The Impersonating Daimaou Wants to be Hated (WN): Chapter 43

 

Chapter 43: Back

 I had no idea they were this strong.

 As I lay on the ground, feeling so exhausted that I wondered why I had not died, I thought of the word "defeat" and looked up, trying not to look away from what was happening.

“Ah. Kuh, s-stop... kuh, ahh!!"

 There, Aina-san was caught in the vampire's arms from behind, screaming weakly, like a mere girl.

 Gulp*. Gulp*. Gulp*.

 I could not even stand up, and as a result of my heightened senses offering some resistance, the vampire's feeding sound, which I did not want to hear, was brought to my ears.

 Gulp*. Gulp*. Gulp*.

 Feeding. Yes, it was a meal. The one who is eating Aina-san's mana and blood is Kasadora, a vampire and one of the top leaders of the Demon King's army, known as the "four generals".

 I had heard so much about the strength of the four generals, but I never expected it to be as great as this. Aina-san, who could defeat even a dragon by herself, was treated like a child from start to finish, and even a blow with all my mana was dealt with one hand.

 It was not a simple matter. It was a power that was on a different level from ours. This power, by any chance, might rival Floria-sama's?

 Gulp*. Gulp*. Gulp*.

 While I'm pondering the situation, the feeding of the vampire Kasadora continues.

 Gulp*. Gulp*. Gulp*.

"Hii? Hyaa!? D-damn it, ah, ah!? Aaahhhh!!"

"Kuh, m-move."

 If this situation continues, Aina-san will be turned into a familiar, as declared by the vampire Kasadora. That would be very bad. I don't think that Aina will immediately do as she was ordered just because she has become a familiar, but it is said that when a higher-ranking vampire creates a familiar, it can modify the body of its familiar as it pleases. If a vampire with that much power seriously wielded her power to subjugate Aina-san, I didn't think she would be able to resist, no matter how strong she was.

"Damn... it."

 She tried to restore her depleted mana, but nothing comes of it except her consciousness fading away.

 Gulp*. Gulp*. Gulp*.

“Hyuu!? Ah, hyaa, st-, sto-, hyaaaa!!!"

 Aina-san raises a particularly loud and charming voice. Her eyes, which until now had been filled with the will to resist, turned white. Aina-san's whole body goes limp, and a clear liquid runs down her legs and falls to the ground.

"Puhaa! Delish~!! You're a virgin after all. It seems I'll make a lot of preparation."

 The vampire who pulled her fangs out of Aina-san's neck, playing with her bare breasts with her right hand and her secret place with her left, drew red lines on her white skin with her blood-soaked tongue.

“…………Nhh.”

 Unconscious, Aina-san's eyebrows moved slightly, and a faint gasp escaped from her mouth.

"Well... then."

 The vampire Kasadora flicked her tongue widely across Aina-san's cheek and suddenly threw her toward me. Aina-san, who was unconscious, of course, could not support her body and rolled awkwardly on the ground several times before finally coming to a stop beside me.

"Well, first of all, I have to apologize to you."

 The vampire Kasadora crossed her legs in the air and looked down at me with the dignity of a ruler in her sleepy eyes.

"I was initially going to give you the honor of becoming my servant as well, but since it seems that using you was the quickest way to bring Aina's fall, I decided to do it that way. I'm really sorry~."

"...Don't think you can enslave Aina-san just by sacrificing me alone."

 I have heard. Those who are made to become vampire familiars are often ordered to kill those close to them as their first prey. It is said that this is a kind of ritual to say goodbye to their human selves, but I didn't think that Aina-san, who had gone through various ordeals as a member of the dark side of the Shield family, would easily fall on such a ritual.

"Hmm? Oh, don't worry about that. I've set Aina as a vampire to be a glutton because it's too much trouble. She's probably so thirsty that she'll have to drink the blood of over a hundred people to come to her senses."

"Wha!?"

 The vampire Kasadora's demeanor was as if she was making small talk. Her matter-of-fact manner made me wonder if I was hearing things wrong at first. However, it would soon be proven that I had not misheard her.

