A Dark Fantasy Spy

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The philosophical inquiry regarding light and darkness boasts a long and rich history.

This subject even appears in the Bible, specifically in John 1:15, where it states, “The light shone in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.” Here, the term “comprehend” is translated from the Greek word καταλαμβάνω (katalambano), which not only means “to understand” but also carries the connotation of “to overcome.”

Good and evil,

Truth and falsehood,

Golden ages and dark times,

Glory and terror.

The philosophical contemplation of light and darkness has deep roots and has categorized these concepts clearly into distinct polarities.

However, if someone were to ask, “Can light truly overcome darkness?” well, who knows.

Though I’m not one to claim philosophical expertise, it seems to me that this is a question that defies easy answers, at least in this moment.

“……”

Inside the research facility shrouded in darkness.

With heavy steps, I approached the cedar coffin.

Episode 17 – The Tree That Drinks Blood

Francesca released her grip on the rune sword and surveyed the interior of the facility.

“So, this is a place dedicated to researching vampires?”

“To be precise, it was established for the purpose of studying the undead. The research institute is owned by Al-Yabd.”

“Is that so?”

Nodding once, Francesca walked toward a corner table to review the research data. Up until the incident occurred, countless researchers had been investigating vampires here.

The disorganized documents seemed to confirm the urgency of the situation at that time.

While Francesca examined the research data, Camila, who had taken a wider look around the cedar coffin and its surroundings, let out a small gasp.

“When I heard about a vampire, I imagined something out of Twilight, but this… it’s more like Van Helsing.”

“…Are we seriously talking about movies right now?”

I let out a chuckle, dumbfounded.

As I shot her a disapproving glare, Camila shrugged it off and feigned innocence.

“Isn’t it better than being too nervous to say anything at all?”

It was a plausible enough response, but her flippant demeanor had a knack for turning people’s expressions inside out. Just as I was about to deliver a light smack to the back of her head, I barely managed to calm the boiling frustration within me.

Camila looked around like a bystander. Despite our lighting efforts, the ominous darkness had settled firmly in the research facility.

Her expression, although calm as usual, did reveal a hint of mild fear attributed to the shadows surrounding her.

I cautioned Camila and then walked over to Francesca. Her gaze was focused on the documents, which she was scanning with an intriguing glint in her eyes.

“Have you found anything interesting?”

“There’s always something intriguing about coveting forbidden knowledge. There’s no thrill quite like the exhilaration derived from transgressing taboos.”

She meant that even the mere act of delving into knowledge that religion has zealously concealed was fascinating.

They say every magician has a touch of madness, and it certainly felt that way—an answer that seemed a touch deviant, as expected of a magician.

“Just don’t get too engrossed. There’s that saying, isn’t there? If you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you.”

“Are you worried about me?”

A playful smile graced her lips. As Francesca contemplated my warning, she returned her focus to the documents.

“The coffin made of cedar… uses special materials. Usually, only those of royal or noble birth use cypress coffins, while cedar coffins are typically for clergy and other religious figures. To think a vampire’s coffin would be made of cedar.”

We all found that odd.

If the coffin had been made of cypress, it would have suggested that the vampire had been an immense wealth or a member of royalty or nobility during their lifetime. But this was no ordinary wood; it was cedar.

This implied that the vampire had been involved in clerical work while human, and since Al-Yabd didn’t use coffins during their funerals, the “vampire resting in a cedar coffin” was probably linked to the cult.

I’d also heard from Veronica that this had sparked considerable debate within the Holy See. There were claims that a remarkable priest had crafted a coffin of cedar to seal a vampire 800 years ago, and there were also suggestions that the vampire may have originally been a clergyman.

For whatever reason, any assertion that an unholy and malevolent being had ties to them was not palatable to the Holy See, especially for a pope who had once been an Inquisition Director.

That was one of the reasons the cult was adamantly trying to eliminate the vampires.

