Dias' charcoal-like, rough, black face drained of color as he noticed a human figure clad in red approaching them.
"Oh, Monarch!" He exclaimed, turning his head to look at Kl'Drog, who also noticed the sight of the human figure by now.
Urgency resonated in his trembling voice as Dias let out a desperate yell, "I beg you, commander, please, run! Perhaps with the help of your shadow teleportation, you can make your escape!"
"Escape? But isn't it already too late for that?"
"Yes," Dias nodded nervously. "However, perhaps, with our remaining forces here and a touch of luck, we might still be able to–"
At that moment, Dias felt his skin crawl and his eyes widened. The reason for this was a sudden yet strange realization during his explanation.
The voice that questioned him not only didn't belong to his commander, but it also came from the wrong direction!
It resounded from behind him!
Quivering, he looked at Kl'Drog and saw his commander staring past his shoulder with wide eyes.
Someone… Something was behind him…
But how could this be possible? Seven noble vampires stood guard around them in a circle! No one should be able to breach their defenses without being noticed first!
A bead of sweat trickled down Dias' forehead as he lunged forward, positioning himself near Kl'Drog, and swiftly turned around to face the source of the voice.
There! A tall man with fiery red hair stood, just a step behind where Dias himself had been a few seconds ago.
The man wore shiny red armor that perfectly complemented his pair of clear, scarlet eyes. A faint smirk graced his face, as if the man was proud of himself for some undisclosed reason.
Yes, undoubtedly, the red-haired man looked more like a holy deity who had descended from the heavens, untainted by the impurities of the mundane world rather than a mere human.
In his hand, the man firmly gripped a slender katana—or perhaps, it was too large to be classified as a katana. The sword he held was a nodachi, its blade still sheathed.
"Come on, don't make me wait like this. Spill the beans – who's trying to escape, and where?" The red-haired swordsman asked with a beaming grin.
Kl'Drog's lip twitched. That bastard! He was actually grinning! A mere human was looking down on him!
However… inexplicably, Kl'Drog found himself rooted in place. It felt as if his body was frozen, unable to move under the gaze of this mere human.
Fear gripped him— he recognized that gut-wrenching sensation all too well, after all.
Yes, definitely, it was fear, but not just any ordinary fear, it was the fear of standing before a being he could never dream of matching.
He instinctively understood that a mere gesture from this human could effortlessly wipe him out of existence.
A being with no equal…
A deity without any flaw…
A God without mercy…
That was his enemy!
Suddenly, five of the seven noble vampires surrounding them lunged at the red-haired man and unleashed a ferocious onslaught of slashes with their claws and swords.
Kling—
However, before any of these repulsive creatures could even come near the red-haired swordsman, something extraordinary unfolded once again.
Bright streaks of red light flashed all around Leo, looking like a web of spherical scarlet threads for a fleeting moment.
In an instant, the foolish vampires who dared to approach the God of War were dismembered, their once grotesque forms reduced to heaps of minced meat.
Slaughtered… They were all ruthlessly slaughtered just like that!
Kl'Drog personally handpicked each one of those vampires for his unit! He knew every single one of them!
And now they were all dead… just like that?!
The red-haired man hadn't even lifted a finger, or worse, unsheathed his sword!
In that moment, Dias' voice rang out, jolting Kl'Drog from his terror-stricken stupor, "Commander, flee!"
Kl'Drog trembled and gradually turned towards his second-in-command. Dias had drawn his sword. He was ready to throw himself in front of the red-haired butcher, despite understanding the futility of his efforts.
Kl'Drog wanted to protest! He wanted to stand and fight! He wanted to escape this place with his entire unit intact!
But that wish was unattainable...
The brutal reality was right in front of him. Staying here meant facing a gruesome end, much like his fallen comrades.
At least one of them had to survive…
At least one of them had a chance…
Telling himself that he was the only one who could escape this slaughter, Kl'Drog turned to Dias and whispered, his voice low and apologetic, "I'm sorry."
Right after that, Kl'Drog chanted a spell and dissipated into the shadows only to teleport far away, not wanting to witness the end of the unfolding events.
