I was trembling…

Jin Valter. I heard he killed Eyghon, a Demon Lord that the Holy Church couldn't defeat. I heard he annihilated the Bloodborne House and killed its High Elder. And most terrifyingly… I heard he had become a Progenitor.

Sometimes, you hear something, and your brain can't fully comprehend it.

I've heard multiple stories of the horrors a Progenitor could cause. The legends of Dracula and how he dominated the planet. The fear that came with muttering his name. And the absurd power levels that a Progenitor could reach.

I had always taken those stories with a grain of salt and dismissed them as exaggerated myths created by the Vampires to strike fear into their enemies.

But my arrogance… My ignorance has cost me dearly.

I'd assumed that a Progenitor was nothing more than a powered-up Vampire. Perhaps a Vampire that was a little stronger than ancient monsters such as Matriarch Everwinter. But that was far from the truth.

Jin Valter… No, this monster… He wasn't a powered-up Vampire.

Just by standing in front of him, the blood in my veins drained back into my heart. My legs had become completely heavy, rooting my feet onto the ground. My scalp and face contracted wildly as if a million ants were crawling underneath them, and my bodily functions froze instantly.

Every bone in my body is screaming at me to run away, yet my brain is unable to function. Fear had taken over my body, forcing my chest to tighten and my heart rate to jump wildly. It took everything I had to remain conscious and keep a functioning mind, and even then… My soul was being corrupted by the second.

Paralysed from the waist down, I was unable to even comprehend a method to escape. Now I knew the feeling of a cornered rabbit facing an inevitable death in the face of a tiger. There was no point in running. This man… This monster will hunt me down and eradicate me from the planet.

As the monster approached me with an elegant smile, I started to weigh my options. For some reason, he wasn't going to kill me instantly like he did to Damien. And from his words, it seems like he wanted to experiment with my Holy magic.

This could be an opportunity for me…

If I could somehow trick him, I could find a way to escape. I don't know how, but I must find a way to trick the man. Otherwise… I'll die.

"Jin Valter… Why don't we play a game?"

"A game?"

"Yes, a game…"

"Interesting… You can still gather the wits to bargain in the face of a stronger enemy. Fine, I'll indulge you this once. Tell me your plans."

Good, the monster doesn't seem unreasonable, and it looks like he wants to keep me alive for now. As long as I can convince him not to use the one-shot magic he'd cast to kill Damien, I have a chance to survive!

"It'll be a simple game of tag."

I will distract him with a game of tag. From what I hear, powerful Vampires are often complacent and arrogant. They think every other creature is beneath them and won't treat them seriously. Furthermore, he seems to have a fascination with Holy magic.

He won't shoot his most powerful spells at me off the gate if he wants to keep me alive. Also, he'll toy with me like a cat that plays with its food. During that time, I will rely on a lapse of his judgement and summon a Warp Gate that can teleport me back to the Holy Church.

If he accepts my deal, I will have a chance to survive.

If he accepts my deal, that is…

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Instead of answering my terms and conditions, the Progenitor burst out in laughter. His laugh was so loud that the trees started swaying as the ground quaked underneath him. Numerous drops of sweat dripped down my cheeks and drenched my collar as I could not read through his intentions.

"W-What's so funny?"

"N-No… B-Buahahahahahha!!!! I'm sorry, it's just refreshing, you see." Wiping the tears from the corner of his eyes, the monster held back his laughter and said: "Not long ago, I was in the same position as you. I had fought with stronger enemies and used all sorts of schemes and scams to survive. To think that the shoe is now on the other foot! HAHAHA!!!"

The young man started to laugh once more. It took him twenty seconds for his laughter to calm down until he eventually came on track.

"You made me remember my fight with Sirius! It feels like a lifetime ago, but to think it's only been a little over half a year…"

Sirius? Was he talking about Sirius Moonreaver, the Lord of the Moonreaver House? While I had more questions, I didn't dare disrupt the Progenitor. He could, after all, kill me with a thought.

"Alright! You've intrigued me! I'll grant you mercy, but I won't play your game!" The Vampire bared his fangs at me and declared.

"Let's have a duel. The same duel Sirius and I had. Same rules, same handicaps."

"Same handicaps?"

"That's right. Let's have a duel; the time limit is an hour. If you touch me once, it's your win. And I will even throw a bone and restrict myself. I won't use my ultimate spells against you. If you succeed, I'll let you live. Hell, I'll even allow you to warp back to the Holy Church."

"... What if I lose?"

"Well… I'll let you find out if Heaven is real with your own eyes."

"..."

A duel to the death, huh? What a childish idea. Unfortunately, it was my only chance of survival. Without thinking twice, I accepted the Progenitor's terms.

"Thank you… I hope you will keep your end of the bargain…"

"I swear on the prestige of the Valter House."

