Vampire Hunt (3)

Chapter 33: Vampire Hunt (3)

Azrail Astaroth Pov:

"The symptoms show no signs of slowing down, and the doctors have already given up... As it stands, I'll die in two years as my brother did. I don't know what to do, Father..."

"Michael, I know it is hard for you right now, but you must believe in God's plan. That's what your mother would've wanted you to do."

The priest's hand rested on my shoulder. He made sure not to press too hard and hurt me.

"God's plan?"

I raised my head, staring at the priest. He had a gentle smile on his face.

"Even in the darkest moments, you will find comfort knowing that everything happens according to God's divine plan. It is something that we can't comprehend, but you must have faith in him…. Your family is in a better place now."

The priest looked so content with what he said.

'What is this…?'

I knew what my family went through…

I saw my brother die the most miserable death I could've imagined…

I saw my mother's health deteriorate until she took her final breath…

The image of my father's corpse resting lifeless in his room was still fresh in my mind… The smell of blood, the revolver he used to shoot himself in the head…

The family I considered perfect was ruined in mere months… And he said it was part of some mere plan?

'No… He doesn't mean it that way… He truly believes in what he said… He said the same thing when his brother died…'

Refusing to face the harsh reality and feeling content with everything being a part of some grand plan.

'My family is in a better place… How'd you know that? Have you been there?'

When there was something he couldn't accept, understand, or know, he'd much rather believe in something greater than accept his limits and look for solutions.

How could a human be that pathetic?

That was when it clicked.

'Isn't he just like… My parents?'

They preferred death and refused to face the harsh reality of their lives. They gave up on their lives—the most precious thing one has.

Mother couldn't handle my brother's death, along with the news of my soon-approaching death. Father couldn't bear to watch the family he cherished fall to ruin.

Both of them took the easy way out, leaving me all alone to die…

I still loved them and understood what they went through, but—

'Am I... like this too? Too weak and helpless to even choose something for myself?'

That thought made my chest tighten.

I felt disgusted.

Why did I accept my death because others told me to?

What was I afraid of? What more did I have to lose?

"Michael? Are you alright? Your face is pale…"

"Ah, yes…" The priest's sudden callout snapped me out of my thoughts, and I stood up. "Thank you, father… I think I know what must be done now…"

"Here, I'll help."

"It's fine… I can walk short distances."

I denied the priest's offer for help and slowly walked outside.

Since the church was in the countryside, there were barely any people there except for the few orphaned children taken care of by the priest.

It was a place my parents loved to visit, even though it took a day to get there.

'I wonder what God's plan has in store for this place…'

.

.

.

'I should've brought Alwin along…'

It hadn't even been fifteen minutes since I started walking, but my legs felt heavy, almost as if I had been running for hours.

"Let's take a break here…"

Stopping mid-way, I leaned back against a tree to rest a little and catch my breath. It felt like my body would collapse at another step.

'My physical capabilities are deteriorating faster by the day…'

If things continued like this, I'd lose the ability to stand within a few months.

"Haah… Haah…"

Not being able to perform basic tasks everyone took for granted frustrated me.

Watching people who would never accomplish anything noteworthy in life perform tasks I found impossible made it even worse.

'There should be a way to stabilise—'

Ba-dump!*

Suddenly, my vision blurred, and I felt my body's sensitivity rising as the non-existent noises around me became too loud. My back slid down against the tree, which felt like it had metal spikes all over it.

"It's happening again…"

My breathing became ragged, and each breath felt like it was shredding the insides of my throat.

"Ah… Gahhh…."

Instinctively, my body curled up, trying to suppress the pain.

Each strand of grass that touched my skin felt no different from a knife digging into me.

My clothes felt no different from someone harshly rubbing sandpaper against me.

This was one of the symptoms I mentioned back at the church.

Hyperactive pain reception.

In this state, my brain processed even the non-stimulus things as pain beyond anything an average person would ever experience in their life.

As time went on, the duration and frequency of these kept increasing drastically, enough that my body couldn't keep up with the high dosage of medications without risking permanent neuro damage.

At the pace these symptoms increased, it was only a matter of time before they became a permanent thing, too.

So, the only thing I could do was get accustomed to them.

But that was impossible.

'It hurts much more… than last time…'

My nails scratched my biceps until it started to bleed.

I wanted to stop moving to reduce the stimulation even by a little, but my body wouldn't listen, continuously moving and increasing the pain.

'What the hell… did I do… to deserve this…'

There were billions of worthless lives out there who would never contribute anything to the world. Criminals or corrupt individuals in power that did nothing but harm society… Why wasn't it one of them?

