Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

“The nature of vampires makes them stronger after the sun sets. Maybe that’s why there are no windows. But ‘them’? The sun sets, and they awaken? Uncontrollable? That means there’s another being somewhere in the castle…”

At that moment, Chiyou realized. Watching her pupils dilate, Bathory urgently moved her lips.

“Quickly, please. Share your blood. Yes, share my power. Don’t you want to become the strongest second-in-command under the Vampire Queen? I’ll make it so that you can revel in your glory in all the dark castles around the world.”

Tuka-ah-ah…!

Chiyou and Bathory were both startled by the sudden sound of gunshots.

“This is not right. Damn it, damn it.”

Leeha was still searching for Vitality Jar.

After glancing at Leeha, Bathory took a step towards Chiyou. It was a subtle and delicate movement that Leeha, who was only looking at Chiyou, could not detect.

“Can you share your power?”

“Of course. I can even make you my consort. But we must hurry, or I may not be able to consume blood anymore.”

“How do you share your power?”

“Come here and present your neck! It’s the opposite of sucking blood! I have to inject my blood into you!”

Chiyou was the leader of the Shinobi Gumi. Hence, she was not lacking in bargaining power compared to Ram Hwayeon. She knew well who held the upper hand at the moment and did not completely push Bathory away.

“Is it possible to receive blood without sucking blood?”

“It’s possible but pointless. If I don’t regain my strength, I won’t have much power to share. So, quickly—quickly, offer your neck.”

Chiyou pondered how to overcome the current situation or what the best choice for her would be.

The moment one thought divided into eighteen more was fleeting, and even as those eighteen thoughts split into another eighteen each, she did not miss a single thread.

In an instant, a mind map sprang forth in her mind.

“Alright. But promise me. Promise that you will work for Bluebeard.”

“I will. But now, I think I know why Le sent you.”

Bathory’s skin seemed to be glowing noticeably.

Leeha was still searching for Vitality Jar, trying to press the wall stones or hitting the floor with the Black Bass’ muzzle, searching for any place where Vitality Jar might be hiding.

Had Chiyou looked at Bathory, known that she was undergoing natural decay, she wouldn’t have engaged in searching for Vitality Jar. Chiyou smiled.

“It seems like you weren’t simply sent here to be a blood bag. Huh.”

“Yeah! So hurry! From the moment you drink my blood, you have to use your power for Le again. Quickly, time is now-“

“Alright. But you have to make some noise. We need to grab the attention of that slime-like creatures. One, two-“

Chiyou’s muscles twitched subtly.

“…

-three.”

Bathory let out a scream as she immediately assumed a pose to dash away upon the countdown.

“Argh-!”

Bathory screamed in agony. At that moment, the gazes of Leeha and Jellypong turned towards her.

“Quick! Quickly put your mouth on my neck!”

“Kahak- come here!”

In that moment, Chiyou lunged towards Bathory, dodging Jellypong. Bathory’s jaw dropped. Leeha’s eyes widened briefly, but that was all. He was only momentarily surprised by the scene he had just witnessed upon opening the door.

“Stop, Chiyou!”

Leeha raised his black rifle. Chiyou did not stop. Leeha was not foolish enough to only threaten with words. He immediately pulled the trigger.

“Too late! Hah!”

Bang!

As Bathory’s teeth sank into Chiyou’s neck, Leeha’s bullet left the rifle. In that moment, Chiyou was smiling. How long had it been since she first fired the Mana Vaporizing Shot? She already saw the ‘semi-transparent bullet’ hitting her abdomen. Her waist moved like flowing water, foreseeing the attack through the [Dance of Society].

–!

Even as the echoes of gunshots faded in the narrow room, Leeha still failed to fully comprehend the situation.

“Kahaha- Kahat- Kahaa…~]

“What… what’s happening-?”

A hole opened up in Bathory’s abdomen, completely penetrating her internal organs. With her neck bitten by Bathory, Chiyou smiled.

“Quickly inject it, you damn blood-sucking bitch.”

“Kaaaah- you- youuu- this- kahaaargh!”

As soon as Bathory’s fangs pierced Chiyou, Chiyou’s quest succeeded. And the subsequent bullets completely depleted Bathory’s remaining health. Her body would crumble to the point where she couldn’t even perform bloodsucking anymore.

What did that moment signify?

In a situation where bloodsucking became impossible and only blood transfusion was possible!

Vampires have an instinct to protect their kind. Chiyou deduced this through her conversation with Bathory.

“If divided, it might not be much, but if everything is given, shouldn’t it be sufficient?”

“Bitch, kaahhh!”

Bathory raged, but her body gradually crumbled into dust.

Through the fangs stuck in Chiyou’s neck, Bathory’s power flowed sequentially without stopping.

“Wait a minute! Chiyou! What are you doing!? If you don’t back off now— Aaahhh- [Platinum Shield]!”

With an explosion, the pinnacle bug of Bransylvania Castle burst out.

Even as her body was completely upended and blown away, Leeha watched something emerge from Chiyou’s back.

It was Chiyou’s [2nd job advancement], something beyond Leeha’s wildest dreams.

“Oh, ohoho, is it over?”

Bluebeard chuckled as he watched the explosion of Bransylvania Castle. With the explosion, the relentless blizzard ceased. No more snowballs came flying. However, regardless of that, Bluebeard’s expression still exuded calmness.

“Haah, haah… Blaugrunn, you okay?”

“Okay- cough, super.”