I closed my eyes and took one deep breath in. My heart was still rapidly pounding from fear, and every fibre of my being was screaming at me to run away with all that I'd got. However, I pushed down those horrid thoughts and readied my firearms. At the same time, I channelled my magic power and prepared myself to cast several spells. And finally…

'Sanctified father in Heaven… Please bless your faithful servant with the strength to defeat your enemy.'

I offered a silent prayer. It was the only thing I could do against this monster who surpassed every limit known to man. And as if he'd read my prayer, a glowing golden light descended upon my body.

My Lord is with me… My God is with me…

And with him by my side…

I shall triumph!!!

I leapt into action, clad in my suit of divine amour. The Progenitor had a look of surprise on his face, likely since this was his first time seeing Holy magic in the flesh. He didn't move a single inch even though I'd closed the distance between us by at least ten metres.

Did he think that I wasn't a threat? It doesn't matter. Since he'd given me this opportunity, I shall use it well.

The barrels of my gun pointed straight at the man's face, and I unloaded all of my bullets at point-blank range. In theory, the average Vampire wouldn't perish no matter how many shots you sink into their immortal bodies. They would feel pain but could easily regenerate it all in minutes.

However, my silver bullets were different. Coated with Holy magic, the bullets could blow a Vampire's head into a million pieces, and they would perish like any regular human. I have killed countless Vampires with these bullets, and they have never failed me…

Until now…

Clink! Clink! Clink!

My bullets bounced off an invisible wall and ricocheted back at my body. With some fancy footwork and light movements, I evaded the bullets and distanced myself from the Progenitor.

The Vampire continued to look at me with eyes of confusion as if he were trying to solve a puzzle that confounded him. But at the same time, he was unperturbed by my actions, as if my attacks were nothing more than flies bothering him.

A barrier, huh? I should expect nothing less from the Progenitor. If I could win the duel with a single shot, he wouldn't be the greatest threat to the Holy Church.

If bullets cannot harm him, let's try a bomb!

I leapt from my feet and charged straight at the unmoving man. It seemed like he was observing and analysing my magic, utterly unfazed by its dangers. Luckily, his nonchalance allowed me to lay down the perfect trap. Shooting eight bullets into the ground around him, I created an octagon which linked my Holy power into one concentrated spell.

A golden magic circle spread out beneath the Progenitor's feet. With the power of my magic and prayer, a detonation of Holy power exploded on the Progenitor, sending shockwaves throughout the estate.

… I caused some damage, didn't I?

Underneath the dust and smoke, I couldn't see the state of the Progenitor. But no Vampire could remain unscathed after taking a direct hit with that much Holy power. But alas… My dreams were shattered as the man walked out of the cracked ground unharmed.

"What a fucking cheat…"

I couldn't help but laugh. What an absurd existence. Even my most destructive spell didn't do anything to the man. Not a single wound, tear on his clothes or even dirtied his flawless skin. He looked at me with the same curious face. The man was treating this duel like an experiment that he could easily end if he got bored.

Fuck… If that spell couldn't break through his barrier… Then nothing in my arsenal could ever harm him. There's no point in dragging this out any longer. Instead of pointlessly dragging this duel on, let's bet everything on this final move.

I threw my guns on the floor and fell straight to my knees. Grabbing the rosary on my neck, I closed my eyes and started to ardently pray.

"Oh hallowed father in heaven… Blessed be thy name…"

As expected, the Progenitor didn't attack me as I prayed. He was curious about my actions and would willingly allow me to complete the ritual.

I would say he's arrogant, but he had the skills to back up his lack of fear. Even though I wasn't confident in this move paying off, it was all I had.

"Grant me your mercy… Send down a flaming sword to strike vengeance on your enemies…"

My prayer took two minutes to complete, and I could feel my rosary heating up from all the Holy magic being poured into it. This was my trump card, the catalyst the Pope bestowed on me when I became the Head Exorcist. I had never once used it in battle, fearing the consequences of my deeds, but it was too late.

"Let your light guide me… And bring forth your infinite power!!!"

With one final push, I released the cross in my hands as it crushed itself into sand and light. The particles merged into one, and a humanoid form took shape. Six hallowed wings spread forth from the humanoid's back as a golden halo gently enveloped its head. Golden flames coiled around the wrists and ankles of the mighty being, with the hymn of Heaven itself playing as it manifested itself.

An Angel. My one and final trump card have been played.

An Angel's strength depended on the number of wings on its back. While I could never summon an eighteen-winged Archangel, a six-winged one was strong enough to kill most ancient Vampires.

I may not be able to kill or damage the Progenitor with this Angel, but I could at least break through his barrier. As long as I touched him once, I would have won the duel. Once his barrier breaks, I'll be able to sneak in during his shock and land a single bullet onto his body.

But unlike the look of shock I'd expected, the Progenitor sighed heavily.

"So that's how it is… Hah…"

The Vampire held his head with his free hand and sighed deeply. Then he said the words that would resonate within my mind forevermore.

"How disappointing."