Chapter I: The Overpowered Vampire Princess and the Godlike Rabbit’s Grand Battle
Hellfire covered the earth, burning everything in its path. The cloying stench of blood filled the air, clinging to clothes and skin. Screams of terror, angry yells, and muffled explosions mingled together, creating a cacophony of chaos. This was a battlefield. However, it was by no means a typical one.
“You damn monster!”
For one thing, a monster was present. Though she looked like an incredibly beautiful girl with doll-like features, she was a monster. She looked to be in her mid-teens, with flowing golden-blonde hair and crimson eyes that glittered like rubies. She was wearing a frilly crimson dress that matched the color of her eyes, and her face was flushed. Her grace and beauty were a stark contrast to the filth and grime that covered the rest of the battlefield.
That wasn’t the biggest reason why this was an atypical battlefield, though. No, the biggest reason was that she stood alone against an army five thousand strong.
“Crimson Javelin— Thousand Blossoms.”
Her voice carried across the battlefield, clear as a bell. Enchanting as it was, it also spelled a merciless end for her enemies. Another wave of hellfire washed over the battlefield due to the actions of a single girl. After traveling a set distance, the fire rose skyward and split into a thousand spears.
A single glance was enough to tell the soldiers watching that there was no escaping from the reaper’s scythe. They would be burned to cinders here and now.
“P-Put up your barriers! Everyone, we need anti-fire—”
The army’s commander shrieked, but he had reacted too slow. And that delay would prove to be fatal. Though, even if the soldiers had managed to erect barriers, the result would have been the same.
Crimson fire rained down on the army. Valiant soldiers were blown away like leaves in the wind. The few barriers that had been erected were obliterated without a trace, their casters incinerated. All that remained after the torrent ended were charred corpses and mortally wounded soldiers writhing in pain.
Even those who had been outside the radius of the attack were too shocked to move. They’d just watched a thousand of their comrades get annihilated in the span of seconds.
“So this is... the power of the country of demigods... the power of the royal vampire line...”
The soldiers looked up at the girl in terror. Vampires were a feared race. They were capable of both strengthening their physical abilities and amplifying their mana by sucking the blood of others. On top of that, their bodies regenerated and they lived for far longer than any other race. Though they were the least populous race, their power was immense, which was why despite the vampire nation being a small one, it was known as the “country of demigods” to others. Because vampires also sucked the blood of others, they were feared by the other races. But at the same time, the rulers of other nations all knew that anyone who managed to conquer the vampire country would be able to rule over the world. And the princess of this vampire country that everyone both feared and coveted was the blonde-haired girl who had just ravaged the army.
“...I have a message for you insolent fools who would dare invade my homeland. Retreat now if you value your lives. Or else, perish.”
She spoke softly, but everyone heard the princess’ declaration. Not only was she facing an entire army alone, but she was also doing so without the slightest hint of fear. Her might was overwhelming. And her majesty so overbearing that it made one instinctively wish to serve her. She truly was fit to be a princess.
“... All troops, advance! Don’t falter! Our opponent is a lone girl! We have the advantage in numbers!”
For a moment, even the enemy commander was charmed by the princess. But then, he regained his senses and ordered a charge. The commander was a short, fat man who had elected to remain at the rear. The greed in his eyes was unmistakable. He didn’t just want the country, though. He also wanted to make the beautiful princess before him his own. However, his lust had led him to make a foolish choice.
“Utter folly. You shall pay for your transgressions with death.”
An hour later, the entire army had been reduced to ash.
“Your Majesty, that was a splendid battle.”
A middle-aged man wearing a tailored military uniform reverently offered the princess a cup of water. His most striking feature was his curled handlebar mustache.
“Thank you, Ubaldo. But that army was a mere diversion meant to dilute our forces. The troops were clearly lacking training.”
The princess’ gaze was far gentler than the piercing glare she had given the army she’d faced earlier.
“Besides, you had brought your men to support me in case I needed assistance, so I had nothing to fear.”
“I am not worthy of such praise, Your Majesty.”
The man known as Ubaldo looked fondly up at his princess. In truth, the imperial guards he’d brought with him felt a little conflicted that they hadn’t even been necessary. Still, they looked up at their princess with respect and admiration. The princess took a sip of water, refreshing herself after the rigors of battle and healing her exhaustion.
“Your Majesty. Shouldn’t you rest?” Ubaldo asked hesitantly. He was the captain of her royal guard and had spent a great deal of time with her. The princess certainly was strong; the strongest vampire in Avatarl, the country of vampires. In fact, she might have been the strongest mortal currently alive in Tortus.
From the moment of her birth, she had possessed an unbelievable amount of mana. Furthermore, her beauty was so great that it was known across the world. During her youth, her tutors had been amazed at how quickly she’d absorbed the fundamentals of magic and mastered her studies.
