The Reluctant Last Resort! [Blood Demon, Glashalabolras]
This was the one thing I really didn't want to use, but no choice!
[Blood Demon, Glashalabolras]—one of the great demons ranking 25th among the 666 demons. For reference, my contractor Dantalian ranks 71st among them. At a glance, this was one of the far stronger great demons, about 50 ranks higher.
A demon with epithets like [Blood Sovereign], [King of Slaughter], [Living Blood]. True to its name, it granted powers related to blood.
According to the knowledge Dantalian injected into me, those who contracted with it gained a body close to immortality. But they transformed into beings that endlessly craved blood. They sustained themselves by consuming blood as nourishment, offered blood as tribute to the demon for eternal life. And it even allowed them to create minions or kin using their own blood as a medium.
Doesn't that ring a bell right away? 'The demon that turns humans into vampires!'
I never imagined I'd run into a contractor of a great demon in the top 100 ranks so soon. Was my luck really this rotten?
Dantalian had warned me to be careful of Halphas, the demon of war, who ranked 38th. I knew that guy's mindless destruction and war frenzy made him impossible to reason with.
But the bastard in front of me was a contractor of a demon ranking over 10 spots higher—at 25th.
'Dantalian, you damn bastard! If you were gonna send me somewhere safe anyway, couldn't you have picked a spot without other high-ranking demon contractors?!'
Now I understood why people trembled in fear at that guy's appearance, and why that Randel punk could unleash magic strong enough to shock a mage's [Shield].
Randel was a member of that Brad Big guy's organization. A blood kin. In other words, a vampire!
Not the weak-to-sunlight vampires from Earth lore—just kin created by a demon to sate its bloodlust.
And those guys? In more modern terms, they were basically a mafia made up of vampires.
'Never thought I'd see a vampire boss running a mafia in this fantasy world.'
"If you know so much about me, then you know you can't beat me, right? Isn't that so, old mage?"
"Heh heh~ It's a surprise to encounter a demon contractor on this continent, but I never dreamed it'd be one with a great demon."
"Is that right? I'm surprised too. Who'd have thought the haughty Archmage from Magus Civitas's White Tower would end up as a mere merchant's escort in this northern continent?"
...
"You'll pay for messing with my kids."
Whoosh—!!!
Splatter—!
Blood gathered at the tip of Big Daddy's finger, forming a (+) cross-shaped blade that hurtled toward me.
I hurriedly deployed a triple layer of defensive spells: [Shield], [Anti-Magic Shield], and [Ice Shield].
Considering this guy's power as a contractor stronger than mere kin, I was going all out with these defenses.
Boom—!
"Ho? Triple incantation? As expected of an Archmage. Impressive old timer."
'Crazy fucker... Even with three layers, the mana shock is shaking me up!'
Honestly, at first I thought triplecasting might be overkill.
But having scraped by at rock bottom in both lives, I knew damn well that hesitation could end you.
So I'd gone with the overkill approach—like using a cattle knife on a chicken—and it turned out to be the right call.
[Shield] absorbed the initial impact, [Anti-Magic Shield] shaved off the magical potency, and [Ice Shield] blocked the rest.
This deployment tactic wasn't really my personal judgment—it came from the long-honed instincts of the "other me," the original owner of this face skin I was wearing.
If I'd skipped even one, I might've been quartered by that attack and died.
"Looks like I can't take an Archmage lightly. Guess I'll get serious too?"
"Boss?!"
"Randel, take the kids and fall back far. I underestimated this guy. I'm going all out, so grab everyone in our turf and go."
"Hiiik?! Y-Yes!!—Kids!—Run!—Big Daddy's going wild!!—"
"Ugh... Uwaaaah!!~~"
"Run awaaay!!~~"
Since the enemy was committing to full power, I figured I should pull my crew back too.
I couldn't handle a great demon contractor with my current "self."
"Everyone, fall back!—"
"""Actor!"""
"""Boss!"""
"Did you think this Big Daddy would let you bastards who touched my kids go unharmed?"
Vwoooom—!
Massive amounts of blood coalesced around him, morphing into countless spears, swords, axes—every kind of cold weapon imaginable. They densely packed the air above our heads.
That single blood cross blade had been monstrous enough, but now thousands of massive blood blades were aimed at us, poised to rain down like a storm from all sides.
"This ends it. Receive the judgment of blood!"
"...Hoo~ No helping it. This was the one thing I didn't want to use, but oh well."
"Hm?"
