Chapter 63: Encore

　–All graduate.

　That was the demand Ziegvolt had thrust upon him.

　It was utterly unreasonable, an outrageous condition that was impossible to accept.

　But–Ludendorf no longer had the will to refuse it.

　He had no choice but to accept that demand.

　And so, for Ludendorf, the nightmare that was the combat tournament finally came to a close.

“That… damn devil…!”

　The night after the dorm battle finals.

　In the silence of the headmaster’s office, Ludendorf squeezed out a voice trembling with rage.

　He’d spent the entire day receiving healing magic, and the wounds on his body had mostly mended. But a dull pain still lingered in his flesh.

“Someday… someday, I’ll give that bastard the punishment he deserves… someday…”

　Repeating “someday” over and over was a sign that, in this moment, he had no intention of retaliating against Ziegvolt.

　No–deep down in his heart, he probably understood that revenge against Ziegvolt was impossible.

　The Kreving County was nothing more than a minor noble house in the provinces.

　With the power of one of the Five Great Nobles, crushing them should have been effortless… or so it seemed.

　However, an inner voice was clearly issuing a warning.

　–Don’t get involved with that man any further.

　It said.

　Ziegvolt was a calamity. If he meddled carelessly… it would lead to his own destruction.

“…This, me… one of the Five Great Nobles, this me…!”

　Ludendorf’s shoulders shook with anger.

　Despite suffering such humiliation, the fact that he couldn’t even exact revenge was tearing his pride to shreds.

　It was then. The curtain hanging on the wall fluttered gently.

“…What?”

　The window was firmly shut, blocking out the outside air.

　Even so, the curtain swayed unnaturally. In a space where no wind should blow–.

“Headmaster Ludendorf. –No, perhaps I should just call you Ludendorf.”

　A low, resounding voice cut through the silence of the room.

　Ludendorf flinched at the voice, trying to stand up. But his legs tangled, and he collapsed, slumping onto the floor.

　Fearfully directing his gaze there, a single young man stood before him.

　Noble attire as black as darkness, silver hair like moonlight.

　And in the depths of those blue eyes, an unfathomable abyss swirled.

“Ziegvolt…!”

　Ludendorf crawled backward, leaking a trembling voice from the back of his throat.

“W-why… why are you here…!”

“Indeed, the curtain has fallen once.”

　Ziegvolt declared in a calm tone.

“However… stage plays often come with an encore.”

“E-encore!?”

　He wanted to shout, Don’t joke around! But Ludendorf lacked the courage to voice it. Instead, he questioned back in a quivering voice.

“W-what do you mean? Are you here to attack me? B-but, you have no reason to attack me anymore!”

　The match was already decided. The humiliation and defeat should have ended there.

“That’s right. Everything ended there. …No, according to the original plan, it was supposed to end.”

“D-don’t tell me… you think I’m plotting revenge against you!? Ha, no way…!”

　Ludendorf desperately spouted excuses, as if the mutterings he’d spat out to himself earlier had never happened.

　But Ziegvolt quietly shook his head.

“Revenge is also one form of ‘evil.’ I have no intention of denying it or condemning it…”

“T-then, why!?”

“Ludendorf–you insulted my subordinate.”

“Eh…?”

“It was right before the start of the dorm battle finals.”

　Even when told that much, nothing immediately came to mind.

　But Ziegvolt’s gaze forcefully dragged out Ludendorf’s memory.

　–That’s right… at that time, he had indeed said it.

　Toward Leon Vague, Ludendorf had spat it out.

　Abandoned, without receiving proper love or education–an existence forsaken by his parents.

“C-could it be, over something like that…?”

“Something like that, you say?”

　Ziegvolt’s voice was low, resonating coldly enough to freeze the air.

“Insulting my subordinate–is something like that?”

　Ziegvolt quietly took a step forward.

　There was no sound to his step, yet it carried a pressure heavier than the toll of an execution bell.

　In that instant, Ludendorf realized.

　He had–touched the reverse scale of the evil dragon named Ziegvolt von Kreving.

　For Ludendorf, it had indeed been a trivial matter.

　Commoners were no different from pebbles on the roadside. It was natural to trample and despise them.

　But for Ziegvolt–that was a line that could never be forgiven.

