Chapter 455: Nothing Good Lasts Forever
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 455: Nothing Good Lasts Forever
Hee-hee-hing!
The Sanguine Horse Ralion let out a savage cry. Kicking off the floor, Ralion leaped and drove its forelegs into Rahu Khan's chest. Rahu Khan, now branded with hoofprints on his pectorals, endured the shock and thrust his spear. The spear pierced Ralion from head to tail in a single blow, then swirled, reducing the sanguine horse to a pool of blood.
But only for a moment. Ralion, having regenerated its body in an instant, snorted and slammed its body into Rahu Khan. As he fought the horse, Rahu Khan shouted.
“Ralion. Still the same as ever!”
The Progenitor's first Elder, Ralion, was an Elder yet not an Elder. It was the end of the girl Tyr and the beginning of the Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka. The first creation, made in memory of the horse that died by her side. Unlike the other Elders, who possessed egos of their own, Ralion followed only the Progenitor's whims. The Elders were originally human, but Ralion was an old friend sculpted from the Progenitor's memories.
This remained true even now that the Progenitor had broken free from the Blood Shackles. Ralion stood loyally, blocking the traitor's path. Overwhelming power was a power in its own right. Ralion used its innate strength to press Rahu Khan.
The battle entered a lull. After taking a few hits, Bakuta and Muri showed no further signs of aggression. The two of them, being extremely temperamental, had merely thrown an impulsive tantrum after the shackles disappeared and had no real objective. And Erzsebet, the only one with the power to truly threaten the Progenitor, had vanished without a trace after being sent flying.
For Rahu Khan, it was a fight with no appeal. His goal was to protect the 'species' of centaurs. He had joined the rebellion against the Progenitor because he felt uneasy about the unstable power structure after the shackles were broken. If the rebellion failed, he planned to take his kindred and flee into the jungle. With his four legs, Rahu Khan was faster than anyone.
It was only natural that he, with his mind full of escape, would be passive in the fight. Though he could have thrown Ralion off by using his full strength, Rahu Khan simply grappled with it, assessing the situation.
“Ha-ha-ha-! Progenitor-! It's not over yet-!”
The irony was that it was Lunken who was filling the void left by Erzsebet's absence. Lunken, who had created opportunities to oppose the Progenitor and grow, was now facing Tyrkanzyaka.
Tyrkanzyaka's shadow swung its arm as if annoyed. The movement was like swatting away an insect. The massive shadow arm smashed through the wall and floor as it flew toward Lunken.
Lunken didn't use any special powers. All he had was a powerful body and a bottomless fighting spirit. However, when a fighting spirit was added to overwhelming strength, that itself was a formidable power. The primal desire of the boar beastkin, which even the Progenitor's original blood could not suppress, drove his body to move even against a massive and powerful foe.
“Hup!”
Lunken charged forward and crashed into Tyrkanzyaka's shadow. Against its overwhelming size, commensurate mass, and excessively high speed for its weight, he thrust out his arms and head and rammed it.
It was like crashing into an oncoming chariot. Lunken's body was crushed from his legs to his head. But even as his head was driven into his neck, Lunken's two fists moved, aiming for his opponent.
Even as his legs below the knee were ground away on the stone floor, he clenched his fists and unleashed a wild barrage of punches. Dozens, hundreds of ripples spread across the corporeal shadow. If a single blow wasn't enough, he followed with a flurry. Lunken relentlessly poured out his strength.
Tyrkanzyaka's shadow was dense, but it was still just a copy of her body, not truly solid. As Lunken repeatedly struck the same spot, the darkness dispersed. Finally, by ramming it with his head, Lunken managed to shatter the shadow and roared, covered in blood.
Of course, it had only been a single arm. Two more arms shot out from the shadow. They seized Lunken and hurled him into the air, creating another hole in the ceiling of Plenilune Castle. Lunken's cry faded into the distance.
Regardless, Tyrkanzyaka's attention was not on Lunken. Tyrkanzyaka muttered gloomily.
[…Where is Hu?]
“If you mean your consort, he's already fled. Leaving you behind, sister.”
Kavila, who had been watching without participating in the fight, remained unchanged even as the situation turned against her side. Tyrkanzyaka glared at Kavila and spoke.
[He must have simply stepped away for a moment because it became dangerous.]
“It's the same thing. He won't be by your side in a moment of danger. Or perhaps, being by your side would make it even more dangerous for him.”
