Danmachi: Echoes of a Vampire God

The air was thick, filled with a silent pressure. The 24th floor of the Dungueon stretched out like a giant ancient tree carved by titans, adorned with an eerie blue light that oozed from the moss-covered walls. The walls, floor, and even the ceiling were made of wood, making it seem like the interior of a giant tree. It was a large and deep floor, infested with monsters as silent as they were deadly.

Kael exhaled calmly, preparing himself. In front of him, a group of monsters charged towards him at full speed, like a final wave. They were three Swordstags, with sharp hooves and horns as sharp as blades, moving with an otherworldly grace. Around them were three Lizardmen, almost imperceptible if not for his senses, and beyond, ambushing from the darkness, a pair of Hobgoblins, their dark green skin and vibrating fangs staring at him as if they could already taste his flesh.

But Kael did not flinch, nor did he tremble.

His right arm was immediately covered by a black claw, the edges glowing with a dark red, latent like a living vein. Around him, his blood began to stir, a liquid dance that emerged from his skin to form crimson filaments that spun around him, as beautiful as they were lethal.

'Lately my control has improved quite a bit,' he thought as his eyes glowed.

The first Swordstag charged.

But before it could even lower its horns in his direction, Kael dodged with an almost impossible movement, leaving a line of hardened blood in the air that curved like a serpent and pierced the Swordstag's throat. There was no sound, no reaction, only a purple dust as its body dissolved into magical particles.

The second Swordstag reacted with a screech, firing air blasts with its hooves, but the blood barrier covering Kael's body absorbed the impact. The reinforced area cracked partly, but did not break through.

He jumped.

From the air, he invoked two blades of hardened blood that crossed like scissors as he descended. The Swordstag was cut in half without mercy.

The third, the fastest, managed to reach him with a charge from behind.

The tines grazed Kael's side. The hardened blood that protected the area exploded like red crystal, dampening the damage, but allowing a slight cut on his side. A thread of red blood seeped from his wound.

Kael gritted his teeth.

The wound was not serious, but it was enough to remind him that he could still bleed.

He responded by sending a spinning blood claw directly at the deer's neck. It ended in a second.

But there was no time to rest.

The Lizardmen moved like shadows, waiting for a mistake. But Kael was one step ahead. His magical sense expanded like ripples in a pond, perceiving vibrations, intentions, energy.

One of the Lizardmen in the shadows pounced.

Kael raised a blood spear and threw it without looking. A muffled screech and the body of one of the Lizardmen fell with a dull thud.

The second tried to attack him from behind.

Kael rolled over himself to avoid the attack, while activating a spinning field of short blades made of blood that floated like petals. The reptile's body was shredded before it could touch him. The third hesitated for a second… and that second was all Kael needed.

A small blood stake emerged from the shadow of the lizard and pierced it straight through the head. It disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke as its magical stone hit the floor.

Kael had discovered that while he could not pass through their shadows, his blood projections could, as long as they were smaller than the shadow portal.

The problem was that he could only use the shadows that were in his line of sight, as he needed to concentrate on the shadows he was manipulating to keep them from collapsing before his blood projections passed through.

The floor began to fill with magical stones. They were the cores of the monsters he had defeated, crystalline purple fragments of power that the Dungueon gave as a reward for killing its inhabitants.

The Hobgoblins roared from the back. Giants over two meters tall with dark green skin, heavy but not slow, dangerous if you let them corner you. Their bone hammers glowed with the faint light of the floor.

Kael did not wait for them to attack.

He ran towards the first and jumped. Mid-air, he unleashed a blood lance under his feet that propelled him even higher and he dived down onto its skull. The claw sank… but not enough. The skull was dense, hard, not an easy prey.

The Hobgoblin roared and launched its fist upwards.

Kael covered his torso with a layer of hardened blood.

The punch sent him flying backwards with force, breaking some of the blood plates that protected him. His back cracked against the wall, but he held firm. He coughed up a little blood from the impact.

