Soon after Nephis explained the ability of the Dawn Shard, Sunny frowned slightly and asked:
"Wait… won't it enhance Gunlaug's armor as well?"
Nephis shook her head.
"That armor isn't a Memory," she said calmly. "It's an Echo."
Alucard didn't react.
He had already known that.
From the moment he obtained the Sin of Envy, he had been able to sense blood in things others couldn't. Gunlaug's armor had always felt… alive.
There were some Echoes that had blood.
There were some that didn't.
But there were no Memories that bled.
That alone had been enough for him to figure it out.
Seishan had later confirmed it anyway.
Nearby, Sunny and Nephis continued their usual strange… whatever it was.
Not quite conversation.
Not quite flirting.
Something in between.
"Like you're one to talk," Gluttony said smugly inside Alucard's mind.
Alucard rolled his eyes.
"Oh please," he replied internally. "We can both agree their relationship is a complete mess."
Gluttony chuckled.
"Yeah. It is. But yours are way worse."
Alucard's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Care to elaborate?" he asked coldly. "Choose your next words very carefully. Otherwise I'm starving you for a year."
A very real shiver ran through Gluttony.
"What I meant," the Sin said quickly, "is that your only relationship was with a girl who basically had to force you to date her. She had to outright tell you she was madly in love with you. And we both know how clueless you are when it comes to Sei."
Alucard grabbed his head.
"…No food for a week," he muttered. "You mentioned Yuki."
He paused.
"…But why the hell did you bring up Sei?"
Gluttony scoffed.
"I didn't even mention her properly," it argued. "And wasn't the rule three days, not a week? Also… come on. You seriously don't see it?"
Alucard frowned.
"Firstly, you earned the extra days by being annoying. Secondly, I have no idea what you're talking about."
Gluttony let out something that sounded like a cough trying to imitate a sigh.
"You're hopeless," it said. "You're like one of those dense anime protagonists."
Alucard ignored it and walked toward the rest of the cohort.
Right in time to hear Nephis speaking in that calm, distant tone of hers.
"Just because we obtained the Dawn Shard doesn't mean our expedition is over. I think Sunny can explain."
Sunny smiled faintly.
"Well, it's simple. Yes, the goal was to find a way to overthrow the Bright Lord. But that's not the only reason, is it?"
Alucard wasn't in the mood.
Not for suspense.
Not for whatever cryptic game they were playing.
Not after everything.
So he cut in bluntly:
"Kai, what they're trying to say is that we have to kill the Nightmare Creature inside that cave and reach the statue inside."
Silence fell instantly.
Everyone turned toward Nephis.
After a moment, she nodded.
"That is correct."
Kai blinked.
"But… why? What's so important about that statue?"
Nephis exhaled slowly.
"This is something people can only volunteer for," she said. "Anyone who doesn't wish to proceed can stay behind."
She turned toward the tunnel ahead.
"…There is another ancient statue inside. A powerful guardian protects it. I don't know what it is. But we have to kill it."
Then she added, more seriously:
"If you join me, you must follow one rule. No matter what happens, do not deal the final blow unless you have touched the statue first."
Alucard didn't wait for anything else.
He was already walking.
He needed something to kill.
Something to vent everything building inside him.
First that damned dream…
Then the infection…
Then the wax…
Then… them…
Sara.
Yuki.
The names echoed in his mind like a curse.
His jaw clenched.
Something is going to die today.
Either me…
Or that creature.
---
The cohort entered the tunnel.
The air grew heavier.
Darker.
Then—
A deafening screech tore through the cavern.
A massive, grotesque bird descended from above.
A Spire Messenger.
Its wings stretched wide, feathers like blades, its beak sharp enough to split stone.
Its scream alone shook the walls.
Alucard smiled.
A wide, unhinged grin.
"Finally."
Beside him, Beast materialized.
Alucard didn't wait.
He thrust his hand forward—
Blood surged.
Compressed.
Sharpened.
Then—
BOOM.
Three Piercing Blood projectiles shot forward like crimson bullets.
They slammed into the creature's wing and torso.
The impact echoed.
The feathers held.
Barely.