I cast a sidelong glance at the cedar coffin and tentatively spoke up.

“By the way, it’s strange. A vampire escaped after breaking the seals of the cult and Al-Yabd. Could it be that those who undermined the Inquisition and the Condemnation Committee had grown complacent after centuries of eradication of this species, or was this vampire something beyond imagination?”

“I’m not sure… but I’m more puzzled by the Colonel’s actions.”

“Me?”

Before I could ask what she meant, her answer came swiftly.

Francesca, who had been leisurely examining the data, turned her gaze toward me.

“That man, Akande, whom we brought from the Necropolis. You went through all the trouble to bring him here, yet you didn’t let him enter the facility.”

Her words sent a sharp reminder of the earlier incident. At the moment Ibrahim and I had been trying to enter the facility, Akande had suddenly appeared, blocking our way with a serious expression, asking to be allowed inside as well.

But his pleas had been dismissed. And the person who had rejected Akande’s request was the very same person who had guided him here.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I responded nonchalantly.

“Because he’s not someone I can trust.”

“No trust?”

Francesca queried back, and I nodded curtly, showing my indifference.

Even if a vampire hadn’t escaped, I wouldn’t have brought Akande here. But with the vampire breaking the seals and the facility in a de facto lockdown state, bringing someone I didn’t trust into such a perilous situation was practically inviting disaster. Especially when the safety of Camila and Francesca was at stake.

“I can’t entrust my life to someone I cannot trust.”

She seemed to share my sentiment, as she didn’t dispute or object. Having satisfied her curiosity, Francesca returned to her reading of the data that the researchers had been unable to recover.

“Attention, team.”

Everyone turned towards Ibrahim, who had quietly started to speak.

“From now on, we will begin searching the research facility. Rachel and Daniel, check the central control system; Isaiah, verify the seals and barriers.”

*

After receiving the commander’s orders, the members of the Order of the Holy Knights dispersed to their designated positions.

Rachel and Daniel, assigned to secure the central control system, took two additional members with them, while Isaiah began to patrol near the cedar coffin with two other team members.

“Hero, could you step out for a moment?”

“Oh, sure.”

The member shone a light on the barrier laid out on the ground. The barrier consisted of thick salt, forming a circle around the cedar coffin.

“What’s this salt?”

“It’s blessed salt. It carries the energy to suppress the unclean.”

With his kind explanation, Camila nodded in understanding.

The members of the Order of the Holy Knights checked the various barriers and seals, while Camila, curious, knelt down to observe closely, placing her hands on her knees as she leaned in.

As she could no longer restrain her curiosity, she picked up some salt and put it on her tongue.

“Yuck! It’s salty….”

“Of course it would be, since it’s salt.”

I lightly teased Camila, who grimaced at the taste, and then resumed observing the Holy Knights.

Some were caressing a statue shaped like an angel, while others were flipping through talismans.

Suddenly curious about what these actions meant, I inquired of Ibrahim, who explained that they were basic methods for checking seals and barriers.

“If unclean and malevolent entities pass through, something will invariably go wrong with the seals and barriers. The most typical phenomenon is discoloration. If even a trace of their presence touches them, they will immediately turn a dreadful shade of black.”

“So that was the reason for using the salt?”

“Exactly. The bright white salt will show any discoloration instantly for visible confirmation.”

Now that the religious wars have faded into history, the primary enemies of the Order of the Holy Knights have become heretics and the undead.

In that sense, Ibrahim could be considered a specialist in anti-undead warfare. He continued explaining based on his experiences.

“I once received a request from the government to eliminate a criminal organization colluding with evil spirits in Kerkegor. After receiving reports from local authorities of evil spirit sightings, we laid salt barriers at every cave entrance mentioned; each time the creature passed through, the salt would turn black.”

“Did that mean the salt barriers weren’t effective at blocking them?”

“They weren’t set up to block them. They were a type of alarm designed to detect traces.”

