Harbingers of Change

Chapter 25

Survival. That was the sole, pulsating thought that engulfed Hinata. The old moralities, the sense of duty that had once driven her to defend her former home, all had evaporated in the face of overwhelming despair. If Ruberios and the vampires were destined to fall, she would let them, without a shred of remorse. The void, that abyss of unimaginable terror, had stripped away her humanity, leaving only the primal instinct to cling to existence.

This was especially true now, while she had to find a way to appease her current handler, Shalltear Bloodfallen. The young vampire harbored a searing hatred for Hinata, a justified animosity stemming from the near-fatal wounds she had inflicted upon Shalltear's father, leaving him disfigured and broken for months until the avian found a way to heal and rejuvenate his injured form. Not to mention, killing a slew of his retainers whom Shalltear had found enjoyment in interacting with added even more fuel to the fire.

Hinata risked a glance at the floor guardian, immediately regretting it as their eyes met. The vampire's crimson gaze held a chilling promise of violence, like a predator sizing up its prey. Clad in blood-red armor that firmly clung to her form, Shalltear was a vision of both beauty and terror. Her long, flowing platinum hair cascaded down her back, contrasting sharply with the darkness that radiated from her. The ornate pauldrons and greaves, adorned with spikes and intricate engravings, spoke of her martial prowess, while the spear clutched in her hand seemed to thrum with barely restrained power. Even the air around her crackled with an ominous energy, a sign of the monstrous strength that lay within.

"Move!" Shalltear snarled, shoving Hinata through the shimmering portal conjured by the combined might of Lord Momonga and Veldora. Witnessing the raw power required to breach the vampire sanctuary had been a revelation; such a feat had seemed impossible before, and yet it had occurred.

They departed from the detention floor, a space meticulously prepared to hold the survivors of the impending attack. Thousands upon thousands of heavily armed guards stood ready to process the first wave of prisoners. It was Momonga's cautious nature that would save the vampires from total extinction, as Shalltear was more than happy to genocide her kind for the misdeeds of their progenitor and leader. Hinata had no idea how she had become so loyal to the Lords of Tempest when most vampires solely served Luminous.

With a deep breath, Hinata stepped through to the other side, the ever-present fear of encountering Luminous gnawing at her. Shalltear, she knew, would relish the opportunity to pit her against her former mistress in a battle she was destined to lose. Although she feared this outcome, it paled in comparison to facing the void.

From past experiences, Hinata knew she was no match against a true, awakened demon lord like her former mistress, who had far more magical power than most thought. Although a rare sight, Luminous was a force of nature in combat, far surpassing anyone under her command, and had brutally beaten that into Hinata.

The leap of faith into the unknown nearly stopped her heart, but as the scenery took shape before her, she felt a wave of relief. Luminous, with her unmistakable aura, was absent.

Hinata's relief was short-lived, however, as chaos unfolded before her eyes. The sanctuary, a subterranean city, was overflowing with vampires, their faces etched with panic and desperation. They surged through the dimly lit streets, a tide of bodies pushing and shoving in a frantic attempt to flee somewhere. The air was thick with fear, punctuated by the cries of children and the frantic shouts of the elders. It was a scene of utter pandemonium, a stark contrast to the composed and dignified demeanor Hinata had come to expect from the vampire nobility.

Just as she began pondering on her initial actions, another familiar presence resonated within the cavern: Gunther, Luminous' trusted butler. His aura pulsed like a beacon, emanating from the direction the masses were pushing to.

The realization hit her like a truck. { They are escaping! } Without waiting for Shalltear's response, Hinata blasted off toward the area. { I think I know where the escape point is. I will block it off! }

{ Don't fail this. If they escape, you will pay dearly! } came the reply, crackling with barely contained fury.

Behind her, the panicked screams and hysterical shrieks of the vampires rose in a crescendo of terror. In all likelihood, Shalltear and her equally brutal kerai subordinates had already started their ruthless culling. But the fate of vampires wasn't her concern, it never was - at least, that's what she kept telling herself.

'Better them than me,' she thought grimly as she weaved through the narrow alleyways. Her movements were a blur, effortlessly navigating the panicked crowds, her lithe form slipping between bodies like a phantom. The vampires barely registered her presence as she streaked past them, their senses dulled by fear and desperation. She rapidly closed her target, her eyes fixed on Gunther.