Even if millions of them disappeared, it'd only benefit the world. So why was it me, someone who could accomplish something noteworthy and contribute to the world, suffering for something I hadn't even done?

It was fucked up.

"Young Master…!"

Tears had already blurred my vision, and I could barely see the man running towards me. However, his panicked shout was enough for me to recognise him.

'Alwin! Stop—!'

Each of Alwin's loud footsteps sounded like someone punching my eardrums, so much so that it made it harder for me to focus. Moments later, his hand landed on my shoulder.

Although I knew he was concerned about me, his light touch felt no different from my shoulder snapping into two, and—

"AAAGGHHHHHH…!!!!"

I couldn't hold back the agonising shout any longer.

"Y-Young Master!!!!"

Alwin hurriedly pulled his hand back in surprise, but alas, it was already too late.

My vocal cords felt like they'd explode any moment now. However, despite that, my body refused to stop shouting.

'At this rate, I'll go insane…'

It took the hyperactive pain reception half an hour to subside, and I lay on the ground for several hours, completely lifeless. Alwin sat next to me without saying anything the entire time.

"Hey, Alwin… Let's go back tomorrow."

"But Young Master said he hated it there."

That wasn't a lie. It reminded me of everything that happened recently, but—

"I can't run away and hide forever…"

Alwin stared at my face, and after a few seconds, he smiled. "I understand…"

"Before that…" I slowly got up and sat on the ground. It was hard to move, but it was manageable. "Let's go to the supermarket."

"Right now?"

"Yeah…" I smiled at my butler. "There's something I've been curious about for a while now."

.

.

.

'The news should've arrived by now…'

As random thoughts passed through my head, I focused on the book in my hands.

'Maybe it failed? I'd need to come up with something else if that's the case…'

It had been a week since I returned home from our trip to the countryside, and ever since then, all I did was study.

'Well, there's no point in stressing over it... If the result doesn't come by tomorrow, I'll consider that a failure…'

"Young Master!"

'At least knock before barging into my room, Alwin…' I held back those thoughts, noticing the butler's anxious face. "What happened?"

"Father Vinson…" Alwin hesitated, unsure of how I'd react to his words. "He passed away…"

For a moment, I had no idea how to react. "How?"

"The doctors couldn't determine the cause of his death, but he suddenly collapsed in the morning around seven."

Letting out a small, tired sigh, I closed the book and placed it on the desk, remaining silent for a few minutes. After everything that happened, it'd be strange for me to overreact to such news despite how close we were to Father Vinson.

Overexposure makes people grow numb to a lot of things.

Death was no exception.

"I'm tired… Can you get me a cup of coffee, please?"

"Yes, sir…"

Alwin didn't say much and walked out of the room after closing the door, and I patiently waited for his footsteps to disappear.

'Seven in the morning… A difference of seventeen hours from my prediction—it's possible to manage with the potency and dosage...'

"Pfft…! Ahahaha…!" I placed my hand over my mouth and forcefully stopped myself from laughing. "Thank you, Father Vilson. I hope you are in a better place now…"

After all, I had a feeling that many people would soon join him in that better place.

---

"Holy shit…" My back arched, legs stretched, and arms flexed to the very limits, experiencing the best after-sleep stretch possible. "That flashback came out of nowhere…"

The banquet hit me so hard that it triggered a flashback.

Damn you, Ajuka.

"Haah…"

After receiving a painful beating from my mother—which made it hard for me to sit properly, I returned to my room and talked with Latia for a while, soon falling asleep on the couch without even realising it.

Knock!* Knock!* Knock!*

Hearing the knock on the door, I slowly opened my eyes, and thanks to my head hanging off the couch's handrest, everything appeared upside down.

'Who could it be?'

It shouldn't be Latia. She wouldn't knock before entering our room.

Alice would teleport inside whenever she pleased.

My parents would call me to visit them, not the other way around.

Vanessa, like her daughter, had no qualms to barge in unannounced.

Amy had my permission to enter without knocking.

So that made me wonder…

Who was well-mannered enough to knock before entering this room?

"It's already open."

As my words finished, Rias opened the door and walked inside, followed by her [Queen], Akeno Himejima.

While I was in the human world for the past six months, Rias, Sairaorg, Latia, and Sona also received their sets of Evil Pieces.

Contrary to being the first to receive them after me, Latia was the only one who hadn't used any of her pieces yet.

"So this is what Latia meant when she said you were glued to the couch…"

I smiled at Rias, not replying to Latia's comment.

"Good afternoon, Lord Azrail."

Akeno bowed towards me as I got up, feeling a bit sore around my neck.