'That… hurt.'

The second Hobgoblin took advantage to charge towards him.

Kael closed his eyes for a second, calming his pulse. Then, he raised both arms and channeled all his free blood into the environment, dozens of floating blades appeared around him. They were not large, but they were precise and sharp.

When the Hobgoblin reached less than three meters, Kael opened his eyes.

The blades began to spin at high speed around him, turning into a bloody vortex of death. The Hobgoblin was riddled with blades, trying to defend itself, but attacked from all sides, it had no chance. The ground trembled under its weight as it fell dead before it disappeared.

The other, seeing the horrible scene, tried to flee.

Kael smiled.

He extended his hand towards the ground, where a small shadow stretched.

'How convenient.'

A blood lance emerged from the Hobgoblin's shadow and pierced it from the ground up. Its body exploded into magical particles, leaving its stone rolling slowly.

Kael was breathing heavily when he finished with all the monsters. The blood that covered him began to return to his body. There were small wounds here and there, but nothing serious.

He walked among the remains of the monsters around him.

The magical stones glowed everywhere, small, pure, violent in essence. Each one was a proof of his progress in this world.

Kael looked up.

He activated his shadow ability.

The shadows underneath the stones stretched like dark tongues, swallowing one by one the stones. As if they were sinking into small ponds. One, two, five, dozens disappeared in seconds.

'Thank goodness I thought of giving this use to my shadow ability.'

His inner voice sounded relaxed. Almost amused.

'I suppose those were the last group of the day.'

He took a step forward. Then another.

He began to walk with a constant and sure pace towards the entrance that would take him to the 25th floor. He knew exactly where he had to go. The path between the 24th and 25th was full of dark tunnels and irregular walls, but Kael walked as if he already knew them.

Every time a presence appeared… he stopped.

His senses were no longer human. His perception was a vibrant network. He listened, smelled, perceived magic, movement, intention. Every time he felt an adventurer, he simply changed direction. It was not cowardice. It was efficiency. There was no need to waste more time on meaningless conversations with people who might mistake him for a monster due to his appearance.

Minutes passed. Then an hour.

And finally, he arrived.

The 25th floor was darker. The walls were covered with glowing moss and the temperature was lower. Water ran through natural channels, and the sound of aquatic life enveloped him.

He followed the same path he had taken before.

And then, he saw her.

Marie.

The small mermaid swam in one of the water channels, like a fish waiting for its owner. As soon as she saw him, she raised both arms with a smile as bright as the stones Kael kept in his shadow.

"Kael!"

Her voice was clear, musical, and loaded with a childish joy that always managed to touch a deep fiber within him.

Kael could not help but let out a small smile. His lips curled softly, almost unconsciously.

"I'm back, Marie. Sorry for the delay. We can leave now."

Without waiting any longer, Kael dived into the water where Marie waited for him. She swam towards him immediately, and without asking for permission, hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest while holding on as if she had not seen him in days.

Kael felt the warmth of her arms.

'Lately Marie has been more clingy than usual.'

He did not say anything. But his cheeks flushed slightly.

Marie's hands… moved.

More than necessary.

But he decided not to mention it. He just sighed as he accepted the hug.

Marie took his hand enthusiastically, pulling him through the water. She swam in perfect sync with the water. In no time, they reached the cave where they had been staying for the last two days since Kael returned from Rivira.

As soon as they arrived, Kael took out the bag that was in his shadow, which contained all the magical stones he had obtained in his hunt today.

It was the same one Marie had given him before.

He opened it and offered it to her.

Marie, who was already looking at him like a puppy waiting for food, blinked with her large shiny eyes before gently taking the bag.

Inside, dozens of magical stones.

Marie started eating them one by one, as if they were candies. The small violet gems melted in her mouth with a faint glow, filling her with energy. Her skin seemed to glow slightly after each bite.

Kael watched her.

'Although the increase is small, it is still there. At this rate, she will not take long to reach level 3 in a couple of weeks.'

