Chapter 8:《Oath of the Night》 – (2)
(I)
“Ugh!”
“Shaman!”
The Saint of ‘Serion,’ Marina Bergard, shouted as she saw the young shaman of ‘Tenma,’ sent flying by the slash of a gigantic skeletal soldier.
—Uwoooaaahhhh….
-“Damn it!”
But she had no time to worry about others. She herself was fully occupied just trying to defend against the relentless attacks coming from all directions.
With all her strength, she swung her massive hammer, smashing apart the skeletons that had been harassing her.
She was not only a Saint serving the deity Astira, but also a holy knight and the commander of Serion’s paladins. The fact that she was being pushed back by mere lower-level undead was a disgrace. Losing was not an option.
—Uwoooaaa….
However, the skeletons she had just shattered reformed in no time and rose again.
-“Persistent bastards…”
At this rate, it was endless.
The undead kept being summoned while their own forces were limited. The longer the battle dragged on, the worse their odds. If things continued like this, they would all be annihilated.
-“Hey, Saint! Do you have any ideas?”
Vellius Varius, the Hero, shouted at her while clashing swords with the skeletons.
-“An idea…”
In truth, there was only one sure way to eliminate this army of undead.
…Take out the summoner who was controlling them.
The undead moved through the magic power supplied by the summoner. If they could defeat the summoner, the vampire known as Elzerba, everything would be resolved at once.
—Kyaaahhhh!!
-“Dragon…”
But above them, a monstrous undead dragon unleashed fire, burning their forces, while on the ground, the skeletons steadily tightened the encirclement.
Even if they managed to get close to the vampire, there was no guarantee they could defeat her. She could summon monsters on par with A-class creatures with ease.
-“Damn it.”
Marina Bergard frowned as she glanced at the silver necklace hanging around her neck.
If she could just make the vampire let her guard down for five seconds, she could use this ‘Necklace of Binding,’ blessed with the power of the goddess Astira, to seal her away.
But getting that moment of distraction was nearly impossible, let alone even approaching the vampire. The frustration burned in the Saint’s chest.
-“…It’ll only take five seconds?”
-“…What?”
After hearing the Saint’s explanation, Vellius Varius spoke up, an unsettling grin spreading across his face—something unexpected from a hero with such clear blue eyes.
-“If we make Elzerba let her guard down for just five seconds, we win, right?”
-“Y-Yes. That should work… probably.”
The Saint nodded at the hero’s question.
The necklace she had brought from the Celestial Realm was a sacred relic crafted by the goddess Astira herself. No matter how powerful the vampire might be, it would be impossible for her to break the seal of this necklace infused with divine power.
It was the only one of its kind in the world. Though it was a bit of a waste to use it now, there was no choice but to seal away the unprecedented threat that this vampire posed.
No, in fact, this was precisely what the necklace existed for.
-“Alright. But I’ll need five minutes. During that time, get your people to keep Elzerba’s attention off me as much as possible.”
-“Draw her attention…?”
-“Yeah, I need to break through those skeletons first. There’s someone I need to meet.”
-“….”
The person the hero’s gaze landed on was a green-haired elf standing at the far rear of the skeleton army.
*************
(II)
The undead dragon Kelatus.
Along with Tina and Alfred, it was one of the named undead I could summon. The strongest among my summoned undead, Kelatus was treated as the ultimate ability of necromancers, delivering assured devastation in battle.
—Kyaaaaah!
With what little flesh it had left on its wings, Kelatus flew, devastating everything in its path. The enemy tried shooting arrows and casting spells, but their attacks couldn’t even scratch the dragon’s steel-like bones.
—Dodge it!
—The breath attack! Get down!
—Aaahhh!!
“….”
Contrary to their initial bravado, the hero’s army was collapsing. From the sky, they were burned by the dragon’s breath, and from the ground, they were overwhelmed by skeletons that resurrected endlessly.
Their forces, which had seemed nearly 100,000 strong, were now reduced to less than half.
—Huff, huff, that monster….
—How is that even a vampire…?
“….”
Standing before me were the blood-soaked Saint of Serion and a young shaman from Tenma, barely able to stand.
It seemed they thought they could resolve the situation by eliminating me, the summoner. They threw all their remaining forces into breaking through the skeletons’ lines, managing to succeed.
But that was it.
“Back off, human.”
