"You can put me down now," Said Fuo, tapping my shoulder as we made it to the tunnel leading back up to the castle.

  "If you say so," I replied, letting her down.

  We headed up the tunnel, reaching the other end before too long. Alright, since this is right by the south entrance to the castle, we can just head straight out through it and continue on till we reach the south end of the wall surrounding Platinberg. And then, it's back to the Rustl.

  "Hey, there's a Vampire Knight close by, and……there aren't any other Vampires within two hundred meters……I think we can go after that Knight!" Fuo suddenly informed me, tugging my sleeve.

  "Well, I'd rather not take any risks, but……fine, we'll go have a look to see which Vampire it is, and we'll decide whether or not it's worth ambushing them based on what their Cross is. If it's a Cross I'm interested in, we'll go for it, and if I'm not interested but you are, we'll go for it in that case too. But if neither of us want it, then let's just go, okay?"

  "Okay."

  We snuck over to where the Vampire was cautiously, keeping an eye out as we did. Hm, that barrier we made for fighting the Vampires back when we snuck into Silvland would've been real handy right now. We'll just have to work fast, assuming we go after this Vampire.

  We turned the corner and got a glimpse at the Vampire……it was a female Vampire, she had longish white hair tied in twin tails, with two red streaks in each tail. She wore a narrow purple tube top and tight dark blue shorts under the black cape worn by all Vampire Knights.

  "Atticus says that her name is Vanity Aerin, her Cross is Levitation, it lets her float any non-organic matter around her."

  So, psychokinesis, huh? Hm……with Beckon and Repulsion up my sleeve, I don't really need that.

  "I'm fine with foregoing this ability. You?" I inquired, though I already knew what her answer would be.

  "……I want it."

  "Of course you do. Alright then, we can't afford to fight her and attract any attention, so here's what we'll do……," I remarked, before giving her instructions on how we should do this.

  "Okay, let's do it," She replied with an affirmative nod.

  We crept up behind the Vampire, who just seemed to be aimlessly wandering around in boredom. I slowly drew out my short-sword and entered Vampire Mode.

  "Now!"

  On my signal, Fuo deactivated the barrier, and I swiftly and silently swung my blade across at the Vampire's neck, slicing off her head before she even knew what was going on, before I plunged my claws into her back as her body slumped, and simultaneously sunk my fangs into the side of Fuo's neck.

  I then transferred the Vampire's life force into Fuo, the Vampire going up in red flames within a couple of seconds. Fuo then stiffened, pain in her expression. I quickly grabbed the barrier spell from her and activated it, just in time as she screamed in pain and collapsed onto the ground. Close one……I forgot, I'm the only one who can take in Vampire life force relatively safely, Persia didn't do so well when she got injected with Vampire life force either.

  I bit into Fuo's neck again, sinking my fangs in and quickly healing her……she wasn't suffering as much damage as Persia did back then, that's probably because her body has already been fortified by Vampire life force. It didn't take long to heal the damage to her body, she wasn't too severely injured by it, nothing fatal……though she'd definitely have been in a ton of pain.

  And if I hadn't been here, she probably would have suffered fatal damage. Well, if I hadn't been here, then she wouldn't have had a way of taking in the life force in the first place, so I guess that point is redundant……

  "It wasn't……this painful……when I fused……with Atticus," She panted, sweat pouring down her face.

  "If I remember right, didn't you say that you froze yourself, which was what ended up inadvertently fusing you two together? The cold probably numbed the pain and slowed down the rate of damage."

  "Oh……yeah, good point."

  "Now, then, let's go……," I began, before trailing off as Vampires suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

  Five Vampires, an Evil Number and four Knights, and……a human? He looked dead inside, but more importantly, he was holding a scroll……oh, I see, a Teleportation Spell Scroll. Did these Vampires sense the death of the one we just killed?

  "Wha……where did they come from!?" Exclaimed Fuo in alarm.

  The Evil Number is the one in the hooded cloak……he had white emo hair covering his right eye with a red patch in the shape of a circle in the spot that fell over his eye.

  "Calm down, they can't see us, remember?" I replied, before adding cautiously, "Let's sneak away quickly, that Evil Number must be Zero, we're about thirty meters away from him, that's not far enough, we have to get out of his range quickly."

  We began to try and get some more distance……but we were too late. The barrier suddenly disappeared, and Zero's gaze immediately shifted towards us intensely.

  "Who are you!? Are you the ones who killed Vanity? Hmph, what a pain……killing you may take some effort."

  "Wait, I know you!" Exclaimed one of the other Vampires, a female, "He is the one who sent Eighty-Seven retreating from the Rustlands!"