Blaugrunn’s upper body was drenched in blood.

Arzenmacht was freezing and hemostatizing the wounded area, but that alone was not enough for complete recovery.

“[Ice Spear].”

As Ram Hwajung shot out an ice spear, Bluebeard took off his hat.

“I will enjoy the meal, little lady.”

Just by aligning the hole in his hat with the tip of the ice spear, the ice spear vanished into the hat.

Ram Hwajung’s magic was nullified like that of a third-rate mage.

“Eurgh-!”

Bluebeard thumped his belly as if he had ingested it, pretending to digest it.

Bluebeard was strong enough to be mistaken for an Ancient, but Arzenmacht was still an Adult Silver Dragon nearing its final stage.

And although nearing the Adult-class, Blaugrunn, the Bronze Dragon, was still at the Juvenile-class. The 4:1 battle with the Ranker Ice Mage Ram Hwajung and Leeha’s soulmate Koma didn’t go as urgently as expected.

Especially after Koma was torn to pieces by Bluebeard and returned to the spirit realm, the remaining three had to desperately defend against the onslaught of Bluebeard.

“Such a pity, Chiyou. But at least in the end, she might serve as nourishment for Bathory, so maybe it’s a bit of good fortune.”

“The Blood Maiden is here…”

“What? You didn’t even know that and came this far? Geez, Silver Dragon’s brain seems to have completely rotted!”

Amidst Bluebeard’s chuckling, something began to stir in the exploding Bransylvania Castle. As the shadow drew closer, Bluebeard’s expression suddenly changed. Arzenmacht and Blaugrunn, even Ram Hwajung, couldn’t help but be surprised by what they saw on Bluebeard’s face.

“Ch-Chiyou? How did you…”

The figure descending while exuding aura was Chiyou. With a completely different attire and appearance from when she ascended to the castle, the most striking feature was the wings of bloody membranes on her back.

“So, was that the reason you sent me, Count?”

“T-That’s not it… Wait, what about Bathory? What happened to Bathory?”

Even Bluebeard looked astonished by the current situation. Not predicting what happened inside Bransylvania Castle, which housed a Demon King’s Fragment grade boss, was evidence of the unexpected turn of events.

“Chiyou! Blaugrunn, stop them! Bind them somehow! [Hallucination: Bahamut]!”

Before the echoes of the voice faded, the apparition of a Platinum Dragon materialized near the summit.

“Ugh, this is getting annoying.”

“You’re not referring to me when you say that, right?”

Chiyou’s lips curved up slightly. Bluebeard regained his composure soon after.

“That couldn’t be. I’m just relieved that you look better than I expected. Shall we return for now?”

As Chiyou listened to Bluebeard, she glanced over her shoulder.

Even without checking various alerts or system windows, she knew. She knew what she had become and how she had changed. Despite wanting to test it immediately, Chiyou, as a gambler, had no intention of taking any risks.

Not knowing how penalties would be applied, she had no desire to gamble at this point.

“Yes, let’s go.”

Chiyou linked arms with Bluebeard.

Swoosh!

The two beings jumped and flew over the mountain crest as if gliding.

“B-Blaugrunn, Arzenmacht, stop, Chiyou!”

Before the gunfire rang out, Chiyou had already turned around. Her movements in avoiding the projectiles were impeccable.

An ordinary person would have been paralyzed, unsure of what had happened, what transpired in the castle, and what they should do next. But Leeha was different. With the rifle in hand and the target in sight, there was only one thing for the sniper to do.

“Whew, whew. Eagle’s Eye.”

Adjusting his breathing, he approached the edge of the cliff. A single wrong step would have been enough to make him fall, but right now, that danger didn’t even register.

“Haa, haa. Distance – 270 meters, moving away rapidly but direction remains stable.”

Whew.

No, she will definitely evade the attack, anticipating it in advance. How can he anticipate it? How can he deceive the enemy? Can he use a diversion to catch the person off guard?

If he had truly intended to kill Chiyou, he should have aimed at her with a flamethrower from the beginning. Even if there were consequences of killing Jellypong along with her, that should have been how he ended it. Leeha shook his head.

‘Don’t dwell on the past. In order to shake off that sorrow… Ahhhhh.’

“One shot is all it takes, Chiyou.”

He watched Chiyou and Bluebeard becoming smaller and smaller in the distance, then lowered the rifle that had been aimed at them.

“[Terror Familiar: Target]”

Something gushed out from Leeha’s chest. Leeha’s eyes were on it, but his hands were not. In that instant when a scream was heard in the distance, Chiyou’s body slumped down. The altitude dropped abruptly along with Bluebeard who had been holding onto Chiyou.

“Die.”

Right there was the spot he had set his sights on.

Baaaang…

Bluebeard moved without letting go of Chiyou. Whether Chiyou turned a milky white because of the blue feathers and Bluebeard’s body obscuring him, Leeha couldn’t see. But in his mind, a cheerful fanfare was ringing.

“Oppa.”

Ram Hwajung approached, unable to take her eyes off the spectacle unfolding before her. She held onto the hunched figure of the sniper tightly, her hands trembling.

“Damn it… If only I didn’t know about the Vitality Jar, I could have killed Bathory. Before Bathory’s power was transferred to Chiyou, I could have completely eradicated her existence.”

“No, that’s just an excuse. Although the bullet seems to have hit, what will happen next?”.

He slowly released her shooting stance. All battles that took place in the Eternal Snow Mountains of the Northern Eastern Continent had come to an end.