[Dangerous to be by my side?]
“Yes, sister. Just like now.”
Kavila spread her arms, gesturing to the ruined castle. The successive battles had destroyed everything—not just the furniture and decorations, but the floors and ceilings as well. The castle was simply too fragile to withstand a battle between vampires.
In this place, only the vampires still retained their form. Just as they had remained unchanged for over a thousand years of history, the vampires were the same even as the castle crumbled around them.
“Look. There are only vampires. The only things that are unchanging and eternal are vampires. In their presence, everything else crumbles like sand. Because it is softer and more fragile than a vampire.”
Without pain, there is no fear. Because their bodies regenerate, they do not hesitate to destroy. This was true not only for the Elders, but for Tyrkanzyaka as well. Even if something new approached, she would simply watch it until it tried to break her.
“If you ruled over everyone in this land, then as long as you loved him, this land would be safe for him. But what if you cease to be the Progenitor? What if someone takes him hostage, attacks him without recognizing him, or assassinates him simply to torment you? Blinded by love, would you be able to foresee it and stop it?”
[You underestimate Hu. Do you think he would be defeated so easily?]
“Yes. He will be. It is the fate of the King of Humans—no, the Beast King.”
Kavila declared.
“The role of beasts is to be foolishly bested by wise humans. The Dog King fawns over humans, the Wolf King dies in a trap. The King of Sheep survives by offering its fleece each time… And the King of Humans... will be abandoned by humans and die.”
[Abandoned…?]
“Before the inception, humans conquered the surface and built the mightiest empire. The master of that great nation was the King of Humans. Do you know how the King of Humans, the most powerful of the Beast Kings and one who possessed both strength and wisdom, disappeared?”
It was an event from a past so distant that even Tyrkanzyaka did not know of it. Tyrkanzyaka had lived through the age of the Five Sovereigns and had only seen their numbers dwindle. What she knew was also limited to matters concerning the Five Sovereigns.
The Saintess had said that humans were the lords of all creation, beings who had transcended beasts. Therefore, she said, the King of Humans did not exist.
Tyrkanzyaka, who denied everything the Saintess said, didn't believe it outright... but it wasn't something she paid much attention to either. It was only because of Hu's existence that she had recently taken an interest.
But Kavila knew something. Tyrkanzyaka found herself listening intently to Kavila's words.
“-A rebellion.”
Kavila recounted a piece of history that few now knew.
“The King of Humans accepts the will of humans. Rebellion is the act of usurping a king's power and authority. They say that in accordance with the will of the humans who wished to rebel, the King of Humans offered up his own life and power, and vanished.”
[…Vanished?]
“Yes. I don't know why one who has never appeared until now has suddenly shown up before you. But he, too, will not last long. Because the 'living you' will not be able to protect him. The nation, the King of Humans, and even your own heart will be shaken and crumble. I am truly advising you for your own good. Please, make a wise choice. That fool Valdamir would cheer you on without knowing a thing, so before he arrives….”
Even if Kavila did nothing, tragedy would eventually come. Kavila whispered, like a prophet.
It was a worry she never had when she ruled over all. But now, the duchy no longer moved according to Tyrkanzyaka's will alone. The Elders' rebellion was a prime example. As Tyrkanzyaka's darkness deepened, Kavila suddenly glanced outside and muttered.
“Oh dear, he's here.”
CRASH!
Before she could finish speaking, a section of the wall came crashing down, and a gaunt, high-ranking monk tumbled in and slammed into the opposite wall. Blood Monk Dogo, who had left after scolding the Progenitor, had reappeared in a completely unexpected state. Dogo, looking as if he'd been soundly beaten by someone, glared beyond the wall and roared.
“You bastard—!”
Valdamir appeared nonchalantly through the broken opening. Unlike Dogo, Valdamir entered casually, not a single thing out of place, and looked down at the monk.
“Stand straight. This is for the Progenitor's safety.”
“A Progenitor lost to lust, who has forsaken both power and authority, is nothing—! The time for rest is over. This monk shall depart from the Saha World!”
“Do as you wish. However, leave the matter of your blood to the Progenitor.”
“No one can decide my fate!”
As he recovered his stance, Dogo charged at Valdamir like a lightning bolt. The renowned martial artist gave him no time to swing his greatsword, diving in low. THUD. Stomping with enough force to shake the entire castle, Dogo unleashed his Qi.
Demonic Martial Arts Secret Technique: Calamity.