The once immaculate butler was now a picture of disarray. His usually pristine suit was torn and stained, his hair askew, and beads of sweat trickled down his pale face. A mask of urgency had replaced the look of calm he usually wore. He was barking out hoarse orders at the vampires in an attempt to reign them in.

She imbued her rapier with Melt Slash, visualizing the blade severing the old vampire's neck, ending his existence once and for all.

Gunther's eyes widened in alarm as he registered her approach, not that she was trying to hide herself as her aura washed over him. He tried to shout something in anger and surprise, instinctually conjuring a blood spell beneath him. However, he was far too slow, his movements sluggish compared to her swift advance.

Before the first words escaped his lips, Hinata's blade found its mark, decapitating him in a flash of silver. A follow-up vertical slash cleaved his body in two, ensuring his demise

The portal fizzled out and the nearest vampires desperately fled from her. With cold efficiency, she activated Soul Gathering, absorbing Gunther's essence and extinguishing any hope Luminous might have had of resurrecting her loyal servant, along with any other nearby people unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of her strikes.

{ The portal is deactivated. There might be more active, but I sense no other strong presence} she reported.

{ There are none. Disable the protective barrier } Shalltear's voice dripped with frustration. She had likely hoped Hinata would fail at least some tasks for an excuse to inflict punishment and cast her back into the void.

Hinata found solace in the knowledge that despite the animosity she faced, the inhabitants of Nazarick would never undermine each other's missions. Their loyalty to the Supreme Ones superseded personal grievances. As much as Shalltear and the others hated her for being the leading figure of the human invasion and wounding a Lord, they would only show their dislike and nothing more. That could change if she ever lost her favor with Buku, not that there was much in the first place. It was a favor she had to increase at all costs.

The battery's location was unmistakable, with its warming embrace constantly soothing Hinata's soul from a distance, not that it could heal her spiritual scars. Like a moth to a lightbulb, she followed its pull, her steps quickening as she navigated this segment of the underground city. It wasn't even close to empty, with the populace rushing past her in a river of haste and fear. The former saint closed her eyes for a moment, shutting out the visual cacophony. She could hear the lingering echoes of screams originating from where her handler was.

'They are inconsequential' she repeated internally, trying to steel her heart against any flicker of empathy.

With an exhale, Hinata's gaze opened anew. The building housing the battery loomed before her, a towering edifice of dark stone and stained glass windows. An aura of sanctity emanated from within, tainted by the oppressive presence of holy magic.

She was to level the entire building and anything beneath it. Survivors meant nothing.

Hinata raised her hands, preparing to cast her strongest offensive spell, her voice echoing through the forsaken streets.

"I offer my prayers to the Heavens. I ask, for a holy strength..."

Dozens, perhaps hundreds, would perish in an instant, victims of her newfound pragmatism. Had she become a monster? Undoubtedly. But it was a necessary transformation, one that ensured her continued existence in this eternal game of survival.

"I implore, let my prayers be heard…"

The air crackled with energy as layer upon layer of complex magic circles formed, each glowing with a holy luminescence. Hinata's determination solidified.

"...Annihilate all in your way,"

A surge of power coursed through her as she neared the end of the incantation, her voice ringing with finality as the magic circles spun faster, converging into a single point of blinding white light.

"Disintegration!"

A beam of unadulterated destruction surged forth, its speed unrivaled in essence, as it raced to eliminate everything in its grasp with unerring precision.

Stone, metal, flesh, crystal, all was engulfed - becoming nothingness in an infinitesimal moment of pure decay, the spiritrons unraveling as if the threads of reality were being pulled apart by force.

The protective aura of the battery winked out of existence, leaving the area vulnerable. Instantly, dozens of Gates materialized, spewing forth hordes upon hordes of Shalltear's bloodthirsty kerai.

With that, her tasks were complete. Hinata started making her way back to her handler with an impassive expression. The fate of the vampires was of little concern to her. There was an inkling of pity towards the creatures in her heart, but only the tiniest iota. The entire race had lived in this sanctuary not knowing the hardships of the world, and had suffered for it.