Marie kept eating with an expression so happy that it seemed that in her world there was neither fear nor sadness. Each magical stone that she put in her mouth was received with a soft glow on her cheeks, as if each bite brought her closer to a dream that only she could see.

Kael, in silence, watched her from the water's edge. Sat with his legs crossed, his eyes lost between the faint glow that emanated from the water and the figure of the mermaid. Something in his chest tightened. Something warm, but also heavy.

That was when he remembered.

It was on the night of the day after he made his decision to join a family.

He had arrived once more to the cave after a day of hunting monsters non-stop. He had been collecting magical stones in large quantities so that Marie and he could get stronger quickly. But at that moment a sudden thought assaulted him—

—'She could use her song to enchant them and obtain them more easily...', it was a good idea, while he fought and obtained more magical stones while practicing with his abilities, Marie could also collect more quickly thanks to her song.

But when he consulted with her about his idea, she seemed determined not to do it.

And when Kael asked her why, Marie looked at him, tilting her head as if the question was hard for her to answer. Then, she smiled in that way of hers, as if her heart was made of bubbles and sweetness.

she responded while still eating—

—"Marie likes more the ones Kael brings for her."

Kael frowned, confused. He wanted to think that maybe the magical stones that he obtained were different, that his had a purer essence, a different taste, something that would justify her response. But then came the phrase that left him speechless—

—"Marie likes to know that Kael cares so much for her that he goes every day to hunt monsters so that she can strengthen herself with his magical stones."

The cave fell into a heavy silence.

Only the drops falling from the ceiling, and the soft splash of the water that Marie agitated with the smooth movements of her tail could be heard.

Kael lowered his head slightly, covering his face with his hair.

"…So, you don't get more magical stones on your own because… you like to know that I fight for them… for you…?", his voice was low, almost disbelieving.

"Yes!", responded Marie enthusiastically, nodding with enthusiasm as if he had said the most obvious thing in the world.

Kael let out an almost inaudible sigh and stood up slowly. His steps were silent, heavy, he advanced until he stopped in front of her. Marie looked at him, still with her innocent smile, not understanding the sudden silence.

"Kael?", she asked with a curious voice.

Without answering, he crouched down, raised a hand… and with a small toc, gave her a soft tap on the forehead with his index finger.

"¡Kyaaaaa!", exclaimed Marie bringing one of her hands to the place of the tap, which now had a more intense blue.

Finally, Kael's expression was visible. A bulging vein crossed his forehead, and his smile… his smile did not reach his eyes.

"So… while I went out to fight against monsters for you, you didn't use your song just because you wanted me to pamper you… right?

Marie blinked, nervous. Her tail stirred under the water.

"M-Marie can explain…"

"Go ahead, I'm listening."

"It's that… Marie remembered the story that Kael told her once… about the mermaid and her prince. Marie thought that you were her prince, and… Marie likes how you look when you return with a smile saying that you do it for her. Kael looks very manly. Marie didn't want to ruin it using her song."

Another toc sounded on her forehead.

"¡Kyaaaa~!", she exclaimed again, now with both hands on her forehead while having her eyes closed.

Kael turned without saying a word. He walked a few steps and stopped, still with his back to her.

"And here I was worried… thinking that you didn't use your song because you could attract the monster that was chasing you… silly mermaid."

His voice tried to sound annoyed, but the tremor in it betrayed him. Even without seeing him face to face, Marie noticed the slight blush that tinged Kael's ears.

A mischievous smile replaced her previous innocence on Marie's face. Without emitting any sound, she dived under the water.

Kael, still with his back turned, murmured—

—"A-Anyway, you should start looking for your own magical stones—"

He couldn't finish. The water exploded behind him and he barely had time to turn when something blue and green came at him like a projectile.

'Not again—', he thought just before Marie fell on him, knocking him down completely.

