Chapter 75

Chapter 75

***

It would be a lie to say I wasn't trembling. Entering an abyss where not a single ray of sunlight enters.

But is that trembling fear? Or expectation? If expecting, expecting what?

Rickart didn't carry his sword on one shoulder like usual, but held it in one hand and followed Lemania. Ready to draw at any time.

The 'Rose Garden' performance hall had a passage connected to the Catacombs deep inside. Honestly, he knew it would be like this.

Rickart and Ice followed Lemania, walking the dark passage connected to the Catacombs. The sound of Lemania's shoes going ahead, clack clack, rang in the darkness, which was becoming thicker and thicker.

As they went on, the darkness became endlessly thick, and by the time the stairs going down started, it became so dark he couldn't see his own hand.

When Rickart and Ice were swallowed by complete darkness and couldn't take another step, the eyes of beasts flashed in the darkness. By the way, they were red, not green like other beasts.

Dozens of pairs of red eyes shone in high places and low places, near and far. If an ordinary person saw it, it was a horrifying spectacle enough to make them faint.

Rickart was not afraid but just worried. His senses were sharp even in the darkness, but the sheer number made it difficult.

If we fight with our backs to the wall, is there a chance? Leaving this narrow passage is dangerous—such thoughts brushed past his mind.

Whether she smelled the scent of anxiety, Lemania, who was walking ahead, snapped her fingers. Then torches hung on the wall lit up by themselves with a whoosh.

The place revealed had a high ceiling and was very wide, and holes were bored into the wall like a beehive. And in each hole, a coffin was enshrined.

There were vampires sleeping in coffins because morning had come, but there were also vampires still awake.

Among them, a few were covered in bright red blood around their mouths, and in the corner, the corpse of a person who died from torture was scattered in a state unrecognizable.

The unique cool air of the basement wrapped around Rickart and Ice. Not cold, but a coolness that seemed to permeate the heart.

Rickart looked around at the vampires confidently. But it was somewhat strange. It wasn't anything else, but because the vampires' eyes were too empty and lacked vitality.

They didn't show hostility to humans either, and he couldn't feel even a minimum of curiosity or desire to catch and eat them. Even though they enjoyed deceiving humans and giggling so much at the performance.

"Husks. Just imitating pleasure."

Walking to the passage connected to the Catacombs in earnest, Lemania said. She spoke of the other vampires insignificantly, not caring at all whether they heard or not.

Rickart, looking at the empty-seeming vampires, felt like he was witnessing the bare face of a vampire.

If they intended to obtain appetizing prey, it was easy. Moreover, they were guys who had mastered all sorts of abnormal pleasures. But the end was futility.

Doing so, eventually ghoulification progressed, and they became ghouls. Existences losing intelligence and chased by endless hunger.

Ironically, Lehman, who chose a long death while starving, obtained high-dimensional intelligence, while those pursuing pleasure eventually had nothing remaining.

While telling humans to live pursuing desire, it sounded like useless words meant to drag others down with them. Vampires deceived even their own selves.

Entering the Catacombs in earnest, the walls were entirely plastered with human skulls. How many deaths were here on earth? He was overwhelmed by the sheer number.

Where the road split, a large pillar was erected in the middle, and that pillar was also piled with skulls entirely.

Passing that place, Lemania took Rickart and Ice and entered deeper into the abyss.

Then they saw vampires whose ghoulification was progressing, and later saw ghouls wandering the Catacombs with bent backs.

They flashed their eyes laden with madness seeing Rickart and Ice, but overwhelmed by Lemania, they didn't dare pounce.

However, maintaining a constant distance, they followed continuously. Later, there were enough to fill the passage, and the way back was blocked tightly.

Fortunately, walking continuously, a road splitting to both sides appeared. And at that intersection, a boy was sitting. There were many melted candles around, and dozens of candlelights were shining.

A boy was sitting cross-legged, his thin upper body bare; both arms were drooping heavily and his head was bowing deeply, turned slightly to the side. Looking at his state, he seemed to have lost his mind. He wondered if he was sleeping.

By the way, seeing the boy, Rickart was dumbfounded, forgetting all other dangers and anxiety momentarily. Because he felt some indescribable sacred energy.

"My father, my lover, my son, my god, Armand."

Lemania said. And she knelt, bowed her upper body, and kissed the fingertips of the powerlessly drooping boy. An appearance of extreme respect.

Ice was likewise perplexed. He thought it would be a tremendous monster or similar to Lehman, but because just a dried-up boy who seemed about to die was sitting there.

Especially seeing Armand, Ice's heart beat thump thump. It wasn't anything else, but because his own dead younger sister came to mind. Not that the two resembled each other, but they overlapped.

"Okay?"

Grabbing Ice, whose breath was gradually becoming rough, Rickart asked. Ice barely nodded his head.