“Your words are rather disrespectful to the lady.”
Half of the unit they led was swiftly cut down by Tina and Alfred.
—Ugh…
—What kind of undead is this…?
Standing before my skeletal army, whose red eyes blazed, the paladins and shaman couldn’t move an inch.
—Die!
—Let’s go!
“….”
Curious about the skill of their leader, I decided to face them personally, but it was a disappointment. Their abilities were akin to low-ranking players, or perhaps even worse, a hopeless level.
“Blade.”
—Ack!!
—Aaargh!!
Without using any special skills—just basic attacks—they fell like leaves in the wind. I had hoped for the strength of a hidden boss, but in the end, they were just regular NPCs.
“I’ll give you a 5 out of 10. This is boring—let’s finish it.”
Having had my fun, I prepared a final attack. A mid-level skill should be enough to wipe them all out.
“Blood Over Blade.”
A dark red aura began to form around my hand. Some tried to flee, but Tina, Alfred, and the skeleton army were already blocking their retreat.
Whether they were torn apart by the undead or slaughtered by my skill, the result would be the same.
—Our path, it’s blocked!
—What do we do?!
—Damn it…
As the soldiers trembled, only the saint of Serion, holding a broken hammer, glared fiercely at me. But even she could do nothing.
I had completed the preparation for my finishing move.
-“Elzerbaaaa!!”
“…?”
Just then, I heard a desperate scream calling my name.
-“Elzerba! Look here!”
-“Hic, sob… Elzerba, I’m sorry…”
“Lilianel…?”
From where the voice came, Vellius Varius, the hero, was approaching me, holding my only companion, the elf Lilianel, hostage.
-“We were ambushed suddenly… I’m sorry…”
Her hands bound, Lilianel was covered in blood, having clearly gone through a battle.
“Damn it…”
I had stationed Lilianel at the very rear to prevent this very situation. But they still managed to take her hostage, an unexpected disaster.
Since I hadn’t seen the hero in a while, I thought he’d been killed by the skeletons and paid him no mind. That wasn’t the case.
-“Now, Elzerba, what are you going to do?”
-“Ah, it hurts…!”
Grinning slyly, the hero taunted me as he brought a dagger to Lilianel’s neck, drawing blood with just a bit of pressure.
-“Your dear friend, who’s always trusted you in every situation, is now a hostage. You’re not going to just stand there, are you?”
“….”
I frowned at his words.
…A cliché hostage situation straight out of a drama.
When I watched scenes like this, I never understood why the characters panicked. Now that I was experiencing it firsthand, I finally understood.
Even with the powers of the number one Necromancer, there was nothing I could do in this situation. I didn’t have any instant-activation skills, and no matter how I calculated, any attack I made would reach the hero only after he slit Lilianel’s throat.
-“Elzerba, please, save me! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to dieee!!”
To make matters worse, Lilianel had gone into full panic, her face pale, shouting desperately at me. Her breath was becoming ragged as if she was hyperventilating.
“Zero points…”
I forced a bitter smile.
I couldn’t abandon Lilianel—she was far too important to me.
She was my first friend since I became Elzerba.
The only one who stood by me when everyone else turned their backs.
The only one who shared memories with me about Sophie, the princess in the past.
First, I had to save her.
“What do you want?”
With a sigh, I asked the hero. He smiled broadly, his voice brimming with excitement.
-“First, get rid of your undead.”
“….”
So that’s it—he wanted to eliminate the skeletons, the biggest threat.
“…Alright.”
I nodded in agreement to his demand.
“Master…”
“It’s alright, Tina.”
The zombie maid Tina looked at me with concern, but I reassured her with a smile.
Even without the skeleton army or Tina and the other undead, I was still powerful enough on my own. They wouldn’t be able to stop me.
“…”
—The undead… they’re disappearing!
—We won!! We’ve won!!!
—Hooray!!
As I snapped my fingers, the skeleton army and all the undead turned to ash and scattered into the air. The enemy’s cheers echoed through the night sky.
-“Good. Now, raise both hands in the air.”
…The hero emphasized the dagger at Lilianel’s throat again, giving me his next demand.
“….”
Once again, I silently complied. I raised my hands, showing I had no hidden weapons, signaling that I wouldn’t resist.
-“…Bind her.”
—Yes, sir!
