All five Vampire Clan heads looked at me.
"There's no point in beating around the bush. I need your help."
Of course, they must have expected me to say this.
What else could the last successor of a fallen nation say when seeking the support of forces from the borderlands?
Luruien opened her mouth, unfazed.
"I assume you know that we, the Vampire Council, did not participate in the Demon World War?"
"I am aware."
Luruien's lips curled into a sneer.
"Even when the former Archdemon and Demon King, Valier - the most powerful being in the world - was alive, the Vampire Council did not participate in the Demon World War. We didn't cooperate even when the Demon World was strong, so why would we join hands now that it has fallen?"
In other words, she was saying there was even less reason for them to help now than when their own homes were still intact.
Luruien gazed at the prince of a nonexistent world with a mocking smile.
Gallarush also stared at me calmly.
"The Vampire Council never owed anything to Darkland in the first place. Our existence and yours were never needed nor interfered with each other, and not even the strange power of the Archdemon could subdue us. That's why successive Demon Kings left us alone, and we never interfered in Darkland's affairs. It wasn't a written rule, but an unwritten one that lasted until the Lord of Tuesday swore loyalty to Darkland."
Gallarush didn't mock me like Luruien, but he saw no reason to cooperate.
Next to speak was the little vampire, Lucinil, although she was not a child.
"Archdemon, what do you plan to do after rebuilding the Demon World?"
Lucinil innocently asked a more fundamental question.
"Do you want to kill all the humans? You can't do that. Human blood may not be the only thing we need, but there's nothing like it. I don't want to survive on tasteless blood."
"I have no intention of killing all humans, nor do I think that's possible."
"Really? So you mean to kill about half of them?"
Why was she so fixated on killing?
"I doubt I will have enough time in my life to restore even a fraction of Darkland's former power, let alone kill half the humans."
"Hmm, that makes sense. Since everything has completely collapsed... Even if an Archdemon lives longer than ordinary mortals, it would take a long time to reach the level of the previous Darkland... Hmm..."
Lucinil said this and then began tilting her head, seemingly deep in thought. Lastly, the Lord of Saturday Antirianus looked at me with a gentle smile.
"It's contradictory, isn't it, Your Greatness? You claim not to dream of war, yet you require power."
"Rebuilding would not be possible without the power to protect oneself."
"The Demon World War began not to destroy one another, but to defend ourselves. Of course, the humans were the ones who started the invasion."
It seemed as if he was suggesting that the power for self-defense was just an excuse.
"Once the humans witness the reassembling tribes of Darkland, they will trample them. Then we must bear the bloodshed to protect the still feeble forces of Darkland. The rationale and reason for doing so... I truly cannot fathom."
Luruien seemed to agree, nodding her head, and so did Gallarush.
Lucinil appeared lost in thought, not paying attention to the ongoing conversation.
"No matter how much I think about it, there's absolutely nothing for us to gain by cooperating with the Archdemon. Even if we desire something, the Archdemon simply cannot provide it."
Luruien's argument was valid. Though her scoffing was contemptuous, some things were simply inevitable.
The Vampire Council had no reason to cooperate with me, and they had nothing to gain from me. If an alliance was formed solely to receive help, there was no real reason to do it.
I had nothing to give, and they had nothing to gain.
"Changing the subject. Can I try something?"
At my words, Antirianus kindly smiled and nodded.
"For immortals, what remains is time. Give it a try."
"It seems that, with the end of the recent Demon War, the Five Great Religions are now seeking independence."
At my words, Luruien, of course, appeared perplexed, as did the others.
"What's the big deal about that?"
"The humans had united for the Demon War, but with its end, various military and interest groups began harboring different thoughts without disbanding. The prime example is the Holy Knight Order, which plans to establish an independent nation for the Five Great Religions."
Formation of an independent nation for the Five Great Religions.
Luruien and Gallarush's expressions hardened at those words. Divine power was an opposing force to the vampires. It seemed they couldn't help but feel tense at the prospect of a nation founded by the religious.
"Of course, I did kill Riverrier Lanze, the former Holy Knight Commander and the core figure of the independence-seeking faction, last time. I did it with Eleris here."
The threat had existed but vanished.
At my words, Luruien tilted his head.
"Since I've eliminated the faction's threat in advance, if you're grateful, cooperate... Is that what you're saying?"
Luruien asked if I meant that they owed me for eliminating an enemy they would eventually fear. I shook my head.
"Not at all. If I said that, wouldn't you just wipe your mouth and move on?"
