‘As expected, competent. If it's letters written with singed blood, the Progenitor should be able to perceive them. This guy, even though he's human, he's excellent. But... then why did he bring that bitch?’
It's a test.
Even if I wake the Progenitor in an outlandish way, if Beta commits a suicidal act, we'll all be in danger.
While Finlay watched, I dotted the singed blood. For now, I'll start with a somewhat cliché line, and if he still doesn't wake up, let's try a confession of love. Still doesn't wake up? I'll gently scratch at him while mentioning the vampire's age.
There is no such thing as waking up refreshed in the first place. Whether human or vampire, waking from sleep always requires an intense stimulus to the point of being slightly unpleasant.
Like that, while I was writing a somewhat cliché blood letter.
Those two fools just watched, holding hands tightly.
"Hughes, it looks painful..."
"Hughes has his limits on his own. Even if he writes with blood, he won't be able to write much. If it comes to it, I'll have to use my blood."
"But, do we really have to go that far? If the Progenitor doesn't react even after he went to such lengths, there's no reason to write more."
"...Right now, this is the best option. Without the Progenitor, we can't beat Ebon."
"In the first place, is there any guarantee the Progenitor will help us? The Progenitor is a villain who has killed over ten thousand people so far. If he gets hungry, he might suck the blood from all of us."
Saying that, Beta involuntarily brought her hand to her chest. There, hanging on a necklace, was the cross of the Heavenly God, her anchor and idol....
Ah, in the end. She crossed that line.
"Elsie. How about we just set off explosives instead?"
"Cindy! Are you serious? If we do that, everyone will die!"
"We of the Resistance joined with that intention from the start. We're just carrying out the postponed plan."
Positive sensations do not wake a human from sleep. What moves a stopped human is always a negative sensation. The reason history is soaked in blood is probably because the humans moving upon the flow are all driven by malice.
It's the same. The Resistance decided to fight against the military nation because they were dissatisfied with their current lives, and Beta is holding her ground because she hates vampires.
And the Progenitor Tirkanjaka....
"Do you mean... we should all die together?"
"If we're going to die anyway... rather than becoming a vampire's food, it's better to embrace all this and become martyrs..."
Ugh. Just go die.
I stopped writing the blood letter and stepped aside.
Right after, the door burst open as if exploding. The steel door, which hadn't budged even when Aji pounded on it, opened its mouth greedily, and from within, dark red blood energy stretched out a long tongue. Towards Beta.
"Ah...?"
As her vision was dyed dark red, Beta reflexively grasped the cross. At the same time, the extending blood energy grasped Beta just like that.
Crack, crunch. Bones broke and blood splattered. I've never eaten a human, but even without learning, I could tell that was the sound of a human being crushed. It didn't even take a fraction of a second for Beta's thoughts to be severed.
It seemed even the tide of blood energy had its low tide. The blood energy that had roughly coveted the ground receded like an ebb tide that had reached its time. Leaving nothing behind, like a sandy beach after the low tide.
Delta blinked.
"...Cindy?"
'Wha-what? She was right here just a moment ago. We were holding hands. I felt something hot, and then...'
Even calling his lover's name brought no response. Unable to fully grasp the situation, he fumbled through the air looking for his lover's figure.
"Cindy? Beta? Wh-why are you doing this. You're joking, right? Wh-where did you..."
Unfortunately, Delta was moderately smart.
That his girlfriend, who couldn't abandon the cross to the end, had finally received the Progenitor's judgment. The knowledge he had built up until now reached the answer through the path of logic. It's clear to anyone.
However, Delta himself struggled to deny it. Rejecting reality, he looked around to find his lover who had disappeared from the world. Believing she must be somewhere, even though she was nowhere to be found.
At that moment, Finlay laughed loudly without caring about his wounds tearing open.
"Kuhahaha! Yes. That's a fitting end! In this bottomless pit where even the Heavenly God can't reach, to seek the Heavenly God right next to the Progenitor! It's exactly the same as crying out to be killed! Hahaha! If dying is your wish, you must die! Right! This is right!"
At the words that seemed to drive a wedge in, Delta felt a huge anger and whipped his head around.
"You...! Finlay...!"
"That's right. If you committed suicide, you should die. No matter how I think about it, dying is the right thing to do."
As I declared coldly, Delta made an expression as if he'd been struck on the head. Ignoring Delta's gaze, I pulled out the stake driven into Finlay. Having regained his freedom, Finlay said while regenerating his wounds.
"Did you expect this to happen?"
"To some extent. Though I hoped it would end with my blood letter."
"Kuhahaha! As expected, I like you! I've changed my mind, Hughes! I was going to beg the Progenitor to kill everyone! But I'll make sure to spare only you!"
Funny. Why does my life and death depend on you? It depends on me.
"No need. Do you think the Progenitor will grant it if you beg him to kill us? Is the Progenitor your underling?"
"Wha-what?"
"Stop babbling noisily and let's just go in since the door is open."
I strode into the wide-open door. Finlay, who had a dumbfounded expression for a moment, hastily followed behind me.
A little after we entered. Delta also followed behind me with weak steps. What he was thinking when he came in... was still unclear.
The Progenitor's dwelling was in itself a blasphemy against the Heavenly God. Beautiful murals were dyed in blood, shining eerily, and gentle candle flames were burning with an ominous blood-red hue.
Feeling our way through the darkness where we could barely see our feet, we arrived at the Progenitor's room at the end of that path.
[...The reason I called you here is purely out of curiosity.]
