Episode 26: Blood and Covenant

The blood of Siegfried von Kreving dripped into the coffin. Like parched earth absorbing water, it seeped into the body of the beautiful woman lying within, soaking through and being drawn in.

“…Nnh.”

Her brow, which hadn’t so much as twitched as if time itself had frozen, faintly stirred. Then, her closed eyelids slowly parted.

“Well, now…”

Golden flecks danced in her violet eyes. Despite having just regained consciousness, her expression showed no trace of surprise.

“So, you’re the one who awakened me.”

“That’s right.”

“And what is your desire?”

“Become my subordinate.”

“Your subordinate…?”

The beautiful woman let out a soft chuckle, tilting her head with a seductive grace.

“Do you say that knowing who I am?”

“Of course. Celestina van Volfenstein, the ‘Crimson Princess.’”

“Heh. To think you’d try to make me serve you, knowing full well who I am—what splendid nerve. Well… your blood was delicious, so I suppose I could consider becoming your subordinate. But in exchange…”

Celestina slipped a hand into the deep cleavage of her dress, tracing her fingers along her voluptuous chest as if to emphasize its allure.

“Come here. Help me sit up.”

“Very well.”

Siegfried extended his hand, and Celestina grasped it with elegant poise. And then…

“Foolish…”

With a honeyed whisper, Celestina sank her fangs into Siegfried’s neck. Her sharp teeth tore through his skin, and with each pulse, she began to draw his blood.

“Hehe… Did you really think I’d submit to you?”

Even as she bit into his neck, her voice rang out clear and unshaken.

“If you know so much about me, then you must also know I’ve killed countless humans. I despise them. And yet, you revived me and believed my words? Now, let me drain every drop of your blood… until you turn to ash.”

Celestina’s bloodsucking was no mere extraction of blood. It siphoned the target’s magical energy, draining their very life force. An ordinary human would have been reduced to ash in an instant, their essence entirely consumed.

Of course, Siegfried was no ordinary human. Even so, if Celestina, the mightiest of vampires, continued to drain his blood and magic, eventually even he would be depleted and reduced to ash. At least, that was her conviction.

—But.

“I have an excellent maid at my estate.”

Siegfried murmured softly.

“Her name is Fine. Though she’s no chef, her culinary skills are top-notch.”

“What are you babbling about? Have you lost your mind, facing your own death?”

“But today, I haven’t eaten Fine’s cooking. Which means… right now, I’m hungry.”

At the edge of Celestina’s vision, as she clung to his neck, Siegfried’s lips curved into a smile. In the next instant—

“Wha…?”

An unbelievable sensation struck Celestina. Siegfried had suddenly bitten into her neck.

“W-What are you…!?”

Celestina felt something rapidly draining from her body. She was the one drinking his blood, yet it was as if her own blood and magic were being siphoned away…

(No, this man…!)

“Y-You’re drinking my blood…!?”

Impossible. This man was supposed to be human. A mere human couldn’t possibly perform vampiric bloodsucking.

(No, that’s not it…!)

The man before her had been human. Until just moments ago.

But there was a fundamental rule that governed vampires: A human whose blood is drunk by a vampire becomes a vampire themselves.

(So, by having his blood drunk by me, he transformed into a vampire and is using that power… to drink my blood in return!?)

It was an experience Celestina had never encountered. Every being she had ever fed upon had, without exception, been drained to ash. And never before had she met someone with the audacity to even think of drinking her blood in retaliation.

“Tch…!”

Shaking off her panic, Celestina increased the speed of her bloodsucking. Five hundred years ago, she had forsaken so many precious things to become a vampire. Her pride refused to let her lose. But…

“Ah… ahh, aah…!”

Siegfried’s bloodsucking outpaced hers. Though Celestina had far more years as a vampire, Siegfried’s raw physical ability and magical reserves surpassed hers. At this rate, she would be the one drained dry and reduced to ash. She ceased her feeding, tore herself free from Siegfried, and leaped back.

“Blood, Viel…!”

Blood dripped from Celestina’s hand, morphing into the shape of a massive scythe. It was one of a vampire’s abilities: blood manipulation. The scythe, harder than steel, was raised high. But—as expected—the man before her was still smiling.

(Oh…)

Celestina realized. This battle was already lost.

By fleeing from the contest of bloodsucking—the very essence of a vampire’s nature—she had conceded defeat. The hierarchy between them had been decided.

A red blade materialized in Siegfried’s hand. He had already mastered blood manipulation, crafting a weapon of his own.

In a fleeting moment—

The scythe and blade clashed, and Celestina’s weapon shattered. The red blade pierced through her chest—

◇

“Nnh…”

Celestina opened her eyes. The moon glowed quietly in the sky. The same night sky as before. She had likely been unconscious for only a few minutes. The wound in her chest, where the blade had pierced her, had already healed, thanks to a vampire’s terrifying regenerative abilities.

“You didn’t finish me off?”

She questioned Siegfried, who stood nearby. With his strength, it should have been easy to deliver a blow that overwhelmed even her regeneration. Yet he hadn’t.

“I told you. I intend to make you my subordinate.”

“But I tried to kill you. In fact… even now, I’m watching for an opening to take your life.”

“That’s exactly why. Someone like you is perfectly suited to be a subordinate of evil.”

“…I don’t understand you. To begin with, I can’t imagine you need my power. You’re stronger than me, aren’t you?”

“No—I do need you.”

Under the moonlight, Siegfried’s blue eyes pierced through Celestina.

“I need you, Celestina. Not just your strength. Your very presence by my side… that’s what matters.”

Celestina caught her breath.

Since the day she awakened as the mightiest vampire, no one had ever needed her. Of course, there had been those who sought to use her power. But this man was different. Despite possessing strength far greater than hers, he still said he needed her.

For a moment, Celestina’s lips parted as if to speak. But at the last second, she reconsidered and shook her head.

“But… I hate humans.”

“And yet, you were once human yourself. Besides, five hundred years ago… you allowed humans to kill you and seal you away. If you truly hated humans, that’s a strange choice.”

“You know about that, too.”

Celestina gave a faint smile.

“Well, all I know are the surface details. Five hundred years ago… what exactly happened?”

“Fine. As a reward for defeating me, I’ll tell you.”

Celestina began to sift through distant memories. Of being a princess of a certain kingdom, of becoming a vampire, of taking countless lives, and… of the woman who had killed her. She was about to recount it all when—

“No, wait. Now isn’t the time for that story.”

Siegfried abruptly cut her off.

“A villain’s backstory is a crucial event. Rather than revealing everything now, it’s better to drop cryptic hints and save the full reveal for the right moment. That’ll make it… more exciting.”

“…What are you talking about?”

Celestina stared at Siegfried, exasperated, but then she noticed the utterly serious expression on his face and froze.

Yes, he wasn’t joking. He was entirely earnest, speaking with a childlike purity about a future tale of evil.

And to bring that future to life, for that purpose alone… he had conquered the labyrinth, revived the vampire known as one of the Seven Calamities, and challenged her to a life-or-death bloodsucking duel.

“…What a strange man.”

Celestina muttered, a smile unwittingly tugging at her lips. She had never met a man like him.

She wanted to see what kind of story he would weave in the days to come.

“Alright. I’ll become your subordinate. It sounds… entertaining.”

Celestina slowly extended her hand. Without hesitation, Siegfried took it. Thus, the covenant between the King of Evil and the mightiest vampire was forged.