A Dark Fantasy Spy

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The cave, which would surely have been pitch-black if left in its natural state.

The believers serving the Mother of the Earth brought a bright light into the deep hole.

But there was no transparent light here.

Red lighting drenched the rock walls, and the sound of sirens shook the air.

Shell casings were scattered all around like confetti, and glass fragments were strewn about like snow fallen at dawn.

The corridor was illuminated with a bloody hue.

The cave was consumed by ominous lighting.

In a depth that was hard to fathom, a vivid darkness loomed.

-…Clank-Clank-

The heavy sound of steel striking steel echoed ominously for quite some time.

Episode 17 – The Tree That Drinks Blood

“Request assistance from the Inquisition Committee, hurry!”

“We must break down the partition and destroy the facility immediately!”

“Are you out of your mind? We don’t even know how many people are still stuck inside, and you want to blow up the cave?!”

It was truly a scene of chaos.

Heated arguments and cries, the sounds of anguish and suffering echoed from all around.

“What in the world…?”

Camila muttered as she surveyed the unfamiliar scene.

Every time the teleportation magic circle flickered, others arrived on-site, slightly out of sync, wearing similar expressions.

The chaos on-site imparted a subtle unease. Emotions were volatile yet strongly contagious.

Camila couldn’t help but feel an instinctive discomfort that something had gone horribly wrong.

“Ibrahim!”

In the midst of the turmoil, she spotted a man. Ibrahim, Commander of the 92541 Unit of the Holy Knights, known as the Utrant Monastery.

He was perched on a crate, puffing on a cigarette.

“I’ve heard the coffin has opened. What in the world is happening?”

“…A vampire has awakened.”

An unenergetic response came back, distinctly different from his usually authoritative tone.

As she faced him to ask for the specifics, it was only then that Camila noticed Ibrahim’s state.

“…What on earth is this?”

“As you can see. These are… the wounds I got while fighting.”

His face bore an expression of distress, and his torn bulletproof vest hung loosely.

The military uniform covering his shoulder was neatly shredded as if cut with scissors, revealing blood-soaked flesh and remnants of stitches.

“Where is Saint Veronica?”

“I’m not sure. I saw her down below earlier, but I haven’t seen her since the lights exploded.”

A fleeting worry crossed her mind about her well-being, but Ibrahim shook his head.

“At least the last I checked, Saint Veronica was unharmed. Upon receiving reports of the vampire’s awakening, she took up arms and went to confront it herself.”

“So she didn’t fight alongside anyone?”

“That’s right. She went alone despite the priests’ insistence to hold her back.”

“Hah…”

Damn it. What made her act so recklessly?

For now, it seemed Veronica was safe. Her voice and breathing were stable during their last communication, and she had assured that she was unhurt and would contact them later based on the situation.

“We were the last ones to escape using the elevator about six minutes ago… no, precisely eight minutes.”

The contact with Veronica was twelve minutes back. If the Holy Knights had just escaped, there was a good chance she would be somewhere above ground. However, with the collection of casualties and personnel still ongoing, it didn’t seem like they could easily search for her.

I went over to Francesca, who was conversing with a group of researchers or scholars, and asked her to find Veronica. Fortunately, she was gathering information to understand the situation and agreed to look for Veronica and report back.

A short time later, I returned to my spot and threw a question at Ibrahim.

“What happened?”

After exhaling smoke, Ibrahim calmly began to speak.

“As you’ve heard, a vampire has awakened. The researcher from Al-Yabd was the first to notice the coffin opening and spread the news. The guards and the Holy Knights attempted to kill the vampire, but it was futile.”

“They failed to kill it?”

“If we had succeeded in obliterating the vampire, we wouldn’t be stuck here like this, would we?”

I found it puzzling whether that was sarcasm or merely stating the fact, but Ibrahim’s demeanor appeared remarkably calm.

With a serious expression, I listened as he continued speaking in a flat tone.

“The vampire that awakened was far stronger than anticipated. Blessed ammo and holy water had no effect. It broke through the seals and barriers while taking gunfire without flinching.”

Blessed ammo refers to ammunition that has been prayed over by priests and soaked in holy water.

Unlike the mass-produced ammunition from military factories, blessed ammo is produced by the Inquisition and cannot be manufactured in large quantities. It takes time and effort to imbue it with power to repel the wicked.

Thanks to this blessed ammo, the Inquisition could systematically eliminate nefarious beings, and centuries of struggle concluded with humanity’s triumph.

But…

“Are you saying the blessed ammo had no effect?”

As I pressed for details, Ibrahim silently nodded.

What on earth did they do for the vampire to remain unfazed by blessed ammo?

“The armor was the issue.”

“The armor?”

“Do you know about the armor worn by knights?”

“You mean those mounted knights… yes, I’ve seen them while touring historic sites during my military history studies.”