Figuratively defanged by their overly protective leader, they couldn't offer even token resistance to the incoming swarm, fleeing like rats from the wolfish creatures that unleashed indiscriminate slaughter upon them. The vampire elders, who by all means were supposed to be stronger than the kerai, covered themselves in the shadows, whimpering either in fear or attempting to shield the young. The slaughter of innocents was inevitable, a grim reflection of the attack Hinata had once spearheaded against Tempest.

From what little she knew about them from Luminous' rants and the occasional tidbit from Louis, Roy, or Gunther, all the older vampires had grown beyond the need for blood, while the young ones sustained themselves from the donated blood of humans. None of them had ever hunted down prey, and none of them had killed before. In a cruel twist of fate, Luminous had transformed these once fearsome predators into docile pets, blissfully unaware of the world's scarcity and cruelty. Now, these pets were to become fodder for Shalltear's own to dine upon.

'Is she aroused by the bloodshed?' Hinata couldn't help but wonder, observing the flush creeping up Shalltear's cheeks and the shallow gasps that escaped her lips as she tore another unfortunate victim apart. The floor guardian was a monster who reveled in suffering, a darkness Hinata had no desire to revisit.

'They are not my problem. Luminous brought this upon her own people for her transgressions towards Tempest. If not for sensei, I would be suffering among them,' She didn't voice any concern for Shalltear's actions, simply noticing how the entire vampiric race was brought into the central plaza of the subterranean city.

"It shames me to be of the same race as these pathetic excuses for vampires,'' Shalltear growled. "Start sending them to the staging area," she commanded one of her kerai lieutenants, gesturing towards a newly formed portal.

"As you command Lady Shalltear," The winged creature responded with a bow before hurrying off to fulfill the orders.

"Do you know where the rest might have been taken?" Shalltear turned her attention to Hinata, a flicker of disappointment crossing her features when she received a negative response.

"Luminous never confided in me about other hiding places. If I had to guess, they are no longer in Ruberios, but as I have limited knowledge of spatial magic, I cannot be certain. However, I doubt many escaped," Hinata replied cautiously.

"Fine. We got what we came for anyway. But we don't need this many," she brought an armored hand to her chin. "Kill two-thirds of them," Shalltear ordered, her voice echoing through the plaza.

The already scared crowd of captives grew even more panicked. Parents clung to their children, their faces contorted in despair, knowing they were powerless to protect their young.

"P-please spare us."

"We have done nothing to you."

"W-we are not a threat," Many began to beg, prostrating before her as they pleaded for their lives.

"Pathetic!" Shalltear hissed, her eyes blazing with disdain.

Even a blind man could sense her disgust at the sight of their groveling. From what Hinata had gathered during her time in Nazarick, all vampires residing there had been transformed into kerai, leaving Shalltear as the only true vampire in Nazarick and probably even Tempest as a whole. Seeing what her kind was like must've been infuriating for the prideful floor guardian.

"You shame Lady Shalltear with your behavior. Stand up and face death with dignity!" Hinata interjected, hoping to curry favor with her handler.

"Don't bother! If I could, I would wipe them all off the face of the world, but my beloved Lord Momonga wants to spare some of them," Shalltear spat. "I suppose I could spare those who denounce Luminous. She doesn't deserve to call herself a vampire. She abandoned you all to hide like a coward!" she proclaimed with a half-insane grin.

This statement left the crowd in stunned silence. To live, they had to betray their adored leader, the progenitor of their kind. And to Hinata's surprise, one young vampire, barely more than a boy, found the courage to speak. "But if you are a vampire, you owe your existence to her as well. All vampires come from her."

Shalltear's expression darkened. Before anyone could realize what had happened, she had seized the youngling by the throat, a half-thought away from crushing it. "I was created by a Supreme Being! You will pay for your insolence! Don't you dare compare that wretch Luminous to my father, Lord Peroroncino!"

"The boy meant no disrespect, mistress. La-Luminous is all we have ever known! I-I denounce her in your name!" another one cried out, their voice trembling with fear.

Shalltear turned her head to glance at the speaker, a person who didn't appear much older than the one she held captive and bore a resemblance to him.

"I denounce Luminous in your name!"

"We forever denounce Luminous."

"I reject Luminous, m-mistress!"

One by one, the vampires shouted what little they could, desperate for a chance at survival.

The vast majority were ready to cast aside their former leader in hopes of getting spared. Yet there were a few who didn't, the elders. The oldest of the vampires remained defiant.

