"Kyaaaah-!"
The Vampires fought back with all their might. They swung their claws, but created nothing sparks as their attacks bounced off the Orcs' tough shields. At most they were able to make the Orcs waver momentarily, but nothing more.
"…?!"
One Vampire retreated and looked at his claws in despair. Ordinary wooden shields would have shattered, but now their claws were being damaged instead. His hand trembled as the numbness of his hand creeped up his arm. It felt like he'd struck a castle wall.
"…F-flee!"
"Retreat!"
When a proper frontal assault failed, the Vampires chose to flee instead. Their bodies turned into bats and they quickly rose into the sky. They also tried to impede the Orcs' vision by summoning even more fog. Watching them run, the Orcs mocked the flustered Vampires.
"Get them!"
"Don't let those bat bastards run!"
A group of Ogres lifted their ballistas. Aiming into the sky, they pulled the trigger launch wooden stakes at the flying bats. Some Vampires dropped lower to dodge the ballista bolts, but they were made short work of by the Ogres' large maces.
"Throw it!"
"Capture the bastards!"
They cast out steel nets to capture the remaining flying Vampires. Other than the Vampires Karakul had dealt with in the tent, they managed to kill or capture the rest of the 50 Vampires. The Orcs surrounded the trapped Vampires, glaring at them with blood-shot eyes.
"These bastards…! They dared to kill the Orcs in the capital?!"
"We'll make sure to keep you just barely alive-!"
"Revenge for our brothers!"
"Hiiiiik?!"
The Vampires squealed, covering their heads as the fists, maces, and other assorted weapons of the Orcs rained down upon them. Following the blunt sound of their blows, blood flew in every direction. The Vampires, restrained by the nets, were powerless. The members of the noble race of bloodsuckers were being beaten and humiliated in a way they never had before. As Demon King Lily looked at them squeamishly, she turned back to Ellin. Ellin looked back at her knowingly and spoke another order.
"It is the order of Her Highness! Restrain them and force them to their knees! We'll make an example by sending them back to Vladiferr!"
The Orcs shackled their arms and legs. In case they tried to shape-shift into bats, they left the nets wrapped around their bodies.
***
Karina froze, hearing the screams echoing from beyond the tent. She could tell these were the screams of Vampires, and she could smell their blood. They were screaming frantically to retreat, having forgotten Karina's existence entirely. Her kin, her fellow Vampires, had been defeated.
"…"
She turned to look at Tom. He was smiling warmly, but beneath that she sensed a dangerous hostility.
'… I made a mistake provoking them! This guy was as dangerous as brother said!'
Vladiferr had warned her not to come to this place. It was just in case something like this happened. However, she had ignored him.
Karina gritted her teeth. The humiliation of having been captured by them and being deceived by the Werewolves soured her pride.
"You did well."
Tom spoke, looking at the Moon Rabbit siblings. Lulu and Luli blushed, having watched Tom and Karina from start to finish. Tom laughed emptily seeing the pair's innocence.
"My, I'm sorry. Maybe I should have captured her a bit faster."
"Ah, we are aware of the things we should know. It's just the first time seeing it first hand…"
"… Are you adults?"
They appeared like teenagers no matter how he looked at them. It didn't matter as Ajins developed at different rates, but the unique trait of the Moon Rabbits included their rather small stature.
Karina looked crestfallen. How would her brother react knowing she had been captured?
'… H-he's going to be mad!'
Karina trembled thinking of her brother's wraith. He thought of her fondly, but he was not forgiving. Should he know that she was captured, he would agree to any arrangements for her release, but she would most surely be incarcerated and tortured. As Vampires had enduring vitality and exceptional regenerative powers, Vladiferr's torture methods would be that much more horrendous. He would not show mercy for shared blood.
'I-I have to escape in any way possible! If not, I'll be hated by my brother!'
"I-If you release me, I'll reward you! Release me right now!" Karina shouted at Tom. "I'll do anything in my power. If I become free… that's right! If you want my flesh, I'll grant it! Do you want the blood of other Vampires? The blood of other Apostles, perhaps? What do you want?! Ah! I can release the Apostles as well!"
Karina bargained based on the standard of Vampires. Though he looked down on her, Tom understood this and began to think about it seriously.
Then he clapped.
"Ah, I just have to free you?"
Karina's face lit up.
"Y-yes! What do you want?!"
Karina internally mocked the human before her.
'Hah! You gullible monster! You're still a slave to pleasure! Yes, I'll grant you what you want, but there will be endless torment ahead! I'll tear off your limbs and hang you on a hook. You'll be my blood bag for the rest of eternity!'
Karina began to think of all manner of torture methods as she cursed Tom in her mind. Meanwhile, Tom looked at Karina as he spoke.
"What do I want?"
Tom's eyes curved like a crescent moon, but his hostile, golden eyes remained locked on her face.
"How about your head?"
***
Karina trembled in fear; she and the other Vampires were in an alarming situation. They were strapped to pires made of wood, restrained by chains of Holy Power to keep them from using magic or shape-shifting. It was a complete restraint, one which even Karina could not escape from! The Holy Power burned their flesh, but this pain was negligible compared to what was coming; the thing they were truly afraid of had yet to arrive. Their eyes stared up at the sky. On the horizon, the morning sun was about to rise. Seeing this, Karina's face turned even more pale.
"S-save me!"
Karina shouted, pleaded. There were various demons surrounding her and the other Vampires. They all glared at the Vampires in anger. They must have been enraged by the fact that their kin had been slaughtered by them in the capital.
Lily looked away from the pires. Karakul, who was standing beside her, spoke up.
"You must not avert your gaze."
Lily flinched in surprise and looked toward Karakul.
"They are your subjects. Even if they are people that walked down the wrong path. It is also the role of a king to see their crimes through to the end."
Lily turned back, heeding Karakul's words, and looked at the Vampires. Her face was stiff with determination, but her hands were trembling. Ellin held one of those hands delicately. The Moon Rabbit siblings, Lulu and Luli, held each other's hands as they poked their heads out from behind Tom's back to watch the Vampires.
Kuman looked toward the sky wordlessly. When the sun began peeking out from over the mountain range, their surroundings gradually became brighter. Just as the sun was about to crest the mountains, Kuman began to blow a horn.
It was a grand sound signifying the coming morning. It also signified that this was not a simple 'execution', but a burning at the stake. Following the sound of the horn, the light of the sun shined down upon the Vampires.
— Ω —