Chapter 37: A Progenitor's Hatred

Some people love to watch others suffer.

I wasn't one of them.

I'm a firm believer in human compassion and kindness.

They always say that good people end up with the short end of the stick, suffering the worst of pains.

I believed in such a philosophy as well.

After all, just look at me, so much agony.

So much sorrow, ugh.

How wretched. 

This world needed a hero, a true hero.

I believed that one day, that person would come.

They would arrive and pull the rest from darkness, liberating humanity.

See, that was how much faith I possessed.

Some even said I had the heart of a saint.

A heart made of pure gold.

Midas hath touched me.

But even so, I wasn't meant for that role.

I knew it well, I couldn't…

There were so many burdens to carry that my tiny back wouldn't hold up.

My…my thin spine would crumble under its weight.

"What're you daydreaming about over there, Azi…?"

Suddenly, a voice reached my ears, prompting me to look over.

Standing a few meters away was a petite girl with exotic snow-white hair and beautiful dark red eyes.

Her expression was a mixture of disinterest and confusion.

I smiled amiably as I responded.

"That's most definitely not any of your business."

"And what if I say it is?"

"I don't care…"

Sighing, she looked at me helplessly before speaking.

"Then I'll have to make it my business."

"It still won't change anything, stop being a pest."

Her face clouded over with disbelief.

"How could you even say that… Weren't you the one who fell asleep in my bosom—"

"Do me a favor and stop talking. As a matter of fact, don't talk ever again."

"How about you smile sometimes, stop looking so serious~ Here, you wanna take another rest on my che—"

"You're out of your mind…"

This conversation was doing me no good.

Just because I happened to take a nap in her cleavage, she made it a point to rub it in at any moment she could.

It was an unpleasant feeling.

Like swallowing something bitter, the after taste was just…

Horrendous.

*

**

***

**

*

A rancid stench lingered in the air.

Duckweeds and water lilies sprouted from within the shallow waters below. 

Tall trees with thin branches could be seen in all directions, populating most of the surrounding space.

Aziel walked atop the swamp water's muddy surface, untouched by any form of dirt as his rapid movements left behind after images.

The two girls, Yue and Suzu, hopped from tree branch to tree branch, only able to keep up with his hellish pace due to their monstrous stats. 

Upon descending from that tundra-like biome they had traversed previously, they'd gone down floor after floor at an astonishing rate, decimating everything that stood in their way. 

With all three of their strengths combined, it was, quite literally, a one-sided slaughter. Nothing could stand against them, especially when just one of them alone was enough to produce similar, if not the same, results.

At present, they were currently traveling through a floor that contained swamp-like terrain, a floor crawling with monstrous 15-meter-long snakes and giant bugs.

The snakes closely resembled 'Titanoboas' from prehistoric times back on earth, possessing length greater than even a school bus. 

The trio progressed swiftly and silently, both concentrating and lost in their own thoughts. 

However, Aziel could feel a gaze constantly watching him, not wavering for even a moment. He, of course, knew exactly who it was, but he had already decided not to initiate the conversation.

[What did she mean by; 'you slept in her bosom'?]

At this moment, he suddenly heard Yue's voice enter his mind through her telepathy skill. Glancing out of the corners of his eyes, he scrutinized her figure closely. 

Her black coat fluttered with the wind alongside her golden blonde hair as she leapt forward, keeping pace with him and Suzu. Still, her blood red eyes seemed slightly unfocused, repeatedly looking in his direction.

Her usually expressionless face was a bit cloudy, as if she wasn't completely lucid. 

Slightly sunken eyes and dilated pupils.

There was an unmistakable darkness within her gaze.

She'd been keeping quiet all this while, even as they progressed through each floor, she barely spoke.

The whole time, she stared, watching Aziel and Suzu's interactions blankly, thinking deeply about something.

But now, Yue was finally beginning to speak, though her voice carried a tinge of anger.

[It's nothing worth worrying about…]

Aziel responded in a casual tone, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

With his inhuman perception, he noticed Yue silently clench her fists without even having to look.

