Chapter 5

From the moment I had awakened in this new body—this alien vampire's flesh—I had sensed it instinctively.

A vampire's physical capabilities were fundamentally different from a human's in every way.

Strength and speed went without saying, but even in the realm of primal senses like smell and hearing, there was simply no comparison.

Setting aside the intriguing ability to absorb a victim's capabilities through their blood,

I could detect a wolf's footfalls kicking off the earth from well beyond the reach of my sight, and even track its trajectory with my eyes.

WHOOSH—!

A shadow that had torn through the forest's darkness like a white comet came to an abrupt halt before us.

GRRRR—

"Y-you're...!"

Cabin, standing beside me, shrieked in alarm.

The boy instinctively dropped into a combat stance, but the enormous wolf with pure-white fur didn't spare him so much as a glance.

Those yellow eyes held only me.

I, too, found myself intrigued by the beast.

A monster that had covered a distance requiring half a day for an ordinary knight in a single burst. A presence so oppressive that the very air around it seemed to grow heavy just from its exhale.

My instincts issued a faint warning. This creature was on an entirely different level from the rabble I had dealt with moments ago.

At the same time, the corner of my mouth lifted without my realizing it.

'The quality of the blood... is excellent.'

Despite not bearing a single wound, the scent emanating from its very existence teased the tip of my nose.

On par with—or perhaps surpassing—the blood of the old Elder who had served as the offering to awaken me. An overwhelmingly dense and noble fragrance of life.

'...To think that's the first thing that crosses my mind. I've lost it.'

Just as self-loathing surged at the realization that I was appraising a living being's worth by the grade of its blood, the white wolf spoke in a low, husky voice.

"So it was true."

"What was."

"Crimson eyes, silver hair thick with the progenitor's bloodline. No—I can't rule out the possibility that you really are the Vampire Lord of legend."

The beast bared its sharp fangs in a threatening snarl. I neither confirmed nor denied it.

Silence is sometimes heavier than any affirmation. Whether the beast took my silence as confirmation, it snorted derisively.

"But contrary to the rumors, you're as unimpressive as they come. I almost pity the bat-folk for worshipping a kept man like you as their ancestor."

"How dare you!!"

Cabin was the first to bristle at the cheap provocation.

But Fenrix still regarded Cabin as one might regard an insect, his gaze fixed solely on me.

"I am the king of wolves—Fenrix."

"...And what exactly am I supposed to do with that?"

"It's the name that will put you into eternal sleep, so engrave it well into that tiny skull of yours before it ends up in my belly."

WHOOSH—!

The instant the words left his mouth, Fenrix's massive body launched off the ground. I assumed he would leap straight at me, but that wasn't the case.

Cabin—the boy he had been treating as invisible until now. The beast was baring its fangs at that fragile boy.

'Cunning, as befits a wolf.'

Cabin, who looked no different from an ordinary boy save for a vampire's brute strength, couldn't possibly react to Fenrix's speed.

SHLICK—!

Those enormously spread jaws aimed precisely at the nape of Cabin's neck.

The instant those teeth clamped down, the boy's neck would crumble like tofu.

Posturing as a mighty being, putting on every conceivable show of bravado, and then targeting the weakest first—what cowardice.

'I don't like it.'

GRAB—!

"GYAAAAGH!!"

"GRRR...?!"

A split second before Fenrix's teeth reached Cabin's neck, I seized the beast's muzzle.

The moment my slender, pale hand gripped the massive wolf's jaw, the predator frozen in midair turned to stone on the spot.

It had been close.

The fangs dripping with viscous saliva had been a hair's breadth from grazing the bridge of Cabin's nose.

"...You'll want to shut that graceless mouth of yours."

At those cold words of mine, the glinting yellow eyes shuddered with shock for an instant—

CRAAAASH—!

I tightened my grip and slammed Fenrix's massive body straight into the ground. The enormous frame was hurled down, the earth shook, and a thick cloud of dust billowed up.

'...Hmm.'

Even through the dust, the beast's movements were clearly visible to me.

The moment it was thrown, it twisted its body midair and landed on its back to absorb the impact.

Whether it was animal instinct or experience honed through countless battles, the beast immediately righted itself and assumed a counter-stance.

'The beasts of this place are certainly on another level.'

To think there'd be something to learn even from a mere mutt. After a moment's reflection, I extended my hand toward Fenrix and lightly flicked a finger.

The technique that the 'something' sleeping inside me had employed. I recalled the sensation of firing droplets of blood like mana bullets.

FLICK—

'...No good.'

As expected, a clumsy imitation was nowhere near enough.

It had certainly been 'me' who used that technique, but it was from a time when control of the body hadn't been mine.

'But I think I'm starting to grasp something.'

Still, the attempt wasn't entirely fruitless.

When I pictured the image of a blood droplet forming at my fingertip and flying forth, I could feel the blood within my veins stir faintly.

This sensation. This flow of power. If I could just delve a little deeper into this tangled bundle of various abilities, I felt I could seize hold of something.

If only I could wield this freely, even in that moment of betrayal—

GRAAAAAAH—!