At the hero’s command, the paladins of Serion bound my hands and waist with silver chains, securing them firmly to the ground with stakes.
Silver was deadly to vampires and the undead. As soon as the silver chains wrapped around my hands, I felt my strength draining rapidly.
‘…It’s still fine.’
Even though I was bound by silver chains, these were just NPC items, and I still had plenty of HP and MP left.
I could easily break these chains with a little effort. If the situation went south, I could immediately free myself and resume the battle.
…That’s what I thought.
-“Marina Bergard, now! Throw it!”
-“Understood!”
“…?!”
As soon as the hero confirmed I was tightly bound, he signaled the saint, Marina Bergard, who immediately tore off a necklace she wore and threw it at me.
“So bright…!”
Suddenly, a blinding light erupted. At the same time, a massive headache surged through my skull.
“Ugh…!!”
Simultaneously, thick silver chains shot up from the ground, wrapping around my legs. As they climbed higher, I realized something was very wrong.
‘What is this…?’
This wasn’t normal.
Instinctively, I knew.
This was not something I could take lightly.
Whatever this was, it was dangerous. If I didn’t do something, I’d suffer a critical hit or worse, be inflicted with a deadly status ailment.
“Uuuurgh…!!”
I immediately tried to break free from the silver chains wrapped around me. The more I strained, the more cracks appeared in the chains.
-“This can’t be… How is a mere vampire breaking the Astira’s Binding Chains…?”
The saint’s face hardened as she watched the chains slowly unravel. Even Vellius looked unsettled as his confident grin faltered.
Among them, the only one to react meaningfully was Jack, the young shaman from Tenma.
-“Before the chains break, throw all the talismans at her!”
-“Understood!”
“…?!!”
At Jacks’ signal, all the shamans from Tenma hurled yellow talismans at me.
They flew through the night like swallows, sticking to the chains that were binding me.
“ARGHH…!!”
With each talisman that attached itself, I felt my body cramp up as if struck by lightning. The Astira’s Binding Chains, which had been struggling to hold me, tightened further around my body.
‘No… This can’t be… How…? Me? The number one-ranked necromancer? Elzerba?’
My hands and legs lost all feeling as if I had been paralyzed. I screamed internally.
Despite the fact that I was being held hostage, the humiliation and defeat I felt—being subdued by mere NPC-like beings—was unbearable. Worse still, the shock of facing this cursed sealing device, something even my powers couldn’t break, hit me hard.
Confusion flooded my chest, my eyes welled up with tears, and my lips trembled.
“Ah…”
The silver chains continued to wrap around me, cocooning my body like an insect’s chrysalis, leaving only my head exposed. Whether it was the chains themselves or the shaman’s talismans plastered over them, I couldn’t tell. All I knew was that I had no sensation in my entire body—I couldn’t move a single finger.
As the chains bound me, Vellius Varius and Lilianel approached me slowly. Frowning, I shouted toward Varius.
“Is this enough now? Let Lilianel go already!”
…The situation had already spiraled into their favor, and I had to ensure Lilianel’s safety at the very least. I glared at the hero, who continued to approach, and spat my words at him.
-“What? Let her go? Lilianel?”
At my words, Varius tilted his head as if puzzled, and without hesitation, he released Lilianel. He then spoke to me.
-“What are you talking about, Elzerba? Lilianel was never captured.”
“…What?”
Varius’s confusing words were accompanied by Lilianel’s even more perplexing expression.
She was smiling brightly.
-“Hey, Elzerba!”
“Lilianel…?”
With a pure, innocent smile—so out of place considering she had been held captive just moments ago—she came running toward me with light steps.
And then, she slapped me across the face.
-“Don’t you dare call my name, you disgusting monster!”
My head jerked to the side from the shock.
“Wha…?”
It wasn’t the pain from the slap, nor the harsh words that she hurled at me, but the situation itself that I couldn’t comprehend.
“Lilianel…?”
I stared at her with wide eyes, my mind trying to process what had just happened. Lilianel, the elf, glared at me with disdain.
-“You sly fox, flirting with men everywhere. Do you even know how much you hurt Varius? Do you know how much pain he’s been through because of you?”
“Lilianel, wh-what are you talking about…?”
Lilianel began passionately defending Varius, the very man who had held her hostage. Her behavior didn’t make sense. Could she be under some kind of mind control?
