Chapter 73: Ting.
—
After a couple of minutes going down the stairs and passing many local vampires inside the cage, Yoriichi eventually came face to face with the woman he presumed to be Duchess Anna's sister. He frowned, feeling as though he was meeting the servant of this multiverse singularity, Order and Chaos, specifically someone like the one he glimpsed in the Cognitive Realm's never-ending red mist domain.
After a couple of seconds in the Transparent World, seeing that her mind was protected by another Mythic Path holder, Yoriichi now understood how this girl had been able to escape the electromagnetic waves of rapid evolution. However, this still did not explain how she was able to manipulate the Cthulhu abilities as physical manifestation of madness to control the male vampire.
Was it because she was a double agent between these two entities, or was it merely a fluke resulting from her undergoing rapid evolution, which changed how she could wield madness? He did not know, but what he did know was that controlling someone else's free will in that way was unacceptable to him. As a staunch supporter of utilitarianism and altruism, he believed that every being has the potential to do great things that will ultimately benefit him and the collective good of people.
Looking around and noticing two vampires already under her control, Yoriichi said to the woman with short black hair, "Free them."
"Now, why would I do that?"
"Just because."
Ignoring the woman who had a scrunched face because of his short answers, Yoriichi walked closer to the center of the prison, where he saw the vampire he presumed to be the Elder that Regis had mentioned. Snapping his fingers to produce red giants behind his head, he then melted the metal in a complex manner to avoid accidentally hurting the old vampire due to the neutrinos. As the women cried out loudly and crazily, wanting to escape using the controlled vampire, Yoriichi then understood why the girl was so scared of his actions.
Ting!
Feeling the clawed fingers moving beyond the speed of sound touch his right eye, with only the sound of metal as the aftereffect of the kinetic force, Yoriichi let out a breath of lamentation while looking at the Elder trying to kill him. Before the fear and confusion could register in the vampire's brain, Yoriichi unleashed a steam engine effect from the byproduct of nuclear fusion Breathing to move his hands beyond the speed of sound as well, but at a greater speed than the Elder.
With spacetime relativity bending due to the excess energy, Yoriichi held the vampire's neck for just under a millisecond. Seeing the vampire overcome by fear and confusion, not understanding why humans could become predators, he released a bit of neutrinos to char the body of the old vampire who had long been at the top of the food chain.
After a few seconds of employing an eye-for-an-eye method against the Elder, Yoriichi released him, allowing the vampire to regenerate to full health. Knowing that the old man's immediate attack was likely due to the many of their kind that Yoriichi had killed, he recognized that he was at fault for bringing the scent of their kind onto his body without clearly explaining what had happened. However, to him, this act was the only simple and straightforward method that didn't take too much time, that's why Yoriichi allowed himself to be hit.
"Are you calm now?"
"..."
"Only silent? Okay, then, if that is what you want to do."
"..."
"But you must listen to me. This place, this land, this province will be quarantined by the many mages who have already gathered to the surrounding Toussaint."
"..."
"Because of that, I want you to gather every vampire imprisoned here and bring them to me."
"No."
"No? Well, in that case, I will just let my fire touch all of you here and be done with it. I know you will transform with madness because there is no magic door separating you from those bizarre abilities."
"..."
"Now, do you not see that I have the same perspective as you?"
"..."
"So if you and your kind don't want to be viewed as pests, as you view us as livestock, bring all of them here. We don't have much time before the mages quarantine this entire province."
"..."
"As for this smell, it comes from Otherworlder vampires outside Toussaint who treat my species as blood livestock. So, control your brethren when we are outside, especially the two who are of similar age to you. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
Seeing that the Elder could only respond with a hoarse "yes" or "no," Yoriichi shook his head, noting the lukewarm reaction and realizing that the vampire's throat had likely not been used for almost a hundred years. Turning toward the sole human female, who was looking at her controlled vampire with confusion and fear, Yoriichi snapped his fingers to increase the gravity a hundred times its current level to hold down the vampire, who was slowly transforming into his true form.
The sound of a boom echoed throughout the small room, followed by the vampire falling to the ground, Yoriichi discovered that his counteracting electromagnetic waves could break someone free from mind control or a similar influence. Seeing that the human female did not understand why the vampire had transformed into his true form and tried to kill her, Yoriichi remained silent and did not say anything in particular, reflecting on his conjecture about something that he did not want to think aloud.
Removing the gray translucent watch from his hands, Yoriichi then told the duchess's sister, "It's okay; you don't need to worry about him."
"W-what did you do?"
"I freed him."
"No, no, no. NO! GIVE ME BACK MY DETLAFF!"
"Hmm… You two are lovers? Then it's obvious that's not how you should treat your partner."
"I DON'T CARE! GIVE ME BACK MY DETLAFF! HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE MINE! HE—"
"Rhena…"
"Y-yes, my love."
"I don't think I need an explanation. I forgive the ruse and pretense you put me through. Because of that, we must part. We must be separated by a chasm of living. No matter where you are or who you side with, I will find you. I will raze them to the ground."
"N-no, my love. I-it's not that s-simple. I-I—YOU RED HAIR! LET'S GET OUT OF HERE! LET ME ESCAPE! O-OR KILL HIM, I DON'T CARE! I WILL DO ANYTHING TO YOU! PLEASE!"
"..."
"Please!"
"..."
"Please?!
"..."
"Please?"
Sighing and shaking his head as he saw the woman in front him trying to unbutton her uniform, Yoriichi snapped his fingers to increase the gravity around the woman's brachial plexus and facial muscles, holding her down so she couldn't do anything to further disgrace the extreme emotions of this Detlaff vampire. Rubbing his chin and considering the new possibilities of this gravity ability he had just developed—such as performing various actions like flying, similar to Superman—Yoriichi's research mode musings were interrupted by the Elder's hoarse voice.
"We are free."
Nodding his head, Yoriichi then told the Elder, "Control this man as well, but put in extra effort. I don't want to wipe out stronger sentient races just because they are a possible threat to civilization. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now then, let's get out of here."
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Weekly Power Status
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