Chapter 21: Learning the Ecology of Vampires

"Is that the end of the story?"

Hikari Mikoto gave me a look that clearly said so, but I shook my head.

“No, there’s one more thing. Mind explaining something you mentioned before? You called it a ‘Blood Slave Servant’ or something like that.”

――Blood Slave Servant.
It was a strange term I’d heard on the night she first bit me. It stuck with me ever since. At the time, she’d been too hungry to explain, and I never got to ask again.

“Oh, yeah. I guess I did say something like that…”

“You’re awfully casual about it.”

Hikari scratched her cheek awkwardly, clearly having forgotten all about it.

“Sorry, sorry. But I figured… it wasn’t something I had to explain just yet.”

“Look, I’m the last person to lecture you, but you’ll just forget again anyway. Might as well tell me now while you remember.”

“Ugh… fine, I’ll tell you, okay!? ‘Blood Slave Servant’ is actually a type of vampire.”

And so, though a bit reluctantly, she went on to explain that there are three types of vampires.

“First, the True Ancestor. That one’s obvious, right?”

“Uh, you mean the big boss you fought? The one who turned you into a vampire?”

Hikari nodded.

The True Ancestor is said to be the very first vampire to appear in the other world. Quite literally the progenitor of all others. With a lifespan bordering on immortality, it wandered through dimensions, gathering absurd amounts of magical power over countless ages.

That sheer power alone was enough to split the earth with a flick of the wrist, to cleave oceans in two.

Naturally, no ordinary human could ever hope to oppose it. In no time, it had conquered more than half the world.

Which is why—

“The fact that you managed to take it down, even if it was a mutual kill… that’s seriously insane.”

“Heh heh hehh~ You can praise me more, you know?”

With a puffed-up grin, her crimson eyes sparkled as if demanding to be petted.

…Yeah, maybe I’ll just pretend she didn’t almost attack me with that power earlier. Thinking about it is terrifying enough.

“So, what’s next?”

“The Standard Breed. Basically, your typical vampire. Not that they’re weak or anything.”

The Standard Breed is created when a human has their blood sucked while also being injected with the vampire’s tainted magical energy. In a sense, they’re like the children of the True Ancestor, carrying its magic but not differing much in nature.

However, there is one major difference.

Unlike the True Ancestor, the Standard Breed is originally human, so they only live for about a hundred years. That’s why they don’t store up massive magic reserves, nor are they particularly advanced in magic.

Still, if enough battle-hardened warriors take one down together, they might stand a chance.

“…You know, that got me wondering. Since they start off as humans, weren’t there any who betrayed the True Ancestor? I mean, getting turned into a creature that can never walk in the sun again—seems like a grudge-worthy situation.”

The question slipped out without thinking.

I mean, if they built a relationship like me and Hikari have, there wouldn’t be any need to fight humans in the first place.

“…You’re pretty sharp, Yousuke. But you see, when someone’s turned into a vampire, an insane amount of magical energy gets poured into them. And magic doesn’t just fuel spells—it affects your mind and memories, too. It’s almost like a piece of your soul. Most people… end up losing themselves. They’re swallowed by madness and become full-fledged vampires.”

…It was a chilling story. I nearly shuddered just hearing it.

That said, it’s mostly true for ordinary people. Those with a strong handle on magic are a different case. In fact, a few, like Hikari, managed to hold onto their sense of self even after being turned. Those rare ones eventually found human partners to share blood with, turned their fangs on their creators, and were honored by humans under the name Heroic Blood――

…Or so Hikari added, almost like an afterthought.

“And lastly, there’s the Blood Slave Servant…”

Hikari paused there, then told me how the name was written.

Blood. Slave.

Just from the characters alone, I got a bad feeling.
And sure enough, as soon as the topic came up, Hikari’s expression darkened ever so slightly.

“…Do you remember when I told you there was a way for a vampire to draw blood from someone without turning them?”

“Y-yeah…”

“Well, Blood Slave Servant is that. It’s when someone’s turned into a thrall while still remaining human. If you want to put it harshly… they’re livestock.”

That last word came out like she was forcing herself to say it.

Here’s the gist of what she explained.

Blood Slave Servants are created through a vampire’s curse-like sorcery. As the term “slave” implies, they’re not treated as people, and they’re absolutely incapable of defying their master’s will.

They can’t suck blood themselves. They exist solely as living blood sources—property, nothing more.
Their lives are bound to their master’s; they’re not allowed to die without permission, and if their master dies, they die with them.

“…That’s just messed up. There’s no saving that.”

The words slipped out quietly.

“Yeah… But I’ve seen a lot of them. Blood Slave Servants, I mean.”

Hikari lowered her eyes, her voice matching mine in tone.

…According to her, a vampire only creates one when they have a deep fixation on the target—whether it’s affection or hatred doesn’t matter.

After all, creating another of your kind burns through enormous amounts of magical energy. Doing it just to drink blood wouldn’t be worth it.
Creating a Blood Slave Servant takes even more.

Maybe they had a beauty they wanted to keep at their side forever.
Maybe they inflicted a wound or humiliation that would never heal.

And in the end, the victim is either kept like a pampered pet for the rest of their life—or turned into an object of scorn and abuse, unable to die even if they wanted to.

Either way, it was grotesque.
Twisted beyond saving.

Trying to process it all, I fell silent.

“…You don’t need to worry that much, okay? Like I said before, I’d never force you to become a Blood Slave Servant.”

Hikari said it in an almost ridiculously cheerful tone.

Apparently, she thought I was scared after hearing all that.

“No, it’s not that. And besides, I’d never think you’d do something like that anyway.”

“…I see.”

There’s no real benefit for her, either.

Like I already told her—if she ever wants blood, I’ll give it to her. No need to curse me or whatever.

If anything, what caught my attention was something else entirely.
Just… a faint, lingering sense of unease.

“Man… all this talking’s got me feeling garlic-drunk again.”

Looking worn out, Hikari flopped onto the bed.
She hugged her pillow tight and curled up like a cat.

…Her face did look a little paler than before.

Maybe the garlic smell still hadn’t worn off of me. That could be making it worse.

If that’s the case, I probably shouldn’t overstay my welcome.

So I said,

“…Alright, I’ll head back to my room. Make sure you change before you sleep, okay? If your uniform gets wrinkled, Mom’s gonna flip.”

With that, I made a quick retreat.