[Aziel…is there something you want to tell me?]

Yue said in a soft, faint voice, most likely understanding something vital. 

His eyes roamed the rotting vegetation around him.

[...Not that I'm aware of.]

He answered without a moment's hesitation, unconsciously playing the fool.

[Why are you lying?]

Yue asked in the same tone, almost certain of what she had speculated.

[....]

[Aziel…?]

[What is it you want to hear…?]

[Huh?]

[You want me to tell you that I like Suzu?]

[A-Aziel—]

[That I like her more than you?]

[W-wait, Aizel—]

[Or…]

[No…! Stop, stop…!]

Yue screamed out frantically, not wanting to hear any more of this.

Every word stung her heart more than anyone could ever imagine, causing her to lose all composure.

From what she had observed thus far, he and Suzu had indeed gotten closer over the time they'd traveled together, making her conclude the worst possible outcome.

Although she and Aziel had both shared somewhat intimate moments in that time, such as cuddling or sucking his blood, there was still a lingering insecurity in the back of her mind, and understandably so.

On the other hand, Aziel continued walking at the same pace, keeping his attention on Yue and her subtle changes in expression.

She was still in her unstable period, becoming both unpredictable and emotional. It might've also been due to becoming a Progenitor Vampire that her emotions were so overwhelming, but he had no evidence to prove that fact.

All he knew at the moment was that she was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, though it was unlikely to target him in any way, but the other member of their little group—Suzu Taniguchi.

Yue was well past the point of rationality, her every thought sinking into darkness. Just from this back and forth alone, Aziel had judged that she, in his own words, had already started her villain arc.

[You know I was lying, right?]

He voiced through telepathy, attempting to stabilize her somewhat.

However, the response he received was none too promising.

[...About what…?]

[....]

Though her tone had returned to normal as if nothing happened, that only served to exacerbate the situation further.

[Nah, what we were talking about just now…]

[...I'm fine, Aziel.]

'I didn't ask if you were fine…'

He could tell; she was completely out of it.

Anyone else would've been creeped out by her current behavior, but Aziel was well aware.

The downward spiral had progressed to this point, the point of no return. 

Still, not all hope was lost.

He was capable of alleviating her symptoms, or at the very least, minimizing the amount of damage she'd cause during her eruption.

But…the individual we were dealing with wasn't that kind of person.

'I must admit, this has nothing to do with me. Not my fault. Never was.'

And so, Aziel decided to take a hands-off approach, letting nature run its course.

Since, after all, he was indeed the same toxic person.

Thereafter, Yue didn't respond no matter how many times he called out, remaining deathly silent the entire rest of the way.

Suzu, having long noticed Yue's irregular shifts in mood throughout the journey, realized that she and Aziel were likely chatting via telepathy, but didn't bother to say anything.

While Aziel could keep his emotions and expressions under wraps, Yue wasn't fully capable of concealing her own to that degree, especially in this moment.

Suzu slowly closed the distance between her and Aziel, moving in close enough for him to hear her words.

However, he turned his head as she approached, speaking before she could.

"Thanks…"

"For what…?"

Suzu tilted her head in confusion.

"Not talking."

He instantly sped up, leaving her to slowly register his words.

"Tch…!"

Clicking her tongue, she gave his receding back the stink eye.

Silence once again pervaded the area, only broken by the sound of incoming monsters that were annihilated as soon as they appeared. 

The trio were left to their own individual thoughts, each completely unknown to the other. 

They progressed swiftly through the floor, their encounters with monsters turning into a silent competition of who could kill them first. 

Yue's blood manipulation and raw physical attributes was enough to decimate any creature that came within range, killing them off with ease.

Suzu's forcefield control and chimeric properties proved overwhelmingly formidable, effortlessly crushing all that drew near.

Aziel, on the other hand, seemed as though he carried a halo of invincibility, destroying the terrain with his powerful spells, while causing massacre after massacre with his absurd strength and skills.