An alarm, huh? That was an intriguing application.

I interpreted that as meaning one could modify the purpose of the barriers to suit their needs or that the types and usages of barriers varied.

“Then is that salt barrier also an alarm?”

Shaking his head firmly, Ibrahim replied.

“That’s meant to prevent the vampire from escaping. The other seals and barriers here are the same.”

In other words, it implied that the vampire had completely disregarded the seals and barriers to escape.

Upon hearing Ibrahim’s explanation, I couldn’t help but fall into deep contemplation. Even though we lacked substantial information on vampires, the seals and barriers that had been painstakingly crafted by the Inquisition and the Condemnation Committee had evidently failed.

Something was amiss.

Sensing the unusual tension, Ibrahim reassured us not to worry, but even his veteran commander status didn’t ease my concerns.

“If the target isn’t undead, do the seals and barriers lose their effectiveness entirely?”

“Of course, they wouldn’t work. They were created to keep out unclean and evil beings. If good beings couldn’t pass through, that wouldn’t be the intended outcome, would it?”

“…….”

Ibrahim gazed at Camila, who was flitting around between the seals and barriers. Maybe having swallowed her fear, she was wandering without a care around the cedar coffin.

While the Holy Knights were busily checking the seals and barriers, awaited reports finally came in.

-“We’ve arrived at the power room.”

The second team of Holy Knights, who had parted near the elevator, reported that they reached their destination.

Upon entering the power room, the sub-team leader checked the facility’s electrical and magical circuits and reported the issues.

-“Electricity and magical supply are operating normally. All equipment is functioning as intended, but there seems to be an issue solely with the lighting.”

“…Only the lights are problematic?”

-‘That’s correct.’

“Understood. First, see if it’s repairable and get back to me.”

Ibrahim laid down the radio, a puzzling expression on his face.

“It seems there’s a problem with the lights.”

“Is it just the lights and nothing else?”

“Yes.”

That was certainly strange.

Everything else was functioning normally, yet only the lighting was causing an issue. It seemed unrealistic, but beyond attributing it to the vampire’s interference, I couldn’t come up with a clearer reason.

I scratched my chin in confusion and muttered.

“At any rate, it’s fortunate that the only issue is the lighting and everything else is normal. For now, it seems the elevator is operational, so we’re secure on that front.”

“The rest hinges on the central control room. We can verify the entire facility’s access records from there. As long as that terminal is operational, we can restore contact with the surface and find out where Saint Veronica is.”

And the vampire’s location.

Just as I was about to share information briefly with Francesca, the checks on the seals and barriers were rounding off.

The Holy Knights, who had been in charge of the inspections, delivered their report with uncertain expressions.

“We… didn’t find any problems.”

“No problems? What does that mean?”

“Our inspection revealed that all seals and barriers were normal.”

The members of the Holy Knights reported that they found no signs of damage or discoloration. They stated the seals and barriers remained just as they were upon installation.

The results were utterly incomprehensible to the seasoned veterans who had faced countless undead in battle.

Ibrahim stared at his subordinates with a mixture of shock and bewilderment, causing unease among the rest of us.

“How does it make sense that a vampire escaped, yet the seals and barriers remain intact? Check again.”

“Yes!”

Sensing something was off, I swiftly approached Camila. She was slowly circling the cedar coffin, intrigued.

“Camila, do you sense anything unusual?”

“Anything unusual? What kind of unusual?”

“Like, you know, the way you felt nauseous in the department store before. Just that weird feeling of unease, or maybe if your head spins.”

With her keen sensitivity, I was sure Camila would pick up on something imperceptible to others.

But her response was unexpectedly vague.

“Umm… I don’t really feel anything strange?”

“Really? You’re not sensing anything at all?”

“Other than the musty smell of old wood from the coffin… honestly, I don’t know. What’s supposed to be strange?”

Just then.

-“We’ve entered the central control room. We’ve located the terminal running normally.”

