< Romania (2) >Crash—! Clatter!
—A middle-aged man with ash-brown hair busily moved about, preparing something or other.
Within a space turned into utter chaos by all manner of trash and objects of unknown purpose, noise rang out in succession.
“Ah! Oh dear, it’s already begun!”
But his movements did not last very long.
The middle-aged man—the Doctor—saw the scene of a forest projected like a hologram on one wall, threw down what he had been holding, and hurried over.
“Ohoho! I can’t miss this moment. It may not be as good as experimenting directly, but real combat data is important too! Goodness, my heart is already pounding!”
Then he plopped down onto the sofa prepared in front of the hologram, rubbed his hands together, and let his eyes shine.
From the strange anticipation gleaming in his eyes and the corners of his mouth raised to their limit, his madness seeped out in full.
“I had prepared plenty of other methods just in case, you know! My, this is a little disappointing, yet also a relief that it ended so easily…”
Immediately after the long-awaited intrusion of his target was detected.
As though he had been waiting for this, he released everything he had prepared all at once and ultimately succeeded in driving his opponent into a corner.
Strictly speaking, this had been a trap that was bound to succeed from the very beginning.
No matter what happened, Phantom would inevitably come to Bucharest.
From the moment he already knew the target’s objective, the situation was as good as over.
The easiest way would have been for the target to enter deep into the city, but judging by the opponent’s actions until now, that would have been far too optimistic an expectation.
“Kheh! Still, I’m glad my efforts weren’t wasted. In the end, I got to put it to proper use!”
So he had cast a net over the entire surrounding area.
Dense enough that no matter where the opponent tried to escape, he would never let him slip away.
Naturally, there had been no small amount of loss in the process, both material and immaterial, but compared to the importance of this matter, such things were nothing at all.
“Well then, shall we enjoy the viewing now? I should check the freshness of the test subject as well!”
Since he had waited for quite a long time, all preparations for the experiment had already been completed so that it could begin the moment the target was delivered here.
Just now, he had merely been unable to sit still out of excitement and had pointlessly stirred things up one more time.
At this point, there was no need for him to do anything more.
“Now, now—show me, Phantom! Show me the infinite possibilities you possess! The clue that can lead to the end of evolution! Hurry and give me the key to the truth the world has hidden!”
Crunch, crunch.
—The Doctor grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth, holding a glass of cola in his other hand.
Thoroughly prepared as ever, he had already completed every arrangement for watching.
Popcorn, nachos, cheese, cola, and other snacks lay on the table in front of the sofa.
Above all, a tub filled to the brim with mint chocolate ice cream inside the Doctor’s special magic tool, the “Never-Melting Ice Cream Tub,” stood as the crowning touch.
“Ooh? Is it starting? Is it starting now? Let’s gooo—!”
And so, with one utterly carefree spectator added to the situation.
The scene in the forest was already reaching a hair-trigger point.
***
After locking eyes with the Duke for a while, Heinz tilted his head slightly.
‘As expected.’
Whether his reputation as Europe’s strongest was not an empty one, the pressure flowing from him possessed a density on an entirely different level from anyone Heinz had encountered so far.
So much so that even Heinz, who had grown strong through methods others could not even imagine, felt that this would be a difficult fight.
‘Well, I’m not the only one in the world with a special ability. He must have become strong through some method I couldn’t predict as well.’
And unlike him, wasn’t the other party a monster who had been active since the early days?
Of course, that did not mean he thought he would lose.
Even if it was a little difficult, the one who would ultimately win would be him.
…Though judging from the atmosphere, it seemed the other side was thinking the same thing.
‘The problem is that the other conditions are far too one-sided.’
While keeping the Duke under constant vigilance with his sharpened senses and examining his surroundings, Heinz frowned slightly.
Wasn’t this a bit excessive, no matter how one looked at it?
The barrier surrounding the area was woven from so many complex systems that it was difficult to discern all of its functions at a glance, and unusual magic tools giving off ominous energy had been placed here and there, as though to support it.
‘And then there are those guys.’
Transcendent-level powerhouses who appeared to belong to the European branch of the Buncheon Society.
For now, only three had revealed themselves, but he could tell.
They had only stepped forward first because they were types who fought on the front line.
‘There’s that sniper and the eyeball monster too. Judging by the flow of mana, there’s at least one magic-type… and there’s someone hiding nearby as well. An assassin?’
On top of that, the vampires who had come with the Duke were anything but ordinary.
There were about twenty of them, each exuding the aura of a True Blood.
Of course, most of them were likely vampires in name only, having reached their level through separate methods like the tyrant of France, but considering that even “Hybrid,” which had absorbed most of the vampires in Auterica, had only a dozen or so True Bloods under its command, one could imagine how absurd this force was.
