The tawny wand rose and fell gracefully, finally pointing at the bat hanging upside down beside the fireplace.
"Crucio," Voldemort silently intoned.
The spell took effect. The bat shrieked and dropped at once, writhing on the purple-and-black floor.
Great Shuraik's eyelid twitched. Little Shuraik and Blood Ni looked even more horrified.
Only Danylis gazed at Voldemort with adoration.
"Mother's Blood Feast may be ready. Perhaps we should go to the hall..."
"No."
Voldemort refused in a low voice. At the same time, the "dead" Alder wand in his hand continued to tremble—he was making the most of the time before Darkest Hour had fully faded, indulging in Dark Magic.
The room fell silent again. Only the bat's pained struggles echoed through it.
"Shuraik, we were friends long before I was called the Dark Lord."
Voldemort spoke suddenly, drawing the attention of several vampires.
"I don't have many friends, but I don't mind."
"These days, even friends do the same things as enemies."
The remnants of darkness in Voldemort's eyes flashed with a terrifying light.
His low words were accompanied by the bat's piercing shrieks.
"What you did today hurt me deeply..."
"Dark Lord, please let me explai—"
"Stop."
Voldemort's low, stern rebuke cut Great Shuraik off. "I'm just stating a fact. I only wanted to tell you that you were once my friend. As for what happens next, we'll deal with it later."
As he spoke, before Darkest Hour faded away, Voldemort raised his wand again.
"Avada Kedavra~~"
A flash of green light shot out. The bat stopped struggling. Voldemort slowly closed his eyes, savoring the power of Dark Magic.
Only after a long while did he open his eyes and look at Blood Ni. His gaze startled everyone.
"Obliviate."
Hearing the spell, everyone finally let out a sigh of relief.
The Castle Main Hall was a spacious chamber divided in two by a long table.
Several important figures of the Primitive Faction were present. Voldemort, his headscarf removed, had been given a seat of honor.
"This is the Appetizer Blood I prepared especially for you. Its taste is exceptionally sweet."
The Countess gestured, and a blood servant beside her carried a tray over to Voldemort.
On the tray sat a rustic bronze goblet filled with pale silver blood.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Countess."
Voldemort's gaze was full of greed. He picked up the goblet and drained it in one go.
The silvery-white liquid slid into his mouth like quicksilver. It had no bloody taste; instead, it was filled with fragrance.
The sound of people swallowing came from around the table. Voldemort was the only one with a cup of this blood.
"Does Unicorn Blood always taste this good?"
After keeping his eyes closed for a long while and feeling his soul's energy replenished, Voldemort opened his eyes and asked.
"No. Only the blood of a three-year-old unicorn is this sweet."
The Countess looked regretful. "Unfortunately, you can't collect too much blood from a unicorn of that age. Otherwise, by the time she grows up, the blood will taste unbearably coarse."
Voldemort smiled and nodded, though he didn't care in the least.
He wasn't a vampire, after all. He wasn't particular about drinking blood.
"Next is Cleansing Blood, from Mermaid Neil."
The Countess gestured again. This time, everyone received a cup.
But Voldemort frowned. The merpeople in his memory hadn't been particularly attractive.
As if she had read his mind, the Countess immediately explained, "Neil comes from warm waters, and he isn't ugly. You know I refuse to drink the blood of any ugly creature."
"Beauty is justice. On that point, I'm pleased to find that the Countess and I agree."
Voldemort raised his goblet, gestured to everyone, and drained it in one go.
The warm blood wasn't as fragrant as the previous one, but it was quite rich.
Voldemort considered it. It did almost nothing for his soul.
"The third course is Thick Blood, from a harpy. It's rather pungent. If you don't like it, you can move on to the next cup." As the blood servants brought out the drinks, the Countess spoke softly.
"When in Rome, I'll do as the Romans do. I can give it a try."
Voldemort smiled, raised his cup, and drained it in one go.
It was harsh, and the bloody taste was strong. He frowned and decided never to drink this kind of Thick Blood again.
"Next is the supplementary blood. Given your condition, I specially prepared the blood of an adult unicorn, from thirteen-year-old Sinai."
As the Countess introduced it, the blood servants brought out silver blood again.
Thoughtfully, Voldemort's cup was much larger than everyone else's. He really did need Unicorn Blood more than they did.
"You're very thoughtful. Thank you and the Earl for your hospitality."
Greed once more showed in Voldemort's eyes. He drank it without hesitation, then even let out a long, satisfied sigh. Compared with the blood of a young unicorn, the blood of an adult unicorn did more for his soul.
"The final course, the principal blood, is also unicorn blood—and it's some of our aged blood."
The Countess rose and personally picked up a cup of dark silver blood, then walked over to him.
Voldemort courteously rose to meet her, waiting for her explanation.
"The blood belonged to a Unicorn King who has since passed away. Unlike the blood of ordinary unicorns, it still possesses great vitality even after leaving the king's body. And thanks to the Bloodline Secret Method used to preserve it, its effects are as potent as ever."
The Countess spoke as she held the cup out to Voldemort.
"I can hardly wait to taste it."
Voldemort smiled as he accepted the cup. His eyes settled on the dark silver blood within. Its immense vitality seemed to rush toward him, but he didn't hurry to drink it.
"I'm curious. What exactly is the curse of Unicorn Blood?" Voldemort asked softly, turning the cup in his hand.
"It leaves the soul incomplete—or, you could say, it darkens the soul."
The pale-faced Earl explained, "The moment its blood touches your lips, you stand in opposition to the sacred. That's all. Heh heh heh..."
At his eerie laughter, the other vampires joined in.
They did have reason to laugh, because none of them were sacred—not even Voldemort.
"Then..."
Voldemort slowly raised his cup with a smile. "To the sacred?"
"To the sacred."
The vampires joined in, though the cups in their hands held ordinary Unicorn Blood, not the aged blood.
"Glug, glug..."
Voldemort swallowed the large cup of aged blood. Then its abundant vitality welled up from his stomach, and warmth spread through his body at once.
The blood of the Unicorn King really was extraordinary.
"Only... this curse is quite powerful, too."
Voldemort murmured, his brow creasing slightly.
The unicorn's curse now nearly matched the overflowing vitality, filling his entire body.
Anyone with a little knowledge could tell from the power of the curse spilling out of him that he had drunk Unicorn Blood.
"In a few days, the curse will weaken. There's no need to worry," the Earl said.
"But in a few days, I have to meet Dumbledore."
Voldemort's words left the vampires stunned.
The vampires: The Dark Lord... that joke isn't funny at all.
Before you continue