Kael fell backwards against the damp floor of the cave. The impact was strong, but he barely felt it. Because right above him, without her shells and with her old torn shirt hanging from one shoulder, was Marie. And a part of her "dangerous" feminine charm threatened to emerge from the poorly placed cloth.

Marie looked at him fixedly, with that smile that could disarm armies, her arms on both sides of his head.

Kael couldn't say anything. He couldn't move.

But Marie could.

She leaned towards him. Their faces were so close that they could feel each other's breath. But just before their lips touched… she stopped. She lowered her head abruptly and rested it on Kael's chest, hugging him tightly.

Kael looked down and saw her pretending to be asleep. Her gill-like ears and her face were tinged with an intense blue. He held back a laugh with a small "pfff".

The arms of Marie… tightened even more around him. Now the blue on her skin was deeper, brighter, more adorable.

Kael didn't say anything. Instead of teasing her, he simply thought:

"If you're going to surprise me that way… at least finish what you started, silly mermaid…"

And with a tenderness that he would never show with words, he passed an arm over her back and pulled her even closer to his chest. With the other hand, he lifted her face gently, kissed her forehead —still somewhat red from the taps— and murmured—

—"Good night, Marie."

After fighting monsters all day, Kael was exhausted. His body could take no more. Sleep overcame him.

Marie opened her eyes a few seconds later. She remained still, first wanting to make sure Kael was really asleep. She observed him in silence. His face looked so serene… so pure. He had soft, youthful features. Slightly disheveled dark hair. Defined eyebrows. Slightly pointed ears. Her eyes lingered for a moment on the small scales he still had near his neck. They looked almost like black jewels attached to his skin..

He was...

'Beautiful...'

Marie sat up slowly, without taking her eyes off him. Her breathing became more erratic, more... savage. Her chest rose and fell forcefully as she slowly approached his face.

Her lips trembled, and her eyes… shone.

And then… she leaned in.

This time she did not stop.

With a courage she had never felt before, she pressed her lips softly against Kael's.

The world seemed to stop at that moment.

There was no music. No fireworks. Only silence, and the soft beat of Kael's heart. Only the two of them, sharing a stolen moment.

Marie pulled away trembling. Her lips were wet. Her breathing agitated. Her eyes, normally sweet and naive, now shone with an intensity different… dangerous. An unknown emotion grew within her.

A kiss.

A real one.

One that he didn't know about.

But that they had shared nonetheless.

A smile appeared slowly on Marie's face, but it was not the same as always.

It was not the innocent and sweet smile that seemed to never leave her face.

No, this smile was obsessive. Crazy. A perfect blend of tenderness and uncontrollable desire.

Even she herself didn't understand all the emotions she was feeling at that moment.

'What's happening to me…?', she thought.

Thoughts that she didn't have before were now surging non-stop. Images. Ideas. Scenarios that she would have never imagined. But since she met Kael… since he bit her neck… since he hugged her… Since he sucked her blood...

She changed.

Little by little, those thoughts that she used to ignore began to grow. First, they were timid, like "What if I stay closer to him?" Then, more daring, "What if I touch him more?".

Until today…

Today, she had taken the step. She had kissed him.

And although Kael didn't know it… for Marie, that had been enough.

With effort, she contained her impulse to pounce on him. To devour him. To claim him. To make him hers.

'Not... yet.', she knew that it wasn't the time, that it could break his trust and make him hate her if she suddenly attacked him like that.

So she would hold back... for now.

Marie returned to her position on his chest, curling up with slowness, forcing herself to breathe calmly. She hugged him as if her life depended on it. And little by little, her smile changed. It returned to the one she always had. Innocent. Soft. Calm.

As if nothing had happened.

And thus, she fell asleep after a while...

—end of memory—

Kael opened his eyes slowly.

'So… that's how it happened', he thought as he sighed. 'And I ended up bringing her magical stones again… because I couldn't say no.'

He looked at Marie, who was now leaning against a rock while still eating. She seemed so happy, so calm… so carefree.

Kael smiled wearily.