Even though he woke from sleep, the Progenitor had not yet risen. He revealed himself before us by only conveying his voice, lying in his coffin with his true body laid inside.
The Progenitor asked me with pure curiosity.
[Whether you stimulated me with a worthless believer as a sacrifice, or tried to wake me with that absurd love letter. I was so curious I didn't think I could go back to sleep. What exactly was your intention?]
"Love letter? You bastard, what did you write with blood?"
I answered nonchalantly.
"I have longed for you for a long time. Please, at least show me that beautiful face of yours. That's what I wrote."
"You bastaaaard! How daaaare you!"
[Be quiet.]
At the Progenitor's single word, Finlay shut his mouth. It was not a voluntary silence. The Progenitor's command, which dominates every single drop of a vampire's blood, is absolute. Until the Progenitor allows it, Finlay will not be able to open his mouth.
'What a cheerful child. How long has it been since I saw someone who talks back without trembling in fear even with me right in front of them.'
The Progenitor chuckled from inside the coffin.
[Huhu. How absurd. It can't be serious.]
"Would you accept it if it were serious? Then I am always serious. I'm saying it's not a lie this time."
[There's no way I would accept your feelings. Let's see. The bloody war happening above seems to be your interest. Is that correct?]
"If you were to accept my feelings, I was going to ask that favor first."
[Huhuhu. Your tongue is as smooth as if oiled.]
'I do not intervene in unrelated human wars. Even less so if the King of Beasts has joined that fight. However... if it's just stopping the fight. I could listen depending on the story.'
The Progenitor Tirkanjaka's heart does not beat. He does not easily become displeased, nor does he become similarly pleased. He is not without emotions, but there exists a massive gap between his emotions and his actions.
Because of that, it's better to be slightly stimulating when dealing with Tirkanjaka. The more my actions stand out, the more different I am from ordinary people, the higher the chance he'll let me live.
[For someone who claims to value your comrades so much, you didn't just let a believer of the Heavenly God die a moment ago, did you?]
That said, I must not do the act of grasping a cross. Even pranks have a line.
"I have absolutely no interest in people who already have an owner. To tell you how little interest I have, I don't even care whether they live or die. Since they won't be connected with me anyway, what does it matter?"
[Hooh. Whether you have no affection, or you're just pretending. Alright. If so, I too will offer you two choices.]
"I'm sorry, but whatever the choices are, they're meaningless. I only have you."
[Your brazenness is the best in the world!]
'A fairly amusing child. If I keep you by my side, it won't be lonely. However, one thing. What bothers me is...'
I succeeded in leaving a good impression on the Progenitor. Now I just need to harvest. I calmly waited for the Progenitor's words.
[If you wish to survive alone, I will protect at least your life. If you wish to save your comrades, I will step forward as a mediator and propose a ceasefire. However, even if you are put in danger in the process of stopping the fight, I will not save you. Now. What will you choose?]
Whether it's the certain safety of just me, or the safety of everyone. There's no need to hesitate. Obviously....
It was when I was about to recite the predetermined answer as it was.
"Aaaaaaaaagh!"
Delta rushed toward the Progenitor's coffin with a gun in hand.
I am not a prophet. I only read human thoughts; I cannot predict how they will act in the future.
But did I truly not know?
"Set, Ri!"
It's been a few months since falling into the bottomless pit. In the darkness where not a single ray of light enters, you can only survive by relying on each other. It's only natural to develop feelings when frequently in contact in an isolated space.
Also, since love is an emotion that adds a foot to species preservation, it grows larger when there is little choice between a man and a woman. Beta and Delta were exactly that case.
Well, I explained it in grandiose and tedious detail, but.
"Fahrenheeeeeeit!"
To just state the conclusion, Delta loved Beta.
"Whyyyyy!"
Taang. Flames drew a spiral from the muzzle ignited by magic power. It's less of a magic bullet... and more of just a bullet with magic fire attached. But the intent to attack was conveyed more clearly than what was visible.
Amidst the gunshots, Delta screamed.
"You cursed vampire! Did you really, really have to kill her in such a horrific way? Cindy was a being less than a bug from your standpoint! Whether a bug screams or not, you could've just ignored iiiiiit!"
Of course, what reached was only the intent to attack and the shouting. If the Progenitor had taken damage from Delta's attack, who couldn't even become an officer, he wouldn't have been a symbol of terror for over a thousand years.
As the bullets were swallowed by the darkness meaninglessly, the Progenitor recognized Delta and replied.
[Cindy? Ah.]
The coffin opened slightly, and a pale white hand stretched out from the gap. At the tip of the colorless, soft fingers... stood an upside-down, blood-stained cross.
It was Cindy's. The Progenitor, holding the cross upside down, spoke coldly.
[Are you talking about that blood clot who dared to fiddle with the Heavenly God's toy in front of me?]
"Cindyyyyyy!"
Bang, bang, bang. As soon as he loaded the bullets, he fired them off without even aiming. Before even debating whether it was significant damage, they didn't even hit the coffin in the first place.
But Delta didn't care. Because he knew from the start that this act was suicide.
He just couldn't endure it if he didn't do it.
[As you said. Whatever you babble about is just meaningless crying, and whatever you try to do is just a meaningless gesture. I neither evaluate it nor take interest in it.]
"Right! If you're that strong! You could show mercyyyyy!"
[However, faith toward the Heavenly God is different. That is an insult and blasphemy toward me. I have made them pay the price for that faith until now, and I will continue to do so. If your faith is that thick, you shall have no regrets dying by my hand to practice that faith.]