Finally Reaching The End Of A Path

Have you ever encountered your inner demons? My eyes opened into the darkness of my coffin, a sigh escaping my lips. A foul temper afflicted me and reminded me once more as I pushed the lid open and sat up.

"My inner human—no, my past human life if I have to be specific, but bleugh. What a pathetic case to remember." Stretching and even popping some of the bones in my neck, I finally glanced around the empty chamber room with a sigh.

No Eleanor or Rose this time.

"I suppose after that incredibly ridiculous scene, the two must have already gotten the message that they're not welcome, right?" I said, but must have hoped—that ridiculous human part of me must have wished that they were still here.

But no sane people would have stayed.

I was an unhinged man—Vampire and the longer they stayed here, the more danger it posed to them and so they had undoubtedly left.

Did that mean that I would chase after them and hunt them down?

I could do that, but I did not wish to.

While I may be a Blood Tyrant, you couldn't exactly call me a Conqueror. I protected and possessively took a hold of what was mine and treated them with every possible favor, but I did not chase those who wished to run—for I casted them out.

"They are no longer my subjects."

I did not care—they were distractions anyway, somehow being around humans must have awakened and released the inertia of the human within me.

Two was a crowd, and three was already a mess.

But naturally, this made me reconsider my choices or the plans that I've made. My feet landed on the floor and I immediately paced about the room, eyed the golden chain and kicked it away–my superior boots could hardly be affected by such 'holy' power. A demon-descent designed it after all.

But yes, back to my diabolical planning–or rescheduling thereof.

"I suppose there won't be any need to go to Averon Kingdom—although, it does seem like a possible location to accumulate strength and even people?"

The idea of shifting someone into a Vampire was not always the easiest thing—there were prerequisites.

"If I choose someone too weak willed, he will be susceptible to mind control—but that means that they are weak and I could care less for those."

Sure, I could have transformed more than a thousand humans—but that was a waste of resources and energy.

Why make a thousand weak soldiers when you could have one to three specialists that were a cut above the rest?

"It's not a numbers game," I said as I moved to the door. "Find someone strong willed with the determination to be strong—and they might just break out and challenge me for dominance. A nuisance. Training someone to serve you and revere you—they'll be nothing but dogs willing to bite their Master's hand."

I pulled open the door, frowning at the idea of finding trustworthy people—but it faded at the sight of the two women.

They clearly didn't get the memo to leave.

Princess Eleanor was in front and this time it was Rose at the back. A reversal of situations when I had first met the two of them.

It was a strange time to be so nostalgic about such a thing.

"What are the two of you doing here?" I asked.

But to be fair, how long exactly was the dream encounter with my past self from the time I left them?

I scrutinized them.

They didn't look old or have aged up, and they were wearing the same clothes so it wasn't a decade of struggling with my mind. Neither did their hair length increase, so frankly speaking–time barely passed.

Which once again posed as an oddity, until the fair-haired woman in front of me spoke up.

"I am here to say my… sincerest apologies," Princess Eleanor suddenly curtsied low.

"Huh, am I hearing you correctly or have I ended up deeper in my dreams." I remarked and poked her forehead to check.

Her blue eyes blinked and an expression of hesitance appeared on her face, right before she cleared her throat and continued.

"My words… and goals have brought you great grief. I… I honestly did not foresee this situation would occur."

I scoffed and looked down at her.

"You think that you brought me grief? Hardly, I know greater men and greater women who have made their plans and schemes—but for them to succeed against me is nothing more than mere illusion."

"Yes?" Princess Eleanor didn't look like she quite agreed, but refrained from saying it. "...but I believe that it was not right for me to attempt to stir you into a path."

"Good," I said. "It's good that you understand that simple notion of free will."

"Yes," Princess Eleanor nodded.

"But it doesn't change the fact that you're evil!" Rose suddenly said from over Eleanor's shoulders as she finally looked up to face me.

Her face seemed to be in a perpetual state of being red as her dark eyes focused on me and me alone.

"...I do not think that I will argue with that fact," I smiled. "Conventionally, by most accounts—I am what you can deem as evil. Though, I hope that you see that evil also has its standards. I am not as lawless or a brute as some others are."