'She's a fool sometimes… but somehow, she makes me not mind.'

But his smile faded as he closed his eyes.

He had to keep getting stronger. But not by using directly on the monsters. Every time he did, a small part of him changed, tinged with that wild energy. And though he didn't say it out loud… he was worried.

He feared turning into one of them if he kept absorbing them carelessly.

A wild monster without consciousness.

So instead, he began to absorb some of the magical stones he had collected for Marie. Not all of them. Just some.

He felt his energy becoming clearer. More his. More stable.

His body was still that of a mid-level adventurer of level 2, but his magic… was another story.

After absorbing several dozen stones, his energy vibrated with a purity and power that rivaled that of a max-level 3 magic specialist. Not in quantity… but in quality.

And considering that his energy didn't deplete…

'It's not so important how much I have if I never lose it', he thought with a half-smile.

Marie finished her portion and, without saying much, left him a few dozen magical stones. He didn't take long to absorb them.

One by one.

Until he reached the last one.

And as he felt his energy reaching a new threshold, he knew.

'My energy must be comparable to a level 4 adventurer now', he realized in that moment.

'It's time… tonight I'm going to keep the promise I made to Marie.'

Kael stood up.

Two days had passed since he found out he only had seven days left before the protagonist arrived in Orario. That meant he now had only five.

And he couldn't afford to wait any longer.

The timeline had already been altered. He didn't exist in the original story. He was an anomaly. A mistake.

And mistakes… change everything.

He had indirectly helped save the Xenos.

He had caused the earlier attack on Rivira.

And the worst — he had killed Dix.

None of that should have happened. None of it.

And yet… it did.

He couldn't rely on things staying the same. He couldn't even ensure the protagonist would arrive at Orario at the right time. His mere existence was affecting the balance of this world.

So he had to act.

And fast.

He had to reach Hestia as soon as possible. Only with her divinity on his side would he be truly secure in his future. Only then could he keep moving forward without the world rejecting him.

But first…

First, he had to keep a promise.

The Moss Huge.

The monster that had chased Marie for so long. The same one that turned her refuge on floor 27 into a trap. The one that had taken her home away.

Kael couldn't leave her behind knowing that creature was still out there. Not when she could be in danger. Not when his heart ached just imagining her hurt.

He looked at Marie.

She was watching him curiously.

Her eyes said —'What are you doing?'

Kael answered with words.

"Today I'm going to keep the promise I made to you."

Marie's body tensed.

Her fingers, which until then had been playing with the water silently, trembled slightly. Her eyes, always full of sweetness and joy, now widened with a mix of fear and confusion.

"…Huh?" was all she could whisper, as if her mind took a few seconds to process the words she had just heard.

But Kael did not look away.

He remained firm, his eyes shining with determination. A determination that Marie recognized. It was the same she had seen when he decided to protect her, the same that drove him to go out every day to hunt monsters. It was that unbreakable flame that always burned within him… but that now terrified her.

"No, no, no…" she murmured, her words starting to spill out hurriedly, "Kael can't… not yet… that monster is too strong! Kael can't face it yet!"

She rushed to him, water splashing behind her as she threw herself into his arms. Her hands clung tightly to his shirt, squeezing, trembling. She looked directly into his eyes. Begging.

Kael didn't move.

He didn't respond at first. He just looked at her. Listened to her.

And then he spoke, calmly. With a sadness hidden behind his firm voice.

"I know. But still… I have to do it."

"Why?" she asked, her voice breaking, her breath short. "Why does it have to be today? Everything is fine, Kael… Marie is also getting stronger… in a few weeks we could fight together, we could be safer…"

Marie's look was a mess of emotions. Desperation. Pain. Fear. Love.

Kael clenched his fists.

He knew he would hurt her with his words. He knew his decision would break something inside her.

But it was necessary.

"I have something important to do on the surface," he said after a while. "Something I can't postpone. It's important for me… for us. For our future."

She blinked.

