Chapter 178: For the Stories Not Yet Known (9)
Chapter 178: For the Stories Not Yet Known (9)
“…Mnh♡”
Iona’s sweet, nasal moan echoed in my ear.
It had been a long time since she’d tasted human blood. Perhaps the trigger was the direct feeding, occurring right when her wounded body craved blood the most.
Having tasted blood, Iona began to demand more of me with a passion that suggested she had lost her mind.
Schlick. Slurp.
Her tongue, which had been trying to push me away just a moment ago, began to pull at mine as if pleading.
Her lips, which had barely been touching mine, now pressed down firmly as if she intended to devour me.
Having lost the initiative in an instant, the only thing I could do was work hard to funnel my blood and saliva into her.
“Mnh… Haa….”
With every gulp of my blood, Iona’s breath grew ragged, tickling my face.
Having had a taste, it seemed it wasn't enough; she began to demand blood even more boldly.
“Bae… Ha-up!”
Suddenly, she dropped her head and attempted a surprise kiss of her own.
However, her target was solely my lips.
She took my wounded lower lip into her mouth and began to suck on it forcefully, like a baby nursing.
Schlick. Sluuuurp….
Was she happy to finally drink pure blood unmixed with saliva? Iona sucked so hard her cheeks hollowed out.
No, that wasn't enough—she even nipped at my lips with her sharp fangs.
“Ngh.”
I flinched at the sharper-than-expected pain. Realizing my lips might end up shredded at this rate, I shook my head vigorously to pull my face away from hers.
“Hey!”
“…Ah.”
Only then did the focus return to Iona’s dazed eyes, as if she had finally come to her senses.
But those eyes, which had finally cleared, went vacant again the moment they landed on my blood-smeared lips.
“I-I’m sorry, Student Yandel… I didn't mean for this to… I mean… we’re in the middle of a battle… Ugh….”
Iona stammered, fidgeting like a child who had done something wrong.
I let out a small chuckle at the sight and reached out gently.
My fingertips brushed against Iona’s pale face. She followed my touch without any resistance, so I gently guided her face toward mine and held it there.
Then, I licked away the blood that had been flowing freely from my lips.
“It’s okay. It doesn't even hurt that much. And I told you from the start, didn't I?”
“Told me… what?”
Whether it was due to trauma, guilt over hurting me, or her body being heated from the long-awaited feeding—Iona was trembling. I pulled her into an embrace to calm her and offered my neck.
“I said it’s fine if it’s you, Professor Iona.”
“…….”
She didn't say a word, but her body was honest. Iona swallowed hard, her gaze fixed on my throat.
I gave her a subtle smile.
“Drink as much as you want.”
“Really, really… I shouldn't. I really shouldn't… But Student Yandel said it was okay, right?”
Muttering as if possessed, she suddenly buried her face in the crook of my neck.
I felt Iona’s touch on that sensitive spot. A moment later, a sharp sting followed.
Iona’s sharp fangs pierced my neck, puncturing the vein.
Crunch.
A massive amount of blood began to drain out—far more than from my lips. As my vision momentarily blurred, I hurriedly downed a potion I had kept ready.
“Gueeegh….”
Good god, what was this?
I felt a dizzying sensation as if my very life force was being siphoned away, combined with an inexplicable pleasure surging down my spine.
It was a delicate feeling; I couldn't tell if I liked it or hated it.
However, the effect was undeniable. The aura radiating from Iona began to recover rapidly.
Her wildly fluctuating mana quickly stabilized. A hint of color returned to her vampire-pale skin, and her chilly body temperature warmed slightly.
And above all, a suffocatingly dense sensuality began to emanate from her.
Her flowing dark-red hair, her breath filled with ecstasy, the soft, occasional brush of her tongue.
Before I knew it, the pain and the emptiness of having my blood drained no longer mattered. All that remained was the rapture of becoming one with Iona.
…I see. So this is why they say a vampire’s feeding combines both hunger and lust.
My internal admiration was short-lived.
Creeeak—!
A dangerous sound from the Shield above us snapped me back to reality.
It was covered in cracks; it looked like it would shatter if something so much as tapped it.
“Um… Professor?”
“Mnh… Sluurp….”
“I think that’s about to break.”
“Mmm….”
Iona was completely lost in the act of drinking my blood.
I poked her in the ribs and continued.
“If you don't want us all to die, snap out of it now!”
“Hic! Eek! I-I’m awake! I’m awake, so stop poking me there…!”
Iona squirmed as if she were ticklish, but as soon as I stopped poking, she assessed the situation and narrowed her blood-red eyes.
“If I repair it now… No, it’ll be too late anyway.”
“How much have you recovered, Professor Iona?”
“Hmm, hmm. Thirty percent? Including what I had left, I’ve recovered nearly half.”
“What? That much? I thought you said drinking a whole person’s worth of blood only restores ten percent.”
“Right, right! Usually, that’s true. But Student Yandel’s blood is… how should I put it? Extremely rich? Delicious? Compatible? Anyway, the efficiency is several times better. …That’s why I lost myself for a bit!”
“What… is there such a thing as blood compatibility?”
“There is, there is! But that’s a long story, so I’ll tell you later! When the Shield breaks, attacks will come from all sides, so we need to figure out how to block them now!”
“Ah, about that, please listen to me.”
“What is it? What is it? You’re not going to suggest I just keep drinking your blood and push through with mana, are you? If we do that, your mind will turn to mush!”