"Yeah, yeah......"

Rickart sent a signal with his eyes to escape to the left road if things went wrong. At that time, Lemania, looking up at him almost collapsed by Armand's side, said.

"Blood."

Rickart looked back. Ghouls blocking the road tightly were swarming. If he made a mistake, it seemed they would pounce at once. Conversely, in front were Armand and Lemania.

Still thinking 'a promise is a promise', Rickart prepared to draw his sword immediately if necessary, took out a dagger, rolled up his left sleeve, and cut his forearm.

Blood seeped out quickly and dripped. Then the ghouls behind were restless.

Even though it was hard for humans to smell, the scent of blood that evil things could clearly feel spread out. Lemania looked up at Armand, bowing her head with an earnest expression. Please, please, open your eyes.

However, Armand, smelling the most pure blood smell, didn't open his eyes, his head bowing deeply. Did she win the bet with this? Lemania said do as he pleased, killing him or saving him, if Armand showed no reaction.

And if he killed him, the request was complete.

By the way, at that time, a drop of tear flowed on Armand's cheek. The eyes of Lemania looking up at him lying face down became big suddenly. Showing a reaction for the first time in decades since the kidnapping.

And Armand's mouth opened slowly. He said.

His voice seemed like the sound of a glass bell, and like a drop of water falling on a calm pond.

"Not your fault, Ice."

If one heard the voice of God, wouldn't it be like this? Just the words themselves seemed to contain some sacred power.

Ice was so surprised his breath stopped, and Rickart's eyes opened wide. What is happening?

Armand opened his eyes gently, and lifting his head, looked at Ice. Not the unique deep red pupils of a vampire. They were really clear blue-green pupils.

He stood up from his seat, approached, and grabbing Ice's arm with a slender hand, said.

"Let's go. Here is dangerous."

And holding his hand, he dragged him and walked blindly to the right road. Rickart was bewildered, not knowing what was going on, and Lemania was likewise very perplexed.

"Father!"

Lemania shouted. Then Armand, leading Ice, looked back at her and said.

"The chance remaining to you is no more, Lemania. You die here."

He didn't know what it meant, but to Lemania, it seemed like a bolt from the blue. She froze kneeling, and Rickart, thinking 'ah whatever', followed Armand and Ice first.

Chasing, he looked back; Lemania was looking at this side continuously with a despondent expression. Rickart, intuitively thinking something went wrong, drew his sword first.

"Look, do you know the way out?"

Rickart asked Armand.

"Yeah. If it's the same as old times."

"When is that 'old times'?"

"Mm...... About 600 years ago? I don't know well. Because I have no sense of time."

It seemed he shouldn't trust this guy, but Rickart likewise didn't know the way.

By the way, Ice seemed to have completely lost his soul. Because Armand's voice shook his deep-rooted guilt.

"Wake up, Ice. Wake up. Wake up."

Rickart grabbed Ice's shoulder and shook him wildly.

"Uh, uh?"

"Wake up. It seems work went wrong somehow. Let's concentrate on getting out. Since the sun rose outside, once we get out, we'll be safe."

"Ricky's words are right. First let's go out."

Armand said. Rickart tilted his head.

"How do you know my name?"

"Saw it in a dream."

"Dreaming precognitive dreams or something?"

"Yeah."

Armand answered casually. If one lives long maintaining a whole mind, one seemed to obtain special abilities. The problem is that having to starve for 600 years is the problem.

"What?"

"But it's confusing whether that is a thing of the past or a thing of the future. Just one thing is clear: Ricky, you eventually have to face your past self. Only so can you advance forward."

"......"

"You will come to face it. Don't worry too much. Pain is the nutrient that grows the soul. You can do it. No. You already did. Things supposed to happen happen, and that is the same as if they already happened. Future and past are the same."

What is he talking about? Reaching this point, Rickart was dumbfounded and speechless.

By the way, whether that prediction was right or wrong, listening to his voice, he felt bewitched. But that was opposite to an evil thing. It was close to a sacred thing. It seemed to blow power toward hope.

By the way, it was at that time. Suddenly from the front, one ghoul opened its mouth wide and pounced. Rickart reflexively erected his sword and thrust it into its mouth.

"Kyak!"

He pushed with his foot and pulled out the sword. Blood smeared on the blade. Wiping the blood on his clothes immediately, a swarming sound was heard from behind. Unfortunately, the ghoul herd following earlier seemed to be chasing.

"Hey, can't you use magic or something like that? This is something unusual."

"Sorry. I starved too much, no power."

Even though he had precognitive ability, he seemed to have lost his actual powerful power as a vampire.

"Want to drink my blood at least?"

Rickart held out the forearm he cut earlier without fear.