With the enemy showing clear intent to massacre us, I had no choice but to go all out too.
I pulled a new face skin from my pocket. The one I'd hoped to avoid using.
[White Tower Lord. Ostis's face skin]!
The guy froze, face twisting in confusion as I suddenly pulled out a human face skin.
To stand a chance against him, I needed to become not the Archmage "me," but the Tower Lord "me."
As I peeled off the old face skin, my body reverted to flowing black smoke, shrinking back to my original 6-year-old kid size.
Black smoke clumping into human form. My true self—a vague facial outline in the darkness.
Big Daddy halted his attack mid-motion, stunned. He'd probably never seen anything like it.
Unlike other recorded demon contractors in the mortal realm, Dantalian's contractor—the Manbianja—had no records from the start. Even if there were, we blended into society by changing appearances, never revealing our true form in history.
Seizing his moment of shock, I steeled myself and donned Ostis's face skin, transforming instantly.
Crack! Crunch!
"What the—?! What the hell are you?!"
Crunch—...
...
"Ahh— Ahem! How dare you question this body, foul blood contractor."
"What are you?!"
"White Tower Lord. Elder of Magus Civitas. Ostis. Kneel and beg for mercy."
My "self" was instantly swallowed by the "Ostis personality."
Brad Big, contractor of the Blood Demon Glashalabolras, had lived over centuries.
Even he had never witnessed such a bizarre transformation.
He'd completely become someone else. The intense mana and presence pouring from his body. Eyes of a sage whose depths couldn't be fathomed.
If the enemy before him was truly the White Tower Lord... even he couldn't guarantee victory.
He'd been born a bastard son of a powerful northern continent family, yet lived without want.
Wealth? He had it. Honor? Plenty.
Back then, the center of human history wasn't the central continent—it was the north. A time when the grandest empire, shining with culture and glory beyond any other, stood here.
When a demon contractor of the great demon of justice swept it all away.
In that blood-soaked apocalypse, he'd chanced upon the Blood Demon and struck a deal with that great demon to survive as its contractor.
'I will realize justice! I shall exterminate all humanity and restore true justice to this world!—'
That mad contractor, twisted by hatred and resentment toward humanity, deemed humans the root of all disasters. He vowed to eradicate them and righteously rebuild the lost justice of the mortal realm.
To protect himself and his family from this justice demon annihilating the continent, Brad Big—on the advice of his family's mages—sacrificed everything for survival.
Bastard or not, he was nobility. He had a beloved wife, family, a house.
He'd give anything to save them.
Did the demon sense his desperation? Or was it drawn by the blood festival of "justice"?
When the Blood Demon Glashalabolras appeared, he sighed in relief rather than fear.
'Please! I offer everything! Grant me the power to protect me and my family! I sacrifice it all!—'
"Everything? Hoho... For real?"
‘Yes! Everything! I want to live!—’
"Ah~ You want to live? Fine. Blood is the source of life. I respect the will to survive more than anyone."
‘Thank you! Great Glashalabolras!’
"Then contract with me. Offer your blood!—"
‘I will!—’
Thus, Brad Big surrendered everything and gained the power and immortality to protect himself and his house.
Crunch! Crack! Gurgle!
'Cough!~'
'D-Darling... Why...'
'Father...'
'Huh?'
"The contract is sealed, my contractor."
'Wh-What is thiiiis?! Why?! You said you'd give me power to protect my family and eternal life!!— Why make me drain my family's blood!!—'
When Brad Big came to his senses after the contract, the scene was one of carnage—he'd personally drained and killed every member of his family and house.
In his arms lay the cold corpses of his son and wife; around him, his kin and siblings lay desiccated and withered.
"Didn't I promise? Power to protect you and your house? I delivered. Blood becomes your power, blood grants you immortal life. I've ensured you'll have blood to sustain it. And a house endures as long as one survives, no? You can make new family by sharing blood—that's a house too, isn't it?"
'Uwaaaaaah!!!~~~ Lisha!—Moira!—Big bro! Lil' bro!—'
"Demons don't lie. Remember that. The contract is done. From now on, as my contractor and kin, offer endless blood."
'Uwaaaaaah!!!~~~'
The contract with the Blood Demon, King of Slaughter Glashalabolras, meant [sacrificing the blood of your loved ones].
Brad Big learned this truth later, but the milk was spilled.
He should've specified preserving his family's lives, not just the house...
Over time, he built a new family. An organization of blood kin made from his own blood.
It took ages, but [Big Daddy's Family] was finally complete.