A vortex of blood energy surged forth as if to tear Valdamir to shreds. In response, Valdamir bent his arm and pulled it inward.
The immense force met on a slightly offset axis. The twisted force created a massive rotation. Dogo's blow, which should have ripped Valdamir apart, grazed past him as their arms coiled around each other, sliding upward. Having deflected the attack by a paper-thin margin, Valdamir seized Dogo's fully extended arm.
CRACK. The arm, having expended all its power, had no strength left. Twisting the arm and pushing it past the joint, Valdamir snapped it like a dry reed. Even if it was Qi, the way to dispel it was that of a martial artist. Therefore, he would respond in kind.
Before Dogo could regenerate his dangling elbow, Valdamir swung his greatsword. Dogo reacted quickly and struck the flat of the blade, but Valdamir, instead of using the edge, jammed the hilt between Dogo's ribs.
For a vampire, it was a trivial wound, but Valdamir's goal wasn't to attack but to restrict his movement. No matter if he was a vampire, he couldn't move naturally with a greatsword caught in his ribs. Dogo needed to pull it out, but Valdamir moved half a beat faster, pressing his advantage.
Physical strength, technique, and even the situation itself—Valdamir held a slight advantage in all. Valdamir was like a punisher, meting out judgment for a crime. Every time Dogo made a slight misjudgment, Valdamir coldly exacted a price. An arm was severed, a shoulder shattered. He relentlessly exploited the brief intervals Dogo needed to regenerate.
For a battle with such a clear gap in skill, it took a while, but for a fight between vampires, the outcome was decided in an instant. Dogo, his entire body a tattered mess, lay prone beneath Valdamir's foot and cried out in humiliation.
“Kugh…! To have deciphered my techniques! When did you…!”
“One learns naturally after watching for nearly a thousand years. Rather, I'd like to ask you. What have you been doing all this time?”
Valdamir knew the answer. He had done nothing.
The Elders were all monsters who had made a name for themselves in their time. And they had retained the strength of their prime while gaining the immortality of a vampire. That alone made them beings akin to calamities.
And there, they stopped.
The Elders, their already perfected techniques now augmented with power, each mastered different abilities. That alone made them powerful enough to carry out the Progenitor's commands.
Valdamir, who had merely met the Progenitor by chance and received her blood, had to struggle just to be of some help. Fortunately, as an Elder, Valdamir was promised long life and countless opportunities. Valdamir honed himself by learning the techniques of the other Elders.
“You have been left behind, Dogo.”
“Ugh…!”
“I won't blame your laziness. That is why you became a vampire. The reason you're in this state is simply that you became an obstacle on the path the Progenitor intends to walk.”
Valdamir muttered coldly and pressed down with his foot. The ascetic's sturdy body crumbled under the power of the Lord Sanguine. CRUNCH. Crushing his ribs and heart all at once, the Lord Sanguine's foot pierced through Dogo and touched the floor. Treating Dogo like a worn-out shoe with a hole in it, he dusted off his hands and presented himself before Tyrkanzyaka.
[…Valdamir.]
“My apologies, Progenitor. I was delayed in punishing the traitors.”
All sorts of emotions washed out from the eerie shadow. The darkness flickered chaotically, as if responding to Tyrkanzyaka's heart. Valdamir looked up at the shadow glaring down at him and thought.
‘It seems she has finally learned what it means to be wary.’
Vampires are naturally not very cautious. Since they don't die and feel no pain, they have little reason to fear anything. Seeing Tyrkanzyaka's changed demeanor, Valdamir felt proud.
[Do you also intend to defy me? Do you condemn me for reclaiming my heart?]
“Not at all. The path you walk, Progenitor, is my path.”
[The other Elders seem to think differently.]
“They chose to stand still. Since you have chosen to move forward, Progenitor, they must be left behind.”
[Were you testing me by watching silently until now?]
“How could I dare? The ones I sought to test were the Elders.”
Du Rahan, Erzsebet, and Dogo had simply failed the test. Valdamir reported calmly to the Progenitor. As if killing Elders was a familiar task.
Looking at the Elders, who were neither dead nor alive, Tyrkanzyaka soon realized.
[Luscynia did not choose death for himself. I have been holding a pointless trial all this time.]
“Indeed.”
