Chapter 7: "The Dhampir's Mercy"
Legend:
- "Talking"
- (Thoughts)
- {Message spell}
- Actions or onomatopoeia
- [Author's notes]
The Village of Carne
Third Person POV
The villagers of Carne huddled together in the town center, adults clustered on one side while children cowered beneath a wooden watchtower. Fear permeated the air—thick and suffocating. Everyone understood their helplessness in this dire situation.
Many contemplated fleeing, but survival in the wilderness seemed equally hopeless.
One unfortunate villager couldn't resist the urge any longer. He bolted from the group, a steel-armored knight pursuing him relentlessly. Just as the knight closed the distance, a bone-chilling roar echoed from behind.
"AAAAAARRRRGGH!"
The fleeing man stopped and turned, immediately regretting his decision. Before him stood a knight that embodied death itself—a skeletal figure in blackened armor. The Death Knight's massive shield connected with the steel-armored pursuer, sending him flying away from the terrified villagers.
Gasps of shock and terror rippled through both villagers and knights as they beheld the enormous, nightmarish creature. The Death Knight released another earth-shaking roar, then advanced slowly toward the remaining knights.
One knight attempted to flee, but the creature teleported directly into his path. A single diagonal swing of its massive sword cleaved the man in two. The sight of their plate armor being cut through like parchment struck terror into every remaining knight's heart.
As the Death Knight fixed its hollow gaze on the next victim, the targeted knight cowered in fear. Another knight, thinking himself clever, attempted a sneak attack from behind.
"DIE!" he screamed, bringing his sword down with all his might.
CLANG!
The blade shattered upon impact with the Death Knight's armor.
"What...?"
Shock rendered him motionless until the last second when he registered that the creature had turned around. The Death Knight's shield bash crushed him instantly.
Another knight tried to escape, but the creature paced itself methodically, closing the distance with supernatural ease. Within moments, the fleeing man fell to the monster's blade.
The knight commander watched in horror as his men were systematically slaughtered. Despite his fear, he maintained his composure for the sake of his remaining soldiers.
"It's only targeting armored men," he observed grimly, "and it's enjoying every moment."
His knights huddled together, crying out in despair:
"God help us all!"
"We're doomed!"
Among them, a nobleman in ornate armor screamed at his comrades, his voice cracking with terror as the Death Knight approached.
"You idiots! Hurry up and take down that monster!"
The other knights stared at him in disbelief as he continued trembling.
"This can't be happening! I'm too wealthy to die in this godforsaken place!" He turned to his men with desperate authority. "You there! Get over here and shield me so I can escape!"
The commander firmly denied the order. "Stand your ground, Bellious!"
Bellious—now identified—surveyed the battlefield littered with corpses, then looked back at the approaching Death Knight. With nowhere to run, he could only cower and plead.
"Protect me! I have money! I'll give you 200 gold pieces!"
With each word, the Death Knight drew closer while the other knights remained frozen.
"No! Make that 500 gold!" Bellious screamed, seeing the creature now mere feet away. "Screw it, I'll pay 1,000—"
His sentence was cut short as something grasped his leg. Looking down, he saw one of the fallen knights had risen as a zombie. Bellious shrieked like a terrified child and fainted, but unconsciousness offered no escape.
The Death Knight's serpentine blade is carved through Bellious's armor and flesh. Between each devastating stab, he managed only fragmented pleas:
"AGGGHHH! Don't just... stab ...stand there! Help me! Please! stabstab Money! Take it all... stab Save... me..."
The remaining knights cowered further as they witnessed their comrade's brutal execution. The nightmarish creature roared in triumph, but their commander found his voice.
"HOLD STEADY!"
His men looked to him as he rallied their spirits.
"Stay strong! We'll stand our ground and defend our brothers! Give the archers time to retreat! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!"
In a desperate final effort, the knights huddled together and charged the beast one by one. Each fell like wheat before a scythe. When their commander made his valiant charge, the Death Knight simply beheaded him with casual efficiency. The severed head struck the ground with a wet thud, blood fountaining from the neck as it rolled away.
As the Death Knight prepared to eliminate the final knights, a commanding voice rang out from above:
"HALT, Death Knight. You have served me well."
The monster froze instantly. The villagers alike looked skyward to see a figure descending—a man with flowing blonde hair that seemed to shimmer with its own inner light, sharp golden eyes that held centuries of wisdom, and an elegant black coat with silver trim that billowed dramatically in the wind. His otherworldly beauty and regal bearing made many religious knights and villagers believe they were witnessing a divine being's arrival.
As he floated gracefully to the ground, they noticed a woman in pure black armor beside him. When the man spoke, his voice carried both an aristocratic elegance and underlying steel that made several village women blush despite the circumstances.
"My name is Alucard Tepes, Lord of the Twilight Realm. I came here from distant lands to establish trade relations and peaceful discourse. However, after witnessing your attack on innocent people, I could no longer stand idle." His golden eyes flashed with ancient power. "Let me make this perfectly clear—this village is now under my protection. If I see you anywhere near this place again..."