-“What? You don’t understand?”
She leaned in close, bringing her red lips near my ear.
And then she whispered.
-“You’ve been played, you fool.”
“…!!”
Her words, which could’ve come from a cheap drama, cleared the fog in my mind instantly. I stared at her, my eyes vacant.
“You thought you were so cool, but we were laughing at you the whole time.”
“….”
-“You know, I’ve always hated you.”
Lilianel raised her hand.
-“From the moment I met you.”
Slap.
She struck my cheek.
-“Acting all high and mighty as a vampire, seducing men left and right.”
Slap.
Another blow followed.
-“Hurting Varius.”
Slap.
She hit me again.
-“…And making me kill my friend.”
“…??!!!”
Her last whispered words, muttered so quietly only I could hear them, caused my heart to sink.
“Making you kill a friend…? No, no way…”
I spoke to her, my tongue sluggish from the mental shock—or maybe from the chains constricting me. I could barely speak.
“You, you killed…Sophie?”
-“That’s right. I killed Sophie. All for this moment.”
Lilianel responded with a smile, her face showing no sign of guilt. I could feel tears trickling down my cheeks.
-“Until the very end, she kept calling out your name, Elzerba. Begging for help. Begging to be saved. It was pathetic.”
“Why? Why, why would you…?”
-“Why? Hmm, I guess I found something more important than friendship.”
Lilianel’s whisper was followed by her looping her arm through Varius’s. Varius smiled and gently stroked her head.
And then, they kissed.
“A-ah….”
Watching that scene, an overwhelming rage boiled up inside me.
I wanted to kill them both right then and there, rip them apart, but my body, wrapped in chains, didn’t move at all.
-“Pathetic.”
Lilianel scoffed, looking down at me with contempt. After finishing his kiss with Lilianel, Varius turned to me, lifting my chin with his hand.
-“Frustrating, isn’t it, Elzerba?”
“….”
-“There’s a way out of this, you know…”
The vile hero brought his lips to my ear, whispering in a voice I could still sense, even though the rest of my body was numb.
-“Become my woman, Elzerba.”
“…What?”
-“Swear right now, under this moon, that you’ll dedicate the rest of your life to serving me as my concubine.”
“You… Can’t be serious…”
My eyes trembled.
Could this entire farce have been just because I rejected his marriage proposal? Was it all to make me his woman?
-“AAAAAGH! My ear! My ear!!!”
“…tsk.”
I instantly turned my head and bit down on his ear. Varius screamed in agony as I tore a chunk of it off, retreating from me. With cold eyes, I looked at him and spoke.
“Screw you.”
This is my answer.
If I have any life left, I’ll use it to kill you.
I could never forgive him.
-“You damned vampire….”
Varius quickly clutched his bleeding ear, glaring at me. Lilianel handed him a handkerchief to stop the blood, and he spoke.
-“Fine. If that’s how you feel, you’ll just have to stay in those chains for the rest of your life. Marina?”
“….”
Varius, who had been speaking quietly, now raised his voice toward the saint. In response, the chains that had stopped at my neck started wrapping further, covering my face.
-“After decades bound in chains, you’ll be begging to be mine.”
“Pff.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his absurd confidence.
Not decades, not even centuries. I would never beg him for anything, not in a thousand years.
…Raising my voice, I shouted to everyone present.
“Do you all think you can handle what happens when these chains break?”
Nothing lasts forever.
Though I may not be able to move a finger now, there will come a day when these chains break and this seal is undone.
“Hey, Saint.”
I locked eyes with Serion’s saint, Marina, the one responsible for casting this bizarre seal. She flinched at my call.
“…When this seal breaks, I’ll wipe your faith off the face of the earth.”
-“….”
Terrified, Marina lowered her head, avoiding my gaze. I turned next to the young shaman from Tenma, the one who reinforced the chains with talismans.
“Shaman, when these chains shatter, the land you live on will be swarming with the dead.”
-“Tch….”
The shaman clicked his tongue, as if annoyed by my words. Then I fixed my eyes on the elf, Lilianel Greenfield.
I had been betrayed by the one I trusted most.
She killed the friend I loved most, playing around with that wretched hero.
My rage and hatred toward Lilianel boiled over uncontrollably.
“Lilianel.”
-“Oh my, what is it? Our poor little vampire?”
