- You're not a vampire... - I never said I was a vampire.
- I never said I was a vampire. - I never said I was a vampire," Neo agreed, sitting back in the comfortable leather armchair with his leg over his head.
In a spacious, darkened room with tall candles flickering in the corners, two people sat across from each other-a young boy in a school uniform and a very tall creature completely hidden by a hoodie.
The creature's long, nearly five feet long arms trembled softly in endless pain, and its coal-black claws, visible from under its sleeves, slowly dripped blood, sprinkling the white floor drop by drop.
- Give me one good reason why I can't drink you dry, you human brat!
- I have ten. - Five pairs of snow-white wings appeared abruptly from behind the boy, lighting up the room with white light and enveloping Neo like a cloak. A halo of gold flashed above Mori's head, and his dark eyes slowly turned golden, blazing with otherworldly lights.
- Grrrah! - The creature tried to cover the hood with its gray arms, and convulsed in pain, howling in a thin voice. - Please, stop it!
- I will, you beast. - said Neo, slowly, looking up at the pitiful creature, sobbing in pain. - I'll stop it when you realize what you're in for. If you try to call for help, there won't even be ashes left of your nest. I, Archangel Jophiel, known as the Seals of God. Known as the Beauty of God. I will destroy everything here. Do you understand me, Nosferatu?
- Got... Understand...
The spectacle ceased at once, and the wings and halo slowly melted into the air, only the eyes glowing with gold, telling me that what had just happened was no dream.
- Listen to me, you creature of God. God put me on this sinful earth because he's ready... - Neo smiled, like a father watching his child's first steps. - To forgive you and the sin of your progenitor.
- You... - The old vampire couldn't believe what he was hearing, slowly calming the horror of what he was seeing and the plethora of emotions that erupted. - Is it true?
- It really is. - Maury agreed, crossing his arms in his lap. - God is willing to restore your humanity by forgiving the sin of Cain. Too much time has passed, He is tired of seeing the evil of the past slowly accumulate itself through the centuries. Multiplying itself... If you ask me, I would destroy you all. To see you wreaking your miserable existence in the darkness of night... It pains me to see how what was originally man, in His image, has turned into you miserable disfigured creatures. But I am not Him, and it is not for me to judge you...
The vampire listened in horror and awe to the words of the creature sitting before him.
With the edge of his consciousness he sensed that something was wrong. Why couldn't he feel the overwhelming power of the Archangel? He had only heard of them, but he had never seen them in real life... Oh, and the vein of blood that was beating on the guy's neck? Or the faint smell of blood that... no, impossible! Could an Archangel drink a man's blood and not become the Fallen One?!
- Blood... you drank blood?!
- I am willing to repeat the deed of Adam and Eve, if that is what it takes to fulfill his thoughts. - Naeo answered calmly, neither denying nor confirming Nosferatu's words. - Why do you think I have not fallen? As long as my Will and Faith in Him is firm, I will not fall... - Mori clapped his hands sharply, making the vampire flinch. - Now, creature, answer the question. Are you ready to do His Will, or have I gone through all this humiliation for nothing? Are you ready, Lamork, to become human again? Are you willing to do His Will for this?
Nosferatu was willing to go to great lengths to regain his human form, to stop feeling the endless hunger and pain that accompanied the endlessly rotting body of the undead.
But he hesitated-what if he didn't keep his promise? Though there was no such thing, but...
From beneath the hood, two scarlet eyes gleamed, looking back at the Archangel's kind smile.
No, the creature couldn't lie... It would have fallen at once. But why did He send down "The Beauty of God," as if in mockery to the cursed Nosferat? Why not "The Voice of God," or did it die during the Three Factions War?
И... Nosferatu couldn't remember if he was still alive... Though what is there to think about, here he sits before him, glowing with eyes blazing with God's Wrath, which makes not the weakest creature, who has lived for centuries, shudder.
- Tell me... are you really "Beauty of God"? - The ancient vampire's lips seemed to move on their own.
He didn't want to ask the question, was afraid of it, but Lamork had been searching for "his beauty" for a long time. He wanted to know the answer to one of the age-old questions.
- Do you want to know why this particular form? - Neo covered his eyes, stopping to stare in all directions with a fiery glare. - The truth is, Lamork, that beauty... - the boy's face slowly "flowed," changing to that of a stately man with a small black goatee. A human face that the vampire had forgotten since the Middle Ages. Forgotten and tried to remember every day. - Embodied in every one of his creatures. Even in you, Sir Lamorac of Wales, the last of the Knights of the Round Table.
- What... I have to do. - The ancient vampire's voice trembled with tears. - I'm willing to do anything if I can be myself again...
- Don't cry, his child. - Neo returned the young boy's original face. - And listen to His task: in a month a sacred maiden will come to the city of Kyo, able to heal anyone with her light. But the naive soul has been lured into a trap by the Fallen Traitors who collaborate with the church. Also, the territory of this city has recently been under the control of Demons. Which is why we can't intervene without starting another war.