“Gyaaaaaaaaaa!!”

 Aina-san's mouth emitted a cry that seemed out of this world.

"Oh, it started. Yes, yes. Look, don't shout, there's food to quench your thirst. Go ahead and eat your fill."

 The vampire Kasadora pointed at me. Aina-san, who had been acting out of character by holding her throat, rolling around on the ground, and even slamming her forehead into the ground over and over again with a terrible look on her face, suddenly stopped moving.

 Andーー

“…………Aina-san.”

 Aina-san's gaze fixed on me like a predator that has found its prey. The color of her eyes was not white, but a red even darker than blood, and the whites of her eyes had turned black like darkness.

“Gaaa, aaahh, gyaaaaaaaaa!!!”

 Is that a scream, or is it a birth cry as a demon? Whatever it was, Aina-san stood up and approached me step by step. Tears of blood were spilling from her eyes.

 Ah, I can't defeat her.

 That's what my instincts are telling me. Aina-san's power now was filled with mana that was incomparably stronger than before she was bitten. Even if I were in perfect condition, I wouldn't be able to inflict even a scratch on her now that she's turned into a vampire.

 So this is it.

 I was born into a special family, the Shield family, and I was given the opportunity to work as an attendant, which is also a special position, and as a young woman, I racked my brains about all sorts of things. I thought there might be something I could do, so I chose this path, but in the end, I could not achieve anything except to be held by a man I did not like.

"Gaaaahhh."

 Aina-san is standing in front of me. Fangs peeking out of her wide-open mouth. I exerted my last ounce of strength in front of the thing that would end my life.

 As soon as the fangs were thrust into me, I would set my whole body on fire, burning Aina-san to death. Would I be able to do it? The probability of success is so low. But there is no way I can leave Aina-san to break loose as the attendant of the Knight of Light. Then I will do it. I have no choice but to do it.

"…………Atom."

 Burning with a sense of mission, but would overcome by fear if I showed weakness, I muttered words that were not appropriate for the situation.

 Aina-san's fangs are closing in on my neck. I felt a cold breath on my neck. Death. Ah, this coldness... Scary. Now, kill me. I don't want to die. I'm an attendant. I want to run away. I...

 After all, whatever we're born into, we'll always die.

"Atom!!"

 I remember the words of farewell. At the last moment, my whole body is filled with power. I can do it. Just as I was about to unleash my power to turn my life into flames.

"Oi, oi. It's my name you should be calling."

 

"…………………………Eh?"

 Before I knew it, someone was holding me. Before I knew it, Aina-san was far away. I wondered how long I had been away from her. The vampire Kasadora, whose sleepy eyes had turned somewhat joyful, was standing next to Aina-san.

 I looked up at the person holding me. It was a man I did not recognize. It couldn't be, but for some reason, I thought so for a moment. Wanting to deny it or affirm it, I called the man's name.

"A, quim?"

"Fuu. Are you okay?"

“Eh? Ah, ah. You saved... me?"

 I was stunned and that was all I could say in return. Aquim's reaction was so normal that I didn't know what I was confused about.

"...That appearance is?"

"Ah? I'm just wearing armor."

"Y-yeah. That's right."

 That's right. He is just wearing silver armor. That's all. It seems that the gap between Aquim's usual slovenly attitude and battle-appropriate attire. Mostly, Aquim, who has come dashingly to the rescue as a knight is too great that it was confusing.

"Gaaaaaaaa!!"

 A cry of rage is raised by a vampire whose prey has been taken away from her. It had more than enough destructive power to wake my loosening consciousness.

"Oi, oi. Aina, you've become a good woman in a short amount of time we've been apart."

 Aquim smiled. He wears his usual vulgar, yet the somehow fearless smile on his face, and he is speaking in a lighthearted manner that is not appropriate for the situation.

"...Aquim. Aina-san has turned into a familiar by the vampire Kasadora. There is nothing more we can do about it...... we must kill her."

 For a moment, the days I spent with Aina-san passed through my mind, but I quickly shook it off.

