It was late, the horizon slowly bathed in fiery red, ready to be taken by night again. In the midst of this, something that seemed more like a shadow was leaping between rooftops, aiming for a very clear direction, Vincent's house.

I don't think any vampire will attack so soon, especially after the one I killed. I should take advantage of this little extra time as much as possible!

With powerful jumps, Vast soon found himself in front of the large gated entrance that separated the house from the rest of the city. By the entrance, a quartet of guards, two on each side, received the prince.

"Pri-Prince Vast!? What are you doing here alone?"

"I wish to see Vincent. Make way."

He advanced without waiting for a response, only for obedient actions, but what he received was the exact opposite.

The spears wielded by the men transformed into a barrier, blocking Vast's path. He quickly glared at both soldiers, questioning the action. They trembled under his gaze.

"Prince Vast, Mr. Vincent is going through a very difficult time. Our orders are to bar anyone from entering, regardless of who they are."

With one hand on his chin, he pondered for a few seconds, enough to make a decision.

"I understand, however, I will have to confirm this order myself."

Confusion and fear flooded the guards' faces. The spears that blocked the way were twisted to the point of now looking like giant hooks, a feat performed by the prince with his bare hands.

In the same way, he passed through the gate, the iron bars twisted almost as if by his will, opening a path for the future king of Von Legurn. Before he knew it, he was standing before the doors of the mansion. He opened them without hesitation, facing the main hall.

Among the golden chandeliers and the various maids hurriedly running from one side to the other, he saw, seated almost in a fetal position in an armchair in front of a fireplace, the downcast figure of a man who didn't even bother to see who was invading his house.

"Vincent!" Vast's voice echoed throughout the place, but only his approach drew the anxious gaze of the man who once was capable of causing him some shivers.

"Va-Vast…"

Dark circles covered half his face, his brown hair fell over his forehead in an irregular fringe, curls through which fear flowed in liquid form. His clothes suffered the consequence of the cascade that his face had become.

"What are you doing here!? At a time like this?? T-T-The curse! How long have you been out of the castle?"

"Exactly two days, tomorrow will be the third. But I ask that we be quick here, after all, I would never waste time with someone I don't care about."

He said this only to sound intimidating. As someone who cared about every single citizen of his kingdom, Vast should prioritize everyone's safety as much as possible. This was one of the ways. If any vampire was lurking during their conversation, they probably just lost the option of using someone there as a hostage in a potential fight.

The only person he should now worry about being kidnapped was Vincent.

"Uoh~! M-My Prince… I really don't know what to say… I am, without a doubt, an incompetent fool!"

The man, already destroyed inside and out, broke into tears. The maids approached in the next instant, driven away by a simple and gentle look from Vast.

"I'm already somewhat aware of what's happening here, but I need to hear the details from someone I trust." With one hand, he lifted the man's face. "Please, tell me everything that troubles you."

The maids around concocted about thirty BL fanfics in their heads within 0.01 seconds before returning to their duties.

More tears flowed, and a few minutes passed before Vincent recovered enough of his composure. Once he did, he wiped the remaining sweat and stood in front of the prince, who had remained standing by his side.

"Vampires, my lord, it's always those... damned vampires!"

A response anyone would expect. With a quick glance, Vast could tell from the others' expressions that they all knew the situation. In other words, they had all seen the same thing. They would be witnesses to ensure that Vincent was not under some sort of brainwashing. He waited for what was yet to be said.

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"A few weeks ago, Ormstade received a visit from a rather unconventional troupe. They brought with them people, if I can call them that, who seemed more like animals, voracious dogs that would attack anyone at the simplest command."

Vast quickly made the connection. Only two days had passed since he last saw a similar figure.

Transformed.

From the way Vincent spoke, there must have been several of them. For such typically uncontrollable, beast-like Vampires to calmly wander around without destroying the city could only mean one thing.

Vast made the supposition, and Vincent completed it:

"So it's not just a descendant, it means that, at this moment, this city is also harboring a..."

"An Original Vampire, my prince."

An overwhelming pressure took over the room. Some maids even dropped the dishes they were carrying, a completely forgivable mistake in this situation.

Original Vampire was a term rarely used, not because they were rare to find, but because of the domino effect generated by its mention. A simple sequence: Fear - Anticipation - Anxiety - Hallucination and Death. It was very common to see this in those less accustomed to vampires.