At Rickart's unhesitating behavior, Armand also looked a little absurd, making a hollow smile and shaking his head. Starved for hundreds of years, now drinking blood?

Anyway, the chasing sound from behind was heard continuously, and Rickart hit skulls and bones piled on the wall with his sword and poured them out wildly. Making an obstacle urgently at least.

"I will chase listening to footsteps, so go first."

Rickart said. Ice hesitated, but Armand grabbed and dragged his arm.

"Ricky lives much longer than you, so don't worry."

Rickart swung his sword continuously and made an obstacle of bones. The ghouls' unique bizarre voices and running sounds became closer.

Then at some moment, the ghouls pounced toward Rickart. Like mad dogs, they opened their mouths wide and tried to bite anywhere.

Rickart retreated calmly and swung his sword, blowing their heads and splitting them. If his sword stroke missed even once, a small gap would occur, and he would die, swept away by the wave.

But there was no failing law. Moreover, the ghouls tripped on the skull obstacle among themselves and the way was blocked, so the rushing subsided quickly.

In an instant, ghouls and corpses piled up to the ceiling; Rickart, thinking this was the time, turned back and ran first. He followed the footsteps of Ice and Armand heard from afar.

Then suddenly, the torches brightening the inside of the Catacombs turned off with a puff. Instant darkness swallowed Rickart.

However excellent Rickart's senses were, he couldn't judge inanimate objects. So he advanced touching the wall; the speed of Ice and Armand becoming distant was faster.

Rickart felt becoming isolated gradually. Not afraid, but his heart beating fast and breath becoming rough were unavoidable.

It was then.

"Since it became like this, I have to drink your blood at least."

It was Lemania's voice. And she attacked from the front. Rickart, despite seeing nothing, lowered his posture and avoided the attack accurately, then counterattacked.

Whik! Hung!

Attack and counterattack came and went almost simultaneously. Lemania retreated in surprise, surely not knowing Rickart would counterattack.

Rickart focused his nerves, staring at the darkness where he saw nothing.

Unlike him, Lemania, looking at Rickart in the darkness, tilted her head. Clearly, he's not seeing me.

So as a test, she attacked Rickart once again with inhuman movement. Flipping her body up and down, jumping in a flash so her feet touched the ceiling, she tried to slice Rickart's neck with her nails.

But as soon as Lemania moved, Rickart's eyes captured her accurately. What?

Chaeng!

Lemania was also not just any vampire, so she blocked Rickart's counterattack with her nails momentarily. Since her neck was almost sliced, she wondered what was going on.

Absurd, she remained standing far away and looked at Rickart again; clearly his vision was blocked. His eyes staring at the darkness didn't match focus at all. For Lemania, it was a situation she couldn't understand.

"Right, elder brother wouldn't send just anyone."

Doing so, Lemania raised her authority and called out the ghouls. The sound of a madness-laden charge pushing to this side was heard.

Surprised, Rickart ran away quickly. But seeing nothing, expectedly his speed had to be slow.

In the meantime, Lemania pestered him annoyingly. Not attacking for real, but checking to hold Rickart's feet.

"Where are you going, kid! Come to sister!"

She shouted, laughing loudly. Rickart, hearing the sound, counterattacked, but busy running away and counterattacking, scars increased on his limbs. Blocking vital points was the best he could do.

"Oh my! Too delicious looking!"

Lemania shouted as if teasing continuously. Abandoned by her father and having lost her mind, since it had come to this, she seemed to intend to enjoy it.

Rickart's composure was about to collapse gradually.

By the way, at that time, somewhere in the Catacombs, Armand's shout was heard.

"Ricky! Drink the holy oil!"

Rickart took out Ilya's holy oil from his bosom. Drinking this kind of thing didn't seem like it would solve the problem, but since there was nothing else to do, he opened the lid and just drank.

Thick oil entered his mouth. An olive scent spread widely, and it passed over his throat smoothly. But it was only greasy; there was no change.

As expected... this kind of thing is superstition... Just as he was thinking that. For a moment, he felt some wind blowing inside his body.

That wind filled his body in an instant. From the tip of his head to the tips of his toes, organs like the heart, liver, and lungs, and blood vessels and muscles all raged wildly without a constant rhythm.

It was something of a totally different dimension from Mana Drive. But feeling déjà vu, it seemed not to be either. The familiar feeling meant it wasn't unpleasant.

Faintness about lost pure days, or nostalgia for a hometown? Did Vespreme return to his hometown safely? What happened to my brothers of the battlefield? Kaldebert?

Out of the blue, curiosity sprang up in his head. Doing so, his previous life and current life mixed, making them hard to distinguish. Which is real?

At that moment, the wind blowing inside his body changed to intense fire. Rickart felt the pain of his brain burning for a very short moment, and lost consciousness immediately.