“He wore it. No clue what sort of sorcery he employed, but its fangs couldn’t pierce him at all.”

That was an outrageous claim.

No matter how tough armor is, it only holds relevance before the advent of gunpowder weapons.

The invention of gunpowder brought an end to fortified walls and full-body armor; the emergence of magic marked the full stop of the knightly era.

Of course, even during the musketeers’ heyday, there were still breastplates, but modern bullet ammunition boasts penetration levels that can’t even be compared to muskets.

A medieval armor recreated with contemporary casting techniques would be punctured by rifle rounds like cheese; the claim that 800-year-old armor can stop rifle bullets makes no rational sense at all.

“No, that’s illogical…”

Just as I was about to refute Ibrahim’s assertion, a thought suddenly struck me.

Is this a situation where rational explanations apply?

Corpses from 800 years ago are moving, humans are conjuring magic and divinity barehanded, and beings with bestial features have formed societies. These are phenomena beyond my understanding.

If logic fails to hold, then it’s not the circumstances that are wrong—it’s the premise itself that’s fundamentally flawed.

If a corpse in a coffin can move, then it shouldn’t be surprising if armor from 800 years ago can withstand rifle bullets.

With that realization, my mind eased slightly.

Swallowing back the words that had almost escaped my throat, I took a moment to steady my breath and opened my eyes.

“Is there a way to kill the vampire? Perhaps a remaining method?”

“There is, but…”

I raised my gaze silently to meet his. Ibrahim also held my gaze.

A brief silence passed.

“…Follow me.”

Taking a last drag from his dwindling cigarette, the commander of the Holy Knights ground the butt into the sand and stood up.

“The armory is this way.”

*

Ibrahim led me to a slightly distant trailer. Armed soldiers stood in front of the black container, and the iron door had a pad equipped.

The container was packed full of weapons. Everything from silver knives and aged holy scriptures to modern firearms and electronic devices. All were standard-issue armaments used by the Holy Knights.

“All the weapons here were airlifted from the Holy Land. Some are for our use and some belong to the Inquisition.”

I examined a pistol wrapped in cushioning foam and asked.

“They’re all blessed, right?”

“Of course.”

Ibrahim explained the purposes and usage of the weapons stored in the container.

“You’re a soldier, so you can handle firearms and explosives, but I’ll briefly explain the vampire’s weaknesses and special gear.”

“First, this flat disc-like small object. It’s a bomb containing holy water and silver beads—an Achilles heel for all undead. When you press the button, blades spring out and will embed deeply enough to withstand even a werewolf’s struggles, so throw it with caution.”

“This stick that resembles a flare is a mini flamethrower. It uses holy oil as fuel to spew out divine flames, and fire has been the surest weapon to obliterate undead since ancient times. While it is disposable, it can be reused by swapping cartridges.”

“This thread is made of silver. With high tension and durability, it can restrain movements, and its sharpness can also be used in traps during critical moments. Back in the day, they used it to bind vampires and drive stakes through their hearts.”

As I was gearing up, he pulled out a box of ammunition from the drawer and handed me the bulletproof vest hanging on the wall.

“Use this ammo and take the vest, too.”

“What’s this?”

“High-penetration armor-piercing blessed ammo and bulletproof vest with embedded talismans.”

Since this situation was unprecedented, he couldn’t guarantee the performance of the armor-piercing rounds.

However, he could confidently claim the efficacy of the bulletproof vest.

“While it may not perfectly block direct attacks from the vampire, it’ll at least protect you from its darkness. If you’re lucky, you might avoid fatal injuries even if attacked by a vampire.”

“Will it work?”

“At the very least, it should prevent you from becoming crippled.”

As Ibrahim said that, he tossed aside his outer shirt, revealing wounds on his shoulders.

While I was fastening my buckle, he began to put on his own bulletproof vest, changing into a clean combat outfit. As I glanced at him, I slipped out a question.

“Are you going to fight?”

“I have to.”

His answer was resolute.

It seemed he had no intention of backing down. The priests, likely members of the Holy Knights, also entered the container to gear up and loaded live ammunition into their magazines.

“Ibrahim, brother.”

“Oh, Inquisition officer. What can I do for you?”

“Can I speak with you for a moment…?”

One Inquisition officer whispered something into Ibrahim’s ear. While the content wasn’t audible, the slight darkness that crept onto Ibrahim’s expression suggested it wasn’t good news.

As expected, Kamila appeared, out of breath, at the entrance of the container.

“There’s no one!”

“What do you mean there’s no one?!”

“Francesca is looking for Saint Veronica, but she’s not here! Right inside…”

She pointed somewhere, and feeling urgency, I dashed outside to see where Kamila was indicating.

“Oh, crap…”

Amid the sheer cliff-like reddish-brown rock, a throng of people gathered at the entrance.