Shalltear contemplated the fate of the boy in her grasp. 'I should crush this insect. But what would my darling do? Ahh… you are too kind, Lord Momonga. You would give him one more chance to prove his worth to you, so I shall do the same.'

Releasing her grip, she shrieked, "Denounce Luminous!"

"I…" The teenager gasped for air, his eyes wide with terror. "I denounce Luminous!"

"Consider this a mercy from your new master. Now, begone from my sight," Shalltear snarled, kicking him aside before activating Goddess of Blood and Violence. One of its subskills was Blood Manipulation, which not only could drain blood from those unable to resist its effects but also possessed the capacity to store the extracted blood internally.

All the vampires who stubbornly stood their ground were instantly turned into mummified corpses as streams of their life essence poured into Shalltear's palms. This display of power was more than enough to convince the rest that they had no hope of ever opposing someone like Shalltear, as their prowess was effectively non-existent before an instant kill ability such as this.

With her entourage of servants and a subdued Hinata, Shalltear marched through the casted Gate to return to Nazarick, where Lord Momonga awaited their arrival.

Hinata followed silently in Shalltear's wake. Despite the facade she was actively putting on, her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. The things she had witnessed, the lives snuffed by her hand, it still felt troubling, even after all this time. Although she had cast aside her old values for survival's sake, a part of her still recoiled from the bloodshed, though she would never say that out loud, especially where she now found herself. Nazarick, a place that embodied both her salvation and her damnation, filled her with a sense of dread and uncertainty.

"I brought back the prisoners," Shalltear announced, her demeanor shifting from aggressive dominance to a saccharine sweetness as she addressed her master.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Momonga inquired.

"It was too easy, to be honest. They didn't even resist."

"And Hinata?"

"She performed adequately. I see no reason to punish her at this time," Shalltear replied, sneering at the former saint when Momonga's gaze left the vampire.

Momonga turned to Hinata and dismissed her with a wave of his hand. Unlike the others, who would be showered with praise and rewards, Hinata received nothing but the privilege of continued existence. The fact that Hinata wasn't in chains was more than a generous fate for her and would be considered her reward for the time being unless she performed something even he couldn't deny. She understood this implicitly, bowing with a sigh of relief before swiftly departing.

Done with the former saint, Momonga addressed the huddled mass of vampire prisoners, surrounded by a ring of watchful kerai.

"Welcome to the Great Tomb of Nazarick. This will be your new home for the foreseeable future. Now, who is the leader among you?"

"Lady Shalltear." "It is Mistress Shalltear," came the unanimous reply, their voices filled with a mix of fear and reverence.

Momonga raised his non-existent eyebrows, chuckling when observing Shalltear's surprised expression. These vampires, like all monsters in this world, adhered to the fundamental law of power; the weak submit to the strong. And Shalltear had unequivocally demonstrated her strength

"It seems you have acquired new followers."

"They…" Shalltear began, a confident smile spreading across her lips, "I think this is an excellent opportunity to prove that I can make something out of these failures. You all belong to me now. Serve Lord Momonga and the Great Tomb of Nazarick with unwavering loyalty, and I shall allow you to thrive as servants."

Momonga let her sort them out for herself. Not that there was much to work with, but becoming the new leader of her own race would be a thrilling experience. And if they proved useful, she'd finally have something to one-up Albedo with, considering the two were always at each other's throats when it came to bragging rights.

Shalltear, with newfound enthusiasm, selected a few leaders from among the surviving elders and tasked them with overseeing the integration of their people. The issue of sustenance was easily resolved with her Chalice of Endless Blood, an artifact created from one of her skills. It was capable of generating an unlimited supply of blood, so unless she willed otherwise, her newfound servants would never go hungry. This created a dependency that would further solidify their loyalty and eliminate any possibility of rebellion.

The operation had concluded flawlessly, stripping Luminous of her remaining power base and leaving her empire in ruins. Should she return, she would find her millennia of work undone, forced to rebuild amidst the ashes of her former glory.

Editing by aidan_lo and Zprotu.

Proofreading by Antilene, Malguis, Sluethen, Clagan, Cakeeight, aidan_lo, Thea, Lightflan, NuggetLover, Milk, and Zprotu.

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