Tokyo was bustling amidst rapid development. With the introduction of electricity and other modern conveniences, the lifestyle of Japanese citizens improved significantly.
Development in technology also somewhat affected the culture and traditions, naturally making several people dislike the change. But some also saw opportunities and rushed to Tokyo to test their luck. This caused a surge in population in the already crowded city.
The majority of the new population were youngsters who came from the outskirts regions and remote villages. With them, they brought stories of life in the underprivileged areas and the tales of man-eating demons.
"No way that kind of rumour is true. There is no such thing as demons," a young Japanese man, wearing expensive Western clothes, said to his friend.
"But all those new people were talking about it," another man in equally expensive clothes retorted.
"I don't believe it, Aoto"
"Then, should we go check it out ourselves? I haven't seen a demon before, Itsuki"
"Let's go then. There is still time before night. By the time we reach the forest, the sun will have set. I heard demons only come out at night," Itsuki said and started walking towards the outskirts of the city.
Aoto looked back at the bustling city, nodded and left with Itsuki.
After a few hours, the sun set, and the dark, starry night took over the skies. In the forests, outside Tokyo, two young men in their twenties walked side by side.
"How much deeper do we have to go?" Aoto asked with an uncertain expression.
"Let's walk a bit more"
"It's already too late. We should retur—"
"Grrrr..."
A deep growl from behind startled them. Turning back, they saw three strange creatures. They had multiple eyes on their faces, fat, grey skin and long, sharp claws. It was terrifying to look at, but the lack of light made it difficult for them to see it as anything other than humanoid silhouettes.
Itsuki, who did not believe in demons, took a step forward and shouted, "Hey, you. What's your name? We are looking for demons. I will give you mon—"
Itsuki did not get to finish his sentence as one of the demons plunged its claws into his stomach and hoisted him above its head.
Within a few seconds, Itsuki was dead.
"W-wait, my family has money. Don't kill me!"
Aoto seeing how they killed his friend, took a step back and ran deeper inside the forest, not even daring to look behind.
"So-someone help. Help me"
He ran and shouted, turning many times to avoid those monstrous creatures whose profile was now visible in faint moonlight. His mind was blank, running mindlessly through the paved path of the forest and going deeper into the woods.
---
Meanwhile in the air, a white mist followed Aoto and the three demons behind him. In the dense mist, glowing red eyes formed and tracked every movement of the four individuals below.
After running for a while, Aoto, tired and panting, tripped over a branch and fell on the ground. The demons picked him up by his throat and went deeper towards the centre of the forest. They remained completely oblivious as the mist trailed behind them.
The three demons arrived at an old, run-down house located deep in the forest. They talked to someone, and dark wooden shoji doors opened below their feet with a distinct sound of biwa. On the other side of the gate, Sebas could see an entirely different setting.
As the demons jumped in, the mist also tried to follow them down, but just before it reached, the shoji doors closed shut.
The mist lingered above the spot for a moment before gathering at one place and forming into a figure of a man in a butler suit and white gloves, carrying a long sword on his back.
"Finally found this so-called 'Infinity Castle'. It is located in a separate space, just as Lord said. Being a pocket dimension, finding it took substantial work, especially since I do not possess spatial magic. I have to commend these inferior creatures for creating something rare to find in even Asgard."
It was Sebas Valentine, the butler of the Immortal King.
He had been given the task of finding the Infinity Castle by Nior. In ordinary situations, it should be an easy task with barely any effort, but being in a different space made it difficult for Sebas, a swordsman, to locate a pocket dimension.
Nior could undoubtedly do the task, but it could provide a new learning experience, so he gave it to Sebas. Definitely not because he was feeling lazy and shoved the work to his subordinates. He was—Yes, he was busy training a new candidate.
Bzzz....
As Sebas was scouting the area, the crimson sword strapped on his back trembled as if trying to say something. It was Nior's sword as well as the key to summon Sanctuary, the Sword of Night Eilaxnir. Another task handed down to Sebas was to manage the occupation of this world.
As a divine artifact forged by the Dwarf King himself, it was the greatest magic sword one could ever find. Not only did it have magical intelligence, but it was also overflowing with Vampiric Energy.
Sebas glanced at his hands, now holding the crimson sword. The energy it contained was so ridiculously high that even a Super Vampire like himself found it unbearable.
[Super Vampire: Elite Vampires possessing very strong souls and a vampiric physique, extraordinary even among immortals. They have vast Vampiric Energy reserves, unique powers, are highly resistant, have insane adaptability, and almost limitless mana and stamina.]
Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, Sebas clutched the sword tightly in his hands and straightened his posture.
True Vampire Transformation
Crack!
A loud thunder cracked across the sky.
Dense visible red energy emerged from him, spreading outwards rapidly. The sky across the entire planet turned ominously dark with red lightning crackling between the clouds. The ground beneath him cracked and shattered. Trees nearby caught blood-red flames spontaneously. The atmosphere felt heavy, making it hard to breathe.
His muscles bulged, and his height increased to 10 feet, 12 feet, 15 feet before he stopped it from increasing further.
Two giant wings, obsidian in colour, spread from his back. Red Vampiric Energy, like a cyclone, circled the sky with him in the centre. Thunder roared endlessly. Lightning struck the ground, creating scorch marks and destroying structures. All nearby life withered and turned to ashes within a second under the violent energy.
BOOOOOM!
With a loud explosion, the dense energy blasted outwards, revealing the figure. Eyes glowing red and slitted like a dragon. Features still beautiful, but now two sharp canines extended from his upper jaw.
Two massive dragon wings stay folded on his back.
"Transformation works here," Sebas nodded with a smile.
He raised Nior's sword in front of him. The Vampiric Energy flowed like water from an open dam, making it difficult for him to even take control.
Even in his strongest form, he could barely use this sword and a few of its abilities. As an intelligence weapon, Eilaxnir has several abilities of its own. The one that is required now is its power to locate any space it has already recorded.
Bzzzzzz....
The sword vibrated and started shining. Vampiric Energy flowed from its hilt to Sebas's hands. Even with his regeneration, cracks still formed on his skin. His Transformation merely allowed him to wield the Divine Sword and to perform only one strike at a time.
[True Vampire Transformation: Vampires are the Rulers of Night. They are cosmic beings with unfathomable powers and two special magical energies unique to them: Mana and Vampiric Energy. True Vampire Transformation allows the Vampires to invoke His blessings and wield a portion of His powers.]
"Argh..."
"Still cannot handle you, huh?" he said, looking down at the crimson sword in his hands.
Bzzz Bzzz
The sword vibrated as if smug.
"As expected of the Lord's weapon. Any swordsman would be tempted to make it his own, but except for Him, no one else can even draw His sword."
Ignoring the pain, Sebas slashed Eilaxnir downwards lightly, and a tear in space opened in front of him. On the other side lay an endless expanse of a castle.
The sword was able to cut through space as easily as butter and even found the location Sebas intended to go.
He could do this with his own sword, too, but cutting open in a foreign world is not something that should be done carelessly, so Nior's sword was needed here.
He put the sword back and took a step forward, vanishing inside as mist.
---
Inside Sakonji's home, Nior looked upward at the red-stained sky. The red light reflected on his golden hair, made him look even more handsome than he already was.
"This world is really weak. Sebas is not even trying, and yet the planet is already a wreck," he said with a chuckle.
With a wave of his hand, a red ripple flew towards the sky, neutralising any violent energy.