There lay an elevator leading into the facility.

*

Shouting filled the air. An old priest draped in purple Pashia clutched his throat in exasperation.

“Why did we just learn that Saint Veronica is inside! Can you all still boldly claim to be Holy Knights and Inquisition officers?”

“Bishop, please calm down!”

“You go report this to the Holy See. And tell Saint Lucia… try to phrase it positively.”

The male monks pleaded, but the bishop resisted fiercely. The elderly priest vented his frustrations, and the priests, berated, hung their heads like eternal traitors.

The scholars murmured in disbelief.

“Sunset is already approaching… at this rate, the vampire may rise to the surface.”

“Wasn’t the partition lowered? Three iron doors, each more than 30 cm thick. Essentially trapped in a coffin made of lead, silver, zinc, and concrete hundreds of meters underground. It isn’t going to get out easily.”

“But didn’t you all see? It walked past the statue of Lord Israel, who smite demons, and onto the salt barrier!”

“Who initially touched it? Everything was normal until ten minutes ago; which fool did something reckless?”

“No one touched it. We set up a trap spell within a 5-meter radius around the coffin. No one could approach it, and the guards weren’t close either.”

The priests from Al-Yabd lowered their voices with uneasy expressions.

“This is all because of the cultists. We must firmly advise the priest to impose severe penalties on those chasing mere ideals while neglecting the cult!”

“…Enough! The Inquisition has dispatched ‘Parsa.’ They will be more than capable of sealing the vampire.”

“With over twenty Holy Knights down below, we have no idea if they’re even alive, and losing ‘Parsa’ too would…”

“First, we need to quickly resolve the issues that have arisen in the facility. As soon as the priest finishes praying, I will report. If it’s someone who fought alongside the Empire’s Duke, that person should be no match for a vampire.”

Francesca looked gravely at the crowd.

“Yet there are still people stuck inside the facility, yet no one seems to care about those left behind.”

Derision and hostility dripped from her voice, but no one seemed to hear. Or perhaps they were just pretending not to.

“I can’t believe they didn’t know the saint was inside and made their escape. How could they, of all people, the clergy, not know?”

“Who knows.”

While I didn’t know the number of personnel stationed in the facility, judging by the gathered people alone, there were at least 300.

“Upon checking the surveillance equipment, it turns out all the Inquisition officers and Holy Knights were dispatched to battle while the researchers and scholars fled from the vampire.”

The chaos erupted as people attempting to escape intermingled with those fighting, peaking at the moment the vampire appeared around the corner.

Desperate struggles ensued among those trying to escape its clutches.

Its sharp claws grazed across necks, pressing down from all sides.

Researcher crawling on the floor in a panic, yet unable to stand due to exhaustion.

The guards and clerical personnel threw every ounce of strength they had to buy time for civilians to escape, but the vampire wouldn’t budge.

Initially, they formed a defensive line and held it, but when the lights exploded without warning, everything flipped.

The darkness swallowed the entire facility, leaving no choice but to escape.

In the end, the guards and inquisitors managed to save only civilians on the escape route, while the Holy Knights, who could not even retrieve the wounded, were forced to retreat, either getting lost in the darkness or unable to find their way back.

Veronica was nowhere to be found save for the moment she stepped out of her room.

I checked the light and muttered.

“Of course, those meant to protect the factors of the saint would be treated like criminals for leaving her behind. Still, they made the best choice in that situation, so there should be room for leniency.”

Looking at that, Francesca smirked and asked.

“So you’re not particularly worried about your sister?”

“Worrying is something one does depending on who it is.”

What kind of person is Veronica? She’s a survival expert who survived the three-way between the Imperial Guard HQ, Inquisition, and Military Intelligence Agency.

Different fields, but when it comes to survival, she’s truly someone to rival Bear Grylls.

“And it’s strange for a saint who has even smashed demons to fall to a mere vampire, right?”

Just moments ago, she was alive and even had a conversation. If it’s Veronica, she must still be alive.

With the last fastening of the bulletproof vest, I finished all my checks. After loading blessed ammo into the chamber, I looked around.

“Are we all ready?”

Francesca, clutching a rune blade inscribed with peculiar characters, nodded. The sound of alchemy potions clinking in her leather pouch could be heard.

Kamila, who had been alternating between clenching her fists and relaxing, responded energetically.

“Yes!”

“Let’s go.”

After giving a light shoulder tap, the soldiers from the Holy Knights, illuminating the darkness with their lights, boarded the elevator.

Kamila and Francesca entered, and once the door closed, I exchanged a few brief words with Ibrahim.

“Is Ibrahim also a priest?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then please say a prayer for us.”

That we may return alive.

Barely had I finished speaking when a loud noise erupted.

– Whoooom…!

The elevator, carrying humans, began to descend.

Towards the darkness hundreds of meters beneath the ground.