The report came in from the team that had reached the control room.

That place was akin to a treasure vault containing the information vital to managing the entire facility.

“Can we check the access records?”

Ibrahim asked, and the immediate reply came.

-‘Accessing the records with admin privileges for the terminal now.’

“Verify thoroughly around the research facility without missing a single detail.”

Typing sounds and the sound of objects being flipped could be heard. The members were thoroughly searching through the control room and terminal.

Ibrahim brought the radio close, ears straining for positive news. I waited anxiously by his side, hoping to hear good tidings.

And finally.

-‘…We found it!’

A hurried member grabbed the radio and spoke with excitement.

-‘We found the access record of Saint Veronica. She entered the research facility around 18:03 and moved deeper in at 18:45.’

I checked the time on my wristwatch. The current time was 19:12.

In other words, Veronica had—

“That means she was in the research facility just 25 minutes ago.”

Ibrahim ordered them to check for other records. To scour the terminal for every last trace of Veronica’s movements.

While the team members in the control room hunted down her trail, Ibrahim instructed the second team to find Veronica as soon as the lighting repairs were completed. The sub-team leader replied that the lights would soon be turned on and that he would check the search route in the direction of the research facility.

At last, I managed to relax a bit.

“What a relief. We need to evacuate Saint Veronica as soon as possible.”

“We will. Once we’re in contact with the surface, we’ll request backup forces to evacuate the staff to the hospital.”

“Sounds good.”

Finally, we would end this accursed vampire.

We would soon reunite with Veronica, and once the support teams arrived, we would ensure the vampire’s demise. Camila could burn the place to the ground with the vampire trapped in the underground.

Whatever it was, it was good news. With my tension easing, I relayed the updates to Camila and Francesca, my expression lightening considerably.

“You found my sister?”

“Yes. We’ll be meeting her soon.”

“That’s great news.”

Francesca responded with a soothing tone. Her face bore a smile equally bright as her relieved demeanor.

Relief washed over her at the thought of meeting Veronica, and she turned to Camila, speaking in a refreshing voice.

“Isn’t it a relief, Hero?”

“…….”

“Hero?”

Despite her name being called, Camila did not react.

Staring at the cedar coffin, she had suddenly lifted her gaze towards the ceiling. The vast ceiling and corners of the research facility remained enveloped in darkness, untouched by light.

“What’s wrong, Camila?”

“…….”

“…Camila!”

“Up there, something….”

The moment I sensed something unusual and raised my voice.

-‘…Commander?’

A sinister report began to echo through the radio.

-‘While tracking the trace of Saint Veronica, we discovered an unusual record. It’s an access record for the research facility… When I checked the logs, it showed as unverified…?’

The report reached Ibrahim immediately.

As he was checking the barriers and seals with his subordinates, he snatched the radio connected to his bulletproof vest.

“An unverified access record? All personnel and cargo entering the research facility are registered at the control room. How can it be unverified?”

-‘We informed you due to our confusion.’

“Go into detail.”

The member, having promptly checked the system, began to explain.

-‘After reviewing all entries from the past three months, there are only two unverified access records. The first record indicates an exit from the research facility after 18:00 today.’

“…….”

-‘The second record remains from 19:00 today, indicating an entry into the research facility….’

At that moment, the member’s report abruptly ceased.

In the sudden silence, Ibrahim called out.

“Rachel?”

-‘Get out of there now! Someone is currently in the research facility—’

Just then.

Thud! A mysterious, heavy thud reverberated throughout the facility. The Holy Knights brandished their weapons, and Francesca noticed the source of the sound.

“…The lights are coming on.”

The previously dark corridor began to glow once more.

Lights that had been off flickered to life, illuminating the corridor one by one. Instead of the relief that should have accompanied this newfound visibility, an inexplicable sense of dread overpowered me.

The panicked Holy Knights kept their eyes peeled, and as Francesca and I prepared for combat, a frantic voice came from the team heading to the control room.