"And can you tell me which one it is?"

It would be excellent information, and quite simple, considering there were only four vampires in this category. There always were and, to a certain extent, would always be four.

"N-No, my prince. I'm sorry, I didn't see him, only the other one who accompanied him..."

"Another?" He quickly questioned, knowing Vincent must be referring to the Descendant.

"That creature... my prince, please, if you are here to fight him, I ask that you...!"

Vast stopped him with the simple extension of his arm. Just that made Vincent completely give up on any further attempts and continue with what mattered.

"Mosquitoes. It's a Descendant Vampire with the ability to create and control giant mosquitoes."

Yes, this was already quite noticeable. The favorable aspect would be that just one wouldn't kill a person, requiring a horde to deal with someone like Vast. In this case, a Cursed One. However, everything he had heard was still insufficient. There was one, just one more thing he wanted to discover. And for that, he questioned:

"Vincent, now tell me..." His eyes narrowed, eager. "What relation do you have with these vampires."

He wouldn't lie. He trusted that man as a child trusted their parents; he might even say he believed in him more than his own father, with whom his relationship was far from close. He just needed to hear what he had to say.

Through the tears still streaming down his face, he spoke with difficulty.

"The Barskerville family, they forced the entire city into a suicidal contract with the Original Vampire. They... They abandoned their humanity!!"

A dense shiver ran down Vast's body, causing him to rise abruptly. His breathing became heavier, dense like a predator in fury. In the Red Shooter, it was possible to see the stored blood bubbling thanks to his anger.

As I feared, they not only betrayed the kingdom but also switched sides. They really denied their own humanity.

If you can't beat the enemy, join them. This was the famous saying in times of war, but considered valid only by the mad when it came to current enemies. Joining the vampires was, as Vincent said, the same as ceasing to be Human.

Baskerville... The family with the sword crest. How long have they been plotting this? Was that Transformed in the castle also part of this same pact?

Whether it was or not, the course of action he would take against those traitors was immutable. The clenched fist raised in front of his body made it clear what it was.

However, even the bloodiest of revenges needed planning. For Vast, the bare minimum was already enough.

"What are these vampires organizing? You must have some idea, right?"

Vincent stumbled a bit upon hearing that. He understood his prince's hurried intentions and quickly remembered that he would be unable to stop him. In the end, he simply complied.

"In three days, we will have the traditional city festival. I believe the vampires' plan is to use the opportunity to eliminate as many humans as they can. Our festival always attracts more than two thousand people every year."

A perfect opportunity. They are smarter than I thought. Too bad not everyone is as dumb as the Transformed, he lamented. "About the pact you mentioned. You said they forced the entire city into this, right? Could you explain to me better what this pact would be?"

The term was unfamiliar, at least he didn't remember Emilia telling him anything about it. Perhaps it was a specific vampire's ability, or, in the worst-case scenario, something new that anyone could develop with the right training.

"I don't have many details, just reports from the guards..." Vincent swallowed hard, remembering the scene he had witnessed from afar. "Apparently, the vampires did something as soon as they arrived. You didn't see it when you arrived because they were buried, but the city was completely surrounded by a rope made of human intestines, a long and extensive rope, where it was noticeable the crude knots made to tie them together. Argh! How many died for such an atrocity!?"

He consoled his colleague with pats on the back, not backing away even under the notable threat of receiving a vomit spray. Instead, he spoke calmly:

"I understand. Do you have any idea where the vampires are right now?"

"Er~... I believe they're at the town hall, my prince."

"Great, I'll see you in a few hours, then."

Vast immediately turned and walked towards the door. Vincent and even the maids reached out to him. It was the same situation as in the castle.

Everyone wanted to stop him, and he knew it wasn't out of malice. They all wanted, desired to do something, but they were incapable. Now, faced with someone who was truly capable of changing things, they tried to keep this person close, fearing that they — the only spark of hope — would also be reduced to nothing.

It could be called selfishness, but Vast called it survival instinct. And if that's how they saw him, so be it.

A Original and a Descendant... If I can eliminate both, the enemy's power will decrease drastically. With that... I can... continue...

Poft! And with a sudden, unexpected thud, the hitherto healthy body of Prince of Von Legurn, Vast Los Filho, fell completely stiff to the ground.