"There's no need to be so formal, Akeno, especially when it's just the three of us."

Not to mention, bowing towards someone who was practically merging with the couch must be weird.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Akeno straightened her back, and despite what she said, it was apparent that my words fell on deaf ears.

Our first meeting was enough for me to figure out some key details about her.

The thing she hated the most was her father, Baraqiel, which should be related to her mother's death. Although I lacked much detail about the scenario, that conclusion didn't seem far from the truth.

But even then, she was Rias' [Queen], the heroine of DxD, so she wouldn't turn out weak in the future.

"So, what brings you here?"

Rias sat across me and Akeno stood behind her.

"I have a request."

"And what might that be?"

At my question, Rias looked strangely determined. It was similar to how Latia looked when she realised that I'd leave her in the dust if she didn't train hard enough.

"Can you train me and Akeno?"

"Huh…?"

"I asked, can you—"

"I heard you the first time; I was just surprised."

"Oh…"

I stared at the redhead, wondering what led to the sudden change in character.

Don't get me wrong, Rias did train to a certain level, similar to most High-Class Devils who needed to master the basics of their abilities and clan traits. However, that training was nowhere near enough to become stronger than most youngsters our age.

So, what motivated her to train all of a sudden?

"You lost to Latia, didn't you?"

Rias seemed embarrassed at those words, nodding slightly.

"… Yeah."

'Ah… so that's how it is.'

Until now, Rias shared a sort of 'love rivalry' with Latia, and she believed them to be equal in strength, too. However, in reality, the latter was far stronger than her.

Rias was, by no means, not talented.

If measured by raw talent, she was probably even a step above Latia, and the two wouldn't have any problems becoming stronger simply by ageing.

But that didn't mean much in their case.

Latia trained under me and Alice to become my [Queen], so the difference between her and Rias was apparent.

"How long did you last against her?"

"Five minutes… And I couldn't even hit her once."

'That's all?'

It seemed like all Latia wanted to do was give Rias a reality check rather than embarrass her. Otherwise, she could've defeated her in a few attacks at best.

My soon-to-be [Queen] was smart, so it wasn't difficult to guess her intentions. And from how Rias reacted, it worked out exactly as Latia wanted it to.

"Will you please train me and Akeno?"

"Why don't you ask Grayfia? Not only is she far stronger than me, but she'd be a far more efficient teacher."

"Ah, well... She's scary when she gets all serious, and she's busy with Bucciarati, so you're the only person I can ask."

Right. I almost forgot Rias suffered from a small inferiority complex when comparing herself to Grayfia or Sirzechs. But then again, that was only natural.

If I weren't a reincarnated person, 'Azrail Astaroth' would have felt the same when everyone compared him to Ajuka on every occasion they got, regardless of how good he was.

The same thing happened with Sebas, but he naturally grew out of his inferiority complex and found his interest in managing the family business like our father, who denied the clan head's position back in his days.

"I don't mind training you two, but you'll have to wait a while before we can start… I have a lot of things to take care of in Bucharest."

My current priority was Great Sage's large-scale experiment, followed by studying the notes about [Kankara Formula].

As for training Rias, it wasn't that big of a deal.

Not only could I make her stronger, but it'd also help me study the [Power of Destruction] closely, similar to what happened with [Power of Time] while training Latia.

After all, getting my hands on a Pure-Blooded Devil from the Bael Clan was almost impossible, especially now, thanks to the stunt Ajuka pulled during the banquet. So until the dust of that even died down and someone to frame for my crimes appeared, I could only resort to such methods.

True, I could still do it—abducting Pure Blooded Devils from various clans—but it wouldn't be as effective and risk-free as before, with some people still being suspicious of me.

And Rias was my fiancee; training her was the least I could do.

"Really?! We can start whenever you want, then!"

The redhead's eyes lit up at that, nodding enthusiastically.

"But the training will be hard, and you're not allowed to give up, alright?"

"I won't give up!"

Rias looked determined to surpass her rival, which was a good thing, though I doubted she would succeed.

Latia was strong, and other than me, Sairaorg was the only person who could beat her in a one-on-one, although the gap between them was massive.

Sairaorg's growth was astonishing, especially after the bracelets I gifted him. A while ago, I heard that he tossed one of them over to an adult, crushing their hand completely.

However, he was still no match for me even after I stopped training. The only chance he had to catch up to me was to receive some major power-ups in the upcoming years, but even that seemed impossible now that I started training seriously again.

With things settled, we talked for a while before Rias left, saying that she would start training on her own until I was done with the things that needed to be taken care of.

"Haah…"

I fell back on the couch, resuming the position where my head was hanging off the headrest, seeing the world upside down.