The knights suddenly perceived dark energy manifesting behind Alucard—shadows writhing with vampiric power that made every one of them soil their armor in terror.
Alucard's POV
"Your kingdom will burn to ash. NOW LEAVE!"
Dark energy swirled around me like living shadows, my vampiric heritage manifesting in ways that transcended mortal understanding. The surviving knights abandoned their weapons and fled in their cumbersome armor, terror driving them beyond exhaustion.
An elderly voice I recognized from the anime spoke up—the Village Chief addressing me cautiously.
"P-pardon me, Your Lordship, but why did you come here?"
I regarded the old man, then allowed a slight, refined smile to grace my features. With an elegant gesture, I snapped my fingers, magically returning the Death Knight to Nazarick through shadow magic.
"That's simple—I wished to establish peaceful relations between the Kingdom of Re-Estize and the Twilight Realm, as I mentioned. Although..." I gazed around at the devastated village with genuine sorrow, "I wish we had arrived sooner. All this unnecessary death and destruction could have been avoided."
I gestured with aristocratic grace. "Please don't fear us. My realm values balance between light and darkness, and we prefer diplomatic solutions over rash action. Rest assured, I have no intention of controlling or changing your daily lives. I only seek directions to the capital to speak with your king, and..."
I bowed with the practiced elegance of nobility, hearing Albedo gasp beside me in surprise. "Please allow me to help in any way I can."
The villagers collectively sighed in relief, murmuring among themselves as they began the somber task of burying their dead.
Two Hours Later
As I emerged from the Village Chief's house, I used the message spell to contact Momonga.
{Mission accomplished.}
Momonga's voice exploded in my ear: {SERIOUSLY?! Sounds of green aura calming effectSighs How am I not surprised? You always did have the highest Charisma stat.}
{Are you ready to deal with the knights I detected approaching?}
{Yes, I'm awaiting your Gate spell now. Are you sure there's useful data about the kingdoms in these documents? I don't see—...}
Total silence followed. I knew Momonga had discovered the folder I'd left in Nazarick containing detailed information about this world's kingdoms and surrounding nations, along with my sticky note explaining how to gather additional intelligence while he waited.
Keeping the conversation brief, he said: {Understood. I'll be waiting for updates.}
{Good. Keep me informed of any developments.}
Nearby, the sound of villagers mourning their lost loved ones filled the air—crying and anguished screaming that tore at my heart.
I looked over at the grieving families, ancient sorrow reflecting in my golden eyes. (This is where I'll change history and adopt the orphan sisters Enri and Nemu. I just hope my vampiric nature doesn't complicate their lives too greatly.)
As I approached the mourners with supernatural grace, many stopped crying and turned to me. I offered them a gentle, melancholic smile that spoke of understanding deep loss.
Turning toward the bodies of the fallen villagers, I began weaving dark magic—not the evil sorcery of common vampires, but the noble necromancy passed down through the Tepes bloodline, the power to restore life rather than steal it.
Third Person POV
The villagers watched in awe as Alucard rose into the air, his black coat billowing as dark and light energies swirled around him in perfect harmony. The magical aura emanated a strange comfort—like moonlight filtering through castle windows or the embrace of protective shadows. The energy eventually enveloped Alucard in a sphere of twilight radiance, from which ethereal bat-like wings of pure energy emerged.
Crystalline orbs of silver and gold began falling from the sky like gentle rain, each one landing on roughly half of the deceased villagers. Upon contact, the corpses drew breath and returned to life. The villagers watched in stunned amazement as Alucard spoke with noble refinement:
"I only brought enough soul crystals to account for the casualties I anticipated during my journey here. You people need them more than I do. I'm just sorry I cannot restore them all..."
Before he could finish, a small boy rushed forward and hugged him tightly.
"THANK YOU! Y-you brought my mommy back! I-I c-can't thank you e-e-enough—" The child broke down, crying uncontrollably into Alucard's elegant coat.
As everyone watched Alucard embrace the boy with surprising gentleness, the child's newly resurrected mother approached. She hesitated briefly, sensing his supernatural nature, then relaxed as she felt only protective warmth radiating from his ethereal wings.
"Peace, little one... it's alright. I promise I'll do everything in my power to protect this village... you have my word as a Tepes."
The villagers smiled through their tears, many weeping with joy at being reunited with their loved ones. They understood that a new guardian had emerged—not just a lord, but a protector who wielded darkness in service of light. They had been blessed to witness his arrival.
The scene faded with Alucard holding the child with paternal care, his ethereal wings spread protectively over them both. The Son of Dracula had found a new purpose, and the world of Overlord would soon know the name Tepes once more.
[Author's Note: This chapter establishes Alucard's intervention and sets up his adoption of Enri and Nemu, while showcasing his vampiric powers used for protection and resurrection rather than destruction. His noble nature and internal conflict between his dark heritage and desire to protect innocents creates compelling character depth.]