My Vampire Little Sister

After defeating the flying Dragon, the anti-magic field that suppressed my powers faded away, giving me free rein to cast any spell I wished once again. Clenching my fists, I used my telekinetic ability to clean up the area, allowing us to fully observe the broken location we were transported to.

If I didn't have the memory of being swallowed by the Demon Lord, I would have misunderstood that I had entered into another dimension. An artificial sky covered the ceiling, the fresh scents of a jungle with broken pieces of rubble, and finally, the feeling that I was currently in nature and not in the belly of a beast.

It was nothing short of surreal.

"Amazing… I wonder how the world would react once they discover that Eyghon is actually an artificial being."

I couldn't help but marvel at the masterful creation. Perhaps if I could uncover the secrets of how this monster was created, maybe… Just maybe… I could recreate a Demon Lord all by myself.

Alas, that was a story for another day. Right now, it was more pressing to find clues on how we could escape this hellhole.

"... How stupid," Ysabelle spat out with a tinge of fire within her eyes. "All this time, we've actually been fighting a robot. What on earth are those Outer Demons thinking?"

"I concur."

Robot, huh? That sure was an apt way to describe Eyghon. Based on all of the information I'd gathered so far, this 'Demon Lord' was a reconnaissance unit and a tank that brought death and destruction to whatever it touched.

It appears periodically, surprising everyone who was close to the Major Gate. It stayed still for three days, not doing anything while its minions wreaked havoc on the world. And finally, it didn't seem to have a soul of its own.

The other two Demon Lords, Cthulhu and Baishe, behaved as physical beings. They feasted on human flesh and moved in a calculated, yet, predictable manner. If anything, the two Demon Lords were closer to human intelligence than their counterparts.

Eyghon, on the other hand, was completely mysterious. It moved in ways that no one could predict, sometimes even baffling researchers whose sole purpose in life was to predict its movements.

However, if Eyghon was a mere machine that followed orders, everything made sense. The Outer Demon would appear in a systematic approach, possibly observing the world as it stayed in place. Perhaps it was creating a detailed map for future invasions? Or maybe it was searching for something within our planet?

No one could tell for sure.

"Jin, what should we do now?"

"Hmmm?"

I raised my brow at Ysabelle's question. Due to the fact that she was high on adrenaline after the last battle, the girl could finally look me in the eye without averting her gaze.

"We've defeated these monsters, but I doubt that reinforcements won't arrive. If my guess is correct…"

"You think that Eyghon stores all of the Outer Demons that appear within its belly, right?"

"R-Right! H-How did you guess?"

"Quite simple, actually."

No one knew how the Outer Demons managed to sneak past the Gate when it was guarded by the joint alliance of Vampires, Werewolves and Humans. Just like it was in the Everwinter House, the Gate was being observed twenty-four-seven, with elites matching that of A-Rank Hunters stationed there at all times.

Under such tight surveillance, it was near impossible for the Outer Demons to invade without the world knowing. And yet, Eyghon and its goons managed to skip through all of those defences unhindered.

It was as if… They were smuggled through the Gates.

"If Eyghon had the Outer Demons living here all this time, it would explain how they could evade the Blackburn's House surveillance. Fortunately for us, the numbers seem to have diminished greatly. The bigger question was…"

"How did Eyghon appear here unnoticed?"

Ysabelle finished my sentence for me as if she'd read my mind. Hearing her so confident and thoughtful brought a warm smile to my face. Surprisingly, the girl and I were on similar wavelengths. No, why should I be surprised? Ysabelle was one of the girls that shared her soul with me. It made complete sense that we thought in the same manner.

Even if Eyghon had smuggled its minions in its stomach, most of them had been sent out to cause disturbances during the past few weeks. Judging by how empty Eyghon's inner world was, it was fair to conclude that there weren't many Outer Demons left here.

"The technology that created Eyghon is something beyond human capabilities. It wouldn't be surprising if they figured out a method to transfer it over without us realising it."

"... Are you saying that the Outer Demons can come to our planet without using the Gates?"

"Well, it's not outside the realm of possibility."

Urgh, the more I thought about it, the more my head hurts. If the Outer Demons really were that advanced, they could have wiped out our existence ages ago. Why would they have the need to send a massive machine like Eyghon to act like a reconnaissance unit?

Hargh… There's only one way to find out.

"Ysabelle, let's explore this place. We won't be able to do anything else, anyway."

"I share the same opinion."

Fortunately, just as I was about to send yet another wave of magic power to scan the area, a change occurred within the massive inner world. The grounds shook violently as the ruined buildings were cast aside. A massive fissure cracked within the centre of the world, revealing a broken stairwell into a dark chamber. I couldn't peer deep within it, but my senses tingled wildly.

At the centre of the chamber… Would be our key to escaping this hellhole.

❖❖❖

While Jin and Ysabelle were busy uncovering the secrets of the robot Demon Lord, the outside world had fallen into a state of complete panic. A Demon Lord sighting was a cause for the entire world to stop and focus all of its attention on dealing with the foreign threat. It didn't matter if they were Vampires, Werewolves, Humans, Elves or even the elusive Merfolk.