  Hm? Oh, she does look a bit familiar……

  "Right, I remember, you're that Vampire Knight who managed to run away from me," I responded, as I stepped forward to face them, "So, do you guys wanna fight? I wouldn't recommend it though……you'll die."

  "You cannot use any magic right now……you will be the one to die," Responded Zero, watching me carefully.

  "Huh? You think I need magic to defeat the likes of you? Hah, don't flatter yourself," I smirked, as I entered Vampire God Mode, "Know your place."

  His eyes widened in fear as he stumbled back, the Vampire Knights behind him also shrinking back as they gazed at me.

  "Now I see……you are the one who killed Lazarus Orlock and issued the currently-active commands that we cannot disobey, aren't you?" He realized, as a bead of sweat ran down the side of his face.

  Hear that, Lazarus, he didn't call you 'king' or 'lord', I don't think the Vampires consider you their leader now that your Decrees are inactive.

  "I am still waiting for your memories to see what is happening."

  Sure, enjoy the show.

  If I'm not going to fight them, then I need to get them to back off……I have about thirty-five seconds left in this form, and while I could just try to rush and kill them all, I had another idea……

  "Yeah, that's right, they're called the King's Decrees, and you can't disobey them. I'll give you two options……try to fight me and die, or instead, here's a proposal for you……agree to serve me, and I'll let you leave Platinberg. I'll even let you attack humans from Silvland and enter the nation as you please, though Bronztan and the Rustlands will still be off limits. Oh, and this'll be an especially encouraging condition……I won't hunt any of you down for your Crosses."

  "Our Crosses?" Inquired one of the Vampire Knights in confusion.

  "Hm, you really don't know? Then, does this answer your question?" I responded, forming one of Eighty-Seven's barriers.

  The fear in their eyes had grown, now that they knew that I had a reason to hunt them down and kill them……I glanced at Zero with an inquiring smirk.

  "……very well. Fighting you would be far too much effort, an amount that I'm not willing to spend, especially since it will almost certainly be futile……furthermore, the conditions you offered in our favor are fairly generous, I suppose we can hear you out……so state the terms of your proposal."

  With fifteen seconds left in my God Mode time limit, I returned to my normal state, after glancing around and making sure that none of the others protested……good, it looks like they're too scared.

  "It's simple. Let us leave Platinberg without any trouble, and swear to serve me loyally……if you agree to that, I'll issue two more King's Decrees……the first, will be a Decree that nullifies the compulsion that keeps you all trapped in Platinberg, as well as the compulsion that keeps you from entering Silvland and hunting their citizens. And the second, will be a command that will ensure your loyalty to me, which I'm sure you won't mind, assuming that you agree to serve me."

  Again, no protests……hm, I should give them the impression that they have a choice in this matter, instead of me forcing them to go along with what I want……

  "Of course, you can refuse to serve me, that's fine, in which case, I won't use any more King's Decrees and things will stay as they are. But in that case, if you then try and get in my way and keep me from leaving Platinberg……I'll kill you all. That's not an exaggeration……tell me, what do you think will happen if I issue a Decree commanding every Vampire to crush their own cores? Well?" I inquired, looking around quizzically.

  "If you did that……we would all die," Answered Zero with a fearful and grim expression.

  "Exactly. Like I said, if you don't want to serve me, then fine, I won't force you to do so, I just won't undo the commands that keep you trapped here, that's all. I'm guessing you're the leader here? That means that it's your decision."

  "Very well……we accept your conditions."

  I understood how the King's Decrees worked, so as long as I word them properly, I'll be able to do this within the limits of the two remaining Decrees I had at my disposal. It looks like they don't know that I only have a total of five, but I don't need to tell them that. Even as a bluff, these were a powerful weapon for intimidation. Taking that into consideration, I was a bit reluctant to use them up like this, but it's a risk worth taking……

  "Great. Then let's get straight to it……I hereby Decree that all Vampires will no longer be bound to Platinberg and limited to attacking and consuming the life forces of humans from Platinberg, they may also do so with Silvland……all other human nations, including the Goldlands to the west, are off limits. Additionally, I Decree that all Vampires……will hereby serve me with the utmost of loyalty and obey any and all commands I give them."

  And with that, all five of my King's Decrees were used up. I thought about bringing along some Vampires to fight Shiro, but since he's a copy of me, he might be considered to be 'from the Rustlands', which would prevent them from attacking him, and that'd just make them dead weight. Well, then, it's time to leave. But first, I was curious about something……

  "Hey, Zero……how'd you know to get here so soon, did you sense it when I killed Vanity Aerin?"

  "Yes, that is correct. After the Vampires in Silvland were defeated and the survivors were compelled to flee here by your Decree, I trained myself to keep that sensory ability active at all times, so that I would immediately know when another Vampire is dead. It was quite a pain to get used to."