-‘Someone is currently inside the research facility!’

As that declaration reached our ears, the final light flickered on.

In an instant, the brilliance of the light stole away our adapted vision to the dark. Brightened beyond recognition, my gaze swept through the hazy view, and as I spotted Camila standing dazed, I hurriedly pulled her back.

-Thunk!

A heavy metallic sound echoed right in front of us.

Regaining my composure, I raised my firearm. Francesca and the Holy Knights pivoted, aiming their weapons just as I did.

All eyes converged on a single point.

And at the end of that line of gaze, what appeared was—

A knight clad in an unknown plate armor.

“…….”

Clank! The sound of levers being operated pierced my eardrums.

The orders from Commander Ibrahim of the Holy Knights soon followed, having readied his aim.

“Fire!”

The sharp crack of gunfire and the scent of gunpowder swept through the research facility.

*

The movement of the trigger mechanism was dynamic. The steel moved forward and backward in a relentless rhythm, violently expelling white smoke.

As a blinding light flashed, a loud gunshot followed. Shell casings rolled over the flat concrete, and the shockwaves from the bullets striking the concrete battered our eardrums.

Despite the hasty onset of the attack, their accuracy was undeniable. The Holy Knights fell back, firing their weapons. Having created distance, they instinctively took cover behind any available objects, pouring lead into the enemy.

Yet, even after multiple magazines worth of ammunition were expended, the foe did not falter.

“…….”

The vampire displayed not even the slightest hint of surprise.

Like a statue that had endured through centuries, it remained still even under the barrage of blessed ammo. Those blessed bullets splattered against the plate armor, dropping harmlessly to the ground, while the vampire remained completely unfazed by the countless gunshots.

Realizing the absurdity of their situation, the ones panicking were not the vampires, but the Holy Knights.

“It’s not working!”

With that sharp proclamation from a knight, Ibrahim bit down hard on his jaw in frustration.

“Use armor-piercing rounds!”

Several Holy Knights began to replace their magazines, led by the commander. The remaining knights continued firing at the vampire, determined to keep it restrained.

“Cover me!”

A knight switching his magazine hastily pulled out a weapon shaped like a silvery sphere with a button on it.

As pressure was applied, the button sank in, and hidden blades sprang forth. The skilled knight deftly hurled the bomb as he drew upon all of his strength.

The tossing bomb, gaining momentum, shot through the air. Dazzling in the light, its spinning blades resembled a boomerang, while its sleek body looked akin to a baseball.

At that moment, the bomb, imbued with holy water and silver, was hurled towards the standing vampire.

-Click…!

The creature raised its arm swiftly, twisting its body and launching its gauntlet against the bomb.

The heavy gauntlet collided with the projectile. Unable to withstand the tremendous force, the bomb careened off, reversing flight, and landed dangerously close to the Holy Knights.

“Get down!”

Boom! A thunderous blast and smoke shook the cavern.

The members, who barely managed to dive away, avoided the explosion, yet their moment of confusion led to a gap in their offense.

And the vampire did not miss that brief opportunity.

-Creeeak, whooom!

As the attacks paused, the vampire ripped away debris from the surroundings to fashion a shield. Utilizing its monstrous strength, it tore a several hundred-kilogram freezer from a corner of the lab.

“It found cover!”

As I shouted, Ibrahim and the Holy Knights hastily pumped armor-piercing rounds into the vampire. Perhaps realizing the threat posed by the armor-piercing rounds, the vampire began utilizing the nearby environment.

Rat-tat-tat! The freezer was obliterated, and once the makeshift shield had served its purpose, the vampire ducked behind concrete cover.

Despite its ignorance of the armor-piercing rounds, it appeared to have an instinctual awareness of the strongest materials in the facility—rebar and concrete. Simultaneously, it recognized that projectiles such as standard rifle rounds wouldn’t penetrate.