"Yes, indeed."
Luruien narrowed her eyes as she stared at me.
"However, before Riverrier Lanze died, he said something. That he was willing to cooperate with me. He argued that if I truly wanted the Empire to weaken, I should have left him be."
"I see. That's what I was curious about as well. If you had left the anti-imperial faction alone, it would have been advantageous for you."
All things considered, it depends on how you connect the dots.
Although he claimed to have no interest in rebuilding the demon world, he ultimately sought the cooperation of the Vampire Council under the guise of reconstructing it, as if everything eventually came together in the end.
The reason for killing Riverrier Lanze also ultimately had its own purpose.
"If I leave it alone, the independent nation of the Five Great Religions will obviously fall into the hands of Riverrier Lanze. Why would I let that happen?"
"…?"
"Isn't it better for me to take it?"
At my words, everyone wore puzzled expressions, except for Eleris.
Eleris's mouth dropped open in shock, as if she understood what I was saying.
"…You're saying you want to absorb the power of the Five Great Religions? What kind of nonsense is that?"
In response to the question of how the Demon King could have such a bizarre idea and if it was even possible, I raised my hand on the table.
-Swoosh
"I am the Champion of Tu’an."
And upon seeing something in my hand, the already pale faces of the vampires turned even whiter.
"Ah, ahhhhhh! What, what is that?!"
-Bam!
Lucinil jumped up from her seat and fell backward.
Tiamata is like a panic button for the undead.
Eleris was startled when she first saw it, and even now she couldn't look at it properly.
Lucinil had fallen backward, Luruien retreated in shock, and Gallarush scowled fiercely.
"Ho, so you're the Champion of Tu’an."
Antirianus, on the other hand, seemed intrigued as he looked at the Tiamata in my hand.
For the sake of the Lord Vampires, who might have a heart attack, I decided to unsummon Tiamata.
"I didn't mean to threaten you. But do you understand what I'm saying now?"
Having seen the thing they least wanted to see, everyone seemed to be out of breath.
"I thought my heart was going to drop, you brat!"
Lucinil, furious, jumped up and down in her spot, shouting at the top of her lungs.
"I apologize. But if I didn't show it to you, how could I prove it?"
"You should have at least warned us that you had something like Tiamata! Ugh! I'm so upset!"
Lucinil even showed Luruien the goosebumps on her arm.
"Tsk, that's not possible, Lucinil."
Seeing her like this, Luruien clicked her tongue and patted Lucinil's head.
"I'm telling you, I got goosebumps! Really!"
Anyway.
Everyone, except Antirianus, seemed to be on high alert due to the appearance of Tiamata. Even Eleris seemed to have trouble breathing.
"It seems to be especially dangerous for undead like us. I understand what you're saying now. As the Champion of Tu’an, you're saying you can become the master of the Five Great Religion's power?"
"I don't think it's impossible."
Although Riverrier Lanze wanted to put Olivia forward, I didn't think it was impossible for me to unite the power of the Five Great Religions under the name of Reinhardt and become their master.
"Very well, great being. Then, whether you control them from behind the scenes, become their actual master, or build an alliance with them, why did you seek the Council?"
Now we get to the main point.
With my arms crossed, I stared at their faces.
"If I become a representative of the Five Great Religions or something similar, I'll wipe you all out if you don't cooperate."
At those words, even Antirianus's expression stiffened.
"Isn't that a good picture?"
"The Champion of Tu’an, the Goddes of Purity, unites the Five Great Religions' forces to create a new power to exterminate the vampire forces, and becomes their leader."
"The goal is the eradication of the undead. The first target is the Vampire Lord families."
"If a large force of Holy Knights from the Holy Order starts to demolish your forces one by one, can you handle that?"
It's a threat made not as a Demon King but as the Champion of Tu’an.
"Are you threatening us, young Demon King?"
Gallarush glared at me with anger-filled eyes.
"As you all say, I have nothing to offer you. So, you are right when you say we can't make a deal in the first place."
"I have nothing to give, but I need your help. What else can I do?"
"It's a threat."
"I'm sorry. Do you think I'm happy to do this to the elders? When the pillars of my house have been ripped out, I have to do everything I can."
-Swoosh
Summoning Tiamata once again, I placed it on the table.
"Please help me. If not, I'll kill you all."
Finally, the smile disappeared from Luruien's lips, who had been mocking me all along.
"Wow, you're such an audacious brat that it's almost impressive."
Lucinil let out a sarcastic laugh, as if she couldn't believe it.