I wasn't saying it to make her like me–but you needed to differentiate.

A goblin stabbing you in the foot was evil, maybe practical even as it was their own penchant for survival–but my own methods were also of a different caliber. You needed to give points and effort to that.

But… where was this even taking us?

These were mere pleasantries exchanged, words filled to pat ourselves in the back–they were meaningless without action.

I crossed my arms over my chest and added.

"Now that we've all managed to say what's on our hearts and minds now–I can't help but presume that this is where we part ways?"

"What?" the two said at the same time.

"The Princess apologized, her Servant called me evil–and I, the generous Vampire, have allowed the two of you to leave in peace, relatively unharmed save for any mental damage inflicted upon your psyche?" I shrugged and then smirked lightly. "I can't really guarantee your sanity around me, my mere presence is enough to hurt."

Princess Eleanor seemed accepting of it, a resigned smile on her face as she slowly nodded and opened her lips to speak–but then we were interrupted.

"Well, sorry to say this, but we're staying." Rose blurted out. "This is the best place for us to be at, so we have to stay here."

"What?" I chuckled. "Do you really think I would just let the two of you stay here? We've already established that I'm 'evil' and the two of you are better off leaving and finding some other sanctuary to hide in."

"It… it's true that you're evil, and the fact that we're here too and not doing anything to stop you means that me and the princess are evil too."

I raised a brow and felt my lips quirk in mere amusement.

"That kind of logic is… rather lacking. You couldn't even stop me if you tried–and you did try it several times already. You've done your best but it's impossible to conquer someone such as myself."

Rose bit down on her lip and balled her fists.

My words seemed to have dealt a blow to her confidence again, and so I flicked a hand idly. Because, there was actually something she could have done.

The world wouldn't be fair if there were no Heroes who could slay Demons, after all.

Everything mattered on sacrifice.

On what you could exchange.

How much you were willing to give up to get what you wanted–she just didn't want to kill me as much as she wanted to live.

That had been the reason why she didn't have a single chance in defeating me and so I smiled generously and offered these words.

"Granted, perhaps you could have sacrificed your own life or promised something else as valuable as your memories and magic as an offering? Then you could make an [Oath] and that would have changed the tides for you. You could be granted a powerful being-slaying [Skill]… but even then–"

"It doesn't matter anymore," Rose said firmly. "People have always been quick to judge, calling something dark and twisted because they can't understand it. And yet I've also seen how vicious and cruel people can be because of it."

Her gaze lingered on Princess Eleanor's back, softening and as if strengthening her resolve before it shifted back to me.

Rose let out a sigh and smiled wearily.

"So what I do know is that I want to survive–and that's when morals quickly fall away, does it not? In the face of danger, qualms and codes disappear because survival is the most important thing of them all."

There was no doubt where her heart lay and it made me bite back a smile.

This was the same exact choice I've made in the past, haven't I?

I felt it.

This would have been the answer to my human self that detested what I was now.

"And so… your decision is?"

"Even if it means that I'll have to make a deal with the most foul being in the world to survive–I'll do it," Rose said.

"Most foul being?" I chuckled. "You could have used a far better adjective."

Rose cleared her throat and looked at me seriously.

"No more attempts to make you good–if we need a monster, I'll gladly offer myself up to feed you. And that is in order to get what I want, nothing is free… but that is if you still want us–no, even if you don't want us here, I'll make you say yes."

There was a look of determination in Rose's eyes, even though it was clear that she hadn't discussed this with her princess. Eleanor looked like she had much to say and yet only refrained once again.

But then Rose finally smirked at me.

"I won't take no for an answer," she said.

I chuckled at that proud expression on her face.

"That was a lot of words for saying that you want to be mine."

"W-What?" Rose spluttered at the last moment. "I didn't mean it–"

"A fitting speech for someone who wishes to swear fealty to me–I accept it."

Her eyes widened.

I smirked.

"This makes things official, doesn't it?"

Before she could answer, I paused and then raised a finger.

"Although, I wouldn't mind it if you knelt or kissed my feet–we actually did have a ceremony in the past for things such as this. And you too, Princess. You have to do this too. You don't get an exemption–I'd prefer a far more ostentatious speech."

"...Rose, do you know what you swore yourself to?"