What snapped me back from my wandering thoughts was an enormous roar.

The ground trembled and leaves rained down like a storm.

Cabin, seized by instinctive terror, clapped both hands over his ears and crumpled to the ground.

A bit too faint-hearted of a reaction, perhaps, but admittedly it was loud.

"You bastard!! Don't you dare look away from me!"

Fenrix bared his sharp fangs and this time leapt squarely at me.

His front and hind legs moved in a cunningly staggered rhythm as he bore in. His idea of a masterstroke, no doubt, but to my eyes it was nothing more than a petty trick performed by a beast.

'And a thoroughly loathsome four-legged beast at that.'

Even if I was currently trapped in this grotesque body, I was a knight.

And so I had no intention of showing mercy to a beast that employed the cowardly tactic of targeting the weak first.

CRAAASH—!

"KYAAAIING—!"

As Fenrix charged head-on, I launched myself to meet him.

I caught his incoming forepaws in both hands mid-crossing, then used his own momentum against him to flip him over my shoulder. With far more force than before.

BOOM!

Another massive cloud of dust erupted from the ground.

From Fenrix's mouth, slammed into the earth, came a whimpering yelp like a puppy's.

THUMP. THUMP.

Watching the white wolf roll across the ground, my heart began to pound violently once more. But unlike the unpleasant throbbing from when I had lost control of my body, this sensation was...

'I want to feed.'

Thirst. Hunger. An instinctive craving to drain every last drop of that beast's blood.

If a scent this sweet wafted from a body without a single scratch, what kind of ecstasy would I feel tasting the blood directly?

FLINCH.

I was startled to catch myself unconsciously licking my lips while staring at the wolf.

What did I just think?

Self-revulsion, accompanied by a cold anxiety crawling up my spine.

Craving the blood of the strong. If that was simply a vampire's instinct, perhaps it couldn't be helped.

But.

What if this thirst was not limited to the strong alone?

'When I meet Silvia... if I feel this kind of desire...'

GRRRR—!

The tail of that thought—too horrifying even to imagine—was severed by Fenrix's growl as he climbed back to his feet.

Despite being slammed down twice, the beast's eyes still seethed with unbroken fury.

'For now, focus on the fight.'

Shaking my head to dispel the ominous thoughts, I reached for my waist out of habit.

But there was nothing to grasp.

"...I'm going to need a sword."

Whenever my mind was in turmoil, I had always drawn my blade. Only the cool touch of steel could calm my heart.

But right now, I had no sword.

GRAAAAAAH—!

Taking Fenrix's roar full in the face, my brow furrowed on its own.

This situation. All of it. None of it sat right with me.

***

"All clear?"

"Yes, sir! No monsters approaching from this direction!"

"Keep the watch tight! Those howls coming from the mountains don't sound normal!"

"Sir!"

At the officer's bark, the soldier stamped his feet and answered with vigor.

The dead of night, when all should have been asleep.

The coalition garrison guarding the continent's northern border had been placed on high alert.

The cause was the intermittent wolf roars that had been echoing from deep within the mountain range.

The Kron Mountain Range, teeming with unknown monsters and thus dubbed the 'Demon Realm.' The wolves' howling had grown more frequent of late, but tonight's was on a different scale entirely.

A thunderous boom as though the entire range were shaking.

It was unmistakably a wolf's howl, yet it carried an overwhelming force—as though a mythical-class being of legend were bellowing its death throes.

Captain of the guard, Hans, had a fair idea of who this roar belonged to.

The king of wolves.

A beast so enormous its frame rose above the height of a full-grown tree, boasting fur of luminous white.

Rumors had, in fact, just begun to circulate among the coalition forces—that a great white wolf dwelt within the mountains, and that it was the king of all wolves.

Hans himself had only learned of the wolf's existence recently.

After the commander of the Vernice Empire's Knight Order had fallen in battle in the north some time ago, Hans had personally sighted the creature during an intensified patrol.

He had ventured deeper than usual along a path he normally wouldn't take, and there it was.

A white wolf whose mere gaze sent a wave of pressure cascading through his entire body.

The instant Hans laid eyes on the white wolf, he was certain he was dead. Had the beast not withdrawn of its own accord that day for whatever reason, there was no telling what would have happened.

"Let's hope nothing comes of this."

Hans murmured to himself atop the ramparts, staring into the dark mountains. What on earth had driven that monster to such fury? Whatever unfortunate creature had gotten on its bad side likely wouldn't leave behind so much as bones tonight.

'Unless a dragon straight out of legend showed up, there shouldn't be anything in those mountains that could beat that thing....'

He let out a wry laugh at his own absurd imagination.

Fortunately, after the last roar, the mountains had fallen silent for some time. The beast had likely vented its rage.

Hans swallowed dryly, imagining the poor victim that must have been torn to shreds by the king of wolves.

But there was something he could never have known.

"KYEEEEEEE...!"

Just what kind of state the king of wolves—the very beast that had the entire coalition garrison trembling since the small hours—was in at this very moment.