‘Though I suppose I have to take into account that vampires were originally a weak race that lived in hiding, just like lycanthropes.’
Heinz’s mind grew complicated.
He was an avatar, so if he canceled the summoning, he could escape at any time.
However…
“You seem to have a lot on your mind. I can hear the gears turning in your head from here.”
At that moment, the Duke, who had been gauging Heinz through their contest of pressure, spat out the words in a mocking tone.
Seeing that Heinz was far less easy to deal with than he had expected, his mood appeared to have twisted considerably.
“Then allow this body to help make things easier for you.”
And the moment those words ended.
Swooosh—Claaang—!
A violent explosion burst out between the two, who had closed the distance in an instant.
The Duke pressed forward without hesitation, swinging a blood-red long spear that had appeared at some point and was over three meters long, while Heinz faced him and slowly retreated.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of clashes occurred, distorting the air and sending aftershocks raging.
‘He really is strong.’
Heinz’s brow twitched as he responded to each attack while not letting down his guard toward his surroundings.
The fact that he was retreating was not by his own will.
Of course, unlike his opponent, he had the penalty of needing to pay attention to other things as well, but still.
‘Each and every strike is heavy. Excessively so.’
It was not simply a matter of level.
Just as one could not launch only full-powered attacks every moment, there was normally an efficient flow and rhythm to projecting strength.
And yet the Duke was ignoring all of that, throwing straights packed with his full power one after another as casually as jabs.
‘And yet he doesn’t seem strained or tired. …Is it an ability similar to Lee Se-ah’s?’
It felt similar to her, who fired off high-level magic spells with abandon on the basis of mana that was close to infinite.
A barrage that was inefficient to the point of absurdity, poured out with overwhelming energy.
‘Shall I check a little more?’
Heinz seized the opening in his opponent’s attack and prepared a counterattack.
And at the same time the Duke’s eyebrows twitched as he sensed something—
Kwaaaang—!
With a tremendous roar, Heinz was violently flung backward.
Screeech—
Heinz barely came to a stop, leaving two long trails of footprints in the ground.
But the Duke, standing firmly in place, did not continue his attack and merely looked down at his own body.
At his side, where a large hole had been punched clean through, exposing the cross-section.
“…It isn’t merely fast. An attack that ignores the intermediate process. I let my guard down for a moment, and my heart was almost pierced.”
Contrary to the content of his words, his expression was calm.
And as if to prove that attitude, the hole in his side began to heal, squirming shut, and soon it was restored completely.
Since it was a wound imbued with Heinz’s rank, no small amount of energy must have been consumed in healing it, but he showed no concern for that whatsoever.
“Hmm, you said you were Phantom, did you? Which dimension are you from? …No, there’s no need to hear it right now. We’ll have plenty of time from now on anyway.”
Having regained his complexion in an instant, he did not immediately resume his attack. Instead, he planted his blood spear against the ground and spoke leisurely.
As though to show off that an attack of that level meant nothing to him.
“Hmm.”
Heinz’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched.
Unfortunately, contrary to his opponent’s intentions, Heinz had gained a certain conviction through that exchange.
‘I’m starting to get a sense of it.’
The Duke was certainly the strongest enemy he had faced on Earth so far, excluding the Master of the Buncheon Society.
At that level, he might even be able to put up a fairly good fight against Hans.
However—
‘Good. At this rate, I should be able to eat him without too much difficulty.’
At the thirst slowly boiling up inside him, the tongue that slipped out of Heinz’s mouth lightly licked his lips.
In the early days after Heinz II obtained “Hybrid Evolution,” there had been one additional effect that appeared when he devoured all of the hardliners in the Blood Alliance.
As a predator, he could partially ignore hostile abilities from other vampires and exert instinctive intimidation over them.
For him, who used the devouring of his own kind as his main means of growth, it was an incomparably useful ability, and it had been the greatest contributor that allowed him to always stand above his opponents in the battles that followed.
‘And that’s no exception in the current situation.’
Their achieved levels might be similar to some extent, but in the way that level had been built, Heinz was the Duke’s absolute antithesis.
That was karma.
Not only the Duke—he was the natural enemy of every vampire that existed in the world.
Because Heinz was a “Kin-Devourer,” one who grew endlessly by eating other vampires.
But the situation did not flow only according to his wishes.
“Your Grace, may we begin joining in soon?”
“…Of course we know you will win, Your Grace, but dragging this out any longer is somewhat…”
“Hahaha! Let’s hurry up and finish this so we can interrogate him! The Doctor must be waiting on pins and needles right now!”
