-945- The Kings of Demons

"Primogenitors..."

Hearing the question raised by Natsuki, Rozen squinted his eyes.

The so-called Primogenitors refer to the emperors who rule over the blood race.

The blood race, commonly known as vampires, are nocturnal residents who feed on human blood, possessing immortality and everlasting youth.

In this world, among the various magical races, vampires are included.

However, contrary to legends, they don't instantly perish in sunlight, dissolve in seawater, or die when struck by silver through the heart.

They can eat regular food, move freely during the day, and seawater doesn't harm them.

Blood, however, becomes a source of power for them, and they also have a bloodsucking impulse that resembles desire. While the claim of immortality may be an exaggeration, vampires do have remarkably strong vitality.

On Itogami Island, the number of vampires is not as numerous as humans, but being in a demon sanctuary, Rozen has encountered them a few times.

Therefore, Rozen is not unfamiliar with vampires; in fact, he finds them quite interesting. This is because, among the various magical races in this world, vampires hold a very special status.

Why?

It's quite simple.

They are hailed as the strongest magical race, almost like overlords among magical races, and their position is nearly unshakable.

The reasons behind the special status of vampires are mainly twofold.

One is because vampires can summon, nurture, and manipulate magical creatures from other dimensions—Beast Vassals.

These are beings that can dwell in blood, absorbing the life force of the host. They are not true living organisms but rather a willed aggregation of magical energy, possessing various forms and abilities.

Since they are purely magical energy entities, they not only have incredible strength but also cannot be dealt with using physical means. Only by overpowering them with stronger magic can they be subdued.

Even the weakest Beast Vassals, in terms of combat ability, surpass the latest armored vehicles or armed helicopters. If they are powerful Beast Vassals, they can even obliterate an entire village or region, making them extremely formidable.

Because these summoned creatures can only be nurtured in blood and absorb the life force of the host, only vampires with nearly infinite life force can use them.

If we consider physical abilities and innate special powers alone, vampires are not particularly strong among the numerous magical races. One could even say they are relatively weak. However, due to their ability to use Beast Vassals, they are regarded with awe as kings of the magical races.

Rozen remembers that when he first learned about the existence of Beast Vassals, he murmured about it for quite a while.

"A willed aggregation of magical energy with its own will?"

Isn't that similar to the familiars Rozen commands?

The familiars, with whom Rozen has formed absolute contracts, are indeed magical energy aggregations with their own will. In nature, they are exactly the same as Beast Vassals.

The difference lies in the fact that Beast Vassals are nurtured within the blood of vampires, whereas Rozen's familiars are engraved as pure records within his soul. Despite the difference in existence, they serve as summoned creatures with identical natures.

Of course, even vampires can't match Rozen in terms of the overwhelming number of familiars. They can typically control only one or two Beast Vassals at most. Only particularly powerful ancient vampires who have lived for an extended period can manipulate a relatively larger number of Beast Vassals, and even then, three or four would be the limit.

Therefore, when it comes to the quantity of familiars, Rozen holds an overwhelming advantage. The number of familiars within his soul is already so vast that it's hard to keep count.

However, if it comes down to strength, Rozen isn't confident that his familiars can surpass Beast Vassals.

Even the weakest Beast Vassals possess combat abilities that can surpass the latest armored vehicles or armed helicopters? Among Rozen's familiars, this level of combat ability is possessed only by mid-tier or upper-tier familiars.

If we talk about familiars capable of annihilating an entire region, among Rozen's numerous familiars, excluding Attila who is currently sleeping and Kinu and Gyokuto who are not yet able to unleash their full power, only Hokuto possesses such power.

In the world of vampires, although individuals with Beast Vassals possessing this level of power are not very common, they are not rare either. At least, among ancient vampires from bygone eras, those at the pinnacle mostly have Beast Vassals of this level.

In other words, within the vampire community, there are quite a few individuals with the power of top-tier familiars.

This is the first reason why vampires are hailed as the strongest magical race.

As for the second reason, it's the existence of the emperors who rule over these vampires.

—The "Primogenitors."

They are the oldest and most powerful vampires, the emperors and progenitors of all vampires.

They were cursed by the gods in ancient times, turning them into vampires. Over the almost eternal years, they have accumulated terrifying magical power and possess double-digit numbers of Beast Vassals. A single one of them is equivalent to a nation's army.

It is said that each Beast Vassal under their command is equivalent to a natural disaster, capable of effortlessly destroying an entire city.

It is said that they have each established autonomous Night Empires, ruling over their respective factions, wielding supreme authority.

"There are three recognized Primogenitors in the world."

Natsuki spoke with a calm tone.

"The first Primogenitor who rules over the Warlord Dominion in Europe—'Lost Warlord.'"

"The second Primogenitor, the lord of the Western Asian Alliance—'Fall Gazer.'"

"The third Primogenitor reigning over North and South America—'Chaos Bride.'"

These three individuals stand at the pinnacle of the vampire hierarchy, each ruling over their own empire and faction, occupying territories in different parts of the world as vampire sovereigns.

They have signed treaties with various governments, agreeing to refrain from indiscriminate bloodsucking and coexisting with humans.

This is the well-known treaty in this world—the 'Sanctuary Treaty.'

"The delicate balance of power between these three Night Empires is maintained by their mutual restraint over the decades. If they were to go against each other, there might not be room for humans to rule this world; it would be the vampire Primogenitors."

Natsuki stated it this way.

This is the second reason why vampires are acclaimed as the strongest magical race.

The existence and fearsome power of the three Primogenitors firmly suppress other magical races and even the entire human population.

Rozen once contemplated this.

After all, the familiars in Rozen's hands, even the most powerful ones like Kinu and Gyokuto, and those who are still unable to unleash their full power like Hokuto, are far from possessing power on the level of natural disasters.

As for Attila, while using her strongest Noble Phantasm alongside a special attack against the world or civilization might achieve it, it's only a possibility, and Rozen currently can't summon her at will.

Undoubtedly, each of the three Primogenitors commands more than double-digit numbers of strategic-level familiars.

Rozen doesn't have the confidence to claim that he can match such beings at the moment.

"This business trip involves an unpleasant noble vampire from the Warlord Dominion."

Natsuki gazed at Rozen.

"How about it? Will you go?"

Natsuki merely asked this.

Rozen remained silent for a while.

Then...

"I'll go."

He provided a straightforward response.