Chapter 26
Bephar lifted one arm and bit into his own wrist with his sharp fangs.
Crunch!
At first, it looked like self-harm.
But Ludwig knew it was the vampire’s way of preparing his blood magic.
Shhhhhh—!
As soon as Bephar let go, bright red blood spurted from the puncture in his wrist.
Instead of falling to the ground, the blood twisted and writhed like a living whip, wrapping around Bephar’s body.
This was the true power of a vampire — using his own blood as a weapon.
Swish!
Ludwig dashed forward in an instant, his blade slicing through the air, aiming straight for Bephar’s throat—
Slash!
The blood whip spread wide. The once snake-like blood flattened into a sheet, forming not a water curtain… but a blood shield.
The wall was so hard, it didn’t seem like liquid at all. Ludwig’s sword couldn’t reach Bephar’s neck.
Clang! Sparks burst from the blocked blade, like metal grinding against stone.
But Ludwig had already expected this — and prepared his next move.
Fwoosh!
The sparks from his sword flared up, swelling impossibly fast, like oil thrown on a fire.
Tiny embers the size of grains of sand grew into blazing orbs, floating in the air.
Their crimson light reflected on Bephar’s face. His eyes trembled, sensing danger.
Before he could shout—
Boom! Boom-boom-boom!
Dozens of Ludwig’s fireballs exploded in midair at once, like planets shattering across the night sky.
“Aaaaargh!” Bephar screamed.
The heat was unbearable, making black smoke rise from his body.
But the flames still hadn’t touched him — his blood shield was holding… for now.
Hissss!
The intense heat began to burn and evaporate the shield. The fiery pressure slowly pushed toward Bephar.
Veins bulged on his forehead.
“Kh…!”
Crash!
He tumbled across the ground — this time failing to dodge completely.
“Aaaaaah!”
Half of his body — his entire left side — was charred black like burnt wood.
His left hand twisted like the wick of a melted candle.
‘If this keeps up, I’ll die!’
He had never expected to win a one-on-one fight with the Demon King.
Just hearing Ulken’s stories about Ludwig had told him enough.
But facing him in person was far worse than he imagined.
Ludwig was already preparing his next attack — one Bephar knew he couldn’t block.
‘I need a way out…!’
Then, his predatory senses picked up something.
The ability to track intelligent prey by sensing their life force whispered to him—
‘…Human!’
Who else could it be?
‘Did he bring his contractor here?’
He didn’t know why, but he instantly made his choice.
Bephar’s eyes flashed.
‘That human is my only way to survive!’
Ludwig’s next attack burst into flames between his hands.
Fwoosh!
Bephar raised both arms as if to block— but instead—
Dash!
‘What?’ Ludwig’s face twisted in surprise.
Boom!
The fireball smashed into the trees instead, setting them ablaze.
Using the blocking motion as a feint, Bephar dashed in a completely unexpected direction.
At the end of his path…
‘Ariella!’
Bephar grinned.
‘If the Demon King loses his contractor, it’ll hurt him badly!’
He didn’t know their lives were directly linked.
But any normal contract meant Ludwig would protect Ariella no matter what.
‘Your mistake, Ludwig!’
Sure enough, through the bushes, he saw Ariella.
He could kill her here — but instead, in a split-second decision, he planned to take her hostage.
Even cutting off one of her arms would make Ludwig hesitate.
Then, Bephar could slip away.
Of course, he had no intention of giving Ariella back afterward.
It would be more profitable to hand her over to a neighboring Demon King.
‘This is even better! I’ll get a much bigger reward for her than just selling her information!’
“Hold!”
Ariella shouted the spell just as Bephar’s hand was about to grab her neck.
Slash!
Magic flared from her palm.
Hold was the most basic of basic spells in the Demon Realm — far too weak to restrain a veteran sorcerer like Bephar.
At least, it should have been.
Shhhhhh!
Bephar’s eyes went wide.
“This— what is this?!”
It was the same as when she had caught the slime before.
Only Ariella and the fairy Philly had ever seen this magic.
A net of magical threads spread from her fingertips, weaving so finely and tightly that not even a hair could slip through.
Thump!
“Argh!”
Bephar slammed right into the invisible net.
“Y-you…!”
He struggled, stomping the ground, trying to push through, but the net held firm.
The pattern of the threads even left grid marks pressed into his skin.
It all happened in seconds.
“From… a lowest-tier spell…?” he muttered in disbelief.
Then—
Stab!
Pain shot through his back, piercing out his chest.
“It’s over.”
Ludwig’s cold voice came from behind.
Pinned between Ariella’s magic in front and Ludwig’s blade in back, Bephar’s body trembled.
Ludwig yanked his sword free, then slashed upward in a deadly diagonal arc.
Slash!
Bephar’s head flew.
It landed in the dew-wet grass before his body collapsed from the fading net.
Ariella’s spell faded, and Ludwig raised his hand, chanting.
Fwoosh!
A crimson flame danced in his palm.
Even decapitated, Bephar was still alive — unlike lesser vampires.
He was the oldest and strongest vampire in Ludwig’s domain.
‘No…!’ Bephar’s lips moved silently, no voice coming out.
From his sideways view, Ludwig’s tall figure approached, his eyes as sharp as blades.
Whoosh!
Ludwig flicked the fireball toward him.
It floated slowly, then landed gently on Bephar’s head—
Fwooooom!
The flames roared, consuming flesh and bone until nothing but ashes remained.
Hissss!
A moment later, Ariella and Ludwig stood over the pile of ash.
With Bephar’s head gone, there was no coming back.
“Phew…” Ariella exhaled in relief.
Then she felt Ludwig’s gaze and turned.
He was staring at her, his expression unreadable, but his eyes… intense.
She didn’t know what he was about to say, but one thing was certain—
The traitor was gone.
They stood on either side of the vampire’s remains, staring at each other.
‘What’s with that look? Is he silently celebrating “I did it”?’ she wondered.
Ludwig finally opened his mouth.
