"Alright everyone in the audience! Then in accordance with His Imperial Majesty's command! Let's see who exactly this newly entered contestant is!"
The disturbance caused by the Emperor himself temporarily subsided. The arena's host continued speaking. Under his voice, that gambler was thrown into the arena, and the Imperial soldier who threw him in also symbolically tossed him a rusted iron sword.
"Oh my! This person seems to have come with ill intent! We all know! Ordinary people use iron swords, stronger and richer ones use mountain copper swords, but he's actually using an old rusted sword! Incredible, incredible! Maybe he's going for some kind of retro route! This sword must contain some kind of lost secret technique!"
"My goodness! Is it actually a rusted sword! This really makes me, a high-level adventurer, quite frightened!"
"Hahaha! Don't make me laugh. This kind of trash—I could kill him with one hand."
"Quiet down a bit, don't mock the disabled."
"Yes yes yes hahahaha! Disabled person!"
Listening to the mockery from the surrounding Imperial soldiers, Lily slightly frowned. Although she hadn't expected these guys to have any class, this was too unrestrained.
Lily carefully examined these soldiers from the Empire for the first time. Soon, a familiar aura made her purse her lips.
"Blood Scythe..."
These soldiers had a very faint aura of Blood Scythe—more precisely, of Azicat—on them.
Just as Shia had said, the Empire's people must have found a way to collect the power leaking from Blood Scythe. Although it was less than one ten-thousandth of the level when Azicat personally wielded Blood Scythe, it had indeed transformed these soldiers.
If I'm not mistaken, their physical abilities have been enhanced, and they might have gained abilities like absorbing others' blood to heal their own wounds—essentially a super-weakened version of Azicat's descendants, the blood clan.
An army composed of half-vampires. I remember encountering similar things in early-game dungeons.
Speaking of which, are they afraid of sunlight? Although Azicat herself could act completely normally under the sun, those blood clan members couldn't.
Oh! These guys are just half-vampires! They're not as afraid of sunlight as vampires!
Damn! This Empire really did research it out!
I never expected the weapon I left on that battlefield to cause such big trouble. Ugh!
I can't take it anymore! I can't stand it!
Since this Emperor is right here, let's start by dealing with him!
I have already smelled it—the abyss-like, hell-like scent of blood on you! The abyss you are about to reach! I! Have come for you!
Well said, Miss Shadow Demon. When will you graduate from your chuunibyou phase?
But my judgment wasn't wrong. This Emperor really does have a heavy scent of blood on him.
He's been deeply affected by Blood Scythe. I remember Blood Scythe craves blood just like its master Azicat.
Wait! No way! Now I completely understand.
This guy! He's using blood to feed Blood Scythe! He didn't start this war to occupy the kingdom! This is why he doesn't care about the kingdom's people!
He never intended to integrate the kingdom into the Empire's territory! He just wants to find more blood to use!
How can I wait any longer! This is fucking anti-human!
Enough, no need to say more. Your death has arrived. Wait, for I shall come as the deepest darkness and fear in your heart!
Oh, stop making noise!
Lily shook her head forcefully, trying to make the Shadow Demon's characteristic chuunibyou quiet down temporarily. Her pure white hair spun in the air.
'What should I do?'
Should I directly summon Dragon King on the spot and have Catania kill him?
Oh, maybe this kind of enemy doesn't even need Catania to act—just using the Shadow Demon's power would be enough.
"Ahhhhh!"
Meanwhile, the battle in the arena finally ended.
Accompanied by a man's scream, the gambler's sword-holding hand was chopped off by the Imperial King of Soldiers in the arena.
Throughout the entire battle, that Flame Lion clan member Light hadn't moved once. His only action was grabbing the gambler and throwing him back out when the gambler tried to hide behind him.
And with the gambler's miserable state exposed, the atmosphere of the entire venue reached its peak again, with countless people cheering.
"Long live His Imperial Majesty!"
"Thank His Imperial Majesty for presenting this fierce battle for us!"
"That's right! His Imperial Majesty has a discerning eye! He could see this guy's potential at a glance! He really fought well!"
Ugh...
The atmosphere of mindlessly cheering for the Imperial Emperor in the arena made Lily feel a bit nauseous.
But it wasn't over yet. Next, the two people in the arena made a move that Lily hadn't expected.
Flame Lion clan member Light grabbed the gambler's neck and actually began drinking freely with the other's tacit consent.
"Oh, thanks bro. Ever since accepting His Imperial Majesty's magic, I've been liking to do this more and more."
"No problem bro. We're all Empire people. You look like you haven't eaten your fill in a long time."
"Yeah, the army rarely accepts demi-humans. I only recently started blood-sucking, so I'm still not used to it. Good thing drinking this guy's blood doesn't make me uncomfortable at all."
The entire venue was still cheering. Lily's expression began to become more serious.
Because she had just heard Light's statement—he seemed not to be a soldier, just a civilian.
That is to say, Blood Scythe's influence! Has even reached civilians?!
Lily activated perception magic to cover a small area around her. She obtained a shocking fact.
"How could this be..."
Not only Empire people, but quite a few kingdom people also already had Azicat's aura in their bodies. They've been marked by Blood Scythe?!
No wonder these people look so emaciated! This dog Emperor! He's using these people's blood! Especially the kingdom people's blood to feed Blood Scythe?!
It's over! It's over! Now the problem can no longer be solved by force alone!
Even if I transform into Catania and slap that Emperor to death, Blood Scythe will still control these people's blood. They'll soon be drained and become mindless puppets manipulated by Blood Scythe!
No!
This damn Emperor! How could he do things so thoroughly! You really fucking deserve to die!
Your mother's egg... well done... you did well...
Lily silently adjusted her summoned beast panel. She had already selected that terrible guy.
She just needed to confirm once more with her consciousness, and she would become that guy.
Honestly, she was really a bit scared.
Azicat's bloodthirst was both a characteristic of her race and her own personality. This guy had caused trouble for Lily even back in the game period.
If she could suck enemies' blood, it was fine, but once she couldn't, she would even go suck her own teammates' blood.
Although she really would become super strong after sucking blood, Lily still preferred the Dragon King lady who could be used right away and was relatively obedient and well-behaved.
"At least find Blood Scythe first."
Maybe I can use Catania's appearance to communicate with that black dragon big sister! That's right!
Transform!