"Fuu... hmm? As I recall, you were very attached to Aina, right?"

"I don't care about personal matters right now. What is certain is that if we leave Aina-san in that condition, there will be many casualties. There is no need to protect me either. Throw me out there and I'll cut down Aina-san."

 It is the attendant's role is to support the knight of light, but it is pathetic that I'm the one being helped. I wanted him to let me down as soon as possible. And yetーー

"Haa. I refuse to do both."

 Aquim put more force into the arm that held me.

"A-are you stupid!? What are you..."

"Shut up! You'll bite your tongue."

"Eh? Kyaa!?"

 The scenery suddenly seemed to flow at a tremendous speed, and then a roaring sound followed.

"W-what in the world... eh?"

"Oi, oi. It's too much hustle for a newly turned vampire."

 I can hear Aquim's dismayed voice, but I suppose that's to be expected.

 A huge crater has formed in the place where we were standing just a few minutes ago. The depth and extent of the crater were not the results of the power wielded by a single individual. It was as if an army of several hundred people had created the crater with tactical-grade magic. The fact that the scenery flowed at a tremendous pace just now was probably the result of Aquim's evasive action to avoid that attack.

"...Aquim. Don't protect me. Kill Aina-san."

 If such a vampire who has lost all sense of reason were to go to a human village, who knows how much damage it would cause? It is precisely at times like this that the Knight of Light should wield its power. And yetーー

"Don't make me say the same thing over and over again. I'm not abandoning you, and I'm not going to kill Aina either."

"Don't be ridiculous! Are you still the Knight of Light? Or do you think you have the skill to bring Aina-san back again?

 If it is the power of the holy sword, perhaps. Such faint hopes were easily dissipated by Aquim's face.

"Do you think I can do such a convenient thing? But it's easy if you just want to bring her back to her senses."

"What? How would you?"

"Hehe. Well, just look."

 Aquim gently lowered me to the ground and started walking slowly toward Aina-san. I felt something very bad looking at his back and I called out to him.

"Wait, Aquim. What are you going to do?"

 But Aquim did not respond to my voice. Aina-san's eyes, standing in the middle of the crater, caught Aquim.

"Gi!? Gaaaaaaa!"

 Immediately after, the ground explodes and Aina-san's figure disappears. I couldn't see Aina's figure, but I could understand that Aquim was not trying to move. No, not that he is not trying to move, but rather he is holding his arms out defenselessly as if he is welcoming Aina-san.

"Are you stupid!?"

 Aina-san's fangs pierced through Aquim's skin at the same time as my eyes widened at the Knight of Light's ridiculous behavior.

 Snap*. Gulp*. Gulp*.

 Aquim's neck was covered with armor, but it meant nothing in front of this vampire that was imbued with a deadly poison, the power of the curse.

 Gulp*. Gulp*. Gulp*.

 Shards of shattered armor fell to the ground, and fresh blood stained the ground as if chasing them.

 Gulp*. Gulp*. Gulp*.

 Aina-san caught Aquim in an embrace that even the casual observer could see, as if she were embracing her lover, and sucked his blood single-mindedly.

 Aquim did not move. He accepts the embrace of the vampire, who would have killed him if he were a normal person, and lets Aina-san do as she pleases.

 Gulp*. Gulp*. Gulp*.

"No way... A-are you going to satisfy Aina-san with your blood and mana?"

 Certainly, Aina-san would come to her senses if she could do that, but the vampire Kasadora said that it would take at least a hundred people's worth of blood to satisfy Aina-san. The knight of light with a high amount of mana doesn't have that much blood.

 Gulp*. Gulp*. Gulp*.

"You're being reckless, Aquim. Don't do anything foolish, cut down Aina-san."

 If this continued, the Knight of Light would lose for nothing. As an attendant, I tried to stand up and put all my strength into my body in order to prevent that outcome, which I would not overlook, but my body, which had lost a large amount of mana, screamed and fell to the ground repeatedly.

"Damn it. This, body..."