Most importantly, at the age of twelve, she’d discovered something else about herself. She could cast magic without using incantations, meaning she could directly manipulate mana. So long as she visualized the magic circle in her mind, she could cast any spell instantly. On top of that, her special magic, automatic regeneration, meant that she was immortal so long as she had mana. That particular ability was so rare, people only knew of it from records. The vampire heroes of old had possessed that ability, but no one else had been born with it since.
Right now, the world was in a state of turmoil. Wars were constantly breaking out over religion, economics, resources, and even petty things like pride. Countries large and small were coming and going. From the start, Avatarl had been a closed nation. It had cut off all diplomatic ties with other kingdoms. Geographically, it sat at the southwestern tip of the southern continent. It was also self-sufficient, so it had no need to trade with other countries. As far as Avatarl was concerned, the rest of the world could fight all they wanted. Their stance was to not get involved.
That being said, they couldn’t avoid being invaded by other countries. Dominion over the vampire race and the princess’ hand in marriage were just that tempting a prize to other countries. In which case, it stood to reason that the princess would use her overwhelming might to defend her nation. That was the duty of a sovereign, after all. More importantly, the princess herself wished to protect her beloved subjects and retainers.
However, the princess was still young enough that she needed to be protected herself.
“I’m fine, Ubaldo.”
Naturally, that wasn’t enough to assuage Ubaldo’s worries. While he was one of the princess’ retainers, he was also one of her guardians.
“But Your Majesty, these past few weeks you have hardly slept at all. You should have left this diversionary army to us. Also, it’s not proper for you to run off
to the battlefield while still in your dress. You departed the moment you heard the report.”
“Ugh... What choice did I have? There were villages in the army’s path...”
“Every single one of our country’s citizens are skilled warriors. Even if they couldn’t defeat such a large army, they could easily have evacuated. Furthermore, that still doesn’t answer why you didn’t leave the enemy to us.”
“B-But... If I show the enemy how powerful our princess is, then they’ll hesitate to strike again and—”
“Certainly, that is the duty of a sovereign. But Your Majesty, it has been three years since you took to the battlefield at the tender age of twelve. The world is already well aware of your power, so please, allow us to at least handle enemies of this caliber. In the first place—”
“I never like it when you start a sentence with ‘In the first place,’ Ubaldo.”
The princess puffed out her cheeks and turned away while covering both ears with her hands. A rose-red blush spread up her cheeks. Even the way she pouted was cute.
“Your Majesty...” Ubaldo furrowed his brow. His subordinates had grown accustomed to this scene, and they all snickered quietly.
Ubaldo had served the princess since her birth, and he was more like a grandfather to her than anything. At the same time, Ubaldo treated the princess more like his granddaughter than as his liege. It was for this reason that he felt comfortable scolding her. Seeing that Ubaldo was about to launch into one of his tirades, the princess hurriedly changed the subject.
“A-Anyway, how is my uncle faring? He went to subdue the enemy’s main force, but I’m sure he can handle anything they might throw at him.”
Ubaldo knew she was trying to deflect, and he smiled ruefully.
The princess was turning fifteen this year. In vampire society, fifteen was when one was officially recognized as an adult. Thanks to her special magic, her body had stopped aging when she’d turned twelve. When she went to the battlefield, she looked like the incarnation of a war god, but around those she was close to, she still looked like a child. Ubaldo knew he shouldn’t let her childish looks charm him, but he couldn’t help but spoil his beloved princess anyway. Naturally, the princess’ other retainers were just as susceptible to her charms.
Ubaldo cleared his throat and returned to being his princess’ advisor.
“Fear not. Our army holds an overwhelming advantage. However, the enemy has fielded two whole divisions, so the battle will take time.”
“I see. In that case, I need to—”
As if interrupting the princess, a single bird dove out of the air. It was the size of a pigeon and had pure white feathers. However, its eyes were a dark crimson, meaning it was a monster. Still, rather than put her on her guard, the appearance of the bird monster made the princess light up in joy. The reason the princess wasn’t afraid was because this bird was her uncle’s familiar. Her uncle possessed the unique ability to control monsters. That was another reason why Avatarl was referred to as the country of demigods by others.
The princess held out her arm and the white bird alighted atop it.
“The enemy forces have temporarily retreated. I have left the first division to keep an eye on the situation and am returning home.”
This monster’s special magic was Telepathy, which the princess’ uncle was utilizing to speak directly inside the princess’ mind. The princess smiled upon learning that her uncle was safe, and the battle won.
“That aside, what were you thinking, heading into battle still wearing a dress? You foolish tomboy, when will you learn?”
The princess’ smile froze. After a brief pause, she slowly turned toward Ubaldo, her neck creaking like a badly-oiled door. Ubaldo grinned at her and nodded. The other imperial guards were grinning as well.
You betrayed me! Bereft of allies, the princess had no choice but to accept that she had a lecture waiting for her upon her uncle’s return.
“I-I need to make a report to fath—”
“It has already been taken care of, worry not.”
“I-I need to go do—”
The princess surreptitiously attempted to escape, but—
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“U-Uncle!?”