As Rickart stood still, bowing his head and touching the wall, Lemania said, smirking.

"Doing what? Gave up all?"

By the way, it was then. When Rickart, bowing his head, raised it, a golden flame was rising in his two eyes.

At that moment, Lemania felt an incongruity invading. No, not mere incongruity, but the obvious fear of death.

At that time, the ferociously rushing ghouls just pounced on Rickart. They just threw their bodies wildly and pounced like a wave, so avoiding or such was impossible.

Lemania felt relief very briefly. Ended. Whew.

However soon, a sword burning sacredly popped out abruptly and swept away the ghouls at once.

Chwaaaaak!

A large amount of blood poured like rain, and all sorts of flesh fell slap slap.

Covered in blood on his whole body, Rickart's burning eyes emitted light. And unlike earlier, staring at Lemania accurately, piercing the darkness. Riding the blade, a golden flame burned actively.

Lemania lost her words and her body hardened. Wasn't he human? But what on earth is this?

"How dare you, standing in front of whom."

A voice of hatred and anger with no known end flowed out from Rickart's mouth. Lemania felt her heart, dead long ago, beating fast.

Rickart didn't need to react to the opponent's movement anymore, or use force conversely. Just, just could cut all.

Lemania threw her body with tremendous speed to avoid the spot. But a burning sword from behind pierced through her sensual body and came out. And, he sliced upwards at once.

Lemania, her body split in half, couldn't even scream and died. She just became a rotten lump of meat and collapsed on the floor of the old underground cemetery.

Rickart looked down at the dead Lemania quietly. Just as he was thinking 'what is this', Ice's voice heard from afar stuck in his ears.

"Ricky!"

Ice's voice passed his ears and hit his brain. Then instantly, Rickart's consciousness returned violently to original. Simultaneously, the golden flame burning in his eyes and on the blade went out.

Rickart stood alone and bewildered, but soon remembered only that he was running away. And threw his body immediately in the direction the sound was heard.

Not long after, he saw Ice and Armand surrounded by ghouls. The way back was blocked with iron bars. Unlike 600 years ago, the exit was blocked.

Ice protected Armand, fighting toughly, and Rickart, cutting ghouls from behind, joined the two.

"Drank holy oil!?"

Armand asked abruptly.

"Seems I drank it, but I don't remember."

"Done. Then open this a bit."

Armand said, pointing at the iron bars. What is he talking about? Shouldn't we penetrate the ghouls quickly and find another exit?

"Quickly!"

Armand urged, and Rickart released his sword unknowingly and pulled the iron bars.

Gritting his teeth and exerting strength, at some moment the iron bars bent smoothly like taffy. Rickart himself was surprised, his eyes opening wide. Why does this bend? Is the iron weak?

In that gap, Armand grabbed Ice's hem and passed through the iron bars. Rickart also followed quickly, and the ghouls chased behind.

But at some moment, sunlight came down in a straight line, whoosh. The ghouls couldn't chase anymore.

But Armand, holding Ice's hand, threw his body into the light. It was the seaside of Harlen suburbs. The sound of cool waves splashing was heard.

Armand holding Ice's hand ran on the sandy beach. Running for quite a while, Armand's skin burned and smoke rose.

Surprised, Ice, only then noticing he was a vampire, held him.

Then Armand's arm went limp powerlessly, and he collapsed on the soft sandy beach.

"Ah, the sun in a thousand years. Forgot. Hehehe."

Armand collapsed on the sandy beach and laughed. Rickart, following behind, took off his cloak quickly and covered his body. But it was insufficient.

"O, okay. Scheduled thing. No, a thing that has already happened."

The midday sun burned his body continuously. Armand's body changed to gray dust more and more. Rickart and Ice didn't know what to do.

"Dreaming precognitive dreams for so long, you feel exactly like an old friend. Even though you aren't born yet. Foolish, right? Ice, your younger sister didn't resent you...... So, you must be happy. I wanted to convey these words by all means...... Ah, ahh, aeu......"

The sunlight didn't rest and burned Armand. He closed his eyes and endured the pain, trembling his body finely like suffering a fever.

"Ricky you already......"

Armand tried to leave some words regarding Rickart too. However, the sunlight burned him completely. The last remaining skin changed to gray.

The ash lump making the shape of a boy soon crumbled with a dry sound. Watching that, Rickart and Ice's hearts sank.

The sea breeze blew and swept the ash, and again a wave rolled in and swept it away.

Beautiful seaside, an emotion hard to explain with words wrapped around Rickart and Ice.

Clearly, we came to kill him. It hasn't been long since we met. What on earth is this thick regret?

It was the first time he felt the sun was resentful.

Only scattering ash, and the sound of waves heard vainly.

Chapter 14 - Unforgiven. End.