  "At all times? That is impressive, considering how much you despise extra work, even I gave up on trying to achieve that constantly active sensory ability," Remarked Atticus, as Fuo gave him control and he joined in on the conversation.

  "So then, it really is true, you really are sharing a body with a human……Atticus Rhain."

  "Yes, and I now have more power, as well as Vanity's Cross……well, I cannot use it yet, but still."

  "Yeah, and you won't get any more……I did promise to refrain from consuming Vampire life force if they agreed to serve me, and without me, no one else can consume any on their own. Well, we really should get going. By the way, Vampires, in case you don't know who I am, my name is Kuro Black, and……you can call me the Vampire God. Hm, or maybe God of Vampires, that sounds better……eh, let's go with both."

  "Well, you are significantly stronger than Lazarus Orlock was, so I suppose it is a fitting title, if not a bit arrogant, Vampire God," Replied Zero with a slight smile.

  "You're awfully amicable."

  "Well, compared to our last leader, who manipulated our memories, you are not so bad, I suppose. Not to mention that he gave us far too much work too often. I would say I do not like the thought of serving a human, but at your power level, you can hardly be called human. So, why did you come here, was it to issue these Decrees?" He inquired curiously.

  "No, I actually just decided on that right now, totally a whim, I hadn't actually planned on interacting with any Vampires at all. I came here to consume the life force of a monster known as the Reptile King. It's a long story, and I don't have time to go through the whole thing, but in a nutshell, just like Lazarus was your king, the weaker monsters also have kings, that are all currently in hiding. I'm hunting them down. Oh, and Lazarus is inside me, though he can't talk through me like Atticus can."

  "He is alive? Well, I suppose that is fine since he is trapped……it serves him right."

  He sure liked Lazarus, huh? The other Vampires didn't look too sympathetic either. Guess when they got their memories back, they were pretty disgruntled over being controlled without their knowledge.

  "Who are you!?" A loud, angry voice suddenly cut through.

  I turned towards the direction it came from, to see that Thirteen was here……and she didn't look too happy.

  "Calm yourself, Thirteen……I just agreed that we would serve him, and I am sure that you felt the compulsion just now, that was-," Remarked Zero, attempting to calm her down.

  "Yes, I felt it, that is why I am here! This human is the one who issued those commands!? I refuse to serve an inferior being!" She snarled, as Blood Magic swirled around her hands and she shot towards me.

  I began to enter Vampire God Mode, but she suddenly stiffened and let out an excruciatingly blood-curdling scream of pain, blood pouring out of her mouth as she collapsed onto her knees and clutched the sides of her head in pure agony.

  "Oh, so this must be what happens when you try to resist the King's Decree……don't even bother trying to fight me, you don't stand a chance against me," I remarked, transforming and using Teleport to appear right in front of her.

  "M-my core……what are you……?" She stumbled back in pain, with fear in her eyes.

  I only have a few seconds left in this form, I need to act fast. I used Beckon to pull her towards me and grabbed her by the top of her head, tightening my grip and staring into her eyes with a piercing gaze.

  "If you aren't going to serve me, then I'll kill you right here and now……what do you say?" I inquired, as I further tightened my grip, her skull starting to crack.

  "S-stop it……!" She screamed in pain, trying to claw at my hand, but I sliced off her arms with my tail before she could.

  "Well? The clock's ticking……serve me or die, your choice……I don't like to be kept waiting, so I'll give you till the count of three……one……two……thr."

  "I-I'll do it! I will agree to serve you!" She exclaimed in terror, her tone pleading and desperate.

  "There, was that so hard?" I remarked, letting go of her and returning to my normal state.

  I'd prefer to avoid ruling by fear, but the occasional show of intimidation should be fine……

  "I have to ask……what exactly will it entail for us to serve you, Vampire God?" Inquired one of the Vampire Knights cautiously.

  "Just fight for me when I decide that I need you, other than that, feel free to do as you please. Hm, but I can't summon you like I can with the weaker monsters I have at my command……oh, I know! If you're in direct physical contact with a weaker monster that I summon, then you'll appear before me too! In which case, which monster would be the most convenient for that?" I wondered with a frown.

  "One of the snake monsters would be ideal," Suggested Atticus.

  "I'm pretty sure Snow Serpents are the smallest I have at my disposal. Alright then, each of you will keep a Snow Serpent on you at all times, which will let me summon you if and when necessary. And like I said, beyond that, you're free to do as you please, without violating my Decrees, of course," I concluded, before adding, "……well, not that you can even if you wanted to, it would appear that your cores take damage if you try."