Together, they cut through everything, leaving behind a trail of death and ruin. 

Each of them were extremely powerful in their own right, but even so, both Yue and Suzu had no choice but to watch as Aziel dealt absolute devastation all by his lonesome.

Portions of the swamp were left dried up, the trees burnt to cinders, and bright reddish-orange flame spreading further.

With every attack, every stretch of his hand, every echoe of his voice, followed great catastrophes for all who opposed.

His imposing figure resembled the demon king's descent as he stood in the air, his pale golden eyes radiating intense light.

In no time at all, they'd already reached the end of the floor, immediately heading down to the next upon finding the staircase.

If this was what it meant to conquer the labyrinth, it seemed that it was entirely theirs for the taking.

There wasn't anything that could hold them back…and there probably never will be.

*

*

*

Dark, rocky tunnels stretched on as far as the eye could see, giving it the appearance of the original labyrinth rather than some random terrain. 

It resembled the first few floors of the True Orcus labyrinth, bringing back old memories to the trio who walked its path.

Without the need for a light source, they walked side by side in complete darkness, perceiving their surroundings with clarity as they would if it were daytime.

The passageway was quite wide, giving them ample room to battle any creature that happens to pop out should they need to. 

"Hey Azi, carry me on your back, I'm getting a bit tired…"

Suzu yawned while stretching her arms, gazing at Aziel with mirthful eyes.

"Haven't seen your legs stop working yet. Hell, I got all this shit on my back, you should be carrying me."

"Ah…!"

He nudged her shoulder with his elbow, knocking her slightly off balance.

"Hey, now if I pushed you onto your back, I would be wrong, right?"

She grabbed his wrist in a threatening gesture, as if daring him to say otherwise.

"You think you can put me on my back…? You give yourself too much credit."

"Is that right…? But what if I let you put me on my back?"

Upon hearing her words, Aziel immediately stopped in place, prompting both Suzu and Yue to do so as well.

He looked her dead in the eyes.

"...You're a pervert."

Suzu broke out in a fit of laughter, hunching over and grabbing her sides.

Seeing the seriousness in his expression and tone had done it for her.

Perverted comments used to be her trademark that served to lighten the mood, but now, she'd become completely adapted to them, using them however she pleased.

She especially loved teasing Aziel, not that he showed any particular reaction outside of exasperation or nonplus, but it was still enough for her to laugh at.

After her brief laughter, Aziel and Suzu continued walking ahead, but quickly noticed Yue standing in the same place without moving.

"What's the matter…?"

He stared at the vampire princess, gauging her expression despite her hair obscuring her face.

And what he saw made him mentally sigh but displayed no reaction on the surface.

Suzu looked between Aziel and Yue, gleaning nothing from the former but feeling an ominous sensation creeping up from the latter.

"What the hell is going on here?"

She smiled as usual, her voice transmitting a mixture of cheerfulness and coldness.

Even so, Yue gave no response, the silent, dreadful atmosphere surrounding her provided more answers than words.

Turning toward Aziel, Suzu cast a questioning gaze on him, to which she only received a halfhearted shrug.

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she made to open her mouth, but the words caught in her throat upon seeing Yue slowly lift her head.

"...!!"

Sharp, blood red eyes that promised a miserable death gazed impassively back at Suzu, flooding the entire area with unparalleled bloodlust.

Suzu was already on guard, prepared to attack and defend at a moment's notice.

This was a Vampire Progenitors intent to kill, a monstrous will to slay their enemy. 

Just from her aura of bloodlust alone, Yue's hair fluttered, rising into the air like a goddess prepared to rain down divine retribution.

As the temperature around them seemed to plummet, her voice, cold enough to freeze hell itself, echoed across the labyrinth walls with finality.

"Nothing personal. You have to die."

______________________

Heyo~

It's always nice, isn't it?

Now let's imagine a reality where you deliver your power stones to my pocket.

C'mon, I'm giving you no choice.

Let's go.

You got it, C'mon.

Do it.