Old Vampire and a Holy Girl

The Vampire Has Fallen Slightly Into the Light

Afterward, only the vampire, who had turned to ash, was left.

“………………………………….”

It was unclear whose silence it was.

The familiar observed her master in silence, noticing how he had become a mute, empty shell. Her gaze then drifted to the chessboard positioned on the low table before them.

It was clear that he was losing, and losing badly.

It wasn’t due to his lack of skill in chess, nor was it because the saint was exceptionally gifted. Her master was, without a doubt, superior in terms of strategy and tactics. It was just that he was struggling in the psychological aspect of the game.

The familiar recalled the gruesome scene that had led to her master’s downfall.

“I used to have friends, you know. But as I got older, it became more and more difficult to maintain those relationships…”

“There used to be many of us, but they all died in the end…”

“I suppose we were all quite independent…”

“We never had any relationships that went beyond just playing together…”

“As for a best friend… I can’t really remember…”

“Was I lonely…?”

It was while murmuring these words that her master made a mistake in his move.

“Ahh!” he exclaimed, and the saint offered, “Uncle, you can take it back, if you want.”

However, her master seemed to have some pride as an experienced chess player and declined the offer. From that point on, things started to unravel for him, and he ultimately suffered defeat.

“……”

The familiar stood by her master, her hands covering her face.

“You never had any friends, did you? Yet, you try to put up a front…”

Various thoughts swirled in her mind, but she couldn’t just watch her master crumble like this. Not literally turning into ash, but his spirit being reduced to ashes. So, she gently tapped her master’s shoulder.

“……”

However, there was no response. The saint’s tactics had proven to be cunning.

The joy of having friends, the satisfaction gained from socializing, and the sense of accomplishment achieved through collaboration to reach a common goal.

And then came the questions that struck a nerve within the vampire like a bolt of lightning.

“Uncle, isn’t it nice to have a best friend?”

“Uncle, you had at least one person you could call your best friend, right?”

The saint repeated the questions, insisting that her master must have had at least one person he could call his best friend.

It was a cruel thing to say, as there are people in this world who live their entire lives without ever having friends or partners. This was a reality that the people of light failed to acknowledge, as they were surrounded by others and couldn’t understand the feeling of being alone.

The familiar placed her hands on her master’s head and gently stroked it, and then something miraculous happened.

It was like the awakening of an eternal sleeping princess by the kiss of a prince or the melting of a millennium ice under warm sunlight.

Slowly, the man turned his head and gazed at his familiar.

“I… What in the world…” he uttered, bewildered.

The familiar withdrew her hand and gestured towards the chessboard.

The man smiled faintly, a mixture of loneliness and relief in his expression.

“I see… So I lost…” Then he lifted his head and looked into the distance.

“It’s as if I had a long dream… The person I used to be believed in darkness. I enjoyed solitude and cherished silence. And I thought that being alone was a sign of strength.”

“……”

“But having friends can also give you strength, huh? The words ‘best friends’ really struck a chord with me, and I was surprised by how much they affected me. I couldn’t immediately dismiss the idea of friendship, that ideal, that existence, that light.”

“……”

The vampire spoke with a lightness in his tone, as if a burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

The familiar hesitated for a moment before speaking up.

“Master…”

“What is it?”

“It’s not… very vampire-like to have friends, is it?”

The master pondered for a moment before replying.

“Is it not…?”

“No, master, you… are a vampire…”

The room fell silent for a moment, but gradually, the darkness returned to the master’s eyes.

“It was like I had a long dream… Ah, yes, that’s right! I almost lost my identity there. Even if I have friends, they will die before me. Vampires must remain solitary!”

“But I’m… here…”

“Right, you are. But I almost lost sight of the darkness. As expected, even if the form has changed, she’s still a true saint, and we will remain natural enemies, even after hundreds of years!”

The master stood up, the light gone from his eyes. After all, he was a creature of darkness.

“Familiar, we’ll start preparing from now on.”

“……?”

“The saint will bring her friend next time. Therefore, we need to prepare something to play with. Also, snacks.”

“……”

“Don’t make a face like ‘This person is no good.’ It’s not pretty to complain and say ‘Nothing is good’ now, right? Besides, think about it…”

“……?”

“I lost this time. I almost broke down mentally under the saint’s overpowering light. Therefore, I will win the next time. I’ll cast a shadow over her light and drag her into the darkness.”

“…The darkness…?”

“Darkness is simply about making someone feel like ‘It’s good to be alone.'”

“……….”

“Familiar, this is a war. It’s a war between me, who ‘won’t leave the castle,’ and the saint, who ‘wants to take me out of the castle.'”

“….Yes.”

“I wasn’t aware of it until now, but I finally realized that this is a battle. So, I have to teach her the fun games that can be played with a maximum of two people! The leisure activities that can be done while being obsessed without leaving the castle!”

“….”

“From now on, all the games I play will be referred to as wars… It’s like reliving my younger days. In the past, violence and bloodshed were the means to settle disputes, but now, such actions provide no mental gratification. I will conquer her mentally and pull the saint into the darkness, kukuku!”

The Familiar sighed. “This… is troublesome…” For the first time in her life, she didn’t want to say anything for any reason other than that.

Her master was indeed falling a little into the light.