“I’ll allow revenge. I’ll allow betrayal. I’ll allow sneak attacks. All of those are highlights of evil. But I–will not forgive anyone who insults my subordinates.”

　What Ziegvolt aimed for was the royal road of evil. And that royal road required subordinates to walk alongside him. Insulting them was equivalent to blaspheming the royal road itself.

“Up until now, it was all staging to make the villain shine. –But from here on, it’s different.”

“W-wait! I! I… ah!”

　Ziegvolt’s kick was unleashed.

　The sole of his shoe precisely caught Ludendorf’s neck, slamming him down onto the floor.

(I-impossible!)

　Denial of the impossible reality raced through Ludendorf’s mind.

(Impossible! Me… me of the Five Great Nobles, in a place like this…!)

　At that moment, an eerie cracking sound echoed.

　The sound of his own neck bones creaking and shattering–it was the toll of despair.

　Inescapable despair and scorching pain.

　All of it swallowed Ludendorf’s consciousness.

　And then–.

 

◇

 

“Hah…!”

　When he came to, Ludendorf was lying on his back on the floor of the headmaster’s office.

　Reflexively, he brought his hand to his throat.

　But there was no abnormality in the neck that should have been broken then.

“A, a dream…?”

　Was it a nightmare born from fatigue and terror? Just as he thought that, in that instant–.

“…Have you awakened, Ludendorf?”

　What reached his ears was a low, chilled voice he recognized all too well.

“Eek…! Ziegvolt…!”

　The moment he screamed, Ziegvolt’s fist slammed into his abdomen.

　It was destructive power on a whole other level from what he’d shown to the ‘villains’ at the officers’ academy so far–a blow like a cannonball.

　With a heavy, dull impact sound, Ludendorf’s abdomen was crushed.

“Ah… aaaaaah…!”

　Screams. Pain. Despair. And Ludendorf’s consciousness sank into darkness…

 

◇

 

“Hah…!”

　Ludendorf regained consciousness once more. He checked his body, but there were no wounds on his throat or abdomen. And then,

“…Have you awakened?”

　A voice echoed from behind.

“Hiii!”

　Ludendorf tried to crawl away on all fours. But in that instant, a sharp kick slammed into his head.

　Ludendorf’s skull was shattered, and then–.

 

◇

 

“Hah…!”

　He regained consciousness yet again.

　Ludendorf’s entire body stiffened in terror.

　Something abnormal was happening to him–by now, he was certain of that.

“Hii! Hiiiiii!”

　But even realizing the abnormality, he had no means to resist it.

　Driven by fear, the moment he tried to flee–.

　Once again, Ziegvolt’s attack assailed him. And Ludendorf’s consciousness sank into pain and despair.

 

◇

 

　Vampire blood–it was concentrated magic power, harboring the ability to reconstruct life.

　That power didn’t stop at himself; it extended to others as well. Wounds on those sprinkled with the blood healed instantly, and even if they had suffered fatal injuries, revival was possible if it was immediately after death.

　However, Ziegvolt didn’t use that power indiscriminately. The reason was clear–there were side effects.

　The power in the blood was far too immense, placing an enormous burden on the one it was used on. The destination of that burden was–the soul.

　Certainly, the body would heal. But in exchange, a massive strain was placed on the soul.

　If used once, there was no problem.

　But if repeated two, three times in succession, the soul couldn’t withstand the load, and eventually, it would erode the mind.

　In other words, vampire blood was a potent drug.

　For that reason, Ziegvolt didn’t use his own blood to heal others except in critical moments.

　But if the target was ‘someone whose mind breaking doesn’t matter,’ then it was a different story.

　Against such a person, he could continue using the blood without hesitation.

　Ludendorf was that ‘person who could break.’

　Therefore–Ziegvolt repeated it.

　Killing him, then reviving him. That act.

“Help me! Stop! Please stop!”

　Ludendorf’s screams echoed in the headmaster’s office.

　But no one responded to that voice.

“Ah… aaaaaah!”

　The guard soldiers had already all been knocked unconscious by Ziegvolt’s hand.

　His cries for help echoed vainly, simply absorbed into the cold space.

　Endless death, repeating pain, boundless despair.

　On a stage without an audience–Ludendorf’s nightmare alone continued without end.