- I think... I understand. - The vampire said uncertainly. - You want my nest to protect her?
- No." Neo's eyes went back into flames. - He wants you to kill everyone, including everyone in the immediate neighborhood. No one must know what happened, but the priestess must stay alive. His plans still need her. Just make sure she sees everything... know what happens to those who betray Him.
- N-but... - Such words, stripped of goodness with malice, were extremely creepy to hear, even for an ancient Nosferatu. Especially from a holy creature endowed with tremendous power. There was nothing but coldness in his words, like light in a winter's time, and they pierced to the core.
- Do you doubt his thoughts? - Mori slowly rose from his seat, putting his hands in his pockets and taking one last look at Nosferatu. - Remember, His ways are unpredictable, and He punishes traitors with fire and casts them into the depths of hell. Or else... - Neo took a few steps toward the exit, but at the last moment he turned around. - Don't you want to be human again, you mundane beast?
- I do!" the vampire shook the thought of killing the villagers out of his head. A creature that has taken untold numbers of lives, and yet you care about mere humans? Ridiculous! The encounter with the Archangel had shaken something in his black soul, but the desire to become human again nullified the beast's signaling instincts. - I'll do anything!
- Wonderful. - The guy smiled and headed further out. - Exactly one month from today. In the evening, exterminate everyone near the abandoned church in Kyo, which has recently become the unofficial territory of the Fallen. Remember, take the lives of all the people in the nearby neighborhood-the Fallen have blackened their souls with their dark rot, but leave the sacred maiden, named Asiya, alive... And then your whole nest will be forgiven.
- It will be fulfilled.
Neo nodded to the "bartender" waiting outside the door, and he led him to the exit of the branching network of tunnels beneath the building that permeated the entire city.
Unfortunately, vampires didn't have a world of their own, like demons or angels. Now only two clans could somehow coexist with humans-the Tepes and the Carmilla-but the Nosferatu and a host of other monsters like the Skeletrons could no longer live among humans. The deformed creatures, stripped of their humanity, were left to hide in the shadows, shaking with fear to the rays of the sun underground, under cities and in basements.
Who knows, maybe every man has his own monster living in the basement?
Or is he, chained up, hidden deep in the chambers of the mind? Everyone chooses his own answer.
With these thoughts in mind, the boy adjusted his glasses and stepped outside, finally breathing in the fresh air.
For him it was like a breath of water for a traveler. The stale air of the dungeon was bad for Neo, and the near fainting spell and the unbearable burning in his chest area only further exacerbated Maury's critical condition.
But he endured; he had to endure the price of using "this" ability.
The boy slowly made his way toward his father's car, which pulled up, right on schedule, immediately taking a seat in the back seat.
- Father, I'm going to lie down and rest. Can you tuck me in?
- Of course I will. - The man calmly agreed, looking at the pale face of the boy, visible in the reflection of the mirror. - Did you have a good walk?
- It was fine. - Naeo nodded, leaning back in the easy chair and closing his eyes. - Thank you, father.
Neo slipped instantly into a hazy restorative sleep - the damage to his internal organs was too extensive for the human body, and the magical exhaustion was worsening his already deplorable condition.
He would spend the next day sleeping completely in his house, alarming several of the intelligentsia with his absence.
But Mori gave an account of these actions in advance, counting on a favorable outcome.
The chance of his death in this situation was about thirty-two percent, but the guy decided to take the risk and did not fail.
And the day after tomorrow... the day after tomorrow you can visit one of the main figures in the field, with this action putting one of the many plans into an active phase.
But that will be the day after tomorrow. After he's done rebuilding the body in the lab. Some organs will have to be replaced or re-grown, but that's not critical right now.
The important thing is that the plan burned out.
After all, today was an important turning point in the fate of many reasonable people.
- Oh, I wish I could crumple the boobs... - mournfully mumbled a rather famous in his circles pervert, radiating with all his appearance universal sorrow.
Issei's day had been bad since the morning. First, some mad dog snatched a limited edition porn magazine right out of my hands and ran off with it.
When the guy finally caught up with the damn dog, all that was left of the magazine was a spit-up memory. Good thing the pervert's perfect memory knew every millimeter of the magazine by heart, if Issei had wanted, he could have redrawn it with his own hands, but he was lazy, and his thoughts and plans were occupied with other things.
For example, the breasts of young schoolgirls, their short skirts and beautiful teachers.
What else was a young guy to think about? The future? A family?
Well, Issei had thought more than once or twice about how he would finally start dating, and not with one, but with three or five young beauties at once, and everything would be fine with him, but one thing is dreams, and another is the hard asphalt of reality.