Upon whirling around, she found herself face-to-face with her uncle. Like the princess, her uncle had blonde hair and crimson eyes. His long hair was tied into a knot at the back, and though his face was wrinkled, he still looked quite attractive. His name was Dienleed Galdea Vesperitio Avatarl. He was the king’s younger brother and the country’s prime minister. As a warrior, his strength rivaled the princess’. He looked down at the princess with a smile. Though his smile looked genuine, he was wreathed in a menacing aura. Even the two one-eyed monster guards standing behind him backed up a few steps.
“Your automatic regeneration ability is dangerous. It’s caused you to grow conceited.”
“Th-That’s not true!”
The princess shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. She looked like a child who’d just been caught pulling a prank.
“With all due respect, Your Highness, it’s thanks to Her Majesty’s efforts that there were no casualties.”
“Ubaldo!”
The princess turned gratefully toward Ubaldo. She’d feared her doom was set in stone, but now a single ray of hope had appeared. The other imperial guards also voiced their support for the princess. When their beloved princess started crying, most people couldn’t help but pity her.
In truth, the imperial guards also wanted the princess to stop being so reckless and to rely on them more but they couldn’t help but spoil her anyway. The princess turned back to her uncle and said in a pleading voice, “I promise I won’t do it again, so please don’t get mad.”
Sighing in resignation, her uncle replied, “Sheesh... Just don’t worry me so much, okay?”
Dienleed smiled again, but this time his smile was full of genuine warmth. He gently patted the princess’ head.
“Yes, Uncle.”
“Good. Now then, let us return home and rest.”
Smiling lazily, the princess nodded and followed after her uncle. Her guards followed after her, chatting happily.
“Isn’t that great, Your Majesty?” “Now you can rest without worry.” “The head maid said she prepared sweets for your return.”
The princess had an uncle who loved her, and retainers she could trust. So long as they had her back, she wouldn’t lose to any invader.
“Oh, yes.”
Her uncle called out to her, his voice as kind as always.
“What is it, Uncle?”
The princess responded, smiling.
“Would you be so kind as to die for me, Aletia?”
She turned around just in time to see a maw of blue fire swallow her whole. “Ah!”
A sharp pain ran down Yue’s right arm and she let out a wordless scream. At the same time, the vision she’d been seeing faded away like a watercolor melting in the rain. Reflected in her eyes instead was a mirror image of herself. No, not quite a mirror image. Her copy had black hair and golden eyes and was grinning maliciously.
Yue was up against the Frost Cavern’s latest trial, and it had just given her a rude awakening. Not only had her right arm been torn off, but she’d also eaten a Sapphire Serpent at point-blank range. She used gravity magic to right herself as she hurtled through the air, and restoration magic to fix her clothes. Just before she slammed into the wall, she used gravity magic to stop herself. Before she could recover her stance, though, she was assailed by a wave of her copy’s gravity magic.
“Heavensfall!”
“Obsidian Vortex!”
Yue neutralized the wave of pressure with her own gravity magic. In that time, her regeneration completed, and she thrust out her right arm to cast her favorite spell.
“Draconic Thunder!”
“Fufu. Draconic Thunder!”
With a ferocious howl, the two golden dragons clashed. The gravity m
agic cores of the two dragons pushed against each other, causing the electricity around them to twist and warp. The atmosphere looked like it was bending. Ignoring the clash, Yue modified her own gravity to fall sideways and launched her next attack.
“Ice Javelins— Centurion!”
“Ice Javelins— Centurion!”
The two were evenly matched. No, more than that. Yue and her copy were firing off spells at exactly the same time. Two hundred spears of ice slammed into each other, causing shockwaves to spread across the sky and shards of ice to rain down.
“Void Fissure!”
“Void Fissure!”
The space around them ruptured. Yue and her copy had used a spatial magic spell to distort space around each other. The resulting explosions were so powerful that the giant ice tree in the center of the room cracked, and splinters of ice fell from the ceiling.
Forced back by the explosion, Yue slid across the ground while using gravity magic to stay upright. Both Yue and her copy lashed out with gravity magic, trying to take control of the large chunks of ice hitting the ground. Bursts of golden and red mana clashed. Neither side was able to gain full control, and the chunks of ice started breaking apart as conflicting gravity fields exerted their forces over them.
“You’re quite persistent, considering I showed you those visions of the past.”
“I hate how you talk...”
“Isn’t it how you used to talk, Aletia?”
“Don’t call me by that name...”
“Make me.”
Irritated, Yue swept her hand to the side, sending a barrage of ice chunks at her copy. Her copy grinned and imitated the action. Both Yue and her copy then had to make the split-second decision of which chunks they would use to offset their opponents, and which they could allow through and destroy personally. They did all of this while also unleashing a barrage of wind blades with pinpoint accuracy.
Upon entering the Frost Caverns, the party had been forced to make it through a maze of insidious whispering all while fighting various monsters along the way. And, at the end of it all, they’d been presented with a glowing doorway. But as expected, the doorway had been a portal that had split the party up before foisting another trial on them.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 10 Page 1