  "You want us to go and search for Snow Serpents and then keep them on us at all times?" Inquired Zero, looking a bit apprehensive, "I would prefer not to do such tedious work if possible……"

  "You're blunt, I like that. Well, a good leader listens to feedback from his subordinates, so I hear ya……and so……here you go," I replied, summoning a handful of Snow Serpents, "I've instructed them to remain in a deep sleep, so you can tie them around your waists or wrap them around your necks or something, whatever's convenient."

  "They appeared out of nowhere in an instant," One of the Vampire Knights muttered incredulously.

  "If you want to contact me for something, then lightly press on your snake's closed eyes, that'll wake 'em up and alert me, I'll be able to hear and see you through them, so yeah. I guess I should summon enough for all the Vampires, huh……'kay, here's two hundred Snow Serpents."

  Heh, this is fun……their dumbfounded expressions are kinda hilarious.

  "Very well, I shall hand out……ahem I misspoke-I shall make sure that the others hand out the snakes to all the Generals and Minions," Nodded Zero in response.

  "Tch, we will not unless you do so too!" Snapped one of the Vampire Knights, the others voicing their indignant agreement as Zero not-so-subtly tried to shift all the work onto them.

  "Uh……I'll let you guys work out the specifics amongst yourselves. Oh, and if I plan to summon you, I'll wake the Snow Serpent that's on you a few seconds before I do, just to give you a bit of a heads-up," I informed them, "Well, if there's nothing else, we're leaving now."

  "Wait, before you go, God of Vampires, sir……tell me, do you know a human named Selesa?" Inquired one of the Vampires, the one who had escaped from me after my fight with Eighty-Seven outside the Rustlands.

  Okay, maybe telling them to call me God of Vampires was a bit on the pretentious side……

  "And you are……?"

  "Nezera Autumn, my lord."

  'My lord', huh……I kinda like that, it doesn't sound as arrogant as being called a God. Anyway, if I remember right, her Cross was……Pain Share, I think. That would have a been a pretty ideal Cross for me, too bad not consuming their life forces was part of the agreement in them serving me.

  "Nezera, huh……yeah, I do know Selesa, why?" I asked curiously.

  "Well, I would like to request, my lord……that you summon me the next time you are with that human!" She requested eagerly.

  Huh?

  "Oh, uh……I guess it wouldn't be a big deal, but……why?" I inquired in bemusement.

  "That human……I promised her that I would not use my Cross on anyone else until I next meet her! I have been unable to stop thinking about her for these past few months!" She exclaimed with a gleam in her eye and a bit of drool in the corner of her mouth.

  Wow, she was pretty crazy over that pervert, emphasis on crazy……eh, serves that dumbass right.

  "Sure, why not? You can't kill her, but I'm fine with summoning you to where she is. If I haven't summoned you by the end of the year, contact me using your Snow Serpent after the new year begins, to remind me. I have a lot to deal with these days, so there's a good chance that it'll slip my mind."

  "The longer I wait, the sweeter it will be when I finally see her……very well, I shall wait till the end of the year and then contact you if you forget to summon me within that time! I already like you more than Lazarus, I am fully supportive of you as our new leader, God of Vampires!"

  Cool, kinda kissass-y, but I'll take it. Some of the fear in the eyes of the other Vampires were slowly starting to ease too. I didn't plan to do this at all, but man, talk about a huge fucking bonus! I should be careful with how I use the Vampires though, unlike the weaker monsters, they have intelligence and will, so I should avoid antagonizing them and using them like disposable pawns.

  Anyway, not long after that, Fuo and I began making our way to leave Platinberg. We used the Stealth barrier to make sure we had a smooth journey to the south gates, while the two Evil Numbers and Five Knights would go around and inform the Generals and Minions about what was going on, as well as to distribute the Snow Serpents.

  "I cannot believe that you actually brought the Vampires under your command, and willingly, no less!" Exclaimed Atticus in awe, before Fuo took over and added, "I can't believe it either, they were so intimidated by your power that they didn't even bother resisting."

  "I cannot believe it either……they all hate me that much?" Sighed Lazarus from inside me.

  "It's no big deal, I bet it was more that they couldn't resist my offer of more freedom than fear that convinced them to serve me. Huh, it still hasn't quite sunk it, but I'm really the Vampire God now! Hm, or maybe God of Vampires really does sound better, after all?"

  "Either way, that name is just pretentious," Sighed Fuo with a shake of her head, "I guess this journey is halfway over now, huh?"

  "Yeah, but we've got quite a ways to go……and the hard part will be when we get back to the Rustlands……"

  At the time, I was just saying that, but little did I know, that the encounter with the Vampires and the fights against the monster kings would feel like mere child's play compared to what was waiting for us on the way back to the Rustlands……

  _____________________________________________

  Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!

  Also, check out my Instagram account @aimdaqs for posts relating to this book.