"Eavesdropping on others isn't a nice habit, you know?"

Within seconds, the Astaroth Clan's Magic Circle appeared mid-air before Latia's body became visible, looking down at my face.

"Did you lie about not training in Bucharest?"

That was her first question.

"Why would I?"

"Then, how can you still sense me even though I was invisible?"

Latia glared at me, bringing her eyes a few inches above mine. The tips of her bangs lightly brushed against my skin.

"Even though I never trained, it doesn't stop me from improving in magic."

That wasn't a lie.

After continuously tinkering and experimenting with various forms of Magic, Demonic Powers, and Sacred Gears, my ability to cast and utilise magic had improved considerably.

And that, for someone like me, was an effective way to improve.

"Is that so?"

Latia didn't look satisfied with my explanation, but it didn't matter much.

"Good work on giving Rias some motivation to improve… I'm sure she'd appreciate it in the future."

I raised my right hand and patted Latia's head a little, which made her straighten her back after a few seconds.

"Hmph. If she can't even match your [Queen], I won't acknowledge her as your fiancee… I only gave her a reality check before she could get carried away."

'So she won't admit that she just wanted to help Rias, huh?'

My [Queen] could sometimes be the dishonest type, too.

Despite their rivalry, Latia and Rias were very considerate of each other, never disturbing the other when one of them was spending time with me. However, they both refused to accept it, always treating each other like enemies.

They were, in a sense, like sisters, and that thought made me chuckle lightly.

"Why're you laughing?"

"I was just thinking about how cute you are."

Latia glared at me for a few seconds, crossing her arms.

"Hearing a compliment from someone resting in that position doesn't make it sound satisfying, not at all."

"It's my comfort zone, especially when I keep my left leg over the headboard."

Despite that, my legs were too short and couldn't hang on the headboard with my knee on top, so it was a semi-comfort zone of sorts.

"By the way, how is your training going?"

Before I became the Overseer of Bucharest six months ago, Latia could accelerate or decelerate the flow of time within her barrier by ten times, making three minutes outside seem like thirty minutes inside the barrier, and vice versa.

"Heh… Try not to be too shocked."

Latia smirked at me, turning towards the wall clock. I followed her gaze as a thin, golden barrier appeared around the clock.

Her proficiency in creating barriers had increased drastically since the last time, which was a given, considering how hard she trained every day.

"Oh…"

The clock's hands started moving faster than they usually would, indicating that Latia accelerated the flow of time inside her barrier.

By the time one minute passed for us outside the barrier, the clock was already fifteen minutes ahead.

'Within six months, she went from ten times to fifteen times, huh… That's amazing.'

Such an improvement was beyond praiseworthy.

"You worked a bit too hard, don't you think?"

At this point, I was worried that she might be pushing herself way past her limits, and that wasn't something I appreciated.

After all, unlike me, she was an actual child.

"Not really. It's the least you'd expect from the future's Strongest [Queen]."

Latia looked determined to surpass Grayfia, the Strongest [Queen], and I had no idea where that goal came from, but alright.

"Just don't push yourself too much, okay? I'm more concerned about your health than your strength."

The blonde gave me a sweet smile.

"I know, don't worry."

We chatted for a while before Latia left for her afternoon training with Alice. She said that she'd be back right before dinner, leaving me all alone to look at the upside-down door.

'Now that I think about it, every devil my age has some sort of dream or goal, unlike me…'

Latia wanted to become the Strongest [Queen].

Rias wanted to become the Rating Game Champion after defeating Emperor Diehauser Belial.

Sairaorg wanted to become a Satan and prove to others that those who were not born privileged could also accomplish great things, even within the underworld. He and Latia were the only ones who actively worked hard to achieve their goal, though.

Sona wanted to create a Rating Game School for Middle and Low-Class Devils to ensure everyone had the necessary opportunities to rise in the ranks within the underworld, including Reincarnated Devils.

As for Seekvaira, she still hadn't recovered from the Mecha version of Boku No Pico she witnessed years ago, which was directed and choreographed by none other than Great Sage.

I had no idea how I even got the idea to pull such a prank on a Mecha Nerd like her.

My brain worked on a different wavelength.

'Still, I need strength to survive in this world, and my experiments are for the sake of my curiosity… But that's not something I'd consider a goal.'

I was probably the first person to experience a midlife crisis at the age of ten.

"Forget it… I'll resume my duties as the overseer from tomorrow..."

After all, Elmenhilde was waiting for me with the preparations for the large-scale experiment completed.

It was time to see how fruitful my efforts from the last few years turned out to be.

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