"Don't worry. Just shut up and watch."

"Eh?"

 When I looked up at Aquim's usual voice, I saw that Aquim had the holy sword in his hand before I knew it.

 Aquim's body glowed with a pale light. It was as if the sword was protecting him.

“…Is the holy sword lending power to Aquim?”

 But that doesn't mean that Aina-san's abnormally enhanced impulses can be taken care of by just one person.

 Gulp*. Gulp*. Gulp*.

 Aina-san's bloodsucking continues, despite my anxiety. And thenーー

 Gulp*. Gulp*. Guーー

“………………Ah? W-what am...... I?"

 The light of reason returned to Aina-san's eyes. The holy sword emits a strong light.

"It's troublesome to explain, just go back to sleep now."

 Aquim gently touched Aina-san, and she lost consciousness.

"She... stopped?"

 It is unbelievable. Such a foolhardy approach would be impossible even if we were dealing with a normal vampire. And to top it off, it was Kasadora who turned Aina-san into a vampire. I couldn't even fathom how much power he has to be able to do such a thing.

"I'll leave her to you then."

 Aquim came to my side and gently laid Aina-san down on the ground. But I was more concerned about Aquim's condition than Aina-san's.

 The bite must have been very deep, Aquim's neck is still bleeding profusely, and his shiny silver armor is stained red. No, he must have lost not only blood but also a large amount of mana. He was calm, but it must be hard for him just to stand. But Aquim put Aina-san down and turned his back on me, as though it were a matter of course.

"Wait, Aquim. What are you going to do?"

"Ah? Are you half asleep? Of course, I'm going to punish that overzealous vampire right there."

"With that wound?"

 Aquim's actions seemed beyond reckless, just suicidal.

"No big deal."

"You should have lost a lot of mana. Let's retreat."

"Oi, oi. Is it okay for the Knight of Light to retreat?"

 Certainly, if Aquim's retreat here would cause casualties among the innocent, there was no way the Knight of Light would retreat. But nowーー

"No, it will result in more people dying if you go down here. Now, let's retreat. That vampire is a monster. Even if you're the Knight of Light, you are no match for her if you are not in perfect condition."

"I don't want to. Do you really think you can carry two people and run away with that condition?"

“Listen. I admit that you are strong. But the power of the vampire Kasadora is truly extraordinary. You can't win in that state. Just abandon us......"

"There's no way I'll abandon you!!"

"…………Eh?"

 It was an angry voice, somewhat unlike that of Aquim. Was that why? I couldn't believe my ears. Is Aquim...... embarrassed? After letting his gaze wander for a while, he looked back at me.

"Shut up. Now, rest... I'll protect you. Not Atom, but me."

"A, quim?"

 Strange. Perhaps my ears were damaged by Aina-san's screams earlier? Was Aquim Bonvoul really the kind of man to say such a thing? No, I know that Aquim Bonvoul is not like Aquim Bonvoul these days, but still, I don't think either Aquim Bonvoul would say what he just said. No, more importantly.

“Are you going to… challenge her?”

With that exhausted and wounded body, which helped my friend, Aina-san. To that monster? The reason is... um... f-for my... sake?

"Wrong. What am I even thinking?"

 With all the strength I had left, I slammed my forehead against the ground. It was pathetic to be disturbed by something so trivial at a time like this. There was no way the knight of light would take on such a fool. As I had expected, Aquim had resumed his steps while I was playing the fool.

"...Aquim."

 I stare at the back of the man who will not stop no matter what I say anymore. The knight's steps, which were advancing while leaving a trail of blood on the ground, however, looked more powerful than ever.

"I'm not worthy."

 As an attendant, I should be fighting alongside Aquim at a time like this, but all I can do is rest. I felt frustrated at my lack of ability in the past, but this is the first time I have felt so ashamed of my inexperience.

“I’m sorry, Aquim...... please win."

 There was only one thing I could do now. As an attendant, I simply trust in my master's victory. I turned to the back of the man who was about to take on a great enemy single-handedly and prayed for his victory.