53 CHAPTER XXIII: Curse ② (1/2)

A demon. If the Arbatross of before was a black wind, the Arbatross of now was like a demon.

The power, speed, and mass were all different from before.

With a quick decision, he sidestepped and avoided the huge body of Arbatos. Albatos, who was jumping at me, ran headfirst into a nearby closed store, and that was enough to cause the house to collapse like a block of wood or something.

Even though it was night, it was not without people. I could hear the screams of people who were unlucky enough to be passing by, and people who were staying at the same inn as mine. But Albatross didn't seem to care about causing a scene.

He flicked away the debris and stared straight at me.

This is ...... bad. Do vampires really have this kind of monster under their control?

You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few. The huge body leaps high without making a single sound.

The moon hides behind its black body, momentarily casting a shadow around it.

You can't--you can't take it. The monster falls. I kick the ground hard to avoid it.

Its claws shatter the unpaved earth, and its jaws extend toward me without pause. Not just an arm or two, but a huge jaw that looks like it could bite my body in half. I stepped back and rushed to avoid it.

Your body is burning hot. As I step back, I try to kick it in the jaw, but it doesn't move a muscle. Its eyes are still filled with hatred for me.

Oh, what an abominable thing ...... is a curse.

For a moment, I shelved the fact that I was cursed and took pity on myself. But I must defeat it at all costs.

How can I fight off the monster in front of me?

Wait for Senri?　When will he come back?　............ No, Senri and this monster shouldn't face each other.

I know she's strong, but the monster in front of her - the werewolf - probably isn't undead and doesn't have a weakness for positive energy.

This thing is my enemy. It's trying to kill me. I have to do something.

Crushing the ground, Arbatos advances. Dirt pops and splatters on his slammed paw. I desperately stepped back, but the movement was too fast even for a vampire like me.

I avoided several blows, but the tip of a claw on one of my arms, which had been swept aside, finally caught my body. At that moment, there was a rush of shock, as if my whole body was being torn apart.

My consciousness went dark. When I came to, I was lying on the first floor of a house.

There was a huge hole in the wall. Apparently, I've broken through some walls. The bones that had almost fallen apart were coming back together, and the trunk that had almost been torn to pieces was being repaired in the blink of an eye. If I were a human, I might have died a hundred times.

Fortunately, the loss of consciousness would have been instantaneous.

But this is impossible. We need weapons. But I can't carry a silver weapon, which they're not very good at.

All I could think of was the light eater I'd given away in the inn room. Would that machete be able to cut through the strong fur, flesh, and bones of the current Arbatos?

No. You can only bet on ....... I don't think there's a better weapon conveniently lying around.

The thought was fleeting.

The house, the wall, was destroyed like a piece of paper, and Arbatos was coming. He throws himself to the side to avoid it.

The clawed blow was averted. But then, Arbatos's tail, swinging wide, struck me immediately.

Covered with bristly hair and filled with tremendous power, it was a deadly weapon itself.

His abdomen was gouged out, and his body spun and broke through the wall. The dull pain made my vision flicker.

The pain itself is not that great. But I'm thirsty. The blood is starting to run out because of the massive regeneration over and over again. If I run out completely, my regeneration will stop working like it did when Nevilla and the others tortured me.

I need to replenish. I'll need to replenish... I think, holding my dizzy head.

You're in a town. Most people would have fled the sudden disaster, but there's no shortage of food.

Albatross is after me. If I get a little blood and get out--

The struggle was brief.

No. ...... I've promised Senri that I won't suck blood from anyone but her, and a little blood won't give me the strength to fight the monster in front of me.

I can't afford to be sucking blood in the first place.

Once again, he destroys the obstacle by force, and Albatross comes at him from directly above. It's not fair that he doesn't have as many weaknesses as a vampire.

I don't even have time to go for my machete. It's like a storm.

It's flinging me around like I'm nothing, but it doesn't seem to be losing sight of me. Maybe it knows where I am by smell?

I have to run. Somehow, I have to get away and regain my ...... composure.

Paws coming down from above. A huge dark-colored body falling down. I made up my mind in an instant and stepped forward instead of sideways.

The ceiling falls. My vision closes in on blackness. I lowered myself and slid desperately in. You are horrified by the sound of destruction coming from behind you.

Somehow, I managed to get underneath Arbatos without falling flat.

You've bought yourself a moment of time. Before Arbatos can turn around, you kill your footsteps and return the way you came.

He's faster than you. Even if you just run away, they can easily catch up.

But Albatross has hurt me too much. He slashed me in the gut so many times my blood is everywhere.

If he's following me by smell, I might be able to blend in. With so much debris, there is no shortage of places to hide.

It was all I could do to go back a few houses. My keen hearing picked up the exact sound of Arbatross flipping, forcing the house to collapse.