Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1878: The Vengeful Vampire

-----

"There is a way for lowly mortals like me to overcome your father’s curse," Sirius said. "And that is the Secret of Evolution—something he completely overcame because your father’s true authority mostly governs humans. This is also another reason why he seeks to suppress demi-humans so much and make humans the sole intelligent race in this world. Isn’t that right, Thor?"

"Tsk!" Thor clicked his tongue. "So what?! My thunder can surpass immunities and absorption!"

Thor manifested his divinity with even greater force than before, charging toward Sirius and clashing against him.

Sirius intercepted the blows with his bare hands, then unleashed a series of strange and unfamiliar techniques Thor had never encountered.

Calculated strikes targeted various points across Thor’s body, steadily weakening him over time.

At the same time, a peculiar energy flowed through Sirius, as though the Vampire was manipulating and weaponizing his very life essence.

"Curious?"

Sirius seized Thor’s hair, forcing the god to meet his gaze—eyes now filled with disbelief and despair.

"This is called Martial Arts, an art from a world known as Murim. The generous benefactors from Umbralheim—my ancestors—granted us many cultivation and martial art manuals and methods," Sirius explained. "And this energy is called Ki. A god like you, born with divinity, could never comprehend the true meaning of its power: to stake one’s life for even the smallest fragment of strength. You are all the most despicable and pathetic beings in this world—beneath even humans. And you will all be exterminated."

"NGAAAAHHH!"

Thor lost control. His vessel began to burn, unable to contain his full power, as his entire being transformed into a towering titan of seven different thunder hues.

"I DON’T CARE WHAT A WEAKLING LIKE YOU SAYS! I WILL DESTROY YOU, LOWLY VAMPIRE!"

RUMBLE!

"Yggdrasil will thrive better without you," Sirius said, gathering all the absorbed thunder into his right hand. "This beautiful world shall become one governed by us, Vampires. I have already promised Umbralheim a share of the spoils. It is time to change owners, Thor."

"DIEEEEE!"

Thor roared, swinging a titanic hammer of lightning the size of a mountain toward Sirius with every ounce of his might.

The resulting destruction was catastrophic: a massive hole tore through the heart of the Empire of Light, reaching down to the ground from which the empire had been raised and leaving behind an enormous crater.

BOOOMMM!!!

However...

"A-Ah...! What?!"

Thor’s thunderous eyes widened in shock as he saw the small figure of Sirius standing unshaken before his world-ending attack.

Crimson lightning crackled around Sirius’s hands; his eyes overflowed with raw power.

"I will show you the strength of the vermin you dared to trample all this time. In the name of my clan, of my family, I will destroy you."

"Nngh?!"

In that instant, Thor felt...

Fear!

Pure, overwhelming fear!

He could not believe it.

He—the Son of Odin—felt terror before a damned Vampire!

Preposterous. Ridiculous. Impossible!

"{Heaven-Collapsing Scarlet King Fist Arts}: {Fourth Form – God-Slaying Crimson Dragon Spear}!"

A spear.

Thor beheld a glorious crimson spear of lightning materialize as Sirius thrust his fist forward.

TRUUUMMM!!!

Then everything turned white.

The skies collapsed; for a moment, the world seemed to end.

Thor’s vessel exploded and disintegrated.

His Divine Consciousness, desperately attempting to flee back to the heavens, was caught by the spear and impaled.

"I have created my own Martial Art solely to slay all of you," Sirius said. "And I will let no one stand in my way ever again."

"W-Wait...! How is this even...! Ahhh! F-FATHER...! FATHERRRRRRR!"

BOOOMMM!!!

Thor’s Divine Consciousness detonated. Far above in the Heavenly Realm, his true divine body convulsed in agony as a giant crimson spear pierced his Divine Heart, forcing blood to pour from his mouth.

"Nnnguuhhh?! It followed me all the way here?! Aaack! Aaagh...! Damn it! Curse you, Sirius!"

Sirius sighed, gazing at his own hand with disappointment.

"So it is still not perfected. I cannot kill them across dimensions..." he murmured. "Oh well. I shall visit them personally once I finish here... Hm?"

Sirius turned his attention to the war raging below, his eyes widening as he assessed the power of Maria and her closest allies.

"Hmm, it seems I was not the only one who prepared thoroughly," he mused. "Well, this is only to be expected from the woman who conquered fifty worlds in the Tower and, in just three months, eliminated half of Umbralheim’s Family Heads." A very faint smile crossed his lips. "I should thank her. Without her interference, Umbralheim would never have grown desperate enough to share all those resources and magic artifacts with us while plotting to conquer Yggdrasil—her homeland—out of revenge."

Sirius sensed a massive presence approaching: a gigantic, white-scaled dragon whose eyes glowed with golden divinity, his magnificent divine aura spreading in all directions.

"Sirius! It really is you!"

"Hm? Who might you be, gentleman?"

Sirius studied the enormous white dragon, raising an eyebrow. He held no memory of ever befriending such a being.

"I may look different now, but you know who I am," the dragon said. "Sirius, you are the son of Bernardt, my sworn brother! I am the Dragon King Lucifer! Please, I beg you—stop this madness!"

"Hmmm?" Sirius stroked his short beard thoughtfully. "Ah! There was indeed someone like you in my father’s army... Yes, yes, the Dragon King Lucifer. I heard Maria had a dragon with her, so it was you this entire time, Sir Lucifer?"

"It was me! So you remember!" Lucifer nodded eagerly. "Please... just stop. I know what you want, and we will help you kill the gods! But humanity does not have to end! Stop this madness! If this continues, Yggdrasil itself will be destroyed!"

"Well, I am glad we can agree on a few things," Sirius replied. "However, I fear I cannot accept your proposal. Humanity must be completely eradicated from the face of this world. Only then can we Vampires—my clan, my only family—live in true peace. And this is not open for negotiation."

"Think for a moment about what you are saying!" Lucifer urged. "Your father, the previous Vampire King, would never have wanted this! He was a righteous and distinguished man—nothing like the reputation Vampires carry today! Back then, no Vampires suffered such infamy, all thanks to his tireless efforts to uplift his people despite their curse!"

"..." Sirius regarded Lucifer quietly for a moment, a faint tint of sorrow flickering in his eyes. "I apologize, Sir Lucifer."

"...? Sirius?" Lucifer faltered. Sirius’s consciousness expanded openly, revealing his true heart. "T-This is...!"

"The innocent and bright boy you once knew is gone," Sirius said. "Thousands of years have passed since my father died—since all of you died. Though I survived, it felt as though I died that day too. The old Sirius you remember is long dead. I trampled over him and even my father’s legacy. And though what I do now is to avenge him... I despise my father for being a man too obsessed with appearances, with society, with how others viewed Vampires—instead of truly caring for his family and doing what was best for them, even if it meant the lives of others. My father was a fool. And it seems you are one as well. I had hoped we could ally together. Dragons are, after all, the original inhabitants of this world... but it appears you have no such intentions."

-----