The blood didn't pierce cleanly—but it dented the flesh beneath.
Alucard clicked his tongue.
"Not enough…"
The problem was obvious.
The blood belonged to a Fallen creature.
But he was still just a Sleeper.
He needed something stronger.
So he changed tactics instantly.
A massive amount of blood surged around him—enough to fill entire bathtubs.
It twisted.
Condensed.
Formed into four massive javelins, each one vibrating with unstable power.
Alucard grabbed one and hurled it.
Then another.
Then another.
Each throw cracked the air like thunder.
He aimed for the eyes.
He missed.
Horribly.
One javelin shot past the creature's head.
Another scraped its wing.
The third—
"…Oh."
It hit.
Not where he intended.
But it hit.
The Spire Messenger let out an enraged screech as the javelin lodged into a very unfortunate location.
Alucard blinked.
"…Well. That works too."
(he hit the cloaca)
Since aiming clearly wasn't his strength, he switched targets.
Bigger target.
Center mass.
He began throwing javelins relentlessly.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Each one slammed into the creature's body, embedding slightly into its dense, armored feathers.
Not killing it.
Not even seriously injuring it.
But weakening it.
Setting something up.
The Spire Messenger finally noticed him properly.
Its head snapped toward him.
Then—
It vanished.
And reappeared directly in front of him.
Too fast.
Way too fast.
Before Alucard could react—
CRASH.
A wing slammed into him like a mountain.
His body was sent flying across the cavern.
Bones shattered instantly.
Armor cracked.
He slammed into the wall hard enough to crater it.
For a moment—
Everything went quiet.
Then pain hit.
All at once.
"GLUTTONY—HEAL ME!"
It was already working.
"You should not move," Gluttony warned. "Your ribs—your spine—"
Too late.
Alucard forced himself up.
Pain exploded through his body.
His legs didn't respond.
He looked down.
His spine was completely severed.
His lower body… wasn't connected anymore.
"…Hah."
A broken laugh escaped his lips.
Then he spat blood.
"Yeah… no."
That wasn't stopping him.
Not today.
While Gluttony desperately worked to reconnect his body, Alucard tilted his head back—
And started spitting piercing blood like bullets through his mouth.
Each shot cracked through the air, forcing the creature to shift its attention.
Buying time.
Buying seconds.
That was enough.
The moment feeling returned to his legs, he forced himself up.
He didn't stand properly.
He dragged himself forward.
Limping.
Broken.
Bleeding.
Completely insane.
"I will kill you…" he muttered.
Each step left a smear of blood behind.
"I will rip those wings off…"
He coughed violently.
More blood spilled from his mouth.
"…and turn them into a coat…"
The Spire Messenger screeched and lunged again—
But Effie intercepted it, slamming it back just enough.
Just one moment.
That was all he needed.
Alucard reached the statue.
And slammed his forehead against it.
Contact.
Permission granted.
He turned.
Slowly.
And smiled.
A terrifying, blood-soaked grin.
Then he looked up.
At the ceiling.
Cracked.
Unstable.
Perfect.
All the blood he had embedded earlier—
All those "failed" attacks—
Suddenly made sense.
They weren't attacks.
They were anchors.
He raised his hand.
Every drop of blood embedded in the creature…
In the walls…
In the ceiling…
Moved.
They surged deeper into the rock.
Wrapped.
Connected.
Like veins.
Like a network.
Like a bomb waiting to go off.
The Spire Messenger lunged again.
Right into position.
Alucard's smile widened.
His voice came out as a rasp, soaked in blood and madness:
"Go to hell… you worthless piece of shit."
Then—
[The Sin of Wrath]
Activated.
For a split second—
Everything went silent.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
The ceiling collapsed.
An avalanche of stone, sharpened rock, and massive debris crashed down onto the Spire Messenger.
The cavern shook violently.
Dust exploded into the air.
The creature's scream was cut short as thousands of tons of rock buried it alive.
Silence followed.
Alucard stood there.
Barely.
Body broken.
Covered in blood.
Breathing heavily.
Then he laughed.
A low, unhinged laugh.
"…Yeah."
He wiped blood from his mouth.
"That felt good."