Every sentient being on the planet was unified when facing the common enemy.

And nowhere was it most prevalent when looking at the response to the Blackburn House's call for arms.

The Ten Guardian Houses, including the banished Bloodborne House, all sent a force of elites within the first five hours. The Everwinter and Moonreaver House were the most active of them all, sending many of their ancient existences to assist in the battle against the mighty Demon Lord.

The Werewolves didn't hold back either. Although there wasn't a single entity ruling over all the tribes, the Werewolves sent all of their Alphas to the Blackburn House in just half a day. The reason for their haste was due to the promise they'd made to the World Alliance. The Werewolves were the best force to deal with Eyghon, who could neutralise all forms of magic. And in the battle ahead, the Werewolves were going to take the spotlight with their immense physical strength and high resistance to magic.

The Elves and the Merfolk abstained from sending too big of a force as they weren't designed to fight in the region where Eyghon had appeared. Elves were spiritual creatures who thrived where the spirits lived, while the Merfolk were completely useless out of water. Put them in a barren canyon where there was void of trees or any water bodies, and it became apparent why the two races didn't fulfil their obligations to the highest degree.

However, they did send two contingents of healers and supportive personnel. Therefore, none of those present blamed the two races that much.

As for the Humans… Well, they sent the biggest force the world had ever seen.

One million B-ranked Hunters, a hundred thousand A-ranked Hunters, and over a thousand S-ranked Hunters were currently being rushed over from Warp Gates and private planes. Not to mention, the Holy Church was sending their top Exorcists, ones that could easily rival S-ranked Hunters and ancient Vampires. Rumour has it that the Pope had ordered ninety-nine bishops to join the expedition as well, and if the situation had turned dire, they were allowed to use the Holy Church's trump card.

That alone was enough to show how serious the entire world had treated Eyghon's descent into the mortal realm.

Such a large unified force was practically unheard of in modern times, but the Demon Lord's appearance warranted it.

In just half a day, the Blackburn Estate exploded in population, garnering the greatest force the world has ever seen. And they were all staring at the motionless fortress that stood imposingly over the entire region.

"So that's Eyghon… I'd never thought that I would get to see it in person."

An old, wizened man folded his arms together and furrowed his brows. Standing on top of a distant mountain, he cautiously inspected everything that he could about that massive Demon Lord, looking out for weak points and potential methods of defeating it.

"Have you never fought against a Demon Lord, Professor Cain?"

"Hey, I know that I look old, but I'm not that old! The last time Eyghon appeared was centuries ago!"

"S-Sorry, it's just since you're an S-ranked Hunter; I'd thought that you've fought them before."

The young man that accompanied the man quickly apologised while biting his lip. Just as the student had mentioned, the Professor was an S-ranked Hunter, one of the few elites that mankind had to offer. Although he had long retired from that life and had dedicated his retirement to studying the arcane, he was still a valuable asset that the world required, especially during this crisis where no one knew if the Demon Lord would wipe out a continent or not.

Besides, even if his old body wasn't agreeable, his academic mind and pursuit of the unknown drove him to pick up his wand once more.

"Haha, it's fine! It's been a while since I'd stepped foot on the battlefield anyway!"

"A-Are you afraid?"

"More in shock, really."

Professor Cain smiled as he observed his surroundings once more. This time, he averted his analytical gaze from the Demon Lord and looked closely at the various men surrounding him.

As a human who lived in a relatively peaceful area, the Professor rarely got to see the other races nowadays. Especially the Vampires, who had stayed hidden from the prying eyes of humans. So, seeing this many Vampires gathered in one place got the old man's heart pounding.

"I didn't expect them to call the Holy Church either."

The Professor turned sideways and saw several men wearing white, priestly robes. While on the outside, they looked cordial, none of the Holy Men even thought to mingle with the Vampires around. In fact, one could see the odd hostile gaze from both sides.

It wasn't a secret that the Holy Church and Vampires hated one another. It began long before the Crusades, and the enmity continues to this day. If not for the threat of the Outer Demons, neither side would have stopped their hostilities.

The threat of a common enemy sure was miraculous.

"They'd even sent that guy…"

Professor Cain's stare locked in on a tall, muscular man with black hair and silver eyes. That Exorcist's fame was so widespread that even a retired Hunter like himself could recognise that dreadful man.

"To think that the Vampires are willing to invite some of their greatest enemies to their home. I think the world is going to end today."

"That shows how dangerous the Demon Lord really is, right? To make the Vampires swallow their pride and ask for the Holy Church's assistance."

Professor Cain looked down at the young man he took as his protege and waved him off in a jestful manner. However, that simple statement got the Professor's mind churning as he recalled a scene many moons back.

'To let the elusive Vampires move, huh? If only I had that power, I could have convinced them to treat Jin. Speaking of which, I wonder what he's doing now?'