’t be afraid! I’ve figured it out! This must be a vampire illusion!”

‘What? Are you losing your mind? Weren’t you terrified just a moment ago? How could you suddenly come up with such a brilliant idea now?’

Avril turned to look at her ‘genius’ teammate, who had been utterly terrified moments ago but was now suddenly brimming with fighting spirit.

“Avril, think about it,” Ailur whispered, her voice strangely low. “Wasn’t Shulk originally a man? How could he suddenly transform into a vampire maiden?”

“Haven’t you heard of [Initial Embrace]?” Avril retorted sharply. “Such transformations are common among vampires, aren’t they?”

“No, think about it. Vampires only bestow the [Initial Embrace] upon those they deem worthy. Who would ever give the [Initial Embrace] to a good-for-nothing like Shulk?”

“And besides… even if Shulk was embraced, how could he be leading the Blood Manor’s boss around like a dog? Doesn’t that sound utterly preposterous?”

“Therefore, this must be a vampire illusion! It’s her trick to toy with us!”

‘It does seem to make some sense…’

Yet, seeing Ailur’s not-so-bright yet utterly confident expression, Avril shook her head, once again falling into doubt.

‘No, no, no, something is wrong.’

“Then how do you explain her knowing my name…?”

“Vampire magic is outlandish,” Ailur said. “She must have used magic to read our memories!”

Suddenly, Ailur’s voice dramatically rose in volume as she shouted at Seraphina. “Hey! You damned vampire! Your days of toying with us are over!”

“You were lucky I didn’t kill you with one strike last time! This time, I’ll be sure to thoroughly scramble your brains!”

With that, Ailur drew a silver-plated dagger from her backpack and slowly licked its blade, extending her tongue.

“This blade of mine is silver-plated! Prepare to die, vampire!”

“Hey! Ailur, don’t go!”

Seeing Ailur about to charge, Avril quickly reached out to stop her.

“Don’t worry, Avril! The [All-Seeing Eye] never lies!” Ailur glanced back at Avril. “This guy’s physical strength is nothing but a weakling with [Strength: 1]!”

Ailur was too fast; Avril couldn’t grab her. All she could do was watch Ailur plunge deeper into her foolishness, mindlessly rushing towards death.

‘Ailur, Ailur, has your head been kicked by a donkey?’

‘If it’s an illusion, why would she heal us?’

‘If it’s an illusion, how could she possibly simulate the Blood Princess Iqiyah’s power?’

‘Moreover, even if it truly were an illusion, her magic is far beyond anything we could ever contend with!’

On the other side, Seraphina’s lips curled into a wide smile as Ailur charged fiercely towards her.

As a vampire, her formidable physical attributes granted her acute hearing, making the recent conversation crystal clear to her.

‘Typical Ailur. After two years, her intelligence hasn’t improved one bit.’

Yet, despite her foolish intellect, Ailur, as a scout, still possessed first-rate speed.

In the blink of an eye, the silver-gleaming blade was already at Seraphina’s chest.

“Idiot! Watch closely!”

A sudden flash of inspiration struck Seraphina, recalling a line from a certain vampire character in her past life.

“Lady Iqiyah’s power is the very force that dominates the entire world!”

“Go, Lady Iqiyah!”

Just as the dagger was about to pierce Seraphina’s forehead, a crimson light suddenly flashed.

“Wh-what? How is this possible?!”

In that minuscule fraction of a second, in the mere millimeters separating the dagger from Seraphina’s body, a deep crimson ice crystal abruptly materialized.

“You… you’re even faster than me?!”

With a sharp ‘clink,’ the silver-plated dagger struck the unyielding ice crystal, instantly shattering into countless fragments that scattered across the ground.

The next moment, countless blood-red tentacles erupted from the ground beneath Ailur’s feet.

They coiled around Ailur’s ankles, seized her limbs, and pinned her rigidly in place, rendering her utterly immobile.

“Gah! You detestable vampire, let me go!” Confronted with her complete subjugation, Ailur gnashed her teeth and cursed. “What kind of hero uses magic? If you’re so brave, fight me one-on-one!”

“Hmph, you fool.”

Seraphina slowly approached Ailur, leaning her face close to hers, meticulously scrutinizing the ‘noble’s’ disheveled features.

“Pfft!”

Who knew what Ailur was thinking, but she seized the moment of Seraphina’s unguarded proximity to abruptly spit a mouthful of saliva onto her face!

The next second, an exceptionally thick tentacle suddenly rose high, spinning as it aimed at Ailur, opening a gaping maw filled with countless razor-sharp fangs.

“Eek!” Seeing the monstrous maw, the previously arrogant Ailur instantly wilted. “Please, don’t eat me! Don’t eat me! Don’t—!”

Alas, Ailur’s belated pleas were useless. Before she could finish speaking, the tentacle shot forward, engulfing Ailur’s head in its grasp!

“Are you f*cking tired of living?!”

Like a raging gale, like a crashing tsunami, an intense wave of pressure slammed into Avril and Levilan, instantly forcing them to their knees.

‘This power, this power…!’

Feeling the heart-crushing pressure, beads of sweat dropped from Avril’s face, striking the floor before her.

‘This is absolutely no illusion! This is the true Blood Princess—Iqiyah Scarlett!’

“Thank you, Lady Iqiyah.”

Seraphina wiped away the spittle from her face, then raised her other hand to gently stroke Iqiyah’s soft, silver-white hair.

“However… try not to be too rough.”

Turning to face Avril, Seraphina offered a playful smile.

“After all… I wouldn’t want to see an old acquaintance perish before my very eyes~”