True, the pleasure during feeding was a bit dangerous. But that wasn't what I was going to suggest.
“Professor, you trust me, right?”
“Now I’m suddenly anxious! That’s usually what people you shouldn't trust say!”
“Even if you don't, you have to.”
Because I’m taking command from here on out.
I might know the strategy, but I lack the stats to pull it off. For Iona, however, it’s a different story.
“Is this… is this part of the plan you mentioned, Student Yandel?”
“Something like that.”
“…Fine. Getting this far has already exceeded my expectations. I suppose I can try trusting you once.”
“I’m glad you’re quick to decide.”
“That’s because the Shield is on the verge of collapsing!”
Crrraaaack….
Watching the Shield begin to crumble, revealing parts of the outside world, I shouted urgently.
“Don't use flight magic; use Gravity Reversal! And hold onto me tight!”
“Then I can't use my arms! You can at least hang on by yourself!”
“My strength was drained along with my blood just now, so I’ll probably lose my grip halfway through!”
“I have no choice then!”
Iona pulled me close and rapidly chanted a spell.
Gravity-type magic is known to be difficult, but to be precise, the difficulty increases exponentially based on the area of effect.
If it’s only applied to herself and me, a short chant is sufficient.
The moment Iona’s magic was completed, the Shield shattered completely, revealing the cultists surrounding us.
And as expected, a bombardment poured in as if they had been waiting.
…However, we, falling upward, were one step faster.
Whish—
Normally, Gravity Reversal only causes one to float slowly in the air unless manipulated otherwise, but these weren't normal circumstances.
Since gravity was already weighing heavily upon us, we shot upward with that much more velocity.
Feeling the disconnect between the scenery I saw and the gravity my body felt, I shouted.
“The gray brute! He’s about to jump, so hit him with a piercing spell then! After that, use Blink to open up some distance!”
“Got it!”
The remaining Archbishops’ coordination ultimately boiled down to blocking teleportation, pinning us with gravity, and then launching a simultaneous attack.
Since they fought relying on their Authorities, I could roughly guess how they would move.
Sure enough, the Void Feast of Confused Unity and the bombardment from Ayla’s Magic Eyes swept through the spot where we had just been.
And a beat later, changing his trajectory mid-air, the gray giant leaped—Wilfried, the Archbishop of Reckless Roar.
He had absurd size and strength. But his truly terrifying trait wasn't his attack power, but his defense.
During Berserk, he not only possessed incredible physical and magical protection, but if his anger exceeded a certain level, he could even temporarily postpone death itself.
In short, he was a troublesome tank who was incredibly sturdy, strong, and hard to kill.
But he wasn't invincible. Someone of Iona’s caliber could pierce his hide.
“…Blood Spear!”
Blood drawn from Iona’s wrist formed into a rotating spear and was fired.
The speed of the descending spear and the speed of the leaping Wilfried were both extraordinary. If the two collided, wouldn't at least half of him be pierced through?
The enemy knew this as well, so they would shift the barrier that was interfering with spatial movement to defense.
Just like now.
Boom!
“Kwarghhhhh…!”
A translucent film acted as a buffer between Wilfried and the Blood Spear.
Meandering Leisure. The Evil God in charge of Sloth, who bestowed the power to manipulate barriers as an Authority.
An Archbishop of that god could manipulate a barrier sturdy enough to withstand Iona’s attack… but they should only be able to control one at a time at this level.
As expected, the tingling sensation that had been permeating the surroundings vanished. Iona immediately used Blink to pull far away.
Following that, countless distortions and curses pierced the space where we had been moments ago.
That was Ayla.
“Certainly, certainly. You have every right to be confident, Student Yandel. If it were me, I would have just tanked a hit or two.”
“You can do that because your body is sturdy, Professor, but I can't, right?”
“I’ll cast Blood Shift on you.”
A short chant. Before long, a red mist seeped into my body.
With this, all damage I received would be transferred to Iona. We could now utilize a tactic of charging in, relying on a vampire’s unique regeneration.
Of course, Iona’s vitality would be consumed at double the rate… but she could just suck my blood to replenish it.
Iona and Ayla faced off once more.
The difference from the start was that the enemy had lost two Archbishops, and Iona now had a blood pack giving her advice.
Ayla’s eye-covered arms were even more grotesque up close than they had been from afar.
As the clustered eyeballs squirmed and glared at us, I averted my gaze and whispered.
“Professor Iona. I can help you with the other Archbishops, but I don't know anything about your sister.”
“You just keep giving me advice about the others like you are now, Student Yandel. I’ll handle Ayla myself.”
“Understood. Don't try to hold back; if you’re running low, just take my blood immediately.”
“…I feel like I’m doing something truly wicked right now.”
Well, vampires who fought while attached to a blood pack were usually villains. The cold-blooded types from before the Great War.
Perhaps she didn't like the way we were whispering to each other.
Ayla gnashed her teeth, her countless eyes glaring.
“Sister… are you finally revealing your lewd nature? Yes, you seduced the Prince and stole him from me back then, too.”
Despite it being a story from three hundred years ago, Ayla burned with jealousy and hostility toward Iona.
It was a chilling sight, but there was no need to be afraid. I had Iona.
“Now! Binding magic toward the bottom left!”
“Huh? Oh, okay!”
Wilfried had charged in heedlessly during the conversation. Chains of blood poured down upon his head.