“…It catches on quick.”

Though I meant to resort to bombs and the weapons of the Holy Knights to take out the vampire, I found it insufficient.

As the bomb let out its distinctive whir, perhaps sensing the smooth noise emanating from the activated device, the creature leapt to another nearby cover the moment I made my throw. My attempts to corner it with additional bombs faltered repeatedly.

“Flank it!”

“Spread left and right!”

The Holy Knights moved to shift their positions to aim at the hidden vampire. But the vampire was fast on its feet.

“…!”

Darting quickly from cover to cover, the vampire located one of the weary Holy Knights. Spotting a knight still trying to set up, the vampire weaved effortlessly through gunfire and dashed swiftly toward him.

As the knight was hiding behind the desk, ready to reload, he recognized the vampire’s approach and swiftly pulled out his sidearm.

As he aimed his pistol at the gap in the helmet, the vampire’s gauntlet intercepted the strike. The knight, whose aim was thwarted, immediately swung a knife encrusted with holy oil; however—

“Gah!”

With a powerful kick, the knight was sent flying several meters back.

Witnessing his comrade’s misfortune, several knights rushed toward the vampire, but their attacks couldn’t even graze its skin.

When a rifle pressed against the armor, the vampire twisted its body to evade the shot; as a tactical axe aimed to hack down, the vampire simply seized the wrist and twisted it painfully.

“Ugh!”

With eerie ease, the vampire snapped the wrist of the knight brandishing the gleaming axe, triumphantly wrenching it from his grasp.

The dull sound echoed as if one had been struck not by a blade but by a thick object. As the knight fell, a different knight stepped in, only to be greeted with the vampire’s fierce gauntlet.

The unfortunate knight collided painfully with the shelf, and a wave of research equipment cascaded toward him. Covered in fragments and debris, he fell backward along with the shelf.

“Ahhh!”

By pure chance, Camila had regained her wits and successfully caught the knight as he fell. Meanwhile, Francesca was aiding the fallen knights, relocating them to safer areas.

On the other hand, the vampire exuded a calm demeanor, unaffected by the commandeering onslaught.

After subduing the invaders, it pivoted, scanning for new prey among the Holy Knights.

Spotting them retreating from their cover, I shouted desperately.

“Everyone get back!”

-Whoosh!

I activated the flamethrower loaded with holy oil.

The vampire reeled back, stumbling from the brunt of the flames. I adjusted my firepower and called out to the injured and remaining knights, including Ibrahim, as I suppressed the creature.

“I’ll hold it back! Hurry and go!”

“Where do we go?!”

“Don’t you have someone to find?”

Veronica.

“Quickly—go save her! Leave this to us!”

“…….”

“Now!”

Surprisingly, as Ibrahim and the vampire exchanged glances, he bit his lower lip, ready to assist his fallen comrades.

“I’ll call for reinforcements.”

Though he didn’t finish the sentence, its meaning was evident. A sardonic smile crept onto my face.

“Sure, leave this to me while you run off. How incredibly convenient! I never thought I’d utter something like that.”

The flame sputtered and began to dwindle.

The moment the last cartridge ejected, the once-terrifying fire dwindled rapidly, allowing the vampire to emerge unscathed. Remarkably, the armor it wore showed no signs of having been charred even slightly.

To describe it as unharmed felt inadequate, as not a single speck of soot marred the vampire’s appearance, causing an involuntary sigh to escape my lips.

“How on earth are we supposed to capture that….”

While I exchanged cartridges, I turned to the duo.

“It seems the Holy Knights have failed. Do either of you have a solid plan to deal with that thing?”

Camila and Francesca answered almost simultaneously.

“I don’t know.”

“I think we should start with what we can do.”

What wonderfully reassuring responses, indeed.

With a quiet sigh at their lack of support, I tightened my grip on my weapon and voiced my intent.

“Well, let’s see if we can manage it anyway.”