The guy's mind couldn't understand why he hadn't started a harem yet. Why did everyone condemn his extreme fondness for pretty girls? It's perfectly normal! It's not even that, it's good! It's wonderful! The girls should be thankful that Issei peeks at them, appreciating beautiful bodies and, between the blows of not the weakest of women's fists, commenting on their beauty!
Eh, women are very strange creatures. But their breasts...
- Boobs, gee... - A dreamy smile popped up on Issei's face, and saliva slowly flowed from the corner of his lip.
Schoolgirls in the boy's path began to crook their faces and whisper, and some old woman even crossed herself, but the boy paid no attention to quite mundane things.
He was now entirely in his own thoughts, straight into the "endless land of boobs."
- Issei, hello. - Someone's familiar voice, coming from the left, brought the guy out of his fantasies.
- Mats-. Neo? - Issei was a little surprised, looking around at the familiar smiling face of the "bespectacled man". - Hey, dude, what brings you here?
- I saw a familiar face and decided to catch up. - shrugged Neo, throwing a black leather briefcase on his shoulder. - How are you, didn't you take much damage last time?
- No, I'm fine! - The pervert responded cheerfully, wiping saliva with the back of his hand. - Thanks for helping me out. I don't know what I would have done without you!
- You're welcome, Issei.
- Oh, it's too bad you don't want to hang out with us, we'd show you the wonderful world of boobs and porn... - there were notes of grave sorrow in the guy's voice. - Well, it's your choice, Neo, you still don't know what you're giving up!
- I'm sorry, I just don't have time for this. - Neo looked at his companion for a moment.
- It's okay, man, I get it... studies and such? You're in first place with Sona-sempai! And she's so cute, I could squeeze her, hehehehehe... - Issei coughed twice, distracting himself from thinking about the beautiful things. - Dude, that's... if you have any problems or suggestions, come to me! You've saved and helped me more times than I can count, and you never asked for anything in return! Remember, I will definitely help you!
Issei had long wanted to say these words to his... ...friend. Yes, a friend. He was already in contact with Issei, but he had saved him from trouble a hundred times, and had even helped him with his studies when he was in despair, failing a test, and getting to the nurse's station.
And he wasn't supposed to! Of course, Neo helped everyone and was widely known throughout the academy as a "hero," not the kind from fantasy books, but the very same "hero of our realities.
There, just two days ago leaked information that he saved a girl from a truck, breaking her arm in the process. Isn't that worthy of respect?
Yes, as twisted and fallen for society as Issei was, he had his own notions of honor. Perverse, perhaps, as his whole mind was, but notions.
He never forgot to help, for he was so seldom helped by people. In fact, with the exception of his parents and Neo, no one had ever helped him... Though he remembered having a friend as a child... but that's childhood and doesn't count anymore.
Even his friends, Matsuda and Motohama, didn't help him, but often left him at the mercy of the furious furies that hide behind the guise of ordinary schoolgirls... pretty, but schoolgirls.
In any case, Issei believed in justice and that his sincere belief in women's breasts would surely be rewarded.
As they say: good for good, tit for tat... or something like that. The guy sincerely believed in those words and vowed to follow them to the end. That was his way as a pervert!
- I don't need anything, Issei. - Neo smiled at the corners of his lips, fixing his glasses.
- You do. - Issei's eyes blazed with fanatical fires of "faith in his chest," and he squeezed his friend's shoulder tightly, looking into his glasses-hidden eyes. - I believe it's necessary. Tell me, Neo, I will certainly try to help you! Porn, maybe some advice with the girls... even though I don't have much of a relationship with them, but I have a size list of all the beauties at the academy!
- God, he's sick...
- Neo, don't listen to him, get away from that devil!
The schoolchildren walking to class whispered and watched with undisguised pain as Mephistopheles tried to tempt Faustus.
But they had faith that naive Eve would not give in to the serpent's entreaties!
- Issei, I really don't need anything. - He repeated, staring into Issei's eyes for a second. - What do you want?
- What?
- Do you mind if we meet after class? - Naeo continued, ignoring his confused companion. - Are you free?
- Well... - shit, porn or friend? Porn or... - Free. - Issei answered dejectedly, scratching the back of his head. - Why...
- I'll explain everything later. Wait for me at the academy gate, okay? - Mori interrupted him, patting him on the shoulder. - I'm going to go meet someone. And thank you, Issei.
- You're welcome... - The boy couldn't understand what he saw in his comrade's gaze. Something that made his heart flinch and fill with... fear, was it? Or was it just an impression?
Issei frowned at the back of the rapidly receding Neo, then decided to stop thinking about such nonsense.
A slightly different thing was more important right now, the buffers.
And all kinds of misgivings that don't happen, that's a secondary matter!
*Few people know that the Biblical God is dead (for those who have not read the DhD canon). There is a very small circle of reasonable people who know this.