Kuro no Maou

Chapter 257 – Vampire Died Twice

A black figure, as if crows were covering a dead corpse.

The headless corpse of the man had shadow clinging on it, but if one looked closely one can understand that they weren’t crows but rather bats.

Those bats were the servants created by the vampire Ludora lying on the ground.

Although they were all called Servants, there were various ways to create them. One was to train monsters right after capturing them, other was to create golem from inorganic substances, and this bat servant was made from the use of one’s own flesh, in short, it was something like clone of the main person.

It was famous that bat Servants were created by vampires, even Ludora was no exception and was using them. It was these Servants work that allowed Ludora to know from before of Kurono and others approach to the mansion.

The reason these loyal and superior bats were clinging on the headless corpse of their owner was neither for eating him nor mourning.

Even the villagers with no knowledge regarding magic would understand what his order might have been if they saw the scene occurring here.

Firstly, the Servants cancelled their bat form and returned to their true form.

That form was blood. Just like ice melts the bats transformed into dark red liquid in a flash.

Like that the puddle of blood moves like a slime, and enters through the severed veins from the cross-section of head.

No, it was more like the body was absorbing its blood clone.

Just like how a thirsty person drinks water, this body thirsty for blood sucks in all of its clones.

Immediately after absorbing the last clone, the fingertips of headless corpse twitched.

That was neither the prank of wind nor rigor mortis reaction, but rather something he did with his own will.

Like that the will takes over control of whole body, as a result, the headless corpse stood up-straight at that spot as if normal.

No, it wasn’t a corpse anymore, but rather a headless person.

The body moved while staggering somewhat, towards its lost head.

The blue eyes had already captured the scene of the body coming near it.

Like that, making a movement as if picking up a lost property, the head was held up and placed on the place it should be, like that, there stood Ludora who had a life and death struggle just before.

「Inexperienced, eh......」

The resurrected Ludora spoke those words at first.

Those were not meant for Kurono who didn’t deal a perfect final blow to a vampire like but, but it was meant for the defeated himself.

「For me to survive the second time using the Extra Magic of True Vampire」

Vampire have powerful magical energy and power both, but are in minority, however among them, there is a race, no, a blood relative that is even more scarce, has more powerful abilities and can also use a special Extra Magic.

Those were called as True Vampire and are said to have the blood of the vampire’s progenitor running in their veins.

And Ludora was one of those special relatives.

Several tens of years back, the time young Ludora was defeated first time, he was brought back to life with the help of the Extra Magic of True Vampires, the『Nos Ferat』

This was the second time he died, but this time he was not shocked, but rather was able to keep his heart calm, due to that he was able to feel his growth since those days.

「This time too I barely escaped death」

Though the magic was named boldly as『Nos Ferat』 its effect was not absolute.

The amount of times he could use it was only once and only for fatal wound, if he were to receive fatal strikes two times consecutively then he would not revive, even if his head and heart were to be destroyed.

There are other exceptions too, if he were to take on attack from Light Magic or mithril, both which happen to be weaknesses of Undead, then the wound won’t heal.

In other words, if Kurono had stabbed Ludora in the heart after cutting his head, or cut his head with Mithril Sword, then Ludora’s death was fixed.

「But this also can be said as fate」

Ludora muttered. He accepted the fact that he lost.

It would be lie if he said he didn’t feel vexed, but, like this he was able to survive, hence he got another chance to fight against the strong foe called Kurono.

What else can this be said if not good luck, of course, the old him would not have been able to understand this.

The young Ludora wouldn’t understand anything as he was just being haughty because of the power of True Vampire and the Divine Protection powers.

「If I’m not meant to die currently, then I shall walk the sword way for some time more」

Muttering that, Ludora picked up his favourite katana lying beside him.

The reasons why Kurono didn’t take this katana with him may be because of victor’s sympathy, or he valued time more, otherwise he would collect it after finishing the subjugation, or finally, he just forgot it.

There was no definite answer for that, but anyhow the『Bloodsucking Princess「Scarlet Dye」』returned to Ludora.

It was at the time he was about to store the katana in the scabbard.

「......Hm?」

He realized the change.

The sword blade was bright red coloured, but the tip of sword strangely was darkened.

At a glance it might seem like a bloodstain, but this katana as its name says is a ‘bloodsucker’, hence it absorbs any blood that sticks to it.

And in truth looking more carefully he understood that there was no blood stuck on the blade but the blade itself had its colour changed.

「Don’t tell me——」

The next moment, the black colour spread on the whole sword blade as if ink fell on it.

The change was not only on the outside, but Ludora felt the katana pulsating and also felt the wild flow of magical energy in the sword.

Since the change was too sudden, hence the end also came abruptly.

Before he noticed it, the red bladed katana Ludora held in hand had changed into a jet black katana.

From the sword with same hue as dark night, a red aura was rising as if the blood itself was being evaporated.

「It evolved......?」

Ludora remained calm even after escaping the grasps of death, but at this time even he had his eyes round with a surprised expression on his face.

「*giggle*, I see, looks like princess liked Kurono’s taste just too much」

He immediately knew the reason, the last slash, no, last thrust, that attack certainly pierced through Kurono’s armour and stabbed his abdomen.

It was not enough to give a fatal wound, but apparently that amount of blood was enough to satisfy the appetite of this bloodsucking cursed katana. [1]

「Well then, I also need to train」

Ludora sheathed the katana this time with a satisfied smile on his face, and left the place without making any sort of sound.

—

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

News Flash『Kurono again fails to deal the last blow』third time.

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE:

1. Kurono is the man who has the ability of adding other’s Cursed Weapons into his harem!! Yay~~

EDITOR’s NOTE:

.....Kurono please, there’s a limit between what you can have in your harem, inanimate objects is beyond that