Lilianel sneered at me. Ignoring her mocking tone, I continued speaking.
“…Elves live forever, don’t they?”
Like vampires, elves are immortal, living for eternity unless slain by another.
“Just wait. I’ll come for you first and tear you apart.”
-“Hmph, how unpleasant.”
“….”
…Lilianel turned her head away, and I finally set my gaze on Vellius Varius, the hero.
“Varius, I don’t know when this seal will break, but wait for it.”
I am a necromancer.
One who raises the dead.
“…I’ll drag your soul out of hell itself if I have to, and I’ll kill you over and over again.”
Tears, mixed with the blood from my bitten lip, fell to the ground.
I swore under the crimson full moon, beneath the cold night sky.
“I’ll kill you all. Every last one of you….”
With those words, the chains swallowed me whole.
I felt nothing.
The last sensation I had was the tears running down my cheeks.
“I will kill you.”
…The world went black.
*************
(III)
“Phew! That was intense!”
“We did it…”
As the vampire Elzerba was completely bound and sealed by the silver chains, everyone gathered in the royal palace courtyard finally let out a sigh of relief.
“…To think that she almost broke half of Astira’s Chains. That vampire is a disaster. It’s unbelievable, but she possesses power comparable to that of the gods.”
“Haha, it was a close call…”
Marina Bergard, the saint, shuddered as she spoke, still trembling from the shock. The shaman Jacks let out a bitter laugh in response.
She was right.
Had they left her unchecked, that vampire would have broken free from the silver chains imbued with the goddess’ power. It was only thanks to the shamans of Tenma, who poured all their talismans into the chains, that the sealing could barely be completed.
“Wait! Don’t touch that!”
“…Huh?”
Jacks urgently stopped the hero, Vellius Varius, who was about to remove one of the talismans stuck to the chain.
He warned the blue-eyed hero.
“We’ve plastered the chains with these talismans to barely keep her restrained. If even one comes off, the seal will break immediately.”
“…”
It was a seal barely held together by Astira’s Chains and the talismans. Without one or the other, the seal would be undone, and the vampire inside would rampage again.
And this time, she would be driven mad with rage, far beyond what they had just witnessed. In such a case, there would be no negotiation or hostage situation; Astira’s Chains would no longer exist, and a true catastrophe would ensue.
“Ha, in any case, we can’t leave this thing here.”
Jacks sighed as he gazed at the silver cocoon of chains that bound the vampire, Elzerba.
This was a top-tier, ultra-dangerous seal, imprisoning a vampire with power rivaling that of the gods—far beyond even the Demon King. Leaving it out in the open was reckless.
“Don’t worry. I have an idea for that,” Varius responded to Jacks’ concerns.
“…There’s an abandoned ruin not too far from here. We can seal it deeper in the labyrinth’s depths.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea!”
Jacks clapped his hands in approval.
If they used an abandoned ruin, no one would go looking for it, so there was no risk of someone removing the talisman by mistake. It was the perfect location to keep the seal hidden and safe from prying eyes.
“Then, for the time being, Avilia, Serion, and our Tenma city will take turns monitoring the seal.”
But even so, they couldn’t just leave the cocoon of chains in the ruins unattended. For at least several years, they would need to closely monitor the seal to ensure it remained intact.
“That sounds reasonable.”
“Agreed.”
Both Varius and Marina, representatives of their respective nations, nodded in agreement with Jacks’ proposal.
“Oh, by the way.”
“Hm?”
“What were you talking about with that vampire earlier?”
…Just before the vampire was completely sealed, the hero and the elf had exchanged a few words with her. The vampire had shed tears, which piqued Jacks’ curiosity, prompting him to ask Varius about it.
“…It was nothing. Just a farewell.”
But Varius merely smiled and brushed it off.
In truth, they had confessed to the vampire that they had killed the princess and orchestrated the entire plot. However, there was no need to tell the shamans or the holy knights about that.
“…Hey, shaman.”
“What is it?”
…As Varius continued inspecting the seal, his face grew grim, as if something was bothering him. He called out to the young shaman, Jacks.
“If this seal breaks, what will happen?”
“…If the seal breaks? Well, I mean, what else could happen?”
Jacks chuckled at the question. However, his eyes weren’t smiling at all. Cold sweat ran down the young shaman’s forehead.
“We’ll all die.”
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