"Our… future?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I have little time left. And I can't leave knowing you're down here… in danger. I can't leave you alone with that monster still free."

Marie looked down.

Her forehead rested against his chest as the trembling in her body became more evident. Her fingers trembled, but she didn't let go. On the contrary. She held on tighter.

Kael let her.

He let her lean on him, in silence.

But inside her, a storm raged.

She understood. She understood what those words meant. It was no longer just about a promise… no. Kael needed to leave. He needed to go… away from her.

And he couldn't do it while knowing the Moss Huge was still alive.

She was holding him back, because of her, Kael couldn't leave.

He wanted to go to the surface… but he also wanted to protect her.

It was so… so like Kael.

Marie closed her eyes.

She didn't want him to go. Not like this. Not now. And yet… she knew she couldn't stop him.

She tried one last time.

"Marie doesn't want Kael to do it… yet," she said with a trembling voice. "Kael should wait more… get stronger… then he wouldn't be so dangerous… then he would be safe."

Kael, still not moving her from his chest, raised a hand and gently placed it on her head.

"I have to go, Marie," he whispered softly. "Trust me. I wouldn't do it if I didn't feel ready."

She raised her face with tears flooding her eyes.

"Kael isn't… not for him," she murmured. "That monster… is too strong… Kael… you could…"

she stopped before finishing her words.

He already knew. He knew the chance of him dying was very high.

But still… he had made a decision.

Kael gently moved her away from his chest, and looked into her eyes. His fingers caressed her wet cheek.

"Marie… can you take me to your hideout? on floor 27…"

She held her breath.

She knew what that meant.

She had told him before. That place, her former refuge, was now the monster's territory. The place that had been taken from her, where she had to escape to survive… and that the Moss Huge had turned into its nest. Its cave. Its domain.

He had stayed there as if waiting for the day she would return.

There… Kael planned to face it.

Marie thought about refusing. She could do it. She could tell him not to take her, not to let him go. But she also knew… that wouldn't stop him.

Kael would just smile, with that soft smile she liked so much, and leave alone.

And that… would be worse.

She knew him.

In these days, she had seen him train non-stop, fight fearlessly, think through every move with an mind as analytical as it was impulsive.

Kael had been preparing. From the beginning. Not to escape. Not to leave her behind… but for this.

For the fight.

For the promise.

For the future.

For their future.

Marie pressed her lips together. Her eyes still shone with tears, but her voice, when she spoke, was firm.

"…Yes."

Kael seemed surprised for a moment. But then he smiled. A small, warm… grateful smile.

"Thank you, Marie."

She just nodded, with a soft "mm".

Then, in silence, Kael gathered his things. He checked his belongings, adjusted the cape she had given him, and reinforced his energy. He felt his blood pulsating in his veins, how magic responded to his will.

He was ready.

Or at least… as ready as he could be.

Kael dived with her into the water. Marie's body glowed with a faint light as she swam holding his hand, guiding him as she always did.

The tunnels narrowed, twisted. The air became heavier. Denser.

Silence.

Only the sound of water moving around them, of their own heartbeats, of the flutter of Marie's tail.

And then…

The threshold.

The edge between floor 26 and 27.

Marie stopped just before.

Her gaze met his. They didn't say anything. It wasn't necessary.

Both knew what was coming next.

She swam a little further and pointed with a trembling hand a narrow crack in the rock wall.

"There… it's through there, further ahead there's an area where the water doesn't reach. Its nest is at the end. Where my hideout used to be…"

Kael nodded.

His hand gently touched Marie's shoulder. He couldn't speak since he was underwater, but his gesture conveyed what he wanted—"Stay here."

She opened her mouth to protest, but Kael had already taken out his wings, and had begun to advance.

His silhouette disappeared into the darkness. The tunnel devoured him little by little.

But before disappearing… he stopped.

He slightly turned his face and gave her a small smile, almost like a promise that he would return.

And with that… he disappeared into the darkness.