Valdamir was loyal to the Progenitor, but not completely subservient. He was the kind of man who would calmly do things the Progenitor had not commanded, if it was for her sake. Like a parent wishing for their child to grow, he always left Tyrkanzyaka's share for her. Whether it was a judgment for the nation, knowledge to be studied, or the rebellious Elders.
Tyrkanzyaka looked at the strongest Elder and asked, as if for confirmation.
[It was you who annihilated Luscynia, wasn't it?]
“It was.”
Just as he was about to admit it freely, a hypothesis suddenly occurred to him.
Valdamir acts for the Progenitor's sake. Not because he is her kindred. Just before his death, Valdamir had wanted to become an opportunity for the Progenitor, and he had kept that sentiment even after becoming her kindred. That was also why he killed Luscynia, a fellow Elder. Because he had dared to suggest raising a hand against the Progenitor.
At the time, he had been certain. Luscynia's madness was uncontrollable, and having broken the shackles on his own, he would become a genuine threat to the Progenitor. It was a rational judgment, befitting a vampire.
However… after breaking free from the shackles, looking back, something seemed strange.
Why did Luscynia come to Valdamir? Why did he propose a rebellion to the Lord Sanguine, who followed the Progenitor with all his heart? And in a weakened state from breaking the shackles, no less?
And why did he bring his daughter, who was as good as dead?
Valdamir had no choice but to kill Luscynia. It was for the Progenitor's sake, but it was not something he wanted to do. An Elder killing another Elder would bring chaos to the nation. And Valdamir, who was not an Elder in the same sense as the others, could kill them but not rule them.
So Valdamir took the original blood he had collected and poured it into Luscynia's daughter, Lyre. Valdamir had no special power for this, but it was fine. Lyre was Luscynia's daughter and his kindred. Without any particular side effects, Lyre accepted the original blood and became an Elder.
He could just tell the truth when the Progenitor returned. There was no better vessel to store the original blood in until the Progenitor's return than Lyre. Of course, the vessel couldn't be allowed to break before then, so Valdamir protected her from the shadows...
He had thought it a rational and natural decision, but now, free from the shackles… looking at Tyrkanzyaka, Valdamir felt a strange sensation.
Perhaps. Had he been moving according to Luscynia's design all along?
Does breaking free from the shackles mean one's cold reason disappears? No. Luscynia would have been as level-headed as Valdamir. Unable to understand why a level-headed man would come to him to plot a rebellion, Valdamir had simply dismissed it as madness.
But what if it wasn't madness? What if he had chosen to be killed by another's hand in order to save his dying daughter?
Having broken the Blood Shackles through the loop of dominion, either Luscynia or Lyre could not exist. No matter how powerful an Elder, one cannot perform the surgery of killing oneself. Luscynia needed an intermediary who would kill him and pass the original blood to his daughter. Valdamir was the perfect means to that end. Right down to protecting his daughter.
He might have been played from start to finish. Valdamir suddenly felt the urge to smile. Unbefitting of a vampire.
This, too, was a thought he could only have because he was free from the shackles. It was likely the closest guess to the truth.
But Valdamir was no mind reader. He had no way of knowing or confirming what Luscynia had been thinking in the past. Even if he went back in time, he would reach the same conclusion. What mattered was who did what.
Valdamir simply reported the facts.
“That is correct. Luscynia, having broken free from the shackles, was plotting treason, so I killed him and poured his original blood into Lyre.”
In any case, Valdamir was stronger than the other Elders. There was no further advantage for him to gain by obtaining the original blood. The moment he decided to side with the Progenitor—that is, from over a thousand years ago—the Elders' rebellion was an attempt doomed to fail.
Rahu Khan had already fled, and the three traitors had been subdued. The rest had no will to fight, and the most powerful of them all, Valdamir, was on the Progenitor's side. The Elders' rebellion ended in an instant. For something so sudden, the result was just as hollow.
Valdamir presented the traitors before the Progenitor and said.
“I leave their fate to you, Progenitor. What is your will?”
But the Progenitor was more interested in something else. Without even glancing at the Elders, Tyrkanzyaka asked.
[Does Hu know that you killed Luscynia?]
It might have seemed an unimportant question. But it was as sharp as a well-honed blade. Just how honest had her beloved King of Humans been with her? A taut tension could be felt from Tyrkanzyaka, who had always been insensitive and relaxed about everything.
Is it love that changes a person, or does a person change because they are in love? Valdamir, who had briefly thought of Luscynia, scattered his idle thoughts and answered honestly.
“He does.”