Dias gazed at the spot where Kl'Drog had stood just a few moments before, shaking his head with a faint smile.
"It's alright," he murmured, shifting his attention back to the red-haired man, his eyes burning with smoldering anger.
Leo Kurogami… that was the name of this human.
By now, he had already killed all the vampires standing guard around them. Now, Leo's gaze was fixed upon Dias, an amused smirk playing on his lips.
Dias clenched his teeth, a surge of fury rising within him. But with anger came fear and frustration.
The memory of his previous encounter with this human resurfaced in the back of his mind – a reminder of his helplessness.
Yet, Dias shook his head and suppressed his surfacing emotions, focusing solely on the present.
Back then, when he first met this man, Dias was weak! But not now! He was much stronger! Yes, he was one of the strongest noble vampires of his generation!
In the past, he could only flee, leaving his comrades to their deaths, a burden he still bore and a memory that still haunted him.
However, things had changed. Today, he would avenge their deaths! Even inflicting a single wound, causing Leo a modicum of pain, would satiate his desire for revenge!
Back then, his only option was escape.
But now, he had power. He could at least stall this demon long enough for Kl'Drog to flee.
Ironing his resolve and fueled by flames of vengeance, Dias raised his sword and faced Leo.
As the red-haired swordsman met his gaze, Dias spoke in a venom-laden tone which was filled with determination, "I'll make you suffer!"
"Hmm?" Leo quirked an eyebrow, his amusement turning into confusion.
"You… You killed my family!" Dias growled. "You killed my comrades! They were like family to me, and you took them away!"
Leo furrowed his brow in utter confusion as if he was struggling to remember a face, "I don't even know you."
"You will now," Dias declared, launching forward with blurring speed, leaving afterimages behind.
But before he could even move an inch closer, a crimson streak flashed, severing his left leg, and he crumpled to one knee.
"Gaah!" Dias cried out, but before he could make sense of the situation, another red line flashed, cleanly severing his right arm from his shoulder.
"W-What…?!" Dias' thoughts scattered, disoriented by pain and shock.
He couldn't even see where the attacks were coming from!
And how could a single strike cut through his enchanted armor?! How was such a thing even possible?!
However, Dias had no time to dwell. With his remaining moments, he aimed to hinder Leo Kurogami's advance.
That was the final purpose of his life!
So that's what he attempted to achieve.
Extending his remaining intact arm, Dias aimed his open palm at Leo, conjuring a foreboding sphere of true darkness.
In the blink of an eye, the dark orb erupted into a pulsating beam, leaving devastation in its wake as it shot forward.
Yet, just like before, a single red line darted through the air, intersecting the path of the shadowy beam. Dias' hand was sliced off in the same instant as the beam dissipated.
Swuush—!!
"Arghh!" Dias let out a cry of agony, his severed arm flew away, blood spraying in all directions.
It was incredulous! No, he refused to believe that this human was devoid of weakness!
In his heart, Dias could have accepted failing to eliminate Leo in close combat, even after approaching him.
But the thought of dying without the red-haired swordsman having to even lift a finger was enough to drive him insane.
Was his existence so inconsequential before him?
This was the power of God, then?
As this realization dawned on him, Dias lowered his head, his eyes unfocused and clouded with defeat.
Even though his life was still intact, he was already dead. Seeing his state, a soft sigh escaped Leo's lips.
Stepping closer, Leo unsheathed the long blade of his nodachi, and said, "For your valiant efforts, I shall grant you the death most glorious."
In a mere fraction of a second, the slender yet giant shiny silver blade of his nodachi whipped through the air, severing the high-vampire's head from his body.
As the detached head rolled on the ground with a low thud, Leo sighed once more and turned his gaze to the towering crimson cross.
Perched on top of the cross, Leo spotted the hanging figure of a woman. With a bit of hesitation, he called out, "Liz, I think you might need a hand if you wish to get down from there."
After a few moments, a weak yet irritated whimper reached his ears, "Oh, really? You think?! Bravo… You must be a genius!"
As if she achieved her goal, Liz let out a pained groan and fell unconscious.