As the Duke, who had stepped forward first, was injured, those who had been watching for a moment began to show signs of joining in one by one.
Since they were not ordinary either, they had judged that they truly needed to intervene now.
“…Tsk. Fine. If we are to capture him intact, there’s no helping it.”
And perhaps the Duke himself had felt something unpleasant during their final exchange, because in the end, he accepted their suggestion as though reluctantly yielding.
From now on, Heinz would truly be facing everyone present here by himself.
‘What a shame. If I had just a little more room, if even the slightest opening were given, I could finish this decisively.’
Feeling the pressure of the enemies closing in from all sides, Heinz smacked his lips.
Was he ultimately supposed to retreat just like this?
With that feast, which seemed as if he could reach it at any moment, right before his eyes?
‘…I can’t do that.’
As expected, it was too regrettable to withdraw like this.
There was no telling when such an opportunity would come again, and thinking of the future, he needed stronger power right now as well.
‘If I have no leeway, I just have to create some.’
If his combat power was insufficient, he simply had to add more.
Did he not have more than enough ability to do so?
Amid the attacks pouring down all at once, he swiftly narrowed down the candidates.
‘First, Hans and Heinrich are excluded.’
He was somewhat reluctant to call the individuals who had been active in Korea into this place.
Since Heinz himself had been active in Korea until not long ago, he needed to avoid making the connection between them too blatant.
‘Then what remains is…’
Harley, the ultimate evolved lifeform, and Harris, the high elf spirit archer.
Between the two, who would bring about a definite effect if called—
Riiiiip—!
Before his thoughts could even finish.
A sniper shot that tore through space flew in.
Blink, blink—flash, flash—
At the same time, eyeballs sprouting from all directions looked at him and sent disgusting winks his way.
Wooooong—!
Beams of light poured down from the sky like a rainstorm, chasing after him and continuously bombarding him.
Slash—
At the same time as an assassin’s surprise attack appeared without warning, swords, hammers, and fists poured in from every direction in succession.
An unknown energy clung to his limbs, making his body heavy and his hands and feet sluggish.
“Phew—this is not to my liking. I could deal with you sufficiently on my own, but since the Doctor made a request, it cannot be helped. Let us simply end this quickly.”
And with the Duke—an opponent who could never be taken lightly—joining in, along with the vampires under his command…
‘Ah, this won’t do.’
In the midst of that frantic chaos, Heinz, who had been holding on with difficulty, finally made up his mind.
And…
At that moment.
The wind blew.
“Mm?”
“Wait, what is this?”
As expected of those who had reached high levels, everyone reacted sensitively even to the smallest change.
Space trembled.
Energy rippled.
The tide of battle shifted.
“An intruder!”
“How did they sneak all the way in here…!”
———!
As though cutting off their startled cries, dozens of streaks of light shot from somewhere and silently crossed the air.
However, they did not head toward the center of the chaotic scene, but toward the outer edge of the forest, far removed from this place.
Kugugugung—!
A shockwave reached them from the distance.
At the same time, the sniping that had continued to exploit openings ceased.
The countless eyeballs that had sprouted everywhere vanished all at once.
And the enormous magic circle floating in the sky scattered.
“What bastard dares…!”
“Calm down! Finding him comes first!”
“This body shall deal with Phantom! Dracul, scatter and begin the search!”
Their panic at the unexpected situation lasted only a moment. Like veterans who had experienced every kind of hardship, the Buncheon Society party instantly reorganized their formation and began to respond.
However.
The variables did not end there.
Crack—!
A black silhouette suddenly dropped from atop a tree.
In a gruesome state, with its right arm and right leg torn away.
The assassin, dressed in black nightclothes and twitching without a single groan, soon stopped moving.
Kuuung—!
At the same time as he turned into smoke and disappeared, a massive man holding something in both hands descended violently, as though stamping down over him.
“Krahahah!”
Crunch!
With a savage burst of laughter, the man crushed the heads of the two Dracul vampires he held in his hands.
Their skulls burst as though he were gripping soft fruit, and blood sprayed in every direction.
“…What the hell is that now?”
“There wasn’t just one of them?!”
At that shocking entrance, every gaze in the area focused on him at once.
A gigantic body soaring well beyond two meters, packed all over with transcendent muscles and wild tattoos.
That being was as if the word violence had taken human form—the very incarnation of violence itself.
‘Yes, if I’m going to do it, I should do it properly.’
And amid that confusion.
Heinz, finally given the breathing room he had wanted, smacked his lips again.
Between the two options, the one he had chosen was—
‘I’ll call both.’
…That was his answer.